North American swine rotaviruses: a complex epidemiology

A scientific paper published today in PLOS ONE reveals that based on three-level mixed-effects logistic regression models, the epidemiology of swine rotaviruses in North America is quite complex. The goal of the study led by Drs. Homwong, Perez, Rossow, and Marthaler from the University of Minnesota was to investigate the associations among age, rotavirus detection, and regions within the US swine production in samples submitted for diagnosis to the Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory.

Percentages of Rotavirus A (RVA), Rotavirus B (RVB), and Rotavirus C (RVC) samples by state.
The color represented highest prevalence of the RV species (green represents RVA, purple represents RVB, blue represents RVC while pink represents equal percentages of RVA and RVC

Abstract: Rotaviruses (RV) are important causes of diarrhea in animals, especially in domestic animals. Of the 9 RV species, rotavirus A, B, and C (RVA, RVB, and RVC, respectively) had been established as important causes of diarrhea in pigs. The Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory receives swine stool samples from North America to determine the etiologic agents of disease. Between November 2009 and October 2011, 7,508 samples from pigs with diarrhea were submitted to determine if enteric pathogens, including RV, were present in the samples. All samples were tested for RVA, RVB, and RVC by real time RT-PCR. The majority of the samples (82%) were positive for RVA, RVB, and/or RVC. To better understand the risk factors associated with RV infections in swine diagnostic samples, three-level mixed-effects logistic regression models (3L-MLMs) were used to estimate associations among RV species, age, and geographical variability within the major swine production regions in North America. The conditional odds ratios (cORs) for RVA and RVB detection were lower for 1–3 day old pigs when compared to any other age group. However, the cOR of RVC detection in 1–3 day old pigs was significantly higher (p < 0.001) than pigs in the 4–20 days old and >55 day old age groups. Furthermore, pigs in the 21–55 day old age group had statistically higher cORs of RV co-detection compared to 1–3 day old pigs (p < 0.001). The 3L-MLMs indicated that RV status was more similar within states than among states or within each region. Our results indicated that 3L-MLMs are a powerful and adaptable tool to handle and analyze large-hierarchical datasets. In addition, our results indicated that, overall, swine RV epidemiology is complex, and RV species are associated with different age groups and vary by regions in North America.

Link to the full article

Telepathology at the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory

The Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at the University of Minnesota is equipped with the latest technology to provide their clients with the highest level of service.One of the state-of-the-art pieces of equipment available is the telepathology installation. A first camera is set up on the necropsy floor so that the client can see the lesions as they are commented and explained in real-time by our pathologists Dr. Jim Collins, Dr. Albert Rovira or Dr. Fabio Vannucci. The second camera is connected to a microscope to display histology slides
Both cameras are supported by a software which allows the presenter to draw on the image (green circles and arrow on the picture) from the video to clarify the explanations.

Access to the telepathology website

The client has access to the real-time video feed via the link shown above after being approved by the hosting pathologist.

iCOMOS: One Medicine One Science

The 2nd International Conference on One Medicine One Science will be held from April 24th to April 27th at the Commons Hotel in Minneapolis.

iCOMOS is a global forum to:

communicate the importance of science in solving pressing health issues at the interface of humans, animals and the environment;
facilitate interdisciplinary, international collaborations embracing health, science and economics;
inform public policy development that is necessary for preserving human and animal health.

Human and animal health care scientists and professionals, economists, trainees, environmental scientists, ethicists, public health and chronic disease specialists, and policy experts in health, agriculture, food, and environmental affairs are invited to come and exchange on this essential topic that is One Health.

Click here to see the full program.

Dr. Luiza Roos receives COGS grant award

Dr. Luiza Roos received the Counsel of Graduate Students (COGS) grant award from the University of Minnesota.
This very competitive grant is offered to graduate students to help them with expenditures while they are traveling to present their research. Dr. Roos will be using the funds to attend the 2016 IPVS where she will be giving a talk on Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae gilt acclimatization.

Please join us in congratulating Luiza for her award!

Monitoring the spread of enteric coronavirus

Drs. Perez, Alba, Goede, and Morrison published a new scientific paper in the journal Frontiers in Veterinary Science concerning the spread of the enteric coronaviruses in the United states.

Abstract: The reporting and monitoring of swine enteric coronavirus diseases (SECD), including porcine epidemic diarrhea virus and porcine delta coronavirus, in the United States have been challenging because of the initial absence of a regulatory framework and the emerging nature of these diseases. The National Animal Health Laboratory Network, the Emergency Management and Response System, and the Swine Health Monitoring Project were used to monitor the disease situation between May 2013 and March 2015. Important differences existed between and among them in terms of nature and extent of reporting. Here, we assess the implementation of these systems from different perspectives, including a description and comparison of collected data, disease metrics, usefulness, simplicity, flexibility, acceptability, representativeness, timeliness, and stability. This assessment demonstrates the limitations that the absence of premises identification imposes on certain animal health surveillance and response databases, and the importance of federally regulated frameworks in collecting accurate information in a timely manner. This study also demonstrates the value that the voluntary and producer-organized systems may have in monitoring emerging diseases. The results from all three data sources help to establish the baseline information on SECD epidemiological dynamics after almost 3 years of disease occurrence in the country.