Publications
NIBIOs employees contribute to several hundred scientific articles and research reports every year. You can browse or search in our collection which contains references and links to these publications as well as other research and dissemination activities. The collection is continously updated with new and historical material.
2025
Abstract
Background: Campylobacter is an important water- and food-borne pathogen with notable genetic similarity among strains isolated from humans, animals, and environmental sources. This systematic review and meta- analysis synthesized available evidence on the prevalence, antimicrobial resistance, and associated risk factors of Campylobacter in humans, animals, and the environment in Ethiopia. Methods: Articles published from 1997 to 2024 were systematically searched and retrieved from PubMed, Science Direct, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. The review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines, and data from eligible articles were extracted using a standardized data extraction template. Heterogeneity was evaluated using Cochran’s Q statistic, the I² statistic, and Egger’s test for small-study effects. Data extraction and analysis were conducted using Microsoft Excel and Stata 14. Results: Of the 11,573 samples analyzed across 26 studies, 3204 were positive for Campylobacter, yielding a pooled prevalence of 19.9 %. The highest prevalence was observed in environmental samples (33.4 %), followed by humans (31.4 %) and animals (24 %). Regionally, Oromia showed the highest prevalence (30.4 %), while Addis Ababa and Tigray reported the lowest (11.0 %). Cephalothin and ampicillin exhibited the highest antimicrobial resistance (100 %), whereas gentamicin showed the lowest (7.1 %). Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli were the most frequently identified species and demonstrated the highest resistance levels. Major risk factors for campylobacteriosis included frequent animal contact, consumption of undercooked or contaminated food and water, and low parental education levels among affected children. Conclusion: This study highlights the distribution and increasing prevalence of Campylobacter and associated antimicrobial resistance within a One Health framework. Future research should encompass wider geographic coverage and include diverse sources such as poultry, companion animals, vegetables, and wastewater to generate more comprehensive epidemiological data. Such efforts will help address existing knowledge gaps and support the development of targeted interventions to reduce foodborne infections and mitigate antimicrobial resistance.
Abstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Micheloni, Cristina Oudshoorn, Frank Willem Raigon Jimenez, Maria Dolores Autio, Sari Beste, Andrea Blanco Penedo, María Isabel Bourin, Marie-Christine Goracci, Jacopo Matthias Koesling Kretzschmar, Ursula Malusá, Eligio Speiser, Bernhard van der Blom, Jan Wäckers, Felix Amador, Alberto Auranmaa, Kirsi Brugger, Harald Burkart, Crinna Cozzo, Riccardo Hansen, Max Milan, Marlene Molteni, Roberto Perez Calvo, Maria del Mar Raffaitin, Pauline Rauch, Thomas Sossidou, Evangelia Waidelich, AnneAbstract
Considering the most recent technical and scientific information available to the experts, the Group is requested: (5) to agree on the criteria for evaluation of substances for cleaning and disinfection to be applied to all fields of organic production where the use of such agents is necessary to maintain a high level of food hygiene. (6) to make a proposal for a negative list of substances with unwanted properties based on the above defined criteria. (7) to carry on some worked examples of evaluation of prioritized dossiers submitted by the Member States on products for cleaning and disinfection based on the criteria agreed: i. Hydrogen peroxide (DK) ii. Sodium percarbonate (hydrogen peroxide released from sodium percarbonate, DK) iii. Sodium hydroxide (NL) iv. Glutaraldehyde (SE) v. Chlorine dioxide (NO) vi. Calcium hypochlorite (FR) vii. Peracetic acid (FR) viii. Formic acid (FR) ix. Sodium hypochlorite (FR) x. Iodophors (FR) xi. Dipotassium peroxodisulfate + potassium peroxomonosulfate (SE) xii. Fatty acid potassium salt (SE) xiii. Methane sulfonic acid (probably GER, the request was made by BASF Ludwigshafen) (8) to schedule the work for evaluating the rest of the substances on the Commission priority list. For the preparation of its report the Group was invited to examine technical dossiers provided to the Commission by the Member States and suggest amendments to the Annex IV to the Regulation (EU) 2021/1165.
Authors
Micheloni, Cristina Oudshoorn, Frank Willem Raigon Jimenez, Maria Dolores Autio, Sari Beste, Andrea Goracci, Jacopo Matthias Koesling Kretzschmar, Ursula Malusá, Eligio Raigon Jimenez, Maria Dolores Speiser, Bernhard van der Blom, Jan Wäckers, Felix WAIDELICH, Anne AMADOR, Alberto AURANMAA, Kirsi BRUGGER, Harald BURKART, Corinna COZZO, Riccardo HANSEN, Max MOLTENI, Roberto PEREZ CALVO, Maria Del Mar RAFFAITIN, Pauline RAUCH, Thomas SOSSIDOU, Evangelia WÖLBITSCH-MILAN, MarleneAbstract
The Expert Group for Technical Advice on Organic Production (EGTOP, thereafter called ‘the Group’) was asked to prepare a technical advice about the applicability of detergents (referred to in the organic legislation as ‘products for cleaning’) and biocidal products (referred to in the organic legislation as ‘products for disinfection’) in organic production. The use of biocidal products and detergents in organic production must be compliant with the Biocidal Products Regulation (EU) No 528/2012 and the Regulation (EC) No 648/2004 on Detergents.
Authors
Micheloni, Cristina Oudshoorn, Frank Willem Blanco Penedo, María Isabel Autio, Sari Beste, Andrea Goracci, Jacopo Matthias Koesling Kretzschmar, Ursula Malusá, Eligio Raigon Jimenez, Maria Dolores Speiser, Bernhard van der Blom, Jan Wäckers, Felix ROINSARD, Antoine ESKILDSEN, MariaAbstract
This report responds to the European Commission’s request for technical advice from EGTOP on the compliance of innovative building systems for pigs with organic farming principles and regulations, particularly those outlined in Regulation (EU) 2018/848 and implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/464 . These systems integrate indoor barns with covered outdoor areas but generally lack direct access to open air areas, preferable pasture. The Group assessed these systems in light of organic principles, animal welfare standards, environmental impacts, structural design, biosecurity risks, farmer working conditions, and consumer expectations. The assessment considered scientific literature, existing EU legislation, and the core values of organic production: health, ecology, fairness, and care. The Group acknowledges that these innovative modular systems may offer improvements in thermal comfort, increased outdoor area, manure management, and labor efficiency in confined conditions. In the system under assessment, the available indoor surface appears reduced compared to the requirements outlined in organic standards (Regulation (EU) 2020/464, Articles 11 and 12), while outdoor access would not be guaranteed during adverse weather conditions. The limited indoor area risks compromising animal welfare, falling below the minimum standards of organic production, as animals may be left without sufficient space or opportunities to express natural behaviours under such circumstances.
Authors
Tuanjit Sritongchuay Michael Beckmann Bo Dalsgaard Alexandra-Maria Klein Angela Lausch Anders Nielsen Julia Osterman Peter Selsam Kanuengnit Wayo Ralf SeppeltAbstract
There is a global concern about the decline of wild pollinators and the ecosystem services they provide. Although land-use change is a major threat to biodiversity, it is still poorly understood how land-use heterogeneity (or land-use structure) impacts pollinator communities and entomophilous crop production. Based on a literature review, we performed a meta-analysis to (1) assess how landscape structure, both composition and configuration, affects pollinator species richness and abundance, and (2) examine the impact of landscape structure on the production of key entomophilous crops. We extracted information on pollinator communities and crop production from 101 studies with a total of 920 site replicates distributed widely across the globe. To obtain landscape structure (total area of all crops, crop diversity, and landscape Shannon’s Diversity Index) information, we sourced data from the database Map-SPAM as well as satellite images. We found that pollinator species richness increased with the number of crop species in the surrounding area. Pollinator abundance increased with the number of different crops but decreased with increasing agricultural area in the surrounding landscape. Crop production of several crops was associated with landscape heterogeneity. Notably, fruit set increased with an increasing number of crop species in neighbouring fields and decreased with increasing agricultural area, that is, when nature is substituted with agriculture in the surrounding landscape. We also found positive correlations between edge density of an area and pollinator species richness and entomophilous crop production suggesting that edge density can be used as a landscape structure indicator to assess pollinator diversity. The effects of landscape structure were more pronounced in crops with high pollinator dependence, showing stronger relationships with both pollinator diversity and crop production. These findings highlight the importance of maintaining landscape heterogeneity through crop diversity and natural habitats to support pollinators and their services, though unmeasured factors such as intensification or local management may also play a role.
Authors
Mikołaj Piniewski Natalja Čerkasova Svajunas Plunge Michael Strauch Christoph Schürz Péter Braun Enrico Antonio Chiaradia Joana Eichenberger Mohammad Reza Eini Csilla Farkas Marie Anne Eurie Forio Peter Goethals Piroska Kassai Štěpán Marval Diego G. Panique-Casso Lorenzo Sanguanini Moritz Shore Brigitta Szabó Petr Slavík Felix WitingAbstract
This study proposes a new workflow for crop growth evaluation and yield calibration in the Soil and Water Assessment Tool Plus (SWAT+) model and evaluates its impact on simulated hydrological and biogeochemical processes. The workflow was applied for ten small agricultural catchments in Europe. A detailed demonstration is provided for the German catchment, Schwarzer Schöps. The workflow proved effective across all catchments, improving yield calibration from an initial R2 of 0.5–0.84. The results show that evapotranspiration and soil moisture were only moderately affected by crop calibration in three catchments (Belgium, Czech Republic and Norway) and negligibly changed in the remaining ones. Sediment and nutrient balance were affected more strongly: sediment, nitrogen and phosphorus loss change reached 82 % (Norway), 16 % and 20 % (Czech Republic), respectively. The proposed workflow is a valuable tool for improving the accuracy of SWAT + simulations and can be used to support decision-making in environmental management.
Authors
Shun Hasegawa Inge Stupak Kristin Baldursdóttir Hannu Ilvesniemi Carl-Fredrik Johannesson O. Janne Kjønaas Andis Lazdins Aleksi Lehtonen Jenni Nordén Ivika Ostonen David Paré Helena Marta Stefánsdóttir Johan Stendahl Iveta Varnagiryté-Kabasinskiene Lars Vesterdal Lise DalsgaardAbstract
Bakgrunn: Overvåking av karbon i skogjord gjennomføres i mange land, noe som har resultert i omfattende nasjonale datasett, også i tilfelle hvor landene har felles grenser og i stor utstrekning lignende eller tilsvarende skogs- og jordtyper. Mulighet: Internasjonalt samarbeid om data og feltmetoder kan legge til rette for integrasjon av datasett og sammenligning av overvåkingsdata til støtte for utvikling av internasjonal politikk i et multinasjonalt fremfor et nasjonalt perspektiv. Utfordring: Variasjoner i overvåkingsmetodikk mellom land må håndteres for å kunne gjennomføre en effektiv syntese av data om karbon i skogjord. Tilnærming: Hvert land har utviklet sitt eget overvåkingsprogram for å møte spesifikke og nasjonale miljømessige og institusjonelle behov, noe som har ført til omfattende datasett på nasjonalt nivå. Harmonisering kan bidra til å realisere det fulle potensialet i disse nasjonale datasettene gjennom utvikling av internasjonale referansedefinisjoner. En tilnærming med utgangspunkt i harmonisering tillater nasjonal tilpasning, samtidig med at data kan brukes i en internasjonal kontekst, i kontrast til standardisering og en «én størrelse passer alle»-tilnærming.
Abstract
Studien undersøker hvordan vegetasjonsdekke (NDVI) og overflaterefleksjon (albedo) varierer gjennom året i norske utmarksområder som er beitet og ubeitet. Utmarkene har stor betydning for beitebruk, biologisk mangfold og karbonlagring, men endringer i landbruk og redusert beitepress påvirker vegetasjonen og kan ha klimakonsekvenser. Analysen bygger på satellittdata fra 18 lokaliteter i perioden 2019–2023. Resultatene viser tydelige sesongmønstre: NDVI er lav om vinteren og høy om sommeren, mens albedo er høy i snødekte perioder og lav når vegetasjon dominerer. Det ble ikke funnet signifikante forskjeller mellom beitede og ubeitede områder samlet sett, selv om enkelte lokaliteter viste små variasjoner. Dette tyder på at sesong og fenologi har større betydning enn beite, og at metodiske begrensninger – særlig grov oppløsning i albedodata – kan maskere lokale effekter. Studien anbefaler bruk av høyoppløselige data og mer avanserte metoder for å bedre forstå klimaeffektene av endret beitebruk.
Authors
Åsa Maria Olofsdotter Espmark Endre Grimsbø Sonal Patel Espen Rimstad Kristin Opdal Seljetun Marco Vindas Erik Georg Granquist Grete H. M. Jørgensen Janicke Nordgreen Ingrid Olesen Sokratis Ptochos Amin Sayyari Tor Atle MoAbstract
Background: Norwegian aquaculture involves stunning and killing millions of fish every year. Welfare of fish is protected by laws and regulations. According to the legislation, all farmed individuals must be unconscious before killing and kept unconscious until they are confirmed dead after exsanguination. There is a lack of knowledge about to what extent different stunning and killing methods used in Norway fulfil the legislation for all relevant fish species. Farmed fish species have different anatomy, physiology, and behaviour, and there are individual differences regarding size and health status that need to be considered at slaughter. Consequently, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority commissioned VKM to assess which criteria for documentation of methods will secure animal welfare during slaughter and evaluate how differences between fish species may affect documentation and animal welfare. VKM was also asked to summarise the knowledge and hazards for animal welfare regarding the methods for stunning and killing of farmed fish in Norway. Methods: VKM established a working group with expertise in fish welfare, slaughter methods, and risk assessment. Literature search was performed by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health. Additional manual searches were also performed, including screening of articles cited in the most recent literature, searching the project database by the Norwegian Seafood Research Fund, and web sites by governmental organisations. Species included in the literature search were fish farmed in Norway for human consumption: Atlantic salmon, rainbow trout, Arctic char, sea trout, Atlantic halibut, European turbot, Atlantic cod, spotted wolffish, and yellowtail kingfish. In addition, some fish species not for human consumption were included as they may enter the slaughter facilities together with the farmed fish. These include fish used to combat salmon lice (lumpfish, ballan wrasse, goldsinny wrasse, corkwing wrasse, rock cook) and wild fish (saithe, haddock) that may enter the net pens during the production phase. The effects of stunning and slaughter on the fish welfare were evaluated following a modified version of EFSAs Guidance on the assessment criteria for applications for new or modified stunning methods. Assessments: Animal welfare is essential during stunning and killing, and it is important to establish knowledge of methods securing that all individuals are kept unconscious until they are verified as dead. Electroencephalogram (EEG) monitoring is the optimal method for confirming unconsciousness and death. However, measurement of EEG on individual fish is not applicable at the slaughter facility at the present time, hence different physical measurements, together with behavioural and physiological indicators must be used. Electrical stunning is a method causing temporary stunning. Hence, the biggest hazard for reduced welfare with this method is if the fish regains consciousness before exsanguination. Electrical stunning has species-specific properties; thus, documentation for the performance of the method for the individual species is needed. The number of fish entering the dry electrical stunner is an important factor for animal welfare, as too many fish at the same time increase the risk of insufficient stunning and suffering for the fish. Percussive stunning causes immediate and irreversible loss of consciousness when the blow is applied correctly and is strong enough. However, if done incorrectly, e.g. hitting the fish at the wrong place or with too little kinetic energy, the fish may remain conscious while being killed causing suffering for the fish. Automatic percussive stunners need to be adjusted to fish size and species, the latter because placement of the brain differs between species. The main welfare hazard with the killing method of gill cutting is insufficient cutting with slow exsanguination, resulting in that the fish might regain consciousness before death. Cardiac cutting is dependent upon restraining and exact positioning of the fish for correct insertion of the knife. It is important that the fish is not wrongly oriented, i.e. enter the machine up-side down, in the wrong direction or that more than one individual enters at the same time. Such cases will result in suffering for the fish and reduced welfare. Spiking is a killing method where the fish is restrained, after which a mechanical device inserts a sharp spike directly into the brain This method is unsuitable for most farmed fish in Norway and therefore not used. Maceration should only be performed with dead or unconscious fish, so if the method is correctly applied, welfare will not be an issue. However, moribund, diseased, wild fish or cleaner fish species may be alive and conscious at maceration, leading to pain and suffering in the process. Uncertainties and data gaps: The scientific documentation of animal welfare in percussive stunning is not considered adequate, and absent for some species in this report. There is lack of knowledge about the time it takes for fish to lose and regain consciousness after both electrical and percussive stunning, and the time from gill or cardiac cutting until the fish is exsanguinated and dead. This information is species-specific. In addition, there is a lack of data on how different behavioural and physical measurements correlate with the EEG. These indicators may be suitable for use at slaughter facilities, but documentation is lacking for all fish species included in this report. Conclusion: VKM concludes that there is a general lack of scientific documentation of the currently applied stunning and killing methods to ensure that farmed fish remain unconscious after stunning until death by exsanguination. The time period from stunning to regained consciousness needs to be established through research to ensure that fish are slaughtered with minimal stress, fear, and suffering. Furthermore, it is necessary to know the time required from gill or cardiac cutting to cessation of brain activity. There is a risk of reduced animal welfare due to this lack of documentation. The different fish species have different anatomy and physiology which impacts the effect of stunning and killing. Especially in bottom dwellers (halibut, turbot, spotted wolffish), an individual variation in placement of the brain affects the effect of the slaughtering methods. There is insufficient documentation about how species and individual differences affect the welfare of percussive stunning, spiking, gill cutting, and cardiac cutting. There is limited documentation of the effect of electrical stunning for most species. The effect of electrical stunning of salmonids is better documented; however, verification by EEG is scarce. The direction and placement of the fish when entering the stunner and killing machines are a vital hazard for reduced welfare of the fish. Wrong direction of the fish or overload into the machines may result reduced effect of the methods. Welfare may also be impaired when the machines are not correctly adjusted to the species and size of fish or there is a large variation of the size of the fish entering the machines.