Analysis of time-space clustering in veterinary epidemiology

Techniques useful for investigating time–space interaction in the clustering of events in veterinary epidemiology — the Mantel test, Barton’s method, nearest-neighbour test and Knox’s test — are described. The use of these techniques is demonstrated by the analysis of a data set (containing blowfly catches on a commercial sheep property located in Tasmania, Australia, during the period December 1997–May 1998) in which clustering was apparent. Significant (P<0.05) clustering of blowfly catches in the data set was only detected by Knox’s test. The use of Knox’s test provided an insight into the possible clustering of blowfly catches over short (≤3 km) spatial and temporal (≤1 month) distances. Results demonstrate that several techniques should be used when attempting to identify and describe whether events are clustered in time and space (to maximise the power of the analysis). Also, it is important to consider the spatial and temporal models implicit in techniques chosen when interpreting results of analysis.     

Spatial clustering of swine influenza in Ontario on the basis of herd-level disease status with different misclassification errors

This approach maximizes sensitivity of serology-based monitoring systems by considering spatial clustering of herds classified as false positive by herd testing, allowing outbreaks to be detected in an early phase. The primary objective of this study was to determine whether swine herds infected with influenza viruses cluster in space, and if so, where they cluster. The secondary objective was to investigate the combining of a multivariate spatial scan statistic with herd test results to maximize the sensitivity of the surveillance system for swine influenza. We tested for spatial clustering of swine influenza using the Cuzick–Edwards test as a global test. The location of the most likely spatial clusters of cases for each subtype and strain in a sample of 65 sow and 72 finisher herds in 2001 (Ontario, Canada), and 76 sow herds in 2003 (Ontario, Canada) was determined by a spatial scan statistic in a purely spatial Bernoulli model based on single and multiple datasets.

A case herd was defined by true herd-disease status for sow or finisher herds tested for H1N1, and by apparent herd-disease status for sow herds tested for two H3N2 strains (A/Swine/Colorado/1/77 (Sw/Col/77) and A/Swine/Texas/4199-2/98 (Sw/Tex/98)). In sow herds, there was no statistically significant clustering of H1N1 influenza after adjustment for pig-farm density. Similarly, spatial clustering was not found in finisher herds. In contrast, clustering of H3N2 Sw/Col/77 (prevalence ratio = 12.5) and H3N2 Sw/Tex/98 (prevalence ratio = 15) was identified in an area close to a region with documented isolation of avian influenza isolates from pigs.

For the H1N1 subtype tested by ELISA, we used an approach that minimized overall misclassification at the herd level. This could be more applicable for detecting clusters of positive farms when herd prevalence is moderate to high than when herd prevalence is low. For the H3N2 strains we used an approach that maximized herd-level sensitivity by minimizing the herd cut-off. This is useful in situations where prevalence of the pathogen is low. The results of applying a multivariate spatial scan statistic approach, led us to generate the hypothesis that an unknown variant of influenza of avian origin was circulating in swine herds close to an area where avian strains had previously been isolated from swine. Maximizing herd sensitivity and linking it with the spatial information can be of use for monitoring of pathogens that exhibit the potential for rapid antigenic change, which, consequently, might then lead to diminished cross-reactivity of routinely used assays and lower test sensitivity for the newly emerged variants. Veterinary authorities might incorporate this approach into animal disease surveillance programs that either substantiate freedom from disease, or are aimed at detecting early incursion of a pathogen, such as influenza virus, or both.     

A model of the relationship between the epidemiology of Johne's disease and the environment in suckler-beef herds

A non-predictive, dynamic and stochastic herd-level simulation model of an outbreak of Johne's in a suckler-beef herd is reported. Importantly, the model incorporates, with a simple method, the environment as the primary source of infection, reflecting the consensual understanding of the disease. The model also takes into account the density of the infectious agent in the environment. A sensitivity analysis suggests that the model is highly and equally sensitive to certain parameters (probability of infection in the presence of one unit of bacterial density, infectious area and bacterial shedding rate). Mathematical reasons for this similarity in sensitivity are presented. Compared to many other diseases, data for Johne's are scarce. Therefore models of Johne's outbreaks including this one cannot be predictive or easily validated. The qualitative results: (a) demonstrate the modelled effect of inclusion of infection via the environment; (b) suggest management factors that could be tested by experimentation or observation. Estimates for the rate of transmission, arising from the model output, are similar to published empirical estimates. The results of future empirical research should aid scientific understanding of the disease, help validate this model and might bring economic benefits through improved management.     

HPLC-PDA法检测17种兽药中非法添加氨茶碱、二羟丙茶碱的研究

建立了17种兽药中非法添加氨茶碱和二羟丙茶碱的高效液相色谱法,以十八烷基键合硅胶为填充剂,0.025mol/L磷酸二氢钾溶液-甲醇为流动相,二极管阵列检测器全波长(200～400nm)扫描,270nm进行测定,并采用峰纯度检查和光谱相似度检查辅助对照品比对方法,对非法添加药物进行确证。在此液相色谱条件下,氨茶碱和二羟丙茶碱与其他物质峰能很好的分离,两种药物在0.5～200μg/m范围内线性关系良好,相关系数r均为1.0000。按外标法以峰面积计算,氨茶碱和二氢丙茶碱的平均回收率为92.6%～108.3%,RSD为0.05%～3.7%。结果表明,该方法适合兽药中氨茶碱和二羟丙茶碱的检测。     

The time required to achieve endotracheal intubation in dogs: a comparison of veterinary students and qualified veterinary surgeons

ObjectiveTo determine whether final year veterinary students take longer to perform endotracheal intubation than qualified veterinary surgeons.Study designObservational cohort study.AnimalsA total of 38 healthy mesocephalic dogs undergoing general anaesthesia for a clinical purpose unrelated to this study.MethodsTime to successful endotracheal intubation, measured from termination of intravenous induction drug administration to confirmation of endotracheal intubation, was recorded for two groups: final year veterinary students (group S) and qualified veterinary surgeons (group V). Animal age, breed and anaesthetic induction agent were also recorded. Following normality testing the groups were compared for each variable using the Student’s t test or Mann–Whitney U test where appropriate. The level of significance was defined as p < 0.05. Timed data are presented as median and interquartile range.ResultsTime to successful intubation was 54.2 (31.3) seconds in group S and 11.7 (8.5) seconds in group V, the difference being significant (p < 0.001). There was also a significant difference between groups for animal age (p = 0.036) but not for breed (p = 0.573) or induction agent (p = 0.239).Conclusionsand clinical relevance Veterinary students take longer to achieve successful endotracheal intubation of anaesthetized healthy dogs compared with qualified veterinary surgeons. To mitigate any additional risk of dogs developing hypoxaemia, it is recommended that a 55 second time limit is set after which the supervisor intervenes and takes over the intubation procedure. Preoxygenation may be used as an additional mitigation strategy.     

Investigations of cattle herd breakdowns with bovine tuberculosis in four counties of England and Wales using VETNET data

Cattle herd breakdown (HBR) with bovine tuberculosis (BTB) was investigated for farms in four counties of England and Wales outside southwest England from 1986 to early 2000. Data from the national database of TB testing history (VETNET) were used. Factors that influenced HBR included calendar time, herd size, number of cattle tested, the test type, the inter-test interval and spatial grouping of farms. Herd tests other than routine herd tests had an increased risk of HBR in all four counties. In all counties, the risk of HBR increased with calendar time and in Shropshire a test interval of 3 years was associated with an increased risk of HBR compared with a 1-year test interval. In Staffordshire and Sussex, a 4-year test interval was associated with a lower risk of HBR compared with a 1-year test interval. There was no evidence of spatial clustering of HBR in West Glamorgan (equal spatial risk in a 15–30 km radius) and weak evidence of spatial clustering in Shropshire (7–15 km) and Sussex (5–10 km). In Staffordshire, there was evidence of spatial (2–4 km) and time (3–4 years) clustering of HBR. The locally increased rate of testing following a confirmed HBR increased the detection of infected herds but did not prevent local spread in two of the four counties (Shropshire and Staffordshire) since the rate of HBR increased linearly from 1988 to 2000. The main conclusion is that there were both local and distant components of spread.     

我国兽用抗菌药物使用调查分析

利用调查和统计数据,对我国兽用抗菌药物生产、使用情况进行了汇总统计和分析,发现我国畜禽养殖中存在规模化程度低、环境设施差、缺乏技术指导和宣传培训等问题,并提出了改变经营模式、提升现代化养殖水平、加强兽用抗菌药物从生产到使用的全程监管、建立和完善兽医服务体系、加大宣传培训和技术指导力度等对策建议。     

上杭县动物疫病免疫抗体检测与分析

为全面掌握上杭县高致病性禽流感、口蹄疫、猪瘟、高致病猪蓝耳病、鸡新城疫等主要动物疫病的免疫效果,根据上级主管部门动物疫病检测方案,对上杭县21个乡镇的1 019份畜禽血清进行了抗体检测,结果显示主要动物疫病免疫抗体合格率均超过农业部规定的标准,表明上杭县2013年秋防主要动物疫病免疫效果总体良好。     

Prevalence of intercurrent disease in dogs and cats presented for vaccination at a veterinary practice

A prospective study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of intercurrent disease in dogs and cats presented for vaccination in general practice. Fifty-two percent of animals were found to suffer from intercurrent disease and 3% had severe debilitating disease. A thorough clinical examination conducted at the time of routine vaccination appears to be an important element in maintaining companion animal health and welfare.     

Considerations for analysis of time-to-event outcomes subject to competing risks in veterinary clinical studies

In veterinary medicine, prospective clinical trials are increasingly utilized to address questions regarding effectiveness of therapies and patient prognosis. A large number of these trials involve time-to-event (TTE) endpoints, which require special methods of analysis to handle data in which not all subjects are observed to have the event of interest. Analyses and interpretation of the results can be further complicated when an endpoint of interest is not observed in some patients because they incur a competing risk, such as death from an unrelated cause. Competing risks have been the source of confusion in many epidemiologic analyses leading to the potential for misinterpretation. In this article, we review key considerations for the TTE analysis in the setting of competing risks. We briefly review standard TTE tools, namely Kaplan–Meier survival curves and Cox regression. In the setting of outcomes with competing risks, we provide guidance on the appropriate analysis techniques, such as cumulative incidence curves, to estimate the risk of an event of interest. We also describe a common pitfall of treating competing risks as censoring in Kaplan–Meier survival curve analysis, which can overestimate the event rate of interest. We describe two common regression methods that examine associated risk factors in the presence of competing risks and highlight the different research questions these methods address. This article provides an introductory overview and illustrates concepts with examples from veterinary trials and with example data sets.     

Evidence-based veterinary dentistry: a systematic review of homecare for prevention of periodontal disease in dogs and cats

Successful treatment and prevention of periodontal disease in pet animals requires a multidimensional approach to identify and eliminate exacerbating factors, provide scheduled professional examinations and care, and plan and implement a dental homecare program. Over the years, many therapeutic and preventive interventions have been developed or advocated for periodontal disease, but evidence of efficacy or effectiveness is highly variable. Accordingly, the main objective of this systematic review is to identify and critically appraise the evidence supporting various aspects of homecare for prevention of canine and feline periodontal disease.     

Anesthetic waste gases in veterinary medicine: analysis of the problem and suggested guidelines for reducing personnel exposures

Anesthetic waste gases are a concern to veterinarians and their personnel. Investigations have shown that many of the anesthetic units used in veterinary medicine have leaks that contribute to operating room contamination. Many others do not have appropriate scavanging attachments to remove escaping gases. Personnel were frequently observed carelessly using equipment or handling anesthetic agents in a manner contributing to excessive exposure. Proper maintenance of equipment and careful use of gaseous anesthetic agents can significantly reduce waste gas levels and exposure of personnel.     

自主活动鸟类禽流感及新城疫的生态学与流行病学调查分析

在2004年初H5亚型禽流感在中国内地引起暴发前后，于湖北、广西二疫区市县的生态系中，自健康的鹰、鸽子、野鸭和鹌鹑中采集了54份血清，应用血凝抑制试验（HI）对其进行了血清学检测，并将获得的血清学检测数据进行了统计学分析。分析结果显示，在总共采集的54份血清样品中，抗新城疫病毒（NDV）抗体、抗It6亚型禽流感病毒（H6）抗体、抗H9亚型禽流感病毒（H9）抗体、抗H5亚型禽流感病毒（H5）抗体阳性率分别为64．8％、64．8％、75．9％、29．6％。推断这一时期新城疫病毒（NDV）、H6亚型禽流感病毒（H6）、H9亚型禽流感病毒（H9）和H5亚型禽流感病毒（H5）共循环于该生态系中，其中新城疫病毒、H9、H6亚型禽流感病毒长期、稳定循环于该生态系中，为该生态系主要流行血清型。血凝抑制试验检测结果发现，抗H5亚型禽流感病毒抗体效价较低，最高仅为640，其阳性率为29．6％，推断其可能为新近传入的病毒或新近重组变异出现的新病毒、与该次流感暴发相关的新病毒，这一推断还有待于通过对病毒基因序列的分析而做进一步验证：另外，新城疫病毒在该生态系中的稳定循环，构成了对家禽持久、潜在的威胁。对于自1994年以来，长期稳定循环于我国生态系及家禽中的H9亚型禽流感病毒则仍然是以G9-like为优势亚组。本研究结果还提示我们，对我国自主活动鸟类的生态系中抗禽流感病毒抗体的监测是预警、预报我国家禽流感暴发的有效途径，也是十分必要的，同时，血清学的检测结果为我们进一步的分子水平的分析研究提供了明确的靶向。     

Expenditures for veterinary services and other costs of disease and disease prevention in 57 California beef herds in the National Animal Health Monitoring System (1988-1989)

Data on costs associated with episodes of disease and disease prevention, including expenditures for veterinary services, were collected from 57 California beef cow-calf herds during 1988-1989 as part of the National Animal Health Monitoring System. Mean cost associated with episodes of disease was $33.90/cow-year, with $0.78 and $1.37/cow-year being spent for veterinary services and drugs, respectively. The highest cost for veterinary services related to episodes of disease were for dystocia, lameness, and ocular carcinoma. For disease prevention, mean expenditures for veterinary services were $1.67/cow-year, nearly all of which was spent on prevention of reproductive tract conditions. Preventive expenditures for veterinary services related to female infertility (pregnancy examination), vaccination against brucellosis and male infertility (breeding soundness examination) were $0.72, $0.39, and $0.22/cow-year, respectively. Many costs associated with episodes of disease and disease prevention were similar to those reported from Colorado National Animal Health Monitoring System beef herds.     

RESEARCH PAPER: Comparison of two different methods for physiologic dead space measurements in ventilated dogs in a clinical setting

ObjectiveTo compare physiologic dead space (V_D) and physiologic dead space to tidal volume (V_T) ratio (V_D/V_T) obtained by an automated single breath test for carbon dioxide (CO₂) (method SBT) and a manual calculation (method MC) in ventilated healthy dogs.Study designProspective clinical study.AnimalsTwenty client‐owned dogs, ASA I and II undergoing anaesthesia for clinical purposes.MethodsFollowing pre‐medication, induction of anaesthesia, and intubation of the trachea, intermittent positive pressure ventilation was commenced. Mixed expired CO₂ partial pressure (PēCO₂) was measured by two methods: method MC by analysis, using an infrared capnograph, of the expired gas collected in a mixing box and method SBT which calculated it automatically by a device consisting of a mainstream capnograph and a pneumotachograph. At four time points arterial partial pressure of CO₂ (PaCO₂) was measured. Physiologic dead space variables (V_D and V_D/V_T) were calculated manually (method MC) or automatically (method SBT) using the Bohr–Enghoff equation.Method MC and SBT were compared using Bland–Altman plots and linear regression. Intra‐class correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to measure consistency of each method.ResultsFour measurement pairs were obtained in all 20 dogs for method SBT and MC. The bias was ?1.15 mmHg, 7.97 mL and 0.02 for PēCO₂, V_D and V_D/V_T, respectively. Linear regression analysis revealed a correlation coefficient (r²) of 0.79, 0.94, and 0.83 for PēCO₂, V_D and V_D/V_T, respectively. The ICC revealed an excellent consistency for both methods.ConclusionsThe single breath test (SBT) can be used for clinical evaluation of V_D and V_D/V_T in anaesthetized ventilated dogs.Clinical relevanceThrough measuring V_D and V_D/V_T important information about lung ventilation can be obtained and the SBT is an easy method to use for this purpose.