Detecting Emerging Diseases in Farm Animals through Clinical Observations

Clinical observations will allow early detection of emerging diseases in animal to enhance response time and capabilities

Can biosecurity on farms reduce bovine tuberculosis risks in cattle in England? a review of observational and literature-based evidence

Background: Bovine tuberculosis (TB) is a burden to cattle farming in Great Britain. Poor biosecurity has been identified as contributing to the epidemic. Methods: We conducted a systematic review of epidemiological studies in the scientific literature (1921 – 2024) measuring the association between farm biosecurity and cattle TB. Eligible studies controlled for confounding and reported statistically significant association/s between biosecurity and TB (p 3. Biosecurity uptake in England was assessed using Official Disease Report Forms (DRFs) from 4074 TB incidents (2018/19). Results: Thirty-three papers with 117 effect estimates met the inclusion criteria and were grouped according to a five-point biosecurity plan. There was consistent evidence for lower TB risk from reducing contact with neighbouring herds and from preventing cattle at higher TB risk entering herds. Evidence for the effectiveness of measures reducing contact between badgers and cattle was inconsistent. The DRF data showed low uptake of biosecurity to reduce contact between badgers and cattle. Limitations: All studies identified were retrospective. Biosecurity was measured using different instruments e.g. questionnaires. Conclusions: There is analytical epidemiological evidence supporting guidance for improving biosecurity, but it has some limitations. Further research is needed to identify the most effective wildlife-focused measures

Australian fur seals establish haulout sites and a breeding colony in South Australia

Australian fur seals (Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus) breed on Bass Strait islands in Victoria and Tasmania. They have been recorded in South Australia (SA) for many years as non-breeding visitors and on Kangaroo Island frequently since 1988, mostly in breeding colonies of the New Zealand fur seal (A. forsteri) which is the most numerous pinniped in SA. Australian fur seals have displaced New Zealand fur seals from sections of the Cape Gantheaume colony on Kangaroo Island. North Casuarina Island produced 29 Australian fur seal pups in February 2008. Australian fur seal pups were larger than New Zealand fur seal pups in the same colony and have been identified genetically using a 263-bp fragment of the mitochondrial DNA control region. North Casuarina Island has been an important breeding colony of New Zealand fur seals, but pup numbers there decreased since 1992–93 (contrary to trends in SA for New Zealand fur seals), while numbers of Australian fur seals there have increased. This study confirms that Australian fur seals breed in SA. The two fur seal species compete for space onshore at several sites. Australian fur seals may compete for food with endangered Australian sea lions (Neophoca cinerea) because both are bottom feeders.Peter D. Shaughnessy, Jane McKenzie, Melanie L. Lancaster, Simon D. Goldsworthy and Terry E. Denni

An integrated process and management tools for ranking multiple emerging threats to animal health

The UK's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs supports the use of systematic tools for the prioritisation of known and well defined animal diseases to facilitate long and medium term planning of surveillance and disease control activities. The recognition that emerging events were not covered by the existing disease-specific approaches led to the establishment of the Veterinary Risk Group (VRG), constituted of government officials, and supporting structures such as the Risk Management Cycle and the Emerging Threat Highlight Report (ETHiR), to facilitate the identification, reporting and assessment of emerging threats to UK's animal health. Since its inception in November 2009 to the end of February 2011, the VRG reviewed 111 threats and vulnerabilities (T&V) reported through ETHiR. In July 2010 a decision support system (DSS) based on multi-criteria-decision-analysis (MCDA) improved ETHiR to allow the systematic prioritisation of emerging T&V. The DSS allows the regular ranking of emerging T&V by calculating a set of measurement indices related to the actual impact, possible impact on public perception and level of available capabilities associated with every T&V. The systematic characterisation of the processes leading to the assessment of T&V by the VRG has led to a consistent, auditable and transparent approach to the identification and assessment of emerging risks. The regular use of MCDA to manage a portfolio of emerging risks represents a different and novel application of MCDA in a health related context