Canadian Collaboration to Identify a Minimum Dataset for Antimicrobial Use Surveillance for Policy and Intervention Development across Food Animal Sectors.

Surveillance of antimicrobial use (AMU) and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a core component of the 2017 Pan-Canadian Framework for Action. There are existing AMU and AMR surveillance systems in Canada, but some stakeholders are interested in developing their own AMU monitoring/surveillance systems. It was recognized that the establishment of core (minimum) AMU data elements, as is necessary for policy or intervention development, would inform the development of practical and sustainable AMU surveillance capacity across food animal sectors in Canada. The Canadian Animal Health Surveillance System (CAHSS) AMU Network was established as a multisectoral working group to explore the possibility of harmonizing data inputs and outputs. There was a consensus that a minimum AMU dataset for AMU surveillance (MDS-AMU-surv) should be developed to guide interested parties in initiating AMU data collection. This multisectoral collaboration is an example of how consultative consensus building across relevant sectors can contribute to the development of harmonized approaches to AMU data collection and reporting and ultimately improve AMU stewardship. The MDS-AMU-surv could be used as a starting point for the progressive development or strengthening of AMU surveillance programs, and the collaborative work could serve as a model for addressing AMR and other shared threats at the human-animal-environment interface.

Developing an evidence-based approach for antimicrobial resistance reporting for British Columbia diagnostic animal health laboratory data.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) data generated by diagnostic animal health laboratories are underutilized for AMR reporting in Canada. Data assessment, review of practices in other jurisdictions, and expert interviews were used to develop an evidence-guided plan to generate AMR reports from British Columbia Animal Health Centre (AHC) data that would provide transparent, timely, and useful information to public health practitioners, the food animal sector, and the general public. Using the Canadian Animal Health Surveillance Network (CAHSN) platform was the most efficient method of data retrieval. Project outputs included 2 publicly available reports. The public health report included AMR information for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella. The animal health report included AMR information for Aeromonas salmonicida and Yersinia ruckeri from Atlantic salmon, bacteria from bovine milk samples, and staphylococci from broiler chickens. A preliminary comparison was conducted between selected AHC data and publicly available Canadian Integrated Program for Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance (CIPARS) reports.

Développement d'une approche factuelle pour la déclaration de la résistance aux antimicrobiens pour les données des laboratoires diagnostiques de santé animale en Colombie-Britannique. Les données sur la résistance aux antimicrobiens produites par les laboratoires diagnostiques de santé animale sont sous-utilisées pour la déclaration de la résistance aux antimicrobiens au Canada. L'évaluation des données, l'examen des pratiques dans les autres territoires et des entrevues avec des experts ont été utilisés afin de développer un plan fondé sur des données probantes pour produire des rapports sur la résistance aux antimicrobiens à partir des données du British Columbia Animal Health Centre (AHC) qui fourniraient des renseignements transparents, opportuns et utiles aux praticiens de la santé publique, au secteur des animaux destinés à l'alimentation et au grand public. L'utilisation de la plate-forme du Système canadien de surveillance de la santé animale (SCSSA) était la méthode d'extraction des données la plus efficace. Les résultats du projet incluaient deux rapports rendus publics. Le rapport sur la santé publique incluait les renseignements sur la résistance aux antimicrobiens pour Staphylococcus aureus résistant à la méthicilline, Escherichia coli et Salmonella. Le rapport sur la santé animale comprenait des renseignements sur la résistance aux antimicrobiens pour Aeromonas salmonicida et Yersinia ruckeri du saumon atlantique, les bactéries provenant d'échantillons de lait bovin et les staphylocoques des poulets à griller. Une comparaison préliminaire a été réalisée entre les données de l'AHC et les rapports publics du Programme intégré canadien de surveillance de la résistance aux antimicrobiens (PICRA).(Traduit par Isabelle Vallières).

Finding a Place for Systems-Based, Collaborative Research in Emerging Disease Research in Asia.

The need to adequately predict, prevent and respond to infectious diseases emerging unexpectedly from human-animal-environmental systems has driven interest in multisectoral, socio-economic, systems-based, collaborative (MSC) research approaches such as EcoHealth and One Health. Our goals were to document how MSC research has been used to address EIDs in Asia, and to explore how MSC approaches align with current priorities for EID research in Asia. We gathered priorities for EID research from the peer-reviewed and grey literature, documented organizational descriptions of MCS research approaches, and analysed a series of EID MSC projects. We found that priority areas for EID research in Asia included (1) understanding host-pathogen-environment interactions; (2) improving tools and technologies; (3) changing people's behaviour; and (4) evaluating the effectiveness of interventions. We found that the unifying characteristics of MSC research were that it was action-oriented and sought to inspire change under real-world conditions at the complex interface of human and natural systems. We suggest that MSC research can be considered a type of 'pragmatic research' and might be most useful in describing change in complex human-animal-environmental systems, accelerating research-to-action, and evaluating effectiveness of interventions in 'real world' settings.

A scoping analysis of peer-reviewed literature about linkages between aquaculture and determinants of human health.

For many of the world's poor, aquatic products are critical for food security and health. Because the global population is increasing as wild aquatic stocks are declining, aquaculture is an increasingly important source of aquatic products. We undertook a scoping review of the English-language peer-reviewed literature to evaluate how the research community has examined the impacts of aquaculture on four key determinants of human health: poverty, food security, food production sustainability, and gender equality. The review returned 156 primary research articles. Most research (75%) was focused in Asia, with limited research from Africa (10%) and South America (2%). Most research (80%) focused on freshwater finfish and shrimp production. We used qualitative content analysis of records which revealed 11 themes: famer income; the common environment; shared resources; integrated farming/ polyculture; employment; extensive vs. intensive production; local vs. distant ownership; food security; income equity; gender equality; and input costs. We used quantitative content analysis of records and full-text publications about freshwater finfish and shrimp aquaculture to record the frequency with which themes were represented and the positive or negative impacts of aquaculture associated with each theme. Scatter plots showed that no theme was identified in more than half of all articles and publications for both production types. Farmer income was a theme that was identified commonly and was positively impacted by both shrimp and fresh water finfish aquaculture. Polyculture, employment, and local ownership were identified less often as themes, but were also associated with positive impacts. The common environment and shared resources were more common themes in shrimp aquaculture than freshwater finfish aquaculture research, while polyculture and local ownership were more common themes in freshwater finfish aquaculture than shrimp aquaculture. Gender equality, employment, and food security were themes found in a lower percentage of records than full-text publications for both production types.

Use of observed wild bird activity on poultry farms and a literature review to target species as high priority for avian influenza testing in 2 regions of Canada.

The risk of avian influenza outbreaks in poultry is partially dependent on the probability of contact between domestic poultry and wild birds shedding avian influenza (AI) virus. The major objective of this study was to document wild bird activity on poultry farms to determine which wild bird species should be targeted for AI surveillance in Canada. We collected data in 2 major poultry producing regions of Canada, southwestern Ontario and the Fraser Valley of British Columbia, on the relative abundance of various wild bird species found on poultry farms and on how these species utilized habitat around poultry farms. We reviewed the published literature to determine what was known about AI pathobiology in the species we observed. From these results we created a list of 10 wild bird species that are a priority for further study. These species are the European starling, barn swallow, rock dove, American crow, northwestern crow, American robin, dark-eyed junco, song sparrow, horned lark, and common grackle. Abundance of these and other species varied between provinces and seasons.

Preliminary investigation of bird and human movements and disease-management practices in noncommercial poultry flocks in southwestern British Columbia.

Understanding normal movement patterns and husbandry practices of poultry production systems is important for understanding the dynamics of disease spread, and for controlling outbreaks of highly infectious diseases, such as highly pathogenic avian influenza. To learn about these patterns in the noncommercial or "backyard" poultry-keeping sector, an open-ended questionnaire was administered to 18 backyard-flock owners in British Columbia, Canada, and responses were analyzed descriptively. Six participants reported that they visited premises that were part of the commercial poultry system in the last year; however, bird movements between commercial and noncommercial farms were always unidirectional, from commercial to backyard. Bird movements into and out of participants' flocks occurred multiple times per month (two flocks), three times per year (five flocks), once or twice a year (nine flocks) and every 3-5 yr (two flocks). Visitors had direct contact with three participants' flocks multiple times per week; for other flocks, visitors had direct contact three times or less per year. Fourteen participants rarely had direct contact with other backyard flocks, three had contact more than once per week, and one had contact every 3 mo. Participants stated that the health of their birds was excellent (7), very good (3), good (6), O.K. (1), and all right (1), and used a median of two biosecurity practices to maintain health in their flock. Our findings suggest that bird movements are not likely to transmit disease from backyard to commercial flocks; however, human movements between backyard and commercial premises could transmit diseases. Within the backyard-flock sector, the majority of small flocks appear to pose little risk of disease transmission because they are maintained in semi-isolation from other flocks; however, a minority of flocks has high contact levels with other flocks and could be important in disease spread.

Training family caregivers of patients with dementia. A structured workshop approach.

The Minnesota Family Workshop consisted of seven weekly 2-hour sessions that provided education, family support, and skills training to primary family caregivers of patients with dementia, and other accompanying family members. The interdisciplinary faculty used a general stress and coping model to design the caregiver education program. To increase family involvement, the Minnesota Family Workshop required at least one other family member accompany the primary caregiver to the sessions. In addition, a concurrent adapted activity group was offered for the patients with dementia. This 14-hour curriculum with specific weekly objectives and activities detailed in this article was successful in reducing burden among caregivers of patients with dementia.