Gertraud Schüpbach

Time-series analysis of Campylobacter incidence in Switzerland

SUMMARY Campylobacteriosis has been the most common food-associated notifiable infectious disease in Switzerland since 1995. Contact with and ingestion of raw or undercooked broilers are considered the dominant risk factors for infection. In this study, we investigated the temporal relationship between the disease incidence in humans and the prevalence of Campylobacter in broilers in Switzerland from 2008 to 2012. We use a time-series approach to describe the pattern of the disease by incorporating seasonal effects and autocorrelation. The analysis shows that prevalence of Campylobacter in broilers, with a 2-week lag, has a significant impact on disease incidence in humans. Therefore Campylobacter cases in humans can be partly explained by contagion through broiler meat. We also found a strong autoregressive effect in human illness, and a significant increase of illness during Christmas and New Years holidays. In a final analysis, we corrected for the sampling error of prevalence in broilers and the results gave similar conclusions.

High-content analysis of factors affecting gold nanoparticle uptake by neuronal and microglial cells in culture

Owing to their ubiquitous distribution, expected beneficial effects and suspected adverse effects, nanoparticles are viewed as a double-edged sword, necessitating a better understanding of their interactions with tissues and organisms. Thus, the goals of the present study were to develop and present a method to generate quantitative data on nanoparticle entry into cells in culture and to exemplarily demonstrate the usefulness of this approach by analyzing the impact of size, charge and various proteinaceous coatings on particle internalization. N9 microglial cells and both undifferentiated and differentiated SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells were exposed to customized gold nanoparticles. After silver enhancement, the particles were visualized by epipolarization microscopy and analysed by high-content analysis. The value of this approach was substantiated by assessing the impact of various parameters on nanoparticle uptake. Uptake was higher in microglial cells than in neuronal cells. Only microglial cells showed a distinct size preference, preferring particles with a diameter of 80 nm. Positive surface charge had the greatest impact on particle uptake. Coating with bovine serum albumin, fetuin or protein G significantly increased particle internalization in microglial cells but not in neuronal cells. Coating with wheat germ agglutinin increased particle uptake in both N9 and differentiated SH-SY5Y cells but not in undifferentiated SH-SY5Y cells. Furthermore, internalization was shown to be an active process and indicators of caspase-dependent apoptosis revealed that gold nanoparticles did not have any cytotoxic effects. The present study thus demonstrates the suitability of gold nanoparticles and high-content analysis for assessing numerous variables in a stringently quantitative and statistically significant manner. Furthermore, the results presented herein showcase the feasibility of specifically targeting nanoparticles to distinct cell types.

Expert opinion on livestock antimicrobial usage indications and patterns in Denmark, Portugal and Switzerland

We aimed at describing antimicrobial usage patterns throughout livestock production cycles, and comparing them across three countries from Northern, Central and Southern Europe. Given the difficulties to collect such detailed usage data, an expert opinion was deemed the most appropriate study design. This study provides new insights into the time periods and indications for which specific antimicrobial substances are used in different livestock sectors. Veterinary experts (n=67) from different livestock sectors (broilers, pigs, dairy cattle and veal/fattening calves) and countries (Denmark, Portugal and Switzerland) replied to a questionnaire focusing on the time periods in the production cycle when antimicrobial substances were administered, and the respective indications for treatment. Our results showed that for several antimicrobials, between-country and within-country variations exist regarding the temporal distributions of treatments and indications for use. These differences were also true for several critically important antimicrobials, which is a matter of concern. Furthermore, differences between countries were also evident regarding the antimicrobial substances licensed. Based on our results, it is recommended to establish and promote treatment guidelines, invest in the prevention of diseases during critical moments of the production cycle and target undifferentiated use of antimicrobials. Moreover, discrepancies between countries should be further investigated to better understand the factors underlying the identified patterns and to distinguish prudent from non-prudent use. The results can inform decision-making with the aim to foster antimicrobial prudent use in the veterinary setting and, therefore, protect public health from the threat of antimicrobial resistance.

Correlation of Blood Pressure With Splenic Volume in Horses, Daily Variation in Blood Pressure, and “White Coat Hypertension”

&NA; The objectives were to describe the associations between splenic reservoir mobilization and pharmacological changes in blood pressure (BP), the normal daily variability of BP, and the variation in BP between measurements obtained at a veterinary hospital and at home. A group of horses from a research herd (research group) and a group of healthy client‐owned horses presented to a hospital (hospital group) were studied. Invasive BP and splenic volume were measured in the research group while hyper‐ and hypotension were induced by phenylephrine and acepromazine, respectively. Noninvasive blood pressure (NIBP) and ultrasonographically estimated splenic volume (by 2 observers) were measured on three consecutive days in research group horses. Noninvasive BP was measured in the hospital and the home environment in the hospital group at three time points. The change in splenic volume was highly correlated with the change in systolic BP after phenylephrine administration (r = −0.97, P ≤ .001), and there was no significant change in splenic volume or correlation with changes in BP after acepromazine administration. Noninvasive BP had low daily variability (coefficient of variation [CV] = 9%–11%), and splenic volume had high daily variability (CV = 30%–32%) but was reproducible between observers (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.70). Horses in the hospital group repeatedly had higher systolic NIBP in the hospital (140.0 ± 14.0) than at home (133.8 ± 14.8, P = .01). Variation in BP after administration of phenylephrine, but not after administration of acepromazine, is related to the change in splenic volume. BP does not change significantly in consecutive days; however, splenic volume does and is reproducible between observers. Blood pressure in horses is higher in hospital than that in home. HighlightsRise in blood pressure (BP) is correlated with a decrease in splenic volume measurement.Repeated noninvasive BP measurements in horses are described.“White Coat Hypertension” in horses is proposed.

A Nonsense Variant in the ACADVL Gene in German Hunting Terriers with Exercise Induced Metabolic Myopathy.

Several enzymes are involved in fatty acid oxidation, which is a key process in mitochondrial energy production. Inherited defects affecting any step of fatty acid oxidation can result in clinical disease. We present here an extended family of German Hunting Terriers with 10 dogs affected by clinical signs of exercise induced weakness, muscle pain, and suspected rhabdomyolysis. The combination of clinical signs, muscle histopathology and acylcarnitine analysis with an elevated tetradecenoylcarnitine (C14:1) peak suggested a possible diagnosis of acyl-CoA dehydrogenase very long chain deficiency (ACADVLD). Whole genome sequence analysis of one affected dog and 191 controls revealed a nonsense variant in the ACADVL gene encoding acyl-CoA dehydrogenase very long chain, c.1728C>A or p.(Tyr576*). The variant showed perfect association with the phenotype in the 10 affected and more than 500 control dogs of various breeds. Pathogenic variants in the ACADVL gene have been reported in humans with similar myopathic phenotypes. We therefore considered the detected variant to be the most likely candidate causative variant for the observed exercise induced myopathy. To our knowledge, this is the first description of this disease in dogs, which we propose to name exercise induced metabolic myopathy (EIMM), and the identification of the first canine pathogenic ACADVL variant. Our findings provide a large animal model for a known human disease and will enable genetic testing to avoid the unintentional breeding of affected offspring.

Diagnosis, therapy and prophylactic measures of parturient paresis in dairy cattle: results of an online survey for Swiss veterinarians

INTRODUCTION The aim of this study was to obtain the diagnostic, therapeutic and prophylactic approach among Swiss veterinary practitioners in cows with parturient hypocalcemia. All members of the Association for Ruminant Health were contacted per e-mail. The survey was completed by 108 (28%) of 393 that were contacted. According to the questionnaire responses, the typical presentation of a parturient paresis cow is a pluriparous middle-yielding dairy cow one day post-partum in sternal recumbency with normal consciousness. The diagnosis is usually based upon the medical history. Therapy of parturient paresis consists of mixed infusions (with calcium, phosphorus, magnesium or glucose) as well as oral preparations with calcium. The veterinarians estimate that 25-50% of the cows treated for parturient paresis need more than one treatment and that one case of parturient paresis costs CHF 200-300. Prophylactic treatments are usually used for cows, which have suffered from parturient paresis in the previous lactation, elder cows (≥ 3 lactations) as well as cows with a high body condition score (> 3.25). Prophylactic measures used by the veterinarians are vitamin D3 injections and oral preparations with calcium. They recommended a special diet, for example a low calcium diet ante-partum.

Hyperintensity of Cerebrospinal Fluid on T2-Weighted Fluid-Attenuated Inversion Recovery Magnetic Resonance Imaging Caused by High Inspired Oxygen Fraction

In veterinary medicine, patients undergo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) under general anesthesia to enable acquisition of artifact-free images. The fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO2) ranges between 30 and 95%. In humans, a high FiO2 is associated with incomplete signal suppression of peripheral cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) spaces on T2-weighted fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (T2w-FLAIR) sequences. The influence of FiO2 on T2w-FLAIR images remains unreported in small animals. The aim of this prospective study was to investigate whether a high FiO2 is associated with hyperintensity in peripheral CSF spaces on T2w-FLAIR images in dogs and cats. Client-owned patients undergoing brain MRI were prospectively enrolled. Animals with brain parenchymal abnormalities and/or meningeal contrast enhancement on MRI images and/or abnormal CSF analysis were excluded. Consequently, twelve patients were enrolled. Anesthesia was maintained by isoflurane 0.5–1 minimal alveolar concentration in 30% oxygen. After acquisition of transverse and dorsal T2w-FLAIR images, the FiO2 was increased to 95%. The T2w-FLAIR sequences were then repeated after 40 min. Arterial blood gas analysis was performed in six patients at the same time as T2w-FLAIR sequence acquisition. Plot profiles of the signal intensity (SI) from CSF spaces of three cerebral sulci and adjacent gray and white matter were generated. SI ratios of CSF space and white matter were compared between the T2w-FLAIR images with 30 and 95% FiO2. An observer blinded to the FiO2, subjectively evaluated the SI of peripheral CSF spaces on T2w-FLAIR images as high or low. There was significant difference in the partial pressure of oxygen between the two arterial samples (P < 0.001). The SI ratios obtained from the T2w-FLAIR images with 95% FiO2 were significantly higher compared with those obtained from the T2w-FLAIR images with 30% FiO2 (P < 0.05). The peripheral CSF spaces were subjectively considered hyperintense in 11 of 12 cases on T2w-FLAIR images with 95% FiO2 (P < 0.005). A clear difference in SI, dependent on the FiO2 was seen in the peripheral CSF spaces on T2w-FLAIR images. In conclusion, the influence of FiO2 must be considered when differentiating pathological and normal CSF spaces on T2w-FLAIR images in dogs and cats.

Impact of entry age and veterinary care on health and performance of veal calves. I. Mortality and antimicrobial use

INTRODUCTION The objective of this field study was to describe the impact of the entry age and intensive veterinary care on mortality and antimicrobial use of veal calves in Switzerland. From July until October 2012, a total of 316 young calves (aged ø 10.8 days) and from November 2012 until May 2013 a total of 425 market calves (aged ø 39.5 days) were housed on a welcome-farm, where they obtained daily veterinary care during the first 6 weeks of the production cycle. As a 3rd category 2 groups of 34 and 31 old calves (aged ø 61.5 days), respectively, were housed on a commercial farm. From entry to slaughter the daily doses of antibiotics on group level averaged 35.6 in young calves, 26.2 in commercial calves, and 21.0 in old calves. On the welcome-farm 45.9% and 48.5% of the young and market calves, respectively, were individually treated, and in the finishing period of the production cycle 10.4% and 3.3% of the young and market calves, respectively. Of the old calves 16.9% were individually treated. Mortality was 6.7% in young calves, 8.2% in commercial calves, and 4.6% in old calves. Intensive veterinary care guaranteed early recognition of disease and euthanasia of terminally morbid calves. The different entry ages did not lead to any reduction in mortality or in antimicrobial use compared to previous studies.