The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review to identify and assess evidence and knowledge gaps in published observational studies that have investigated the relationship between mastitis and pregnancy loss (PL) in dairy cows. PubMed and ScienceDirect were used to search pertinent peer-reviewed research reports of interest. Screening of research reports was conducted at 3 levels: titles, abstracts, and full-text articles. The search identified 651 records for initial screening. The final screening process identified 8 qualified articles for review after removing 10 duplicate records, 582 titles, 31 abstracts, and 20 full-text articles. Two studies produced strong epidemiologic evidence indicating that (1) exposure to clinical mastitis during early gestation (first 45 d of gestation) is associated with subsequent PL during the following 90 d; and (2) subclinical mastitis 1 to 30 d before artificial insemination (AI) is associated with subsequent PL at 35 to 41 d of gestation. An additional study showed that exposure to clinical mastitis during early lactation in combination with low body condition can increase the risk of PL in dairy cows; however, the interaction effect between clinical mastitis and low body condition on PL was considered weak. Four other studies produced inconclusive evidence indicating that mastitis is a predisposing factor for PL in dairy cows, as the exposure risk period for mastitis overlapped with the follow-up period for diagnosis of PL in dairy cows. Finally, one study failed to identify a relationship between mastitis and PL in dairy cows. Further research is needed to (1) support the hypothesis that mastitis in combination with low body condition score (or other exposure factors) can increase the risk of PL, (2) compare the effect of clinical versus subclinical mastitis on PL, (3) compare the effect of mastitis before breeding and during gestation on PL, and (4) compare the effect of mastitis on PL in dairy cows during different lactations.

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The main objective of the study reported here was to examine the association between pregnancy loss (PL) and previous exposure to clinical or subclinical mastitis before breeding or during gestation in primiparous Holstein cows. A secondary objective was to estimate the cost of clinical mastitis during gestation, including that of PL attributable to mastitis in study cows. A total of 687 primiparous Holstein cows from 1 dairy farm were included in a matched case-control study. Study cows were declared pregnant via ultrasound on d 33 after timed artificial insemination (TAI). Case cows (n = 78) were those diagnosed as nonpregnant by rectal palpation on d 47 or 75 after TAI. Control cows were those confirmed as pregnant by rectal palpation on d 47 and 75 after TAI. Case cows were matched with eligible controls according to year of calving and calving-to-conception interval ±3 d. Cows were assigned to 1 of 3 groups: (1) cows not affected with clinical or subclinical mastitis; (2) cows affected with subclinical mastitis (Dairy Herd Improvement Association somatic cell score >4.5); and (3) cows affected with clinical mastitis during 2 exposure periods, 1 to 42 d before breeding or during gestation (1 to PL diagnosis day for case cows, and 1 to 75 d for control cows). Conditional logistic regression was used to model the odds of PL as a function of previous exposure to mastitis in study cows. Mastitis before breeding was not associated with PL. The odds of PL were 2.21 times greater in cows affected with clinical mastitis during gestation (95% confidence interval = 1.01, 4.83), compared with cows without mastitis, after controlling for breeding type and lameness. The cost of clinical mastitis during gestation was $149, which includes the cost ($27) of PL attributable to mastitis. In conclusion, this study provides evidence that clinical mastitis during gestation can cause PL in primiparous dairy cows leading to economic losses.

Brucellosis is an endemic disease in food-producing animals in Mosul, Iraq. The objectives of the study reported here were: (i) to identify and assess the evidence and knowledge gaps in published studies that have examined brucellosis in different food-producing animals in Mosul, Iraq; using systematic review approach, and (ii) to quantify the seroprevalence of brucellosis in the city using meta-analysis approach. Google Scholar was used as a search engine to track pertinent peer-reviewed research reports. The search was conducted on November 24, 2019. Keywords used were: brucella, animal, Mosul, Iraq. Peer-reviewed published studies, MSc theses, and PhD dissertations written in Arabic or English were included. Duplicate records were removed, and the screening process was conducted at three levels: titles, abstracts, and full-text articles. Identified studies that have reported the seroprevalence of brucellosis were included in a meta-analysis to calculate an overall prevalence. A total of 214 records were initially identified. Seventeen research reports were added from personal contact and qualified articles' references list. Thirty six articles were qualified for review after removing 35 duplicate records, 155 titles, 11 abstracts, and 5 full text articles. Seventeen studies reported the prevalence of brucellosis, 11 studies assessed different serological tests for diagnosis of brucellosis, 9 studies isolated Brucella spp. from animal specimens and/or animal products, and 4 studies assessed vaccination procedures against brucellosis. The overall seroprevalence of brucellosis in food-producing animals in Mosul over a period of 40 years was 14.14%, including 14.46% for sheep, 12.99% for goats, 11.69% for cattle, and 22.64% for buffalo. The study concluded that the disease is evident in the city with increasing trends over the years, buffalo shows high seroprevalence, the degree of agreement of Rose-Bengal test as a screening test is fair compared to more accurate serological tests such as ELISA; and the disease constitutes a public health concern in the city. Additional studies are important to identify the overlooked predisposing factors, estimate the abortion rate attributable to brucellosis in food-producing animals, and evaluate efficacy of vaccination programs in reducing the prevalence of brucellosis and/or abortion rate.

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Objective To compare survival outcomes between primary surgery and primary radiation therapy (RT) in patients with human papillomavirus (HPV)–negative oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC). Study Design A retrospective observational cohort study. Setting National Cancer Database. Methods A National Cancer Database review was conducted of 2635 patients with HPV-negative OPSCC who underwent surgery or RT ± chemotherapy between 2010 and 2014. Univariate analysis was performed on all variables and entered into a multivariate model. The main outcome was overall survival (OS). Results A total of 2635 patients with HPV-negative OPSCC were organized into 4 groups based on cancer staging. In group 1 (T1-2 N0-1; n = 774), up-front surgery had significantly better 5-year OS (76.2%) than RT (56.8%; adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.76; P = .009; 95% CI, 1.15-2.69) and chemoradiation therapy (CRT; 69.5%; aHR, 1.56; P = .019; 95% CI, 1.08-2.26). In group 2 (T3-4 N0-1; n = 327), no significant difference existed between surgery and CRT (5-year OS, 51.3% vs 52.4%; aHR, 0.96; P = .88; 95% CI, 0.54-1.69). In group 3a (T1-2 N2-3; n = 807), surgery with adjuvant treatment showed significantly better 5-year OS than CRT (78.6% vs 68.8%; aHR, 1.51; P = .027; 95% CI, 1.05-2.18). In group 3b (T3-4 N2-3; n = 737), surgery with adjuvant treatment was not statistically associated with better 5-year OS as compared with CRT (61.0% vs 43.7%; aHR, 1.53; P = .06; 95% CI, 0.98-2.39). Conclusion Primary surgery may provide improved survival outcomes in many cases of HPV-negative OPSCCs. These data should be used in weighing treatment options and may serve as a basis to better delineate treatment algorithms for HPV-negative disease.

Background Slaughterhouses can provide valuable information about animal diseases and their epidemiology. Objectives The current study was designed to examine the health and economic burden of pathological lesions in livers and lungs of slaughtered sheep at Mosul abattoir, Iraq. Methods Mosul abattoir records for sheep slaughtered between 2011 and 2013 were considered for inclusion in this study. The direct financial loss due to liver and lung lesions was estimated considering the average number of slaughtered sheep per year, the average percentage of liver lesions per year, and the average percentage of lung lesions per year. Monetary values of the liver and lung were obtained from local butcheries. Results The analysis indicated that the percentage of lesions observed in the liver and lung per year was 6.9% and 5.8%, respectively. Hydatid cyst followed by hepatitis was the most frequent lesions identified in the liver, while pneumonia then hydatid cyst were detected in the lung, followed by worms, abscess, and miscellaneous lesions. Hydatid cyst was the most frequently observed lesions. The average total loss was 35,232 USD per year (mostly due to liver lesions), with ±7046 USD sensitivity to the price change. Conclusions The percentage of lesions observed in the liver and lung per year is not negligible and can cause considerable economic losses.