Annual ECSRHM conference
Come join us for our annual veterinary conference with great speakers and learning opportunitities
2024 Annual ECSRHM Conference & AGM
July 4th & 5th 2024
Turin, Italy
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Registrations are closed.
Quick summary
Event Details
Embrace the beauty of Turin, Italy, as we gather on Thursday 4th and Friday 5th July 2024 for the Annual ECSRHM conference.
We are kindly hosted by the “Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte Liguria e Valle d’Aosta (IZSPLV)”. They focus on diagnostic, research and epidemiology of infectious diseases and are the National Reference Laboratory for transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE). This is a fantastic opportunity to exchange ideas and build lasting collaborations and colleagues there are really looking forward to meeting you all.
Visit the institute website: https://www.izsplv.it/it/
Discover Turin
Event Location
Nestled in the shadow of the Alps, Turin has a captivating contemporary allure. Wander through Turin’s historic streets adorned with baroque architecture, visit iconic landmarks like the Mole Antonelliana, and walk along the Po River. Known as the chocolate capital of Italy and celebrated for its fine wines, Turin also offers a gastronomic experience.
Learn more about Turin:
https://www.turismotorino.org/en/territory/torino-metropoli/torino
Conference Program
Program details
Download PDFDay 1: Thursday 4th July
Morning Session
- 8:00 am – 9:00 am: Registration
- 9:00 am – 9:15 am: Opening Remarks
- Speakers: Valentina Busin, Giuseppe Ru and Mattia Begovoeva
Theme 1: Transboundary diseases
- 9:15 am – 10:00 am: Keynote Address: “Bluetongue”
- Speaker: René van den Brom (ECSRHM)
- 10:00 am – 10:45 am: Short presentation – Session 1 – chair: Fiona Lovatt
- Oral presentation 1: Treatment guidelines for BTV3 (Margit Groenevelt)
- Oral presentation 2: Use of an autologous vaccine against bluetongue virus (Martin Ganter)
- Oral presentation 3: BTV Panel session (René van den Brom, Margit Groenevelt, Martin Ganter)
- 10:45 am – 11:15 am: Coffee and Networking Break. Poster session 1*
- 11:15 am – 12:00 am: Keynote Address: “Peste des petits ruminants”
- Speaker: Paula Menzies (ECSRHM)
- 12:00 am – 12:45 pm: Short presentation – Session 2 – chair Sebastian Mignacca
- Oral presentation 4: Retrospective analysis of submissions to the world reference laboratory for foot- and-mouth disease: what can these data tell us about the role of small ruminants in disease epidemiology? (Rheinallt Jones)
- Oral presentation 5: Natural and experimental EHDV-8 infection in Sarda sheep (Davide Pintus)
- Oral presentation 6: Tick-borne infections in small ruminants – the zoonotic potential (Snorre Stuen)
- Oral presentation 7: Epidemiological study of Leishmania seroprevalence in sheep population of Aragón, Spain (Pablo Jose Quílez)
- 12:45 pm – 1:45 pm: Lunch
Afternoon Session
Theme 2: Endemic diseases
- 1:45 pm – 2.30 pm: Keynote Address: “Iceberg diseases”
- Speaker: Jarosław Kaba (ECSRHM)
- 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm: Short presentation – Session 3 – chair Gian Lorenzo D’Alterio
- Oral presentation 8: All ruminant lentiviruses genetic diversity in Italy: a 2019-2022 Snapshot (PaolaGobbi)
- Oral presentation 9: Herd-level seroprevalence of SRLV infection in Carpathian goat population of Romania (Adrian Valentin Potarniche)
- Oral presentation 10: Epidemiological study on the prevalence of Anaplasma ovis in Aragón, Spain (Héctor Ruiz)
- Oral presentation 11: Genetic types and subtypes of SRLV circulating in Polish, Lithuanian, and Hungarian goat populations (Michał Czopowicz)
- Oral presentation 12: Streptococcus ovis in small ruminants: an underestimated pathogen? (Sebastian Mignacca)
- Oral presentation 13: Q-Net-Assess: Improved molecular surveillance and assessment of host adaptation and virulence of Coxiella burnetii in Europe (René van den Brom)
- 3:30 pm – 4.00 pm: Coffee and Networking Break. Poster session 2*
- 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm: Short presentation – Session 4 – chair Calogero Stelletta
- Oral presentation 14: Variation of semen quality of rams and bucks during the year (Nina Ossowski)
- Oral presentation 15: Influence of dystocia on lamb mortality and postpartal ewe health compared to uneventful vaginal delivery and planned caesarean section (Katja Voigt)
- Oral presentation 16: Video surveillance and artificial intelligence in ovine parturition management (Vera Gebhard)
- Oral presentation 17: Investigation of the prevalence of subclinical mastitis and its dynamics between
lactations in meat producing sheep (Alberto Luque-Castro) - Oral presentation 18: A Case Study – Using a Brix refractometer to assess lamb serum total protein in the investigation of colibacillosis on a commercial sheep farm (Phillippa Page)
- Oral presentation 19: A randomised controlled trial to compare the use of a novel product with
strong iodine to protect navel and ear tag sites of neonatal lambs (Fiona Lovatt)
- 5 pm – 7 pm: ECSRHM Annual General Meeting (hybrid)
Evening Reception
- 8 pm – 10:00 pm: Gala dinner
Day 2: Friday 5th July
Morning Session
- 9:00 am – 9:15 am: Explanation of afternoon visits
- Speaker: Valentina Busin
Theme 3: Neurological diseases
- 9:15 am – 10:00 am: Keynote Address: “Scrapie”
- Speaker: Ciriaco Ligios (IZS Sardegna)
- 10:00 am – 10:45 am: Short presentation – Session 5 – chair Giuseppe Ru
- Oral presentation 20: Transmission of Reindeer Chronic Wasting Disease to sheep (Lars August Folkman)
- Oral presentation 21: MRI changes observed in a case of atypical scrapie in a 7-year-old Herdwickewe (Sander Prins)
- Oral presentation 22: The long road to diagnosis of the causes of weight loss and mortality in the sheep flock (Aija Mālniece)
- Oral presentation 23: Prevalence of gastrointestinal and lung parasites in the goat population of Poland (Zofia Nowek)
- 10:45 am – 11:15 am: Coffee and Networking Break. Poster session 3*
- 11:15 am – 12:00 am: Keynote Address: “Neurological diseases”
- Speaker: Antonio D’Angelo (UniTO)
- 12:00 am – 12:45 pm: Short presentation – Session 6 – chair Mattia Begovoeva
- Oral presentation 24: Gut-health evaluation in small ruminants: a multidisciplinary approach to optimize animal health and performance (Maria Teresa Capucchio)
- Oral presentation 25: Evaluating kid rearing practices on dairy goat farms using data tools (Eveline Dijkstra)
- Oral presentation 26: Integration of Smart Flock Management Systems in Sheep Reproduction: A Precision Livestock Approach (Koray Tekin)
- Oral presentation 27: Assessing lung consolidation in goats using different ultrasonographic techniques (Giuliano Borriello)
- 12:45 pm – 13:00 pm: Closing Remarks
- Speakers: Valentina Busin, Giuseppe Ru and Mattia Begovoeva
- 13.00-14.00pm: Lunch
Afternoon Session
(2-5pm) – optional (only one option possible)
- Tour of Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte Liguria e Valle d’Aosta (IZSPLV)
- Tour of Turin Veterinary School
Poster Sessions
Poster session 1
1.Biosecurity: washing and disinfection – role of boots as a carrier of pathogens on sheep farms (Fabio Rampin)
2.Epidermolysis bullosa in a goat lamb – A suspicious case (Nina Ossowski)
3.Extensive unilateral facial and pharyngeal mass in a 2.5-year-old goat one month after extirpation of the right bulbus (Viktoria Balasopoulou)
4.Septic Tendosynovitis in a Breeding Ram and Isolation of Mycoplasma arginine (Eva Roden)
5.Gastrointestinal and pulmonary parasites in small ruminants in northeast Portugal – What´s up doc?! A case herd study (Delia Lacasta)
6.Changes in seasonal patterns of Haemonchus contortus infections in Northern Belgium (Eva Van Mael) 7.Salmonellosis in dairy goat farming; development of an accreditation programme (Eveline Dijkstra)8.ddPCR assay for rapid identification and quantification of Haemonchus contortus eggs in small ruminant feces (Barbara Moroni)
Poster session 2:
9.Efficacy of paromomycin for the prevention and treatment of cryptosporidiosis in lambs (Fabio Rampin) 10.Innovative use of ultrasound in andrology and gynecology of small ruminants (Calogero Stelletta) 11.Effects of elective caesarean sections in healthy near-term ewes on subsequent reproductive performance (Katja Voigt)
12.Productive and metabolic profile of “Elite milking ewes” (Jose Maria Bello Dronda)
13.A case of increased incidence of subclinical and clinical mastitis in Lacaune dairy sheep (Sander Prins) 14.A topical anaesthetic/antiseptic formulation for the treatment of ecthyma in experimentally induced or naturally affected lambs. Effect on the concentration of serum amyloid A (Aurora Ortin)
15.Computer tomography to diagnose upper respiratory tract disorders in sheep (Pablo Jose Quilez) 16.Condemnations of lamb carcasses due to jaundice. What could the seasonal increase of recent years be associated with? (Héctor Ruiz)Poster session 3:
17.Classical Scrapie in sheep: possible diagnosis intra-vitam through the detection of pathological prion marker in milk samples by RT-QuIC Assay (Alessandra Favole)
18.An Investigation into a Classical Scrapie outbreak in the United Kingdom in 2019 (Katrina McCrory) 19.Preclinical diagnosis of Scrapie PrPSc in ARQ/ARQ experimental sheep (Ledi Pite)
20.Smart grazing – The use of sheep as “natural weed controller” in growing maize (Johanna Meilwes) 21.Seroepidemiological study of small ruminant lentivirus in 3 regions of Portugal (Delia Lacasta) 22.Long lasting infection with Anaplasma ovis in sheep (Héctor Ruiz)
23.P20Minisatellites analysis of MAP field isolates from goats in Northern Italy (Anita Filippi)
Day 3: Saturday 6th July
Farm visit: Azienda "Casa Costa"
Farm visit to Azienda “Casa Costa”
http://www.casacosta.it/en/index.html
Azienda Agricola Casa Costa | Facebook
Max 25–30 people
Morning visit plus lunch at Agriturismo del luogo https://www.agriturismodelluogo.it/
Price €50/person including transport (leaving from the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale at 9am) to the farm (and back) and lunch at a local restaurant. We should be back at the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale early afternoon.
We are looking for contributors
Call for Papers
Abstract submission has now closed!
Handy information
EVENT FAQ
Venue
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta
Via Bologna 148
10154 Torino
Italy
Hotels
We would recommend accommodation in this area (10-15 minute walk to the city centre and well connected to the airport) and using the bus lines 8 or 49 to come to the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale (IZSPLV) for the conference.
Hotel Diplomatic ****
Address: Via Cernaia, 42, 10122 Torino TO
Website: https://www.hotel-diplomatic.it/en/index.html
Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/XhtxXsmvNyJcjcxU8
Price per night: 141 €
Connection to IZSPLV: Bus Line 8, Bus Line 49
https://maps.app.goo.gl/C85euGuBzugXeCVc8
Hotel Dock Milano ***
Address: Via Cernaia, 46, 10122 Torino TO
Website: https://dockmilano.bqhotel.it/en/
Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/PTxtaUWTqiSkJXV6A
Price per night: 82 €
Connection to IZSPLV: Bus Line 8, Bus Line 49
https://maps.app.goo.gl/UtgtsFM3ybSWE5jn7
Hotel Orchidea ***
Address: Via Claudio Beaumont, 31/c, 10138 Torino TO
Website: http://www.hotelorchidea.com/
Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/TFWpX9YiFCpsAV1RA
Price per night: 93 €
Connection to IZSPLV: Bus Line 8, Bus Line 49
https://maps.app.goo.gl/myyEQ3t1vP8FUkuj9
Eco Art Hotel Torino **
Address: Via Principi d’Acaja, 17, 10138 Torino TO
Website: https://my.xenion.it//ecoarthotel/paginaprenotazione?idstructure=1&lang=en
Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/W5YhfFmNSnT1P4jJ9
Price per night: 57 €
Connection to IZSPLV: Bus Line 8, Bus Line 49
https://maps.app.goo.gl/B9Nefn5NNEHHnU397
Hostel
Eco Art Hotel Torino **
Address: Corso Regina Margherita, 128, 10152 Torino TO
Website: https://thisiscombo.com/location/combo-torino/
Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/qytahM5vuBoRwh3WA
The price per night will depend on the type of room selected. Rooms with 2-3 beds or a single bed in shared rooms are available for booking.
Connection to IZSPLV: Bus Line 8
Airports
Torino Caselle
This is the closest airport, however there might not be direct flight connection, or they might be more expensive compare to Milan Malpensa.
https://www.aeroportoditorino.it/en
Shuttle service Torino Caselle – Turin train station (Torino Porta Nuova or Torini Porta Susa):
https://torino.arriva.it/en/airport-line-torino-city-center-torino-airport/
Milan Malpensa
This is about 2 hours car journey from Turin. There are many flights available, especially with low-cost companies.
https://www.milanomalpensa-airport.com/en
Shuttle service Milan Malpensa – Turin train station (Porta Susa)
https://torino.arriva.it/en/airport-line-torino-malpensa-airport/
(Tickets need to be pre-purchased online)
Local Transport
Bus
The conference venue can be reached with bus line 8 and 49. Stop: Ponchielli.
Train
The main railway stations are:
Porta Susa (from/to Roma, Milano, Firenze, Bologna, Venezia, Spain and TGV from/to France) – Piazza XXVII Dicembre, 8
Porta Nuova (from/to Roma, Milano, Genova, Firenze, Bologna, Venezia, France) – Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, 53
Lingotto (intermediate stop from/to Roma, Genova, Firenze) – Via Pannunzio, 1
Catering
We are thrilled to share that catering will be provided by the nearby “Istituto Beccari”, a professional school for Italian food, wine and hospitality.
https://www.istitutobeccari.edu.it/
https://www.instagram.com/ips_j.b._beccari_officialpage/?hl=en
Coffee and Networking Breaks: selection of biscuits, selection of savoury snacks, coffee, tea, water and fruit juices.
Lunch 4th July: pesto lasagna, vitello tonnato (a typical piedmont starter), potato quiche, pizza margherita, pizza marinara, insalata russa (another typical piedmont starter), apple pie, bread and bread sticks, water, coffee.
Lunch 5th July: mediterranean cous cous, courgette flan with parmesan sauce, pizza potatoes and provola cheese, panini, tomato and cheese salad, leek quiche, bunet al caramello (a typical piedmont dessert), bread and bread sticks, water, coffee.
Registration and Fees
*** Registrations are closed ***
Full conference (which includes coffee breaks and lunches): €170.
Additional costs:
Gala dinner (Thursday 4th July, 8pm) – €40
Turin University Tour (Friday 5th July, 2 pm) – €10
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale (IZS) Tour (Friday 5th July, 2 pm) – free
Turin sightseeing (Friday 5th July, 9pm) – €10
Farm visit (Saturday 6th July) – €50
Gala dinner & Turin Sightseeing
Gala dinner
Our gala dinner will be at the Trattoria Decoratori e Imbianchini http://www.decoratorieimbianchini.it/
This restaurant is well renowned for the typical Piedmontese cuisine and it is located just a few minutes walk from one of the most iconic squares in Turin city centre, Piazza Vittorio.
Price: €40 for a 3-course meal.
Turin Sightseeing
A guided tour of Turin city centre has been organised for Friday 5th July evening (9-11pm).
The guided tour starts from the old town where Roman and Middle Age traces and monuments can be discovered, as well as small squares rich in history and charm and the San Giovanni’s Cathedral, grim guardian of the Holy Shroud. Passing through piazza Castello, just to be wowed by the elegant Palazzo Madama, and sober Palazzo Reale, the exceptional San Lorenzo’s Church, the stroll then leads to via Roma and the noble piazzas of the centre: piazza San Carlo, piazza Carignano, piazza Carlo Alberto. Baroque buildings and 19th century monuments describe the life and genius of a city that became the first capital city of Italy. A couple of steps ahead and we reach the Mole Antonelliana that, thanks to its 167.50 mt height, is the symbol of Turin.
Price: €10/person
Get amazing insights
Keynote Speakers
Meet our Keynote speakers who will share with us their knowledge based on their many years of practice in the veterinary profession
I work at the Istituto Zoprofilattico Sperimentale of Sardinia (Italy), a veterinary public health institution that provides technical and scientific services within the framework of national and regional legislation. I am responsible for the histopathology, virology, and bacteriology of animal diseases within the long-term strategic health plan for zoonoses, diffuse viral diseases and prion diseases. I create my scientific career with studies on prion diseases in small ruminants and emerging threats to animals from arthropod-borne viruses, in particular bluetongue virus, constantly pursuing the one- health aim.
In 2008, René started working part-time at Royal GD, Deventer, as veterinarian in small ruminant health. Due to the human Q fever outbreak with a suspected relation to dairy goats, a large portfolio of (veterinary) research started with the aim to obtain additional information on Coxiella burnetii infections in small ruminants, in which René participated from the beginning. Since 2010, René works full-time at GD Animal Health, and from that moment on he started writing scientific papers. His external PhD-program started after publication of his first research paper. In 2013, René qualified as specialist in small ruminant health management, and currently is diplomat of the European College of Small Ruminant Health Management (Dip.ECSRHM). In 2015, René received his PhD-degree on his thesis “Veterinary aspects of a Q fever outbreak in the Netherlands between 2005 and 2012”. René has an extra interest in infectious diseases in small ruminants. Since 2023, he was involved in the advisory board of the Mininistry LNV, regarding the bluetongue serotype 3 outbreak.
2007 has been awarded the Diploma of the European College of Bovine Health Management (Dip. ECBHM). 2008 has been awarded the Diploma of the European College of Veterinary Neurology (Dip. ECVN). 2017 Full Professor, Department of Veterinary Science – Clinical Section, University of Turin. 2018 – present, Vice Dean, Department of Veterinary Science - University of Turin. 2018 – present, Chairperson of the Research Committee of the Department of Veterinary Science - University of Turin. Invited speaker at many national/international congresses, seminars and educative courses. Author of more than 100 scientific publications [79 on international peer - reviewed Journals with IF (ISI)].
Prof. Jarosław Kaba, Dipl.ECSRHM is a graduate of the Warsaw University of Life Sciences. He graduated from both the Faculty of Animal Breeding and the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. Since 1992, he has been a research and teaching employee at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the Warsaw University of Life Sciences dealing mostly with clinical and scientific issues of veterinary epidemiology as well as goat diseases. He is the vice-president of the Polish Society of Veterinary Sciences and the vice-president of the European College of Small Ruminant Health Management.
Paula Menzies has been a teacher, practitioner, and researcher in sheep and goat health management for over four decades in Ruminant Health Management at the University of Guelph, Canada, where she is now Professor Emerita. Since 2017 she is a member of the Advisory Committee to the WOAH UN FAO Peste des Petits Ruminants Global Eradication Program, with the goal to eradicate this viral disease of sheep and goats from the world by 2030. She is also a Dip.ECSRHM and active on the boards of the ECSRHM, International Sheep Veterinary Association and the International Goat Association.
The team behind the scenes
Event Organisation
Scientific Committee
Valentina Busin
Veterinary consultant
Valentina worked in mixed and farm animal practices for 3 years, before undertaking a farm animal residency and obtaining the Diploma for the European College of Small Ruminant Health Management in 2014. She subsequently completed a mechanical engineering PhD program and worked for 6 years as a senior clinician in disease investigation and surveillance at the University of Glasgow. She is now a veterinary consultant, working for the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and as Senior Clinical Research Editor for the Veterinary Record. She is the current president of the European College of Small Ruminant Health Management (ECSRHM).
Giuseppe
Ru
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale di Piemonte Liguria e Valle d'Aosta The Veterinary Medical Research Institute for Piedmont, Liguria and the Aosta Valley
Giuseppe Ru
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale di Piemonte Liguria e Valle d'Aosta The Veterinary Medical Research Institute for Piedmont, Liguria and the Aosta Valley
Giuseppe is a veterinarian with a PhD and a master's degree in epidemiology. Since December 1996, Giuseppe has worked as an epidemiologist at the Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Turin and in particular for the Italian National Reference Laboratory for Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs). Since 2019 he has been appointed Director of the European Reference Laboratory for TSEs. He carries out scientific research in various national and international projects and provides training on topics related to epidemiological methodology. He also works on environmental contamination, food safety and animal health. Since 2012 he is a member of the Panel on Biological Hazards of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in Parma.
Mattia
Begovoeva
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, Turin, Italy
Mattia Begovoeva
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, Turin, Italy
Mattia Begovoeva is a researcher at the Epidemiology and Risk Analysis Unit of the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, Italy. His research primarily focuses on studying disease transmission and control strategies at the interface between livestock, wildlife, and the environment. Mattia graduated in Veterinary Medicine from the University of Turin, Italy, and holds a MSc in Veterinary Epidemiology from the Royal Veterinary College and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK.
Sebastian A. Mignacca
Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine - Ireland
Sebastian qualified cum laude in 2008 and took his PhD in 2012 at the University of Messina (Italy). Since 2009 till 2021 he worked as Research Officer at the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale (Italy) and at the Animal and Plant Health Agency (UK), dealing mainly with research and surveillance in livestock diseases. In 2018-2019 Sebastian was also working as a red meat hygiene and animal welfare inspector in slaughterhouses in the UK. Since 2022 he works as Veterinary Research Officer at the Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine (Ireland), carrying out surveillance and research on livestock and poultry. Sebastian is co-author of over 110 proceedings/peer review articles in national and international journals, and of an atlas on small ruminant pathology.
Gian Lorenzo D'Alterio
Almarai, Saudi Arabia
Gian Lorenzo obtained his Diploma ECSRHM in 2016, having completed an alternative training programme under the supervision of Prof. G. Fthenakis. He is a field veterinary practitioner currently based in Saudi Arabia.
Calogero Stelletta
Department of Animal Medicine Production and Health. University of Padova
Associate Professor, field Clinical Animal Reproduction responsible for teaching Clinics in reproduction and reproductive technologies to junior and senior veterinary and animal science students. International experience as consultant in cooperation projects in Africa and responsible for exchange programs with the Universities of Lima (Perù), Dhacca (Bangladesh), Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) and Turkey (Ankara, Istanbul, Samsun). From 2016, he covered the foreigner professor position at the Department of Animal Reproduction and Artificial Insemination, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ankara University (Turkey).
Organising Committee
Valentina
Busin
Giuseppe
Ru