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Introduction
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December 2003 - present
Publications
Publications (395)
We describe the computation of metrics to inform the selection of areas for a regionalised approach to bovine tuberculosis eradication in Ireland. Our aim was not to recommend suitable regions but to elucidate the criteria used in metric selection and comment on the diversity of metric values amongst regions. The 26 counties of Ireland were compare...
The poster aims to present the progress and challenges in the eradication of Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) in Ireland and highlight the unresolved issues that require further research and action.
University College Dublin (UCD) is undertaking a comprehensive program to support research at all levels, with a particular focus on building sustainable infrastructure for clinical research within the UCD Veterinary Hospital. In this article, Head of Small Animal Surgery, Ronan Mullins, offers an insight into research involving the freehand probin...
Given the lack of progress in recent years, new approaches must be considered in relation to the eradication of bovine tuberculosis (TB, caused by Mycobacterium bovis) in Ireland. This study examines the potential effectiveness of a regional approach within
a broader national eradication programme, as requested by the Department of Agriculture, Fo...
The poster highlights some of the pitfalls when analyzing age-related prevalence data
Summary of a model study to examine the impact and costs of a potential IBR eradication program in Ireland
Bovine tuberculosis (bTB), caused by Mycobacterium bovis, is one of the most challenging and persistent health issues in many countries worldwide. In several countries, bTB control is complicated due to the presence of wildlife reservoirs of infection, i.e. European badger (Meles meles) in Ireland and the UK, which can transmit infection to cattle....
The Single Intradermal Comparative Tuberculin Test (SICTT) and the interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) assay are the approved diagnostic tests for bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in Ireland. The aim of this pilot study was to explore if there was any added diagnostic benefit from applying the Enferplex bTB test (an antibody test) in severe bTB herd breakdowns after...
Postnatal mortality among replacement stock has a detrimental effect on the social, economic, and environmental sustainability of dairy production. Calf mortality rates vary between countries and show differences in temporal trends; most, however, are characterized by high levels of between-farm variability. Explaining this variation can be difficu...
In the Surveillance Tool for Outcome-based Comparison of FREEdom from infection (STOC free) project (https://www.stocfree.eu), a data collection tool was constructed to facilitate standardised collection of input data, and a model was developed to allow a standardised and harmonised comparison of the outputs of different control programmes (CPs) fo...
This opinion covers areas of policy-oriented scientific research relating to bovine tuberculosis (bTB) eradication in Ireland. It identifies areas for prioritised research by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine for the period 2022-2024 based
on stakeholder feedback. Key areas of emphasis include understanding different sources of My...
Whole genome sequencing (WGS) is a technique used to determine the complete DNA sequence of an organism's genome. In the context of bacterial pathogens, such as the causative agent of bovine tuberculosis (Mycobacterium bovis), WGS offers insights into the nucleotide sequence variations that arise due to mutations during bacterial replication. By tr...
Tuberculosis (TB) caused by the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC), including M. bovis, affects humans and multiple animal species. Cattle are significant hosts, and their interaction with other species, such as badgers and deer, is crucial for TB transmission dynamics. This opinion explores the proportional contributions of various transmis...
This document critically reviews the range of diagnostic methods currently employed in Ireland to detect animals infected with Mycobacterium bovis, the causative agent of bovine tuberculosis (bTB), that are not currently detected by the existing eradication programme. The review was carried out by the Scientific Working Group of the TB Forum follow...
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...
We used logistic regression to investigate whether the risk of an Irish cattle herd undergoing a bovine tuberculosis (bTB) breakdown increased with the size of the Ingoing Contact Chain (ICC) of previous herd to herd cattle movements, in a sequence up to eight moves back from the most recent, direct, movement into the herd. We further examined whet...
Background
In Ireland between 2008 and 2022, intramammary antimicrobial (AM) products could be prescribed by a veterinary practitioner under what was known as Schedule 8 (or remote) prescribing. Under this prescribing route, an annual herd visit was not required when criteria were met as outlined in Animal Remedies Regulation 2007 to 2017 (statutor...
Healthcare workers (HCWs) have increased exposure and subsequent risk of infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). This case-control study was conducted to investigate the contemporaneous risks associated with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection amongst HCWs following in-work exposure to a confirmed coronavirus disease...
Johne’s disease (bovine paratuberculosis) is an endemic disease caused by Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (Map). Map is transmitted between herds primarily through movement of infected but undetected animals. Within infected herds, possible control strategies include improving herd hygiene by reducing calf exposure to faeces from co...
Honey bees are key insect pollinators, providing important economic and ecological value for human beings and ecosystems. This has triggered the development of several monitoring methods for assessing the temporal development of colony size, food storage, brood and pathogens. Nonetheless, most of these methods are based on visual assessments that a...
Objective:
In the process of eradication of M.bovis in an area, quantification of the reproduction ratio parameter (R) is important to assess the current situation and to guide improvement of the eradication effort. For eradication we strive to have R<1 and thus we want to know during the process how close R is to 1. However, for an infection that...
Bovine paratuberculosis is an endemic disease caused by Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (Map). Map is mainly transmitted between herds through movement of infected but undetected animals. Our objective was to investigate the effect of observed herd characteristics on Map spread on a national scale in Ireland. Herd characteristics in...
In the last decade and a half, emerging vector-borne diseases have become a substantial threat to cattle across Europe. To mitigate the impact of the emergence of new diseases, outbreaks must be detected early. However, the clinical signs associated with many diseases may be nonspecific. Furthermore, there is often a delay in the development of new...
The Veterinary Medicines Regulation (EU 2019/6) came into force in all EU member states on 28 January 2022. This regulation places particular emphasis on prudent and responsible antimicrobial use in food animal production. Key changes include restrictions on the prophylactic use of antimicrobials in animals, and the possibility to reserve certain a...
The STOC free project constructed a generic framework that allows a standardised and harmonised description of different control programmes (CP) for cattle diseases. The STOC free model can be used to determine the confidence of freedom from infection that has been achieved in disease CPs, in support of an ongoing assessment of progress towards out...
Rapid Antigen Diagnostic Tests (RADTs) for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 offer advantages in that they are cheaper and faster than currently used PCR tests but have reduced sensitivity and specificity. One potential application of RADTs is to facilitate gatherings of individuals, through testing of attendees at the point of, or immediately prior to e...
Countries have implemented control programmes (CPs) for cattle diseases such as bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) that are tailored to each country-specific situation. Practical methods are needed to assess the output of these CPs in terms of the confidence of freedom from infection that is achieved. As part of the STOC free project, a Bayesian H...
Background
A national programme to eradicate bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) has been in place in Ireland since 2013. To inform decision making in the end stages of eradication, and support the development of post-eradication surveillance strategies, an understanding of risks of infection in a low prevalence system is required.
Methods
A case-control...
Mycoplasma bovis is a serious disease of cattle worldwide; mastitis, pneumonia, and arthritis are particularly important clinical presentations in dairy herds. Mycoplasma bovis was first identified in Ireland in 1994, and the reporting of Mycoplasma-associated disease has substantially increased over the last 5 years. Despite the presumed endemic n...
Zoonotic tuberculosis, caused by Mycobacterium bovis, is mainly linked to the consumption of raw milk from infected cows. In many countries, cases are rare, due to pasteurisation of milk and national programmes to control M. bovis infection in cattle. Specialty cheeses, which are often produced using raw milk, present challenges to risk managers in...
Control programmes against non-regulated infectious diseases of farm animals are widely implemented. Different control programmes have different definitions of “freedom from infection” which can lead to difficulties when trading animals between countries. When a disease is still present, in order to identify herds that are safe to trade with, estim...
Bovine tuberculosis, caused by Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis), is a globally distributed chronic disease of animals. The bacteria can be transmitted to humans via the consumption of unpasteurised (raw) milk, thus representing an important public health risk. To investigate the risk of zoonotic transmission of M. bovis via raw milk, this study syste...
The collective control programmes (CPs) that exist for many infectious diseases of farm animals rely on the application of diagnostic testing at regular time intervals for the identification of infected animals or herds. The diversity of these CPs complicates the trade of animals between regions or countries because the definition of freedom from i...
Rapid Antigen Diagnostic Tests (RADTs) for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 offer advantages in that they are cheaper and faster than currently used PCR tests but have reduced sensitivity and specificity. One potential application of RADTs is to facilitate gatherings of individuals, through testing of attendees at the point of, or immediately prior to e...
Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium bovis which results in a significant economic cost to cattle industries and governments where it is endemic. In Ireland, the European badger is the main wildlife reservoir of infection. In this study, we investigated whether (motorway) road construction was associated...
Background
Contact tracing is conducted with the primary purpose of interrupting transmission from individuals who are likely to be infectious to others. Secondary analyses of data on the numbers of close contacts of confirmed cases could also: provide an early signal of increases in contact patterns that might precede larger than expected case num...
Introduction
Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is an important zoonotic disease which has serious and sometimes fatal effects on both human and non-human animals. In many countries it is endemic in the cattle population and has a considerable economic impact through losses in productivity and impacts on trade. The incidence rate in Ireland varies by herd a...
The Irish Johne's Control Programme (IJCP) provides a long-term approach to the voluntary control of Johne's disease (JD) in Ireland, strongly supported by Irish cattle industry leadership. It leverages the establishment of Animal Health Ireland for control of animal diseases not regulated by the European Union. The IJCP has four objectives: facili...
A mandatory national Irish bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) eradication programme, coordinated by Animal Health Ireland, commenced in 2013. Key decisions and programme review are undertaken by a cross-industry Implementation Group (BVDIG) supported by a Technical Working Group. Ear notch tissue is collected from all new-born calves using modified offic...
We present a new modelling framework to address the evaluation of national control/surveillance programs planned in line with the European Animal Health Law (AHL) for livestock diseases. Our modelling framework is applied to the cattle sector in Ireland where there is need for policy support to design an optimal programme to achieve bovine herpesvi...
Background
The serial interval is the period of time between the onset of symptoms in an infector and an infectee and is an important parameter which can impact on the estimation of the reproduction number. Whilst several parameters influencing infection transmission are expected to be consistent across populations, the serial interval can vary acr...
Various European Member States have implemented control or eradication programmes for endemic infectious diseases in cattle. The design of these programmes varies between countries and therefore comparison of the outputs of different control programmes is complex. Although output-based methods to estimate the confidence of freedom resulting from th...
We present a modelling framework for the spreading of epidemics on temporal networks from which both the individual-based and pair-based models can be recovered. The proposed temporal pair-based model that is systematically derived from this framework offers an improvement over existing pair-based models by moving away from edge-centric description...
Background
Contact tracing is conducted with the primary purpose of interrupting transmission from individuals who are likely to be infectious to others. Secondary analyses of data on the numbers of close contacts of confirmed cases could also: provide an early signal of increases in contact patterns that might precede larger than expected case num...
Abstract Antimicrobial resistance has been recognised as one of the most difficult challenges facing human and animal health in recent decades. The surveillance of antimicrobial use in animal health plays a major role in dealing with the growing issue of resistance. This paper reviews current data available on antimicrobial use in farmed animals in...
Abstract The Irish dairy industry has established a reputation for the production of safe and healthy dairy products and is seeking to further expand its export market for high value dairy products. To support its reputation, stakeholders aim to control Johne’s disease. To assist decision-makers determine the most appropriate design for an Irish pr...
The serial interval is the time between symptom onsets in an infector–infectee pair. The generation time, also known as the generation interval, is the time between infection events in an infector–infectee pair. The serial interval and the generation time are key parameters for assessing the dynamics of a disease. A number of scientific papers repo...
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...
Objectives:
Our objective was to review the literature on the inferred duration of the infectious period of COVID-19, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus, and provide an overview of the variation depending on the methodological approach.
Design:
Rapid scoping review. Literature review with fixed search te...
Objectives: The aim of this study was to conduct a scoping review of estimates of the relative infectiousness of asymptomatic persons infected with SARS-CoV-2 compared with symptomatic individuals.
Design: Rapid scoping review of literature available until 8th April 2020.
Setting: International studies on the infectiousness of individuals infected...
Background
The transmissibility of SARS-CoV-2 determines both the ability of the virus to invade a population and the strength of intervention that would be required to contain or eliminate the spread of infection. The basic reproduction number, R 0 , provides a quantitative measure of the transmission potential of a pathogen.
Objective
Conduct a...
Cardiomyopathy syndrome (CMS) is a severe cardiac disease of Atlantic salmon caused by the piscine myocarditis virus (PMCV), which was first reported in Ireland in 2012. In this paper, we describe the use of data-driven network modeling as a framework to evaluate the transmission of PMCV in the Irish farmed Atlantic salmon population and the impact...
Antibody-detecting tests for Mycobacterium avium ssp. paratuberculosis (MAP) have low sensitivity and imperfect specificity for detection of infection. Sensitivity increases as the disease progresses. Aside from infection status and stage of disease, several factors affect test performance. These factors have not yet been studied in dairy cows prod...
African swine fever (ASF) entered Georgia in 2007 and the EU in 2014. In the EU, the virus primarily spread in wild boar (Sus scrofa) in the period from 2014–2018. However, from the summer 2018, numerous domestic pig farms in Romania were affected by ASF. In contrast to the existing knowledge on ASF transmission routes, the understanding of risk fa...
In response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, the Irish Epidemiological Modelling
Advisory Group (IEMAG) for COVID-19 was established to assist the Irish National
Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) in their decision-making during the pandemic.
A subcommittee from IEMAG (the epidemiological parameters team) was tasked with
researching th...
Objectives
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus is spreading rapidly worldwide and threatening the collapse of national health care systems. The development of effective resource models are critical for long term health planning. The aim was to evaluate the available literature, to consider parameters affecting hospital res...
Background: Understanding the extent of virus transmission that can occur before symptom onset is vital for targeting control measures against the global pandemic of COVID-19.
Objective: Estimation of (1) the proportion of pre-symptomatic transmission of COVID-19 that can occur and (2) timing of transmission relative to symptom onset.
Design: Secon...
Background: The serial interval is the time between symptom onsets in an infector infectee pair. The generation time, also known as the generation interval, is the time between infection events in an infector infectee pair. The serial interval and the generation time are key parameters for assessing the dynamics of a disease. A number of scientific...
Objectives: Our objective was to review the literature on the inferred duration of the infectious period of COVID-19, caused by SARS-COV-2 virus, and provide an overview of the variation depending on the methodological approach.
Design: Rapid scoping review. Literature review with fixed search terms, up to 1st April 2020. Central tendency and varia...
Background:
Reliable estimates of the incubation period are important for decision making around the control of infectious diseases. Knowledge of the incubation period distribution can be used directly to inform decision-making or as inputs into mathematical models.
Objectives:
The aim of this study was to conduct a rapid systematic review and meta...
A compulsory national BVD eradication programme commenced in Ireland in 2013. Since then considerable progress has been made, with the animal-level prevalence of calves born persistently infected (PI) falling from 0.67 % in 2013 to 0.06 % in 2018. The herd-level prevalence fell from 11.3 % in 2013 to 1.1 % in 2018. In the Irish programme, herds in...
Abstract The European Commission requested EFSA to estimate the risk of spread of African swine fever (ASF) and to identify potential risk factors (indicators) for the spread of ASF, given introduction in the south‐eastern countries of Europe (region of concern, ROC), namely Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Greece, Kosovo, Montenegro, Nort...
Abstract The most significant knowledge gaps in the prevention and control of African swine fever (ASF) were identified by the EU Veterinary services and other stakeholders involved in pig production and wild boar management through an online survey. The respondents were asked to identify the major research needs in order to improve short‐term ASF...
Bovine paratuberculosis is a chronic infectious disease of cattle caused by Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP). This is the first in a two-part review of the epidemiology and control of paratuberculosis in dairy herds. Paratuberculosis was originally described in 1895 and is now considered endemic among farmed cattle worldwide. M...
Bovine paratuberculosis is a chronic infectious disease of cattle, caused by Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP). This is the second in a two-part review of the epidemiology and control of paratuberculosis in dairy herds. Several negative production effects associated with MAP infection have been described, but perhaps the most si...