Nonnative pest establishment: Spatial patterns and public detection.

Early detection of new pests can reduce their long-term impacts by enabling more rapid management response. Knowledge of pest establishment risk and background rates of detection (e.g., by the public) can help inform more cost-effective targeting of formal early detection survey programs. Here we quantify county-level locational attributes associated with pest establishment and detection by the public using data for 113 new pest incursions detected in the United States from 2010 through 2018. Aligning with expectations, we find a higher likelihood of new pest establishment in counties with higher human population numbers, nearer to ports (<250 km), and with amenable climate characteristics. Controlling for potential sample selection issues, we find that pests are less likely to be first detected by the public (e.g., homeowners, community members) versus by other sources (e.g., agency surveys, researchers, or agricultural operators) in counties with higher total crop sales values and lower human population number. The negative association between public detection and high agricultural values may reflect greater survey efforts by other sources (e.g., by agency surveillance programs, researchers, and agricultural operators) in high-value agricultural areas. The positive association between public detection and human population size may reflect larger numbers of public detectors (i.e., people) available to encounter the pests. Our models provide spatially explicit estimates of the likelihood of new pest establishment across U.S. counties and of the likelihood that an established pest would first be detected by the public. These estimates can serve as quantitative inputs to decision-support activities for new pest surveillance planning.

Disease and Mortality in Free-Ranging Leporids in Canada, 1990-2019: A Retrospective Study.

Passive surveillance of wildlife disease is a valuable tool for the identification of emerging and changing disease patterns. Free-ranging leporids play an important role in their ecosystem and in the culture and diet of Canadians; however, little is known about their health status and the zoonotic pathogens they may carry. We summarized major causes of mortality and morbidity, as well as incidental infections and lesions, of free-ranging leporids submitted to the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative (CWHC) between 1990 and 2019. We identified Canadian leporids as competent hosts for several zoonotic pathogens, most notably Francisella tularensis (20/569; 3.5%). Trauma was the most frequent cause of mortality or morbidity among leporids, accounting for 46.0% of cases submitted to the CWHC, followed by bacterial infections (13.7%) and emaciation (5.1%). Human-mediated mortalities, such as those involving machines (23.7%), were the most common trauma case type, with apparently healthy individuals overrepresented within this mortality group. Harvesters proved to be a valuable resource for the monitoring of diseased and infected animals, as more than half (69.6%) of the animals submitted by this group had an incidental infection or lesion. The results from this study provide a scientific understanding the cause of mortality in free-ranging leporids in Canada with relevance to public health, wildlife biologists, veterinarians, and potential future surveillance programs.

Health Effects of Patagial Wing Tags in Red Kites (Milvus milvus) in the UK.

Patagial wing tags are commonly used for identification of Red Kites (Milvus milvus) for postrelease monitoring, as they are easy to apply, affordable, permanent, and are apparently safe. The Red Kite was successfully reintroduced in the UK in the second half of the 20th century and postrelease health surveillance has been achieved through radio and satellite tracking, monitoring nest sites, and pathologic investigation of Red Kites found dead. This study reports on pathologic findings associated with the use of patagial wing tags in three of 142 (2.1%) wing-tagged Red Kites examined postmortem since the beginning of the reintroduction project in 1989. In these three Red Kites the presence of the patagial wing tags was associated with inflammatory lesions. Further surveys of the potential short- and longer-term negative effects of patagial wing tags on Red Kites and other birds are advocated; the future use of patagial wing tags in raptors should be carefully monitored.

Risk of myocarditis after three doses of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines in the United States, 2020-2022: A self-controlled case series study.

AIM: Myocarditis is a recognized safety concern following COVID-19 mRNA vaccination. However, there is limited research quantifying the risk associated with the third dose or comparing the risk between the three doses. The US Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) is a passive surveillance system that monitors rare adverse events after US-licensed vaccination. However, studies analyzing VAERS data have often faced criticism for underreporting cases and lacking a control group to assess the increase in baseline risk. METHODS: The temporal association between myocarditis onset and COVID-19 vaccination was studied. To overcome limitations, a novel modified self-controlled case series method was employed, explicitly modeling the case reporting process in VAERS data. RESULTS: We found an increased risk of myocarditis during the 1- to 3-day period following the second and third doses of both the BNT162b2 vaccine and the mRNA-1273 vaccine. Following the second dose, the relative incidence (RI) was 4.89 (95% confidence interval (CI), 2.39-10.08) for the BNT162b2 vaccine and 2.86 (95% CI: 1.18-7.03) for the mRNA-1273 vaccine. Similarly, following the third dose, the RI was 9.04 (95% CI: 2.79-40.99) for the BNT162b2 vaccine and 4.71 (95% CI: 1.42-19.09) for the mRNA-1273 vaccine. No significant increase in risk was observed during other periods. Notably, our analysis also identified a similar increased risk of myocarditis among individuals aged below 30. CONCLUSIONS: These findings raise safety concerns regarding COVID-19 mRNA vaccines, provide insights into the quantification of myocarditis risk at different postvaccination periods, and offer a novel approach to interpreting passive surveillance system data.

Passive Surveillance as a Key Tool for African Swine Fever Eradication in Wild Boar: A Protocol to Find Carcasses Tested and Validated in the Mediterranean Island of Sardinia.

African swine fever (ASF) is one of the most important and serious contagious hemorrhagic viral diseases affecting domestic pigs and wild boar and is associated with high mortality rates while also having an extensive sanitary and socioeconomic impact on the international trade of animal and swine products. The early detection of the disease is often hampered by inadequate surveillance. Among the surveillance strategies used, passive surveillance of wild boars is considered the most effective method for controlling the African swine fever virus (ASFV). Otherwise, the design of a sufficiently sensitive ASF surveillance system requires a solid understanding of the epidemiology related to the local eco-social context, especially in the absence of virus detection. Even if the number of carcasses needed to demonstrate ASF eradication has been established, the scientific context lacks detail compared to protocols applied in the active search for wild boar carcasses. The aim of this study was to describe the protocol applied in the active search for carcasses, providing detailed information on the number of people and dogs as well as the amount of time and space used within the Mediterranean area. Using a specific tool developed to record, trace, and share field data (the GAIA observer app), a total of 33 active searches for wild boar carcasses were organized during 2021-2023. Most of these searches were planned to find carcasses that had previously been reported by hunters. A total of 24 carcasses were found, with only 2 carcasses not previously reported. The final protocol applied involved four people, with an average speed of 1.5 km/h. When a carcass had been previously reported, about 2 km of distance had to be covered in about 1.5 h to find the carcass, and even less time was spent when a dog (untrained) was present. In conclusion, it can be stated that, when searching for carcasses, solid collaboration with local hunters or other forest visitors is necessary to ensure carcasses are reported. The process involves small groups of experts actively searching for carcasses, possibly with the use of hunting dogs without special training. The data presented could be of valid support for those countries characterized by Mediterranean vegetation that are faced with the need to plan active carcass searches.

Eleven Years of Health Monitoring in Wild Boars (Sus scrofa) in the Emilia-Romagna Region (Italy).

In recent years, the growth of wild ungulates has increased the focus on their health monitoring. In particular, the health status of wild boars is relevant for the economic impact on the pig industry. The Emilia-Romagna region activated a wildlife monitoring plan to better evaluate the health status of the wild boar population. Between 2011 and 2021, samples of found dead and hunted wild boar have been examined for trichinellosis, tuberculosis, brucellosis, african swine fever, classical swine fever, Aujeszky's disease, swine vesicular disease, and swine influenza A. Trichinella britovi was identified in 0.001% of the examined wild boars; neither M. bovis nor M. tuberculosis were found in M. tuberculosis complex positive samples; 2.3% were positive for Brucella suis; 29.4% of the sera were positive for Aujeszky's disease virus; and 0.9% of the samples were positive for swine influenza A virus. With an uncertain population estimate, the number of animals tested, the number of positives, and the sampling method do not allow us to make many inferences but suggest the need to implement and strengthen the existing surveillance activity, as it seems to be the only viable alternative for safeguarding animal and human health.

Spatio-temporal analysis of sheep and goat pox outbreaks in Uganda during 2011-2022.

BACKGROUND: Sheep and goat pox (SGP) caused by sheep poxvirus (SPV) and goat poxvirus (GPV) respectively; are transboundary and World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH)-notifiable viral diseases. There is barely any coherent information about the distribution and prevalence of SGP for Uganda. We therefore conducted this study to describe the temporal and spatial distribution of SGP suspected outbreaks in Uganda for the period 2011-2020 as well as serologically confirm presence of SGP antibodies in suspected SGP outbreaks reported in 2021-2022. RESULTS: Thirty-seven [37] SGP outbreaks were reported across the country during the study period. North-eastern region [that comprises of Karamoja region] had the highest number of outbreaks [n = 17, 45%]; followed by Central [n = 9, 2.4%], Northern [n = 8, 2.2%] and Western region [n = 3, 0.08%]. Reports from district veterinary personnel indicate that the prevalence of; and mortality rate and case fatality rate associated with SGP were 0.06%, 0.02% and 32% respectively. There was a steady increase in the number of reported SGP outbreaks [x̄ = 4] over the study period. Seropositivity of SGPV antibodies in outbreak sheep and goats that were investigated during the study period [2021-2022] was [n = 41, 27%, 95 CI;] CONCLUSION: Our analyses of SGPV passive and active reports indicate that SGP is present in Uganda with a decade long average of four outbreaks per annum. During this period, about a third of all SGPV-clinically infected animals died. SPG is therefore a major constraint to small ruminant health and productivity in Uganda. Introduction of animals from infected herds and breach in farm biosecurity were the most important predictors of SGP outbreaks. In addition to the already existing SGP commercial vaccines, small ruminant screening for SGPV before introducing them to naïve herds and ensuring on farm biosecurity should be part of the SGP control tool pack for Ugandan small ruminant farmers.

Passive Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in Adult Blacklegged Ticks (Ixodes scapularis) from Northeast Pennsylvania.

Monitoring the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in wildlife is vital to public health. White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in the United States have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, and their interactions with blacklegged ticks (Ixodes scapularis) raise the question of whether or not these ticks also carry SARS-CoV-2. In this study, 449 blacklegged ticks from Northeast Pennsylvania were collected in the fall of 2022 and tested via RT-qPCR for the presence of SARS-CoV-2. Fourteen ticks were amplified with late quantification cycles (Cq) using primers from two nucleocapsid genes (N1 and N2) via TaqMan assays. Three of these samples were amplified on a SYBR green assay during secondary testing. However, melt curve and gel electrophoresis analysis verified negative results for these three samples. Genetic sequencing was performed on one of the three samples to look for potential cross-reactions causing the amplification observed. However, no significant match was found in the NCBI database. Although all 449 blacklegged ticks were negative for SARS-CoV-2, I. scapularis should continue to be tested for COVID-19. If blacklegged ticks test positive for COVID-19 in the future, research should focus on determining the stability of SARS-CoV-2 with the tick vector and the potential for transmission through tick bites.

Comparison of acarological risk metrics derived from active and passive surveillance and their concordance with tick-borne disease incidence.

Tick-borne diseases continue to threaten human health across the United States. Both active and passive tick surveillance can complement human case surveillance, providing spatio-temporal information on when and where humans are at risk for encounters with ticks and tick-borne pathogens. However, little work has been done to assess the concordance of the acarological risk metrics from each surveillance method. We used data on Ixodes scapularis and its associated human pathogens from Connecticut (2019-2021) collected through active collections (drag sampling) or passive submissions from the public to compare county estimates of tick and pathogen presence, infection prevalence, and tick abundance by life stage. Between the surveillance strategies, we found complete agreement in estimates of tick and pathogen presence, high concordance in infection prevalence estimates for Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, and Babesia microti, but no consistent relationships between actively and passively derived estimates of tick abundance or abundance of infected ticks by life stage. We also compared nymphal metrics (i.e., pathogen prevalence in nymphs, nymphal abundance, and abundance of infected nymphs) with reported incidence of Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, and babesiosis, but did not find any consistent relationships with any of these metrics. The small spatial and temporal scale for which we had consistently collected active and passive data limited our ability to find significant relationships. Findings are likely to differ if examined across a broader spatial or temporal coverage with greater variation in acarological and epidemiological outcomes. Our results indicate similar outcomes between some actively and passively derived tick surveillance metrics (tick and pathogen presence, pathogen prevalence), but comparisons were variable for abundance estimates.

Human-Biting Ixodes scapularis Submissions to a Crowd-Funded Tick Testing Program Correlate with the Incidence of Rare Tick-Borne Disease: A Seven-Year Retrospective Study of Anaplasmosis and Babesiosis in Massachusetts.

Tick-borne zoonoses pose a serious burden to global public health. To understand the distribution and determinants of these diseases, the many entangled environment-vector-host interactions which influence risk must be considered. Previous studies have evaluated how passive tick testing surveillance measures connect with the incidence of human Lyme disease. The present study sought to extend this to babesiosis and anaplasmosis, two rare tick-borne diseases. Human cases reported to the Massachusetts Department of Health and submissions to TickReport tick testing services between 2015 and 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. Moderate-to-strong town-level correlations using Spearman's Rho (ρ) were established between Ixodes scapularis submissions (total, infected, adult, and nymphal) and human disease. Aggregated ρ values ranged from 0.708 to 0.830 for anaplasmosis and 0.552 to 0.684 for babesiosis. Point observations maintained similar patterns but were slightly weaker, with mild year-to-year variation. The seasonality of tick submissions and demographics of bite victims also correlated well with reported disease. Future studies should assess how this information may best complement human disease reporting and entomological surveys as proxies for Lyme disease incidence in intervention studies, and how it may be used to better understand the dynamics of human-tick encounters.

Corrigendum: Evaluations of the disease surveillance centre network in Scotland: what parts has it reached?

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1099057.].

Enhanced passive surveillance for early detection of African and classical swine fevers.

African swine fever (ASF) and classical swine fever (CSF) are transboundary animal diseases (TADs) of pigs. Much effort and resources are regularly put into preventing these diseases' introduction in free areas. Passive surveillance activities bring the highest chances for the early detection of TAD incursions because they are routinely and widely conducted at farms, and because these activities focus on the time between introduction and when the first sample is sent for diagnostic testing. The authors proposed the implementation of an enhanced passive surveillance (EPS) protocol based on collecting data through participatory surveillance actions using an objective and adaptable scoring system to aid the early detection of ASF or CSF at the farm level. The protocol was applied in two commercial pig farms for ten weeks in the Dominican Republic, which is a CSF- and ASF-infected country. This study was a proof of concept, based on the EPS protocol to aid detection of substantial variations in the risk score triggering testing. One of the followed farms had score variation, which triggered testing of the animals, although the test results were negative. The study enables assessment of some of the weaknesses associated with passive surveillance and provides lessons applicable to the problem. Results demonstrate the potential for overcoming some issues preventing the broad application of EPS protocols and suggest that standardised approaches may contribute to the early detection of CSF and ASF introductions.

La peste porcine africaine (PPA) et la peste porcine classique (PPC) sont des maladies animales transfrontalières touchant les porcs. De nombreux efforts et ressources sont régulièrement alloués pour prévenir l'introduction de ces maladies dans des zones indemnes. Les activités de surveillance passive offrent les meilleures perspectives de détection précoce des incursions de maladies animales transfrontalières parce qu'elles sont menées de manière systématique et exhaustive dans les élevages, et parce qu'elles se concentrent sur la période entre l'introduction de la maladie et le moment où le premier échantillon est envoyé au laboratoire pour analyse. Les auteurs proposent la mise en oeuvre d'un protocole de surveillance passive renforcée fondé sur la collecte de données via des actions de surveillance participative utilisant un système de notation objectif et adaptable, en vue d'une détection précoce de la PPA et de la PPC dans les élevages. Ce protocole a été appliqué en République dominicaine, pays infecté par la PPA et la PPC, dans deux élevages porcins commerciaux pendant dix semaines. Cette étude était destinée à valider le principe de la méthode et se fondait sur le protocole de surveillance passive renforcée pour mieux détecter les variations substantielles de la note de risque qui conduisent à tester les animaux. L'un des élevages suivis a présenté une variation de cette note, ce qui a conduit à tester les animaux mais les tests se sont révélés négatifs. L'étude permet d'évaluer certaines des faiblesses associées à la surveillance passive et apporte des enseignements applicables à ce problème. Les résultats illustrent le potentiel de l'approche à surmonter certaines des problématiques empêchant l'application extensive des protocoles de surveillance passive renforcée. Ils suggèrent également que des approches normalisées pourraient contribuer à la détection précoce des cas d'introduction de la PPC et de la PPA.

La peste porcina africana (PPA) y la peste porcina clásica (PPC) son enfermedades animales transfronterizas que afectan al cerdo. Periódicamente se dedican grandes esfuerzos y cuantiosos recursos a evitar que estas enfermedades penetren en zonas que están exentas de ellas. Las actividades de vigilancia pasiva son las más eficaces para detectar con prontitud toda incursión de enfermedades animales transfronterizas, no solo por la regularidad y amplitud con que se llevan a cabo en las explotaciones, sino también porque inciden específicamente en el intervalo entre la penetración de una enfermedad y el momento en que se envía la primera muestra para que sea sometida a pruebas de diagnóstico. Los autores propusieron que se aplicara un protocolo de vigilancia pasiva reforzada que reposaba en la obtención de datos mediante actividades de vigilancia participativa, empleando para ello un sistema objetivo y adaptable de puntuación que ayudaba a detectar con prontitud la presencia en las explotaciones de PPA o PPC. Dicho protocolo fue aplicado a lo largo de diez semanas en dos explotaciones porcinas industriales de la República Dominicana, país en el que ambas infecciones están presentes. El estudio, que sirvió para poner a prueba la idea, pasaba por la aplicación del protocolo de vigilancia pasiva reforzada para ayudar a detectar variaciones sustanciales de la puntuación del nivel de riesgo que activa la realización de pruebas. En una de las explotaciones estudiadas se produjo una variación de la puntuación, cosa que activó la realización de pruebas en los animales, aunque estas arrojaron resultado negativo. El estudio aquí descrito permite evaluar algunos de los puntos débiles de la vigilancia pasiva y extraer enseñanzas aplicables al problema. Los resultados demuestran que es posible salvar algunas de las dificultades que impiden la aplicación generalizada de protocolos de vigilancia pasiva reforzada y dejan pensar que quizá el uso de planteamientos normalizados pueda ayudar a detectar con prontitud los casos de penetración de PPC o PPA.

Evaluations of the Disease Surveillance Centre network in Scotland: What parts has it reached?

Regular evaluation is a prerequisite for systems that provide surveillance of animal populations. Scotland's Rural College Veterinary Services' Disease Surveillance Centre (DSC) network plays an integral part in surveillance to detect new and re-emerging threats within animal populations, predominantly livestock. In response to surveillance reviews and proposed changes to the network, an initial evaluation of diagnostic submissions data in 2010 to mid-2012 established a baseline "footprint," while highlighting challenges with the data. In this recent evaluation for the period 2013­2018, we developed a new denominator using a combination of agricultural census and movement data, to identify relevant holdings more accurately. Iterative discussions between those processing submissions data and those involved in collection at source took place to understand the intricacies of the data, establish the most appropriate dataset, and develop the processes required to optimise the data extraction and cleansing. The subsequent descriptive analysis identifies the number of diagnostic submissions, the number of unique holdings making submissions to the network and shows that both the surrounding geographic region of, and maximum distance to the closest DSC vary greatly between centres. Analysis of those submissions classed as farm animal post-mortems also highlights the effect of distance to the closest DSC. Whether specific differences between the time periods are due to changes in the behavior of the submitting holdings or the data extraction and cleaning processes was difficult to disentangle. However, with the improved techniques producing better data to work with, a new baseline footprint for the network has been created. This provides information that can help policy makers and surveillance providers make decisions about service provision and evaluate the impact of future changes. Additionally, the outputs of these analyses can provide feedback to those employed in the service, providing evidence of what they are achieving and why changes to data collection processes and ways of working are being made. In a different setting, other data will be available and different challenges may arise. However, the fundamental principles highlighted in these evaluations and the solutions developed should be of interest to any surveillance providers generating similar diagnostic data.

Reactive Case Detection Strategy for Malaria Control and Elimination: A 12 Year Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis from 25 Malaria-Endemic Countries.

Reactive case detection (RACD) is the screening of household members and neighbors of index cases reported in passive surveillance. This strategy seeks asymptomatic infections and provides treatment to break transmission without testing or treating the entire population. This review discusses and highlights RACD as a recommended strategy for the detection and elimination of asymptomatic malaria as it pertains in different countries. Relevant studies published between January 2010 and September 2022 were identified mainly through PubMed and Google Scholar. Search terms included "malaria and reactive case detection", "contact tracing", "focal screening", "case investigation", "focal screen and treat". MedCalc Software was used for data analysis, and the findings from the pooled studies were analyzed using a fixed-effect model. Summary outcomes were then presented using forest plots and tables. Fifty-four (54) studies were systematically reviewed. Of these studies, 7 met the eligibility criteria based on risk of malaria infection in individuals living with an index case < 5 years old, 13 met the eligibility criteria based on risk of malaria infection in an index case household member compared with a neighbor of an index case, and 29 met the eligibility criteria based on risk of malaria infection in individuals living with index cases, and were included in the meta-analysis. Individuals living in index case households with an average risk of 2.576 (2.540-2.612) were more at risk of malaria infection and showed pooled results of high variation heterogeneity chi-square = 235.600, (p < 0.0001) I2 = 98.88 [97.87-99.89]. The pooled results showed that neighbors of index cases were 0.352 [0.301-0.412] times more likely to have a malaria infection relative to index case household members, and this result was statistically significant (p < 0.001). The identification and treatment of infectious reservoirs is critical to successful malaria elimination. Evidence to support the clustering of infections in neighborhoods, which necessitates the inclusion of neighboring households as part of the RACD strategy, was presented in this review.

Joint application of active and passive surveillance of occupational injuries: Based on UK HSE data / 环境与职业医学

Background The United Kingdom (UK) adopts active surveillance and passive surveillance to jointly collect occupational injury data, and builds a relatively complete occupational injury surveillance system, which can provide reference for the construction of China's occupational injury surveillance system. Objective To compare the results of active surveillance and passive surveillance of occupational injuries in the UK, and to explore the joint application value of active and passive surveillance methods in the field of occupational injury prevention and control. Methods The non-fatal occupational injury active surveillance data from Labor Force Survey were used to calculate indicators such as number of reported cases, reporting rate, lost workdays per year, lost workdays per capita, and average lost workdays per case. The fatal passive surveillance data reported by the employers were used to calculate number of reported deaths, reported mortality, and other indicators. Join-point regression was used to estimate the reported trends of fatal and non-fatal occupational injuries from 2004 to 2020, and the annual percentage change (APC) and average annual percentage change (AAPC) were calculated. Results The active surveillance data showed that from 2004 to 2020, the number of reported cases of absenteeism ≥0 d due to occupational injury decreased from 89.7 (95%CI: 85.2, 94.2) per ten thousand to 44.1 (95%CI: 39.1, 49.2) per ten thousand, and the reporting rate of occupational injury decreased from 32100/100000 (95%CI: 3050/100000, 3370/100000) to 1410/100000 (95%CI: 1250/100000, 1570/100000), showing a linear downward trend (both APC and AAPC were −3.88%, P<0.05); the average lost workdays per case in 2019 was 9.1 (95%CI: 6.8, 11.5) d. The passive surveillance data showed that from 2004 to 2020, the number of reported deaths due to occupational injury decreased from 223 to 142, and the reporting rate of occupational injury decreased from 0.78/100000 to 0.44/100000, showing a linear downward trend (both APC and AAPC were −4.59%, P<0.05). Conclusion The reporting rates of fatal and non-fatal occupational injuries in the UK are showing a linear downward trend. The active surveillance method based on Labor Force Survey provides more surveillance indicators for non-fatal occupational injuries, and the passive surveillance method based on employer report has more advantages in assessment of fatal occupational injuries. Jointly applying the two surveillance modalities and the combination of trend analysis indicators, such as AAPC, provide a more comprehensive picture of the epidemiological characteristics of occupational injuries.

Antimicrobial susceptibilities of Neisseria gonorrhoeae in Canada, 2021.

Background: In Canada, gonorrhea is the second most prevalent bacterial sexually transmitted infection. The Gonococcal Antimicrobial Surveillance Programme (GASP - Canada), a passive surveillance system monitoring antimicrobial resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae in Canada since 1985, is the source for this summary of demographics, antimicrobial resistance and N. gonorrhoeae multi-antigen sequence typing (NG-MAST) of gonococcal isolates collected in Canada in 2021. Methods: Provincial and territorial public health laboratories submitted N. gonorrhoeae cultures and data to the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg as part of the surveillance system. The antimicrobial resistance and molecular type of each isolate received were determined. Results: In total, 3,439 N. gonorrhoeae cultures were received from laboratories across Canada in 2021, a 9.9% increase since 2020 (n=3,130). Decreased susceptibility to cefixime increased significantly (p<0.001) in 2021 (1.5%) compared to 2017 (0.6%). No significant change in decreased susceptibility to ceftriaxone was detected between 2017 and 2021 (0.6%) (p>0.001); however, one ceftriaxone-resistant isolate was identified. Azithromycin resistance decreased significantly (p<0.001) in 2021 (7.6%) compared to 2017 (11.7%); however, there was a significant increase (p<0.001) in the proportion of cultures with an azithromycin minimum inhibitory concentration of at least 1 mg/L (2017=22.2% to 2021=28.1%). In 2021, NG-MAST-19875 (15.3%) was the most prevalent sequence type in Canada; 20.3% of isolates with this sequence type were resistant to azithromycin. Conclusion: The spread of antimicrobial-resistant gonorrhea is a significant public health concern. The continued regional and national surveillance of antimicrobial resistance in N. gonorrhoeae is essential in ensuring effective treatment therapies are recommended.

Enhancing passive surveillance for African swine fever detection on U.S. swine farms.

As the threat of African swine fever (ASF) introduction into new areas continues, animal health officials and epidemiologists need novel tools for early detection and surveillance. Passive surveillance from swine producers and veterinarians is critical to identify cases, especially the first introduction. Enhanced passive surveillance (EPS) protocols are needed that maximize temporal sensitivity for early ASF detection yet are easily implemented. Regularly collected production and disease data on swine farms may pose an opportunity for developing EPS protocols. To better understand the types of data regularly collected on swine farms and on-farm disease surveillance, a questionnaire was distributed in summer 2022 across multiple channels to MN swine producers. Thirty responses were received that indicated the majority of farms collect various types of disease information and conduct routine diagnostic testing for endemic swine diseases. Following this, a focus group discussion was held at the 2022 Leman Swine Conference where private and public stakeholders discussed the potential value of EPS, opportunities for collaboration, and challenges. The reported value of EPS varied by stakeholder group, but generally participants felt that for swine producers and packers, EPS would help identify abnormal disease occurrences. Many opportunities were identified for collaboration with ongoing industry initiatives and swine management software. Challenges included maintaining motivation for participation in ASF-free areas, labor, data sharing issues, and the cost of diagnostic testing. These highlight important issues to address, and future collaborations can help in the development of practical, fit-for-purpose, and valuable EPS protocols for ASF detection in the swine industry.

Community efforts to monitor and manage Aedes mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) with ovitraps and litter reduction in east Tennessee.

BACKGROUND: East Tennessee (USA) is burdened by mosquito-borne La Crosse virus disease, but minimal resources for mosquito surveillance, management, or related community education exist in the region. To address these needs, we developed a program to train middle and high school educators in basic medical entomology. The educators then used their skills in the classroom to teach students about La Crosse virus disease and conduct mosquito collection experiments. As a case study of a potential application of classroom-collected data, we also partnered with a local non-profit organization to assess the potential for a volunteer litter cleanup to reduce mosquito populations in a Tennessee neighborhood. METHODS: Our first objective was to investigate the ability for educators and their students (schools) to collect high-quality mosquito surveillance data. In 2019 and 2020, we collected Aedes (Diptera: Culicidae) eggs during the same study period as schools and assessed whether data collected by schools reflected the same findings as our own data. Our second objective was to investigate the impact of a volunteer litter cleanup event on Aedes mosquito abundance. In 2021, we collected Aedes eggs before and after a neighborhood trash cleanup while schools conducted their own mosquito egg collections. Using the school collections as non-treatment sites, we used a Before-After-Control-Impact analysis to determine if there was a significant decline in egg abundance after the cleanup. RESULTS: In 2019, mosquito abundance trends were similar between our data and school data but differed significantly during some weeks. After refining our protocols in 2020, school data was highly similar to our data, indicating that schools consistently collected high-quality surveillance data in the program's second year. In 2021, we found a significant decline in Aedes egg abundance after the litter cleanup event in comparison to the schools, but the number of adults reared from those eggs did not differ between sites after the cleanup. CONCLUSION: The results of our work demonstrate the potential for community-driven programs to monitor mosquito abundance trends and for volunteer-based cleanup events to reduce the burden of Aedes mosquitoes. In the absence of infrastructure and resources, academic-community partnerships like the ones evaluated here, provide opportunities to help resource limited areas.

Drivers of Spatial Expansions of Vampire Bat Rabies in Colombia.

Spatial expansions of vampire bat-transmitted rabies (VBR) are increasing the risk of lethal infections in livestock and humans in Latin America. Identifying the drivers of these expansions could improve current approaches to surveillance and prevention. We aimed to identify if VBR spatial expansions are occurring in Colombia and test factors associated with these expansions. We analyzed 2336 VBR outbreaks in livestock reported to the National Animal Health Agency (Instituto Colombiano Agropecuario-ICA) affecting 297 municipalities from 2000-2019. The area affected by VBR changed through time and was correlated to the reported number of outbreaks each year. Consistent with spatial expansions, some municipalities reported VBR outbreaks for the first time each year and nearly half of the estimated infected area in 2010-2019 did not report outbreaks in the previous decade. However, the number of newly infected municipalities decreased between 2000-2019, suggesting decelerating spatial expansions. Municipalities infected later had lower cattle populations and were located further from the local reporting offices of the ICA. Reducing the VBR burden in Colombia requires improving vaccination coverage in both endemic and newly infected areas while improving surveillance capacity in increasingly remote areas with lower cattle populations where rabies is emerging.

Characterizing the spatial distribution of multiple malaria diagnostic endpoints in a low-transmission setting in Lao PDR.

The epidemiology of malaria changes as prevalence falls in low-transmission settings, with remaining infections becoming more difficult to detect and diagnose. At this stage active surveillance is critical to detect residual hotspots of transmission. However, diagnostic tools used in active surveillance generally only detect concurrent infections, and surveys may benefit from sensitive tools such as serological assays. Serology can be used to interrogate and characterize individuals' previous exposure to malaria over longer durations, providing information essential to the detection of remaining foci of infection. We ran blood samples collected from a 2016 population-based survey in the low-transmission setting of northern Lao PDR on a multiplexed bead assay to characterize historic and recent exposures to Plasmodium falciparum and vivax. Using geostatistical methods and remote-sensing data we assessed the environmental and spatial associations with exposure, and created predictive maps of exposure within the study sites. We additionally linked the active surveillance PCR and serology data with passively collected surveillance data from health facility records. We aimed to highlight the added information which can be gained from serology as a tool in active surveillance surveys in low-transmission settings, and to identify priority areas for national surveillance programmes where malaria risk is higher. We also discuss the issues faced when linking malaria data from multiple sources using multiple diagnostic endpoints.