Multicriteria Evaluation of Classical Swine Fever Control Strategies Using the Choquet Integral.

An outbreak of the highly contagious animal disease classical swine fever (CSF) requires the selection of an optimal control strategy. The choice of a control strategy is a decision process depending on different aspects. Besides epidemiology, economic and ethical/social aspects must be taken into account. In this study, multicriteria decision-making (MCDM) was used to evaluate six control strategies for two regions with different farm densities. A strategy including only the minimum EU control measures and the traditional control strategy based on preventive culling were compared to alternative control strategies using emergency vaccination and/or rapid PCR testing ('emergency vaccination', 'test to slaughter', 'test to control' and 'vaccination in conjunction with rapid testing'). The MACBETH approach was used in order to assess the three main criteria (epidemiology, economics and ethical/social aspects). Subcriteria with both quantitative and qualitative performance levels were translated into a normalized scale. The Choquet integral approach was adopted to obtain a ranking of the six CSF control strategies based on the three main criteria, taking interactions into account. Three different rankings of the importance of the main criteria, which were to reflect the potential perceptions of stakeholders, were examined. Both the region under investigation and the ranking of the main criteria had an influence on the 'best' choice. Alternative control strategies were favourable to the minimum EU control and the traditional control measures independent of the farm density. Because the choice of the 'best' control strategy does not solely depend on the epidemiological efficiency, MCDM can help to find the best solution. Both MACBETH and the Choquet integral approach are feasible MCDM approaches. MACBETH only needs a qualitative evaluation and is therefore a comparatively intuitive approach. The Choquet integral does not only take the importance of the criteria into account but also the interaction between them.

Control of classical swine fever epidemics under varying conditions--with special focus on emergency vaccination and rapid PCR testing.

SUMMARY: In case of a classical swine fever outbreak in the European Union (EU), its control is based upon the culling of swine on infected farms, movement restrictions in the protection and surveillance zones, and contact tracing. Additionally, preventive culling may be carried out. Emergency vaccination and rapid PCR testing are discussed as alternatives to avoid this measure. An outbreak of classical swine fever and the success of its control are influenced by different factors. Using a spatial and temporal Monte-Carlo simulation model the control strategies 'Restriction Zone', 'Traditional Control', 'Emergency Vaccination', 'Test To Slaughter', 'Test To Control' and 'Vaccination in conjunction with Rapid Testing' were compared under various conditions. Farm density, compliance with movement restrictions and delay in the establishment of an emergency vaccination were analysed as influencing factors. It was found that all these factors had a significant influence on the number of infected and culled farms. In a low-density region, the basic measures are sufficient to control an epidemic, provided strict compliance with movement restrictions is adhered to. In a high-density region, additional measures are necessary. They can compensate non-strict compliance with movement restriction to a certain extent. In the high-density region, 'Emergency Vaccination' and 'Vaccination in conjunction with Rapid Testing' reached the same level of infected farms as 'Traditional Control', independent of the value of compliance with movement restrictions. However, in the case of an emergency vaccination, an early start to the vaccination campaign is essential for successful disease control.

[Maculopathy caused by Nd:YAG laser accident]. / Makulopathie durch Nd:YAG-Laser-Unfall.

BACKGROUND: Since the construction of the first laser in the sixties and the extended use in medicine, technology and hobby the number of accidents has increased. Appreciated to therapy concepts are missing at the time. PATIENT: A 19 year-old-man was hit by the impulse of an military hand-held rangefinder (Nd:YAG with a wavelength of 1064 nm) on the right eye. The visual acuity dropped to 1/35 and a central scotoma with metamorphopsia occurred immediatly after the accident. The ophthalmological findings showed a distinct submacular hemorrhage. The therapy with Prednisolon intravenous and daily parabulbar, vitamin C, indomethacin systemical and lokal application resulted in an increase of visual acuity up to 0.4 and a reduction of central scotoma from 8 degrees to 2 degrees. CONCLUSION: Systemical and local use of antiphlogistic and antiinflamatoric substances may partially reduce the vision limitating scar formation. Application of antioxidants to neutralize the toxic radicals that arise by tissue decay should be given additionally to the cyclopegic medication. Special attention should be payed to the prevention of such laser accidents.

[Primary high malignancy B-cell lymphoma of the lacrimal sac]. / Primäres hochmalignes B-Zell-Lymphom des Tränensackes.

Case report on a 44-year-old woman in good health with the symptoms of epiphora, a plump elastic, not distressing swelling under the medial canthal tendon of 1 cm size on the right side. In ultrasonography and intraoperatively a tumour of moderate reflectivity with infiltration of the lacrimal sac was found. The histological evaluation, including immunohistochemical studies of the removed lesion, revealed a malignant B-cell lymphoma.

[Echographic diagnosis of efferent lacrimal ducts with contrast media]. / Die echographische Diagnostik der ableitenden Tränenwege mit Kontrastmitteln.

BACKGROUND: Affections of the lacrimal drainage system are often seen by ophthalmologists. Inspection, palpation, diagnostic rinsing and sounding can distinguish anatomical stops before or after tear sac. For final diagnostics however more apparative examinations are necessary. The ultrasonic examination with contrast media is a simple method for diagnostics of affections of the lacrimal drainage system besides the dacryocystography, the scintigraphy and other ones. PATIENTS AND METHODS: On 12 patients with a dysfunctional lacrimal drainage system and 12 normal controls the ultrasonic examination with instillation of contrast media: silicon oil, glycerine, dispersions of almond oil and viscoelastic substances was performed. All examinations were performed with the 13 B-scan. RESULTS: The lacrimal drainage way was detectable from the canaliculus to the middle nasolacrimal duc CONCLUSION: An additional advantage of the ultrasonic examination with contrast-media is the neglect of radiation, the simple and often repeatable examination method, especially the enhancement of the contrast of different valves and stenoses and mucinous deposits in stationary anatomical variations and dynamic defects.

[Possibilities and limits of extracranial vascular diagnosis with conventional echography]. / Möglichkeiten und Grenzen der extrakraniellen Gefässdiagnostik mittels konventioneller Echographie.

BACKGROUND: For the extracranial and partial intracranial diagnosis of vessels Doppler ultrasonography has been the method of choice since a long time. If not the phenomenon of flow, but anatomical structures are of interest, or biopsy is planned, the conventional ultrasonography is often under-estimated. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A detection of the superficial temporal artery and its branches was performed in a clinical study of 50 patients by using a 10 Mhz ultrasonic system. The ultrasonic findings were correlated with clinical findings. RESULTS: The vessel course, the vessel was detectable diameter, plaques and stenosis and the perivascular tissue. CONCLUSIONS: The availability of conventional ultrasonic tools provides the possibility to achieve a fast first documentation of the extracranial vessels in a lot of inflammatory and arteriosclerotic diseases.