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Environmental and Food Security Implications of Livestock Abortions and Calf Mortality: A Case Study in Kenya and Tanzania (2024)
Journal Article
Balcha, E., Bronsvoort, B., Cook, E. A., Lankester, F., Özkan, Ş., Rosenstein, P. K., Semango, G., Wheelhouse, N., Wilkes, A., & Arndt, C. (in press). Environmental and Food Security Implications of Livestock Abortions and Calf Mortality: A Case Study in Kenya and Tanzania. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2024.1390047

This study investigates the environmental and food security implications of livestock abortions and calf mortality in Tanzanian dairy systems and Kenyan beef systems by utilizing data from previously published studies. The environmental impact of liv... Read More about Environmental and Food Security Implications of Livestock Abortions and Calf Mortality: A Case Study in Kenya and Tanzania.

Evaluation of the protective efficacy of different doses of a Chlamydia abortus subcellular vaccine in a pregnant sheep challenge model for ovine enzootic abortion (2024)
Journal Article
Livingstone, M., Aitchison, K., Palarea-Albaladejo, J., Chianini, F., Silvia Rocchi, M., Gastón Caspe, S., Underwood, C., Flockhart, A., Wheelhouse, N., Entrican, G., Ranjan Wattegedera, S., & Longbottom, D. (2024). Evaluation of the protective efficacy of different doses of a Chlamydia abortus subcellular vaccine in a pregnant sheep challenge model for ovine enzootic abortion. Animals, 14(20), Article 3004. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14203004

Chlamydia abortus causes the disease ovine enzootic abortion, which is one of the most infectious causes of foetal death in small ruminants worldwide. While the disease can be controlled using live and inactivated commercial vaccines, there is scope... Read More about Evaluation of the protective efficacy of different doses of a Chlamydia abortus subcellular vaccine in a pregnant sheep challenge model for ovine enzootic abortion.

The Climate Investment Case for the Livestock Sector (2024)
Report
Wheelhouse, N., Bisson, A., Chamberlin, R., Wisser, D., & MacLeod, M. (2024). The Climate Investment Case for the Livestock Sector. Global Research Alliance on Greenhouse Gases

Key Messages
• Livestock are vital for nutrition, food security, and livelihoods in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs), but climate change threatens these benefits.
• The livestock sector also presents an environmental challenge, contributing... Read More about The Climate Investment Case for the Livestock Sector.

Safety Assessment RP709 protease (subtilisin) produced by Bacillus licheniformis DSM 33099 (ProAct 360) (2024)
Report
Morrison, D., & Wheelhouse, N. (2024). Safety Assessment RP709 protease (subtilisin) produced by Bacillus licheniformis DSM 33099 (ProAct 360). Food Standards Agency

An application was submitted to the Food Standards Agency in March 2021 from DSM Nutritional Products LTD (“the applicant”) for the new authorisation of an additive (ProAct 360) containing protease (subtilisin), under the category of “zootechnical ad... Read More about Safety Assessment RP709 protease (subtilisin) produced by Bacillus licheniformis DSM 33099 (ProAct 360).

Safety Assessment RP1047 Quillaja saponaria and Yucca schidigera (Magni-Phi®) (2024)
Report
Morrison, D., & Wheelhouse, N. (2024). Safety Assessment RP1047 Quillaja saponaria and Yucca schidigera (Magni-Phi®). Food Standards Agency

An application was submitted to the Food Standards Agency in April 2021 from Phibro Animal Health Corporation (“the applicant”) for the new authorisation of an additive (Magni-Phi®), a natural preparation of powdered dry Quillaja saponaria and dry Yu... Read More about Safety Assessment RP1047 Quillaja saponaria and Yucca schidigera (Magni-Phi®).

Assessment of the safety and efficacy of Guanidinoacetic acid (Creamino®) as a feed additive for all animal species (2024)
Report
Morrison, D., & Wheelhouse, N. (2024). Assessment of the safety and efficacy of Guanidinoacetic acid (Creamino®) as a feed additive for all animal species. Food Standards Agency

An application was submitted to the Food Standards Agency in May 2021 from AlzChem Trostberg GmbH (“the applicant”) for the new use authorisation of an additive guanidinoacetic acid (Creamino®), under the category of ‘nutritional additives” and funct... Read More about Assessment of the safety and efficacy of Guanidinoacetic acid (Creamino®) as a feed additive for all animal species.

The value of livestock abortion surveillance in Tanzania: identifying disease priorities and informing interventions (2024)
Preprint / Working Paper
Lankester, F., Kibona, T. J., Allan, K. J., de Glanville, W., Buza, J. J., Katzer, F., Halliday, J. E., Mmbaga, B. T., Wheelhouse, N., Innes, E. A., Thomas, K., Nyasebwa, O. M., Swai, E., Claxton, J. R., & Cleaveland, S. (2024). The value of livestock abortion surveillance in Tanzania: identifying disease priorities and informing interventions

Background: Lack of reliable data on the aetiology of livestock diseases, especially in Africa, is a major factor constraining the design of effective livestock health interventions to improve livelihoods, food security and public health.

Rationa... Read More about The value of livestock abortion surveillance in Tanzania: identifying disease priorities and informing interventions.

Q fever and Coxiellosis implications for livestock and human health: a UK perspective (2023)
Journal Article
Wheelhouse, N., Vazquez, R., Viora, L., & Halliday, J. E. (2023). Q fever and Coxiellosis implications for livestock and human health: a UK perspective. Livestock, 28(5), 193-238. https://doi.org/10.12968/live.2023.28.5.221

Q fever is a disease which can cause an acute self-limiting infection or long-term chronic condition in people exposed to the bacteria Coxiella burnetii. Most human cases in the UK are associated with livestock, particularly small ruminants, which ac... Read More about Q fever and Coxiellosis implications for livestock and human health: a UK perspective.

Methane and Health Dialogue Series: April 11, 26 and May 10, 2023 (2023)
Preprint / Working Paper
(2023). Methane and Health Dialogue Series: April 11, 26 and May 10, 2023. Environmental Defense Fund (EDF)

The climate crisis is also a public health crisis, and methane, due to its impact on warming and air quality, threatens human health. Cutting methane is the quickest, most effective way to address climate change while delivering significant near-term... Read More about Methane and Health Dialogue Series: April 11, 26 and May 10, 2023.

Seroprevalence and risk factors for Q-fever (Coxiella burnetii) exposure in smallholder dairy cattle in Tanzania (2022)
Journal Article
Festo Bwatota, S., Mkilema Shirima, G., Hernandez-Castro, L. E., Mark de Clare Bronsvoort, B., Wheelhouse, N., Joseph Mengele, I., Kiyabo Motto, S., Mushumbusi Komwihangilo, D., Lyatuu, E., & Cook, E. A. J. (2022). Seroprevalence and risk factors for Q-fever (Coxiella burnetii) exposure in smallholder dairy cattle in Tanzania. Veterinary Sciences, 9(12), Article 662. https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci9120662

Q fever is a zoonotic disease, resulting from infection with Coxiella burnetii. Infection in cattle can cause abortion and infertility, however, there is little epidemiological information regarding the disease in dairy cattle in Tanzania. Between Ju... Read More about Seroprevalence and risk factors for Q-fever (Coxiella burnetii) exposure in smallholder dairy cattle in Tanzania.

Epidemiology of q-fever in domestic ruminants and humans in Africa: A systematic review (2022)
Journal Article
Festo Bwatota, S., Cook, E. A. J., Mark de Clare Bronsvoort, B., Wheelhouse, N., Hernandez-Castor, L. E., & Mkilema Shirima, G. (2022). Epidemiology of q-fever in domestic ruminants and humans in Africa: A systematic review. CABI One Health, https://doi.org/10.1079/cabionehealth.2022.0008

Q-fever is a zoonotic infectious disease caused by the gram-negative, intracellular, spore-forming bacterium Coxiella burnetii. Infected ruminants (cattle, sheep, and goats) are the reservoirs of the pathogen and thus an important source of infection... Read More about Epidemiology of q-fever in domestic ruminants and humans in Africa: A systematic review.

Endemicity of Coxiella burnetii infection among people and their livestock in pastoral communities in northern Kenya (2022)
Journal Article
Muema, J., Nyamai, M., Wheelhouse, N., Njuguna, J., Jost, C., Oyugi, J., Bukania, Z., Oboge, H., Ogoti, B., Makori, A., Fernandez, M. D. P., Omulo, S., & Thumbi, S. (2022). Endemicity of Coxiella burnetii infection among people and their livestock in pastoral communities in northern Kenya. Heliyon, 8(10), Article e11133. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e11133

Background
Coxiella burnetti can be transmitted to humans primarily through inhaling contaminated droplets released from infected animals or consumption of contaminated dairy products. Despite its zoonotic nature and the close association pastoralis... Read More about Endemicity of Coxiella burnetii infection among people and their livestock in pastoral communities in northern Kenya.

Modelling the Transmission of Coxiella burnetii within a UK Dairy Herd: Investigating the Interconnected Relationship between the Parturition Cycle and Environment Contamination (2022)
Journal Article
Patsatzis, D. G., Wheelhouse, N., & Tingas, E. (2022). Modelling the Transmission of Coxiella burnetii within a UK Dairy Herd: Investigating the Interconnected Relationship between the Parturition Cycle and Environment Contamination. Veterinary Sciences, 9(10), Article 522. https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci9100522

Q fever infection in dairy herds is introduced through the transmission of the bacterium Coxiella burnetii, resulting in multiple detrimental effects such as reduction of lactation, abortions and chronic infection. Particularly in the UK, recent evid... Read More about Modelling the Transmission of Coxiella burnetii within a UK Dairy Herd: Investigating the Interconnected Relationship between the Parturition Cycle and Environment Contamination.

Prospective cohort study reveals unexpected aetiologies of livestock abortion in northern Tanzania (2022)
Journal Article
Thomas, K. M., Kibona, T., Claxton, J. R., de Glanville, W. A., Lankester, F., Amani, N., Buza, J. J., Carter, R. W., Chapman, G. E., Crump, J. A., Dagleish, M. P., Halliday, J. E. B., Hamilton, C. M., Innes, E. A., Katzer, F., Livingstone, M., Longbottom, D., Millins, C., Mmbaga, B. T., Mosha, V., …Allan, K. J. (2022). Prospective cohort study reveals unexpected aetiologies of livestock abortion in northern Tanzania. Scientific Reports, 12(1), Article 11669. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-15517-8

Livestock abortion is an important cause of productivity losses worldwide and many infectious causes of abortion are zoonotic pathogens that impact on human health. Little is known about the relative importance of infectious causes of livestock abort... Read More about Prospective cohort study reveals unexpected aetiologies of livestock abortion in northern Tanzania.

Recent advances and public health implications for environmental exposure to Chlamydia abortus: from enzootic to zoonotic disease (2022)
Journal Article
Turin, L., Surini, S., Wheelhouse, N., & Rocchi, M. S. (2022). Recent advances and public health implications for environmental exposure to Chlamydia abortus: from enzootic to zoonotic disease. Veterinary Research, 53(1), Article 37. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13567-022-01052-x

Environmental transmission of Chlamydia abortus as a result of enzootic disease or disease outbreaks and the threats posed by this pathogen has been previously reported, however a state-of-the-science review of these reports and the identification of... Read More about Recent advances and public health implications for environmental exposure to Chlamydia abortus: from enzootic to zoonotic disease.

Identification of Parachlamydiaceae DNA in nasal and rectal passages of healthy dairy cattle (2021)
Journal Article
Wheelhouse, N., Hearn, J., Livingstone, M., Flockhart, A., Dagleish, M., & Longbottom, D. (2022). Identification of Parachlamydiaceae DNA in nasal and rectal passages of healthy dairy cattle. Journal of Applied Microbiology, 132(4), 2642-2648. https://doi.org/10.1111/jam.15422

Aims
The order Chlamydiales comprises a broad range of bacterial pathogens and endosymbionts, which infect a wide variety of host species. Within this order, members of the family Parachlamydiaceae, which includes Parachlamydia and Neochlamydia spec... Read More about Identification of Parachlamydiaceae DNA in nasal and rectal passages of healthy dairy cattle.

Efficacy of two Chlamydia abortus subcellular vaccines in a pregnant ewe challenge model for ovine enzootic abortion (2021)
Journal Article
Livingstone, M., Ranjan Wattegedera, S., Palarea-Albaladejo, J., Aitchison, K., Corbett, C., Sait, M., Wilson, K., Chianini, F., Silvia Rocchi, M., Wheelhouse, N., Entrican, G., & Longbottom, D. (2021). Efficacy of two Chlamydia abortus subcellular vaccines in a pregnant ewe challenge model for ovine enzootic abortion. Vaccines, 9(8), Article 898. https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines9080898

Chlamydia abortus, the aetiological agent of enzootic abortion of ewes, is a major cause of reproductive loss in small ruminants worldwide, accounting for significant economic losses to the farming industry. Disease can be managed through the use of... Read More about Efficacy of two Chlamydia abortus subcellular vaccines in a pregnant ewe challenge model for ovine enzootic abortion.