Davide Messina

Background/Objectives: Colibacillosis, caused by enteropathogenic strains of Escherichia coli (EPEC), is one of the most common infectious diseases in rabbit farms. In the past, antimicrobials were widely used to control colibacillosis, but their use in prevention is currently prohibited. Therefore, the adoption of new prevention strategies as alternatives to the use of antibiotics is very important. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial efficacy of cinnamon essential oil (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) against EPEC strains responsible for colibacillosis in rabbits. Methods: For the experiment, 124 strains of E. coli isolated from rabbits that had died of colibacillosis in 10 industrial farms were used. Suspensions of each strain prepared according to CLSI standards with a bacterial density of 1 × 10⁸ CFU/mL were tested using 100% pure commercial cinnamon essential oil (CEO) at concentrations ranging from 0.2 to 0.8 μL/mL. Minimum inhibitory concentrations MIC₅₀ and MIC₉₀ were determined according to a protocol described previously. Results: MIC₅₀ and MIC₉₀ were 0.5 μL/mL and 0.6 μL/mL, inhibiting 64.5% and 94.3% of strains, respectively. Furthermore, strains exposed to 0.4 μL/mL were 12.9 times more likely to be inhibited than those exposed to 0.3 μL/mL (p = 0.0001). Conclusions: CEO was found to be effective against E. coli strains tested at high bacterial densities that can usually be found per gram of faeces in rabbits affected by colibacillosis. Consequently, cinnamon should be useful in preventing colibacillosis by limiting the replication of E. coli, as it is usually found in lower densities in the intestines of healthy rabbits, preventing the onset of colibacillosis and reducing the use of antibiotics in rabbit farms.

Introduction: A cornerstone of evidence‐based veterinary medicine is the use of research‐based evidence to inform clinical decision making. There are a number of evidence‐based resources available for veterinary professionals to use at the point of care, but it is unknown how and what specific topics users are seeking. Objectives: The aim of this research was to descriptively analyse the contents of BestBETs for Vets critically appraised topic (CAT) collection and to summarise user interactions via website analytics data. Methods: A descriptive analysis of the CATs published on the website was undertaken to identify common species, topic areas, intervention types along with the number of relevant papers and type of study design. Google Analytics data were analysed to identify user interactions such as pages most visited, total website views, routes of access to the website (channel), traffic origin, location (country) and views over time. Results: Ninety‐six CATs in total were identified and included in the analysis. The species with the most CATs published were dogs ( n = 37; 38.5%). Among 27 topic areas that CATs could be assigned to, reproduction was the most frequent ( n = 18; 18.8%). Google Analytics data revealed that users from just over 190 countries had accessed the website. Most users accessed the information directly (56.8%) rather than by organic search (25.2%). Conclusions: This information not only improves our understanding of how veterinary professionals interact with evidence synthesis databases but also helps to inform future review areas, which are most needed by veterinary professionals for clinical decision making.

Avian polyomavirus (APyV) is responsible for diseases in birds belonging to several avian orders, including Psittaciformes, Anseriformes, and other susceptible taxa. APyVs appear to be able to replicate in various organs of susceptible bird species. This study aimed to investigate (i) the distribution of APyV in the organs of two parrot chicks belonging to different species, Moluccan eclectus ( Eclectus roratus ) and blue‐winged macaw ( Primolius maracana ), which died due to APyV infection and (ii) the lesions associated with the infection. By negative‐staining electron microscopy, well‐defined viral particles morphologically compatible with polyomavirus and polyomavirus‐like particles were identified in organs. Detection of APyV was confirmed by real‐time PCR, and BLAST analysis of the complete genome revealed 99.96% identity with a budgerigar fledging disease polyomavirus strain. The amount of DNA copy number/ng of DNA ranged from 2.47 × 10 ³ found in the myocardium to 3.90 × 10 ⁶ found in the feather quills of the eclectus and from 1.07 × 10 ¹ to 1.82 × 10 ⁷ detected in the brain and intestine of the blue‐winged macaw, respectively. According to the findings of inclusion bodies, viral particles, and DNA, the lung appeared as one of the most severely affected tissues. Even if inclusion bodies were not detected, severe lesions were found in the myocardium, bursa of Fabricius, and spleen. The results of this study highlight the ability of APyV to spread widely, leading to severe lesions in the organs of infected birds. The most significant amount of viral DNA detected in the gut and feathers highlights the relevance of feces and feathers as useful samples for the in vivo diagnosis.

Introduction: Paratuberculosis (PTB) is a disease caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP). In Italy, voluntary PTB control plans have been implemented; nonetheless, so far, data on the prevalence of PTB in dairy herds are fragmented and incomplete, especially in the south of the country. Objectives: The objectives were to determine the apparent (AP) and true (TP) prevalences of MAP infection, at the inter‐herd (between‐herd, BH) and intra‐herd (within‐herd, WH) levels, and the odds ratio (OR) to assess the probability of both cattle and herds testing positive in the provinces of Apulia, in southern Italy. Methods: A total of 6056 serum samples collected from 341 different dairy farms were analysed by ELISA. The number of farms and cattle required, BH and WH prevalence estimates, ORs, 95% confidence interval values (CIs) and p ‐values ( p ) were calculated. Results: A low overall TP was estimated at both the BH level (17.14%) and WH level (0.82%). Statistically significant differences in OR ( p  < 0.05) were found for the provinces of Foggia, with a high risk of positive animals at both BH (OR = 2.6569) and WH (OR = 2.5583) levels and Taranto, with a low risk at the WH (OR = 0.5043) level. Conclusions: Our results provide the first data on the prevalence of PTB in Apulian dairy herds, according to the following criteria: (i) use of a multi‐step sample size calculation procedure considering the test's imperfection; (ii) selection of larger sample sizes of both herds; (iii) inclusion of herds and cattle from the Apulia region only recruited randomly; and (iv) analysis of the test results using non‐Bayesian approaches.

Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) are the main causative agents of mastitis in sheep. Their ability to form biofilms in vivo is considered an important virulence factor underlying mastitis outbreaks refractory to antibiotic treatments. Furthermore, pre- and postdipping immersion during milking in iodine substances could determine the presence of residues in milk and therefore represent a health risk factor for consumers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antibacterial and biofilm inhibitory activity of Thymus vulgaris L. essential oil (TEO) against staphylococci strains isolated from ovine clinical mastitis. In particular, 3 reference strains (S. aureus 25923 and 11623 and S. epidermidis 12228) and 12 clinical isolates (6 S. aureus and 6 CNS) were used. TEO solutions, from a concentration of 1% (v/v) to 1.25% (v/v), corresponding to 9.28–2.32 mg/mL, were obtained after solubilization in 10% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and used to evaluate the bacterial time-kill compared to that of an iodine-based solution. Antibacterial efficacy was then assessed by the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), while biofilm inhibition was assessed by minimum biofilm inhibitory concentration (MBIC) using a spectrophotometer at a wavelength of 570 nm. Additionally, biofilm-associated genes (icaA and icaD) were evaluated in all tested strains by PCR. The tested TEO concentrations were able to significantly and prominently reduce bacterial growth compared to controls, as demonstrated by bacterial time-kills. The MIC value was obtained at a concentration of 0.50% (v/v) for a single coagulation-positive isolate (S. aureus (f)) and at a concentration of 0.25% (v/v) for all other isolates. TEO showed effective bactericidal action with a 99.9% reduction in CFU/mL of all isolates in the MBC test at a concentration of 0.25% (v/v) for most of the tested strains. Furthermore, a marked inhibition in biofilm formation at all tested concentrations was observed, with MBIC value of 0.25%. All S. aureus tested were biofilm-producing strains and positive for icaA and icaD genes, while two CNS biofilm-producing strains were negative for both genes. These preliminary results suggest that TEO could be a promising alternative as an udder disinfectant during milking practices. Although in vivo studies are needed to confirm the efficacy and safety of TEO as an adjuvant in the prevention and treatment of udder infections, TEO could help counteract the emergence of antimicrobial resistance and reduce the potential risk of iodine residues in milk.

Developing evidence‐based approaches to combat infectious diseases is essential in resource‐limited settings to enable prioritisation of interventions where they are most effective in reducing the burden of disease. Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is a major disease in cattle, but its impact remains poorly characterised in many contexts and production systems. To support the development of policies for accelerated bTB control, we conducted a systematic review to collate the available evidence on the impact of bTB on animal health, welfare and production. We identified 91 eligible studies providing information on the burden of bTB. Although the study suggested that bTB poses a considerable burden, the data were sparse and occasionally contradictory. A large proportion (87%) of bTB‐positive animals were asymptomatic, meaning infected animals could go undetected in the absence of routine surveillance and contribute to silent spread of infection. Almost half (46%) of bTB‐positive bovines exhibited visible lesions on post‐mortem inspection, and the carcase would be considered, in part or entirely, unfit for human consumption. However, due to the limited and sometimes conflicting evidence, the true burden in endemic herds and various settings remains poorly understood. The study highlights the paucity of the kind of detailed evidence that is essential for evaluating the benefit of any disease intervention and underscores the importance of considering the distribution of outcomes when supporting data are scarce.

Pasteurellosis, a disease caused by Pasteurella multocida, is responsible for economic losses in rabbit industrial farms due to rhinitis, conjunctivitis, pneumonia, metritis, mastitis, orchitis, subcutaneous abscesses, otitis, encephalitis, and septicaemic forms. Although the occurrence of the disease is conditioned by predisposing factors that affect the rabbit immune response, the strains of P. multocida involved in the infection may have a different pathogenic ability. Therefore, typing of strains spread among the rabbits is important to assess their pathogenic potential. The aim of this study is to investigate the P. multocida strains responsible for disease in rabbit industrial farms. A total of 114 strains identified from different lesions were serotyped. Additionally, the presence of virulence-associated genes was investigated using three PCR (polymerase chain reaction) protocols. Capsular type A was prevalently found in strains from respiratory lesions while types D and F in those from metritis, mastitis, and other lesions. Different associations between some virulence-associated genes and both capsular type and lesions found in rabbits were detected. The presence of 8 virulence-associated genes seems to increase the occurrence of metritis. In addition, strains belonging to capsular type A and responsible for respiratory disorders especially, were found equipped with 10 and 11 virulence-associated genes. Nevertheless, the presence of strains responsible only for rhinitis was also detected among the latter, suggesting that the pathogenic ability of the bacteria depends on the expression rather than the presence of a gene.

PICO question In dogs with snakebites does the use of antimicrobials compared to no antimicrobials reduce incidence of wound infection? Clinical bottom line Category of research Treatment. Number and type of study designs reviewed Seven case series. Strength of evidence Weak. Outcomes reported Three studies looked at the incidence of wound infection in envenomated dogs, three compared antimicrobial use to mortality and one compared other outcomes, such as time in hospital. The incidence of wound infection was low in the studies and overall antimicrobials seemed to have no significant effect on outcomes such as survival or wound infection. Therefore, the routine use of antimicrobials for snakebite treatment is not supported by the results, however further studies are required to provide conclusive evidence. Conclusion There is currently insufficient evidence from literature to either support or reject the use of antimicrobials in the treatment of snakebites. How to apply this evidence in practice The application of evidence into practice should take into account multiple factors, not limited to: individual clinical expertise, patient’s circumstances and owners’ values, country, location or clinic where you work, the individual case in front of you, the availability of therapies and resources. Knowledge Summaries are a resource to help reinforce or inform decision making. They do not override the responsibility or judgement of the practitioner to do what is best for the animal in their care.