Infected animals experience excruciating pain, stop eating, and die slowly over days to weeks.
Do you mean excruciating pain as defined by the Welfare Footprint Institute (WFI)? In this case, excruciating pain is ānot normally tolerated even if only for a few secondsā. Here is the clarification of what this means from Cynthia Schuck, WFIās scientific director.
By not tolerated we mean that Excruciating pain canāt be sustained for long (e.g., hours, as opposed to minutes) without neurological shutdown. It will tend to overrides an organismās ability to function or respond coherently, with even powerful opioids providing minimal relief, or desperate attempts to escape pain even at the risk of death . Examples would include severe burning in large areas of the body, dismemberment, or extreme torture.
Hi Vasco, thanks a lot for the comment, itās genuinely helping us improve a document weāre working on.
To clarify: weāre using the concept āexcruciatingā for two reasons: First of all, it is the term used in reports of human NWS infections, along with āsevereā. Secondly, we do think that in the most advanced stages of NWS infections, the pain experienced corresponds to what WFI defines as āexcruciatingā, as animals will have big areas of innervated tissue being eaten by the larvae. In less advanced stages, it will correspond to what WFI defines as ādisablingā:
Pain at this level takes priority over most bids for behavioural execution and prevents most forms of enjoyment or positive welfare. Pain is continuously distressing. Individuals affected by harms in this category often change their activity levels drastically (the degree of disruption in the ability of an organism to function optimally should not be confused with the overt expression of Pain behaviors, which is less likely in prey species). Inattention and unresponsiveness to milder forms of Pain or other ongoing stimuli and surroundings is likely to be observed.
Weāre currently working with a team of researchers who are helping us elaborate a thorough CEA of the intervention, and this will be accurately captured, so SFF will have more detailed information about this soon.
Thanks for sharing.
Do you mean excruciating pain as defined by the Welfare Footprint Institute (WFI)? In this case, excruciating pain is ānot normally tolerated even if only for a few secondsā. Here is the clarification of what this means from Cynthia Schuck, WFIās scientific director.
Hi Vasco, thanks a lot for the comment, itās genuinely helping us improve a document weāre working on.
To clarify: weāre using the concept āexcruciatingā for two reasons: First of all, it is the term used in reports of human NWS infections, along with āsevereā. Secondly, we do think that in the most advanced stages of NWS infections, the pain experienced corresponds to what WFI defines as āexcruciatingā, as animals will have big areas of innervated tissue being eaten by the larvae. In less advanced stages, it will correspond to what WFI defines as ādisablingā:
Weāre currently working with a team of researchers who are helping us elaborate a thorough CEA of the intervention, and this will be accurately captured, so SFF will have more detailed information about this soon.
Thanks for clarifying, Diego. I would be happy to review the cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) for free if you want.
Obrigado, Vasco! Thatās very generous of you. We appreciate your time and energy and will follow up with you.
- Team SFF