Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum are intracellular protozoan parasites that cause reproductive disorders in ruminants and humans. Information on the risk factors of T. gondii and N. caninum infections in goats is very limited in Taiwan. The aim of the study was to investigate the epidemiology and identify the risk factors of these two infections in goats. A total of 630 caprine sera were collected from 42 dairy goat farms and the owners were interviewed by a structured questionnaire. The apparent seroprevalences of T. gondii in farm-and individual-levels were respectively 88.1% and 32.22%, while those of N. caninum were 19.05% and 2.54%, respectively. Toxoplasma gondii B1 gene was identified in 7 feed samples and 8 from the water samples whereas N. caninum was not found. Wooden flooring was the main risk factor for T. gondii infection while the frequency of visits by staff to other farms and the breed of goat were risk factors for N. caninum. The improvement of flooring materials or thorough cleaning, periodic disinfection and maintenance of dryness on the floor are highly recommended for the prevention of T. gondii infection in farmed goats. In addition, unnecessary visits to other farms should be limited to prevent the spread of N. caninum. These factors should be highlighted for the prevention of T. gondii and N. caninum in goats, particularly when raised in intensive housing system with flooring on height.

Background: A systematic training program has not been developed for pulmonary artery catheter (PAC) patient care in Taiwan; only the mentor-apprentice learning approach is used. Therefore, it is difficult for nursing personnel to maintain mastery of care. Methods: ICU nurse practitioners of regional teaching hospitals were enrolled in this study to perform pretest, post-test, and repeated measurements in order to examine the long-term learning effectiveness of this intervention. Before and after e-learning using the PAC Teaching DVD and high-tech simulation interventions, this study used scales to assess knowledge, attitude, technique inspection, and satisfaction with the PAC Teaching DVD to collect data. Results: The differences in the posttest scores and repeated measurements in the areas of knowledge and techniques of PAC patient care reached significance (p < .05). The differences in scores in the care attitude areas of "Beneficial to the improvement of self-confidence in care" and "I believe that I can provide accurate data for decision-making" post-test and those in the area of "During insertion of a pulmonary artery catheter in patients, I will look up information to look for answers" reached significance (p < .05). The learners were all satisfied with the PAC Teaching DVD. Conclusion: This study considered the needs of learners, and developed the PAC Teaching DVD according to theory. The results showed that the interventions had a long-term learning effectiveness in terms of knowledge, attitude, and techniques of PAC patient care. This research can be used as a reference for training in the care of PAC patients.

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Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) are Gram positive, aerobic, acid-fast, catalase positive bacteria. The Johne’s disease, caused by MAP, is a wasting disease found in all ruminants including cattle, sheep, goats, deer, camelids and wildlife ruminants. MAP has attracted hygienic attention due to the link between Crohn’s disease (CD) in humans and MAP presence in the gut of patients. The aims of this study are to investigate and monitor the serological prevalence and molecular identification rate of MAP in caprine feces and verify the MAP-negative goat farms in central-southern Taiwan. A total of 8486 blood samples were randomly collected between the years 2011 and 2015 from 321 caprine farms. The serum samples were assessed by commercial ELISA while 3015 fecal samples from 201 anti-MAP antibodies (MAP-Ab) negative herds were further molecularly examined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) from year 2014 to 2015. The individual seroprevalence rate of caprine MAP in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 was 0% (0/1032), 0% (0/429), 0% (0/1402), 0.14% (4/2917) and 0.07% (2/2706), respectively. Molecular identification rate of MAP in caprine fecal samples at MAP-Ab negative farms accounted for 0.92% (14/1515) and 0.93 (14/1500), respectively, in the years 2014 and 2015. Meanwhile, there was no association between the MAP seroprevalence and the sampling regions or years at farm or individual level. The seroprevalence data revealed in this study highlighted the rising prevalence of caprine MAP and the link of MAP to farmed ruminant species and its possible implications in hygienic aspects.