Veterinary Infection Control Services (Vet-ICS)

10/11/2021

For the Doxie lovers out there.

For all you We**ie lovers 💕

23/09/2021

Equine mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs), a type of stem cell, offer a promising treatment for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections. Secretions from equine MSCs, aka secretome, significantly decreased the viability of MRSA in a novel equine skin wound model infected with MRSA.

Quote: "By identifying additional effective treatments," she [Dr. Charlotte Marx] said, "we can contribute to reducing the use of antibiotics in both veterinary and human medicine, which is important for the fight against antibiotic resistance."

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/09/210916124020.htm

A new study has found the antimicrobial properties of certain stem cell proteins could offer a potential treatment to reduce infection in skin wounds.

21/02/2021

The American Veterinary Medical Association has published a report on Antimicrobial Resistant Pathogens Affecting Animal Health in the United States. Check their website for their Antimicrobial Stewardship flyer and their helpful table of Animal Pathogens of Heightened Concern.

https://www.avma.org/sites/default/files/2020-10/AntimicrobialResistanceFullReport.pdf

09/10/2020

The FDA is seeking to update its approach for ranking antimicrobials according to their relative importance in human medicine. The possible new ranking can impact the use of antimicrobial drugs in both food and companion animal medicine. (FYI - In the past, the focus has been on the use of antimicrobials in food animals.) This concept paper provides details about how the FDA proposes to set up the new rankings.

Concept Paper: Potential Approach for Ranking of
Antimicrobial Drugs According to Their Importance
in Human Medicine: A Risk Management Tool for
Antimicrobial New Animal Drugs

https://www.fda.gov/media/142846/download?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

16/09/2020

Equine Coronavirus (ECoV) in Adult Horses
(Thanks to , Merck Animal Health, and Dr. Nicola Pusterla for the informative presentation on this topic September 16, 2020)

ECoV alone can cause clinical signs. Common clinical signs include lethargy, fever and anorexia. In more severe cases, colic, watery diarrhea and/or neurologic signs can occur.

The preferred diagnostic test is qPCR, although virus isolation, Ag-detecting ELISA, and electron microscopy are available.

For horses with lethargy, fever, and/or anorexia of unknown origin, it is recommended that a f***l sample be collected, as well as blood and intranasal swabs. If the blood and swab are negative for respiratory pathogens, the f***l sample can be tested to ECoV.

Infected horses can be infective for up to 14 days. Because there is no vaccine, strong biosecurity and infection control measures are the keys to prevention:
-- isolate sick and suspected horses, and monitor them daily,
-- wear appropriate PPE,
-- practice barrier nursing, good hand hygiene and cleanliness,
-- decrease traffic throughout the setting,
-- use dedicated equipment and personnel for sick and suspect horses.

ECoV is susceptible to most disinfectants. Clean the affected area, then apply disinfectant as directed by the manufacturer (because many disinfectants will NOT work in the presence of organic material, e.g., f***s).

10/08/2020

Although COVID-19 continues to make headlines in the news, let us not forget another virus that has very nearly a 100% kill rate - rabies. Not only does it infect people, but it also infects a wide range of animals, who can then transmit the virus to people. The use of an oral vaccine for wildlife can help prevent some of those infections.

https://www.agweb.com/article/usda-aphis-distributes-oral-rabies-vaccine-bait-select-us-states?fbclid=IwAR15YiqaHUWP_olrjuMEH9Kgl5mGWLvLZdkJPrSvvllTgnFEuIHW_FFBKm4

USDA-APHIS Distributes Oral Rabies Vaccine Bait In Select U.S. States by Rhonda Brooks | Read more Regional News about Agriculture and Crop Production on AgWeb.

03/12/2019

A vaccine to prevent feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is in development. Its success would be a huge step in saving cats as there is currently no way to protect them from this 100% fatal disease.

A vaccine that could save the lives of countless domestic cats is being developed at Colorado State University (CSU).

24/11/2019

Ongoing research on the rabies virus may provide crucial evidence for the development of a new vaccine that would prevent the virus from shutting down the immune system in infected hosts. Mass vaccination of dogs is very important for preventing the spread of rabies to people. Unfortunately, finding and catching dogs is difficult in parts of the world where rabies still kills far too many people every year. New vaccine approaches could help prevent those deaths.

Researchers have found a way to stop the rabies virus shutting down the body's immune defence against it. In doing so they have solved a key scientific puzzle and have laid the foundation for the development of new anti-rabies vaccines.

03/10/2019

West Nile Virus (WNV) is causing disease and death in people here in California. There have been 112 cases of human disease and 3 deaths in 2019. This mosquito-borne, zoonotic virus also infects horses and birds. Although most infections do not cause signs of illness, severe illness and death occur in horses, humans, and birds. Please vaccinate your horses and protect yourself from mosquitos. Report any dead birds you find so that they can be tested for WNV.

http://www.westnile.ca.gov/

15/03/2019

Are you using the right disinfectant for the job?
Do you measure your dilution?
How much contact time do you allow?
Does your team spray and wipe?
What is the shelf life of your disinfectant?
What's the difference between sanitizing and disinfecting?
Do you top off your diluted disinfectant?
Do you mix disinfectants and/or cleaning solutions?
Do you train your team on the proper use of each cleaning or disinfectant used in your practice?

Dr. Jason Stull did a great job covering these topics at the 2019 Western Veterinary Conference. This article provides an easy to read, in-depth explanation of the when, what, why and how to use disinfectants in the veterinary practice.

For more in-depth information about other infection control and prevention strategies, please see "Compendium of Veterinary Standard Precautions for Zoonotic Disease Prevention in Veterinary Personnel " by the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians Veterinary Infection Control Committee, 2015 (http://www.nasphv.org/Documents/VeterinaryStandardPrecautions.pdf)

https://www.aaha.org/professional/resources/infection_prevention_and_biosecurity.aspx

Infection prevention and biosecurity are an essential part of patient care and should play an important role in the daily practice of veterinary medicine. All veterinary practice team members, from veterinarians to kennel attendants, must maximize measures to prevent the spread of infectious pathoge...

13/03/2019

I recently had the pleasure of attending the Western Veterinary Conference. Several of the lectures I attended focused on antimicrobial use and stewardship. In that spirit, I thought I would offer some useful guidelines for the use of antimicrobials in treating UTIs in dogs and cats.

Since these guidelines were published, there have been two studies of note (Westropp et al. J Vet Intern Med 2012;26:506–512 and Clare et al. J Vet Intern Med 2014;28:818–826) that suggest a shorter duration of treatment (less than 7 days) in dogs with uncomplicated UTIs is just as effective as longer duration of treatment, depending on the antibiotic used.

This would certainly be advantageous, not only in terms of helping avoid antibiotic resistance, but also in terms of increasing pet owner compliance with antimicrobial therapy.

https://www.hindawi.com/journals/vmi/2011/263768/

Urinary tract disease is a common reason for use (and likely misuse, improper use, and overuse) of antimicrobials in dogs and cats. There is a lack of comprehensive treatment guidelines such as those that are available for human medicine. Accordingly, guidelines for diagnosis and management of urina...

05/04/2018

Although this paper cites studies in human medicine, all medical professionals should be aware of the importance of infection control and its relationship to antimicrobial stewardship. Practicing proper infection control, especially hand hygiene, can reduce the need for antibiotics, i.e., reduces the spread of infectious organisms. This leads to a decrease in antimicrobial resistance and fewer infections with "super bugs" in both people and animals.

Infection prevention and control programs are essential to antibiotic stewardship efforts in all clinical settings, according to a position paper published by three infectious disease societies.Members of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control (APIC), the Society for Healthcare Epide...

30/03/2018

Duck enteritis virus (DEV), which infects geese, swans, and ducks, is fatal in nearly 100% of cases.

Domestic ducks are also a key reservoir for severe avian influenza (AI) strains in Southeast Asia. As such, they can spread avian influenza to other bird species.This makes them an important target for vaccination campaigns.

Researchers at The Pirbright Institute have used a CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technique to create a single vaccine against both avian influenza and DEV.

We look forward to seeing if this vaccine is further developed for wide-spread use in the vaccination campaign against AI.

http://mrcvs.co.uk/en/news-story.php?id=17116

MRCVSonline is targeted at vets, providing veterinary surgeons, practice managers, vet nurses and more with the latest news, resources, careers and events.

29/09/2017

It's probably longer than you think and most definitely longer than what most people actually do... even veterinary professionals.

13/09/2017

Another reminder to wash your hands after handling pets. Even cute, cuddly puppies can carry a nasty pathogen that can infect you. Young children are particularly at risk, so be sure your children wash their hands thoroughly after playing with and petting animals.

Quote: "Campylobacteriosis, a common bacterial infection, can cause diarrhea, abdominal pain and fever, according to the CDC."

​As of Monday, a total of 39 people have fallen ill in seven states​.

06/09/2017

I admit it - I enjoy watching Forensics Files while I workout.

Today I caught an episode on the epidemiologic investigation of a strange outbreak of a flu-like disease in 1996 among the Navajo population in the Four Corners region. This disease primarily affected the lungs and was associated with a high rate of mortality.

It was quite interesting to see how they linked the outbreak to a disease that had sickened our soldiers during the Korean War 40 years prior to the outbreak in Four Corners. In fact, the name of the pathogen is derived from the area in Korea in which soldiers were infected. Unfortunately, the symptoms were not quite identical since the affected soldiers also had uremic symptoms not seen in this US outbreak.

The Healers among the Navajo provided crucial information regarding previous outbreaks that had occurred even further back in their history. They noted that those outbreaks, as well as the current one, had occurred in the springtime after heavy rains when the mouse population exploded.

One more clue - The CDC recommends that people wear a mask when cleaning up mouse droppings or areas contaminated with mouse droppings or urine to prevent infection with this pathogen.

Does this provide you with enough clues to take a guess at what this zoonotic pathogen is?

21/06/2017

According to the Companion Animal Parasite Council, 2017 will see an increase in heartworm. This is due to the above average rainfall we have had, as well as warmer than usual weather.

Please protect your pets with a heartworm preventive medication. In addition, you can use one of the flea medications that also protects your pets against mosquitos, the vector that transmits heartworms. By using both types of products, your pet has the best chance of avoiding heartworm disease - cuts down on the transmission rate and kills the early form of heartworms before they become damaging adult worms.

https://www.avma.org/news/javmanews/pages/170615i.aspx?

Heartworm transmission is expected to increase across the U.S. this year, a result of above-average precipitation and temperatures during

17/06/2017

Just a reminder that rabies is always out there. Here in the USA, raccoons, skunks, and bats are the primary reservoirs of rabies. This is why it is so important to keep our pets and other domestic animals properly vaccinated against rabies. It is also important to remember that if you have been or suspect you may have been bitten by any animal, you report it and seek medical attention. If you have been exposed to a wild animal that appears to be sick or is acting out of the ordinary, report it and seek medical advice. It is also important to contact animal control to capture the animal to be tested for rabies.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2017/06/15/maine-runner-drowns-rabid-raccoon-in-a-puddle-after-it-attacked-her/?utm_term=.07d81ac26a2c&wpisrc=nl_sb_smartbrief

“Imagine the Tasmanian devil,” the 21-year-old said, adding, “It felt like 'Pet Sematary.' "

13/05/2017

What if there was a single vaccine that could prevent many different mosquito-borne infections, e.g., malaria, dengue, Zika, and West Nile virus? A phase 1 clinical trial of an investigational vaccine, AGS-v, has been initiated by the NIH. AGS-v, which was developed by SEEK, a London-based pharmaceutical company, is designed to elicit an immune response to proteins in mosquito saliva rather than to specific disease-causing pathogens. By triggering a primarily Th1 response to mosquito saliva, the investigators hope to achieve more of an "anti-organism" response (activation of macrophages, dendritic cells, and interferons) than the typical allergic response we tend to experience with a mosquito bite. While still in the investigational stages, this type of vaccine could be extremelybeneficial in our fight against mosquito-borne infections, both for people and our animals.

Quote: “The idea behind this vaccine is that because someone who gets the vaccine is sensitized to the peptides in the vaccine, they now have more of a Th1–associated response when they get bitten by a mosquito. This allows activation of macrophages, activation of dendritic cells, and production of interferons that prevent the organisms from infecting those cells and moving into the bloodstream.... The vaccine would essentially interrupt this process and induce more of an “anti-organism response,” Memoli said."

With mosquito-borne illnesses posing an ongoing public health threat around the world, there is a significant need for advances in combating and controlling mosquito vectors. Although outbreaks of Zika virus have brought this particular disease to the forefront in recent years, it is only one of sev...

10/05/2017

Remember the reports of avian influenza (AI) infection in cats? Here is the first reported case of AI Type A (H7N2) transmission from a cat to a person in the United States. Unfortunately, the patient was a veterinarian working with shelter cats during an outbreak of AI. According to the report, the veterinarian did not use a respirator while taking oropharyngeal samples from infected cats. This outbreak involved not only the screening of exposed shelter cats, but also interviewing and testing shelter workers and people who adopted cats from the shelter during the outbreak, as well as contact tracing of people who shared a flight with the infected veterinarian. The good news is that no other person was infected and the veterinarian recovered without the need for hospitalization. This case highlights the need for veterinarians to be especially cautious, e.g., use the appropriate personal protective equipment, when examining animals suspected to be infected with a zoonotic pathogen.

Quote: "Lee and colleagues interviewed and tested 165 of the 265 people who worked at the shelter but did not find evidence of H7N2 infection. Likewise, among 188 people who adopted cats from the shelter during the investigation period, three were tested and all were negative for H7N2 RNA."

ATLANTA — A veterinarian in New York City was the first person in the United States to contract an avian influenza A virus from a cat, according to researchers. The infection occurred late in 2016 during an outbreak of influenza A(H7N2) among cats at an animal shelter in Manhattan, according t...

05/05/2017

Rapid tests for the detection of infectious diseases are important diagnostic tools for veterinarians, not only in guiding treatment for infected animals, but also in their fight against the spread of disease in production animals. Research scientists have recently described the first direct, empirical, blood-based test for diagnosing bovine tuberculosis (bTB). The test is adapted from an assay originally developed to detect human tuberculosis. The test is designed to capture lipoproteins circulating in the blood that, in animals infected with Mycobacterium bovis, carry the bTB biomarker, lipomannan. The hope is that this assay can ultimately be developed as a rapid, cow-side diagnostic test for bTB.

Vu DM, Sakamuri RM, Waters WR, Swanson BI, Mukundan H. Detection of Lipomannan in Cattle Infected with Bovine Tuberculosis. Analytical Sciences 2017; 33 (4):457-460.

https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/analsci/33/4/33_457/_pdf

03/05/2017

It's that time of year again - mosquito, flea, and tick season. Most of you are familiar with Lyme disease, a debilitating, tick-borne infection that affects people and animals. But, have you heard about the Powassan virus? In people, infection with this virus can cause fever, headache, vomiting, weakness, confusion, loss of coordination, speech difficulties, and seizures. The severe form of this disease can result in neurologic disabilities, even death. Although this virus has been around for years, only recently has it been able to transmit to people and animals via the deer tick - which may explain the recent increase in the number of cases reported in people.

To the best of my knowledge, there have been no reported cases of Powassan virus infection in pet or production animals. However, animal cases of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) caused by other Flaviviruses have been widely reported in the literature. As the incidence of human infections with Powassan virus increases, this virus should be on the radar for veterinarians, especially in the endemic areas.

Quote: "For those who develop this severe form of the disease, the statistics are somber: 10 percent die and 50 percent end up with some form of neurological disability. There is no real treatment for the virus, just supportive care until the body vanquishes it."

As if Lyme disease isn't troubling enough, another serious tick-borne disease may be emerging, experts say.

23/02/2017

The USDA periodically provides in-depth reports on animal health. This article provides a link to the report “Baseline Reference of Equine Health and Management in the United States, 2015.” Section E of the report documents biosecurity measures in the equine industry. Unfortunately, there is still a lot of room for improvement on all levels of biosecurity surveyed in this report, eg, health requirements for new residents, quarantine measures, food storage, etc.

The Department of Agriculture’s National Animal Health Monitoring System published the first report from its Equine 2015 study,

15/02/2017

Did you know? Veterinarians are leaders in "One Health" - they help maintain the health and well-being of animals, people, and the environment. They are at the forefront in the fight against infectious diseases that impact animal and human health. They are research scientists who study the origin and spread of disease in order to minimize the risk to both animal and human health. They help save animal and human lives and bolster food security around the globe.

OPINION | Veterinarians play a pivotal role in the defense against animal-borne diseases that threaten our physical and financial health.

14/09/2016

Horses in New Jersey and Wisconsin were infected with Eastern Equine Encephalitis virus. This virus causes inflammation of the brain and is even more deadly than the West Nile virus.

In Nevada, another viral disease, St. Louis encephalitis virus, has infected a second person. This virus can also cause neurological disease in horses.

These cases highlight the need to protect both yourself and your animals from mosquito-borne diseases. Many mosquito-borne viral diseases, including Eastern Equine Encephalitis, can be prevented by vaccinating your horses.

Additional sources: http://wsau.com/news/articles/2016/sep/01/mosquito-disease-found-in-forest-county-horse/

http://www.reviewjournal.com/life/health/officials-confirm-2nd-case-st-louis-encephalitis-clark-county

Second Morris County gelding is euthanized after testing positive for Eastern Equine Encephalitis.

07/09/2016

Could the newly discovered virus – poecivirus – be responsible for the bizarre beak deformities in chickadees, crows, and other birds? If so, how is it spread and how might it be controlled or eradicated?

Birds with the defective beaks – a condition called avian keratin disorder - starve to death or die early. The deformity seems to be spreading among birds in the Pacific Northwest, Great Britain, India, and South America.

Scientists at the USGS in Anchorage and the University of California, San Francisco found that 19 of 19 chickadees with twisted beaks were infected with the virus, whereas only two of nine chickadees without the deformity had the virus. In addition, two northwestern crows and two red-breasted nuthatches with twisted beaks also had the virus. Although there appears to be a strong correlation between the detection of the virus and the deformity, further studies need to be performed to prove causation.

For two decades, bird experts in Alaska have been puzzled by the twisted beaks of chickadees and other backyard birds. Now they worry the disorder is spreading.

05/09/2016

Interesting perspective on the use of hand dryers vs. paper towels. Although the studies performed do not reflect real life situations, i.e., hands were artificially contaminated with either bacteria or bacteriophage and not washed prior to drying, it does make you stop and think about what might actually be best for preventing the spread of pathogens. As for me, when I am away from my home and office, I prefer to have paper towels available so that I can use them to turn off the faucet once I have washed and rinsed my hands and to open the door as I leave a public restroom.

I edited a paper for Journal of Hospital Infection a few years ago on the potential risk of warm air dryers and especially jet air dryers compared with paper towels in spreading microbial contamina…

02/09/2016

Dogs can be trained to do the most amazing things! Here is a story about Angus, who has been trained to sniff out Clostridium difficile in hospitals.

Clostridium difficile infection can result in serious, life-threatening disease, particularly for hospitalized human patients. Those most at risk are people, especially older adults, who take antibiotics. Because it produces spores, it can survive for extended periods of time in the environment. Bleach or another EPA-approved, spore-killing disinfectant is recommended in addition to standard cleaning techniques.

Domestic animals can also be infected with C. difficile. In some cases, it causes life-threatening colitis, similar to what is seen in human patients. Because a variety of animals can carry C. difficile without showing any clinical signs, there is the potential for zoonotic transmission of this bacteria.

A dog trainer was inspired to train Angus the springer spaniel to track down superbugs after she nearly died from the drug-resistant bacteria

30/08/2016

This short, technical article peaked my interest: Researchers at The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, in collaboration with Arbutus Biopharma Corporation, used specific short strands of RNA (siRNA) to treat nonhuman primates that were infected with Ebola Sudan. The siRNA treatment controlled viral replication. It resulted in up to 100% survival, even when treatment began after the animals showed fever, viremia and other clinical signs of disease signs.

Researchers at The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, in collaboration with Arbutus Biopharma Corporation, have protected nonhuman primates against Ebola Sudan four days following exposure to the virus.

03/08/2016

Pajaroellobacter abortibovis, the causative agent of "foothill abortion" in cattle, has been named and genetically characterized by researchers at the University of California, Davis. This disease, also known as epizootic bovine abortion, results in the death of an estimated 45,000 to 90,000 unborn calves each year. It is seen in naïve pregnant heifers and cows that are introduced onto grazing areas that harbor the soft tick Ornithodoros coriaceus (common name: Pajaroello tick) that transmits the bacteria. Although infected, pregnant cows show no apparent signs of disease, the calves are either aborted, stillborn or born so weak that they do not survive. A vaccine, currently in its second year of clinical trials, appears to be more than 95 percent effective in preventing the infection in pregnant cows and their fetuses and may even provide lifetime immunity for the vaccinated cows. If you would like to read the scientific manuscript, there is a link in the article below.

UC Davis veterinary researchers have identified and named the bacterium that causes foothill abortion disease in cows grazing in California and parts of Oregon and Nevada. Meanwhile, vaccine trials for the devastating disease, carried by ticks, continue