Novel insights into the dynamics of green turtle fibropapillomatosis

Outbreaks of fibropapillomatosis (FP), a neoplastic infectious disease of marine turtles, have occurred worldwide since the 1980s. Its most likely aetiological agent is a virus, but disease expression depends on external factors, typically associated with altered environments. The scarcity of robust long-term data on disease prevalence has limited interpretations on the impacts of FP on turtle populations. Here we model the dynamics of FP at 2 green turtle foraging aggregations in Puerto Rico, through 18 yr of capture-mark-recapture data (1997−2014). We observed spatiotemporal variation in FP prevalence, potentially modulated via individual site-fidelity. FP ex pression was residency dependent, and FP-free individuals developed tumours after 1.8 ± 0.8 yr (mean ± SD) in the infected area. Recovery from the disease was likely, with complete tumour regression occurring in 2.7 ± 0.7 yr (mean ± SD). FP does not currently seem to be a major threat to marine turtle populations; however, disease prevalence is yet unknown in many areas. Systematic monitoring is highly advisable as human-induced stressors can lead to deviations in host− pathogen relationships and disease virulence. Finally, data collection should be standardized for a global assessment of FP dynamics and impacts.

Proposal to minimize the difficulty of recording abortion data in sheep

Background: The most frequent viral diseases which can cause abortion in sheep are Blue tongue, Border disease virus, Cache Valley fever and Schmallenberg virus. The diagnosis of abortion, namely virus-induced represents a challenge to field clinicians, since clinical signs presented by the dam are discrete, non-specific and variable (Agerhom et al., 2015). On the other hand, while some foetuses reveal characteristic and visible malformations, others do not reveal any lesions. In face of it, definitive diagnosis requires an appropriate history collection, as well as sending fresh samples, namely abortion material, foetus, placenta and umbilical cord, to a specialty laboratory, to obtain a precise diagnosis. Objectives: The authors suggest a registration method of all mandatory data, in order to further assist the diagnosis of viral diseases at the laboratories, including the most frequent congenital malformations reported in sheep abortions. Methods: Abortion samples of suspected viral origin were collected and all data were registered, in worktables optimized for this purpose. Results: The authors document, using macroscopic figures lesions of malformations in abortions, emphasizing the frequency and the importance of documenting each case, proposing practical and effective worktables to assist the fieldwork. Conclusions: Field clinician’s awareness of the importance of early detection of viral diseases causing abortion outbreaks stimulates a proper data collection for each case of abortion, in order to contribute to a precise diagnosis and posterior consistent epidemiological studies, which may allow diminishing of economic losses.

Outbreak of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus in Portugal, 2015

An outbreak of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) in the South of Portugal in January 2015 and the spread of PEDV northwards in the territory are described. Comparative analysis of the amplified sequences showed a very high (99.0%) identity with the PEDV variant most recently reported in the United States and also show complete (100%) identity to the strains recently reported in Germany, supporting the hypothesis that a unique strain is currently circulating in Europe. The origin of this PEDV variant still needs to be elucidated and further studies in the remaining European countries may contribute to the knowledge.

Epi Notes

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, Bureau of Disease Control publishes Epi Notes, with articles on epidemiology of reportable conditions; surveillance and reporting of diseases/conditions, outbreaks, and events of public health significance; prevention and treatment of disease; and other topics of interest to DHEC’s disease reporting partners.

Epi Notes

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, Bureau of Disease Control publishes Epi Notes, with articles on epidemiology of reportable conditions; surveillance and reporting of diseases/conditions, outbreaks, and events of public health significance; prevention and treatment of disease; and other topics of interest to DHEC’s disease reporting partners.

Epi Notes

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, Bureau of Disease Control publishes Epi Notes, with articles on epidemiology of reportable conditions; surveillance and reporting of diseases/conditions, outbreaks, and events of public health significance; prevention and treatment of disease; and other topics of interest to DHEC’s disease reporting partners.

Epi Notes

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, Bureau of Disease Control publishes Epi Notes, with articles on epidemiology of reportable conditions; surveillance and reporting of diseases/conditions, outbreaks, and events of public health significance; prevention and treatment of disease; and other topics of interest to DHEC’s disease reporting partners.

Epi Notes

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, Bureau of Disease Control publishes Epi Notes, with articles on epidemiology of reportable conditions; surveillance and reporting of diseases/conditions, outbreaks, and events of public health significance; prevention and treatment of disease; and other topics of interest to DHEC’s disease reporting partners.

Epi Notes

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, Bureau of Disease Control publishes Epi Notes, with articles on epidemiology of reportable conditions; surveillance and reporting of diseases/conditions, outbreaks, and events of public health significance; prevention and treatment of disease; and other topics of interest to DHEC’s disease reporting partners.

Epi Notes

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, Bureau of Disease Control publishes Epi Notes, with articles on epidemiology of reportable conditions; surveillance and reporting of diseases/conditions, outbreaks, and events of public health significance; prevention and treatment of disease; and other topics of interest to DHEC’s disease reporting partners.

Epi Notes

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, Bureau of Disease Control publishes Epi Notes, with articles on epidemiology of reportable conditions; surveillance and reporting of diseases/conditions, outbreaks, and events of public health significance; prevention and treatment of disease; and other topics of interest to DHEC’s disease reporting partners.

Epi Notes

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, Bureau of Disease Control publishes Epi Notes, with articles on epidemiology of reportable conditions; surveillance and reporting of diseases/conditions, outbreaks, and events of public health significance; prevention and treatment of disease; and other topics of interest to DHEC’s disease reporting partners.

Epi Notes

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, Bureau of Disease Control publishes Epi Notes, with articles on epidemiology of reportable conditions; surveillance and reporting of diseases/conditions, outbreaks, and events of public health significance; prevention and treatment of disease; and other topics of interest to DHEC’s disease reporting partners.

Epi Notes

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, Bureau of Disease Control publishes Epi Notes, with articles on epidemiology of reportable conditions; surveillance and reporting of diseases/conditions, outbreaks, and events of public health significance; prevention and treatment of disease; and other topics of interest to DHEC’s disease reporting partners.

Epi Notes

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, Bureau of Disease Control publishes Epi Notes, with articles on epidemiology of reportable conditions; surveillance and reporting of diseases/conditions, outbreaks, and events of public health significance; prevention and treatment of disease; and other topics of interest to DHEC’s disease reporting partners.