Variability in non-core vaccination rates of dogs and cats in veterinary clinics across the United States

Vaccination guidelines for dogs and cats indicate that core vaccines (for dogs, rabies, distemper, adenovirus, parvovirus; for cats, feline parvovirus, herpes virus-1, calicivirus) are essential to maintain health, and that non-core vaccines be administered according to a clinician’s assessment of a pet’s risk of exposure and susceptibility to infection. A reliance on individual risk assessment introduces the potential for between-practice inconsistencies in non-core vaccine recommendations. A study was initiated to determine non-core vaccination rates of dogs (Leptospira, Borrelia burgdorferi, Bordetella bronchiseptica, canine influenza virus) and cats (feline leukemia virus) in patients current for core vaccines in veterinary practices across the United States. Transactional data for 5,531,866 dogs (1,670 practices) and 1,914,373 cats (1,661 practices) were retrieved from practice management systems for the period November 1, 2016 through January 1, 2020, deidentified and normalized. Non-core vaccination status was evaluated in 2,798,875 dogs and 788,772 cats that were core-vaccine current. Nationally, median clinic vaccination rates for dogs were highest for leptospirosis (70.5%) and B. bronchiseptica (68.7%), and much lower for canine influenza (4.8%). In Lyme-endemic states, the median clinic borreliosis vaccination rate was 51.8%. Feline leukemia median clinic vaccination rates were low for adult cats (34.6%) and for kittens and 1-year old cats (36.8%). Individual clinic vaccination rates ranged from 0 to 100% for leptospirosis, B. bronchiseptica and feline leukemia, 0–96% for canine influenza, and 0–94% for borreliosis. Wide variation in non-core vaccination rates between clinics in similar geographies indicates that factors other than disease risk are driving the use of non-core vaccines in pet dogs and cats, highlighting a need for veterinary practices to address gaps in patient protection. Failure to implement effective non-core vaccination strategies leaves susceptible dogs and cats unprotected against vaccine-preventable diseases.     

Adjuvanted leptospiral vaccines: Challenges and future development of new leptospirosis vaccines

Leptospirosis is a neglected infectious disease of global importance. Vaccination is the most viable strategy for the control of leptospirosis, but in spite of efforts for the development of an effective vaccine against the disease, few advances have been made, and to date, bacterin is the only option for prevention of leptospirosis. Bacterins are formulations based on inactivated leptospires that present a series of drawbacks, such as serovar-dependence and short-term immunity. Therefore, bacterins are not widely used in humans, and only Cuba, France and China have these vaccines licensed for at-risk populations. The development of recombinant DNA technology emerges as an alternative to solve the problem. Recombinant protein-based vaccines or DNA vaccines seem to be an attractive strategy, but the use of adjuvants is critical for achievement of a protective immune response. Adjuvants are capable of enhancing and/or modulating immune responses by exposing antigens to antigen-presenting cells. In the last years, several components have been tested as adjuvants, such as aluminum salts, oil based-emulsion adjuvants, bacteria-derived components and liposomes. This review highlights the use of adjuvants in the multiple vaccine approaches that have been used for leptospirosis and their most important immunological aspects. Immune response data generated by these strategies can contribute to the understanding of the immune mechanisms involved in protection against leptospirosis, and consequently, the development of effective vaccines against this disease. This is the first review on leptospiral vaccines focusing on adjuvant aspects.     

湖南省洪涝灾害高发地区钩端螺旋体病流行因素的研究

目的研究湖南省洪涝灾害高发地区钩端螺旋体病的流行因素。方法选择洞庭湖区6个县研究传染源密度、带茵情况和自然人群、病人与动物抗体水平，按国家有关标准进行实验室和现场工作。结果(1)传染源：灭鼠前、后和钩体病流行后期鼠密度分别为7．02％、2．31％和4．64％，优势鼠种为黑线姬鼠，灭鼠后鼠密度下降了67．09％：村民家庭家畜饲养以圈养形式占99．15％，喂商品混合饲料的占72．33％。(2)病原学：对鼠、猪、犬和病人的标本进行钩体培养，分离出82株钩体，黄疸出血群占70．73％，1株国内新型茵，黑线姬鼠分离率高达11．03％。(3)血清学：检测1263名自然人15个群钩体抗体，一群以上抗体阳性率未接种钩体苗为50．88％，接种一针四价钩体为72．55％，人群抗体有14群之多；检测85例病人双份血清抗体，确诊63例，符合率74．11％，黄疸出血群感染比例最高；流行季节牛、犬和出栏猪抗体分别有14、8和7个群，牛阳性率最高。结论流行前灭鼠效果好，不仅降低了鼠密度，还降低了带茵率；主要传染源是鼠和牛，牛作为传染源的意义大于猪和犬；人群接种一针四价钩体菌苗亦有效；病人感染黄疸出血、澳洲和秋季群为多。     

Recent trends in human leptospirosis in Italy

The recent epidemiological trends of human leptospirosis in Italy were investigated using data collected for the years 1981–1985. A total of 626 hospitalized patients with clinical diagnoses of suspected leptospirosis were reported by hospital centers from several Italian regions. Epidemiological, clinical and seroimmunological data were collected in 517 of these cases and examined by the National Center for Leptospirosis.Serological findings in 33.5% of these subjects met the criteria for confirmation of the disease. In 21.8% of the subjects, low titer antibodies were detected, which possibly reflected previous leptospiral infections. An early antibiotic treatment of the current infection may also have lowered the seroimmunological response in some of these patients.In 59.3% of the confirmed cases, modes of transmission were allotted equally between accidental events and recreational or occupational activities. Drinking water from an open air fountain emerged as an uncommon mode of transmission; it was responsible for an outbreak of 33 cases of leptospirosis. In another 37.07% of the subjects, it was impossible to establish the mode of transmission.Respiratory or influenza-like symptoms were the only clinical signs of illness in 21.2% of the patients with confirmed leptospirosis.In comparison to the sixties and seventies, the prevalence of infecting serovars showed increasing incidence of infections due to serovars of the Javanica (11.0%) and Australis (11.0%) serogroups and an important decrease in the Bataviae serogroup infections (from 58.8% in rice-field workers in the forties to 0.6% in the years 1981–1985). Sejroe serogroup infections accounted for 4.5 per cent of confirmed cases of leptospirosis.In 49.7% of subjects with confirmed leptospirosis, cross-agglutination at the same titre with two or more serovars of different sero-groups occurred, thus preventing the identification of the serogroup of the infecting strain.     

海南省钩端螺旋体病地理流行病学研究 Ⅰ.自然地理、动物地理区划和流行概况

本文简介海南岛的自然地理、啮齿动物地理区划和社会经济（包括人口数、性别年龄分布、人工植被、耕作习惯等）与钩端螺旋体病发生或流行有关的自然因素．扼要报告自1958─1991年以来各年度该病的发病率与病死率，比较了50─90年代总的发病态势是低→高→低，并略作了分析。     

四妙勇安汤加味合血塞通治疗小儿钩端螺旋体脑动脉炎疗效分析

目的：探讨四妙勇安汤加味合血塞通注射液对钩端螺旋体脑动脉炎的临床疗效。方法：从入院先后随机分组对照,治疗组口服四妙勇安汤加味,静滴血塞通;对照组肌注青霉素,静滴维脑路通加脑细胞激活剂。结果：治疗组治愈率65.22％,总有效率95.65％;对照组治愈率37.5%,总有效率84.37％。两组治愈率、总有效率比较有显著性差异（P＜0.05）,治疗组治疗后血液流变学各项指标明显下降,而对照组仅有部分改善。结论：四妙勇安汤加味联用血塞通注射液治疗钩端螺旋体脑动脉炎临床效果显著,优于常规西医治疗。     

对钩端螺旋体病黄疸发生机制的一种新认识

钩端螺旋体病黄疸时血清胆红素以结合型的为主(50—80%),其含量在黄疸、非黄疸及对照组间有高度显著性差异(P<0.01)。而SGPT在三组间的差异无显著性(P>0.05)。黄疸组肝细胞膜Na,K-ATP酶活性无显著性(P>0.05)下降。结合型高胆红素血症出现时,与形态结构的改变相应,肝细胞紧密连接对硝酸镧通透,即其通透性增大。由此导致的胆汁渗漏反流及胆汁生成障碍在钩端螺旋体病黄疸的发生中起着重要作用。而微胆管的病变可加剧该病理过程。     

LemA and Erp Y-like recombinant proteins from Leptospira interrogans protect hamsters from challenge using AddaVax™ as adjuvant

BackgroundRecombinant subunit vaccines have been extensively evaluated as promising alternatives against leptospirosis. Here, we evaluated two proteins in formulations containing the adjuvant AddaVax™ as vaccine candidates for prevention and control of leptospirosis.MethodsRecombinant proteins rErp Y-like and rLemA were characterized by ELISA to assess their ability to bind extracellular matrix (ECM) components and fibrinogen. Groups of eight hamsters were immunized intramuscularly with rErp Y-like or rLemA mixed with a squalene-based adjuvant (AddaVax), and then vaccine efficacy was determined in terms of protection against a lethal challenge. The humoral immune response was determined by ELISA, and the evidence of sub-lethal infection was evaluated by histopathology and kidney culture.ResultsrLemA protein binds laminin, fibrinogen, and collagen type IV, while rErp Y-like interacts with fibrinogen. Significant protection was achieved for rLemA and rErp Y-like vaccines, which showed 87.5% and 62.5% survivals, respectively. On day 28, the humoral immune response was significantly greater in the vaccine groups as compared to that in the control group, and the response was predominantly based on IgG2/3. The surviving animals showed negative results in culture isolation but presented with tissue lesions in the lungs and kidneys.ConclusionCumulatively, our findings suggest that LemA and Erp Y-like proteins act as adhesins and are able to protect against mortality, but not against tissue lesions. Moreover, AddaVax is a novel adjuvant with potential for improving the immunogenicity of leptospiral vaccines.     

Acute Necrotising Pancreatitis Associated with Leptospirosis—A Case Report

Acute Necrotizing Pancreatitis is a rare complication of leptospirosis and this association carries a high mortality rate. Only few cases have been reported in literature. We hereby report one such case we encountered.