Schmallenberg virus: emergence of an Orthobunyavirus among ruminants in Western Europe

Recently, a novel virus has been identified among ruminants in Western Europe. This virus, the so-called Schmallenberg virus, belongs to the family Bunyaviridae, genus Orthobunyavirus, serogroup Simbu and is closely related to Akabane, Aino and Shamonda virus. In cattle, acute symptoms in the dam and adult animals generally include high fever, milk drop and diarrhea among others. More importantly, infection during gestation may lead to abortion, stillbirth and congenital malformations. As all bunyaviruses, Schmallenberg virus also uses vectors for efficient transmission. Closely related viruses causing similar symptoms, such as Akabane and Akabane-like viruses, are mainly transmitted by Culicoides. It is very likely that Schmallenberg virus is transmitted by similar vectors. This review provides an overview of Bunyaviridae, their epidemiology, symptoms, prevention and control. Special emphasis is put on the Simbu serogroup of the Orthobunyavirus genus pointing out the similarities between them and closely related members

Burnout among surgeons before and during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: an international survey

Background: SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has had many significant impacts within the surgical realm, and surgeons have been obligated to reconsider almost every aspect of daily clinical practice. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study reported in compliance with the CHERRIES guidelines and conducted through an online platform from June 14th to July 15th, 2020. The primary outcome was the burden of burnout during the pandemic indicated by the validated Shirom-Melamed Burnout Measure. Results: Nine hundred fifty-four surgeons completed the survey. The median length of practice was 10 years; 78.2% included were male with a median age of 37 years old, 39.5% were consultants, 68.9% were general surgeons, and 55.7% were affiliated with an academic institution. Overall, there was a significant increase in the mean burnout score during the pandemic; longer years of practice and older age were significantly associated with less burnout. There were significant reductions in the median number of outpatient visits, operated cases, on-call hours, emergency visits, and research work, so, 48.2% of respondents felt that the training resources were insufficient. The majority (81.3%) of respondents reported that their hospitals were included in the management of COVID-19, 66.5% felt their roles had been minimized; 41% were asked to assist in non-surgical medical practices, and 37.6% of respondents were included in COVID-19 management. Conclusions: There was a significant burnout among trainees. Almost all aspects of clinical and research activities were affected with a significant reduction in the volume of research, outpatient clinic visits, surgical procedures, on-call hours, and emergency cases hindering the training. Trial registration: The study was registered on clicaltrials.gov "NCT04433286" on 16/06/2020