Assisting differential clinical diagnosis of cattle diseases using smartphone-based technology in low resource settings : a pilot study

BACKGROUND: The recent rise in mobile phone use and increased signal coverage has created opportunities for growth of the mobile Health sector in many low resource settings. This pilot study explores the use of a smartphone-based application, VetAfrica-Ethiopia, in assisting diagnosis of cattle diseases. We used a modified Delphi protocol to select important diseases and Bayesian algorithms to estimate the related disease probabilities based on various clinical signs being present in Ethiopian cattle. RESULTS: A total of 928 cases were diagnosed during the study period across three regions of Ethiopia, around 70% of which were covered by diseases included in VetAfrica-Ethiopia. Parasitic Gastroenteritis (26%), Blackleg (8.5%), Fasciolosis (8.4%), Pasteurellosis (7.4%), Colibacillosis (6.4%), Lumpy skin disease (5.5%) and CBPP (5.0%) were the most commonly occurring diseases. The highest (84%) and lowest (30%) levels of matching between diagnoses made by student practitioners and VetAfrica-Ethiopia were for Babesiosis and Pasteurellosis, respectively. Multiple-variable logistic regression analysis indicated that the putative disease indicated, the practitioner involved, and the level of confidence associated with the prediction made by VetAfrica-Ethiopia were major determinants of the likelihood that a diagnostic match would be obtained. CONCLUSIONS: This pilot study demonstrated that the use of such applications can be a valuable means of assisting less experienced animal health professionals in carrying out disease diagnosis which may lead to increased animal productivity through appropriate treatment

Prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility of Escherichia coli O157 in beef at butcher shops and restaurants in central Ethiopia

Background: Ethiopia bears the largest burden of foodborne diseases in Africa, and diarrheal diseases are the second leading causes of premature deaths. Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157 causes an asymptomatic infection to severe diarrhea and/or hemolytic-uremic syndrome in humans. Methods: A total of 440 beef carcass and in-contact surface swabs from 55 butcher shops and 85 minced beef samples from 40 restaurants in central Ethiopia were collected and examined for the presence of E. coli O157. Standard microbiological methods were used to isolate and identify E. coli O157 and to characterize the antimicrobial resistance of the isolates. Results: E. coli O157 was detected in 4.5% carcass swabs (n = 5) and 3.6% cutting board swabs (n = 4) samples from butcher shops. E. coli O157 was not detected in any of the minced beef samples obtained from restaurants. All isolates (n = 9) were 100% susceptible to five drugs, but five isolates were resistant to amoxicillin, two isolates to streptomycin and three isolates to chloramphenicol. One isolate was resistant to two drugs and another to three drugs. Conclusions: The present study shows a low prevalence of E. coli O157 in beef sold at butcher shops. Nevertheless, given the low infective dose of this pathogen and the deep-rooted tradition of consuming raw or undercooked beef, the current prevalence should not be considered lightly from a public health perspective

Prevalence of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in beef cattle at slaughter and beef carcasses at retail shops in Ethiopia

Background: There is paucity of information regarding the epidemiology of Escherichia coli O157: H7 in developing countries. In this study, we investigated the occurrence of E. coli O157: H7 associated with beef cattle at processing plants and at retail shops in Ethiopia. Methods: Various samples were collected from beef cattle at slaughter/processing plants, carcass at retail shops and humans at health centers. E. coli O157: H7 was isolated, identified and characterized for antimicrobial resistance, using standard microbiological methods. Results: At the processing plants E. coli O157: H7 was detected in 1.89% of fecal, 0.81% of intestinal mucosal swab, 0.54% of skin swab and 0.54% of carcass internal swab samples. At retail shops it was detected in 0.8% of carcass and 0.8% of cutting board swab samples, while all samples from utensils, hands from workers, and fecal and stool samples were negative. All isolates were resistant to Amoxicillin, moderately resistant to Cefoxitine and Nitrofurantoins but susceptible to other antimicrobials tested. Conclusions: E. coli O157: H7 occurs at low prevalence in beef cattle, and the current sanitary dressing procedures in the processing plants and storage conditions in the retail shops are effective against E. coli O157: H7

Risk Perceptions and Protective Behaviors Toward Bovine Tuberculosis Among Abattoir and Butcher Workers in Ethiopia

Bovine Tuberculosis (BTB) is a serious cause of economic losses and public health threat, especially in developing countries. Humans acquire BTB through consumption of raw or undercooked meat, inhalation of aerosol and occupational exposure. A cross-disciplinary approach to study diseases connecting society and biology helps to understand the ways in which social, cultural, behavioral, and economic circumstances influence a healthy life. The objective of this study was to assess the risk perceptions and protective behaviors toward BTB among abattoir and butcher workers in central Ethiopia. A health belief model was used to generate the desired data following health belief model constructs. A total of 300 meat handlers working in local abattoirs, export abattoirs and butcher houses in Bishoftu, Modjo, Dukem, and Akaki towns of central Ethiopia were selected using a systematic random sampling method. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression analysis were used to assess factors associated with risk of exposure to BTB through the consumption of raw meat. The results showed that among the study participants, 95% heard about BTB and 93% knew that eating raw meat could be a source of BTB for humans. More than 62.7% of the respondents in the high risk group strongly agreed that contracting BTB would prevent them from coming to work, keep them in bed for an extended period of time and cause death. The majority of the respondents believed that free provision of personal protective clothing, compensation with test and slaughter campaigns, television and radio advertisements, educational programs and government-imposed penalties would help in prevention of BTB. Despite the high perceived severity and risk perception, the multivarable logistic regression model showed low-risk protective behavior among male (OR: 2.3, 95% CI: 1.2–4.3) and older age (>30) individuals (OR: 14.4 95% CI: 2.1–125.8). The study also noted the importance of media for health education as means for prevention of BTB. The authors strongly recommended the need of promotion of behavioral change toward the consumption of raw meat wich would have potential implications for the public health impacts of zoonotic tuberculosis and ultimately help national and global efforts toward prevention and control of tuberculosis

Pharmacokinetics of tulathromycin in pregnant ewes (Ovis aries) challenged with Campylobacter jejuni

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the pharmacokinetics of tulathromycin in the plasma and maternal and fetal tissues of pregnant ewes when administered within 24 hours of a single, IV Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni) challenge. Twelve, pregnant ewes between 72–92 days of gestation were challenged IV with C. jejuni IA3902 and then treated with 1.1 ml/45.36 kg of tulathromycin subcutaneously 18 hours post-challenge. Ewes were bled at predetermined time points and euthanized either at a predetermined time point or following the observation of vaginal bleeding or abortion. Following euthanasia, tissues were collected for bacterial culture, pharmacokinetics and histologic examination. The maximum (geometric) mean tulathromycin plasma concentration was estimated at 0.302 μg/mL, with a peak level observed at around 1.2 hours. The apparent systemic clearance of tulathromycin was estimated at 16.6 L/h (or 0.28 L/kg/h) with an elimination half-life estimated at approximately 22 hours. The mean tissue concentrations were highest in the uterus (2.464 μg/g) and placentome (0.484 μg/g), and were lowest in fetal liver (0.11 μg/g) and fetal lung (0.03 μg/g). Compared to previous reports, results of this study demonstrate that prior IV administration of C. jejuni appeared to substantially alter the pharmacokinetics of tulathromycin, reducing both the peak plasma concentrations and elimination half-life. However, additional controlled trials are required to confirm those observations

Development of novel tools for monitoring antimicrobial resistance in complex microbial communities and their application to improving our stewardship of antimicrobials in livestock

The use of medically important antibiotics in livestock is considered a potential factor that significantly contributes to the emergence and dissemination of antibiotic resistance (AMR) in humans. Thus, the strengthening of antibiotic stewardship programs on farms is critically important. Fluoroquinolones (FQs) are medically important antimicrobials used to treat different human ailments, including gastrointestinal infections caused by foodborne pathogens. In this study, the impacts of FQ drugs such as danofloxacin and enrofloxacin, which are used to prevent and control bovine respiratory disease complex in beef cattle, on gut microbiota were investigated. Furthermore, a novel proximity ligation-based metagenomic method was explored to detect resistance genes with their associated bacterial hosts in a complex microbial community. Young calves with no history of antibiotic exposure were challenged with Mannheimia haemolytica and then treated with FQs to examine the responses of gut microbiota. The main observations in this study are summarized as follows. 1) The proximity ligation approach employed to identify resistance genes with their hosts in a sample from digital dermatitis cases has provided results that are consistent with the literature. 2) We demonstrated that subcutaneously administered a single therapeutic dose of danofloxacin has affected fecal microbiota, resistome profiles, and the relative abundance of Campylobacter. 3) A single therapeutic dose of enrofloxacin has been shown to alter fecal microbiota and resistome irrespective of its dose. Finally, we conducted pharmacokinetic analyses of FQs in plasma and feces, which have revealed the accumulation of significantly high concentrations of danofloxacin, enrofloxacin, and its active metabolite ciprofloxacin in the intestine. In conclusion, our study shows that parenterally administered therapeutic doses of FQs are deposited in the intestine in high amounts, which are capable of negatively impacting microbial integrity and enhancing the development and spread of antimicrobial resistance genes. The new resistance gene tracking approach holds a promising potential to study horizontal gene transfer in microbial communities. In addition, the difference in pharmacokinetics and impacts on gut microbiota between danofloxacin and different doses of enrofloxacin shown in this study provides an opportunity to investigate further and select the FQ drug that has minimal side effects but is still effective in clearing bovine respiratory infections

Development of novel tools for monitoring antimicrobial resistance in complex microbial communities and their application to improving our stewardship of antimicrobials in livestock

The use of medically important antibiotics in livestock is considered a potential factor that significantly contributes to the emergence and dissemination of antibiotic resistance (AMR) in humans. Thus, the strengthening of antibiotic stewardship programs on farms is critically important. Fluoroquinolones (FQs) are medically important antimicrobials used to treat different human ailments, including gastrointestinal infections caused by foodborne pathogens. In this study, the impacts of FQ drugs such as danofloxacin and enrofloxacin, which are used to prevent and control bovine respiratory disease complex in beef cattle, on gut microbiota were investigated. Furthermore, a novel proximity ligation-based metagenomic method was explored to detect resistance genes with their associated bacterial hosts in a complex microbial community. Young calves with no history of antibiotic exposure were challenged with Mannheimia haemolytica and then treated with FQs to examine the responses of gut microbiota. The main observations in this study are summarized as follows. 1) The proximity ligation approach employed to identify resistance genes with their hosts in a sample from digital dermatitis cases has provided results that are consistent with the literature. 2) We demonstrated that subcutaneously administered a single therapeutic dose of danofloxacin has affected fecal microbiota, resistome profiles, and the relative abundance of Campylobacter. 3) A single therapeutic dose of enrofloxacin has been shown to alter fecal microbiota and resistome irrespective of its dose. Finally, we conducted pharmacokinetic analyses of FQs in plasma and feces, which have revealed the accumulation of significantly high concentrations of danofloxacin, enrofloxacin, and its active metabolite ciprofloxacin in the intestine. In conclusion, our study shows that parenterally administered therapeutic doses of FQs are deposited in the intestine in high amounts, which are capable of negatively impacting microbial integrity and enhancing the development and spread of antimicrobial resistance genes. The new resistance gene tracking approach holds a promising potential to study horizontal gene transfer in microbial communities. In addition, the difference in pharmacokinetics and impacts on gut microbiota between danofloxacin and different doses of enrofloxacin shown in this study provides an opportunity to investigate further and select the FQ drug that has minimal side effects but is still effective in clearing bovine respiratory infections

Development of novel tools for monitoring antimicrobial resistance in complex microbial communities and their application to improving our stewardship of antimicrobials in livestock

The use of medically important antibiotics in livestock is considered a potential factor that significantly contributes to the emergence and dissemination of antibiotic resistance (AMR) in humans. Thus, the strengthening of antibiotic stewardship programs on farms is critically important. Fluoroquinolones (FQs) are medically important antimicrobials used to treat different human ailments, including gastrointestinal infections caused by foodborne pathogens. In this study, the impacts of FQ drugs such as danofloxacin and enrofloxacin, which are used to prevent and control bovine respiratory disease complex in beef cattle, on gut microbiota were investigated. Furthermore, a novel proximity ligation-based metagenomic method was explored to detect resistance genes with their associated bacterial hosts in a complex microbial community. Young calves with no history of antibiotic exposure were challenged with Mannheimia haemolytica and then treated with FQs to examine the responses of gut microbiota. The main observations in this study are summarized as follows. 1) The proximity ligation approach employed to identify resistance genes with their hosts in a sample from digital dermatitis cases has provided results that are consistent with the literature. 2) We demonstrated that subcutaneously administered a single therapeutic dose of danofloxacin has affected fecal microbiota, resistome profiles, and the relative abundance of Campylobacter. 3) A single therapeutic dose of enrofloxacin has been shown to alter fecal microbiota and resistome irrespective of its dose. Finally, we conducted pharmacokinetic analyses of FQs in plasma and feces, which have revealed the accumulation of significantly high concentrations of danofloxacin, enrofloxacin, and its active metabolite ciprofloxacin in the intestine. In conclusion, our study shows that parenterally administered therapeutic doses of FQs are deposited in the intestine in high amounts, which are capable of negatively impacting microbial integrity and enhancing the development and spread of antimicrobial resistance genes. The new resistance gene tracking approach holds a promising potential to study horizontal gene transfer in microbial communities. In addition, the difference in pharmacokinetics and impacts on gut microbiota between danofloxacin and different doses of enrofloxacin shown in this study provides an opportunity to investigate further and select the FQ drug that has minimal side effects but is still effective in clearing bovine respiratory infections

Zoonotic and antibiotic-resistant Campylobacter: a view through the One Health lens

As a pathogen of a major public health concern with animal health importance, Campylobacter constitutes a clear and present threat to One Health. This organism colonizes the intestinal tract and is widely distributed among various animal species, including livestock and poultry, companion animals, and wildlife. As a result of its broad distribution, Campylobacter is exposed to antibiotics used in both human and veterinary medicine, which creates antibiotic selection pressure that has driven the development and rising prevalence of antibiotic resistant Campylobacter. This is particularly evident with the resistance to fluoroquinolone (FQ), which has become a great concern for public health. However, the increased prevalence of antibiotic-resistant Campylobacter cannot be solely attributed to antibiotic usage, as interspecies transmission and subsequent clonal expansion also contribute to the dissemination of antibiotic-resistant Campylobacter. This is exemplified by the emergence and expansion of FQ-resistant Campylobacter clones in animal production systems where FQ antibiotics were never used, the transmission of extensively drug resistant Campylobacter from dogs to human patients, and the spread of antibiotic-resistant and hypervirulent Campylobacter from ruminants to humans. Another notable finding from recently published work is the emergence of antibiotic resistance genes of Gram-positive origin in Campylobacter, suggesting that genetic exchange between Campylobacter and Gram-positive bacteria occurs in the natural environment and is more frequent than previously realized. Once these “foreign” antibiotic resistance genes are presented in Campylobacter, they can further disseminate by clonal expansion or horizontal gene transfer among different Campylobacter species/strains. These findings indicate that the emergence and transmission of antibiotic-resistant Campylobacter in the ecosystem are complex and multidirectional, and are affected by multiple factors. Thus, a holistic and One Health approach is necessary to fully comprehend and mitigate antibiotic resistant Campylobacter.This article is published as Zhang, Qijing, Ashenafi Feyisa Beyi, and Yue Yin. "Zoonotic and antibiotic-resistant Campylobacter: a view through the One Health lens." One Health Advances 1, no. 1 (2023): 1-9. DOI: 10.1186/s44280-023-00003-1. Copyright 2023 The Author(s). Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0). Posted with permission