Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome prevalence and processing fluids use for diagnosis in United States breeding herds

Processing fluids have been recently adopted by the U.S. swine industry as a breeding herd PRRS monitoring tool due to their increased representativeness of animals within the herd. Here, we use the Morrison Swine Health Monitoring Project (MSHMP) database, representative of ~50% of the U.S. swine breeding herd, to describe processing fluids submissions for PRRS diagnosis and their relation to PRRS prevalence and time to stability over time between 2009 and 2020.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Percepção do uso de dióxido de cloro e grau de conhecimento sobre a COVID-19 em estudantes de Medicina de uma universidade peruana

Objective: To determine the perception of the use of chlorine dioxide (CDS) and the degree of knowledge about COVID-19 in medical students of a Peruvian university. Material and methods: Cross-sectional observational study. A virtual survey of 158 medical students from the Jorge Basadre Grohmann National University was conducted from 15 to 18 August 2020. The instrument used was divided into three sections: socio-demographic characteristics, level of knowledge about COVID-19 and attitudes towards the use of CDS. Bivariate analysis was performed using Fisher's exact test. Results: Of the 158 medical students surveyed, 53 % were women, the average age was 21 (RIQ: 19-23) year-old. 22 % consider that if a doctor or health care staff recommends the use of chlorine dioxide, it is because it has some utility in treating COVID-19, and 39 % have low knowledge about the disease. There is a difference between the perception regarding the use of chlorine dioxide and the level of knowledge about COVID-19 (p<0.05). Conclusion: Almost a quarter of students consider the use of chlorine dioxide to treat COVID-19 useful if recommended by a doctor or if conventional medical therapy does not work. This may be due to a low level of knowledge about the disease.Objetivo: Determinar la percepción del uso de dióxido de cloro (CDS) y el grado de conocimiento sobre la COVID-19 en estudiantes de Medicina de una universidad peruana. Material y métodos: Estudio observacional de corte transversal. Se realizó una encuesta virtual a 158 estudiantes de Medicina de la Universidad Nacional Jorge Basadre Grohmann, del 15 al 18 de agosto del 2020. El instrumento utilizado se dividió en tres secciones: características sociodemográficas, nivel de conocimientos sobre la COVID-19 y actitudes frente al uso del CDS. El análisis bivariado se realizó utilizando la prueba exacta de Fisher. Resultados: De los 158 estudiantes de Medicina encuestados, el 53 % fueron mujeres, la edad media fue de 21 (RIC: 19-23) años. El 22 % considera que si un médico o personal de salud recomienda el uso de dióxido de cloro, es porque tiene alguna utilidad para tratar la COVID-19, y el 39 % tiene un conocimiento bajo sobre la enfermedad. Existe diferencia entre la percepción frente al uso de dióxido de cloro y el nivel de conocimientos sobre la COVID-19 (p<0,05). Conclusión: Casi un cuarto de los estudiantes considera útil el uso de dióxido de cloro para tratar la COVID-19 si lo recomienda un médico o si la terapia médica convencional no surtiera efecto. Lo mencionado puede deberse a un nivel de conocimiento bajo sobre la enfermedad.Objetivo: Determinar a percepção do uso de dióxido de cloro (CDS) e o grau de conhecimento sobre a COVID-19 em estudantes de Medicina de uma universidade peruana. Material e métodos: Estudo observacional de corte transversal. Uma pesquisa virtual foi feita em 158 estudantes de Medicina da Universidade Nacional Jorge Basadre Grohmann, de 15 a 18 de agosto de 2020. O instrumento utilizado foi dividido em três seções: características sociodemográficas, nível de conhecimento sobre a COVID-19 e atitudes contra o uso do CDS. A análise bivariada foi feita com o teste exato de Fisher. Resultados: Dos 158 estudantes de Medicina entrevistados, 53 % foram mulheres, a idade média foi de 21 (RIQ: 19-23) anos. 22 % consideram que, se um médico ou pessoal de saúde recomenda o uso de dióxido de cloro, é porque tem alguma utilidade para tratar a COVID-19; 39 % tem um conhecimento baixo sobre a doença. Existe uma diferença entre a percepção da utilização de dióxido de cloro e o nível de conhecimentos sobre a COVID-19 (p<0,05). Conclusão: Quase um quarto dos estudantes considera útil o uso de dióxido de cloro para tratar a COVID-19 se recomendado por um médico ou se a terapia médica convencional não surtisse efeito. Isto pode ser devido a um baixo nível de conhecimento sobre a doença

Senecavirus A seroprevalence and risk factors in United States pig farms

Senecavirus A (SVA) is a non-enveloped, single-stranded, positive-sense RNA virus belonging to the Picornaviridae family. Senecavirus A is constantly associated with outbreaks of vesicular disease in pigs and has been reported in several countries since its first large-scale outbreak in 2014. Senecavirus A's clinical disease and lesions are indistinguishable from other vesicular foreign animal diseases (FAD). Therefore, an FAD investigation needs to be conducted for every SVA case. For this reason, SVA has been attributed as the cause of an alarming increase in the number of yearly FAD investigations performed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The objectives of this study were to estimate the seroprevalence of SVA antibodies in breeding and growing pig farms in the United States and to determine the farm-level risk factors associated with seropositivity. A total of 5,794 blood samples were collected from 98 and 95 breeding and growing pig farms in 17 states. A farm characteristics questionnaire was sent to all farms, to which 80% responded. The responses were used to conduct logistic regression analyses to assess the risk factors associated with SVA seropositivity. The estimated farm-level seroprevalences were 17.3% and 7.4% in breeding and growing pig farms, respectively. Breeding farms had 2.64 times higher odds of SVA seropositivity than growing pig farms. One key risk factor identified in breeding farms was the practice of rendering dead animal carcasses. However, the adoption of a higher number of farm biosecurity measures was associated with a protective effect against SVA seropositivity in breeding farms

Senecavirus A seroprevalence and risk factors in United States pig farms

Senecavirus A (SVA) is a non-enveloped, single-stranded, positive-sense RNA virus belonging to the Picornaviridae family. Senecavirus A is constantly associated with outbreaks of vesicular disease in pigs and has been reported in several countries since its first large-scale outbreak in 2014. Senecavirus A’s clinical disease and lesions are indistinguishable from other vesicular foreign animal diseases (FAD). Therefore, an FAD investigation needs to be conducted for every SVA case. For this reason, SVA has been attributed as the cause of an alarming increase in the number of yearly FAD investigations performed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The objectives of this study were to estimate the seroprevalence of SVA antibodies in breeding and growing pig farms in the United States and to determine the farm-level risk factors associated with seropositivity. A total of 5,794 blood samples were collected from 98 and 95 breeding and growing pig farms in 17 states. A farm characteristics questionnaire was sent to all farms, to which 80% responded. The responses were used to conduct logistic regression analyses to assess the risk factors associated with SVA seropositivity. The estimated farm-level seroprevalences were 17.3% and 7.4% in breeding and growing pig farms, respectively. Breeding farms had 2.64 times higher odds of SVA seropositivity than growing pig farms. One key risk factor identified in breeding farms was the practice of rendering dead animal carcasses. However, the adoption of a higher number of farm biosecurity measures was associated with a protective eect against SVA seropositivity in breeding farms.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Disentangling transport movement patterns of trucks either transporting pigs or while empty within a swine production system before and during the COVID-19 epidemic

Transport of pigs between sites occurs frequently as part of genetic improvement and age segregation. However, a lack of transport biosecurity could have catastrophic implications if not managed properly as disease spread would be imminent. However, there is a lack of a comprehensive study of vehicle movement trends within swine systems in the Midwest. In this study, we aimed to describe and characterize vehicle movement patterns within one large Midwest swine system representative of modern pig production to understand movement trends and proxies for biosecurity compliance and identify potential risky behaviors that may result in a higher risk for infectious disease spread. Geolocation tracking devices recorded vehicle movements of a subset of trucks and trailers from a production system every 5 min and every time tracks entered a landmark between January 2019 and December 2020, before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. We described 6,213 transport records from 12 vehicles controlled by the company. In total, 114 predefined landmarks were included during the study period, representing 5 categories of farms and truck wash facilities. The results showed that trucks completed the majority (76.4%, 2,111/2,762) of the recorded movements. The seasonal distribution of incoming movements was similar across years (P > 0.05), while the 2019 winter and summer seasons showed higher incoming movements to sow farms than any other season, year, or production type (P < 0.05). More than half of the in-movements recorded occurred within the triad of sow farms, wean-to-market stage, and truck wash facilities. Overall, time spent at each landmark was 9.08% higher in 2020 than in 2019, without seasonal highlights, but with a notably higher time spent at truck wash facilities than any other type of landmark. Network analyses showed high connectivity among farms with identifiable clusters in the network. Furthermore, we observed a decrease in connectivity in 2020 compared with 2019, as indicated by the majority of network parameter values. Further network analysis will be needed to understand its impact on disease spread and control. However, the description and quantification of movement trends reported in this study provide findings that might be the basis for targeting infectious disease surveillance and control.The MSHMP is a Swine Health Information Center (SHIC) funded project (Project # 19-235 SHIC).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Alocação de recursos médicos em tempo de COVID-19: uma abordagem bioética

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has claimed more than two million lives, leading to the collapse of health systems around the world, especially in low-income countries. As the pandemic progressed, the imbalance between the supply of and demand for medical resources created ethical dilemmas regarding how best to allocate available resources. Discussion: Peru did not have the necessary resources to deal with a pandemic like that of COVID-19, which is why its health system collapsed, showing the highest mortality rate worldwide during the first wave. Faced with the saturation of hospital services, the dilemma presented was: when, how and to whom should the few available medical resources be allocated? From a bioethical point of view, health professionals should seek to save as many lives as possible, giving priority to patients with better prognosis and those who could contribute to this aim, such as health workers. Conclusion: Identifying the ethical dilemmas that arise from the pandemic will help doctors make decisions that are close to what is considered appropriate for the group, not only of health workers, but also of patients and family members. The recommendations described here could help in making these decisions.Introducción: La pandemia de la COVID-19 ha cobrado más de dos millones de muertes, generando el colapso de los sistemas de salud en todo el mundo, especialmente en países de bajos recursos. A medida que la pandemia fue avanzando, el desequilibrio entre la oferta y la demanda de recursos médicos creó dilemas éticos relacionados con la mejor manera de asignar los recursos disponibles. Discusión: El Perú no contaba con los recursos necesarios para enfrentar una pandemia como la del COVID-19, es por ello que su sistema sanitario colapsó, mostrando la tasa de mortalidad más alta a nivel mundial durante la primera ola. Ante la saturación de los servicios hospitalarios, el dilema que se presentó fue: ¿cuándo, cómo y a quién se le debe asignar los pocos recursos médicos disponibles? Desde un punto de vista bioético, los profesionales de la salud deben buscar salvar la mayor cantidad de vidas, dando prioridad a los pacientes con mejor pronóstico y a quienes podrían contribuir a este fin, como el personal sanitario. Conclusión: La identificación de los dilemas éticos que surgen por la pandemia ayudará a los médicos a tomar decisiones cercanas a lo que se considere adecuado para el grupo, no solo de trabajadores de salud, sino también de pacientes y familiares. Las recomendaciones aquí descritas podrían ayudar a la toma de estas decisiones.Introdução: A pandemia da COVID-19 causou mais de dois milhões de mortes, causando o colapso dos sistemas de saúde em todo o mundo, especialmente em países de baixos recursos. À medida que a pandemia foi avançando, o desequilíbrio entre a oferta e a procura de recursos médicos criou dilemas éticos relacionados com a melhor maneira de alocar os recursos disponíveis. Discussão: O Peru não tinha os recursos necessários para enfrentar uma pandemia como a do COVID-19, por isso seu sistema de saúde entrou em colapso, mostrando a maior taxa de mortalidade mundial durante a primeira onda. Perante a saturação dos serviços hospitalares, o dilema que se apresentou foi: como, quando e a quem devem ser atribuídos os poucos recursos médicos disponíveis? Do ponto de vista bioético, os profissionais de saúde devem procurar salvar o maior número possível de vidas, dando prioridade aos pacientes com melhor prognóstico e aos que poderiam contribuir para este fim, como o pessoal de saúde. Conclusão: A identificação dos dilemas éticos que surgem por causa da pandemia ajudará os médicos a tomar decisões próximas ao que se considere adequado para o grupo, não só de trabalhadores da saúde, mas também de pacientes e familiares. As recomendações aqui descritas podem ajudar a tomar estas decisões

Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRSV2) Viral Diversity within a Farrow-to-Wean Farm Cohort Study

Describing PRRSV whole-genome viral diversity data over time within the host and within-farm is crucial for a better understanding of viral evolution and its implications. A cohort study was conducted at one naïve farrow-to-wean farm reporting a PRRSV outbreak. All piglets 3-5 days of age (DOA) born to mass-exposed sows through live virus inoculation with the recently introduced wild-type virus two weeks prior were sampled and followed up at 17-19 DOA. Samples from 127 piglets were individually tested for PRRSV by RT-PCR and 100 sequences were generated using Oxford Nanopore Technologies chemistry. Female piglets had significantly higher median Ct values than males (15.5 vs. 13.7, Kruskal-Wallis p < 0.001) at 3-5 DOA. A 52.8% mortality between sampling points was found, and the odds of dying by 17-19 DOA decreased with every one unit increase in Ct values at 3-5 DOA (OR = 0.76, 95% CI 0.61-0.94, p = 0.01). Although the within-pig percent nucleotide identity was overall high (99.7%) between 3-5 DOA and 17-19 DOA samples, ORFs 4 and 5a showed much lower identities (97.26% and 98.53%, respectively). When looking solely at ORF5, 62% of the sequences were identical to the 3-5 DOA consensus. Ten and eight regions showed increased nucleotide and amino acid genetic diversity, respectively, all found throughout ORFs 2a/2b, 4, 5a/5, 6, and 7

Phylogenetic Structure and Sequential Dominance of Sub-Lineages of PRRSV Type-2 Lineage 1 in the United States

The genetic diversity and frequent emergence of novel genetic variants of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus type-2 (PRRSV) hinders control efforts, yet drivers of macro-evolutionary patterns of PRRSV remain poorly documented. Utilizing a comprehensive database of >20,000 orf5 sequences, our objective was to classify variants according to the phylogenetic structure of PRRSV co-circulating in the U.S., quantify evolutionary dynamics of sub-lineage emergence, and describe potential antigenic differences among sub-lineages. We subdivided the most prevalent lineage (Lineage 1, accounting for approximately 60% of available sequences) into eight sub-lineages. Bayesian coalescent SkyGrid models were used to estimate each sub-lineage’s effective population size over time. We show that a new sub-lineage emerged every 1 to 4 years and that the time between emergence and peak population size was 4.5 years on average (range: 2–8 years). A pattern of sequential dominance of different sub-lineages was identified, with a new dominant sub-lineage replacing its predecessor approximately every 3 years. Consensus amino acid sequences for each sub-lineage differed in key GP5 sites related to host immunity, suggesting that sub-lineage turnover may be linked to immune-mediated competition. This has important implications for understanding drivers of genetic diversity and emergence of new PRRSV variants in the U.S