Incidence of abortion and association with putative causes in dairy herds in New Zealand     

G Thobokwe  C Heuer 《New Zealand veterinary journal》2013,61(2):90-94

AIM: To estimate the distribution and causes of abortion in dairy herds across New Zealand during the 2001/2002 breeding season.

METHODS: A questionnaire survey was sent to all veterinary practices that employed members of the New Zealand Veterinary Association. Veterinarians were requested to record the numbers of dairy herds serviced by their practice in which the rate of aborting cows was zero (0%), low (1–5%) and high (6–10% and >10%), and all laboratory submissions, specimens, tests and results related to their investigation of abortions in these herds, for each category.

RESULTS: Forty-two large animal practices serving 1,431 dairy clients from all except one region in New Zealand responded. The within-herd incidence of abortion was zero in 497 herds (34.7%), low in 876 herds (61.2%), and high in 58 herds (4.1%) in the season 2001/2002. Within the high category, 0.6% herds reported abortions at a frequency as high as may be expected in epidemic abortions (>10%). Compared to other regions, the abortion incidences tended to be relatively high in Northland, Auckland and the Bay of Plenty, and low in Hawke Bay, Waikato and Nelson (p<0.001). Cases were submitted for laboratory investigation from 51/934 (5.5%) herds. Even though submission rates increased with the level of abortion, most submissions originated from herds with a low abortion rate. The main agents identified among submissions as the cause of abortion were Neospora caninum (Nc) (35%) and bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) (16%). Among 39 submissions from low abortion herds, 33% were suspected due to Nc and 15% to BVDV, and this was not statistically different (p>0.10) from the distribution in 13 submissions from high abortion herds (46% Nc, 23% BVDV). While cases associated with Nc were submitted in April, May and June, submissions for suspected BVDV spread evenly over the months of March to July.

CONCLUSION: In the 2001/2002 season, approximately 4% of dairy herds in New Zealand recorded a relatively high incidence of abortion (>5%) and 0.6% herds experienced an incidence of >10%. BVDV and Nc were the most frequently diagnosed agents associated with abortion, regardless of whether the seasonal incidence of abortion within a herd was low or high.  相似文献   

Some histological lesions seen in macroscopically normal mesenteric lymph nodes of deer     

RG Clark  JC Glossop  PR Wilson  C Heuer 《New Zealand veterinary journal》2013,61(1)

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Causes of abortion on New Zealand dairy farms with a history of abortion associated with Neospora caninum     

Weston JF  Heuer C  Parkinson TJ  Williamson NB 《New Zealand veterinary journal》2012,60(1):27-34

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Case control study to investigate risk factors for bovine neonatal pancytopenia (BNP) in young calves in southern Germany     

Sauter-Louis C  Carlin A  Friedrich A  Assad A  Reichmann F  Rademacher G  Heuer C  Klee W 《Preventive veterinary medicine》2012,105(1-2):49-58

A case control study on farm level was conducted at the Clinic for Ruminants, LMU Munich, to identify possible risk factors associated with the observed increase in numbers of calves showing clinical signs of Bovine Neonatal Pancytopenia (BNP) since 2006 in southern Germany. Interviews were conducted between August 2008 and June 2010. The characteristics of 56 dairy farms with at least one confirmed case of BNP (thrombocytopenia and leukocytopenia and/or typical findings in post-mortem examination and bone marrow histology) were compared with those of two sets of 50 control dairy farms each, with no history of BNP. The first set of 50 control farms was selected randomly from veterinary practices which had never observed a BNP case on the farms they serviced. The second set of 50 control farms was matched by the veterinary practices which had provided case farms. Two separate analyses were conducted: (1) case farms (n=56) vs. randomly selected control farms (n=50) and (2) case farms (n=56) vs. a matched set of control farms (n=50). All variables with p<0.2 in the univariable analysis were included in stepwise logistic regression models. In the first analysis, only the use of PregSure(?) BVD vaccine was positively associated with BNP with an odds ratio of 1292 (95% CI: 114-14707). In the second analysis, conditional logistic regression models did not converge, therefore non-conditional logistic regression models were conducted. In the non-conditional analysis five variables remained in the model, three of which were negatively associated with BNP: the use of vitamin E and selenium, the frequent use of mastitis tubes, and the use of stem growth regulators in grain production. The use of prophylactic measures (such as control of parasites or vaccination of calves against respiratory disease) was positively associated with BNP with an odds ratio of 14.3 as well as the use of PregSure(?) BVD vaccine with an odds ratio of 426 (95% CI: 20-9095).  相似文献   

Seroprevalence and Risk Factors for Leptospira Seropositivity in Beef Cattle,Sheep and Deer Farmers in New Zealand          下载免费PDF全文

J. M. Sanhueza  C. Heuer  P. R. Wilson  J. Benschop  J. M. Collins‐Emerson 《Zoonoses and public health》2017,64(5):370-380

Leptospirosis is a global zoonosis that in New Zealand affects primarily people occupationally exposed to livestock. The objective of this study was to estimate the seroprevalence of five Leptospira serovars in farmers working on cattle, sheep and deer farms that had the serological status of animals previously assessed and to identify risk factors for farmer seropositivity. A total of 178 farmers from 127 properties participated in the study. Blood samples were tested using the microscopic agglutination test (MAT) for the presence of antibodies to Leptospira. Samples with a MAT titre ≥48 were considered seropositive. Using Bayesian statistical analysis, the median seroprevalence of Leptospira, all serovars combined, was estimated to be 6.6% (95% probability interval (PI) 3.6–10.9%). Risk factors associated with seropositivity were assisting deer or cattle calving, farming deer, having ≥25% of flat terrain and high abundance of wild deer on farm, while high possum abundance on farm was negatively associated with seropositivity. No association was observed between farmer serostatus and previously recorded livestock serology. Leptospira seropositivity was associated with influenza‐like illness of farmers (RR = 1.7; 95% PI 1.0–2.5). Assuming a causal relationship, this suggested an annual risk of 1.3% (95% PI 0.0–3.0%) of influenza‐like illnesses due to Leptospira infection in the population of farmers. The association between seropositivity and disease can be used to estimate the public health burden of leptospirosis in New Zealand. Identifying and understanding risk factors for Leptospira seropositivity can inform preventive measures, hence contributing to the reduction of leptospirosis incidence in farmers.  相似文献   

Neospora caninum in beef herds in New South Wales,Australia. 1: seroprevalence study          下载免费PDF全文

BJ Moloney  PD Kirkland  C Heuer 《Australian veterinary journal》2017,95(3):72-79

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Neospora caninum in beef herds in New South Wales,Australia. 2: analysis of risk factors          下载免费PDF全文

BJ Moloney  C Heuer  PD Kirkland 《Australian veterinary journal》2017,95(4):101-109

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Fate of sulfadiazine administered to pigs and its quantitative effect on the dynamics of bacterial resistance genes in manure and manured soil     

Holger Heuer  Andreas Focks  Marc Lamshöft  Kornelia Smalla  Michael Matthies  Michael Spiteller 《Soil biology & biochemistry》2008,40(7):1892-1900

The veterinary antibiotic sulfadiazine (SDZ), labelled by ¹⁴C, was administered to pigs to follow the fate of the drug and its metabolites in manure and manure-amended soil, and to investigate the dynamics of drug effects on resistance genes and bacterial communities. In the manure sampled over 10 days, more than 96% of the drug was found as parent compound or metabolites N-acetyl-SDZ and 4-hydroxy-SDZ. While the manure was stored the concentration of SDZ increased by 42% due to deacetylation of the metabolite N-acetyl-SDZ, whereas the minor metabolite 4-hydroxy-SDZ kept constant. In the soil the extractable amounts of the compounds decreased exponentially to less than 1 mg kg^?1 within 11 days after manure amendment. The abundances of SDZ resistance genes sul1 and sul2 were determined by qPCR relative to 16S rRNA genes in total DNA from manure and manure-amended soil. In manure both genes increased exponentially in copy number during the first 60 days of storage, suggesting preferential growth of resistant populations. However, the abundance of sul1 and sul2 decreased below 10^?5 copies per 16S rRNA gene after 175 days. With manure high amounts of sul1 and sul2 were introduced into the soil which were reduced by more than 10 times within 24 days. Thereafter, sul1 was stably maintained in soil, while sul2 further decreased between day 60 and day 165. A mathematical model was developed that could well explain the time course of sul gene abundance by considering the cost of sul genes, horizontal gene transfer, and selection of the resistant populations in the presence of SDZ. Modelling revealed a selective effect of SDZ on sul2 even at low concentrations down to 0.15 mg kg^?1 soil. Bacterial community profiles of manure and manure-amended soil were distinct, indicating that bacteria introduced with manure do not become prominent in soil. The composition of the bacterial community in manure constantly changed during storage, but mainly during the first 10 days. Profiles of soil bacterial communities revealed only a transient perturbation by manure containing SDZ.  相似文献   

Subsoil properties and cereal growth as affected by a single pass of heavy machinery and two tillage systems on a Luvisol   总被引：3，自引：0，他引：3  

Henning Heuer  Olga Tomanová  Heinz‐Josef Koch  Bernward Märländer 《植物养料与土壤学杂志》2008,171(4):580-590

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Leptospirosis in farmed deer in New Zealand : a review     

Ayanegui-Alcerreca MA  Wilson PR  Mackintosh CG  Collins-Emerson JM  Heuer C  Midwinter AC  Castillo-Alcala F 《New Zealand veterinary journal》2007,55(3):102-108

Current knowledge of leptospirosis in farmed deer in New Zealand is reviewed. Over the past 25 years, leptospirosis has been reported to occur in individual cases as well as in herd outbreaks in farmed deer and in human cases linked to farmed deer. Serological studies and evidence from bacterial culture suggest infection is widespread. Mixing of young stock from several sources appears to be a significant risk factor for outbreaks. The culture of Leptospira interrogans serovars Hardjobovis, Pomona and Copenhageni has been reported. Infection with serovar Hardjobovis had the highest prevalence, either individually or mixed with serovar Pomona. Infection with serovar Copenhageni appears uncommon and its pathogenicity in deer is unproven. Titres to serovars Australis, Ballum, Balcanica and Tarassovi have been reported. Deer appear to be maintenance hosts for serovar Hardjobovis, incidental or accidental hosts and probably a maintenance population for serovar Pomona, since some infections persist for several months, and accidental hosts for serovar Copenhageni. Serovar Pomona appears to produce clinical and probably subclinical disease, whereas serovar Hardjobovis appears to cause only subclinical disease, although the relative risk of disease causation has not been determined. Clinical disease is usually manifested by haemolysis, jaundice, renal lesions, haemoglobinuria and often by sudden death. Renal lesions are commonly observed at slaughter and many are associated with leptospiral infections. Occupationally, slaughterhouse workers appear to be at greatest risk of contracting the disease from deer. Vaccination produces serological responses, but its effectiveness in protecting against disease, and prevention or reduction of shedding in urine, has not yet been confirmed in deer. More robust knowledge of the epidemiology of leptospiral infections in deer, and the effectiveness of vaccines and vaccination regimes, is needed to assist the deer industry to develop a strategy to manage this disease.  相似文献