Implementing a probabilistic definition of freedom from infection to facilitate trade of livestock: putting theory into praxis for the example of bovine herpes virus-1.

International trade of livestock and livestock products poses a significant potential threat for spread of diseases, and importing countries therefore often require that imported animals and products are free from certain pathogens. However, absolute freedom from infection cannot be documented, since all test protocols are imperfect and can lead to false-negative results. It is possible instead to estimate the "probability of freedom from infection" and its opposite, the probability of infection despite having a negative test result.

Evaluation of an indirect ELISA for detection of antibodies in bulk milk against bluetongue virus infections in the Netherlands.

After the introduction of bluetongue virus serotype 8 (BTV-8) in western Europe in 2006, an indirect ELISA for detection of serogroup-specific antibodies against BTV in serum samples was validated for individual milk samples by the Central Veterinary Institute and the Animal Health Service in the Netherlands (Kramps et al., 2008). In order to develop a cost-effective monitoring tool, we now have evaluated this ELISA also for use in bulk milk.

Validation of a commercial ELISA for the detection of bluetongue virus (BTV)-specific antibodies in individual milk samples of Dutch dairy cows.

A recently developed indirect ELISA for the detection of bluetongue virus (BTV)-specific antibodies in bovine milk samples was compared to that of the routinely used competitive ELISA on serum samples. During the bluetongue outbreak in the Netherlands in 2006, caused by BTV serotype 8, coupled serum and milk samples were obtained from 470 individual cows from 10 BTV-infected farms with an average seroprevalence of 57%. In addition, bulk milk samples of the same farms, and historically BT-negative samples were tested.

Public health risk analysis of European bat lyssavirus infection in The Netherlands.

We present the frequency and the nature of contact incidents of the Serotine bat, Eptesicus serotinus, with humans and with companion animals (specifically cats and dogs), in The Netherlands between 2000 and 2005. Out of 17 bats in bite contact with humans, five tested positive for European bat lyssavirus (EBLV) type 1a. Cats had the most numerous contacts with bats (49 times) but a relatively low number of these bats were EBLV positive (six times).

Public health awareness of emerging zoonotic viruses of bats: a European perspective.

Bats classified in the order Chiroptera are the most abundant and widely distributed non-human mammalian species in the world. Several bat species are reservoir hosts of zoonotic viruses and therefore can be a public health hazard. Lyssaviruses of different genotypes have emerged from bats in America (Genotype 1 rabies virus; RABV), Europe (European bat lyssavirus; EBLV), and Australia (Australian bat lyssavirus; ABLV), whereas Nipah virus is the most important recent zoonosis of bat origin in Asia.