This article uses the experience of five European countries to review the integrated approaches (human, animal and vector) for surveillance and monitoring of West Nile virus (WNV) at national and European levels. The epidemiological situation of West Nile fever in Europe is heterogeneous. No model of surveillance and monitoring fits all, hence this article merely encourages countries to implement the integrated approach that meets their needs. Integration of surveillance and monitoring activities conducted by the public health authorities, the animal health authorities and the authorities in charge of vector surveillance and control should improve efficiency and save resources by implementing targeted measures. The creation of a formal interagency working group is identified as a crucial step towards integration. Blood safety is a key incentive for public health authorities to allocate sufficient resources for WNV surveillance, while the facts that an effective vaccine is available for horses and that most infected animals remain asymptomatic make the disease a lesser priority for animal health authorities. The examples described here can support other European countries wishing to strengthen their WNV surveillance or preparedness, and also serve as a model for surveillance and monitoring of other (vector-borne) zoonotic infections.
Summary. An evaluation of five ELISA methods for the diagnosis of acute toxoplasmosis was undertaken by comparing a laboratory-produced ELISA employing two recombinant Toxoplasma gondii polypeptides as antigen with a laboratory-produced ELISA and three commercially available ELISAs employing traditional parasite antigen preparations derived from whole tachyzoites. With a panel of 75 sera from patients who showed either serological and clinical evidence of acute toxoplasmosis, or of diseases caused by other infectious agents, or from patients who showed no evidence of infectious disease, the ELISAs gave overall positive predictive values of 8 16-100 %, negative predictive values of 87.8-1 00 YO, sensitivities of 81.3-100 YO, and specificities of 83.7-100 %. No two ELISAs gave identical results with all sera tested. In total, the ELISA based on the two recombinant T. gondii polypeptides appeared to be the most specific ELISA in this comparison, showing positive predictive values and specificities of 100 YO for all groups of patients tested. The overall negative predictive value for this ELISA was 87.8 YO and the sensitivity was 81-3 %. Therefore, the ELISA based on recombinant antigen appears to be a promising advance in the serological diagnosis of acute toxoplasmosis.
An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed to measure total antibody to Toxoplasma gondii in serum samples from macropods. The validity of the assay was established by comparing parasite isolation in mice for 17 Tasmanian pademelons (Thylogale billardierii) and 17 Bennett's wallabies (Macropus rufogriseus rufogriseus). The ELISA was then used to detect antibody against T. gondii in serum from 236 macropods, collected from 21 locations in Tasmania, including Flinders Island. Antibody against T. gondii was detected in 20 animals (15 T. billardierii and 5 M. rufogriseus). There was a significant (p less than 0.01) difference in possession of T. gondii antibodies between adult (greater than or equal to 1 year of age) Tasmanian pademelons and Bennett's wallabies.
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