First report on outbreaks of contagious ovine digital dermatitis in Sweden

Background Contagious ovine digital dermatitis (CODD) is considered widespread in the United Kingdom but was only recently reported in mainland Europe, as one outbreak in Germany. The disease can cause severe lameness in sheep and, if left untreated, can lead to total avulsion of the hoof capsule. CODD is considered to have multifactorial and polymicrobial aetiology, in which Treponema medium/Treponema vincentii phylogroup, Treponema phagedenis phylogroup and Treponema pedis are believed to play a significant role. Footrot and CODD have a close connection and footrot is considered an important risk factor for CODD. Case Lameness, mainly in lambs aged 1.5 months, was reported on a farm in Sweden in spring 2018. The animals showed no signs of footrot and the causative agent, Dichelobacter nodosus, was not found. CODD was suspected but not confirmed, and the clinical signs subsided when the animals were turned out to pasture. In February 2019, young lambs and ewes were lame again and this time CODD was diagnosed. After treatment, the whole flock was slaughtered later in 2019 due to CODD. In autumn 2020, CODD was diagnosed on another Swedish farm, this time as part of a mixed infection with D. nodosus. The animals were treated with footbaths in zinc sulphate 10% by the farmer, but lameness recurred soon afterwards. The animals were treated, but ultimately the whole flock was slaughtered. No connection was found between the two farms. Conclusion The first two outbreaks of CODD in Sweden have been diagnosed and are described in this case report. If it spreads, CODD could have a negative impact on the Swedish sheep industry in terms of animal welfare, production and antibiotic use

Characterisation of Dichelobacter nodosus and detection of Fusobacterium necrophorum and Treponema spp. in sheep with different clinical manifestations of footrot

AbstractThe aim of this study was to determine the proportion of Dichelobacter nodosus, Fusobacterium necrophorum and Treponema spp. in sheep with different clinical manifestations of footrot compared to healthy sheep both at flock and individual level. The second aim was to characterise D. nodosus with respect to virulence, presence of intA gene and the serogroups.Swab samples (n=1000) from footrot-affected (n=10) and healthy flocks (n=10) were analysed for the presence of D. nodosus, F. necrophorum and Treponema spp. by real-time PCR and culturing (D. nodosus only). Dichelobacter nodosus isolates (n=78) and positive swabs (n=474) were analysed by real-time PCR for the aprV2/B2 and the intA genes and by PCR for the fimA gene (isolates only).D. nodosus was more commonly found in flocks affected with footrot than in clinically healthy flocks. A significant association was found between feet with severe footrot lesions and the aprV2 gene and between feet with moderate or no lesions and the aprB2 gene, respectively. F. necrophorum was more commonly found in flocks with footrot lesions than in flocks without lesions. No significant association was found between sheep flocks affected with footrot and findings of Treponema spp. or the intA gene. Benign D. nodosus of six different serogroups was detected in twelve flocks and virulent D. nodosus of serogroup G in one.In conclusion, D. nodosus and F. necrophorum were more commonly found in feet with footrot than in healthy feet. The majority of D. nodosus detected was benign, while virulent D. nodosus was only detected in a single flock

Prevalence of footrot in Swedish slaughter lambs

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Footrot is a world-wide contagious disease in sheep and goats. It is an infection of the epidermis of the interdigital skin, and the germinal layers of the horn tissue of the feet. The first case of footrot in Swedish sheep was diagnosed in 2004. Due to difficulties in distinguishing benign footrot from early cases of virulent footrot and because there is no possibility for virulence testing of strains of <it>Dichelobacter nodosus </it>in Sweden, the diagnosis is based of the presence or absence of clinical signs of footrot in sheep flocks. Ever since the first diagnosed case the Swedish Animal Health Service has worked intensively to stop the spread of infection and control the disease at flock level. However, to continue this work effectively it is important to have knowledge about the distribution of the disease both nationally and regionally. Therefore, the aims of this study were to estimate the prevalence of footrot in Swedish lambs at abattoirs and to assess the geographical distribution of the disease.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A prevalence study on footrot in Swedish lambs was performed by visual examination of 2000 feet from 500 lambs submitted from six slaughter houses. Each foot was scored according to a 0 to 5 scoring system, where feet with score ≥2 were defined as having footrot. Moreover, samples from feet with footrot were examined for <it>Dichelobacter nodosus </it>by culture and PCR.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The prevalence of footrot at the individual sheep level was 5.8%, and <it>Dichelobacter nodosus </it>was found by culture and PCR in 83% and 97% of the samples from feet with footrot, respectively. Some minor differences in geographical distribution of footrot were found in this study.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>In a national context, the findings indicate that footrot is fairly common in Swedish slaughter lambs, and should be regarded seriously.</p

New genetic loci link adipose and insulin biology to body fat distribution.

Body fat distribution is a heritable trait and a well-established predictor of adverse metabolic outcomes, independent of overall adiposity. To increase our understanding of the genetic basis of body fat distribution and its molecular links to cardiometabolic traits, here we conduct genome-wide association meta-analyses of traits related to waist and hip circumferences in up to 224,459 individuals. We identify 49 loci (33 new) associated with waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for body mass index (BMI), and an additional 19 loci newly associated with related waist and hip circumference measures (P < 5 × 10(-8)). In total, 20 of the 49 waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for BMI loci show significant sexual dimorphism, 19 of which display a stronger effect in women. The identified loci were enriched for genes expressed in adipose tissue and for putative regulatory elements in adipocytes. Pathway analyses implicated adipogenesis, angiogenesis, transcriptional regulation and insulin resistance as processes affecting fat distribution, providing insight into potential pathophysiological mechanisms

Nurses´ experiences of palliative sedation in end-of-life care : a literature review

Bakgrund: Den palliativa vården fokuserar på att lindra lidande hos personer med svår sjukdom. När en patient upplever ett outhärdligt lidande där ingen annan typ av behandling har någon effekt, finns möjlighet att lindra patientens outhärdliga lidande med palliativ sedering.    Syfte: Syftet var att belysa sjuksköterskors upplevelser av palliativ sedering vid livets slutskede. Metod: Litteraturöversikt med induktiv ansats. I resultatet inkluderades 16 vetenskapliga kvalitativa artiklar. Tematisk analys användes för att bearbeta data. Resultat: I resultatet framkom tre huvudteman med underteman. Sjuksköterskors behov av kunskap: definition av palliativ sedering, riktlinjer och läkemedelsadministration. Sjuksköterskors trygghet i bedömning: indikation för beslut, närhet och kommunikation. Sjuksköterskors emotionella och etiska tankar: fridfull död, livet och döden och patientens värdighet och autonomi.  Slutsats: Många sjuksköterskor upplever att palliativ sedering är viktigt att ha som ett behandlingsalternativ när det inte finns något annat att som kan lindra ett outhärdligt lidande. Alla sjuksköterskor är dock inte bekväma i situationen då de saknar kunskap om denna intervention. Palliativ sedering ska inte enbart baseras på den kliniska erfarenhet som sjuksköterskan besitter. Det finns behov av att skapa tydliga riktlinjer med en klar definition om vad palliativ sedering är. Sjuksköterskan ska kunna känna sig trygg med interventionen palliativ sedering, när och hur den kan användas samt ges möjlighet att reflektera över olika etiska dilemman.

Nurses' experiences of palliative sedation in end-of-life care : a litterature review

Sammanfattning Bakgrund: Den palliativa vården fokuserar på att lindra lidande hos personer med svår sjukdom. När en patient upplever ett outhärdligt lidande där ingen annan typ av behandling har någon effekt, finns möjlighet att lindra patientens outhärdliga lidande med palliativ sedering. Syfte: Syftet var att belysa sjuksköterskors upplevelser av palliativ sedering vid livets slutskede. Metod: Litteraturöversikt med induktiv ansats. I resultatet inkluderades 16 vetenskapliga kvalitativa artiklar. Tematisk analys användes för att bearbeta data. Resultat: I resultatet framkom tre huvudteman med underteman. Sjuksköterskors behov av kunskap: definition av palliativ sedering, riktlinjer och läkemedelsadministration. Sjuksköterskors trygghet i bedömning: indikation för beslut, närhet och kommunikation. Sjuksköterskors emotionella och etiska tankar: fridfull död, livet och döden och patientens värdighet och autonomi. Slutsats: Många sjuksköterskor upplever att palliativ sedering är viktigt att ha som ett behandlingsalternativ när det inte finns något annat att som kan lindra ett outhärdligt lidande. Alla sjuksköterskor är dock inte bekväma i situationen då de saknar kunskap om denna intervention. Palliativ sedering ska inte enbart baseras på den kliniska erfarenhet som sjuksköterskan besitter. Det finns behov av att skapa tydliga riktlinjer med en klar definition om vad palliativ sedering är. Sjuksköterskan ska kunna känna sig trygg med interventionen palliativ sedering, när och hur den kan användas samt ges möjlighet att reflektera över olika etiska dilemman

Nurses' experiences of palliative sedation in end-of-life care : a litterature review

Sammanfattning Bakgrund: Den palliativa vården fokuserar på att lindra lidande hos personer med svår sjukdom. När en patient upplever ett outhärdligt lidande där ingen annan typ av behandling har någon effekt, finns möjlighet att lindra patientens outhärdliga lidande med palliativ sedering. Syfte: Syftet var att belysa sjuksköterskors upplevelser av palliativ sedering vid livets slutskede. Metod: Litteraturöversikt med induktiv ansats. I resultatet inkluderades 16 vetenskapliga kvalitativa artiklar. Tematisk analys användes för att bearbeta data. Resultat: I resultatet framkom tre huvudteman med underteman. Sjuksköterskors behov av kunskap: definition av palliativ sedering, riktlinjer och läkemedelsadministration. Sjuksköterskors trygghet i bedömning: indikation för beslut, närhet och kommunikation. Sjuksköterskors emotionella och etiska tankar: fridfull död, livet och döden och patientens värdighet och autonomi. Slutsats: Många sjuksköterskor upplever att palliativ sedering är viktigt att ha som ett behandlingsalternativ när det inte finns något annat att som kan lindra ett outhärdligt lidande. Alla sjuksköterskor är dock inte bekväma i situationen då de saknar kunskap om denna intervention. Palliativ sedering ska inte enbart baseras på den kliniska erfarenhet som sjuksköterskan besitter. Det finns behov av att skapa tydliga riktlinjer med en klar definition om vad palliativ sedering är. Sjuksköterskan ska kunna känna sig trygg med interventionen palliativ sedering, när och hur den kan användas samt ges möjlighet att reflektera över olika etiska dilemman

Sauna dehydration as a new physiological challenge model for intestinal barrier function

The intestinal barrier plays a crucial role in maintaining gut health, and an increased permeability has been linked to several intestinal and extra-intestinal disorders. There is an increasing demand for interventions aimed at strengthening this barrier and for in vivo challenge models to assess their efficiency. This study investigated the effect of sauna-induced dehydration on intestinal barrier function (clinicaltrials.gov: NCT03620825). Twenty healthy subjects underwent three conditions in random order: (1) Sauna dehydration (loss of 3% body weight), (2) non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) intake, (3) negative control. Intestinal permeability was assessed by a multi-sugar urinary recovery test, while intestinal damage, bacterial translocation and cytokines were assessed by plasma markers. The sauna dehydration protocol resulted in an increase in gastroduodenal and small intestinal permeability. Presumably, this increase occurred without substantial damage to the enterocytes as plasma intestinal fatty acid-binding protein (I-FABP) and liver fatty acid-binding protein (L-FABP) were not affected. In addition, we observed significant increases in levels of lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP), IL-6 and IL-8, while sCD14, IL-10, IFN-ɣ and TNF-α were not affected. These results suggest that sauna dehydration increased intestinal permeability and could be applied as a new physiological in vivo challenge model for intestinal barrier function.Funding agency:Örebro University</p