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Ascophyllum nodosum (Tasco-14) decreased the prevalence of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157:H7 in animals fed prior to harvest. Tasco-14 was supplemented on a 2% dry matter basis 14 days prior to harvest to determine its effects on EHEC and Salmonella spp. prevalence. Two hundred mixed crossbred steers and heifers (Bos indicus × Bos taurus), in a large commercial finishing facility, served as experimental units. Treatment (TRT, n = 100) animals received a steamrolled corn-based diet containing 2% Tasco-14 on a dry matter basis, and control (CON, n = 100) animals received only the steam-rolled corn-based diet. Hide swabs and fecal samples were obtained for EHEC and Salmonella spp. evaluations. Animals were sampled 1 day prior to (d - 1) the feeding of Tasco-14 and immediately following exsanguinations. The prevalence of EHEC O157 on hide swabs and in fecal samples (P = 0.0001 and P < 0.0001, respectively) and the prevalence of EHEC O157:H7 on hide swabs and in fecal samples (P < 0.0001 and P < 0.0001, respectively) was reduced by 33 and 36% from d - 1 levels on TRT hide swabs and by 9 and 11% in TRT fecal samples. The prevalence of EHEC O157 and EHEC O157: H7 was reduced by 33 and 36% from d - 1 levels on TRT hide swabs and by 9 and 11% in TRT fecal samples. The prevalence of Salmonella spp. on hide swabs did not change for TRT animals (P = 0.64). CON animals showed an increase in Salmonella spp. prevalence (P < 0.0001) from d - 1 feeding levels on hide swabs. The prevalence of Salmonella spp. increased in both TRT and CON fecal samples when compared to d - 1 levels (P = 0.002). However, TRT samples exhibited a lower (P < 0.05) postfeeding prevalence of Salmonella spp. in fecal samples than did CON samples. Results from this study indicate that 2% Tasco-14 supplementation in feedlot cattle diets reduces EHEC O157 and EHEC O157:H7 prevalence on hide swabs and in fecal samples and may suppress increases in Salmonella spp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary objective of this study was to assess the use of an animal-in-motion-optical-sensor (AIMOS) system allowing for rapid, real-time assessment of variable biomechanical patterns in live cattle. Biomechanical patterns were categorized into groups of gait type and any variations (jump, trot, walk, slip, kick, and run). Biomechanical patterns were measured (0 to 5 V) using a commercial, standard platform containing 1 AIMOS system. Fifty crossbred and purebred (n = 20 Angus, n = 10 Hereford, and n = 10 Angus × Hereford) steers and heifers (n = 50; 292.5 kg average BW) were used in completely randomized design. Over a 2-d period, objective kinetics and subjective kinematics were collected and analyzed. Cattle were run multiple times per test day for a total of 6 runs. Individual cattle exited through a hydraulic chute from which they were guided down a walkway over the AIMOS platform. A signal base unit and computer were placed by the chute to collect near real-time data through integrated fiber optic cabling. Kinetic analog measurements (ratio and amplitude of hoof impacts and ground reaction forces [GRF]) and kinematics (estimated speed and stride length) were recorded from each steer and heifer. Selection variables based on steer and heifer physiological characterizations (breed, sex, and age) were used in linear mixed regression of repeated runs. Visual observations and video analysis were used for categorizing and classifying variable gait patterns after the 2-d period. Temperament traits (excitable, calm, and hesitant) were visually evaluated. Temperature was recorded for each test day (minimum -6°C and maximum 4°C). Individual cattle AIMOS measurements were analyzed for each run, compared with video data, and categorized into pattern groups. The AIMOS system demonstrated differences between and within cattle total vertical GRF (P < 0.05) for variable gait types. No differences were noted for temperature effect. Overall, data suggest the AIMOS system could assess variable gait measurements in a repeated study for detecting cattle biomechanical patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To investigate the anticoagulation practice in patients presenting with new-onset atrial fibrillation (NOAF) during sepsis and septic shock with one-year follow-up since discharge and to evaluate factors associated with the development of NOAF. Methods A retrospective observational cohort study was conducted using chart review in patients diagnosed with sepsis and septic shock.  Results There was a total of 1132 patients diagnosed with sepsis and septic shock over a one-year period. Thirty-two patients were found to have NOAF in the setting of sepsis. Of this, eight (25%) patients were anticoagulated with warfarin and 14 (44%) patients were not anticoagulated during discharge. At one-year follow-up post-discharge, nine (29%) patients continued on warfarin and 16 (52%) patients remained not anticoagulated. Conclusion We found that the majority of patients who developed NOAF did not get anticoagulated at the time of discharge. A similar trend followed after one year of follow-up. Since proper treatment guidelines are not in place, these patients are at high risk for recurrent atrial fibrillation, stroke, transient ischemic attack, and death., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2020, Arunachalam et al.)

Objective: To assess, within communities experiencing Ebola virus outbreaks, the risks associated with the disposal of human waste and to generate recommendations for mitigating such risks., Methods: A team with expertise in the Hazard Analysis of Critical Control Points framework identified waste products from the care of individuals with Ebola virus disease and constructed, tested and confirmed flow diagrams showing the creation of such products. After listing potential hazards associated with each step in each flow diagram, the team conducted a hazard analysis, determined critical control points and made recommendations to mitigate the transmission risks at each control point., Findings: The collection, transportation, cleaning and shared use of blood-soiled fomites and the shared use of latrines contaminated with blood or bloodied faeces appeared to be associated with particularly high levels of risk of Ebola virus transmission. More moderate levels of risk were associated with the collection and transportation of material contaminated with bodily fluids other than blood, shared use of latrines soiled with such fluids, the cleaning and shared use of fomites soiled with such fluids, and the contamination of the environment during the collection and transportation of blood-contaminated waste., Conclusion: The risk of the waste-related transmission of Ebola virus could be reduced by the use of full personal protective equipment, appropriate hand hygiene and an appropriate disinfectant after careful cleaning. Use of the Hazard Analysis of Critical Control Points framework could facilitate rapid responses to outbreaks of emerging infectious disease.

Background: The 2013-15 Ebola outbreak was unprecedented due to sustained transmission within urban environments and thousands of survivors. In 2014 the World Health Organization stated that there was insufficient evidence to give definitive guidance about which body fluids are infectious and when they pose a risk to humans. We report a rapid systematic review of published evidence on the presence of filoviruses in body fluids of infected people and survivors., Methods: Scientific articles were screened for information about filovirus in human body fluids. The aim was to find primary data that suggested high likelihood of actively infectious filovirus in human body fluids (viral RNA). Eligible infections were from Marburg virus (MARV or RAVV) and Zaire, Sudan, Taï Forest and Bundibugyo species of Ebola. Cause of infection had to be laboratory confirmed (in practice either tissue culture or RT-PCR tests), or evidenced by compatible clinical history with subsequent positivity for filovirus antibodies or inflammatory factors. Data were extracted and summarized narratively., Results: 6831 unique articles were found, and after screening, 33 studies were eligible. For most body fluid types there were insufficient patients to draw strong conclusions, and prevalence of positivity was highly variable. Body fluids taken >16 days after onset were usually negative. In the six studies that used both assay methods RT-PCR tests for filovirus RNA gave positive results about 4 times more often than tissue culture., Conclusions: Filovirus was reported in most types of body fluid, but not in every sample from every otherwise confirmed patient. Apart from semen, most non-blood, RT-PCR positive samples are likely to be culture negative and so possibly of low infectious risk. Nevertheless, it is not apparent how relatively infectious many body fluids are during or after illness, even when culture-positive, not least because most test results come from more severe cases. Contact with blood and blood-stained body fluids remains the major risk for disease transmission because of the known high viral loads in blood.

Background: The Ebola virus disease outbreak that started in Western Africa in 2013 was unprecedented because it spread within densely populated urban environments and affected many thousands of people. As a result, previous advice and guidelines need to be critically reviewed, especially with regard to transmission risks in different contexts., Methods: Scientific and grey literature were searched for articles about any African filovirus. Articles were screened for information about transmission (prevalence or odds ratios especially). Data were extracted from eligible articles and summarized narratively with partial meta-analysis. Study quality was also evaluated., Results: A total of 31 reports were selected from 6552 found in the initial search. Eight papers gave numerical odds for contracting filovirus illness; 23 further articles provided supporting anecdotal observations about how transmission probably occurred for individuals. Many forms of contact (conversation, sharing a meal, sharing a bed, direct or indirect touching) were unlikely to result in disease transmission during incubation or early illness. Among household contacts who reported directly touching a case, the attack rate was 32% [95% confidence interval (CI) 26-38%]. Risk of disease transmission between household members without direct contact was low (1%; 95% CI 0-5%). Caring for a case in the community, especially until death, and participation in traditional funeral rites were strongly associated with acquiring disease, probably due to a high degree of direct physical contact with case or cadaver., Conclusions: Transmission of filovirus is unlikely except through close contact, especially during the most severe stages of acute illness. More data are needed about the context, intimacy and timing of contact required to raise the odds of disease transmission. Risk factors specific to urban settings may need to be determined., (© The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the International Epidemiological Association.)

Water, sanitation and hygiene are all key aspects to a healthy environment but often they suffer from a lack of coherence within the sector itself and also a lack of synergy with the health sector. This is not acceptable given one quarter of all child deaths are directly attributable to water-borne disease. This lack of synergy is evident at many different layers including planning, resource allocation and donor commitment. Developing countries must, in consultation with their communities, examine their biggest health risks and allocate resources accordingly. Sustained dialogue and increased in-depth analysis are needed to find consensus and an improved synergy across these vital sectors.

A working group coordinated by the World Health Organization developed a set of indicators to protect children's health from environmental risks and to support current and future European policy needs. On the basis of identified policy needs, the group developed a core set of 29 indicators for implementation plus an extended set of eight additional indicators for future development, focusing on exposure, health effects, and action. As far as possible, the indicators were designed to use existing information and are flexible enough to be developed further to meet the needs of policy makers and changing health priorities. These indicators cover most of the priority topic areas specified in the Children's Environment and Health Action Plan for Europe (CEHAPE) as adopted in the Fourth Ministerial Conference on Health and Environment in 2004, and will be used to monitor the implementation of CEHAPE. This effort can be viewed as an integral part of the Global Initiative on Children's Environmental Health Indicators, launched at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002.

Ascophyllum nodosum (Tasco-14) decreased the prevalence of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157:H7 in animals fed prior to harvest. Tasco-14 was supplemented on a 2% dry matter basis 14 days prior to harvest to determine its effects on EHEC and Salmonella spp. prevalence. Two hundred mixed crossbred steers and heifers (Bos indicus x Bos taurus), in a large commercial finishing facility, served as experimental units. Treatment (TRT, n = 100) animals received a steam-rolled corn-based diet containing 2% Tasco-14 on a dry matter basis, and control (CON, n = 100) animals received only the steam-rolled corn-based diet. Hide swabs and fecal samples were obtained for EHEC and Salmonella spp. evaluations. Animals were sampled 1 day prior to (d - 1) the feeding of Tasco-14 and immediately following exsanguinations. The prevalence of EHEC O157 on hide swabs and in fecal samples (P = 0.0001 and P < 0.0001, respectively) and the prevalence of EHEC O157:H7 on hide swabs and in fecal samples (P < 0.0001 and P < 0.0001, respectively) was reduced by 33 and 36% from d - 1 levels on TRT hide swabs and by 9 and 11% in TRT fecal samples. The prevalence of EHEC O157 and EHEC O157:H7 was reduced by 33 and 36% from d - 1 levels on TRT hide swabs and by 9 and 11% in TRT fecal samples. The prevalence of Salmonella spp. on hide swabs did not change for TRT animals (P = 0.64). CON animals showed an increase in Salmonella spp. prevalence (P < 0.0001) from d - 1 feeding levels on hide swabs. The prevalence of Salmonella spp. increased in both TRT and CON fecal samples when compared to d - 1 levels (P = 0.002). However, TRT samples exhibited a lower (P < 0.05) postfeeding prevalence of Salmonella spp. in fecal samples than did CON samples. Results from this study indicate that 2% Tasco-14 supplementation in feedlot cattle diets reduces EHEC O157 and EHEC O157:H7 prevalence on hide swabs and in fecal samples and may suppress increases in Salmonella spp.

An alternative exponential equation with a parameter as an exponent was compared to a recently published exponential procedure for estimating mean and median particle size. Both equations were fit to literature values for particle size distributions of esophageal extrusa, rumen digesta, and feces. In addition, 112 observations of particle-size distributions of esophageal extrusa were fit to both equations for comparison. Both equations gave adequate fits of rumen digesta and feces, but the earlier model was biased by regular deviations from observed data for esophageal extrusa. Use of the previously published model overestimated mean particle size in esophageal extrusa from 4.5 to 10.3%. Median particle size was underestimated from 4.9 to 5.6%. Analytic solutions exist for mean and median particle sizes for the earlier model, but it is necessary to estimate numerically the mean and median particle sizes when using the proposed equation. Even though the solution for the proposed equation must be determined numerically, it will prevent bias between experimental treatments, give more accurate estimates of mean and median particle size, and result in a lower residual sums of squares. In addition, a single equation can be used to model particle size reduction throughout the digestive tract.

A simple and low cost electronic switching device interfaced to a microcomputer was developed and utilized to monitor the chewing behavior of stall-fed cattle. The system transforms jaw movements directly into binary notation. The device is attached to a halter and consists of two contact points inserted into a piece of rubber tubing. Elongation of the rubber tubing by the movements of the lower jaw breaks the electrical circuit between the contact points. Every break in the circuit is recorded as a chew by the time-clock-equipped microcomputer, which records animal and time of each chew (nearest second). Data are stored automatically at the end of every hour and later transferred to diskettes for permanent storage and future processing. Use of an interface card allows simultaneous monitoring of up to eight animals. A program was written to separate chewing during eating from chewing during rumination. The system has been used successfully for approximately 2500 steer-h and could be easily adapted to most species of ruminants.