TY - JOUR T1 - Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus Prevalence in Sheep, Wild Boar and Ticks in Belgium. JF - Viruses Y1 - 2022 A1 - Nadjah Radia Adjadj A1 - Vervaeke, Muriel A1 - Charlotte Sohier A1 - Mickael Cargnel A1 - Nick De Regge KW - Animals KW - Antibodies, Viral KW - Belgium KW - Encephalitis Viruses, Tick-Borne KW - Encephalitis, Tick-Borne KW - prevalence KW - Seroepidemiologic Studies KW - Sheep KW - Sus scrofa KW - Swine KW - Ticks AB -

Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) is the most important tick-borne zoonotic virus in Europe. In Belgium, antibodies to TBEV have already been detected in wildlife and domestic animals, but up-to-date prevalence data for TBEV are lacking, and no studies have assessed its seroprevalence in sheep. Serum samples of 480 sheep from all over Belgium and 831 wild boar hunted in Flanders (northern Belgium) were therefore screened for TBEV antibodies by ELISA and plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT), respectively. The specificity of positive samples was assessed by PRNTs for TBEV and the Louping Ill, West Nile, and Usutu viruses. TBEV seroprevalence was 0.42% (2/480, CI 95%: 0.11-1.51) in sheep and 9.27% (77/831, CI 95%: 7.48-11.43) in wild boar. TBEV seroprevalence in wild boar from the province of Flemish Brabant was significantly higher (22.38%, 15/67) compared to Limburg (7.74%, 34/439) and Antwerp (8.61%, 28/325). Oud-Heverlee was the hunting area harboring the highest TBEV seroprevalence (33.33%, 11/33). In an attempt to obtain a Belgian TBEV isolate, 1983 ticks collected in areas showing the highest TBEV seroprevalence in wild boars were tested by real-time qPCR. No TBEV-RNA-positive tick was detected. The results of this study suggest an increase in TBEV prevalence over the last decade and highlight the need for One-Health surveillance in Belgium.

VL - 14 CP - 11 M3 - 10.3390/v14112362 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Improving laboratory diagnostic capacities of emerging diseases using knowledge mapping JF - Transboundary and Emerging Diseases Y1 - 2021 A1 - Mickael Cargnel A1 - Juana Bianchini A1 - Sarah Welby A1 - F. Koenen A1 - Yves Van der Stede A1 - Kris De Clercq A1 - Saegerman, Claude VL - 68 CP - 3 M3 - 10.1111/tbed.13768 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Quantitative decision making in animal health surveillance: Bovine Tuberculosis Surveillance in Belgium as case study. JF - Transbound Emerg Dis Y1 - 2021 A1 - Sarah Welby A1 - Mickael Cargnel A1 - Saegerman, Claude AB -

Despite eradication and control measures applied across Europe, bovine tuberculosis (bTB) remains a constant threat. In Belgium, after several years of official bTB-free status, routine movement testing, as currently practiced, revealed itself inadequate to detect some herds affected by sporadic breakdowns. The aim of this study was to assess different surveillance system components that strike a balance between cost and effectiveness and to identify sustainable alternatives, which substantiate a bTB-free claim while ensuring early detection and acceptance by various animal health stakeholders. For this pupose, a stochastic iteration model was used to simulate the current surveillance system's expected performance in terms of detection sensitivity and specificity. These results were then descriptively compared with observed field results. Second, the cost and effectiveness of simulated alternative surveillance components were quantified. Sensitivity analyses were performed to measure key assumptions' impacts (i.e. regarding diagnostic tests and true prevalence). The results confirmed discrepancies between the observed and simulated expected performance of bTB surveillance in Belgium. Second, simulated alternatives showed that interferon gamma (IFN-γ) and serological testing with antibody-enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (Ab-ELISA) targeting at-risk herds would enable an increase in the overall cost effectiveness (sensitivity and specificity) of the Belgian bTB surveillance system. Sensitivity analyses showed that results remained constant despite the modification of some key assumptions. While the performance of the ongoing bTB surveillance system in Belgium was questionable at the time of the study, this exercise highlighted that not only sensitivity but specificity also are key drivers of surveillance performance. The quantitative approach, taking into consideration various stakeholders' needs and priorities, revealed itself to be a useful tool in allowing evidence-based decision making for future tuberculosis surveillance in Belgium, in line with the international standards.

M3 - 10.1111/tbed.14269 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Atypical Pathogenicity of Avian Influenza (H3N1) Virus Involved in Outbreak, Belgium, 2019 JF - Emerging Infectious Diseases Y1 - 2020 A1 - Mieke Steensels A1 - Philippe Lagacé-Wiens A1 - Steven Van Borm A1 - Thierry van den Berg A1 - Mickael Cargnel A1 - Virginie Roupie A1 - Fabienne Rauw A1 - Bénédicte Lambrecht VL - 26 CP - 8 M3 - 10.3201/eid2608.191338 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Bacteriological evaluation of vaccination against Salmonella Typhimurium with an attenuated vaccine in subclinically infected pig herds JF - Preventive Veterinary Medicine Y1 - 2020 A1 - Linda Peeters A1 - Dewulf, Jeroen A1 - Boyen, Filip A1 - Charlotte Brossé A1 - Tamara Vandersmissen A1 - G. Rasschaert A1 - Heyndrickx, Marc A1 - Mickael Cargnel A1 - Wesley Mattheus A1 - Pasmans, Frank A1 - Haesebrouck, Freddy A1 - Maes, Dominiek VL - 182 M3 - 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2019.04.016 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Combining quantitative and qualitative approaches to determine viability of a potential Salmonella Typhimurium vaccination program in pigs in Belgium JF - Preventive Veterinary Medicine Y1 - 2020 A1 - Mickael Cargnel A1 - D. Maes A1 - L. Peeters A1 - Marc Dispas VL - 184 M3 - 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2020.105132 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Evaluation of group vaccination of sows and gilts against Salmonella Typhimurium with an attenuated vaccine in subclinically infected pig herds JF - Preventive Veterinary Medicine Y1 - 2020 A1 - Linda Peeters A1 - Dewulf, Jeroen A1 - Boyen, Filip A1 - Charlotte Brossé A1 - Tamara Vandersmissen A1 - Rasschaert, Geertrui A1 - Heyndrickx, Marc A1 - Mickael Cargnel A1 - Wesley Mattheus A1 - Pasmans, Frank A1 - F. Haesebrouck A1 - Maes, Dominiek VL - 182 M3 - 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2020.104884 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Prioritization of livestock transboundary diseases in Belgium using a multicriteria decision analysis tool based on drivers of emergence JF - Transboundary and Emerging Diseases Y1 - 2020 A1 - Juana Bianchini A1 - Marie‐France Humblet A1 - Mickael Cargnel A1 - Yves Van der Stede A1 - F. Koenen A1 - Kris De Clercq A1 - Saegerman, Claude VL - 67 CP - 1 M3 - 10.1111/tbed.13356 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Effectiveness and cost‐benefit study to encourage herd owners in a cost sharing vaccination programme against bluetongue serotype‐8 in Belgium JF - Transboundary and Emerging Diseases Y1 - 2019 A1 - Mickael Cargnel A1 - Yves Van der Stede A1 - Andy Haegeman A1 - Ilse De Leeuw A1 - Kris De Clercq A1 - Estelle Méroc A1 - Sarah Welby VL - 66 CP - 1 M3 - 10.1111/tbed.13034 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Effects of attenuated vaccine protocols against Salmonella Typhimurium on Salmonella serology in subclinically infected pig herds JF - The Veterinary Journal Y1 - 2019 A1 - Linda Peeters A1 - Dewulf, Jeroen A1 - Boyen, Filip A1 - Charlotte Brossé A1 - Tamara Vandersmissen A1 - Rasschaert, Geertrui A1 - Heyndrickx, Marc A1 - Mickael Cargnel A1 - Pasmans, Frank A1 - Maes, Dominiek VL - 249 M3 - 10.1016/j.tvjl.2019.05.008 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Associations between a decreased veterinary antimicrobial use and resistance in commensal Escherichia coli from Belgian livestock species (2011–2015) JF - Preventive Veterinary Medicine Y1 - 2018 A1 - Bénédicte Callens A1 - Mickael Cargnel A1 - Sarrazin, Steven A1 - Dewulf, Jeroen A1 - Bart Hoet A1 - Vermeersch, Katie A1 - P Wattiau A1 - Sarah Welby VL - 157 M3 - 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2017.10.013 ER -