Perception of poultry veterinarians on the use of antimicrobials and antimicrobial resistance in egg production

This study aimed to describe the perception of veterinarians who work with commercial laying hens in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, regarding the use of antibiotics and their possible impacts on animal, human, and environmental health. A descriptive epidemiological study was carried out through face-to-face or web conferencing interviews with the veterinarians that provide technical assistance at commercial laying hen operations. A standardized and structured questionnaire was developed based on the literature and expert opinion, which contained 1 opened and 40 closed questions. Conventional non-probabilistic sampling was used, based on an initial list of 15 veterinarians registered in the Poultry Production Association of Rio Grande do Sul, followed by the snowball technique. The acquisition of 26 contacts of veterinarians was accomplished, and 16 were interviewed. Through the answers obtained it was possible to verify that the interviewees' understanding regarding both the antibiotic resistance impact and the decision-making about the use of antibiotics seem to be linked to their practical experiences. Besides that, according to the veterinarians, farmers can acquire and administer the antimicrobials on their farms. Moreover, both farm storage and administration of lower doses of antibiotics than the recommended one could be contributing factors to resistant bacteria selection. Furthermore, controversially, the professionals believed that resistant bacteria can be transmitted to humans from eggs, but they said that there are no bacteria in eggs. Therefore, the veterinarians practices can be improved considering national and international guidelines on antimicrobial resistance to minimize the development of resistance. Finally, it is expected that the present results will contribute to a more complex discussion about antimicrobial resistance, helping to formulate public policies in the egg production industry

Analysis of the performance of the animal health surveillance system in the outbreak of swine vesicular disease in the state of Santa Catarina - Brazil

Background: The occurrence of vesicular disease associated with Senecavirus A in a pig-producing region of Santa Catarina increased in 2015, reflected by the number of syndromic notifications to the official animal health service. In view of the recurrence of this event in 2018, the objectives of this study were to analyze the official data related to cases of suspected vesicular disease in pigs and to evaluate whether the experience in conducting the investigations of 2015 was incorporated into the years subsequent to 2015. We addressed this goal by analysis of the performance parameters of the state animal health surveillance system. Materials, Methods & Results: Descriptive analyses of data from official investigations of suspected vesicular disease in swine in different regions were carried out, and statistical models were used to: i) test the effect of the year on the age of the investigated injuries; ii) assess whether there was an association between the year and the type of outcome of the official investigation (discarded case or a probable case of vesicular disease, which resulted in the collection of samples for laboratory diagnosis and interdiction of the affected properties); iii) evaluate whether there was an association between the year and the detection of Senecavirus A RNA among the molecular analyses carried out after a case was classified as probable vesicular disease. From 05/22/2015 to 03/28/2019, there were 2093 notifications of suspected vesicular disease in pigs to the official service of Santa Catarina, with 1538 (73.5%) occurring in 2015 and 555 (26.5%) in subsequent years. After 2015, when compared to the base year, the chances of detecting late vesicular lesions (>3 days) were similar (increased 1.11 times, but there was no statistically significant association), in view of a panorama in which 55.29% of cases had the lesions classified as late throughout the analyzed period. The variation in the odds was relatively homogeneous among the regional units (Intraclass Correlation Coefficient [ICC] = 10.9%), but in the São Miguel do Oeste unit, it was significantly lower than the average. It was also lower than the average, in regional units with a high ratio of properties with pigs attended by the official veterinarian. The chances of cases being considered probable increased 32.3 times, but the descriptive analysis of the average interdiction period decreased. The estimated ICC was 34.9%, and in Campos Novos and Caçador, the chances of cases being probable were significantly higher than the average, while in the Canoinhas unit, the chances were significantly lower. The prevalence of cases with molecular detection of Senecavirus A was 78% lower after 2015. Discussion: Despite the increased sensitivity of the surveillance process for suspected vesicular events in the years after 2015, the specificity of the molecular diagnosis of Senecavirus A decreased. This is likely, because there was difficulty in sampling lesions with vesicular fluid and/or when the lesion epithelium had recently been disrupted, conditions most conducive to the identification of viral genetic material. In this context, the western region of the state, the main pig producer, continued to be the most accurate in confirming cases of Senecavirus A. Even with the improvements of laboratory diagnosis and the reduction of the interdiction period, it was important to standardize the differentiation of a late infectious lesion from a traumatic injury, as well as any association with other sample analyses, in order to minimize the disorders linked to the mischaracterization of a manifestation of Senecavirus A, without compromising the syndromic focus of its vesicular character

Análise epidemiológica de carcaças bovinas afetadas por cisticercose e hidatidose no estado do Rio Grande do Sul de 2014 a 2018

Bovine cysticercosis and hydatidosis are frequently identified by inspectors in slaughterhouses from the state of Rio Grande do Sul. Slaughterhouse records can provide valuable information for animal-related diseases and public health surveillance. Analyzing these data can aid set priorities to regions or properties that need more attention. Slaughter condemnation data is collected daily and stored in the Agricultural Defense System (SDA) database of the State Veterinary Services. However, it needs to be turned into useful information in bovine cysticercosis and hydatidosis surveillance programs. This study aimed to discuss how the analysis of condemnation data in the context of epidemiology can be useful for a surveillance system of bovine cysticercosis and hydatidosis. For this purpose, slaughter data of 5,137,870 cattle from 480,000 animal movement permits (GTA) from 97,891 farms from 2014 to 2018 were obtained from the Secretary of Agriculture, Livestock and Rural Development of the State of Rio Grande do Sul (SEAPDR-RS). Differences in the occurrence rates of bovine cysticercosis and hydatidosis among mesoregions over time were assessed through generalized linear models. Cysticercosis was identified in 65,379 (1.27%) carcasses and hydatidosis in 323,395 (6.29%). The occurrence rates of both diseases varied distinctly over time between the regions (p<0.01). Next, a process was developed to identify priority farms to target a surveillance program based on the prevalence. Period prevalence for cysticercosis and hydatidosis was obtained for each farm. The epidemiological indicator was calculated for each farm, dividing the number of affected carcasses by the number of bovines sent to slaughter during the period. The mean prevalence was obtained, and the exact binomial test was applied to identify farms presenting prevalence above the mean. It was observed that 2.48% and 6.17% of the farms had prevalence above the population mean prevalence of cysticercosis and hydatidosis, respectively. The Western mesoregion had the highest percentage of farms with prevalence above the average for cysticercosis (6.9%), followed by the Southwest mesoregion (6.0%). For hydatidosis, the percentage frequency of farms with prevalence above the average was markedly higher in the mesoregions Southeast (32.8%) and Southwest (29.5%). The results showed that analysis of slaughterhouse condemnation data of SDA is useful to identify situations in which the occurrence of the diseases is significantly higher than the average to apply additional measures or epidemiological investigations. This information may be useful in plans of epidemiological surveillance programs for controlling bovine cysticercosis and hydatidosis by the State’s Official Veterinary Services.Lesões características de cisticercose e hidatidose bovina são frequentemente identificadas por fiscais em abatedouros no Rio Grande do Sul. Dados de condenações destas propriedades são coletados diariamente e armazenados em banco de dados do Sistema de Defesa Agropecuária (SDA) da Secretaria Estadual de Agricultura, Pecuária e Desenvolvimento Rural (SEAPDR-RS), podendo fornecer informações valiosas para a vigilância de doenças de importância para a saúde animal e saúde pública, bem como, contribuir para a tomada de decisão direcionada a propriedades rurais ou regiões que realmente necessitam de intervenção sanitária. No entanto, estes dados precisam ser transformados em informação útil para programas de prevenção e controle da cisticercose e da hidatidose bovina. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo analisar os dados de condenações de carcaças bovinas abatidas em frigoríficos sob inspeção estadual no Rio Grande do Sul, no período de 2014 a 2018. Foram utilizados dados de 5.137.870 bovinos enviados para abate em 480.000 lotes (GTA emitidas) de 97.891 fazendas. Diferenças nas taxas de ocorrência de cisticercose e hidatidose bovina ao longo do tempo, entre as mesorregiões do Rio Grande do Sul, foram analisadas por meio de modelos lineares generalizados. A cisticercose foi identificada em 65.379 (1,27%) carcaças e a hidatidose em 323.395 (6,29%) carcaças. Ao longo do tempo detectou-se uma tendência de redução nas taxas de ocorrência das duas doenças que, por sua vez, se comportaram de maneira distinta entre as mesorregiões (p<0,01). Por outro lado, desenvolveu-se um processo para identificação de propriedades prioritárias para ação de vigilância com base na prevalência. A prevalência no período para cisticercose e hidatidose foi calculada para cada propriedade. O indicador foi obtido dividindo-se o número de carcaças afetadas pelo número total de animais enviados para abate, ou seja, é a proporção de ocorrência das parasitoses dentre os animais enviados para abate em cada propriedade no período de cinco anos. A prevalência média ou populacional (π), que é a média das prevalências de todas as propriedades, foi calculada e, em seguida, foi aplicado o teste exato binomial para identificar as propriedades com prevalência acima da média para ambas as doenças. Foi observado que 2,48% (2.425/97.841) e 6,17% (6.039/97.841) das propriedades apresentavam prevalências acima da média populacional para cisticercose e hidatidose, respectivamente. Observou-se que a mesorregião Centro Ocidental possui maior frequência percentual de propriedades com prevalência de cisticercose acima da média (6,9%), seguido pela mesorregião Sudoeste (6,0%). Já para hidatidose, a frequência percentual de propriedades com prevalência acima da média foi substancialmente superior nas mesorregiões Sudeste (32,8%) e Sudoeste (29,5%) quando comparada às demais. Os resultados demonstraram que com os dados de condenações de abatedouro do SDA foi possível identificar situações em que a ocorrência das doenças é significativamente alta e que necessitam de medidas ou investigações epidemiológicas adicionais. O conhecimento dessa informação pode ser útil no planejamento de programas de vigilância epidemiológica para o controle da cisticercose e hidatidose bovina pelos serviços veterinários oficiais do Estado

Circovirose em javalis (sus scrofa) no Brasil

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Identification of foot and mouth disease risk areas using a multi-criteria analysis approach

Foot and mouth disease (FMD) is a highly infectious disease that affects cloven-hoofed livestock and wildlife. FMD has been a problem for decades, which has led to various measures to control, eradicate and prevent FMD by National Veterinary Services worldwide. Currently, the identification of areas that are at risk of FMD virus incursion and spread is a priority for FMD target surveillance after FMD is eradicated from a given country or region. In our study, a knowledge-driven spatial model was built to identify risk areas for FMD occurrence and to evaluate FMD surveillance performance in Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil. For this purpose, multi-criteria decision analysis was used as a tool to seek multiple and conflicting criteria to determine a preferred course of action. Thirteen South American experts analyzed 18 variables associated with FMD introduction and dissemination pathways in Rio Grande do Sul. As a result, FMD higher risk areas were identified at international borders and in the central region of the state. The final model was expressed as a raster surface. The predictive ability of the model assessed by comparing, for each cell of the raster surface, the computed model risk scores with a binary variable representing the presence or absence of an FMD outbreak in that cell during the period 1985 to 2015. Current FMD surveillance performance was assessed, and recommendations were made to improve surveillance activities in critical areas

Beyond diversity loss and climate change : impacts of Amazon deforestation on infectious diseases and public health

Amazonian biodiversity is increasingly threatened due to the weakening of policies for combating deforestation, especially in Brazil. Loss of animal and plant species, many not yet known to science, is just one among many negative consequences of Amazon deforestation. Deforestation affects indigenous communities, riverside as well as urban populations, and even planetary health. Amazonia has a prominent role in regulating the Earth’s climate, with forest loss contributing to rising regional and global temperatures and intensification of extreme weather events. These climatic conditions are important drivers of emerging infectious diseases, and activities associated with deforestation contribute to the spread of disease vectors. This review presents the main impacts of Amazon deforestation on infectious-disease dynamics and public health from a One Health perspective. Because Brazil holds the largest area of Amazon rainforest, emphasis is given to the Brazilian scenario. Finally, potential solutions to mitigate deforestation and emerging infectious diseases are presented from the perspectives of researchers in different fields

Resistência a antimicrobianos criticamente importantes à saúde humana em populações bacterianas de animais de produção criados no Brasil, 2008 a 2017

Antimicrobianos (ATM) correspondem ao conjunto de fármacos que podem causar a morte ou inibição do crescimento de microrganismos comensais ou patogênicos aos seres humanos e a distintas espécies de animais. São comumente empregados na Medicina em procedimentos terapêuticos contra infecções bacterianas primárias e, preventivamente, contra as possíveis infecções bacterianas secundárias. Na área da Medicina Veterinária, além do uso terapêutico, os ATM são também adotados para fins profiláticos e para a promoção de crescimento de animais de produção. Embora a utilização de ATM seja uma importante ferramenta para a promoção e a prevenção da saúde humana e animal, tem se observado, nas últimas décadas, um aumento no número de gêneros bacterianos que se tornaram resistentes a distintas classes de ATM. Logo, este estudo objetivou, através de uma revisão sistemática de literatura, identificar o perfil de resistência a ATM, classificados como criticamente importantes para a saúde humana, nas populações bacterianas presentes em espécies animais de produção criadas no Brasil, para o período de 2008 a 2017. Inicialmente 2.500 trabalhos foram identificados na literatura a partir da sintaxe de busca estabelecida Ao final, 150 estudos foram selecionados, dos quais 139 foram classificados como descritivos. Aves, bovinos e suínos foram, em ordem decrescente de frequência, as espécies mais estudadas. Dentre os gêneros bacterianos identificados, destacaramse Staphylococcus spp., Salmonella spp. e Escherichia coli. Dos ATM pesquisados foram mais frequentes, tanto para perfil de susceptibilidade quanto para resistência, aqueles pertencentes às classes das cefalosporinas e quinolonas. Estes resultados reforçam que: (i) perfis de resistência, incluindo ATM classificados como criticamente importantes e altamente prioritários à saúde humana, estão presentes nas criações animais no Brasil e (ii) o delineamento adotado nos estudos avaliados pode reduzir o grau de evidências relacionadas ao impacto destas bactérias resistentes na saúde humana. Por fim, sugere-se que futuros estudos epidemiológicos, bem como, ações intersetoriais e multiprofissionais entre órgãos vinculados à saúde animal e à saúde pública sejam fomentados para se reduzir a incidência de casos e potenciais custos relacionados à resistência a ATM.Antimicrobials (ATM) are a group of drugs that are able to kill or inhibit the growth of different commensal and pathogenic microorganisms to humans and animals. ATM are regularly employed in Medicine to treat primary or to prevent secondary bacterial infections. In the field of Veterinary Medicine, besides therapeutic use, ATM are also adopted as growth promoters to livestock. Although the use of ATM is important to promote human health and animal health, it has been noticed, in the last decades, a worldwide increase in the number of resistant bacteria to distinct ATM classes. Thus a systematic review was performed to identify ATM resistance profiles in the bacterial populations presented in Brazilian livestock, from 2008 to 2017, focusing on the ATM classes nowadays classified, by the World Health Organization, as critically important to human health. Out of the 2.500 studies initially screened, 150 were selected given the eligibility criteria. From these, 139 were classified as a descriptive study. Poultry, catlle and swine were the main species studied. Among the identified bacteria, Staphylococcus spp., Salmonella spp. and Escherichia coli were the most frequent. The main ATM profiles, for both susceptibility and resistance, belonged to the classes of cephalosporins (3nd, 4th and 5th generation) and quinolones. The results highlight that (i) resistance profiles, including ATM critically important and with highest priority to human health, are presented in Brazilian livestock and (ii) the study design mainly adopted in the evaluated papers might decrease the evidence degree on how much these resistant bacteria really impact human health. Lastly, it is suggested that coming epidemiological studies and intersectoral and multiprofessional actions, between animal and human health sectors, should be encouraged in order to reduce incidence and costs related to ATM resistance

Characterization of bovine brucellosis in Maranhão State

O presente trabalho é resultado de uma parceria entre o Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento, a Agência Estadual de Defesa Agropecuária do Maranhão, a Universidade de São Paulo e a Universidade de Brasília, fazendo parte das atividades do Programa Nacional de Controle e Erradicação da Brucelose e Tuberculose Animal. Realizou-se um estudo do tipo transversal para estimar a prevalência da brucelose bovina em animais e propriedades no Maranhão e em quatro circuitos produtores de bovinos, oriundos da divisão do estado. Em cada propriedade selecionada para o estudo, foram aleatoriamente coletadas amostras de soro de fêmeas bovinas com idade igual ou superior a 24 meses, assim como, foi aplicado um questionário epidemiológico objetivando caracterizar os tipos de criação de bovinos e determinar os fatores de risco associados à ocorrência da doença no Maranhão. No total foram amostradas 749 propriedades e 6.779 animais. As coordenadas geográficas de cada propriedade foram coletadas para identificação da distribuição espacial das propriedades positivas e de áreas geográficas onde medidas de controle da doença devem ser preferencialmente implementadas. A prevalência de propriedades positivas com, ao menos um animal reagente, foi estimada em 11,42% (9,23 - 14,06%) e a prevalência de animais soropositivos foi de 2,52% (1,73 - 3,65%). Diferenças significativas de prevalência foram observadas entre o circuito produtor 2 e os demais circuitos. As variáveis: rebanho bovino com mais de 54 fêmeas com idade &ge; 24 meses, aluguel de pastos de/para terceiros e presença de áreas alagadiças na propriedade, foram identificadas como fatores de risco para a ocorrência de brucelose no estado. Exploração de corte foi identificada como um fator protetor da doença. A performance do modelo final de fatores de risco, analisada através da área sob a curva ROC, apresentou um valor igual a 0,73, o que significa dizer que a ocorrência de focos da doença é também influenciada por outros elementos não incluídos na análise de fatores de risco. A distribuição de brucelose bovina foi estudada através de análises espaciais de prevalência e efeitos de primeira e segunda ordem. Observou-se uma distribuição heterogênea de focos da doença no estado, com destaque para áreas no centro e nas fronteiras leste e noroeste. Pequenas evidências de efeitos de segunda ordem foram observados na escala de 0 a 10 km. A análise de efeitos de primeira ordem, através dos resíduos do modelo de regressão logística, identificou áreas de maior risco da doença, principalmente no centro do estado, onde a presença de brucelose bovina não foi totalmente explicada pelo modelo de fatores de risco. Maior atenção deva ser preferencialmente prestada a esta área, onde investigações epidemiológicas e intervenções de controle da doença devem ser implementadas.The present work is the result of a partnership among the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply, the Animal Health State Agency of Maranhão, the University of São Paulo and the University of Brasília, becoming part of the activities of the National Program to Control and Eradicate Animal Brucellosis and Tuberculosis. A cross-sectional study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of bovine brucellosis in animals and farms in Maranhão State and four cattle production circuits, from the arbitrary division of the State. In each farm selected for the study, serum samples were randomly collected from cows aged 24 months or more, as well as an epidemiological questionnaire was applied aiming to characterize the types of cattle production systems and to determine the risk factors associated with occurrence of the disease in Maranhão. In total 749 farms and 6,779 animals were surveyed. Geographic coordinates of each farm were collected for identification of the spatial distribution of positive farms and identification of geographic areas where disease control measures should preferably be implemented. The prevalence of positive farms with at least one reagent animal, was estimated at 11.42% (9.23 - 14.06%) and the prevalence of seropositive animals was 2.52% (1.73 - 3.65% ). Significant differences in prevalence were observed among the circuit number 2 and the others. The variables: cattle herd over 54 cows aged 24 months or more, rent pasture from/to third parties and presence of wetlands on the farm were identified as risk factors for the occurrence of brucellosis in the State. Beef herd was identified as a protective factor of the disease. The performance of the final model of risk factors, analyzed by the area under the ROC curve, was 0.73, which means that the occurrence of disease outbreaks is also influenced by other factors not included in the risk factors analysis. The distribution of bovine brucellosis was studied beyond spatial analysis of prevalence and first and second order effects. An heterogeneous distribution of disease outbreaks in the State was observed, especially some areas in central and eastern and northwestern borders. Little evidence of second order effects were observed on a scale of 0 to 10 km. The analysis of first-order effect, through the residues of the logistic regression model, identified areas of greatest risk of disease, especially in the center of the State, where the presence of bovine brucellosis has not been fully explained by the risk factors model. Greater attention should preferably be paid to this area, where epidemiological investigations and disease control interventions should be implemented