The survey was designed to assess knowledge of PRRS disease and its transmission, farmers' attitudes and practices related to preventive and control measures, knowledge on vaccination and perception towards local veterinary authority activities.
Target species of the veterinary surveillance activities include migratory and resident birds, horses, and poultry.
The affected areas identified by the veterinary monitoring activities were published on line (http://sorveglianza.izs.it/emergenze/west_nile/emergenze_en.html).html
During 2013 the veterinary surveillance activities confirmed the circulation of WNV in six regions (Sardinia, Veneto, Emilia Romagna, Lombardy, Calabria, and Sicily), of which three reported human cases (Veneto, Emilia Romagna, and Lombardy).
The focus of pharmaceuticals and ingredients in personal care products, including organic sunscreen agents, as environmental pollutants is increasing because these compounds may enter the aquatic environment not primarily as a result of manufacturing practices but from their steady and widespread use in human and veterinary daily activities.
Veterinary surveillance activities, therefore, were particularly useful to assess and monitor the evolution of the epidemiological situation, providing the public health authorities with precious and timely information on where and when WND prevention and control actions in humans had to be put in place.
This constrains all areas of activities of veterinary services, including monitoring and surveillance programmes.
The classification of abnormal motor activity in veterinary patients is unclear.
Based on the results of this study, there is a need for local institutional stakeholders to standardise the activity of veterinary practices in order to have a more effectively coordinated and consistent disease surveillance system.
