Veterinaria Italiana (Journal)
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P03.2 Preliminary analyses of two floodwater mosquito populations and Earth Observation data (Sentinel2 spectral bands) in collection sites in Central Italy
No full textVector presence and population dynamics are strongly linked to climatic factors (Chevalier et al., 2004), which consequently can have an impact on the transmission of vector borne diseases. In particular, the abundance of floodwater mosquitoes results from the successive waves of adult emergences due to different flooding of the breeding sites (Becker et al., 2010). Floodwater mosquitoes (e.g. Aedes vexans and Aedes caspius) commonly reach high abundance levels, causing tremendous nuisance in the near and far surroundings, and possibly acting as vectors of arboviruses (e.g. Rift Valley Fever and West Nile viruses). In this preliminary analysis, the abundance of floodwater mosquitoes, determined by field data collections, was compared with Earth Observation data of the same area.
The field data were collected during an intensive and systematic entomological surveillance, carried out in Abruzzo and Molise Regions, as part of the National Plan for prevention, surveillance and response to West Nile and Usutu viruses, and other research projects. The field activity was carried out in four mosquito seasons (2019 – 2022) from May to November; the insect collections were performed weekly or biweekly, using CDC-light traps baited with CO2. Overall, 2,145 collections were made in 60 collection sites and almost 45,000 mosquitoes were morphologically identified, belonging to the 7 genera present in Italy and to 20 different species. Basing on the abundance of floodwater mosquitoes, two collection sites were selected to for this study: Campomarino (Molise Region), where 87.1% of collected mosquitoes belongs to Aedes caspius, and Altino (Abruzzo Region), where Aedes vexans shows its highest abundance. The two sites are close to a marshy area and a river, respectively.
To catch the local characteristics of the possible mosquito breeding sites, the field data collected in two sites were compared with high resolution images by means of the Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI) trend, using the free web application EO browser (https://www.sentinel-hub.com/explore/eobrowser/) and selecting the time range relevant for mosquito emergence. NDWI index is used to monitor changes related to water content in water bodies, using green and near infrared bands of the electromagnetic spectrum (McFeeters, 1996). Abundance peaks of the two mosquito populations were detected approximately 3 weeks after the increase in water surface, following periods of drought.
This work is a preliminary attempt to use Sentinel-2 data to explain trend/abundance in two mosquito species in central Italy. Limitations due to differences in timing among mosquito collections, satellite passages, cloud coverage, should be considered in further analyses, as well as integration of other data and sources.
Understanding the main drivers leading to abundance peaks of mosquito population would be helpful to focus vector control programs. In this perspective, new insights could derive using new satellite imagery
P7-03 The epidemiology of human brucellosis in the British Isles 2000-2020: an ongoing travel-related threat in a non-endemic region
No full textAlthough successfully eradicated in some parts of the world, brucellosis remains one of the most significant zoonotic diseases. Here, we describe human cases of brucellosis in the British Isles, where bovine brucellosis, caused by B. abortus, has been successfully eradicated, and ovine/caprine brucellosis, caused by B. melitensis, has never been reported. In total 188 cases of brucellosis were confirmed by biotyping of isolated cultures submitted by hospitals to the WOAH an FAO Refernce Laboratory for Brucellosis (APHA, UK), largely isolated from blood, between 2000 and 2020. A significant number of bacterial isolates submitted were excluded as Brucella and a subset of these isolates were identified by 16S rRNA sequencing to be organisms potentially confounding hospital automated or semi-automated bacterial identification systems. The vast majority of confirmed Brucella cases were caused by B. melitensis (91%) and, where data were available, all appeared associated with travel to endemic regions - most commonly Somalia, Turkey, India, and Saudi Arabia. These findings confirm that B. melitensis appears by far the most significant Brucella species associated with human brucellosis globally. There were a smaller number of cases of B. abortus (6.4%), none of which were associated with international travel outside of the British Isles (UK and Republic of Ireland). They appear to reflect more recent eradication of bovine brucellosis from Ireland, or - in one case - possible reactivation of latent brucellosis acquired prior to eradication in Great Britain. Although known to be a potentially significant human pathogen, only two cases (1.1%) were caused by B. suis. Molecular typing of isolates by multi-locus variable number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) and multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) revealed clustering consistent with the likely geographical origin of cases and, where no travel history was available, could be useful in indicating the potential source of infection
O7-6 Going chronic: about a complicated case of pediatric brucellosis being the first ‘endemic’ incident of human brucellosis in Belgium (2021-2022)
No full textBrucellosis is a major worldwide bacterial zoonotic infection caused by Brucella spp. In Belgium, the disease incidence is low, and the few yearly notified cases are of imported nature. Here, we report the case of a 4-year-old Belgian boy initially diagnosed and treated for uncomplicated brucellosis, which nine months later relapsed to neurobrucellosis. Confirmatory diagnosis of the acute disease occurred end of July 2021 through a combined assessment of serology and positive blood culture. The isolated strain was identified as Brucella melitensis bv3. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing did not highlight resistant phenotypes and combination therapy of trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole and rifampicin was administered for 6 weeks. The epidemiological investigation pointed to ‘endemic’ contamination due to regular consumption of raw-milk-derived cheeses sold within a participative Belgian market. Multiple Locus Variable-Number Tandem Repeat Analysis (MLVA) and core-genome multilocus sequence typing (cgMLST) traced back the genetic background to a clade of Sicilian strains. In June 2022, the child was re-admitted to the pediadric intensive care unit (PICU) for fever and seizures. Less than 24h after admission, when neurobrucellosis was highly suspected, he was treated with IV ceftriaxone, rifampicin, trimethoprim- sulfamethoxasone and dexamethasone with the aim to give 6 weeks of tritherapy followed by a bitherapy for a total duration of 1 year. The clinical and neurological progress was excellent and the patient was discharged on home at day 12. Our case is a call of attention to both public health authorities and clinicians. Raw milk and its products have become increasingly desirable for many European families as a natural and better nutrition food. Awareness about the hazards associated with the consumption of raw milk and its products should be promoted among end-users. On the other hand, patient management in the context of pediatric brucellosis remains challenging, given the paucity of reported data. Diagnosis of chronic cases is yet difficult and specific laboratory tests/biomarkers to confirm chronic brucellosis are needed. The surveillance of brucellosis in the food chain could be upgraded considering the growing evolution of the social economy in Belgium and the European Union
P04.8 Combining Geographical Information System (GIS) and innovative devices (GPS and drones) for a new strategy to monitor and control the micro-epidemiology of cystic echinococcosis in grazing areas of southern Italy
No full textCystic echinococcosis (CE) is a parasitic zoonosis of public health importance caused by the larval stage of the cestode Echinococcus granulosus. CE has a worldwide distribution but exhibits the highest prevalence in communities where pastoral activities predominate, as the Mediterranean areas (Deplazes et al., 2017). The lifecycle of E. granulosus involves canids as definitive hosts and a broad spectrum of mammals, including humans, as intermediate hosts. A pivotal role in the transmission of echinococcosis is played by dogs (especially sheep dog and stray dogs of rural areas), due to their ability to wander freely in pastoral areas and prey on slaughtered livestock (Wang et al., 2022). In this context, the combined use of Geograpghical Information Systems (GIS) and innovative devices (e.g., GPS, drones), represent a useful tool for the development of innovative strategies to control CE. Recently, the delivery of baits containing praziquantel on the grazing areas using GPS and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), proved to be an effective approach to treat stray dogs in areas endemic for alveolar echinococcosis caused by the larval stages of Echinococcus multilocularis (Yu et al., 2017).
The spatial analysis performed in this study aimed to design a new CE control strategy based on a thorough investigation of the micro-epidemiology of CE and the treatment of potentially infected definitive hosts, combining the use of GIS and innovative devices (GPS, drone, camera trap).
In 5 farms positive to CE, the movements of sheep and sheepdogs were tracked for 1 month, using 15 GPS devices applied to the animals. Multiple ring buffers and standard deviational ellipses were generated to estimate the size and the spatial distribution of the grazing areas. Punctual positions were fixed on the risk areas and medicated baits laced with Praziquantel were released by the UAV to deworm stray dogs.
Spatial patterns of the animal positions and the areas of the pastures with highest risk of access by potentially infected animals, were identified. A drone payload was designed on purpose for the release of medicated baits and spatial sampling criteria to improve deworming actions were introduced.
The study shows that the use of GPS collars is more effective than the traditional geospatial approach for accurate identification of the micro-epidemiological channels of the spread of CE, and allows to improve the rationalization of the resources needed to control CE infection. In addition, the results of the study confirmed that the combined use of geospatial technology and innovative devices might be a useful method to interrupt the Echinococcus lifecycle and to reduce the spread of the disease
P04.6 Geographic Information System for surveillance and disease response in aquatic animal health management – The Aquae Strength project
No full textGeographic information requires special modelling and analysis methods (Luaces et al., 2005) . GIS technicians base the selection of data modelling and application methods on many factors including the available software, aim of the application, and, most of all, the user’s level of training and examples from the literature (Maguire D.J., 1991). Despite the increased interest in GIS as a tool for aquaculture, often, knowing what GIS is still does not necessarily translate into using it effectively. Aim at supporting the planning and management of GIS projects in aquaculture, the WOAH project, Aquae Strength, has a specific work package for developing and implementing a capacity-building framework available for GIS technicians. Therefore, developing GIS projects could be exploited by veterinary services in surveillance and disease response in the aquaculture domain.
The Aquae Strength work package includes three groups of activities:
Structured training courses. Specific training courses will present an empirical approach to implement GIS technologies to be exploited by veterinary services in surveillance and disease response in aquaculture. The courses, based on QGIS technologies, will take into account the three aquatic environments (marine, freshwater, and transitional water) and use typical aquatic features and methods. Subsequently, they will also be made available as e-learning modules on the platform.
Micro-Projects. This applied research-oriented activity will target specific topics and have appropriate project goals, providing technical expertise according to the actual needs, to achieve final tangible results. These micro-projects will be developed with the GIS technicians of the four beneficiary institutions.
Feature catalogue. In developing GIS projects, it is recommended to align the data model used to represent spatial objects with the available standardised feature catalogue. This alignment enables developers to take advantage of common concept definitions and recommended attribute bindings, it helps implement methods into geospatial solutions and create geospatial datasets that can be easily understood and are suitable for their intended purposes. The development of the feature catalogue will be based on the identification and analysis of features and methods from recent literature.
The implementation of GIS projects requires both substantial background and skills, in GIS and the scientific domain of application, and project management expertise (Somers R., 2001 ). Tailored GIS courses and technologies may help develop successful GIS applications.
The Aquae Strength project is financed by the Italian Ministry of Health and supported by the WOAH. The project, led by the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie (Italy), involves seven other institutes belonging to the network of the Italian Experimental Zooprophylactic Institutes, three external advisors and four beneficiary institutes from North Africa, Middle East, and Far East
S07 Shade from Space: Utilizing Satellite Imagery to Assess Shade Provision on New Zealand Dairy Farms
No full textAs climate adaptation strategies gain importance, mitigating heat stress in livestock, particularly in New Zealand's dominant pasture-based farming system, is crucial. Studies have documented the positive effects of shade provision in mitigating heat stress, leading to increased rumination, milk production, and improved welfare in dairy cows (Blackshaw & Blackshaw, 1994; Bloomberg & Bywater, 2007; Fisher et al., 2008). Our project, "Shade from Space," employs high-resolution (30cm) Maxar Satellite 4-band imagery and deep learning algorithms to automate shelter identification and shade quantification on dairy farms. The overarching goal is to optimize shelter and shade provision on a national scale, ensuring maximum accessibility for livestock during peak heat loading times.
Our pixel-classification model identifies trees and categorizes them into broad classifications: individual deciduous and coniferous trees, riparian, NZ native bush, grouped trees, and shelterbelts. We isolate each tree crown in grouped trees using individual tree crown techniques. The model generates data on tree location, classification, average canopy diameter, and footprint raster. Tree heights are inferred from regional growth curves for each classification. We then apply a ray-shading model to estimate the projected shade based on the position and angle of the sun at different times of the year for each tree.
To validate our model, we collected field data from eight farms, covering 239 trees. Technicians logged tree locations, delineated the shade extent using GPS, and captured images for future model refinement through enhanced speciation/classification. The ray-shading model was applied concurrently to assess our shade coverage model's predictive accuracy at the date and time of field capture.
Looking to the future, we aim to refine our model using field data to improve classification granularity, extend our shelter identification to man-made shelters, and optimize shade estimations considering factors like terrain and paddock use. Alongside these goals, we face challenges such as streamlining workflows for efficient, cost-effective satellite imagery acquisition and managing computing requirements for a larger-scale rollout. We also plan to evaluate the cost-benefit trade-off of lower-resolution, cheaper imagery against model accuracy and effectiveness. Despite these challenges, we are confident that our innovative methodology will significantly enhance our understanding and management of heat stress in livestock farming in NZ amid evolving climatic conditions
P02.4 An early warning system for mussel aquaculture adapting to climate changes
No full textNowadays, climate changes are causing severe weather events that are responsible for product losses, structural damages and unsanitary conditions in shellfish farms. During severe rain events, fecal bacteria coming from the river can be accumulated by mollusks farmed along the coasts (Colaiuda et al., 2021). To alert farmers timely, the FORESHELL project (funded by the FLAG Costa Blu trough 2014-20 EMFF program of the Abruzzo Region) developed an early warning system (EWS) able to forecast the main hydro-meteorological-environmental factors that could threaten the production.
The study area encompassed, in the Giulianova Maritime District (Abruzzo, Italy), one Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis) farm and the two rivers facing it: Vibrata and Salinello. The methodology comprised: a) the hydrological monitoring of the two rivers through CHyM model (Lombardi et al, 2021) to forecast occurrences of discharge peaks at the river mouth; b) sanitary monitoring before and after severe weather events to determine the concentrations of Escherichia coli in freshwater at the river mouths and in mussels and seawater at the farming area; c) characterization of mussel growth; d) environmental parameter monitoring, in situ and by remote sensing.
Starting from satellite data, a customized oceanographic model was developed to combine environmental parameters with flow rate data of rivers estimated by CHyM model. The model was integrated into the AquaX platform (ColomboSky®, https://www.aquaexploration.com/). The AquaX platform was provided with an alert system, sending alarms via SMS or email in case of predicted adverse weather-marine events and anomalous fluctuations of the monitored physical/chemical parameters threatening production, with a predictive capacity of 48 hours. Three flow rate thresholds were defined as an alert system associated with color codes identifying different alert states related to potential E. coli contamination of mussels in order to make the whole system easily interpretable by the farmer.
During the project lifetime, E. coli concentration in mussels exceeded the legislative limit (230 MPN/100 g) (EU Regulation n. 2019/627) following four severe weather events. The mussels showed a self-purification time ranging from 3 to 6 days and they constantly grew during the investigation period.
In conclusion, the FORESHELL project supplied farmers with easy-to-use tools useful to plan daily activities in order to avoid product losses, structural damages and unsanitary conditions by adapting aquaculture procedures to climate changes
Hematological and serum biochemical profiles of a natural African swine fever virus infection in pigs
Get PDFAfrican swine fever (ASF) is a contagious viral disease that affects pigs of all ages, inducing hemorrhagic fever with high mortality and severe threat to pig production. This study investigated the hematological and serum biochemical abnormalities associated with a natural ASF infection in pigs. A total of 100 serum samples of pigs from piggery suspected of ASFV infection were screened for antibodies by ELISA. Thirty‑two blood samples from serologically positive pigs and 32 negative pigs were undergo to hematological and serum biochemical analyses following standard procedures. The results showed that the mean values of the red blood cell (RBC) count, total white blood cell (TWBC) count, absolute lymphocyte count, absolute monocyte count, serum total protein (TP) and globulin were significantly (p < 0.05) lower while the mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), absolute neutrophil count and serum gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT) were significantly (p < 0.05) higher in the infected than the healthy pigs. There were no significant differences (p > 0.05) in the mean values of the packed cell volume (PCV), hemoglobin concentration, absolute eosinophil count, cholesterol, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activities between the infected and healthy pigs. Hence, natural ASFV infection may have caused alterations in the hematological and serum biochemical parameters in the infected pigs. The generated data could complement the existing laboratory diagnostic techniques such as polymerase chain reaction, direct fluorescence antibody test, indirect fluorescent antibody test and ELISA in the diagnosis of ASF in pigs
First report of the hard tick Ixodes Ricinus on dogs in Lebanon
Get PDFIxodes ricinus is a hard tick that can infest a large array of hosts. It is mostly abundant in the cool, humid deciduous and coniferous woods and forests of Europe. All I. ricinus life stages are potential vectors of many diseases, most notably Lyme disease, which affects millions of people yearly. Lebanon, an Asian Mediterranean country with mild cool winters and hot dry summers, lacks many reports concerning ticks. A study on tick abundance and identification on dogs presented to veterinary facilities, over the course of the years 2020 and 2021 was done. Several species of ticks were identified, with the least abundant being I. ricinus. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the tick species in the country. More studies on the distribution and abundance of I. ricinus in Lebanon should be made in order to properly estimate the pathogens it carries, and consequently implement the appropriate prophylactic measures concerning public health
Evaluating the Efficiency of Various Treatment Methods in Cattle Cutaneous Papillomatosis
Get PDFIn this study, we compared the effectiveness of various methods used in the treatment of cattle with cutaneous papillomatosis. Ivermectin, Tarantula cubensis extract, levamisole, autovaccine, and a combination of T. cubensis extract + levamisole were administered to the animals. The animals were divided into six equal groups. Animals in the control group (n = 10) did not receive any treatment. The animals in the experimental group were administered Ivermectin [three times a week, n = 10, subcutaneous, (SC)], Tarantula cubensis extract (twice a week, n = 10, SC), autologous vaccine (three times at 10-day intervals, n = 10, SC), levamisole [twice at one-week intervals, n = 10, intramuscular (IM)], and levamisole + Tarantula cubensis extract (concurrently). All animals used in the study were monitored for three months at an interval of 15 days. No regression was detected in the papillomas of the control group animals, but recovery was recorded in animals treated with ivermectin at a rate of 70% (7/10), while it was 60% (6/10) in those treated with T. cubensis extract, 100% (10/10) in those treated with autovaccine, 50% (5/10) in those treated with levamisole, and 90% (9/10) in those treated with the combination of T. cubensis extract + levamisole. Significant differences were found between the control group and all treatment groups. Recovery mostly occurred within 45–60 days (P < 0.05). The five treatment modalities applied for the treatment of bovine cutaneous papillomatosis were statistically evaluated and all methods of treatment were effective at different rates. The most precise and effective treatment method was the autovaccine one