Global trends in infectious diseases at the wildlife–livestock interface

The role and significance of wildlife–livestock interfaces in disease ecology has largely been neglected, despite recent interest in animals as origins of emerging diseases in humans. Scoping review methods were applied to objectively assess the relative interest by the scientific community in infectious diseases at interfaces between wildlife and livestock, to characterize animal species and regions involved, as well as to identify trends over time. An extensive literature search combining wildlife, livestock, disease, and geographical search terms yielded 78,861 publications, of which 15,998 were included in the analysis. Publications dated from 1912 to 2013 and showed a continuous increasing trend, including a shift from parasitic to viral diseases over time. In particular there was a significant increase in publications on the artiodactyls–cattle and bird–poultry interface after 2002 and 2003, respectively. These trends could be traced to key disease events that stimulated public interest and research funding. Among the top 10 diseases identified by this review, the majority were zoonoses. Prominent wildlife–livestock interfaces resulted largely from interaction between phylogenetically closely related and/or sympatric species. The bird–poultry interface was the most frequently cited wildlife–livestock interface worldwide with other interfaces reflecting regional circumstances. This review provides the most comprehensive overview of research on infectious diseases at the wildlife–livestock interface to date

Global health security must embrace a One Health approach: Contributions and experiences of veterinarians during the COVID-19 response in Australia

SARS-CoV-2, a betacoronavirus of likely zoonotic origin, was first reported in December 2019. Its rapid worldwide spread precipitated a range of interventions, including by veterinarians, due to impacts on human health and well-being as well as animal health and welfare. We conducted 36 key informant interviews to explore the responses of Australian veterinarians, their engagement in One Health collaboration and cooperation, and their existing and developed insights to the COVID-19 pandemic. Responses were analysed using thematic analysis. Australian veterinarians provided valuable contributions to the national COVID-19 response by protecting animal welfare, maintaining local food security, providing essential veterinary services while mitigating human health risks in clinical settings and providing both key skills and surge capacity to the human health response. This was all guided by skills in scientific literacy and evidence-based communication. Informants identified a clear and urgent need for greater One Health coordination during pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response, even in the case of a disease which largely only affects humans

Diversity of Salmonella serotypes from humans, food, domestic animals and wildlife in New South Wales, Australia

Abstract Background Salmonella is an important human pathogen in Australia and annual case rates continue to increase. In addition to foodborne exposures, cases have been associated with animal and contaminated environment contact. However, routine surveillance in Australia has tended to focus on humans and food, with no reported attempts to collate and compare Salmonella data from a wider range of potential sources of exposure. Methods Salmonella data from humans, food, animals and environments were collated from a range of surveillance and diagnostic sources in New South Wales (NSW). Data were categorised to reflect one of 29 sample origins. Serotype diversity was described for each category, and the distribution of serotypes commonly isolated from humans was examined for each sample origin. The distribution of serotypes along the livestock-food-human continuum and at the companion animal-wildlife interface was also examined. Results In total, 49,872 Salmonella isolates were included in this analysis, comprising 325 serotypes. The vast majority of these isolates were from humans (n = 38,106). Overall S. Typhimurium was the most frequently isolated serotype and was isolated from all sample categories except natural environment and game meat. S. Enteriditis was not isolated from any livestock animal, however sporadic cases were documented in food, companion animals and a reptile. Many serotypes that were frequently isolated from livestock animals and associated food products were only rarely isolated from humans. In addition, a number of key human serotypes were only sporadically isolated from livestock and food products, suggesting alternative sources of infection. In particular, S. Paratyphi B Java and S. Wangata were more often isolated from wild animals. Finally, there was some overlap between serotypes in companion animals and wildlife, with cats in particular having a large number of serotypes in common with wild birds. Conclusions This is the most comprehensive description of Salmonella data from humans, food, livestock, wildlife, companion animals and various environments in Australia reported to date. Results confirm that livestock and food are important sources of salmonellosis in humans but that alternative sources - such as contact with wildlife and environments - warrant further investigation. Surveillance in NSW is largely human-focussed: major knowledge gaps exist regarding the diversity and frequency of serotypes in animals. More systematic surveillance of domestic animals and wildlife is needed to inform targeted control strategies and quantitative source attribution modelling in this state

Surveillance system enhancements for Q fever in NSW, 2005-2015.

Q fever remains an important notifiable, zoonotic disease in Australia. Previous epidemiological reviews have noted increased importance of non-abattoir contact with livestock and native/feral animals. Changes to surveillance in New South Wales (NSW) have provided enhanced surveillance data with which to examine exposure pathways. Descriptive analysis of NSW Q fever notification data for the period 2005-2015, with detailed analysis of exposures for the period 2011-2015 (after introduction of improvements to surveillance). Between 2005 and 2015, 1,653 confirmed cases of Q fever were notified in NSW residents who acquired the disease in this state. For the period 2011-2015, a high-risk occupation was reported in 345/660 (52.3%) of notifications with a known occupation. Of 641 cases with a known animal exposure, 345 (53.8%) had direct contact with livestock, while 62 (9.7%) had indirect contact with livestock (e.g. proximity to livestock, livestock holding areas or trucks). Direct or indirect contact with native/feral animals was reported in 111/641 (17.3%) cases. Mowing and close proximity to kangaroos/wallabies were commonly reported indirect exposure pathways, particularly in urban areas. Enhancements to the state based surveillance database in NSW introduced in 2010 have resulted in improved collection of surveillance data for Q fever. Further refinement of Q fever surveillance can be achieved through continuing to improve data quality, standardising data collection and better elucidating exposure pathways of cases

Microsporidiosis and Malnutrition in Children with Persistent Diarrhea, Uganda

We show that the microsporidian fungus Enterocytozoon bieneusi is associated with lower rates of weight gain in children in Uganda with persistent diarrhea. This relationship remained after controlling for HIV and concurrent cryptosporidiosis. Children with microsporidiosis were predicted to weigh 1.3 kg less than children without microsporidiosis at 5 years of age

Brucella suis Seroprevalence and Associated Risk Factors in Dogs in Eastern Australia, 2016 to 2019

Brucella suis is a zoonotic disease of feral pigs that also affects pig hunting dogs, pig hunters, veterinarians and veterinary staff. In recent years the incidence of B. suis in the eastern Australian states of New South Wales (NSW) and Queensland (QLD) has increased. A cross-sectional study was conducted to document the seroprevalence, geographical extent and risk factors for B. suis in dogs at-risk of contracting the disease. Eligible dogs were those that were known to hunt or consume feral pig meat. Dogs were enrolled through private veterinary clinics and/or directly by District Veterinarians in six regions of NSW and QLD. Blood was collected by venepuncture and tested for B. suis antibodies using the Rose Bengal Test (RBT) followed by a Complement Fixation Test (CFT) if they returned a positive RBT. Owners were invited to complete a questionnaire on the dogs' signalment, husbandry including hunting practices and locations, and any clinical signs referable to brucellosis. Of the 317 dogs included in the prevalence survey, 21 were seropositive returning a survey-adjusted true seroprevalence of 9.3 (95% CI 0.45 to 18) B. suis positive dogs per 100 dogs at-risk. True seroprevalence ranged from 0 to 24 B. suis positive dogs per 100 across eastern Australia, with the highest prevalence in central west NSW and southern QLD. Adjusted for other factors, dogs that shared a household with other seropositive dogs and those that traveled away from their home regions to hunt were more likely to be seropositive. Clinical signs at presentation were not predictive of serostatus, with seropositive and seronegative dogs equally likely to present with signs consistent with brucellosis. The results obtained from this study show that B. suis exposure is relatively common in dogs that have contact with feral pigs, with one in 10 testing seropositive. Further studies are needed to understand the progression and risk of transmission from seropositive dogs