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Factors associated with knowledge, attitudes, and practices of mixed crop-livestock farmers on Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) and other zoonoses in Burkina Faso
Full text linkBackground The burden of zoonotic diseases remains high in low and middle-income countries. Among the most prevalent zoonoses, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) can pose economic and health threats, particularly among at-risk professionals. We aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding CCHF and other zoonoses among mixed-crop livestock farmers in the rural settings of Burkina Faso. Methods A cross-sectional study that involved selected households from sixteen villages was conducted. Consenting participants aged six and above were randomly included, and a structured questionnaire that collected socio-economic data, knowledge, attitudes, and practices concerning CCHF and other zoonoses was administered. Two index outcome variables were created based on an elaborated scale: i) attitudes and practices at risk of CCHF; and ii) knowledge of zoonoses. Descriptive statistics were performed, and univariable ordinary least squares (OLS) and seemingly unrelated regression (SUR) were used for univariable and multivariable modeling, respectively, to assess the drivers of both outcomes. Results Of the 717 respondents, 66.4 % were male, and 20.4 % were under 15 years old. The attitudes and practices at risk were high (48.1 %), and the knowledge toward zoonoses was limited for 47.8 % of the farmers. Our multivariable SUR model shows higher odds of attitudes and practices associated with CCHF risk in men (Coef [95 %CI] = 2.85[2.14;3.56]; p-value<0.001). This risk increases with the distance to the livestock grazing area, and among the households owning their livestock grazing area (Coef [95 %CI] = 1.57[0.47;2.66]; p-value = 0.005). The farmers' age (Coef[95 % CI] = 0.02[0.002;0.04]; p-value = 0.028), the male gender (Coef 95 %CI] = 1.5[0.94;2.14]; p-value<0.001), the household's farming surface (Coef[95 %CI] = 0.03[0.002;0.6]; p-value = 0.032), were the significant factors driving knowledge of zoonoses among the farmers. Conclusion The study reveals concerning high-risk behavior associated with CCHF among mixed-crop livestock farmers in rural Burkina Faso. The identified socio-demographic drivers underscore the importance of targeted educational and preventive measures to mitigate the impact of CCHF in this vulnerable population
Investigation of the Influence of Cold and Heat on Flower Development in Various Sweet Cherry Cultivars
Full text linkAvian influenza overview September–December 2024
Full text linkBetween 21 September and 6 December 2024, 657 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5N1) and A(H5N5) virus detections were reported in domestic (341) and wild (316) birds across 27 countries in Europe. Many HPAI outbreaks in domestic birds were clustered in areas with high poultry density and characterised by secondary farm-to-farm spread. Waterfowl, particularly the mute swan, were primarily affected during this reporting period, with HPAI virus detections focused on south-eastern Europe. Notably, A(H5N5) viruses expanded their geographic and host range, resulting in a surge in detections and mortality events described in gulls and crows. No new HPAI virus detections in mammals were reported in Europe during this reporting period, but the number of dairy cattle farms reportedly affected in the United States of America (USA) rose to >800 in 16 States, and HPAI virus was identified in two pigs in a mixed-species farm. Between 21 September and 11 December 2024, 56 new human cases with avian influenza virus infection were reported from North America (45 A(H5N1) cases), Viet Nam (one A(H5)) and China (ten A(H9N2) cases). Most of the A(H5) human cases in North America (95.6%, n = 43/45) had reported exposure to poultry, live poultry markets, or dairy cattle prior to avian influenza virus detection or onset of illness. Human infections with avian influenza viruses remain rare and no evidence of human-to-human transmission has been documented in the reporting period. The risk of infection with currently circulating avian A(H5) influenza viruses of clade 2.3.4.4b in Europe remains low for the general public in the European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA). The risk of infection remains low-to-moderate for those occupationally or otherwise exposed to infected animals or contaminated environments
Determining multiple stressor interactions in mass-reared insects based on principles of ecotoxicology
Full text linkInsect mass-rearing is a rapidly expanding industry for the production of protein for food and feed. These highly productive artificial rearing environments can expose insects to a range of biotic and abiotic stressors, including insect pathogens, which may result in population crashes. Interactions between insect pathogens with multiple stressors can exacerbate the effects of individual pathogens on host insects. However, reliable predictions on the combined effects of individual stressors based on mechanisms of action are lacking within the field of insect pathology. We review how ecotoxicological modelling of multiple stressors can be applied to mass-reared insect systems and discuss the importance of standardization across research fields investigating multiple stressors. Important considerations in multiple stressor terminology, experimental design, endpoints and analysis of results are discussed to improve understanding of multiple stressors and their impact on insects for food and feed. This is essential for ensuring optimal rearing conditions for mass-reared insect populations
International Bottom Trawl Survey Working Group (IBTSWG; outputs from 2024 meeting)
Full text linkThe International Bottom Trawl Survey Working Group (IBTSWG) coordinates long-term, fishery-independent bottom trawl surveys in the Northeast Atlantic and North Sea, providing data for stock assessments and analyses of the distributions and relative abundance of fish. IBTSWG also promotes the standardization of fishing gears and methods. The surveys are important platforms for additional data collection (e.g. fish larvae, stomach contents, fish tagging, and fish parasites). This report summarizes national contributions in 2023–2024 and plans for the 2024–2025 surveys. In the North Sea, the surveys are performed in Q1 and Q3. The 2024-Q1 North Sea IBTS was impacted by storms and an enforced vessel change. Other factors (e.g. offshore infrastructure and static fishing gear) increasingly impact on access to some fishing areas and increases steaming times. Some surveys had to fish at stations relatively close to each other in order to ensure sampling in all rectangles. The 2022-Q3 North Sea IBTS was broadly completed. The number of valid hauls and average tow duration were comparable to previous years. The abundances of 0-group cod and haddock were lower than the previous year. The Northeast Atlantic surveys are conducted in Q1, Q3-4, with 14 national surveys operating over the continental from northern Scotland to the Gulf of Cádiz. Most surveys were completed successfully. The Portuguese survey was impacted by mechanical issues, and the Northern Irish survey was unable to operate in Irish waters. Further otter-trawl coverage of the western English Channel was completed by France, with these survey data now in DATRAS. Further adjustments to the proposed new survey trawl were agreed, with intersessional work undertaken over 2024. The gears plans in the current report are likely to be subject to further, minor modifications, and should be finalised in the coming year. The increase in the numbers of offshore infrastructure projects (e.g. windfarms) and number and extent of protected areas is impacting on the sites that can be sampled effectively by trawl surveys operating in many areas. IBTSWG also met online with various data users, including relevant stock assessment groups, to present summaries of relevant surveys. Correction (12 March 2025): Updated the list of authors
Borna disease virus 2 maintains genomic polymorphisms by superinfection in persistently infected cells
Full text linkMammalian orthobornaviruses, such as Borna disease virus 1 (BoDV-1) and variegated squirrel bornavirus 1, are zoonotic pathogens that cause fatal encephalitis in humans. BoDV-2, another mammalian orthobornavirus with high genetic homology to BoDV-1, is believed to share the same geographical distribution as BoDV-1, indicating its potential risk to human health. However, due to the limited number of isolations, the virological characteristics of BoDV-2, such as pathogenicity and infectivity, remain largely unexplored. Here, we re-evaluated the whole-genome sequence of BoDV-2 and established a reverse genetics system to investigate its virological properties. Compared to the published reference sequence, we identified two nonsynonymous nucleotide substitutions in the large (L) gene, one of which was critical for restoring polymerase activity, enabling the successful recovery of recombinant BoDV-2 (rBoDV-2). Additionally, we identified two nonsynonymous single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the L gene and one in the phosphoprotein (P) gene. Substitution of these SNPs significantly enhanced the growth ability of rBoDV-2. Furthermore, our studies demonstrated that BoDV-2 does not induce superinfection exclusion in cells, allowing the persistence of low-fitness genome variants for an extended period of time. These findings help to characterize the virological properties of BoDV-2 and shed light on how bornaviruses maintain genetic diversity in infected cells
Einstellungen zu Lebensmitteln aus konventioneller und ökologischer Landwirtschaft
No full textVorstellung des Forschungsprojekts "Einstellungen zu Lebensmitteln aus konventioneller und ökologischer Landwirtschaft" (Ziel der Studie, Forschungsdesign, erste Ergebnisse, weiteres Vorgehen
Dose-response relationships in cereulide intoxications: Data from outbreak related and routine food testing
No full textCereulide is an extremely heat stable toxin produced in food during growth of emetic Bacillus cereus group strains. Ingestion of cereulide leads rapidly to nausea, vomiting and occasionally to organ failures and even fatal outcome. Based on animal trials the emetic dose is estimated to be approximately 10 μg/kg body weight [1], whereas the acute reference dose (ARfD) is estimated to be 0.03 μg/kg body weight, corresponding to 1.8 ng/g of food [2]. Reported cereulide concentrations in food samples associated with intoxications are mostly in the range of 1,000 ng/g, while the B. cereus (s.l.) levels range from 102 to 107 cfu/g [1]. Here we present cereulide concentrations in food samples from outbreaks and routine testing together with colony counts and sequencing based characterization data of emetic isolate
Training data set for PAL filter
Full text linkTraining dataset or a binary classification model designed to distinguish real harbour porpoise echolocation narrow-band high-frequency (NBHF) signals from synthetic NBHF signals emitted by the PAL (Porpoise ALert, pinger alternative) in passive acoustic monitoring data collected using F-PODs (Chelonia Ltd., UK) within the PAL-CE project (thuenen.de/pal-ce, 2021-2025, BfN FKZ 3521820700). The training data set consists of the click train details table (.xlsx) that can be exported from the FPOD app (F-POD software v1.06) using the automated KERNO-F algorithm classifying for NBHF signals and retaining only high and moderate click train categories. Two experienced trainers manually separated click trains corresponding to real harbour porpoises and those belonging to the artificial PAL sounds based on visual information of the signals. A combined .xlsx file was created retaining only click trains were both annotators agreed resulting in a consensus-based training dataset comprising 154,772 click trains (912 real porpoise clicks and 153,860 PAL signals). This dataset was used to train an eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) classifier (xgboost v1.7.8.1, R), enabling efficient and automated filtering of PAL signals from the broader dataset.Trainingsdatensatz für ein binäres Klassifikationsmodell zur Unterscheidung zwischen echten Echoortungssignalen von Schweinswalen im schmalbandig-hochfrequenten (NBHF) Bereich und synthetischen NBHF-Signalen, die vom PAL (Porpoise Alert, Alternative zum Pinger) ausgesendet werden, in passiv-akustischen Monitoringdaten, die mit F-PODs (Chelonia Ltd., UK) im Rahmen des PAL-CE-Projekts (thuenen.de/pal-ce, 2021-2025, BfN FKZ 3521820700) erhoben wurden. Der Trainingsdatensatz besteht aus der Tabelle der Klicksequenz-Details (.xlsx), die aus der FPOD-App (F-POD Software v1.06) unter Verwendung des automatisierten Analysealgorithmus KERNO-F exportiert wurde. Die Klassifikation erfolgte auf Basis von NBHF-Signalen, wobei nur die Kategorien „hoch“ und „moderat“ bei den Klicksequenzen berücksichtigt wurden. Zwei erfahrene Annotator:innen trennten manuell Klicksequenzen realer Schweinswale von jenen der künstlichen PAL-Signale, basierend auf der visuellen Darstellung der Signale. Es wurde eine kombinierte xlsx-Datei erstellt, in der nur solche Klicksequenzen enthalten sind, bei denen beide Annotator:innen dieselbe Klassifikation vornahmen. Daraus resultierte ein konsensbasierter Trainingsdatensatz bestehend aus 154.772 Klicksequenzen (912 echte Schweinswal-Klicks und 153.860 PAL-Signale). Dieser Datensatz wurde verwendet, um ein binäres Klassifikationsmodell mit eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost, xgboost v1.7.8.1, R) zu trainieren, um eine effiziente und automatisierte Filterung von PAL-Signalen aus dem Gesamtdatensatz zu ermöglichen