Epidemiology and spatial distribution of Echinococcus granulosus in sheep and goats slaughtered in a hyperendemic European Mediterranean area

Background: Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a worldwide parasitic zoonosis caused by the larval stage of Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato affecting livestock, particularly sheep and goats. However, often this parasitosis is underestimated. For this reason, this study aimed to evaluate the epidemiological features and spatial distribution of CE in sheep and goats slaughtered in a hyperendemic Mediterranean area. Methods: A survey was conducted in the Basilicata region (southern Italy) from 2014 to 2019. A total of 1454 animals (1265 sheep and 189 goats) from 824 farms were examined for hydatid cyst detection by visual inspection, palpation and incision of target organs. All the CE cysts were counted and classified into five morphostructural types (unilocular, multiseptate, calcified, caseous and hyperlaminated). Molecular analysis was performed on 353 cysts. For spatial analysis, a kriging interpolation method was used to create risk maps, while clustering was assessed by Moran’s I test. Results: CE prevalence of 72.2% (595/824) and 58.4% (849/1454) was observed at the farm and animal levels, respectively, with higher values in sheep (62.9%) than goats (28.0%). The liver and lungs were the most frequently infected organs in both sheep and goats. Most of recovered cysts were of the calcified and multiseptate morphotypes. All the isolates were identified as E. granulosus sensu stricto (genotypes G1–G3). Spatial distribution showed a moderate clustering of positive animals. Conclusion: The findings of this study can be used to better understand the eco-epidemiology of echinococcosis and to improve CE surveillance and prevention programs in regions highly endemic for CE.Fil: Bosco, Antonio. Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II; ItaliaFil: Alves, Leucio Camara. Universidad Federal Rural Pernambuco; BrasilFil: Cociancic, Paola. Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II; Italia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores; ArgentinaFil: Amadesi, Alessandra. Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II; ItaliaFil: Pepe, Paola. Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II; ItaliaFil: Morgoglione, Maria Elena. Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II; ItaliaFil: Maurelli, Maria Paola. Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II; ItaliaFil: Ferrer Miranda, Edyniesky. Universidad Federal Rural Pernambuco; BrasilFil: Santoro, Kleber Régis. Universidad Federal Rural Pernambuco; BrasilFil: Nascimento Ramos, Rafael Antonio. Universidad Federal Rural Pernambuco; BrasilFil: Rinaldi, Laura. Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II; ItaliaFil: Cringoli, Giuseppe. Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II; Itali

Modelagem de fatores de risco de febre aftosa através do sistema de notificações de doenças vesiculares no Brasil

A Febre Aftosa (FA) é a enfermidade mais contagiosa dos mamíferos e possui um grande potencial para causar graves perdas econômicas nos animais ungulados de casco dividido. No manejo da enfermidade, muitas vezes, as decisões têm que ser tomadas em um contexto de incertezas. Entretanto, os modelos epidemiológicos podem constituir uma poderosa ferramenta auxiliar para a elaboração de políticas zoossanitárias para o controle de enfermidades. O objetivo da pesquisa foi determinar fatores de risco de doenças vesiculares no Brasil, para ações de vigilância. A pesquisa foi conduzida utilizando dados do Sistema Continental de Informação e Vigilância (SivCont) referentes ao Brasil. Os dados referem-se às Síndromes Vesiculares, recolhendo informações da FA e Estomatite Vesicular (EV) assim como outras doenças com sinais clínicos com síndromes vesiculares de origem infecciosa e não infecciosas. Entre os critérios a serem avaliados estão os timeliness envolvidos nos programas de vigilância, os quais podem demonstrar a dinâmica e interação das atividades executadas. Ademais, foram avaliadas as exigências baseadas em risco do sistema de vigilância da FA. Para as diferentes análises, implementaram-se diferentes técnicas, entre as quais se destacam o MLG, mineração de dados e análises de redes bayesianas. Os resultados do capítulo 3 mostraram demora nos timeliness dentro de cada estado, as diferentes classificações de doenças e com destaque em doenças com sinais iguais à FA. Ainda se mostra que existe ampla diferença entre os timeliness do sistema de vigilância da FA quando comparados os estados do Brasil. Ademais, no capítulo 4 comprova-se que doenças com sinais iguais à FA são os eventos mais notificados, e ocorrem com maior frequência em SC e PR. Além disso, foram identificados os estados de MG, PA, MS, RO e GO como os de maior probabilidade de ter diagnóstico positivo para a FA e que mais demoram em notificar. Todos os resultados antes obtidos permitem que técnicos, médicos veterinários e aqueles que tomam decisões possam reforçar as medidas de vigilância nos estados com timeliness acima do permitido para obter êxito nas metas propostas.Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is the most contagious disease of mammals and has great potential to cause severe economic losses in split-hoofed animals. In disease management, decisions often must be made in a context of uncertainty. However, epidemiological models can be a powerful tool to aid the development of animal health policies and preventive disease control. The work aimed to find priority regions for vesicular disease surveillance in Brazil. The work was conducted using data from the Continental Information and Surveillance System (SivCont) for Brazil. The data refer to Vesicular Syndromes, collecting information on FMD and Vesicular Stomatitis (VS), as well as other diseases with symptoms compatible with vesicular syndromes of diverse infectious and noninfectious sources. It is also essential to consider the timeliness involved in surveillance programs, which can demonstrate the dynamics and interaction of the activities carried out. Also, the risk-based requirements of the FMD surveillance system were assessed. For the different analyses, various techniques were implemented such as GLM, data mining and Bayesian network analysis. On the other hand, the results of chapter 3 revealed delays in the timeliness of each state, the different classifications of diseases and especially in conditions with symptoms equal to FMD. Also, it even showed that there is a large variation in the timeliness of the FMD surveillance system when the Brazilian states were compared. It was also observed in chapter 4 that diseases with symptoms like FMD are the most notified events, and occur with more frequency in SC and PR. Besides this, the states of MG, PA, MS, RO and GO are identified as being more likely to have positive FMD diagnosis and more delayed in notifying. All results obtained in this research will allow decision-makers in the official veterinary services to strengthen surveillance measures in states with extreme timeliness values. Thus, reinforces the FMD surveillance system, which supports the surveillance programs.Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPE

Classical Swine Fever in a Cuban Zone Intended for Eradication : Spatiotemporal Clustering and Risk Factors

Classical Swine Fever (CSF) is an endemic disease in Cuba, and an eradication strategy by zones is planned by the Official Veterinary Service. The aim of this study was to identify high-risk areas of CSF and the risk factors associated with the disease occurrence in the Pinar del Rio province, one of the prioritized areas in the eradication strategy. The outbreak occurrence at district level was analyzed through a 7-year period (2009 to 2015). A high-risk cluster (RR = 5.13, 95% CI 3.49-7.56) was detected during the last 2 years of the study period in the eastern half of the province, with 38 out of 97 districts included. The rate of CSF-affected holdings had a significant increase during 2014-2015 and seems to have occurred mainly in the high-risk cluster area. Swine population density by district (heads/km(2)) and road length (km) by district were associated with the disease outbreak occurrence. These results provide new insights into the knowledge of the epidemiology of the disease in Cuban endemic conditions and can contribute to improving the control and the eradication strategy in this situation