Integrated Community-Based Reporting and Field Diagnostics for Improved Rabies Surveillance in Rural Laikipia, Kenya.

Rabies vaccination in domestic dog populations has increased globally in a bid to protect human health. Surveillance efforts, however, are inconsistent in endemic regions such as in sub-Saharan Africa, due to fragmented reporting and limited diagnostic capacity for suspected cases, limiting successful monitoring and evaluation of vaccination campaigns. Here, we conducted a pilot study aiming to strengthen rabies surveillance by combining community-based surveillance with field-based diagnostic testing in pastoral and agro-pastoral communities in central Kenya; communities which are frequently marginalised from health systems.

Exploratory Randomised Trial of Tranexamic Acid to Decrease Postoperative Delirium in Adults Undergoing Lumbar Fusion: A trial stopped early.

Background: Postoperative delirium may be mediated by perioperative systemic- and neuro-inflammation. By inhibiting the pro-inflammatory actions of plasmin, tranexamic acid (TXA) may decrease postoperative delirium. To explore this hypothesis, we modified an ongoing randomised trial of TXA, adding measures of postoperative delirium, cognitive function, systemic cytokines, and astrocyte activation.

An extensive re-evaluation of evidence and analyses of the Randomised Badger Culling Trial II: In neighbouring areas.

In the second investigation in a pair of analyses which re-evaluates the Randomised Badger Culling Trial (RBCT), we estimate the effects of proactive badger culling on the incidence of tuberculosis (TB) in cattle populations in unculled neighbouring areas. Throughout peer-reviewed analyses of the RBCT, proactive culling was estimated to have detrimental effects on the incidence of herd breakdowns (i.e.

An extensive re-evaluation of evidence and analyses of the Randomised Badger Culling Trial (RBCT) I: Within proactive culling areas.

Here, in the first of two investigations, we evaluate and extend the analyses of the Randomised Badger Culling Trial (RBCT) to estimate the effectiveness of proactive badger culling for reducing incidence of tuberculosis (TB) in cattle within culling areas. Using previously reviewed, publicly available data, alongside frequentist and Bayesian approaches, we re-estimate culling effects for confirmed incidence of herd breakdowns (TB incidents in cattle) within proactive culling areas. We appraise the varying assumptions and statistical structures of individual models to determine model appropriateness.

Effect of Rabies Booster Vaccination on Antibody Levels in African Wild Dogs (Lycaon pictus).

Rabies is a highly virulent viral disease that has been associated with large-scale population declines of the endangered African wild dog (Lycaon pictus). Rabies vaccination may be a valuable conservation tool in this species, but studies indicate that a single dose does not always confer protective immunity. We examined 47 serum samples from 22 captive African wild dogs (sampled opportunistically for other purposes) to assess whether serum antibody levels after vaccination correlated with the number of doses received and whether other factors affected outcomes.