Bayer (Australia)

OBJECTIVE: To determine which variables best predict prognosis--time to nursing home admission (NHA) and death--in patients with dementia. DESIGN: Survival analysis employing the Cox proportional hazards model with the use of risk variables pertaining to dementia severity and its rate of progression and caregiver functioning. SETTING: Patients and their caregivers participating in a controlled intervention study of training for caregivers in home management of dementia. PARTICIPANTS: Patients with mild Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Third Edition--defined dementia (N = 91; 68 patients with Alzheimer-type dementia, 20 with vascular dementia, and three with other types) and their caregivers. FOLLOW-UP: All subjects had repeated assessments in the first year to determine rates of change and thereafter annually to determine the date of NHA and/or death. RISK VARIABLES: (1) Caregiver training; (2) dementia severity at index assessment; (3) caregiver stress, neuroticism, and socialization; (4) changes in patients and caregivers during the first 12 months; and (5) patient characteristics. RESULTS: By 5 years' follow-up, 76% of patients had entered a nursing home and 42% had died. Dementia severity and rate of deterioration ("how far" and "how fast") and caregiver psychological morbidity significantly influenced rates of NHA and death. Training of caregivers was significantly associated with delayed NHA and reduced mortality. Greater patient age, non-Alzheimer's dementia, and, unexpectedly, greater caregiver psychological morbidity were associated with shorter survival to death. CONCLUSIONS: Both severity ("how far") and rate of deterioration ("how fast") influence time to NHA and death. Caregiver training may have important ameliorating effects on the prognosis of dementia.

The prognosis of depression in the elderly was investigated in a mixed-age sample of 242 consecutive referrals, with DSM-III defined unipolar major depressive episode, to a specialist unit for mood disorders. Subjects were followed up at about 1 and 3.8 years. There was no significant difference in outcome between younger (under 40 years), middle aged (40-59 years) and older (60 years or more) depressed patients. For the 61 elderly subjects with depression, prognosis improved with time, with 25% having a lasting recovery at the first and 41% at the second follow-up. Early onset, recurrence, and poor premorbid personality were associated with a worse prognosis. Three (5%) elderly depressives had committed suicide and seven (11%) had died from natural causes by the second follow-up. Despite some methodological limitations, our findings suggest a more optimistic outlook and the need for longer, more assertive treatment for elderly, depressed patients.

The human-animal bond has been a fundamental feature of mankind's history for millennia. The first, and strongest of these, man's relationship with the dog, is believed to pre-date even agriculture, going back as far as 30,000 years. It remains at least as powerful today. Fed by the changing nature of the interactions between people and their dogs worldwide and the increasing tendency towards close domesticity, the health of dogs has never played a more important role in family life. Thanks to developments in scientific understanding and diagnostic techniques, as well as changing priorities of pet owners, veterinarians are now able, and indeed expected, to play a fundamental role in the prevention and treatment of canine disease, including canine vector-borne diseases (CVBDs).The CVBDs represent a varied and complex group of diseases, including anaplasmosis, babesiosis, bartonellosis, borreliosis, dirofilariosis, ehrlichiosis, leishmaniosis, rickettsiosis and thelaziosis, with new syndromes being uncovered every year. Many of these diseases can cause serious, even life-threatening clinical conditions in dogs, with a number having zoonotic potential, affecting the human population.Today, CVBDs pose a growing global threat as they continue their spread far from their traditional geographical and temporal restraints as a result of changes in both climatic conditions and pet dog travel patterns, exposing new populations to previously unknown infectious agents and posing unprecedented challenges to veterinarians.In response to this growing threat, the CVBD World Forum, a multidisciplinary group of experts in CVBDs from around the world which meets on an annual basis, gathered in Nice (France) in 2011 to share the latest research on CVBDs and discuss the best approaches to managing these diseases around the world.As a result of these discussions, we, the members of the CVBD Forum have developed the following recommendations to veterinarians for the management of CVBDs.

Abstract Municipal water and wastewater services have complicated sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and quantifying their roles is critical for tackling global environmental challenges. In this study we provide a systematic review of the state‐of‐the‐art on GHG emission characterizations of China's urban water infrastructure with the aim of shedding light on global implications for sustainable development. We started by synthesizing a framework on GHG emissions associated with water and wastewater infrastructure. Then we analyzed the different sources of GHG emissions in drinking water and wastewater treatment systems. In drinking water services, electricity consumption is the largest source of GHG emissions. A particular concern in China is the common use of secondary pumping for high‐rise buildings. Optimized pressure management with an efficient pumping system should be prioritized. In wastewater services, non‐CO 2 emissions such as methane (CH 4 ) and nitrous oxide (N 2 O) emissions are substantial, but vary greatly depending on regional and technological differences. Further research directions may include GHG inventory development for urban water systems at the plant level, quantifications of GHG emissions from sewer systems, emission reduction measures via water reclamation, renewable energy recovery, energy efficiency improvement, cost–benefit analyses, and characterizations of Scope 3 emissions. This article is categorized under: Engineering Water > Sustainable Engineering of Water Science of Water > Water and Environmental Change Engineering Water > Planning Water

Rickettsia felis is an obligate intracellular bacterium that is being increasingly recognized as an etiological agent of human rickettsial disease globally. The agent is transmitted through the bite of an infected vector, the cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis, however there is to date, no consensus on the pathogen's vertebrate reservoir, required for the maintenance of this agent in nature. This study for the first time, demonstrates the role of the domestic dog (Canis familiaris) as a vertebrate reservoir of R. felis. The ability of dogs to sustain prolonged periods of rickettsemia, ability to remain asymptomatically infected with normal haematological parameters and ability to act as biological vehicles for the horizontal transmission of R. felis between infected and uninfected fleas provides indication of their status as a mammalian reservoir of this emerging zoonosis.

Rickettsia felis causes flea-borne spotted fever in humans worldwide. The cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis, serves as vector and reservoir host for this disease agent. To determine the role of dogs as potential reservoir hosts for spotted fever group rickettsiae, we screened blood from 100 pound dogs in Southeast Queensland by using a highly sensitive genus-specific PCR. Nine of the pound dogs were positive for rickettsial DNA and subsequent molecular sequencing confirmed amplification of R. felis. A high prevalence of R. felis in dogs in our study suggests that dogs may act as an important reservoir host for R. felis and as a potential source of human rickettsial infection.

BACKGROUND: Ticks are among the most important vectors of pathogens affecting companion animals, and also cause health problems such as tick paralysis, anaemia, dermatitis, and secondary infections. Twenty ixodid species have previously been recorded on dogs, cats, and horses in Australia, including Rhipicephalus sanguineus, Ixodes holocyclus and Haemaphysalis longicornis, which transmit tick-borne diseases. A survey of hard ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) was conducted during 2012-2015 to investigate tick species that infest dogs, cats, and horses in Australia. METHODS: Individual tick specimens were collected from dogs, cats and horses across Australia and sample collection locations were mapped using QGIS software. Ticks were morphologically examined to determine species, instar and sex. The companion animal owners responded to questionnaires and data collected were summarised with SPSS software. RESULTS: A total of 4765 individual ticks were identified in this study from 7/8 states and territories in Australia. Overall, 220 larvae, 805 nymphs, 1404 males, and 2336 females of 11 tick species were identified from 837 companion animal hosts. One novel host record was obtained during this study for Ixodes myrmecobii, which was found on Felis catus (domestic cat) in the town of Esperance, Western Australia. The most common tick species identified included R. sanguineus on dogs (73 %), I. holocyclus on cats (81 %) and H. longicornis on horses (60 %). CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first of its kind to be conducted in Australia and our results contribute to the understanding of the species and distribution of ticks that parasitise dogs, cats, and horses in Australia. Records of R. sanguineus outside of the recorded distribution range emphasise the need for a systematic study of the habitat range of this species. Several incomplete descriptions of ixodid species encountered in this study hindered morphological identification.

Thaumastocoris peregrinus, an Australian native, is a new and serious pest of urban eucalypts planted in Sydney and commercial centers of Australia. In recent years, it has spread to and attained pest status in South African Eucalyptus plantations and, more recently, has been discovered in Argentina and Uruguay. Mature Eucalyptus scoparia street trees, growing in a southern Sydney suburb, were microinjected with imidacloprid at three concentrations and monitored for three years. The abundance of T. peregrinus on treated eucalypts declined significantly compared to untreated trees over this time. Further, at the lowest concentration of chemical this insect was effectively controlled for two years. Imidacloprid (SilvaShield®; Bayer Environmental Science) has been registered in Australia for the control of T. peregrinus.

The prevalence of spotted fever group rickettsial infection in dogs from a remote indigenous community in the Northern Territory (NT) was determined using molecular tools. Blood samples collected from 130 dogs in the community of Maningrida were subjected to a spotted fever group (SFG)-specific PCR targeting the ompB gene followed by a Rickettsia felis-specific PCR targeting the gltA gene of R. felis. Rickettsia felis ompB and gltA genes were amplified from the blood of 3 dogs. This study is the first report of R. felis infection in indigenous community dogs in NT.

The susceptibility of 12 field-collected isolates and 4 laboratory strains of cat fleas, Ctenocephalides felis was determined by topical application of some of the insecticides used as on-animal therapies to control them. In the tested field-collected flea isolates the LD50 values for fipronil and imidacloprid ranged from 0.09 to 0.35 ng/flea and 0.02 to 0.19 ng/flea, respectively, and were consistent with baseline figures published previously. The extent of variation in response to four pyrethroid insecticides differed between compounds with the LD50 values for deltamethrin ranging from 2.3 to 28.2 ng/flea, etofenprox ranging from 26.7 to 86.7 ng/flea, permethrin ranging from 17.5 to 85.6 ng/flea, and d-phenothrin ranging from 14.5 to 130 ng/flea. A comparison with earlier data for permethrin and deltamethrin implied a level of pyrethroid resistance in all isolates and strains. LD50 values for tetrachlorvinphos ranged from 20.0 to 420.0 ng/flea. The rdl mutation (conferring target-site resistance to cyclodiene insecticides) was present in most field-collected and laboratory strains, but had no discernible effect on responses to fipronil, which acts on the same receptor protein as cyclodienes. The kdr and skdr mutations conferring target-site resistance to pyrethroids but segregated in opposition to one another, precluding the formation of genotypes homozygous for both mutations.

OBJECTIVES: To estimate the proportion of canine tick-borne disease (CTBD) pathogens in dogs from northern states of Australia presenting with and without clinical signs/laboratory abnormalities suggestive of CTBD and to evaluate associated risk factors. DESIGN: Client-owned dogs presented to a general practice clinic in the Northern Territory (NT; n = 138) and five referral hospitals in south-east Queensland (SEQ; n = 100) were grouped into CTBD-suspect and -control groups based on clinical and laboratory criteria. Blood and sera were screened for haemotropic Mycoplasma spp., Babesia spp., Anaplasma spp., Ehrlichia spp. and Hepatozoon spp. using microscopic examination, in-clinic ELISA testing and PCR assays. Dog-specific risk factors associated with the presence of CTBD pathogens were evaluated. RESULTS: Overall, 24.4% of the suspect group and 12.2% of the control group dogs were infected. The proportions of M. haemocanis, B. vogeli, A. platys, Candidatus Mycoplasma haematoparvum, and C. Mycoplasma haemobos were 7.1%, 5.0%, 3.8%, 1.7% and 0.4%, respectively. Dogs originating from the NT were 3.6-fold (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.51-8.62; P = 0.004) more likely to be infected with CTBD pathogens than those from SEQ. Male dogs were 2.3-fold (95% CI 1.17-4.80, P = 0.024) more likely to be PCR-positive to CTBD pathogens than female dogs. Dogs presenting with clinical signs consistent with CTBD and thrombocytopenia were more likely to be infected by CTBD pathogens (odds ratio 2.85; 95% CI 1.16, 7.02; P = 0.019). CONCLUSIONS: Haemotropic mycoplasmas were the most common tick-borne pathogen infecting client-owned dogs. Subclinical cases were common in dogs from the NT. Veterinary practitioners should be aware of the proportion of CTBD pathogens and the presenting features of clinical and subclinical disease in their area.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of canine vector-borne diseases (CVBD: Babesia spp., Anaplasma spp., Ehrlichia spp., haemotropic mycoplasmas and Hepatozoon) in Australian dogs; namely, dogs from pounds in south-east Queensland and an indigenous Aboriginal community in the north-east of the Northern Territory. DESIGN AND PROCEDURE: Blood samples were collected from 100 pound dogs and 130 Aboriginal community dogs and screened for the CVBD pathogens using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). All positive PCR products were sequenced for species confirmation. RESULTS: In total, 3 pound dogs and 64 Aboriginal community dogs were infected with at least one CVBD pathogen. Overall, B. vogeli was detected in 13 dogs, A. platys in 49, M. haemocanis in 23, Candidatus Mycoplasma haematoparvum in 3 and C. M. haemobos in 1 dog. Co-infections were detected in 22 Aboriginal community dogs. CONCLUSIONS: This study found B. vogeli, A. platys and haemotropic mycoplasma infections to be common in dogs in subtropical and tropical areas of Australia. This study also reports for the first time the prevalence and genetic characterisation of haemotropic mycoplasmas in dogs in Australia.

The recent Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) sets ambitious goals but no clear pathway for how zero loss of important biodiversity areas and halting human-induced extinction of threatened species will be achieved. We assembled a multi-taxa tracking dataset (11 million geopositions from 15,845 tracked individuals across 121 species) to provide a global assessment of space use of highly mobile marine megafauna, showing that 63% of the area that they cover is used 80% of the time as important migratory corridors or residence areas. The GBF 30% threshold (Target 3) will be insufficient for marine megafauna's effective conservation, leaving important areas exposed to major anthropogenic threats. Coupling area protection with mitigation strategies (e.g., fishing regulation, wildlife-traffic separation) will be essential to reach international goals and conserve biodiversity.

Abstract Variation in pathogenicity of Plasmodiophora brassicae in Australia was studied using the European Clubroot Differential series of brassica hosts. From 41 collections of P. brassicae originating from important vegetable brassica production regions in Victoria, Western Australia, Tasmania, Queensland and New South Wales, 23 triplet codes were generated. These were more similar to populations of P. brassicae reported from the USA than those from Europe. The most common Australian pathotypes had triplet codes of 16/3/12 and 16/3/31 and were each assigned seven times to pathogen collections originating from three states of Australia. Other codes that occurred more than once were 16/2/31, which was assigned to six collections from four states of Australia, and 16/19/31, which was assigned twice to collections originating from Western Australia.

Abstract Background: Pradofloxacin is a 3rd generation veterinary fluoroquinolone designed to restrict the emergence of antimicrobial resistance during therapy. Hypothesis: Pradofloxacin 2.5% oral suspension is a safe, efficacious, and palatable treatment for bacterial urinary tract infections (UTI) in cats. Animals: Seventy-eight cats presented with lower urinary tract signs and were positive on bacterial culture of urine. Methods: Cats were allocated into 3 treatment groups depending on bacterial susceptibility results: pradofloxacin (n = 27), doxycycline (n = 23), or amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (n = 28). All antimicrobials were presented in palatable liquid form. Posttreatment urine specimens were collected after completion of the course of treatment and submitted for bacterial culture and sensitivity. Owners were questioned before and after treatment about their experiences with administering oral medication to their cats. Results: Posttreatment urine culture was negative in all cats in the pradofloxacin group, but there were 3 treatment failures in each of the other groups. Owners' perceptions of the difficulty of administering oral medication to their cats was more positive posttreatment than pretreatment (P = .001; P < .001). There was no difference in palatability among the treatment groups (P > .05). Conclusions and clinical importance: We conclude that pradofloxacin 2.5% oral suspension is a highly effective and safe antimicrobial treatment for bacterial lower urinary tract infection in cats, and that the palatable formulation optimizes owner compliance. These findings make pradofloxacin a useful addition to the veterinary formulary.

BACKGROUND: The recent detection of Rickettsia felis DNA in dogs in Australia suggests that dogs are potential mammalian reservoir hosts for this emerging rickettsia. To date, there is no published report addressing the seroprevalence of R. felis in dogs in Australia. METHODS: Antigens for R. felis were produced by inoculating confluent XTC-2 monolayer cell cultures with three pools of cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis) homogenates. Infection was confirmed by real-time (qPCR), conventional or nested PCRs targeting the ompB, gltA, 17 kDa and ompA genes. Two hundred and ninety-two dogs from Southeast Queensland and the Northern Territory were tested for the presence of R. felis antibodies using a microimmunofluorescence (IF) test and the seroprevalence and associated risk factors for exposure were determined using both uni- and multi-variate analyses. RESULTS: Rickettsia felis was successfully isolated in cell culture from all three cat-flea pools. One hundred and forty-eight dogs (50.7%) showed seropositivity with titres ≥64 and 54 (18.5%) with titres ≥128. At antibody titres ≥64, dogs with active ectoparasite control were less likely to be seropositive to R. felis (OR: 2.60; 95% CI: 1.20 - 5.56). CONCLUSIONS: This first reported isolation of R. felis in cell culture in Australia allowed for the production of antigen for serological testing of dogs. Results of this serological testing reflects the ubiquitous exposure of dogs to R. felis and advocate for owner vigilance with regards to ectoparasite control on domestic pets.

BACKGROUND: Pradofloxacin is a 3rd generation veterinary fluoroquinolone designed to restrict the emergence of antimicrobial resistance during therapy. HYPOTHESIS: Pradofloxacin 2.5% oral suspension is a safe, efficacious, and palatable treatment for bacterial urinary tract infections (UTI) in cats. ANIMALS: Seventy-eight cats presented with lower urinary tract signs and were positive on bacterial culture of urine. METHODS: Cats were allocated into 3 treatment groups depending on bacterial susceptibility results: pradofloxacin (n = 27), doxycycline (n = 23), or amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (n = 28). All antimicrobials were presented in palatable liquid form. Posttreatment urine specimens were collected after completion of the course of treatment and submitted for bacterial culture and sensitivity. Owners were questioned before and after treatment about their experiences with administering oral medication to their cats. RESULTS: Posttreatment urine culture was negative in all cats in the pradofloxacin group, but there were 3 treatment failures in each of the other groups. Owners' perceptions of the difficulty of administering oral medication to their cats was more positive posttreatment than pretreatment (P = .001; P < .001). There was no difference in palatability among the treatment groups (P > .05). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: We conclude that pradofloxacin 2.5% oral suspension is a highly effective and safe antimicrobial treatment for bacterial lower urinary tract infection in cats, and that the palatable formulation optimizes owner compliance. These findings make pradofloxacin a useful addition to the veterinary formulary.

The order Piroplasmida encompasses two main families: Babesiidae and Theileriidae, containing tick-borne pathogens of veterinary and medical importance worldwide. While only three genera (Babesia, Cytauxzoon and Theileria) comprising piroplasm parasites are currently recognised, phylogenetic studies at the 18S rRNA (18S) gene suggest that these organisms represent at least ten lineages, one of which comprises the relatively unique and highly diverse Theileria spp. from Australian marsupials and ticks. As an alternative to analysing 18S sequences alone, sequencing of mitochondrial genes has proven to be useful for the elucidation of evolutionary relationships amongst some groups of piroplasms. This research aimed to characterise piroplasms from Australian native mammals and ticks using multiple genetic markers (18S, cytochrome c, oxidase subunit III (cox3) and cytochrome B (cytB)) and microscopy. For this, nearly complete piroplasm-18S sequences were obtained from 32 animals belonging to six marsupial species: eastern bettong (Bettongia gaimardi), eastern quoll (Dasyurus viverrinus), eastern grey kangaroo (Macropus giganteus), swamp wallaby (Wallabia bicolor), quokka (Setonix brachyurus) and Gilbert's potoroo (Potorous gilbertii). The organisms detected represented eight novel Theileria genotypes, which formed five sub-clades within the main marsupial clade containing previously reported Australian marsupial and tick-derived Theileria spp. A selection of both novel and previously described Australian piroplasms at the 18S were also successfully characterised, for the first time, at the cox3 and cytB loci, and corroborated the position of Australian native theilerias in a separate, well-supported clade. Analyses of the cox3 and cytB genes also aided in the taxonomic resolution within the clade of Australian Piroplasmida. Importantly, microscopy and molecular analysis at multiple loci led to the discovery of a unique piroplasm species that clustered with the Australian marsupial theilerias, for which we propose the name Theileria lupei n. sp.

BACKGROUND: Rickettsia felis and Rickettsia typhi are emerging arthropod-borne zoonoses causing fever and flu-like symptoms. Seroprevalence and risk factors associated with exposure to these organisms was explored in Australian veterinarians. METHODS: One hundred and thirty-one veterinarians from across Australia were recruited to participate in a cross-sectional survey. Veterinarians provided a single blood sample and answered a questionnaire on potential risk factors influencing their exposure to R. felis and R. typhi. Indirect microimmunofluorescence antibody testing (IFAT) was used to identify evidence of serological exposure of the participants to R. felis and R. typhi. Results were analyzed and a logistical regression model performed to predict risk factors associated with seropositivity. RESULTS: In total, 16.0% of participants were seropositive to R. felis, 4.6% to R. typhi and 35.1% seropositive to both, where cross-reactivity of the IFAT between R. felis and R. typhi precluded a definitive diagnosis. Veterinarians residing within the south-eastern states of Victoria and Tasmania were at a higher risk of exposure to R. felis or generalised R. felis or R. typhi exposure. Older veterinarians and those that recommended flea treatment to their clients were found to be significantly protected from exposure. CONCLUSIONS: The high exposure to R. felis amongst veterinary professionals suggests that flea-borne spotted fever is an important cause of undifferentiated fever conditions that may not be adequately recognized in Australia.

OBJECTIVE: Management guidelines encourage self-care in patients with symptomatic osteoarthritis (OA). We undertook this study to investigate the relationship between health literacy (HL) and appropriateness of selection of self-care strategies in people with self-reported symptoms of OA. METHODS: We conducted an online national observational, demographically representative, cross-sectional survey of adults (ages 45-74 years). The eligibility criterion of "self-reported OA symptoms" was screened for using guideline-endorsed clinical criteria. Participants completed a custom-built questionnaire that included validated scales for HL, pain intensity, sleep quality, and OA function/disability. Management strategies were grouped into self-care activities, analgesics, and complementary medicines, and analyses of appropriateness were based on predefined, evidence-based quality indicators. RESULTS: Of 6,800 participants, 628 met the inclusion criteria and completed the survey. HL was categorized as follows: low (100 of 628, 15.9%), moderate (317 of 628, 50.5%), and excellent (211 of 628, 33.6%). In the past 7 days, mean pain intensity (0-10 scale) was 3.11 (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 3.06-3.16), and 71.7% of participants (450 of 628) had not achieved adequate pain relief. In the past month, 54.1% (340 of 628) reported disrupted sleep. Participants managed their pain with multiple self-care activities (mean 1.44; 95% CI 1.32-1.57), analgesics (mean 1.74; 95% CI 1.60-1.88), and complementary medicines (mean 1.01; 95% CI 0.90-1.12). There was a statistically significant (P < 0.001) interaction between HL and appropriateness of current management strategies (HL low, guideline-recommended management strategies less likely). Higher HL did not always translate into making appropriate pain management choices. CONCLUSION: Appropriate selection and use of evidence-based management options is critical for patients with OA to obtain the full benefits from their treatment. Knowledge about suitable choices for OA self-care is suboptimal, and future education should be tailored to different levels of HL.