Sunday, 31 August 2014

Pandemic influenza preparedness and response - WHO guidance document

Pandemic influenza preparedness and response

WHO guidance document

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Authors:
World Health Organization

Publication details

Number of pages: 64
Publication date: 2009
Languages: English, Chinese, French
ISBN: 9789241547680

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Overview


WHO previously published pandemic preparedness guidance in 1999 and a revision of that guidance in 2005. Since 2005, there have been advances in many areas of preparedness and response planning. For example, stockpiles of antiviral drugs are now a reality and a WHO guideline has been developed to attempt to stop or delay pandemic influenza at its initial emergence. There is increased understanding of past pandemics, strengthened outbreak communications, greater insight on disease spread and approaches to control, and increasingly sophisticated statistical modeling of various aspects of influenza.
Extensive practical experience has been gained from responding to outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H5N1) virus infection in poultry and humans, and from conducting pandemic preparedness and response exercises in many countries. There is greater understanding that pandemic preparedness requires the involvement of not only the health sector, but the whole of society. In 2007, the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR, 2005) entered into force providing the international community with a framework to address international public health concerns.
In light of these developments, WHO decided in 2007 to update its guidance to enable countries to be better prepared for the next pandemic. Therefore this document published in April 2009 replaces the WHO Global Influenza Preparedness Plan (WHO/CDS/CSR/GIP/2005.5). This document should be used in conjunction with the WHO checklist for influenza preparedness planning published by the World Health Organization in 2005.
This guidance has been superseded by the Pandemic Influenza Risk Management Guidance:
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Evaluating the relationship between human and animal influenza viruses

Evaluating the relationship between human and animal influenza viruses

Assessing the relationship among multiple variants of influenza viruses circulating in animals and people and understanding their relative evolution in these hosts over time is key to improving vaccines for people and animals and for understanding the potential risk of future interspecies transmission events.



StripeyAnne on flickR, original name : The Pig Piper of Ham-lyn©
The latest OFFLU Swine Influenza Virus (SIV) Group meeting took place in Minneapolis, USA, 19-20 March 2013. The meeting had two major outcomes.
Characterization of the relationship between human and swine influenza viruses
Data on influenza viruses circulating in pig populations worldwide has been shared, but more effort is required for its compilation and analysis. According to the OFFLU SIV group, there is increasing scientific evidence from surveillance and genetic analyses that human seasonal influenza viruses and their variants have historically been introduced to pig populations by humans and are still circulating in different swine populations worldwide. The analyses of the HA protein of influenza viruses in pigs, a protein which plays a key role in virus-host interactions and in vaccine strain selection for human and animals, showed significant diversity among strains circulating within and between geographic areas. The maintenance of such diverse viruses within pigs for long periods of time has important implications for swine influenza vaccine strain selection and assurances of efficacy, which will have to be mainly tailored to the needs of the region. These viruses also pose a risk of re-introduction into the human population.
This global initiative requires further investment for compilation, analysis, and overall evaluating of the potential for human viruses to spread into swine and conversely for swine to be a reservoir for viruses that have human pandemic potential, and should be used in risk assessment for pandemic preparedness.
Proposed new HA gene cluster naming system for designating influenza viruses in pigs
The objective of this new nomenclature system developed and proposed by the OFFLU SIV group is to create a common language to be used by human and animal health sectors to designate swine influenza viruses on a global scale. This system will allow for viruses around the world to be evaluated by a unified set of criteria and their genetic relationships understood in a common context. Such a system is also important for targeting groups of viruses to study for antigenic properties and developing effective human and animal vaccines.
The proposed system is a phylogenetic classification system, distinguishing clusters of viruses that share common genetic characteristics. Therefore, it defines the relationship between the different influenza strains, which are continually evolving. This system enables the assessment of the genetic relationships between influenza viruses circulating in swine among different geographic regions as well as between human and swine seasonal influenza viruses.
The group will continue to work with the Influenza Research Database (fludb.org) to provide the HA gene cluster names based on the new system for future web-based cluster determination tools for swine HA sequences with free public access.
The OFFLU Network
OFFLU is a global open network of expertise on animal influenza established jointly in 2005 by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to support and coordinate global efforts to prevent, detect and control important influenzas in animals. OIE/FAO reference laboratories and world leading experts from a range of disciplines in animal and human health take part in the discussions. OFFLU collaborates with the World Health Organization (WHO) on issues relating to the animal-human interface, including pandemic preparedness for early preparation of human vaccine. 
The OFFLU Swine Influenza group started in 2010 and meets on an annual basis.
Source: 
http://www.oie.int/for-the-media/press-releases/detail/article/evaluating-the-relationship-between-human-and-animal-influenza-viruses/

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Electrochemiluminescence immunoassay for progesterone by using a heterologous system in plasma bovine

11. Electrochemiluminescence immunoassay for progesterone by using a heterologous system in plasma bovine - A. Ayad, M. Iguer Ouada and H. Benbarek
Veterinary World, 7(8): 610-613


   doi: 10.14202/vetworld.2014.610-613


A. Ayad: Department of Environment and Biological Sciences, Faculty of Life and Nature Sciences, University A. Mira, 06000, Bejaia, Algeria; Laboratory of Research on Local Animal Products, Veterinary Institute, Ibn Khaldoun University, 14000, Tiaret, Algeria; hanine06@gmail.com,abdelhanine.ayad@univ-bejaia.dz
M. Iguer Ouada: Department of Environment and Biological Sciences, Faculty of Life and Nature Sciences, University A. Mira, 06000,
Bejaia, Algeria; imokrane@gmail.com
H. Benbarek: Laboratory of Research on Local Animal Products, Veterinary Institute, Ibn Khaldoun University, 14000, Tiaret, Algeria; Department of Agricultural Sciences, Faculty of Life and Nature Sciences, University M. Istambouli, 29000, Mascara, Algeria; benbarekh@yahoo.com

Received: 12-05-2014, Revised: 27-07-2014, Accepted: 02-08-2014, Published online: 21-08-2014

Corresponding author: A. Ayad, email: hanine06@gmail.com, abdelhanine.ayad@univ-bejaia.dz
Abstract
Aim: The present study describes the use of electrochemiluminescence (ECL) immunoassay method with specific kit human progesterone for measuring plasma progesterone in cattle.
Materials and Methods: Nine Holstein-Friesian females were selected and artificially inseminated (AI). Blood samples were collected from the coccygeal vessels into tubes containing EDTA at day 0 (n = 5, the control group) and day 90 (n = 4, diagnosed pregnant by rectal palpation) after AI. The day of AI was considered as day 0 for the calculation of pregnancy day. The samples were immediately centrifuged (15 min at 1500 × g), and the plasma was stored at −20°C until assay. The assay of progesterone was carried out by a method of competition immunological type in heterogeneous phase. The antibodies of capture and revelation are monoclonal specific to progesterone of human origin.
Results: The progesterone (P4) concentration in the whole female was physiological. The results of inter- and intraassay coefficients of variation were 16.6% and 6.7%, respectively. The values of accuracy and parallelism obtained were satisfactory.
Conclusion: The preliminary results show clearly that human progesterone ECL kit can be used to measure P4 in plasma bovine.

Keywords: assay, cow, electochemiluminescence, progesterone.
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Saturday, 30 August 2014

Benefit cost analysis of Rhode Island Red chicken rearing in backyard on the basis of egg production performance

10. Benefit cost analysis of Rhode Island Red chicken rearing in backyard on the basis of egg production performance - P. K. Das, P. R. Ghosh, S. Pradhan, B. Roy and D. Mazumdar
Veterinary World, 7(8): 605-609


   doi: 10.14202/vetworld.2014.605-609


P. K. Das: Department of Veterinary Physiology, West Bengal University of Animal & Fishery Sciences, 37, K. B. Sarani, Kolkata - 700 037, West Bengal, India; pkdaskol@rediffmail.com
P. R. Ghosh: Department of Veterinary Physiology, West Bengal University of Animal & Fishery Sciences, 37, K. B. Sarani, Kolkata - 700 037, West Bengal, India; drprghosh@gmail.com
S. Pradhan: Department of Veterinary Pathology, West Bengal University of Animal & Fishery Sciences, 37, K. B. Sarani, Kolkata - 700 037, West Bengal, India; saktipadapradhan@gmail.com
B. Roy: Department of Animal Nutrition, West Bengal University of Animal & Fishery Sciences, 37, K. B. Sarani, Kolkata - 700 037, West Bengal, India; barunnutrition@yahoo.co.in
D. Mazumdar: Department of Agriculture Statistics, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, West Bengal, India; debstat@gmail.com

Received: 29-04-2014, Revised: 01-07-2014, Accepted: 07-07-2014, Published online: 16-08-2014

Corresponding author: P. K. Das, email: pkdaskol@rediffmail.com
Abstract

Aim: The aim of the present study was to analyze of the egg production features of backyard chicken rearing with an evaluation of production cost of an egg and there by benefit-cost analysis.
Materials and Methods: Study was conducted on 60000 chicken covering five different agroclimatic zones in the state West Bengal, India. Initially each farmer was provided day-old Rhode Island Red chicks, commercial ration upto pre-laying stage having CP of 17.23% and 12.32% in chick and grower mash respectively along with common management support system for backyard poultry rearing viz. separate poultry night shelter and brooding facilities, deworming and vaccination and regular health check up system, later farmers were allowed to use the supplemented feed made by the locally available resources having various crude protein content.
Results: It was observed that there was no significant variation in respect of total egg production under various supplemented crude protein containing feed, whereas significantly higher egg production feature is observed in Coastal and Old Alluvial zones.
Conclusion: The study concluded that more profit was occurred to those farmers who provided the supplemented feed with less crude protein content along with scavenging. This scope is more in new alluvial zone. It was also observed that profit started from 11 month onwards in each agro-climatic zone as well as in each category of supplemented feed.
Keywords: backyard, benefit-cost analysis, chicken, egg production, RIR.
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Thursday, 28 August 2014

Multistate Outbreak of Human Salmonella Infections Linked to Live Poultry in Backyard Flocks

Source: http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/live-poultry-05-14/index.html


Highlights

  • Read the Advice to Consumers »
  • As of August 5, 2014, a total of 300 persons infected with the outbreak strains of Salmonella Infantis,Salmonella Newport, or Salmonella Hadar have been reported from 42 states and Puerto Rico.
    • 31% of ill persons have been hospitalized, and no deaths have been reported.
  • Epidemiologic, laboratory, and traceback findings have linked this outbreak of human Salmonellainfections to contact with chicks, ducklings, and other live poultry from Mt. Healthy Hatcheries in Ohio.
    • 80% of ill people reported contact with live poultry in the week before their illness began.
  • Findings of multiple traceback investigations of live baby poultry from homes of ill persons have identified Mt. Healthy Hatcheries in Ohio as the source of chicks and ducklings. This is the same mail-order hatchery that has been associated with multiple outbreaks of Salmonella infections linked to live poultry in past years, including in 2012 and2013.
  • CDC’s National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) laboratory conducted antibiotic resistance testing on Salmonella isolates collected from 11 ill persons infected with the outbreak strains of Salmonella Infantis or Newport. Of the 11 isolates tested:
    • Two (18%) were drug resistant (defined as resistance to one or more antibiotics).
    • Nine (82%) were pansusceptible (susceptible to all antibiotics tested).
  • Mail-order hatcheries, agricultural feed stores, and others that sell or display chicks, ducklings, and other live poultry should provide health-related information to owners and potential purchasers of these birds prior to selling them. This should include information about the risk of acquiring a Salmonellainfection from contact with live poultry.
  • Consumers who own live poultry should take steps to protect themselves:

  • 8th August 2014

  • Case Count Update

    As of August 5, 2014, a total of 300 persons infected with the outbreak strains ofSalmonella Infantis, Salmonella Newport, or Salmonella Hadar have been reported from 42 states and Puerto Rico. Since the last update on June 27, 2014, a total of 49 new ill persons have been reported from Alabama (2), Arizona (1), Colorado (1), Georgia (3), Idaho (2), Iowa (1), Massachusetts (1), Minnesota (1), Missouri (1), Nebraska (3), New Hampshire (1), New Jersey (1), New York (3), North Carolina (1), Ohio (3), Oregon (1), Pennsylvania (4), Puerto Rico (1), South Carolina (1), Tennessee (3), Vermont (1), Virginia (8), Washington (1), and West Virginia (4).
    Among persons who reported the date they became ill, illnesses began between February 3, 2014, and July 10, 2014. Ill persons range in age from younger than 1 year to 95 years, and the median age is 28 years. Thirty-seven percent of ill persons are 10 years of age or younger. Fifty-four percent of ill persons are female. Among 206 ill persons with available information, 64 (31%) have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.
    Illnesses that occurred after July 8, 2014, might not yet be reported due to the time it takes between when a person becomes ill and when the illness is reported. This takes an average of 2 to 4 weeks. Please see the Timeline for Reporting Cases of SalmonellaInfection for more details.

    Investigation Update

    Samples from live poultry and the environments where the poultry live and roam were collected from ill persons’ homes in Vermont and Virginia. Testing of these samples yielded two of the outbreak strains of Salmonella Infantis. These birds were sourced from Mt. Healthy Hatcheries in Ohio.
    The National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) is a U.S. public health surveillance system that tracks antibiotic resistance in foodborne and other enteric bacteria found in people, raw meat and poultry, and food-producing animals. NARMS is an interagency partnership among CDC, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and state and local health departments.
    The NARMS human surveillance program at CDC monitors antibiotic resistance inSalmonella and other bacteria isolated from clinical specimens submitted to NARMS by public health laboratories. CDC's NARMS laboratory conducted antibiotic resistance testing on a total of 11 isolates collected from ill persons infected with the outbreak strains of Salmonella Infantis (8 isolates) or Newport (3 isolates). Of the 11 isolates tested to date, 2 (18%) were resistant to tetracycline and 9 (82%) were pansusceptible (susceptible to all antibiotics tested). Tetracycline is not typically used to treat Salmonella infections. CDC's NARMS laboratory continues to conduct antibiotic resistance testing on additional clinical isolates collected from ill persons infected with the outbreak strains. Results will be reported when they become available.
    The NPIP is a voluntary program that was initiated to eliminate certain diseases from poultry flocks that cause significant poultry illness and death. On August 8, 2014,amendmentsExternal Web Site Icon to the National Poultry Improvement PlanExternal Web Site Icon (NPIP) will take effect.  One of these amendments to the NPIP provisions includes the addition of a new certification program for Salmonella, in which mail-order hatcheries have the opportunity to voluntarily participate. Participation in this program will certify their flocks are monitored for Salmonella organisms that may cause illness in humans. The intent of this program is to reduce the incidence of Salmonella in day-old poultry in the hatchery and give the poultry industry a better opportunity to reduce incidence ofSalmonella in their products. In the future, consumers and retailers can choose to purchase their birds from mail-order hatcheries that participate in this additional program.
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A retrospective study on incidence of lameness in domestic animals

Research (Published online: 15-08-2014)
9. A retrospective study on incidence of lameness in domestic animals - A. Mohsina, M. M. S Zama, P. Tamilmahan, M.B.Gugjoo, K. Singh, A. Gopinathan, M. Gopi and K.Karthik
Veterinary World, 7(8): 601-604


   doi: 10.14202/vetworld.2014.601-604


A. Mohsina: Division of Veterinary Surgery, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly, 243 122, Uttar Pradesh, India;sowparnika777@gmail.com
M. M. S Zama: Division of Veterinary Surgery, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly, 243 122, Uttar Pradesh, India;mmszama@yahoo.com
P. Tamilmahan: Division of Veterinary Surgery, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly, 243 122, Uttar Pradesh, India;drtamilmahan.bison@gmail.com
M. B. Gugjoo: Division of Veterinary Surgery, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly, 243 122, Uttar Pradesh, India;mbgugjoo@gmail.com
K. Singh: Division of Veterinary Surgery, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly, 243 122, Uttar Pradesh, India;ksuppli@yahoo.co.in
A. Gopinathan: Division of Veterinary Surgery, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly, 243 122, Uttar Pradesh, India;aswathykiran77@gmail.com
M. Gopi: Division of Animal Nutrition, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly, 243 122, Uttar Pradesh, India;gopsgopi72@gmail.com
K. Karthik: Division of Bacteriology, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly, 243 122, Uttar Pradesh, India;karthik_2bvsc@yahoo.co.in

Received: 23-04-2014, Revised: 28-06-2014, Accepted: 05-07-2014, Published online: 15-08-2014

Corresponding author: A. Mohsina, email: sowparnika777@gmail.com, Cell: +91-9458587867
Abstract

Aim: To study the incidence of lameness among different species of animals presented to the Veterinary Polyclinic, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar.
Materials and Methods: Outpatient department (OPD) records for the period from January 2006 to December 2010 were referred and information was collected regarding number of lameness in different species, breeds, type of injury, limb affected, gender, age at onset, treatment offered, outcome and any reoccurrence. In this study, fractured cases were not included.
Results: The incidence of lameness among different species were recorded: canine (56%), equine (21%), caprine (7%), feline (3%), cattle (7%), buffalo (5.47%), sheep (0.6%), monkey (0.39%) and swine (0.19%). In dog, the different conditions were reported with hind quarter weakness recording 55% of lameness followed by right hind limb lameness (14.7%), left hind limb lameness (12.6%), left forelimb lameness (12%), hip dislocation (6.3%) and hip dysplasia (4.2%). In caprines, important causes of lameness were right forelimb lameness (23%), right hind limb lameness (12%), left forelimb lameness (12%), posterior paresis (9%), left shoulder dislocation (14%) and right shoulder dislocation (6%). In cattle, 34.28% of cases with right hind limb lameness, 28.5% cases were due to HQW, 14.28% had hip dysplasia, 8.57% suffered left hind limb lameness, 6% cases were recorded with obturator nerve paralysis and 8.57% cases suffered contracted tendon in calves. In buffaloes, cases reported were right carpal arthritis, foot rot and left hind limb lameness (14.28%) each, due to bilateral upward luxation of patella and due bilateral purulent wound in stifle (18%) each and hip dislocation (21.4%). In equines, lameness were reported with right hind limb affection (13%), left forelimb affection (11%), right forelimb affection (17%), 4% each due to disease of right shoulder, HQW and both forelimb affection, lateral dislocation of patella (3%), affection of both hind limbs (9%), 5.5%each due to tenosynovitis, arthritis and bone spavin, 7% due to laminitis of right hind and forelimbs and 4.5% due to quittor.
Conclusion: The results show that lameness in animals is significantly affected by species, breed, age and sex of the animal. In dogs and cats, HQW is the most common cause of lameness. Among dogs, Mongrel and GSD breeds most affected. Male animals of less than 1 year or above 6 years are affected more. Hip dislocation is found to be more in male GSD and Labrador dogs and bilateral hip dislocation in spitz breeds. Hip dysplasia is also found to be more in GSD breed. Incidence of rickets is more in spitz dogs below 5 months of age. In equine and caprine species, right forelimb lameness, and in cattle right hind limb lameness is more. Hip dislocation, upward luxation of patella and wound are the major lameness causes in buffaloes.
Keywords: domestic animals, incidence, lameness.
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Molecular detection of Toxoplasma gondii DNA in milk and risk factors analysis of seroprevalence in pregnant women at Sharkia, Egypt

8. Molecular detection of Toxoplasma gondii DNA in milk and risk factors analysis of seroprevalence in pregnant women at Sharkia, Egypt -Heba A. Ahmed, Saleh M. Shafik, Mahmoud E. M. Ali, Sanya T. Elghamry and Alshymaa A. Ahmed
Veterinary World, 7(8): 594-600


   doi: 10.14202/vetworld.2014.594-600

 
Heba A. Ahmed: Department of Zoonoses, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, 44511, Zagazig, Egypt; heba_ahmed@zu.edu.eg
Saleh M. Shafik: Food Hygiene Department, Animal Health Research Institute, Mansoura, Egypt; Saleh_Shafik@yahoo.com
Mahmoud E. M. Ali: Food Hygiene Department, Animal Health Research Institute, Mansoura, Egypt; dr_hashem59@yahoo.com
Sanya T. Elghamry: Food Hygiene Department, Animal Health Research Institute, Mansoura, Egypt; sanyaelghamry@yahoo.com
Alshymaa A. Ahmed: Clinical pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Egypt; doaa_ahmed57@yahoo.com

Received: 10-05-2014, Revised: 26-06-2014, Accepted: 03-07-2014, Published online: 12-08-2014

Corresponding author: Heba A. Ahmed, email: heba_ahmed@zu.edu.eg
Abstract

Aim: Toxoplasmosis is one of the most important zoonotic parasitic diseases worldwide. Infection is not only acquired by contact with the definitive host, but also by ingestion of raw milk and milk products. The aim of the study was to detect T. gondii DNA in milk samples, and to estimate anti-T. gondii antibodies in pregnant women for the analysis of the associated risk factors.
Materials and Methods: The study involved molecular examination of 150 milk samples collected from rural settings at Sharkia, Egypt. Seroprevalence of anti-T. gondii antibodies was determined in 100 pregnant women by indirect haemagglutination test. The analysis of risk factors associated with seropositive results was assessed by univariate and multivariate logistic regression.
Results: T. gondii DNA was detected in 8% and 2% of goat and sheep milk samples, respectively, while none of cow milk samples were positive. Seroprevalence of T. gondii antibodies in pregnant women was 82%, anti-T. gondii-IgG and anti-T. gondii-IgM were detected in 63% and 11% serum samples, respectively. The results showed a significant correlation between the seroprevalence and the contact with cats and consumption of raw milk and homemade cheese.
Conclusion: The role of raw milk in transmission of T. gondii cannot be excluded. Contact with cats remains the main risk factor for acquiring T. gondii infection; also consumption of raw milk and milk products is considered an important risk factor. Further large scale studies are recommended to clarify the association of T. gondii seroprevalence with different risk factors.
Keywords: B1 gene, pregnant women, raw milk, risk factors, seroprevalence, T. gondii.
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Detection of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis from cattle and buffaloes in Egypt using traditional culture, serological and molecular based methods

7. Detection of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis from cattle and buffaloes in Egypt using traditional culture, serological and molecular based methods - G. S. Abdellrazeq, M. M. El-Naggar, S. A. Khaliel and A. E. Gamal-Eldin
Veterinary World, 7(8): 586-593


   doi: 10.14202/vetworld.2014.586-593

 
G. S. Abdellrazeq: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Alexandria University, Edfina, Rosetta-line, P. O. Box: 22758, Egypt;gaber.abdellatif@alexu.edu.eg
M. M. El-Naggar: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Alexandria University, Edfina, Rosetta-line, P. O. Box: 22758, Egypt; mahmoud.elnaggar@alexu.edu.eg
S. A. Khaliel: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Alexandria University, Edfina, Rosetta-line, P. O. Box: 22758, Egypt;khaliel1@yahoo.com
A. E. Gamal-Eldin: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Alexandria University, Edfina, Rosetta-line, P. O. Box: 22758, Egypt;dr_asmaa9518@yahoo.com

Received: 03-05-2014, Revised: 02-07-2014, Accepted: 10-07-2014, Published online: 11-08-2014

Corresponding author: Gaber Abdellrazeq, email: gaber.abdellatif@alexu.edu.eg
Abstract

Background: Johne's disease (JD) caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) represents a real threat to the agriculture and dairy food industries and believed to be a potential public health problem. Signs of infection in ruminant include weight loss, diarrhea, decreased milk production, and eventually death. The definition of an infected animal based either on the presence of anti-MAP antibodies, or positive bacterial culture. No treatment for the disease exists and controlling the disease is difficult due to its long latent period. JD is a worldwide problem and multiple studies in many countries have been carried out to determine the prevalence of MAP infections. Although some primary non intensive studies confirm presence of JD in Egypt, the disease is currently neglected by the official Egyptian veterinary agencies. There is no official data, no national control program, and no used vaccine.
Aim: This study aimed to evaluate three conventional diagnostic methods for MAP under the Egyptian circumstances with a general aim to determine the appropriate strategy to develop a JD control program. These methods were pooled fecal culture, humoral response and insertion sequence IS900 targets polymerase chain reaction (IS900 PCR).
Materials and Methods: Fecal and serum samples (500 each) were collected from Holstein-Friesian cattle and buffaloes housed in five Egyptian governorates. Fecal samples were examined for MAP on the basis of a strategic pooling procedure and performed on Herrold's Egg Yolk Agar Medium (HEYM). Smears were prepared from developed colonies and stained using a Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) technique. The identity of developed colonies was further confirmed by PCR analysis of IS900 sequence. Sera from both culture-positive and culture-negative animals were evaluated individually for humoral response.
Results: Out of 50 pooled specimens, 34 (68%) fecal cultures were positive for MAP. Serum positive samples of culture-positive animals were 63/340 (18.5%). No serum positive were detected in the samples from culture-negative animals. DNA extractions from colonies of 34 culture-positive pooled samples were tested with the PCR targeted to IS900 and revealed 18 isolates (52.94%) were positive.
Conclusion: The present study has succeeded in isolating and identifying of MAP from Egyptian cattle and buffaloes in five governorates. The results confirm the epizoology of JD in Egypt and encourage the decision-makers to start creating a program to control it. Pooling procedure for MAP culture is an efficient and reliable method. However, the findings suggest the importance of using both ELISA and fecal culture in MAP diagnosis and control.
Keywords: culture, ELISA, IS900 PCR, Johne's disease, Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis.
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Three-quarters of depressed cancer patients do not receive treatment for depression; new approach could transform care

Three papers published in The Lancet Psychiatry, The Lancet, and The Lancet Oncology reveal that around three-quarters of cancer patients who have major depression are not currently receiving treatment for depression, and that a new integrated treatment program is strikingly more effective at reducing depression and improving quality of life than current care.
An analysis of data from more than 21,000 patients attending cancer clinics in Scotland, UK, published inThe Lancet Psychiatry, found that major depression is substantially more common in cancer patients than in the general population. Major depression was most common in patients with lung cancer (13%) and lowest in those with genitourinary cancer (6%). Moreover, nearly three quarters (73%) of depressed cancer patients were not receiving treatment.
To address the problem of inadequate treatment the SMaRT Oncology-2 randomised trial, published inThe Lancet, evaluated the effectiveness of a new treatment program called 'Depression Care for People with Cancer' (DCPC). DCPC is delivered by a team of specially trained cancer nurses and psychiatrists, working in collaboration with the patient's cancer team and general practitioner, and is given as part of cancer care. It is a systematic treatment program that includes both antidepressants and psychological therapy.
The trial, involving 500 adults with major depression and a cancer with a good prognosis (predicted survival more than 12 months) compared DCPC with usual care [1]. DCPC was strikingly more effective at reducing depression. At 6 months, 62% of the patients who received DCPC responded to treatment (at least a 50% reduction in the severity of their depression) compared with only 17% of those who received usual care. This benefit was sustained at 12 months. DCPC also improved anxiety, pain, fatigue, functioning, and overall quality of life. Moreover, the cost of providing DCPC was modest (£613 per patient) making it a cost-effective way to improve cancer patients' quality of life.
According to lead author Professor Michael Sharpe from the University of Oxford in the UK, "The huge benefit that DCPC delivers for patients with cancer and depression shows what we can achieve for patients if we take as much care with the treatment of their depression as we do with the treatment of their cancer."
To see if patients with a poor prognosis cancer could also benefit from this approach, the SMaRT Oncology-3 randomised trial, published in The Lancet Oncology, tested a version of DCPC adapted for patients with a typically poor prognosis cancer (lung cancer). The trial, involving 142 patients with lung cancer and major depression, found that those who received the lung cancer version of DCPC had a significantly greater improvement in depression than those who received usual care during 32 weeks of follow-up. The lung cancer-specific version of DCPC also improved anxiety, functioning, and quality of life.
According to study leader Dr Jane Walker from the University of Oxford and Sobell House Hospice in Oxford in the UK, "Patients with lung cancer often have a poor prognosis. If they also have major depression that can blight the time they have left to live. This trial shows that we can effectively treat depression in patients with poor prognosis cancers like lung cancer and really improve patients' lives."
Story Source:
The above story is based on materials provided by The Lancet. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
Journal References:
  1. Michael Sharpe et al. Prevalence, associations, and adequacy of treatment of major depression in patients with cancer: a cross-sectional analysis of routinely collected clinical data. The Lancet Psychiatry, August 2014 DOI:10.1016/S2215-0366(14)70313-X
  2. Michael Sharpe, Jane Walker, Christian Holm Hansen, Paul Martin, Stefan Symeonides, Charlie Gourley, Lucy Wall, David Weller, Gordon Murray. Integrated collaborative care for comorbid major depression in patients with cancer (SMaRT Oncology-2): a multicentre randomised controlled effectiveness trial.The Lancet, 2014; DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(14)61231-9
  3. Jane Walker, Christian Holm Hansen, Paul Martin, Stefan Symeonides, Charlie Gourley, Lucy Wall, David Weller, Gordon Murray, Michael Sharpe. Integrated collaborative care for major depression comorbid with a poor prognosis cancer (SMaRT Oncology-3): a multicentre randomised controlled trial in patients with lung cancer. The Lancet Oncology, 2014; DOI: 10.1016/S1470-2045(14)70343-2
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The Lancet. "Three-quarters of depressed cancer patients do not receive treatment for depression; new approach could transform care." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 27 August 2014. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/08/140827203635.htm>.
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A modified version of the Clostridium novyi (C. novyi-NT) bacterium can produce a strong and precisely targeted anti-tumor response in rats, dogs and now humans, according to a new report from Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center researchers.

A modified version of the Clostridium novyi (C. novyi-NT) bacterium can produce a strong and precisely targeted anti-tumor response in rats, dogs and now humans, according to a new report from Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center researchers.
In its natural form, C. novyi is found in the soil and, in certain cases, can cause tissue-damaging infection in cattle, sheep and humans. The microbe thrives only in oxygen-poor environments, which makes it a targeted means of destroying oxygen-starved cells in tumors that are difficult to treat with chemotherapy and radiation. The Johns Hopkins team removed one of the bacteria's toxin-producing genes to make it safer for therapeutic use.
For the study, the researchers tested direct-tumor injection of the C. novyi-NT spores in 16 pet dogs that were being treated for naturally occurring tumors. Six of the dogs had an anti-tumor response 21 days after their first treatment. Three of the six showed complete eradication of their tumors, and the length of the longest diameter of the tumor shrunk by at least 30 percent in the three other dogs.
Most of the dogs experienced side effects typical of a bacterial infection, such as fever and tumor abscesses and inflammation, according to a report on the work published online Aug. 13 in Science Translational Medicine.
In a Phase I clinical trial of C. novyi-NT spores conducted at MD Anderson Cancer Center, a patient with an advanced soft tissue tumor in the abdomen received the spore injection directly into a metastatic tumor in her arm. The treatment significantly reduced the tumor in and around the bone. "She had a very vigorous inflammatory response and abscess formation," according to Nicholas Roberts, Vet.M.B., Ph.D. "But at the moment, we haven't treated enough people to be sure if the spectrum of responses that we see in dogs will truly recapitulate what we see in people."
"One advantage of using bacteria to treat cancer is that you can modify these bacteria relatively easily, to equip them with other therapeutic agents, or make them less toxic as we have done here, " said Shibin Zhou, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of oncology at the Cancer Center. Zhou is also the director of experimental therapeutics at the Kimmel Cancer Center's Ludwig Center for Cancer Genetics and Therapeutics. He and colleagues at Johns Hopkins began exploring C. novyi's cancer-fighting potential more than a decade ago after studying hundred-year old accounts of an early immunotherapy called Coley toxins, which grew out of the observation that some cancer patients who contracted serious bacterial infections showed cancer remission.
The researchers focused on soft tissue tumors because "these tumors are often locally advanced, and they have spread into normal tissue," said Roberts, a Ludwig Center and Department of Pathology researcher. The bacteria cannot germinate in normal tissues and will only attack the oxygen-starved or hypoxic cells in the tumor and spare healthy tissue around the cancer.
Verena Staedtke, M.D., Ph.D., a Johns Hopkins neuro-oncology fellow, first tested the spore injection in rats with implanted brain tumors called gliomas. Microscopic evaluation of the tumors showed that the treatment killed tumor cells but spared healthy cells just a few micrometers away. The treatment also prolonged the rats' survival, with treated rats surviving an average of 33 days after the tumor was implanted, compared with an average of 18 days in rats that did not receive the C. noyvi-NT spore injection.
The researchers then extended their tests of the injection to dogs. "One of the reasons that we treated dogs with C. novyi-NT before people is because dogs can be a good guide to what may happen in people," Roberts said. The dog tumors share many genetic similarities with human tumors, he explained, and their tumors appeared spontaneously as they would in humans. Dogs are also treated with many of the same cancer drugs as humans and respond similarly.
The dogs showed a variety of anti-tumor responses and inflammatory side effects.
Zhou said that study of the C. novyi-NT spore injection in humans is ongoing, but the final results of their treatment are not yet available. "We expect that some patients will have a stronger response than others, but that's true of other therapies as well. Now, we want to know how well the patients can tolerate this kind of therapy."
It may be possible to combine traditional treatments like chemotherapy with the C. novyi-NT therapy, said Zhou, who added that the researchers have already studied these combinations in mice.
"Some of these traditional therapies are able to increase the hypoxic region in a tumor and would make the bacterial infection more potent and increase its anti-tumor efficiency," Staedtke suggested. "C. novyi-NT is an agent that could be combined with a multitude of chemotherapy agents or radiation."
"Another good thing about using bacteria as a therapeutic agent is that once they're infecting the tumor, they can induce a strong immune response against tumor cells themselves," Zhou said.
Previous studies in mice, he noted, suggest that C. novyi-NT may help create a lingering immune response that fights metastatic tumors long after the initial bacterial treatment, but this effect remains to be seen in the dog and human studies.
Story Source:
The above story is based on materials provided by Johns Hopkins Medicine. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
Journal Reference:
  1. N. J. Roberts, L. Zhang, F. Janku, A. Collins, R.-Y. Bai, V. Staedtke, A. W. Rusk, D. Tung, M. Miller, J. Roix, K. V. Khanna, R. Murthy, R. S. Benjamin, T. Helgason, A. D. Szvalb, J. E. Bird, S. Roy-Chowdhuri, H. H. Zhang, Y. Qiao, B. Karim, J. McDaniel, A. Elpiner, A. Sahora, J. Lachowicz, B. Phillips, A. Turner, M. K. Klein, G. Post, L. A. Diaz, G. J. Riggins, N. Papadopoulos, K. W. Kinzler, B. Vogelstein, C. Bettegowda, D. L. Huso, M. Varterasian, S. Saha, S. Zhou. Intratumoral injection of Clostridium novyi-NT spores induces antitumor responses.Science Translational Medicine, 2014; 6 (249): 249ra111 DOI:10.1126/scitranslmed.3008982
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Johns Hopkins Medicine. "Injected bacteria shrink tumors in rats, dogs and humans." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 13 August 2014. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/08/140813173906.htm>.
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