Heterogeneous distribution of the reported prevalence of Dirofilaria immitis infections in Australian canids - A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Reports of Dirofilaria immitis infection vary by location in the USA and Europe, with an occurrence gradient increasing towards the equator and warmer climates. In Australia, heartworm preventative guidelines are not climate specific, implying homogenous risk of infection across the continent. We systematically reviewed the published literature to assess if the distribution of D.

Risk factors associated with increased Toxoplasma gondii seroprevalence in South Australian Sheep.

Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is a protozoan parasite of substantial impact to small ruminants, with reproductive failure a possible outcome of exposure. This observational study assessed T.

'Transmission Tracker - Dirofilaria'- a public dashboard to assess in real-time the temperature-bounded transmissibility of canine heartworm across Australia.

The causative agent of canine heartworm disease, Dirofilaria immitis, requires specific temperature conditions to mature within its mosquito vector, and therefore (re-)infect a canid host. Suitable temperature conditions are not continuously met for locations where most (>97%) Australians and their pet dogs live. The length of the disruption in the transmissibility of D.

Tissue distribution of Coxiella burnetii and antibody responses in macropods co-grazing with livestock in Queensland, Australia.

Coxiella burnetii, the causative agent of Q fever, is a zoonotic bacteria of global public health significance. The organism has a complex, diverse, and relatively poorly understood animal reservoir but there is increasing evidence that macropods play some part in the epidemiology of Q fever in Australia. The aim of this cross-sectional survey was to estimate the animal- and tissue-level prevalence of coxiellosis amongst eastern grey (Macropus giganteus) and red (Osphranter rufus) kangaroos co-grazing with domestic cattle in a Q fever endemic area in Queensland.

Python farming as a flexible and efficient form of agricultural food security.

Diminishing natural resources and increasing climatic volatility are impacting agri-food systems, prompting the need for sustainable and resilient alternatives. Python farming is well established in Asia but has received little attention from mainstream agricultural scientists. We measured growth rates in two species of large pythons (Malayopython reticulatus and Python bivittatus) in farms in Thailand and Vietnam and conducted feeding experiments to examine production efficiencies.

Temperature-bounded development of Dirofilaria immitis larvae restricts the geographical distribution and seasonality of its transmission: case study and decision support system for canine heartworm management in Australia.

Dirofilaria immitis is the causative agent of canine heartworm disease. We used the established heartworm development unit (HDU) principle to map the extrinsic incubation period (EIP) of D. immitis in Australia using historical weather data from 2013-2022.

Relative diagnostic accuracy of point-of-care tests to rule-in Dirofilaria immitis infection in clinically suspect dogs: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Canine heartworm, Dirofilaria immitis, can cause severe disease and sometimes death of the host. Associated clinical signs, lack of preventative usage and regional endemicity are unlikely sufficient by themselves to reach a definitive diagnosis. Several point-of-care (POC) diagnostic tests are commercially available to aid in-clinic diagnosis, however, there is variable diagnostic accuracy reported and no synthesis of published evidence.

Canine olfactory detection of SARS-CoV-2-infected humans-a systematic review.

Purpose: To complement conventional testing methods for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 infections, dogs' olfactory capability for true real-time detection has been investigated worldwide. Diseases produce specific scents in affected individuals via volatile organic compounds. This systematic review evaluates the current evidence for canine olfaction as a reliable coronavirus disease 2019 screening tool.

Mitigating disease risk in an endangered pinniped: early hookworm elimination optimizes the growth and health of Australian sea lion pups.

The Australian sea lion () experiences high pup mortality of seasonally alternating severity, partly attributed to endemic hookworm () infection. To further explore health outcomes of early hookworm elimination, a treatment trial was conducted at Seal Bay Conservation Park, South Australia, over consecutive lower and higher mortality breeding seasons (2019, 19.2%; 2020-1; 28.

Blood types and antibody profiles of Straight Egyptian Arabian horses in Qatar: Preliminary results.

The characterization of the blood groups, antibody profiles, and its distribution pattern among different horse breeds and geographic locations, can be very useful in life-threatening situations where a blood transfusion is needed, and compatibility tests are not readily available. This study estimated the distribution of blood types and antibody profiles in Straight Egyptian Arabian horses from Qatar. A total of 20 Straight Egyptian Arabian horses, from multiple origins and genetic background were included.

Clinical findings and assessment of factors associated with survival in dogs presenting with hyperbilirubinaemia: 115 cases in Victoria, Australia (2015-2020).

Introduction: Hyperbilirubinaemia is an important clinicopathological finding in canine medicine. The objectives of this study were to describe the clinical presentation and outcome of dogs with hyperbilirubinaemia; also to identify factors associated with survival.

Materials And Methods: Retrospective study of dogs with hyperbilirubinaemia from two referral centres in South Australia (2015-2020).

Investigation of Weather Triggers Preceding Outbreaks of Acute Bovine Liver Disease in Australia.

Acute bovine liver disease (ABLD) is a hepatic disease affecting cattle sporadically in southern Australia, characterised histologically by striking periportal hepatocellular necrosis. The cause of ABLD is unknown; however, the seasonality and acute presentation of outbreaks suggest mycotoxin involvement. We described the geographical and seasonal occurrence of ABLD reports from 2010 to 2020 in Victoria, Australia, and explored potential weather triggers preceding 26 outbreaks occurring across 23 properties using a case-crossover design.

A cross-sectional survey of risk factors for the presence of Coxiella burnetii in Australian commercial dairy goat farms.

The largest Australian farm-based outbreak of Q fever originated from a dairy goat herd. We surveyed commercial dairy goat farms across Australia by testing bulk tank milk (BTM) samples using a commercial indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and two quantitative polymerase chain reactions (PCRs). Of the 66 commercial dairy goat herds on record, managers from 61 herds were contacted and 49 provided BTM samples.

Evaluation of canine detection of COVID-19 infected individuals under controlled settings.

Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) is currently the standard diagnostic method to detect symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals infected with Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). However, RT-PCR results are not immediate and may falsely be negative before an infected individual sheds viral particles in the upper airways where swabs are collected. Infected individuals emit volatile organic compounds in their breath and sweat that are detectable by trained dogs.

Topical ivermectin is a highly effective seal 'spot-on': A randomised trial of hookworm and lice treatment in the endangered Australian sea lion ( ).

The Australian sea lion () is an endangered and declining otariid species, with a high rate of pup mortality associated with endemic hookworm () infection a suspected contributor to this decline. Injected ivermectin is an effective treatment for sp. in otariids, with optimal outcomes achieved by the early treatment of pups prior to disease development.

INFECTION PRESSURE IS NECESSARY, BUT NOT SUFFICIENT BY ITSELF, TO EXPLAIN TOXOPLASMA GONDII SEROPREVALENCE IN INTERMEDIATE HOST SPECIES.

Parasite infection pressure is suggested to be a strong driver of transmission within ecosystems. We tested if infection pressure drives seroprevalence in intermediate host species for Toxoplasma gondii. We defined Toxoplasma infection pressure to intermediate host species as the combined influence of cat abundance, environmental conditions, and its prevalence in the cat population.

The impact of PIT tags on the growth and survival of pythons is insignificant in randomised controlled trial.

Individual identification is fundamental to the study of captive and wild animals but can have adverse impacts if the method of identification is inappropriate for the species or question of interest. We conducted a randomised controlled trial to test whether passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags reduced the growth or survival of pythons. We randomly allocated 200 captive-bred Burmese python () hatchlings into two groups, tagged versus untagged.

Bat E-Commerce: Insights Into the Extent and Potential Implications of This Dark Trade.

Little is known about the global bat souvenir trade despite previous research efforts into bat harvest for bushmeat. We screened eBay listings of bats in Australia, Canada, Italy, Switzerland, United Kingdom and USA to assess the nature and extent of the online offers. A total of 237 listings were retrieved in between the 11th and 25th of May 2020 with a median price per item of US$38.

Introduction - Validation of tests for OIE-listed diseases as fit-for-purpose in a world of evolving diagnostic technologies.

The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) has made leading contributions to the discipline of test validation science by providing standards and guidelines that inform the test validation process in terrestrial and aquatic animals. The OIE Manual of Diagnostic Tests and Vaccines for Terrestrial Animals, and the Manual of Diagnostic Tests for Aquatic Animals describe the test validation pathway in the context of fitness for purpose, elaborate on the importance of diagnostic sensitivity (DSe) and specificity (DSp) as measures of test accuracy, and designate additional factors (e.g.

Diagnostic likelihood ratio - the next-generation of diagnostic test accuracy measurement.

To select, interpret, and assess the fitness-for-purpose of diagnostic tests, we need to compare the likelihoods of test results being true vs. false across both infected and non-infected individuals. Diagnostic sensitivity (DSe) and specificity (DSp) report the accuracy of classification in infected and non-infected individuals separately and do not compare these likelihoods directly.

Tongue-tie use in Thoroughbred racehorses in Australia.

Tongue-ties (TTs) are used to aid control and aim to conservatively treat upper airway disorders in racehorses. However, welfare concerns have led to their use being banned in other equestrian disciplines. In the United Kingdom, TTs have been reported to be used in approximately 5% of starts.

Fractional seroprevalence rates in common prey species can cause more than half of feral cats to be exposed to Toxoplasma gondii annually.

Rodents comprise a major component of cat (Felis catus) diets in many ecosystems, and life cycle diagrams of Toxoplasma gondii typically depict small rodents as quintessential intermediate hosts. Counter-intuitively, small rodents often experience a lower T. gondii seroprevalence than do larger sympatric mammals.

Serological evidence of exposure to a coronavirus antigenically related to severe acute respiratory syndrome virus (SARS-CoV-1) in the Grey-headed flying fox (Pteropus poliocephalus).

Many infectious pathogens can be transmitted by highly mobile species, like bats that can act as reservoir hosts for viruses such as henipaviruses, lyssaviruses and coronaviruses. In this study, we investigated the seroepidemiology of protein antigens to Severe acute respiratory syndrome virus (SARS-CoV-1) and Middle eastern respiratory syndrome virus (MERS-CoV) in Grey-headed flying foxes (Pteropus poliocephalus) in Adelaide, Australia sampled between September 2015 and February 2018. A total of 301 serum samples were collected and evaluated using a multiplex Luminex binding assay, and median fluorescence intensity thresholds were determined using finite-mixture modelling.

Impacts of major health conditions affecting the Australian sheepmeat value chain: a review.

Major health conditions in sheep contribute to substantial economic losses throughout the sheepmeat supply chain in Australia. A systematic review was undertaken to explore the measurable impact of six conditions: arthritis, sheep measles, pleurisy, pneumonia, grass seeds and rib fractures, on the production of lamb and mutton across the meat value chain. Peer-reviewed scientific literature from three databases and non-peer-reviewed articles and reports from Australian government and non-government websites were searched between 11 and 17 November 2019.