The Centre for Veterinary Epidemiology and Risk Analysis ...• Epidemiological support for a broad...

The Centre for Veterinary Epidemiology and Risk Analysis

The TB Diagnostics and Immunology Research Centre

The Badger Vaccine Project

Biennial Report, 2010 -11




Biennial Report, 2010-11S.J. More and D.M. Collins (editors)

H.K. More (illustrations)

ISBN: 978-1-905254-64-4

Biennial Report, 2010/20112

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Preface

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) provides ongoing financial support to three research units within the UCD School of Veterinary Medicine at University College Dublin:

• TheCentreforVeterinaryEpidemiologyandRiskAnalysis(CVERA); • TheTBDiagnosticsandImmunologyResearchCentre;and • TheBadgerVaccineProject.

TheseunitseachworktosupportDAFMpolicy,inspectorateandlaboratorystaffintheareaofanimalhealth.TheTBDiagnosticsandImmunologyResearchCentreandtheBadgerVaccineProjectfocusonbovinetuberculosisresearch.CVERAisanationalresourcecentre,providingpolicyadviceandconductingepidemiologicalresearchonawiderangeofanimalhealthissues.Inaddition,CVERAprovidesgeneralsupporttogovernment,industryandtheveterinaryprofes-sion(pre-andpost-graduation).

Thisreportdocumentsworkconductedby,orinassociationwith,thesethreeUCD-basedresearchunitsduring2010and2011.

SimonJ.MoreEamonnGormleyLeigh Corner

UCD School of Veterinary MedicineUniversity College DublinBelfield,Dublin4,Ireland

Biennial Report, 2010/2011 3

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Acknowledgements


CVERAworkscloselywithcolleaguesfromawiderangeoforganisations,bothinIrelandandinternationally,andtheirinputisgratefullyacknowledged.Stafffromeachofthefollowingorganisationswereco-authors,withCVERAstaff,ofinternationalpeer-reviewedscientificpaperspublishedduring2010-11.

University College Dublin • UCDCollegeofAgriculture,FoodScienceandVeterinaryMedicine • UCDInstituteforFoodandHealth • UCDSchoolofAppliedSocialScience • UCDGearyInstitute • UCDSchoolofMathematicalSciences • UCDSchoolofPublicHealth,PhysiotherapyandPopulationScience

Rest of the Republic of Ireland • AnimalHealthIreland • CorkCountyCouncil • DepartmentofAgriculture,FoodandtheMarine(DAFM) • DAFMVeterinaryLaboratoryService • EmlaghLodgeVeterinaryCentre • EnferScientific • MSDAnimalHealth • Privatepractitionersandconsultants • TCDSchoolofNaturalSciences • Teagasc • TheIrishCattleBreedingFederation • UCCSchoolofBiological,EarthandEnvironmentalSciences

United Kingdom • InstituteofBiological,EnvironmentalandRuralSciences,AberystwythUniversity,Aberystwyth,Wales • InstituteofEvolutionaryBiology,UniversityofEdinburgh,Edinburgh,Scotland • InstituteofLifeSciences,SchoolofMedicine,SwanseaUniversity,Swansea,Wales • PeterGorerDepartmentofImmunobiology,KingsCollegeLondon,London,England • SchoolofBiologicalSciences,UniversityofEdinburgh,Edinburgh,Scotland • ScottishAgriculturalCollege,EdinburghandMidlothian,Scotland • TheRoslinInstitute,Midlothian,Scotland • VeterinaryEpidemiologyandEconomics,Hertfordshire,England • TheRoyalVeterinaryCollege,England • VeterinaryLaboratoriesAgency,Weybridge,England

Rest of World • DepartmentofLargeAnimalSciences,TheRoyalVeterinaryandAgriculturalUniversity,FrederiksbergC,Denmark • DepartmentofMedicine,MountSinaiSchoolofMedicine,NewYork,U.S.A. • DepartmentofPopulationMedicine,UniversityofGuelph,Ontario,Canada • FoodSafetyandSanitationDivision,MinistryforFood,Agriculture,ForestryandFisheries,RepublicofKorea • NationalVeterinaryResearchandQuarantineService,RepublicofKorea • WageningenUniversity,Wageningen,TheNetherlands


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StafffromthecentreacknowledgethehelpandsupportofDistrictVeterinaryOffice(DVO)staffinprovidingsamplesfortheIFN-gtest.


StaffworkingontheBadgerVaccineProjectacknowledgethecontributionandsupportofKevinKenny,FrancesQuigleyandcolleaguesatthemycobacteriologylaboratory(DAFMVeterinaryLaboratoryService,Backweston,Celbridge,Co.Kildare,Ireland),andPaddySleemanofUniversityCollegeCorkforfieldcraft.GlynHewinson,MarkChambers,SandrineLesellier,andstaffattheAnimalHealthVeterinaryLaboratoriesAgency(AHVLA,UK)arealsothankedfordevelopingandcarryingoutmanyoftheimmunoassaysusedinthebadgervaccinestudies,andforcontrib-utingtechnicalexpertiseandadvicefortheresearchprogramme.

Illustrations are copyright of Hannah More. Unless otherwise stated, photographs are sourced from fotolia.com.

further information

Inthisreport,projectsareeither:

• Complete,whichincludesthoseprojectswhererelevantpeer-reviewedpapers,orequivalent,havebeenpublishedin2010/11,or

• Current,whichincludesthebalanceofactiveprojectscoveringthespectrumfromanadvancedresearchconceptthroughtofinalwrite-up.

ManuscriptpreparationisconductedinaccordancewithUniformRequirementsforManuscriptsSubmittedtoBiomedicalJournalsoftheInternationalCommitteeofMedicalJournalEditors(previouslytheVancouverGroup).Forfurther information, see www.icmje.org.Guidelinesforthetransparentreportingofspecificstudytypes(forexample,theCONSORTstatementfortransparentreportingoftrials,www.consort-statement.org)arefollowed.

An up-to-date list of all peer-review papers produced by, or in association with, the Centre for Veterinary EpidemiologyandRiskAnalysis,theTBDiagnosticsandImmunologyResearchCentreandtheBadgerVaccineProjectisavailableatwww.ucd.ie/cvera.


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Affiliated staff members


Board of management • SimonJ.More(UCD)School, College and University representatives • UniversityVPforResearch • Principal,UCDCollegeofAgriculture,FoodScienceandVeterinaryMedicine • HeadofUCDSchoolofVeterinaryMedicine • ProfessorMichaelDoherty,UCDSchoolofVeterinaryMedicineFrom the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine • StateVeterinaryService: ❍ MartinBlake ❍ Michael Sheridan ❍ MargaretGood • VeterinaryLaboratoryService ❍ Dónal Sammin • DAFMpolicy ❍ PhilipCarroll

Staff

Full-time Half-time AssociatesSimonJ.More(UCD)(Director) MaryCanty(DAFM) MartinDownes(untilDecember2010)InmaAznar(DAFM) ElizabethLane(DAFM) JamesO’Keeffe(DAFM)TracyA.Clegg(UCD) AnthonyDuignan(DAFM)DanielM.Collins(UCD) PaulWhite(DAFM)GuyMcGrath(UCD) IsabellaHiggins(UCD)

ConsultantsDanCollins,UCDSchoolofVeterinaryMedicine,UniversityCollegeDublin,Ireland(ProfessorEmeritus)GabrielleKellyandDavidWilliams,UCDSchoolofMathematicalSciences,UniversityCollegeDublin,IrelandPaddySleeman,SchoolofBiological,Earth&EnvironmentalSciences,UniversityCollegeCorkWayneMartin,UniversityofGuelph,CanadaFranciscoOlea-Popelka,DepartmentofClinicalSciences,ColoradoStateUniversity,UnitedStatesofAmericaMartdeJongandKlaasFrankena,UniversityofWageningen,TheNetherlands

The TB Diagnostics and Immunology Research CentreEamonnGormley TaraFitzsimonsMairéadDoyle KevinaMcGill

The Badger Vaccine ProjectEamonnGormley ElviraRamovicLeigh Corner Marian TeelingMarionBarrett AnthonyDuignan(DAFM)DeniseMurphy EamonCostello(DAFMVeterinaryLaboratoryService)


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Overview


TheUCDCentreforVeterinaryEpidemiologyandRiskAnalysis(UCDCVERA)isthenationalresourcecentreforveterinaryepidemiologyinIreland,locatedwithintheUCDSchoolofVeterinaryMedicineatUniversityCollegeDublin.TheCentrewasinitiallyestablishedastheTuberculosisInvestigationUnit,butinrecentyearshasbroadeneditsremit to cover a wide range of international, national and local animal health matters, including:

• Epidemiologicalsupportforthecontrolanderadicationofregulatoryanimaldiseases,whichincludesnationalprogrammesforbovinetuberculosis,bovinebrucellosisandbovinespongiformencephalopathy;

• WorkinsupportofAnimalHealthIreland(www.animalhealthireland.ie), which is providing a proactive, coordinatedandindustry-ledapproachinIrelandtonon-regulatoryanimalhealthconcerns(suchasmastitis,fertilityandinfectiousbovinerhinotracheitis);and

• Epidemiologicalsupportforabroadrangeofotheranimalhealthandwelfareissuesrelatingtoemergencyanimaldiseasepreparednessandresponse(forexample,avianinfluenza,bluetongueandequineinfectiousanaemia),on-farminvestigations,welfareoffarmedlivestockandhorses,healthofcompanionanimalsandfarmedfish,andinterna-tionalcollaboration.

UCDCVERAstaffworkcloselywithnationalpolicy-makers,bothingovernmentandindustry.Staffalsocontributetotraininginveterinarymedicine,bothtoundergraduatesandpostgraduate.Abroadrangeofexpertiseisrepresentedwithin the Centre, including agriculture and animal sciences, database development and management, geographic informationsystems,statistics,veterinarymedicineandepidemiology.TheCentreisstaffedbyemployeesofUniversityCollegeDublinandoftheDepartmentofAgriculture,FoodandtheMarine(DAFM).


Thebadgervaccineprojectisaprogrammeofresearchwiththeobjectivetodevelopavaccinetocontroltuberculosisinbadgersandtobreakthelinkofinfectiontocattle.Instudieswithcaptivebadgers,wehavedemonstratedthatvaccinationofbadgerswithBCGbyanumberofroutes,includingoraldelivery,generateshighlevelsofprotectiveimmunity against challenge with M. bovis.Wearecontinuingtocarryoutstudieswithcaptivepopulationofbadgerstorefinethevaccineandaddressissuesrelatingtotheeventuallicensingofthevaccineasaveterinarymedicine.WearealsoevaluatingdiagnostictestswithcolleaguesatAHVLA(WeybridgeUK).Afieldtrialcommencedin2009totesttheefficacyoftheoralBCGvaccineinfree-livingbadgersoverawidegeographicareainCo.Kilkenny.Thevaccinationphaseofthefieldtrialwillbecompletedin2012,followedbydetailanalysisoftheresults.Itishopedthatthe data and experience generated during the field trial will lead to implementation of a vaccination strategy within thenationalcontrolprogramme.


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TB Diagnostics and Immunology Research Centre

Thegamma-interferon(IFN-g) assay is used as a tool to assist in the eradication of bovine tuberculosis from the national cattleherd.AllofthetestingiscarriedoutinthelaboratorybasedatUCD.Intheperiod2010-2011,13,662bloodsamplesweresubmittedtothelaboratoryfortesting.Themajorityofsamplesoriginatedfrombovinereactorre-testherds,wherethetestwasusedtoidentifyinfectedanimalsthatweremissedbytheskintest.Otherstrategicusesofthetestweretargetedatinconclusivereactorre-testsandconfirmationoftheexposurestatusofskintestpositiveanimals.Thenumberofsamplessubmittedwasfewerthanin2008-2009(28,000samples);thiswaspartlyduetothereducednumberofinfectedanimalsintherecentyears.Inaddition,thefocusoftestingwastargetedatthehighestat-riskexposedcohortsofanimals,basedonepidemiologicalinvestigation.ThisresultedinidentificationofahigherproportionofIFN-gpositiveanimalsamongthesamplessubmittedfortesting.In2008-2009,26%ofsamplessubmittedwereposi-tivetotheIFN-gtest.In2010-2011thisincreasedto33%,demonstratingamoreefficientandcost-effectiveusageofthetest.ThelaboratorycontinuestoconductresearchwithaviewtoimprovingtheperformanceoftheassayunderIrishconditions.Recentstudieshaveinvestigatedtheperformance,inIrishcattle,ofanimprovedassayplatformdevelopedbyPrionicsLtd.Resultsofthisanalysisareexpectedin2012.

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8 Biennial Report, 2010/2011

9Biennial Report, 2010/2011

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Bovine tuberculosis

Tuberculosis in cattle

- Improving surveillance .............................................................................................. 10

- Improving management of high risk herds ................................................................ 18

- Supporting studies .................................................................................................... 27

The role of wildlife in bovine TB

- Improved understanding of ecology and TB epidemiology ......................................... 35

- Infection control strategies ........................................................................................ 41

Contributing to national TB policy

- The national programme .......................................................................................... 50

- Quality control .......................................................................................................... 56

National maps

- Density of TB incidence ............................................................................................. 58

- APT per DED ............................................................................................................. 60


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Improving surveillance

Field-based surveillance

Using latent class analysis to estimate the test characteristics of the interferon-g test, the single intradermal comparative tuberculin test and a multiplex immunoassay under Irish conditions

Clegg, T.A.1, Duignan, A.2, Whelan, C.3, Gormley, E.4, Good, M.2, Clarke, J.3, Toft, N.5, More, S.J.1, 4

1 UCD CVERA, 2 DAFM, 3 Enfer Scientific, 4 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, 5 Department of Large Animal Sciences, The Royal Veterinary and

Agricultural University, Frederiksberg C, Denmark

Veterinary Microbiology 151, 68-76 (2011)

Considerable effort has been devoted to improving the existing diagnostic tests for bovine tuberculosis (single intradermal comparativetuberculintest[SICTT]andg-interferon assay [g-IFN])andtodevelopnewtests.Previously,thediagnosticcharacteristics(sensitivity,specificity)havebeenestimatedinpopulationswithdefinedinfectionstatus.However,theseapproachescanbeproblematicastheremaybefewherdsinIrelandwherefreedomfrominfectionisguaranteed.Weusedlatentclassmodelstoestimatethediagnosticcharacteristicsofexisting(SICTTandg-IFN)andnew(multipleximmu-noassay[Enferplex-TB])diagnostictestsunderIrishfieldconditionswheretruediseasestatuswasunknown.ThestudypopulationconsistedofherdsrecruitedinareaswithnoknownTBproblems(2,197animals)andherdsexperiencingaconfirmedTBbreakdown(2,740animals).ABayesianmodelwasdeveloped,allowingfordependencebetweenSICTTand g-IFN,whileassumingindependencefromtheEnferplex-TBtest.Differenttestinterpretationswereusedfortheanalysis:SICTT(standardandsevereinterpretation),g-IFN(asingleinterpretation),andarangeofinterpretationsfortheEnferplex-TB(level-1[highsensitivityinterpretation]tolevel-5[highspecificityinterpretation]).Thesensitivityandspecificity(95%posteriorcredibilityintervals;95%PCI)ofSICTT[standard]relativetoEnferplex-TB[level-1]andg-IFNwere52.9-60.8%and99.2-99.8%,respectively.Equivalentestimatesforg-IFNrelativetoEnferplex-TB[level-1]andSICTTwere63.1-70.1%and86.8-89.4%,respectively.SensitivityofEnferplex-TB[level-1](95%PCI:64.8-71.9%)wassuperiortotheSICTT[standard],andspecificityoftheEnferplex-TB[level-5]wassuperiortog-IFN(95%PCI:99.6-100.0%).TheseresultsproviderobustmeasuresofsensitivityandspecificityunderfieldconditionsinIrelandandsuggestthattheEnferplex-TBtesthasthepotentialtoimproveoncurrentdiagnosticsforTBinfectionincattle.Theextentofthatpotentialwillbeassessedinfurtherstudies.

Reprinted from Veterinary Microbiology, 151, Clegg, T.A., Duignan, A., Whelan, C., Gormley, E., Good, M., Clarke, J., Toft, N., More, S.J., Using latent class analysis to estimate the test characteristics of the interferon-g test, the single intradermal comparative tuberculin test and a multiplex immunoassay under Irish conditions, 68-76, Copyright 2011, with permission from Elsevier.

A follow up study of the g-interferon test results from the latent class analysis

Clegg, T.A.1, More, S.J.1, 2, Gormley, E.2

1 UCD CVERA, 2 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine

Theobjectiveofthisstudyistoidentifyriskfactorsassociatedwithanimalsfalselytestingpositivetothegamma-inter-ferontest.ThestudywillfollowanimalsfromaverylowbTBprevalenceareathatweretestedusinggamma-interferonin2008.Theseanimalswerefolloweduntiltheendof2010toidentifyanythatwere‘true’bTBpositivesinthefollow-upperiod.AnimalsthatwerefoundtobebTBnegativewillbeexaminedtoidentifyriskfactors,suchasageorlocation,thatmaybeassociatedwithtesting(falsely)positivetothegamma-interferontestin2008.


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rveillance

Primary isolation of Mycobacterium bovis from bovine tissues: Conditions for maximising the number of positive cultures

Corner, L.A.L.1, Gormley, E.1, Pfeiffer, D.U.2

1 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, 2 Royal Veterinary College, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom

Veterinary Microbiology (in press)

InstudiesofMycobacterium bovisinfectioninanimalsadefinitivediagnosisrequirestheisolationoftheorganism.However,theoptimumconditionsfortheprimaryisolationofM. bovishavenotbeendetermined.Theaimofthisstudy was to determine for primary isolation of M. bovis,(a)theincubationtimerequiredtoachievemaximumsensi-tivity(i.e.,thenumberofpositivesamplesidentified),(b)theeffectofdecontaminantsonbacterialgrowthrates,and(c)theinfluenceofmediaandthenumberofslopesofmediaonthenumberofpositivesamplesdetected.Twoagar-basedmedia,modifiedMiddlebrook7H11(7H11)andtuberculosisbloodagar(B83),andanegg-basedmedium,Stonebrink’s(SB)werecompared.Threedecontaminants,2%(w/v)sodiumhydroxide(NaOH),0.75%(w/v)and0.075%(w/v)cetylpyridiniumchloride(CPC,alsocalledhexadecylpyridiniumchloride,HPC)and0.5%(w/v)benza-lkoniumchloride(BC)wereevaluatedagainsttreatmentwithsteriledistilledwater.Theinoculatedmediaslopeswereincubatedforupto15weeks.Coloniesfirstappearedafter2weeksonallmediatypesand75%ofpositiveslopeswereidentifiedby8weeks.Anincubationtimeof15weekswasrequiredtoidentifyallpositivesamples.Theslowestgrowthwasassociatedwithinoculathatcontainedthefewestviablebacilli.Thetimetotheappearanceofcolonieswasinflu-encedbymediumtype:themediantimetodetectionofcolonieswas28dayson7H11andB83,and36daysonSB.However,SBreturnedthegreatestnumberofpositivesamples.Decontaminationproceduresincreasedtheminimumincubationtimerequiredtodetectpositivecultures,probablyduetothetoxiceffectofthedecontaminants.Increasingthe number of inoculated slopes resulted in an increased number of positive samples and a decreased time to the detec-tionofcolonies.Overall,thedetectionofM. bovis was significantly influenced by the choice of media, the decontami-nantandthedurationofincubationofcultures.

Reprinted from Veterinary Microbiology, Corner, L.A.L., Gormley, E., Pfeiffer, D.U., Primary isolation of Mycobacterium bovis for bovine tissues: Conditions for maximising the number of positive cultures, in press, Copyright 2012, with permission from Elsevier.

The comparative performance of the single intradermal test and the single intradermal comparative tuberculin test in Irish cattle, using tuberculin PPD combinations of differing potencies

Good, M.1, Clegg, T.A.2, Costello, E.3, More, S.J.2, 4

1 DAFM, 2 UCD CVERA, 3 DAFM Veterinary Laboratory Service, 4 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine

The Veterinary Journal 190, e60-e65 (2011)

Innationalbovinetuberculosis(bTB)controlprogrammes,testingisgenerallyconductedusingasinglesourceofbovinepurifiedproteinderivative(PPD)tuberculin.Alternativetuberculinsourcesshouldbeidentifiedaspartofabroadriskmanagementstrategyasproblemsofsupplyorqualitycannotbediscounted.ThisstudywasconductedtocomparetheimpactofdifferentpotenciesofasinglebovinePPDtuberculinonthefieldperformanceofthesingleintradermalcomparativetuberculintest(SICTT)andsingleintradermaltest(SIT).ThreetrialpotenciesofbovinePPDtuberculin,asassayedinnaturallyinfectedbovines,namely,low(1192IU/dose),normal(6,184IU/dose)andhigh(12,554IU/dose)wereused.ThreeSICTTs(using)wereconductedon2,102animals.Testresultswerecomparedbasedonreactor-statusandchangesinskin-thicknessatthebovinetuberculininjectionsite.Therewasasignificantdifferenceinthe


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numberofreactorsdetectedusingthehighandlowpotencytuberculins.IntheSICTT,highandlowpotencytuber-culindetected40%moreand50%fewerreactors,respectively,thannormalpotencytuberculin.Furthermore,useofthelowpotencytuberculinintheSICTTfailedtodetect20%of35animalswithvisiblelesions,andintheSIT11%ofthevisiblelesionanimalswouldhavebeenclassifiedasnegative.TuberculinpotencyiscriticaltotheperformanceofboththeSICTTandSIT.Tuberculinofdifferentpotencieswillaffectreactordisclosurerates,confoundingbetween-yearorbetween-countrycomparisons.IndependentchecksoftuberculinpotencyareanimportantaspectofqualitycontrolinnationalbTBcontrolprogrammes.

Reprinted from The Veterinary Journal, 190, Good, M., Clegg, T.A., Costello, E., More, S.J., The comparative performance of the single intradermal test and the single intradermal comparative tuberculin test in Irish cattle, using tuberculin PPD combi-nations of differing potencies, e60-e65, Copyright 2011, with permission from Elsevier.

The comparative performance of the single intradermal comparative tuberculin test in Irish cattle, using tuberculin PPD combinations from different manufacturers

Good, M.1, Clegg, T.A.2, Murphy, F.1, More, S.J.2, 3

1 DAFM, 2 UCD CVERA, 3 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine


Irelandcurrentlyobtainsitsavianandbovinetuberculinpurifiedproteinderivatives(PPDs)fromasinglesource.Becauseproblemsofsupplyorqualitycannotbediscounted,itisprudentthatIrelandidentifyalternativesupplier(s)aspartofabroadriskmanagementstrategy.Therefore,theaimofthisstudywastocomparetheperformanceofanumberofdifferenttuberculincombinations(thatis,pairingsofbovineandavianPPD;withdifferentmanufacturers)inthesingleintradermalcomparativetuberculintest(SICTT),ascurrentlyperformedinIreland.Thestudywasrandomised,controlledanddouble-blinded.Atotalof2,172cattlewereusedinthestudy.EachanimalwastestedusingtwoSICTTs,the first based on the tuberculin combination in current use, and the second using one of six trial tuberculin combi-nations.Analyseswereconductedtocomparebothreactor-statusandskinincrease.Foreachcontrol/trialtuberculincombination,therewasgoodagreementbetweenthecontrolandtrialreactor-status.Differencesinskinincreasesweremainlyconfinedtoanimalscategorisedaseithernegativeorsevereinconclusive.However,themeasureddifferenceswereminor,andunlikelytohaveasignificantimpactontheactualtestoutcome,eitherforindividualanimalsorforherds.Inconclusion,whilefurtherstudiesdeterminingsensitivityandspecificityinIrelandwouldhavetobedoneintheeventofachangeintuberculinPPDthereshouldbeminimaldisruptionofthenationalprogrammeifalternativetuberculinPPDsmeetingWHO,OIEandEUregulationswereused.Inthisstudy,theprecisionoftheguineapigbio-assaytoassesstuberculinpotencywaslowandthereforeIrelandshouldmaintainitspracticeofperiodicallyassessingpotencyinnaturallyinfectedcattle,eventhoughthisisnotcurrentlyrequiredunderWHO,OIEorEURegulations.

Reprinted from Veterinary Microbiology, 151, Good, M., Clegg, T.A., Murphy, F., More, S.J., The comparative performance of the single intradermal comparative tuberculin test in Irish cattle, using tuberculin PPD combinations from different manufac-turers, 77-84, Copyright 2011, with permission from Elsevier.


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Evaluation of the methodological quality of studies of the performance of diagnostic tests for bovine tuberculosis in cattle using QUADAS adapted for veterinary use

Downs, S.H.1, More, S.J.2, 3, Broughan, J.M.1, Goodchild, A.V.1, Abernethy, D.A.4, Cameron, A.5, Cook, A.J.1,

de la Rua-Domenech, R.6, Greiner, M.7, Gunn, J.8, Nuñez-Garcia, J.1, Rhodes, S.1, Rolfe, S.9, Sharp, M.10,

Upton, P.1, Vordermeier, H.M.8, Watson, E.8, Welsh, M.11, Whelan, A.O.8, Woolliams, J.A.12, Parry, J.E.1,

Clifton-Hadley, R.S.1

1 Centre for Epidemiology and Risk Analysis, Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency, Weybridge, Surrey, United Kingdom, 2 UCD CVERA,

3 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, 4 Veterinary Service, Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Belfast, Northern Ireland, 5 AusVet Animal

Health Services Pty Ltd, Brisbane, Australia, 6 Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, London, United Kingdom, 7 Federal Institute for Risk

assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany, 8 Bacteriology, Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency, Weybridge, Surrey, United Kingdom, 9 Office of the

Chief Veterinary Officer, Welsh Assembly Government, Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom, 10 Pathology and Host Susceptibility, Animal Health and Veterinary

Laboratories Agency, Lasswade, Midlothian, United Kingdom, 11 Veterinary Sciences Division, Agri-Food & Biosciences Institute (AFBI), Belfast, Northern

Ireland, 12 The Roslin Institute, Roslin Biocentre, Roslin, Midlothian, United Kingdom

AsystematicreviewwasconductedtoidentifystudiesthatmeasuredtheperformanceofdiagnostictestsforbTBincattle.Therehasbeenlittleassessmentofthemethodologicalqualityofthesestudiesdespitetheimportanceofthesetestsinnationalsurveillanceandcontrolschemes.ReferencepapersthatappearedtohaveeligibledatawerereviewedusingtheQUADAS(QualityAssessmentofDiagnosticAccuracyStudies)instrumentadaptedforveterinaryuse.Duringthestudy190referencespublishedbetween1934and2009wereassessedusingVETQUADASbyatleastoneof18reviewers.Ofthese,107werescoredby2reviewersand83alsohadeligibleestimatesofsensitivityandorspecificityforthesystematicreview.Asimilarpatterninthedegreetowhichmethodologicalcriteriaweremetwasobservedacrossstudiesofdifferenttypesofdiagnostictests.Inreferencesscoredbytworeviewersitemsmeasuringinternalvaliditywereassessedashavingbeenmetin31-83%ofstudies.Inonly31and45%ofstudiesrespectivelydidreviewersassessthattheindextestwasinterpretedwithoutknowledgeofthereferencestandardandthereferencestandardinterpretedwithoutknowledgeoftheindextest.ThereviewshowedthatthereisconsiderablescopeforimprovementinthemethodologicalqualityofstudiesmeasuringperformanceofdiagnostictestsforbTB.


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Systematic review to identify primary research estimating the performance of diagnostic tests for bovine tuberculosis in cattle

Downs, S.H.1, Parry, J.E.1, Nuñez-Garcia, J.1, Broughan, J.M.1, Abernethy, D.A.2, Cameron, A.R.3, Cook, A.J.1,

de la Rua-Domenech, R.4, Goodchild, A.V.1, Greiner, M.5, Gunn, J.6, More, S.J.7, 8, Pritchard, E.6, Rhodes,

S.6, Rolfe, S.9, Sharp, M.10, Vordermeier, H.M.6, Watson, E.1, Welsh, M.11, Whelan, A.O.6, Woolliams, J.A.12,

Upton, P.U.1, Clifton-Hadley, R.S.1

1 Centre for Epidemiology and Risk Analysis, Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency, Weybridge, Surrey, United Kingdom, 2 Veterinary Service,

Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Belfast, Northern Ireland, 3 AusVet Animal Health Services Pty Ltd, Brisbane, Australia, 4 Department

for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, London, United Kingdom, 5 Federal Institute for Risk assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany, 6 Bacteriology, Animal

Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency, Weybridge, Surrey, United Kingdom, 7 UCD CVERA, 8 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, 9 Office of the Chief

Veterinary Officer, Welsh Assembly Government, Cardiff, Wales, 10 Pathology and Host Susceptibility, Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency,

Lasswade, Midlothian, United Kingdom, 11 Veterinary Sciences Division, Agri-Food & Biosciences Institute (AFBI), Belfast, Northern Ireland, 12 The Roslin

Institute, Roslin Biocentre, Roslin, Midlothian, United Kingdom

The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review to identify studies that have estimates of the sensitivity and specificityofdiagnostictestsforbTBincattlethatcouldbeusedinastatisticalmeta-analysisoftestperformance.Detailedreviewwasconductedbyaworkinggroupof18reviewers.Comprehensivesearchcriteriaweredevelopedandtheprocessofreviewstandardised.Nolimitswereappliedbyyear,language,regionortypeofdiagnostictestintheinitialsearch.9,782referenceswereidentifiedinitiallyandabstracts,whereavailable,wereeachreviewedbytworeviewers.EntirereferencesofthosethatpassedthroughtheinitialreviewwererandomlyallocatedtoreviewersfordetailedreviewifEnglishlanguage(n=215)andtonativespeakerreviewersifnon-Englishlanguage(n=46).Anagreedrangeofdatawasextracted.Therewere119referenceswitheligibleperformanceestimates(published1934-2009)foroneormoreof14differentdiagnostictests.Studiesvariedincattlepopulationselection,referencestandardandthethresholdsandscalesoverwhichperformancewasmeasured.MethodsforidentifyingstudiesthatcontainperformancedatafordiagnostictestsforbTBareunspecific.Informationprovidedinabstractsofstudiesoftestperformanceneedstobestandardised.LargescalestudiesoftheperformanceofdiagnostictestsforbTBincattlearestillneeded.

Results from a meta-analysis of sensitivity and specificity of diagnostic tests for bovine tuberculosis in cattle

Nuñez-Garcia, J.1, Downs, S.H.1, Parry, J.E.1, Abernethy, D.A.2, Broughan, J.M.1, Cameron, A.R.3, Cook, A.J.1,

de la Rua-Domenech, R.4, Goodchild, A.V.1, Greiner, M.5, Gunn, J.6, More, S.J.7, 8, Pritchard, E.6, Rhodes, S.6,

Rolfe, S.9, Sharp, M.10, Upton, P.U.1, Vordermeier, H.M.6, Watson, E.6, Welsh, M.11, Whelan, A.O.6,

Woolliams, J.A.12, Clifton-Hadley, R.S.1

1 Centre for Epidemiology and Risk Analysis, Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency, Weybridge, Surrey, United Kingdom, 2 Veterinary Service,

Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Belfast, Northern Ireland, 3 AusVet Animal Health Services Pty Ltd,, Brisbane, Australia, 4 Department

for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, London, United Kingdom, 5 Federal Institute for Risk assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany, 6 Bacteriology, Animal

Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency, Weybridge, Surrey, United Kingdom, 7 UCD CVERA, 8 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, 9 Office of the

Chief Veterinary Officer, Welsh Assembly Government, Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom, 10 Pathology and Host Susceptibility, Animal Health and Veterinary

Laboratories Agency, Lasswade, Midlothian, United Kingdom, 11 Veterinary Sciences Division, Agri-Food & Biosciences Institute (AFBI), Belfast, Northern

Ireland, 12 The Roslin Institute, Roslin Biocentre, Roslin, Midlothian, United Kingdom

A meta-analysis study was conducted using data extracted during a systematic review of references that reported the sensitivity(Se)and/orspecificity(Sp)ofdiagnostictestsforbovinetuberculosis(bTB)incattle.Performanceswereestimated,for14differentdiagnostictestsandmodificationsofthetests,usingbinarylogisticregressionmodelsadjustingforrelevantcovariates.ParametersinthemodelswereestimatedusingMonteCarloMarkovChainwiththecategorybestrepresentingtestconditionsinGreatBritainandinIrelandasbaseline.Estimatesforthemostcommon


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testsusedinGBfortheinterferongammabloodtestusingbovineandbovine-avianPPDwere0.87(95%BayesianCredibleInterval0.72,0.95)and0.67(95%BCI0.49,0.82),respectively,forSeand0.97(95%BCI0.94,0.98)and0.98(95%BCI0.96,0.99)forSpandforthesingleintradermalcomparativecervicaltuberculinskintestusingstandardinterpretationwere0.50forSe(95%BCI0.26,0.78)and1(95%BCI0.99,1.00)forSp.

Bovine tuberculosis: Effect of the tuberculin skin test on in vitro interferon gamma responses

Schiller, I.1, Vordermeier, H.M.2, Waters, W.R.3, Whelan, A.O.2, Coad, M.2, Gormley, E.4, Buddle, B.M.5,

Palmer, M.3, Thacker, T.3, McNair, J.6, Welsh, M.6, Hewinson, R.G.2, Oesch, B.7

1 Federal Veterinary Office, Bern, Switzerland, 2 Veterinary Laboratory Agency, Addlestone, United Kingdom, 3 National Animal Disease Center, Agricultural

Research Service, US Department of Agriculture, Ames, Iowa, USA, 4 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, 5 AgResearch, Palmerston North, New Zealand,

6 AFBI-Veterinary Sciences Division, Stormont, Northern Ireland, 7 Malcisbo AG, Zurich, Switzerland

Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology 136, 1–11 (2010)

Bovinetuberculosis(bTB)isadiseaseofzoonoticandeconomicimportance.Inmanycountries,controlisbasedontestandslaughterpoliciesand/orabattoirsurveillance.Fortesting,cellmediatedimmune-(CMI-)basedassays(i.e.,tuberculinskintest(TST)supplementedbytheinterferongamma(IFN-gamma)assay)aretheprimarysurveillanceanddiseasecontroltestsforbTB.Thecombineduseofthein vivo and in vitroCMIassaystoincreaseoverallsensitivityhasraisedthequestionofwhethertheIFN-gammaresponseisinfluencedbyinjectionofpurifiedproteinderivatives(PPDs)forTST.PublisheddataontheinfluenceoftheTST,appliedasthecaudalfoldtest(CFT)orthecomparativecervicaltest(CCT),ontheIFN-gammaassayarecontradictory.Reviewingpublisheddataandincludingadditionaldata,thefollowingconclusionscanbedrawn:(1)innaturallyinfectedcattle,PPDadministrationforthesingleorrepeatedshort-intervalCCTneitherboostsnordepressesPPD-specificIFN-gammaproduction.Disparateresultshavebeenconcludedfromsomestudiesusingexperimentalinfections,emphasizingtheimportanceofconfirminginitialexperimental-basedfindings with studies using cattle naturally infected with Mycobacterium bovis.(2)IncattleexperimentallyinfectedwithM. bovis,PPDadministrationforCFTboostsPPD-specificIFN-gammaproductionforupto7dayswithoutanyeffectontestinterpretation.Importantly,innaturallyinfectedcattle,CFT-relatedboostingselectivelyincreasesthein vitro M. bovisPPD(PPD-B)response3daysafterCFT,resultinginanincreasedPPD-BresponserelativetotheresponsetoMycobacterium aviumPPD(PPD-A).Innon-infectedcattle,itcannotbeexcludedthattheCFTinducesamildboostofthePPD-specificresponse,particularlyinanimalssensitizedtoenvironmental,non-tuberculousmycobacteria,thusdecreasingthespecificityoftheIFN-gammaassay.(3)Ingeneral,thereisalackofdataclearlycharacterizingtheeffectofTSTsontheIFN-gammaassay.FurtherstudiesarerequiredtoclearlydescribetheeffectsofbothCFTandCCTinnon-infectedanimalsandinnaturallyinfectedcattle,especiallyinlowreactinginfectedcattle.

Reprinted from Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology, 136, Schiller, I., Vordermeier, H.M., Waters, W.R., Whelan, A.O., Coad, M., Gormley, E., Buddle, B.M., Palmer, M., Thacker, T., McNair, J., Welsh, M., Hewinson, R.G., Oesch, B., Bovine tuberculosis: Effect of the tuberculin skin test on in vitro interferon gamma responses, 1-11, Copyright 2010, with permission from Elsevier.


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Development and evaluation of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for use in the detection of bovine tuberculosis in cattle

Waters, W.R.1, Buddle, B.M.2, Vordermeier, H.M.3, Gormley, E.4, Palmer, M.V.1, Thacker, T.C.1,

Bannantine, J.P.1, Stabel, J.R.1, Linscott, R.5, Martel, E.5, Milian, F.6, Foshaug, W.7, Lawrence, J.C.5

1 National Animal Disease Center, Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agriculture, Iowa, USA, 2 AgResearch, Hopkirk Research Institute,

Palmerston North, New Zealand, 3 Animal Health & Veterinary Laboratories Agency, Addlestone, Surrey, United Kingdom, 4 UCD School of Veterinary

Medicine, 5 IDEXX Laboratories, Westbrook, Maine, USA, 6 Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Queretaro, Mexico, 7 Antel Biosystems, Lansing,

Michigan, USA

Clinical and Vaccine Immunology 18, 1882-1888 (2011)

AsaconsequenceofcontinuedspilloverofMycobacterium bovis into cattle from wildlife reservoirs and increased globali-zationofcattletradewithassociatedtransmissionrisks,newapproachessuchasvaccinationandnoveltestingalgorithmsareseriouslybeingconsideredbyregulatoryagenciesforthecontrolofbovinetuberculosis.Serologictestsofferoppor-tunities for identification of M. bovisinfectedanimalsnotaffordedbycurrentdiagnostictechniques.ThepresentstudydescribesassaydevelopmentandfieldassessmentofanewcommercialELISAthatdetectsantibodytoM. bovis antigens MPB83andMPB70ininfectedcattle.Pertinentfindingsinclude:specificantibodyresponsesweredetected~90-100days after experimental M. bovischallenge,minimalcross-reactiveresponseswereelicitedbyinfection/sensitizationwithnon-tuberculous Mycobacteriaspp.,andtheapparentsensitivity/specificityoftheELISAwithnaturallyinfectedcattlewas63%/98%respectively,withsensitivityimprovingasdiseaseseverityincreased.TheELISAalsodetectedinfectedanimalsmissedbytheroutinetuberculinskintestandantibodywasdetectableinbulktankmilksamplesfromM. bovis-infecteddairyherds.AhighthroughputELISAcouldbeadaptedasamovement,border,orslaughtersurveillancetest,aswellasasupplementaltesttotuberculinskintesting.

Reprinted from Clinical and Vaccine Immunology, 18, Waters, W.R., Buddle, B.M., Vordermeier, H.M., Gormley, E., Palmer, M.V., Thacker,

T.C., Bannantine, J.P., Stabel, J.R., Linscott, R., Martel, E., Milian, F., Foshaug, W., Lawrence, J.C., Development and evaluation of an

enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for use in the detection of bovine tuberculosis in cattle, 1882-1888, Copyright 2011, American Society

for Microbiology.

Specificity of the tuberculin test in cattle herds adjacent to peat-land areas in Ireland

White, P.W.1, 2

1 UCD CVERA , 2 DAFM

InIreland,wherepeat-landsoccuronthemarginsofgrassland,thereissomeconcernthatcattlemaybecomesensitizedtoenvironmentalmycobacteria,andresultinfalsepositivereactiontothetuberculinskintest,orasocallednon-specificreactor(NSI).Thisisevidencedbythefindingoflowlesionratesinreactorsfromcertainareas.Todate,littleworkhasbeendonetoassessthisissueoftestspecificity.Thisstudydescribestherelationshipbetweenvisiblelesionratesatslaughterhouseamongstandardreactoranimalsandlikelihoodofexposuretoenvironmentalmycobacteriaatpastureadjacenttopeatland,withinCo.Tipperary,overtheperiod2007-2009.Theaimofthisstudyistomodelthelikeli-hoodofdetectingapostmortemlesionatslaughterinstandardreactorsderivedfromherdsgrazingwithin500mofpeatland(exposed)comparedtoherdsgrazedmorethan2kmawayfrompeat-land(unexposed).LandusewillbedeterminedbyreferencetotheCorine™dataset,usingArcGISsoftware.Wewillanalyzethedataattheanimallevel.Datawillbeanalysed using a multivariable logistic regression model with the presence of a visible lesion at slaughter as the positive outcome.Animalsshowingnovisiblelesion(NVL)willhavenegativeoutcomes.Theexposureofinterestwillbeprox-imitytopeat-land.Otherexplanatoryvariableswillincludepreviousanimalandherd-levelbTBtestreadings,andothernationallyavailabledata.


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Factory surveillance

Relative effectiveness of Irish factories in the surveillance of slaughtered cattle for visible lesions of tuberculosis, 2005-2007

Olea-Popelka, F.J.1, Freeman, Z.1, White, P.W.2, 7 Costello, E.3, O’Keeffe, J.2, 7

Frankena, K.4, Martin, S.W.5, More, S.J.2, 6

1 Animal Population Health Institute, Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University,

USA, 2 UCD CVERA, 3 DAFM Veterinary Laboratory Service, 4 Quantitative Veterinary Epidemiology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands,

5 Department of Population Medicine, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada, 6 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, 7 DAFM

Irish Veterinary Journal (in press)

InIreland,aspartoftheongoingbovinetuberculosis(bTB)control/eradicationscheme,everyanimalisexaminedatslaughterforitsfitnessforhumanconsumption.TheaimofthisstudywastodeterminetherelativeeffectivenessoffactoriesinsubmittingandsubsequentlyinhavingthesesuspectlesionsconfirmedasbTBlesionsduringtheyears2005-2007inIrelandandtoprovideanupdatefrompreviouslypublisheddataforyears2003-2004.During2005-2007datawereavailableon4,401,813cattlefromattestedherds,fromwhichdataforpotentialconfoundingfactorswasavailablefor3,344,057animalsslaughteredatexport-licensedfactories,ofwhichtherewere37duringthatperiod.Fromtheseanimals,8,178suspectlesionsweresubmittedforlaboratoryconfirmation.Lesionsfrom5,456(66.7%)animalsweretestedaspositive,2,453(30%)asnegativeand269(3.2%)wereinconclusiveforbTB.Logisticregressionwasusedtodetermineadjustedsubmissionandconfirmationrisksforeachfactorywhilecontrollingforconfoundingfactors.Factoryrankingsbasedonadjustedandcruderisksweresimilar.Theaveragecrudesubmissionriskforallthefactorieswas25lesionsper10,000animalsslaughtered,rangingfrom0to52.Thecrudeconfirmationriskvariedbetween30.3%and91.3%.Substantialvariationbetweensurveillanceeffectivenessinthe37factorieswasfound.Comparedtopreviousyears(2003-2004),therewasanincreasedbTBlesionsubmissionandconfirmationrisk.ContinuedmonitoringoftheeffectivenessofslaughtersurveillanceinIrelandisrecommended;emphasisshouldbeplacedoneffortstoimprovebTBsurveillanceinfactorieswithlowerrankings.

Copyright 2012 Olea-Popelka et al. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Evaluation of a risk-based approach to meat inspection for bovine tuberculosis in Ireland

Kelly, D.1, Aznar, I.2, More, S.J.2, 3


Theaimofthisstudywastoconsidertheriskfactorsforthefindingofsuspectbovinetuberculosis(bTB)lesionsatpostmortemmeatinspectioninIreland.TuberculintestingresultsforbTBandlaboratorysubmissionofsuspectpostmortembTBlesions,wereanalysed.Theyear2009wasselectedforanalysisinwhich1,515,217bovineswereslaugh-teredinIreland.MultivariablelogisticregressionanalysisofthedatashowedthattheageoftheanimalwasagoodpredictorofthepresenceofbTBlesionsatmeatinspection.Inanimalsundertheageofthree,thesuspectlesionidentifi-cationrateislessthanhalftherateforanimalsagedthreeandabove.Theimpactofarisk-basedmeatinspectionsystemforbTBinIreland,i.e.byareducedmeatinspectionsystemforyoungerbovines,wasconsidered.


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Improving management of high risk herds

Introduced infection

Study of herds that introduced new animals during the course of a restriction for bovine tuberculosis

Clegg, T.A.1, Higgins, I.M.1, Blake, M.2, Healy, R.2, Good, M.2, More, S.J.1, 3

1 UCD CVERA, 2 DAFM, 3 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine

During a movement restriction for bovine tuberculosis, a farmer may wish to buy new cattle in order to either replaceanimalslostasaresultofbovinetuberculosis(bTB)ortoenableroutinemanagementpracticestocontinue‘asnormal’(inspiteofthebTBrestrictionsimposed).Permissiontoallowtherestockingofrestrictedherdsiscurrentlyanareaofpolicyuncertainty,duetotheunknownrisksofthepurchasedanimals.Theobjectivesofthisstudyarei)todeterminewhetherrestockingduringrestrictionisassociatedwithincreasedbTBrisk,ii)toprovideanoverviewofeventsassociatedwitheachrestockedepisodeandtoclarifytheinfectionstatusofanimalsthatareintroducedduringrestrictionsandiii)ontheprovisothatthereisevidenceofanincreasedbTBrisk,toidentifythepracticesrelatingtorestockingthatarethemostriskyandtodeterminewhethertheincreasedriskisassociatedwiththesourceortherestockedherd.

Predictors of the first between-herd animal movement for cattle born in 2002 in Ireland

White, P.W.1, 5 Frankena, K.2, O’Keeffe, J.1, 5 More, S.J.1, 3, Martin, S.W.4

1 UCD CVERA, 2 Quantitative Veterinary Epidemiology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands, 3 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine,

4 Department of Population Medicine, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada, 5 DAFM

Preventive Veterinary Medicine 97, 264-269 (2010)

Movementofanimalsbetweenfarmsrepresentsapotentialriskofbovinetuberculosis(bTB)andotherdiseasetransmission.Theobjectivesofthisstudyweretoidentifyandquantifyriskfactorsassociatedwiththefirstbetween-herdmovementofanimals(denotedasriskmove).Arandomsampleof1percentofIrishcalfbirthsregisteredfor2002(20,182animals)wasselected.Descriptiveandsurvivalanalysisonmovementovertheperiod2002-2005wasperformed.Atotalof12,119(60%)ofanimalsexperiencedariskmoveoverthe4-yearstudyperiod.Amongthosethatmoved,57%didsowithinthefirst12monthsofage.Foranimalsindairyherds,anearlypeakinriskmoveeventswasobservedwithinthefirst12weeksofage;whereasinanimalsfromsucklerherds,alaterriskmovepeakwasobservedbetween21and36weeksofage.Thesurvivalmodelsidentifiedanumberofriskfactors:twothatappearedmostimportantinpredictingariskmoveweregenderandenterprisetype.Maleshadahazardratioof2.6timesthatoffemales.Thehazardsforenterprisetype,variedovertime,thusatime-varyingcovariate(ent_type×ln(time))wasincludedintheCoxmodel.At7daysofage,femalesinsucklerherdswereat0.14timesthehazardoffemalesindairyherdsforriskmove,andovertime,thehazardsconverged,equalisedbyday140,andthendiverged,sothatby4yearsofage,femalesinsucklerherdswereat4.64timesthehazardoffemalesindairyherds.Herdswithahistoryofsellinganimalsinpreviousyearsmaintainedthatrecordduringthestudyperiodwithincreasedhazardofriskmove.Enterprisetypeinteractedwithgendersothatrela-tivetofemales,malesfromdairyherdswereatgreaterhazardofriskmovethanmalesfromsucklerherds.Hazardofriskmovewasalsoafunctionofln(herdarea),sothateachdoublingoffarmareawasaccompaniedbya30.6%decreaseinthehazards.Themainconclusionwasthatriskofmovementrelateddiseasetransmissionalsodependsonthepurposeofthemovementwhetherforbreedingorforbeeffinishing.Whilemaleswereatgreater


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hazardofmovementthanfemales,theywouldhaveashorterlifespan,thuslimitingtheopportunityforfurthertransmissionpost-movement.

Reprinted from Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 97, White, P.W., Frankena, K., O’Keeffe, J., More, S.J., Martin, S.W., Predictors of the first between-herd animal movement for cattle born in 2002 in Ireland, 264-269, Copyright 2010, with permission from Elsevier.

Local TB persistence

Risk of bovine tuberculosis for cattle sold out from attested herds during year 2005 in Ireland: a descriptive analysis

Berrian, A.M.1, O’Keeffe, J.2, 5, White, P.W.2, 5 Norris, J.4, Litt, J.4, More, S.J.2, 3, Olea-Popelka, F.J.1

1 College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Colorado, USA, 2 UCD CVERA, 3 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine,

4 University of Colorado, Colorado, USA, 5 DAFM

Bovinetuberculosis(bTB)isaninfectiouscontagiousdiseasecausedbyabacterium,Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis).ThesignificanceofbTBliesintradeimplicationsandzoonoticpotential.Althoughindustrializedcountrieshavesignifi-cantly reduced the prevalence of M. bovisinfectioninbothhumansandcattle,bTBpersistsinsomedevelopedcountries,includingtheRepublicofIreland.AretrospectivecohortstudywasconductedtodeterminetheriskofbTBamonganimalssoldoutfrom“clear”herdsduringtheyear2005.Herdsfromwhichtheanimalsweresoldoutwereclassifiedas“exposed”and“non-exposed”(ourmainriskfactor)tobTBaccordingtotheirpreviousbTBhistoryduringtheyear2005.Ourstudysamplewascomprisedof338,960animals,fromwhich124,360weresoldoutfrom“exposed”herdsand214,600animalsweresoldoutfrom“non-exposed”herds.TheoverallriskofbTBduringthe2-yearperiodaftertheanimalsweresoldoutwas0.69%.TheoddsoftestingpositivetobTBwas1.94(95%CI=1.79-2.11,p=<0.0001)foranimalssoldoutfrom“exposed”herdscomparedtoanimalssoldoutfrom“non-exposed”herds.Otherconfoundingfactors(ageandgender)andbTBbreakdownseverityduring2005wereincludedinouranalysisandhadasignificantassociationwiththeriskofbTBattheanimallevelinIreland.Thistypeofanalysisshouldinthenearfutureincorporateotherriskfactorsinordertodemonstratequalityassurancethatcanbesupported,trackedandguaranteed.

A retrospective cohort study of the risk of TB among suckler calves whose dam tested positive to the single intradermal comparative tuberculin test (SICTT)

Bourke, M.1, Aznar, I.2, More, S.J.2, 3


Theverycloserelationshipofasucklingdamwithheroffspringandtheircontactviathesucklingprocessandgroomingraisesthequestionofwhetherornotaninfecteddamcouldpossiblytransmittuberculosistoheroffspringviaeithertheoralorrespiratoryroute.TheaimofthisstudyistoassessthehypothesisthatcalveswhosedamsfailedtheSingleIntradermalComparativeTuberculinTest(SICTT)willhaveanincreasedriskoffailingthetestinthefuturecomparedtothosewhosedamswerenegativetotheSICTT.Aretrospectivecohortstudywasdesigned.DatafromallsucklerherdswhichfailedtheSICTTtestinCo.Clarein2007willbeobtainedfromAnimalHealthComputerSystem(AHCS)operatedbytheDepartmentofAgriculture,FoodandtheMarine(DAFM).Acontrolsampleofsucklercowsnegativestotheskintestandtheirrespectivecalveswillbealsoobtained.


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Shorter-term risk of Mycobacterium bovis in Irish cattle following an inconclusive diagnosis to the single intradermal comparative tuberculin test

Clegg, T.A.1, Good, M.2, Duignan, A.2, Doyle, R.2, More., S.J.1, 3



InIreland,newcasesofbovinetuberculosis(bTB)aredetectedusingbothfieldandabattoirsurveillance(MoreandGood,2006).Fieldsurveillanceisconductedthroughannualtestingofallcattleusingthesingleintradermalcompara-tivetuberculintest(SICTT).Ananimalmaybedeemeda‘standardinconclusivereactor’(SIR)totheSICTTifthebovineresponseis>2mmandbetween1and4mm>theavianresponse.TheherdownerthenhasthreechoicesforthemanagementoftheSIR:option1istohavetheanimalretestedafteraminimumperiodof42days(aninconclusivereactorretest,IRR),option2istoslaughtertheSIRand,providedtheanimalhasnovisiblelesions,haveafullherdtest42daysaftertheSIRleavestheherd,option3istoslaughtertheSIRandhavethelymphnodesexaminedusinghistologyand/orcultureforbTB.Inthecurrentstudy,weexaminethebTBriskforSIRsbothatslaughterpriortotheIRRandattheIRR,andthefuturebTBriskofTIRanimals(so-called‘transientSIRs’;SIRanimalswithanega-tiveSICTTresultatthesubsequentIRR)thatmovedfromtheherdofdisclosurewithin6monthsoftheIRR.WealsoinvestigatefactorsassociatedwiththefuturebTBstatusofSIRsatslaughterpriortotheIRRandattheIRR.ThestudypopulationincludedallSIRsidentifiedinIrelandbetween2005and2009inclusiveinaherdotherwiseOfficiallyTBfree(OTF).Between11.8%and21.4%ofSIRsslaughteredpriortotheIRRwereconfirmedbTBpositiveatpostmortem(usinghistologyorcultureifhistologywasnotdefinitive),comparedto0.13–0.22%ofSICTT−vecohortanimals.ThepostmortembTBlesionrateofSIRsislowerthanthelesionratereportedforreactoranimalsbetween2005and2009ofbetween34%and39%,reflectingthedoubtfulinfectionstatusoftheseanimals.Between20.3%and27.9%ofherdswererestrictedattheIRR.Theherdrestrictionrateamongstthenationalherdbetween2005and2009variedfrom5.09%to6.02%.TIRsthatmovedoutofthedisclosingherdwithin6monthsoftheIRRwere12timesmorelikelytobebTBpositiveatthenexttest/slaughtercomparedtoallanimalsinthenationalherd.ThesameincreasedriskdidnotapplytotheSICTT−vecohortanimalsthatmovedoutofthesameherdsatthesametime.Basedonarangeofmeasures,SIRsandTIRsareeachatincreasedbTBriskintothefuture.Consequently,differentialtreat-mentofTIRanimalswouldbejustified.

Reprinted from Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 102, Clegg, T.A., Good, M., Duignan, A., Doyle, R., More., S.J., Shorter-term risk of Mycobacterium bovis in Irish cattle following an inconclusive diagnosis to the single intradermal comparative tuberculin test, 255-264, Copyright 2011, with permission from Elsevier.

Longer-term risk of Mycobacterium bovis in Irish cattle following an inconclusive diagnosis to the single intradermal comparative tuberculin test

Clegg, T.A.1, Good, M.2, Duignan, A.2, Doyle, R.2, Blake, M.2, More, S.J.1, 3



InIreland,newbovinetuberculosis(bTB)casesaredetectedusingbothfieldandabattoirsurveillance.Duringfieldsurveillance,ananimalmaybedeemeda‘standardinconclusivereactor’(SIR)tothesingleintradermalcomparativetuberculintest(SICTT)ifthebovineresponseis>2mm,andfrom1to4mmgreaterthantheavianresponse.LittleisknownaboutthefutureinfectionriskposedbySIRanimalsthatpassasubsequentretest,so-called‘transientSIR’(TIR)animals.TheobjectiveofthisstudywastocriticallyevaluatethefuturebTBstatusofTIRanimals,byexaminingthe


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futureriskofbTBdiagnosisoverthe4yearsfollowinginitialSIRdiagnosisandclearanceatthesubsequentretest.ThestudyincludedallTIRsthatwereidentifiedasSIRsin2005inotherwisefreeherdsattestswithnootherreactorsatthattestandthatwereclearatthesubsequentretest.Theanalysiswasrestrictedtocowsthatwereneithersold,otherthandirecttoslaughter,norexportedfromtheherdduringthefollowupperiod(totheendof2009).Fivecontrolcowswererandomlyselectedfromeachstudyherd.Aparametricsurvivalmodelwithsharedfrailties,toaccountforclusteringwithinherds,wasdevelopedtomodeltimefrompassingaretesttofuturebTBdiagnosis.Thefinalparametricsurvivalmodelcontainedthevariables:TIRstatusin2005,inconclusivestatusduringthefollow-upperiod,location,herdrestrictedduringthestudy,timesincelastrestrictionwithintheherdandage.ThetimeratiofortheTIRstatusvariablewas significant (p<0.001)indicatingthatonaveragethetimetodiagnosiswithbTBforTIRswas78%shortercomparedtothenon-TIRs.Thefrailtytermwassignificant(p<0.001)indicatingthatanimalswithinsomeherdsweremorelikelytobecomereactorscomparedtootherherds.TheseresultshaveimportantimplicationsfornationalpolicyandfuturemanagementofTIRanimals.Further,privateveterinarypractitionersandtheirclientsshouldbeawareoftheincreasedriskassociatedwithTIRs.

Reprinted from Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 100, Clegg, T.A., Good, M., Duignan, A., Doyle, R., Blake, M., More, S.J., Longer-term risk of Mycobacterium bovis in Irish cattle following an inconclusive diagnosis to the single intradermal compara-tive tuberculin test, 147-154, Copyright 2011, with permission from Elsevier.

Effect of distance between a previously Mycobacterium bovis-infected herd and clear herds on the occurrence of bovine tuberculosis breakdowns in Ireland

De Ruiter, M.1, White, P.W.2, 3

1 Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands, 2 UCD CVERA, 3 DAFM

Thisstudylooksatherdssurroundingarecentlyderestrictedherdandseekstoanswerthefollowingquestion-whatistheanimallevelbTBriskinthe4calendaryearsfollowingderestriction?Wewillconductaretrospectivecohortstudy,comparingherdsthatwere(caseherds)andwerenot(controlherds)derestrictedin2005(caseherds).Thestudywillfocusonfutureanimaltestoutcomes,uptoendof2008,foranimalspresentwithinneighbouringherds.Herd-levelexplanatoryvariables(forcaseherds)includenumberofreactors,numberofstandardreactors,indicesoflengthofrestriction,andherdsizeatthe2005completedepisode.Amongherdssurroundingcaseherds,amatchingnumberofcontrolherdswillbeselectedatrandomwithincounty,asonefromeachofthefollowingzones:i:Fromcontiguousherdswithin25m(directneighbours)ofaderestrictedherd;ii:Fromcontiguousherdswithin26m-150mofaderestrictedherd;iii:Fromcontiguousherdswithin151m–1kmofaderestrictedherd.Eachcomparisonherdwillberandomlyassignedanenddateofrestrictionwithin2005,stratifiedbymonth,tofollowthesamedistributionasthecaseherds.Foreachcaseherd,andcontrolherds,alistofanimalspresentatthe2005derestrictiondatewillbereconsti-tutedfromCMMSrecords(the“studypopulation”).Subsequentanimaltestoutcomesforthestudypopulationwillbecompareduptotheendof2008betweenanimalsfromcasevs.controlherds.


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Risk of bTB associated with animals moving out of derestricted herds

Doornbosch, M.1, White, P.W.2, 3

1 Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands, 2 UCD CVERA, 3 DAFM

Thisstudyseekstoanswerthefollowingquestion-forherdsthatwererecentlyderestricted,whatistheanimallevelbTBriskforanimalssoldtootherherdscomparedtothoseremainingwithintheherds?Wewillconductaretrospec-tivecohortstudy.Forherdsderestrictedin2005(caseherds),acomparisonoffutureanimaltestoutcomeswillbemadewithherdsthatremainedunrestricted(controlherds).Herd-levelexplanatoryvariablesforcaseherdsincludenumberofreactors,numberofstandardreactors,indicesoflengthofrestriction,andherdsizeatthe2005completedepisode.Foreachcaseherd,amatchingnumberofcontrolherdswillbeselectedfromherdsthatremainedunrestrictedin2005andprecedingyearsasfollows:Group1:unrestrictedduring2004and2005,Group2:unrestrictedduring2003,2004and2005andGroup3:unrestrictedduring2002,2003,2004and2005.Eachcomparisonherdswillberandomlyassignedanenddateofrestrictionwithin2005,allowingforseasonalvariationstofollowthesamedistributionasthecaseherds.Foreachcaseherd,andcontrolherd,alistofanimalspresentatthe2005derestrictiondatewillbereconstitutedfromCMMSrecords(the“studypopulation”).Detailsofsubsequentbetween-herdmovementswillbeextractedfromCMMSfortheperioduptoendof2008.Thosemovingoutoftheirstudyherdtoanotherherdwillbeclassedas“movers”,andtheremainderclassedas“non-movers”.Bymeansofasurvivalanalysis,animaltestoutcomesforthestudypopulationwillbecomparedovertimebetweenmoversvs.non-moversreconstitutedfromcaseandcontrolherds.

The temporal and spatial patterns of bovine tuberculosis in County Kilkenny cattle herds, 1998 to 2008

Fennelly, N.1, Griffin, J.1, More, S.J.2, 3, Clegg, T.A.2, McGrath, G.2


Theuseofepidemiologicalmethodsisanintrinsiccomponentofdiseasemanagementandcontrol.TheobjectiveofthisstudyistoexamineBovineTuberculosis(bTB)inCountyKilkennycattleherdsfrom1998to2008inclusiveandusetheinformationtoenhancetheunderstandingoftheepidemiologyofthediseaseinthecounty.Thestudywillexaminethe long term changes that have occurred over the decade (secular trends), and will investigate cyclical disease patterns andseasonaldiseasepatterns.Spatialdiseasepatternsmaybevisualisedandanalysedbyusingcartographic(mapping)orgeographicinformationsystems(GIS)methods.


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Impact of the national full herd depopulation policy on the recurrence of bovine tuberculosis in Irish herds, 2003 to 2005

Good, M.1, Clegg, T.A.2, Duignan, A.1, More, S.J.2, 3


Veterinary Record 169, 581 (2011)

ThisstudyevaluatedtheimpactoftheIrishherdbovinetuberculosis(bTB)depopulationpolicy(depopulation,disinfec-tion,contiguoustestingandlocalbadgerremovalwhereimplicated)ontherecurrenceofbTBinfection,bycomparingthefutureriskinrestockedherdsfollowingdepopulationforeitherbTBorbovinespongiformencephalopathy(BSE)during2003to2005.Eachherdwasassigneda‘previousbTBrisk’,basedonbTBhistoryduringthefiveyearsbeforedepopulation.FuturebTBriskwasestimated,usingamultivariableCoxproportionalhazardmodelfortime-to-break-downforeachstudyherd,toidentifyriskfactorsassociatedwithbTB.FuturebTBriskvariedsignificantlybyreasonfordepopulationandpreviousbTBrisk.HerdsdepopulatedforbTB(bydefinition,athighbTBrisk)werenotsignificantlydifferentfromBSEherdswithnooralowpreviousbTBrisk.BSEherdswithahighpreviousbTBriskwerefoundtobeatsignificantlygreaterfuturebTBrisk.HerdbTBdepopulationmeasures,ascurrentlyappliedinIreland,areshowntobeeffectiveinenablingherdstoattainandretainbTBfreedomfollowingrestocking.Basedonthedatapresented,andconsistentwithcurrentknowledgeofthebTBepidemiology,localbadgerremovalcontributestoeffortstolimitrecur-renceofbTBinIreland.

Reproduced from Veterinary Record, Good, M., Clegg, T.A., Duignan, A., More, S.J., 169, 581, Copyright 2011, with permission from BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.

The association between weather and bovine tuberculosis

Jin, R.1, More, S.J.2, 3, Kelly, G.1

1 UCD School of Mathematical Sciences, 2 UCD CVERA, 3 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine

Inatimewhenitiswidelyacknowledgedthatclimatechangeisoccurringglobally,theissueofweatherinrelationtotheepidemiologyofbovineTBneedsgreaterunderstanding.Fortheperiod2005-2009,weexaminetheinfluenceofweathervariablesonTBincidenceincattleherdstogetherwithwellestablishedriskfactorsintheareaofwestCountyWicklowintheeastofIrelandwhichuntilrecentlyhadaseparatedistrictveterinaryoffice(DVO).Dataforthisstudywereobtainedfromthreesources:DatafromthenationaldatabaseofTBtestinghistory(VetNet)maintainedbytheDepartmentofAgriculture,FoodandtheMarine(DAFM),meteorologicaldatafromtheIrishMeterologicalOfficeandbadgerdatafromtheWildlifeUnitofDAFMallforwestCountyWicklow.Thedatawillbeanalysedusingstatisticaltoolsrelatedtogeneralizedlinearmixedmodelsandtimeseries.InitialresultssuggestthathighrainfallisassociatedwithincreasedbTBlevelsincattleherds.


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Estimation of the between-herd reproduction ratio for contiguous spread of bovine tuberculosis

White, P.W.1, 2

1 UCD CVERA, 2 DAFM

Bovinetuberculosis(bTB)isarecurringdiseaseburdenfortheIrishcattlesector,withbetween20,000-30,000reac-torsbeingremovedannuallyunderthenationalherdtestingprogram.WhileGIStechniqueshavedemonstratedthatclusteringofbTBexistsincattleherdsonawiderspatialscale,relativelylittleworkhasbeenpublishedontheriskofbTBtransmissionamongherdswithin25m(i.e.directlycontiguous)ofoneother.Neighbouringherdswithin25mofaherdexperiencinganewbTBepisode(indexherd)maycomeintocontactwithbTBinfectedcattleandcouldbecomeinfectedwithbTBasaresult.Alternatively,bothindexandneighbouringherdscouldbeexposedtoacommoninfectedwildlifesource.ThepatternofcontiguousspreadamongherdswithinareasofdifferingbadgerdensitymayprovidesomeusefulinsightsintothenaturebTBclustering.ThestudypopulationwillconsistofherdswithinRemoval(lowerbadgerdensity)andReference(higherbadgerdensity)areasoftheFourAreaProject,comprisingpartsofCork,Donegal,KilkennyandMonaghan.Byuseofherdtestingdatafortheperiodofproactivebadgerremoval,betweenAugust1997andSeptember2002,wewillidentifyherdsexperiencingoneormorebTBepisodes(indexherds).UsingLPISdatafor2001,wewilldeterminecontiguousherdswithin25mofanindexherd,andassessthepreviousbTBhistoryofthose(contiguous)herdsasapotentialsourceofbTBexposurefortheindexherd.Usingthisinformationwewilldevelopamathematicalmodeltocalculatethebetween-herdreproductionratio(R

0)forabTBepisodeamongneighbouringherds

at25m.ThekeyfactorofinterestasadeterminantofR0willbetreatmentarea(removalorreference).

How important is neighbourhood spread in the persistence of bovine tuberculosis in Irish cattle herds?

White, P.W.1, 5 Frankena, K.2, O'Keeffe, J.1, 5 Martin, S.W.3, More, S.J.1, 4, de Jong, M.C.M.2

1 UCD CVERA, 2 Quantitative Veterinary Epidemiology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands, 3 Department of Population Medicine,

Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada, 4 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, 5 DAFM

Akeyfeatureofbovinetuberculosis(bTB)islocalpersistenceofinfection,characterisedbyrecurrentepisodesinoneormoreneighbouringherds.Localpersistencecouldbeattributedto:residualinfectionthatpersistsintheindexherd,despite testing following initial disclosure, neighbourhood or contiguous spread by cattle-to cattle transmission over farm boundaries,and/orinfectionofherdsviaacommonwildlifesource,e.g.thebadger.Acase-controlstudywasconductedontheassociationbetweentheoccurrenceofabTBepisodeincattleherdsintheRepublicofIreland,andanumberofpossibleriskfactors;thebTBhistoryofneighbouringherdswithin1km,theherdsownbTBhistory,herdsize,enterprisetype,numberoffarmfragments,andthepurchasingofcattle.Neighbouringherdsweredividedintothreezonesbasedontheirclosestassociationwithastudy(own)herdas:zone1(0-25m),zone2(26-150m)andzone3(151-1000m).Thecharacteristicsof3,909herdsthathadabTBepisodein2006werecomparedwiththoseof98,872herdsthatwerebTBtested,andremainedclearthroughout2006.TheresultshighlightanassociationbetweenbTBandanincreasedanimal incidence within two subsets of neighbouring herds: (i) herds directly contiguous during the previous 2 years, and(ii)herdsatadistanceof>25metresinthepreviousyear.Furtherstudieswillbenecessarytodeterminetowhatextenttheassociationat(i)maybeconfoundedbytheexistenceofawildlife(badger)source.


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Predictive models

Stochastic herd-level modelling of freedom from bTB infection for testing strategies applied in differing risk scenarios in Great Britain

Parry, J.E.1, Clifton-Hadley, R.S.1, de la Rua-Domenech, R.2, Broughan, J.M.1, Abernethy, D.A.3,

Cook, A.J.1, Goodchild, A.V.1, Greiner, M.4, Gunn, J.5, More, S.J.6, 7, Nuñez-Garcia, J.1, Rhodes, S.1,

Rolfe, S.8, Sharp, M.9, Upton, P.1, Vordermeier, H.M.10, Watson, E.10, Welsh, M.11, Whelan, A.O.10,

Woolliams, J.A.12, Downs, S.H.1, Cameron, A.13

1 Centre for Epidemiology and Risk Analysis, Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency, Weybridge, Surrey, United Kingdom, 2 Department for

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, London, United Kingdom, 3 Veterinary Service, Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Belfast, Northern

Ireland, 4 Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany, 5 Bacteriology, Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency, Weybridge, Surrey,

United Kingdom, 6 UCD CVERA, 7 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, 8 Office of the Chief Veterinary Officer, Welsh Assembly Government, Cardiff,

Wales, United Kingdom, 9 Pathology and Host Susceptibility, Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency, Lasswade, Midlothian, United Kingdom,

10 Bacteriology, Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency, Weybridge, Surrey, United Kingdom, 11 Veterinary Sciences Division, Agri-Food &

Biosciences Institute (AFBI), Belfast, Northern Ireland, 12 The Roslin Institute, Roslin Biocentre, Roslin, Midlothian, United Kingdom, 13 AusVet Animal Health

Services Pty Ltd, Brisbane, Australia

The performance of surveillance system components (including diagnostic tests and slaughterhouse inspection), which makeupabovinetuberculosissurveillancesystemwereevaluatedusingastochasticmodel.Thisfirstcalculatestheprobabilitythataherd,withspecificcharacteristicsandbTBsurveillancehistory,isfreefrominfection.Thesensi-tivityoffurthersurveillancerequiredtomeeta‘target’probabilityoffreedomfrominfectionisthencalculatedandsubsequentdecisionsontheselectionofcomponents,whichofferadequatesensitivity,canbebasedonspecificity(expectednumberoffalsepositives),timetoachievefreedom,andthereforecost.Themodelrequiredseveralinputsincluding evidence from previous herd surveillance, the prior probability that the herd was infected (estimated using localprevalenceofbTB),thedistributionsofanimal-levelsensitivityandspecificityofdiagnostictests(derivedfromameta-analysisofdiagnostictestperformance)andtheriskofintroductionofinfectionintotheherd(derivedfromtheobservedincidenceofbTBinGBriskscenarios).Wheretheprobabilityofintroductionofinfectionwashigh,itwasdifficult to achieve and maintain a high target probability of herd freedom from infection even with the most sensi-tiveofcomponents.Conversely,whereintroductionofinfectionwaslow,componentswithlowsensitivitymaystillprovideadequateprobabilityoffreedomfromTB.


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From explanation to prediction: developing a predictive model for recurrent bovine tuberculosis in Irish cattle herds

Wolfe, D.M.1, Berke, O.1, Kelton, D.F.1, White, P.W.2, 4 More, S.J.2, 3, O’Keeffe, J.2, 4 Martin, S.W.1

1 Department of Population Medicine, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada, 2 UCD CVERA, 3 UCD School of Veterinary

Medicine, 4 DAFM


Thereisagoodunderstandingoffactorsassociatedwithbovinetuberculosis(bTB)riskinIrishherds.Asyet,however,thisknowledgehasnotbeenincorporatedintopredictivemodelswiththepotentialforimproved,risk-basedsurveillance.ThegoalofthestudywastoenhancethenationalherdscoringsystemforbTBrisk,thusleadingtoimprovedidentifi-cationofcattleherdsathighriskofrecurrentbTBepisodes.AretrospectivecohortstudywasconductedtodevelopastatisticalmodelpredictiveofrecurrentbovinetuberculosisepisodesincattleherdsintheRepublicofIreland.Herd-leveldiseasehistorydatafortheprevious12years,theprevious3years,thepreviousepisode,andthecurrent-episodewereusedinsurvivalanalysestodeterminetheaspectsofdiseasehistorythatwerepredictiveofarecurrentbreakdownwithin3yearsofaclearedbTBepisode.Relativetoherdswith0-1standardreactorsinthecurrentbTBepisode,hazardratiosincreasedto1.3and1.6forherdswith2-5and>5standardreactors,respectively.Comparedtoherdswith<30animals,hazardratiosincreasedfrom1.8to2.5andthento3.1forherdswith30-79,80-173,and>174animalsrespectively.Relativetoherdswith<4herd-leveltestsintheprevious3years,herdswith4-5and>5testshad1.1and1.4timesgreaterhazardofabTBbreakdown.HerdsthatdidnothaveabTBepisodeinthe5yearspriortotheir2001episodewere0.8timeslesslikelytobreakdowninthenext3yearsthanherdsthatdid.Herdsbreakingdowninthespringorsummerwere0.8timeslesslikelytosufferarecurrentbreakdownthanherdsbreakingdowninautumnorwinter(thiswaslikelyduetoseasonalityintestingregimes).ThepresenceofaconfirmedbTBlesionwasnotpredictiveofincreasedriskofrecurrentbTB.Despitetheavailabilityofdetaileddiseasehistory,thepredictiveabilityofthemodelwaspoor.OneexplanationforthiswasthatherdssufferingarecurrenceofbTBontheirfirsttestafterclearingabTBepisodeweredifferentfromherdsthatbrokedownlaterintheperiodatrisk.Futureresearchmightneedtoincludeadditionalvari-ablestoidentifywhichsubsetsofherdbTBepisodes,ifany,haveidentifiablefeaturesthatarepredictiveofrecurrentbreakdowns.

Reprinted from Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 94, Wolfe, D.M., Berke, O., Kelton, D.F., White, P.W., More, S.J., O’Keeffe, J., Martin, S.W., From explanation to prediction: developing a predictive model for recurrent bovine tuberculosis in Irish cattle herds, 170-177, Copyright 2010, with permission from Elsevier.


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Supporting studies

Genetics, milk production

Evidence for genetic variance in resistance to tuberculosis in Great Britain and Irish Holstein-Friesian populations

Bermingham, M.L.1, Brotherstone, S.2, Berry, D.P.3, More, S.J.4, 5, Good, M.6, Cromie, A.R.7,

White, I.M.S.2, Higgins, I.M.4, Coffey, M.8, Downs, S.H.9, Glass, E.J.1, Bishop, S.C.1,

Mitchell, A.P.9, Clifton-Hadley, R.S.9, Woolliams, J.A.1

1 The Roslin Institute, Midlothian, United Kingdom, 2 Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom, 3 Teagasc

Moorepark, 4 UCD CVERA, 5 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, 6 DAFM, 7 The Irish Cattle Breeding Federation, 8 Scottish Agricultural College, Midlothian,

United Kingdom, 9 Veterinary Laboratories Agency-Weybridge, Surrey, United Kingdom

BMC Proceedings 5 (Suppl 4), S15 (2011)

Here,wejointlysummarisescientificevidenceforgeneticvariationinresistancetoinfectionwithMycobacterium bovis, theprimaryagentofbovinetuberculosis(TB),providedbytworecentandseparatestudiesofHolstein-FriesiandairycowpopulationsinGreatBritain(GB)andIreland.Thestudiesquantifiedgeneticvariationwithinarchiveddatafromfieldandabattoirsurveillancecontrolprogrammeswithineachcountry.Thesedataincludedresultsfromthesingleintradermalcomparativetuberculintest(SICTT),abattoirinspectionforTBlesionsandlaboratoryconfirmationofdiseasestatus.ThresholdanimalmodelswereusedtoestimatevariancecomponentsforresponsivenesstotheSICTTandabattoir confirmed M. bovisinfection.Thelinkfunctionsbetweentheobserved0/1scaleandtheliabilityscalewerethecomplementarylog-logintheGB,andlogitlinkfunctionintheIrishpopulation.Theestimatedheritabilityofsuscepti-bilitytoTB,asjudgedbyresponsivenesstotheSICTT,was0.16(0.012)and0.14(0.025)intheGBandIrishpopula-tions,respectively.Forabattoirorlaboratoryconfirmationofinfection,estimateswere0.18(0.044)and0.18(0.041)fromtheGBandtheIrishpopulations,respectively.EstimateswereallsignificantlydifferentfromzeroandindicatethatexploitablevariationexistsamongGBandIrishHolsteinFriesiandairycowsforresistancetoTB.Epidemiologicalanalysis suggests that factors such as variation in exposure or imperfect sensitivity and specificity would have resulted in underestimationofthetruevalues.

Copyright 2011 Bermingham et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Genetic correlations between measures of Mycobacterium bovis infection and economically important traits in Irish Holstein-Friesian dairy cows

Bermingham, M.L.1, More, S.J.2, 3, Good M.4, Cromie, A.R.5, Higgins, I.M.2, Berry, D.P.1

1 Teagasc Moorepark, 2 UCD CVERA, 3 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, 4 DAFM, 5 The Irish Cattle Breeding Federation

Journal of Dairy Science 93, 5413-5422 (2010)

Mycobacterium bovisistheprimaryagentoftuberculosis(TB)incattle.ThefailureofIrelandandsomeothercountriestoreachTB-freestatusindicatesaneedtoinvestigatecomplementarycontrolstrategies.OnesuchapproachwouldbegeneticselectionforincreasedresistancetoTB.Previousresearchhasshownthatconsiderablegeneticvariationexistsfor susceptibility to the measures of M. bovis infection, confirmed M. bovis infection, and M. bovis-purified protein derivative(PPD)responsiveness.Theobjectiveofthisstudywastoestimatethegeneticandphenotypiccorrelations


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between economically important traits and these measures of M. bovisinfection.Atotalof20,148and17,178cowswith confirmed M. bovis infection and M. bovis-PPDresponsivenessrecords,respectively,wereavailableforinclusionintheanalysis.First-tothird-paritymilk,fat,andproteinyields,somaticcellcount,calvinginterval,andsurvival,aswellasfirst-paritybodyconditionscorerecords,wereavailableoncowsthatcalvedbetween1985and2007.Bivariatelinear-linearandthreshold-linearsiremixedmodelswereusedtoestimate(co)variancecomponents.Thegeneticcorrela-tions between economically important traits and the measures of M. bovis infection estimated from the linear-linear and threshold-linearsiremodelsweresimilar.ThegeneticcorrelationsbetweensusceptibilitytoconfirmedM. bovis infection andeconomicallyimportanttraitsinvestigatedinthisstudywereallclosetozero.Mycobacterium bovis-PPDresponsive-nesswaspositivelygeneticallycorrelatedwithfatproduction(0.39)andbodyconditionscore(0.36),andnegativelycorrelatedwithsomaticcellscore(-0.34)andsurvival(-0.62).Hence,selectionforincreasedsurvivalmayindirectlyreduce susceptibility to M. bovis infection, whereas selection for reduced somatic cell count and increased fat production and body condition score may increase susceptibility to M. bovisinfection.

Reprinted from Journal of Dairy Science 93, Bermingham, M.L., More, S.J., Good M., Cromie, A.R., Higgins, I.M., Berry, D.P., Genetic correlations between measures of Mycobacterium bovis infection and economically important traits in Irish Holstein-Friesian dairy cows, 5413-5422, Copyright (2010), with permission from the American Dairy Science Association.

Genotype by environment interaction of susceptibility to Mycobacterium bovis infection and economically important traits in Irish Holstein-Friesian cows across areas of low and high TB incidence

Bermingham, M.L.1, More, S.J.2, 3, Good, M.4, Cromie, A.R.5, McGrath, G.2, Higgins, I.M.2, Berry, D.P.6

1 The Roslin Institute, Midlothian, United Kingdom, 2 UCD CVERA, 3 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, 4 DAFM, 5 The Irish Cattle Breeding Federation,

6 Teagasc Moorepark

Mycobacterium bovisistheprimaryagentoftuberculosisincattle.Thereisconsiderablegeneticvariationforsusceptibilityto M. bovis infection, and both favorable and antagonistic genetic correlations exist between susceptibility to M. bovis infectionandhealth,fertilityandproductiontraitsinIrishHolstein-Friesiandairycattle.Theeffectivenessofbreeding

programforincreasedresistancetoTBandperformanceinothereconomicallyimportanttraitsmaybehinderedviagenotypebyenvironmentinteraction,wherebydifferentgenotypesresponddifferentlytochangesintheenvironment.Theobjectiveofthisstudywasthereforetoidentifytheexistenceandscopeofgenotypebyenvironmentinteractionforsusceptibility to M. bovisinfectionandothereconomicallyimportanttraitsofHolstein-FriesiandairycattleacrosslowandhighTBincidenceareasinIreland.Thesingleintradermalcomparativetuberculintest(SICTT)wasusedasameasureofsusceptibility of cows to M. bovisinfection.Atotalof19,892cowswithtuberculintestrecordsbetween2000and2008wereavailableforinclusionintheanalysis.Firsttothirdparitymilk,fat,andproteinyield,somaticcellcount,calvingintervalandsurvival,aswellasfirstparitybodyconditionscorerecords,wereavailableoncowscalvingbetween1985and2007.TuberculosisincidenceinIrelandfortheyears2000to2008wasmappedusingGeographicalInformationSystemsmethodology.ThedatawassplitintotwoenvironmentsbasedonaSICTTreactordensitythresholdof0.34cattleperkm2peryear.Bivariatelinearsiremixedmodelswereusedtoestimate(co)variancecomponentsbetweentraitsacrossthehighandlowTBincidenceenvironments.HomogeneousgeneticvariancewasobservedforvarianceresponsetotheSICTTacrossthelowandhighincidenceenvironments(P>0.05).ThegeneticcorrelationbetweenresponsetotheSICTTin the low and high incidence environment was not significantly less than unity (P>0.05);indicatingthatre-rankingofsiresislimited.However,heterogeneousgeneticcorrelationswereestimatedbetweenthreeparitymilkfatproductionandresponsetotheSICTTacrossthehigh(0.30-0.35)andlow(-0.10--0.02)incidenceenvironments.Hence,selectionforincreasedmilkfatproductionwillincreasesusceptibilitytoTBinhighincidenceareas.TheabsenceofenvironmentalsensitivityofresponsetotheSICTTacrossenvironmentsindicatesnationallevelselectionisfeasible.TheheterogeneousgeneticcorrelationbetweenmilkfatproductionresponsestotheSICTT,however,needstobeconsideredinthedesignofbreedingprogramsinordertoaccuratelypredictrateofgeneticgainacrossTBincidenceenvironments.


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Genetics of animal health and disease in cattle

Berry, D.P.1, Bermingham, M.L.2, Good, M.3, More, S.J.4, 5

1 Teagasc Moorepark, 2 The Roslin Institute, Midlothian, United Kingdom, 3 DAFM, 4 UCD CVERA, 5 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine

Irish Veterinary Journal 64, 5 (2011)

There have been considerable recent advancements in animal breeding and genetics relevant to disease control in cattle, whichcannowbeutilisedaspartofanoverallprogrammeforimprovedcattlehealth.Thisreviewsummarisesthecontributionofgeneticmakeuptodifferencesinresistancetomanydiseasesaffectingcattle.Significantgeneticvariationin susceptibility to disease does exist among cattle suggesting that genetic selection for improved resistance to disease will befruitful.Deficienciesinaccuratelyrecordeddataonindividualanimalsusceptibilitytodiseaseare,however,currentlyhinderingtheinclusionofhealthanddiseaseresistancetraitsinnationalbreedinggoals.Developmentsin‘omics’tech-nologies, such as genomic selection, may help overcome some of the limitations of traditional breeding programmes and will be especially beneficial in breeding for lowly heritable disease traits that only manifest themselves following exposure topathogensorenvironmentalstressorsinadulthood.However,accesstolargedatabasesofphenotypesonhealthanddiseasewillstillbenecessary.Thisreviewclearlyshowsthatgeneticsmakeasignificantcontributiontotheoverallhealthandresistancetodiseaseincattle.Therefore,breedingprogrammesforimprovedanimalhealthanddiseaseresistanceshouldbeseenasanintegralpartofanyoverallnationaldiseasecontrolstrategy.

Copyright 2011 Berry et al. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Bovine tuberculosis and milk production in infected dairy herds in Ireland

Boland, F.1, Kelly, G.E.1, Good, M.2, More, S.J.3, 4

1 UCD School of Mathematical Sciences, 2 DAFM, 3 UCD CVERA, 4 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine


Thisstudydescribestherelationshipbetweenbovinetuberculosis(TB)andmilkyieldinTB-infecteddairyherdsinIreland.Thestudyhadtwoobjectives:todeterminewhethercowsdetectedasTBreactors(andthussubjecttoimme-diateslaughter)werelikelytobethehighermilk-producingcows,andtodeterminewhethersubclinicalTBinfectionwasassociatedwithreducedmilkproductionatoraroundthetimeofdisclosure(detection).AllIrishdairyherdsrestrictedfromtradingbetweenthe1stJune2004andthe31stMay2005asaresultoftwoormoreTBreactorsbytheSingleIntradermalComparativeTuberculinTest(SICTT)wereconsideredforstudy.Thedataconsistedof419herds.DatawerecollectedonallTBreactorsandarandomsampleof5non-reactorcowsintheseherds:adatasetof4,340cows(2,342TBreactorsand1,998non-reactors).Previousmilkdataforthecowsweretakenintoconsiderationandthusalllactationsonacowwereanalysedtogetherwiththeyearsoflactations.Therewasaninherenthierarchicalstructurein the data, with lactations nested within cows and cows within herds and thus a linear mixed model with two random effectswasusedtodescribethedata.Theresultsofthisstudyshowedthatforalllactationsandyearsunderinvestigation,milkyieldwassignificantlylowerforTBreactorcows,withdifferencesrangingfrom120kg(2003,lactation3)to573kg(2001,lactation1),whencomparedtothenon-reactorcows.

Reprinted from Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 93, Boland, F., Kelly, G.E., Good, M., More, S.J., Bovine tuberculosis and milk production in infected dairy herds in Ireland, 153-161, Copyright 2010, with permission from Elsevier.


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Bovine tuberculosis and udder health in Irish dairy herds

Boland, F.1, Kelly, G.E.1, Good, M.2, More, S.J.3, 4

1 UCD School of Mathematical Sciences, 2 DAFM, 3 UCD CVERA, 4 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine

The Veterinary Journal (in press)

Theassociationbetweenbovinetuberculosis(TB)infectionstatusbasedonresultsfromtheSingleIntradermalComparativeTuberculinTest(SICTT)andmilkproductionhasbeendescribedindairycowsinTB-infectedherdsinIreland.Thebiologicalbasiswasuncertain,butcouldberelatedtoincreasedTBsusceptibilityamonglowerproducingdairycows.Inthisstudy,therelationshipbetweensomaticcellcount(asanobjectivemeasureofudderhealth)andSICTTreactivity(asaproxyforTBinfectionstatus)wasinvestigated.SomaticcellcountsofTBinfectedcows,bothduringandpriortothelactationofdiagnosisofTBinfection,wereexaminedandcomparedtonon-infectedcows.AllIrishdairyherdsrestrictedfromtradingbetweenJune2004andMay2005asaresultoftwoormoreTBreactors(testpositive)totheSICTTwereconsideredforstudy.Datawerecollectedon4,340cowsfrom419herds.Previouslacta-tiondataforthecowsweretakenintoconsiderationandalllactationsofacowwereanalysedtogetherwiththeyearsoflactations.Therewasaninherenthierarchicalstructureinthedata,withlactationsnestedwithincowsandcowswithinherdsandsoalinearmixedmodelwithtworandomeffectswasusedtodescribethedata.Milkproduction(305-daymilkyield)wasalsoincludedinthemodelasafixedeffect.Theresultsofthestudyshowedthatforalllactationsandyearsunderinvestigation,somaticcellcountsforSICTTreactorcowswhencomparedtothenon-reactorcowswerenotsignificantlydifferent.Inthisstudypopulation,TBinfectionstatuswasnotassociatedwithudderhealth.

Reprinted from The Veterinary Journal, Boland, F., Kelly, G.E., Good, M., More, S.J., Bovine tuberculosis and udder health in Irish dairy herds, in press, Copyright 2012, with permission from Elsevier.

Evidence of genetic resistance of cattle to infection with Mycobacterium bovis

Brotherstone, S.1, White, I.M.S.1, Coffey, M.2, Downs, S.H.3, Mitchell, A.P.3, Clifton-Hadley, R.S.3,

More, S.J.4, 5, Good, M.6, Woolliams, J.A.7

1 School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom, 2 Scottish Agricultural College, Midlothian, United Kingdom,

3 Centre for Epidemiology and Risk Analysis, Veterinary Laboratories Agency-Weybridge, Surrey, United Kingdom, 4 UCD CVERA,

5 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, 6 DAFM, 7 The Roslin Institute, Midlothian, United Kingdom

Journal of Dairy Science 93, 1234-1242 (2010)

Anecdotal evidence points to genetic variation in resistance of cattle to infection with Mycobacterium bovis, the causative agentofbovinetuberculosis(bTB),andpublishedexperimentalevidenceindeerandcattlesuggestssignificantgeneticvariationinresistanceandreactivitytodiagnostictests.However,suchgeneticvariationhasnotbeenproperlyquantifiedintheUnitedKingdomdairycattlepopulation;itispossiblethatitexistsandmaybeafactorinfluencingtheoccurrenceofbTB.Usingmodelsbasedontheoutcomeoftheprocessofdiagnosis(ultimatefatemodels)andontheoutcomeofa single stage of diagnosis (continuation ratio models, herd test-date models), this study shows that there is heritable variationinindividualcowsusceptibilitytobTB,andthatselectionformilkyieldisunlikelytohavecontributedtothecurrentepidemic.ResultsdemonstratethatgeneticscouldplayanimportantroleincontrollingbTBbyreducingboththeincidenceandtheseverityofherdbreakdowns.

Reprinted from Journal of Dairy Science, 93, Brotherstone, S., White, I.M.S., Coffey, M., Downs, S.H., Mitchell, A.P., Clifton-Hadley, R.S., More, S.J., Good, M., Woolliams, J.A., Evidence of genetic resistance of cattle to infection with Mycobacterium bovis, 1234-1242, Copyright 2010, with permission from the American Dairy Science Association.


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Genome-wide transcriptional profiling of peripheral blood leukocytes from cattle infected with Mycobacterium bovis reveals suppression of host immune genes

Killick, K.E.1, Browne, J.A.1, Park, S.D.E.1, Magee, D.A.1, Martin, I.1, Meade, K.G.2, Gordon, S.V.1, 3,

Gormley, E.4, O’Farrelly, C.5, Hokamp, K.6, MacHugh, D.E.1,3

1 UCD College of Agriculture, Food Science & Veterinary Medicine, 2 Teagasc Grange, 3 UCD Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research,

4 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, 5 TCD Comparative Immunology Group, School of Biochemistry and Immunology, 6 TCD Smurfit Institute of Genetics

BMC Genomics 12, 611 (2011)

Mycobacterium bovisisthecausativeagentofbovinetuberculosis(bTB),apathologicalinfectionwithsignificanteconomicimpact.Recentstudieshavehighlightedtheroleoffunctionalgenomicstobetterunderstandthemolecularmechanisms governing the host immune response to M. bovisinfection.Furthermore,thesestudiesmayenabletheiden-tificationofnoveltranscriptionalmarkersofbTBthatcanaugmentcurrentdiagnostictestsandsurveillanceprogrammes.Inthepresentstudy,wehaveanalysedthetranscriptomeofperipheralbloodleukocytes(PBL)fromeightM. bovis-infectedandeightcontrolnon-infectedage-matchedandsex-matchedHolstein-FriesiancattleusingtheAffymetrix® GeneChip®BovineGenomeArraywith24,072geneprobesetsrepresentingmorethan23,000genetranscripts.Controlandinfectedanimalshadsimilarmeanwhitebloodcellcounts.However,themeannumberoflymphocyteswassignifi-cantly increased in the infected group relative to the control group (P=0.001),whilethemeannumberofmonocyteswassignificantlydecreasedinthebTBgroup(P=0.002).Hierarchicalclusteringanalysisusinggeneexpressiondatafromall5,388detectablemRNAtranscriptsunambiguouslypartitionedtheanimalsaccordingtotheirdiseasestatus.Intotal,2,960genetranscriptsweredifferentiallyexpressed(DE)betweentheinfectedandcontrolanimalgroups(adjustedP-value threshold ≤0.05);withthenumberofgenetranscriptsshowingdecreasedrelativeexpression(1,563)exceedingthosedisplayingincreasedrelativeexpression(1,397).SystemsanalysisusingtheIngenuity®SystemsPathwayAnalysis(IPA)KnowledgeBaserevealedanover-representationofDEgenesinvolvedintheimmuneresponsefunctionalcategory.Morespecifically,64.5%ofgenesintheaffectsimmuneresponsesubcategorydisplayeddecreasedrelativeexpressionlevelsintheinfectedanimalscomparedtothecontrolgroup.Thisstudydemonstratesthatgenome-widetranscriptionalprofilingofPBLcandistinguishactiveM. bovis-infectedanimalsfromcontrolnon-infectedanimals.Furthermore,theresults obtained support previous investigations demonstrating that mycobacterial infection is associated with host tran-scriptionalsuppression.Thesedatasupporttheuseoftranscriptomictechnologiestoenabletheidentificationofrobust,

reliabletranscriptionalmarkersofactiveM. bovisinfection.

Copyright 2011 Killick et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Impact of delayed processing of bovine peripheral blood on differential gene expression

Sheridan, M.P.1, Browne, J.A.2, MacHugh, D.E.2, 3, Costello, E.4, Gormley, E.1

1 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, 2 UCD Animal Genomics Laboratory, 3 UCD Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research,

4 DAFM Veterinary Laboratory Service

Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology (in press)

RT-qPCRcanbeusedtoaccuratelydetermineexpressionlevelsofgenesfollowingRNAextractionfromtissuesamples.IfbloodisthesourceoftotalRNA,itisoftendesirabletoprocessthesamplesimmediatelyfollowingcollectionbecausedelaysinprocessingforRNAextractionmayinfluencemRNAexpressionestimatesobtainedfromRT-qPCRanalyses.


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However,thismaynotbefeasibleifthesiteofbloodcollectionisdistantfromtheprocessinglaboratory.Inthepresentstudy,theeffectsofdelaysintheprocessingofbloodsamplesonmRNAexpressiondatawasinvestigatedusingapanelof23functionallydiversegenesfromfivedifferentgeneontology(GO)categoriesinperipheralbloodsampledfromtenage-matchedhealthycattle.VenousbloodwascollectedinTempus™BloodRNAtubes,whichcontainreagentsthatlysebloodcellsimmediatelyandstabilisetheRNAsignature(T0).Bloodwasalsocollectedinconventionallithiumheparincollection tubes, and stored at ambient temperature for T4, T6 and T8h,priortototalRNAextraction.ThemRNAexpressionprofilesofthese23genesweredeterminedbyRT-qPCRandcomparedacrossthetimecourse.Thirteengenesshowedsignificantup-ordown-foldchangesinmRNAexpressionoverthe8htimecourse.AmongtheGOcategories,genesintheImmuneResponsecategoryshowedthemostdifferentialexpression.TheseresultsalsodemonstratedthatthechangesinmRNAexpressionfortheIFNGgene,whichencodesthecytokineIFN-g,didnotcorrespondtoIFN-g proteinlevelsestimatedusingELISA.

Reprinted from Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology 145, Sheridan, M.P., Browne, J.A., MacHugh, D.E., Costello, E., Gormley, E., Impact of delayed processing of bovine peripheral blood on differential gene expression, 199-205, Copyright 2012, with permission from Elsevier.

Transcriptional profiling of immune genes in bovine monocyte-derived macrophages exposed to bacterial antigens

Taraktsoglou, M.1, Szalabska, U.1, Magee, D.A.1, Browne, J.A.1, Sweeney, T.2, Gormley, E.3, MacHugh, D.E.1, 4

1 UCD Animal Genomics Laboratory, 2 UCD Molecular Biology Laboratory, 3 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, 4 UCD Conway Institute of Biomolecular

and Biomedical Research

Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology 140, 130-139 (2011)

TheinvolvementofToll-likereceptors(TLRs)andotherimmunesignallinggenesduringchallengeofbovinemacro-phageswithbacterialproductsderivedfromdisease-causingbacteriaincattlewasinvestigated.Anin vitro cell culture model of bovine monocyte derived macrophages (MDM) was established and these cells were exposed to purified protein derivative(PPD-b)derivedfromMycobacterium bovisandtolipopolysaccharide(LPS)derivedfromEscherichia coli.Following24hincubation,totalRNAwasextractedandexpressionofimmunerelatedgeneswasdeterminedbyrealtimequantitativereversetranscriptionPCR(qRT-PCR).ExpressionofaselectionofgenesspanningtheTLR-2andTLR-4pathways,fromtheinitialactivationofthereceptorstotheproductionofpro-inflammatorycytokinesandchemokineswasdetermined.ResultsfromrepeatexperimentsusingMDMfromsevendifferentage-matcheddairycattleshowedthatPPD-btreatmentcausedsignificantup-regulationoftheTLR2 and TLR4genesandtheexpressionprofileofTLRadaptormoleculessuggestedthatthissignallingisMYD88-dependent.Conversely,LPScausedsignificantup-regulationof TLR4viaaMYD88-independentsignallingpathway.Significantup-regulationofgenesinvolvedwithNF-kBsignal-lingwasalsodetectedinPPD-b-andLPS-treatedsamplesaccompaniedbytheexpressionofpro-inflammatorycytokine(TNF, IL1B, IL6)andchemokinegenes(IL8, CCL5, CCL3).Overall,LPSchallengeresultedinamoremarkedup-regu-lationofimmune-relatedgenes.Furthermore,themagnitudefold-changedifferenceingeneexpressionsuggests,atleastinpart,thatbovinemacrophagesproduceIFN-gasaresultofLPSchallenge.

Reprinted from Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology, 140, Taraktsoglou, M., Szalabska, U., Magee, D.A., Browne, J.A., Sweeney, T., Gormley, E., MacHugh, D.E., Transcriptional profiling of immune genes in bovine monocyte-derived macrophages exposed to bacterial antigens, 130-139, Copyright 2011, with permission from Elsevier.


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Tuberculosis in other farmed livestock species

Granuloma encapsulation is a key factor for containing tuberculosis infection in minipigs

Gil, O.1, 2, Díaz, I.3, Vilaplana, C.1, 2, Tapia, G.4, Díaz, J.1, 2, Fort, M.3, Cáceres, N.1, 2, Pinto, S.1, 2, Caylà, J.5,

Corner, L.A.L.6, Domingo, M.3, Cardona, P.-J.1, 2

1 Unitat de Tuberculosi Experimental (UTE), Institut per a la Investigació en Ciències de la Salut Germans Trias i Pujol, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona,

Badalona, Catalonia, Spain, 2 CIBER Enfermedades Respiratorias, Instituto Carlos III, Palma de Mallorca, Spain, 3 Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal

(CReSA) (UAB-IRTA), Bellaterra, Catalonia, Spain, 4 Pathology Department, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Catalonia, Spain,

5 Tuberculosis Investigation Unit of Barcelona, Servei d’Epidemiologia, Agència de Salut Pública, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, 6 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine

PloS One 5, e10030 (2010)

A transthoracic infection involving a low dose of Mycobacterium tuberculosis has been used to establish a new model of infectioninminipigs.The20-weekmonitoringperiodshowedamarkedTh1responseandpoorhumoralresponseforthewholeinfection.Adetailedhistopathologicalanalysiswasperformedafterslicingtheformalin-fixedwholelungsofeachanimal.Alllesionswererecordedandclassifiedaccordingtotheirmicroscopicaspect,theirrelationshipwiththeintralobularconnectivenetworkandtheirdegreeofmaturityinordertoobtainadisseminationratio(DR)betweenrecentandoldlesions.CFUcountsandevolutionoftheDRwithtimeshowedthattheproposedmodelcorrelatedwithacontainedinfection,decreasingfromweek9onwards.ThesefindingssuggestthattheinfectioninducesaninitialTh1response,whichisfollowedbylocalfibrosisandencapsulationofthegranulomas,therebydecreasingtheonsetofnewlesions.Twotherapeuticstrategieswereappliedinordertounderstandhowtheycouldinfluencethemodel.Thus,chemotherapywithisoniazidalonehelpedtodecreasethetotalnumberoflesions,despitetheincreaseinDRafterweek9,withsimilarkineticstothoseofthecontrolgroup,whereasadditionofatherapeuticM. tuberculosis fragment-based vaccineafterchemotherapyincreasedtheTh1andhumoralresponses,aswellasthenumberoflesions,butdecreasedtheDR.Byprovidingalocalpulmonarystructuresimilartothatinhumans,themini-pigmodelhighlightsnewaspectsthatcouldbekeytoabetterunderstandingtuberculosisinfectioncontrolinhumans.

Copyright 2010 Gil et al. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.


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Tuberculosis in goats on a farm in Ireland: epidemiological investigation and control

Shanahan, A.1, Good M.1, Duignan A.1, Curtin, T.1, More S.J.2, 3



Thispaperdescribesanoutbreakoftuberculosis(TB)causedbyMycobacterium bovis in a dairy goat herd on a farm in Ireland,where66.3percentoftheherdtestedpositivetothesingleintradermalcomparativetuberculintest(SICTT)atinitialdetection.Anepidemiologicalinvestigationwasconductedtodeterminetheoriginoftheoutbreak,consideringissuessuchasanimalmovementsandherdmanagementpractices.Infectionwasintroducedwithaconsignmentofgoats,asdeterminedbythevariablenumbertandemrepeatprofile.InfectionwaseradicatedusingatestandcullprogrammeinvolvingtheSICTT,theinterferon-gassayandamultipleximmunoassay(EnferplexTB).

Reproduced from Veterinary Record, Shanahan, A., Good M., Duignan A., Curtin, T., More S.J., 168, 485, Copyright 2011, with permission from BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.

Application of the Enfer Chemiluminescent Multiplex ELISA System for the detection of Mycobacterium bovis infection in goats

Shuralev, E.1, Quinn, P.1, Doyle, M.2, Duignan, A.3, Kwok, H.F.4, Bezos, J.5, Olwill, S.A.4, Gormley, E.2,

Aranaz, A.5, Good, M.3, Davis, W.C.6, Clarke, J.1, Whelan, C.1

1 Enfer Scientific, 2 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, 3 DAFM, 4 Fusion Antibodies Ltd., Belfast, Northern Ireland, 5 Centro de Vigilancia Sanitaria

Veterinaria (VISAVET), Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain, 6 Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, College of Veterinary

Medicine, Washington State University, Washington, USA

Veterinary Microbiology (in press)

A study was conducted to optimise a multiplex serological immunoassay for use in identification of goats infected with Mycobacterium bovis.Toassessassayspecificity,31goatswithahistoryofbeingfreefromM. bovis infection were used.Todetermineassaysensitivity,180SingleIntradermalComparativeTuberculintest(SICTT)positivegoatswererecruited.Additionally,286SICTTnegativegoatsclassedaspotentiallyexposedanimalspresentinthesamepositiveherdswerealsoincludedinthestudy.Theresultsoftheassaydemonstratedaspecificityof100%.Themultiplexassaydetected57/60SICTT(95.0%)positiveanimalsinoneM. bovisinfectedherdand120/120(100%)inasecondherd.Inaseparateexperiment,28M. capraecultureconfirmedinfectedgoatsfromSpainwereassayed,ofwhich24(85.7%)werefoundpositiveinthetest.Theresultsshowthatinclusionofanantibodybasedassaycanimprovetheabilitytoidentify M. bovis and M. capraeinfectedgoats.Withfurtherdevelopmentandvalidationthemultiplexassaymayproveto be a useful tool for control of M. bovis and M. capraeinfectioningoats.

Reprinted from Veterinary Microbiology 154, Shuralev, E., Quinn, P., Doyle, M., Duignan, A., Kwok, H.F., Bezos, J., Olwill, S.A., Gormley, E., Aranaz, A., Good, M., Davis, W.C., Clarke, J., Whelan, C., Application of the Enfer Chemiluminescent Multiplex ELISA System for the detection of Mycobacterium bovis infection in goats, 292-297, Copyright 2012, with permis-sion from Elsevier.


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Improved understanding of ecology and TB epidemiology

Badger ecology

Can Eurasian badger (Meles meles) numbers be predicted from sett attributes and capture history? An application and evaluation of multivariable modelling

Byrne, A.W.1, 2, O’Keeffe, J.3, 5 Sleeman, D.P.2, Davenport, J.2, Martin, S.W.4

1 Teagasc Athenry, 2 UCC School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, 3 UCD CVERA,

4 Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Canada, 5 DAFM

Predictingbadgernumbersfromsettcharacteristicsandcapturehistoriesisofconsiderableappliedimportance.Thisability would be useful in generating probable badger densities for disease and strategic models of bovine tubercu-losis(bTB)control.Modellingisofinteresttoelucidatethefactorsthatmayimpactonbadgercaptureatlocalscales.Furthermore, badger management and vaccination programs would benefit by increasing the probability of efficiently capturingthetargetbadgerpopulations.Withinthiscontext,itwillbeinvestigatedwhetherbadgercapturenumberscanbepredictedfromfieldsignsandpreviouscapturehistories.Therelativebenefitsofdifferentmodellingapproacheswillalsobeexplored(GLM,GEE,Zero-inflatedwithPoissonorNegativeBinomialdistributions).Thedifferentmodellingtechniqueswillbecomparedintermsofmeanpredictederrorandcoverage.

Impact of culling on relative abundance of the Eurasian badger (Meles meles) in three counties in Ireland

Byrne, A.W.1, 2, O’Keeffe, J.3, 5 Sleeman, D.P.2, Davenport, J.2, Martin, S.W.4

1 Teagasc Athenry, 2 UCC School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, 3 UCD CVERA,

4 Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Canada, 5 DAFM

TheEurasianbadger(Meles meles)hasbeenimplicatedintheepidemiologyofbovinetuberculosis(bTB)incattlepopulationsintheRepublicofIreland.BadgerpopulationshavebeensubjecttoaregulatedcullingregimeinareaswithchronichistoriesofbTBcattleherdbreakdowns.Removaldatacollectedduringthisregimefrom2004to2010willbeusedtomodeltheimpactofcullingonpopulationsinareasundercapture.Additionally, changes in field signs of badger activity will be used as an index of abundance to verify the outcomesoftheremovalmodels.Theremovalintensitieswillalsobeinvestigatedandcomparedwithpreviousexperimentalculls.Thesemodelswillelucidatetrendsinbadgerpopulationdensityovertimeinresponsetothecullingregime.

The ecology of the Eurasian badger (Meles meles) in Ireland: a review

Byrne, A.W.1, 2, Sleeman, D.P.2, O’Keeffe, J.3, 4 Davenport, J.2

1 National Biodiversity Data Centre, Waterford Institute of Technology, 2 UCC School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, 3 UCD CVERA, 4 DAFM

TherehasbeenextensiveresearchontheecologyoftheEurasianbadgerinIreland.Despitemuchoftherecentliterature focusing on disease (bovine tuberculosis) dynamics relating to badgers, a great deal of insight into the autecologyofthespeciesinIrelandhasemerged.AstudywillbeundertakentoreviewallrelevantandavailablestudiesrelatingtoIrishbadgerpopulations.Particulareffortwillbemadetoinvestigate‘greyliterature’(non-peer


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reviewedmaterial,includingnationalanddepartmentalresearchreportsandtheses)-oftenignoredworkthatmaycontainvaluableobservations.Thestudywillalsocomparethedifferencesandsimilaritiesofbadgerpopula-tionsbothwithin,andoutsideofIreland.

Diet of the European badger (Meles meles) in the Republic of Ireland: A comparison of results from an analysis of stomach contents and rectal faeces

Cleary, G.P.1, Corner, L.A.L.2, O’Keeffe, J.3, 4 Marples, N.M.1

1 TCD School of Natural Sciences, 2 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, 3 UCD CVERA, 4 DAFM

Mammalian Biology 76, 470-475 (2011)

Thedietsofmammalshavebeeninvestigatedprimarilythroughtheanalysisoffaecalsamples.Inourstudyweanalysedbothstomachcontents,andrectalfaecesfromEuropeanbadgers.Thisapproachenabledadirectcomparisonoftheinformationderivedfromthesetwosources.Thedietarycomponentsfoundfromeachsourcewerethesame.However,it was found that, compared to stomach contents, the contribution to the diet, by volume, of plant litter, earthworms, TipulidlarvaeandadultCarabidbeetlesweresignificantlyoverestimatedbyfaecalanalysis,whilethoseofNoctuidlarvaeandCarabidbeetlelarvaeweresignificantlyunderestimated.Theanalysisofstomachcontentsshowedclearevidenceofseasonalityintheconsumptionofearthworms,Carabidbeetlelarvae,TipulidlarvaeandNoctuidlarvae.Thisseasonalitywasnotasevidentwhenthedietwasinferredbytheanalysisoffaeces.Weproposethatananalysisofstomach contents rather than of faeces, more accurately reflects the relative proportions of ingested food types, and the seasonalityofthediet.

Reprinted from Mammalian Biology, 76, Cleary, G.P., Corner, L.A.L., O’Keeffe, J., Marples, N.M., Diet of the European badger (Meles meles) in the Republic of Ireland: A comparison of results from an analysis of stomach contents and rectal faeces, 470-475, Copyright Deutsche Gesellschaft für Säugetierkunde 2011, with permission from Elsevier.

Analysis of movement patterns of satellite-tracked badgers in Co. Wicklow

Delaney, J.1, Povey, C.1, Fay, B.1, Donnelly, S.1, Mullen, E.2, MacWhite, T.3, Maher, P.3, Gormley, E.4,

Good, M.3, Kelly, D.J.1, Marples, N.M.1

1 TCD School of Natural Sciences, 2 National Parks and Wildlife, 3 DAFM, 4 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine

Wehaveusedhomerangedatafromsatellite-trackedbadgerstoplot‘MinimumConvexPolygon’(MCP)homerangesforeachbadgerineachmonthandhavelookedatthetrendsinaverageMCPvaluesthroughouttheyear.Theresultshaveshownthathomerangesforthemajorityofindividualsweregreatestinsummerandsmallestinwinter.Thisprovidessupportforourcurrentknowledgeoftheactivityofbadgers,asweknowthattheyarerelativelyinactiveinwinterandmuchmoreactiveinsummer.However,someindividualsappeartousealmosttheirwholesummerrangethroughout the winter season, suggesting that there is greater variation in winter behaviour than has been found previ-ously.Wearealsoinvestigatingwhetherageorsexhaveanynoticeableeffectsonhomerangesize.Todothisweareusingkernelestimates(generallyconsideredtobethebestassessmentofhomeranges)aswellasMCPs,inordertogetamoreaccuratepictureoftheirbehaviour.Thesatellite-trackinginformationonbadgermovementsisalsobeingusedto study the effects of temperature and precipitation on the home ranges by comparing the data generated during a mildwinter(2011-12)andarelativelycoldwinter(2010-2011).WearemodellingthevariationofMCPandkernelestimatesofthebadgerswithage,sex,county,rainfallandtemperaturedata.Fromthesemodelswehopetoidentifythefactorsthatbestexplainthevarianceinthedataset.Anotherstudyislookingatthethefrequencyofbadgerincur-


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sionsintoorneartofarmbuildings,andwhethertheyactivelyavoidsuchincursions.Wearealsoexaminingthepreferencesofbadgersforforagingindifferentvegetationtypes.Theresultsofthisworkwillprovidefundamentalinformationonthenatureofbadgers’interactionswithfarmsandmayhaveimplicationsforthetransmissionratesoftuberculosisfrombadgerstocattle.

The effect of badger removal on road casualty mammals

O’Shea, F.1, Sleeman, D.P.2, Davenport, J.2

1 DAFM, 2 UCC School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Irish Naturalists’ Journal 31, 118-122 (2010)

Recordsofafiveyearsurveyofmammalianroadcasualtiesintwodifferentparts(removalandreferenceareas)oftheCo.CorkportionoftheFourAreaBadgerProjectarereported.Thereweremorehedgehog,domesticcatandfoxcasualtiesintheremovalarea,butonlythefirsttwospeciesdifferedtoastatisticallysignificantextentfromthereferencearea.Howsuchstudiesmightbeimprovedandthepossibleimplicationsforepidemiologyandbiodiversityarediscussed.

Reproduced with permission of the Irish Naturalists’ Journal.

Badger road casualties in rural areas of the Republic of Ireland

Sleeman, D.P.1, Collins, D.M.2, Davenport, J.1

1 UCC School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, 2 UCD CVERA

Roadcasualtiesareacauseofmortalityforbadgers.ThisprojectwilllookatsuchcasualtiesinrelationtoanumberofpreviouslyestimatedpopulationsinruralareasintheRepublicofIreland.

The badgers (Meles meles (L.)) of Little Island, Co. Waterford

Sleeman, D.P.1, Partridge, T.2, O’Boyle, I.2, Gormley, E.3, Toolan, D.4

1 UCC School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, 2 DAFM, 3 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, 4 DAFM Veterinary Laboratory Service

Irish Naturalists’ Journal 31, 94-99 (2010)

Ahighdensityislandpopulationofbadgersisdescribed.Themethodsusedinthestudytocapture,anaesthetizeandidentifybadgers,aswellastomapterritories,aredetailed.Theislandhadeightmainsettsandsixterritories.Oneterritoryhadthreemainsetts,twoofwhichhadsmallsub-territories.Badgerscapturedintheinitialstudy,andthosefounddeadfrom1998-2007,aredetailed.Thefindingofbadgerswithouttuberculosiswhichwereunwell(emaciated,withheavyectoparasiteinfestations),inbuildingsisrecorded.Theimplicationsforbadgerresearchanddiseasemanagementarediscussed.

Reproduced with permission of the Irish Naturalists’ Journal.


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TB epidemiology

Estimating the extent of spatial association of Mycobacterium bovis infection in badgers in Ireland

Kelly, G.E.1, McGrath, G.2, More, S.J.2, 3


Epidemiology and Infection 138, 270-279 (2010)

Mycobacterium bovis infects the wildlife species badgers Meles meleswhoarelinkedwiththespreadoftheassociateddiseasetuberculosis(TB)incattle.Controloflivestockinfectionsdependsinpartonthespatialandsocialstructureofthewildlifehost.HerewedescribespatialassociationofM. bovis infection in a badger population using data from the firstyearoftheFourAreaProjectinIreland.Usingsecond-orderintensityfunctions,weshowthereisstrongevidenceofclusteringofTBcasesineachthefourareas,i.e.aglobaltendencyforinfectedcasestooccurnearotherinfectedcases.Usingestimatedintensityfunctions,weidentifylocationswhereparticularstrainsofTBcluster.Generalizedlineargeostatistical models are used to assess the practical range at which spatial correlation occurs and is found to exceed 6 in allareas.Thestudyisofrelevanceconcerningthescaleoflocalizedbadgercullinginthecontrolofthediseaseincattle.

Reprinted from Epidemiology and Infection, 138, Kelly, G.E., McGrath, G., More, S.J., Estimating the extent of spatial asso-ciation of Mycobacterium bovis infection in badgers in Ireland, 270-279, Copyright 2010, with permission from Cambridge University Press.

Spatial clustering of TB-infected cattle herds prior to and following proactive badger removal

Kelly, G.E.1, More, S.J.2, 3



Bovinetuberculosis(TB)isprimarilyadiseaseofcattle.InbothIrelandandtheUK,badgers(Meles meles) are an impor-tantwildlifereservoirofinfection.ThispaperexaminedthehypothesisthatTBisspatiallycorrelatedincattleherds,establishedtherangeofcorrelationandtheeffect,ifany,ofproactivebadgerremovalonthis.Wealsore-analyseddatafromtheFourAreaProjectinIreland,alarge-scaleinterventionstudyaimedatassessingtheeffectofproactivebadgercullingonbovineTBincidenceincattleherds,takingpossiblespatialcorrelationintoaccount.Weestablishedthatinfected herds are spatially correlated (the scale of spatial correlation is presented), but at a scale that varies with time and indifferentareas.Spatialcorrelationpersistsfollowingproactivebadgerremoval.

Reprinted from Epidemiology and Infection, 139, Kelly, G.E., More, S.J., Spatial clustering of TB-infected cattle herds prior to and following proactive badger removal, 1220-1229, Copyright 2011, with permission from Cambridge University Press.


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Tuberculosis in cattle herds are sentinels for Mycobacterium bovis infection in European badgers (Meles meles): the Irish Greenfield Study

Murphy, D.1, Gormley, E.1, Collins, D.M.2, McGrath, G.2, Sovsic, E.3, Costello, E.3, Corner, L.A.L.1

1 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, 2 UCD CVERA, 3 DAFM Veterinary Laboratory Service


InIreland,badgersareremovedinresponsetotuberculosis(TB)breakdownsincattleherds(focalculling).Prevalencestudies,conductedusingadetailedpostmortemandbacteriologicalexamination,showedthat36-50%ofbadgerswereinfected with Mycobacterium bovis.FocalcullingformspartofthemediumtermnationalstrategyforthecontrolofbovineTBincattleandisbasedonthepremisethatbadgersinareaswithherdbreakdownshaveahigherprevalenceofinfectionthanthebadgerpopulationatlarge.However,thehypothesisthatcattlecanbeusedassentinelsforinfectioninthebadgerpopulationhasneverbeenformallytested.Inthisstudywetestedthehypothesisbydeterminingtheinfectionprevalenceinbadgersinareaswheretherehadbeenhistorically,aconsistentlylowprevalenceofinfectionincattle.LowcattleTBprevalenceareasweredefinedasthoseherdswith≤2standardreactorsintheannualroundofskintestingoverthepreceding5years(Greenfieldsites).UsingGIS,andadjustingforvariationinlanduse,previouscullingandcattledensity,198Greenfieldsiteswereidentifiedandsurveyed,and138areaswithbadgersettsorsignsofbadgeractivitywereidentified.Asinglebadgerwasremovedfrom87sitesandallwereexaminedusingdetailedpostmortemandbacteriologicalprocedures.AprevalenceofM. bovisinfectionof14.9%wasfoundintheGreenfieldsitebadgers.Thisprevalence was significantly lower (P<0.001)thaninbadgersremovedduringfocalculling(36.6%).TheresultsvalidatetheuseofcattleassentinelsforTBinbadgersandsupportthemediumtermnationalstrategyforthecontrolofbovineTB.ThegeographicvariationinM. bovisinfectionprevalenceintheIrishbadgerpopulationswillbeusedwhendevisingstrategiesfortheincorporationofbadgervaccinationintothelongtermbovineTBcontrolprogramme.

Reprinted from Veterinary Microbiology, 151, Murphy, D., Gormley, E., Collins, D.M., McGrath, G., Sovsic, E., Costello, E., Corner, L.A.L., Tuberculosis in cattle herds are sentinels for Mycobacterium bovis infection in European badgers (Meles meles): the Irish Greenfield Study, 120-125, Copyright 2011, with permission from Elsevier.

Mycobacterial infections in multiple species: Implications for diagnosis and control

Corner, L.A.L.1, Gormley, E.1

1 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine


This paper discusses the significance of the ever-increasing numbers of different pathogenic mycobacterial species affecting bothdomesticandwildanimals.Throughadvancesindiagnosticsandincreasedepidemiologicalinvestigations,itshouldbepossibletodefinethereservoirstatusofeachanimalhostandtoestablishthesignificanceintermsofinfectionrisk.

Adapted from The Veterinary Journal 191, Corner, L.A.L., Gormley, E., Mycobacterial infections in multiple species: Implications for diagnosis and control, 141-142, Copyright 2012, with permission from Elsevier.


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Mycobacterium bovis infection in the Eurasian badger (Meles meles): the disease, pathogenesis, epidemiology and control

Corner, L.A.L.1, Murphy, D.2, Gormley, E.1

1 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, 2 DAFM Veterinary Laboratory Service

Journal of Comparative Pathology 144, 1-24 (2011)

Eurasianbadgers(Meles meles) are an important wildlife reservoir of tuberculosis (Mycobacterium bovis)infectioninIrelandandtheUnitedKingdom.Aspartofnationalprogrammestocontroltuberculosisinlivestock,considerableefforthasbeendevotedtostudyingthediseaseinbadgersandthishasleadtoarapidincreaseinourknowledgeoftuberculosisinthishost.Tuberculosis in badgers is a chronic infection and in a naturally-infected population the severity of disease can vary widely, fromlatentinfection(infectionwithoutclinicalsignsandnovisiblelesions)toseverediseasewithgeneralizedpathology.Thehigh prevalence of pulmonary infection strongly supports the lungs as the principal site of primary infection and that inhala-tionofinfectiousaerosolparticlesistheprincipalmodeoftransmission.However,otherroutes,includingtransmissionviainfectedbitewounds,areknowntooccur.Theantemortemdiagnosisofinfectionisdifficulttoachieve,asclinicalexamina-tionandimmunologicalandbacteriologicalexaminationofclinicalsamplesareinsensitivediagnosticprocedures.Becauseinfectioninthemajorityofbadgersislatent,thegrosspostmortemdiagnosisisalsoinsensitive.Adefinitivediagnosiscanonly be made by the isolation of M. bovis.However,togainahighlevelofsensitivityinthebacteriologicalexamination,alargenumberoftissuesfromeachbadgermustbeculturedandsensitiveculturemethodsemployed.Thetransmissionandmaintenance of M. bovis in badger populations are complex processes where many factors influence within-population preva-lenceandratesoftransmission.Badgersocialstructuresandthelongevityofinfectedanimalsmakethemanidealmainte-nance host for M. bovisinfection.Badgersaredirectlyimplicatedinthetransmissionofinfectiontocattleandtheinabilitytoeradicatethediseasefromcattleis,inpart,aconsequenceoftheinteractionsbetweenthetwospecies.Adetailedunder-standingandknowledgeoftheepidemiologyandpathogenesisofthediseasearerecognizedasfundamentalfordevisingnewstrategiestocontrolinfectionwithaviewtolimitinginterspeciestransmission.Vaccination,inspiteofformidablechallenges,is seen as the best long-term strategy option and studies with captive badgers have shown that vaccination with M. bovis BacillusCalmette-Guérin(BCG)inducesprotectionwhendeliveredbyavarietyofroutes.Continuedresearchisrequiredtodevelopeffectivetechnologiestocontrolthediseasebothinbadgersandcattle.Acombinationofstrategies,whichemploytheoptimaluseandtargetingofresources,islikelytomakeasignificantcontributiontowardseradicationofthedisease.

Adapted from Journal of Comparative Pathology, 144, Corner, L.A.L., Murphy, D., Gormley, E., Mycobacterium bovis infection in the Eurasian badger (Meles meles): the disease, pathogenesis, epidemiology and control, 1-24, Copyright 2011, with permission from Elsevier.

The prevalence and distribution of Mycobacterium bovis infection in European badgers (Meles meles) as determined by enhanced post mortem examination and bacteriological culture

Murphy, D.1, Gormley, E.1, Costello, E.2, O’Meara, D.2, Corner, L.A.L.1

1 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, 2 DAFM Veterinary Laboratory Service

Research in Veterinary Science 88, 1-5 (2010)

The accurate diagnosis of Mycobacterium bovisinfectioninbadgersiskeytounderstandingtheepidemiologyoftuber-culosisinthisspeciesandhassignificantimplicationsfordevisingstrategiestolimitspreadofthedisease.Inthisstudy,badgers (n=215)intheRepublicofIrelandwereexaminedpostmortemandtissueswerecollectedfromarangeofanatomical locations and pooled into groups for bacterial culture of M. bovis.Byassessingconfirmedgrossvisiblelesions


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(VL)alone,infectionwasdetectedin12.1%ofbadgers.However,byincludingtheresultsofallculturepositivepooledsamples,theoverallinfectionprevalenceincreasedsignificantlyto36.3%.Two-thirds(66.7%)ofinfectedanimalshadnovisiblelesions(NVL).Whilethethoraciccavity(lungsandpulmonarylymphnodes)wasfoundtobethemostcommon site of infection, in a proportion of animals infection was absent from the lungs and draining lymph nodes and wasconfinedtothelymphnodesofthecarcaseorthehead.Thismayindicateanearlyextrapulmonarydisseminationofinfection or alternatively, in the case of the head lymph nodes, a secondary pathogenic pathway involving the lymphoid tissuesoftheupperrespiratorytract(URT).

Reprinted from Research in Veterinary Science, 88, Murphy, D., Gormley, E., Costello, E., O’Meara, D., Corner, L.A.L., The prevalence and distribution of Mycobacterium bovis infection in European badgers (Meles meles) as determined by enhanced post mortem examination and bacteriological culture, 1-5, Copyright 2010, with permission from Elsevier.

Infection control strategies

Badger removal

A comparison of the effectiveness of badger removal programs: Wildlife Administration Unit vs. pre-2004 licenced capture

McGrath, G.1, Clegg, T.A.1

1 UCD CVERA

Inresponsetosevereoutbreaksoftuberculosisincattle,anepidemiologicalinvestigationiscarriedouttoestablishthesourceofinfection.Ifbadgersareimplicated,badgerremovalisconductedunderlicencebytheDepartmentofAgriculture,FoodandtheMarine.Fromthelate1980’suntil2004,thebadgerremovalprogramcomprisedoftheremovalofbadgersasasingleeventfromsettsfoundwithin1kilometreofthebreakdownherd.Since2004,themethodofbadgerremovalchangedfromthissingleremovaleventtoacontinuedremovalofbadgersfromsetts(mainsetts1.5kilometresandothersetts2kmfromthebreakdownherd).Thisstudyaimstocomparetheeffectivenessofthesetwobadgerremovalapproachesbyexaminingtheircomparativesurvivaltimesfollowingtheinitialbadgerremovals.Severityoffuturebreakdownscouldalsobeusedasameasureofdeterminingeffectiveness.Thestudycouldbeexpandedtoincludetheeffectonneighbouringfarmsand/orfarmsuptoadefineddistance.

Risk-based badger removal and the subsequent herd breakdown rate for Bovine Tuberculosis in Co. Monaghan, Ireland

White, P.W.1, 2

1 UCD CVERA, 2 DAFM

Forthepurposesofthisstudy,aherdisclassedasan“indexherd”where,followinganER76epidemiologicalinvestiga-tionintothesourceofabTBbreakdown,approvalisgrantedforlocalbadgerremoval.ThisstudyaimstoassesstheeffectoflocalbadgerremovalontheriskofanextherdbTBbreakdownamongneighbouringherdssurroundinganindexherd.Toachievethis,wewillconductasurvivalanalysiswiththeoutcomebeingtimetonextbreakdownforherdssurroundingsettsfromwhichbadgerswereremovedundertheWildlifeUnitprogram.Herdexposureismeasuredastheproportionofaherd(s)landareawithin1kmofanysettremoval.WewilltestthehypothesisthatthehazardofbTBforherdswithahighpercentageoflandareawithin1kmofsettremovaldonotdifferfromherdswithalowpercentageoflandareawithin1kmofsettremoval.


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Progress towards a badger vaccine

Badger tuberculosis vaccine

Gormley, E.1, Murphy, D.2, Costello, E.2, Duignan, A.3, Corner, L.A.L.1

1 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, 2 DAFM Veterinary Laboratory Service, 3 DAFM

a. Vaccine development (studies with captive badgers)ThefirstphaseofresearchintoBCGvaccinationagainsttuberculosisincaptivebadgers,anintegratedseriesofsevenexperimentsandassociatedstudiesthatcommencedin2001,hasbeencompleted.ThesestudieshaveestablishedasproofofprinciplethatvaccinationofbadgerswithBCG,whendeliveredbyavarietyofroutes,canprotectbadgersagainsttuberculosis.TheBCGvaccinehasbeenchosenforusebasedonitsavailability,lowproductioncostandmuchexperienceofitsapplicationindomesticandwildanimals,andhumans.AnoralvaccinedevelopedbyDr.FrankAldwell,OtagoUniversity,NewZealand,hasbeenshowntoworkincaptivebadgersandpavesthewayfordevelopmentoforaldeliverysystemsforuseinwildbadgers.Inourmostrecentstudy,wehaveshownthattheoralvaccineiseffectiveagainstchallenge with a low dose of M. bovis,atlevelslikelytobeencounteredunderconditionsofnaturaltransmission.Thedatahasgivenusamuchbetterunderstandingofhowthevaccineislikelytoperformundernaturalconditionsandwillfacilitatethedevelopmentofstrategiestodeliverthevaccinetobadgerpopulations.Aspartofthesestudies,andworkingcloselywithcolleaguesatAHVLA(WeybridgeUK),wehelpeddevelopandassessarangeofin vitro diagnostic assays based on the immunological responses of badgers to challenge with M. bovis.

b. The vaccine field trialThesuccessofthecaptivebadgerstudieshaspavedthewayforthetestingoforalBCGvaccineinalarge-scalefieldtrial.TheBCGvaccinefieldtrialhastwoprincipalobjectives.ThesearetovalidatetheresultsofcaptivebadgerstudiesandshowthatBCGvaccineisprotectiveinnaturallyexposedwildbadgers,andtoestimatevaccineefficacyunderfieldcondi-tions.TheaimofthefieldtrialistoestimatetheefficacyofBCGvaccineandtodemonstrateprotectioninawildbadgerpopulationbycomparingprevalenceoftuberculosisinvaccinatedandnon-vaccinatedbadgersafterthreeyears.AsecondaryoutcomeofthefieldtrialwillbetomeasuretheeffectofBCGvaccineinbadgers with pre-existing M. bovisinfection.Inadditiontoprovidingameasurement of protection and an estimate of vaccine efficacy, the field trial will provide a practical basis for understanding the logistics of oral vaccinedeliverytowildbadgerpopulations.

ThefirstcapturesweepcommencedinSeptember2009and,todate,fivecapturesweepsofthevaccinefieldtrialhasbeencompleted.Thetrialareaofapprox.755squarekilometresisdividedintothreezones(Figure1)eachwithadifferentlevelofvaccinecoverage.Vaccineandplacebo are blind coded and field staff are unaware of the vaccine status ofthebadgerstheyaretreating.Badgerscapturedinthemiddlezonearerandomlyassignedvaccineorplaceboonapproximatelya50:50basis,100%ofbadgerscapturedinthenorthandsouthwillreceiveeithervaccine or placebo therefore there will be a gradient of vaccine cover from 0%to50%to100%vaccinationfromnorthtosouthorsouthtonorth.

• Theentiretrialareahasbeentrappedforthefifth timeoverAutumn/Winter2011

• Duringthefifthsweepofthetrialarea,badgers werecapturedandexaminedon250occasions(Table1)

• Thetotaltreatmentstodateacrossthethree zonessincestartoffieldtrialisshowninTable2

Figure 1 – Outline of vaccine trial area and divisions into three zones


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Table 1. Age and sex of the badgers examined (n = 250) in sweep 5 of the vaccine trial

Cub Juvenile Adult Old Total

Female 0 38 69 19 126

Male 0 34 82 8 124

Total 0 72 151 27 250

Table 2. Treatment to date in the three zones of the trial area*

1* 2* Total**

Zone A 0 408 408

Zone B 99 108 207

Zone C 369 1 370

Total 468 517 985

*Badgersreceiveeithervaccineorplacebo,blind-coded1&2**Totalincludes208badgersthatwererevaccinatedinsweep3,4and5

Attheendofthe3yearstudyperiod(Aug2012),thetrialsitewillbedepopulatedandallbadgerswillbeexaminedfortuberculosis by detailed post mortem examination that will include an examination for visible lesions, histologic lesions, andmycobacteriology.TheisolationofM. bovis from post mortem or clinical samples (wound exudates or tracheal swabs)willbeusedtodefineacaseoftuberculosis.Theresultsandexperiencegainedfromthefieldtrialwillfacilitatethedevelopmentofstrategiesforintroductionofvaccinationintothenationalprogram.

c. Development of badger immunodiagnosticsWehavecontinuedtodevelopandassessarangeofimmunodiagnosticteststhatwillberequiredfortuberculosissurveil-lanceinbadgerpopulationstomonitortheeffectofvaccination.Thiswork,carriedoutincollaborationwithAHVLAWeybridgeandwithEnfergroup,isfocusedondevelopingcell–mediatedimmuneandantibodybaseddiagnostictestsforbadgers.Todate,wehaveestablishedthatthesensitivityofalltheimmunodiagnosticassaysimprovesasthediseaseseverityincreasesandthatthisismorepronouncedwiththeserologicalbasedassays.Theserologytestsarebeingappliedtothefieldtrialbloodsamplesandwillassistinthevalidationofthetestsonnaturallyinfectedbadgers.


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Trial design to estimate the effect of vaccination on tuberculosis incidence in badgers

Aznar, I.1, McGrath, G.1, Murphy, D.2, Corner, L.A.L.3, Gormley, E.3, Frankena, K.4, More, S.J.1, 3, Martin, W.5,

O’Keeffe, J.1, 6 De Jong, M.C.M.4

1 UCD CVERA, 2 DAFM Veterinary Laboratory Service, 3 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, 4 Quantitative Veterinary Epidemiology, Wageningen University,

Wageningen, The Netherlands, 5 Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada, 6 DAFM


The principal wildlife reservoir of Mycobacterium bovisinIrelandistheEuropeanbadger.StudiesintheRepublicofIreland(RoI)haveshownthatbadgersculledinassociationwithcattleherdtuberculosisbreakdowns(focalculling)haveahigherprevalenceofinfectionthanthebadgerpopulationatlarge.Thisobservationisonerationaleforthemediumtermnationalstrategyoffocalbadgerculling.Avaccinationstrategyforthecontrolofbovinetuberculosis(bTB)inbadgersisapreferredlong-termoption.TheBacillusCalmette-Guérin(BCG)vaccinehasbeenshowntodecreasediseaseseverityincaptivebadgersundercontrolledconditions.Asthevaccinehasbeentestedinacontrolledenviron-ment with precise information on infection pressure, it cannot be assumed a priori that the effects of vaccination are similarinthewild,whereotherenvironmentaland/orecologicalfactorsprevail.ForthisreasonwehavedesignedavaccinefieldtrialtoassesstheimpactofvaccinationontheincidenceofTBinfectioninawildbadgerpopulation.Theselectedstudyareaforthevaccinetrial(approximately755squarekilometers)isdividedintothreezoneseachofwhichhassimilarcharacteristicsintermsofsize,numberofmainbadgersetts,cattleherds,cattleandlandclassificationtype.Threevaccinationlevels(100%,50%and0%)willbeallocatedtothethreezonesinawaythatagradientofvaccina-tioncoverageNorthtoSouthisachieved.Themiddlezone(zoneB)willbevaccinatedata50%coveragebutzoneAandCwillberandomlyallocatedwith100%or0%vaccinationcoverage.VaccinationwithinzoneBwillbedonerandomlyatindividualbadgerlevel.Theobjectiveofthispaperistodescribethedesignofafieldtuberculosisvaccina-tiontrialforbadgers,theepidemiologicalmethodsthatwereusedtodesignthetrialandthesubsequentdataanalysis.TheanalysiswillenableustoquantifythemagnitudeoftheobservedvaccinationeffectonM. bovis transmission in badgersunderfieldconditionsandtoimproveourknowledgeofthebiologicaleffectsofvaccinationonsusceptibilityandinfectiousness.

Reprinted from Veterinary Microbiology, 151, Aznar, I., McGrath, G., Murphy, D., Corner, L.A.L., Gormley, E., Frankena, K., More, S.J., Martin, W., O’Keeffe, J., De Jong, M.C.M., Trial design to estimate the effect of vaccination on tuberculosis incidence in badgers, 104-111, Copyright 2011, with permission from Elsevier.

Using simulation to estimate the power of a badger vaccine trial against Mycobacterium bovis in badgers

Aznar, I.1, More, S.J.1, 2, Frankena, K.3, de Jong, M.C.M.3

1 UCD CVERA, 2 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, 3 Quantitative Veterinary Epidemiology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands

TheaimofthisstudywastoestimatethepowerofabadgervaccinefieldtrialdesignedintheRepublicofIrelandtohelpinthecontrolofbovinetuberculosisusingsimulationtechniques.Theeffectsofsamplesize(recapturepercentage),sensitivityandspecificityofthediagnostictest,transmissionratebetweenunvaccinatedbadgers,VaccineEfficacyforSusceptibility(VES)andVaccineEfficacyforInfectiousness(VEI),onstudypowerweredetermined.Samplesizehadasmalleffectonpower.Studypowerincreasedwithincreasingtransmissionratebetweennon-vaccinatedbadgers.ChangesinVEShadahigherimpactonpowerthanchangesinVEI.However,thelargesteffectonstudypowerwasseenbychangesinthespecificityofthediagnostictest.Theeffectofchangesinsensitivityonstudypowerwasmuchlower.Therefore,itiscriticalthatthediagnostictestusedinthebadgervaccinetrialisoptimizedtomaximisetestspecificity.


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Infection dynamics and effective control strategies of tuberculosis in badgers and cattle of Ireland



Themainobjectiveistoassesstheimpactofinterventionsonbovinetuberculosis(bTB)prevalenceincattleandbadgers;forthisamathematicalmodelofbTBtransmissionthatdescribesthediseaseincattleandbadgersintheRepublicofIrelandwillbedeveloped.Thehypothesisisthatcontrol,withtheultimategoaloferadication,cannotbeachieveduntilbadger-to-cattletransmissioniseffectivelyaddressed.Datafromongoingfieldtrials(particularlydatarelatedtoefficacyofthebadgervaccine)anddatafrompreviousresearchworkwillbeutilizedtoinformparameterestimation.Experimentalwork(theexactnatureofwhichwilldependonidentifiedgapsintheknowledgerequiredforparameterestimation)willalsobecarriedout.

Optimisation of a multiple antigen ELISA test to be used in a badger vaccine trial



ThemainobjectiveofthisstudywastooptimizeadiagnostictestforM. bovis infection in live badgers trapped during thebadgervaccinetrialinIrelandusingamultiplexchemiluminiscentassay(EnferScientific).Atotalof215bloodsamples(including200bloodsamplesusedbyWhelanet al.,2009)weretestedagainstapanelof8M. bovisantigens.Theoptimizationwasdonewhilekeepingspecificityat99.99%toallowforareasonablepower(60-80%)tobeobtainedinthevaccinetrial.WealsoaimedtoexploretheeffectsofvaccinationontestcharacteristicsandreviewtheimplicationsforanalysisofthedataobtainedfromtheKilkennybadgervaccinetrial.


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Bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccination reduces the severity and progression of tuberculosis in badgers

Chambers, M.A.1, Rogers, F.1, 2, Delahay, R.J.2, Lesellier, S.1, Ashford, R.1, Dalley, D.1, Gowtage, S.1,

Davé, D.1, Palmer, S.1, Brewer, J.1, Crawshaw, T.1, Clifton-Hadley, R.1, Carter, S.2, Cheeseman, C.2, Hanks,

C.2, Murray, A.2, Palphramand, K.2, Pietravalle, S.2, Smith, G.C.2, Tomlinson, A.2, Walker, N.J.2, Wilson, G.J.2,

Corner, L.A.L.3, Rushton, S.P.4, Shirley, M.D.F.4, Gettinby, G.5, McDonald, R.A.2, Hewinson, R.G.1

1 Veterinary Laboratories Agency, Surrey, United Kingdom, 2 Food and Environment Research Agency, York, United Kingdom, 3 UCD School of Veterinary

Medicine, 4 School of Biology, University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom, 5 Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of

Strathclyde, Glasgow, United Kingdom

Proceedings of the Royal Society B 278, 1913-1920 (2011)

Controlofbovinetuberculosis(TB)incattlehasprovenparticularlychallengingwherereservoirsofinfectionexistinwildlifepopulations.InBritainandIreland,controlishamperedbyareservoirofinfectioninEurasianbadgers(Meles meles).BadgercullinghaspositiveandnegativeeffectsonbovineTBincattleandisdifficult,costlyandcontroversial.HereweshowthatBacillusCalmette-Guérin(BCG)vaccinationofcaptivebadgersreducedtheprogression,severityand excretion of Mycobacterium bovisinfectionafterexperimentalchallenge.Inaclinicalfieldstudy,BCGvaccinationoffree-livingbadgersreducedtheincidenceofpositiveserologicaltestresultsby73.8percent.Incommonwithotherspecies,BCGdidnotappeartopreventinfectionofbadgerssubjectedtoexperimentalchallenge,butdidsignificantlyreducetheoveralldiseaseburden.BCGvaccinationofbadgerscouldcompriseanimportantcomponentofacompre-hensiveprogrammeofmeasurestocontrolbovineTBincattle.

Reprinted from Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 278, Chambers, M.A., Rogers, F., Delahay, R.J., Lesellier, S., Ashford, R., Dalley, D., Gowtage, S., Davé, D., Palmer, S., Brewer, J., Crawshaw, T., Clifton-Hadley, R., Carter, S., Cheeseman, C., Hanks, C., Murray, A., Palphramand, K., Pietravalle, S., Smith, G.C., Tomlinson, A., Walker, N.J., Wilson, G.J., Corner, L.A.L., Rushton, S.P., Shirley, M.D.F., Gettinby, G., McDonald, R.A., Hewinson, R.G., Bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccina-tion reduces the severity and progression of tuberculosis in badgers, 1913-1920, Copyright 2011, with permission from The Royal Society.

Oral vaccination of badgers (Meles meles) with BCG and protective immunity against endobronchial challenge with Mycobacterium bovis

Corner, L.A.L.1, Costello, E.2, O’Meara, D.2, Lesellier, S.1, 5, Aldwell, F.E.3, Singh, M.4, Hewinson, R.G.5,

Chambers, M.A.5, Gormley, E.1

1 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, 2 DAFM Veterinary Laboratory Service, 3 Immune Solutions Ltd., Centre for Innovation, The University of Otago,

Dunedin, New Zealand, 4 LIONEX GmbH, Braunschweig, Germany, 5 TB Research Group, Department of Statutory and Exotic Bacteria, Veterinary

Laboratories Agency Weybridge, Surrey, United Kingdom

Vaccine 28, 6265-6272 (2010)

Eurasianbadgers(Meles meles) are a reservoir host of Mycobacterium bovis and are implicated in the transmission of tuberculosistocattleinIrelandandGreatBritain.Thedevelopmentofavaccineforuseinbadgersisconsideredakeyelementofanylong-termsustainablecampaigntoeradicatethediseasefromlivestockinbothcountries.TheaimofthisstudywastoinvestigatetheprotectiveresponseofbadgersvaccinatedorallywithBacilleCalmette-Guérin(BCG)encapsulated in a lipid formulation, followed by experimental challenge with M. bovis.Agroupofbadgerswasvacci-natedbyinoculatingtheBCG-lipidmixturecontainingapproximately108colonyformingunits(cfu)ofBCGintotheoesophagus.Thecontrolgroupwasshaminoculatedwiththelipidformulationonly.Thirteenweeksaftervaccination


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allthebadgerswerechallengedwithapproximately104 cfu of M. bovisdeliveredbyendobronchialinoculation.Bloodsamplesweretakenthroughoutthestudyandthecellmediatedimmune(CMI)responsesinperipheralbloodweremonitoredbytheIFN-gammaELISAandELISPOTassay.At17weeksafterinfectionallthebadgerswereexaminedpostmortemtoassessthepathologicalandbacteriologicalresponsestochallenge.Allbadgersinbothgroupswerefoundtobeinfected.However,asignificantprotectiveeffectofBCGvaccinationwasmeasuredasadecreaseinthenumberandseverityofgrosslesions,lowerbacterialloadinthelungs,andfewersitesofinfection.TheanalysisofimmuneresponsesshowedthatvaccinationwithBCGdidnotgenerateanydetectableCMIimmunologicalresponses,howeverthe levels of the responses increased in both groups following M. bovisinfection.TheresultsofthestudyshowedthatvaccinationwithoralBCGinthelipidformulationgeneratedaprotectiveeffectinthebadgers.

Reprinted from Vaccine, 28, Corner, L.A.L., Costello, E., O’Meara, D., Lesellier, S., Aldwell, F.E., Singh, M., Hewinson, R.G., Chambers, M.A., Gormley, E., Oral vaccination of badgers (Meles meles) with BCG and protective immunity against endobronchial challenge with Mycobacterium bovis, 6265-6272, Copyright 2010, with permission from Elsevier.

Control of tuberculosis in badgers by vaccination: Where next?

Gormley, E.1, Corner, L.A.L.1


The Veterinary Journal 189, 239-241 (2011)

Withthedevelopmentofanoralvaccineforuseinbadgerscontinuing,thispaperexaminesarangeofstrategicoptionsavailableforvaccinationthatmightbeemployedtocontrolanderadicateTBinbadgers,andthebeneficialimpactthiswillhaveincattleherds.

Adapted from The Veterinary Journal, 189, Gormley, E., Corner, L.A.L., Control of tuberculosis in badgers by vaccination: Where next?, 239-241, Copyright 2011, with permission from Elsevier.


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Evaluation of attractant flavours for use in oral vaccine baits for badgers (Meles meles)

Kelly, D.J.1, Corner, L.A.L.2, Gormley, E.2, Murphy, D.2, Costello, E.3, Aldwell, F.E.4, Marples, N.M.1

1 TCD School of Natural Sciences, 2 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, 3 DAFM Veterinary Laboratory Service, 4 University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand

European Journal of Wildlife Research 57, 767-774 (2011)

Europeanbadgers(Meles meles) are a wildlife reservoir for Mycobacterium bovisinfection(tuberculosis)inIrelandandtheUKandareimplicatedinthetransmissionofinfectiontolivestock.VaccinationofbadgerswiththehumanBCGvaccine(BacilleCalmetteGuérin)isconsideredasanimportantstrategytoreducetheburdenofdiseaseinthisspecies,andapragmaticapproachislikelytoinvolveoralvaccination.Inthisstudy,weevaluatedninedifferentflavoursforuseasattractantsinaprototypeoralvaccinebaitforEuropeanbadgers(M. meles): aniseed, apple, cocoa powder, carob powder,curry,fish,garlic,peanutandstrawberry.Thebaitmatrixwascomposedofanaturallipidformulation,devel-opedasavehiclefororalvaccinationagainsttuberculosisinwildlife.A‘foodforwork’paradigmwasemployedduringthetrialstoensuretheanimalswereactivelyseekingthebaits.Thetrialsshowedcarobandcocoapowderswereequallyattractiveandmoreattractivethananyoftheothercandidates.Carobandcocoashowpotentialasbaitattractantsforbadgersandmightformpartofanovelvaccinedeliverysystem.

With kind permission from Springer Science+Business Media: European Journal of Wildlife Research, 57, 2011, 767-774, Kelly, D.J., Corner, L.A.L., Gormley, E., Murphy, D., Costello, E., Aldwell, F.E., Marples, N.M., Copyright Springer-Verlag 2011.

The development of a bait delivery system for oral vaccination of badgers against tuberculosis

Kelly, D.J.1, Gormley, E.2, Corner, L.A.L.2, Marples, N.M.1

1 TCD School of Natural Sciences, 2 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine

Thisworkhasidentifiedthepotentialofcarobasanattractantforusewithoralvaccinebaitsandhasestablishedtheimportanceofpre-feedingwhenintroducing“flapjack”baitsto“naïve”Irishbadgerpopulations.Wehavefoundthatpre-feedingwasmosteffectivewhenthetrialbaitsweremostsimilartothepre-fedbaits,andthatpackagedbaitscanbeignorediftheyarenotcoatedinanattractant.Theresultsalsosuggestthatburyingbaitsmaystimulatenaturalfeedingbehaviours.Thiscouldimplythatburiedbaitsmaybemoreattractivetobadgersthanbaitsplacedinsettentrances,despitethelatterbeingmoreeasilyavailable.Thedevelopmentofabaitfororalvaccinationiscontinuing.


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Protection of Eurasian badgers (Meles meles) from tuberculosis after intra-muscular vaccination with different doses of BCG

Lesellier, S.1, Palmer, S.1, Gowtage-Sequiera, S.1, Ashford, R.1, Dalley, D.1, Davé, D.1, Weyer, U.1,

Salguero, F.J.1, Nuñez, A.1, Crawshaw, T.2, Corner, L.A.L.3, Hewinson, R.G.1, Chambers, M.A.1

1 Veterinary Laboratories Agency-Weybridge, Surrey, United Kingdom, 2 Veterinary Laboratories Agency-Starcross, Exeter, United Kingdom,


Vaccine 29, 3782–3790 (2011)

Mycobacterium bovisinfectioniswidespreadinEurasianbadger(Meles meles)populationsinGreatBritainandtheRepublicofIrelandwheretheyactasawildlifereservoirofinfectionforcattle.Removalofinfectedbadgerscansignificantlyreducetheincidenceofbovinetuberculosis(TB)inlocalcattleherds.However,controlmeasuresbasedoncullingofnativewildlifearecontentiousandmayevenbedetrimentaltodiseasecontrol.VaccinatingbadgerswithBacillusCalmette-Guérin(BCG)hasbeenshowntobeefficaciousagainstexperimentallyinducedTBofbadgerswhenadministeredsubcutaneouslyandorally.Vaccinationmaybeanalternativeorcomplementarystrategytootherdiseasecontrolmeasures.Asthesubcutaneousrouteisimpracticalforvaccinatingwildbadgersandanoralvaccinebaitformulationiscurrentlyunavailable,weevaluatedtheintramuscular(IM)routeofBCGadministration.IthasbeendemonstratedthattheIMrouteissafeinbadgers.IMadministrationhasthepracticaladvantageofbeingrelativelyeasytoperformontrappedwildbadgerswithoutrecoursetochemicalimmobilisation.WereporttheevaluationoftheefficacyofIMadministrationofBCGDanishstrain1331attwodifferentdoses:thedoseprescribedforadulthumans(2-8×105colonyformingunits)anda10-foldhigherdose.Vaccinationgeneratedadose-dependentcell-mediatedimmune response characterised by the production of interferon-g(IFNg) and protection against endobronchial chal-lenge with virulent M. bovis.Protection,expressedintermsofasignificantreductionintheseverityofdisease,thenumber of tissues containing acid-fast bacilli, and reduced bacterial excretion was statistically significant with the higherdoseonly.

Reprinted from Vaccine, 29, Lesellier, S., Palmer, S., Gowtage-Sequiera, S., Ashford, R., Dalley, D., Davé, D., Weyer, U., Salguero, F.J., Nuñez, A., Crawshaw, T., Corner, L.A.L., Hewinson, R.G., Chambers, M.A., Protection of Eurasian badgers (Meles meles) from tuberculosis after intra-muscular vaccination with different doses of BCG, 3782–3790, Copyright 2011, with permission from Elsevier.


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The national programme

The number of TB reactors detected in Ireland each year between 1959 and 2011.

Progress in tuberculosis eradication in Ireland

Sheridan, M.1

1 DAFM


IrelandranaconventionaltestandslaughterBovineTuberculosiseradicationprogrammefrom1954until1988.ThisprogrammefulfilledourtradingrequirementsbutfailedtoeradicateTB.Atthispointamajorinitiative,ERAD,waslaunched targeted with reducing the disease levels by half within a four-year period and devising the strategy and supportsnecessarytoachievefinaleradication.ThelessonslearnedatthattimehaveinformedIreland’seradicationprogrammeeversince.Eradicationwasnotpossiblewithoutdevelopingsolutionstoaddressthewildlifediseasereservoirandotheridentifiedconstraints.Since1992theprogrammeobjectiveshavebeenrestated.Itisnoweffectivelyaninterimcontrol programme where significant resources have been invested in research and development aimed at overcoming theidentifiedconstraintstoeradication.Policyisinformedbyscienceanddebateamongstakeholdersisgenerallyknowl-edgeableandbalanced.Thispaperoutlinesdevelopmentsinrecentyearsandsetsoutourexpectationsforprogressintheperiodahead.

Reprinted from Veterinary Microbiology, 151, Sheridan, M., Progress in tuberculosis eradication in Ireland, 160-169, Copyright 2011, with permission from Elsevier.


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Perspectives on the history of bovine TB and the role of tuberculin in bovine TB eradication

Good, M.1, Duignan, A.1

1 DAFM

Veterinary Medicine International, article ID 410470 (2011)

Tuberculosisremainsasignificantdiseaseofanimalsandhumansworldwide.BovinetuberculosisiscausedbyMycobacteriawithanextremelywidehostrangeandserious,althoughcurrentlyprobablyunderdiagnosed,zoonoticpotential.Wherebovinetuberculosiscontrolsareeffective,humanzoonoticTB,duetoMycobacterium bovis or M. caprae, isuncommonandclinicalcasesareinfrequentincattle.Therefore,thecontrolandultimateeradicationofbovinetuber-culosisisdesirable.Tuberculintestsaretheprimaryscreeningtoolusedinbovineeradication.Thechoiceoftuberculintestisdependentontheenvironmentinwhichitistobeused.Tuberculinpotencyiscriticaltotestperformance,andtheaccuratedeterminationofpotencyisthereforeparticularlyimportant.Thedesignofacontroloreradicationprogrammeshouldtakeintoconsiderationthefundamentalscientificknowledge,theepidemiologicalprofileofdisease,theexperi-ence of other eradication programmes, and the presence, in the same ecosystem, of maintenance hosts, in which infection isself-sustainingandwhicharecapableoftransmittinginfection.Acontroloreradicationprogrammewillnecessarilyrequiremodificationasitprogressesandmustbeunderconstantreviewtoidentifytheoptimaldesirablegoals,theefficacyofpolicy,andconstraintstoprogress.

Copyright 2011 Good and Duignan. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Management of the Irish TB eradication programme: the development and application of new measures of performance

Higgins, I.M.1, Williams, D.H.2, More, S.J.1, 3

1 UCD CVERA, 2 UCD School of Mathematical Sciences, 3 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine

PerformancemanagementinnationalTBprogrammeshasnotbeenstraight-forward.Thereisabroadrangeofreasonsforthis,includinginfectionepidemiology,testinterpretationanddatacollectionandmanagement.Asoneexampleofthecomplexityinvolved,althoughTB-relateddatainIrelandarecollectedattheleveloftheevent(test,breakdown),somerelatetotheanimal(whichisnestedwithinherd)andsometotheherd.InIreland,nationalprogressiscurrentlymeasuredusingthenumberofreactorsper1,000tests(APT),whichiscomputationallysimple,however,thereareanumberofdifficultieswiththisapproach.ThispaperdescribesworktodefineperformancemeasurestoassistwithongoingreviewoftheIrishprogramme,tocreateautomatedmethodstoenableongoingmeasurement,andtoreviewprogress.Arangeofperformancemeasures,linkedtodefinedperiodsofherdtradingrestriction following indications of M. bovis infection, have been developed to separately assess the effectiveness of surveillance (to detect new cases: herd disease incidence, percentage of herds remaining disease free) and control (to clearinfectionfollowingcasedetection:restrictionduration,numberofreactorsperrestriction,%singlereactorbreakdowns,%3rd/4threactorretests,inter-episodeinterval,repeatrestrictions).Programmingwasconductedusing SAS®(SASInstituteInc.,Cary,NC,USA)withextensiveuseofSAS®macroprogramming,usingTBherdsummaryresultsfromthenationalAnimalHealthComputerSystem(AHCS)asdatainputs.Thefinalsetofprogrammescanberunwithoutintervention.ThesurveillanceandcontrolmeasureshavebeencalculatedforallactiveIrishherds,andsummarizedbyDistrictVeterinaryOffice(unitofprogrammemanagement),productiontype,herdsizeandpastdiseasehistory.Incontrasttocurrentmethods,theseherd-levelmeasureseffectively


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partitionactivitiesinIrelandrelatingtodetectionofnewcases(surveillance)andtheresolutionofcasesfollowingdetection(control).Thisinformation,providedonanongoingandtimelybasiswillbeofbenefittonationalandregionalprogrammedecision-makers.

TB in Ireland - visualising the current picture

McGrath, G.1

1 UCD CVERA

ThecurrentmethodologiesusedtovisualisetheprevalenceoftuberculosisinIrelandincludethematicmapping(posi-tiveanimaltestsperthousandtestsperdistrictelectoraldivision)anddensitymaps(kerneldensitiesofpositiveanimals/population).Thisprojectwillinvestigatepossiblenewwaysofdisplayingthechangesintuberculosisprevalenceovertimetoprovideabettervisualisationoftherecentdecreaseinreactornumbers.Amethodologyisrequiredthatismoresensitivetorepresentingproportionallysmallchanges.Theproposedmethodwillinvolveassigningherdleveldatatoauniformhexagonalgrid.Ameasureofmeanprevalencewillbecalculatedforadefinedperiodoftime.Eachyearwillthen be displayed as a deviation above or below this mean level thus showing the relative temporal trend in prevalence foreachunitthroughtime.

An evaluation of the Irish Single Reactor Breakdown Protocol for 2005 to 2008 inclusive and its potential application as a monitor of tuberculin test performance

Good, M.1, Duignan, A.1

1 DAFM


UndertheIrishBovineTuberculosis(bTB)EradicationProgrammeallherdsaresubjectedtoatleastonetestper annum.TheSingleIntradermalComparativeTuberculinTest(SICTT)isusedinIrelandforthedetectionofcattleinfectedwithMycobacterium bovis.TherehavebeenconcernsregardingthespecificityoftheSICTT,notablybyfarmers,andparticu-larlyinherdswherethedetectionofasinglepositiveanimalintheabsenceofanobvioussourceof(bTB)infectioncouldbeperceivedasa“false”positive.Toaddressthisissuetheso-called‘SingletonProtocol’wasestablishedaspartoftheIrishbTBeradicationprogramme.Thisprotocolallowsfortheearlyrestorationoffreetradingstatustoherdswhereasingle positive animal was detected and where the herd was not confirmed as infected with M. bovis by epidemiological investigation,bypostmortem,bylaboratoryexamination,orbyfurthertest.Thispaperpresentsdatafromthe2005to2008,inclusive,bTBprogrammesonthenumberofherdsthatwereassessed,whichqualifiedforinclusionunderthe‘SingletonProtocol’andtheoutcomeforqualifyingherdsuptoandincludinghavingstatusrestoredearlyasaconse-quenceofinclusioninthatprogramme.TheoutcomeofthisprotocolreaffirmsthereliabilityoftheSICTTatcurrentlevelsofinfection.Furthermoreitisadvocatedthatthe‘SingletonProtocol’becontinuedasamonitorofherdsinwhichasinglepositiveanimalisdisclosed,andasoverallinfectionlevelsofbTBfalltheoutcomemaybeusedasonemeanstoassessprogresstowardsbTBeradicationinIreland.

Reprinted from Veterinary Microbiology, 151, Good, M., Duignan, A., An evaluation of the Irish Single Reactor Breakdown Protocol for 2005 to 2008 inclusive and its potential application as a monitor of tuberculin test performance, 85-90, Copyright 2011, with permission from Elsevier.


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Singleton area risk: Can areas of temporo-spatial clustering in singleton reactors be defined?

McGrath, G.1

1 UCD CVERA

There is evidence that non-specific infection or singleton reactors occur as a result of environmental conditions found onfarmsclosetobog,reclaimedwetlandandlakes.Ifthisisthecase,theyshouldclusterisspaceandtime.Wewouldexpecttheretobeaspatialconsistencywhichshouldbediscernible.Theobjectiveofthisstudyistoattempttoiden-tifyifthisspatial/temporalclusteringofsingletonreactorsexists.Ifthereisadiscernibleeffect,areasofpersistenthighsingletonriskcouldbedefinedandassignedbacktoallherdsfallingwithintheseareasprovidingveterinaryinspectorswithanadditionallayerofinformationtoaidindecidinghowtointerpretandmanageherdswithsingletonreactors.

Evaluation of single reactor bovine tuberculosis breakdowns, based on analysis of reactors slaughtered at an Irish export meat plant

Murray, D.1, Clegg, T.A.2, More, S.J.2, 3


The‘SingletonProtocol’wasadoptedbytheIrishDepartmentofAgriculture,FoodandtheMarine(DAFM)in1996toaddresstheincompletespecificityoftheSingleIntradermalComparativeTuberculinTest(SICTT)usedinIrelandforthedetectionofanimalsinfectedwithbovinetuberculosis(bTB).Theprotocolallowstheearlyrestorationofdisease-freestatustoherdswithasinglereactorbreakdown,wheretheherdwasnotconfirmedasinfectedwithMycobacterium bovis byepidemiologicalinvestigation,bypostmortemexaminationorbyfurthertest.ThecurrentstudyexaminestheabilityoftheSingletonProtocoltoidentifyfalsepositivereactors,thesubsequentherdreactorratefollowingsinglereactorremovalandanalysesthefactorsleadingtoapositivepostmortemlesionoutcomeandapositivereactorretestresult.Postmortemlesionresultswereobtainedfor371reactoranimalsfromsinglereactorbreakdownsthatwerekilledatanexportmeatplantoveranineteen-monthperiod.EpidemiologicalandtestdatafortheseanimalsandtheirherdswereobtainedfromDAFMdatabasesandanalysedbyunivariateandmultivariatestatisticalanalysis.Singletoncandidateshadan18.7%lowerlesionratethansingleanimalbreakdownsnotmeetingthesingletoncriteria.Nosignificantdifferencewasfoundbetweensingletonsandnon-singletonsinthesubsequentreactorretestresults.SkinthicknessattheSICTTisthemostsignificantdeterminantofapositivelesionresult.TheareabTBhistorywasshowntobeasignificantvariableinproducingapositivereactorretestresult.


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Bovine tuberculosis trends in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, 1995 to 2010

Abernethy, D.A.1, Upton, P.2, Higgins, I.M.3, McGrath, G.3, Goodchild, T.2, Rolfe, S.4, Broughan, J.2, Downes, S.2,

Clifton-Hadley, R.2, Menzies, F.1, de la Rua-Domenech, R.5, Blissit, M.6, Duignan, A.7, More, S.J.3, 8

1 Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Belfast, Northern Ireland, 2 Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency, Weybridge, United

Kingdom 3 UCD CVERA, 4 Office of the Chief Veterinary Officer, Welsh Assembly, Cardiff, Wales, 5 Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs,

London, England, 6 Scottish Government, Edinburgh, Scotland, 7 DAFM, 8 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine

Europeanlegislation,principally64/432EECand78/52EEC,formsthebasisofnationalprogrammesandgovernsthesurveillanceandcontrolmeasuresappliedbyMemberStates.TheUnitedKingdomincludesthecountriesofNorthernIreland,England,WalesandScotland.ThelatterthreearecollectivelyreferredtoasGreatBritainwhileNorthernIrelandislocatedwiththeRepublicofIrelandontheislandofIreland,separatedfromGreatBritainbytheIrishSea,Historically,bTBpolicywithintheUnitedKingdomwasdeterminedseparatelyforGreatBritainandNorthernIreland,leadingtodifferencesinstrategyandmanagement.DevolutionofresponsibilityforagriculturetotheWelshandScottishadministrationsin1998furtherregionalisedpolicydevelopment.Thus,althoughprogrammemeasureswerelargelystandardisedthroughEuropeanlegislation,somedifferencesoccurred,largelyinresponsetospecificrisksorbTBpreva-lence.ComparingbTBtrendsprovidesanopportunitytolearnfromdifferingexperiencesandgainpossibleinsightintofactorsthatmaypromoteorimpedeprogresstowardseradication.Suchcomparisons,however,arehamperedbydifferencesinmeasurementofdiseaseparametersandsummarystatistics.Thisprojectwillseektoidentifyandwhereverpossible,reducethesedifferencestoallowdirectcomparisonoftrendsbetweenthejurisdictions.

Photograph by E. Gormley.


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Bovine tuberculosis in Europe from the perspective of an offically tuberculosis - free country: Trade, surveillance and diagnostics

Schiller, I.1, Waters, W.R.2, Vordermeier, H.M.3, Jemmi, T.1, Welsh, M.4, Keck, N.5, Whelan, A.3, Gormley, E.6,

Boschiroli, M.L.7, Moyen, J.L.8, Vela, C.9, Cagiola, M.10, Buddle, B.M.11, Palmer, M.2, Thacker, T.2, Oesch, B.12

1 Federal Veterinary Office, Bern, Switzerland, 2 National Animal Disease Center, Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agriculture, Iowa, USA,

3 Veterinary Laboratory Agency, Addlestone, United Kingdom, 4 AFBI-Veterinary Sciences Division, Stormont, Northern Ireland, 5 Laboratoire Départemental

Vétérinaire de l’Hérault, Montpellier, France, 6 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, 7 Unité de Zoonoses Bactériennes, AFSSA-LERPAZ, Maisons-Alfort, France,

8 Laboratoire Conseil Général de la Dordogne, France, 9 Ingenasa, Madrid, Spain, 10 Istituto Zooprofilattico dell’Umbria e delle Marche, Perugia, Italy,

11 AgResearch, Palmerston North, New Zealand, 12 Prionics AG, Schlieren, Switzerland


Switzerlandhasbeenofficiallyfreeofbovinetuberculosis(OTF)since1960.Since1980thecontrolofbovinetubercu-losis(bTB)hasbeenreducedtopassiveabattoirsurveillance.IsolatedcasesofbTB,partlyduetoreactivationofhumanMycobacterium bovisinfectionswithsubsequenttransmissiontocattle,havebeennoticedinthelastyears.InEurope,theoverallprevalenceofbTBisslightlyincreasing.BothOTFandnon-OTFcountriesreportincreasesintheproportionofbTBpositivecattleherds.CurrentbTBeradicationandcontrolprogramsinEuropearefacingarangeofchallenges.Wholeherddepopulationisbecomingalessattractiveoptionforeconomicreasonsandduetoanimalwelfareconcerns.Liveanimaltradeisincreasingbothatnationalandinternationallevels.RegardingthesetendenciesandtakingintoaccountthechronicityofbTBinfection,pre-movementtestingisbecomingincreasinglyimportantasacentraltoolforeradicationandforprotectionagainstre-introductionofbTB.Pre-movementtesting,howeverspecificallyfocusesontheinfectionstatusofindividuals,requiringahighlevelofdiagnosticaccuracytocorrectlydiagnoseinfectedanimals.CurrentscreeningtestsforbTB,however,havebeendesignedtomeetdemandsasherdtests.Thisillustratesthatthemodificationofexistingand/orthedevelopmentofnewdiagnosticsforbTBmightbeneeded.Thetuberculinskintest(TST),theprimaryscreeningtestforbTBmayincertainsituationshavelowsensitivity.Theinterferongamma(IFN-g) assayisacceptedtobemoresensitivecomparedtoTST.Reducedspecificity,however,especiallyinareasoflowbTBprevalenceraisesconcerns.NewantigencombinationsincludingRv3615c,OmpATbandothershavebeenshowntocomplementESAT-6andCFP-10inthewholebloodIFN-g assay and resulted in improved sensitivity (compared to ESAT-6andCFP-10)andspecificity(comparedtotuberculins).Lesiondetectionafterslaughterrepresentsacost-effec-tiveprocedureforpassivesurveillanceofbTB,especiallyinareasoflowprevalenceorinregionsfreeofbTB;however,itssensitivityisverylow.Thisillustratesthattradeislinkedwithacertainrisktore-introducebTBinOTFregionsorcountriesandthattheremaybedelaysindetectingare-introductionofbTB.Inconclusion,regardingthefactthatsomeparameterslinkedwithbTBprogramsarechanging,thedevelopmentofimproveddiagnostictestswithahighreliabilityforuseasindividualanimaltestswillbeimportantforfutureeradicationofbTB,inlinewithinternationalcommitmenttohighstandardanimalhealthprograms.

Reprinted from Veterinary Microbiology, 151, Schiller, I., Waters, W.R., Vordermeier, H.M., Jemmi, T., Welsh, M., Keck, N., Whelan, A., Gormley, E., Boschiroli, M.L., Moyen, J.L., Vela, C., Cagiola, M., Buddle, B.M., Palmer, M., Thacker, T., Oesch, B., Bovine tuberculosis in Europe from the perspective of an offically tuberculosis free country: trade, surveillance and diagnostics, 152-159, Copyright 2011, with permission from Elsevier.


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The relative effectiveness of, and reporting accuracy among, testers during field surveillance for bovine tuberculosis in Ireland

Clegg, T.A.1, Good, M.2, Duignan, A.2, More, S.J.1, 3


FieldsurveillanceusingtheSingleIntradermalComparativeTuberculinTest(SICTT)ispotentiallyproblematic,notingitsrelianceonarangeoffactors,includingtheskillsandexperienceofthetester.Theobjectiveofthisstudyistoquantifytherelativeeffectivenessof,andreportingaccuracyamong,testersduringfieldsurveillancefortuberculosisinIreland.Alltesterswhocarriedoutatleastoneannualherdtestin2006areincludedinthestudy.Relativetestingeffectivenesswillbeassessedbycomparingthenumberofobservedandexpectedherdrestrictionspertester.Thelatterwillbepredicted,usingalogisticregressionmodelandtesterswillberanked,basedontheratioofobservedandexpectedrestrictions.ReportingaccuracywillbebasedonthebovinemeasurementsinSICTTnegativeanimals.Thestudywillalsobeextendedtolookat2007to2010dataandtocomparechangesintherankingoftestersovertime.

A review of Irish tuberculin assays

Duignan, A.1, Costello E.2, Good M.1, Kenny K.2

1 DAFM, 2 DAFM Veterinary Laboratory Service

BovinetuberculinPPDhasbeendescribedasapoorlydefined,complexmixturecontainingmorethan100individualcomponentsinvariousstagesofdenaturationandisknowntovarywidelybothinproteincontentandantigenicprofile.Themostreliablemeasureofthepotencyofatuberculinisbyassayinthespeciesinwhichitwillberoutinelyused.DAFM routinely conducts 2-3 potency assays on bovine tuberculin each year in cattle naturally infected with M. bovis.The trials are conducted by the DAFM Veterinary Laboratory Service on tuberculins chosen at random from the supply tobeusedinthefield.Thepotencyofatuberculinisestimatedbycomparingthesizeofthereactions,elicitedbyanintradermalinoculation,tothesizeofthereactionsofa‘standard’tuberculinofknownpotency.ThisprojectwillgiveanoutlineoftheevolutionofPPDtuberculinsandanaccountofassayscarriedoutonIrishreactorcattle.


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Quality control in the national bovine tuberculosis eradication programme in Ireland

Duignan, A.1, Good, M.1, More, S.J.2, 3


TheIrishBovineTuberculosis(bTB)eradicationprogrammeoperatesundernationallegislationandfulfilstherequirementsoftheEUTradeDirective64/432.Theprogrammeincludesannualsingleindradermalcomparativetuberculintest(SICTT)screeningofallherds,promptremovaloftestreactorsandfurtherconsequentialretestingofherds.Continuousevaluationofallrelevantactivitiesisessentialtodeliveraneffectivenationalprogrammeandtoreassureallstakeholdersthatthehighestpossiblestandardsareattained.Qualitycontrol(QC)isarecognisedprocessinthedeliveryofqualityproductsorservices.ThisprojectwillpresentareviewofQCinthebTBeradica-tionprogrammeinIreland,withparticularemphasisonfieldsurveillance.AbroadrangeofprogrammeelementssubjectedtoQC,willbedescribed,includingpersonnel,training,equipment,tuberculinsandlaboratory.Particularattentionwillbepaidtofieldsurveillance(specifically,PrivateVeterinaryPractitioner(PVP)performance).

Description of opinions among stakeholders of factors affecting the quality of SICTT testing in Ireland

Meskell, P.1, Mulreany, M.2, More, S.J.3, 4

1 DAFM, 2 Institute of Public Administration, 3 UCD CVERA, 4 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine

Thesingleintradermalcomparativetuberculintest(SICTT)istheprimarymethodoffieldsurveillanceforbovinetuberculosis(bTB)inIreland,andanumberofmethodsareusedtosafeguardtestingquality.Asyet,littlehasbeendocumentedabouttheopinionsofstakeholdersonthisissue.ThepurposeofthisstudyistodescribeopinionsamongstakeholdersoffactorsaffectingthequalityofSICTTtestinginIreland.Thestudyisbeenconductedusingseveralqualitativemethods,includingfocusgroupsandsemi-structuredinterviews.


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Non-regulatory cattle health issues

Animal Health Ireland .............................................................................................. 64

Biosecure diseases

- Biosecurity ................................................................................................................ 66

- Johne’s disease ......................................................................................................... 67

- Bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) ...................................................................................... 70

- Infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR) ........................................................................ 71

- Leptospirosis ............................................................................................................. 72

Non-biosecure diseases and conditions

- Milk quality ............................................................................................................... 74

- Fertility ..................................................................................................................... 78

- Calf health ................................................................................................................ 80


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Food chain control - pre-harvest phase

More, S.J.1, 2


Aglobalapproachisneeded,fromfarmtotable,toensurethatfoodforhumansissafetoeat.Thepre-harvestphase,duringprimaryproduction,isthefirststepinthefoodchain.Controlsatthisstageofthefoodchainarecritical.Inthisdocument, attention will be paid to three broad components of food chain control in the pre-harvest phase: the safety ofanimalfeeds,animalhealth,andtraceability.Bynecessity,thisisabriefoverviewofacomplexsubject,andmore-detailedreviewsareavailable(includingSmuldersandCollins2002).

Animal Health Ireland: providing national leadership and coordination of non-regulatory animal health issues in Ireland

More, S.J.1, 2, Doherty, M.L.2, Downey, L.3, McKenzie, K.4, Devitt, C.3, O’Flaherty, J.5

1 UCD CVERA, 2 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, 3 Private consultant, 4 UCD School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Population Science,

5 Animal Health Ireland

Revue scientifique et technique / Office international des épizooties (OIE Scientific and Technical Review) 30,

715-723 (2011)

LivestockproductionplaysanimportantroleintheIrisheconomy.Regulatoryanimalhealthissuesaretheresponsibilityofgovernment,butuntilrecentlytherehasbeennonationalcoordinationofnon-regulatoryanimalhealthissues.ThisgaphasrecentlybeenfilledwiththeestablishmentofAnimalHealthIreland(AHI),anot-for-profit,partnership-basedorganisationprovidingnationalleadershipandcoordinationofnon-regulatoryanimalhealthissuesinIreland.AnimalHealthIrelandprovidesbenefitstolivestockproducersandprocessorsbyprovidingtheknowledge,educationandcoordinationrequiredtoestablisheffectivecontrolstrategies,bothon-farmandnationally.ThispaperpresentsabriefoverviewofthecontextforAHI,andofitsestablishmentandinitialactivities.Non-regulatoryanimalhealthissueshavebeenprioritised.Aseriesofworkprogrammes(eachfocusingonahigh-priorityissue)havebeenestablished.Partnershipiscriticaltosuccess,bothforAHIasanorganisationandforeffectivefarm-leveltransferofknowledge.Thismodelfornationalleadershipandcoordinationofnon-regulatoryanimalhealthissuesmaybeofrelevanceelsewhere.

Reproduced with permission from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) (www.oie.int/en/publications-and-docu-mentation/scientific-and-technical-review-free-access/list-of-issues /).


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Setting priorities for non-regulatory animal health in Ireland: results from an expert Policy Delphi study and a farmer priority identification survey

More, S.J.1, 2, McKenzie, K.3, O’Flaherty, J.4, Doherty, M.L.2, Cromie, A.R.5, Magan, M.J.4

1 UCD CVERA, 2 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, 3 UCD Institute for Food and Health, 4 Animal Health Ireland, 5 Irish Cattle Breeding Federation


AgricultureisaveryimportantcontributortotheIrisheconomy.InIreland,nationalanimalhealthserviceshavebeenagovernment,ratherthananindustry,responsibility.In2009,AnimalHealthIreland(AHI)wasestablishedtoprovideapartnershipapproachtonationalleadershipofnon-regulatoryanimalhealthissues(thosenotsubjecttonationaland/orEUregulation).Theobjectivesofthisstudyweretoelicitopinionfromexpertsandfarmersaboutnon-regulatoryanimalhealthissuesfacingIrishlivestockindustries,includingprioritisationofanimalhealthissuesandidentificationofopportunitiestomaximisetheeffectiveuseofAHIresources.ThestudywasconductedwithexpertsusingPolicyDelphimethodologyoverthreerounds,andwithfarmersusingapriorityidentificationsurvey.Non-regulatorybovinediseases/conditionswereprioritisedbybothexpertsandfarmersbasedonimpactandinternationalcompetitiveness.Foreachhigh-prioritydisease/condition,expertswereaskedtoprovideanassessmentbasedoncost,impact,internationalpercep-tion,impedimenttointernationalmarketaccessandcurrentresourceusageeffectiveness.Furtherinformationwasalsosought from experts about resource allocation preferences, methods to improve education and coordination, and innova-tivemeasurestoimprovepreventionandmanagement.Therewascloseagreementbetweenresponsesfromexpertsanddairyfarmers:eachgavehighestpriorityto3diseaseswithabiosecurityrisk(subsequentlytermed‘biosecurediseases’)(bovineviraldiarrhoea[BVD],infectiousbovinerhinotracheitis[IBR],paratuberculosis)and4diseases/conditionsgenerallywithoutabiosecurityrisk(‘non-biosecurediseases/conditions’)(fertility,udderhealth/milkquality,lameness,calfhealth).Beeffarmersalsoprioritisedparasiticconditionsandweanlingpneumonia.Theadverseimpactofbiosecurediseasesiscurrentlyconsideredrelativelyminorbyexperts,butwouldincreasesubstantiallyintime.Therearealreadysubstantialcoststofarmsandagribusinessfromnon-biosecurediseases/conditions.Expertspreferredanequalalloca-tionofresourcesbetweenthesebiosecureandnon-biosecurediseases/conditions,withemphasisonadopting/adaptinginternationalmodels,educationandawareness-raising.Theresultsfromthisstudyproviderobustinsightsaboutnon-regulatoryanimalhealthprioritiesinIreland,asperceivedbyexpertsandfarmers,usingmethodologiesthatarebothtransparentandinclusive.Theyhavealreadybeenextremelyinfluentialinshapingnationalpolicy,asafoundationforinterdisciplinary(andmulti-agency)cooperation,asacontributiontoeffortstoencouragestakeholderresponsibility-taking,andtoongoingdevelopmentofpostgraduateandundergraduateveterinaryeducationinIreland.

Reprinted from Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 95, More, S.J., McKenzie, K., O’Flaherty, J., Doherty, M.L., Cromie, A.R., Magan, M.J., Setting priorities for non-regulatory animal health in Ireland: results from an expert Policy Delphi study and a farmer priority identification survey, 198-207, Copyright 2010, with permission from Elsevier.


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Biosecure diseases

Biosecurity

Design of a model for prediction of the probability of introduction of infectious agents into animal populations

Geraghty, T.1, O’Grady, L.1, Jonsson, N.2, More, S.J.1, 3

1 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, 2 School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, 3 UCD CVERA

Theconsequencesofdiseaseintroductionintoanimalpopulationsareincreasinglyunderstood.Quantitativeriskassess-mentmodelsfordiseaseintroductionhavebeendescribedfornationalimportriskanalysisbuttheiruseatindividualfarmlevelislimited.Wedescribethedesignofaquantitativedeterministicmodeltoestimatetheprobabilityofintro-ductionofinfectiousdiseaseintosusceptibleindividualfarmpopulations.Themodelneedstotakeaccountofthreecomponents:(1)exposureofthefarmanimalstoexternal,potentialsourcesofinfection,(2)thepresenceofinfectiousagentinthepotentialinfectionsource,and(3)exposuresufficienttosupporttransmissiontoafarmanimal.Thefirstofthesecomponentsisinfluencedbyfarm-specificvariables,thethirdbyagent-specificvariablesandthesecondbyboth.Thismodeloffersadvantagesoverexistingriskassessmenttools.Totalprobabilityofdiseaseintroductionandprobabilityofintroductionfromasinglefarmvariablecanbecalculatedandusedforbenchmarkingherdsandtoidentifyhighriskfarmvariablesrespectively.

Bioexclusion of diseases from dairy and beef farms: Risks of introducing infectious agents and risk reduction strategies

Mee, J.F.1, Geraghty, T.2, O’Neill, R.3, More, S.J.2, 4

1 Teagasc Moorepark, 2 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, 3 DAFM Veterinary Laboratory Service, 4 UCD CVERA

Infectiousdiseasesrepresentamajorthreattothehealthandwelfareofcattleherdsinternationally.Introductionofinfectious agents into dairy and beef farms may be either through direct (purchased cattle, movement of resident cattle and contact with contiguous cattle) or indirect (visitors, fomites, biological materials and the environment) transmis-sionroutes.Inthisreview,theevidencesupportingthesetransmissionroutesfortheintroductionofinfectiousdiseasesispresented.Intheabsenceoferadicationprogrammesformanyendemicinfectiousdiseases,bioexclusionisthekeymanagementprocesstoreducetherisksthattheypresent.Variousameliorativebioexclusionstrategieshavebeenrecom-mendedintheliteratureandtheevidencesupportingtheseprotocolsisalsoreviewedhere.


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Risk factors associated with Johne’s disease test status in dairy herds in Ireland

Barrett, D.J.1, Mee, J.F.2, Mullowney, P.3, Good, M.3, McGrath, G.4, Clegg, T.4, More, S.J.4, 5

1 DAFM Veterinary Laboratory Service, 2 Teagasc Moorepark, 3 DAFM, 4 UCD CVERA, 5 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine


Johne’sdiseaseisachronic,granulomatousenteritisofruminantscausedbyMycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis(MAP).AlthoughtherecentprevalenceandeconomicimpactofclinicalandsubclinicalJohne’sdiseaseinIrishdairyherdshavebeenreported,therearenopublishedstudiesexaminingtheriskfactorsfordetectionofMAPbyindividualfaecalculture(IFC)inIrishdairyherds.Thisshortcommunicationdescribesacase-controlstudyaimingtoidentifytheriskfactorsassociatedwithdetectionofMAPbyIFCinIrishdairyherds.Caseherds(n=86)weredefinedasherdswithoneormoreIFC-MAP-positiveresultsintheDAFMVeterinaryLaboratoryServicedatabasefromsamplesvoluntarilysubmittedbyprivateveterinarypractitionersbetween1995and2007.Controlherds(n=125)weredefinedasherdswithnoIFC-MAP-positiveresultsintheDAFMVeterinaryLaboratoryServicedatabaseinthesameperiodandwithnoELISA-positiveanimals(over12monthsofage)inwhole-herdsamplingcarriedoutaspartofanationalserosurveyin2005.AquestionnairewasdesignedtocollectdataonherdandmanagementfactorsplausiblylinkedtothedetectionofMAPindairyherds.ThequestionsrelatedtopracticescarriedoutbeforeandaftertheyearofMAPdetectioninthecaseherdsandthesameyear(thereferenceyear)inthecontrolherds.Proportionally,morecaseherdownersoperatedadairy-onlyenterprisecomparedwithcontrolherdowners.Therewasnogeographicalclusteringinthedistributionofcaseandcontrolherds.Threesignificantriskfactors(cattleimportation,depopulationandherdsize)andoneprotectivefactor(borrowingcolostrum)remainedinthefinalmodel.WiththeimpendingabolitionofmilkquotasintheEuropeanUnionin2015,manydairyherdsarelikelytobeexpanded.ThisstudyhighlightsthepotentialbiosecurityrisksforJohne’sdiseaseassociatedwithherdexpansion.

Adapted from Veterinary Record, Barrett, D.J., Mee, J.F., Mullowney, P., Good, M., McGrath, G., Clegg, T., More, S.J., 168, 410, Copyright 2011, with permission from BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.

Genetic associations between Johne’s disease and susceptibility to Mycobacterium bovis and Mycobacterium avium subsp avium in Irish Holstein Friesian dairy cows

Bermingham, M.L.1, More, S.J.2, 3, Good, M.4, Cromie, A.R.5, Mullowney, P.4, Higgins, I.M.2, Berry, D.P.6

1 The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, 2 UCD CVERA, 3 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, 4 DAFM,

5 The Irish Cattle Breeding Federation, 6 Teagasc Moorepark

Johne’sdiseaseincattleiscausedbyMycobacterium avium subsp paratuberculosis(MAP).Arecentstudydemon-stratedthatsignificantgeneticvariationexistsforsusceptibilitytoMAPinfectioninIrishHolsteinFriesiandairycows.Nevertheless,dataonJohne’sdiseaseoccurrenceisnotcollectedroutinelyonIrishdairyfarms.TheobjectiveofthisstudywastoestimatethegeneticassociationsbetweenresistancetoMAPinfectionandmeasuresofsusceptibilitytoM. bovis and M. avium subsp aviuminfection.SerologicalresponsetoMAPwasusedasameasureofcowsusceptibilitytoJohne’sdisease.Thesingleintradermalcomparativetuberculintestwasusedasameasureofsusceptibilityofcowsto M. bovis and M. aviuminfection.Atotalof4,581cowserologicalresponsetoMAPrecords,19,663M. bovis-PPDresponsivenessrecordsand15,824M. avium-PPDresponsivenessrecordswereavailableforinclusionintheanalysis.Geneticandresidual(co)variancecomponentsbetweenserologicalresponsetoMAPandsusceptibilitytoM. bovis-PPDandM. avium-PPDresponsivenesswereestimatedusingbivariatelinearanimalmodels.SerologicalresponsetoMAPwasstronglypositivelygeneticallycorrelated(0.84±0.20)withsusceptibilitytoM. avium-PPDresponsiveness.


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Susceptibility to M. avium-PPDresponsivenesswasnotgeneticallycorrelated(0.03±0.32)withserologicalresponsetoMAP.TheresultsfromstudysuggestthatselectionforreducedM. avium-PPDresponsivenessmayindirectlyincreaseresistancetoMAPinfectionwithinthenationalHolsteinFriesiandairyherd.

Genetic variation in serological response to Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis and its association with performance in Irish Holstein-Friesian dairy cows

Berry, D.P.1, Good, M.2, Mullowney, P.2, Cromie, A.R.3, More, S.J.4, 5

1 Teagasc Moorepark, 2 DAFM, 3 Irish Cattle Breeding Federation, 4 UCD CVERA, 5 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine

livestock Science 131, 102-107 (2010)

Paratuberculosis,alsoreferredtoasJohne’sdisease,isacontagiousandchronicdiseaseinruminantscausedbyMycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis(MAP).Fewestimatesofthegeneticvariationinmeasuresofsuscep-tibilitytoMAPareavailableintheliteratureandevenlesshaveattemptedtoelucidatethegeneticassociationsbetweenmeasuresofsusceptibilitytoMAPandperformanceindairycattle.TheobjectivesofthisstudyweretoestimatethegeneticvariationinserologicalresponsetoMAPin4,789Holstein–Friesiandairycowsfrom44Irishdairyherds,andtoquantifyitsgeneticassociationwithperformancetraitsmeasuredinthefirstthreelactationsofgeneticallyrelatedanimals.Univariatemixedlinearandthresholdanimalmodelswereusedtoestimatevariancecomponentsandgeneticcorrelationswereestimatedusingbivariateanimallinearmixedmodels;MAPserologicalresponsewastreatedasacontinuousvariableanddichotomousvariable.TheprevalenceofMAPinthesamplepopulationwas4.4%.Thisfigurecannot be extrapolated to the national dairy herd as the sample population was biased towards herds with increased likelihoodofMAPinfection.EstimatesofheritabilityforMAPserologicalresponsevariedfrom0.07to0.15dependingonthemodelofanalysisandwhetherserologicalresponsewastreatedascontinuousorbinary;standarderrorsvariedfrom0.024to0.062.GeneticcorrelationsbetweenMAPserologicalresponseandlactationmilk,fatandproteinyieldwerenegativeorclosetozeroalthoughnotalwaysmorethantwostandarderrorsfromzero;strongernegativegeneticcorrelationswereevidentinolderparityanimals.SerologicalresponsetoMAPwasnotgeneticallycorrelatedwithmilkfatconcentrationbutwaspositivelygeneticallycorrelatedwithmilkproteinconcentrationinfirstlactationandnega-tivelycorrelatedwithcalvinginterval.TherewaslittleornogeneticassociationbetweenserologicalresponsetoMAPandsurvival.ResultsfromthisstudycorroboratepreviousinternationalsuggestionsthatselectionforreducedserologicalresponsetoMAPispossible,althoughthisdoesnotnecessarilyimplyaconcurrentselectionforeitherreducedpreva-lenceofclinicaldiseaseorincreasedresistancetoMAPinfection.

Reprinted from Livestock Science, 131, Berry, D.P., Good, M., Mullowney, P., Cromie, A.R., More, S.J., Genetic variation in serological response to Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis and its association with performance in Irish Holstein-Friesian dairy cows, 102-107, Copyright 2010, with permission from Elsevier.


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Control of Johne’s disease: an international review

Geraghty, T.1, Graham, D.2, Mullowney, P.3, More, S.J.1, 4

1 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, 2 Animal Health Ireland, 3 DAFM, 4 UCD CVERA

NationalbovineJohne’sdisease(JD)controlprogrammesexistinseveralcountriesincludingAustralia,Canada,Denmark,theNetherlands,theUnitedKingdomandtheUnitedStatesofAmerica.Programmedesignvarieswithindustryspecificvariables,thegoalsoftheprogrammeandthenatureoftheimplementingbody.Importantdifferencesalsoarisefromthenecessarysubjectiveinterpretationofincompletescientificliteratureinareasincludingtestreliabilityandepidemiology.OrganisationsdevelopingnewJDcontrolprogrammescanbenefitfromthecombinedexperiencesofexistingnationalcontrolprogrammes.Thisarticlereviewsthestructure(laboratoryandnon-laboratoryherdscreening,herd classification, intervention guidelines, ability to respond to new scientific developments), implementation and limi-tationsofexistingJDcontrolprogrammestoinformthedevelopmentofavoluntarynationalprogrammeinIreland.

Evaluation of alternative testing strategies for estimating likelihood of infection with Johne’s disease in Irish cattle herds

More, S.J.1, 2, Sergeant, E.S.G.3, Strain, S.4, Kenny, K.5, Cashman, W.6, Graham, D.7

1 UCD CVERA, 2 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, 3 AusVet Animal Health Services, Orange, Australia, 4 Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, Belfast,

Northern Ireland, 5 DAFM Veterinary Laboratory Service, 6 Glanmire, Cork, 7 Animal Health Ireland

AnimalHealthIreland(AHI)isfacilitatingnationaldiscussionandactiononarangeofnon-regulatoryanimalhealthissuesinIreland,includingJohne’sdisease(JD).Atechnicalworkinggroupiscurrentlyworkingtodeveloptheframe-workforavoluntarynationalJDcontrolprogramme,drawingoninternationalandnationalscienceandbest-practice.Theprogrammewillinvolveherdclassification.However,testingrequirementsforinitialherdscreeningandsubsequenttestingforJDinsuckleranddairyherdsinIrelandarecurrentlynotknown.Somedataareavailablefromearlierscien-tificwork(Sergeantet al.2008;Tavornpanichet al.2008)andcountryprogrammes,however,thesearenotdirectlyapplicabletoIreland.TheobjectiveofthecurrentprojectistodevelopandtestanepidemiologicalmodeltoevaluatearangeoftestingstrategiesinanIrishcontext,withafocusondetectionprobability(givenaspecifieddesignprevalence)andcosteffectiveness.AsimulationmodelwasdevelopedintheprogramminglanguageR.Keymodelinputsincludedtestsensitivityandspecificityestimates,thedesignprevalence,testingoptionsandtestingcosts.Onlythreetestsareconsideredinthemodel(theindividualserumELISA,theindividualmilkELISAandthefaecalculture),asthesearetheonlytestswheresufficientlyrobustscientificdataareavailablethroughinternationalpeerreviewedpublication.KeymodeloutputsincludeSeH(theprobabilitythatinfectionwillbedetected,ifpresentatthedesignprevalenceorgreater)andProbF(theprobabilitythatinfectionintheherdiseitherabsentoratverylowprevalence(lessthanthedesignprev-alence)).ProbF,whichisinfluencedbySeH,thepriorprobabilityofinfectionandtheprobabilityofintroduction,couldformthebasisforherdclassification.


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Bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD)

Considerations on BVD eradication for the Irish livestock industry

Barrett, D.J.1, More, S.J.2, 3, Graham, D.A.4, O’Flaherty, J.4, Doherty, M.L.3, Gunn, H.M.1

1 DAFM Veterinary Laboratory Service, 2 UCD CVERA, 3 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, 4 Animal Health Ireland


AnimalHealthIrelandhasproducedclearguidelinesforthecontrolofBovineViralDiarrhoea(BVD)infectioninIrishcattleherds.Inthecourseofdevelopingtheseguidelinesitwasclearthataframeworkforregionaland/ornationalBVDcontrolwouldberequiredtoincreasetheuptakeofBVDcontrolatfarmlevelandreducetheoverallprevalenceofthedisease.ThispaperassessedtheeconomicimpactofBVD,epidemiologicalaspectsofthediseasetoitscontrol,modelsofBVDcontrolandinternationalexperiencesofBVDcontrolprogrammes.Thetechnicalknowledgeandtesttech-nologyexiststoeradicateBVD.Indeed,manycountrieshavedonesosuccessfullyandothersareembarkingoncontrolofthedisease.TheidentificationandprompteliminationofPIcattlewillformthebasisofanycontrolprogramme.Thetradeofsuchanimalsmustbecurtailed.PregnantandpotentiallypregnantbovinescarryingPIfoetusesposeasignifi-cantthreat.Internationalexperienceindicatessystematic,wellcoordinatedprogrammeshavethemostsuccess,whilevoluntaryprogrammescanmakegoodinitialprogressbutultimatelyfail.Thefarmingcommunitymustbuyintoanyproposedprogramme,andwithouttheirsupport,failureislikely.TobuyintotheprogrammeandcreatesuchademandforBVDcontrol,farmersmustfirstbewellinformed.Itislikelythatstemmingeconomiclossandimprovingproduc-tivitywillbetheprimarymotivatoratindividualfarmlevel.

Copyright 2011 Barrett et al. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Aspects of bovine viral diarrhoea virus seroprevalence and vaccination in dairy and beef herds in the Republic of Ireland

Cowley, D.J.B.1, Clegg, T.A.2, Doherty, M.L.3, More, S.J.2, 3

1 MSD Animal Health, 2 UCD CVERA, 3 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine

Bovine-viraldiarrhoea(BVD)isaninfectiousdiseaseofcattlewithaworldwidedistribution.Herd-levelprevalencevariesamongEuropeanUnion(EU)memberstates,andprevalenceinformationfacilitatesdecision-makingandprogress-monitoringwithregardtocontrolanderadicationprogrammes.TheprimaryobjectiveofthepresentstudywastodescribeaspectsofherdBVDseroprevalence(basedonpooledsera)andcontrolonIrishfarms,includingvaccineusage.PreliminaryvalidationofanindirectBVDantibodyELISAtest(SVANOVA,BiotechAB,Uppsala,Sweden)usingpooledserawasconductedaspartofthepresentstudy.Thistestwasthenusedinacross-sectionalstudyofastratifiedrandomsampleof1171Irishdairyandbeefcowherdsin2009,forwhichvaccinationstatuswasdeterminedbytelephonesurvey,andtheseroprevalenceofBVDinIrelandwasestimatedinnon-vaccinatingherds.Comparisonofherd-levelclassificationwasconductedinasubsetof111dairyherdsusingthesameELISAonbulkmilktank(BMT)samples.Associationsbetweenpossibleriskfactors(herdsize(quartiles))andherd-levelprevalenceweredeterminedusingchi-squaredanalysis.Theherd-levelBVDprevalenceinnon-vaccinatingherdswas98.7%(95%CI-98.3-99.5%)inthecross-sectionalstudywithnosignificantdifferencebetweendairyandbeefherds(98.3%vs98.8%,respectively,p=0.595).95.4%agreementinherdclassificationofseroprevalencewasfoundwithbulkmilkcomparedtoserumpoolresultsinnon-vaccinatingherds.19.2percentoffarmersusedBVDVvaccine;81%ofvaccinatedherdsweredairy.Theresultsfromthisstudyindicatethatthetrueherd-levelseroprevalencetoBovineVirusDiarrhoea(BVD)virusinIreland


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isapproaching100%.ThepresentstudywillassistAnimalHealthIreland(AHI),anindustry-governmentpartnershipchargedwiththenationalleadershipandcoordinationofnon-regulatoryinfectiousdiseasesinIreland,byprovidingusefulinformationtoguidepolicyandevaluateprogresstowardscontrol.

Cost benefit analysis of Irish BVD eradication programme

Stott, A.W.1, Humphry R.W.1, Gunn G.J.1, Higgins, I.M.2, Hennessy, T.3, O’Flaherty, J.4, Graham, D.A.4

1 Scottish Agricultural College, Edinburgh, Scotland, 2 UCD CVERA, 3 Teagasc, 4 Animal Health Ireland

Bovineviraldiarrhoeavirus(BVDV)causesaneconomicallyimportantendemicdisease(BVD)ofcattleinIrelandandworldwide.Systematiceradicationbydetectionandremovalofinfectious(BVDVcarrier)cattlehasbeensuccessfulinseveralregions.Wethereforeassessedthebenefits(diseaselossesavoided)andcosts(testingandcullingregime)ofapossiblefutureeradicationprogrammeinIreland.Publishedbio-economicmodelsofBVDVspreadinbeefsucklerherdsanddairyherdswereadaptedtoestimatethebenefitsoferadicationinIreland.AsimplemodelofBVDVspreadinbeeffinisherherdswasdevisedtoestimatethebenefitsoferadicationinthissector.Asixyeareradicationprogrammeconsistingof5inter-relatedvirologicalandserologicaltestingprogrammesisoutlinedandcosted.WefoundthattheannualisedbenefitsofBVDVeradicationinIrelandexceededthecostsbyafactorof5inthebeefsucklersectorandafactorof14inthedairysector.Correspondingpaybackperiodswere1.2and0.5yearsrespectively.Theseresultshigh-lightthesignificanteconomicimpactofBVDvirusontheIrishcattleindustryandsuggestacleareconomicbenefittoeradicationusingtheproposedapproach.Thistypeofcost-benefitanalysisisconsideredanessentialprerequisitepriortoundertakinganeradicationcampaignofthismagnitude.

Infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR)

Aspects of bovine herpesvirus-1 infection in dairy and beef herds in the Republic of Ireland

Cowley, D.J.B.1, Clegg, T.A.2, Doherty, M.L.3, More, S.J.2, 3

1 MSD Animal Health, 2 UCD CVERA, 3 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine

Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica 53, 40 (2011)

Infectionwithbovineherpesvirus-1(BHV-1)causesawiderangeofdiseasemanifestations,includingrespiratorydiseaseandabortion,withworld-widedistribution.TheprimaryobjectiveofthepresentstudywastodescribeaspectsofBHV-1infectionandcontrolonIrishfarms,includingherd-levelseroprevalence(basedonpooledsera)andvaccineusage.ThecharacteristicsofadiagnosticindirectBHV-1antibodyELISAtestwhenusedonserumpoolswereevaluatedusinglabo-ratoryreplicatesforuseintheseroprevalencestudy.TheoutputfromthisindirectELISAwasexpressedasapercentagepositivity(PP)value.Aproposedcutoff(PCO)PPwasappliedinacross-sectionalstudyofastratifiedrandomsampleof1,175Irishdairyandbeefcattleherdsin2009,usingserumpools,toestimateherdseroprevalence.Thestudywasobservational,basedprimarilyontheanalysisofexistingsamples,andonlyaggregatedresultswerereported.Forthesereasons,ethicalapprovalwasnotrequired.Bulkmilksamplesfromasubsetof111dairyherdswereanalysedusingthesameELISA.Informationregardingvaccineusagewasdeterminedinatelephonesurvey.APCOPPof7.88%wasdeter-minedtogive97.1%sensitivityand100%specificityrelativetotheuseoftheELISAonindividualseragivingmaximi-zationoftheprevalenceindependentYouden’sindex,onreceiveroperatingcharacteristicsanalysisofreplicateresults.Theherd-levelBHV-1seroprevalencewas74.9%(95%CI-69.9%-79.8%),withnosignificantdifferencebetweendairyandbeefherds.95.5%agreementinherdclassificationwasfoundbetweenbulkmilkandserumpools.Only1.8percent


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offarmersusedBHV-1markervaccine,80%ofwhichwaslivewhile75%ofvaccinatedherdsweredairy.Asignificantassociationwasfoundbetweenherdsize(quartiles)andseroprevalence(quartiles).TheresultsfromthisstudyindicateBHV-1infectionisendemic,althoughBHV-1vaccinesarerarelyused,inthecattlepopulationinIreland.

Copyright 2011 Cowley et al. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Dynamics of individual animal Bovine Herpes Virus-1 antibody status on 9 commercial dairy herds

Geraghty, T.1, O’Neill, R.2, More, S.J.1, 3, O’Grady, L.1

1 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, 2 DAFM Veterinary Laboratory Service, 3 UCD CVERA

Research in Veterinary Science (in press)

BovineHerpesVirus1(BoHV-1)isanimportantviraldiseaseofcattleworldwide.Inendemicallyinfectedherds,thereisanincompleteunderstandingoftheepidemiologyofBoHV-1infection.Wedescribethedynamicsofanimal-levelBoHV-1antibodystatuson9endemicallyinfectedcommercialdairyherds,basedontheresultsofserialmilkantibodytesting.Resultswereusedtoidentifyprimaryexposure,secondaryexposure(fromre-activationorre-exposure)anddevelopmentoftest-negativelatentcarrier(TNLC)status.4,153testresultsfrom828cow-lactationswereanalysed.Primaryexposureoccurredontwoherds,secondaryexposureoccurredonallherdsanddevelopmentofTNLCstatusoccurredineightherds.Incidenceofsecondaryexposurereducedovertimeandmayhavebeenrelatedtoincreasingtimesinceparturition.Regularsecondaryexposureisrequiredtomaintainmeasurableantibodystatus.

Reprinted from Research in Veterinary Science, Geraghty, T., O’Neill, R., More, S.J., O’Grady, L., Dynamics of individual animal Bovine Herpes Virus-1 antibody status on 9 commercial dairy herds, in press, Copyright 2012, with permission from Elsevier.

Leptospirosis

Seroprevalence of Leptospira Hardjo in the Irish suckler cattle population

Ryan, E.G.1, Leonard, N.1, O’Grady, L.1, More, S.J.1, 2, Doherty, M.L.1

1 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, 2 UCD CVERA

Priortothepresentstudy,theseroprevalenceofleptospirosisinIrishsucklerherdswasunknown.Inthisstudy,wedescribe the herd and animal-level prevalence of LeptospiraHardjoinfectionintheIrishsucklercattlepopulation.Forthepurposesofthestudy,the26countiesoftheRepublicofIrelandweredividedinto6regionsfromwhicharepresentativenumberofherdswereselected.Aherdwasconsideredeligibleforsamplingifitwasnotvaccinatingagainst leptospirosis and if it contained ≥9breedinganimalsofbeefbreed≥12monthsofage.Intotal,288randomlyselectedherdswereeligibleforinclusionintheseroprevalencedatasetanalysis.Serologicaltestingwascarriedoutusingacommerciallyavailablemonoclonalantibody-captureELISA,(sensitivity100%;specificity86.67%).Herdswerecategorisedaseither“freefrominfection”or“infected”usingtheepidemiologicalsoftwaretool,FreeCalc2.0.Usingthisclassification,237herdswere“infected”(82.29%).TheSouthWestandSouthEastregionshadthehighestherdpreva-lence.Theregionaleffectonherdprevalencewaslargelymirroredbybreedingherdsize.Atrueanimal-levelprevalenceof41.75%wascalculatedusingtheepidemiologicalsoftwaretool,TruePrev.Therewasastatisticallysignificantregional


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trend,withtrueprevalencebeinghighestintheSouthEast(P<0.05).ThemedianBreedingHerdSize(BHS),whencategorisedintoquartiles,hadastatisticallysignificantinfluenceonindividualanimaltrueseroprevalence(P<0.001);trueseroprevalenceincreasedwithincreasingBHS.LeptospirosisisawidespreadendemicdiseaseintheRepublicofIreland.ItispossiblethateconomiclossesduetoleptospirosisinunvaccinatedIrishsucklerherdsmaybeunderestimated.

Herd-level risk factors associated with Leptospira Hardjo seroprevalence in the Republic of Ireland

Ryan, E.G.1, Leonard, N.1, O’Grady, L.1, Doherty, M.L.1, More, S.J.1, 2


TheaimofthepresentstudywastoinvestigateriskfactorsforherdseropositivitytoLeptospira HardjoinIrishsucklerherds.Herdswereconsideredeligibleforthestudyiftheywereunvaccinatedandcontained≥9breedinganimalsofbeef breed which were ≥12monthsofage.Thecountrywasdividedintosixregionsusingcountyboundaries.Herdandindividualanimalprevalencedatawereavailablefromtheresultsofaconcurrentseroprevalencestudy.Herdswereclas-sifiedas“freefromInfection”or“infected”ataminimumexpected40%within-herdprevalence.Questionnaireswerepostedto320herdschosenrandomlyfrom25countiesintheRepublicofIreland.Thequestionnairewasdesignedtoobtaininformationaboutvaccination;reproductivedisease;breedingherddetails;thepresenceofrecognisedriskfactorsfrompreviousstudies;andhusbandryoneachfarm.Datacollectedfrom128eligibleherds(n=128)weresubjectedtostatisticalanalysis.FollowingtheuseofPearson’sChi-SquareTest,thosevariablesassociatedwithaherdbeing“infected”with a significance level of P<0.2wereconsideredascandidatesformultivariablelogisticregressionmodelling.Breedingherdsizewasfoundtobeastatisticallysignificantriskfactoraftermultivariablelogisticregression.Theoddsofaherdbeingpositiveforleptospiralinfectionwere5.47timeshigher(P=0.032)inherdswith14to23breedinganimalscompared with herds with ≤13breedinganimals,adjustingforregion,and7.08timeshigher(P=0.033)inherdswith32.6to142breedinganimals.BreedingherdsizewasidentifiedasasignificantriskfactorforleptospiralinfectioninIrishsucklerherds,whichwassimilartofindingsofpreviousstudiesofleptospirosisindairyherds.


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Non-biosecure diseases and conditions

Milk quality

A HACCP-based approach to mastitis control in dairy herds. Part 1: Development

Beekhuis-Gibbon, L.1, Whyte, P.1, O’Grady, L.1, More, S.J.1, 2, Doherty, M.L.1



HazardAnalysisandCriticalControlPoints(HACCP)systemsareariskbasedpreventiveapproachdevelopedtoincreaselevelsoffoodsafetyassurance.Thisispart1ofapilotstudyonthedevelopment,implementationandevalua-tionofaHACCP-basedapproachforthecontrolofgoodudderhealthindairycows.ThepaperdescribestheuseofanovelapproachbasedonadeconstructionoftheinfectiousprocessinmastitistoidentifyCriticalControlPoints(CCPs)anddevelopaHACCP-basedsystemtopreventandcontrolmastitisindairyherds.TheapproachinvolvedthecreationofanInfectiousProcessFlowDiagram,whichwasthencross-referencedtotwoproductionprocessflowdiagramsofthemilkingprocessandcowmanagementcycle.TheHACCPplandeveloped,maybesuitableforcustomisationandimple-mentationondairyfarms.Thisisalogical,systematicapproachtothedevelopmentofamastitiscontrolprogrammethatcouldbeusedasatemplateforthedevelopmentofcontrolprogrammesforotherinfectiousdiseasesinthedairyherd.

Copyright 2011 Beekhuis-Gibbon et al. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.


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A HACCP-based approach to mastitis control in dairy herds. Part 2: Implementation and evaluation

Beekhuis-Gibbon, L.1, Devitt, C.2, Whyte, P.1, O’Grady, L.1, More, S.J.1, 3, Redmond, B.2, Quin, S.2, Doherty, M.L.1

1 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, 2 UCD School of Applied Social Science, 3 UCD CVERA


Part1ofthestudydescribedthedevelopmentofaHazardAnalysisandCriticalControlPoint(HACCP)basedprogrammeandaccompanyinghandbookforthecontrolofmastitis.Thispaperdescribestheimplementationandevalu-ationofcustomisedHACCP-basedprogrammes,whichweredevelopedfromthehandbookandassessedonsixIrishdairyfarms.Bothquantitativeandqualitative(actionresearch)researchmethodologieswereusedtomeasurethesuccessof implementation and efficacy of control of sub-clinical mastitis as measured by Somatic Cell Counts (SCC) and the degree of compliance by farmers in adopting and maintaining recommendations throughout the course of the study period.NooveralldifferencesinSCCbeforeandduringtheimplementationofthestudywerefoundwhenallsixfarmswereconsideredtogether.ThreeofthesixstudyfarmsexperiencedasignificantdecreaseinherdmilkrecordedSCCduringtheimplementationofthecontrolprogramme.Anessentialpartofthestudywasachievinginitialagreementonrecommendationsaswellasongoingmonitoringofcomplianceduringthestudy.ThispilotstudyshowsthatHACCPcanbeimplementedonfarmsasameansofworkingtowardsthecontrolofmastitisandthatfarmerattitude,andunder-standingofmastitisarecrucialintermsofmotivationirrespectiveofpracticalapproachesusedtomanagemastitis.

Copyright 2011 Beekhuis-Gibbon et al. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

An estimation of the effect of dilution due to milk yield on milk somatic cell count across cow parities in a grass-based system

Boland, F.1, Kelly, P.T.2, O’Sullivan, K.3, Berry, D.P.4, O’Brien, B.4, More, S.J.5, 6

1 UCD School of Mathematical Sciences, 2 Munster AI, 3 University College Cork, 4 Teagasc Moorepark, 5 UCD CVERA, 6 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine

ThisstudyinvestigatestheinfluenceofparityontheassociationbetweenSCCandmilkyield.Itiswellrecognised,basedonpublishedinternationalwork,thathighSCCsareassociatedwithadropinmilkyield.Asyet,however,thereislimitedunderstandingoftherelativeimportanceofthiseffectacrossdifferentparities.Theresultsareimportant,bothfromtheperspectiveofimprovedscientificknowledge,andalsotoprovidekeyparametersfortheTeagascMooreparkeconomicmodelingofmastitisimpact.

The relationship between herd size in Ireland and milk somatic cell counts: A retrospective cohort study

Canty, M.J.1, Higgins, I.1, McGrath, G.1, More, S.J.1, 2


StudiesexaminingtherelationshipbetweenherdsizeandelevatedSCChaveconflictingreportsoftheassociationbetweenthetwo.ThemainobjectiveofthisstudywastodeterminetherelationshipbetweenherdsizeinIrelandandelevatedindividualcowgeometricmean24hmilkSCCabove200,000cells/ml[MSCC200]andabove400,000cells/


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ml[MSCC400]inanentirelactation,andtodeterminetheinfluenceofherdexpansionontheseparameters.IndividualcowmonthlycompositemilkrecordingsfromallIrishcowsenrolledwithICBFwereobtainedfor2009.Multivariablerandomeffectlogisticregressionmodelswerefitted.Theeffectofherdexpansionwasexaminedbyfittinganinterac-tiontermbetweenherdsizeandherdexpansion.Resultsshowthat26.25%and10.68%ofcowshadMSCC200andMSCC400,respectively.Themajorityofthesecows(62.59%)werefromherdsthathadnotexpanded(33.45%)orhadundergone ≤15%expansion(29.14%)inthepastfouryears.HerdsizewasassociatedwithMSCC200andMSCC400afteradjustingforanumberofvariables,withtheoddsofMSCC200andMSCC400higherinlargerherds.Therewasnointeractionbetweenherdsizeandherdexpansioninthemodelsfitted.InIreland,largermilkrecordingherdsmayneedtopayparticularattentiontotheirSCCstatus.Caution,however,shouldbetakenwheninterpretingtheresultsoftheeffectofherdsizefromthisandotherstudiesonSCCduetodifferenceindeterminationandcategorisationofherdsize.Resultsalsorevealthattherewaslittleherdexpansioninthesemilkrecordingherdsoverthefouryearsexamined.However,thismaychangesignificantlyinthenearfuturegiventhegrowingglobaldemandfordairyproducts.

Drivers and constraints to improving milk quality in Ireland

Devitt, C.1, McKenzie, K.2, Heanue, K.3, More, S.J.4, 5, McCoy, F.6

1 Private consultant, 2 Motiveworks, 3 Teagasc, 4 UCD CVERA, 5 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, 6 Animal Health Ireland

Approximately85%ofannualproductionfromIreland’sdairyindustryisexported,highlightingtheneedforongoingimprovementinqualityinacompetitiveinternationaltradingenvironment.However,severalrecentstudieshavehighlightedconcernswithudderhealth/mastitisandassociatedintramammaryantibioticusageonIrishdairyfarms.CellCheck,anationalmastitiscontrolprogramme,waslaunchedbyAnimalHealthIreland(AHI)inlate2010.Aprocesscalled‘terrain-mapping’wasconductedtounderstandindustrychallengesanddriverstomilkqualityimprovement.In-depthqualitativeinterviewswere completed with n=12representativesfromdifferentsectorsoftheIrishdairyindustry.Disagreementexistsinacknowledgingindividualstakeholderresponsibilityincontributingtomilkqualityimprovement,andinagreeingonthebestwayforward.Thisisdespiteconsensusontheneedtoredefinequalitymilkabovecurrentregulatorystandards, and of the common recognition of opportuni-ties.Disagreementstranslateintoconcernsaboutlackofcommitment and active response to what should be an integratedindustry-ledresponse.Opportunitiesforincre-mentalchangeintheIrishdairysectorareunderminedbyan emphasis on maintaining the private good over contrib-utingtothepublicgood.AnimalHealthIrelandprovidesanopportunitytobuildstakeholderagreement.


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Current practices to manage milk quality on Irish dairy farms

McCoy, F.1, Devitt, C.2, McKenzie, K.3, More, S.J.4, 5, Heanue, K.6

1 Animal Health Ireland, 2 Private consultant, 3 Motiveworks, 4 UCD CVERA, 5 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, 6 Teagasc

ApilotprogrammeoffarmerworkshopswasrecentlyconductedaspartofthenationalCellCheckmilkqualityprogramme.Theobjectiveofthisworkshopwastodeliverbestscience&practiceinformationaroundmastitiscontroltofarmers,andtoencouragetheuptakeofkeybestpracticesineverydaymilkingroutines.Anopportunityarose,aspartofthispilot,toreportcurrentpracticestomanagemilkqualityonIrishdairyfarms.Thisprojectreportsthesefindings,withearlyresultshighlightingdifferencesbetweenthereportedfrequencyofkeybehaviours,andthequalityofthesebehaviours,includinglinerchangeandteatdisinfection.

Mapping milk production in Ireland

McGrath, G.1, Clegg, T.1

1 UCD CVERA

ThisprojectseekstopresentanationalmapofmilkproductionbasedondatasuppliedbytheIrishCattleBreedingFederationformilkrecordingherds.AGeographicalInformationSystemwillbeemployedtogenerateatriangularirregularnetworktocreateasurfacethatwillberepresentativeoftheentirecountrybasedonasampleofapproximately6,000herds.

Insights into udder health and intramammary antibiotic usage on Irish dairy farms during 2003-2010

More, S.J.1, 2, Clegg, T.A.1, O’Grady, L.2


ThispaperpresentsinsightsintoudderhealthandintramammaryantibioticusageonIrishdairyfarmsduring2003-2010,basedondatafromseveralsources.Threedatasourceswereused,includingdataonmilkrecordingdata,intramammaryanti-bioticsalesandanimalhealthassessment.Themilkrecordingdataincludedasingleunadjustedherd-levelsomaticcellcount(SCC)valueforeachherdateachmilkrecording,beingthearithmeticmeanofcow-levelSCCofeachcowatthatrecording,weightedbycow-levelyield.ThesedatawereusedtocalculatethepercentageofherdseachmonthwheretheunadjustedherdSCCexceeded200,000and400,000cells/mL.Twologisticgeneralisedestimating-equations(GEE)modelsweredeveloped,theoutcomevariablebeingeithertheprobabilitythatthemonthlySCCofaherdwasgreaterthan400,000cells/mLorlessthanorequalto200,000cells/mL.SpringherdshadalowerprobabilityofahighSCC(>400,000cells/mL)duringFebruarytoOctobercomparedtonon-SpringherdsbutahigherprobabilitybetweenNovembertoJanuary.TheoddsofahighSCCweregreaterin2005,2006,2009and2010butlessin2007and2008comparedto2004.SmallerherdshadhigheroddsofhavingahighSCCcomparedtolargerherds.Wepresentthenumberofintramammarytubesandthequantityofactivesubstance(kg)soldannuallyinIrelandduring2003-2010.Weinferanincidenceofclinicalmastitisof54.7casesper100cow-yearsatrisk,assuming4tubespertreatmentregime,oneaffectedquarterpercow,tubesrestrictedtoclinicalcasesonlyand100%oftreatedcasesconsiderednewcases,basedondatacollectedonsalesofin-lactationintra-mammaryantibiotics.Withdifferingassumptions,thisestimatevariedbetween26.1and77.9casesper100cow-yearsatrisk.Usingdataonsalesofdrycowtherapyintra-mammaryantibiotics,wealsoinferthatmostIrishdairyfarmersuseblanketdrycowtherapy.UdderhealthisaconcernonanumberofIrishdairyfarms.HighSCCresultswerepresentthroughouttheyear,butmoremarkedtowardsthestartandendofeachmilkingseason.AnimalHealthIrelandrecentlycommencedamajornationalprogramme,CellCheck,incollaborationwithabroadrangeofstakeholders,tosupportnationalSCCimprovement.


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The effect of data adjustment for somatic cell counts, as outlined in EU legislation, on herd eligibility to supply raw milk for human consumption

More, S.J.1, 2, Clegg, T.A.1, O’Grady, L.2


RegulatorySCClimitshavebeenestablishedinmanydairyproducingcountries,toimprovemilkqualityandherdproductivity.WithintheEuropeanUnion,rawmilkmustcomplywithmicrobiologicalcriteriaandstandardsforplatecountandsomaticcellcount,asrequiredunderEURegulation853/2004.Inthecurrentstudy,weexaminetheeffectofdataadjustmentforsomaticcellcounts,asoutlinedincurrentEUlegislation,onherdeligibilitytosupplyrawmilkforhumanconsumption,usingIrishdataforillustration.

Fertility

Breeding soundness evaluation of 36 bulls with reduced reproductive performance: a retrospective study

Beltman, M.E.1, Canty, M.J.2


Theobjectiveofthisstudywastodeterminethefertilitystatusof36bullspresentedwithahistoryofreducedreproduc-tiveperformancetoUniversityVeterinaryHospital,UniversityCollegeDublinbetween27/11/2006and14/03/2011.Afullbreedingsoundnessevaluation(BSE)wasperformedonallbullsbythesameclinicianatsubmission.ComponentsoftheBSEincludedafullgeneralclinicalexam,assessmentofthelocomotionsystemandassessmentofthereproductivetract.Reproductivetractevaluationcomprisedmeasurementofthescrotalcircumference(cm),assessmentoftesticlesforshame,symmetryandconsistency.Thepenisandprepucewereassessedbyinspectionandpalpationandtheaccessoryglandswereassessedviarectalpalpation.Subsequentlyasemensamplewasobtainedbyelectro-ejaculation.Followingsemencollectiontheparametersassessedwere;volumeoftheejaculate(ml),colouroftheejaculate(1=almostclear,2=skimmilk,3=milk),spermconcentration(x106),spermmotility(1to5),percentagelivesperm(%)andpercentagenormalsperm(%).Theseresultswereusedtoclassifyanimalsasfertile,sub-fertileorinfertileonthedayofexamination.Achi-squaretestwasusedtoassesstheunadjustedrelationshipbetweenfertilityclassificationandcolour,andfertilityclassificationandmotility.Ageatexamination,scrotalcircumference,semenvolume,concentration,percentagelivespermandpercentagenormalsperm,allcontinuousvariablesweredividedintocategoricalvariablesbasedonquartiles.Theaverageageofbullsatexaminationwas2.7±0.21years(range1.2–5.8).Noneofthe36bullspresentedwithphys-icalabnormalities.AftertheBSEandsemenevaluation,15wereclassifiedasfertile,8assub-fertileand13asinfertile.Colour (P<0.001)andmotility(P=0.05)weresignificantlyassociatedwithfertilityclassification.Afterconvertingfromcontinuous to categorical variables, concentration (P<0.001)andpercentagelivesperm(P=0.002)werealsoassociatedwithfertilityclassification.Ofthosebullsclassifiedasinfertile,motilespermwerefoundinonly3samplesexamined.Inconclusion,BSEwasperformedon36bullswithquestionablefertility.Ofthese36bulls,nonewerephysicallyabnormaland15/36(42%)hadnormalsemen.Oftheparametersmeasuredcolouroftheejaculate,spermmotilityaswellasconcentrationandpercentagelivespermweredirectlyrelatedtooverallfertilityoutcome.


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Effect of body condition score at key reproductive stages and vaginal mucus score on production and reproduction parameters in dairy cows

Beltman, M.E.1, Duane, M.1, Canty, M.J.2, Mulligan, F.J.1


Theobjectivesweretwo-fold:i)toinvestigatetheeffectofBodyConditionScore(BCS)atcalvingandat1stserviceonthefollowingproductionandreproductionparameters:vaginalmucusscoreat3-4weekspostpartum,calving-1stservice,calving-conception,numberofserves,peakdailymilkyield,milkfatandproteinat1stmilkrecording,averagemilkyieldduringdurationofthestudy,conceptionratesto1stand2ndserviceandoverallpregnancyrate,andii)toinvestigatetheeffectofvaginalmucusscoreat3-4weekspostpartumonthesameparameters,aswellastotalyieldfatandprotein.NinetyspringcalvingFriesian/Holsteincowsonacommercialdairyfarmwereused.BCSwasrecordedonascalefrom1-5atcalvingandat1stserviceandvaginalmucusscorewasrecordedbetween3and4weekspostpartumonascalefrom0-3.AllotherproductionandreproductionparameterswerecollectedattheendofthebreedingseasonandalldatawereanalysedusingChisquareanalysis.CowswithaBCSlowerthan2.5atcalvingtendedtohavealongercalving-1stserviceinterval(p=0.068).ThegroupofcowsthathadaBCSof2.5hadasignificantlylower(p=0.04)overallpregnancyrateandreceivedmoreservicesthanallotherBCSgroups.CowswithaBCSof2.25at1stservicehada lower pregnancy rate than the cows in all the other groups, but these cows also tended to have received less services per conception.Cowswithahighvaginalmucusscoreatcalvinghadasignificantlower(p<0.05)averagedailymilkyieldintheexperimentalperiodandasignificantlowertotalyieldprotein.Inconclusion,lowBCShadanegativeeffectonsomeof the reproductive parameters measured and uterine infection as measured by vaginal mucus score had a negative effect onsomeoftheproductionparameters.

Key factors affecting dairy cow fertility in Ireland - pilot study

Lane, E.A.1, Beltman, M.2, More, S.J.1, 2


The analysis of herd management records allows for accurate assessment of the current status of the herd, a crucial deci-sionmakingtooltoimplementeffectivechange.Theaimofthisstudyistoevaluatetherelativeimportanceofsomecowandmanagementfactorsonreproductiveindicesinmoderateyieldingseasonaldairyherds.Breedingrecordsofallcowswerecollectedon10seasonalcalvingherds,duringherdhealthvisits,between2007and2009.Individualcowidentities(n=1,174),calvingdate,allservicedates,lactationnumber,andpregnancydiagnosisoutcomeswererecordedforallmilkingcows.Logisticregressionmodellingwillbeusedtodeterminetheeffectofcowfactorsincludingparity,timingofcalvingrelativetostartofbreedingseasonandnumberofdayspostpartumatfirstservice,onreproductiveindices.Herdfactorsincludingaverageheatdetectionefficiencyandherdsizewillbeinvestigated.

Key factors affecting dairy cow fertility in Ireland - larger study

Lane, E.A.1, More, S.J.1, 2


The analysis of herd management records allows for accurate assessment of the current status of the herd, a crucial deci-sionmakingtooltoimplementeffectivechange.Monitoringofsuchchangestoensuretheireffectivenessisessentialtothesuccessofanyprogramme,while,participationindiscussiongroups,allowsforpeercomparisons,akeyfactorinmotivatingherdmanagementchange.Theaimofthispaperistocalculatethefertilityindicesofherdsrecordedon


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theIrishCattleBreedingFederation(ICBF)’sdatabasetoenableeffectiveevaluationofthefertilityperformanceoftheIrishdairyherdandtodeterminethekeydriversofinfertilityintheIrishdairyherd.Breedingrecorddataofthe2009breedingseasonfromallspringcalvingIrishdairyherdsregisteredforICBF’sHerdPlusservice,thathadaminimumofsixrecordingsduring2009,werecollectedfromdatabase.Individualcowidentities(jumbotagandnationalidentifiers),dateofbirth,lactationnumber,EstimatedBreedingIndex(EBI;milkandfertility)2009calvingdate,allservicedates,sireandinseminatorforeachservice,pregnancydiagnosisoutcomes,subsequentcalvingdate,recordedmilkyields,fatandproteinconcentrationsateachrecordingperiodweregatheredforallmilkingcowswithineachherd.Logisticregres-sionmodellingusingthestatiscalpackageSTATAwillbeutilizedtoanalysethedataset.Analyseswillbeconductedatanimalleveltakingclusteringwithinherdintoaccount.

Calf health

Calf health from birth to weaning. I. General aspects of disease prevention

Lorenz, I.1, Mee, J.F.2, Earley, B.3, More, S.J.1, 4

1 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, 2 Teagasc Moorepark, 3 Teagasc Grange, 4 UCD CVERA


Calfhooddiseaseshaveamajorimpactontheeconomicviabilityofcattleoperations.Thisisthefirstinathreepartreviewseriesoncalfhealthfrombirthtoweaning,focusingonpreventivemeasures.Thereviewconsidersbothpre-andperiparturient management factors influencing calf health, colostrum management in beef and dairy calves and further nutritionandweaningindairycalves.

Copyright 2011 Lorenz et al. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Calf health from birth to weaning. II. Management of diarrhoea in pre-weaned calves

Lorenz, I.1, Fagan, J.2, More, S.J.1, 3

1 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, 2 DAFM Veterinary Laboratory Service, 3 UCD CVERA


Calfhooddiseaseshaveamajorimpactontheeconomicviabilityofcattleoperations.Thesecondofthisthreepartreviewseriesconsidersthemanagementofdiarrhoeicdiseasesinpre-weanedcalves.Inneonatalcalfdiarrhoea,oralrehydration therapy is the single most important therapeutic measure to be carried out by the farmer and is usually successfulifinstigatedimmediatelyafterdiarrhoeahasdeveloped.Continuedfeedingofmilkormilkreplacertodiarrhoeiccalvesisimportant,topreventmalnourishmentandweightlossinaffectedcalves.Indiscriminativeanti-biotic treatment of uncomplicated diarrhoea is discouraged, whereas systemically ill calves can benefit from systemic antibiotictreatmentforthepreventionofsepticaemiaorconcurrentdiseases.Ancillarytreatmentsandspecificpreventivemeasuresarediscussed.Eimeriosishasahigheconomicimpactonthefarmingindustriesduetodirectcost of treatment and calf losses, but especially due to decreased performance of clinically as well as sub-clinically


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affectedanimals.Emphasisliesonprophylacticormetaphylactictreatment,sincethedegreeofdamagetotheintes-tinalmucosaoncediarrhoeahasdeveloped,makestherapeuticinterventionunrewarding.


Calf health from birth to weaning. III. Housing and management of calf pneumonia

Lorenz, I.1, Earley, B.2, Gilmore, J.3, Hogan, I.4, Kennedy, E.5, More, S.J.1, 6

1 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, 2 Teagasc Grange, 3 Emlagh Lodge Veterinary Centre, 4 DAFM Veterinary Laboratory Service,

5 Teagasc Moorepark, 6 UCD CVERA


Calfhooddiseaseshaveamajorimpactontheeconomicviabilityofcattleoperations.Athreepartreviewserieshasbeendevelopedfocusingoncalfhealthfrombirthtoweaning.Inthispaper,thelastofthethreepartseries,wereviewdisease prevention and management with particular reference to pneumonia, focusing primarily on the pre-weaned calf.Pneumoniainrecentlyweanedsucklercalvesisalsoconsidered,wherethekeyriskfactorsarerelatedtothetimeofweaning.Weaningofthesucklercalfisoftencombinedwithadditionalstressorsincludingachangeinnutrition,environmentalchange,transportandpainfulhusbandryprocedures(castration,dehorning).Thereductionofthecumu-lative effects of these multiple stressors around the time of weaning together with vaccination programmes (precondi-tioning)canreducesubsequentmorbidityandmortalityinthefeedlot.Inmoststudies,calveshousedindividuallyandcalveshousedoutdoorswithshelter,areassociatedwithdecreasedriskofdisease.Eventhoughitposesgreatermanage-mentchallenges,successfulgrouphousingofcalvesispossible.Specialemphasisshouldbegiventoequalagegroupsandtokeepinggroupsstableoncetheyareformed.Themanagementofpneumoniaincalvesisreliantonasoundunderstandingofaetiology,relevantriskfactorsandofeffectiveapproachestodiagnosisandtreatment.Earlysignsofpneumoniaincludeincreasedrespiratoryrateandfever,followedbydepression.Thesinglemostimportantfactordeter-miningthesuccessoftherapyincalveswithpneumoniaisearlyonsetoftreatment,andsubsequentadequatedurationoftreatment.Theefficacyandeconomicalviabilityofvaccinationagainstrespiratorydiseaseincalvesremainsunclear.


Calf mortality in Ireland

Lorenz, I.1, Higgins, I.M.2, Canty, M.J.2


TheobjectiveofthisstudyistodeterminethemortalityrateofallcalvesinIrelandbornbetween1stJuly2009and31stJune2010,andtoidentifyriskfactorsassociatedwithcalfmortality.

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Other animal health and welfare issues

Animal welfare ......................................................................................................... 84

- Bovine welfare .......................................................................................................... 84

- Equine health and welfare ........................................................................................ 87

- Porcine welfare ......................................................................................................... 91

Emergency issues ..................................................................................................... 92

Transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) .................................................. 93

Q fever ...................................................................................................................... 94

Companion animal epidemiology ........................................................................... 96

Cadmium exposure in cattle ................................................................................... 98

International collaboration ..................................................................................... 99

Miscellaneous ......................................................................................................... 101


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Animal welfare

Bovine welfare

A review of bovine cases consigned under veterinary certification to emergency and casualty slaughter in Ireland during 2006 to 2008

Cullinane, M.1, O’Sullivan, E.2, Collins, G.1, Collins, D.M.3, More, S.J.3, 4

1 DAFM, 2 Cork County Council, 3 UCD CVERA, 4 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine

Irish Veterinary Journal 63, 568-577 (2010)

Theemergencyandcasualtyslaughterofcattleforhumanconsumption(incaseswhereanimalsarelikelytohavesufferedfromacuteorchronicpain,respectively)inIrelandrequiresthattheanimalisaccompaniedtotheslaughter-housebyanofficialveterinarycertificate(VC)completedon-farmbytheowner’sprivateveterinarypractitioner(PVP).NopublisheddataiscurrentlyavailableinIrelandbasedoninformationprovidedintheseVCs.Inthispaper,wepresentareviewofbovinecasesconsignedunderveterinarycertificationtoemergencyandcasualtyslaughterinIrelandduring2006to2008.AllVCsduringtheyears2006(whereavailable),2007and2008werecollectedfromfourlargeIrishslaughterhouses.Thedatawerecomputerized,andanalysedusingdescriptiveandspatialmethods.Intotal,1,255VCswereenrolledintothestudy(1,255studyanimals,1,072studyherds),798(63.6%)and457(36.4%)animalswereconsignedtoemergencyandcasualtyslaughter,respectively.VCswerecompletedthroughouttheyear,withconsignedanimalstravellingameandistanceof27.2kmfromfarmtoslaughter.Thetimeelapsedbetweenveterinarycertificationandslaughterwasgreaterthanthreedaysfor18.2%ofallstudyanimals.In965(76.9%)animals,thecertifiedsuspecteddisabilityrelatedtothelocomotorysystem,mostcommonlyasaresultoffractures.Amonganimalsforwhichdatawereavailable,11.9%weretotallycondemnedatpost-mortem.Thetransportofanimalswithfracturedlimbsand/orotherpainfulconditionsisasignificantanimalwelfareconcern.

Printed with permission from the Irish Veterinary Journal.

Veterinary certificates for emergency or casualty slaughter bovine animals in Ireland: are the welfare needs of certified animals adequately protected?

Cullinane, M.1, O’Sullivan, E.2, Collins, G.1, Collins, D.M.3, More, S.J.3, 4

1 DAFM, 2 Cork County Council, 3 UCD CVERA, 4 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine

AllemergencyandcasualtybovinesintheRepublicofIrelandthataredeemedtobefitforhumanconsumptionmustbeaccompaniedtotheslaughterhousebyanofficialveterinarycertificate(VC).Inapreviousstudy,Cullinaneet al.(2010)conductedareviewofbovinecasesconsignedunderveterinarycertificationtoemergencyandcasualtyslaughterinIrelandduring2006to2008.Thecurrentstudywillfurtherevaluatetheoriginalresults,withemphasisontheperiodofvalidity,transportdistanceandtransportconditions.ItwillalsoconsiderwhetherornotthecurrentVCadequatelyprotectsthewelfareneedsofthecertifiedbovineanimal.


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Identification of key performance indicators for on-farm animal welfare incidents: possible tools for early warning and prevention

Kelly, P.C.1, More, S.J.2, 3, Blake, M.1, Hanlon, A.J.2



TheobjectiveofthisstudywastodescribeaspectsofcasestudyherdsinvestigatedbytheDepartmentofAgriculture,FoodandtheMarine(DAFM)inwhichanimalwelfareincidentsoccurredandtoidentifykeyperformanceindica-tors(KPIs)thatcanbemonitoredtoenhancetheEarlyWarningSystem(EWS).DespiteanEWSbeinginplaceforanumberofyears,animalwelfareincidentscontinuetooccur.QuestionnairesregardingwelfareincidentsweresenttoSuperintendingVeterinaryInspectors(SVIs),resultingin18herdsbeingchosenascasestudyherds,12ofwhichhadaclearlydefinedwelfareincidentdate.Foreachstudyherd,dataonsixpotentialKPIswereextractedfromDAFMdatabases.TheKPIsforthoseherdswithaclearlydefinedwelfareincidentdatewerestudiedforaconsecutivefouryearwindow,withthefourthyearbeingthe‘incidentyear’,whenthewelfareincidentwasdisclosed.Forstudyherdswithoutaclearlydefinedwelfareincidentdate,theKPIsweredeterminedonayearlybasisbetween2001and2009.Wefoundthat the late registration of calves, the use of on-farm burial as a method of carcase disposal, an increasing number of movestoknackeriesovertimeandrecordsofanimalsmovedto‘herdunknown’werenotableonthecasefarms.FourKPIswereprominentonthecasestudyfarmsandwarrantfurtherinvestigationincontrolherdstodeterminetheirpotentialtoprovideaframeworkforrefiningcurrentsystemsofearlywarningandprevention.

Copyright 2011 Kelly et al. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

On farm animal welfare: the utility of databases for early warning

Kelly, P.C.1, Higgins, I.2, More, S.J.2, 3, Blake, M.1, Hanlon, A.3


During the last four years, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has sponsored two studies toinvestigateon-farmanimalwelfareincidentsthathaveoccurredonIrishfarmsandthathavebeeninvestigatedbyDAFM.Thefirststudy(unpublished)lookedatincidentswhichoccurredbetweenSeptember2006andMarch2007.Themorerecentstudyonanimalwelfareincidentslookedspecificallyat18casestudyherdsandidentifiedfourpotentialkeyperformanceindicator(KPIs),theinformationonwhichwasdownloadedfromDAFMdatabases,thatcouldbeusedtoenhancetheEarlyWarningSystem(EWS),i.e.lateregistrationsofcalves,anincreaseintheuseofon-farmburialasamethodofcarcasedisposal,anincreaseinthenumberofcarcasessenttoknackeriesandanimalsmissingfromtheherdprofilethatcannotbeaccountedfor.ThatstudyrecognisedtheneedfortheseKPIstobestudiedincontrolherdsto see if they also occur in the national herd or if they are more notable in the case study herds and therefore of use in enhancingtheEWS.Insummary,theobjectiveofthiscurrentstudyistoexamine,incontrolherds,thefourKPIsiden-tified in the earlier DAFM study to see if their occurrence is irregular and potentially indicative of other problems occur-ringonthefarm.


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A sociological study investigating reasons for animal welfare incidents on-farm

Devitt, C.1, Kelly, P.2, More, S.J.3, 4, Blake, M.2, Hanlon, A.3

1 Independent consultant, 2 DAFM, 3 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, 4 UCD CVERA

In2004,theDepartmentofAgriculture,FoodandtheMarine(DAFM)inconjunctionwiththeFarmAnimalWelfareAdvisoryCouncil(FAWAC),establishedanEarlyWarningSystem(EWS)aimedatpreventingfarmanimalwelfareincidentstakingplaceonIrishfarms.Despiteitsestablishment,welfareproblemsonIrishfarmsstillpersist.ArecentDAFMsponsoredstudyonanimalwelfareincidentslookedspecificallyat18casestudyherdsandidentifiedfourpoten-tialkeyperformanceindicators(KPIs)thatcouldbeusedtoenhancetheEWS,i.e.lateregistrationsofcalves,anincreaseintheuseofon-farmburialasamethodofcarcasedisposal,anincreaseinthenumberofcarcasessenttoknackeriesandanimalsmissingfromtheherdprofilethatcannotbeaccountedfor.Anecdotalevidencefromthatstudyandotherssuggestalinkagebetweensocialfactorsandwelfareincidents.Thesecompriseeconomic,health,psychologicalfactors,examplesincludingthedeathofaparent,illhealth,depression,andproblemsrelatedtoalcoholuse.Thisevidencesuggeststhatsuchlife-eventscanhaveadirectandindirectroleonindividualfarmmanagement.ThereisnoevidenceofresearchinIrelandonlinkagesbetweensocialfactorsandanimalwelfareincidents.ItisthereforeproposedthatthisstudywillinvestigateandaimtoidentifysocialfactorsthatcontributetoanimalwelfareincidentsonIrishfarms.Thisstudywilltakeaqualitativeapproach,usingin-depthface-to-faceinterviewstoexploreandidentifythesefactors,andconsiderhowtheycontributedtoanimalwelfareincidentsinIreland.

Use of farmer focus groups to evaluate a welfare scheme for suckler beef cattle

Dwane, A.M.1, More, S.J.1, 2, Blake, M.3, Hanlon, A.J.1

1 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, 2 UCD CVERA, 3 DAFM

SchemestoimprovefarmanimalwelfarehaveexistedinEuropesincethe1990s.ReformoftheCommonAgriculturalPolicy(CAP)in2003providedfundsforanimalwelfareinitiatives.In2008,Ireland’sDepartmentofAgriculture,FoodandtheMarine(DAFM)launchedtheAnimalWelfare,RecordingandBreedingSchemeforSucklerHerds(‘SucklerScheme’).Themainaimsoftheschemeincludeenhancingwelfarestandardsandimprovinggeneticqualityofthenationalbeefherd.Thisisavoluntaryschemebasedoneconomicincentives.Initialuptakewaswidespreadwithapprox-imately50,000farmersjoining(approximately76%ofregisteredbeefsucklerherds).Littleresearchhasfocusedontheattitudesofbeeffarmers’toanimalwelfareschemes.Theobjectivesofthisstudyweretoseekfarmers’opinionsofthe‘SucklerScheme’,toexploretheunderlyingreasonsfortheseopinionsaswellasperceptionsofthescheme’srelationshiptowelfare,andtoelicitideasforimprovingfutureschemes.Inthisstudy,fourfocusgroups(eachcomprising7+sucklerfarmers)wereconductedinNovember2009infourregionsofIreland.Participantsweresourcedthroughlocalveteri-nariansandinvitedtoattendthefocusgroups.Ethicalapprovalwasobtainedinadvanceandparticipantsreceivedafullexplanationofhowdatawouldbemanagedbeforeconsentingtotakepart.Audiorecordingsweretranscribedverbatimandthen‘coded’fortopicsandviewsmentioned.CodingandthematicanalysiswerecarriedoutusingNVIVO8,asoft-wareprogrammedesignedforqualitativedataanalysis.Themajorityofparticipantsperceivedalltheschememeasuresasbeingimportantandrelevanttogoodfarmingpracticeswhileacknowledgingthatnotallmeasuresrelatedtowelfarebutrathertodatacollectionandbreedingofbeefcattle.Therewasstrongconsensusthatthemeasuresrelatingtotheminimumageatfirstcalvingandtomeal-feedingatweaninghaveapositiveimpactonanimalwelfareandhealth.Twomeasureswerecriticizedforbeingimpractical(i.e.theamountofpaperworkforrecordinganimaleventsandthecondi-tionsconcerningthedisbuddingofcalves).Theconditionsforthetimingofweaningwerealsocriticizedforhavinganegativefinancialimpactatsales.Participantsalsosuggestedadditionalmeasuresthatcouldfurtherimproveanimalwelfare.Theinabilitytoproducehigh-qualitybeefanimalsataprofitisofconcerntofarmers.Themajorityanticipatedthatthedatabeingcollectedviatheschemewouldhelpinformdecisionswhentryingtobreeda‘quality’beefanimal.


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Use of farmer focus groups to explore compliance issues relating to a welfare scheme for suckler beef cattle

Dwane, A.M.1, More, S.J.1, 2, Blake, M.3, Hanlon, A.J.1

1 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, 2 UCD CVERA, 3 DAFM

On-farmanimalwelfareisprimarilydeterminedbyfarmercompliancewithregulations(andqualityassurancestand-ards).Thelevelsofcompliance,however,mayprovedifficulttoassess.Ireland’sAnimalWelfare,RecordingandBreedingSchemeforSucklerHerds(‘SucklerScheme’)waslaunchedbytheDepartmentofAgriculture,FoodandtheMarine(DAFM)in2008,providingfinancialincentivestosucklerbeeffarmersforimplementinganumberofspecifiedwelfarepractices.Initialuptakeoftheschemewaswidespreadwithapproximately50,000farmersjoining(approximately76%ofeligibleherds).UsingtheSchemeasacasestudy,ourresearchhasfocusedonexploringthefactorsthatinfluencebeeffarmers’willingnessorabilitytocomplywithwelfareguidelines.Inthisstudy,fourfocusgroups(eachcomprising7-9farmers)wereconductedin2009.Participantsweresourcedthroughlocalveterinariansandinvitedtoattend.Audiorecordingsofdiscussionsweretranscribedverbatimandthen‘coded’fortopicsandviewsmentioned.CodingandthematicanalysiswerecarriedoutusingNVIVO8.Whenaskedtolisttimeswhenwelfareismostatrisk,participantsrespondedasfollows:calving(88%),weaning(69%),nutrition/bodyconditionduringpregnancy(25%),handling(25%),housing(22%)anddisbudding/dehorning(16%).Allfourgroupscommentedthatallexistingschememeasureswererelevanttogoodfarmingpracticesandthereforeshouldcontinue.Participantssuggestedamendmentstoanumberofmeasuresasfollows:changedisbuddingages;simplifypaperwork;changethetraining;increaseschemepayments;andchangeweaningrules.Focusgroupsprovidescopefordeeperexplorationintotheattitudesandbeliefsunderlyingparticipants’answersinawaythatmoreconventionalsurveysmaynot.Theyalsoprovideanopportunityforfarmerstodiscusscomplianceissueswithouttheriskofincurringafarminspectionorfinancialpenalty.Farmersseemmotivatedtocomplywhencriteriaresultinfinancialbenefit,arepracticalandworkable,impactpositivelyonwelfareandhealth(e.g.minimumageatfirstcalvingandmeal-feeding),oraresuchthatfailuretocomplymaytriggerinspectionand/orlossofpayments(e.g.attendanceattraining).Farmersseemlessmotivatedtocomplywhencriteriaseemimpracticalatfarmlevel,mayhaveanegligibleorevennegativeeffectonwelfare(e.g.agefordisbudding),areover-complicated(e.g.paper-work),lackconsistency,ormaycausefinancialloss(e.g.Weaning).

Equine health and welfare

Evaluation of current equine welfare issues in Ireland: causes, desirability, feasibility and means of raising standards

Collins, J.A.1, Hanlon, A.1, More, S.J.1, 2, Wall, P.G.3, Kennedy, J.4, Duggan, V.1

1 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, 2 UCD CVERA, 3 UCD School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Population Science, 4 UCD Geary Institute

Equine Veterinary Journal 42, 105-113 (2010)

SignificantpotentialthreatstothehealthandwelfareofhorsesexistinIrelandwhensupplyexceedsdemandandtheidentificationsystemforhorsesisnotyetrobust.TheobjectiveofthisstudywastosecureengagementwithstakeholdergroupsanddeterminetheirperceptionofequinewelfareinIrelandandencouragethedevelopmentofinclusive,ratherthanimposed,policysolutions.A3round,web-basedPolicyDelphiincorporatingnovelvignettemethodologywasconductedfromNovember2007–March2008tocanvassopinion(inbothquantitativeandqualitativeforms)ontheperceivedmostsignificantequinewelfareissues.Vignettes(narrativesdepictingpotentialcompromisetoequinewelfare)wereemployed.Quantitativedatawerecollectedintheformofscoringona9pointLikertscalewithlabelledend-points,qualitativeinformationastextsubsequentlyanalysedforthemes.All44respondentscompletedallrounds.Majorequinewelfareissueswereidentifiedaswelfareofhorsesduringthedisposalprocessandatunregulatedgatherings.Assessed


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quantitativelyona9pointLikertscale(0=minimal;8=maximal),respondentsscoredthedesirabilityandfeasibilityofimprovingstandards,median8and6,respectively,forbothissuesidentified.Basicthemesidentifiedinrespondents’quotesasreasonstoraiseequinewelfarestandardswereideological,protectionofanimalwelfare,safe-guardingthereputationoftheequineindustryandsafety(ofpeople,horsesandenvironment).Themesforreasonsforlowstandardsweresocietalnorms,fiscalpressures,indolence,indifferenceandignorance.Themesunderpinningpotentialmeansforachievingmeaningfulchange(solutions)werelegislation,enforcement,education/training,fiscalremedies,increasingawarenessandacombinationofthese.Mechanismsaimedatraisingstandardsmustbebasedonanunderstandingofmotivationaldriversforcurrentlylowstandards.Thechallengeistotranslatethefindingsandthisheightenedawarenessintomeaningfulchangetothebenefitofhorsesandthosewhocareforthem.

Reprinted from Equine Veterinary Journal, 42, Collins, J.A., Hanlon, A., More, S.J., Wall, P.G., Kennedy, J., Duggan, V., Evaluation of current equine welfare issues in Ireland: causes, desirability, feasibility and means of raising standards, 105-113, Copyright 2010, with permission from EVJ Ltd.

Case study of equine welfare on an Irish farm: 2007-2009

Collins, J.A.1, More, S.J.1, 2, Hanlon, A.1, Duggan, V.1


Veterinary Record 167, 90-95 (2010)

ThisreportdescribestheprogressioninwelfarestandardsforhorsesonahorsefarmintheRepublicofIrelandbetween2007and2009.Visitstothefarmwereundertakenandinformation,intheformofwrittennotesanddigitalrecordingofobservationsandexaminations,wasgatheredinconsultationwithofficialsfromtheGardaí(theIrishpolice),theDepartmentofAgriculture,FoodandtheMarineandtheIrishSocietyforthePreventionofCrueltytoAnimals.Furtherindependentveterinarycorroborationofclinicalfindingsandlaboratorysupportoccurredfollowingseizureofthehorses.Thecomplexrealityofon-farmequinewelfareproblemsandthedifficultiesinachievingaresolutionarediscussedcomparedwithotherspeciesconventionallyconsideredtobefood-producinganimals.

Reproduced from Veterinary Record, Collins, J.A., More, S.J., Hanlon, A., Duggan, V., 167, 90-95, Copyright 2010, with permission from BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.


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Aspects of the owning/keeping and disposal of horses, and how these relate to equine health/welfare in Ireland

Collins, J.A.1, Hanlon, A.1, More, S.J.1, 2, Wall, P.G.3, Duggan, V.1

1 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, 2 UCD CVERA, 3 UCD School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Population Science


Irelandhaslongbeenrenownedasamajorcentreforthebreeding,rearingandkeepingofhorses.Since2007,however,therehasbeenincreasingconcernforhorsehealthandwelfarestandards,andlinksbetweentheseconcernsandthestructures,governanceandfundingoftheIrishequineindustrieshavebeenreported.Thispaperaddressestwocentralissues:firstly,thelocalgovernanceof,tradeinanddisposalofunwantedhorses;andsecondly,mechanismsemployedtoimprovestandardsofcaregiventohorsesownedbycertaincommunities.Primaryinformationwasgatheredthroughvisitstohorsepoundsrunby,andonbehalfof,LocalAuthorities,tosocialhorseprojects,tohorsedealeryards,ferryports,horseslaughterplantsandknackeries.Theapproachadoptedbymembersofagivengroup,e.g.ferryports,isdescribed and differences are highlighted, for example in how different Local Authorities implement the Control of HorsesActof1986,andhowthechoice,forexample,ofdisposalrouteaffectsthestandardofanimalwelfare.Thereisa pressing need for a more centrally mandated and uniformly applied system of governance to safeguard the health and promotethekeepingofhorsestoahigherwelfarestandardinIreland.Fundamentaltoanunderstandingofwhythereisinsufficientoversightofthekeepingandproperdisposalofhorsesisthelackofacomprehensive,integratedsystemfortheregistration,identificationandtracingofequidaeinIreland.

Copyright 2011 Collins et al. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Use of qualitative methods to identify solutions to selected equine welfare problems in Ireland

Collins, J.A.1, More, S.J.2, 3, Hanlon, A.3, Wall, P.G.4, McKenzie, K.5, Duggan, V.3

1 Norbrook Laboratories Ltd (Ireland), Newry, Co. Down, Northern Ireland, 2 UCD CVERA, 3 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, 4 UCD School of Public

Health, Physiotherapy and Population Science, 5 Motiveworks, Dublin

Veterinary Record (in press)

ThispaperexplorestheviewsofthoseintheIrishequineindustry,organisationsandgovernmentregardingnecessaryimprovementstoequinewelfareinIrelandatunregulatedgatheringsandduringthedisposalprocess.Threequalitativeresearchmethodswereemployed,namelysemistructuredinterviews,focusgroupsandastructured,facilitatedwork-shop.Representativesfromindustry,welfaresocieties,sociallydisadvantagedgroupingsandgovernmentengagedwiththis process and shared their views regarding horse welfare and implementable solutions with merit to address welfare problems.AconsensuswasachievedthatequinewelfareinIrelandcouldbeimprovedbythedevelopmentofacompre-hensiveidentificationsystem,aCodeofPracticeforhorsegatherings,ahorselicensingscheme,ring-fencedfundingtopromote responsible, humane horse disposal and better means of raising awareness of the value of safeguarding horse welfareforthebenefitofallparties.

Reproduced from Veterinary Record, Collins, J.A., More, S.J., Hanlon, A., Wall, P.G., McKenzie, K., Duggan, V., in press, Copyright 2012, with permission from BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.


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The development and application of a tool to assess the welfare of equidae at fairs and markets in Ireland

Collins, J.A.1, Johnson, J.1, Hanlon, A.1, More, S.J.1, 2, Duggan, V.1


Unregulatedhorsegatherings,suchasfairsandmarkets,areconsideredtobeofhighvalueculturally,sociallyandeconomicallytoIreland.However,aDelphistudycompletedin2008byCollinset al.identifiedwelfarestandardsforhorsesatsucheventsasoneofthetwomostsignificantequinewelfareconcernsinIreland.Inthispaper,wedescribethedevelopmentofanequinewelfareassessmentprotocol,basedontheFiveFreedoms,whichemploysmeasurementofbothwelfareinputsandoutputs,andearlyattemptstoapplythisprotocolatfairsandmarketsinIreland.Thirtyparame-ters(basedonasemi-qualitative5pointLikertscale)wereeachmeasuredonthirtyoccasionsalongsidedetailsofweather,horsenumbersandthepresenceofanorganisingcommittee.Thedataset(n=30)wasdividedintothreesubsets(withsome overlap) to enable the analyses of welfare scores for individual events (n=14),inter-observervariabilityinscoresatevents scored simultaneously but independently by the first two authors, JC and JJ (n=5), and change over time at any one event (n=8).Bythecriterionofimportanceadoptedbytheauthors,thefreedomofhorsestoaccesswater,feedandshelter(resourceinput)andtheabilityofhorsestodrinkandfeed(currentoutput)weredeemedtobeundulycompro-mised.Thepresenceofanorganisingcommitteewasnotfoundtobeprotectiveofequinewelfare.Itissuggestedbytheauthorsthatacombinedapproach(inputandoutput-basedmeasures)totheassessmentofequinewelfareatunregulatedgatheringsbeadoptedbutthatfurtherworkisrequiredtorefinetheprotocoltoensurethatrepeatabilityandreproduc-ibilityofscoringareachievedinitsimplementation.

Development of a bio-security assessment tool and its application at equine events in Ireland

Johnson, J.P.1, More, S.J.1, 2, Collins, J.A.3, Duggan, W.E.1

1 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, 2 UCD CVERA, 3 Norbrook Laboratories Ltd (Ireland), Newry, Co. Down, Northern Ireland

Thereisthepotentialfordiseasetransmissionwhereverhorsesgatheringroups.TheinconsistentapplicationofdiseasecontrolmeasuresacrossthehorseindustriesinIreland,thehighlycontagiousnatureofmanyoftheequineinfectiousdiseases, the potential for the spread of disease from sub-clinically infected horses and increased transport of horses to internationaleventstogethermeanthatallhorsesareputatriskofdiseasetransmission,particularlyintheeventofanoutbreakofanexoticequinedisease.Theobjectivesofthisstudyweretodevelopabio-securityassessmenttoolforuseatequineevents,toapplythetoolintheinvestigationofthepotentialforcontagiousdiseasetransmissionatequineeventsinIreland,andtodeterminetheinfluenceofthedegreeofregulationofeventonriskofdiseasetransmission.Ascoringsystemwasdevelopedtoidentifybio-securityrisksatequineevents.Thiswasbasedonbothdirectandindirectriskfactorswhichcontributetocontagiousdiseasetransmission.Riskfactorsincludedcategoriessuchascontactbetweenhorses, contact with fomites, feeding facilities, degree of public access, control of wildlife, sanitation of stables and housingventilation.Theregulationstatusofeacheventwasdeterminedbasedonacombinationofpublishedgoverningrulesandobservationoftheirenforcementduringon-sitevisits.Highlyregulatedeventshadsignificantlyloweroverallrisklevelsthanpartiallyregulatedevents(p<0.003);overallrisklevelofpartiallyregulatedeventsdidnotdiffersignifi-cantly from that of unregulated events (p=0.051).


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A retrospective study of horses investigated for weight loss despite a good appetite (2002-2011)

Metcalfe, L.1, More, S.J.1, 2, Duggan, V.1, Katz, L.M.1


Weightlossdespiteagoodappetiteisafrequentdiagnosticchallengeforequineveterinarians;however,therearefewobjectivereportsandlittledescriptiveinformationregardingriskfactorsandprognosticindicators.Theaimofthisstudy was evaluate the relationship between historical and clinicopathological findings and final outcome in order to identifyriskfactorsandprognosticindicators.Medicalrecordsofhorsesreferredforinvestigationofweightlossdespiteagoodappetitewerereviewed.Datacollatedincludedhistory,signalment,clinicalanddiagnosticfindings,diagnosesandoutcome(survivalvsnon-survival).UnivariableassociationswereevaluatedwithaMann-WhitneyUtest,Fisher’sExacttest(categoricalorbinarydata)orPearson’srankcorrelation(continuousdata),withP ≤0.05consideredsignifi-cant.Fortycasesmettheinclusioncriteria.Albuminconcentrationsatadmissionweresignificantly(P=0.008)higherinsurvivors(29.1±6.5g/L)thannon-survivors(22.8±5.4g/L)andpositivelycorrelatedwithoutcome(r 2=0.23;P =0.005).Animalswithlowtotalprotein(P=0.029,OR=7,95%CI=1.22–40.1)andalbumin(P=0.032,OR=6,95%CI=1.22–29.5)concentrationswereatgreaterriskfornon-survival.Bodyconditionscorewaspositivelycorre-lated with total protein (r 2=0.17;P=0.03)andalbumin(r 2=0.53;P<0.0001)concentrationsatadmissionanddura-tion of clinical signs (r 2=0.19;P=0.03).Theseverityofhypoproteinaemiaandhypoalbuminaemiaarerelatedwithaworseningprognosis.Sincebodyconditionscoreispositivelyassociatedwithalbuminconcentration,itcouldpotentiallybeusedasaprognosticindicatorforsurvivalinconjunctionwithalbuminconcentration.

Porcine welfare

The use of meat inspection as a surveillance tool for improved pig welfare

Harley, S.1, O’Connell, N.2, Boyle, L.3, More, S.J.1, 4, Hanlon, A.1

1 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, 2 Queen’s University Belfast, Northern Ireland, 3 Teagasc Moorepark, 4 UCD CVERA

Foodanimalwelfareissynonymouswithfoodqualityandlinkedtofoodsafety.Thislinkisevidentatslaughter,whenante-mortem and post-mortem inspections are conducted to ensure that the animal is fit for human consumption, carcassesthataredamagedasaresultofbruising,lesions,diseaseandinjuryaretrimmedorrejected,dependingontheextentofdiseaseanddamage.Damagetocarcassesislikelytobeindicativeofthehousing,andmanagementoftheanimalduringtheproductionperiod,andthusreflecttheanimalswelfare.Diseaseandinjurysuchaslesionsandbruisingareundeniablyanindicationofpoorwelfare.Themainobjectivesofthisresearchistoexploretheuseofcarcasscondemnation as a surveillance tool for farm animal welfare and to examine the process of carcass condemnation of swineinIreland,includingthereportingmechanismsandtheeconomiclossestothefarmerandtheprocessor.


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A qualitative assessment of the risk of spread to and within the commercial poultry industry, following the introduction of H5N1 avian influenza into Ireland, and of potential risk mitigation measures

Aznar, I.1, Crowe, O.2, Wilson, J.3, Duignan, P.J.4, Gaynor, S.4, Neilan, R.4, McLoon, D.5, McArdle, P.J.4, More, S.J.1, 6

1 UCD CVERA, 2 Birdwatch Ireland, 3 National Parks and Wildlife Service, 4 DAFM, 5 Private practitioner, 6 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine

Thispaperdescribesworkconductedin2008toqualitativelyassesstheriskofspreadtoandwithinthecommercialpoultryindustry,followingtheintroductionofH5N1avianinfluenzaintoIreland,andofpotentialriskmitigationmeasures.Fourtransmissionrouteswereconsidered,includingspreadamongwildwaterbirds,spreadfromwildwater-birds to non-commercial avian operations, spread from wild waterbirds to commercial poultry (directly or via non-commercialavianoperations)andspreadwithinthecommercialpoultryindustry.ThereisconsiderablepotentialinIrelandforspreadofH5N1avianinfluenzaamongwildwaterbirds,andfromwildwaterbirdstonon-commercialavianoperations.Incontrast,theopportunityforspreadtoandwithinthecommercialpoultrysectorisvariable,dependingonabroadrangeoffactorsincludingproductionsystem,watersourceandmanagement.Anumberofimportantriskmitigationmeasureswereidentified,focusingonimprovedinformationandawareness,riskbasedsurveillanceandmain-tenanceofup-to-datedatabases.Eachoftheseissueshasnowbeenconsideredindetail,bothbyDAFMandindustry.

An outbreak of piroplasmosis in horses in Ireland

Bailey, D.1, Leadon, D.L.2, Brangan, P.1, de Waal, T.3, Lenihan, P.4, Larkin, J.1, Ennett, F.1, Gaynor, S.1, More, S.J.3, 5

1 DAFM, 2 Irish Equine Centre, 3 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, 4 DAFM Veterinary Laboratory Service, 5 UCD CVERA

Anoutbreakofpiroplasmosis(causedbyTheileria equie)occurredinhorsesinIrelandduring2009.Theobjectiveofthispaperistodescribetheoutbreak,thetransmissionofT. equiwithinIrelandandaspectsofoutbreakmanagement.

Outbreak of bovine brucellosis in County Clare, Ireland, during 2005

Hayes, M.1, Kilroy, A.1, Ashe, S.1, Power, S.2, Kenny, K.2, Collins, D.M.3, More, S.J.3, 4

1 DAFM, 2 DAFM Veterinary Laboratory Service, 3 UCD CVERA, 4 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine

Veterinary Record 166, 107-111 (2010)

ThispaperdescribesaninvestigationofanoutbreakofbovinebrucellosisinCountyClare,Ireland,during2005.ItislikelythatinfectionontheindexfarmwaslinkedtoapreviousoutbreakofbrucellosisinCountyClare.DuringMarchtoMay2005,transmissionofbrucellosiswithintheherdwasrapid;thiswasfacilitatedbyarangeoffactors,includingclosecontactbetweencattlekeptinwinterhousing,andthemixingofanimals,bothduringgrazingandathousing,throughouttheyear.Containmentofthedisease,includingonlylimitedspreadtoonecontiguousherd,wasfacilitatedbytherecentconstructionofashedforwinterhousing.

Reproduced from Veterinary Record, Hayes, M., Kilroy, A., Ashe, S., Power, S., Kenny, K., Collins, D.M., More, S.J., 166, 107-111, Copyright 2010, with permission from BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.


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Transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE)

Factors contributing to sample quality for the BSE active surveillance programme in the Republic of Ireland

Cahill, A.1, Collins, D.M.2, Aznar, I.2, More, S.J.2, 3, Griffin, J.1, Sheridan, H.1


TheRepublicofIreland’sactivesurveillanceprogrammeforBSEinvolvesthecollectionofbrainstemtissuesamplesfromcertaincategoriesofcattle,includingcattlewhichdieonfarm(fallencattle).SomeofthesesamplesareofpoorqualityduetoautolysisandthishasimplicationsforaccurateBSEdiagnosis.TheRepublicofIrelandisobligedunderEUlawtotakemeasurestominimisesampleautolysis.Dataonthedegreeofautolysisofallsamplestakenbetween2007and2011havebeencapturedontheAHCS(AnimalHealthComputerSystem).TheobjectiveofthisstudyistoidentifyriskfactorsforpoorsamplequalityinfallenanimalsintheRepublicofIreland.

Bovine spongiform encephalopathy in the Republic of Ireland before and after the reinforced feed ban: epidemiology, spatial analysis and risk factors

Ryan, E.1, McGrath, G.2, Sheridan, H.3, More, S.J.2, 4, Aznar, I.2

1 DAFM Veterinary Laboratory Service, 2 UCD CVERA, 3 DAFM, 4 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine

Bovinespongiformencephalopathy(BSE)isapriondiseaseofcattle,spreadbycontaminationofcattlefeed.IntheRepublicofIreland,areinforcedfeedbanonmammalianmeatandbonemeal(MBM)wasintroducedon1stOctober1996tostopfurtherinfectionofcattle.BetweenthenandJuly2010,44casesofBSEfrom40herdshavebeenborn,termed“bornafterthereinforcedban”or“BARB”BSEcases.Theobjectivesofthisprojectweretodescribetheepide-miologyoftheseBARBcases,todeterminearea-levelriskfactorsforBSEandhowtheyrelatedtothestageoftheBSEepidemic,andtoevaluatewhetherthespatialpatternofBSEcaseswasnon-randomandhadchangedovertime.

Confirmed BSE cases in Ireland during 2010 & 2011.


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Q fever

Q fever in humans and farmed animals in four European countries

Georgiev, M.1, Afonso, A.1, Neubauer, S.2, Needham, H.3, Thiery, R.4, Rodolakis, A.5, Roest, H.J.6, Staerk, K.7,

Stegeman, J.A.8, Vellema, P.9, van der Hoek, W.10, More, S.J.11, 12

1 European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), 43121 Parma, Italy, 2 Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, Institute for Bacterial Infections and Zoonoses, Naumburgerstr.

96a; 07743 Jena, Germany, 3 European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), 171 83 Stockholm, Sweden, 4 ANSES, Sophia Antipolis

Laboratory, Ruminant Pathology Unit, Sophia Antipolis, 5 Institut national de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA) Ur1282 Infectiologie Animale et Santé

Publique F37380 Nouzilly France, 6 Department of Bacteriology and TSEs, Central Veterinary Institute, part of Wageningen UR, Lelystad, the Netherlands,

7 SAFOSO, Safe Food Solutions Inc., Bremgartenstrasse 109a, CH 3012 Bern, Switzerland, 8 University of Utrecht, Dept. Farm Animal Health, PO Box

80.163, NL-3508TD Utrecht, 9 Department of Small Ruminant Health, Animal Health Service GD Deventer, Arnsbergstraat 7, P.O. Box 9, 7400 AA Deventer,

the Netherlands, 10 Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, PO Box 1, 3720 BA Bilthoven, the

Netherlands, 11 UCD CVERA, 12 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine

Qfever,isazoonoticbacterialdiseaseinhumans,causedbyC. burnetii,andalargerangeofanimalscanbeinfected.ThispaperpresentsareviewofQfeverandC. burnetii infection in humans and farmed animals, using case studies from fourEuropeancountries.Inallfourcountries,theserologicalprevalenceofC. burnetii infection and reported incidence ofQfevervariesbroadlyinbothfarmedanimalsandhumans.Animalproximityandcontactwithinfectedanimalsortheirbirthproductshavebeenidentifiedasthemostimportantriskfactorsforhumandisease.Intrinsicfarmfactors,suchasproductionsystemandmanagement,influencethenumberofoutbreaksinanarea.Potentialcontroloptionsarecommon methods of disease control have included measures to increase diagnostic precision and general awareness, and toreducehumanexposureandspillover.Thisstudyhighlightsimportantgapsinknowledge,andfutureresearchneeds.

Seroprevalence of Coxiella burnetii antibodies in sheep and goats in the Republic of Ireland

Ryan, E.1, Kirby, M.1, Clegg, T.2, Collins, D.M.2

1 DAFM Veterinary Laboratory Service, 2 UCD CVERA


QfeverisazoonoticdiseasecausedbyCoxiella burnetii, a bacteria whose main reservoirs are goats, sheep and cattle but whichcanalsoinfectawiderangeofmammals.TheobjectiveofthisstudywastoestimatetheprevalenceofexposuretoC. burnetiiinsheepandgoatsintheRepublicofIreland.Serumfrom2,197sheepfrom119flocksand590goatsfrom66 herds, randomly sampled, were tested for the presence of C. burnetiiantibodiesusinganindirectELISA.Insheep,15/2,197(0.7percent)samplesfrom10/119(8.4percent)flockswerepositive.Ingoats,2/590(0.3percent)samplesfrom1/66(1.5percent)herdwerepositive.TheresultsconfirmtheexposureofsheepandgoatstoC. burnetii in the RepublicofIreland.

Adapted from Veterinary Record, Ryan, E., Kirby, M., Clegg, T., Collins, D.M., 169, 280, Copyright 2011, with permission from BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.


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Prevalence of Coxiella burnetii (Q fever) antibodies in bovine serum and bulk-milk samples

Ryan, E.D.1, Kirby, M.1, Collins, D.M.2, Sayers, R.3, Mee, J.F.3, Clegg, T.2

1 DAFM Veterinary Laboratory Service, 2 UCD CVERA, 3 Teagasc Moorepark


Qfever(Coxiella burnetii)isazoonoticdiseaseofincreasingpublichealthimportance.Theobjectiveofthisstudywastoestimatetheprevalenceof,andriskfactorsassociatedwith,exposuretoC. burnetiiincattleintheRepublicofIreland.Bulk-tankmilksamplesfrom290dairyherdsand1,659serafrom332dairyandbeefherds,randomlysampled,weretestedbyindirectELISAtodetectantibodiestoC. burnetii.Intotal,37.9%ofbulk-milksampleherdsand1.8%ofsera(from6.9%ofherds)wereantibodypositive.Ofriskfactorstestedusinglogisticregressionanalysis,onlylargeherdsize(bulk-milkanalysis)anddairybreed(serumanalysis)significantlyincreasedtheoddsofbeingposi-tive for antibodies to C. burnetii.HerdswithpositivemilkorserumsampleswererandomlydistributedthroughouttheRepublicofIrelandandnoclusteringwasobserved.TheuseofanELISAtotestbulk-milksamplescollectedbyrandomizedstratifiedsamplingisacost-effectivemethodbywhichnationalherdprevalencecanbeestimatedbyactivesurveillance.

Reprinted from Epidemiology and Infection, 139, Ryan, E.D., Kirby, M., Collins, D.M., Sayers, R., Mee, J.F., Clegg, T., Prevalence of Coxiella burnetii (Q fever) antibodies in bovine serum and bulk-milk samples, 1413-1417, Copyright 2011, with permission from Cambridge University Press.

Keem beach, Achill Island. Photograph by E. Gormley.


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Companion animal epidemiology

The spatial distribution of pet dogs and pet cats on the island of Ireland

Downes, M.J.1, Clegg, T.A.1, Collins, D.M.1, McGrath, G.1, More, S.J.1, 2


BMC Veterinary Research 7, 28 (2011)

Thereisconsiderableinternationalresearchregardingthelinkbetweenhumandemographicsandpetownership.Inseveral international studies, pet ownership was associated with household demographics including: the presence of childreninthehousehold,urban/rurallocation,levelofeducationandage/familystructure.Whatislackingacrossallthese studies, however, is an understanding of how these pets are spatially distributed throughout the regions under study.ThispaperdescribesthespatialdistributionofpetdogandpetcatowninghouseholdsontheislandofIreland.In2006,therewereanestimated640,620petdogowninghouseholdsand215,542petcatowninghouseholdsinIreland.These estimates are derived from logistic regression modelling, based on household composition to determine pet dog ownershipandthetypeofhousetodeterminepetcatownership.Resultsarepresentedusingchloroplethmaps.ThereisahigherdensityofpetdogowninghouseholdsintheeastofIrelandandinthecitiesthanthewestofIrelandandruralareas.However,inurbandistrictstherearealowerproportionofhouseholdsowningpetdogsthaninruraldistricts.There are more households with cats in the urban areas, but the proportion of households with cats is greater in rural areas.ThedifferenceinspatialdistributionofdogownershipisareflectionofagenerallyhigherdensityofhouseholdsintheeastofIrelandandinmajorcities.Thehigherproportionofownershipinthewestisunderstandablegiventhehigherproportionoffarmersandruraldwellingsinthisarea.SpatialrepresentationallowsustovisualisetheimpactofhumanhouseholddistributiononthedensityofbothpetdogsandpetcatsontheislandofIreland.Thisinformationcanbeusedwhenanalysingriskofdiseasespread,formarketresearchandforinstigatingveterinarycare.

Copyright 2011 Downes etal. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Companion animal ownership: understanding the attitudes, beliefs and behaviour of pet owners towards their pets

Downes, M.J.1, McKenzie, K.2, More, S.J.3, 4

1 School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, United Kingdom, 2 Motiveworks, Dublin,


Petownersownpetsforavarietyofreasonsincludingcompanionship,protection,andasworkinganimals.Ownershipisalsoacontributortoowners’physicalandmentalhealth.Somestudieshavebeenconductedonissuesrelatingtoownership,includingpetneuteringandobesity.Asyet,littledataareavailablefromqualitativeresearch.Inthisstudy,weinvestigatepetowners’attitudes,beliefsandbehaviourstowardstheirpets,withspecificemphasison,diet,weightcontrolandexercise.Aninterview-administeredsurveyquestionnaireandfocusgroupdiscussionswereconductedforthestudy.DatawascodedandmanagedusingNvivo8qualitativedataanalysissoftwareandStataSEVersion10®.Severalthemesforowningapetemergedinthestudy,mostcommonlyassociatedwithcompanionshipandchilddevelopment.Ownerstendtospoiltheirpet(s)withfooddespitebeingawarethatthiscouldleadtotheirpetbecomingoverweight.Ownersbelievethatcatsexercisethemselves,whereasdogsneedtobewalkedofftheleadtoexerciseproperly.Havingapetwasconsideredtheequivalenttohavinganextrapersoninthefamily.Ourresultshelpprovideinformationonhowownersandtheirpetsmaybenefitfromtailoredcounsellingaboutpetexerciseandneutering.


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Neutering in Ireland: Investigating risk factors for neutering and examining owner attitudes and beliefs towards neutering

Downes, M.J.1, More, S.J.2, 3

1 School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, United Kingdom,


Companion animal over-population is an old problem which causes significant costs to humans and governments every year(Olsonet al.1991).Over-populationhasbeenassociatedwithownersbeingunconcernedaboutneuteringtheirpetsor allowing them to stray (Soto et al.2005;Natoliet al.2006;Wenget al.2006).Catownersaremorelikelytoneuterthan dog owners (Franti et al.1980;Leslieet al.1994;PossandBader2007;Downeset al.2009;Faver2009;McKayet al.2009).Inthisstudy,weinvestigateriskfactorsforneuteringapetandexaminepetowners’attitudes,beliefsandbehaviourstowardstheirpets,withspecificemphasisonneutering.Datafrom3sourceswereincludedinthisstudy;acomputer assisted telephone interview, one to one interviews and focus group discussions conducted specifically for the study.DatawascodedandmanagedusingNvivo8qualitativedataanalysissoftwareandStataSEVersion10®.Reasonsforneuteringincluded,preventingunwantedpregnancies,tolimitwanderingbehaviourandpreventdisease.Individualpetcharacteristicsplayedaroleinthedecisionofownerstoneutertheirpet(s).Someownerssuggestedthattheywouldbereluctanttoneuteragainafterpastexperience.

Factors associated with furry pet ownership among patients with asthma

Downes, M.J.1, Roy, A.2, McGinn, T.G.3, Wisnivesky, J.P.3

1 UCD CVERA, 2 Departments of Pediatrics and Community and Preventive Medicine, Department of Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York,

U.S.A., 3 Divisions of General Internal Medicine and Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine,

New York, U.S.A.

Journal of Asthma 47, 742-749 (2010)

Exposuretoindoorallergensisanestablishedriskfactorforpoorasthmacontrol.Currentguidelinesrecommendremovingpetsfromthehomeofpatientswithasthma.Thiscross-sectionalstudywasconductedtodeterminethepreva-lence of furry pet ownership in asthmatics compared to non-asthmatics and to identify factors associated with furry pet ownershipamongthosewithasthma.Secondaryanalysisassessedcharacteristicsamongasthmaticsthatmightbeassoci-atedwithallowingafurrypetintothebedroom.UsingdatafromTheNationalAsthmaSurveycollectedfrom2003to2004,wecarriedoutunivariateandmultipleregressionanalyses,in2009,toidentifyindependentpredictorsoffurrypetownershipinasthmasufferersaftercontrollingforpotentialconfounders.Overall,asthmaticsweremorelikelytoownafurrypetthannonasthmaticindividualsinthegeneralpopulation(49.9%versus44.8%,p<.001).Multivariateanalysis showed that female sex, older age, white race, and high income were independent predictors of furry pet owner-shipamongasthmatics.Additionally,68.7%ofpatientswithasthmawhoownafurrypetallowedthemintotheirbedroom.Higherincomeandcarryingout<or=2environmentalcontrolpracticesinthehomewereassociatedwithincreasedlikelihoodofallowingafurrypetintothebedroom.Furrypetownershipisequallyormorecommonamongasthmaticscomparedtothosewithoutasthma.Themajorityofasthmaticswithfurrypetsallowthemintothebedroom.Recognizingandaddressingtheseproblemsmayhelpdecreaseasthmamorbidity.

Reproduced with permission of Informa Healthcare, Journal of Asthma, 2010; 47: 742-749, Copyright © 2010, Informa Healthcare. Reproduced with permission of Informa Healthcare.


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Cadmium exposure in cattle

National survey of cadmium in bovine kidneys

Canty, M.J.1, Collins, D.M.1, Scanlon, A.2, More, S.J.1, 3, Sheridan, M.2


Ofalltheanimaltissues,liversandkidneyconstituteaspecialdilemmainthattheyhaveatendencytobioaccumulatetoxicmetalssuchaslead(Pb),cadmium(Cd),mercury(Hg)andarsenic(As).Maximumlevels(ML)forHg,Pb,Cdandtin(Sn)infoodstuffsaresetbyCommissionRegulationNo.1881/2006(amendedbyNo.629/2008),whichincludesbovinemuscle,liversandkidneys.Cadmium,awidelydistributedenvironmentalindustrialpollutant,hasnobeneficial biological role and may be highly toxic when introduced into the body by ingestion or inhalation to both animalsandhumans.Cadmiumisnoteasilyclearedbythecellsandthepoorefficiencyofcellularexportsystemsexplainsthelongresidencetimeofthiselementinstoragetissuessuchastheintestine,theliverandthekidneys,resultinginolderanimalshavinghigherliverandkidneyCdconcentrationsevenifthelevelsintheirdietsandwaterareconsistentlylow.Cadmiumhasnoknownbiologicalfunctionineitheranimalsorhumansbutmimicstheactionsofotherdivalentmetalsthatareessentialtodiversebiologicalfunctions.Cadmiumbioavailability,retentionandconse-quentlytoxicityareaffectedbyseveralfactorssuchasnutritionalstatus(lowbodyironstores)andmultiplepregnancies,pre-existinghealthconditionsordiseases.Theobjectiveofthisstudyistodeterminecadmiumconcentrationsinbovinekidneysrandomlycollectedfromcattleoverfiveyearsofagefromthe26countiesofIreland.

Cadmium review

Lane, E.A.1, Canty, M.J.1

1 UCD CVERA

Nobiologicalrolehasbeendescribedforcadmium(Cd)inanimalsanditspresenceinanimaltissueisconsideredunnec-essary.Cadmiumisconsideredtobeoneofthemosttoxicsubstancesintheenvironmentduetoitswiderangeoforgantoxicityandlongeliminationhalf-life.BatteriesareanimportantsourceofCdpollution,additionally,combustionofcoal, smelting, mining, alloy processing and industries that employ Cd as a dye are also potential sources of Cd pollu-tion.AgriculturalpracticessuchastheapplicationofsewagesludgeandcontaminatedfertilizersarealsosourcesofCdcontamination.AbsorptionofCdoccursviatherespiratoryanddigestivesystem.Approximately10to50%ofCdfumesareabsorbedbytherespiratorysystem.While,Cdispoorlyabsorbedviathedigestivetract,comparedtosimilardivalentcations,ZnandFe;approximately5%oforalCdisabsorbed.Onceabsorbed,Cdcirculatesinredbloodcellsorboundtoalbumininplasma.Cadmiuminteractswiththemetabolismofessentialminerals;calcium,zinc,iron,copperandselenium.ThemajorityofnewbornruminantshavealowCdburden.Accumulationoccursslowlyovertime,primarilyinliverandkidneys.Intheliveritmayinduceandbindmetallothionein,thiscomplexisreleasedslowlyintocirculationandthenaccumulatesinkidneys.Athighlevels,dietaryCdcancausedecreasedfeedintake,andloweredweightgain,anaemia,decreasedboneabsorptionandabortionsandCdtoxicityhasbeenreportedinmanyspeciesincludingcattle.


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International collaboration

Quantitative Rose Bengal test for diagnosis of bovine brucellosis

Cho, D.1, Nam, H.1, Kim, J.1, Heo, E.1, Cho, Y.1, Hwang, I.1, Kim, J.1, Kim, J.1, Jung, S.1, More, S.2, 3

1 Bacteriology and Parasitology Division, National Veterinary Research and Quarantine Service, Anyang, Republic of Korea,


Journal of Immunoassay and Immunochemistry 31, 120-130 (2010)

TheRoseBengalTest(RBT)isthemostwidelyusedscreeningtestforbrucellosisinbothhumansandanimals.Owingtoitsapparentsimplicityofreading,however,interpretationsoftheRBTresultscanbeaffectedbypersonalexperience.ThisstudydescribesasimplewaytoimprovetheaccuracyanduniformityofreadingtheRBTreactionbycountingthenumberofagglutinatedparticlesusingtransparentOHPfilmwithQuantityOne®, which was originally designed tocountthebacterialcolonynumbersonagarplates.Usingthissystem,thereactivitiesofthreeRoseBengalantigensfromdifferentsourcesagainstinternationalstandardserum(1,000units,VLA,UK)couldbenumericallymeasured:theintensityscalerangedfromzerotoaround1,600.ThissystemenabledustocomparetheantigenicityofRoseBengalantigensfromthreedifferentsourcesbyusingstatisticalanalysessuchasregressionandmeanintensity.Collectively,mathematical measuring of the reaction intensity used in this study may help interpret subtle test results by providing morereliabledataandadditionalstatisticalinformationontheherd.Inaddition,themethodwouldalsobeapplicabletootheragglutinationtestforotherdiseases.

Reprinted from Journal of Immunoassay and Immunochemistry, 31, Cho, D., Nam, H., Kim, J., Heo, E., Cho, Y., Hwang, I., Kim, J., Kim, J., Jung, S., More, S., Quantitative Rose Bengal test for diagnosis of bovine brucellosis, 120-130, Copyright 2010, with permission from Taylor and Francis Ltd.

Epidemiological characteristics of bovine brucellosis in Korea, 2001-2004

Nam, H.-M.1, Kim, C.-H.1, More, S.J.2, 3, Yoon, H.1, Kim, S.J.1, Lee, B.-Y.1, Park, C.-K.1, Jeon, J.-M.1, Wee, S.-H.1

1 Bacteriology and Parasitology Division, National Veterinary Research & Quarantine Service, Republic of Korea,


ThispaperdescribestheepidemiologicalcharacteristicsofbovinebrucellosisinKoreaduringJanuary2000-September2004,whichencompassestheperiodwhentheincidenceofbovinebrucellosisincreasedabruptly.DatafromtheNationalAnimalInfectiousDiseaseDataManagementSystemwereusedforthisstudy.Arangeofepidemiologicalmeasureswerecalculatedincludingannualherdandanimalincidence.Duringthestudyperiod,therewere1,183outbreakson638farms.Inbeefcattle,annualherdincidenceincreasedfrom0.15(2000)to11.5(2004toSeptember)outbreaksper10,000andannualanimalincidencevariedbetween3.4(2000)and105.8(2004,toSeptember)per100,000,respectively.On401(62.9%)farmsduringthisperiod,infectionwaseradicatedwithoutrecurrence.Recurrenceofinfectionwassignificantlyhigheronfarmswhereabortionwasreported(53.3%)comparedtofarmswhereitwasn’t(30.0%).Onbeefcattlefarms,infectionwasintroducedmostfrequentlythroughpurchasedcattle(46.2%).Basedontheresultsofthisstudy,theestablishmentandspreadofbrucellosisintheKoreanbeefcattlepopulationwasmainlyduetoincompleteorinappropriatetreatmentofabortedmaterialandthemovementofinfectedcattle.


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Mycobacterium bovis in Korea: an update

Wee, S-H.1, Kim, C-H.2, More. S.J.3, 4, Nam, H-M.1

1 National Veterinary Research and Quarantine Service, Republic of Korea, 2 Food Safety and Sanitation Division, Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and

Fisheries, Republic of Korea, 3 UCD CVERA, 4 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine


ThispaperreportschangesinthecattlepopulationandtheincidenceofbovinetuberculosisintheRepublicofKoreabetween1960and2007,anddiscussespotentialfactorscontributingtotherecentlyobservedincreaseindiseaseincidence,particularlyinbeefcattleanddeer.Althoughtherehavebeenongoingrefinementstotheexistingprogramme, further improvements in current strategies are needed, including surveillance of susceptible animal species,bothdomesticandwild,andongoingsurveillanceofthehumanpopulation.

Reprinted from The Veterinary Journal, 185, Wee, S-H., Kim, C-H., More. S.J., Nam, H-M., Mycobacterium bovis in Korea: an update, 347-350, Copyright 2010, with permission from Elsevier.

An outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza at a public animal exhibit in Seoul, Korea during 2008

Yoon, H.1, Moon, O.K.1, More, S.J.2, 3, Park, C.K.4, Park, J.Y.1, Lee, Y.J.1, Lee, S.D.1, Ha, J.K.1, Jeong, S.K.1,

Jeong, J.W.1, Lee, S.J.1

1 Veterinary Epidemiology Division, National Veterinary Research and Quarantine Service, Republic of Korea, 2 UCD CVERA, 3 UCD School of Veterinary

Medicine, 4 Centre for Animal Disease Diagnosis, National Veterinary Research and Quarantine Service, Republic of Korea

Zoonoses and Public health 57, 142-145 (2010)

ThisstudydescribesthefirstrecordedoutbreakofHPAIinthecityofSeoul,incaptivebirdsheldinanexhibitionforpublicviewingatalocaldistrictoffice.Theindexcasesweretwopheasants,whichhadbeenintroducedintotheexhibiton24April,4dayspriortodeath,fromastoreinalocalmarketinGyeonggi-do.DucksandchickensfromanHPAIoutbreakfarm,subsequentlyconfirmedon4May,hadalsobeenheldinthisstore.Thisoutbreakhighlightsthepoten-tialroleoflocalmarketsinAIVtransmission.ThisoutbreakledtoconsiderablepublichealthconcerninKorea,however,nohumancaseswerereported.Thenon-commercialpoultrysectorneedstobeconsideredinnationalplansforprepar-ednessandresponse.

Reprinted from Zoonoses and Public Health, 57, Yoon, H., Moon, O.K., More, S.J., Park, C.K., Park, J.Y., Lee, Y.J., Lee, S.D., Ha, J.K., Jeong, S.K., Jeong, J.W., Lee, S.J., An outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza at a public animal exhibit in Seoul, Korea during 2008, 142-145, Copyright 2010, National Veterinary Research and Quarantine Service.


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Miscellaneous

Endophyte review/opinion paper

Canty, M.J.1

1 UCD CVERA

Animalsgrazingorconsumingconservedforagescanencounterproblemsifforagesareinfectedwithanendophyte,whichproducestoxinswhichareharmfultoanimals.Endophytesarefungithatlivewithinaplantandtherelationshipbetweenagrassanditsendophyteissymbiotic.Thegrassprovidesthenutrientsandtheendophyteproducestoxinsthatfendoffinsects,diseasesandgrazinganimals.Endophytesaretransmittedonlythroughgrassseed.Differencespeciesofendophytefungusinfectdifferentspeciesofgrass.PrincipallyweareconcernedwiththefungusNeotyphodium coen-ophialum,whichproducesover32toxicalkaloidsincluding17ergotalkaloidsthataffectlivestock.Theprincipaltoxinisergovaline,whichamongstotheralkaloids,causesfescuetoxicosisinlivestock.Thesetoxinsarevasoconstrictors,theyconstrict blood vessels and reduce circulation to the body extremities, interfering with the animals ability to regulate bodytemperatureandcausingconditionscalled‘fescuefoot’incoldweatherand‘summerslump’inhotweather.Theobjectiveofthisstudyistodeterminetheroleoftheendophyteergovalineonanumberoffarmswherepooranimalperformancehadbeenreported.

Graduate Certificate in Dairy Herd Health

Cashman, D.1, Williams, E.J.1, Doherty, M.L.1, More, S.J.1, 2, Mulligan, F.1


Onlinelearningisgrowinginpopularityasamethodtodeliverlifelonglearningtoveterinaryprofessionals,asmanyareunabletocommittofull-time,on-campuseducationalprogrammes.Thenumberofacademicstaffengaginginthismethodofeducationaldeliveryislow,however.Therearechallengestothedevelopmentanddeliveryofhigh-qualityonlinelearningprogrammes,recentreductionsinuniversityresources,bothhumanandfinancial.TheDairyHerdHealthgroupintheUniversityCollegeofDublin,aimedtoovercomethesehurdles,andsetouttodevelopanddeliveranonlinegraduatecertificateindairyherdhealth.Targetedatveterinariansoutinpractice,practitionerswillbeequippedwithtoolsforherddataanalysis,practicalherdevaluationskills,andanabilitytointegratethemultiplefacets of dairy herd health for the development of holistic herd level solution that are set in context with regard to herd profitabilityandanimalhealthandwelfare.TheCertificatewassuccessfullydeliveredin2011.Thispaperoffersaframeworkforthedevelopmentofonlinegraduateprogrammeswithlimitedresourcesandnoviceacademicstaffnewtoonlinedeliveryofprogrammes.Wereflectonthechallengesthatacademicstaffmembersencounteredinthedesignanddeliveryoftheironlineteachingstrategies.Finallyweproviderecommendationsonhowtoovercometheseteachingandlearningchallenges.


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Preface. SVEPM 2010 – The role of veterinary epidemiology in animal health in the world today

Martinez, T.A.1, Pfeiffer, D.U.2, More, S.J.3, 4

1 Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom, 2 Veterinary Epidemiology and Public Health Group, Royal Veterinary College,

Hertfordshire, United Kingdom, 3 UCD CVERA, 4 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine

Preventive Veterinary Medicine 100, 89 (2011)

ThisprefaceprovidesanintroductiontoaspecialeditionofPreventiveVeterinaryMedicine,basedonresearchpresentedatthe2010SocietyofVeterinaryEpidemiologyandPreventiveMedicineconference.Thepapersrangefromclassicalapproachesofobservationalepidemiologyappliedtocurrentproblems,tomorenoveltechniquesinvolvingcontactstructureandsocialnetworkanalysis,andculminatewithanintroductiontoadvancedstatisticalmethodsofanalysingBayesiannetworks.

Adapted from Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 100, Martinez, T.A., Pfeiffer, D.U., More, S.J., Preface. SVEPM 2010 – The role of veterinary epidemiology in animal health in the world today, 89, Copyright 2011, with permission from Elsevier.

Evidence is at the core of scientific method: A challenge for clinicians

More, S.J.1, 2



Evidenceisatthecoreofthescientificmethod,providingthebasisforacquiringnewandcorrectingandconsolidatingexistingknowledge.Withinthedisciplinesofveterinarymedicine,evidenceisgenerallygatheredthroughexperimenta-tionand/orobservation,withconclusionsthenbeingdrawnusinginductiveand/ordeductivereasoning.Therearemanyissuesrelatingtoscientificevidence,althoughonlytwoareconsideredinthispaper.Firstly,scientificevidenceneedstobepresentedtoend-users,includingclinicians,policy-makersandotherscientificresearchers,inamannerthatfacilitatescrit-icalevaluation,hencetheimportanceofinternationallyreportingguidelines.Secondly,scientificevidence,combinedwithclinicaljudgementandexpertise,formsthefoundationforevidence-basedveterinarymedicine(EBVM).Thisguestedito-rialprovidesanintroductiontoaseparatecritiqueofEBVM,includingstrategiestoincreaseitsadoptioninclinicalpractice.

Adapted from The Veterinary Journal, 191, More, S.J., Evidence is at the core of scientific method: A challenge for clinicians, 11-12, Copyright 2012, with permission from Elsevier.

Improving the quality of reporting in veterinary journals: how far do we need to go with reporting guidelines?

More, S.J.1, 2



Publicationintheinternationalpeer-reviewedliteratureisoneofthemostimportantoutputsofanyresearch.Despiteitsimportance,however,thequalityofreportingisvariable.Guidelineshavebeendevelopedbyinternationalscientific


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teamstopromotethequalityofreportingofresearchstudies,therebyimprovingboththevalueandreliabilityofmedicalresearchliterature.Increasingly,keymedicaljournals,eitherrequireorrecommendauthorcompliancewithreportingguidelines.Asyet,however,asimilarapproachisnotstandardpracticeamongveterinaryjournals.Thiswouldbepartlyresolvedthrougheffortstoraiseawarenessofthesereportingguidelinesamongveterinaryresearchers.Inaddition,veterinaryjournalsshouldrequireauthorcompliancewithrelevantreportingguidelines,intheinterestofhighqualityreportingofveterinarymedicalresearch.

Adapted from The Veterinary Journal, 184, More. S.J., Improving the quality of reporting in veterinary journals: how far do we need to go with reporting guidelines?, 249-250, Copyright 2010, with permission from Elsevier.

Markers of the uterine innate immune response of the mare

Nash, D.M.1, Sheldon, I.M.1, 2, Herath, S.1, 3, Lane, E.A.4

1 Department of Veterinary Clinical Studies, The Royal Veterinary College, London, United Kingdom, 2 Institute of Life Sciences, School of Medicine, Swansea

University, Swansea, United Kingdom, 3 Peter Gorer Department of Immunobiology, Kings College London, London, United Kingdom, 4 UCD CVERA

Animal Reproduction Science 119, 31–39 (2010)

Reproductiveefficiencyinmaresislowandpersistentmating-inducedendometritis(PMIE)isanimportantcauseofsubfertility.Mating-inducedendometritis(MIE)anobligateprecursortoPMIE,isaubiquitous,transientinflammatoryresponsetothepresenceofsperm,seminalcomponentsandpathogens.However,thespecificinflammatorypathwaysthatderivefromMIEandthatmayalsobeprecursorstoPMIEarenotclear.Theabilitytoidentifyandmeasurerobust,repeatablemarkersofinflammationintegraltoMIEmaybekeytounderstandingtheprogressiontoPMIE.Theaimofthestudywasto(i)refineaprotocolforinducingMIEandindoingsotestarangeofcellularandmolecularparam-etersasvalidmarkersofMIEtofacilitatefuturestudiesofmaressusceptibletoPMIE(ii)concurrentlyidentifythoseparameterswithpotentialasinflammatoryindicatorsduringMIEtoinformandenhanceearlytreatmentregimensinpractice.Mating-inducedendometritiswasinducedinponymaresusingastringentprotocol;maresweretreatedintrau-terinewithfrozen/thawedsemen(n=5;FTS)orfrozen/thawedextender(n=6:FTEx).Theparameterstestedweremeasured before treatment were compared to samples collected at strategic time points after treatment: uterine cytology usingcytological(at8,16,24,48and72haftertreatment)orhistologicalanalysis(at24and72h);uterinebacteri-ology(at24and72h);secretionofprostaglandinF2∝(PGF2∝;at8,16,24,48and72h);peripheralconcentrationsofserumamyloidA(SAA;at24h);endometrialmRNAgeneexpression,focussinguponIL8 and TLR4, as examples of genespertinenttoinflammation(at24h).Uterineneutrophilcellnumbersinbothtreatmentgroupsincreasedat8(P <0.001),16(P<0.01)and24(P<0.01)hafterinsemination,indicativeofMIEanddistinguishedbetweendifferenttreatmentsbecauseneutrophilnumbersweregreaterfromFTSmaresthanFTExmares8hafterchallenge.Uterineneutrophil cell numbers, assessed by histology, increased (P<0.001)24and72haftertreatment.ProstaglandinF2∝ concentrations increased (P<0.05)16haftertreatments,whileSAAconcentrationsandbacterialgrowthscoreswerenotsignificantlydifferentaftertreatment.EndometriumfromponymaresexpressedmRNAforIL8 and TLR4 but expressionwasnotalteredafterinsemination.TheprotocolinducedMIE,asconfirmedbyuterinecytologyandmaybeusedhereafterasarepeatableandrobustmethodforstudyingimmunemechanismsthatunderlieMIEandsomayaidtheunderstandingofprogressiontopersistentinflammation.Itcanbeconcludedthatoftherangeofparameterstested,neutrophilcellnumbersbycytologicalanalysisandPGF2∝wereregardedasthemostaccuratemarkersofinflammationduringMIEandimportantforuseinpractice.

Reprinted from Animal Reproduction Science, 119, Nash, D.M., Sheldon, I.M., Herath, S., Lane, E.A., Markers of the uterine innate immune response of the mare, 31-39, Copyright 2010, with permission from Elsevier.


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Endometrial explant culture to study the response of equine endometrium to insemination

Nash, D.M.1, 2, Sheldon, I.M.1, Herath, S.1, Lane, E.A.3

1 Department of Veterinary Clinical Studies, The Royal Veterinary College, North Mymms, United Kingdom, 2 Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural

Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, United Kingdom, 3 UCD CVERA

Reproduction in Domestic Animals 45, 670–676 (2010)

Mating-inducedendometritis(MIE)isubiquitousinthehorseafternaturalmatingandartificialinseminationwithfrozen/thawedsemencausingthemostaggressiveresponse.ThemajorityofmareseliminateMIE24-48hafterinsemination.Anendometrial explant culture was tested as a potential in vitroexemplarforsperm-inducedMIE.EndometrialprostaglandinF2∝ (PGF2∝)secretionandexpressionofinterleukin-8(IL-8)wereusedasmarkersofinflammation.Endometrialexplantswereculturedfromutericollectedfromfollicularphasemares.Explantswerechallengedwith1or10x106sperm/mlfrozen/thawedsemen,chilledsemen,washedspermorseminalplasma.Mediumwascollected24and72hafterchallengeandassayedforPGF2∝byradioimmunoassay.Treatmentofendometrialexplantswithfrozen/thawed,chilledsemenorwashedspermdidnotchangethesecretionofPGF2∝comparedwithuntreatedcontrols.However,24hafterchallengeculturedexplantsexpressedIL-8.Thein vitro endometrial explant system did not represent the in vivoresponsetosemenwhenPGF2∝wasusedasamarkerofinflammation,yettheuseofgeneexpressionasaninflammatorymarkerwarrantsfurtherinvestigation.

Reprinted from Reproduction in Domestic Animals, 45, Nash, D.M., Sheldon, I.M., Herath, S., Lane, E.A., Endometrial explant culture to study the response of equine endometrium to insemination, 670-676, Copyright 2010, with permission from John Wiley and Sons.

Essential elements and heavy metal concentrations in a small area of the Castlecomer Plateau, Co. Kilkenny, Ireland: Their potential to impact on animal performance

Canty, M.J.1, McCormack, S.2, Lane, E.A.1, Collins, D.M.1, More, S.J.1, 3

1 UCD CVERA, 2 Teagasc Johnstown Castle, 3 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine

Many ruminants are solely or mostly dependant for their nutrients, including essential elements, on the forage available to them, eitherinitsnaturalstateorconservedashayorsilage.AsoilandherbagesurveywascarriedoutinAprilandSeptember2007,ina3.1kmx3.0kmgrid,incorporating106and46samplingpoints,respectively,ontheCastlecomerPlateau,Co.Kilkenny,Ireland.Theaimwastodeterminethenutrientandheavymetalstatusofsoilandherbageinthesamplingarea,andtoexaminetheconcentrationsobservedfortheirpotentialtoimpactonanimalperformance.LowsoilpHandhighsoillimerequirementswereidentifiedwithinthesamplingarea.TheconcentrationsofCa,Cu,SeandZnwerelowinsoilsandherbage.TheseconditionsaresimilartothosefoundonotherfarmsinIreland.Fluoridewasdetectedin61ofthe97herbagesamplesinApril2007,butonlyfourexceeded40mg/kgdrymatter,themaximumtolerablelevelforcattle.Mineralimbalances(Ca,Cu,SeandZn)observedinpasturescausedbylowsoilmineralstatus,exacerbatedbylowsoilpH,couldimpairanimalperformanceintheareastudied.

Small area study/milk recording data

Lane, E.A.1, Canty, M.J.1, Clegg, T.A.1, More, S.J.1, 2


Theaimwastodeterminetheinfluenceoflocalindustryonmilkproductioninsurroundingfarms.Datawerecollectedfrom all dairy farms (n=14)participatinginanationalmilkrecordingschemewithin8kmofabrickfactory.Herdidentifier,individualcowidentifier,dateofbirth,mostrecentcalvingdate,parity,dateoftest,24hourmilk,fat,protein


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andlactoseyield,somaticcellcountateachmilkrecordingevent(n=13,773).Aherdmean24hourestimatedmilkyield was calculated per herd per month over the six year period (n=557).Therewasasignificanteffectofherdoforigin(P<0.0001),parity(P<0.05)andnumberofdaysinmilk(P<0.01)ontheherdaveragemilkyield.Meanmilkyieldswere lower (P<0.01)ontheindexfarmcomparedwithallfarmswiththeexceptionofherds5and10.Therewasnoaffect (P>0.05)year,ornumberofcowsinherd,orsomaticcellcountsonherdaveragemilkproduction.Milkyieldwas highest (P<0.001)insecondquarterofyearandlowest(P<0.001)infourthquaterofyear.Univariateanalysisdemonstratedthatherdslocatedwithin5kmofthebrickmanufacturingunit,milkproductionwaslower(P<0.0001)whenthebrickmanufacturingunitwasinproduction(18.8±0.37kgs/day)comparedwithwhenitwasclosed(21.7±0.41kgs/day).Milkproductionwasnotdifferentforherdsthatwerelocatedbetween5to8kmfromtheunit.Mixedmodelanlaysiswillbeconductedtodeterminetheoveralleffectofbrickmanufacture,accountingforbiologicallyimpor-tantfactorsincludingherdoforigin,parityandtimeofyear,onmilkproductioninthesurroundingherds.

Image quality & radiological safety

Skelly, C.1, Redmond, B.2, More, S.J.1, 3, McAlister, H.1

1 UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, 2 UCD School of Applied Social Science, 3 UCD CVERA

X-rays have long been used in veterinary practice both as a screening tool for developmental conditions and for diag-nosticpurposeswhendealingwithsickanimals.Howeverthereislimitedinformationregardingtheradiographicproto-cols,imagequalityandradiationsafetystandardsofveterinarypracticesinIreland.Thisprojectisdesignedtoassessthechangesthathaveoccurredinradiographicprotocolsandimagequalityoveraten-yearperiodthathasseengreattechno-logical advancement and to determine the attitudes and perceptions of the personnel involved in veterinary radiography towardsradiationsafety.

Can a national fertility programme improve dairy herd performance in Ireland? A review

Lane, E.A.1, Crowe, M.A.2, More, S.J.1, 2


DairyingisakeyelementoftheAgri-foodindustryinIreland.Althoughthenumberofdairyingunitsisdecreasing,milkproductivityandvalueareincreasing.Allindicatorssuggestthatfarmsaresettoexpand.Reproductiveperformanceisreducingworldwideandinfertilityisaseriousconstrainttofarmexpansion.Intensivelymanageddairyherdsmustachievefertilitytargetstoensurelong-termeconomicviability.Computerprogrammestomanagefertilityweredevelopedinthesixties and recent advances enable the development of sophisticated integrated computerised programmes for fertility, healthandproductionfacilitateherdmanagement.Theanalysisofherdmanagementrecordsallowsforaccurateassess-mentofthecurrentstatusoftheherd,acrucialdecisionmakingtooltoimplementeffectivechange.Monitoringofsuchchangestoensuretheireffectivenessisessentialtothesuccessofanyprogramme.Furthermore,participationindiscussiongroups,allowsforpeercomparisons,akeyfactorinmotivatingherdmanagementchange.AnationalprogrammesuchastheInCalfprogrammeoffersIrelandtheopportunitytoavailofahighlyresourcedeffectivereproductiveperformanceprogrammethatisinoperationforsimilarproductionsystemsintheSouthernHemisphere.Wemustbemindfuloftheexcellentresourcesalreadyinexistenceinthecountry;theICBFdatabaseoffersusopportunitiestoamalgamatetheInCalfprogrammewithakeydatabasetofurtherenhancethepossibleoutcomesforourdairyindustry.Additionally,successfulfarmerdiscussiongroupsarealreadyoperationalinIrelandrunbyourfarmadvisoryserviceTeagasc.Capacitybuildingmust be at the foremost of the programme and the encouragement of farmer, advisor and industry participation is para-mount.ThesearechallengesourindustrymustembracetoenhancetheIrishagriculture.


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Scientific support

Epidemiological support ........................................................................................ 108

Statistical scientific support .................................................................................. 111

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) scientific support .................................. 113

Database scientific support ................................................................................... 116


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Epidemiological support

Key CVERA contacts: Simon More, Inma Aznar, Mary Canty, Liz Lane

TheUCDCentreforVeterinaryEpidemiologyandRiskAnalysis(CVERA)providesepidemiologicalsupportinawidevarietyofareas.CVERAstaffareactiveinsupportofon-farminvestigationsbyundergraduateveterinarystudents,andofresearchprojectsbypostgraduatestudents,atUniversityCollegeDublin(UCD).WorkingcloselywithcolleaguesinIrelandandinternationally,theyalsocollaborate,eitherinaleadorsupportrole,onabroadportfolioofresearchprojects,contributingepidemiologicalexpertisetothedesign,conduct,analysisandfinalisationofscientificresearch.CVERAcontinuestoprovideepidemiologicaltrainingtostaffoftheDepartmentofAgriculture,FoodandtheMarine(DAFM),throughthe6-monthlyepidemiologicalmentoringgroup.EpidemiologicalstaffinCVERAincreasinglyworkatthescience-policyinterface,providingscientificadvicetosupportpolicydecision-making,bothinIrelandandinterna-tionally.InIreland,CVERAworkscloselywithgovernmentorganisations(includingDAFM,theFoodSafetyAuthorityofIreland(FSAI),andtheMarineInstitute)andwithAnimalHealthIreland(AHI).Internationally,CVERAstaffcontributetotheworkoftheEuropeanFoodSafetyAuthority(EFSA).Ingeneral,epidemiologicalsupportisunder-takenincollaborationwithotherCVERAstaff,withexpertiseinstatistics,geographicinformationsystemsanddatabasemaintenanceandinterrogation.

ThefollowingprovideanoverviewofsomeoftheepidemiologicalsupportprovidedbyCVERAduringthelast2years:

Scientific information in support of national and international policy decision-making

MostofCVERA’sworkisconductedatthescience-policyinterface,withCVERAstaffconductingscientificresearchandprovidingscientificinformationinsupportofpolicydecision-making.

InIreland,CVERAworksverycloselywithDAFM,principallyinthebroadareaofregulatoryanimalhealth(includingbovinetuberculosis,emergencydiseasepreparednessandresponse,andanimalwelfare).CVERAstaffworkinclosecollaborationwithAHI,providingscientificsupportthroughTechnicalWorkingGroups(TWGs;ongoingchairoftheTWGsonJohne’sdiseaseandmastitis,pastchairoftheTWGsonbiosecurityandcalfhealth)andthroughappliedscientificresearch,focusedonkeyAHIissues.SimonMoreisamemberofFSAI’sBiologicalSafetySubcommittee.

Internationally,SimonMoreisamemberofEFSA’sAnimalHealthandWelfarePanelandhascontributedtoeachofthefollowingAHAWworkinggroups:

• Meatinspection(chair,2010-) • Qfever(chair,2010) • Theuseofagammainterferontestforthediagnosisofbovinetuberculosis(member,2011-) • ReviewoftheEuropeanUnionSummaryReportontrendsandsourcesofzoonoses,zoonoticagentsand

food-borneoutbreaksin2010–specificallyforthedatarelatedtobovinetuberculosis,Echinococcus,Qfever,brucellosisandnon-foodbornezoonoses(member,2011-)

• TBindeer(member,2009)

Since2008,hehasbeenamemberoftheEpidemiology&WildlifeRisksProgrammeAdvisorySub-Group,whichformspartofDefra’sBovineTBScienceAdvisoryBodyintheUK.


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Epidemiological teaching

UCD taught programmes

CVERAstaffmakeasubstantialcontributiontoUCDtaughtprogrammes,bothtoundergraduateandpostgraduatestudents, in the following courses:

Veterinary Medicine • VET10030 Applications and Integration 1 (development of several problem-based learning exercises,

1styearMVBprogramme) • VET30170 Veterinary Herd Health and Population Medicine(lectures,4thyearMVBprogramme) • VET30290 Veterinary Medicine(practicalclasses&farmvisits,5thyearMVBprogramme) • VET40180 Herd Health Investigations Skills (module coordinator, online learning,

GraduateCertificateinBovineHealthManagement) • VET30070 Clinical reproduction programme(lectures,4thyearMVBprogramme) • VET20020 & VET30390 Equine reproductive physiology (lectures, 2ndyearMVBprogramme)

Veterinary Nursing • VNUR10240 Veterinary Reception and Management Skills

(lectures,1styearVeterinaryNursingDegreeprogramme) • VNUR30310 Introduction to Research (lecture, 3rdyearVeterinaryNursingDegreeprogramme)

Other taught programmes • AESC40020 Epidemiology and Zoonoses(lecture,Mastersstudents,AgriculturalandEnvironmentalSciences) • ANSC30130 Animal health, welfare and behaviour (lectures, Animal Science students) • MDSA10210 Science Medicine and Society (lecture, Medicine and Medical Science) • Advances in Infection Biology(lecture,InfectionBiologyThematicPhD)

Non-UCD taught programmes

CVERAstaffhavealsocontributedtothefollowing:

• Certificate programme in stud management (LizLanelecturesonanapproachtofoalingmares,IrishNationalStud)

• European Diploma in Animal Reproduction sub species Bovine (DiplECAR (Bovine)). (LizLanewastheofficialsupervisorforMarijkeBeltman)

Epidemiological training for DAFM staff

CVERAcoordinatesanepidemiological mentoring group, to support veterinarians with an interest in the practical applicationofveterinaryepidemiologyintheirwork.ThegroupmetinPortlaoise,Co.Laois,inMay2010andinFebruaryandNovember2011.Themeetingincludesinformalsupportforfundamentalepidemiologicalissues(forexample,‘writingscientificpapers’,epidemiologicalstudydesigns’etc).Inaddition,agroupofepidemiologicalmentors(fromCVERAandelsewhere)areprovidingsupporttogroupmembersonepidemiologicalprojectsthattheyareleading.Somecurrentprojectsinclude: • SeánAshe,InvestigationofoystermortalityinIreland • DorothyBailey,Investigationofthepiroplasmosisoutbreakinhorsesduring2009 • AidanCahill,FactorsaffectingBSEsamplequality


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• BoscoCowley,PrevalenceofIBRandBVDwrite-up • MaryCullinane,Furtheranalysisoftheemergencyslaughterdata • AnthonyDuignan,QualitycontrolinthenationalbovineTBprogramme • AndreaDwane,Criticalreviewofthesucklerwelfarescheme • NickyFennelly,BovineTBtrendsinKilkenny • MartinHayes,CorrelationbetweenSICCTandgamma-interferontests • DamienKelly,Evaluatingtheconceptsofrisk-basedsurveillanceinthenationalbovineTBprogramme • PaddyKelly,Evaluatinganearlywarningsystemforon-farmanimalwelfareincidents • PeterMullowney,Managementofherpesvirusinfectioninoysters • DeclanMurray,Analysisofsinglereactorbreakdowns • JohnO’Gorman,AnalysisofAHCSform1 • EoinRyan,OngoingepidemiologicalworkwithBSEandQfever

Severaloftheseprojectswererecentlypublishedintheinternationalpeerreviewedliterature.

Animal Health Ireland

CVERAhasworkedinclosecollaborationwitharangeofotherpartnerstowardstheestablishmentof,andsubsequentlyinsupportof,AHI,anot-for-profit,partnership-basedorganisationprovidingnationalleadershipandcoordinationofnon-regulatoryanimalhealthissuesinIreland.Partnerorganisationsincludelivestockfarmers,processors,serviceprovidersandgovernment.InIreland,aselsewhere,regulatoryanimalhealthissuesaretheresponsibilityofgovernment.Untilrecently,however,therehasbeennonationalcoordinationofnon-regulatoryanimalhealthissues.AHIwasestablishedspecificallytofillthisgap.Forsomeyears,CVERAsoughttobuildascience-baseinsupportofAHI’sformation,providingacriticalreviewofcurrentperformanceinnon-regulatoryanimalhealthinIreland,andbuildingacaseforincreasedprivatesectorinvolvementinnon-regulatoryanimalhealthissues.FollowingAHIestablishmentinearly2009,CVERAhasbeenheavilycommitted,withotherpartners,inprovidingscientificinformationinsupportofnationaldecision-makinginthisarea,throughAHI’stechnicalworkinggroups,focusingonareasincludingbiosecurity,calfhealth,Johne’sdiseaseandmastitis.CVERAisalsoleadingorcontributingtoanumberofhighlyappliedresearchprogrammesintheseareas.

Irish Veterinary Journal

IncollaborationwithMichaelDoherty,theEditor-in-Chief,SimonMorehasworkedtoestablishtheIrish Veterinary Journal asanopenaccessjournal,withintheBioMedCentral(BMC)stable.BMCcurrentlypublish227internationalpeer-reviewedjournals,allopenaccess,mostinpartnershipwithscientificsocieties.Thejournal,located at www.irishvetjournal.org, now has the potential to reach its full potential, providing an international showcaseforhigh-qualityIrishveterinarymedicalresearch.Thejournalisnowindexedwidely,includinginPubMed,andhighlyvisibleinternationally.AsstatedbyMichaelatitsrecent“re”-launch:

“The aspirations and achievements of the Irish veterinary profession and Irish veterinary science are world-class, in terms of patient care, national disease control, veterinary education and research. This exciting new relationship between Irish Veterinary Journal and BioMed Central, providing open access publishing and concomitant increased international standing, is entirely in keeping with those aspirations and achievements.”

CVERAisleadingtheIVJarchivingproject,whichseekstocreateacompleteelectronicarchiveoftheIrish Veterinary Journal, fromvolume1in1946.Atthispoint,allpeer-reviewedjournalarticlesfromvolume57(2004)areavailableonline.


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Statistical scientific support

Key CVERA contacts: Tracy Clegg, Mary Canty

CVERAprovidesstatisticalsupportinavarietyofareasrangingfromstudydesign,statisticalanalysis,interpretationofresultsandassistancewithpublishingresults.SupportismainlyprovidedtopersonnelinDAFMonvariousresearchareas.Inaddition,statisticalsupportisprovidedtoAHItechnicalworkinggroupsasrequestedandtoresearchersinUCDVeterinaryMedicineandotherorganisations.AdviceandtechnicalexpertiseisalsoprovidedbyCVERAforthestatisticalsoftwarepackagesSAS,STATA,SPSSand,toalesserextent,WINBUGS.

During2010-2011,inadditiontocoreprojectsalreadydescribed,CVERAprovidedstatisticalsupportandadvicetoarangeofresearchprojectsasfollows:

Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM)

Routine support

• EstimationofthepotencyoftuberculinsuppliedtoIreland.AroundtwiceeachyearDAFMcarriesouttrialsoncattlethathavealreadytestedpositivetotheSingleIntradermalComparativeTuberculinTest(SICTT)inordertoestimatethepotencyoftuberculinsuppliedtoIreland.CVERAreceivesthedatafromthesetrialsandrunstheappropriate models to estimate the potency of the tuberculin batches tested

• SelectionofarandomsampleofherdsforasurveillanceprogrammeonBluetonguevirusintheIrishcattlepopulation

• Providestatisticalsupportannuallytoassistinthequantitativecomparisonoftheperformanceofindividualprivateveterinarypractitioners(PVPs)inrelationtoSICTTtestingforbovinetuberculosis

Statistical support

• Providedstatisticalassistancewiththedatacollection,descriptiveanalysisandtheuseoflogisticregressionforastudyofbovinetuberculosisinanimalsslaughteredfromsinglereactorbreakdownatanIrishexportmeatplant

• Assistedwiththesampleselectionandanalysisofprevalenceforasurveyofthedistributionofparatuberculosis(Johne’sdisease)incattleherdsinIreland

• ProvidedstatisticaladviceforastudyoftuberculosisingoatsonafarminIreland • Assistedwithdescriptiveanalysisofbovinecasesconsignedunderveterinarycertificationtoemergencyand

casualtyslaughterinIrelandduring2006to2008 • Advisedonthestudydesigntoidentifynon-complianceofsheepidentification • PerformedstatisticalanalysisusingsurvivalanalysistocomparetheperformanceofSICTTtestingcarriedoutby

TVIscomparedwithherdstestedbypvpswhentestingherdsforbovinetuberculosis • Advisedonthestatisticalanalysisofthecalvingintervalofcowsin5beefherdsbyvariousriskfactors


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Teaching

• VNUR30310 Introduction to Research (lecture, 3rdyearVeterinaryNursingDegreeprogramme)–lecturesandtutorials on statistics

Statistical support

• Statisticaladviceprovidedontheappropriatenon-parametricteststouseforthestudy:Comparisonofultrasound-guidedversus“blind”techniquesforintra-synovialinjectionsoftheshoulderareainhorses:scapulohumeraljoint,bicipitalbursaandinfraspinatusbursa

• Assistedwiththestatisticalanalysisforastudyofaretrospectivereviewofweightlossdespiteagoodappetitein horses

• StatisticaladviceprovidedontheappropriatemethodstousetocompareSCCmeasurementsforthestudy: AHACCP-basedapproachtomastitiscontrolindairyherds.Part2:Implementationandevaluation

• AssistedwiththedescriptivedataanalysisofDelphiresultsfromthestudy:EvaluationofcurrentequinewelfareissuesinIreland:Causes,desirability,feasibilityandmeansofraisingstandards

• Adviceprovidedonthestudydesigntocomparedifferentdiagnosticimagingtechniques • Assistedwiththestatisticalanalysistocomparebiosecurityrisksathorseevents • Assistedwiththedataanalysisforastudyofpersistent-postbreedingendometritisinmarescomparingswabs

takenbeforeandafterbreedingfromthevaginaanduterus • Contributedtoastudyonthenumberofherdrestrictionsduetobovinetuberculosisforaprojectbasedonherds

inWestWicklow


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Geographic Information Systems (GIS) scientific support

Key CVERA contacts: Guy McGrath, Daniel M. Collins

CVERAprovidesabroadrangeofGISscientificsupporttoresearchanddiseaseeradicationprojectsrunbyDAFM.Additionally,GISsupportisprovidedtoUCDVeterinaryMedicineandotherorganisations.ListedisasampleofGISworkconductedinCVERAwhichisnotcreditedformallythroughpeerreview.

The Wildlife Unit

a. An independent monitor

CVERAactsasanindependentmonitorfortheNationalParksandWildlifeServices(NPWS)withintheDepartmentofArts,HeritageandtheGaeltachttoensureoperationsoftheWildlifeUnit(DAFM)arewithinpre-agreedcriteria.Thisincludes verifying individual badger removal licences and calculating a running total of the total area of land under treat-mentbycounty.Six-monthlyreportsareproducedforthetwogovernmentDepartments.

b. Administration

InadditiontomonitoringandreportingonWildlifeUnitactivities,CVERAmaintaintheGIScomponentoftheWildlifeUnitadministrationcentreinJohnstownCastle,Co.Wexford.ThiscentreprovidesallDistrictVeterinaryOfficeswiththerelevantmapsandortho-photographytocompletebadgersurveysinareaswheretuberculosisbreak-downsincattlehavebeenattributedtowildlife.ThebadgersettsfoundthroughsurveyingaredigitisedandmaintainedcentrallyontheGIS.Spatialqueriesareemployedtovalidatesettlocationandreduceinputerrors.

c. Vaccine trial

Avaccinethatprotectsbadgersfrombovinetuberculosisiscurrentlybeingtrialled.ThefieldtrialareainwestKilkennywasselectedbaseduponlocation,herdcountandcattledensity,existingsettdensity,topologyandlanduseusingGIS.Additional locations in other counties have been identified to replace badger culling with vaccination as part of an addi-tionaltrial.OngoingGISsupportwillbeprovidedforthemaintenanceandanalysisoftheseprojects.

d. General Wildlife Unit tasks

Specificqueriesandissuesconsideredtobeoflocalimportancearedealtwithonanad hocbasis.ThisincludesmappingneighbourhoodTBtestinghistorytoassistindecisionmakinginproblemareas.AllDistrictVeterinaryOfficesaresuppliedwithA0mapsannuallyshowingthelocationoftheirsettsandcaptureblocks.

Technical GIS support

Administrative

IntheeventofanoutbreakofaClassAdisease,CVERAprovideGISsupporttotheDAFM’sNationalDiseaseControlCentre.InthecaseofFootandMouthdisease(FMD),CVERAliaisewiththeIrishmeteorologicaloffice,MetÉireann,toestablishthewindborneriskofinfectiontofarmsinthevicinityofanindexcase.CVERAarecurrentlyinvolvedintheprocessofunifyingFMDzonemappingwithourGIScounterpartsintheDepartmentofAgricultureandRuralDevelopment,NorthernIreland.CVERAhaveprovidedcontingencymappingsupportfordiseasesassociateswithbovine,avian,equine,porcineandovinespecies.


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Epidemiological

CVERAassistinthespatialcomponentsofadiversearrayofepidemiologicalprojects.Theseprojectsinclude:

• SelectingrandomsitesnationallyforthesurveyofCulicoides • HerdselectionbygridsquareforannualBluetonguesurveillance • ClusteranalysisofJohne’sDisease • ClusteringofCryptosporidium • Associatinglocalclimaticeventswithpoorperformanceonastudyherd • Aerialdispersionmodelling • Continuationofdiseasedensity‘greenblob’maps2007throughto2010 • MappingofleadlevelsinbovinesintheSilverminesarea

General administrative GIS support

CVERAprovidesregularGISadministrativereportstoDAFM.ExamplesofGISadministrativereportstotheDepartment include:

• EstimatingthedistancebetweenmainfarmsandtheircorrespondingcountyDistrictVeterinaryOffice(DVO) • CalculatingthecatchmentareasforDAFMVeterinaryLaboratoryServiceregionaloffices • CalculatingDVOfarmcatchmentareas • ProvidingmappingassistancefortheearlystagesoftheN11badgertrackingproject

Ad hoc GIS support

CVERAprovidesonce-offGISsupporttoarangeofprojectsconductedbytheDepartment,UCDVeterinaryMedicineandothercollaboratingagencies.ExamplesofrecentGISsupportinclude:

• CreatingamapforDVOsshowinglivetransportrestingstopsinFranceunderEUwelfarerequirements(DAFM) • MappingthesubmissionofequinecasestotheUCDVeterinaryHospital(UCD) • Thelocationofroadsstudiedforapaperonroadcasualtymammals(UCC) • TheterritoriesandbadgersettlocationsofLittleIsland,Co.Waterford(UCC) • MapsillustratingvariousaspectsoftheIrishequineindustryaspartofapublicationentitled“Challengesand

solutionstosupportgoodequinewelfarepracticeinIreland”(UCD) • SelectiononaControlareafortheN11badgertrackingproject(DAFM) • Constructionofanational10metreDigitalTerrainmodel(DTM)ofIreland • CreationofacompleteseamlessLandParcelIdentificationSystem(LPIS)coverageofIrelandfrom1999with

spatial attribution applied to the most recent entries • TrichinellamapsandbovinedensitymapsforDAFMVeterinaryLaboratoryService • Piroplasmosismapping(DAFM)


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Provision of geographic data

CVERAprovidecollaborativeagencieswithgeographicdata.Someoftheseprojectsinclude:

• TheprovisionofLandParcelIdentificationSystem(LPIS)toNationalParksand WildlifeServices(NPWS)onanongoingbasis

• TheprovisionofFourAreaProjectdataandGISassistancetoTheSchoolofNaturalSciencesin Trinity College Dublin

• TheprovisionofdatatotheUCDSchoolofMathematicalSciencesforaprojectbasedonherds intheWestWicklowarea

• Theprovisionofdataforaprojectentitled“EffectofdistancebetweenapreviouslyMycobacterium bovis-infected herdandclearherdsontheoccurrenceofbovinetuberculosisbreakdownsinIreland

• TheprovisionofspatialdatatomodelthebadgerpopulationsinIreland • Theprovisionofdataforaprojectaimedatevaluatingarisk-basedapproachtomeatinspection

forbovinetuberculosisinIreland • TheconversionofIrishgeographicXYlocationdatatointernationallat/longstandard • Theprovisionofmappingresourcesaspartofveterinarystudentherdinvestigations • AnnValleycatchmentconstructedwetlanddatasupport • Theprovisionofdataforanationalwildlifesurvey


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Database scientific support

Key CVERA contact: Isabella Higgins

ProvisionandpreparationofdataforresearchprojectsforCVERA,PhDtheses/publicationsandsupportforarangeofprojectsfromthementoringgroup

Maintenance and conversion of the following databases to SAS® datasets

CVERAmaintainsacopyofthefollowingnationaldatabases: • AnimalHealthComputerSystem(AHCS)database ❍ TBHerdtestsummaryrecords ❍ TBAnimallevelrecords ❍ TBFactorysurveillancedatabase • AnimalIdentificationandMovementsSystem(AIMS)databaseEachisconvertedtoSAS®datasets,tofacilitatedataextractionandanalysis.

Data extraction

Dataextractionfromtheabove-mentioneddatabaseshasorisbeingusedforabroadrangeofprojects,including:

• CostbenefitanalysisofIrishBVDeradicationprogramme;descriptivedataforsuckler,dairyandbeeffatteningherdsbyherdsize

• CalfwastageprojecttoestimatecalfmortalityinIreland;dataextractionfromAIMSandcollationwithICBFdatafrommilk-recordingherds

• Winddistributionmodels;provisionofassistancewiththehandlingofrawdata • ThematicmappingofbovineTBincidencepersquarekm;provisionofAPTfiguresonaDEDbasis(forkernel

densitywithsearchradiusat10km)fortheyears2010and2011 • GeneticsoftuberculosisinIrishdairycows;mergingoflinkablerecordsfromAHCS,AIMS(formerlyCMMS,

CattleMovementMonitoringSystem)andtheIrishCattleBreedingFederation(ICBF)databasetocreateanimaland herd level records of animal breeding and disease control

• Provisionofdemographicdataforaretrospectivecohortstudyontherelationshipbetweenherdsize,herdexpansionandmilksomaticcellcounts

• ProvisionofdemographicdataonfarmsselectedforthestudyonmolecularepidemiologyofCryptosporidium parvum subtypes using multi-locus subtyping approach and geographic information system approach

• Identifykeyperformanceindicators(KPIs)thatcanbemonitoredtoenhancetheEarlyWarningSystem(EWS)forAnimalHealthandWelfare;dataextractionfromAIMSofthefollowingdata:Lateregistrations,Cattleexitsbyon-farmburial,Cattlemovestotheknackery,CattlemovestoherdE800andTotalcattleexits(movetothefactory,abattoir,mart,privatesale,knackery,on-farmburial,locateorE800)

• Investigatingthelong-termsurvivalandmovementofBVDantigenpositiveanimalstotheknackery/laboratory,factoryorotherfarms;provisionofmovementdatafromAIMSfortheseanimals,asconfirmedbyDAFMVeterinaryLaboratoryServiceduring2010

• ProvisionofepisodebaseddataandmovementrecordsasafollowuptopreviousworkonthegeneticsoftuberculosisinIrishdairycows.ThemainobjectiveofthisfurtherstudyistofinemaptheregionsofthegenomeassociatedwithTBandtoinvestigateusingbeefanimalsandtocreatemoreaccuratedependentvariables(i.e.geneticmeritforTBonsires)


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General database support

CVERAprovidesgeneraldatabasesupportthrougheachofthefollowing:

• SupportthestructureofepidemiologicaldatastorageinSAS®

• Ensuretimelyandaccuratemanagementofepidemiologicaldata • Leadon-goingdatamaintenanceefforts • Ensureepidemiologicaldataisenteredaccurately • ProgramminginSAS®requestsforanalysesofepidemiologicaldata • AssistwithSAS® upgrades • Recommendandassistintheimplementationofprocessimprovementsfordataexchange • Create,editandupdateepidemiologicaldatasetsasrequested • Interactwithandrespondtoepidemiologicaldataquestions • Participateinprojectsanddepartmentmeetingstomaintainawarenessofchangingneedsastheyrelateto

epidemiological data usage • Identifynewepidemiologicaldatarequirementsandchangestoexistingepidemiologicaldata

Creation of episode-based data

DetailedworkwasconductedtocreateadatabaseofTBbreakdownepisodesfortheperiod1989-2010.ThisworkwillformthebasisofextensivefutureworkinthestudyofTB,includingeachofthefollowingresearchprojects:

• Compilationandvalidationofepisode-baseddatafortheRestockingStudyandidentificationofthestudypopulation

• Provisionofextensivetabulateddataovertheperiod1995-2010ofbovineTBtrendsinIrelandaspartofworkincollaborationwithEngland,NorthernIreland,ScotlandandWalesusingepisode-baseddata,AHCSTBherdtestsummaryrecordsandTBanimaltestrecords

• Thedevelopmentandapplicationofnewmeasuresofperformance,relatingtothemanagementoftheIrishTBeradicationprogramme.Thisprojectwillassistwithongoingprogrammereviewtoenableongoingmeasurementand to review programme progress

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During 2010-11 ....................................................................................................... 120

Prior to 2010 ........................................................................................................... 128


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Peer reviewed papers

Aznar,I.,McGrath,G.,Murphy,D.,Corner,L.A.L.,Gormley,E.,Frankena,K.,More,S.J.,Martin,W.,O’Keeffe,J.,DeJong,M.C.M.,2011.Trialdesigntoestimatetheeffectofvaccinationontuberculosisincidenceinbadgers.Veterinary Microbiology151,104-111.

*Barrett,D.J.,Mee,J.F.,Mullowney,P.,Good,M.,McGrath,G.,Clegg,T.,More,S.J.,2011.RiskfactorsassociatedwithJohne’sdiseaseteststatusindairyherdsinIreland.Veterinary Record168,410.

*Barrett,D.J.,More,S.J.,Graham,D.A.,O’Flaherty,J.,Doherty,M.L.,Gunn,H.M.,2011.ConsiderationsonBVDeradicationfortheIrishlivestockindustry.Irish Veterinary Journal64,12.

Beekhuis-Gibbon,L.,Devitt,C.,Whyte,P.,O’Grady,L.,More,S.J.,Redmond,B.,Quin,S.,Doherty,M.L.,2011.AHACCP-basedapproachtomastitiscontrolindairyherds.Part2:Implementationandevaluation.Irish Veterinary Journal64,7.

Beekhuis-Gibbon,L.,Whyte,P.,O’Grady,L.,More,S.J.,Doherty,M.L.,2011.AHACCP-basedapproachtomastitiscontrolindairyherds.Part1:Development.Irish Veterinary Journal64,2.

Bermingham,M.L.,Brotherstone,S.,Berry,D.P.,More,S.J.,Good,M.,Cromie,A.R.,White,I.M.S.,Higgins,I.M.,Coffey,M.,Downs,S.H.,Glass,E.J.,Bishop,S.C.,Mitchell,A.P.,Clifton-Hadley,R.S.,Woolliams,J.A.,2011.EvidenceforgeneticvarianceinresistancetotuberculosisinGreatBritainandIrishHolstein-Friesianpopulations. BMC Proceedings5(Suppl4),S15.

Bermingham,M.L.,More,S.J.,Good,M.,Cromie,A.R.,Higgins,I.M.,Berry,D.P.,2010.Geneticcorrelationsbetween measures of Mycobacterium bovisinfectionandeconomicallyimportanttraitsinIrishHolstein-Friesiandairycows.Journal of Dairy Science93,5413-5422.

Berry,D.P.,Bermingham,M.L.,Good,M.,More,S.J.,2011.Geneticsofanimalhealthanddiseaseincattle.Irish Veterinary Journal64,5.

Berry,D.P.,Good,M.,Mullowney,P.,Cromie,A.R.,More,S.J.,2010.GeneticvariationinserologicalresponsetoMycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosisanditsassociationwithperformanceinIrishHolstein-Friesiandairycows.Livestock Science131,102-107.

Boland,F.,Kelly,G.E.,Good,M.,More,S.J.,2010.BovinetuberculosisandmilkproductionininfecteddairyherdsinIreland.Preventive Veterinary Medicine93,153-161.

Brotherstone,S.,White,I.M.S.,Coffey,M.,Downs,S.H.,Mitchell,A.H.,Clifton-Hadley,R.S.,More,S.J.,Good,M.,Woolliams,J.A.,2010.EvidenceofgeneticresistanceofcattletoinfectionwithMycobacterium bovis.Journal of Dairy Science93,1234-1242.

Chambers,M.A.,Rogers,F.,Delahay,R.J.,Lesellier,S.,Ashford,R.,Dalley,D.,Gowtage,S.,Davé,D.,Palmer,S.,Brewer,J.,Crawshaw,T.,Clifton-Hadley,R.,Carter,S.,Cheeseman,C.,Hanks,C.,Murray,A.,Palphramand,K.,Pietravalle,S.,Smith,G.C.,Tomlinson,A.,Walker,N.J.,Wilson,G.J.,Corner,L.A.L.,Rushton,S.P.,Shirley,M.D.F.,Gettinby,G.,McDonald,R.A.,Hewinson,R.G.,2011.BacillusCalmette-Guérinvaccinationreducestheseverityandprogressionoftuberculosisinbadgers.Proceedings of the Royal Society B278,1913-1920.


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Cho,D.,Nam,H.,Kim,J.,Heo,E.,Cho,Y.,Hwang,I.,Kim,J.,Kim,J.,Jung,S.,More,S.,2010.QuantitativeRoseBengaltestfordiagnosisofbovinebrucellosis.JournalofImmunoassay and Immunochemistry31,120-130.

***Cleary,G.P.,Corner,L.A.L.,O’Keeffe,J.,Marples,N.M.,2011.DietoftheEuropeanbadger(Meles meles) in the RepublicofIreland:Acomparisonofresultsfromananalysisofstomachcontentsandrectalfaeces. Mammalian Biology76,470-475.

Clegg,T.,Duignan,A.,Whelan,C.,Gormley,E.,Good,M.,Clarke,J.,Toft,N.,More,S.J.,2011.Usinglatentclassanalysis to estimate the test characteristics of the interferon-g test, the single intradermal comparative tuberculin test and amultipleximmunoassayunderIrishconditions.Veterinary Microbiology151,68-76.

Clegg,T.A.,Good,M.,Duignan,A.,Doyle,R.,Blake,M.,More.S.J.,2011.Longer-termriskofMycobacterium bovis inIrishcattlefollowinganinconclusivediagnosistothesingleintradermalcomparativetuberculintest. Preventive Veterinary Medicine100,147-154.

Clegg,T.A.,Good,M.,Duignan,A.,Doyle,R.,More.S.J.,2011.Shorter-termriskofMycobacterium bovisinIrishcattlefollowinganinconclusivediagnosistothesingleintradermalcomparativetuberculintest. Preventive Veterinary Medicine102,255-264.

Collins,J.,Hanlon,A.,More,S.J.,Wall,P.,Kennedy,J.,Duggan,V.,2010.EvaluationofcurrentequinewelfareissuesinIreland:causes,desirability,feasibilityandmeansofraisingstandards.Equine Veterinary Journal42,105-113.

Collins,J.,More,S.J.,Hanlon,A.,Duggan,V.,2010.CasestudyofequinewelfareonanIrishfarm:2007-2009.Veterinary Record167,90-95.

Collins,J.A.,Hanlon,A.,More,S.J.,Wall,P.G.,Duggan,V.,2011.Aspectsoftheowning/keepinganddisposalofhorses,andhowtheserelatetoequinehealth/welfareinIreland.Irish Veterinary Journal64,11.

Corner,L.A.L.,Costello,E.,O’Meara,D.,Lesellier,S.,Aldwell,F.E.,Singh,M.,Hewinson,R.G.,Chambers,M.A.,Gormley,E.,2010.Oralvaccinationofbadgers(Meles meles)withBCGandprotectiveimmunityagainstendobronchialchallenge with Mycobacterium bovis.Vaccine28,6265-6272.

Corner,L.A.L.,Murphy,D.,Gormley,E.,2011.Mycobacterium bovisinfectionintheEurasianbadger(Meles meles): the disease,pathogenesis,epidemiologyandcontrol.Journal of Comparative Pathology144,1-24.

Cowley,D.J.B.,Clegg,T.A.,Doherty,M.L.,More,S.J.,2011.Aspectsofbovineherpesvirus-1infectionindairyandbeefherdsintheRepublicofIreland.Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica53,40.

Cullinane,M.,O’Sullivan,E.,Collins,G.,Collins,D.M.,More,S.J.,2010.Areviewofbovinecasesconsignedunderveteri-narycertificationtoemergencyandcasualtyslaughterinIrelandduring2006to2008.Irish Veterinary Journal63,568-577.

Downes,M.J.,Clegg,T.A.,Collins,D.M.,McGrath,G.,More,S.J.,2011.ThespatialdistributionofpetdogsandpetcatsontheislandofIreland.BMC Veterinary Research7,28.

Downes,M.J.,Roy,A.,McGinn,T.G.,Wisnivesky,J.P.,2010.Factorsassociatedwithfurrypetownershipamongpatientswithasthma.Journal of Asthma47,742-749.

Gil,O.,Díaz,I.,Vilaplana,C.,Tapia,G.,Díaz,J.,Fort,M.,Cáceres,N.,Pinto,S.,Caylà,J.,Corner,L.,Domingo,M.,Cardona,P.-J.,2010.Granulomaencapsulationisakeyfactorforcontainingtuberculosisinfectioninminipigs.PLoS One 5,e10030.


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Good,M.,Clegg,T.A.,Costello,E.,More,S.J.,2011.ThecomparativeperformanceofthesingleintradermaltestandthesingleintradermalcomparativetuberculintestinIrishcattle,usingtuberculinPPDcombinationsofdifferingpoten-cies.The Veterinary Journal190,e60-e65.

Good,M.,Clegg,T.A.,Duignan,A.,More,S.J.,2011.ImpactofthenationalfullherddepopulationpolicyontherecurrenceofbovinetuberculosisinIrishherds,2003to2005.Veterinary Record169,581.

Good,M.,Clegg,T.A.,Murphy,F.,More,S.J.,2011.Thecomparativeperformanceofthesingleintradermalcomparativetuber-culintestinIrishcattle,usingtuberculinPPDcombinationsfromdifferentmanufacturers.Veterinary Microbiology151,77-84.

#Good,M.,Duignan,A.,2011.AnevaluationoftheIrishSingleReactorBreakdownProtocolfor2005to2008inclu-siveanditspotentialapplicationasamonitoroftuberculintestperformance.Veterinary Microbiology151,85-90.

#Good,M.,Duignan,A.,2011.PerspectivesonthehistoryofbovineTBandtheroleoftuberculininbovineTBeradi-cation.Veterinary Medicine International,articleID410470.

Gormley,E.,Corner,L.A.L.,2011.Controloftuberculosisinbadgersbyvaccination:Wherenext?The Veterinary Journal189,239–241.

Hayes,M.,Kilroy,A.,Ashe,S.,Power,S.,Kenny,K.,Collins,D.M.,More,S.J.,2010.Anoutbreakofbovinebrucel-losisinCountyClare,Ireland,during2005.Veterinary Record166,107-111.

***Kelly,D.J.,Corner,L.A.L.,Gormley,E.,Murphy,D.,Costello,E.,Aldwell,F.E.,Marples,N.M.,2011.Evaluationofattractant flavours for use in oral vaccine baits for badgers (Meles meles).European Journal of Wildlife Research57,767-774.

Kelly,G.E.,McGrath,G.,More,S.J.,2010.EstimatingtheextentofspatialassociationofMycobacterium bovis infection inbadgersinIreland.Epidemiology and Infection138,270-279.

Kelly,G.E.,More,S.J.,2011.SpatialclusteringofTB-infectedcattleherdspriortoandfollowingproactivebadgerremoval.Epidemiology and Infection139,1220-1229.

Kelly,P.C.,More,S.J.,Blake,M.,Hanlon,A.J.,2011.Identificationofkeyperformanceindicatorsforon-farmanimalwelfareincidents:possibletoolsforearlywarningandprevention.Irish Veterinary Journal64,13.

Killick,K.E.,Browne,J.A.,Park,S.D.E.,Magee,D.A.,Martin,I.,Meade,K.G.,Gordon,S.V.,Gormley,E.,O’Farrelly,C.,Hokamp,K.,MacHugh,D.E.,2011.Genome-widetranscriptionalprofilingofperipheralbloodleukocytesfromcattleinfectedwithMycobacteriumbovisrevealssuppressionofhostimmunegenes.BMC Genomics12,611.

Lesellier,S.,Palmer,S.,Gowtage-Sequiera,S.,Ashford,R.,Dalley,D.,Davé,D.,Weyer,U.,Salguero,F.J.,Nunez,A.,Crawshaw,T.,Corner,L.A.L.,Hewinson,R.G.,Chambers,M.A.,2011.ProtectionofEurasianbadgers(Meles meles) fromtuberculosisafterintra-muscularvaccinationwithdifferentdosesofBCG.Vaccine29,3782–3790.

Lorenz,I.,Earley,B.,Gilmore,J.,Hogan,I.,Kennedy,E.,More,S.J.,2011.Calfhealthfrombirthtoweaning.III.Housingandmanagementofcalfpneumonia.Irish Veterinary Journal64,14

Lorenz,I.,Fagan,J.,More,S.J.,2011.Calfhealthfrombirthtoweaning.II.Managementofdiarrhoeainpre-weanedcalves.Irish Veterinary Journal64,9.

Lorenz,I.,Mee,J.F.,Earley,B.,More,S.J.,2011.Calfhealthfrombirthtoweaning.I.Generalaspectsofdiseaseprevention.Irish Veterinary Journal64,10.


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Martinez,T.A.,Pfeiffer,D.U.,More,S.J.,2011.Preface.SVEPM2010–Theroleofveterinaryepidemiologyinanimalhealthintheworldtoday.Preventive Veterinary Medicine100,89.

More,S.J.,2010.Improvingthequalityofreportinginveterinaryjournals:howfardoweneedtogowithreportingguidelines?The Veterinary Journal184,249-250.

More,S.J.,Doherty,M.L.,Downey,L.,McKenzie,K.,Devitt,C.,O’Flaherty,J.,2011.AnimalHealthIreland:providingnationalleadershipandcoordinationofnon-regulatoryanimalhealthissuesinIreland.Revue scientifique et technique / Office international des épizooties (OIE Scientific and Technical Review)30,715-723.

More,S.J.,McKenzie,K.,O’Flaherty,J.,Doherty,M.L.,Cromie,A.R.,Magan,M.J.,2010.Settingprioritiesfornon-regulatoryanimalhealthinIreland:resultsfromanexpertPolicyDelphistudyandafarmerpriorityidentificationsurvey.Preventive Veterinary Medicine95,198-207.

Murphy,D.,Gormley,E.,Collins,D.M.,McGrath,G.,Sovsic,E.,Costello,E.,Corner,L.A.L.,2011.Tuberculosisincattle herds are sentinels for Mycobacterium bovisinfectioninEuropeanbadgers(Meles meles):theIrishGreenfieldStudy.Veterinary Microbiology151,120-125.

Murphy,D.,Gormley,E.,Costello,E.,O’Meara,D.,Corner,L.A.L.,2010.TheprevalenceanddistributionofMycobacterium bovisinfectioninEuropeanbadgers(Meles meles) as determined by enhanced post mortem examination andbacteriologicalculture.Research in Veterinary Science88,1-5.

Nash,D.M.,Sheldon,I.M.,Herath,S.,Lane,E.A.,2010.Endometrialexplantculturetostudytheresponseofequineendometriumtoinsemination.Reproduction in Domestic Animals45,670–676.

Nash,D.M.,Sheldon,I.M.,Herath,S.,Lane,E.A.,2010.Markersoftheuterineinnateimmuneresponseofthemare.Animal Reproduction Science119,31–39.

**O’Shea,F.,Sleeman,D.P.,Davenport,J.,2010.Theeffectofbadgerremovalonroadcasualtymammals.Irish Naturalists’ Journal31,118-122.

*Ryan,E.,Kirby,M.,Clegg,T.,Collins,D.M.,2011.SeroprevalenceofCoxiella burnetii antibodies in sheep and goats intheRepublicofIreland.Veterinary Record169,280.

*Ryan,E.D.,Kirby,M.,Collins,D.M.,Sayers,R.,Mee,J.F.,Clegg,T.,2011.PrevalenceofCoxiella burnetii(Qfever)antibodiesinbovineserumandbulk-milksamples.Epidemiology and Infection139,1413-1417.

Salguero,F.J.,Lesellier,S.,Nuñez,A.,Corner,L.,Crawshaw,T.,Chambers,M.,2010.IntramuscularBCGvaccina-tion reduces significantly the pathology induced by Mycobacterium bovis in badgers (Meles meles).Journal of Comparative Pathology143,347.

Schiller,I.,Vordermeier,H.M.,Waters,W.R.,Whelan,A.O.,Coad,M.,Gormley,E.,Buddle,B.M.,Palmer,M.,Thacker,T.,McNair,J.,Welsh,M.,Hewinson,R.G.,Oesch,B.,2010.Bovinetuberculosis:Effectofthetuberculinskintestonin vitrointerferongammaresponses. Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology136,1–11.

Schiller,I.,Waters,W.R.,Vordermeier,H.M.,Jemmi,T.,Welsh,M.,Keck,N.,Whelan,A.,Gormley,E.,Boschiroli,M.L.,Moyen,J.L.,Vela,C.,Cagiola,M.,Buddle,B.M.,Palmer,M.,Thacker,T.,Oesch,B.,2011.BovinetuberculosisinEuropefromtheperspectiveofanofficallytuberculosisfreecountry:trade,surveillanceanddiagnostics. Veterinary Microbiology151,153-159.


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Shanahan,A.,GoodM.,DuignanA.,Curtin,T.,More,S.J.,2011.TuberculosisingoatsonafarminIreland:epide-miologicalinvestigationandcontrol.Veterinary Record168,485.

#Sheridan,M.,2011.ProgressintuberculosiseradicationinIreland.Veterinary Microbiology151,160-169.

**Sleeman,D.P.,Partridge,T.,O’Boyle,I.,Gormley,E.,Toolan,D.,2010.Thebadgers(Meles meles (L.)) of Little Island,Co.Waterford.Irish Naturalists’ Journal31,94-99.

Taraktsoglou,M.,Szalabska,U.,Magee,D.A.,Browne,J.A.,Sweeney,T.,Gormley,E.,MacHugh,D.E.,2011.Transcriptionalprofilingofimmunegenesinbovinemonocyte-derivedmacrophagesexposedtobacterialantigens.Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology140,130-139.

Waters,W.R.,Buddle,B.M.,Vordermeier,H.M.,Gormley,E.,Palmer,M.V.,Thacker,T.C.,Bannantine,J.P.,Stabel,J.R.,Linscott,R.,Martel,E.,Milian,F.,Foshaug,W.,Lawrence,J.C.,2011.Developmentandevaluationofanenzyme-linkedimmunosorbentassayforuseinthedetectionofbovinetuberculosisincattle.Clinical and Vaccine Immunology18,1882-1888.

Wee,S-H.,Kim,C-H.,More.S.J.,Nam,H-M.,2010.Mycobacterium bovisinKorea:anupdate.The Veterinary Journal 185,347-350.

White,P.,Frankena,K.,O’Keeffe,J.,More,S.J.,Martin,S.W.,2010.Predictorsofthefirstbetween-herdanimalmove-mentforcattlebornin2002inIreland.Preventive Veterinary Medicine97,264-269.

Wolfe,D.M.,Berke,O.,Kelton,D.F.,White,P.W.,More,S.J.,O’Keeffe,J.,Martin,S.W.,2010.Fromexplanationtoprediction:developingapredictivemodelforrecurrentbovinetuberculosisinIrishcattleherds.Preventive Veterinary Medicine94,170-177.

Yoon,H.,Moon,O.K.,More,S.J.,Park,C.K.,Park,J.Y.,Lee,Y.J.,Lee,S.D.,Ha,J.K.,Jeong,S.K.,Jeong,J.W.,Lee,S.J.,2010.AnoutbreakofhighlypathogenicavianinfluenzaatapublicanimalexhibitinSeoul,Koreaduring2008.Zoonoses and Public Health57,142-145.

# CVERA Board of management

* DAFM Veterinary Laboratory Service

** UCC School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences

*** School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin

Scientific opinions

(J.D. Collins [UCD CVERA] and J.M. Griffin [DAFM] with other members of the Scientific Panel on Biological Hazards (BIOHAZ), and S.J. More [UCD CVERA] with other members of the Panel on Animal Health and Welfare (AHAW) of the European Food Safety Authority [EFSA])

EFSAPanelonAnimalHealthandWelfare(AHAW),2010.Scientificopiniononthepracticeofharvesting(collecting)feathersfromlivegeesefordownproduction.EFSA Journal8,1886.

EFSAPanelonAnimalHealthandWelfare(AHAW),2010.ScientificopinionontheincreasedmortalityeventsinPacificoysters,Crassostrea gigas.EFSA Journal8,1894.

EFSAPanelonAnimalHealthandWelfare(AHAW),2010.Scientificopiniononthepandemic(H1N1)2009influ-enzaanditspotentialimplicationsforanimalhealth.EFSA Journal8,1770.


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EFSAPanelonAnimalHealthandWelfare(AHAW),2010.Scientificopinionongeographicdistributionoftick-borneinfectionsandtheirvectorsinEuropeandtheotherregionsoftheMediterraneanBasin.EFSA Journal8,1723.

EFSAPanelonAnimalHealthandWelfare(AHAW),2010.Scientificopinionontheroleoftickvectorsintheepide-miologyofCrimean-CongoHemorrhagicFeverandAfricanSwineFeverinEurasia.EFSA Journal8,1703.

EFSAPanelonAnimalHealthandWelfare(AHAW),2010.Scientificopiniononwelfareaspectsofthemanagementandhousingofthegrand-parentandparentstocksraisedandkeptforbreedingpurposes.EFSA Journal8,1667.

EFSAPanelonAnimalHealthandWelfare(AHAW),2010.Scientificopinionontheinfluenceofgeneticparametersonthewelfareandtheresistancetostressofcommercialbroilers.EFSA Journal8,1666.

EFSAPanelonAnimalHealthandWelfare(AHAW),2010.ScientificopiniononAfricanswinefever.EFSA Journal8,1556.

EFSAPanelonAnimalHealthandWelfare(AHAW),2010.Scientificopiniononbovinebesnoitiosis:anemergingdiseaseinEurope.EFSA Journal8,1499.

EFSAPanelonAnimalHealthandWelfare(AHAW),2011.ScientificopiniononEpizooticUlcerativeSyndrome.EFSA Journal9,2387.

EFSAPanelonAnimalHealthandWelfare(AHAW),2011.Scientificopiniononbluetonguemonitoringandsurveil-lance.EFSA Journal9,2192.

EFSAPanelonAnimalHealthandWelfare(AHAW),2011.Scientificopiniononbluetongueserotype8.EFSA Journal 9,2189.

EFSAPanelonAnimalHealthandWelfare(AHAW),2011.Scientificopiniononthemonitoringfortheemergenceofpossiblenewpandemicstrainsofinfluenzainanimals.EFSA Journal9,2109.

EFSAPanelonAnimalHealthandWelfare(AHAW),2011.Scientificopinionconcerningthewelfareofanimalsduringtransport.EFSA Journal9,1966.

EFSAPanelsonAnimalHealthandWelfare(AHAW)andBiologicalHazards(BIOHAZ),2010.ScientificopiniononQfever.EFSA Journal8,1595.

EFSAPanelsonAnimalHealthandWelfare(AHAW)andonBiologicalHazards(BIOHAZ),2011.Scientificopiniononhatcherywasteasanimalby-products.EFSA Journal9,2321.

EFSAPanelonBiologicalHazards(BIOHAZ),2010.ScientificopiniononasecondupdateontheriskforhumanandanimalhealthrelatedtotherevisionoftheBSEmonitoringregimeinsomeMemberStates.EFSA Journal8,1946.

EFSAPanelonBiologicalHazards(BIOHAZ),2010.ScientificopiniononBSE/TSEinfectivityinsmallruminanttissues.EFSA Journal8,1875.

EFSAPanelonBiologicalHazards(BIOHAZ),2010.ScientificopinionontheresultsoftheEUsurveyforChronicWastingDisease(CWD)incervids.EFSA Journal8,1861.

EFSAPanelonBiologicalHazards(BIOHAZ),2010.Scientificopiniononlimetreatmentofsolidpigandpoultrymanure.EFSA Journal8,1681.


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EFSAPanelonBiologicalHazards(BIOHAZ),2010.ScientificopinionontheanalyticalsensitivityofapprovedTSErapidtests–newdataforassessmentoftworapidtests.EFSA Journal 8,1591.

EFSAPanelonBiologicalHazards(BIOHAZ),2010.ScientificopiniononthelinkbetweenSalmonellacriteriaatdifferentstagesofthepoultryproductionchain.EFSA Journal8,1545.

EFSAPanelonBiologicalHazards(BIOHAZ),2010.ScientificopiniononthequantificationoftheriskposedbybroilermeattohumancampylobacteriosisintheEU.EFSA Journal8,1437.

EFSAPanelonBiologicalHazards(BIOHAZ),2010.ScientificopinionontheriskoftransmissionofTSEsviasemenandembryotransferinsmallruminants(sheepandgoats).EFSA Journal8,1429.

EFSAPanelonBiologicalHazards(BIOHAZ),2010.StatementonfoodsafetyconsiderationsofnovelH1N1influenzavirusinfectionsinhumans.EFSA Journal8,1629.

EFSAPanelonBiologicalHazards(BIOHAZ),2011.ScientificopinionontheriskposedbyShigatoxin-producingEscherichia coli(STEC)andotherpathogenicbacteriainseedsandsproutedseeds.EFSA Journal9,2424.

EFSAPanelonBiologicalHazards(BIOHAZ),2011.Scientificopiniononon-sitetreatmentofpigcarcasses. EFSA Journal9,2425.

EFSAPanelonBiologicalHazards(BIOHAZ),2011.Scientificopiniononcompostingon-farmofdeadpoultry. EFSA Journal9,2427.

EFSAPanelonBiologicalHazards(BIOHAZ),2011.Scientificopinionontherevisionofthequantitativeriskassess-ment(QRA)oftheBSEriskposedbyprocessedanimalproteins(PAPs).EFSA Journal9,1947.

EFSAPanelonBiologicalHazards(BIOHAZ),2011.ScientificopiniononaquantitativeestimationofthepublichealthimpactofsettinganewtargetforthereductionofSalmonellainbroilers.EFSA Journal9,2106.

EFSAPanelonBiologicalHazards(BIOHAZ),2011.Scientificopiniononhatcherywasteasanimalby-products. EFSA Journal9,2321.

EFSAPanelonBiologicalHazards(BIOHAZ),2011.Scientificopiniononanupdateonthepresentknowledgeontheoccurrenceandcontroloffoodborneviruses.EFSA Journal9,2190.

EFSAPanelonBiologicalHazards(BIOHAZ),2011.ScientificopiniononthereviewontheriskforhumanandanimalhealthrelatedtotherevisionoftheBSEmonitoringregimeinthreeEUMemberStates.EFSA Journal9,2142.

EFSAPanelonBiologicalHazards(BIOHAZ),2011.ScientificopiniononCampylobacterinbroilermeatproduction:controloptionsandperformanceobjectivesand/ortargetsatdifferentstagesofthefoodchain.EFSA Journal9,2105.

EFSAPanelonBiologicalHazards(BIOHAZ),2011.Scientificopinionontheefficacyandmicrobiologicalsafetyofirradiationoffood.EFSA Journal9,2103.

EFSAPanelonBiologicalHazards(BIOHAZ),2011.ScientificopiniononareviewoftheBSE-relatedriskinbovineintestines.EFSA Journal9,2104.

EFSAPanelonBiologicalHazards(BIOHAZ),2011.ScientificopiniononthecapacityofoleochemicalprocessestominimisepossibleriskslinkedtoTSEinCategory1animalby-products.EFSA Journal9,1976.


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EFSAPanelonBiologicalHazards(BIOHAZ),2011.Scientificopiniononthepublichealthrisksofbacterialstrainsproducing extended-spectrum b-lactamasesand/orAmpCb-lactamasesinfoodandfood-producinganimals. EFSA Journal9,2322.

EFSAPanelsonBiologicalHazards(BIOHAZ),ContaminantsintheFoodChain(CONTAM)andAnimalHealthandWelfare(AHAW),2011.Scientificopiniononthepublichealthhazardstobecoveredbyinspectionofmeat(swine).EFSA Journal9,2351.

EFSAScientificCommitteeandEFSAPanelonBiologicalHazards(BIOHAZ),2011.JointscientificopiniononanypossibleepidemiologicalormolecularassociationbetweenTSEsinanimalsandhumans.EFSA Journal9,1945.

Academic theses

Collins,J.,2010.ChallengesandsolutionstosupportgoodequinewelfarepracticeinIreland.PhDthesis.UniversityCollegeDublin,Ireland.

Downes,M.J.,2010.Thehuman-animalbond:thedemographicsofpetsandpetownershipontheislandofIreland,petownershipinasthmaticsintheUSAandownerattitudestowardspets.PhDthesis,UniversityCollegeDublin,Ireland.

Good,M.,2011.Thetuberculintestanditsroleinthestrategicmanagementanderadicationoftuberculosisincattle.PhDthesis,UtrechtUniversity,TheNetherlands.


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Prior to 2010

Peer reviewed papers

Aguilar,D.,Infante,E.,Martin,C.,Gormley,E.,Gicquel,B.,Pando,R.H.,2007.ImmunologicalresponsesandprotectiveimmunityagainsttuberculosisconferredbyvaccinationofBalb/CmicewiththeattenuatedMycobacterium tuberculosis(phoP)SO2strain.Clinical and Experimental Immunology147,330-338.

Ashe,S.,More,S.J,O’Keeffe,J.,White,P.,McGrath,G.,Aznar,I.,2009.SurvivalanddispersalofadefinedcohortofIrishcattle.Irish Veterinary Journal62,44-49.

Baldock,F.C.,More,S.J.,Peeler,E.J.,2008.Anintroductiontoimportriskanalysisforaquaticanimals. Fish Veterinary Journal10,29-53.

Barrett,D.J.,Clegg,T.A.,Healy,A.M.,Doherty,M.L.,2006.AstudyofdrycowtherapyandeffectsonSCCin10Irishdairyherds.Journal of Veterinary Medicine Series A53,140-144.

Bermingham,M.L.,More,S.J.,Good,M.,Cromie,A.R.,Higgins,I.M.,Brotherstone,S.,Berry,D.P.,2009.GeneticsoftuberculosisinIrishHolstein-Friesiandairyherds.Journal of Dairy Science92,3447-3456.

Brangan,P.,Bailey,D.,Larkin,J.,Myers,T.,More,S.J.,2008.ManagementofthenationalprogrammetoeradicateequineinfectiousanaemiafromIrelandduring2006.Equine Veterinary Journal40,702-704.

Cashman,W.,Buckley,J.,QuigleyT.,Fanning,S.,More,S.,Egan,J.,Berry,D.,Grant,I.,O’Farrell,K.,2008.Riskfactors for introduction and within-herd transmission of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis(MAP)infec-tionon59Irishdairyherds.Irish Veterinary Journal61,464-467.

Chapwanya,A.,Clegg,T.,Stanley,P.,Vaughan,L.,2008.ComparisonoftheImmuliteandRIAassaymethodsformeasuringperipheralbloodprogesteronelevelsinGreyhoundbitches.Theriogenology70,795–799.

***Cleary,G.P.,Corner,L.A.L.,O’Keeffe,J.,Marples,N.M.,2009.ThedietofthebadgerMeles melesintheRepublicofIreland.Mammalian Biology74,438-447.

Clegg,T.A.,More,S.J.,Higgins,I.M.,Good,M.,Blake,M.,Williams,D.H.,2008.Potentialinfection-controlbenefitforIrelandfrompre-movementtestingofcattlefortuberculosis.Preventive Veterinary Medicine84,94-111.

Collins,D.M.,deLisle,G.W.,Collins,J.D.,Costello,E.,1994.DNArestrictionfragmenttypingofMycobacterium bovisisolatesfromcattleandbadgersinIreland.Veterinary Record134,681-682.

Collins,J.,Hanlon,A.,More,S.J.,Duggan,V.,2008.ThestructureandregulationoftheIrishequineindustry:linkstoconsiderationofequinewelfare.Irish Veterinary Journal61,746-756.

Collins,J.,Hanlon,A.,More,S.J.,Wall,P.G.,Duggan,V.,2009.PolicyDelphiwithvignettemethodologyasatooltoevaluatetheperceptionofequinewelfare.The Veterinary Journal181,63-69.

Collins,J.D.,1999.Tuberculosisincattle:interpretationandapplicationoftuberculintestandpost-mortemdata. UK Vet5,40-44.

Collins,J.D.,1999.Tuberculosisincattle:reducingtheriskofherdexposure. UK Vet5,35-39.


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Collins,J.D.,2001.Tuberculosisincattle:newperspectives.Tuberculosis81,17-21.

Collins,J.D.,2006.Tuberculosisincattle:strategicplanningforthefuture.Veterinary Microbiology112,369-381.

Collins,J.D.,Wall,P.G.,2004.Foodsafetyandanimalproductionsystems:controllingzoonosesatfarmlevel.Revue scientifique et technique / Office international des épizooties (OIE Scientific and Technical Review)23,685-700.

Connolly,D.J.,Dwyer,P.J.,Fagan,J.,Hayes,M.,Ryan,E.G.,Costello,E.,Kilroy,A.,More,S.J.,2008.Tuberculosisin alpaca (Lama pacos)inIreland.2.Resultsofanepidemiologicalinvestigation.Irish Veterinary Journal61,533-537.

Corner,L.A.,2006.Theroleofwildanimalpopulationsintheepidemiologyoftuberculosisindomesticanimals:howtoassesstherisk.Veterinary Microbiology112,303-312.

Corner,L.A.,Costello,E.,Lesellier,S.,O’Meara,D.,Gormley,E.,2008.ExperimentaltuberculosisintheEuropeanbadger (Meles meles) after endobronchial inoculation with Mycobacterium bovis:II.Progressionofinfection.Research in Veterinary Science85,481-490.

Corner,L.A.,Costello,E.,Lesellier,S.,O’Meara,D.,Gormley,E.,2008.VaccinationofEuropeanbadgers(Meles meles) withBCGbythesubcutaneousandmucosalroutesinducesprotectiveimmunityagainstendobronchialchallengewithMycobacterium bovis.Tuberculosis88,601-609.

Corner,L.A.,Costello,E.,Lesellier,S.,O’Meara,D.,Sleeman,D.P.,Gormley,E.,2007.ExperimentaltuberculosisintheEuropeanbadger(Meles meles) after endobronchial inoculation of Mycobacterium bovis:I.Pathologyandbacteriology.Research in Veterinary Science83,53-62.

Corner,L.A.,Pfeiffer,D.U.,Abbott,K.A.,2004.TherespiratorytractasahypotheticalrouteofinfectionofcattlewithMycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis.Australian Veterinary Journal82,170-173.

Corner,L.A.L.,Clegg,T.A.,More,S.J.,Williams,D.H.,O’Boyle,I.,Costello,E.,Sleeman,D.P.,Griffin,J.M.,2008.TheeffectofvaryinglevelsofpopulationcontrolontheprevalenceoftuberculosisinbadgersinIreland.Research in Veterinary Science85,238-249.

Corner,L.A.L.,Murphy,D.,Costello,E.,Gormley,E.,2009.TuberculosisinEuropeanbadgers(Meles meles) and the controlofinfectionwithBacilleCalmette-Guérinvaccination.Journal of Wildlife Diseases45,1042-1047.

*Costello,E.,Flynn,O.,Quigley,F.,O’Grady,D.,Griffin,J.,Clegg,T.,McGrath,G.,2006.GenotypingofMycobacterium bovisisolatesfrombadgersinfourareasoftheRepublicofIrelandbyrestrictionfragmentlengthpoly-morphismanalysis.Veterinary Record159,619-623.

*Costello,E.,O’Grady,D.,Flynn,O.,O’Brien,R.,Rogers,M.,Quigley,F.,Egan,J.,Griffin,J.,1999.Studyofrestric-tion fragment length polymorphism analysis and spoligotyping for epidemiological investigation of Mycobacterium bovis infection.Journal of Clinical Microbiology37,3217-3222.

*Costello,E.,O’Reilly,P.F.,Yearsley,D.K.,O’Grady,D.P.,O’Reilly,L.M.,Collins,J.D.,Monaghan,M.L.,Bassett,H.F.,1997.Astudyofanenzyme-linkedimmunosorbentassayforthediagnosisoftuberculosisincattle.Irish Veterinary Journal50,35-38.

*Costello,E.,Quigley,F.,Flynn,O.,Gogarthy,A.,McGuirk,J.,Murphy,A.,Dolan,L.,1998.Laboratoryexaminationofsuspectedtuberculouslesionsdetectedonabattoirpostmortemexaminationofcattlefromnon-reactorherds.Irish Veterinary Journal51,248-250.


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Crowe,O.,Wilson,J.,Aznar,I.More,S.J.,2009.AreviewofIreland’swaterbirds,withemphasisonwinteringmigrantsandreferencetoH5N1avianinfluenza.Irish Veterinary Journal62,800-811.

Davison,K.E.,Hughes,L.J.,Gormley,E.,Lesellier,S.,Costello,E.,Corner,L.A.,2007.Evaluationoftheanaestheticeffectsofcombinationsofketamine,medetomidine,romifidineandbutorphanolinEuropeanbadgers(Meles meles).Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia34,394-402.

Dolan,L.A.,Lynch,K.,1992.Badgersandbovinetuberculosis.Irish Veterinary Journal45,133-135.

Doran,P.,Carson,J.,Costello,E.,More,S.J.,2009.AnoutbreakoftuberculosisaffectingcattleandpeopleonanIrishdairyfarmin2005,followingtheconsumptionofrawmilkfromacowwithtuberculousmastitis.Irish Veterinary Journal62,390-397.

Downes,M.,Canty,M.J.,More,S.J.,2009.DemographyofthepetdogandcatpopulationontheislandofIrelandandhumanfactorsinfluencingpetownership.Preventive Veterinary Medicine92,140-149.

*Egan,J.,Leonard,N.,Griffin,J.,Hanlon,A.,Poole,D.,2001.Asurveyofsomefactorsrelevanttoanimalwelfareon249dairyfarmsintheRepublicofIreland/dataonhousing,calvingandcalfhusbandry.Irish Veterinary Journal54,388-392.

Eves,J.A.,1999.ImpactofbadgerremovalonbovinetuberculosisineastCountyOffaly.Irish Veterinary Journal 52, 199-203.

Fend,R.,Geddes,R.,Lesellier,S.,Vordermeier,H.M.,Corner,L.A.L.,Gormley,E.,Costello,E.,Hewinson,R.G.,Marlin,D.J.,Woodman,A.C.,Chambers,M.A.,2005.UseofanelectronicnosetodiagnoseMycobacterium bovis infec-tioninbadgersandcattle.Journal of Clinical Microbiology431745-1751.

Flanagan,P.A.,Kelly,G.,1996.Astudyoftuberculosisbreakdownsinherdsinwhichsomepurchasedanimalswereidentifiedasreactors.Irish Veterinary Journal49,704-706.

Frankena,K.,White,P.W.,O’Keeffe,J.,Costello,E.,Martin,S.W.,vanGrevenhof,I.,More,S.J.,2007.QuantificationoftherelativeefficiencyoffactorysurveillanceinthedisclosureoftuberculosislesionsinattestedIrishcattle.Veterinary Record161,679-684.

Good,M.,Clegg,T.,Sheridan,H.,Yearsely,D.,O’Brien,T.,Egan,J.,Mullowney,P.,2009.Prevalenceanddistribu-tionofparatuberculosis(Johne’sdisease)incattleherdsinIreland.Irish Veterinary Journal62,597-606.

Gormley,E.,2007.DiagnosisofMycobacterium bovisinfectionincattle.Bulletin of the International Dairy Federation 416,101-109.

Gormley,E.,Collins,J.D.,2000.ThedevelopmentofwildlifecontrolstrategiesforeradicationoftuberculosisincattleinIreland.Tubercle and Lung Disease80,229-236.

Gormley,E.,Corner,L.,2009.ControlofTBinwildlifebyoralBCGvaccination.Expert Review of Vaccines8,1339-1342.

Gormley,E.,Costello,E.,2003.Tuberculosisandbadgers:Newapproachestodiagnosisandcontrol.Journal of Applied Microbiology94,80-86.

Gormley,E.,Doyle,M.B.,Fitzsimons,T.,McGill,K.,Collins,J.D.,2006.Diagnosis of Mycobacterium bovis infection in cattlebyuseofthegamma-interferon(Bovigam®)assay.Veterinary Microbiology112,171-179.


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Gormley,E.,Doyle,M.B.,McGill,K.,Costello,E.,Good,M.,Collins,J.D.,2004.Theeffectofthetuberculintestandtheconsequencesofadelayinbloodcultureonthesensitivityofagamma-interferonassayforthedetectionofMycobacterium bovisinfectionincattle.Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology102,413-420.

Grange,J.M.,Collins,J.D.,O’Reilly,L.M.,Costello,E.,Yates,M.D.,1990.IdentificationandcharacterisationofMycobacterium bovisisolatedfromcattle,badgersanddeerintheRepublicofIreland.Irish Veterinary Journal43,33-35.

Griffin,J.M.,Dolan,L.A.,1995.Theroleofcattle-to-cattletransmissionofMycobacterium bovis in the epidemiology of tuberculosisincattleintheRepublicofIreland:Areview.Irish Veterinary Journal48,228-234.

Griffin,J.M.,Hahesy,T.,Lynch,K.,Salman,M.D.,McCarthy,J.,Hurley,T.,1993.Theassociationofcattlehusbandry practices, environmental factors and farmer characteristics with the occurrence of chronic bovine tuberculosis indairyherdsintheRepublicofIreland.Preventive Veterinary Medicine17,145-160.

Griffin,J.M.,Martin,S.W.,Thorburn,M.A.,Eves,J.A.,Hammond,R.F.,1996.Acase-controlstudyontheassocia-tionofselectedriskfactorswiththeoccurrenceofbovinetuberculosisintheRepublicofIreland.Preventive Veterinary Medicine27,75-87and27,217-229.

Griffin,J.M.,More,S.J.,Clegg,T.A.,Collins,J.D.,O’Boyle,I.,Williams,D.H.,Kelly,G.E.,Costello,E.,Sleeman,D.P.,O’Shea,F.,Duggan,M.,Murphy,J.,Lavin,D.P.T.,2005.Tuberculosisincattle:theresultsofthefour-areaproject.Irish Veterinary Journal58,629-636.

Griffin,J.M.,Williams,D.H.,Kelly,G.E.,Clegg,T.A.,O’Boyle,I.,Collins,J.D.,More,S.J.,2005.TheimpactofbadgerremovalonthecontroloftuberculosisincattleherdsinIreland.Preventive Veterinary Medicine67,237-266.

Hammond,R.F.,McGrath,G.,Martin,S.W.,2001.Irishsoilandland-useclassificationsaspredictorsofnumbersofbadgersandbadgersetts.Preventive Veterinary Medicine51,137-148.

Hayes,M.,Ashe,S.,Collins,D.M.,Power,S.,Kenny,K.,Sheahan,M.,O’Hagan,G.,More,S.J.,2009.AnevaluationofIrishcattleherdswithinconclusiveserologicalevidenceofbovinebrucellosis.Irish Veterinary Journal62,182-190.

Healy,A.M.,Hanlon,A.J.,Weavers,E.,Collins,J.D.,Doherty,M.L.,2002.Abehaviouralstudyofscrapie-affectedsheep.Applied Animal Behaviour Science79,89-102.

Healy,A.M.,Hannon,D.,Morgan,K.L.,Weavers,E.,Collins,J.D.,Doherty,M.L.,2004.ApairedcasecontrolstudyofriskfactorsforscrapieinIrishsheepflocks.Preventive Veterinary Medicine64,73-83.

Healy,A.M.,Morgan,K.L.,Hannon,D.,Collins,J.D.,Weavers,E.,Doherty,M.L.,2004.PostalquestionnairesurveyofscrapieinsheepflocksinIreland.Veterinary Record155,493-494.

Healy,A.M.,Weavers,E.,McElroy,M.,Gomez-Parada,M.,Collins,J.D.,O’Doherty,E.,Sweeney,T.,Doherty,M.L.,2003.TheclinicalneurologyofscrapieinIrishsheep.Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine17,908-916.

Kelly,G.,Condon,J.,More,S.J.,Dolan,L.,Higgins,I.,Eves,J.,2008.AlongtermobservationalstudyoftheimpactofbadgerremovalonherdrestrictionsduetobovineTBintheIrishmidlandsduring1989–2004.Epidemiology and Infection136,1362-1373.

Kelly,P.T.,O’Sullivan,K.,Berry,D.P.,More,S.J.,Meaney,W.J.,O’Callaghan,E.J.,O’Brien,B.,2009.Farmmanage-mentfactorsassociatedwithbulktanktotalbacterialcountinIrishdairyherdsduring2006/07.Irish Veterinary Journal 62,36-42.


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Kelly,P.T.,O’Sullivan,K.,Berry,D.P.,More,S.J.,Meaney,W.J.,O’Callaghan,E.J.,O’Brien,B.,2009.Farmmanage-mentfactorsassociatedwithbulktanksomaticcellcountinIrishdairyherds.Irish Veterinary Journal62Supplement,45-51.

Lane,E.A.,2008.Problembasedlearninginveterinaryeducation.Journal of Veterinary Medical Education35,631-636.

Lane,E.A.,Austin,E.J.,Crowe,M.A.,2008.Oestroussynchronisationincattle-currentoptionsfollowingtheEUregulationsrestrictinguseofoestrogeniccompoundsinfoodproducinganimals:areview.Animal Reproduction Science109,1-16.

Lane,E.A.,Sweeney,T.,Ryan,M.,Roche,J.F.,Crowe,M.A.,2009.RelationshipbetweenserumgonadotropinsandpituitaryimmunoreactivegonadotropinsandsteroidreceptorsduringthefirstFSHincreaseoftheestrouscycleandfollowingsteroidtreatmentinheifers.Animal Reproduction Science112,66–82.

Lee,B-Y.,Higgins,I.M.,Moon,O-K.,Clegg,T.A,McGrath,G.,Collins,D.M.,Park,J-Y.,Yoon,H-C.,Lee,S-J.,More,S.J.,2009.SurveillanceandcontrolofbovinebrucellosisintheRepublicofKoreaduring2000to2006.Preventive Veterinary Medicine90,66-79.

*Leonard,N.,Egan.J.,Griffin,J.,Hanlon,A.,Poole,D.,2001.Asurveyofsomefactorsrelevanttoanimalwelfareon249dairyfarmsintheRepublicofIrelandPart2:Dataonincidenceofdisease,cullingandbiosecuritymeasures.Irish Veterinary Journal54,454-456.

Lesellier,S.,Corner,L.,Costello,E.,Lyashchenko,K.,Greenwald,R.,Esfandiari,J.,Singh,M.,Hewinson,R.G.,Chambers,M.,Gormley,E.,2009.ImmunologicalresponsesandprotectiveimmunityinBCGvaccinatedbadgersfollowing endobronchial infection with Mycobacterium bovis.Vaccine27,402-409.

Lesellier,S.,Corner,L.,Costello,E.,Sleeman,P.,Lyashchenko,K.,Greenwald,R.,Esfandiari,J.,Singh,M.,Hewinson,R.G.,Chambers,M.,Gormley,E.,2008.Antigenspecificimmunologicalresponsesofbadgers(Meles meles) experimen-tallyinfectedwithMycobacteriumbovis.Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology122,35-45.

Lesellier,S.,Corner,L.,Costello,E.,Sleeman,P.,Lyashchenko,K.P.,Greenwald,R.,Esfandiari,J.,HewinsonR.G.,Chambers,M.,Gormley,E.,2009.Immunologicalresponsesfollowingexperimentalendobronchialinfectionofbadgers(Meles meles) with different doses of Mycobacterium bovis.Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology127,174-180.

MacHugh,D.E.,Gormley,E.,Park,S.D.E,Browne,J.A.,Taraktsoglou,M.,O’Farrelly,C.,Meade,K.G.,2009.Geneexpression profiling of the host response to Mycobacterium bovisinfectionincattle.Transboundary and Emerging Diseases 56,204-214.

Maher,P.,Good,M.,More,S.J.,2008.Trendsinthenumberof,andrateatwhich,cowsareculledfromtheIrishcattlepopulation,2003to2006.Irish Veterinary Journal61,455-463.

Martin,C.,Williams,A.,Hernandez-Pando,R.,Cardona,P.J.,Gormley,E.,Bordat,Y.,Soto,C.Y.,Clark,S.O.,Hatch,G.J.,Aguilar,D.,Ausina,V.,Gicquel,B.,2006.TheliveMycobacterium tuberculosis phoP mutant strain is more attenu-atedthanBCGandconfersprotectiveimmunityagainsttuberculosisinmiceandguineapigs.Vaccine24,3408-3419.

Martin,S.W.,Eves,J.A.,Dolan,L.A.,Hammond,R.F.,Griffin,J.M.,Collins,J.D.,Shoukri,M.M.,1997.Theasso-ciationbetweenthebovinetuberculosisstatusofherdsintheEastOffalyProjectArea,andthedistancetobadgersetts,1988-1993.Preventive Veterinary Medicine31,113-125.

McCarthy,G.,Shiel,R.,O’Rourke,L.,Murphy,D.,Corner,L.,Costello,E.,Gormley,E.,2009.Bronchoalveolarlavagecytologyfromcaptivebadgers.VeterinaryClinicalPathology38,381-387.


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McGrath,G.,Abernethy,D.A.,Stringer,L.,More,S.J.,2009.Anall-islandapproachtomappingbovinetuberculosisinIreland.Irish Veterinary Journal62,192-197.

Meade,K.G.,Gormley,E.,Doyle,M.B.,Fitzsimons,T.,O’Farrelly,C.,Costello,E.,Keane,J.,Zhao,Y.,MacHugh,D.E.,2007.InnategenerepressionassociatedwithMycobacterium bovis infection in cattle: toward a gene signature of disease.BMC Genomics8,400.

Meade,K.G.,Gormley,E.,O’Farrelly,C.,Park,S.D.,Costello,E.,Keane,J.,Zhao,Y.,MacHugh,D.E.,2008.Antigenstimulation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from Mycobacterium bovis infected cattle yields evidence for a novel geneexpressionprogram.BMC Genomics9,447.

Meade,K.G.,Gormley,E.,Park,S.D.E.,Fitzsimons,T.,Rosa,G.J.M.,Costello,E.,Keane,J.,Coussens,P.M.,MacHugh,D.E.,2006.Geneexpressionprofilingofperipheralbloodmononuclearcells(PBMC)fromMycobacterium bovis infected cattle after in vitroantigenicstimulationwithpurifiedproteinderivativeoftuberculin(PPD). Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology113,73-89.

Monaghan,M.L.,Doherty,M.L.,Collins,J.D.,Kazda,J.F.,Quinn,P.J.,1994.Thetuberculintest.Veterinary Microbiology40,111-124.

Monaghan,M.L.,Quinn,P.J.,Kelly,A.P.,McGill,K.,McMurray,C.,O’Crowley,K.,Bassett,H.F.,Costello,E.,Quigley,F.,Rothel,J.S.,Wood,P.R.,Collins,J.D.,1997.Apilottrialtoevaluatethegamma-interferonassayforthedetection of Mycobacterium bovisinfectedcattleunderIrishconditions.Irish Veterinary Journal50,229-232.

More,S.J.,2007.ProgressinIrelandtowardstheeradicationofbovinetuberculosis.UK Vet Livestock12,60-63.

More,S.J.,2007.Shapingourfuture:animalhealthinaglobaltradingenvironment. Irish Veterinary Journal60,540-545.

More,S.J.,2008.AcaseforincreasedprivatesectorinvolvementinIreland’snationalanimalhealthservices. Irish Veterinary Journal61,92-100.

More,S.J.,2009.Globaltrendsinmilkquality:implicationsfortheIrishdairyindustry. Irish Veterinary Journal62Supplement,5-14.

More,S.J.,2009.Whatisneededtoeradicatebovinetuberculosissuccessfully:anIrishperspective. The Veterinary Journal180,275-278.

More,S.J.,Aznar,I.,Bailey,D.C.,Larkin,J.F.,Leadon,D.P.,Lenihan,P.,Flaherty,B.,Fogarty,U.,Brangan,P.,2008.Anoutbreakofequineinfectiousanaemia(EIA)inIrelandduring2006:theinvestigationmethodology,theinitialsourceofinfection,diagnosisandclinicalpresentation,themodesoftransmissionandspreadintheMeathcluster.Equine Veterinary Journal40,706-708.

More,S.J.,Aznar,I.,Myers,T.,Leadon,D.P.,Clegg,T.A.,2008.Anoutbreakofequineinfectiousanaemia(EIA)inIrelandduring2006:themodesoftransmissionandspreadintheKildarecluster. Equine Veterinary Journal40,709-711.

More,S.J.,Cameron,A.R.,Greiner,M.,Clifton-Hadley,R.S.,CorreiaRodeia,S.,Bakker,D.,Salman,M.D.,Sharp,J.M.,DeMassis,F.,Aranaz,A.,Boniotti,M.B.,Gaffuri,A.,Have,P.,Verloo,D.,Woodfood,M.,Weirup,M.,2009.Definingoutput-basedstandardstoachieveandmaintainTBfreedominfarmeddeer,withreferencetoEUmemberstates.Preventive Veterinary Medicine90,254-267.


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More,S.J.,Clegg,T.A.,McGrath,G.,Collins,J.D.,Corner,L.A.L.,Gormley,E.,2007.Doesreactivebadgercullingleadtoanincreaseintuberculosisincattle?Veterinary Record161,208-209.

More,S.J.,Collins,J.D.,Good,M.,Skuce,R.A.,Pollock,J.M.,Gormley,E.,2006.Preface,editorial. Veterinary Microbiology112,89-89.

More,S.J.,Collins,J.D.,Gormley,E.,Good,M.,Skuce,R.A.,Pollock,J.M.,2006.4thInternationalConferenceonMycobacterium bovis:workshopreports.Veterinary Microbiology112,383-391.

More,S.J.,Good,M.,2006.ThetuberculosiseradicationprogrammeinIreland:areviewofscientificandpolicyadvancessince1988.Veterinary Microbiology112,239-51.

Murphy,D.,Corner,L.A.L.,Gormley,E.,2008.AdversereactionstoMycobacterium bovisBacilleCalmette-Guérin(BCG)vaccinationagainsttuberculosisinhumans,veterinaryanimalsandwildlifespecies. Tuberculosis88,344-357.

Murphy,D.,O’Keeffe,J.,Martin,S.W.,Gormley,E.,Corner,L.A.L.,2009.AnassessmentofinjurytoEuropeanbadgers (Meles meles)duetocaptureinstoppedrestraints.Journal of Wildlife Diseases45,481-490.

*Murphy,T.M.,Fahy,K.N.,McAuliffe,A.,Forbes,A.B.,Clegg,T.A.,O’Brien,D.J.,2006.Astudyofhelminthpara-sitesinculledcowsfromIreland.Preventive Veterinary Medicine76,1-10.

Nash,D.,Lane,E.A.,Herath,S.,Sheldon,I.M.,2008.Endometrialexplantcultureforcharacterizingequineendometritis.American Journal of Reproductive Immunology59,105–117.

ÓMáirtín,D.,Williams,D.H.,Dolan,L.,Eves,J.A.,Collins,J.D.,1998.Theinfluenceofselectedherdfactorsandabadger-interventiontuberculosis-controlprogrammeontheriskofaherd-leveltraderestrictiontoabovinepopulationinIreland.Preventive Veterinary Medicine35,79-90.

ÓMáirtín,D.,Williams,D.H.,Griffin,J.M.,Dolan,L.A.,Eves,J.A.,1998.TheeffectofabadgerremovalprogrammeontheincidenceoftuberculosisinanIrishcattlepopulation.Preventive Veterinary Medicine34,47-56.

O’Connor,J.,More,S.J.,Griffin,J.M.,O’Leary,E.,2009.ModellingthedemographicsoftheIrishcattlepopulation.Preventive Veterinary Medicine89,249-254.

O’Grady,L.,O’Neill,R.,Collins,D.M.,Clegg,T.A.,More,S.J.,2008.Herdandwithin-herdIBRprevalenceamongIrishherdssubmittingbullsforentrytoabullperformancetestingstation.Irish Veterinary Journal61,809-815.

Olea-Popelka,F.J.,Butler,D.,Lavin,D.,McGrath,G.,O’Keeffe,J.,Kelton,D.,Berke,O.,More,S.,Martin,S.,2006.AcasestudyofbovinetuberculosisinanareaofCountyDonegal,Ireland. Irish Veterinary Journal59,683-690.

Olea-Popelka,F.J.,CostelloE.,WhiteP.,McGrathG.,CollinsJ.D.,O’KeeffeJ.,KeltonD.F.,BerkeO.,MoreS.J.,MartinS.W.,2008.Riskfactorsfordisclosureofadditionaltuberculouscattleinattested-clearherdsthathadananimalwithaconfirmedlesionoftuberculosisatslaughterduring2003inIreland. Preventive Veterinary Medicine85,81-91.

Olea-Popelka,F.J.,Fitzgerald,P.White,P.,McGrath,G.,Collins,J.D.,O’Keeffe,J.,Kelton,D.F.,Berke,O.,More,S.J.,Martin,S.W.,2009.TargetedbadgerremovalandthesubsequentriskofbovinetuberculosisincattleherdsincountyLaois,Ireland.Preventive Veterinary Medicine88,178-184.


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Olea-Popelka,F.J.,Flynn,O.,Costello,E.,McGrath,G.,Collins,J.D.,O’Keeffe,J.,Kelton,D.F.,Berke,O.,Martin,S.W.,2005.SpatialrelationshipbetweenMycobacterium bovisstrainsincattleandbadgersinfourareasinIreland.Preventive Veterinary Medicine71,57-70.

Olea-Popelka,F.J.,Griffin,J.M.,Collins,J.D.,McGrath,G.,Martin,S.W.,2003.BovinetuberculosisinbadgersinfourareasinIreland:doestuberculosiscluster?Preventive Veterinary Medicine59,103-111.

Olea-Popelka,F.J.,Phelan,J.,White,P.W.,McGrath,G.,Collins,J.D.,O’Keeffe,J.,Duggan,M.,Collins,D.M.,Kelton,D.F.,Berke,O.,More,S.J.,Martin,S.W.,2006.QuantifyingbadgerexposureandtheriskofbovinetuberculosisforcattleherdsinCountyKilkenny,Ireland. Preventive Veterinary Medicine75,34-36.

Olea-Popelka,F.J.,White,P.W.,Collins,J.D.,O’Keeffe,J.,Kelton,D.F.,Martin,S.W.,2004.BreakdownseverityduringabovinetuberculosisepisodeasapredictoroffutureherdbreakdownsinIreland. Preventive Veterinary Medicine63,163-172.

Partridge,T.,Toolan,D.P.,Egan,J.,More,S.J.,2008.ControlofMycobacterium bovisinfectionintwosikadeerherdsinIreland.Irish Veterinary Journal61,27-32.

Pawitan,Y.,Griffin,J.M.,Collins,J.D.,2004.AnalysisandpredictionoftheBSEincidenceinIreland. Preventive Veterinary Medicine62,267-283.

Richardson,E.,Good,M.,McGrath,G.,More,S.J.,2009.TheuseofGeographicInformationSystem(GIS)andnon-GISmethodstoassesstheexternalvalidityofsamplespost-collection. Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation21,633-640.

Richardson,E.K.B.,Mee,J.F.,Sanchez,C.,Crilly,J.,More,S.J.,2009.DemographicsofanimalspositivetoMycobacteria avium subspecies paratuberculosisonfaecalculture,basedonlaboratorysubmissionstotheCorkRegionalVeterinaryLaboratoryduring1989to2006.Irish Veterinary Journal62,398-405.

Richardson,E.K.B.,More,S.J.,2009.DirectandindirecteffectsofJohne’sdiseaseonfarmandanimalproductivityinanIrishdairyherd.Irish Veterinary Journal62,526-532.

Ryan,E.G.,Dwyer,P.J.,Connolly,D.J.,Fagan,J.,Costello,E.,More,S.J.,2008.Tuberculosisinalpaca(Lama pacos) inIreland.1.Aclinicalreport.Irish Veterinary Journal61,527-531.

Sheridan,H.A.,McGrath,G.,White,P.,Fallon,R.,Shoukri,M.M.,Martin,S.W.,2005.Atemporal-spatialanalysisofbovinespongiformencephalopathyinIrishcattleherds,from1996to2000. Canadian Journal of Veterinary Research69,19-25.

**Sleeman,D.P.Davenport,J.,More,S.J.,Clegg,T.A.,Collins,J.D.,Martin,S.W.,Williams,D.H.,Griffin,J.M.,O’Boyle,I.,2009.HowmanyEurasianbadgersMeles meles L.arethereinIreland? European Journal of Wildlife Research55,333-344.

**Sleeman,D.P.,Davenport,J.,Cussen,R.,Hammond,R.F.,2009.Thesmall-bodiedbadgers(Meles meles (L.)) of RutlandIsland,Co.Donegal.Irish Naturalists’ Journal30,1-6.

**Sleeman,D.P.,Davenport,J.,Fitzgerald,A.,2008.IncidenceofvisitsbybadgerstofarmyardsinIrelandinwinter.Veterinary Record163,724&Sleeman,D.P.,Davenport,J.,Fitzgerald,A.,2009.Letterresponse. Veterinary Record164,668.


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**Sleeman,D.P.,Davenport,J.,More,S.J.,Clegg,T.A.,Griffin,J.M.,O’Boyle,I.,2009.Theeffectivenessofbarrierstobadger Meles melesimmigrationintheIrishFourAreaproject.European Journal of Wildlife Research55,267-278.

Southey,A.K.,Sleeman,D.P.,Gormley,E.,2002.SulfadimethoxineandrhodamineBasoralbiomarkersforEuropeanbadgers (Meles meles).Journal of Wildlife Diseases38,378-384.

Southey,A.,Costello,E.,Gormley,E.,2002.DetectionofMycobacterium bovis infection and production of inter-leukin-2byin vitrostimulationofbadgerlymphocytes.Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology87,73-78.

Southey,A.,Sleeman,D.P.S.,Dalley,D.,Lloyd,K.,Chambers,M.,Hewinson,R.G.,Gormley,E.,2001.ImmunologicalresponsesofEurasianbadgers(Meles meles) vaccinated with Mycobacterium bovisBCG(BacilleCalmette-Guérin).Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology79,197-207.

Southey,A.K.,Sleeman,D.P.,Prendergast,J.,O’Sullivan,R.F.Mulcahy,M.F.,2001.Useofbiomarkerstoassessthefeasibility of delivering a vaccine to badgers (Meles meles).Journal of Zoology253,133-139.

Wee,S-H.,Nam,H-M.,Moon,O-K.Yoon,H.,Park,J.Y.,More,S.J.,2008.Usingfield-basedepidemiologicalmethodstoinvestigateFMDoutbreaks:anexamplefromthe2002outbreakinKorea.Transboundary and Emerging Diseases55,404-410.

Wee,S-H.,Yoon,H.,More,S.J.,Nam,H-M.,Moon,O-K.,Jung,J-M.,Kim,S-J.,Kim,C-H.,Lee,E-S.,Hwang,I-J.,2008.Epidemiologicalcharacteristicsofthe2002outbreaksoffoot-and-mouthdiseaseintheRepublicofKorea.Transboundary and Emerging Diseases55,360-368.

Whyte,P.,McGill,K.,Collins,J.D.,Gormley,E.,2002.TheprevalenceandPCRdetectionofSalmonellacontamina-tioninrawpoultry.Veterinary Microbiology89,53-60.

Williams,E.J.,Sibley,K.,Miller,A.N.,Lane,E.A.,Fishwick,J.,NashD.M.,Herath,S.,England,G.C.W.,Dobson,H.,Sheldon,I.M.,2008.TheeffectofEscherichia coli lipopolysaccharide and tumour necrosis factor alpha on ovarian func-tion.American Journal of Reproductive Immunology60,462–473.

Wolfe,D.M,Berke,O.,More,S.J,Kelton,D.F,White,P.W.,O’Keeffe,J.J.,Martin,S.W.,2009.Theriskofapositivetest for bovine tuberculosis in cattle purchased from herds with and without a recent history of bovine tuberculosis in Ireland.Preventive Veterinary Medicine92,99-105.

Young,J.S.,Gormley,E.,Wellington,E.M.H.,2005.MoleculardetectionofMycobacterium bovis and Mycobacterium bovisBCG(Pasteur)insoil.Applied and Environmental Microbiology71,1946-1952.

# CVERA Board of management

* DAFM Veterinary Laboratory Service

** UCC School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences

*** School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin


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Books/book chapters

Buncic,S.,Collins,J.D.,Smulders,F.J.M.andColin,P.,2009.Biologicalfoodsafetyinrelationtoanimalwelfare.In Food Safety Assurance and Veterinary Public Health. Volume 5: Welfare of Production Animals: Assessment and Management of Risks,485-532.F.J.M.Smulders,B.Algers(eds).WageningenAcademicPublishers,TheNetherlands.

Quinn,P.J.,Collins,J.D.,2006.TheeffectofwildlifereservoirsofMycobacterium bovis on programmes for the eradica-tionoftuberculosisincattleinIreland.In Mycobacterium bovis Infection in Animals and Humans,124-135,2ndEd.,C.O.Thoen,J.H.Steele,M.J.Gilsdorf(eds),BlackwellPress,London.

Scientific opinions

(J.D. Collins [UCD CVERA] and J.M. Griffin [DAFM] with other members of the Scientific Panel on Biological Hazards (BIOHAZ) and S.J. More [UCD CVERA] with other members of the Panel on Animal Health and Welfare (AHAW) of the European Food Safety Authority [EFSA])

EFSAPanelonAnimalHealthandWelfare(AHAW),2008.Scientificopinionontuberculosistestingindeer.EFSA Journal645,1-34.

EFSAPanelonAnimalHealthandWelfare(AHAW),2009.Scientificopiniononguidanceongoodpracticeinconductingscientificassessmentsinanimalhealthusingmodelling.EFSA Journal7,1419.

EFSAPanelonAnimalHealthandWelfare(AHAW),2009.ScientificopiniononEpizooticHemorrhagicDisease.EFSA Journal7,1418.

EFSAPanelonBiologicalHazards(BIOHAZ),2006.ScientificopiniononthebreedingprogrammeforTSEresistanceinsheep.EFSA Journal382,1-46.

EFSAPanelonBiologicalHazards(BIOHAZ),2003.Opinionontuberculosisinbovineanimals:risksforhumanhealthandcontrolstrategies.EFSA Journal13,1-52.

EFSAPanelonBiologicalHazards(BIOHAZ),2003.ScientificopinionontheinterpretationofresultsofEUsurveil-lanceoftransmissiblespongiformencephalopathies(TSEs)inovineandcaprineanimals,cullingstrategiesforTSEsinsmallruminantsandtheTSE-relatedsafetyofcertainsmallruminantproducts.EFSA Journal12,1-6.

EFSAPanelonBiologicalHazards(BIOHAZ),2004.ScientificopiniononBSE-relatedcullingincattle.EFSA Journal57,1-8.

EFSAPanelonBiologicalHazards(BIOHAZ),2004.ScientificopiniononthescientificjustificationforproposingamendmentstotheUnitedKingdomDateBasedExportScheme(DBES)andtotheOverThirtyMonths(OTM)rule.EFSA Journal56,1-4.

EFSAPanelonBiologicalHazards(BIOHAZ),2004.ScientificopinionontheapplicationoftheUnitedKingdomformoderateriskBSEstatus.EFSA Journal55,1-3.

EFSAPanelonBiologicalHazards(BIOHAZ),2005.ScientificopiniononthequantitativeriskassessmentoftheanimalBSEriskposedbymeatandbonemealwithrespecttotheresidualBSErisk.EFSA Journal257,1-30.

EFSAPanelonBiologicalHazards(BIOHAZ),2005.ScientificopiniononaquantitativeassessmentofriskposedtohumansbytissuesofsmallruminantsincaseBSEispresentintheseanimalpopulations.EFSA Journal227,1-11.


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EFSAPanelonBiologicalHazards(BIOHAZ),2005.ScientificopinionontheassessmentoftheagelimitincattlefortheremovalofcertainSpecifiedRiskMaterials(SRM).EFSA Journal220,1-7.

EFSAPanelonBiologicalHazards(BIOHAZ),2006.ScientificopiniononthequantitativeassessmentofthehumanBSEriskposedbybovinevertebralcolumnincludingdorsalrootgangliawithrespecttoresidualBSErisk.EFSA Journal359,1-14.

EFSAPanelonBiologicalHazards(BIOHAZ),2006.ScientificopiniononanassessmentofthepublicandanimalhealthrisksassociatedwiththeadoptionofavisualinspectionsysteminvealcalvesraisedinaMemberState(orpartofaMemberState)consideredfreeoftuberculosis.EFSA Journal358,1-15.

EFSAPanelonBiologicalHazards(BIOHAZ),2006.ScientificopiniononthequantitativeassessmentofthehumanBSEriskposedbygelatinewithrespecttoresidualBSErisk.EFSA Journal312,1-29.

EFSAPanelonBiologicalHazards(BIOHAZ),2007.Scientificopiniononcertainaspectsrelatedtothefeedingofanimalproteinstofarmanimals.EFSA Journal576,1-41.

EFSAPanelonBiologicalHazards(BIOHAZ),2007.Scientificopinionontheassessmentofthelikelihoodoftheinfec-tivityinSRMderivedfromcattleatdifferentagegroupsestimatedbybackcalculationmodelling. EFSA Journal476,1-47.

EFSAPanelonBiologicalHazards(BIOHAZ),2007.ScientificopiniononcertainaspectsrelatedtotheriskofTransmissibleSpongiformEncephalopathies(TSEs)inovineandcaprineanimals.EFSA Journal 466,1-10.

EFSAPanelonBiologicalHazards(BIOHAZ),2007.ScientificopinionontherevisionoftheGeographicalBSERisk.EFSA Journal463,1-35.

EFSAPanelonBiologicalHazards(BIOHAZ),2007.ScientificopiniononthequantitativeriskassessmentontheresidualBSEriskinsheepmeatandmeatproducts.EFSA Journal442,1-44.

EFSAPanelonBiologicalHazards(BIOHAZ),2008.Scientificopiniononaquantitativemicrobiologicalriskassess-mentonSalmonellainmeat:sourceattributionforhumansalmonellosisfrommeat.EFSA Journal625,1-32.

EFSAPanelonBiologicalHazards(BIOHAZ),2008.Scientificopiniononconsumptionofbeeftongue:humanBSEriskassociatedwithexposuretolymphoidtissueinbovinetongueinconsiderationofnewresearchfindings. EFSA Journal700,1-24.

EFSAPanelonBiologicalHazards(BIOHAZ),2008.ScientificopiniononaTSEriskassessmentfromcarcassesofovineandcaprineanimalsbelow6monthsofagefromTSEinfectedflocksintendedforhumanconsumption. EFSA Journal719,1-27.

EFSAPanelonBiologicalHazards(BIOHAZ),2008.Scientificopiniononmicrobiologicalriskassessmentinfeedingstuffsforfoodproducinganimals.EFSA Journal720,1-84.

EFSAPanelonBiologicalHazards(BIOHAZ),2008.ScientificopinionontheriskforhumanandanimalhealthrelatedtotherevisionoftheBSEmonitoringregimeinsomeMemberStates. EFSA Journal762,1-47.

EFSAPanelonBiologicalHazards(BIOHAZ),2008.Scientificopiniononfoodborneantimicrobialresistanceasabiologicalhazard.EFSA Journal765,1-87.


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EFSAPanelonBiologicalHazards(BIOHAZ),2008.ScientificopiniononthehumanandanimalexposureriskrelatedtoTransmissibleSpongiformEncephalopathies(TSEs)frommilkandmilkproductsderivedfromsmallruminants.EFSA Journal849,1-37.

EFSAPanelonBiologicalHazards(BIOHAZ),2009.Scientificopiniononassessmentofthepublichealthsignificanceof meticillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus(MRSA)inanimalsandfoods.EFSA Journal993,1-73.

EFSAPanelonBiologicalHazards(BIOHAZ),2009.ScientificopinionongeneticTSEresistanceingoats.EFSA Journal995,1-25.

EFSAPanelonBiologicalHazards(BIOHAZ),2009.ScientificopinionontheupdatedriskforhumanandanimalhealthrelatedtotherevisionoftheBSEmonitoringregimeinsomeMemberStates.EFSA Journal1059,1-40.

Academic theses

Barrett,D.J.,2004.AstudyofmastitisinIrishdairyherds.MVMthesis,UniversityCollegeDublin,Ireland.

Costello,E.,1994.AstudyofantibodyELISAmethodsforthediagnosisoftuberculosisincattle.MVMthesis,UniversityCollegeDublin,Ireland.

Doherty,M.L.,1994.Studiesondiagnostictestsfortuberculosisincattle.PhDthesis,UniversityCollegeDublin,Ireland.

Eves,J.,2001.Acase-controlstudyontheincidenceofbovinetuberculosisinanareaofextensivebadgercullinginCountyOffaly,Ireland.MVMthesis,UniversityCollegeDublin,Ireland.

Griffin,J.M.,1994.Acase-controlstudyontheassociationofselectedriskfactorswiththeoccurrenceofbovinetubercu-losisintheRepublicofIreland.MScthesis,UniversityofGuelph,Canada.

Griffin,J.M.,2003.AsimulationmodelfortuberculosisincattleinIreland.PhDthesis,UniversityCollegeDublin,Ireland.

Hahesy,T.,1995.StudiesonaerosoldispersalofamarkerorganismincattleslurryandchemicalinactivationofM. bovisinslurry.MScthesis,UniversityCollegeDublin,Ireland.

Lesellier,S.,2007.ImmunologicalresponsesofEuropeanbadgers(Meles meles)vaccinatedwithBCGand/orexperimen-tally challenged with Mycobacterium bovis.PhDthesis,UniversityCollegeDublin,Ireland.

McGrath,G.,2001.AnevaluationoftheroleofGeographicalInformationSystemtechnologyforthepredictionofbadgersettlocationinIreland.MScthesis,TrinityCollegeDublin,Ireland.

Murphy,D.,2009.TuberculosisinEuropeanbadgers(Meles meles):prevalence,pathogenesisandvaccinedevelopment.PhDthesis,UniversityCollegeDublin,Ireland.

O’Corry-Crowe,G.,1992.Thesocialandgeneticstructureofabadger(Meles meles, L.,1758)populationincentralIreland.PhDthesis,UniversityCollegeDublin,Ireland.

Olea-Popelka,F.J.,2002.StudiesonbovinetuberculosisincattleandbadgersinIreland.MScthesis,UniversityofGuelph,Canada.


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Olea-Popelka,F.J.,2007.TheidentificationoffactorsrelevanttothecontrolofbovineandbadgertuberculosisinIreland.PhDthesis,UniversityofGuelph,Canada.

O’Leary,S.,2005.Moleculardetectionandcharacterisationofbrucellosisinbovines.PhDthesis,UniversityCollegeDublin,Ireland.

Sheridan,H.,2001.AspatialtemporalanalysisofBSEinIreland.MScthesis,UniversityofGuelph,Canada.

Wolfe,D.M.,2007.Studiesonbovinetuberculosis(Mycobacterium bovis)incattleinIreland.MScthesis,UniversityofGuelph,Canada.

UCD School of Veterinary MedicineUCD Veterinary Sciences Centre

University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland

ISBN: 978-1-905254-64-4

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The Centre for Veterinary Epidemiology and Risk Analysis ...• Epidemiological support for a broad...

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