A medico-legal problem

Pain can be either acute or chronic. Acute pain, while deeply unpleasant, is vital to our survival; when it is no longer necessary, acute pain goes away. Chronic pain, on the other hand, serves no useful function, except to demoralise the sufferer, put a strain on the family and burden the nation’s health resources.peer-reviewe

Denial of long-term issues with agriculture on tropical peatlands will have devastating consequences

Non peer reviewe

Methane production and transport in a tropical peatland

Wetlands are the largest source of CH4 to the atmosphere, but emissions measurements are highly uncertain, particularly in the tropics. We examine CH4 production and transport in a pristine tropical peatland in Borneo. We use the carbon isotopic (stable and radioactive) composition of dissolved CH4, DIC and DOC within the peat porewater to identify the source and mechanism of CH4 production in tropical peat. First, we measure 14C in all carbon phases to identify the source of CH4. In contrast to the peat, which ages with depth to nearly 3000 cal BP, DOC is modern throughout the peat column, to depths of 4.5m. The 14C content of CH4 and DIC are nearly identical, and are intermediate between the DOC and peat 14C content. Thus, despite the presence of modern carbon throughout the peat profile, peat decomposition is an important source of CH4 production. Next, we use the δ13C of CH4 and DIC to identify the mechanism of CH4 production. Within the peat profile, CH4 and DIC concentrations increase with depth and DIC becomes increasingly enriched in 13C. The δ13C of CH4 is relatively uniform with depth, resulting in a δ13C fractionation between DIC and CH4 of 55-70‰ (αCCO2-CH4 = 1.06-1.07). This fractionation suggests CO2 reduction is the dominant pathway for CH4 production at the site. We find consistent trends with depth across the peatland, attributable to the unique hydrologic behavior of the dome. These trends are similar to those observed in northern peat bogs. Finally, we use information on site hydrology, CH4 and DIC concentrations, isotopic compositions and fluxes to build a model of CH4 production and transport. This model allows us to partition CH4 losses from the peat due to diffusion, tree-mediated transport, and ebullition

Elimination of Taenia solium transmission to pigs in a field trial of the TSOL18 vaccine in Cameroon

A pilot field trial of the TSOL18 vaccine was undertaken in Cameroon. Two hundred and forty, 2–3 month-old piglets were distributed to 114 individual households in pairs. Vaccinated animals received three immunisations with 200 μg TSOL18 plus 5 mg Quil A and 30 mg/kg oxfendazole at the time of the second immunisation. Necropsies were undertaken when the pigs were approximately 12 months of age. Viable Taenia solium cysticerci were identified in 20 control pigs (prevalence 19.6%); no cysticerci were found in any of the vaccinated animals (P < 0.0001). Combined application of TSOL18 vaccination and a single oxfendazole treatment in pigs may be a relatively simple and sustainable procedure that has the potential to control T. solium transmission in endemic areas and, indirectly, reduce the number of new cases of neurocysticercosis in humans

Pilot field trial of the EG95 vaccine against ovine cystic echinococcosis in Rio Negro, Argentina: Early impact and preliminary data

Fil: Larrieu, Edmundo. Ministerio de Salud, Provincia de Río Negro; Argentina.Fil: Herrero, Eduardo. Ministerio de Salud, Provincia de Río Negro; Argentina.Fil: Mujica, Guillermo. Ministerio de Salud, Provincia de Río Negro; Argentina.Fil: Labanchi, Jose Luis. Ministerio de Salud, Provincia de Río Negro; Argentina.Fil: Araya, Daniel. Ministerio de Salud, Provincia de Río Negro; Argentina.Fil: Grizmado, Claudia. Ministerio de Salud, Provincia de Río Negro; Argentina.Fil: Calabro, Arnoldo. Ministerio de Salud, Provincia de Río Negro; Argentina.Fil: Talmon, Gabriel. Ministerio de Salud, Provincia de Río Negro; Argentina.Fil: Ruesta, Guillermo. Ministerio de Salud, Provincia de Río Negro; Argentina.Fil: Perez, Alicia. Ministerio de Salud, Provincia de Río Negro; Argentina.Fil: Gatti, Antonio. Ministerio de Salud, Provincia de Río Negro; Argentina.Fil: Santillan, Graciela Inés. ANLIS Dr.C.G.Malbrán. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas. Departamento de Parasitología; Argentina.Fil: Cabrera, Marta. ANLIS Dr.C.G.Malbrán. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas. Departamento de Parasitología; Argentina.Fil: Arezzo, Marcos. Ministerio de Salud, Provincia de Río Negro; Argentina.Fil: Seleiman, Marcos. Ministerio de Salud, Provincia de Río Negro; Argentina.Fil: Cavagión, Laura. Universidad Nacional de La Pampa. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias; Argentina.Fil: García Cachau, Mariela. Universidad Nacional de La Pampa. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias; Argentina.Fil: Alvarez Rojas, Cristian A. University of Melbourne. Veterinary Clinical Centre; Australia.Fil: Gino, Lilia. Universidad Nacional de La Pampa. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias; Argentina.Fil: Gauci, Charles G. University of Melbourne. Veterinary Clinical Centre; Australia.Fil: Heath, David D. AgResearch New Zealand Limited; Nueva Zelanda.Fil: Lamberti, Roberto. Universidad Nacional de La Pampa. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias; Argentina.Fil: Lightowlers, Marshall W. University of Melbourne. Veterinary Clinical Centre; Australia.Cystic echinococcosis is endemic in the Rio Negro province of Argentina. After 30 years of control using praziquantel in dogs the transmission rate to humans and sheep has decreased significantly, however transmission persists. The objective of the study is to assess the impact of the inclusion of the EG95 vaccine for sheep in the control programme, including analysis of the vaccine's operative feasibility in field conditions. The vaccine was applied in an area comprising four communities of native people including 79 farms with 3146 lambs and 311 dogs in total. Seventy one farms were designated as control areas where no vaccinations were undertaken while vaccinations of lambs undertaken on 91 farms. Lambs received two vaccinations with the EG95 vaccine followed by a single booster injection when the animals were 1-1.5 years of age. Farm locations were defined using GPS coordinates for the houses. Evidence for Echinococcus granulosus transmission was monitored by coproantigen ELISA on samples of dog faeces, by E. granulosus-specific PCR using soil samples, and anti-E. granulosus antibody assessments in sera from 2 to 4 teeth lambs, purgation of dogs to detect E. granulosus worms and necropsy on adult sheep. Before the vaccine was introduced, 26.2% of sheep with 2-4 teeth were positive using ELISA/WB, the prevalence decreased to 7.8% at the third year following use of the vaccine. Necropsy of animals older than 6 years (not vaccinated) showed that 66.1% of animals were infected with E. granulosus. In dogs, 4% was found positive for E. granulosus using arecoline purgation and 24.7% of the farms were infected using coproELISA/WB. During the first year of vaccination 2721 lambs received the first vaccine dose and 2448 received a booster. In the second year 2138 lambs were initially vaccinated and 1745 received a booster, and 1308 animals received the third dose. During the third year 1110 lambs received the first dose from which 539 received a booster and 723 animals received the third dose. An analysis of advantages and limitations of the diagnostic techniques used and the ability of the geospatial analysis to detect risk area are included. Based in the immunodiagnostic techniques, the EG95 vaccine has been able to prevent the infection in animals up to 3 years old. Also, the difficulties in the field for the correct vaccine administration and the social features and habits that may impact on echinococcosis control are included in the analysis

Pilot field trial of the EG95 vaccine against ovine cystic echinococcosis in Rio Negro, Argentina: 8 years of work

Fil: Larrieu, Edmundo. Universidad Nacional de La Pampa. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias; Argentina.Fil: Mujica, Guillermo. Ministerio de Salud, Provincia de Río Negro; Argentina.Fil: Araya, Daniel. Ministerio de Salud, Provincia de Río Negro; Argentina.Fil: Labanchi, Jose Luis. Ministerio de Salud, Provincia de Río Negro; Argentina.Fil: Arezo, Marcos. Ministerio de Salud, Provincia de Río Negro; Argentina.Fil: Herrero, Eduardo. Ministerio de Salud, Provincia de Río Negro; Argentina.Fil: Santillán, Graciela. ANLIS Dr.C.G.Malbrán. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas. Departamento de Parasitología; Argentina.Fil: Vizcaychipi, Katherina A. ANLIS Dr.C.G.Malbrán. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas. Departamento de Parasitología; Argentina.Fil: Uchiumi, Leonardo. Ministerio de Salud, Provincia de Río Negro; Argentina.Fil: Salvitti, Juan Carlos. Ministerio de Salud, Provincia de Río Negro; Argentina.Fil: Grizmado, Claudia. Ministerio de Salud, Provincia de Río Negro; Argentina.Fil: Calabro, Arnoldo. Ministerio de Salud, Provincia de Río Negro; Argentina.Fil: Talmon, Gabriel. Ministerio de Salud, Provincia de Río Negro; Argentina.Fil: Sepulveda, Luis. Ministerio de Salud, Provincia de Río Negro; Argentina.Fil: Galvan, Jose María. Ministerio de Salud, Provincia de Río Negro; Argentina.Fil: Cabrera, Marta. ANLIS Dr.C.G.Malbrán. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas. Departamento de Parasitología; Argentina.Fil: Seleiman, Marcos. Ministerio de Salud, Provincia de Río Negro; Argentina.Fil: Crowley, Pablo. Universidad Nacional de Río Negro. Escuela de Veterinaria; Argentina.Fil: Cespedes, Graciela. ANLIS Dr.C.G.Malbrán. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas. Departamento de Parasitología; Argentina.Fil: García Cachau, Mariela. Universidad Nacional de La Pampa. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias; Argentina.Fil: Gino, Lilia. Universidad Nacional de La Pampa. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias; Argentina.Fil: Molina, Leonardo. Universidad Nacional de La Pampa. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias; Argentina.Fil: Daffner, Jose. ANLIS Dr.C.G.Malbrán. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas. Departamento de Parasitología; Argentina.Fil: Gauci, Charles G. University of Melbourne. Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences; Australia.Fil: Donadeu, Meritxell. University of Melbourne. Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences; Australia.Fil: Lightowlers, Marshall W. University of Melbourne. Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences; Australia.Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is endemic in the Rio Negro province of Argentina. After 30 years of control using praziquantel in dogs the transmission rate to humans and sheep has decreased significantly, however transmission persists. The objective of the study was to assess the inclusion of the EG95 for sheep in the control program and to determine the vaccine's operative feasibility in field conditions. An intervention study was defined in Rio Negro Province in Argentina comprising, in total, an area of 5820 Km2. Lambs received two vaccinations with the EG95 vaccine followed by a single booster injection when the animals were 1-1.5 years of age. Vaccination of lambs born into one trial site was introduced and continued for 8 years. Evidence for Echinococcus granulosus transmission was monitored before and after vaccination by coproantigen ELISA in faecal samples of dog, purgation of dogs to detect E. granulosus worms, necropsy on adult sheep and by ultrasound screening in children of 6-14 years old. 29,323 doses of vaccine were applied between 2009 and 2017, which a vaccination coverage of 80.1%/85.7% (57.3% average for fully vaccinated). Before the introduction of the vaccine 56.3% of the 6-year-old sheep were infected with E. granulosus at necropsy and 84.2% of the farms had infected sheep; 4.3% of the dogs were positive for E. granulosus infection using the arecoline test, and with coproELISA 9.6% of dog fecal samples were positive and 20.3% of the farms had infected dog.After the vaccine was introduced, 21.6% of sheep older than 6 years were found to be infected at necropsy and 20.2% of the farms were found to be infected; in dogs, 4.5% were found positive for E. granulosus using arecoline purgation and with coproELISA 3.7% of samples were positive, with 8.9% of farms having a positive dog. In 2016 only one case of E. granulosus infection was diagnosed by US screening in a 6-14 years old child. Included in the analysis are discussions of difficulties experienced in the field which affected correct vaccine administration as well as social features and practices that may impact on echinococcosis control and the EG95 vaccination program in Rio Negro. Vaccination of sheep with the EG95 vaccine provides a valuable new tool which improves the effectiveness of CE control activities. Vaccination was effective even in a difficult, remote environment where only approximately half the lambs born into the communities were fully vaccinated