An integrated process and management tools for ranking multiple emerging threats to animal health

The UK's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs supports the use of systematic tools for the prioritisation of known and well defined animal diseases to facilitate long and medium term planning of surveillance and disease control activities. The recognition that emerging events were not covered by the existing disease-specific approaches led to the establishment of the Veterinary Risk Group (VRG), constituted of government officials, and supporting structures such as the Risk Management Cycle and the Emerging Threat Highlight Report (ETHiR), to facilitate the identification, reporting and assessment of emerging threats to UK's animal health. Since its inception in November 2009 to the end of February 2011, the VRG reviewed 111 threats and vulnerabilities (T&V) reported through ETHiR. In July 2010 a decision support system (DSS) based on multi-criteria-decision-analysis (MCDA) improved ETHiR to allow the systematic prioritisation of emerging T&V. The DSS allows the regular ranking of emerging T&V by calculating a set of measurement indices related to the actual impact, possible impact on public perception and level of available capabilities associated with every T&V. The systematic characterisation of the processes leading to the assessment of T&V by the VRG has led to a consistent, auditable and transparent approach to the identification and assessment of emerging risks. The regular use of MCDA to manage a portfolio of emerging risks represents a different and novel application of MCDA in a health related context.     

Varietal response to lead by lettuce

Nine lettuce varieties were hydroponically-grown at six substrate Pb concentrations to 50 ppm in substrate. Top and root tissue Pb concentration, amounts assimilated, and translocation to edible tissue were dependent on the variety as well as substrate lead and exposure duration. Even though Pb in substrate was in a precipitated form, lettuce plants could assimilate and translocate Ph. Differential response of varieties with similar morphology indicated genetical regulated physiological mechanisms of Pb assimilation and translocation. This evidence suggests varietal selection could minimize human and animal dietary intake of Pb via food plants. While early growth of some varieties was stimulated by low concentrations of Pb, and high solution concentrations suppressed growth of several varieties, genetic variation also included non-significant response of growth.     

Cardiopulmonary effects and induction and recovery characteristics of isoflurane and sevoflurane in foals

OBJECTIVE: To compare induction and recovery characteristics and cardiopulmonary effects of isoflurane and sevoflurane in foals. DESIGN: Prospective crossover study. ANIMALS: 6 healthy foals. PROCEDURE: Foals were anesthetized twice (once at 1 month of age and again at 3 months of age). Anesthesia was induced by administration of the agent in oxygen through a nasotracheal tube. During maintenance of anesthesia, foals were positioned in dorsal recumbency; intermittent positive-pressure ventilation was performed. Characteristics of induction and recovery were recorded. Cardiopulmonary variables were recorded 10 minutes after anesthetic induction and 15, 30, 45, and 60 minutes later. RESULTS: All 6 foals were successfully anesthetized with isoflurane and sevoflurane. There were no significant differences between the 2 drugs in regard to characteristics of induction or recovery, and induction and recovery were generally smooth and unremarkable. There were no significant differences between drugs in regard to measured cardiopulmonary variables; however, both drugs caused initial hypotension that resolved over time. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results suggest that isoflurane and sevoflurane can both be used for general anesthesia of 1- to 3-month-old foals. Significant differences between the 2 agents were not detected for any of the variables measured, suggesting that quality of anesthesia with these 2 agents was comparable.     

Surgery alone or in combination with radiation therapy for treatment of intracranial meningiomas in dogs: 31 cases (1989-2002)

OBJECTIVE: To compare, for dogs with intracranial meningiomas, survival times for dogs treated with surgical resection followed by radiation therapy with survival times for dogs treated with surgery alone. DESIGN: Retrospective study. ANIMALS: 31 dogs with intracranial meningiomas. PROCEDURE: Medical records of dogs with histologic confirmation of an intracranial meningioma were reviewed. For each dog, signalment, clinical signs, tumor location, treatment protocol, and survival time were obtained from the medical record and through follow-up telephone interviews. RESULTS: Dogs that underwent tumor resection alone and survived > 1 week after surgery had a median survival time of 7 months (range, 0.5 to 22 months). Dogs that underwent tumor resection followed by radiation therapy had a median survival time of 16.5 months (range, 3 to 58 months). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results suggest that in dogs with intracranial meningiomas, use of radiation therapy as a supplement to tumor resection can significantly extend life expectancy.     

Modelling foot-and-mouth disease: a comparison between the UK and Denmark

Whilst the UK 2001 FMD (foot-and-mouth disease) outbreak provides an extremely rich source of spatio-temporal epidemic data, it is not clear how the models and parameters from the UK can be translated to other scenarios. Here we consider how the model framework used to capture the UK epidemic can be applied to a hypothetical FMD outbreak in Denmark. Whilst pigs played a relatively minor role in the UK epidemic (being the infected animal on just 18 farms), they dominate the Danish livestock landscape. In addition, it is not clear whether transmission parameters from the UK will transfer to Denmark where farming practices may be significantly different. We therefore explore a large volume of high-dimensional parameter space, but seek to relate final epidemic size, risk of spread to Danish islands and potential success of control measures, to early indicators of epidemic dynamics. The results of this extensive modelling exercise therefore allow us to provide timely advice on control options based on the observed behaviours of the first few generations.     

Management of uterine and vaginal prolapse in the bovine.

Uterine prolapse in cows is a historic topic that is well discussed in scientific veterinary literature and texts, argued at legendary proportion between practitioners, and even referenced in western poetry. The condition occurs sporadically and is recognized easily, but sometimes it is not so easily repaired. This article discusses the replacement, repair, and removal of the uterus and helpful techniques and potential complications. Because the veterinarian occasionally encounters situations where manual eversion (iatrogenic prolapse) of the uterus is helpful, particularly for efficiently repairing the traumatized uterus in the field, a technique for iatrogenic prolapse is discussed.     

Short-Term Control of an Invasive C4 Grass With Late-Summer Fire

Yellow bluestem (Bothriochloa ischaemum [L.] Keng var. songarica [Rupr. ex Fisch & C.A. Mey] Celarier & Harlan) is a non-native, invasive C₄ grass common in southern Great Plains rangelands. We measured the effects of a single late-summer (September 2006) fire on yellow bluestem at two sites in central Texas (Fort Hood and Onion Creek). At Fort Hood, relative frequency of yellow bluestem in burned plots decreased from 74 ± 4% (preburn; mean ± standard error) to 9 ± 2% (2007) and remained significantly lower compared with unburned plots through 2009 (burned: 14 ± 2%; unburned: 70 ± 14%). At Onion Creek, yellow bluestem initially decreased from 74 ± 5% (2006) to 32 ± 7% (2007). Yellow bluestem recovered substantially by 2009 (67 ± 10%) but was still significantly lower than in unburned transects (96 ± 1%). Relative frequency of other graminoids increased significantly in burned plots (compared with preburn values) at Fort Hood (preburn: 11 ± 4%; 2009: 29 ± 7%) but not at Onion Creek (preburn: 24 ± 6%; 2009: 22 ± 7%). Frequency of forbs increased dramatically in the first growing season after fire (Fort Hood: 15 ± 2% to 76 ± 3%; Onion Creek: 2 ± 2% to 45 ± 5%), then decreased through the third growing season (Fort Hood: 57 ± 6%; Onion Creek: 11 ± 4%). Key differences between the sites include much higher biomass at Fort Hood than at Onion Creek (8 130 kg ? ha^-1 vs. 2 873 kg ? ha^-1), more recent grazing at Onion Creek (ending in 2000 vs. before 1996 at Fort Hood), and higher rainfall after the Onion Creek burn (214 mm in 20 days vs. 14 mm). Late-summer fire can temporarily decrease yellow bluestem frequency, but effects vary with site conditions and precipitation. Restoring dominance by native grasses may require additional management.     

Blowing in the wind? Nutrient enrichment of remnant woodlands in an agricultural landscape

Increasing fertiliser use in agricultural landscapes is likely to threaten the viability of remnant native vegetation in many parts of the world. Australia’s prime grain production landscapes have nutrient poor soils, which formerly supported semi-arid woodland. The ecological function and capacity for regeneration of these remnants may be particularly susceptible to nutrient enrichment. The key sources of nutrients are wind and water deposition from crop fertilisation, and manure and feed from sheep. We hypothesised that these sources would result in unequal deposition of nutrients within and among remnant vegetation patches. We surveyed soil nutrients (Total N, Available P and K, C:N ratio, and soil pH) in the edges and interiors of 60 remnant woodland patches of various sizes, and in adjacent cultivated paddocks. Nutrient load was negatively correlated with remnant size and patterns were particularly strong for available P. Small remnant patches (<3 ha) were accumulation zones for nutrients, with levels comparable or higher than within crop lands. The patterns are consistent with the hypothesis that small remnants are strongly enriched as a result of being used for livestock shelter. In larger remnants, the primary cause of enrichment is consistent with edge accumulation of nutrients due to wind and water movement. In large patches, remnant edges, particularly the windward edge, were elevated compared to interiors of large patches. In these semi-arid crop lands, current trends in intensification of cropping and a shift away from livestock may reduce the input of nutrients to small patches but increase the nutrient threat to larger remnants.