Seroprevalence of Cache Valley virus and related viruses in sheep and other livestock from Saskatchewan, Canada.

Cache Valley virus, an orthobunyavirus, is an important cause of ovine neonatal malformations. Information on the seroprevalence of this virus in Saskatchewan livestock populations is lacking. The objectives of this study were to determine the seroprevalence of Cache Valley virus and closely related viruses in sheep, cattle, goats, horses, and mule deer in Saskatchewan by performing a plaque-reduction neutralization test using Cache Valley virus.

Prevalence of Maedi-visna in Saskatchewan sheep.

A study was conducted to estimate flock and individual seroprevalence of Maedi-visna in Saskatchewan and evaluate risk factors for seropositive flocks. Thirty-five percent (24/68) of flocks and 4.6% (93/2010) of individual samples were positive.

A survey to detect Toxocara vitulorum and other gastrointestinal parasites in bison (Bison bison) herds from Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

An egg count survey using environmental fecal samples obtained in spring or early summer was conducted to estimate the apparent prevalence of Toxocara vitulorum in unweaned bison calves and of other intestinal parasites in adult bison on 98 farms in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Calf samples were pooled (maximum 5 samples per pool) by farm and positive pools were examined to determine individual T. vitulorum counts.

A systematic review-meta-analysis and meta-regression on the effect of selected competitive exclusion products on Salmonella spp. prevalence and concentration in broiler chickens.

The effectiveness of various competitive exclusion (CE) products for reducing Salmonella colonization in broiler chickens was evaluated using systematic review-meta-analysis-meta-regression (SR-MA-MR). Relevance screening identified 201 relevant studies that were subjected to methodological assessment. Of these studies, 159 were suitable for data extraction, 66 were presented in a number of MAs and 130 were examined in a meta-regression (MR).

Assessment of the efficacy and quality of evidence for five on-farm interventions for Salmonella reduction in grow-finish swine: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Five on-farm practices for reduction of Salmonella shedding or sero-prevalence in grow-finish swine were selected through scoping study and expert consultation. Specific examples were selected based on supporting evidence from at least one controlled trial (CT), and availability to Canadian swine producers. Efficacy was evaluated using systematic review and meta-analysis (SR-MA) methodology.

The effectiveness of selected feed and water additives for reducing Salmonella spp. of public health importance in broiler chickens: a systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression approach.

Eating inappropriately prepared poultry meat is a major cause of foodborne salmonellosis. Our objectives were to determine the efficacy of feed and water additives (other than competitive exclusion and antimicrobials) on reducing Salmonella prevalence or concentration in broiler chickens using systematic review-meta-analysis and to explore sources of heterogeneity found in the meta-analysis through meta-regression. Six electronic databases were searched (Current Contents (1999-2009), Agricola (1924-2009), MEDLINE (1860-2009), Scopus (1960-2009), Centre for Agricultural Bioscience (CAB) (1913-2009), and CAB Global Health (1971-2009)), five topic experts were contacted, and the bibliographies of review articles and a topic-relevant textbook were manually searched to identify all relevant research.

Prevalence of zoonotic bacteria in wild and farmed aquatic species and seafood: a scoping study, systematic review, and meta-analysis of published research.

Increased reliance on seafood has brought to light concerns regarding food safety, but the information to inform risk assessment or surveillance needs is lacking. A scoping study (ScS) was conducted to characterize published research investigating selected zoonotic bacteria and public health topics in various wild and farmed aquatic species and seafood. This was followed by a systematic review (SR) on selected bacteria (Aeromonas spp.

Comparison of bacterial culture, polymerase chain reaction, and a mix-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the detection of Salmonella status in grow-to-finish pigs in western Canada with a Bayesian approach.

Among grow-to-finish pigs from 10 herds in Alberta and Saskatchewan, 23 (16%) of 144 fecal samples were culture-positive and 40 (28%) of 144 pigs were seropositive for Salmonella. With a Bayesian model specifying dependence between the 2 tests, the sensitivity (Se) of culture and real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was 79% to 86%, depending on the cut-off value for the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Culture specificity (Sp) was assumed to be 100%; RT-PCR Sp was found to be 94%.

A systematic review-meta-analysis of chilling interventions and a meta-regression of various processing interventions for Salmonella contamination of chicken.

Context: The results of individual studies investigating the efficacy of chilling and other processing interventions on Salmonella prevalence or concentration in broiler chicken carcasses are inconsistent or contradictory.

Objective: Determine efficacy of chilling on reducing Salmonella prevalence or concentration on broiler carcasses using systematic review-meta-analysis, and explore sources of heterogeneity among studies investigating various processing interventions through meta-regression.

Data Sources: A comprehensive search included electronic search in six databases, manual search of reference lists of topic-related articles, and consultation with five topic experts to assure that all relevant intervention research was identified.

Distribution of Salmonella serovars in breeding, nursery, and grow-to-finish pigs, and risk factors for shedding in ten farrow-to-finish swine farms in Alberta and Saskatchewan.

The study objectives were to investigate Salmonella prevalence, serovar distribution, and risk factors for shedding in 10 purposively selected farrow-to-finish farms in Saskatchewan and Alberta. Pooled fecal samples from the breeding and grow-finish phases and individual fecal samples from breeding, nursery, and grow-finish pigs were cultured for Salmonella; serotyping of isolates was performed. Pig and pen characteristics were recorded for each pig and pen sampled.

Antimicrobial use through feed, water, and injection in 20 swine farms in Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an emerging animal welfare and public health issue linked to antimicrobial use (AMU) in livestock. This study was conducted in 2004 on 20 swine farms in Alberta and Saskatchewan. On-farm records and questionnaires were used to retrospectively describe the antimicrobial exposures of pigs through feed, water, and injection.