The impact of soybean meal and field peas inclusion on growth performance, carcass traits and nutrient digestibilities in broiler chickens offered wheat-based diets.

Replacing soybean meal (SBM) in broiler diets with only other plant-based protein-rich ingredients or only non-bound amino acids (NBAA) may compromise growth performance in broiler chickens. However, combining both to replace SBM may be feasible while maintaining broiler performance. A 3 × 2 full factorial designed experiment was conducted to include three levels of SBM inclusions (conventional, medium, and low/nil) and with supplementation of field peas or not (50, 80, 100, and 120 g/kg in the starter, grower, finisher, and withdrawal phases, respectively).

The two costs of neglect: evaluating the health and economic impacts of anthrax in an endemic area of rural Africa.

Endemic zoonoses have a dual burden, impacting human and animal health, as well as livelihoods due to livestock losses. One such disease is anthrax, caused by . Data on the burden of anthrax on human and animal health are extremely limited, perpetuating neglect at the policy level in endemic areas and internationally.

Vibrio harveyi plasmids as drivers of virulence in barramundi (Lates calcarifer).

Vibrio species are an emerging public and animal health risk in marine environments and the opportunistic bacterial pathogen Vibrio harveyi is a major disease risk for tropical aquaculture. Current understanding of virulence in V. harveyi is limited by strain-specific variability and complex host-pathogen dynamics.

Scoping Review of Japanese Encephalitis Virus Transmission Models.

Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) causes ~100,000 clinical cases and 25,000 deaths annually worldwide, mainly in Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific and mostly in children. JEV is transmitted to humans through the bite of mosquitoes that have fed on competent hosts. Abiotic factors, such as seasonal rainfall, influence transmission.

Streptococcus agalactiae colonization is common among pregnant women with HIV infection and is neither predicted by hospital tier nor trimester in Mwanza, Tanzania.

Background: Streptococcus agalactiae, also known as Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is a member of the gastrointestinal tract and vaginal microbiota, and one of the commonest pathogens affecting pregnant women, neonates and infants. Its observed rate of colonization varies globally due to laboratory methods used, socio-cultural, epidemiological and clinical factors. This study therefore, aimed at determining the prevalence of GBS colonization and associated risk factors among HIV-infected and uninfected pregnant women in various health care facility tiers in Tanzania to guide priority screening and management.

Citric Acid and Sodium Bicarbonate as an Alternative Carbon Dioxide Source for Mosquito Surveillance.

Most mosquito surveillance programs rely on traps baited with carbon dioxide (CO) to attract host-seeking mosquitoes. The source of CO, traditionally dry ice or gas cylinders, poses operational challenges, especially in remote locations. CO production from citric acid and sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO) using low-cost intravenous fluid bags ('acid traps') was evaluated in laboratory experiments.

A scoping review of evidence of naturally occurring Japanese encephalitis infection in vertebrate animals other than humans, ardeid birds and pigs.

Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is the leading cause of human encephalitis in Asia. JEV is a vector-borne disease, mainly transmitted by Culex mosquitoes, with Ardeidae birds as maintenance hosts and pigs as amplifying hosts. Other vertebrate animal hosts have been suggested to play a role in the epidemiology of JEV.

Group B Streptococcus Sequence Type 103 as Human and Bovine Pathogen, Brazil.

Group B Streptococcus sequence type 103 is known primarily as a bovine mastitis pathogen. In Brazil, it has circulated in cattle and humans since the 1990s. It lacks scpB and, in humans, was found only among carriage isolates.

Evaluation of point-of-care tests for identification of pathogens to inform clinical mastitis treatment decisions in pasture- and confinement-managed dairy cows in Australia.

To support antimicrobial stewardship in livestock production, there is a growing array of point-of-care diagnostics to guide antimicrobial treatment. The primary objective of this observational study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of 5 point-of-care tests currently available in Australia for guiding lactational treatment of nonsevere clinical mastitis. A secondary objective was to describe the pathogen profiles of mastitis-causing organisms in cows managed in barns ("intensive") and on pasture ("nonintensive").

Assessing teat canal morphology in the dry period and during lactation by high-resolution ultrasound.

Our objectives were to quantify the dimensions of a fully 'closed' teat canal in dry cows and to describe recovery of the teat canal between milkings in lactating cows to assess whether and when full closure is attained, since this is an important determinant of udder health. Using an ultrasound scanner, teat canal length and diameter (proximal, midpoint and distal), teat cistern width, teat end width, whole teat width and teat wall thickness in 77 dry and 39 lactating dairy cows were measured. The dry cows represented a cross section of the dry population, with days since dry off ranging from 0 to 69 (median: 27).

Etiology and epidemiology of digital dermatitis in Australian dairy herds.

Bovine digital dermatitis (BDD) is an important cause of lameness in dairy cows worldwide. However, very little is known about this disease in Australian herds, which are predominantly managed on pasture. The primary objectives of this cross-sectional study were to describe the presence and prevalence of BDD in Australian dairy herds and to characterize the microbiota of healthy skin and M4 lesions of BDD-affected, pasture-managed cows.

Exploiting genomics for antimicrobial resistance surveillance at One Health interfaces.

The intersection of human, animal, and ecosystem health at One Health interfaces is recognised as being of key importance in the evolution and spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and represents an important, and yet rarely realised opportunity to undertake vital AMR surveillance. A working group of international experts in pathogen genomics, AMR, and One Health convened to take part in a workshop series and online consultation focused on the opportunities and challenges facing genomic AMR surveillance in a range of settings. Here we outline the working group's discussion of the potential utility, advantages of, and barriers to, the implementation of genomic AMR surveillance at One Health interfaces and propose a series of recommendations for addressing these challenges.

Meeting report: Towards better risk stratification, prevention and therapy of invasive GBS disease, ESPID research meeting May 2022.

The European Society of Pediatric Infectious Diseases (ESPID) hosted the third Group B Streptococcus (GBS) Research Session in Athens on 11th May 2022, providing researchers and clinicians from around the world an opportunity to share and discuss recent advances in GBS pathophysiology, molecular and genetic epidemiology and how these new insights can help in improving prevention and control of early- and late-onset GBS disease. The meeting provided a state-of-the-art overview of the existing GBS prevention strategies and their limitations, and an opportunity to share the latest research findings. The first presentation provided an overview of current GBS prevention and treatment strategies.

Geographical, Temporal and Host-Species Distribution of Potentially Human-Pathogenic Group B in Aquaculture Species in Southeast Asia.

Group B (GBS) is a major pathogen of humans and aquatic species. Fish have recently been recognized as the source of severe invasive foodborne GBS disease, caused by sequence type (ST) 283, in otherwise healthy adults in Southeast Asia. Thailand and Vietnam are among the major aquaculture producers in Southeast Asia, with GBS disease reported in fish as well as frogs in both countries.

Cold temperature stress and damaged skin induced high mortality in barramundi (Lates calcarifer) challenged with Vibrio harveyi.

Most diseases in aquaculture are caused by opportunistic pathogens. One of them, Vibrio harveyi, is a widespread Gram-negative bacterium that has become an important pathogen of aquatic species in marine environments. Here, we propose the use of the causal pie model as a framework to conceptualize the causation of vibriosis in juvenile barramundi (Lates calcarifer) and to establish an effective challenge model.

An oral pH-responsive Streptococcus agalactiae vaccine formulation provides protective immunity to pathogen challenge in tilapia: A proof-of-concept study.

Intensive tilapia farming has contributed significantly to food security as well as to the emergence of novel pathogens. This includes Streptococcus agalactiae or Group B Streptococcus (GBS) sequence type (ST) 283, which caused the first known outbreak of foodborne GBS illness in humans. An oral, easy-to-administer fish vaccine is needed to reduce losses in fish production and the risk of zoonotic transmission associated with GBS.

Evaluation of a Novel Infrared Thermography Projection to Assess Udder Health in Primigravid Dairy Heifers.

Heifer mastitis in early lactation impacts negatively on animal welfare, milk production and longevity. A major challenge for the prevention and control of mastitis in dairy heifers is to establish when intramammary infection occurs because pre-partum secretum sampling is risky. We evaluated a ventrodorsal projection to capture thermal images of the entire udder of primigravid and compared results against caudocranial projection, which is used in lactating cattle.

Disease control tools to secure animal and public health in a densely populated world.

Animal health is a prerequisite for global health, economic development, food security, food quality, and poverty reduction, while mitigating against climate change and biodiversity loss. We did a qualitative review of 53 infectious diseases in terrestrial animals with data from DISCONTOOLS, a specialist database and prioritisation model focusing on research gaps for improving infectious disease control in animals. Many diseases do not have any appropriate control tools, but the prioritisation model suggests that we should focus international efforts on Nipah virus infection, African swine fever, contagious bovine pleuropneumonia, peste des petits ruminants, sheeppox and goatpox, avian influenza, Rift Valley fever, foot and mouth disease, and bovine tuberculosis, for the greatest impact on the UN's Sustainable Development Goals.