Publications

a survey on antimicrobial resistant escherichia coli isolated from unpasteurised cows' milk in northern ireland.		2017	28424319
northern ireland disease surveillance, april to june 2011.		2011	21936069
northern ireland disease surveillance report: northern ireland disease surveillance, october to december 2010.		2011	21634063
field trial of six serological tests for bovine brucellosis.	serum agglutination (sat), complement fixation (cft), indirect elisa (ielisa), competitive elisa (celisa), rose bengal (rbt) and edta-modified agglutination (edta) tests were used in parallel on serological samples from 19,935 cattle in 301 herds. the study herds were selected according to putative exposure to brucellaabortus with cases defined by bacteriological culture or test agreement. no single test identified all infected cattle and, at diagnostic thresholds, relative sensitivity was highe ...	2011	21550272
a comparison of badger activity in two areas of high and low bovine tuberculosis incidence of northern ireland.	during 2005, a field survey of badger activity was carried out to evaluate differences between two areas with different levels of bovine tuberculosis (annual herd incidences of 16% and 4%) and to assess the awareness of herd keepers in relation to badgers. a random selection of herd keepers was interviewed and their farm land surveyed for the presence of badgers. the survey end point for each farm was the discovery of an active badger sett. participation was very high in both areas (>80%). evide ...	2011	21440386
culture phenotypes of genomically and geographically diverse mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis isolates from different hosts.	mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis causes paratuberculosis (johne's disease) in ruminants in most countries. historical data suggest substantial differences in culturability of m. avium subsp. paratuberculosis isolates from small ruminants and cattle; however, a systematic comparison of culture media and isolates from different countries and hosts has not been undertaken. here, 35 field isolates from the united states, spain, northern ireland, and australia were propagated in bactec 12b ...	2011	21430104
northern ireland disease surveillance, july to september 2010.		2010	21262691
mycobacterium bovis genotypes in northern ireland: herd-level surveillance (2003 to 2008).	surveillance genotyping (variable number tandem repeat profiling and spoligotyping) of mycobacterium bovis isolates from culture-confirmed bovine tuberculosis (tb)-affected herds in northern ireland is presented for the years 2003 to 2008 inclusive. a total of 175 m bovis genotypes were identified in 8630 isolates from 6609 herds. on average, 73 genotypes were identified each year, with 29 genotypes present in all six years. highly significant differences (p<0.0001) were observed between the rel ...	2010	21257483
behavior of cows during and after peak feeding time on organic and conventional dairy farms in the united kingdom.	the behavior of groups of housed, lactating dairy cattle was observed over 2 winter housing periods on 20 organic farms and 20 conventional farms in the united kingdom. three methods were used: (1) 6 video-clips of 10 min duration were captured of cows feeding at sections of the feed-bunk face during the peak feeding period (0 to 90 min) and continuously observed for aggressive interactions among cows; (2) the proportion of cows at the feed-bunk face was scanned every 15 min for 4.5h to include ...	2011	21257042
detection of bovine tuberculosis in herds with different disease prevalence and influence of paratuberculosis infection on ppdb and esat-6/cfp10 specificity.	bovine tuberculosis (btb) is a major animal health problem with zoonotic implications. current control programs are based on test and slaughter strategies utilizing skin tests with tuberculins as antigens. the low specificity and associated operative difficulties of these tests have driven the search for new antigens and diagnostic assays. in this multicenter study, using herds from argentina, mexico and northern ireland, we selected skin test positive and negative animals from herds with differ ...	2010	20630607
compilation of a panel of informative single nucleotide polymorphisms for bovine identification in the northern irish cattle population.	animal identification is pivotal in governmental agricultural policy, enabling the management of subsidy payments, movement of livestock, test scheduling and control of disease. advances in bovine genomics have made it possible to utilise inherent genetic variability to uniquely identify individual animals by dna profiling, much as has been achieved with humans over the past 20 years. a dna profiling test based on bi-allelic single nucleotide polymorphism (snp) markers would offer considerable a ...	2010	20100323
detection of clostridium botulinum type a toxin in a cow in northern ireland.		2009	19880869
coxiella burnetii (q fever) seroprevalence in cattle.	human cases of q fever appear to be common in northern ireland compared to the rest of the british isles. the purpose of this study was to describe the seroepidemiology of coxiella burnetii infection in cattle in northern ireland in terms of seroprevalence and determinants of infection. a total of 5182 animals (from a stratified systematic random sample of 273 herds) were tested with a commercial c. burnetii phase 2 igg elisa. a total of 6.2% of animals and 48.4% of herds tested positively. resu ...	2010	19480726
[bluetongue virus serotype 8 in healthy young calves].	following the detection in northern ireland of bluetongue serotype-8 (btv-8) pcr-positive calves born from pcr-negative but seropositive heifers imported from the netherlands, an investigation was started to determine whether pcr-positive calves were born in the first quarter of 2008 in the netherlands. blood samples were collected on 43 dairy farms from 388 cow-calf combinations. all calves were at least 10-days-old and had been born after 1 january 2008. in total, 229 cows had had a btv-8 infe ...	2008	19133436
evidence for transplacental and contact transmission of bluetongue virus in cattle.	this paper presents evidence that a field strain of bluetongue virus serotype 8 (btv-8) was transmitted transplacentally and that it was also spread by a direct contact route. twenty pregnant heifers were imported from the netherlands into northern ireland during the midge-free season. tests before and after the animals were imported showed that eight of them had antibodies to bluetongue virus, but no viral rna was detected in any of them by reverse transcriptase-pcr (rt-pcr). two of the seropos ...	2008	18708653
risk associated with animals moved from herds infected with brucellosis in northern ireland.	the movement of cattle from herds infected with brucella abortus was investigated in order to assess the control measures for eradication of brucellosis from the cattle population of northern ireland. using recorded cattle movement data, a historical cohort study was designed and carried out to quantify the risk of seropositivity in bovine animals moved from herds infected with brucellosis. the study found that 3.1% of animals, moved in the 6-month period prior to disclosure of infection in the ...	2008	18207262
risks for bovine tuberculosis in british cattle farms restocked after the foot and mouth disease epidemic of 2001.	the foot and mouth disease (fmd) epidemic of 2001 was used to investigate herd breakdown (hbd) with bovine tuberculosis (btb) in totally restocked herds of cattle. by august 2004, 2941 restocked cattle herds, with cattle movements from before and after 2001, had been tested for btb for the first time since restocking. a total of 6% (177) of these herds broke down at the first btb test. a binomial logistic regression model with hbd (at least one reactor bovine) at the first test after restocking ...	2008	18164499
genotypes and subtypes of cryptosporidium spp. in neonatal calves in northern ireland.	cryptosporidium spp. in diarrheic calves less than 30 days old from farms across northern ireland were examined over a year period by microscopic, genotyping, and subtyping techniques to characterize the transmission dynamics. cryptosporidium oocysts were detected in 291 of 779 (37.4%) animals. the prevalence rates of rotavirus, coronavirus, and escherichia coli k99+ were lower as seen in 242 of 806 (30.0%), 46/806 (5.7%), and 16/421 (3.8%) of animals, respectively. of the 224 cryptosporidium-po ...	2007	17031699
optimizing antigen cocktails for detection of mycobacterium bovis in herds with different prevalences of bovine tuberculosis: esat6-cfp10 mixture shows optimal sensitivity and specificity.	bovine tuberculosis is a major problem in many countries; hence, new and better diagnostic tools are urgently needed. in this work, we have tested esat6, cfp10, pe13, pe5, mpb70, tb10.4, and tb27.4 for their potentials as diagnostic markers in field animals from northern ireland, mexico, and argentina, regions with low, medium, and high prevalences of bovine tuberculosis, respectively. at all three sites, esat6 and cfp10 were superior diagnostic antigens, while their combination performed even b ...	2006	17005738
comparisons of original laboratory results and retrospective analysis by real-time reverse transcriptase-pcr of virological samples collected from confirmed cases of foot-and-mouth disease in the uk in 2001.	there were 2030 designated cases of foot-and-mouth disease (fmd) during the course of the epidemic in the uk in 2001 (including four from northern ireland). samples from 1720 of the infected premises (ips) were received in the laboratory and examined for either the presence of fmd virus (virological samples from 1421 ips) or both fmd virus and antibody (virological and serological samples from 255 ips) or antibody alone (from 44 ips). the time taken to issue final diagnostic results ranged from ...	2006	16980522
metabolic fingerprints of mycobacterium bovis cluster with molecular type: implications for genotype-phenotype links.	mycobacterium bovis is the causative agent of bovine tuberculosis. various genetic typing techniques have been used to trace the reservoirs of infection; however, they have limited success in population genetics and outbreak studies. fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (ft-ir) is a rapid phenotypic typing technique, which may be used to generate a metabolic fingerprinting and is increasingly used to characterize bacteria. when coupled with multivariate cluster analysis, this powerful combina ...	2006	16946270
prevalence of arcobacter spp. in raw milk and retail raw meats in northern ireland.	a 1-year study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of arcobacter spp. in raw milk and retail raw meats on sale in northern ireland. retail raw poultry samples (n = 94), pork samples (n = 101), and beef samples (n = 108) were obtained from supermarkets in northern ireland, and raw milk samples (n = 101) were kindly provided by the milk research laboratory, department of agriculture and rural development, belfast, northern ireland. presumptive arcobacters were identified by previously descr ...	2006	16924929
fertility results after do-it-yourself and commercial company artificial insemination in dairy herds in northern ireland.		2006	16861391
bovine tuberculosis--another view from down under.		2007	16793295
mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis in lake catchments, in river water abstracted for domestic use, and in effluent from domestic sewage treatment works: diverse opportunities for environmental cycling and human exposure.	mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis from infected animals enters surface waters and rivers in runoff from contaminated pastures. we studied the river tywi in south wales, united kingdom, whose catchment comprises 1,100 km2 containing more than a million dairy and beef cattle and more than 1.3 million sheep. the river tywi is abstracted for the domestic water supply. between august 2002 and april 2003, 48 of 70 (68.8%) twice-weekly river water samples tested positive by is900 pcr. in rive ...	2006	16751517
no increase in human cases of mycobacterium bovis disease despite resurgence of infections in cattle in the united kingdom.	a resurgence of mycobacterium bovis infections in cattle in the united kingdom since the 1980s has raised concern about risks to human health. enhanced surveillance data for england, wales and northern ireland between 1993 and 2003 of culture-positive human m. bovis cases identified 315 m. bovis infections; the mean annual number of cases was 28 (range 12-41). the most frequently reported exposures were consumption of unpasteurized dairy products 41/83 (49%) and exposure to cattle 45/123 (37%). ...	2007	16740186
epidemiology of bovine brucellosis in northern ireland between 1990 and 2000.	between 1990 and 2000, 317 herds of cattle in northern ireland were identified as being seropositive to brucella abortus, and 68 per cent of them were attributed to transmission from neighbouring herds or to local spread. of particular significance were three primary outbreaks in 1997, which resulted in significant secondary and tertiary spread. three spatial clusters were identified, corresponding to two of the primary outbreaks, and the herd density and within-herd spread were highest in the l ...	2006	16731701
the northern ireland programme for the control and eradication of mycobacterium bovis.	bovine tuberculosis is endemic in northern ireland and a comprehensive eradication scheme has been in operation since 1959. the current programme involves annual testing, extensive computerized tracing, short-interval testing of herds contiguous to outbreaks and compulsory slaughter of positive cattle. despite initial reductions in disease prevalence, eradication has proved elusive and potential explanatory factors include high cattle density and potential for between-herd contact, the impact of ...	2006	16326042
antioxidant activity of five vegetables traditionally consumed by south-asian migrants in bradford, yorkshire, uk.	five vegetables traditionally consumed among south-asian migrants in bradford (yorkshire, uk) were tested for their free radical scavenging activity (frsa) in the dpph (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazil radical) screening assay (using extracts prepared both by cold maceration and also by boiling the plant in the solvent under reflux) and for their in vitro non-enzymatic inhibition of bovine brain lipid peroxidation. in both antioxidant assays a strong activity was shown by extracts derived from okra ...	2005	16261524
discrimination of isolates of mycobacterium bovis in northern ireland on the basis of variable numbers of tandem repeats (vntrs).	the ability to reproducibly discriminate mycobacterium bovis isolates and trace their transmission has the potential to clarify sources of infection and major routes of transmission for bovine tuberculosis (tb). a pcr-based genotyping assay has been developed to discriminate between strains of m bovis by examining multiple sites in its genome that consist of variable numbers of tandem repeats (vntrs). the discriminatory power and reproducibility of this vntr typing has been compared with that of ...	2005	16244231
molecular analyses of mycobacteria other than the m. tuberculosis complex isolated from northern ireland cattle.	mycobacteria other than the mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (mott), isolated from northern ireland cattle, were identified by pcr amplification of the 16s rrna gene, and subsequent reverse cross blot hybridisation and sequence analyses. elucidation of the mott species was to facilitate specificity testing of new and existing diagnostic test reagents for bovine tuberculosis. the presence of the genes for potential diagnostic antigens: mpb70, mpb64, esat-6 and cfp-10 in the isolated mott specie ...	2005	15917138
is mad cow disease caused by a bacteria?	transmissible spongioform enchephalopathies (tse's), include bovine spongiform encephalopathy (also called bse or "mad cow disease"), creutzfeldt-jakob disease (cjd) in humans, and scrapie in sheep. they remain a mystery, their cause hotly debated. but between 1994 and 1996, 12 people in england came down with cjd, the human form of mad cow, and all had eaten beef from suspect cows. current mad cow diagnosis lies solely in the detection of late appearing "prions", an acronym for hypothesized, ge ...	2004	15325025
a quantitative risk assessment for the importation of brucellosis-infected breeding cattle into great britain from selected european countries.	great britain (gb) has been "officially brucellosis free" (obf) since 1991; because this disease has both public-health and international-trade implications, it is in the country's interest to maintain this freedom. a quantitative risk-assessment model was developed to determine the annual risk of importing brucellosis-infected breeding cattle into gb from northern ireland and the republic of ireland. (these countries exported the largest number of cattle into gb and were not brucellosis free du ...	2004	15099716
outbreak of nematodirus battus infection in calves.		2004	15074328
impact of bse on livestock production system.	the small number of bse cases diagnosed in italy from january 2001 to 12 september 2001 (a total of 28, one every 9000 head) does not allow for a statistical analysis of the relationship between this disease and the livestock systems. however, some indications can be noted: (a) only dairy cattle, which represent three-quarters of the cattle raised in italy, are involved; (b) 58% of the cases belong to medium-large farms that breed 27% of all head; (c) 13 out of 28 cases are 5-year-old animals an ...	2003	14535367
risk factors for toxic mastitis in cows.	a case-control study of the management and disease risk factors associated with toxic mastitis in cows was carried out. seventy-one cases satisfied all the selection criteria, and a subset of 41 cases in which pure growths of escherichia coil were cultured from milk samples was also investigated. conditional multiple logistic regression analysis of the 71 cases and matched controls revealed no statistically significant associations. however, among the subset of 41 cases and matched controls, the ...	2003	12665144
[epidemiological model development using bse as an example--observations from a statistical viewpoint].	since first bse cases in cattle born in germany were recognized, questions have been raised concerning the future development of the disease and the epidemiological dynamics of bse, and, consequently, modelling approaches that might answer these questions. the database for such modelling efforts is formed by bse incidence numbers or incidence rates, broken down by age at onset of clinical disease, and by time of onset or time of birth, respectively, from available information gathered for suspec ...	2003	12592925
pestiviral infections in sheep and pigs in northern ireland.	serological surveys were carried out to determine the prevalence of pestiviral infections in sheep and pigs in northern ireland. sera from 918 ewes in 92 flocks from 10 regions were tested by elisa for antibodies to border disease virus and positive results were obtained from 49 ewes (5.3 per cent) in 28 flocks (30.4 per cent). there were highly significant geographical variations in its flock prevalence ranging from 0 per cent in the enniskillen region to 70 per cent in the coleraine region. th ...	2001	12503593
uk bovine carcass meat consumed as burgers, sausages and other meat products: by birth cohort and gender.	the most likely human exposure to bovine spongiform encephalopathy (bse) is dietary, through beef mechanically recovered meat (mrm) and head meat used in burgers, sausages and other meat products. the majority, reportedly 90% of beef mrm and 80% of head meat, was used in burgers. to enable quantification of uk dietary exposure to bse, we quantified bovine carcass meat consumed as burgers, sausages and other meat products by birth cohort, gender and calendar period (1980-1989, 1990-1996).	2002	12501955
multiple genetic typing of salmonella enterica serotype typhimurium isolates of different phage types (dt104, u302, dt204b, and dt49) from animals and humans in england, wales, and northern ireland.	salmonella enterica serotype typhimurium is a common cause of salmonellosis among humans and animals in england, wales, and northern ireland. phage types dt104 and u302 were the most prevalent types in both livestock and humans in 2001. in addition, salmonella serotype typhimurium dt204b was responsible for a recent international outbreak involving england. a total of 119 isolates from humans (n = 28) and animals or their environment (n = 91), belonging to dt104 (n = 66), u302 (n = 33), dt204b ( ...	2002	12454135
relating national veterinary services to the country's livestock industry: case studies from four countries--great britain, botswana, perú, and vietnam.	at the end of ww ii, the british government of the time decided that it was essential for britain to become self-sufficient in food. in consequence there was a large investment in services to agriculture and in particular many new veterinary investigation centers were opened to help farmers produce more animal products. the upsurge in world trade led the government of mrs. thatcher to decide that livestock was just another commodity and so there has been a massive scaling down of money available ...	2002	12381561
fertility of dairy cows in northern ireland.	a comprehensive database was established on the milk production and reproductive performance of dairy cows in 19 selected herds in northern ireland, varying in size, management system and genetic merit. data were obtained for 2471 cows, 1775 of which calved in a second year, and 693 were culled from the herd for specific reasons. the estimated mean rate of heat detection (assessed by the interheat interval during the main breeding season) in all the herds was 71 per cent, with a range from 53 to ...	2002	12081305
three drinking-water-associated cryptosporidiosis outbreaks, northern ireland.	three recent drinking-water-associated cryptosporidiosis outbreaks in northern ireland were investigated by using genotyping and subgenotyping tools. one cryptosporidium parvum outbreak was caused by the bovine genotype, and two were caused by the human genotype. subgenotyping analyses indicate that two predominant subgenotypes were associated with these outbreaks and had been circulating in the community.	2002	12023922
infrared spectroscopy of the mineralogy of coprolites from brean down: evidence of past human activities and animal husbandry.	the mineralogy of 11 concretions from the bronze age settlement horizons at brean down near weston-super-mare, somerset, uk, has been examined by infrared spectroscopy. the concretions are found to contain calcite and apatite and, in some cases, quartz. four further concretions from the later iron age meare village, soil samples from brean down and mineralised samples of known faecal origin from a cesspit within the tudor merchant's house in tenby have been similarly examined. it is found that a ...	2002	11942402
molecular genotyping of human cryptosporidiosis in northern ireland: epidemiological aspects and review.	cryptosporidium parvum is the most common of the protozoal pathogens associated with gastrointestinal disease in northern ireland. genotyping techniques are valuable in helping to elucidate sources and modes of transmission of this parasite. there have been no reports on the prevalence of genotypes in northern ireland, mainly due to a lack of discriminatory genotyping techniques, which recently have become available.	2001	11918331
retrospective analysis of serum and nasal mucus from cattle in northern ireland for evidence of infection with influenza a virus.	eighty-four pairs of acute and convalescent serum samples collected in 1998 and 1999 from 17 outbreaks of respiratory disease, milk drop syndrome or diarrhoea in cattle were tested by haemagglutination inhibition against human influenza viruses a/eng/333/80 (hin1) and a/eng/427/88 (h3n2). antibodies to these viruses were present in the convalescent sera of 56.5 per cent and 58.8 per cent cattle tested, respectively, with 56 per cent of the animals seroconverting to one or both viruses. titres we ...	2002	11878437
the transmission dynamics of bse and vcjd.	the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (bse) epidemic in cattle has had a huge economic impact on the agricultural industries across europe. furthermore, scientific evidence now strongly supporting a link between a new variant of creutzfeldt-jakob disease (vcjd) and consumption of bse-infected animals has further heightened the need both to understand the transmission of these new diseases and to improve control measures to protect public health. in this paper we review work undertaken by our grou ...	2002	11862621
salmonella enterica serotype bredeney: antimicrobial susceptibility and molecular diversity of isolates from ireland and northern ireland.	salmonella enterica serotype bredeney has emerged as the third most commonly identified serotype among human clinical isolates referred to the irish national salmonella reference laboratory in the years 1998 to 2000. a collection of 112 isolates of s. enterica serotype bredeney collected during the period 1995 to 1999 from animal, food, and human sources from both ireland and northern ireland were studied. antimicrobial susceptibility testing, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (pfge), and dna amp ...	2002	11772625
testing of bulk tank milk from northern ireland dairy herds for viral rna and antibody to bovine viral diarrhoea virus.	bulk tank milk samples collected from 929 northern ireland dairy herds were classified according to their geographical location, somatic cell count and milk yield. each sample was tested by elisa for antibody levels to bovine viral diarrhoea virus (bvdv) and the herds were assigned to four groups with increasing antibody levels. in nine herds (1 per cent) no antibodies were detectable in the milk samples (group 1) and they were detectable at low levels in the milk from 90 herds (9.7 per cent, gr ...	2001	11558660
bovine tuberculosis: a view from down under.		2001	11352477
persistent efficacy of doramectin and moxidectin against cooperia oncophora infections in cattle.	duplicate studies in france and northern ireland were carried out to determine the persistent efficacy of topical moxidectin and doramectin against natural infections of cooperia oncophora. in each study, groups of 15 nematode-naïve calves were treated either with topical doramectin or moxidectin, and put out to graze on pasture contaminated with c. oncophora infective larvae. the persistent efficacy for preventing establishment of infection was assessed by the time to faecal egg excretion of c. ...	2001	11267759
agronomic measures of p, q/i parameters and lysimeter-collectable p in subsurface soil horizons of a long-term slurry experiment.	soils from a long-term slurry experiment established in 1970 at hillsborough, northern ireland, were used in the experiment. the site has a clay loam soil overlying silurian shale. seven treatments were used with three replicate plots per treatment under the following manurial regimes: (1) mineral fertiliser supplying 200 kg n, 32 kg p and 160 kg k ha(-1) yr(-1); (2)-(4) pig slurry applied at 50, 100 or 200 m3 ha(-1) yr(-1); (5)-(7) cow slurry applied at 50, 100 or 200 m3 ha(-1) yr(-1). agronomi ...	2001	11237295
phosphorus quantity-intensity relationships and agronomic measures of p in surface layers of soil from a long-term slurry experiment.	soils from a long-term slurry experiment established in 1970 at hillsborough, northern ireland, were used in the experiment. the site has a clay loam soil overlying silurian shale. seven treatments were used with three replicate plots per treatment. control plots were treated with mineral fertiliser supplying 200 kg n, 32 kg p and 160 kg k ha(-1) yr(-1). slurry treatment plots were in two blocks and treated with either pig or cow slurry supplied at 50, 100 or 200 m3 ha(-1) yr(-1). agronomic meas ...	2001	11237294
the impact of diseases on the importation of animals and animal products.	for decades the veterinary services of the united states and other nations protected their livestock and poultry industries from the ravages of introduced animal diseases by rigorous import restrictions. this policy of zero risk frequently translated to no or reduced trade in animals and animal products or dramatic trade inequities. however, gatt articles enforced by the wto require that imported products be treated no less favorably than domestically produced goods with regard to animal health ...	2000	11193647
bse inquiry plays down errors.		2000	11061721
mixed mycoplasma mastitis outbreak in a dairy herd.		2000	11058024
emerging diseases. hunt for mad cow in sheep reassuring.	experts on brain-riddling spongiform diseases have grown steadily more uneasy over signs that so-called mad cow disease or bovine spongiform encephalopathy (bse), which is linked to a lethal human illness, may be lurking in sheep. a study in the 10 august issue of nature now offers evidence that bse is not rampant in sheep after all, although scientists are far from ready to let their guard down.	2000	10960311
clinical and laboratory findings in cases of toxic mastitis in cows in northern ireland.	this paper describes the clinical and laboratory findings from 264 cases of toxic mastitis in cows in northern ireland between october 1995 and may 1997. nearly all the cases occurred during the winter housing period, with 84 per cent occurring between november and march inclusive, and 30 per cent in march. sixty per cent of the cases occurred within one month of calving, and 29 per cent within four days of calving. the most common clinical signs were lethargy (92 per cent), discoloured milk (90 ...	2000	10958533
tendering for lvi work.		2000	10811270
top bse official forced to step down in uk.		1999	10622246
stillbirth/perinatal weak calf syndrome: a study of calves infected with leptospira.	leptospiral infection has been reported in calves which were either stillborn or dead from perinatal weak calf syndrome; 356 such calves were examined for evidence of associations between leptospiral infection and macroscopic, histological and microbiological findings, and the parity of the dam. calves in which leptospiral antigen was detected in the placenta were significantly lighter by an average of 6 to 10 kg than calves with no antigen in the placenta. calves infected with leptospira were m ...	1999	10609569
examination of adenovirus-types in intestinal vascular endothelial inclusions in fatal cases of enteric disease in cattle, by in situ hybridisation.	there have been occasional reports in the literature of a severe naturally occurring enteric disease of cattle in which adenoviral inclusions were found in intestinal vascular endothelium. bovine adenovirus type 10 (bav-10) was identified by in situ hybridisation (ish) in the inclusions of all 13 such cattle detected in northern ireland [smyth, j.a., benkö, m., moffett, d.a., harrach, b., 1996. j. clin. microbiol. 34, 1270-1274]. the present paper describes ish examination of the vascular endoth ...	1999	10591492
polyarthritis due to mycoplasma bovis infection in adult dairy cattle in northern ireland.		1999	10573196
bovine tuberculosis in northern ireland: a case-control study of herd risk factors.	this paper presents the results of the first formal epidemiological study in northern ireland of risk factors for bovine tuberculosis (tb) associated with farm boundaries, neighbours and wildlife. the study was designed as a case-control study and 427 dairy herds were investigated between december 1993 and january 1995. the case herds had more than 30 cattle, and herds in which the source of infection had been ascribed to purchased cattle were avoided. data on the department of agriculture anima ...	1999	10212503
geographical distribution of variant cjd in the uk (excluding northern ireland).	the agent that causes variant creutzfeldt-jakob disease (variant cjd) is indistinguishable from the causative agent of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (bse). the transmission route by which human beings are infected has not been established. one hypothesis is that cases of variant cjd have resulted from exposure to the bse agent via rendering plants involved in the production of meat and bone meal, the main vehicle of the bse epidemic.	1999	10023945
bse in northern ireland: epidemiological patterns past, present and future.	by 30 january 1998, there had been 170,259 confirmed cases of bse in great britain (gb), 1766 confirmed cases in northern ireland (ni) (2 january 1998), and 276 confirmed cases in the republic of ireland (31 january 1998). analysis of the epidemiological patterns in the ni epidemic reveals significant clustering of cases in herds and counties. the observed clustering of cases within herds results in lower per capita incidence of bse in previously unaffected herds, providing support for the intro ...	1998	9881465
zeranol is formed from fusarium spp. toxins in cattle in vivo.	zeranol, a semi-synthetic oestrogenic growth promoter, was banned in the eu in 1988. the ability of member states to police the ban on zeranol has been hampered by suggestions from new zealand and from this laboratory that zeranol may be formed by the in vivo metabolism of naturally occurring fusarium spp. toxins. the present study demonstrates that zeranol is formed from alpha-zearalenol and zearalenone in vivo and is detected in bovine bile following the oral administration of these compounds. ...	1998	9764208
rapid diagnosis and strain differentiation of mycobacterium bovis in radiometric culture by spoligotyping.	an assessment of spoligotyping for rapid detection and strain typing of mycobacterium bovis isolates in radiometric culture was made. spoligotyping was applied to bactec 12b broth cultures of 54 lesioned bovine lymph node specimens from 44 herds in northern ireland. a nucleic acid sequence capture technique was performed on bactec cultures at growth index points of approximately (approximately) 60, approximately 200, and 999. definitive spoligotype patterns were obtained for 90.4% and 94.2% of a ...	1998	9646467
choosing appropriate space allowances for slaughter pigs transported by road: a review.	in the united kingdom pigs can spend up to 11 hours in transit to slaughter but on average travel for two to three hours. in the past, international journeys have lasted up to 40 hours and have been over 900 miles long. there is evidence that pigs, like calves and sheep, but unlike adult cattle, prefer to lie down if provided with suitable conditions, particularly bedding, on the vehicle. they will, however, sometimes stand during short journeys, possibly when excessive vibration or uncomfortabl ...	1998	9602513
beef exports: looking for an opening.	bse, food safety and the veterinarian's role in certification were among matters discussed by the bva's president, mr ted chandler, at a speech in ballymena on october 29. speaking at the bva's northern ireland dinner, at which representatives of government, local veterinary associations, the farming community and other organisations were present, mr chandler emphasised the need for the government to recognise the veterinary profession's vital contribution to food hygiene and its pivotal role in ...	1997	9402724
the epidemiology of bse in cattle herds in great britain. ii. model construction and analysis of transmission dynamics.	mathematical model that describe the key processes determining the pattern of the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (bse) epidemic in british cattle are derived that allow for infection from feed as well as maternal and direct horizontal transmission. heterogeneous susceptibility classes are also incorporated into the analysis. maximum likelihood methods are used to estimate parameters and to obtain confidence intervals from available experimental and epidemiological data. a comprehensive sensiti ...	1997	9279898
epidemiology of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in northern ireland 1988 to 1995.	the epidemiology of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (bse) in northern ireland from 1988, when it was first confirmed, to the end of 1995 is described. all cases of bse were subjected to a detailed epidemiological investigation, complemented by data from the national animal health records on every bovine animal. data are presented on 1680 cases. many of the epidemiological features of the disease were similar to those reported in great britain, but the incidence in northern ireland was approxima ...	1997	9106962
application of a rapid automated immunosensor for the detection of staphylococcus aureus enterotoxin b in cream.	an automated immunosensor has been applied to the detection of staphylococcus aureus enterotoxin b in cream. it was capable of detecting the toxin down to a level of 5 ng/g in approximately 10 min. this paper describes the immunosensor method used and how it compares with conventional elisa (enzyme linked immunosorbent assay) methods.	1997	9105941
mad cows and englishmen: the aftermath of a bse scare.	the consumption of prime beef cuts is down, animals have been slaughtered by the thousand and 3 farmers have committed suicide as the mad-cow issue continues to cause concern in the united kingdom. in this report from london, caroline richmond also notes that the royal colleges have published a report stating that chronic fatigue syndrome is a real illness and patients need help.	1997	9099178
stillbirth/perinatal weak calf syndrome: radiographic examination for growth retardation lines.		1996	8981737
epidemiology of lameness in dairy cattle: the influence of cubicles and indoor and outdoor walking surfaces.	a survey of cubicles and indoor and outdoor walking surfaces on 37 farms served by four veterinary practices in somerset, cheshire, wirral and west. wales was carried out in 1989 to 1991. a study of the space requirements of friesian/holstein cows at pasture showed that they required approximately 240 cm x 120 cm lying space and a further 60 cm lunging space for rising. by these standards, 87 per cent of the cubicles were too short and 50 per cent were too wide or too narrow. over 1500 observati ...	1996	8863400
mortality in cattle up to two years old in northern ireland during 1992.	a study of bovine mortality involving a stratified random sample of farms and veterinary practices was carried out in northern ireland during 1992. in the farm survey over 3500 deaths were reported from 1069 farms and 237 farms reported no deaths. the estimated total number of deaths of cattle up to two years old was 12,332, a figure which excludes an estimated 7921 stillbirths. the estimated annual mortality rates for six- to 24-month-old cattle, one- to five-month-old calves and neonatal calve ...	1996	8807785
monitoring for clenbuterol abuse in n. ireland 1989-1994.	laboratory testing in n. ireland for the illegal growth promoting agent, clenbuterol (cbl), is centralized at the veterinary sciences division, belfast. during the past 6 years a variety of testing schemes have evolved to determine the level of abuse of this drug in the local meat industry. the types of samples from cattle tested during this period altered as pharmacokinetic data for the compound increased. initially, fluids such as urine and bile were used, however testing switched to more appr ...	1996	8792591
diagnosis and prevalence of neosporosis in cattle in northern ireland.		1996	8733183
incidence of bovine hypomagnesaemia in northern ireland and methods of magnesium supplementation.		1996	8629323
a study of mortality among suckler and dairy cows in northern ireland in 1992.	as part of an initiative aimed at reducing the number of cattle deaths in northern ireland, a survey of bovine mortality on a stratified random sample of farms and veterinary practices was carried out during 1992. in the farm survey, over 3500 deaths were reported from 1069 farms, with a further 237 farms reporting no deaths during the year. the estimated numbers of deaths of suckler cows and dairy cows were 5997 and 4246, respectively, giving an estimated annual mortality rate of 2.36 per cent ...	1995	8592815
possible naturally occurring zeranol in bovine bile in northern ireland.	zeranol and two fusarium toxins, alpha-zearalenol and beta-zearalenol, were confirmed by gaschromatography/mass spectrometry (gc/ms) in bovine bile samples referred to this laboratory for analysis. no evidence of zeranol abuse was found on-farm. given the recent suggestion that zeranol might arise from the metabolism of these fusarium toxins, and the finding of zeranol in bovine and ovine urine across the eu, it was concluded that the residues had arisen as a result of natural metabolism.	1995	8578925
otitis media in suckler calves.		1993	8438544
incidence of hypomagnesaemia in dairy and suckler cows in northern ireland.		1993	8322445
current attitudes and future influences on meat consumption in the u.k.	a survey of 1018 u.k. residents was conducted using the basic structure of the theory of reasoned action along with scenarios of possible future events investigating meat-eating and vegetarianism. over a quarter (28%) of the sample considered themselves to be reducing meat consumption although a comparison of present and retrospective meat consumption indicated that less than a quarter of this group had cut down on a variety of meats in their diets over the past year. the attitudes related to pr ...	1993	8239634
neospora-associated bovine abortion in northern ireland.		1994	8135012
first reported isolation of mycoplasma bovis from pneumonic calves in northern ireland.		1993	8116160
pasteurella haemolytica serotypes isolated in northern ireland during 1989-1991.	pasteurella haemolytica isolates from clinical veterinary samples were serotyped over a three year period to determine the distribution of strains in northern ireland, to compare the results with the recorded distribution in the remainder of great britain and to extend information on the geographical prevalence of the serotypes. four hundred and nine typable and 91 untypable strains were isolated from 490 animal cases. from 127 typable cattle isolates, the commonest serotype was a1, most frequen ...	1993	8111616
bovine spongiform encephalopathy. epidemiology, low dose exposure and risks.	bse has occurred in the u.k. as an extended common source epidemic since 1985/86. the vehicle of infection was concentrated feeds containing meat and bone meal produced by the rendering of ovine, bovine and other animal wastes. the epidemic was probably initiated in 1981/82 when a sudden decline in the use of solvents in rendering allowed a low incidence of scrapie-like infection to occur in cattle. however, the presence in feed of bovine material that, from 1984/85 (or earlier), was increasingl ...	1994	8030941
role of cattle in the maintenance of leptospira interrogans serotype hardjo infection in northern ireland.	kidneys of cattle, mice and badgers were cultured for leptospires in an attempt to evaluate the relative importance of these species in the epidemiology of bovine leptospirosis caused by the hebdomadis serogroup. leptospires closely related to serotype hardjo were recovered from 57 (28.5 per cent) of 200 cattle examined but no evidence of infection was found in either badgers or mice, indicating that cattle act as the maintenance host for serotype hardjo. many cattle were seronegative carriers.	1981	7303438
the distribution of babesia divergens infection within the cattle population of northern ireland.		1982	7127060
isolation of mycoplasma californicum from an outbreak of bovine mastitis and the experimental reproduction of the disease.	a mycoplasma-like organism was isolated from five cows with chronic incurable mastitis from one dairy herd. this organism was shown to be mycoplasma californicum and was used to infect three cows by intramammary inoculation. the challenge organism was reisolated from all the infected quarters and the ensuing inflammatory response produced a chronic mastitis with a permanent drop in milk yield. antibiotic treatment in one animal was unsuccessful.	1982	7112877
eradication of mycoplasma bovis infection from a dairy herd in great britain.	mycoplasma bovis infection was eradicated from a naturally infected dairy herd in great britain by a programme of identification, segregation and culling of infected animals. a series of group and whole milking herd tests was carried out over a period of 15 months, followed by a whole herd nasal swabbing. cows were also sampled after calving and at drying off and bulk tanks were sampled at weekly intervals during the same period and for a further nine months. fifty-nine cows were identified as e ...	1983	6845609
assessment of prevalence of clinical babesiosis in cattle in northern ireland.	information on the number of clinical cases of bovine babesiosis in northern ireland was gathered from three sources: (a) a representative sample of farms; (b) all veterinary practices normally attending cattle; (c) the drug companies which produce babesicide. from (a) an estimate of 4520 clinical cases per year was derived, from (b) 3923 and from (c) 5600. a resultant estimate of at least 4000 cases per year was assumed to be reasonable. the mortality rate overall was 17.4 per cent but ranged f ...	1983	6845595
rotavirus infections in calves.	rotaviruses are now established as a major cause of neonatal enteritis and diarrhoea in calves. laboratory diagnosis is usually based on detection of the virus or virus antigens in faeces by direct electron microscopy or tests such as elisa and ieop. rotaviruses are resistant to inactivation and are normally present in large numbers in faeces, so that environmental contamination is both heavy and persistent. infection is transmitted primarily by faecal-oral contact. calves are usually protected ...	1983	6677180
hyperosmolar non-ketotic diabetic coma precipitated by leptospira hebdomadis infection.		1983	6642964
evidence for serotypic variation among bovine rotaviruses.	eight field strains of calf rotavirus from the u.k. were compared by neutralisation tests, using convalescent and hyperimmune antisera. seven of these strains cross-reacted and were considered to be of one serotype, while the 8th was distinguished by a greater than 20-fold two-way difference in neutralisation titre suggesting a second serotype. three widely-distributed reference strains (u.k., northern ireland and lincoln) cross-reacted with the strains in the dominant serotype, as did 33 of 42 ...	1984	6320775
survey for antibodies to respiratory viruses in two groups of sheep in northern ireland.	two hundred serum samples from texel and texel crossbred sheep (non-indigenous breeds) and 200 from indigenous northern ireland breeds (mainly blackface, cheviot and border leicester crosses) were tested for antibodies to parainfluenza virus types 1, 2 and 3, respiratory syncytial virus, bovine adenovirus (subgroups 1 and 2), influenza type a, maedi-visna virus and bovine virus diarrhoea virus. the percentage of animals with antibodies to parainfluenza virus 3 (50 to 56 per cent) and adenovirus ...	1984	6095511
eradication of brucellosis in northern ireland: field problems and experience.		1969	5818042
q fever in northern ireland.		1968	5644160