Quantifying the spatial risk of Avian Influenza introduction into British poultry by wild birds.

The transmission of pathogens across the interface between wildlife and livestock presents a challenge to the development of effective surveillance and control measures. Wild birds, especially waterbirds such as the Anseriformes and Charadriiformes are considered to be the natural hosts of Avian Influenza (AI), and are presumed to pose one of the most likely vectors for incursion of AI into European poultry flocks. We have developed a generic quantitative risk map, derived from the classical epidemiological risk equation, to describe the relative, spatial risk of disease incursion into poultry flocks via wild birds.

Origins of Incomplete Fusion Products and the Suppression of Complete Fusion in Reactions of ^{7}Li.

Above-barrier complete fusion involving nuclides with low binding energy is typically suppressed by 30%. The mechanism that causes this suppression, and produces the associated incomplete fusion products, is controversial. We have developed a new experimental approach to investigate the mechanisms that produce incomplete fusion products, combining singles and coincidence measurements of light fragments and heavy residues in ^{7}Li+^{209}Bi reactions.

A cost-benefit assessment of Salmonella-control strategies in pigs reared in the United Kingdom.

Pork and pork products are a major source of human salmonellosis in the United Kingdom (UK). Despite a number of surveillance programmes, the prevalence of Salmonella in the UK slaughter pig population remains over 20%. Here, we present the results of a Cost-Benefit Analysis comparing five on-farm control strategies (where the cost is the cost of implementation and the benefits are the financial savings for both the human health and pig industries).

A generic framework for spatial quantitative risk assessments of infectious diseases: Lumpy skin disease case study.

The increase in availability of spatial data and the technological advances to handle such data allow for subsequent improvements in our ability to assess risk in a spatial setting. We provide a generic framework for quantitative risk assessments of disease introduction that capitalizes on these new data. It can be adopted across multiple spatial scales, for any pathogen, method of transmission or location.

Effectiveness of simulated interventions in reducing the estimated prevalence of Salmonella in UK pig herds.

Salmonella spp are a major foodborne zoonotic cause of human illness. Consumption of pork products is believed to be a major source of human salmonellosis and Salmonella control throughout the food-chain is recommended. A number of on-farm interventions have been proposed, and some have been implemented in order to try to achieve Salmonella control.