Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority

Abstract These guidelines for surveys in potato crops have been prepared at the request of the European Commission. Its aim is to guide the EU Member States in preparing crop‐based surveys in potato, while describing the context in which these surveys are designed. This contributes to the harmonization of surveillance activities across Member States. Surveys are needed to substantiate pest freedom in an area and/or in the potato production chain. Surveys must be conducted in a scientifically and statistically sound manner. The target pests covered by these guidelines are quarantine pests for which potato (Solanum tuberosum) is a main host. These pests can enter the crop from the environment or through the planting of infested seed potatoes. The guidelines describe how to define the inspection unit and which field detection and laboratory methods can be used. After establishing the method sensitivity and defining a confidence level and design prevalence, RiPEST or RiBESS+ can be used to calculate the sample size for the target population. Surveys targeting multiple pests can be combined into a single crop‐based survey, improving resource efficiency. Optimisation can be achieved by using the same field visit to carry out multiple survey activities, by conducting the same survey activity to investigate the presence of multiple pests, and/or by using the same laboratory sample to detect multiple pests. This optimisation can be performed using the OptiPest tool, which requires data on sample size per pest and a time window for survey activities. The tool also allows monthly capacity constraints to be taken into account. The optimisation procedure is illustrated by a case study on potato crop surveys. These guidelines subsequently address how the resulting survey program can be implemented by selecting survey sites and establishing field and laboratory procedures for the detection and identification of the target pests.

BackgroundThe larvicide Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti) was introduced as a pest control method in the 1980s, claiming not only to be effective, but also to target specific insect groups including Culicidae and Simulidae, with no substantial effects on non-target species or to the local ecosystem. MethodsTo test these claims, we applied Bti to a naturally colonized, replicated set of aquatic macrocosms under realistic, field-like conditions, and investigated impacts on non-target species, including effects on related taxa and higher trophic levels. ResultsOur results indicate limited effects on most invertebrate prey taxa, with the exception of a decimation of the Chironomidae, which compose up to 50% of the biomass of these aquatic ecosystems. Effects on invertebrate predators including Hemiptera, Odonata and Coleoptera were investigated but were only observed for 1 species of Odonata: a small but significantly negative effect on larvae of Ishnura elegans (Odonata: Zygoptera).ConclusionsOverall, our results support the claim that, when used during short intervals at small spatial extents, Bti has limited effects on aquatic ecosystems, and that effects are relatively short-lived. However, negative effects on Chironomidae and Odonata larvae warrant careful use of the substance at natural water ecosystems, especially as the former insect family constitutes the basis of the aquatic food in soft-sediment freshwater aquatic systems and Bti leads to a local temporary near-complete wipeout of this Diptera family. Overall, our results highlight the need to define and limit the spatial and adhere to the advised temporal extent at which Bti is used.Graphical

IQOS is a heated tobacco product (HTP) claimed to be less harmful than regular cigarettes. It is unknown whether IQOS emissions contain radicals, cause DNA damage or affect the expression of DNA repair markers in human bronchial epithelial cells. This has important implications as IQOS diffusion is quickly growing, but little toxicological and genotoxic information on its emissions is available. Therefore, we determined the presence of radicals in cigarette smoke extract (CSE) and IQOS extract (IQOSE) by Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) spectroscopy and measured their levels of Tobacco-Specific Nitrosamines (TSNAs) with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Next, DNA damage induced by CSE and IQOSE was determined by means of the Fpg-modified comet assay in human bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B). Finally, the mRNA and protein levels of DNA repair markers in response to both extracts were evaluated. CSE contained significantly more reactive oxygen species (ROS) and TSNAs, whereas more carbon/nitrogen-centered radicals were detected in IQOSE. After 1 h exposure, 3%CSE and 5%IQOSE caused DNA oxidation, while 5%IQOSE also induced DNA strand breaks and alkali-labile sites. Exposure of cells to 1% and 3% IQOSE for 4 h upregulated the expression of DNA repair genes, whereas no significant impact on DNA repair protein levels was observed. This study shows that IQOS extract contains significant amounts of radicals and TSNAs, can induce DNA damage and increase the expression of DNA repair genes in human bronchial epithelial cells. Whether IQOS use is associated with higher risk of developing lung cancer remains to be determined.

Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever Virus (CCHFV) is an emerging zoonotic pathogen with a high case fatality risk. Its primary vectors, Hyalomma spp. ticks, are expanding their geographic range, raising concerns about the increasing risk of Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) outbreaks in Europe. Migratory birds contribute considerably to the spread of Hyalomma ticks, transporting immature forms over long distances during spring migrations. Additionally, climate change plays a crucial role in this expansion by creating favorable conditions for Hyalomma spp. survival and dispersal. This review explores the interplay between Hyalomma spp. ecology as vectors of CCHFV, the role of migratory birds and the impact of climate change on the dispersal of CCHFV across Europe. Understanding these dynamics is essential for assessing future risks, improving surveillance strategies, and implementing effective public health interventions.

Avian influenza (AI) is a highly contagious zoonotic disease primarily affecting birds with clinical manifestation depending on bird species and virus subtype. Globally, outbreaks have had a large socioeconomic impact. Moreover, highly pathogenic AI virus (HPAIv) outbreaks can pose a public health risk. Detection of AIv, particularly HPAIv, mainly relies on passive surveillance, risking underreporting and delayed detection. This study describes and compares the contribution of passive and active surveillance components on HPAI detection in poultry flocks in years with different HPAIv introduction risk (free, seasonal outbreaks, and year round) in the Netherlands. We drafted a flowchart representing the flow of information and samples between farmers and veterinarians, the competent authority (CA), the national reference lab (NRL), and the private organization Royal GD and identified four different surveillance components and derived the use of each of these components during 2016 (reference), 2019 (low risk), and 2022 (high risk). The first component, "notification of suspicion," where farmers and veterinarians directly report suspicions to the CA, accounted for 88.4% of farm visits and detected 98.1% of all HPAIv outbreaks. The second component, "testing to exclude" (TTE), consisting postmortem/sample submission and contact with the veterinary helpdesk of GD detected 2% of the cases in 2022. The third and active surveillance component, "protection zone screening," screens farms closely to a positively detected farm. No outbreaks were detected, suggesting limited between-farm transmission. The last and active surveillance component, mandatory national serological surveillance detected two low pathogenic AI outbreaks. Analysis between years for the passive surveillance components "notification of suspicion" and "TTE," using chi-square test of independency and odd ratios, showed increased use and farm visits in the high-risk year. However, postmortem-related submissions for TTE were increased in the disease-free year. All components combined detected HPAI or provided valuable information across different risk periods.