{"title":"Alternatives to conventional antibiotics for the prevention and treatment of commonly occurring diseases in feedlot cattle","authors":"PMV Cusack","doi":"10.1111/avj.13314","DOIUrl":"10.1111/avj.13314","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are a problem in human medicine. The development of antibiotic resistance in bacteria in feedlot cattle could have negative effects on their health and welfare and there is a theoretical possibility of transmission of antibiotic-resistant bacteria from food animals to humans. Alternatives to conventional antibiotics in feedlot health management could reduce the selective pressure for the development of antibiotic resistance. This review assesses the evidence supporting potential alternatives to conventional antibiotics in the prevention and treatment of diseases in feedlot cattle, including nitric oxide, plant extracts, supplemental yeast or yeast products, bacterial probiotics, organic acids, bacteriophages and non-specific immunostimulants. Further research is warranted with lactate utilising bacteria, the organic acid malate, bacteriophages and the non-specific immunostimulants β-1,3 glucan and those based on pox viruses. However, none of the alternatives to conventional antibiotics investigated in this review have sufficient supporting evidence to date to justify their use with feedlot cattle. Frequently, statistically weak results and studies without negative controls are cited as support for similar studies. The health and welfare of feedlot cattle are dependent on the use of products that have robust supporting data to ensure efficacy and to avoid adverse outcomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":8661,"journal":{"name":"Australian Veterinary Journal","volume":"102 5","pages":"229-241"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-01-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/avj.13314","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139544576","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Serological evidence of exposure of healthy dogs to Leptospira in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia","authors":"C Griebsch, N Kirkwood, MP Ward, JM Norris","doi":"10.1111/avj.13315","DOIUrl":"10.1111/avj.13315","url":null,"abstract":"<p>In 2017, highly fatal canine leptospirosis emerged in Sydney, Australia. Based on results of microscopic agglutination testing (MAT), serovar Copenhageni appeared to be the most common causative serovar. Prior to this, no clinical cases had been reported since 1976. In a serosurvey of healthy dogs in Australian shelters in 2004, 2.4% of 431 New South Wales dogs had serological evidence of exposure to Copenhageni, the most prevalent serovar. The aim of this study was to estimate the current prevalence of <i>Leptospira</i> exposure and associated serovars in healthy Sydney dogs, previously unvaccinated against <i>Leptospira</i>. Serum samples from 411 healthy dogs in leptospirosis hotspots and neighbouring suburbs were collected before vaccination. MAT for 23 serovars was performed at the WHO Leptospirosis Reference Laboratory in Queensland, Australia. The overall seroprevalence was 4.1% (17/411) with low titres (1/50–1/200) detected. Eleven dogs were from known leptospirosis hotspots. Eight dogs were known to hunt rodents. One dog had been in contact with a leptospirosis positive dog 1 year prior. Serovar Topaz was the most prevalent serovar (n = 5) followed by serovars Australis (n = 4), Copenhageni (n = 4), Djasiman (n = 2), Cynopteri (n = 1), Javanica (n = 1), Medanensis (n = 1), and Pomona (n = 1). In conclusion, serological evidence of exposure of dogs in Sydney to <i>Leptospira</i> is low, but apparently has increased since 2004. Positive titres to serovars not previously reported to cause disease in dogs could be due to low virulence of those serovars or cross-reactivity with other serovars.</p>","PeriodicalId":8661,"journal":{"name":"Australian Veterinary Journal","volume":"102 4","pages":"215-221"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-01-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/avj.13315","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139466231","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
GF Mackereth, KL Rayner, AJ Larkins, DJ Morrell, EL Pierce, PJ Letchford
{"title":"Surveillance for lumpy skin disease and foot and mouth disease in the Kimberley, Western Australia","authors":"GF Mackereth, KL Rayner, AJ Larkins, DJ Morrell, EL Pierce, PJ Letchford","doi":"10.1111/avj.13313","DOIUrl":"10.1111/avj.13313","url":null,"abstract":"<p>We quantified the sensitivity of surveillance for lumpy skin disease (LSD) and foot and mouth disease (FMD) in cattle in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. We monitored producer and veterinary activity with cattle for 3 years commencing January 2020. Each year, ~274,000 cattle of 685,540 present on 92 pastoral leases (stations) were consigned to other stations, live export or slaughter. Veterinarians examined 103,000 cattle on the stations, 177,000 prior to live export, and 10,000 prior to slaughter. Detection probabilities for the disease prior to transport or during veterinary procedures and inspections were elicited by survey of 17 veterinarians working in Northern Australia. The veterinarians estimated the probabilities that they would notice, recognise, and submit samples from clinical cases of LSD and FMD, given a 5% prevalence of clinical signs in the herd. We used scenario tree methodology to estimate monthly surveillance sensitivity of observations made by producers and by veterinarians during herd management visits, pre-export inspections, and ante-mortem inspections. Average monthly combined sensitivities were 0.49 for FMD and 0.37 for LSD. Sensitivity was high for both diseases during the dry season and low in the wet season. We estimated the confidence in freedom from the estimated surveillance sensitivity given one hypothetically infected herd, estimated probability of introduction, and prior confidence in freedom. This study provided assurance that the Kimberley is free of these diseases and that routine producer and veterinary interactions with cattle are adequate for the timely detection of the disease should they be introduced.</p>","PeriodicalId":8661,"journal":{"name":"Australian Veterinary Journal","volume":"102 4","pages":"200-214"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-01-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139465491","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Declining engagement of veterinary services in Australian animal production systems: why has this occurred and what are the risks?","authors":"CJ Secombe","doi":"10.1111/avj.13302","DOIUrl":"10.1111/avj.13302","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The provision of veterinary services is essential to deliver animal health and welfare outcomes, but over the last several decades demand for veterinary services in animal production systems has broadly declined in Australia. Reduced demand is closely related to a decline in the size of the production animal veterinary workforce, and there is evidence that the percentage of veterinarians participating in the delivery of veterinary services to animal production systems has lessened. Reduced demand for veterinary services in the production animal sector is likely to be attributed to several factors, including challenges around widespread adoption of preventive veterinary services, improved self-efficacy of producers through advancement of knowledge, and potential concern by producers over the role of veterinarians in production animal systems. Declining veterinary engagement results in increased risk at both the individual farm level (diminished expertise to deliver reactive and proactive veterinary services) and at a population level (increased biosecurity risk and risk to social licence to operate). The current environment and the community trust in the profession should be seen as an opportunity to develop and implement a strategy to halt and reverse the decline in demand for production animal veterinary services. Such a strategy will require significant and sustained collaboration between the veterinary profession, Industry and government.</p>","PeriodicalId":8661,"journal":{"name":"Australian Veterinary Journal","volume":"102 1-2","pages":"30-34"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2023-12-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/avj.13302","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139048285","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Early life events associated with first lactation reproductive performance in southwest Victorian pasture-based dairy herds","authors":"GM Chuck, PD Mansell, MA Stevenson, MM Izzo","doi":"10.1111/avj.13305","DOIUrl":"10.1111/avj.13305","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This was a prospective cohort study to determine how events from birth until first calving affect reproductive performance in the first lactation in pasture-based dairy herds in Victoria, Australia. Events during the preweaning (0 to 84 days), weaning to first breeding (85 to 473 days) and first breeding to first calving periods (474 to 804 days) were recorded and their association with reproductive performance during the first lactation was quantified. Reproductive performance outcomes included the number of days from first mating start date to first service (MSD-S1) and the number of days from first mating start date to first conception (MSD-CON). Predictors for reproductive performance included: passive transfer status as a calf; season of birth; age and breed of the dam; breed; the presence or absence of dystocia at the time of the heifer's birth; active feeding of colostrum versus being left on the dam for colostrum intake; presence of twinning; the presence or absence of preweaning diarrhoea; preweaning, prepubertal and postpubertal average daily gain; the presence or absence of periparturient disease at first calving; age at first calving; body condition score at first calving; sex of the first-born calf; the presence or absence of a stillborn calf at the first calving and requirement of assistance at first calving. Two Cox proportional hazards regression models were developed: the first for early life event variables associated with MSD-S1 and the second for early life events associated with MSD-CON. Heifers born in autumn and winter had 2.89 (95% CI 1.50 to 5.59, P = 0.002) times and 1.97 (95% CI 1.12 to 3.44, P = 0.018) times the daily hazard of being inseminated compared with heifers born in spring, respectively. For the MSD-S1 analyses heifers that gave birth to a live calf had 1.64 (95% CI 1.14 to 2.36, P = 0.008) times the daily hazard of being inseminated compared with heifers that had a stillborn calf. Increases in weight gain during the first breeding to first calving period by 0.1 kg/day increments increased the daily hazard of first insemination by a factor of 1.10 (95% CI 1.00 to 1.22, P = 0.043). Heifers that experienced periparturient disease had a significantly lower hazard of conception per day compared with heifers that did not experience periparturient disease at the first calving (HR 0.67, 95% CI 0.50 to 0.91, P = 0.009). Increases in weight gain during the first breeding to first calving period by 0.1 kg/day increased the daily hazard of conception by a factor of 1.10 (95% CI 1.01 to 1.21, P = 0.038). We conclude that of all the growth periods assessed in this study, events that occurred during the first breeding to first calving period (474 to 804 days) had the greatest association with reproductive performance in the first lactation. There should be a focus on increasing growth rates during this period and reducing the risk of stillbirth and periparturient disease to improve reproductive performance in the subsequ","PeriodicalId":8661,"journal":{"name":"Australian Veterinary Journal","volume":"102 3","pages":"51-59"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2023-12-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/avj.13305","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139039446","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
J Gaussen, DJ Trott, Z Spiers, C Jenkins, H Griffiths
{"title":"Sporadic bovine encephalopathy caused by Chlamydia pecorum secondary to bovine viral diarrhoea virus infection in calves in South Australia","authors":"J Gaussen, DJ Trott, Z Spiers, C Jenkins, H Griffiths","doi":"10.1111/avj.13307","DOIUrl":"10.1111/avj.13307","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Despite bovine viral diarrhoea virus and <i>Chlamydia pecorum</i> being important endemic diseases of cattle, there are limited reports of theirco-occurrence.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Case report</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Several 12–18-week-old, weaned Hereford calves presented with ill-thriftiness and neurological signs on a mixed cattle and sheep farm in South Australia in July 2021. Immune suppression resulting from transient infection with bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) is implicated in predisposing to infection with <i>Chlamydia pecorum</i>, the causative agent of sporadic bovine encephalopathy (SBE). <i>Chlamydia</i> spp. are difficult to culture <i>in vitro</i> or definitively identify based on current standard molecular based tests. In this case, diagnosis was confirmed by immunohistochemistry.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>To the authors' knowledge, this case report is the first to document BVDV transient infection occurring in conjunction with SBE. Given the current high prevalence of BVDV on Australian farms, such co-infections may have significant future clinical relevance. This case also highlights the need for appropriate tests, such as immunohistochemistry to demonstrate the causative organism in histological lesions and thus reduce the occurrence of false negative diagnosis.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":8661,"journal":{"name":"Australian Veterinary Journal","volume":"102 3","pages":"80-86"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2023-12-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/avj.13307","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139039447","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A record of the parasitic mite Hemimyialges macdonaldi (Evans et al. 1963) (Acari: Epidermoptidae) in the Orange-bellied Parrot Neophema chrysogaster (Latham, 1790) (Psittaciformes: Psittaculidae) in Australia","authors":"B Halliday, A Taggers, A Herrod","doi":"10.1111/avj.13308","DOIUrl":"10.1111/avj.13308","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The subcutaneous parasitic mite <i>Hemimyialges macdonaldi</i> was found in a specimen of the Orange-bellied Parrot <i>Neophema chrysogaster</i> that died in captivity. A review of the host range and geographic distribution of this mite shows it is cosmopolitan and occurs in a very wide range of birds. It does not appear to be a cause of significant mortality in its hosts.</p>","PeriodicalId":8661,"journal":{"name":"Australian Veterinary Journal","volume":"102 3","pages":"96-100"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2023-12-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/avj.13308","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138825887","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
HR Hinnant, LA Elder, R Claus-Walker, CM Mandella, GS Slanzon, LM Parrish, SC Trombetta, CS McConnel
{"title":"Comparative diagnoses of respiratory disease in preweaned dairy calves using sequential thoracic ultrasonography and clinical respiratory scoring","authors":"HR Hinnant, LA Elder, R Claus-Walker, CM Mandella, GS Slanzon, LM Parrish, SC Trombetta, CS McConnel","doi":"10.1111/avj.13309","DOIUrl":"10.1111/avj.13309","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Aims</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) has serious impacts on dairy production and animal welfare. It is most commonly diagnosed based on clinical respiratory signs (CRS), but in recent years, thoracic ultrasonography (TUS) has emerged as a diagnostic tool with improved sensitivity and specificity. This study aimed to assess the alignment of BRD diagnoses based on a Clinical Respiratory Scoring Chart (CRSC) and weekly TUS findings throughout the progression of BRD of variable severity in preweaned Holstein dairy heifers.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>A total of 60 calves on two farms were followed from the 2nd week of life through the 11th week of life and assessed on a weekly basis for CRS and lung consolidation via TUS. The alignment of BRD diagnoses based on CRSC scores and TUS findings was evaluated across disease progression (pre-consolidation, onset, chronic, or recovered) and severity (lobular or lobar lung consolidation) using receiver operator curves and area under the curves combined with Cohen's kappa (κ), sensitivity, and specificity.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The diagnosis of BRD using CRSC scores ≥5 aligned best with the onset of lobar lung consolidation (>1 cm in width and full thickness). This equated to an acceptable level of discrimination (AUC = 0.76), fair agreement (κ = 0.37), and a sensitivity of 29% and specificity of 99%. Similarly, there was acceptable discrimination (AUC = 0.70) and fair agreement (κ = 0.33) between CRSC ≥5 and the onset of a less severe threshold of disease based on lobular (1–3 cm<sup>2</sup> but not full thickness) or lobar consolidation. Discrimination remained acceptable (AUC = 0.71) with fair agreement (κ = 0.28) between CRSC scores ≥2 for nasal discharge and/or cough (spontaneous or induced) and the onset of lobar consolidation. However, sensitivity was <40% across comparisons and outside of the onset of disease there tended to be poor discrimination, slight agreement, and lowered sensitivity between CRS and TUS diagnoses of lobular or lobar consolidation (pre-consolidation, chronic, or recovered). Conversely, specificity was relatively high (≥92%) across comparisons suggesting that CRSC diagnoses indicative of BRD and associated lung consolidation tend to result in few false positive diagnoses and accurate identification of healthy animals.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions and clinical relevance</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Although we found the specificity of clinical signs for diagnosing lung consolidation to be ≥92% across all methods of TUS evaluatio","PeriodicalId":8661,"journal":{"name":"Australian Veterinary Journal","volume":"102 4","pages":"187-199"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2023-12-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/avj.13309","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138796056","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
SA Chapman, JM Angles, C Raw, PA Zendejas-Heredia, RJ Traub
{"title":"Identification and treatment of Strongyloides stercoralis infection in a Boston Terrier dog from south-eastern Australia","authors":"SA Chapman, JM Angles, C Raw, PA Zendejas-Heredia, RJ Traub","doi":"10.1111/avj.13300","DOIUrl":"10.1111/avj.13300","url":null,"abstract":"<p><i>Strongyloides stercoralis</i>, the causative agent of strongyloidiasis, is a potentially zoonotic intestinal nematode endemic to northern Australia. Strongyloidiasis is typically observed in immunocompromised hosts and is characterised by gastrointestinal signs, respiratory symptoms and a failure to thrive. In immunocompromised hosts, hyperinfection syndrome and disseminated infections can prove life-threatening. A 24-month-old Boston Terrier dog was referred for investigation of chronic small and large intestinal watery hematochezic diarrhoea, emaciation and hematemesis. Small intestinal histology identified a nematode despite consecutive negative faecal flotations. A real-time polymerase chain reaction and Baermann test subsequently confirmed infection with <i>S. stercoralis</i>. The dog had received an oral parasiticide comprising milbemycin oxime and afoxolaner every month for the 11 months prior to this diagnosis. Despite fenbendazole being reported as successful in the treatment of canine strongyloidiasis, a course of fenbendazole failed to clear the infection. Eradication of <i>S. stercoralis</i> infection was confirmed after the administration of off-label ivermectin fortnightly for 12 doses. Attention should be paid to this nematode as the failure of routine copromicroscopic methods to diagnose <i>S. stercoralis</i> infections can result in misdiagnosis, mistreatment and progression of the disease. Off-label ivermectin may be an alternative to fenbendazole for the treatment of <i>Strongyloides</i> spp. infection in dogs.</p>","PeriodicalId":8661,"journal":{"name":"Australian Veterinary Journal","volume":"102 1-2","pages":"35-40"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2023-12-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138497712","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}