Neethling vaccine proved highly effective in controlling lumpy skin disease epidemics in the Balkans.

Despite the wide use of the live attenuated Neethling lumpy skin disease (LSD) vaccine, only limited data existed on its efficacy and effectiveness prior to the large LSD epidemic in the Balkans, which took place during 2016-2017. In addition, analysis of risk factors for the disease was hardly performed with proper control for vaccination effects and potential differences in exposure to the virus. Data from the LSD epidemics in six Balkan countries (Bulgaria, Greece, Serbia, Montenegro, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) and Albania) affected during 2016 were analyzed to determine vaccine effectiveness (VE) and risk factors for LSD infection at the farm level. Vaccination was performed along the occurrence of the epidemics and thus vaccination status of some of the farms changed during the epidemic. To allow for this, left truncated and right censored survival analysis was used in a mixed effects Cox proportional hazard regression model to calculate VE and risk factors for LSD. The results indicated of an average VE of 79.8% (95% CI: 73.2-84.7)) in the six countries, with the lowest VE of 62.5% documented in Albania and up to VE of more than 97% as documented in Bulgaria and Serbia. Analysis of time from vaccination to development of protective immunity showed that VE mostly developed during the first 14 days after vaccination. Data from Greece showed that the vaccination adjusted hazard ratio for LSD was 5.7 higher in grazing farms compared to non-grazing farms. However, due to a difference in geographical location of grazing and non-grazing farms and higher vaccination rate in non-grazing farms, this effect can be at least partly attributed to indirect protection due to herd immunity provided by surrounding vaccinated farms.

Emergence of Lumpy Skin Disease in Greece, 2015.

Lumpy skin disease was first reported in the EU, Greece, in August 2015. Until the end of December 2015, six regional units have been affected in northern Greece and the island of Limnos. This article presents the epidemiological situation, the diagnosis, the control measures including emergency vaccination and the preliminary conclusions from the experience gained.

Effect of exogenous intermittent recombinant human PTH 1-34 administration and chronic endogenous parathyroid hormone excess on glucose homeostasis and insulin sensitivity.

We aimed to evaluate the effects of exogenous intermittent teriparatide (rhPTH 1-34) administration versus the chronic exposure to excess endogenous parathyroid hormone (PTH), as in pHPT, on glucose homeostasis. Two patient groups were studied: Group 1 included 25 normocalcemic women with postmenopausal osteoporosis (age 65.2+/-1.6 years) studied before and six months after teriparatide initiation; Group 2 included 19 postmenopausal women with pHPT (age 55.2+/-2.5 years) studied before and six months after successful parathyroidectomy. Calcium - total (Ca) and corrected (CCa) - ALP, PTH, as well as glucose and insulin concentrations during an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) were determined before and six months after either intervention. Area under the curve for glucose (AUCglu) and insulin (AUCins) were calculated. DeltaIns30'/DeltaGlu30' was applied as an index of insulin secretion. The HOmeostasis Model of Assessment (HOMA) and Matsuda ISI (Insulin Sensitivity Index) were used to calculate insulin resistance (IR) and whole body insulin sensitivity, respectively. In Group 1 no difference was found in any OGTT-derived parameter. In Group 2 significant reductions in AUCins and DeltaIns30'/DeltaGlu30' were observed. No correlation between the change in DeltaCCa or DeltaPTH and DeltaAUCglu or DeltaAUCins was found in either group. Our data suggest that while subtle transient alterations of Ca and PTH within the normal range as in exogenous rhPTH 1-34 administration do not affect glucose homeostasis, the continuously elevated Ca and endogenous PTH levels as in pHPT affect insulin sensitivity and result in increased insulin secretion.