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Shortall O, Mahon N, Hardy C, Kyle C. "Nobody here is an individual": Developing a place-based understanding of biosecurity for managing sheep scab on the Western Isles of Scotland. Prev Vet Med 2024; 233:106332. [PMID: 39260024 DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2024.106332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2024] [Revised: 09/02/2024] [Accepted: 09/03/2024] [Indexed: 09/13/2024]
Abstract
Sheep scab causes economic losses and animal welfare problems and has proven difficult to control in the UK. Research has highlighted the importance of developing place-based approaches to understanding and controlling sheep scab. This paper builds on this literature through introducing the concept of marginality in the case study of managing sheep scab on the island of Lewis and Harris in the Scottish Western Isles. The paper also proposes steps for developing a place-based understanding of biosecurity. The research draws on interviews and workshops with crofters analysed using thematic analysis. Crofting is a unique system of land management particular to Scotland. Crofters have the right to manage a small area of private land and access to a larger area of common grazing. The research found that there was a tension between the cultural heritage and social benefits of traditional crofting practices of common grazing and communal husbandry of sheep and the biosecurity imperative to reduce the mixing of sheep to prevent the spread of disease. Dynamics of marginalisation were also disrupting established husbandry practices through a lack of people and loss of sheep from the land. The crofters also identified collective actions they could take to tackle sheep scab, including collective dipping and controlling the movement of animals onto the island. Previous research has shown that in marginalised areas, social capital: networks between people, are not a panacea for bringing about positive change and additional resources from outside may be needed. Based on the findings of this research we suggest three phases for developing a place-based conception of biosecurity for livestock keepers. The first phase is to understand both the biosecurity challenges facing communities and cultural and social aspects of farming systems that are important to a region. The second is to facilitate livestock keepers to co-produce their own priorities for biosecurity that allow them to address disease management challenges in their own constraints. The third phase is to enable communities to implement measures in their context. This can involve facilitating access to potential financial resources, equipment, expertise and links with other community groups. These phases will facilitate them in developing their definition of place-based biosecurity. This paper addresses the first and preliminary research on the second stages of this process. Further research will lead to actions on the third phase to help crofters in Lewis and Harris to put a place based communal understanding of biosecurity into practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Orla Shortall
- James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB15 8QH, UK.
| | - Niamh Mahon
- James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB15 8QH, UK
| | - Claire Hardy
- James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB15 8QH, UK
| | - Carol Kyle
- James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB15 8QH, UK
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2
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Whitaker SH, Mannelli A, Kitron U, Bellini S. An analysis of the social, cultural, and ecological factors that affect the implementation of biosecurity measures on smallholder commercial swine farms in Italy in the context of an emerging African Swine Fever outbreak. Prev Vet Med 2024; 229:106238. [PMID: 38870565 DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2024.106238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2024] [Revised: 04/25/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024]
Abstract
African Swine Fever (ASF) is a contagious viral disease that infects wild and domesticated swine. In early 2022, the virus was found in wild boar in the Apennine mountains of mainland Italy.2 Since then, it has spread from wild boar to domesticated swine. To control the spread of ASF, an effective surveillance system and the implementation of strict biosecurity measures on farms are required yet are unevenly implemented across husbandry systems. Smallholder farms in particular are known to have low levels of biosecurity. In the Apennine mountains of Italy, small commercial farms have been found to have low levels of biosecurity despite being located in areas with high densities of wild boar, and, hence, being high-risk sites for potential ASF incursion and subsequent diffusion. To address the question as to why the level of biosecurity is low, interviews and participant observation were conducted with smallholder commercial farmers. The interviews identified the social, cultural, and ecological factors that affect the implementation of biosecurity measures in small commercial swine farms in the Apennines. Farmers expressed knowledge of priority biosecurity measures and an overall willingness to follow rules and regulations; however, the application of the measures in practice was uneven across farms. Economic, political, and ecological factors as well as farmer beliefs about biosecurity emerged as important factors affecting the implementation of biosecurity measures. These include economic constraints, challenges posed by the mountain environment, a shifting regulatory environment, and ideas about animal welfare. Other important factors include cultural factors such as the use of traditional agricultural methods and norms about customer access to animals, time constraints and the perceived hassle of implementing the measures, farmer age, farmer relationships with government officials and veterinarians, and the role of pigs in reducing farm waste. The study confirmed that wild boar are present in high numbers and in close proximity to smallholder commercial farms in the Apennines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah H Whitaker
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Torino, Torino, Italy; Department of Environmental Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA; Department of Anthropology, Boise State University, Boise, ID, USA.
| | | | - Uriel Kitron
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Silvia Bellini
- Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Lombardy and Emilia Romagna (IZSLER), Brescia, Italy
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3
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Dei Giudici S, Loi F, Ghisu S, Angioi PP, Zinellu S, Fiori MS, Carusillo F, Brundu D, Franzoni G, Zidda GM, Tolu P, Bandino E, Cappai S, Oggiano A. The Long-Jumping of African Swine Fever: First Genotype II Notified in Sardinia, Italy. Viruses 2023; 16:32. [PMID: 38257733 PMCID: PMC10820622 DOI: 10.3390/v16010032] [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: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
African swine fever (ASF) is a devastating infectious disease of domestic pigs and wild boar that is spreading quickly around the world and causing huge economic losses. Although the development of effective vaccines is currently being attempted by several labs, the absence of globally recognized licensed vaccines makes disease prevention and early detection even more crucial. ASF has spread across many countries in Europe and about two years ago affected the Italian susceptible population. In Italy, the first case of ASF genotype II in wild boar dates back to January 2022, while the first outbreak in a domestic pig farm was notified in August 2023. Currently, four clusters of infection are still ongoing in northern (Piedmont-Liguria and Lombardy), central (Lazio), and southern Italy (Calabria and Campania). In early September 2023, the first case of ASFV genotype II was detected in a domestic pig farm in Sardinia, historically affected by genotype I and in the final stage of eradication. Genomic characterization of p72, p54, and I73R/I329L genome regions revealed 100% similarity to those obtained from isolates that have been circulating in mainland Italy since January 2022 and also with international strains. The outbreak was detected and confirmed due to the passive surveillance plan on domestic pig farms put in place to provide evidence on genotype I's absence. Epidemiological investigations suggest 24 August as the most probable time of ASFV genotype II's arrival in Sardinia, likely due to human activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Dei Giudici
- Laboratory of Virology, Deapartment of Animal Health, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sardegna, 07100 Sassari, Italy; (S.D.G.); (P.P.A.); (S.Z.); (M.S.F.); (G.F.); (A.O.)
| | - Federica Loi
- Osservatorio Epidemiologico Veterinario Regionale della Sardegna, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sardegna, 09125 Cagliari, Italy;
| | - Sonia Ghisu
- Diagnostic Laboratories, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sardegna, 08100 Nuoro, Italy; (S.G.); (F.C.); (D.B.); (E.B.)
| | - Pier Paolo Angioi
- Laboratory of Virology, Deapartment of Animal Health, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sardegna, 07100 Sassari, Italy; (S.D.G.); (P.P.A.); (S.Z.); (M.S.F.); (G.F.); (A.O.)
| | - Susanna Zinellu
- Laboratory of Virology, Deapartment of Animal Health, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sardegna, 07100 Sassari, Italy; (S.D.G.); (P.P.A.); (S.Z.); (M.S.F.); (G.F.); (A.O.)
| | - Mariangela Stefania Fiori
- Laboratory of Virology, Deapartment of Animal Health, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sardegna, 07100 Sassari, Italy; (S.D.G.); (P.P.A.); (S.Z.); (M.S.F.); (G.F.); (A.O.)
| | - Francesca Carusillo
- Diagnostic Laboratories, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sardegna, 08100 Nuoro, Italy; (S.G.); (F.C.); (D.B.); (E.B.)
| | - Diego Brundu
- Diagnostic Laboratories, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sardegna, 08100 Nuoro, Italy; (S.G.); (F.C.); (D.B.); (E.B.)
| | - Giulia Franzoni
- Laboratory of Virology, Deapartment of Animal Health, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sardegna, 07100 Sassari, Italy; (S.D.G.); (P.P.A.); (S.Z.); (M.S.F.); (G.F.); (A.O.)
| | | | - Paolo Tolu
- Azienda Sanitaria Locale della Sardegna, 08100 Nuoro, Italy; (G.M.Z.); (P.T.)
| | - Ennio Bandino
- Diagnostic Laboratories, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sardegna, 08100 Nuoro, Italy; (S.G.); (F.C.); (D.B.); (E.B.)
| | - Stefano Cappai
- Osservatorio Epidemiologico Veterinario Regionale della Sardegna, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sardegna, 09125 Cagliari, Italy;
| | - Annalisa Oggiano
- Laboratory of Virology, Deapartment of Animal Health, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sardegna, 07100 Sassari, Italy; (S.D.G.); (P.P.A.); (S.Z.); (M.S.F.); (G.F.); (A.O.)
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Penrith ML, van Heerden J, Pfeiffer DU, Oļševskis E, Depner K, Chenais E. Innovative Research Offers New Hope for Managing African Swine Fever Better in Resource-Limited Smallholder Farming Settings: A Timely Update. Pathogens 2023; 12:355. [PMID: 36839627 PMCID: PMC9963711 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12020355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2023] Open
Abstract
African swine fever (ASF) in domestic pigs has, since its discovery in Africa more than a century ago, been associated with subsistence pig keeping with low levels of biosecurity. Likewise, smallholder and backyard pig farming in resource-limited settings have been notably affected during the ongoing epidemic in Eastern Europe, Asia, the Pacific, and Caribbean regions. Many challenges to managing ASF in such settings have been identified in the ongoing as well as previous epidemics. Consistent implementation of biosecurity at all nodes in the value chain remains most important for controlling and preventing ASF. Recent research from Asia, Africa, and Europe has provided science-based information that can be of value in overcoming some of the hurdles faced for implementing biosecurity in resource-limited contexts. In this narrative review we examine a selection of these studies elucidating innovative solutions such as shorter boiling times for inactivating ASF virus in swill, participatory planning of interventions for risk mitigation for ASF, better understanding of smallholder pig-keeper perceptions and constraints, modified culling, and safe alternatives for disposal of carcasses of pigs that have died of ASF. The aim of the review is to increase acceptance and implementation of science-based approaches that increase the feasibility of managing, and the possibility to prevent, ASF in resource-limited settings. This could contribute to protecting hundreds of thousands of livelihoods that depend upon pigs and enable small-scale pig production to reach its full potential for poverty alleviation and food security.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary-Louise Penrith
- Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, Pretoria 0110, South Africa
| | - Juanita van Heerden
- Transboundary Animal Diseases, Onderstepoort Veterinary Research, Agricultural Research Council, Pretoria 0110, South Africa
| | - Dirk U. Pfeiffer
- Centre for Applied One Health Research and Policy Advice, Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, Veterinary Epidemiology, Economics, and Public Health Group, Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield AL9 7TA, UK
| | - Edvīns Oļševskis
- Food and Veterinary Service, LV-1050 Riga, Latvia
- Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment, “BIOR“, LV-1076 Riga, Latvia
| | - Klaus Depner
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, Greifswald-Insel Riems, 17493 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Erika Chenais
- Department of Disease Control and Epidemiology, National Veterinary Institute, S-751 89 Uppsala, Sweden
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Jori F, Petit G, Civil N, Decors A, Charrier F, Casabianca F, Grosbois V. A questionnaire survey for the assessment of wild-domestic pig interactions in a context oedema disease outbreaks among wild boars (Sus scrofa) in South-Eastern France. Transbound Emerg Dis 2022; 69:4009-4015. [PMID: 36083807 PMCID: PMC10087242 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.14704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Revised: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Pig outdoor farming is gaining popularity and commercial success in the European Union, and its expansion, together with an increasing wild boar population, facilitates interactions between domestic and wild suids. In the Southern French Department of Ardèche, several episodes of mass mortalities due to infection with an enteropathogenic strain of Escherichia coli causing oedema disease (OD) were reported in wild boar populations between 2013 and 2016. In order to investigate a potential link between those events and the frequency of interactions between wild boar and domestic pig, we analyzed regional vegetation and hunting bag data and implemented a semi-structured questionnaire survey among a total of 30 outdoor pig farmers and 30 hunters distributed inside and outside the identified area of OD emergence. One third of interviewed farmers (11/30) had experienced intrusions of wild boars in domestic pig premises during the previous year. Similarly, 23% of interviewed hunters reported interactions between wild boar and feral free-ranging pigs in recent years, and 60% reported the observation of free-ranging pigs with a phenotypic feature of Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs (55%). Our analysis identified that in the OD emergence area, several factors could facilitate the transmission of pathogens between wild and domestic suids including a predominance of forested vegetation, a higher estimated wild boar density, weaker levels of farm biosecurity, a higher level of reported wild boar intrusions in pig farms and several reports of feral pot-bellied pig presence. Although our sample was limited, our study suggested a widespread occurrence of situations facilitating the transmission of pathogens between wild and domestic suids. Similar studies in other rural regions in the European Union are recommended, in order to promote preparedness for the emergence and circulation of shared swine pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ferran Jori
- UMR ASTRE (Animal, Santé, Territoires, Risque et Ecosystèmes), CIRAD-INRAE, Montpellier, France.,UMR ASTRE, University of Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Montpellier, France
| | - G Petit
- UMR ASTRE (Animal, Santé, Territoires, Risque et Ecosystèmes), CIRAD-INRAE, Montpellier, France.,UMR ASTRE, University of Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Montpellier, France.,INRAE, Center of Corsica, Corsica, France
| | - N Civil
- UMR ASTRE (Animal, Santé, Territoires, Risque et Ecosystèmes), CIRAD-INRAE, Montpellier, France.,UMR ASTRE, University of Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Montpellier, France
| | - A Decors
- OFB (Office Français de la Biodiversité), DRAS, Orléans, France
| | - F Charrier
- Tropical and Mediterranean Animal Production Systems, UMR SELMET, CIRAD-INRAE, Montpellier, France.,UMR LISIS, Gustave Eiffel University, INRAE, Marne-la-Vallée, France
| | | | - V Grosbois
- UMR ASTRE (Animal, Santé, Territoires, Risque et Ecosystèmes), CIRAD-INRAE, Montpellier, France.,UMR ASTRE, University of Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Montpellier, France
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6
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Andraud M, Hammami P, Hayes BH, Galvis JA, Vergne T, Machado G, Rose N. Modelling African swine fever virus spread in pigs using time-respective network data: Scientific support for decision-makers. Transbound Emerg Dis 2022; 69:e2132-e2144. [PMID: 35390229 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.14550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Revised: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
African Swine Fever (ASF) represents the main threat to swine production, with heavy economic consequences for both farmers and the food industry. The spread of the virus that causes ASF through Europe raises the issues of identifying transmission routes and assessing their relative contributions in order to provide insights to stakeholders for adapted surveillance and control measures. A simulation model was developed to assess ASF spread over the commercial swine network in France. The model was designed from raw movement data and actual farm characteristics. A metapopulation approach was used, with transmission processes at the herd level potentially leading to external spread to epidemiologically connected herds. Three transmission routes were considered: local transmission (e.g. fomites, material exchange), movement of animals from infected to susceptible sites, and transit of trucks without physical animal exchange. Surveillance was represented by prevalence and mortality detection thresholds at herd level, which triggered control measures through movement ban for detected herds and epidemiologically related herds. The time from infection to detection varied between 8 and 21 days, depending on the detection criteria, but was also dependent on the types of herds in which the infection was introduced. Movement restrictions effectively reduced the transmission between herds, but local transmission was nevertheless observed in higher proportions highlighting the need of global awareness of all actors of the swine industry to mitigate the risk of local spread. Raw movement data were directly used to build a dynamic network on a realistic time-scale. This approach allows for a rapid update of input data without any pre-treatment, which could be important in terms of responsiveness, should an introduction occur. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathieu Andraud
- ANSES, EPISABE Unit, Ploufragan-Plouzané-Niort Laboratory, Ploufragan, France
| | - Pachka Hammami
- ANSES, EPISABE Unit, Ploufragan-Plouzané-Niort Laboratory, Ploufragan, France
| | | | - Jason Ardila Galvis
- Department of Population Health and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Timothée Vergne
- UMR ENVT-INRAE IHAP, National Veterinary School of Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Gustavo Machado
- Department of Population Health and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Nicolas Rose
- ANSES, EPISABE Unit, Ploufragan-Plouzané-Niort Laboratory, Ploufragan, France
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Rolesu S, Mandas D, Loi F, Oggiano A, Dei Giudici S, Franzoni G, Guberti V, Cappai S. African Swine Fever in Smallholder Sardinian Farms: Last 10 Years of Network Transmission Reconstruction and Analysis. Front Vet Sci 2021; 8:692448. [PMID: 34395576 PMCID: PMC8361751 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.692448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
African swine fever (ASF) is a viral disease of suids that frequently leads to death. There are neither licensed vaccines nor treatments available, and even though humans are not susceptible to the disease, the serious socio-economic consequences associated with ASF have made it one of the most serious animal diseases of the last century. In this context, prevention and early detection play a key role in controlling the disease and avoiding losses in the pig value chain. Target biosecurity measures are a strong strategy against ASF virus (ASFV) incursions in farms nowadays, but to be efficient, these measures must be well-defined and easy to implement, both in commercial holdings and in the backyard sector. Furthermore, the backyard sector is of great importance in low-income settings, mainly for social and cultural practices that are highly specific to certain areas and communities. These contexts need to be addressed when authorities decide upon the provisions that should be applied in the case of infection or decide to combine them with strict preventive measures to mitigate the risk of virus spread. The need for a deeper understanding of the smallholder context is essential to prevent ASFV incursion and spread. Precise indications for pig breeding and risk estimation for ASFV introduction, spread and maintenance, taking into account the fact that these recommendations would be inapplicable in some contexts, are the keys for efficient target control measures. The aim of this work is to describe the 305 outbreaks that occurred in domestic pigs in Sardinia during the last epidemic season (2010-2018) in depth, providing essential features associated with intensive and backyard farms where the outbreaks occurred. In addition, the study estimates the average of secondary cases by kernel transmission network. Considering the current absence of ASF outbreaks in domestic pig farms in Sardinia since 2018, this work is a valid tool to specifically estimate the risk associated with different farm types and update our knowledge in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandro Rolesu
- Sardinian Regional Veterinary Epidemiological Observatory, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sardegna “G. Pegreffi”, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Daniela Mandas
- Sardinian Regional Veterinary Epidemiological Observatory, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sardegna “G. Pegreffi”, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Federica Loi
- Sardinian Regional Veterinary Epidemiological Observatory, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sardegna “G. Pegreffi”, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Annalisa Oggiano
- Department of Animal Health, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Della Sardegna, Sassari, Italy
| | - Silvia Dei Giudici
- Department of Animal Health, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Della Sardegna, Sassari, Italy
| | - Giulia Franzoni
- Department of Animal Health, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Della Sardegna, Sassari, Italy
| | - Vittorio Guberti
- ISPRA—Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Rome, Italy
| | - Stefano Cappai
- Sardinian Regional Veterinary Epidemiological Observatory, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sardegna “G. Pegreffi”, Cagliari, Italy
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