Does Pig Density Matter for the Choice of Control Strategies in Classical Swine Fever Epidemic?

This paper examines the importance of pig population density in the area of an outbreak of CSF for the spread of the disease and the choice of control measures. A sector-level market and trade model and a spatial, stochastic, dynamic epidemiological simulation model for the Netherlands were used. Outbreaks in sparsely and densely populated areas were compared under four different control strategies and with two alternative trade assumptions. Results indicate that the control strategy required by current EU legislation is enough to eradicate an epidemic starting in an area with sparse pig population. By contrast, additional control measures are necessary if the outbreak begins in an area with high pig population density. The economic consequences of using preventive slaughter rather than emergency vaccination as an additional control measure depend strongly on the reactions of trading partners. Reducing the number of animal movements significantly reduces the size and length of epidemics in areas with high pig density.Classical Swine Fever epidemics, pig population density, animal transport, emergency vaccination, preventive slaughter, the Netherlands, Livestock Production/Industries,

Strategies to Control Classical Swine Fever: Cost and Risk Perspectives

The paper examines the importance of pig population density in the area of an outbreak of CSF for the spread of the disease and the choice of control measures. A sector-level market and trade model and a spatial, stochastic, dynamic epidemiological simulation model for the Netherlands were used. Outbreaks in sparsely and densely populated areas were compared under four different control strategies and with two alternative trade assumptions. Results indicate that the control strategy required by current EU legislation is enough to eradicate an epidemic starting in an area with sparse pig population. By contrast, additional control measures are necessary if the outbreak begins in an area with high pig population density. The economic consequences of using preventive slaughter rather than emergency vaccination as an additional control measure depend strongly on the reactions of trading partners. Reducing the number of animal movements significantly reduces the size and length of epidemics in areas with high pig density.Classical Swine Fever epidemics, pig population density, animal transport, emergency vaccination, preventive slaughter, the Netherlands, Farm Management,

Does Pig Density Matter for the Choice of Control Strategies in Classical Swine Fever Epidemic?

This paper examines the importance of pig population density in the area of an outbreak of CSF for the spread of the disease and the choice of control measures. A sector-level market and trade model and a spatial, stochastic, dynamic epidemiological simulation model for the Netherlands were used. Outbreaks in sparsely and densely populated areas were compared under four different control strategies and with two alternative trade assumptions. Results indicate that the control strategy required by current EU legislation is enough to eradicate an epidemic starting in an area with sparse pig population. By contrast, additional control measures are necessary if the outbreak begins in an area with high pig population density. The economic consequences of using preventive slaughter rather than emergency vaccination as an additional control measure depend strongly on the reactions of trading partners. Reducing the number of animal movements significantly reduces the size and length of epidemics in areas with high pig density

Strategies to Control Classical Swine Fever: Cost and Risk Perspectives

The paper examines the importance of pig population density in the area of an outbreak of CSF for the spread of the disease and the choice of control measures. A sector-level market and trade model and a spatial, stochastic, dynamic epidemiological simulation model for the Netherlands were used. Outbreaks in sparsely and densely populated areas were compared under four different control strategies and with two alternative trade assumptions. Results indicate that the control strategy required by current EU legislation is enough to eradicate an epidemic starting in an area with sparse pig population. By contrast, additional control measures are necessary if the outbreak begins in an area with high pig population density. The economic consequences of using preventive slaughter rather than emergency vaccination as an additional control measure depend strongly on the reactions of trading partners. Reducing the number of animal movements significantly reduces the size and length of epidemics in areas with high pig density

Analysis of Mycotoxins in Beer Using a Portable Nanostructured Imaging Surface Plasmon Resonance Biosensor

A competitive inhibition immunoassay is described for the mycotoxins deoxynivalenol (DON) and ochratoxin A (OTA) in beer using a portable nanostructured imaging surface plasmon resonance (iSPR) biosensor, also referred to as imaging nanoplasmonics. The toxins were directly and covalently immobilized on a 3-dimensional carboxymethylated dextran (CMD) layer on a nanostructured iSPR chip. The assay is based on competition between the immobilized mycotoxins and free mycotoxins in the solution for binding to specific antibodies. The chip surface was regenerated after each cycle, and the combination of CMD and direct immobilization of toxins allowed the chips to be used for more than 450 cycles. The limits of detection (LODs) in beer were 17 ng/mL for DON and 7 ng/mL for OTA (or 0.09 ng/mL after 75 times enrichment). These LODs allowed detection of even less than 10% depletion of the tolerable daily intake of DON and OTA by beer. Significant cross-reactivity of anti-DON was observed toward DON-3-glucoside and 3-acetyl-DON, while no cross-reactivity was seen for 15-acetyl-DON. A preliminary in-house validation with 20 different batches of beer showed that both toxins can be detected at the considered theoretical safe level for beer. The assay can be used for in-field or at-line detection of DON in beer and also in barley without preconcentration, while OTA in beer requires an additional enrichment step, thus making the latter in its present form less suitable for field applications

Critical assessment of recent trends related to screening and confirmatory analytical methods for selected food contaminants and allergens

Food contaminants monitoring is conducted in an intensive manner yet, there are still food safety scandals related to various chemical compounds. This fact highlights the need to review the requirements posed by the current legal framework on analytical methods performance and evaluate its application in published studies. Herein, we present an inventory including more than 470 publications on screening and confirmatory methods, which were used to control hazardous compounds such as pesticides, antibiotics, mycotoxins, aquatic toxins and allergens. Analytical performance characteristics, trends and state of the art, both merits and shortcomings, are critically discussed and summarized in excel tabulations. This repository highlights the ever-increasing use of screening methods and the necessity to confirm their performance by applying confirmatory methods. In conclusion, more effort is needed on validation and benchmarking, especially of newly developed technology such as smartphone-based methods, to avoid false-negative results and ensure that methods fit for purpose.</p