Evaluation of an antimicrobial resistance monitoring program for Campylobacter in poultry by simulation

An ideal national resistance monitoring program should deliver a precise estimate of the resistance situation for a given combination of bacteria and antimicrobial at a low cost. To achieve this, decisions need to be made on the number of samples to be collected at each of different possible sampling points. Existing methods of sample size calculation can not be used to solve this problem, because sampling decisions do not only depend on the prevalence of resistance and sensitivity and specificity of resistance testing, but also on the prevalence of the bacteria, and test characteristics of isolation of these bacteria. Our aim was to develop a stochastic simulation model that optimized a national resistance monitoring program, taking multi-stage sampling, imperfect sensitivity and specificity of diagnostic tests, and cost-effectiveness considerations into account. The process of resistance testing of Campylobacter spp. isolated from cloacal swab samples from poultry was modeled using a Markov Chain Monte Carlo model. Different sampling scenarios on the number of flocks to be tested, the number of birds from each flock, and the number of campylobacter colonies submitted to susceptibility testing were evaluated regarding the precision of the resulting prevalence estimate. Precision of the prevalence estimate was defined as the absolute difference between apparent and true prevalence of resistance. A partial budget approach was utilized to find the most cost-effective combination of samples to obtain a defined precision of the prevalence estimate. For a sampling scenario testing 100 flocks, five birds per flock, and one campylobacter colony per sample, the median error of the prevalence estimate was 2.5%, and 95% of the simulations resulted in an error of 7% or less. When the total number of samples was kept constant, maximizing the number of flocks tested, and only testing one bird per flock resulted in the most precise prevalence estimate. Submitting more than one campylobacter colony to resistance testing did not improve the prevalence estimate. Partial budget analysis indicated that the most cost-effective strategy was testing of two birds per flock, and submitting one colony per sample to resistance testing.     

Bacillary angiomatosis in an immunosuppressed dog

A dog being treated with immunosuppressive doses of prednisone and azathioprine for pancytopenia of unknown origin, developed, over a 2‐week period, multiple erythematous nodular lesions in the skin including footpads. Skin samples revealed lesions identical to those of human bacillary angiomatosis (BA). The nodules were composed of multifocal proliferations of capillaries, each lined by protuberant endothelial cells. The capillary clusters were separated by an oedematous connective tissue, lightly infiltrated with degenerate inflammatory cells, including neutrophils and macrophages. Tissue sections stained with Warthin–Starry silver stain revealed large numbers of positively stained bacilli in the stromal tissue, most heavily concentrated around the proliferating capillaries. Lesions of vascular degeneration and inflammation were evident. Bartonella vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii genotype 1 was independently amplified and sequenced from the blood and the skin tissue. The pathognomonic nature of the histological lesions, demonstration of compatible silver‐stained bacilli in the tissue, and identification of B. vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii in the blood and tissue indicates that this is most likely the aetiologic agent responsible for the lesions. Antibiotic therapy was successful in resolving the nodules. It would appear that B. vinsonii subsp berkhoffii, like Bartonella henselae and Bartonella quintana, has the rare ability to induce angioproliferative lesions, most likely in association with immunosuppression. The demonstration of lesions identical to those of human BA in this dog is further evidence that the full range of clinical manifestations of human Bartonella infection occurs also in canines.     

Traditional ‘maavee’ rice production in Sri Lanka: environmental,economic and social pressures revealed through stakeholder interviews

The Nilwala Ganga Basin of Sri Lanka includes important natural wetlands that are habitat for vulnerable animal and plant species. Flood protection and intensive rice production in the Basin have resulted in degraded acid soils and declining rice yields. However, traditional ‘maavee’ rice production outside the flood protection scheme has continued to generate a high-value rice product. This study reports on interviews conducted with farmers and other stakeholders to document the production practices and the potential environmental and economic benefits associated with maavee rice paddies. The maavee production system has prevailed for at least several decades. Farmers apply no chemicals to their paddies, relying instead on alluvial deposits as a source of nutrients, and on the natural pest and disease resistance of their traditional varieties. The maavee rice product can attain three times the selling price of rice from conventional farms making it more economically viable than conventional rice production. However, much of maavee production is for home consumption and the system is threatened by increasing labour costs, an ageing farming population and pressures to increase rice yields. Non-invasive production practices and the proximity of maavee paddies to regenerating wetlands in the Kirala Kele Sanctuary suggest that traditional paddies may constitute an important habitat for vulnerable wildlife; however, maavee farmers also perceive wetland birds as potentially damaging to rice. Based on a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis, we make recommendations for future research needs and potential management actions to safeguard the environmental and economic sustainability of the maavee system.     

The efficacy of a single intraperitoneal injection of oxolinic acid in the treatment of bacterial infections in goldsinny wrasse (Ctenolabrus rupestris) and corkwing wrasse (Symphodus melops) studied under field and laboratory conditions

The efficacy of a single intraperitoneal injection of oxolinic acid to control an outbreak of atypical Aeromonas salmonicida infection in goldsinny wrasse (Ctenolabrus rupestris) and in the treatment of systemic vibriosis in corkwing wrasse (Symphodus melops) was examined. In addition a field study was performed to examine the effect of medication on the survival rate of goldsinny wrasse in Atlantic salmon cages. Four groups of wild caught goldsinny wrasse, each of 50 fish, were treated with an intraperitoneal injection of propylene glycol:saline (50:50) (control) or 50 mg/kg oxolinic acid at a concentration of 50 mg/mL. Three days after medication the fish in all groups were treated by an intraperitoneal injection of prednisolone acetate and an increase in seawater temperature from 9.0 to 11.5 degrees C. Cumulative mortalities were 18% in the two groups treated with oxolinic acid and 94 and 100% in the unmedicated control groups, giving a 'relative percentage survival' (RPS) value of 82%. A laboratory maintained population of originally wild caught corkwing wrasse experiencing high daily mortality was treated with oxolinic acid (50 mg/kg) or propylene glycol:saline (control). Cumulative mortalities were 84% (control) and 42% (oxolinic acid medicated group) giving an RPS value of 50%. In a field investigation using goldsinny wrasse approximately 30% were medicated with oxolinic acid (50 mg/kg) prior to stocking in cages with Atlantic salmon. In two of three cages the cumulative mortality was significantly lower (P = 0.025 and P < 0.001) in the medicated groups.