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Clinical signs, clinical pathology and outcomes in horses infected naturally with equine encephalosis virus
Piketh, Graeme; Viljoen, Adrienne; Eberhardt, Christina (Wiley, 2026-03)
BACKGROUND : Equine encephalosis (EE) is caused by an Orbivirus from the family Sedoreoviridae and is thus similar to African horse sickness (AHS) and Bluetongue viruses (BTV). These viruses are transmitted by Culicoides midges. Equine encephalosis can infect horses, donkeys and zebras sub-clinically while only horses develop clinical disease. The vector's distribution is climate-dependent with evidence for circulation in Southern Africa, the Middle East and India. Global warming could facilitate the expansion of this distribution and consequently the potential spread into Europe should not be overlooked. OBJECTIVES : To describe clinical signs, clinicopathological abnormalities, and outcomes in horses naturally infected with EE. STUDY DESIGN : A retrospective, descriptive, observational study. METHODS : Data were obtained from the Onderstepoort Veterinary Academic Hospital's clinical database to identify cases with EE from 2013 to 2023. Data including the history, clinical signs and clinicopathology were analysed. RESULTS : Equine encephalosis cases predominantly occurred from February to April. Twenty-five horses were included. Throughout the disease, 25 (100.0%) horses had pyrexia (mean maximum temperature 39.3°C; SD 0.86°C), 16 (64.0%) horses had tachycardia (median maximum heart rate 52/min; range 36-100/min), 19 (76.0%) horses had tachypnoea (median maximum respiratory rate 24/min; range 12-60/min). Within 24 h of presentation, horses predominantly displayed lymphopenia (median 1.17 × 109 cells/L; range 0.15-9.21 × 109 cells/L), thrombocytopenia (median 67.5 × 109 cells/L; range 3-303 × 109 cells/L), and leukopenia (median 5.44 × 109 cells/L; range 2.08-18.07 × 109 cells/L). MAIN LIMITATIONS : Retrospective study design with a small number of cases and many of these evaluated at differing times after infection. CONCLUSION : Pyrexia, tachycardia and tachypnoea are the most common clinical signs associated with EE. Haematological evaluation appears valuable in EE cases, with leukopenia, lymphopenia, and thrombocytopenia commonly observed. Equine encephalosis is a relevant differential diagnosis for other infectious diseases in horses in geographical regions where EEV and Culicoides vectors are potentially present.
Clinical outcomes related to the after-career consultation in retired male footballers
Carmody, Sean; Massey, Andrew; Kerkhoffs, Gino M.; Gouttebarge, Vincent (Thieme Gruppe, 2026-03)
The After-Career Consultation (ACC) was developed to empower the physical, mental and social health of retired professional footballers and effectively address their specific health challenges. The objective of this study was to describe the clinical outcomes (e.g., prevalence of health conditions) and recommendations to retired professional footballers who undertook the ACC. A quasi-experimental study was conducted. Forty-seven retired male professional footballers underwent ACCs. Ten participants had a diagnosis of osteoarthritis (21.3%), 4 (8.5%) met the criteria for a diagnosis of generalised anxiety disorder, 7 (14.9%) met the criteria for a diagnosis of depression and 7 (14.9%) met the criteria for Stage 1 hypertension. Health-related quality of life scores among retired footballers undergoing the ACC were above average compared to the general population. Clinical recommendations were made to participants in relation to their musculoskeletal (n=12, 25.5%), cardiovascular (n=12, 25.5%), mental (n=10, 21.3%) and lifestyle (n=20, 42.6%) health. Eleven participants (23.4%) were referred for further investigations, and secondary referral to other specialists was arranged for 4 (8.5%). Participants reported high satisfaction with the ACC. The ACC could complement existing player welfare strategies to provide a well-rounded approach to managing the long-term health of professional footballers throughout the lifespan.
Clinical manifestations of different viral respiratory infections in athletes : implications for risk assessment and return-to-sport - AWARE VII study in 116 cases
Jooste, Marcel; Sewry, Nicola Ann; Valtonen, Maarit; Dyer, Marlise; Jordaan, Esme; Schwellnus, Martin Peter (Taylor and Francis, 2026)
OBJECTIVES : The aims of this study were to describe the etiology of acute respiratory infections (ARinf) in athletic individuals, and to identify differences in the clinical presentation, evidence of possible multi-organ involvement, and illness classification between common pathogen groups. METHODS : One-hundred-and-sixteen cases of confirmed ARinf in athletic individuals were evaluated ≤ 5 days of the onset of an ARinf. Nasopharyngeal swab multiplex PCR testing was performed to identify a causative pathogen. Symptomatology, clinical examination findings, results of selected blood tests, and the clinical syndrome and illness severity classifications were compared between four common pathogen groups. RESULTS : The etiologies of ARinf in this cohort were: rhinovirus = 34(29%), influenza = 17(15%), SARS-CoV-2 = 15(13%), common coronavirus = 13(11%), 'unidentified' = 16(14%), 'dual pathogen' = 9(8%), and 'other' = 12(10%). Clinical presentation differed among the four common pathogen groups as follows: Influenza had more total symptoms, lower respiratory & regional symptoms, and systemic & non-respiratory symptoms than rhinovirus (p ≤ 0.002) and common coronavirus (p < 0.05). Influenza and SARS-CoV-2 had higher total symptoms and systemic & non-respiratory symptom severity scores than rhinovirus (p ≤ 0.0006 and p < 0.03 respectively) and common coronavirus (p ≤ 0.03 and p = 0.02 respectively). Evidence of other non-respiratory organ involvement on clinical examination was highest for influenza (53%). Illness classification for pathogen groups differed: common coronavirus had the highest percentage (%) of rhinitis-like ('common cold') illnesses (69%), and influenza had the highest % of 'flu-like' illnesses (82%). Influenza had the highest % of severe illnesses (88%) and common coronavirus the lowest (31%). 41% of rhinovirus presented with severe illness. CONCLUSION : Influenza and SARS-CoV-2 had greater number and severity of symptoms than rhinovirus and common coronavirus. Among the four common pathogen groups, influenza had the highest percentage of abnormal clinical examination and serological findings and severe illnesses. Knowledge of the causative pathogen and the clinical presentation may add value to the risk assessment and guide clinical decision-making in return-to-sport following ARinf in athletic individuals.
Climate-driven reproductive decline in Southern right whales
Charlton, Claire; Germishuizen, Matthew; O'Shannessy, Bridgette; McCauley, Robert; Vermeulen, Els; Seyboth, Elisa; Brownell, Robert L.; Burnell, Stephen (Nature Research, 2026-02)
Reproductive success and abundance trends in migratory baleen whales are linked to body condition and foraging success, making them vulnerable to changes in prey availability which is influenced by climate variation. Southern right whales (Eubalaena australis), a sentinel species for climate change, offer critical insight into Southern Ocean health. Using over three decades (1991–2024) of photo-identification data collected in southwest Australia, we document a significant decline in reproductive output driving a slowed rate of population increase in the last decade. Cross-correlation and principal component analyses reveal that prolonged calving intervals coincide with declining Antarctic Sea ice concentration, persistent positive Antarctic Oscillation, and increases in surface chlorophyll-a, signalling broader ecosystem shifts. These findings add to global evidence of the sensitivity of southern right whales to climate variability in their offshore foraging grounds. This reproductive decline represents a threshold warning for the species and highlights the need for coordinated conservation efforts in the Southern Ocean, in the face of anthropogenic climate change.
Climate-adaptive energy strategies for sustainable greenhouse systems : a Köppen-based systematic review
Dong, Yun; Ye, Xianming; Lin, Dong; Zhang, Lijun; Xia, Xiaohua (Elsevier, 2026-03)
Greenhouses are essential for enhancing crop yields and enabling year-round production, but their high energy intensity and climate-sensitive demand challenge sustainability. To address the lack of climate-stratified evidence, we conduct a systematic review of climate-adaptive energy approaches for greenhouse systems structured by the Köppen climate classification (KCC). We searched the Web of Science (2019–2024) using Topic “greenhouse”, limiting to articles and refining by the “Citation Topic Micro: Greenhouse” filter; 276 records were identified and 268 articles were retained after title and abstract screening. The evidence is organized into four domains: (1) microclimate modeling and decision-support tools, (2) passive design and device-assisted enhancements, (3) active operational optimization, and (4) renewable energy integration. Results reveal climate-specific patterns: cold and arid regions most consistently benefit from insulation, thermal screens, phase-change storage, and solar–thermal-assisted heating; temperate and tropical climates increasingly adopt advanced control, including model predictive control and data-driven/learning-based controllers, to coordinate multi-variable microclimate-energy trade-offs. Renewable integration is expanding across zones, yet harmonized techno-economic and life-cycle assessments remain limited. This KCC-based synthesis supports region-specific design and operation decisions and highlights priorities for future research and deployment. HIGHLIGHTS • Climate-based framework for greenhouse energy. • Köppen classification applied to greenhouse sustainability. • Passive, active, and renewable approaches systematically reviewed. • Climate-specific energy patterns identified across global zones. • Guidance for sustainable, low-carbon greenhouse production.