Assessing the Adoption of Recommended Standards, Novel Approaches, and Best Practices for Animal Health Surveillance by Decision Makers in Europe.

Animal health surveillance is an important tool for disease mitigation and helps to promote animal health and welfare, protect human health, support efficient animal production, and enable trade. This study aimed to assess adoption of recommended standards and best practice for surveillance (including risk-based approaches) in Europe. It included scoping interviews with surveillance experts in Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, and Switzerland to gather information on knowledge acquisition, decisions and implementation of surveillance, and perceptions.

Education and employment in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis - a standardized comparison to the German general population.

Background: Although several studies show that JIA-patients have significantly lower employment rates than the general population, the research on educational and occupational attainments in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) remain conflicting most likely due to small sample sizes. Therefore, aim of this study is to compare the educational achievements and employment status of 3698 JIA-patients with the German general population (GGP).

Methods: "SEPIA" was a large cross-sectional study on the current status of a historic cohort of JIA-patients treated in a single center between 1952 and 2010.

Incidence of malignancies in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis: A retrospective single-center cohort study in Germany.

Objectives: In recent years, concern has been raised about Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) that it could be associated with an increased risk for malignancies. Therefore, the cancer incidence in the JIA patients was evaluated and compared to the cancer incidence in the German population.

Methods: A retrospective single-center hospital-based cohort study was performed using data on the JIA patients treated between 1952 and 2010 at the German Center for Pediatric and Adolescent Rheumatology (GCPAR) (Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany).

Long-Term Health-Related Quality of Life in German Patients with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis in Comparison to German General Population.

Objective: Aims of the study were to investigate health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in adult patients with former diagnosis of Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA), to compare their HRQOL with the general population and to identify factors related to a poor outcome.

Methods: In 2012, a cross-sectional survey was performed by mailing a questionnaire to a large cohort of former and current patients of the German Centre for Rheumatology in Children and Adolescents. Only adult patients (≥18 years) with a diagnosis compatible with JIA were included (n = 2592; response 66%).

Association between drug intake and incidence of malignancies in patients with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: a nested case-control study.

Background: Several medications for treatment of Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) are considered to be carcinogenic. Therefore, the aim was to assess whether there is an association between therapeutic interventions and malignancies in JIA patients.

Findings: A nested case-control study was carried out within a retrospective cohort study of 3698 JIA patients diagnosed between 1952 and 2010.

Control and management of sheep mange and pediculosis in Great Britain.

The patterns of insecticide use for the prevention and control of sheep lice and Psoroptes mites, in England, Wales and Scotland, in 2003-2004, were examined using data from a retrospective questionnaire. Overall, 375 of the 966 (39%) farmers who responded said that they treated at least once to prevent louse infestation. For scab, 426 of the 966 (44%) farmers who responded said that they had treated prophylactically to prevent the disease.

Blowfly strike prevalence in domestic rabbits in southwest England and Wales.

The prevalence of blowfly strike in rabbits in southwest England and Wales was investigated using a retrospective postal survey of small animal and mixed veterinary practices. Questionnaires were sent to 474 practices; 219 were returned completed, giving a response rate of 46.2%.