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Fins IS, Singleton DA, Radford AD, Sánchez-Vizcaíno F, Pinchbeck GL. A mixed-methods approach utilising electronic health records to examine antimicrobial prescription surrounding gastrointestinal clinical presentations in dogs and cats. Front Vet Sci 2023; 10:1166114. [PMID: 38149298 PMCID: PMC10749927 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1166114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Systemically-administered antimicrobials are often prescribed in canine and feline gastrointestinal clinical presentations. Responsible use of antimicrobials, particularly those considered Highest Priority Critically Important Antimicrobials (HPCIAs) is vital to tackle antimicrobial resistance. Although practice-level prescription guidance is available, further strategies based on a greater understanding of antimicrobial prescription at the population-level are needed. Here, we used a mixed-methods approach, harnessing veterinary electronic health records (EHRs) to characterise the use of antimicrobials in canine and feline gastrointestinal presentations, and to explore justification and reasoning around antimicrobial prescribing, particularly of HPCIAs. Methods This observational study used 23,337 EHRs complemented with veterinary practitioner-completed questionnaires, from canine and feline gastrointestinal consultations from 225 volunteer UK veterinary practices between April 2014 and September 2018. Results A total of 83.4% (95% confidence interval (CI) 82.6-84.3) gastrointestinal presentations were reported as mild, with non-haemorrhagic diarrhoea and vomiting the most frequently reported clinical signs. Systemically-administered antimicrobials occurred in 28.6% of canine (95% CI 26.9-30.3) and 22.4% of feline (95% CI 20.4-24.4) gastrointestinal consultations, with HPCIA prescription occurring more frequently in cats. Results of multivariable analysis showed the presence of non-haemorrhagic diarrhoea (canine Odds Ratio (OR) 2.1, 95% CI 1.9-2.3; feline OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.5-2.1), haemorrhagic diarrhoea (canine OR 4.2, 95% CI 3.8-4.7; feline OR 3.1, 95% CI 2.4-3.8), and moderate/severe presentations (canine OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.7-2.8; feline OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.7-2.5) were positively associated with receiving a systemically-administered antimicrobial. Thematic analysis of clinical narrative content of 516 gastrointestinal consultations where HPCIAs were prescribed allowed the identification of ten factors underpinning reasoning or decision-making for HPCIA prescription: perceived animal/owner compliance; owner's expectations; perceived risk of infection; clinical signs; recent clinical history; perceived positive previous response to antimicrobial therapy; geriatric patients and euthanasia; concomitant conditions; diagnostic testing and the behavioral trend to trial antimicrobial therapy empirically in gastrointestinal cases. No explicit justification for HPCIA prescription was recorded in 77% of cases. Discussion Improving recorded justification represents a clear target for stewardship programmes. By utilising a complementary mixed-methods approach to EHRs, this study unlocks previously untapped data recorded within EHRs. These results can help inform targeted interventions, contributing towards enhanced antimicrobial stewardship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivo S. Fins
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, Department of Livestock and One Health, University of Liverpool, Neston, United Kingdom
| | - David A. Singleton
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, Department of Livestock and One Health, University of Liverpool, Neston, United Kingdom
| | - Alan D. Radford
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, Department of Infection Biology and Microbiomes, University of Liverpool, Neston, United Kingdom
| | | | - Gina L. Pinchbeck
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, Department of Livestock and One Health, University of Liverpool, Neston, United Kingdom
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2
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Farrell S, Appleton C, Noble PJM, Al Moubayed N. PetBERT: automated ICD-11 syndromic disease coding for outbreak detection in first opinion veterinary electronic health records. Sci Rep 2023; 13:18015. [PMID: 37865683 PMCID: PMC10590382 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-45155-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Effective public health surveillance requires consistent monitoring of disease signals such that researchers and decision-makers can react dynamically to changes in disease occurrence. However, whilst surveillance initiatives exist in production animal veterinary medicine, comparable frameworks for companion animals are lacking. First-opinion veterinary electronic health records (EHRs) have the potential to reveal disease signals and often represent the initial reporting of clinical syndromes in animals presenting for medical attention, highlighting their possible significance in early disease detection. Yet despite their availability, there are limitations surrounding their free text-based nature, inhibiting the ability for national-level mortality and morbidity statistics to occur. This paper presents PetBERT, a large language model trained on over 500 million words from 5.1 million EHRs across the UK. PetBERT-ICD is the additional training of PetBERT as a multi-label classifier for the automated coding of veterinary clinical EHRs with the International Classification of Disease 11 framework, achieving F1 scores exceeding 83% across 20 disease codings with minimal annotations. PetBERT-ICD effectively identifies disease outbreaks, outperforming current clinician-assigned point-of-care labelling strategies up to 3 weeks earlier. The potential for PetBERT-ICD to enhance disease surveillance in veterinary medicine represents a promising avenue for advancing animal health and improving public health outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean Farrell
- Department of Computer Science, Durham University, Durham, UK.
| | - Charlotte Appleton
- Centre for Health Informatics, Computing, and Statistics, Lancaster Medical School, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
| | - Peter-John Mäntylä Noble
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Noura Al Moubayed
- Department of Computer Science, Durham University, Durham, UK
- Evergreen Life Ltd, Manchester, UK
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3
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Groat EF, Williams NJ, Pinchbeck G, Warner B, Simpson A, Schmidt VM. UK dogs eating raw meat diets have higher risk of Salmonella and antimicrobial-resistant Escherichia coli faecal carriage. J Small Anim Pract 2022; 63:435-441. [PMID: 35191029 PMCID: PMC9305152 DOI: 10.1111/jsap.13488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Revised: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Objectives To compare detection of Salmonella species and antimicrobial‐resistant Escherichia coli in the faeces of dogs eating raw meat or non‐raw diets and examine risk factors for their carriage. Materials and Methods Canine faecal samples (raw fed n=114; non‐raw fed n=76) were collected from May to July 2015 from across the UK. Enrichment and selective culture and biochemical and PCR assays were used to identify isolates. Escherichia coli underwent susceptibility testing to a range of antimicrobials, including third‐generation cephalosporins; PCR assays were used to detect antimicrobial‐resistant genes. Questionnaires were used to collect data on independent variables as risks for antimicrobial‐resistant (resistant to ≥1 tested antimicrobial), multi‐drug‐resistant (resistant to ≥3 antimicrobial classes) and third‐generation cephalosporin resistant Escherichia coli. Results Antimicrobial‐resistant, multi‐drug‐resistant and third‐generation cephalosporin resistant Escherichia coli were significantly more likely to be detected in raw fed (54, 25 and 31%, respectively) compared to non‐raw fed (17, 4 and 4%, respectively) dogs; Salmonella species were detected in eight (4%) raw fed dogs only. Clinical Significance Raw fed dogs may be a source of Salmonella species and Escherichia coli, resistant to highest priority critically important antimicrobials, representing a potential animal welfare and public health issue. Owners should be aware of the risks, especially households with members, both human and canine, who are very young, elderly or immunocompromised.
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Affiliation(s)
- E F Groat
- Department of Small Animal Clinical Science, Institute of Infection Veterinary and Ecological Sciences (IVES), University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Liverpool, UK
| | - N J Williams
- Department of Livestock and One Health, Institute of Infection Veterinary and Ecological Sciences (IVES), University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Liverpool, UK
| | - G Pinchbeck
- Department of Livestock and One Health, Institute of Infection Veterinary and Ecological Sciences (IVES), University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Liverpool, UK
| | - B Warner
- Department of Small Animal Clinical Science, Institute of Infection Veterinary and Ecological Sciences (IVES), University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Liverpool, UK
| | - A Simpson
- Department of Small Animal Clinical Science, Institute of Infection Veterinary and Ecological Sciences (IVES), University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Liverpool, UK
| | - V M Schmidt
- Department of Small Animal Clinical Science, Institute of Infection Veterinary and Ecological Sciences (IVES), University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Liverpool, UK
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4
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Oh YI, Seo KW, Kim DH, Cheon DS. Prevalence, co-infection and seasonality of fecal enteropathogens from diarrheic cats in the Republic of Korea (2016-2019): a retrospective study. BMC Vet Res 2021; 17:367. [PMID: 34852811 PMCID: PMC8633091 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-021-03075-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Diarrhea is one of the most common clinical symptoms in cats and can be caused by infectious pathogens and investigation of the prevalence, co-infection and seasonality of enteropathogens are not well-established in diarrheic cats. Results Fecal samples of 1620 diarrheic cats were collected and enteropathogens were detected using real-time PCR. We retrospectively investigated the clinical features, total/seasonal prevalence, and infection patterns of enteropathogens. The positive infection rate was 82.59%. Bacterial, viral, and protozoal infections accounted for 49.3, 37.57, and 13.13% of cases, respectively. Feline enteric coronavirus (FECV) was the most common pathogen (29.37%), followed by Clostridium (C.) perfringens, Campylobacter (C.) coli, feline parvovirus, and Tritrichomonas foetus. The seasonality of enteropathogens was observed with peaks as follows: bacterial infections peaked in October, viral infections peaked in November, and protozoal infections peaked in August. Viral and protozoal infections showed differences in prevalence according to patient age. In the infection patterns, the ratios of single infections, mixed infections, and co-infections were 35.72, 9.87, and 54.41%, respectively. FECV was predominant in single infections. The most common patterns of multiple infections were C. perfringens and C. coli in mixed infections and C. perfringens and FECV in co-infections. Conclusions Infection patterns differed according to the enteropathogen species, seasonality, and age distribution in cats. The results of this study might be helpful to understand in clinical characteristics of feline infectious diarrhea. In addition, continued monitoring of feline enteropathogens is required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye-In Oh
- Laboratory of Veterinary Internal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyoung-Won Seo
- Laboratory of Veterinary Internal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
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Paynter AN, Dunbar MD, Creevy KE, Ruple A. Veterinary Big Data: When Data Goes to the Dogs. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11071872. [PMID: 34201681 PMCID: PMC8300140 DOI: 10.3390/ani11071872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Revised: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Big data has created many opportunities to improve both preventive medicine and medical treatments. In the field of veterinary medical big data, information collected from companion animals, primarily dogs, can be used to inform healthcare decisions in both dogs and other species. Currently, veterinary medical datasets are an underused resource for translational research, but recent advances in data collection in this population have helped to make these data more accessible for use in translational studies. The largest open access dataset in the United States is part of the Dog Aging Project and includes detailed information about individual dog participant’s physical and chemical environments, diet, exercise, behavior, and comprehensive health history. These data are collected longitudinally and at regular intervals over the course of the dog’s lifespan. Large-scale datasets such as this can be used to inform our understanding of health, disease, and how to increase healthy lifespan. Abstract Dogs provide an ideal model for study as they have the most phenotypic diversity and known naturally occurring diseases of all non-human land mammals. Thus, data related to dog health present many opportunities to discover insights into health and disease outcomes. Here, we describe several sources of veterinary medical big data that can be used in research. These sources include medical records from primary medical care centers or referral hospitals, medical claims data from animal insurance companies, and datasets constructed specifically for research purposes. No data source provides information that is without limitations, but large-scale, prospective, longitudinally collected data from dog populations are ideal for further research as they offer many advantages over other data sources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley N. Paynter
- Department of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA;
| | - Matthew D. Dunbar
- Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA;
| | - Kate E. Creevy
- Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA;
| | - Audrey Ruple
- Department of Public Health, College of Health and Human Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
- Correspondence:
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6
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Arnold M, Smith RP, Tang Y, Guzinski J, Petrovska L. Bayesian Source Attribution of Salmonella Typhimurium Isolates From Human Patients and Farm Animals in England and Wales. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:579888. [PMID: 33584605 PMCID: PMC7876086 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.579888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The purpose of the study was to apply a Bayesian source attribution model to England and Wales based data on Salmonella Typhimurium (ST) and monophasic variants (MST), using different subtyping approaches based on sequence data. The data consisted of laboratory confirmed human cases and mainly livestock samples collected from surveillance or monitoring schemes. Three different subtyping methods were used, 7-loci Multi-Locus Sequence Typing (MLST), Core-genome MLST, and Single Nucleotide Polymorphism distance, with the impact of varying the genetic distance over which isolates would be grouped together being varied for the latter two approaches. A Bayesian frequency matching method, known as the modified Hald method, was applied to the data from each of the subtyping approaches. Pigs were found to be the main contributor to human infection for ST/MST, with approximately 60% of human cases attributed to them, followed by other mammals (mostly horses) and cattle. It was found that the use of different clustering methods based on sequence data had minimal impact on the estimates of source attribution. However, there was an impact of genetic distance over which isolates were grouped: grouping isolates which were relatively closely related increased uncertainty but tended to have a better model fit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Arnold
- Department of Epidemiological Sciences, Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), Addlestone, United Kingdom
| | - Richard Piers Smith
- Department of Epidemiological Sciences, Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), Addlestone, United Kingdom
| | - Yue Tang
- Department of Bacteriology, Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), Addlestone, United Kingdom
| | - Jaromir Guzinski
- Department of Bacteriology, Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), Addlestone, United Kingdom
| | - Liljana Petrovska
- Department of Bacteriology, Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), Addlestone, United Kingdom
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7
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Binagia EM, Levy NA. <p><em>Salmonella</em> Mesenteric Lymphadenitis Causing Septic Peritonitis in Two Dogs</p>. Vet Med (Auckl) 2020; 11:25-30. [PMID: 32161715 PMCID: PMC7051806 DOI: 10.2147/vmrr.s238305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2019] [Accepted: 02/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
This report describes two cases of Salmonella mesenteric lymphadenitis leading to septic peritonitis in two young dogs. The cases were similar in presentation, diagnosis, treatment, and length of hospitalization. Both cases presented with clinical signs of vomiting, abdominal pain, and fever and were treated successfully via surgical debridement, omentalization, and antibiotic therapy. Both cases grew multi-drug resistant Salmonella spp. with resistance to ampicillin sulbactam, which is a common empiric antibiotic choice for cases of canine septic peritonitis. In both cases, the source of Salmonella is proposed to be the raw diet that preceded the septic peritonitis diagnosis. While Salmonella mesenteric lymphadenitis has been reported in humans and pigs, to the authors’ knowledge, this is the first report of Salmonella mesenteric lymphadenitis in dogs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin M Binagia
- Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Nyssa A Levy
- Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Correspondence: Nyssa A Levy Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, 736 Wilson Road, East Lansing, MI48824, USATel +1 517-355-6571Fax +1 517-432-4091 Email
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8
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Singleton DA, Noble PJM, Sánchez-Vizcaíno F, Dawson S, Pinchbeck GL, Williams NJ, Radford AD, Jones PH. Pharmaceutical Prescription in Canine Acute Diarrhoea: A Longitudinal Electronic Health Record Analysis of First Opinion Veterinary Practices. Front Vet Sci 2019; 6:218. [PMID: 31334254 PMCID: PMC6615257 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2019.00218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2019] [Accepted: 06/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Canine acute diarrhoea is frequently observed in first opinion practice, though little is known about commonly used diagnostic or therapeutic management plans, including use of antimicrobials. This retrospective observational study utilised electronic health records augmented with practitioner-completed questionnaires from 3,189 cases (3,159 dogs) collected from 179 volunteer veterinary practices between April 2014 and January 2017. We used multivariable analysis to explore factors potentially associated with pharmaceutical agent prescription, and resolution of clinical signs by 10 days post-initial presentation. Use of bacteriological and/or parasitological diagnostic tests were uncommon (3.2% of cases, 95% confidence interval, CI, 2.4–4.0), though systemic antimicrobials were the most commonly prescribed pharmaceutical agents (49.7% of cases, 95% CI 46.1–53.2). Such prescription was associated with haemorrhagic diarrhoea (odds ratio, OR, 4.1; 95% CI 3.4–5.0), body temperature in excess of 39.0°C, or moderate/severe cases (OR 1.3, 95% CI 1.1–1.7). Gastrointestinal agents (e.g., antacids) were prescribed to 37.7% of cases (95% CI 35.4–39.9), and were most frequently prescribed to vomiting dogs regardless of presence (OR 46.4, 95% CI 19.4–110.8) or absence of blood (OR 17.1, 95% CI 13.4–21.9). Endoparasiticides/endectocides were prescribed to 7.8% of cases (95% CI 6.8–9.0), such prescription being less frequent for moderate/severe cases (OR 0.5, 95% CI 0.4–0.7), though more frequent when weight loss was recorded (OR 3.4, 95% CI 1.3–9.0). Gastrointestinal nutraceuticals (e.g., probiotics) were dispensed to 60.8% of cases (95% CI 57.1–64.6), these cases less frequently presenting with moderate/severe clinical signs (OR 0.6, 95% CI 0.5–0.8). Nearly a quarter of cases were judged lost to follow-up (n=754). Insured (OR 0.7, 95% CI 0.5–0.9); neutered (OR 0.4, 95% CI 0.3–0.5), or vaccinated dogs (OR 0.3, 95% CI 0.3–0.4) were less commonly lost to follow-up. Of remaining dogs, clinical signs were deemed resolved in 95.4% of cases (95% CI 94.6–96.2). Provision of dietary modification advice and gastrointestinal nutraceuticals alone were positively associated with resolution (OR 2.8, 95% CI 1.3–6.1); no such associations were found for pharmaceutical agents, including antimicrobials. Hence, this study supports the view that antimicrobials are largely unnecessary for acute diarrhoea cases; this being of particular importance when considering the global threat posed by antimicrobial resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Singleton
- Epidemiology and Population Health, Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Neston, United Kingdom
| | - P J M Noble
- Institute of Veterinary Science, University of Liverpool, Neston, United Kingdom
| | | | - Susan Dawson
- Institute of Veterinary Science, University of Liverpool, Neston, United Kingdom
| | - Gina L Pinchbeck
- Epidemiology and Population Health, Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Neston, United Kingdom
| | - Nicola J Williams
- Epidemiology and Population Health, Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Neston, United Kingdom
| | - Alan D Radford
- Epidemiology and Population Health, Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Neston, United Kingdom
| | - Philip H Jones
- Epidemiology and Population Health, Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Neston, United Kingdom
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9
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Correia-Gomes C, Henry MK, Williamson S, Irvine RM, Gunn GJ, Woolfenden N, White MEC, Tongue SC. Syndromic surveillance by veterinary practitioners: a pilot study in the pig sector. Vet Rec 2019; 184:556. [PMID: 31023871 DOI: 10.1136/vr.104868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2018] [Revised: 12/12/2018] [Accepted: 01/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Traditional indicator-based livestock surveillance has been focused on case definitions, definitive diagnoses and laboratory confirmation. The use of syndromic disease surveillance would increase the population base from which animal health data are captured and facilitate earlier detection of new and re-emerging threats to animal health. Veterinary practitioners could potentially play a vital role in such activities. In a pilot study, specialist private veterinary practitioners (PVP) working in the English pig industry were asked to collect and transfer background data and disease incident reports for pig farms visited during the study period. Baseline data from 110 pig farms were received, along with 68 disease incident reports. Reports took an average of approximately 25 minutes to complete. Feedback from the PVPs indicated that they saw value in syndromic surveillance. Maintenance of anonymity in the outputs would be essential, as would timely access for the PVPs to relevant information on syndromic trends. Further guidance and standardisation would also be required. Syndromic surveillance by PVPs is possible for the pig industry. It has potential to fill current gaps in the collection of animal health data, as long as the engagement and participation of data providers can be obtained and maintained.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Correia-Gomes
- Epidemiology Research Unit, SRUC (Inverness Campus) Epidemiology Research Unit, Edinburgh, UK.,SRUC (Inverness Campus) Epidemiology Research Unit, An Lochran, Inverness Campus, Inverness, UK
| | - Madeleine Kate Henry
- Epidemiology Research Unit, SRUC (Inverness Campus) Epidemiology Research Unit, Edinburgh, UK.,SRUC (Inverness Campus) Epidemiology Research Unit, An Lochran, Inverness Campus, Inverness, UK
| | | | - Richard M Irvine
- Surveillance Intelligence Unit, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Addlestone, Surrey, UK
| | - George J Gunn
- Epidemiology Research Unit, SRUC (Inverness Campus) Epidemiology Research Unit, Edinburgh, UK.,SRUC (Inverness Campus) Epidemiology Research Unit, An Lochran, Inverness Campus, Inverness, UK
| | | | - Mark E C White
- Pig Veterinary Society, Pig Veterinary Society, Thirsk, North Yorkshire, UK
| | - Sue C Tongue
- Epidemiology Research Unit, SRUC (Inverness Campus) Epidemiology Research Unit, Edinburgh, UK.,SRUC (Inverness Campus) Epidemiology Research Unit, An Lochran, Inverness Campus, Inverness, UK
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10
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Singleton DA, Arsevska E, Smyth S, Barker EN, Jewell C, Brant B, Sánchez-Vizcaíno F, Dawson S, Pinchbeck GL, Noble PJ, Jones PH, Radford AD. Small animal disease surveillance: gastrointestinal disease, antibacterial prescription and Tritrichomonas foetus. Vet Rec 2019; 184:211-216. [DOI: 10.1136/vr.l722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Christopher Jewell
- Lancaster Medical School, Lancaster University; Furness Building Lancaster LA1 4YG UK
| | | | | | - Susan Dawson
- Institute of Veterinary Science, University of Liverpool; Leahurst Campus, Neston CH64 7TE UK
| | | | - Peter J.M. Noble
- Institute of Veterinary Science, University of Liverpool; Leahurst Campus, Neston CH64 7TE UK
| | - Philip H. Jones
- Surveillance Intelligence Unit; Animal and Plant Health Agency; Kendal Road, Harlescott, Shrewsbury SY1 4HD UK
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11
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Radford AD, Afonso MM, Bonner SL. Investigating feline respiratory and gastrointestinal disease. Vet Rec 2018; 183:660. [PMID: 30504165 DOI: 10.1136/vr.k5022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alan D Radford
- University of Liverpool, Institute of Infection and Global Health, School of Veterinary Science, Leahurst Campus, Chester High Road, Neston CH64 7TE
| | - Maria M Afonso
- University of Liverpool, Institute of Infection and Global Health, School of Veterinary Science, Leahurst Campus, Chester High Road, Neston CH64 7TE
| | - Shirley L Bonner
- University of Liverpool, Institute of Infection and Global Health, School of Veterinary Science, Leahurst Campus, Chester High Road, Neston CH64 7TE
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12
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Arsevska E, Singleton DA, Jewell C, Paterson S, Jones PH, Smyth S, Brant B, Dawson S, Noble PJM, Sánchez-Vizcaíno F, Radford AD. Small animal disease surveillance: pruritus and Pseudomonas skin infections. Vet Rec 2018; 183:182-187. [PMID: 30093432 DOI: 10.1136/vr.k3462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Christopher Jewell
- Lancaster Medical School, Lancaster University, Furness Building, Lancaster LA1 4YG, UK
| | - Susan Paterson
- Rutland House Referrals, Abbotsfield Road, St Helens WA9 4HU, UK
| | | | | | | | - Susan Dawson
- Institute of Veterinary Science, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Neston CH64 7TE, UK
| | - Peter J M Noble
- Institute of Veterinary Science, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Neston CH64 7TE, UK
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13
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Turner R, Arsevska E, Brant B, Singleton DA, Newman J, Noble PM, Jones PH, Radford AD. Risk factors for cutaneous myiasis (blowfly strike) in pet rabbits in Great Britain based on text-mining veterinary electronic health records. Prev Vet Med 2018; 153:77-83. [PMID: 29653739 PMCID: PMC5910172 DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2018.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2017] [Revised: 03/01/2018] [Accepted: 03/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Blowfly strike is a devastating and often rapidly fatal disease in rabbits. In Great Britain (GB), Lucilia sericata is the primary causative species. Despite its severity, there has been minimal investigatory work into the disease in rabbits. Here we used text mining to screen electronic health records (EHRs) from a large sentinel network of 389 veterinary practices in GB between March 2014 and April 2017 for confirmed cases of blowfly strike in rabbits. Blowfly strike was identified in 243 of 42,226 rabbit consultations (0.6%), affecting 205 individual rabbits. The anatomical site of recorded blowfly strike lesions was overwhelmingly the perineal area (n = 109, 52.4%). Less commonly lesions were observed affecting other areas of the body (n = 9, 4.3%) and head (n = 8, 3.8%); in 83 consultations (39.9%), the affected area was not specified. Of the rabbits presenting with blowfly strike, 44.7% were recorded as being euthanized or died. A case control study was used to identify risk factors for blowfly strike in this population. Whilst sex and neuter status in isolation were not significantly associated with blowfly strike, entire female rabbits showed a 3.3 times greater odds of being a case than neutered female rabbits. Rabbits five years of age and over were more than 3.8 times likely to present for blowfly strike. For every 1 °C rise in environmental temperature between 4.67 °C and 17.68 °C, there was a 33% increase risk of blowfly strike, with cases peaking in July or August. Overall blowfly strike cases started earlier and peaked higher in the south of Great Britain. The most northerly latitude studied was at lower risk of blowfly strike than the most southerly (OR = 0.50, p < 0.001). There appeared to be no significant relationship between blowfly strike in rabbits and either the sheep density or rural and urban land coverage types. The results presented here can be used for targeted health messaging to reduce the impact of this deadly disease for rabbits. We propose that real-time temporal and spatial surveillance of the rabbit disease may also help inform sheep control, where the seasonal profile is very similar, and where routine surveillance data is also not available. Our results highlight the value of sentinel databases based on EHRs for research and surveillance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Turner
- Institute of Veterinary Science, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Chester High Road, Neston, CH64 7TE, UK
| | - Elena Arsevska
- Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Chester High Road, Neston, CH64 7TE, UK
| | - Beth Brant
- Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Chester High Road, Neston, CH64 7TE, UK
| | - David A Singleton
- Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Chester High Road, Neston, CH64 7TE, UK
| | - Jenny Newman
- Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Chester High Road, Neston, CH64 7TE, UK
| | - Pj-M Noble
- Institute of Veterinary Science, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Chester High Road, Neston, CH64 7TE, UK
| | - Philip H Jones
- Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Chester High Road, Neston, CH64 7TE, UK
| | - Alan D Radford
- Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Chester High Road, Neston, CH64 7TE, UK.
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14
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Arsevska E, Priestnall SL, Singleton DA, Jones PH, Smyth S, Brant B, Dawson S, Sánchez-Vizcaíno F, Noble PJM, Radford AD. Small animal disease surveillance: respiratory disease 2017. Vet Rec 2018; 182:369-373. [PMID: 29599257 DOI: 10.1136/vr.k1426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Simon L Priestnall
- Department of Pathobiology & Population Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, North Mymms, Hatfield AL9 7TA, UK
| | | | | | | | | | - Susan Dawson
- Institute of Veterinary Science, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Neston CH64 7TE, UK
| | | | - Peter J M Noble
- Institute of Veterinary Science, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Neston CH64 7TE, UK
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