Vaccine use in Canadian cow-calf herds and opportunities for improvement

Vaccinations are one of the most impactful tools available to cow-calf producers to control within herd disease and later, in feedlots. While vaccine use has been studied across Canada, inconsistent and variable regional data makes analysis and interpretation difficult. The objective of this study was to describe vaccination protocols and factors associated with vaccine use in Canadian cow-calf herds and define associations between vaccine use and productivity outcomes. Surveys describing vaccine use in 2020 were collected from 131 cow-calf herds (40 eastern, 91 western), recruited through a national beef cattle surveillance program. Ninety-two percent of cows and replacement heifers, and 72% of bulls were vaccinated with Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR), Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV), Parainfluenza3 Virus (PI3), and Bovine Respiratory Syncytial Virus (BRSV). At least half of cows and bulls were vaccinated for clostridial pathogens and cows and heifers for viral calf scours. Clostridial vaccines were significantly more likely to be used in western Canada compared to eastern Canada. While 92% of producers vaccinated suckling calves against IBR/BRSV/PI3, only 47% provided a second vaccine prior to weaning; 78% of calves were also vaccinated at least once for BVDV before weaning. Producers who vaccinated calves against IBR/BRSV/PI3 before 3 months of age provided a second dose prior to weaning more often than producers who administer the first IBR/BRSV/PI3 vaccine later. Vaccine use has increased across Canada, particularly in calves, prior to weaning. Relative to label recommendations for annual vaccination, clostridial vaccines were generally underutilized in cows and bulls, and by producers in eastern Canada as compared to western Canada. Opportunities also exist to improve adherence to label recommendations for the booster dose of scours vaccine when used in bred replacement heifers. Protocols including product choices, the timing and boosting of respiratory vaccines in nursing calves vary widely across herds. Use of intranasal vaccines in neonatal calves less than 2 weeks old has increased in western Canada compared to previous reports. There is a need to better understand how timing of vaccination in nursing calves contributes to effectiveness, for respiratory disease in nursing and weaned calves

Factors associated with antimicrobial resistant enterococci in Canadian beef cattle: A scoping review

IntroductionAntimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global health concern, occurring when bacteria evolve to render antimicrobials no longer effective. Antimicrobials have important roles in beef production; however, the potential to introduce AMR to people through beef products is a concern. This scoping review identifies factors associated with changes in the prevalence of antimicrobial-resistant Enterococcus spp. applicable to the Canadian farm-to-fork beef continuum.MethodsFive databases (MEDLINE, BIOSIS, Web of Science, Embase, and CAB Abstracts) were searched for articles published from January 1984 to March 2022, using a priori inclusion criteria. Peer-reviewed articles were included if they met all the following criteria: written in English, applicable to the Canadian beef production context, primary research, in vivo research, describing an intervention or exposure, and specific to Enterococcus spp.ResultsOut of 804 screened articles, 26 were selected for inclusion. The included articles discussed 37 factors potentially associated with AMR in enterococci, with multiple articles discussing at least two of the same factors. Factors discussed included antimicrobial administration (n = 16), raised without antimicrobials (n = 6), metal supplementation (n = 4), probiotics supplementation (n = 3), pen environment (n = 2), essential oil supplementation (n = 1), grass feeding (n = 1), therapeutic versus subtherapeutic antimicrobial use (n = 1), feeding wet distiller grains with solubles (n = 1), nutritional supplementation (n = 1) and processing plant type (n = 1). Results were included irrespective of their quality of evidence.DiscussionComparability issues arising throughout the review process were related to data aggregation, hierarchical structures, study design, and inconsistent data reporting. Findings from articles were often temporally specific in that resistance was associated with AMR outcomes at sampling times closer to exposure compared to studies that sampled at longer intervals after exposure. Resistance was often nuanced to unique gene and phenotypic resistance patterns that varied with species of enterococci. Intrinsic resistance and interpretation of minimum inhibitory concentration varied greatly among enterococcal species, highlighting the importance of caution when comparing articles and generalizing findings.Systematic Review Registration[http://hdl.handle.net/1880/113592

The role of socio-demographic factors in premature cervical cancer mortality in Colombia

Abstract Background While cervical cancer (CC) is an important cause of premature mortality in Colombia, the impact of socio-demographic factors on CC mortality in young women is not well understood. The primary objective of this study was to identify differences in CC mortality among Colombian women aged 20–49 years associated with education, type of health insurance, urban or rural and region of residence, and to determine whether differences in mortality associated with education or insurance varied by age. Methods Cervical cancer deaths for 2005–2013 and risk factors were obtained from the National Administrative Department of Statistics. Populations at risk were calculated from age-stratified population projections and the 2010 National and Demographic Health Survey. Negative binomial regression models, stratified by age, were used to examine associations between socio-demographic factors and mortality rates and whether the effects of education and health insurance varied by age. Multiple imputation was used to examine the importance of missing data. Results Differences of CC mortality were identified among women with limited to no education compared to highly educated women, with the largest disparity in the youngest age group (IRR 26.8, 95 % CI 6.65–108). Differences in mortality associated with health insurance also varied based on age group. Women with contributory and special health insurance had lower mortality rates than women with subsidised or no health insurance, except in the youngest age group. No differences were observed between women with subsidised and those with no insurance in any age group. Mortality rates were high among women who resided in urban areas and in the Atlantic, Central, Pacific, and Amazon-Orinoquía regions of Colombia. Missing values in the mortality database did not impact the findings from this study. Conclusions Limited education was most strongly associated with premature CC mortality in the youngest women. Subsidised insurance did not appear to provide significant protection against CC mortality when compared to not having insurance, suggesting the need to examine diagnostic and treatment services available under the subsidised insurance plan. Our results could be used to target interventions to optimise the impact of resources to prevent premature mortality due to CC in Colombia

Identifying performance benchmarks and determinants for reproductive performance and calf survival using a longitudinal field study of cow-calf herds in western Canada.

The cow-calf industry in North America is in a period of rapid consolidation with corresponding increases in herd sizes and changes in management. The objectives of this study were to examine longitudinal data on reproductive performance in cow-calf herds and identify benchmarks for the most critical measures and important sources of differences among herds. To address these questions, a surveillance network was established in western Canada to collect data between 2013 to 2017 privately owned cow-calf herds during calving (n = 105 herds) and at pregnancy testing (n = 94 herds). Data were summarized for a number of indices of herd performance. However, the values considered to be most reliable and accurate were the percentage of females not pregnant when tested by a veterinarian, the percentage of calves dead within 24 hours of birth, and the percentage of calves dead from 24 hours to weaning. The mean and variation between herds for heifers, measured using standard deviation, was greater than for cows for: non-pregnancy (cows 6.8% (mean)±3.4%(SD), heifers 9.7%±8.2%), calf death from birth to 24 hours (cows 2.1%±1.6%, heifers 3.6%±4.5%), and calf death from 24 hours to weaning (cows 2.5%±2.4%, heifers 2.9%±3.9%). Benchmarks or performance targets derived from the 25th percentiles of these data for both cows and heifers were <5% for non-pregnancy risk and <1% for calf loss within 24 hours of birth. The suggested benchmark for calf loss from 24 hours to weaning was <2% for cows and <1% for heifers. All outcomes consistently displayed greater variation between herds as compared to year to year differences within herds with the exception of calf loss before 24 hours in cows. The timing of the start of breeding season was a consistent source of variation in risks of non-pregnancy and calf losses. Cows bred in April or earlier to start calving in late December or January were at increased risk of low pregnancy percentages (p<0.001) and calf losses at birth (p<0.04), as well as increased calf loss before weaning in both cows and heifers (p<0.02). There was also an increase in the risk of non-pregnancy for cows and heifers (p<0.001) where first exposure to breeding was not until July or August. In contrast, the risks of calf loss within 24 hrs of birth (p<0.001) and from 24 hrs to weaning in cows (p<0.02) first exposed to breeding in July and August were significantly lower than for herds that had earlier breeding seasons

Factors associated with drinking and being satisfied with tap water in Indigenous communities in Saskatchewan, Canada

Previous studies have described concerns regarding tap water in Indigenous communities, yet there is little information on participants who report drinking their tap water and being satisfied with its quality. This study undertaken with members of 8 Indigenous communities in Saskatchewan, Canada, and identified factors associated with both the decision to drink tap water at home and being satisfied with its quality. We examined the importance of factors such as individual attributes, experiences, attitudes, household and community-based variables. Less than one-quarter of participants (23.4%) drank tap water and were satisfied with its quality. Individuals who did not boil tap water (odds ratio [OR] = 5.76, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.68–19.8), those who did not experience tap water odour (OR = 2.38, 95% CI = 1.26–4.50) and participants living in communities away from urban centres (OR = 2.74, 95% CI = 1.63–4.51) were more likely to drink and be satisfied with their tap water. Concerns about the environment had the most impact on community members aged 55+ years. Those not reporting concerns about environmental problems affecting water (OR = 11.4, 95% CI = 3.10–42.2) were much more likely to drink and be satisfied with their tap water. Programmes to improve water quality, reduce the need for boil water advisories and increase community confidence in the environment could improve tap water satisfaction and consumption

Correction: Identifying performance benchmarks and determinants for reproductive performance and calf survival using a longitudinal field study of cow-calf herds in western Canada.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0219901.]

Use of Principal Components Analysis and Kriging to Predict Groundwater-Sourced Rural Drinking Water Quality in Saskatchewan

Groundwater drinking water supply surveillance data were accessed to summarize water quality delivered as public and private water supplies in southern Saskatchewan as part of an exposure assessment for epidemiologic analyses of associations between water quality and type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disease. Arsenic in drinking water has been linked to a variety of chronic diseases and previous studies have identified multiple wells with arsenic above the drinking water standard of 0.01 mg/L; therefore, arsenic concentrations were of specific interest. Principal components analysis was applied to obtain principal component (PC) scores to summarize mixtures of correlated parameters identified as health standards and those identified as aesthetic objectives in the Saskatchewan Drinking Water Quality Standards and Objective. Ordinary, universal, and empirical Bayesian kriging were used to interpolate arsenic concentrations and PC scores in southern Saskatchewan, and the results were compared. Empirical Bayesian kriging performed best across all analyses, based on having the greatest number of variables for which the root mean square error was lowest. While all of the kriging methods appeared to underestimate high values of arsenic and PC scores, empirical Bayesian kriging was chosen to summarize large scale geographic trends in groundwater-sourced drinking water quality and assess exposure to mixtures of trace metals and ions