Appropriately trained Human Resources for Health (HRH) are key inputs into One Health. ‘… more than 50% of all infectious diseases of humans originate from animals and that, of the emerging diseases about 75% could be traced back to animal origin’ (Rweyemamu et al. 2006). A comprehensive understanding of the social determinants of health, through an appropriate training model for HRH, is a key input. This study aimed to explore if human and veterinary medical schools were using such a model or providing time for this model in their curricula. Specific objectives were to: determine the time that human and veterinary medical schools’ curricula provide for subjects or courses related to the social determinants of health; analyse the curricula contents to establish how they relate to the social determinants of health; and explore how a bio-medical model may influence the graduates’ understanding and practice of One Health. A review of human and veterinary graduate-level medical schools’ curricula in East Africa was performed in April 2013 and May 2013. The findings were: in the curricula, SDH contents for knowledge enhancement about One Health are minimal and that teaching is Germ Theory model-driven and partisan. Out of the total training time for physicians and veterinarians, less than 10% was provided for the social determinants of health-related courses. In conclusion, the curricula and training times provided are inadequate for graduates to fully understand the social determinants of health and their role in One Health. Furthermore, the Germ Theory model that has been adopted addresses secondary causes and is inappropriate. There is a need for more in-depth model. This article suggests that a vicious cycle of ill-health model must be taught.

Phylogeography data are of paramount importance in studying the molecular epidemiology dynamics of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV). In this study, epithelial samples and oesophageal-pharyngeal fluids were collected from 361 convalescent animals (cattle and buffaloes) in the field throughout Tanzania between 2009 and 2013. The single plex real-time RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) assay for rapid and accurate diagnosis of FMDV employing the Callahan 3DF-2, 3DF-R primers and Callahan 3DP-1 probe were used. Preparation of the samples was performed according to the OIE manual, with a Kenya O serotype obtained from the attenuated vaccine serving as a positive control and samples collected from healthy animals serving as true negatives. The results indicated that 53.49% of samples (n = 176) were positive for FMDV genome by qRT-PCR, with Ct values ranging from 14 to 32. In addition, molecular typing of the FMDV genome positive samples using serotype specific primers revealed the existence of several serotypes: serotype South Africa Territory 1 (SAT1) (34.25%, n = 60), serotype A (68.92%, n = 98), serotype O (59.20%, n = 98) and SAT2 (54.54%, n = 96). The virus protein 1 sequences analysis for 35 samples was performed and the collective results indicated: 54.28% serotype O, 25.71% serotype A, 14.28% serotype SAT1 and 2.85% serotype SAT2. Therefore in this study, both the phylogenetic trees and spatial distribution of serotypes elucidated the phylodynamics of multiple FMDV field strains in Tanzania and neighbouring countries.

Objective—To evaluate the pharmacokinetics and thermal and mechanical antinociceptive effects of a fentanyl constant rate infusion (CRI) in conscious cats. Animals—8 healthy adult cats. Procedures—At a ≥ 14-day interval, 7 cats received a loading dose (LD) of fentanyl (5 μg/kg, IV [administered at 0 hours]) followed by fentanyl infusion (5 μg/kg/h, IV) for 2 hours or similar administrations of equivalent volumes of 0.9% saline (NaCl) solution. One cat received only the fentanyl treatment. For both treatments, sedation and adverse events were evaluated and mechanical threshold (MT) and thermal threshold (TT) testing was performed prior to (baseline) and at predetermined times up to 26 hours after LD administration; plasma fentanyl concentrations were determined at similar times when the cats received fentanyl. Results—Fentanyl induced mild sedation during the infusion. The only adverse effect associated with fentanyl LD administration was profuse salivation (1 cat). Saline solution administration did not significantly change MT or TT over time. For the duration of the CRI, MT and TT differed significantly between treatments, except for TT 1 hour after LD administration. For the fentanyl treatment, MT and TT were significantly higher than baseline at 0.25 to 0.75 hours and at 0.25 to 1 hour, respectively. During the fentanyl CRI, mean ± SD plasma fentanyl concentration decreased from 4.41 ± 1.86 ng/mL to 2.99 ± 1.28 ng/mL and was correlated with antinociception; plasma concentrations < 1.33 ± 0.30 ng/mL were not associated with antinociception. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Fentanyl CRI (5 μg/kg/h) induced mechanical and thermal antinociception in cats.

The purpose of this study was to manually measure corneal thickness in canine eyes using a spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) device and to assess intra- and inter-observer reliability of this technique. Twenty healthy dogs with a mean age of 4.7 y were examined. A 6-mm corneal pachymetry protocol was carried out by 1 operator using 1 SD-OCT device in both eyes of each animal. Measurements were obtained manually and in duplicate by 2 independent investigators (> 24 h apart), using the built-in caliper function. Measurements included epithelial thickness (ET), non-epithelial thickness (NET), and central corneal thickness (CCT). The overall mean ET, NET, and CCT for all eyes examined were 72.3 ± 4.6 μm, 538.9 ± 42.5 μm, and 611.2 ± 40.3 μm, respectively. There was no significant difference in ET, NET, or CCT based on the eye examined [oculus dexter (OD) versus oculus sinister (OS)], age, or gender of the animal. There was no significant difference in replicate measurements of ET, NET, or CCT done by the same operator, although a small but significant difference was noted between operators for ET measurements only. The mean difference in ET between operators was 0.6 μm (P = 0.03). The coefficient of variation ranged from 0.5% to 9.27% and intraclass correlation coefficient ranged from 0.35 to 0.97. Based on these results, manual measurements of corneal thickness in canine eyes using a portable SD-OCT device provided ET, NET, and CCT measurements with clinically acceptable intra- and inter-observer reliability.

This study aimed to investigate and compare the antagonistic effects of atipamezole, yohimbine, and prazosin on xylazine-induced diuresis in clinically normal cats. Five cats were repeatedly used in each of the 9 groups. One group was not medicated. Cats in the other groups received 2 mg/kg BW xylazine intramuscularly, and saline (as the control); 160 μg/kg BW prazosin; or 40, 160, or 480 μg/kg BW atipamezole or yohimbine intravenously 0.5 h later. Urine and blood samples were collected 10 times over 8 h. Urine volume, pH, and specific gravity; plasma arginine vasopressin (AVP) concentration; and creatinine, osmolality, and electrolyte values in both urine and plasma were measured. Both atipamezole and yohimbine antagonized xylazine-induced diuresis, but prazosin did not. The antidiuretic effect of atipamezole was more potent than that of yohimbine but not dose-dependent, in contrast to the effect of yohimbine at the tested doses. Both atipamezole and yohimbine reversed xylazine-induced decreases in both urine specific gravity and osmolality, and the increase in free water clearance. Glomerular filtration rate, osmolar clearance, and plasma electrolyte concentrations were not significantly altered. Antidiuresis of either atipamezole or yohimbine was not related to the area under the curve for AVP concentration, although the highest dose of both atipamezole and yohimbine increased plasma AVP concentration initially and temporarily, suggesting that this may in part influence antidiuretic effects of both agents. The diuretic effect of xylazine in cats may be mediated by α2-adrenoceptors but not α1-adrenoceptors. Atipamezole and yohimbine can be used as antagonistic agents against xylazine-induced diuresis in clinically normal cats.

Objective-To evaluate the effects of sequential anesthesia of the individual compartments of the equine stifle joint on lameness induced by intra-articular deposition of interleukin (IL)-1β. Animals-6 horses. Procedures-For each horse, baseline hind limb lameness was first evaluated. A randomly selected compartment of 1 stifle joint was then injected with IL-1β to induce synovitis and lameness; subsequently, the same compartment was anesthetized with 2% mepivacaine hydrochloride, and lameness was reevaluated. Two weeks later, baseline lameness was evaluated, and lameness was similarly induced; thereafter, the 2 synovial compartments of the stifle joint not injected with IL-1β were anesthetized sequentially in random order (ie, first and second blocks); lameness was evaluated after each block. Finally, the IL-1β–treated compartment was anesthetized (third block); lameness was again evaluated. This second experiment was repeated for the contralateral stifle joint 2 weeks later. Throughout the study, lameness was quantified objectively by assessing vertical pelvic movement asymmetry with a wireless, inertial sensor-based system. Results-Intra-articular deposition of IL-1β induced lameness in all injected limbs. In the first experiment, anesthesia of the compartment injected with IL-1β resulted in a significant decrease in lameness, with vertical pelvic movement asymmetry approaching baseline. In the second experiment, lameness improved significantly after the second and third blocks and was almost completely abolished after all 3 synovial compartments were anesthetized. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance-In horses, lameness caused by a lesion in 1 compartment of a stifle joint can be improved more by instillation of local anesthetic solution into that compartment than by anesthesia of the other compartments.

The purpose of this research was to study changes in the salivary proteome of healthy pigs in stressful situations to identify any potential new salivary biomarker of stress. Three groups of animals were subjected to 3 stress models: snaring restraint followed by simulated sampling of vena cava blood; brief transport by road; and restriction of movement in a digestibility cage. Saliva was obtained from each animal before and 15 and 30 min after the induction of stress. The samples from the animals that showed the greatest increase in salivary cortisol concentration were pooled and run on 2-dimensional gels. Coomassie Brilliant Blue R-250 was used for spot detection and mass spectrometry for spot identification. Statistical analyses showed that 2 proteins had significant differences in expression before and after the induction of stress. These proteins were identified as odorant-binding protein and fragments of albumin. Further studies will be necessary to confirm the value of using these proteins as salivary biomarkers of stress in pigs.