The role of veterinary diagnostic laboratories during COVID-19 response in the United States.

Robust testing capacity was necessary for public health agencies to respond to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) during the coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic. As the nation faced the need for robust testing capacity, it became necessary to use all possible resources. In many cases, veterinary diagnostic laboratories rose to meet this demand because these facilities routinely perform high throughput diagnostic testing of large animal populations and are typically familiar with pathogens of high pandemic concern.

Ciprofloxacin-resistant ST198 Salmonella Kentucky in a hospitalized American black bear (Ursus americanus), with evidence of subsequent nosocomial transmission.

Global emergence of ciprofloxacin-resistant ST198 Salmonella Kentucky poses an important public health threat. While conducting Salmonella surveillance among wildlife patients admitted to our veterinary medical teaching hospital in central New York, we isolated multidrug-resistant (MDR) ST198 Salmonella Kentucky from an American black bear (Ursus americanus) in September 2020. The isolate was phenotypically resistant to numerous antimicrobial agents, including ceftriaxone and ciprofloxacin, and several antimicrobial resistance genes and mutational resistance determinants were detected.

Monitoring the Microevolution of in Healthy Dairy Cattle Populations at the Individual Farm Level Using Whole-Genome Sequencing.

Livestock represent a possible reservoir for facilitating the transmission of the zoonotic foodborne pathogen to humans; there is also concern that strains can acquire resistance to antimicrobials in the farm environment. Here, whole-genome sequencing (WGS) was used to characterize strains ( = 128) isolated from healthy dairy cattle and their associated environments on 13 New York State farms to assess the diversity and microevolution of this important pathogen at the level of the individual herd. Additionally, the accuracy and concordance of multiple tools are assessed, including: (i) two serotyping tools, (ii) combinations of five antimicrobial resistance (AMR) determinant detection tools and one to five AMR determinant databases, and (iii) one antimicrobial minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) prediction tool.

SALMONELLA ISOLATED FROM CENTRAL NEW YORK WILDLIFE ADMITTED TO A VETERINARY MEDICAL TEACHING HOSPITAL.

The role of wildlife as a source of zoonotic Salmonella transmission is poorly understood, as are the clinical implications of this pathogen among wildlife species. Wildlife hospitals represent an important location to conduct Salmonella surveillance, given the wide variety of species admitted for medical and surgical care. Our objectives were to estimate the prevalence of fecal Salmonella shedding among wildlife admitted to a veterinary medical teaching hospital, to identify risk factors for infection, and to fully characterize the isolates.

Effects of treatment with enrofloxacin or tulathromycin on fecal microbiota composition and genetic function of dairy calves.

The increasing concerns with antimicrobial resistance highlights the need for studies evaluating the impacts of antimicrobial use in livestock on antimicrobial resistance using new sequencing technologies. Through shotgun sequencing, we investigated the changes in the fecal microbiome composition and function, with a focus on functions related to antimicrobial resistance, of dairy calves. Heifers 2 to 3 weeks old, which were not treated with antibiotics by the farm before enrollment, were randomly allocated to one of three study groups: control (no treatment), a single treatment of enrofloxacin, or a single treatment of tulathromycin.

Understanding the effect of producers' attitudes, perceived norms, and perceived behavioral control on intentions to use antimicrobials prudently on New York dairy farms.

Understanding farmers' behavior, motivations, and perceptions toward antimicrobial use can influence how veterinarians translate research into practice and guide effective ways of implementing protocols. A multidisciplinary team investigated behavioral tendencies of New York dairy farmers toward antimicrobial use by administering a survey modeled with the reasoned action approach. This approach is a framework from social psychology containing the constructs attitude, perceived norms, and perceived behavioral control, and is used in combination with structural equation modeling to determine what drives intentions.

Impacts of feeding preweaned calves milk containing drug residues on the functional profile of the fecal microbiota.

Feeding drug residue-containing milk to calves is common worldwide and no information is currently available on the impact on the functional profile of the fecal microbiota. Our objective was to characterize the functional profile of the fecal microbiota of preweaned dairy calves fed raw milk with residual concentrations of antimicrobials commonly found in waste milk from birth to weaning. Calves were assigned to a controlled feeding trial being fed milk with no drug residues or milk with antibiotic residues.

Whole-Genome Sequencing of Drug-Resistant Salmonella enterica Isolates from Dairy Cattle and Humans in New York and Washington States Reveals Source and Geographic Associations.

Multidrug-resistant (MDR) can be spread from cattle to humans through direct contact with animals shedding as well as through the food chain, making MDR a serious threat to human health. The objective of this study was to use whole-genome sequencing to compare antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) serovars Typhimurium, Newport, and Dublin isolated from dairy cattle and humans in Washington State and New York State at the genotypic and phenotypic levels. A total of 90 isolates were selected for the study (37 Typhimurium, 32 Newport, and 21 Dublin isolates).

Ingestion of Milk Containing Very Low Concentration of Antimicrobials: Longitudinal Effect on Fecal Microbiota Composition in Preweaned Calves.

Although antimicrobial drugs are central to combat disease in modern medicine, the use of these drugs can have undesired consequences for human and animal health. One consequence is the post-therapy excretion of pharmacological agents, such as the elimination of drug residues at very low concentrations in the milk of lactating mammals. Limited information is currently available on the impact from the exposure of the gut microbiota to drug residues using in vivo natural models.

Improving Dairy Organizational Communication from the Veterinarian's Perspective: Results of a Continuing Veterinary Medical Education Pilot Program.

The increasing size and complexity of US dairy farms could make it more difficult for a veterinary practitioner to effectively communicate protocol recommendations for prevention or treatment on the farm. A continuing education workshop was set up based on the results of research on dairy organizational communication on dairy farms, which resulted in a tool to assess dairy communication structure and flow. The workshop specifically focused on communication structure and whom to talk to when implementing health care changes in calf rearing.

In vivo selection of resistant E. coli after ingestion of milk with added drug residues.

Antimicrobial resistance represents a major global threat to modern medicine. In vitro studies have shown that very low concentrations of drugs, as frequently identified in the environment, and in foods and water for human and animal consumption, can select for resistant bacteria. However, limited information is currently available on the in vivo impact of ingested drug residues.

Farm animal contact as risk factor for transmission of bovine-associated Salmonella subtypes.

Salmonellosis is usually associated with foodborne transmission. To identify risk from animal contact, we compared animal exposures of case-patients infected with bovine-associated Salmonella subtypes with those of control-patients infected with non-bovine-associated subtypes. We used data collected in New York and Washington, USA, from March 1, 2008, through March 1, 2010.

Clinical features of human salmonellosis caused by bovine-associated subtypes in New York.

The objective of this study was to identify patient symptoms and case outcomes that were more likely to occur as a result of Salmonella infections caused by bovine-associated subtypes (isolates that matched contemporary bovine isolates from New York by serovar and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis pattern), as compared to salmonellosis caused by non-bovine-associated subtypes. Data were collected in 34 counties of New York that comprise the Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) catchment area of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Emerging Infections Program. Patients with specimen collection dates between March 1, 2008 and March 1, 2010 were included.

Agar disk diffusion and automated microbroth dilution produce similar antimicrobial susceptibility testing results for Salmonella serotypes Newport, Typhimurium, and 4,5,12:i-, but differ in economic cost.

Data generated using different antimicrobial testing methods often have to be combined, but the equivalence of such results is difficult to assess. Here we compared two commonly used antimicrobial susceptibility testing methods, automated microbroth dilution and agar disk diffusion, for 8 common drugs, using 222 Salmonella isolates of serotypes Newport, Typhimurium, and 4,5,12:i-, which had been isolated from clinical salmonellosis cases among cattle and humans. Isolate classification corresponded well between tests, with 95% overall category agreement.

Antimicrobial susceptibility of fecal Escherichia coli isolates in dairy cows following systemic treatment with ceftiofur or penicillin.

The objective of this longitudinal controlled trial was to determine the effect of systemic treatment with ceftiofur on antimicrobial susceptibility of fecal Escherichia coli isolates in dairy cows. Cows with metritis or interdigital necrobacillosis requiring systemic antimicrobial treatment were sequentially assigned to two treatment groups. The first group was treated with ceftiofur hydrochloride and the second with penicillin G procaine.

The effect of clinical outbreaks of salmonellosis on the prevalence of fecal Salmonella shedding among dairy cattle in New York.

The objective of this study was to determine if the within-herd prevalence of fecal Salmonella shedding is higher in dairy herds with clinical outbreaks of disease, as compared to herds with subclinical infections only. Data were collected prospectively from dairy herds throughout New York that had at least 150 lactating cows and that received clinical service from participating veterinarians. After enrollment, Salmonella surveillance consisted of both environmental screening and disease monitoring within the herd.

Salmonella enterica serotype Cerro among dairy cattle in New York: an emerging pathogen?

The focus of this study was Salmonella enterica serotype Cerro, a potentially emerging pathogen of cattle. Our objectives were to document the within-herd prevalence of Salmonella Cerro among a sample of New York dairy herds, to describe the antimicrobial resistance patterns and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis types of the isolates, and to elucidate the status of this serotype as a bovine pathogen. Data were collected prospectively from dairy herds throughout New York that had at least 150 lactating cows and that received clinical service from participating veterinarians.