Regional economic impacts of a plant disease incursion using a general equilibrium approach

The present study uses a dynamic multiregional computable general equilibrium (CGE) model to estimate the micro- andmacroeconomic effects of a hypothetical disease or pest outbreak. Our example is a Karnal bunt incursion in wheat in Western Australia. The extent of the incursion, the impact of the disease or pest on plant yields, the response of buyers, the costs of eradication and the time path of the scenario contribute to outcomes at the industry, regional, state and national levels. We decompose the contribution of these individual direct effects to the overall impact of the incursion. This might provide some guidance regarding areas for priority in attempting to eradicate or minimise the impacts of a disease or pest. The study also introduces a theory of dynamic regional labour adjustment in which economic events may lead to both real wage differentials and worker migration between regions.Crop Production/Industries,

Barley yellow dwarf virus in cereals

Worldwide, barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) is the most widespread and damaging virus disease of cereals. It infects wheat, barley, oats and grasses and is transmitted by several aphid species. The virus is not seed-borne and to persist from one growing season to the next it must survive in over-summering grasses. Barley yellow dwarf virus decreases grain yield and also causes shrivelled grain. Yield loss is greatest from infection early in the growing season

Studies on bean yellow mosaic virus in pasture species and lupins.

Trial 90PE11 Location: South Perth. A survey was conducted to determine the extent of Bean Yellow Mosaic Virus (BYMV) infection in subterranean clover pastures. The pastures were sampled in October by officers from each of the country districts and from south Perth. 100 samples were collected from each pasture, 1 sample every 5 paces , and sent to south Perth. The ELISA test and the Gibbs and Gower formula were used to determine a percentage BYMV infection for each infected pasture. Barley yellow dwarf virus in wheat Location: Badgingarra, Wongan Hills, Goomalling-Dowerin, Northam, Katanning, Jerramungup. In 1990, very large populations of cereal aphids were found in August/September on wheat and barley crops throughout the wheat belt (including low rainfall areas), the one exception being the Geraldton region where high aphid populations were not reported. These high aphid populations were mostly the consequence of an exceptionally large aphid dispersion flight in autumn, which established many colonies in crops, and of good conditions for aphid buildup within crops during the growing season. The large autumn flight itself was the result of exceptionally high summer rains which permitted profuse growth of grasses over summer/early autumn, on which the cereal aphids built up before flying to cereal crops. Three aphid species were involved, the cereal aphid (Rhopalosiphum padi), the corn leaf aphid (R.maidis) and the rice root aphid (R.rufiabdominalis) with R.padi being the predominant species. Grasses on which cereal aphids oversummer are also the reservoir via which BYDV persists between growing seasons. Thus, the reservoir of BYDV was also exceptionally large. This coupled with the abundance of cereal aphids resulted in an unprecedented BYDV epidemic with BYDV symptoms being found widespread even in cereal crops in parts of the central and northern wheat belt in which the virus has never been reported before. BYDV serotypes PAV, RPV were detected in cereal crops and grasses. The MAV serotype was detected in grasse

Mobile phones of paediatric hospital staff are never cleaned and commonly used in toilets with implications for healthcare nosocomial diseases

An ever-increasing number of medical staff use mobile phones as a work aid, yet this may pose nosocomial diseases. To assess and report via a survey the handling practices and the use of phones by paediatric wards healthcare workers. 165 paediatric healthcare workers and staff filled in a questionnaire consisting of 14 questions (including categorical, ordinal and numerical data). Analysis of categorical data used non-parametric techniques such as the Chi-squared test. Although 98% of respondents (165 in total) report that their phones may be contaminated, 56% have never cleaned their devices. Of the respondents that clean their devices, 10% (17/165) had done so with alcohol swabs or disinfectant within that day or week; and an additional 12% respondents (20/165) within that month. Of concern, 52% (86/165) of the respondents use their phones in the bathroom, emphasising the unhygienic environments in which mobile phones/smartphones are constantly used. Disinfecting phones is a practice that only a minority of healthcare workers undertake appropriately. Mobile phones, present in billions globally, are therefore Trojan Horses if contaminated with microbes and potentially contributing to the spread and propagation of micro-organisms as per the rapid spread of SARS-CoV-2 virus in the world

Virus diseases in lupins.

Trial 90BA12, 90WH17, 90A6, 90MT13 Location: Badgingarra, Wongan Hills, Avondale and Mt Barker. Cucumber Mosaic Virus - Effect of different levels of infection in seed sown. Trials were done at Badgingarra and Wongan Hills in which plots were sown with seed of cv. Gungurru which transmitted CMV at rates of 5,, l\u27 and O,. The plots were separated by 30 m wide cereal buffers. The intended plant density of 45 plants/sq m (seeding rate 80 kg/ha) was not achieved at either site because of non-wetting soil problems (Table 1). Establishment of CMV infected seedlings as opposed to healthy ones was slightly worse (i.e. fewer became established) at Wongan Hills than at Badgingarra. Infected seedlings acted as sources for virus spread by cowpea and (especially) green peach aphids; blue green aphids did not appear until late in the season. Colonization was noted by both cowpea and green peach aphids at both sites and started earlier than in previous years, as might have been expected following the exceptionally wet summer/early autumn in 1990. Trial 90BA13, 90BA14, 90WH16 and 90WH25 Field trials on management of cucumber mosaic virus in narrow-leafed lupins. Location: Badgingarra and Wongan Hills To study the effect of seeding rate and stand density, trials were done at Badgingarra (90BA14) and Wongan Hills (90WH16) where 15\u27 CMV infected lupin seed (cv. Gungurru) was sown in 25 m x 2.8 m plots separated by 3 metre wide cereal buffers (randomized block design). Six different seeding rates were used with the intention of establishing stand densities (Table 1) ranging from 10 to 50 plants per square metre; there were four replications. The Wongan Hills trial was sown on April 30, 1990, and the trial at Badginagarra on May 10, 1990, into moist seedbeds. Due to the non-wetting nature of the soils at both sites and the relatively dry conditions following seeding, the stand densities obtained were lower than expected for the seeding rates used which were 20, 40, 60, 80, 100 and 140 kg/ha. Plant densities and CMV seed-infected plants were counted at Wongan Hills on July 26, 1990 and at Badgingarra on July 11, 1990. Appendix Insecticide trial for the control of green peach aphids on lupins. Location: Allanooka To investigate the effectiveness of a range of insecticides including Pirimor and other registered and unregistered chemicals against the aphids in the Geraldton area for possible future use controlling the spread of CMV. Trial 90MT14, 87BA24 and 87MT50 Virus diseases of subterranean clover. Location: Mt Barker, Badgingarra. Spaced plant trials were done with AMV-EW isolate. Young plants of sub. clover cv. Daliak growing in jiffy pots were inoculated with AMV-containing sap or mock-inoculated with healthy sap and then transplanted onto the South Perth plots in paired rows separated by oat buffer rows. Spaced plant trials were done with AMV-EW isolate. Young plants of sub. clover cv. Daliak growing in jiffy pots were inoculated with AMV-containing sap or mock-inoculated with healthy sap and then transplanted onto the South Perth plots in paired rows separated by oat buffer rows. Trial 87A19, 87MT50, 88A21 and 90A5 Virus diseases of annual medics. Location: Avondale, Mt Barker. In 1990, the fourth year of this trial, although the medic plants were numerous the burr medic swards at Avondale grew poorly and weeds were widespread in the plots, especially long storksbill, flatweed and grasses. Poor growth was due to nodulation failure caused by low soil pH (5.3 in water). Hardly any medic plants were left in the Zodiac medic plot at Avondale while few remained at Mt Barker

Extended Reality Head-Mounted Displays Are Likely to Pose a Significant Risk in Medical Settings While Current Classification Remains as Non-Critical

Extended reality (XR) devices, including virtual and augmented reality head-mounted displays (HMDs), are increasingly utilised within healthcare to provide clinical interventions and education. Currently, XR devices are utilised to assist in reducing pain and improving psychological outcomes for immunocompromised patients in intensive care units, palliative care environments and surgical theatres. However, there is a paucity of research on the risks of infection from such devices in healthcare settings. Identify existing literature providing insights into the infection control risk XR HMDs pose within healthcare facilities and the efficacy of current infection control and cleaning procedures. Three databases (PubMed, Embase and CINAHL) in addition to Google Scholar were systematically searched. A total of seven studies were identified for this review. Microorganisms, including pathogenic bacteria (e.g., Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa), were found to be present on XR HMDs. Published cleaning and infection control protocols designed to disinfect XR HMDs and protect users were heterogeneous in nature. Current cleaning protocols displayed varying levels of efficacy with microbial load affected by multiple factors, including time in use, number of users and XR HMD design features. In healthcare settings, fitting XR HMDs harbouring microorganisms near biological and mucosal entry points presents an infection control risk. An urgent revision of the Spaulding classification is required to ensure flexibility that allows for these devices to be reclassified from ‘Non-critical’ to ‘Semi-Critical’ depending on the healthcare setting and patient population (surgery, immunocompromised, burns, etc.). This review identified evidence supporting the presence of microorganisms on XR HMDs. Due to the potential for HMDs to contact mucosal entry points, devices must be re-considered within the Spaulding classification as ‘Semi-critical’. The existence of microbial contaminated XR HMDs in high-risk medical settings such as operating wards, intensive care units, emergency departments, labour and delivery wards and clinical areas with immunosuppressed patients requires urgent attention. Public health authorities have a duty of care to develop revised guidelines or new recommendations to ensure efficient sanitation of such devices

Virus diseases of annual medics.

Trial 87A19, 87MT50 Persistence of AMV in annual medic swards. In 1990, the fourth year of this trial, although the medic plants were numerous the burr medic swards at Avondale grew poorly and weeds were widespread in the plots, especially long storkbill, flatweed and grasses. Poor growth was due to nodulation failure caused by low soil pH (5.3 in water). Hardly any medic plants were left in the Zodiac medic plot at Avondale while a few remained at Mt. Barker. Location: Avondale and Mt. Barker. Trial 88A21 Effect of AMV on the productivity of burr medic swards after cropping, regeneration and grazing. Location: Avondale 88A21 was allowed to regenerate in 1990 following cropping with barley in 1989. It was hard grazed in summer and autumn (first germination was in February following summer rains). Then, at the beginning of June sheep were excluded and the buffers resown with oats. It was subsequently grazed again from mid-August to early-September (3 weeks) but as grazing was uneven all plots were mown (4 cm cutting height) at the end of this period to even them up. Trial 90A5 Effect of AMV on the productivity of newly sown burr medic swards. Location: Avondale 90A5 was sown in early June and grazed portions of plots were grazed from August 15 - September 7. There were major differences in the plots due to seed source. With all three cultivars the infected seed stocks produced more vigorous growth. This was visible from July to September in ungrazed portions of plots but was largely removed by grazing. When the phosphorus content of the seed stocks sown was determined it was higher in infected than healthy seed. Seed phosphorus seemed the most likely cause of better growth of infected seed

Ultraviolet-c-based mobile phone sanitisation for global public health and infection control

Introduction. Mobile phones act as fomites that pose a global public health risk of disseminating microorganisms, including highly pathogenic strains possessing antimicrobial resistances. The use of ultraviolet-C (UV-C) to sanitise mobile phones presents an alternative means to complement basic hand hygiene to prevent the cross-contamination and dissemination of microorganisms between hands and mobile phones. Aim. This study aimed to evaluate the germicidal efficacy of the Glissner CleanPhone UV-C phone sanitiser (Glissner) device. Methods. Two experimental trials were performed for the evaluation of the CleanPhone (Glissner). The first was a controlled trial, where the germicidal efficacy of the CleanPhone was evaluated against six different microorganism species that were inoculated onto mobile phones. The second was a field trial evaluating the germicidal efficacy of the CleanPhone on 100 volunteer mobile phones. Efficacy was determined based on colony counts of microorganisms on Columbia sheep blood agar before and after UV-C treatment. Results. In the controlled trial, reduction in growth was observed for all microorganisms after UV-C treatment with ST131 Escherichia coli showing the highest growth reduction at 4 log10 CFU/mL followed by C. albicans and ATCC E. coli at 3 log10 CFU/mL. An overall reduction in microorganism growth after UV-C treatment was also observed for the field trial, with an average growth reduction of 84.4% and 93.6% in colony counts at 24 h and 48 h post-incubation, respectively. Conclusion. The findings demonstrated the capability of the CleanPhone (Glissner) to rapidly sanitise mobile phones, thereby providing a means to reduce the potential dissemination of microorganisms, including highly pathogenic strains with antimicrobial resistance

Investigating the cryptogenic status of the sea squirt Didemnum perlucidum (Tunicata, Ascidiacea) in Australia based on a molecular study of its global distribution

Didemnid species are assessed as species with a high invasive potential for Australia and as such are listed as target species for both state and national monitoring programs. The presence of the sea squirt Didemnum perlucidum (Monniot, 1983) was first documented in Australia in 2010 and has since then been detected extensively throughout the state of Western Australia and in the Northern Territory. These detections have raised important questions as to the origin and potential impact of this species in Australia. The current study was initiated to review the current known global geographic range of D. perlucidum and to obtain specimens that could support molecular studies aimed at evaluating the potential origin of this species in Australia. Characterization of 5’ COI mitochondrial sequences from 286 specimens revealed a remarkably low level of genetic diversity across the current known range of D. perlucidum and the existence of one main widespread genetic haplotype. Such findings suggest that all locations sampled in this study may in fact represent introductions of D. perlucidum and that the natural native range of the species remains unknown. Our demonstration that specimens (n=187) originating from across a broad expanse of the Australian West Coast were comprised of a single haplotype also lends support to the hypothesis that D. perlucidum is a species that has been introduced recently into Australia. This hypothesis is supported by the fact that D. perlucium distribution in Australia is mostly confined to artificial structures, it has displayed invasive characteristics, and its presence is now being detected across an increasingly wide geographical area. Given the demonstrated low level of genetic COI variation across its known global distribution, lack of clarity around its native range, and limited availability of data on this species globally, we recognize the requirement for further work to more fully elucidate the exact origins and patterns of distribution of D. perlucidum in Australia. This study represents the most comprehensive mapping of the current global distribution of D. perlucidum conducted to date and will hopefully motivate further studies aimed at elucidating this species biology, origin, high-risk routes and impacts

Mobile phones as fomites for pathogenic microbes: A cross-sectional survey of perceptions and sanitization habits of health care workers in Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Backgrounds In 2022, smartphone use continues to expand with the number of smartphone subscriptions surpassing 6 billion and forecasted to grow to 7.5 billion by 2026. The necessity of these ‘high touch’ devices as essential tools in professional healthcare settings carries great risks of cross-contamination between mobile phones and hands. Current research emphasises mobile phones as fomites enhancing the risk of nosocomial disease dissemination as phone sanitisation is often overlooked. To assess and report via a large-scale E-survey the handling practices and the use of phones by healthcare workers. Methods A total of 377 healthcare workers (HCWs) participated in this study to fill in an E-survey online consisting of 14 questions (including categorical, ordinal, and numerical data). Analysis of categorical data used non-parametric techniques such as Pearson's chi-squared test. Results During an 8-h shift, 92.8% (n/N = 350/377) use their phone at work with 84.6% (n/N = 319/377) considering mobile phones as an essential tool for their job. Almost all HCWs who participated in this survey believe their mobile phones could potentially harbour microorganisms (97.1%; n/N = 366/377). Fifty-seven respondents (15.1%) indicated that they use their phones while wearing gloves and 10.3% (n/N = 39/377) have never cleaned their phones. The majority of respondents (89.3%; n/N = 337/377) agreed that contaminated mobile phones could contribute to dissemination of SARS-CoV-2. Conclusion Mobile phone use is now almost universal and indispensable in healthcare. Medical staff believe mobile phones can act as fomites with a potential risk for dissemination of microbes including SARS-COV-2. There is an urgent call for the incorporation of mobile phone sanitisation in infection prevention protocol. Studies on the use of ultraviolet-C based phone sanitation devices in health care settings are needed