Disease outbreak data to inform decision-making: the role of disease spread models in the Lao P.D.R. African Swine Fever epidemic, 2019.

Understanding the spread of African Swine Fever (ASF) between villages in the southeast-Asian, low - middle income country context is critical if this high impact disease is to be controlled by good policy and effective field activities in these resource-poor settings. Using governmental reporting data from the 2019 outbreak of ASF in Lao People's Democratic Republic, spatial clustering techniques were used to identify clusters of outbreak villages. Then Approximate Bayesian Computation with Sequential Monte Carlo was used to estimate the transmission parameters of ASF virus between the villages within these clusters.

Novel estimation of African swine fever transmission parameters within smallholder villages in Lao P.D.R.

African Swine Fever (ASF) disease transmission parameters are crucial for making response and control decisions when faced with an outbreak, yet they are poorly quantified for smallholder and village contexts within Southeast Asia. Whilst disease-specific factors - such as latent and infectious periods - should remain reasonably consistent, host, environmental and management factors are likely to affect the rate of disease spread. These differences are investigated using Approximate Bayesian Computation with Sequential Monte-Carlo methods to provide disease parameter estimates in four naïve pig populations in villages of Lao People's Democratic Republic.

Effect of probiotics and prebiotics on the composition of the equine fecal and seminal microbiomes and sperm quality: A pilot study.

Probiotic and prebiotic effects on equine semen and gastrointestinal microbiome composition and sperm quality are unknown. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of pre-, pro- or synbiotic supplementation on fecal and semen microbiome composition and sperm quality parameters of stallions. This Latin square crossover trial involved four miniature pony stallions receiving control diet only, or addition of a pro-, pre- or synbiotic formulation.

The semen microbiome of miniature pony stallions.

Context: Little is known about the microbial composition of stallion semen.

Aims: To describe the microbiota detected in equine semen of healthy miniature pony stallions.

Methods: Semen specimens were collected using a Missouri artificial vagina at a single time point.

Serum vitamin C status of people in New South Wales: retrospective analysis of findings at a public referral hospital.

Objectives: To examine the relationship between vitamin C status and demographic factors in New South Wales on the basis of serum vitamin C test results undertaken at the central pathology laboratory in Sydney, and to assess associations with age, gender, social disadvantage, and geographic remoteness.

Design, Setting: Retrospective observational study; analysis of vitamin C test results undertaken at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, 1 January 2017 - 31 December 2021.

Main Outcome Measures: Vitamin C status (normal, serum concentration ≥ 40 μmol/L; hypovitaminosis C, 12-39 μmol/L; significant deficiency, < 12 μmol/L); associations of vitamin C status with year of testing, age, gender, socio-economic status (Index of Relative Socio-Economic Advantage and Disadvantage quintile), and geographic remoteness (Australian Statistical Geography Standard); rate of hypovitaminosis C or significant deficiency test results (relative to findings of normal levels; per 100 000 estimated resident population) by Statistical Area 3.

Brucellosis in India: Comparing exposure amongst veterinarians, para-veterinarians and animal handlers.

The exposure to species is an occupational hazard for veterinary personnel in India. In our previous study, paraveterinarians and animal handlers were found to be at higher risk of being seropositive. In the present study, we further investigate comparative exposure risk to brucellosis amongst the veterinary professionals, identify risk factors, and evaluate the perceptions and practices towards using adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) while attending high risk veterinary interventions.

Information delivery and the veterinarian-horse owner relationship in the context of Hendra virus in Australia.

Hendra virus (HeV) is an emerging bat-borne virus endemic in Australia that can be transmitted from horses to humans and has a high fatality rate for horses and people. Controversy surrounding HeV risk mitigation measures have strained the veterinarian-horse owner relationship. This study aimed to characterise the veterinarian-horse owner relationship in general and also in the context of HeV by analysing data derived from the 'Horse Owners and Hendra Virus: A Longitudinal Study to Evaluate Risk' (HHALTER) study.

Investigating baseline red meat slaughter operator capacity and directions for development in Lao PDR.

A study of operator knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) in red meat slaughter premise operations in northern Laos was conducted and compared with international best practice, to inform future industry development. The survey interviewed 68 (of 94 possible participants) employees from all ten commercial slaughter premises in six districts in three northern Laos provinces. This was supported by observations of slaughter premises, processes and the conduct of personnel.

Triggers for Preeclampsia Onset: a Case-Crossover Study.

Background: Risk factors for preeclampsia are well established, whereas, the triggers associated with timing of preeclampsia onset are not. The aim of this study was to establish whether recent infection or other triggers were associated with timing of preeclampsia onset.

Methods: We used a case-crossover design with preeclampsia cases serving as their own controls.

Variation in and factors associated with timing of low risk, pre-labour repeat caesarean sections in NSW, 2008-2011.

Objective: To explore variation in public hospital rates of early (37-38 weeks gestation) prelabour repeat caesarean section among low-risk women at and beyond term in New South Wales (NSW) between 2008 and 2011. IMPORTANCE OF THE STUDY: A NSW Ministry of Health policy directive for public hospitals (PD2007_024), 'Maternity - timing of elective or pre-labour caesarean section', requires that low-risk elective or prelabour caesarean section does not occur before 39 completed weeks gestation. However, compliance with this policy has not been evaluated.

Variation in hospital caesarean section rates for women with at least one previous caesarean section: a population based cohort study.

Background: Internationally, repeat caesarean sections make the largest contribution to overall caesarean section rates and inter-hospital variation has been reported. The aim of this study was to determine if casemix and hospital factors explain variation in hospital rates of repeat caesarean sections and whether these rates are associated with maternal and neonatal morbidity.

Methods: This population-based record linkage study utilised data from New South Wales, Australia between 2007 and 2011.

Prevalence of noncaesarean uterine surgical scars in a maternity population.

The prevalence of noncaesarean section uterine surgical scars in a general obstetric population was 3.0 of 1000 deliveries and among nulliparae 3.4 of 1000 deliveries, calculated from population data of all delivery records in New South Wales from 2005 to 2011.

Applying Bayesian network modelling to understand the links between on-farm biosecurity practice during the 2007 equine influenza outbreak and horse managers' perceptions of a subsequent outbreak.

Australia experienced its first ever outbreak of equine influenza in August 2007. Horses on 9359 premises were infected over a period of 5 months before the disease was successfully eradicated through the combination of horse movement controls, on-farm biosecurity and vaccination. In a previous premises-level case-control study of the 2007 equine influenza outbreak in Australia, the protective effect of several variables representing on-farm biosecurity practices were identified.

Perceptions of vulnerability to a future outbreak: a study of horse managers affected by the first Australian equine influenza outbreak.

Background: A growing body of work shows the benefits of applying social cognitive behavioural theory to investigate infection control and biosecurity practices. Protection motivation theory has been used to predict protective health behaviours. The theory outlines that a perception of a lack of vulnerability to a disease contributes to a reduced threat appraisal, which results in poorer motivation, and is linked to poorer compliance with advised health protective behaviours.

Untangling the complex inter-relationships between horse managers' perceptions of effectiveness of biosecurity practices using Bayesian graphical modelling.

On-farm biosecurity practices have been promoted in many animal industries to protect animal populations from infections. Current approaches based on regression modelling techniques for assessing biosecurity perceptions and practices are limited for analysis of the interrelationships between multivariate data. A suitable approach, which does not require background knowledge of relationships, is provided by Bayesian network modelling.

Understanding the associations between on-farm biosecurity practice and equine influenza infection during the 2007 outbreak in Australia.

In a previous premises-level case-control study of the 2007 equine influenza outbreak in Australia, the protective effect of several variables representing on-farm biosecurity practices was identified. However, using logistic regression it was not possible to definitively identify individual effects and associations between each of the personal biosecurity measures implemented by horse premises owners and managers in the face of the outbreak. In this study we apply Bayesian network modelling to identify the complex web of associations between these variables, horse premises infection status and other premises-level covariates.

A cross-sectional study on biosecurity practices and communication networks of poultry exhibition in Australia.

Poultry exhibitors are perceived to pose a biosecurity risk due to the high frequency of movements of birds and the close contact between birds at poultry shows. This cross-sectional study assessed the risks posed by poultry exhibitors in Australia using face-to-face interviews (n=46) at eight poultry shows and a postal survey. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to investigate associations between age, sex, location, number of birds, number of shows attended per year and distance travelled to a show, with biosecurity and communication practices.

A case-control study of risk factors for equine influenza spread onto horse premises during the 2007 epidemic in Australia.

The 2007 epidemic of equine influenza in Australia provided an opportunity to investigate the effectiveness of on-farm biosecurity measures in preventing the spread of a novel pathogen in a largely naive population. We conducted a case-control study of 200 horse premises from highly affected regions of the state of New South Wales (NSW), to investigate risk factors for the spread of equine influenza onto horse premises, specifically, non-compliance with biosecurity measures recommended to horse owners by the relevant animal health authority, the NSW Department of Primary Industries. The study was restricted to cases occurring during the first seven weeks of the epidemic, a period prior to vaccination and the relaxation of some movement restrictions.