Introduction: Streptococcus uberis is a poorly controlled cause of bovine intramammary infections and a common motivation for the use antibiotics in dairy farms worldwide. Therefore, studying the genomic characteristics of this pathogen is fundamental to understand its complex epidemiology and behavior against antimicrobials. Methods: A comparative genomic analysis of 10 S. uberis strains was performed and their antimicrobial susceptibility was assessed. Results: Ten different novel sequence types were found, and genes (tetM, tetO, patB, lnuC, lnuA, lsaE, ermB, ANT(6)-la) and mobile genetic elements previously associated with antimicrobial resistance (repUS43, ISSag2, and ISEnfa4) and virulence (315.2 phage) were detected. Additionally, our strains had the highest relative rate of recombination to mutation (8.3) compared to other S. uberis strains isolated from different continents (America: 7.7, Asia: 2.9, Europe: 5.4, and Oceania: 6.6). Most of the strains (80%) tested showed phenotypic resistance to clindamycin and 70% exhibited intermediate susceptibility to penicillin. Conclusions: The high heterogeneity of strains observed and the presence of genetic factors linked to antimicrobial resistance represent a challenge for the implementation and surveillance of measures focused on the control and elimination of this pathogen.

LAY SUMMARY Chronic pain continues to be a highly prevalent condition among Canadian Veterans. This study applied the biopsychosocial framework to chronic pain, using different structural equation modelling solutions. This approach allowed for assessment of all factors simultaneously with a model with latent variables. One of the model solutions showed demographic variables do not predict chronic pain. However, these variables should be used to control the modelling process because of their statistical differences. Moreover, biological factors, such as an increased number of physical problems, increased the likelihood of having chronic pain. Psychosocial factors showed increased scores for not having chronic pain.

Aims This study aims to characterize the virulence factors of Streptococcus agalactiae strains isolated from bovine mastitis and their potential association with the antibiotic treatment response. Methods and results Four different profiles were identified among the 181 S. agalactiae strains using polymerase chain reaction, of which hyl B and cylE were found in 100% of the isolated strains, followed by cfb (99.5%), scpB (40.3%), and lmb (15.5%). The cell invasion assay showed that lmb-positive strains exhibited higher invasion ability than lmb-negative. There was a significant association (P = 0.018) between lmb gene and cows that required more than one treatment cycle. Conclusions These results showed that intramammary infections caused by lmb-carrier S. agalactiae strains did not adequately respond to the antibiotics administered, likely because of the presence of this virulence factor, which potentially favours the cell invasion capacity of these strains.

LAY SUMMARY This study aimed to understand how common chronic pain is among Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Veterans and the characteristics that were related with having fewer activities limited by pain using the Life After Service Survey (LASS) 2019. The LASS was a Statistics Canada telephone survey of CAF Veterans released in 1998–2018. About 1 in 2 (50.7%) reported living with chronic pain. CAF Veterans between 50 and 59 years who were female, employed, had higher education, higher rank, longer length of service, or higher income had fewer activities limited by chronic pain. High levels of mastery (feeling in control of factors affecting one’s life) was linked to having fewer activities limited by pain among people with moderate to severe pain. The strong link between higher mastery and fewer activities limited by pain points to a need for pain management supports addressing aspects of CAF Veterans’ well-being beyond pain severity and physical health.

Introduction. Fast and accurate diagnosis is one of the key strategies in the successful control of intramammary infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus . Immunoassays are one of the diagnostic tools that have been proposed for the detection of S. aureus infection because they offer an advantage in terms of cost and are fast and easy to use compared to other diagnostic tests. Gap statement. The main challenge of the immunoassays is to identify antigens or serological markers that allow accurate discrimination between infected and uninfected cows with S. aureus , since this bacterium can naturally colonize different areas of the animal body. Aim. To evaluate three S. aureus proteins (IsdA, ClfA, SdrD) involved in the adhesion process as antigens to detect indicator antibodies of bovine intramammary infections. Methodology. Ninety-six cows in lactation and not vaccinated against S. aureus were included. Forty-eight of these cows were infected with S. aureus , while the rest (n=48 cows) were uninfected. Blood and milk samples were collected from each animal to recover serum and whey. IgG titres against the three proteins individually and combined (Mix) were measured in each sample using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test. Results. Significant differences in the IgG response against the proteins evaluated were observed, highlighting the antigenic potential of IsdA and demonstrating that some antigens can detect specific antibodies of infection better than others. According to receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, the combined proteins showed the most remarkable capacity (sensitivity of 79 % and specificity of 77 %) to differentiate between infected and uninfected cows when blood samples were used. In addition, the combined proteins also showed the highest specificity (94 %) when using milk samples. Conclusion. Our findings provide information on the usefulness of three adhesion-associated S. aureus proteins in detecting serological markers of intramammary infections in bovines.

LAY SUMMARY This research explored the demographic, military service, and health characteristics associated with cannabis for medical purposes (CMP) reimbursements among Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) clients and respondents of the Life After Service Survey 2016 (LASS). Of the initial number of indicators selected contained in the LASS 2016, some specific variables were significantly associated with CMP reimbursement, from which physical/mental health and well-being indicators, such as anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, bowel ulcer, traumatic brain injury, chronic pain, needing help with tasks, psychological distress, and having three or more conditions of the PTSD diagnosis, were positively associated with CMP. Moreover, unemployment, having low income (< $5,000), a difficult adjustment, being very dissatisfied with life, having low social support, a weak community belonging, and reporting high stress also increased the odds of being reimbursed. These results will help to identify a preliminary profile of VAC clients with higher need for CMP reimbursement.

Genotyping of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from mastitis has become a fundamental tool to understand its complex epidemiology and to evaluate spillover events. The aim of this study was to describe the frequency of genotypes of the S. aureus strains isolated from intramammary infections by spa typing technique, and to evaluate the association between genotypes and the ability to form biofilm under in vitro conditions. Sixty-six strains of S. aureus recovered from bovines intramammary infections on 56 dairy herds located in 14 municipalities of the department of Antioquia were characterized. The majority of strains (65/66) were isolated from milk samples collected from dairy cows with subclinical intramammary infections. Nineteen different spa types were found in this study, t521 (19.70%), t267 (15.15%), and t605 (12.12%) being the most frequent. The strains from the t605 spa type showed the highest biofilm production. The high frequency of spa types with zoonotic potential found in this study, identified cattle as an important reservoir of theses clones for people in close proximity, such as milkers and consumers of unpasteurized dairy products.

Objective: The objective of this review is to assess the prevalence of musculoskeletal chronic pain among active and retired members of military forces and to characterize potential factors that could influence the frequency of musculoskeletal chronic pain. Introduction: Inherent to military occupations is a diverse source of occupational hazards that affect the well-being of individuals at any stage of their military career (active and retired). Chronic pain may result from the continuous exposure to physically demanding tasks and other risks. Moreover, chronic pain has been associated with other comorbidities, including mental health conditions. Inclusion criteria: Scientific papers in French or English reporting on chronic pain derived from a musculoskeletal cause in active and retired military personnel will be considered. There will be no restriction on participants' country, age, or length of service. Methods: The published literature will be identified by exploring biomedical, pharmacological, and physiology bibliographic databases. The unpublished literature will be located through the search of thesis and gray literature repositories. This review will follow the condition-context-population approach and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. The extracted data will include any detail about the anatomic location, diagnosis, types of studies, and risk factors. The review will follow JBI methods of critical appraisal, data extraction, and data synthesis for reviews containing prevalence data. If enough evidence is found, meta-regression analysis will performed, otherwise a narrative review will be completed. Systematic review registration number: PROSPERO CRD42020153704

Objective: This study explored the heterogeneity of Canadian Armed Forces veterans living with chronic pain to inform service needs planning and research using cluster analysis.Design: We used a national cross-sectional Statistics Canada population survey.Participants: Participants included 2754 Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Regular Force veterans released from service between 1998 and 2015 and surveyed in 2016.Methods: We used cluster analysis of veterans with chronic pain based on pain severity, mental health, and activity limitation characteristics. We compared clusters for sociodemographic, health, and service utilization characteristics.Results: Of 2754 veterans, 1126 (41%) reported chronic pain. Veterans in cluster I (47%) rarely had severe pain (2%) or severe mental health problems (8%), and none had severe activity limitations. Veterans in cluster II (26%) more often than veterans in cluster I but less often than veterans in cluster III endorsed severe pain (27%) and severe mental health problems (22%) and were most likely to report severe activity limitation (91%). Veterans in cluster III (27%) were most likely to report severe pain (36%) and severe mental health problems (96%), and a majority reported severe activity limitations (72%). There was evidence of considerable heterogeneity among individuals in terms of socioeconomic characteristics, pain characteristics, mental and physical health status, activity limitations, social integration, and service utilization indicators.Conclusions: About half of Canadian veterans living with chronic pain infrequently endorse severe pain or serious mental health issues without severe activity limitations. The other half had more complex characteristics. The heterogeneity of CAF veterans with chronic pain emphasizes the need for support systems that can address variability of needs.

LAY SUMMARY The objective of this research was to explore the association between demographic and service characteristics and mental health in Canadian Veterans of the Reserve Force. The Reserve Force Class C model showed that marital status, age, chronic pain, depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and type of release were associated with mental health. The Reserve Force Class A/B model showed that age, depression, anxiety, PTSD, and type of release were associated with mental health. These results showed that similar factors were associated with the mental health score, with different degrees of association by reserve class. These results will help to better describe Reserve Force Veterans that may require mental health assistance.

Staphylococcus aureus represent a serious threat to public health due to food safety, antibiotic resistance, and the potential zoonotic transmission of strains between dairy cattle and humans. Biofilm formation by S. aureus results in chronicity of the infections which confers protection against the immune response and antibiotics. Likewise, biofilm allows the exchange of mobile genetic material among different strains through microbial interactions inside the matrix. In Colombia, where S. aureus continues to be one of the main pathogens isolated from bovine intramammary infections and where milking by hand is highly frequent, there are knowledge gaps on the zoonotic potential of the strains. Therefore, the aim of this work was to characterize genotypically and phenotypically the S. aureus Sa1FB strain with strong biofilm production and to perform genomic and phenotypic comparisons with other relevant S. aureus strains (native and references strains). These results show a highly productive strain of biofilm and a low ability of cell invasion compared to the other two native strains. In addition, high genomic similarity between S. aureus Sa1FB and the reference strains was observed, despite of the differences reported at the clinical level. However, Sa1FB exhibited special features in terms of mobile genetic elements, highlighting its ability to accept foreign genetic material. Indeed, this could increase mutation, pathogenesis, and adaptability to new hosts, representing a risk for people in contact with the milk obtained from animals infected with these strains. These results present the relevance of surveillance for early detection of emergent clones with zoonotic potential, which reduces the risk of occupational exposure and their spread in the community.

Background Self-rated health is an useful indicator of the general health in specific populations and used to propose interventions after service in the military context. However, there is scarce literature about self- rated health (SRH) in the Canadian Veterans of the Reserve Force and its relationship with demographic, health and occupational characteristics of this specific group. The aims of this research were to determine the SRH in Canadian Reserve Force Veterans and to explore the relationship between demographic, military service and health factors by reserve class. Methods Data from the individuals was collected from the Life After Service (LASS) 2013 survey, including Veterans with Reserve Class C ( n = 922) and Class A/B ( n = 476). Bivariate and multivariate analysis using logistic regression models, were used to assess the association between the demographic characteristics, physical health, mental health, and military service characteristics and the self-rate health by both reserve classes. Results The overall prevalence of poor SRH in Reserve Class C Veterans was 13.1% (CI:11.08–15.4) and for Reserve Class A/B was 6.9% (CI:5.0–9.1). Different degrees of associations were observed during the bivariate analysis and two different models were produced for each reserve class. Veterans of Reserve Class C showed that being single was (OR = 2.76, CI: 1.47–5.16), being 50–59 years old (OR = 4.6, CI: 1.28–17.11), reporting arthritis (OR = 2.49, CI: 1.33–4.67), back problems (OR = 3.02, CI:1.76–5.16), being obese (OR = 1.96, CI: 1.13–3.38), depression (OR = 2.34, CI: 1.28–4.20), anxiety (OR = 4.11, CI: 2.00–8.42), PTSD (OR = 2.1 CI: 0.98–4.47), and being medically released (OR = 4.48, CI: 2.43–8.24) were all associated with higher odds of poor SRH. The Reserve Class A/B model showed that completing high school (OR = 4.30, CI: 1.37–13.81), reporting arthritis (OR = 6.60, CI: 2.15–20.23), diabetes (OR = 11.19, CI: 2.72–46.0), being obese (OR = 3.37, CI: 1.37–8.27), daily smoking (OR = 2.98, CI: 1.05–8.38), having anxiety (OR = 9.8, CI: 3.70–25.75) were associated with higher odds of poor SRH. Conclusions These results suggested that the relationship of poor SRH with demographic, health and military occupation domains varied depending on the class on the Reserve Force Service. Different strengths of association showed different risk compositions for both populations. This can be used to better understand the health and well-being of Veterans of the Reserve Force.

This study was carried out to determine the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes and mobile genetic elements of 4 fecal blaCMY-2-producing Escherichia coli isolated from Holstein dairy calves on the same farm using whole-genome sequencing. Genomic analysis revealed that 3 of the 4 isolates shared similar genetic features, including sequence type (ST), serotype, plasmid characteristics, insertion ST, and virulence genes. In addition to genes encoding for complex multidrug resistance efflux systems, all 4 isolates were carriers of genes conferring resistance to β-lactams (blaCMY-2, blaTEM-1B), tetracyclines (tetA, tetB, tetD), aminoglycosides [aadA1, aph(3")-lb, aph(6)-ld], sulfonamides (sul2), and trimethoprim (dfrA1). We also detected 4 incompatibility plasmid groups: Inc.F, Inc.N, Inc.I, and Inc.Q. A novel ST showing a new purA and mdh allelic combination was found. The 4 isolates were likely enterotoxigenic pathotypes of E. coli, based on serotype and presence of the plasmid Inc.FII(pCoo). This study provides information for comparative genomic analysis of AMR genes and mobile genetic elements. This analysis could give some explanation to the multidrug resistance characteristics of bacteria colonizing the intestinal tract of dairy calves in the first few weeks of life.

The microbiological quality of colostrum and identify cow, calf and farm managemental factors associated with colostrum hygiene in Colombian dairy herds were determined. Colostrum samples (n = 255) from 44 herds were collected for bacteriological quality analysis. A survey about colostrum management was carried out for each birth event. Only 18% of the samples exceeded the threshold 100,000 cfu mL(-1) for the total bacterial count (TBC), and more than 54.5% of the herds have at least one colostrum sample above the TBC threshold. The total coliform count was higher than the threshold 10,000 cfu mL(-1) in 24.3% of colostrum samples and 682% of herds. Associations between cow-calf factors and the colostrum hygiene were examined. The two-level logistic regression showed that the colostrum microbiological quality was influenced by suckling colostrum from mother, feeding colostrum with a bottle and when the colostrum came of large herds. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Infertility is a common consequence of cows suffering from postpartum uterine diseases. Diseases from a uterine origin in early lactation affect both uterine and ovarian tissues decreasing the probability of pregnancy. The objective of the present study was to determine the impact of clinical metritis, clinical endometritis, and subclinical endometritis on days open in cows from high-altitude tropical dairy herds. A single cohort longitudinal study was conducted from January 2018 to February 2019, which included 248 cows enrolled from five commercial high-altitude tropical dairy herds in the northern region of the Department of Antioquia, Colombia. A directed acyclic graph was used to identify minimal sufficient adjustment sets for each exposure variable of interest. Based on the directed acyclic graph, three models (one for each of clinical metritis, clinical endometritis, and subclinical endometritis) were proposed to assess the impact of postpartum uterine diseases on days open. The time at risk was defined as the days elapsed from calving until pregnancy (event or censure). Observations were right-censored if cows were either culled, dead, were lost to follow up, suffered a systemic illness that required the use of parenteral drugs, or if they were not pregnant at 210 postpartum days. Three Cox proportional hazards models were proposed to estimate the Hazard Ratios (HR) at any point in the follow-up period for each exposure variable. The hazard of pregnancy was significantly lower for cows with metritis (40 %; HR = 0.60; 95 % CI: 0.43 - 0.86), clinical endometritis (69 %; HR = 0.31; 95 % CI: 0.22 - 0.45), and subclinical endometritis (76 %; HR = 0.24; 95 % CI: 0.16 - 0.36) compared to their herd mates without these conditions. These results provide evidence of the negative impact of postpartum uterine diseases on time to pregnancy in grazing lactating dairy cows from high-altitude tropical herds.

Subclinical Ruminal Acidosis (SARA) and Subclinical Ketosis (SCK) are two of the most prevalent metabolic diseases of dairy cows, with impacts on reproductive performance. There is scarce literature about these diseases in dairy regions in Colombia. In 29 randomly selected herds in Pasto, Colombia, 249 dairy cows were followed weekly for two months postpartum to determine: 1) incidence risk of SARA and SCK; and 2) effects of SARA and SCK on the occurrence of postpartum anestrus (PA) at two months. Samples from ruminal liquor and blood were obtained one time per cow during the first week postpartum to determine presence of SARA (pH < 5.6) and SCK (1.0-2.9 mmol/L of blood Beta-Hydroxy-Butyrate), respectively. PA diagnosis was determined with ultrasound. Pregnancy risks at 30 and 60 days post-breeding (and assumed embryo losses between these days) were determined. Risk factors associated with PA were estimated through a mixed multi-level multivariable logistic regression model, adjusting for clustering of cows within herds. The incidence risks of SARA and SCK were 23.3% and 46.2%, respectively. Simultaneous occurrence of SCK and SARA (SCASCK) was present in 5.2% of the cows. In the final multivariable model, the occurrence of SARA (Odds Ratio: OR = 39.4), SCK (OR = 47.4) and SCASCK (OR = 68.5) was associated with increased odds of PA. Feeding a transition period diet was associated with reduced odds of PA (OR = 0.15). Second parity cows had significantly lower odds of PA than first parity cows (OR = 0.21). In conclusion, inadequate pre-partum and postpartum nutritional management of the herds increased the occurrence of SARA and SCK, which had adverse effects on reproductive performance.

The primary objective of this study was to explore the variability of Streptococcus uberis (S. uberis) isolates by extracting multilocus sequence typing (MLST) data from whole-genome sequencing. The secondary objective was to determine the distribution of the phenotypic antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and the associated AMR genes as well as the virulence gene profiles among sequence types (STs). Sixty-two isolates were recovered from 16 herds in 3 Canadian Maritime Provinces: New Brunswick (14.5%), Nova Scotia (48.3%), and Prince Edward Island (37.1%). Of these, 9, 30, and 23 were recovered from post-calving, lactational samples, and post-mastitis samples, respectively. These 62 S. uberis isolates belonged to 34 STs; 11 isolates were typed to 9 known STs and 51 isolates were classified as one of 25 new STs. Thirteen isolates were part of major clonal complexes (CCs). Post-mastitis isolates contained 10 unique STs, lactational isolates contained 11 unique STs, and post-calving isolates had 3 STs. Each farm had only 1 isolate that was a unique ST except for STs 233, 851, 855, 857, 864, and 866, which were found in multiple cows per herd on more than one farm. ST851 and ST857 were found in each of the 3 sample types, with ST857 found in cows from all 3 Maritime provinces. These results indicate that S. uberis is a diverse non-clonal pathogen with specific STs residing in clonal clusters, carrying multiple AMR genes and virulence, with a diverse phenotypic AMR.

The ability of Staphylococcus aureus to form biofilms is an important virulence factor because this has been associated with persistent bovine intramammary infections. Different mechanisms of biofilm formation have been described in S. aureus; however, the process has been found to be mainly driven by the ica and bap genes. The presence of the ica and bap genes, as well as the biofilm formation in vitro were evaluated in 229 S. aureus strains isolated from bovine milk collected from different regions of Department of Antioquia, Colombia. Three different genotypes grouped into three separate clusters were identified from in vitro assays. Genotype 1 (ica positive and bap negative) was the most prevalent (78.17%), followed by genotype 2 (ica and bap positive) (12.66%) and genotype 0 (ica and bap negative) (9.17%). Biofilm formation was observed in 81.26% of the strains from which 100% of genotype 2 isolates showed biofilm formation. The biofilms formed by genotype 2 isolates were also found to have the highest optical density (>2.4). These results showed that most of the S. aureus strains were capable of biofilm formation, suggesting the virulence potential particularly in bap-positive strains.

Streptococcus agalactiae is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among neonates and causes severe infections in pregnant women and nonpregnant predisposed adults, in addition to various animal species worldwide. Still, information on the population structure of S. agalactiae and the geographical distribution of different clones is limited. Further data are urgently needed to identify particularly successful clones and obtain insights into possible routes of transmission within one host species and across species borders. We aimed to determine the population structure and virulence gene profiles of S. agalactiae strains from a diverse set of sources and geographical origins. To this end, 373 S. agalactiae isolates obtained from humans and animals from five different continents were typed by DNA microarray profiling. A total of 242 different S. agalactiae strains were identified and further analyzed. Particularly successful clonal lineages, hybridization patterns, and strains were identified that were spread across different continents and/or were present in more than one host species. In particular, several strains were detected in both humans and cattle, and several canine strains were also detected in samples from human, bovine, and porcine hosts. The findings of our study suggest that although S. agalactiae is well adapted to various hosts including humans, cattle, dogs, rodents, and fish, interspecies transmission is possible and occurs between humans and cows, dogs, and rabbits. The virulence and resistance gene profiles presented enable new insights into interspecies transmission and make a crucial contribution to the identification of suitable targets for therapeutic agents and vaccines.