Natascha Meunier

• BVSc, MSc, PhD, DipECVPH, MRCVS
• Programme Manager, Beef HealthCheck at Animal Health Ireland

Background In recent years, there have been multiple (political, environmental, cultural) drivers of change in Irish agriculture, including the establishment of Animal Health Ireland (AHI) in 2009, to provide leadership of non-regulatory livestock health issues (diseases and conditions of livestock that are endemic in Ireland but which are not curr...

Many studies report age as a risk factor for BoHV-1 infection or seropositivity. However, it is unclear whether this pattern reflects true epidemiological causation or is a consequence of study design and other issues. Here, we seek to understand the age-related dynamics of BoHV-1 seroprevalence in seasonal calving Irish dairy herds and provide dec...

The poster highlights some of the pitfalls when analyzing age-related prevalence data

Background: This novel study forms part of a larger research programme seeking an improved understanding of aspects of the owned dog population in Ireland. Dog welfare organisations (DWOs) in Ireland are recognised as an instrumental pillar of the animal welfare sector with some receiving substantial public funding. We conducted a survey of DWOs i...

Background The cattle sector is the most important economic production unit of the Irish farming and agri-food sector. Despite its relevance, there has been limited quantitative information about the structure of differing cattle production types and of the connections between them. This paper addresses this gap by providing, for the first time, an...

Background Reliable information about national pet dog populations is an important contributor to informed decision-making, both by governments and national dog welfare organisations. In some countries, there is an improved understanding of aspects of the national pet dog population, but as yet limited published information is available in Ireland....

This novel qualitative study identifies challenges and opportunities to improve dog welfare in Ireland, as perceived by dog welfare organisations (DWOs), a previously underutilised stakeholder. This study sought the views of this predominantly voluntary sector of the next steps for policy and action in dog welfare, in light of the effects of the “p...

Regulation (EU) 2019/6 on veterinary medicinal products came into force on January 28, 2022. Along with changes to antimicrobial usage, a major change is the requirement for a veterinary prescription for antiparasitic products in livestock, with a deferral until June 1, 2022. In this article Alison Burrell, BA, MSc, C.Psychol, Health Psychologist,...

In the recent past, peste des petits ruminants (PPR) emerged in East Africa causing outbreaks in small livestock across different countries, with evidences of spillover to wildlife. In order to understand better PPR at the wildlife–livestock interface, we investigated patterns of peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV) exposure, disease outbreaks,...

Objective: To evaluate two different barbed sutures for closure of pelvic flexure enterotomies and compare results achieved with two previously described closure techniques. Study design: Ex vivo. Sample population: Twenty-four fresh cadaver adult equine large colons. Methods: Cadavers were randomly assigned to four closure groups (n = 6 eac...

Surgical sterilisation to manage free-roaming dog populations is widely used in many countries. However, few studies have examined optimal postoperative pain management regimens at low-resource, high-throughput veterinary clinics. The aim of this study was to examine the efficacy of two intravenous analgesic regimens, preoperative administration of...

Background Measuring the size of free roaming dog populations quickly and accurately is critical in the implementation of numerous preventive health and population control interventions. However, few studies have investigated the relative performance of population size assessment tools when applied to dogs. The aim of this study was to compare the...

The mark-resight methodology is a widely used tool to assess both population size and vaccination coverage of free-roaming dogs. Evaluating coverage is often critical to determine the progress and impact of vaccination interventions. The aim of this study was to assess the reproducibility of the mark-resight method during a rabies vaccination campa...

Wounds in working donkeys are a common and preventable welfare problem in many countries. Mutilations, iatrogenic injuries carried out by owners, are a particularly distressing welfare issue. However, little is known about their nature and prevalence. The project aim was to assess the general health and establish the prevalence, nature and severity...

Background: Surgical sterilisation is currently the method of choice for controlling free-roaming dog populations. However, there are significant logistical challenges to neutering large numbers of dogs in low-resource clinics. The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence of short-term surgical complications in a low-resource sterilisati...

Rabies is a devastating yet preventable disease that causes around 59,000 human deaths annually. Almost all human rabies cases are caused by bites from rabies-infected dogs. A large proportion of these cases occur in Sub Saharan Africa (SSA). Annual vaccination of at least 70% of the dog population is recommended by the World Health Organisation in...

Distance estimation explanation. Figure explaining the two methods used for distance calculation between two locations. (PDF)

Results of the final multivariable logistic regression model predicting attendance to SP. Estimates and 95% confidence intervals of the final multivariable logistic regression model predicting attendance to SP. (PDF)

Dataset. Csv file containing spreadsheet of data used for this analysis. Please note that GPS locations were removed for protection of privacy. (CSV)

Data summary of categorical predictor variables. Cross-tabulations of categorical predictor variables against attendance to SP including missing data (NA) if any. (PDF)

Data summary of continuous predictor variables. Table presents the summary of continuous predictor variables including missing data (NA) if any. (PDF)

The transmission of diseases between livestock and wildlife can be a hindrance to effective disease control. Maintenance hosts and contact rates should be explored to further understand the transmission dynamics at the wildlife-livestock interface. Bovine tuberculosis (BTB) has been shown to have wildlife maintenance hosts and has been confirmed as...