Carla Correia-Gomes

Animal disease outbreaks at the wildlife-livestock interface threaten animal health, ecosystems, food systems, and, for zoonoses, human health, while veterinary authorities must maintain preparedness with limited resources. However, existing preparedness tools characterize capacity, exposure, or risk largely in isolation. This study developed a framework to assess whether preparedness is commensurate with disease-specific challenge. Questionnaire-derived Preparedness capacity for 26 European countries was estimated using Item Response Theory and adjusted for socioeconomic and governance context. Context-adjusted preparedness was then compared with disease-specific Challenge Indices combining livestock population, livestock density, animal imports, and wildlife reservoir abundance, for two diseases at the wildlife-livestock interface: avian influenza (AI) in domestic poultry and African swine fever (ASF) in domestic pigs. Countries were classified into four Preparedness-Challenge profiles and summarized regionally, with uncertainty propagated by Monte Carlo simulation and decomposed by variance-based sensitivity analysis. The Underprepared (high challenge) profile included 9 countries for AI and 10 for ASF and was the most common profile in Southern and Western Europe for both diseases, and in Central Europe for ASF. Livestock weighting sharpened this pattern, with this profile holding 66-91% of poultry and 79-97% of pigs in Central, Southern, and Western Europe. In Northern Europe, 76% of pigs were in the Prepared (high challenge) profile. Preparedness estimation was the largest source of uncertainty in country-level classifications and regional AI results, whereas Challenge Index weighting dominated regional ASF results. Countries with less preparedness relative to their challenge tended to have greater recorded outbreak burden (concordance probability: AI 0.63-0.70 for continuous burden measures, ASF 0.58-0.85 for all measures). Preparedness gaps were therefore disease-specific, and unweighted country summaries obscured where livestock exposure was concentrated. Disease-specific, livestock-weighted comparisons offer veterinary authorities a transparent basis for prioritizing preparedness investment, complementing established One Health tools.

Background and Aim: Cytology is a minimally invasive, rapid, and cost-effective diagnostic tool widely used in veterinary medicine for evaluating a broad range of lesions. While extensively applied in clinical practice, large-scale epidemiological analyses of cytologic findings in canine populations are limited. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of cytology in dogs in Portugal, assessing associations between lesion type, anatomical location, and demographic factors, and to identify patterns that can improve diagnostic utility in veterinary practice. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 12,671 cytological samples collected from canine patients between January 2010 and December 2016, submitted by 355 veterinary practices across mainland Portugal. Samples were categorized by anatomical location and diagnostic classification (neoplastic, inflammatory, non-neoplastic/non-inflammatory, and other). Demographic variables (sex, age, and breed) were recorded. Statistical analyses included non-parametric tests, logistic regression, and trend analyses to explore associations between diagnostic outcomes and study variables. Results: The overall diagnostic yield was 69.03%, with the highest rates in fluid (80.21%), mucosal (77.08%), and glandular (75.78%) samples. Cutaneous/subcutaneous lesions, although the most frequent, had the lowest diagnostic yield (66.12%). Of diagnostic cases, 43.94% were neoplastic, with prevalence increasing significantly with age, from 17.75% in dogs ≤1 year to 54.75% in those >10–15 years (p < 0.001). Females were more likely to present epithelial and mesenchymal lesions, while males more frequently had round cell and melanocytic lesions. Breed analysis revealed no significant predispositions after statistical adjustment. Veterinary hospitals achieved higher diagnostic rates than clinics (p = 0.002). Non-diagnostic samples (30.97%) were primarily attributed to poor sample quality or insufficient cellularity. Conclusion: Cytology is a valuable first-line diagnostic modality in canine veterinary practice, particularly effective for fluid, mucosal, and glandular lesions. Lesion prevalence varies significantly with age and sex, highlighting the need for tailored diag­nostic considerations. Standardizing sample collection and preparation techniques, especially for anatomical sites with lower yields, could further improve diagnostic accuracy. While the absence of histopathological confirmation limits definitive clas­sification, the large dataset and standardized diagnostic review strengthen the reliability of findings. Integrating cytology into routine diagnostics can enhance early disease detection, guide treatment decisions, and support epidemiological surveillance. Keywords: canine cytology, diagnostic yield, epidemiology, neoplasia, retrospective study, veterinary diagnostics.

Background: Biosecurity measures are crucial to the introduction and spread of pathogens both within and between farms. External biosecurity focuses on preventing pathogens from entering or leaving the farm, while internal biosecurity aims to limit or stop the spread of pathogens within the farm. Implementing biosecurity measures not only protects animals from disease but also has positive effects on productivity, welfare and farm profitability. By reducing the need for antimicrobials, biosecurity measures also contribute to combating antimicrobial resistance. To assess and improve biosecurity, tools like Biocheck.UGent have been developed. In Ireland, the Biocheck.UGent tool has been widely used in pig farms since 2018. The aims of this study were firstly to assess temporal trends on biosecurity scores in Irish pig farms from 2018 to 2023 using the Biocheck.UGent tool and secondly to identify areas for improvement. Results: There was an increase in the number of annual assessments over the study period, with the majority of farms being assessed multiple times. Overall, external biosecurity scores were higher than internal scores. Improvements in the scores were observed over time for most of the subcategories for external and internal biosecurity and across the different farm types. Analysis of the subcategories within the scoring system revealed areas with lower scores, including disease management, cleaning and disinfection, and measures between compartments. Weaner-to-finisher farms tended to have lower scores compared to other farm types. Conclusions: While external biosecurity in Irish pig farms is generally high, there is room for improvement in internal biosecurity. This study highlights the importance of continuous efforts to improve biosecurity. The data obtained will aid in estimating the cost–benefit of implementing biosecurity measures, crucial for decision-making and better returns on investments.

Cytospins are important for evaluating fluids with very low cellularity such as cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The aim of this study was to compare the CSF cytospin preparations obtained from automated and manual cytocentrifugation methods. A prospective case series was performed to analyze canine CSF samples using both centrifugation methods. The cytospins were processed within 30–60 min and prepared simultaneously in a conventional automated cytocentrifuge and in an in-house manual cytocentrifuge, using a fixed volume of CSF fluid. The cellularity, differential cell count and the proportion of cell artifacts (pseudopods and vacuolization) were blindly assessed in the cytospin preparations obtained using the two methods. The agreement and correlation between both methods were analyzed. There were 55 dogs enrolled (48 prospectively and 7 retrospectively) in the study. 38 dogs had normal total nucleated cell counts, while 17 had pleocytosis. Automated and manual cytocentrifugation had similar cell yields, and no significant differences in differential cell counts or the presence of artifacts existed between both methods. In cases with pleocytosis, the cytologic diagnosis obtained using each method was similar. Manual cytocentrifugation of CSF is a reliable and economic method designed for routine clinical practice. Its use reduces the specimen deterioration related to processing and analysis delays when samples are transported to external laboratories for evaluation.

Immunolabeling on Romanowsky-stained cytology (RSC) slides can be used, although there is limited evidence of its suitability for phenotyping canine and feline lymphomas. A comparison with matched cell blocks (CB) is missing. Immunolabeling on RSC and CB was compared for lymphoid markers (CD3 and PAX5) in 53 lymphomas and 4 chylous effusions from dogs and cats. The influence of pre-analytical variables (species, time of archive, type of specimens and coverslipping) and the interobserver agreement among the 2 observers was assessed. Fewer CD3+ lymphocytes were identified in RSC, while the PAX5 positivity by RSC and CB had a substantial agreement. Immunodetection of CD3 and the diagnosis of a T-cell population on RSC was more difficult. Lower intensity and higher background were noted in RSC. Immunophenotyping was inconclusive in 54% RSC and 19% CB. The interobserver reproducibility of immunophenotyping on CB was substantial, being higher than in RSC. The immunolabeling performance on the RSC of effusion and feline samples was unsatisfactory. The detection of lymphoid markers, especially membranous antigens in retrospective RSC, is affected by the pre-analytical variables: species, time of the archive, and type of specimens. CB are a more consistent type of sample for immunophenotyping purposes.

Background: Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) is a major endemic pig disease worldwide and is associated with considerable economic costs. Methods: In Scotland, three abattoir surveys were conducted in 2006 (158 farms), 2012‒2013 (94 farms) and 2017‒2018 (97 farms) to estimate seroprevalence to PRRS virus (PRRSV) in commercial finishing pigs. These surveys covered around 79%, 59% and 66% of the Quality Meat Scotland assured farms slaughtering pigs in Scotland in 2006, 2012–13 and, 2017–18 respectively. In the 2006 survey, six pigs per farm were sampled and tested using the CIVTEST SUIS PRRS E/S test. In the 2012‒2013 and 2017‒2018 surveys, 10 pigs per farm were sampled and tested using the IDEXX PRRS X3 Ab test. A farm was considered positive if it had one or more seropositive samples. Results: The prevalence of positive farms was 45.6% (95% CI: 38.0–53.4), 47.8% (95% CI: 38.1–57.9) and 45.4% (95% CI: 35.8–55.3) in the 2006, 2012‒2013 and 2017‒2018 surveys, respectively, and 70%–75.5% farms did not change their status between sampling periods. Conclusion: The prevalence of PRRSV exposure in Scottish pig herds was high and changed little from 2006 to 2018. These surveys have informed planning for a prospective PRRS control programme in Scotland.