Therefore, the development and maintenance of a Th1 IFN-c response is associated with a greater control of M. bovis infection. Animals progressing from a Th1-biased to a Th0-biased immune response developed more extensive pathology and performed less well in CMI-based diagnostic tests but developed strong IgG1 humoral responses.

Fasciola hepatica, the liver fluke, is a common parasite of cattle in much of the world. Previously, we have shown that cattle infected with F. hepatica have altered responsiveness (delayed type hypersensitivity reaction and cytokine responses) to M. bovis BCG infection. We hypothesized that co-infection with F. hepatica would, likewise, alter the immune response of cattle to virulent M. bovis infection, with possible implications for disease diagnosis and disease progression. Our previous work with F. hepatica/M. bovis BCG-infected cattle demonstrated a reduction in interferon (IFN)-gamma responsiveness in co-infected animals. Similar findings are reported here with virulent M. bovis following aerosol infection. The epidemiological significance of these findings, also, require exploration, particularly in view of the considerable resources devoted to the diagnosis and eradication of bovine tuberculosis, and the high prevalence of F. hepatica infection in areas where eradication has proved difficult.

Aims and methodTo explore the experiences and attitudes of mental health professionals working in acute elderly care to a new clinical dashboard system. Metrics were identified from the Royal College of Psychiatrists' Accreditation for Inpatient Mental Health Services – Older People (AIMS-OP); these were tracked from baseline to 6 months. A questionnaire was developed and distributed across the three clinical areas involved in the clinical dashboard mental health pilot.ResultsStaff completed the questionnaire 3 months after the initial implementation. At this point the benefits of the introduction of the dashboard were suggested as: improved access to information, increased communication and information-sharing, increased staff awareness, and data quality.Clinical implicationsThe introduction of the clinical dashboard in older adult mental health services allowed for better data availability and resulted in better data quality.

Background: In the British Isles, it is generally accepted that the Eurasian badger (Meles meles) plays a role in the maintenance of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in cattle. Non‐selective culling is the main intervention method deployed in controlling bTB in badgers along with smaller scale Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) vaccination areas. This paper describes the use of selective badger culling combined with vaccination in a research intervention trial. Methods: In Northern Ireland, a 100 km2 area was subjected to a test and vaccinate or remove (TVR) badger intervention over a 5‐year period. Badgers were individually identified and tested on an annual basis. Physical characteristics and clinical samples were obtained from each unique badger capture event. Results: A total of 824 badgers were trapped with 1520 capture/sampling events. There were no cage‐related injuries to the majority of badgers (97%). A low level of badger removal was required (4.1%–16.4% annually), while 1412 BCG vaccinations were administered. A statistically significant downward trend in the proportion of test positive badgers was observed. Conclusion: This is the first project to clearly demonstrate the feasibility of cage side testing of badgers. The results provide valuable data on the logistics and resources required to undertake a TVR approach to control Mycobacterium bovis in badgers.

A 26-kDa antigen has been shown to be a dominant antibody target in Mycobacterium bovis-infected cattle. In this study, that antigen was used as an immunogen to raise a panel of mouse monoclonal antibodies. The majority of those bound to native protein with a molecular mass of 26 kDa and to recombinant MPB83, strongly suggesting that MPB83 is an important B-cell antigenic target in bovine tuberculosis. In order to provide assessment of the potential of measuring antibody responses to the native protein, one monoclonal antibody, 1F11, was incorporated into an enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay format to trap antigen from a crude bacterial extract. Despite some disadvantages of this format, serum samples from cattle which had been infected experimentally with M. bovis, and from tuberculin skin-test-negative and -positive field cattle were tested for the presence of antibodies. Data from the skin-test-negative cattle allowed an arbitrary cut-off value to be established and, under these conditions, test sensitivity and specificity were estimated at 37.5 and 89%, respectively. These results indicate potential for MPB83 in the development of assays for serological diagnosis of bovine tuberculosis.