Voluntary Eradication Research Articles

Molecular and serological investigation of Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus in dairy cattle in Konya province

Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) infection is a viral disease observed in many parts of the world and causing significant economic losses in dairy cattle enterprises. The present study was carried out to determine the seropositivity of BVDV and perform the molecular detection of the virus in cattle in dairy enterprises situated in Konya province and its surroundings in the Central Anatolia Region. In this cross-sectional study performed between March 2017 and April 2019, a total of 393 serum samples were collected from twenty-four dairy cattle enterprises by random sampling. The presence of antibodies in the obtained blood serum samples was investigated by the virus neutralization test using NADL, the BVDV reference strain. Samples were controlled for BVDV specific antibody (Ab) presence and titter values using serum neutralization test. The serum samples were examined in terms of the presence of BVDV-specific antigens and specific RNA using a commercial ELISA kit and the RT-PCR method, respectively. According to the results of the analysis, the animal and herd-level seropositivity was 55.72% (219/393) and 79.16% (19/24), respectively. It was revealed that seropositivity between age groups was statistically significant (χ2:11.81; p=0.002). Moreover, the samples were determined to be 45.13%, 60.53%, and 73.07% seropositive in the 6 months-2 years, 2-5 years, and above 5 years age ranges, respectively. It was revealed that all of the samples tested to detect persistently infected animals were negative for antigen and BVDV-specific RNA. As a result, it indicates the presence of BVDV infection in dairy cattle enterprises in Konya province. Therefore, it is essential for the country's economy to prevent the spread of the infection in question and implement voluntary eradication programs.

Incidencia del proceso de paz con las FARC en la política antidrogas de Colombia

Este artículo estudia cómo las negociaciones de paz del Gobierno de Colombia con las Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC) impactaron la política antidrogas del país. Para ello, se revisa la literatura sobre economía de las guerras civiles y la economía del crimen como oficio, se estudia la política antidrogas durante las últimas dos décadas y se analizan las cifras oficiales consignadas en informes gubernamentales e internacionales sobre el comportamiento de los cultivos ilícitos, la producción y el tráfico de drogas. Los resultados muestran que la política antidrogas del Estado durante el gobierno de Santos, fundamentalmente basada en la erradicación voluntaria y la sustitución de cultivos, y una fuerte disminución de las aspersiones aéreas (erradicación forzosa), resultó ser un factor determinante en el incremento de los cultivos de cocaína.

Análisis del Costo-Beneficio, para el tránsito de cultivos de carácter ilícito, a cultivos lícitos para facilitar el desarrollo de los agronegocios en la región del Catatumbo

Objetivo: Contrastar el Costo/Beneficio del cultivo ilegal versus el cultivo legal, producto de la erradicación voluntaria en el Municipio de Hacarí, Norte de Santander. Método: La investigación se cimento en el paradigma positivista, metodología cuantitativa y enfoque correlacional. La población objeto de estudio se circunscribe a los encargados de las juntas de acción comunal del municipio y los cultivadores quienes abordaron la sustitución voluntaria del cultivo de la coca. La técnica de recolección de información aplicada, fue la encuesta a través de la aplicación de un cuestionario. Resultados: Se encontró que no existe información sobre las hectáreas, las rotaciones de cultivo e inversiones en insumos, además se pudo evidenciar el número de hectáreas sembradas con coca crecieron y que los cultivadores quienes sustituyeron no han recibido ayuda por parte del gobierno, asimismo, se evidenció que están aún hay presiones indebidas, con el agravante de que la sustitución ha sido voluntaria y con costos elevados. Discusiones: Pese a que existen programas del estado, todavía hay poca credibilidad en la solución al problema, los costos de insumos son cada vez elevados y se siente el descuido social de la región y la presión de los fuerzas al margen de la ley. Conclusiones: El cultivo por hectáreas de cultivos ilícitos genera más jornales que una de lícito, los cultivos ilícitos son más rentables en el tiempo. Las rastras del proceso investigativo asumido han arrojado respuestas esperanzadoras donde se demuestra técnicamente que existe un potencial agrícola aun no explotado en su totalidad, que es de uso legal y que resulta más atractivo que los cultivos de uso ilícito.

Improvement of eradication program for infectious bovine rhinotracheitis in France inferred by serological monitoring of singleton reactors in certified BoHV1-free herds

Within the framework of the national voluntary eradication program for Bovine alphaherpesvirus 1 (BoHV1) in France, the proportion of certified-free herds which experienced no more than two positive animals (termed singleton reactors) steadily increased to reach up to 95% in 2015. The aim of this study was to collate and evaluate serological data to gain insight into these epidemiological questionable BoHV1 seropositive animals. Preliminary evaluation of the performances of BoHV1 ELISA kits using a collection of 997 field sera with well-defined status revealed a relatively low specificity of the two gB blocking ELISAs most used in France for confirmatory testing (93.2% and 97.5% for gB-IDVet and gB-Idexx, respectively). In both ELISAs, the suboptimal specificity was associated with the presence of antibodies against BoHV2. Reassessment of the cut-offs led to a specificity and a sensitivity higher than 99.3%. Consequently, a comprehensive analysis of gB-positive sera from 2551 singleton reactors was performed by using gB ELISAs with optimized cut-offs, combined with viral neutralization test (campaign 2014–2015) or gE ELISA (campaign 2015–2016). Fifty percent of the 728 sera collected in 2014–2015 reacted below the optimized cut-offs in both gB ELISAs. Analysis of new blood samples collected at a minimum 6-week interval showed that these weak-positive reactions did not increase with time and could not be confirmed by confirmatory tests. Among the 1823 sera collected in 2015–2016, only 84 samples tested positive by gE ELISA, most of them corresponding to sera with reactivity above the optimized cut-offs in gB ELISAs. Screening for BoHV2 antibodies revealed a significantly increased prevalence among herds with singleton reactors, compared with the between-herd prevalence in French cattle herds. Altogether, these results provided suitable analytical strategies to limit the occurrence of false-positive BoHV1 reactions and inappropriate withdrawal of the BoHV1-free status, without alteration of diagnostic costs and reliability of eradication programs.

Effects of control measures on the spread of LA-MRSA among Danish pig herds between 2006 and 2015 \u2013 a simulation study

There has been a rapid increase in Danish pig herds testing positive for livestock-associated Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (LA-MRSA) since the first screening in 2008. Despite a national action plan to control LA-MRSA in the Danish pig population, 88% of pig herds tested positive in a 2016 cross-sectional study of 57 herds. The national action plan was initiated in April 2015 and aimed to reduce the spread of LA-MRSA among pig herds. However, its success is uncertain. We used a simulation model mimicking the spread of LA-MRSA among pig herds between 2006 and 2015 to evaluate the impact of control strategies if these had these been implemented in 2007 or 2010. The strategies were combinations of the following control measures: (1) a reduced number of herds using high-risk antibiotics, (2) a reduced probability of indirect transmission among herds via humans, (3) movement restrictions, and (4) voluntary eradication in 5–7.5% of the herds. Almost all tested control strategies simulated a reduction in the spread of LA-MRSA. The combination of two, three or four intervention strategies showed additive effects and led to larger reductions in the predicted herd prevalence. In addition, the prevalence of LA-MRSA-positive herds at the time when control measures were initiated influenced the effects of the control strategies. Combining the simulated control measures can be considered in future action plans to control LA-MRSA.

Field application of an indirect gE ELISA on pooled milk samples for the control of IBR in free and marker vaccinated dairy herds

BackgroundThe aim of the present study was to assess the reliability of a new strategy for monitoring the serological response against Bovine Herpesvirus 1 (BoHV1), the causative agent of infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR). Bulk milk samples have already been identified as cost effective diagnostic matrices for monitoring purposes. Nevertheless, most eradication programs are still based on individual standard assays. In a region of northwestern Italy (Piedmont), the voluntary eradication program for IBR has become economically unsustainable. Being the prevalence of infection still high, glycoprotein E-deleted marker vaccines are commonly used but gE blocking ELISAs are less sensitive on bulk milk samples compared to blood serum.ResultsA recently developed indirect gE ELISA showed high versatility when applied to a wide range of matrices. In this study, we applied a faster, cost effective system for the concentration of IgG from pooled milk samples. The IgG enriched fractions were tested using a gE indirect ELISA for monitoring purposes in IBR-positive and IBR-marker-vaccinated herds. Official diagnostic tests were used as gold standard. During a 3 years study, a total 250 herds were involved, including more than 34,500 lactating cows. The proposed method showed a very good agreement with official diagnostic protocols and very good diagnostic performances: only 37 positive animals were not detected across the entire study.ConclusionsThe results highlighted the ability of the proposed method to support the surveillance of IBR in the Piedmont region, reducing the costs without affecting the diagnostic performances.

¿Por qué erradicamos? Entre bastiones de poder, cultura, y narcotráfico

In 1997, a quite unique process of voluntary eradication of poppy and coca was sparked within the Guambiano resguardo of Silvia (Cauca). This paper explores the ways in which local strategies of cultural and political survival have been activated as responses to the de‐structuring effects of drug‐ridden economies and ethos. While making a case on the need to defend the triad land‐territorial autonomy‐local authority, the resguardo government unleashed a process that successfully articulated cultural identity with a socially sanctioned mobilization against all practices and forces that would disrupt this triad. The paper suggests that the emergence of civic guards, the moral and social pressure to eradicate illicit crops, and later the consolidation of processes of civil peaceful resistance to armed conflict within the resguardo are examples of a broader process of creative local responses to an increasingly virulent conflict.