Andrew Larkins

Introduction
Taenia solium places substantial burden on communities in low and middle-income countries, where neurocysticercosis is a leading cause of preventable epilepsy. Current diagnostic tests for T. solium are not suited for low resource settings or perform poorly. Several risk-assessment tools have been developed to support countries in identifying areas for further T. solium investigation and intervention. These tools are based on risk, rather than disease data, and have yet to be validated against biological results.

Methods
Two national quantitative risk-assessment tools (LISA and MCDA), two local semi-quantitative tools (rapid and in-depth), and a local qualitative tool (workshop) had their performance assessed against biological T. solium taeniasis data from 28 villages. The final risk category, risk score and individual components of each tool were assessed independently against village T. solium status by logistic regression.

Results
T. solium positive villages had higher odds of being high-risk villages for all tools, however, this was only significant for the LISA and workshop tools. For the LISA tool, the median risk score was also significantly greater in positive villages. A unit increase in LISA risk score led to a significant increase in the odds of a village being positive for T. solium. Other tools that calculated risk scores also showed similar results, however, were not statistically significant. All positive villages were hotspots for unimproved toilets by the LISA tool. The open defaecation component of the local rapid tool was the only component of any tool to demonstrate a significant relationship with positive T. solium villages.

Conclusions
This first biological validation of T. solium risk-assessment tools demonstrates that there are multiple tools that should be considered for further development. Supporting endemic countries to implement recently developed risk-assessment tools is consistent with the World Health Organization's goal of intensified control of T. solium in hyperendemic areas.

Cryptosporidium species are an important cause of diarrhoeal disease worldwide. Many countries reported declines in cryptosporidiosis incidence during COVID-19 restrictions, followed by marked increases post-COVID. A similar pattern has been observed in Australia, with record-high case numbers reported across multiple states in 2024–2025, including Western Australia (WA), where an outbreak occurred in 2025. Between 1st January – 30th June 2025, WA reported a statewide total of 1110 human cryptosporidiosis cases, which is substantially higher than the previous years. In the present study, a subset of WA cases from 2025 was investigated using contact tracing and molecular typing and compared with subtypes circulating in 2023 and 2024. Sequence analysis of the 18S rRNA and gp60 loci identified three Cryptosporidium species: C. hominis (91.5 %, 108/118), C. parvum (6.8 %, 8/118), and C. meleagridis (1.7 %, 2/118), comprising 13 distinct subtypes, over the three years. Notably, a previously rare C. hominis subtype, IeA11G3T3, emerged in 2023 and by 2025 had become the dominant subtype (92.1 %, 70/76) of samples typed. Multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) of a representative subset of IeA11G3T3 isolates (n = 13) showed that all sequences were identical, except for one isolate from 2024, which contained three insertions: an 18-bp repeat in the cp-47 gene and both a 12-bp and a 6-bp repeat in the dz-hrgp gene. The C. hominis IeA11G3T3 subtype has also recently emerged as a dominant subtype in several other countries, although the factors driving its emergence remain unclear.

Introduction
Neurocysticercosis due to Taenia solium is the leading cause of epilepsy in low and middle-income countries yet remains under investigated in Lao PDR (Laos). People shedding T. solium eggs or proglottids from the adult tapeworm are the source of infection for those with cysticercosis.

Methods
A matched case–control study of T. solium taeniasis was conducted in northern Laos. Cases were identified by rrnS PCR and sequencing. Risk factor data were collected by standardised questionnaire. Conditional logistic regression assessed the significance of risk factors.

Results
Eighteen cases and 36 controls participated in the study. Only raw pork and undercooked grilled pork were significant risk factors (p < 0.05), however, fermented pork was very close to being significant (p = 0.05). Income, food insecurity, education, being a household head and the number of household members were clearly not significant (p ≥ 0.20).

Conclusions
Raw and undercooked pork have different sources in northern Laos. Raw pork is almost only consumed from wild pigs that are opportunistically caught, whereas undercooked pork is consumed throughout the year from wild, local and commercial pigs. Food safety activities must consider these differences in supply chains.

Background: Despite rabies being preventable, the disease continues to be under-prioritised and under-resourced, competing with other human and animal health diseases and socio-political agendas. The control of dog-mediated human rabies is a model of One Health operationalisation, and the One Health approach is core to the "Zero by 30" goal. There have been several opportunities proposed and/or piloted for the integration of rabies with other disease control efforts and interventions, in line with this One Health approach.

Methods: A scoping review was conducted, following PRISMA guidelines, to summarise the nature and outcomes of cross-cutting approaches that have been applied to understand the opportunities available and evaluate the contexts in which such approaches can add value. Studies were included which demonstrated evidence describing an approach focused on dog-mediated rabies control and another health or development intervention affecting humans, animals, or the environment. In addition to the literature review, expert consultations were conducted to inform the development of recommended criteria or questions to consider when exploring cross-cutting or integrated approaches.

Results: Records were mapped against the WHO NTD roadmap cross-cutting approach categories to help classify the evidence. Thirteen records in total were included in the review, with two of these records including aspects of multiple categories. Two records included evidence of planning and programme management; eleven records included evidence of activities or approaches associated with implementation and three records included evidence related to monitoring and evaluation, specifically surveillance. Insights from expert consultations complemented the available literature and led to the development of key criteria to consider when exploring cross-cutting approaches for rabies control.

Conclusion: Integrated or cross-cutting approaches can offer the opportunity to enhance and build upon common and existing delivery platforms for health services and maximise the impact of limited resources. However, integrated approaches could have detrimental effects and their implementation requires careful consideration. Further evidence is needed to understand where cross-cutting approaches can be effective, sustainable, and scalable to support the agenda to end human deaths from dog-mediated rabies by 2030.

Background
Faecal microscopy is the mainstay of soil-transmitted helminth diagnosis and commonly completed on formalin-fixed samples when resources are insufficient to analyse fresh samples. This study assessed the diagnostic sensitivity of microscopic techniques using formalin-fixed samples.

Methods
Formalin-fixed faecal samples from 574 individuals were tested by the formalin-ethyl acetate concentration technique (FECT), Malachite smear, McMaster and McMaster2 methods. Agreement between tests was assessed by Kappa. Bayesian latent class models and a composite reference standard estimated the diagnostic sensitivity of each test.

Results
Moderate-to-good agreement between tests was observed for A. lumbricoides. Agreement was poorer for hookworm and Trichuris trichiura. The FECT (72.70%, credible interval [CrI]: 68.92–76.56%) and McMaster2 method (67.93%, 95% CrIs: 62.41–73.31%) had the highest sensitivities for A. lumbricoides. For hookworm, the McMaster2 method (70.56%, 95% CrIs: 64.10–76.96%) was more sensitive than all other tests. For T. trichiura, the McMaster (90.10%, 95% CrIs: 83.29–94.67%) and McMaster2 (89.3%, 95% CrIs: 82.28–94.52%) methods were the most sensitive.

Conclusions
The McMaster2 method is a viable alternative to FECT and provides important information on the intensity of infection. The effect of formalin-fixation on test performance may not be as great as previously assumed. This study reports formalin-fixed sensitivities similar to previous estimates using fresh samples.

Introduction: Dog Population Management (DPM) systems primarily aim to reduce the free-roaming dog population, improve the health and welfare of humans and dogs, and foster their peaceful coexistence. A key challenge to resource allocation and evidence-based policy making in DPM is the rare evaluation of the associated socio-economic impacts. This scoping review identifies, maps, and summarizes published parameters and methods on the socio-economic aspect of DPM systems.

Methods: Following PRISMA-ScR guidelines, and with a protocol registered on the Open Science Framework, this review explores (i) types of DPM services, (ii) types of parameters (intervention, impact, monetized, or non-monetized), (iii) methodological approaches (such as cost–benefit or cost-effectiveness analysis), and (iv) gaps and challenges in socio-economic DPM assessments. Relevant publications were identified through a systematic search of PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science.

Results: Our review identified 14 out of more than 7,200 studies indicating the limitation of socio-economic data associated with DPM systems. The studies revealed diverse approaches to DPM, sterilization being the most frequently used service, often combined with vaccination and community awareness. Culling was also used by several studies as a DPM intervention, though considered unethical. The review highlighted a range of intervention, impact, and monetary parameters to evaluate the economics of DPM systems, demonstrating the complexity and varied scope of the services. Varied categorizations of the dog population were observed, making comparative evaluation challenging. Economic methods such as cost–benefit and cost-effectiveness analyses were observed, identifying several associated economic metrics. Studies highlighted gaps mostly related to data availability and accessibility.

Conclusion: The limitations of socio-economic data arise from a lack of standardized methodologies across regions and contexts and limited data collection efforts. Prioritizing systematic collection of data on costs, benefits and social impacts allows for a more robust analysis of DPM systems. Developing tools and standardized reporting methods would further facilitate consistent evaluation of impacts, efficient resource allocation and evidence-based policy making to implement the most cost-effective DPM systems.

Small ruminant production in sub-Saharan Africa is limited by a range of constraints, including animal health issues. This study aimed at estimating the impact of these issues on the small ruminant production in Senegal in a holistic manner, using an approach developed by the Global Burden of Animal Diseases (GBADs) programme. The estimation focused on the mixed crop-livestock system, representing a large proportion (>60 %) of the small ruminant population in the country. It was based on existing data collected via a systematic literature review, acquisition of secondary datasets from local stakeholders, and expert elicitation. A dynamic population model was used to calculate the gross margin of the sector under both the current health constraints and an ideal health state, where animals are not exposed to causes of morbidity and mortality. The difference between the current and ideal health scenarios, termed the Animal Health Loss Envelope (AHLE), provides a quantitative measure of the farm-level cost of disease in the system. The all-cause AHLE was estimated at 292 billion FCFA (468 million USD, with 95 % prediction interval 216 – 366 billion FCFA) per year for 2022, for a population of 8.8 million animals. The contribution of Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) was modelled separately, as an example of attributing part of the AHLE to a specific disease cause. PPR was estimated to contribute 5 % of the total AHLE. The animal disease burden experienced by Senegalese livestock keepers was largely due to loss in animals and production, with relatively small amounts of animal health expenditure. Implementation of this study contributed to the further development of the GBADs approach. Such estimates can support decision making at all levels, from investment decisions at the international level to local disease awareness campaigns targeting livestock keepers.

The Global Burden of Animal Diseases (GBADs) programme aims to assess the impact of animal health on agricultural animals, livestock production systems and associated communities worldwide. As part of the objectives of GBADs’ Animal Health Ontology theme, the programme reviewed conceptual frameworks, ontologies and classification systems in biomedical science. The focus was on data requirements in animal health and the connections between animal health and human and environmental health. In May 2023, the team conducted searches of recognised repositories of biomedical ontologies, including BioPortal, Open Biological and Biomedical Ontology Foundry, and Ontology Lookup Service, to identify animal and livestock ontologies and those containing relevant concepts. Sixteen ontologies were found, covering topics such as surveillance, anatomy and genetics. Notable examples include the Animal Trait Ontology for Livestock, the Animal Health Surveillance Ontology, the National Center for Biotechnology Information Taxonomy and the Uberon Multi-Species Anatomy Ontology. However, some ontologies lacked class definitions for a significant portion of their classes. The review highlights the need for domain evidence to support proposed models, critical appraisal of external ontologies before reuse, and external expert reviews along with statistical tests of agreements. The findings from this review informed the structural framework, concepts and rationales of the animal health ontology for GBADs. This animal health ontology aims to increase the interoperability and transparency of GBADs data, thereby enabling estimates of the impacts of animal diseases on agriculture, livestock production systems and associated communities globally.

Le programme « Impact mondial des maladies animales » fournit un cadre analytique pour mesurer l’état de santé général de diverses populations d’animaux d’élevage, estimer la charge de morbidité associée à certaines maladies à l’échelle d’une exploitation, prendre en compte aussi bien les pertes de production dues à la morbidité et à la mortalité que les dépenses de santé, et mettre en lumière les effets plus larges des maladies animales sur l’économie et la santé humaine. Des choix méthodologiques doivent être faits pour attribuer l’impact des maladies animales à des facteurs spécifiques ou à des séries de facteurs, en classant les maladies et en définissant les profils sanitaires qui en résultent et qui induisent des pertes de production. L’objectif de cet article est d’aborder les principales difficultés rencontrées lors de l’estimation de la charge de morbidité à l’échelle des exploitations, en particulier celles relevant d’une terminologie ambiguë, de la disponibilité et modalités de collecte des données, et des ajustements à effectuer en cas de comorbidité. Les auteurs donnent des exemples concrets du cadre proposé, en prenant d’une part l’infection zoonotique par des Brucella spp. chez les petits ruminants comme cause étiologique de la maladie, et d’autre part les avortements comme séquelles de plusieurs maladies. L’attribution de l’impact des maladies animales à des facteurs spécifiques permet de saisir les tendances aussi bien dans le temps que dans l’espace, dont la connaissance se révèle indispensable pour assurer la planification, le suivi et l’évaluation des programmes de santé animale et des interventions liées aux maladies.