Leptospira infection among pigs in southern Vietnam

Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that in pigs primarily causes reproductive disturbances. The disease is a zoonosis, i.e. it can be transmitted between animals and humans. Leptospirosis is spread worldwide, although it is of most importance in tropical regions where animal management and climate favour transmission and survival of the bacteria in the environment, such as the tropical Mekong delta (MD) in southern Vietnam. In the MD, reproduction disturbances in pigs due to infectious agents are of concern. This thesis investigates Leptospira infection among pigs in the MD with aspects on epidemiology, clinical affection and bacteriology. Such information is of importance if preventive measures are to be implemented. This study showed that leptospiral seroprevalences among sows were high and that a larger proportion of sows on small-scale farms compared with large-scale farms were seropositive. Few risk factors were found that could explain seropositivity in the sows. It was also found that the seroprevalences for some serovars were higher during the dry period compared with the wet period. Furthermore, some serovars were associated with impaired reproductive performance of the sows, such as an increased number of piglets born dead per litter and a longer weaning to service interval. Also, seroprevalences among fattening pigs at slaughter were high, and in these animals leptospires were demonstrated in a large number of kidneys with macro- and microscopic kidney lesions. One leptospiral serovar was isolated from a kidney. Taken together, Leptospira infection, indicated by seropositivity, is common among pigs in the MD, which may be explained by a favourable environment rather than certain risk factors. Small-scale farms are in closer contact with the surrounding environment than large-scale farms, which may explain the differences between the farming systems. Even in regions with high leptospiral seroprevalences, infection, as indicated by seropositivity, has a negative impact on the reproductive performance of sows. Furthermore, a large proportion of fatteners with macroscopic renal lesions carry the bacteria, which constitutes a health hazard for personnel at abattoirs and persons exposed elsewhere

Food safety risk perceptions and mitigation techniques in the dumpster diving community in Sweden

An online questionnaire was used to investigate behaviors and habits relating to food retrieval by Swedish dumpster divers. Respondents were also asked to share information on their background, reasons for engaging in dumpster diving, and perceptions of potential bacterial hazards associated with the consumption of dis-carded foods. The questionnaire was mainly distributed to Swedish social media groups focusing on dumpster diving, and a total of 92 responses were received. The most common reason given for engaging in dumpster diving was to reduce food waste and associated negative environmental impacts (60%, n = 55). Many of the respondents (65%) had completed university education, and around three-quarters (73%) had some form of employment or were enrolled in studies. Half the respondents (52%, n = 48) perceived a risk of falling ill after consuming food obtained through dumpster diving, but very few (2%) reported they had been made ill by food they had picked up from dumpsters. Around one-fifth (22%) of the respondents did not know of any bac-teria that could cause foodborne infections or food poisoning. Salmonella was mentioned by 35% of the respon-dents, while Listeria was mentioned by 18%. The respondents reported employing various techniques to reduce the risk of encountering harmful microbiological agents, for example, rinsing their food retrievals or discarding food that appeared spoiled. These are novel findings on dumpster divers' perceptions of perceived health risks and the strategies they use to mitigate such risks with food obtained through dumpster diving

COVID-19, Livestock Systems and Food Security in Developing Countries: A Systematic Review of an Emerging Literature

In this paper, we carried out a systematic literature review to document the emerging scientific knowledge about COVID-19 impact on livestock systems and food security in developing countries to identify gaps and possible avenues for future research undertakings. Specifically, we systematically reviewed 68 peer-reviewed articles extracted based on rigorous selection criteria from Scopus, PubMed and ISI Web of Science databases and published between December 2019 and February 2021. Our results reveal that livestock supply chains presented an important 'intermediary' pathway through which the pandemic affected various dimensions of food security in developing countries. Although the research response has been rapid in terms of both quantity and temporal succession, we find a highly suggestive disjunction in studies analyzing the interconnections between COVID-19 pandemic, livestock systems and food security in developing countries. With respect to the livestock supply chain, the bulk of the reviewed evidence focuses on production and consumption, whereas considerably less focus is given to the pandemic's impact on intermediaries within livestock chains, including traders, intermediaries and processors. The analysis of livestock supply chain resilience revolves predominantly around the 'absorbance' and 'recovery' phases of resilience, whereas only a small subset of the literature investigates actions taken by supply chain actors to 'plan' or to 'adapt' livestock systems in order to reduce their vulnerability and enhance their overall resilience. Furthermore, food security has often been narrowly defined, with the majority of articles focusing on 'availability' and 'accessibility' to food due to the pandemic, and other dimensions of food security, including utilization, stability and sustainability, have been widely neglected. Based on our findings, we recommend future research to examine the dynamics of propagation of COVID-19 impact through livestock supply chains in order to develop more targeted interventions that enhance the capacity of developing countries to cope with this and future disruptions and mitigate their food insecurity outcomes. To this end, more holistic, integrated and resilience-based approaches are much recommended to recognize the complex nature of livestock systems in developing countries and to address the multifaceted and widespread effects of COVID-19 on food security channeled through livestock chains

Leptospira seroprevalence and associated risk factors in healthy Swedish dogs

Background Leptospirosis is an emerging zoonotic infection worldwide and a cause of life-threatening disease in dogs. Seroprevalence in Swedish dogs is unknown. The aims of the present study were to estimate seroprevalence of pathogenic Leptospira in healthy dogs in Sweden using the microagglutination test (MAT) and a rapid point-of-care enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and to evaluate risk factors of Leptospira exposure in Swedish dogs. Results Positive MAT titres (>= 1:50) were detected in 27/369 (7.3%) of included dogs. Five different serovars were represented of which the Saxkoebing serovar was the most common (64.3%), followed by Copenhagi (14.3%), Bratislava (10.7%), Icterohaemorrhagiae (7.1%), and Canicola (3.6%). The ELISA test (SNAP (R) Lepto) was positive in 3/316 (0.9%) dogs. Living in urban areas and contact with stagnant water were found to be risk factors for Leptospira seropositivity (p < 0.05) in a multivariable logistic regression model. Conclusion In this first seroprevalence study of Leptospira in Swedish dogs, it was shown that healthy dogs without recent (24 months) travel history and antileptospira vaccination had been exposed to pathogenic Leptospira interrogans serovars. Contact with stagnant water and living in urban areas were independent risk factors for seropositivity

Escherichia coli O157:H7 reduction in hamburgers with regard to premature browning of minced beef, colour score and method for determining doneness

This study investigated the effect of premature browning (PMB) on the survival of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in beef hamburgers after cooking with respect to interior colour of the hamburger and recommendations to cook hamburgers to a core temperature of 71 degrees C. Assessment of doneness by visual inspection or measurement of internal temperature was compared in terms of survival and the increased relative risk of illness due to PMB was estimated. At the last consume-by-day, hamburgers made from minced meat packaged in 80/20 O-2/CO2 (MAP hamburger) and from meat minced at retail packaged in atmospheric condition (control hamburger) were inoculated with a gfp-tagged strain of E. coli O157:H7 (E. coli O157:H7gfp+). Hamburgers were cooked for different times during assessment of the core temperature every 30 s and cut in halves after cooking. Doneness was evaluated based on visual judgement of the internal colour using a score chart (C-score) from 'uncooked' (score 1) to 'tan with no evidence of pink' (score 5). An alternative five point score chart (TCC-score) including texture of the meat, clarity of meat juice and internal colour was also developed. Enumeration of viable E. coli O157:H7gfp+ in cooked hamburgers was based on fluorescent colonies recovered from plates. Results showed that MAP hamburgers developed PMB when compared with controls (P = 0.0003) and that the shortest cooking time for the highest C-score was 6 and 11 min for MAP and control hamburgers, respectively. The mean temperature in the MAP hamburger was then 60.3 degrees C. The TCC-score reduced the difference between MAP and control hamburgers. It was also shown that the survival of E. coli O157:H7gfp+ was highest in MAP hamburgers. The predicted absolute risks for illness were highest for MAP hamburgers for all C-scores and the relative risk associated with PMB increased with doneness. For a C-score of 4 (slightly pink) the predicted relative risk for illness was 300 times higher for MAP hamburger than for controls. A variable pathogen reduction was observed when cooking hamburgers to temperatures of 70-76 degrees C (the 5th and 95th percentile range was around 33 log CFU). The lower reductions, at the 5th percentile, may, depending on initial contamination levels, not be enough to ensure sufficient and safe inactivation of E. coli O157:H7. Efforts to inform consumers about PMB in minced meat packaged in high oxygen packages (>= 60% O-2) are needed with the aim to make consumers use thermometers correctly or at least not determine doneness based only on meat colour

Extension Services for Livestock Keepers in Low-Income Countries—A Low Priority?

Simple Summary Animal-source foods are an important dietary complement to the calories in staple food, but in low-income countries, productivity on the smallholder farms that provide most of the domestic food supply is low. The general objective of this survey-based study was to contribute to effective integration of livestock issues in agricultural extension and advisory programs within the framework of sustainable food and nutrition security in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Benin. The findings show that despite the equal importance given by farmers to animal and plant production, livestock production appears to be disadvantaged in terms of access to extension services and new technology compared with plant production, even though many farmers are willing to pay for this service if available. Furthermore, livestock farming is facing constraints related to feeding, health, and reproduction, limiting development of the sector. Based on this study, we recommend that agricultural extension programs be planned in a holistic context, taking into account the major concerns of farmers, with technological packages in integrated crop-livestock systems. Achievement of sustainable agricultural development and national food security in Africa is dependent on several factors, including productivity in the livestock production sub-sector. This study surveyed farmers' perceptions on provision of extension services relating to livestock production in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Benin. A structured questionnaire comprising dichotomous, multiple-choice, and open-ended questions was used to survey a total of 1560 farmers in Burkina Faso, 345 in Mali, and 480 in Benin. Most farmers surveyed pursued integrated crop and livestock production, but more frequently in Burkina Faso (91%) than in Mali and Benin (66%). Around one-third (36%) of the respondents in Burkina Faso had access to livestock extension services, while the corresponding figure in Mali and Benin was 54% and 69%, respectively (p < 0.01). Moreover, 71% of respondents in Mali, 73% in Burkina Faso, and 84% in Benin reported significantly (p < 0.05) fewer extension activities for livestock compared with crop production. Thus, livestock production seems to be given low priority in agricultural extension interventions. We recommend that future diffusion of technological packages should be more holistic, considering the major concerns of the specific environment and the socio-cultural traditions of both livestock and crop producers

Occurrence of Campylobacter spp. in Swedish calves, common sequence types and antibiotic resistance patterns

Aims Cattle are the second most important cause of human campylobacteriosis, after poultry, but there are knowledge gaps regarding Campylobacter in cattle. This study examined the occurrence of Campylobacter, the species present, sequence types and antibiotic resistance in Swedish cattle.Methods and Results Faeces samples collected from 154 calves on seven Swedish farms, and 69 follow-up samples from a second collection occasion, were analysed. Campylobacter were isolated from 77% of calves at the first sampling, with Campylobacter jejuni as the most frequently isolated species. Animals kept on deep straw bedding were less likely to be colonized with Campylobacter. Whole-genome sequencing of 90 C. jejuni samples resulted in 11 sequence types, among which ST-19 and ST-21 were most frequent. Antimicrobial resistance analyses showed that 46% of 142 isolates analysed were resistant to quinolones, while all isolates belonging to ST-19, ST-22 and ST-441 were resistant to ciprofloxacin and nalidixic acid.Conclusions Campylobacter jejuni was the species most frequently isolated in calves and a strong association was found between sequence type and antimicrobial resistance pattern.Significance and Impact of the Study The high proportion of calves with quinolone-resistant Campylobacter jejuni should be considered in a One Health perspective

Assessment of ATP-Bioluminescence and Dipslide Sampling to Determine the Efficacy of Slaughterhouse Cleaning and Disinfection Compared with Total Aerobic and<i> Enterobacterales</i> Counts

Inadequate cleaning and disinfection (C&D) in slaughterhouses can cause bacterial contamination of meat, resulting in foodborne disease and reduced meat quality. Different methods for monitoring the efficacy of C&D procedures are available, but few studies have assessed their reliability. This study examined C&D efficacy in slaughterhouses and evaluated the diagnostic performance of methods for measuring surface hygiene.One red meat and one poultry slaughterhouse in Sweden were each visited on six occasions before and six occasions after C&D. Sampling points were sampled with: swabbing and plating for total aerobic bacteria (TAB) and Enterobacterales (EB); dipslides for total viable count; and ATP-bioluminescence tests. To evaluate the diagnostic performance of the dipslide and ATP-bioluminescence methods, the results were compared with (TAB) as a reference.In total, 626 samples were collected. For the majority of samples, TAB was lower after than before C&D and EB were mainly detected before C&D, indicating C&D efficacy. Greater reductions in mean TAB were observed in processing areas (2.2 and 2.8 log CFU/100 cm2 in red meat and poultry slaughterhouse, respectively) than in slaughter areas (1.3 log CFU/100 cm2 in both slaughterhouses). Approximately half of all samples were assessed as non acceptably clean (52% for red meat and 46% for poultry slaughterhouse) according to previously published thresholds. Critical food contact surfaces that were insufficiently cleaned and disinfected were plucking fingers, shackles, and a post-dehairing table. Cleaning and disinfection of drains and floors were inadequate.The ATP-bioluminescence method showed low specificity compared with the reference (TAB) in both the red meat (0.30) and poultry slaughterhouses (0.64). The sensitivity of dipslides was low (0.26) in the red meat slaughterhouse compared with TAB. A combination of ATP-bioluminescence and dipslides could provide more accurate estimates of C&D efficacy