« The liver fluke wa tchdog » : Evaluation of control measures required in farm herds to control fasciolosis and initial results

The initial results obtained by the « Observatoire de la grande douve », or Liver Fluke Watchdog, in France offer an interesting platform for veterinary practitioners to set up formal programs to fight endemic diseases (parasitism, mastitis, neonatal gastroenteritis…). This experience has shown that breeders are indeed coming round to the idea of paying a consultancy fee, provided the advice is relevant and profitable. These therapeutic and prevention protocols, HACCP compliant, provide some insight on the health policy of the future. The example of fluke control illustrates the actions to promote : screening, risk factor identification, prescription of therapeutic and agronomic measures, and finally, control of the program’s efficacy. The initial results obtained in animal husbandry confirm the major benefits of this approach.Les premiers résultats de l'« Observatoire de la grande douve» offrent une plateforme intéressante aux vétérinaires praticiens pour l'élaboration de plans de lutte formalisés contre des maladies endémiques (parasitisme, mammites, gastro-entérites néonatales...). En effet, les éleveurs acceptent de plus en plus l'idée de rémunérer un conseil, sous réserve qu'il soit pertinent et rentable. Ces protocoles de traitement et de prévention, conformes à la méthode HACCP, laissent percevoir l'organisation de la politique sanitaire des années à venir. L'exemple de la maîtrise de la fasciolose illustre les actions à promouvoir: dépister, identifier les facteurs de risque, prescrire des mesures thérapeutiques et agronomiques, et enfin, contrôler l'efficacité du plan d'action. Les premiers résultats obtenus en élevage confirment l'intérêt majeur de cette démarche

Efficacy of a targeted selective treatment in dairy herds affected by clinical dictyocaulosis.

International audienceBovine dictyocaulosis is a pulmonary disease caused by the presence and development of the strongyle Dictyocaulus viviparus in the trachea and bronchi of cattle. This parasite is mostly observed in temperate countries, with potential important clinical and economical impacts. Individuals that already had contact with the parasite normally develop a strong acquired immunity. However, when the first contact with the parasite was poor and the contamination of the environment is high, clinical signs can occur. In such a context of clinical dictyocaulosis outbreak in dairy herds, current recommendations are to treat the whole herd with anthelmintic because of the presence of subclinical infestations. However, current guidelines against anthelminthic resistance recommend the use of selective treatment on adult cattle in order to maintain a refuge helminth population unexposed to anthelmintic. According to the heterogeneity of acquired immunity in a herd, and hence, of sensitivity of animals to parasitic infestation by D. viviparus, an early targeted selective treatment of clinically affected and main shedders animals may be effective to control the disease in the herd. Such a strategy was never tested for dictyocaulosis and a field validation is thus necessary to ensure a proper control of ditycocaulosis at the herd level.ObjectivesThis study is a pilot study designed to assess the clinical relevance of a targeted selected treatment against D. viviparus at the beginning of a dictyocaulosis outbreak in dairy herds.Materials and methods. In each herd with clinical signs of dictyocaulosis, we performed broncho-alveolar lavage on 6 cows and a pooled McKenna sedimentation on 10 cows of the herd to test for the presence of D. viviparous. We implemented a targeted selective treatment in three positive dairy herds by treating with injectable eprinomectine approximately 50% of the dairy cows including clinically affected, primiparous and postpartum cows. The follow-up was implemented one and three months after the targeted selected treatment by performing broncho-alveolar lavage and a pooled McKenna sedimentation. The farmers recorded clinical signs of dictyocaulosis at the herd level during the whole study period.ResultsIn the three followed dairy herds, symptoms of dictyocaulosis vanished after the targeted selective treatment. After the treatment, we assessed a dictyocaulosis incidence rate of 2% by month during the whole follow-up, which indicates a low but persistent circulation of the parasite in the herd. Clinical signs of dictyocaulosis, remained very low to inexistent in the three herds during the whole study period. ConclusionThe targeted selective treatment implemented in the three herds of this study was efficient to control dictyocaulosis at the herd levels. To our knowledge, this study is the first to prove the potential interest of a targeted selective treatment to control dictyocaulosis at the herd level. These results should be confirmed in a larger study with more herds

A fatal neuroinvasive West Nile virus infection in a traveler returning from Madagascar: clinical, epidemiological and veterinary investigations

International audienceA 58-year-old woman living in Reunion Island and returning from Madagascar was hospitalized for neuroinvasive encephalitis and died 1 month later. West Nile virus (WNV) infection was biologically confirmed by detection of immunoglobulin M (IgM) reactive with WNV antigens in both cerebrospinal fluid and serum, and weak neutralizing activity was also detected. A veterinary survey performed in her traveling area showed a seroprevalence ofWNV of 28.7% (95% confidence interval [CI]=21.1–36.3) in adult poultry, confirming an active circulation of the virus.Development of a severe form could be related to a weak antibody response, because the patient presented low IgM and IgG titers. This case report underlines the constant risk of emergence of West Nile in Indian Ocean territories, including Reunion Island where competent vectors are widely present during the whole year

Emergence of murine typhus in La Réunion, France, 2012–2017

International audienc

Murine Typhus, Reunion, France, 2011–2013

Murine typhus case was initially identified in Reunion, France, in 2012 in a tourist. Our investigation confirmed 8 autochthonous cases that occurred during January 2011–January 2013 in Reunion. Murine typhus should be considered in local patients and in travelers returning from Reunion who have fevers of unknown origin