Spatial, temporal, and space-time clusters associated with opioid and cannabis poisoning events in U.S. dogs (2005-2014).

While a substantial amount of research has focused on the abuse of opioids and cannabinoids in human populations, few studies have investigated accidental poisoning events in pet populations. The objective of this study was to identify whether poisoning events involving opioids and cannabinoids clustered in space, time, and space-time, and compare the locations of clusters between the two toxicants. Data were obtained concerning reports of dog poisoning events from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals' (ASPCA) Animal Poisoning Control Center (APCC), from 2005-2014. The spatial scan statistic was used to identify clusters with a high proportion of these poisoning events. Our analyses show that opioid and cannabinoid poisoning events clustered in space, time, and space-time. The cluster patterns identified for each toxicant were distinct, but both shared some similarities with human use data. This study may help increase awareness to the public, public health, and veterinary communities about where and when dogs were most affected by opioid and cannabinoid poisonings. This study highlights the need to educate dog owners about safeguarding opioid and cannabinoid products from vulnerable populations

The identification of risk factors contributing to accidental opioid poisonings in companion dogs using data from a North American poison control center (2006-2014).

In the last decade, there has been a marked increase in opioid-related human deaths in the U.S. However, the effects of the growth in opioid use on vulnerable populations, such as pet dogs, are largely unknown. The objective of this study was to investigate potential risk factors at the dog, county, and state-levels that contributed to accidental dog opioid poisonings. Dog demographic information was collected during calls to the Animal Poison Control Center (APCC), operated by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, about pet dog exposures to poisons from 2006-2014. Data concerning state-level opioid-related human death rates and county-level human opioid prescription rates were collected from databases accessed from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A multilevel logistic regression model with random intercepts for county and state was fitted to explore associations between the odds of a call to the APCC being related to dog opioid poisonings with the following independent variables: sex, weight, age, reproductive status, breed class, year, source of calls, county-level human opioid prescription rate, and state-level opioid human death rate. There was a significant non-linear positive association between accidental opioid dog poisoning calls and county-level human opioid prescription rates. Similarly, the odds of a call being related to an opioid poisoning significantly declined over the study period. Depending on the breed class, the odds of a call being related to an opioid poisoning event were generally lower for older and heavier dogs. The odds of a call being related to an opioid poisoning were significantly higher for intact compared to neutered dogs, and if the call was made by a veterinarian compared to a member of the public. Veterinarians responding to poisonings may benefit from knowledge of trends in the use and abuse of both legal and illegal drugs in human populations

Phylogenomic Analyses and Molecular Signatures Elucidating the Evolutionary Relationships amongst the Chlorobia and Ignavibacteria Species: Robust Demarcation of Two Family-Level Clades within the Order Chlorobiales and Proposal for the Family Chloroherpetonaceae fam. nov

Evolutionary relationships amongst Chlorobia and Ignavibacteria species/strains were examined using phylogenomic and comparative analyses of genome sequences. In a phylogenomic tree based on 282 conserved proteins, the named Chlorobia species formed a monophyletic clade containing two distinct subclades. One clade, encompassing the genera Chlorobaculum, Chlorobium, Pelodictyon, and Prosthecochloris, corresponds to the family Chlorobiaceae, whereas another clade, harboring Chloroherpeton thalassium, Candidatus Thermochlorobacter aerophilum, Candidatus Thermochlorobacteriaceae bacterium GBChlB, and Chlorobium sp. 445, is now proposed as a new family (Chloroherpetonaceae fam. nov). In parallel, our comparative genomic analyses have identified 47 conserved signature indels (CSIs) in diverse proteins that are exclusively present in members of the class Chlorobia or its two families, providing reliable means for identification. Two known Ignavibacteria species in our phylogenomic tree are found to group within a larger clade containing several Candidatus species and uncultured Chlorobi strains. A CSI in the SecY protein is uniquely shared by the species/strains from this “larger Ignavibacteria clade”. Two additional CSIs, which are commonly shared by Chlorobia species and the “larger Ignavibacteria clade”, support a specific relationship between these two groups. The newly identified molecular markers provide novel tools for genetic and biochemical studies and identification of these organisms

Spatiotemporal epidemiology of substance-related accidental acute toxicity deaths in Canada from 2016 to 2017

Abstract Objectives In Canada, substance-related accidental acute toxicity deaths (AATDs) continue to rise at the national and sub-national levels. However, it is unknown if, where, when, and to what degree AATDs cluster in space, time, and space–time across the country. The objectives of this study were to 1) assess for clusters of AATDs that occurred in Canada during 2016 and 2017 at the national and provincial/territorial (P/T) levels, and 2) examine the substance types detected in AATD cases within each cluster. Methods Two years of person-level data on AATDs were abstracted from coroner and medical examiner files using a standardized data collection tool, including the decedent's postal code and municipality information on the places of residence, acute toxicity (AT) event, and death, and the substances detected in the death. Data were combined with Canadian census information to create choropleth maps depicting AATD rates by census division. Spatial scan statistics were used to build Poisson models to identify clusters of high rates (p < 0.05) of AATDs at the national and P/T levels in space, time, and space–time over the study period. AATD cases within clusters were further examined for substance types most present in each cluster. Results Eight clusters in five regions of Canada at the national level and 24 clusters in 15 regions at the P/T level were identified, highlighting where AATDs occurred at far higher rates than the rest of the country. The risk ratios of identified clusters ranged from 1.28 to 9.62. Substances detected in clusters varied by region and time, however, opioids, stimulants, and alcohol were typically the most commonly detected substances within clusters. Conclusion Our findings are the first in Canada to reveal the geographic disparities in AATDs at national and P/T levels using spatial scan statistics. Rates associated with substance types within each cluster highlight which substance types were most detected in the identified regions. Findings may be used to guide intervention/program planning and provide a picture of the 2016 and 2017 context that can be used for comparisons of the geographic distribution of AATDs and substances with different time periods