An outbreak of tick paralysis in free-ranging mouflon (Ovis ammon musimon)

During November 2006, two live and one dead mouflon (Ovis ammon musimon) were presented with a history of weakness, tremors, and paralysis. After a detailed gross and histologic examination and a bacteriologic, parasitologic, and rabies evaluation, a preliminary diagnosis of tick paralysis was established. A thorough field search revealed 13 affected mouflons found in the open hunting ground "Sveti Juraj" near the town of Senj (Croatia), along with an additional 35 mouflon carcasses. All 13 mouflons were placed in a quiet, semidark stable. All detectable ticks were removed manually, and the animals were topically treated with 250 ppm of Amitraz water emulsion (Taktic 12.5% EC, Intervet International, 5830 Boxmeer, Netherlands). The collected ticks were identified as Ixodes ricinus, Dermacentor marginatus, and Haemaphysalis punctata. In the following 24 hr, all treated animals recovered fully. This report describes a naturally occurring outbreak of tick paralysis in free-ranging mouflons from a karst habitat.     

Bioindication and modelling of atmospheric deposition in forests enable exposure and effect monitoring at high spatial density across scales

Key message

Moss surveys provide spatially dense data on environmental concentrations of heavy metals and nitrogen which, together with other biomonitoring and modelling data, can be used for indicating deposition to terrestrial ecosystems and related effects across time and areas of different spatial extension.

Context

For enhancing the spatial resolution of measuring and mapping atmospheric deposition by technical devices and by modelling, moss is used complementarily as bio-monitor.

Aims

This paper investigated whether nitrogen and heavy metal concentrations derived by biomonitoring of atmospheric deposition are statistically meaningful in terms of compliance with minimum sample size across several spatial levels (objective 1), whether this is also true in terms of geostatistical criteria such as spatial auto-correlation and, by this, estimated values for unsampled locations (objective 2) and whether moss indicates atmospheric deposition in a similar way as modelled deposition, tree foliage and natural surface soil at the European and country level, and whether they indicate site-specific variance due to canopy drip (objective 3).

Methods

Data from modelling and biomonitoring atmospheric deposition were statistically analysed by means of minimum sample size calculation, by geostatistics as well as by bivariate correlation analyses and by multivariate correlation analyses using the Classification and Regression Tree approach and the Random Forests method.

Results

It was found that the compliance of measurements with the minimum sample size varies by spatial scale and element measured. For unsampled locations, estimation could be derived. Statistically significant correlations between concentrations of heavy metals and nitrogen in moss and modelled atmospheric deposition, and concentrations in leaves, needles and soil were found. Significant influence of canopy drip on nitrogen concentration in moss was proven.

Conclusion

Moss surveys should complement modelled atmospheric deposition data as well as other biomonitoring approaches and offer a great potential for various terrestrial monitoring programmes dealing with exposure and effects.

     

Interactions between the introduced fungal pathogen Entomophaga maimaiga and indigenous tachinid parasitoids of gypsy moth Lymantria dispar in Bulgaria

Interactions between the gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar L. (Lepidoptera: Erebidae), pathogenic fungus Entomophaga maimaiga, and the tachinid parasitoid (Diptera: Tachinidae) complex in gypsy moth larvae were investigated in Bulgaria, where E. maimaiga was recently released as a biological control agent. Gypsy moth larvae were collected in oak stands where E. maimaiga was originally introduced (nine sites) and in sites where the pathogen has invaded by natural extension of the range (ten sites). In total, 4,375 host larvae were examined and 401 tachinid larvae emerged from parasitized hosts. Host mortality caused by tachinids varied from 0 to 48.5% among sites, with an overall average of 9.2%. Emerging adult tachinid parasitoids included 54 individuals belonging to six species: Compsilura concinnata, Exorista larvarum, Senometopia separata, Senometopia excisa, Drino incospiqua and Zenilia libatrix; the remaining parasitoids (86.5%) died in the pupal stage. E. maimaiga azygospores were observed on puparia surfaces, an indication that the gypsy moth host larvae were infected with the fungus. No azygospores were observed in parasitoid tissues. The high parasitoid mortality may be the result of the competition with E. maimaiga during development in the same host.     

Malformation of the permanent maxillary canine after dental infraction in a wild boar (Sus scrofa L.).

Intra-alveolar infraction and malformation of the apical part of the permanent left maxillary canine in an adult male wild boar (Sus scrofa L.) is documented. The infraction and its sequelae produced an irregular mass of reparative tissue that led to the formation of two growing ends of the tooth.     

Discriminating maize inbred lines using molecular and DUS data

Growing numbers of candidate varieties, decrease of their variability for morphological traits, and internationalization of the national list all contribute to excessive increase of the trial costs, thus creating the need for the improvement of current variety evaluation procedures, especially regards their distinctness, Uniformity, and Stability (DUS) component. Due to rapid advancement in molecular techniques, the use of molecular markers in DUS testing as a complement to, or replacement of, morphological observations became the subject of great interest in scientific studies, and consequently topic for discussion within International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV). In order to explore the potential of simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers for distinctness tests, present study involved set of 41 maize inbred lines that were scored for 32 DUS characters prescribed by UPOV and genotyped at 28 SSR loci. Results were largely in favor of the use of molecular markers, revealing or confirming their already known advantages over morphological markers like better consistency with the pedigree, and relatively higher discriminative power. However, their integration into DUS testing protocols still depends upon resolving of several important issues.     

Are cadmium, lead and mercury concentrations in mosses across Europe primarily determined by atmospheric deposition of these metals?

Purpose

This study aimed at investigating correlations between heavy metal concentrations in mosses and modelled deposition values as well as other site-specific and regional characteristics to determine which factors primarily affect cadmium, lead and mercury concentrations in mosses. The resulting relationships could potentially be used to enhance the spatial resolution of heavy metal deposition maps across Europe.

Materials and methods

Modelled heavy metal deposition data and data on the concentration of heavy metals in naturally growing mosses were integrated into a geographic information system and analysed by means of bivariate rank correlation analysis and multivariate decision trees. Modelled deposition data were validated annually with deposition measurements at up to 63 EMEP measurement stations within the European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme (EMEP), and mosses were collected at up to 7,000 sites at 5-year intervals between 1990 and 2005.

Results and discussion

Moderate to high correlations were found between cadmium and lead concentrations in mosses and modelled atmospheric deposition of these metals: Spearman rank correlation coefficients were between 0.62 and 0.67, and 0.67 and 0.73 for cadmium and lead, respectively (p?<?0.001). Multivariate decision tree analyses showed that cadmium and lead concentrations in mosses were primarily determined by the atmospheric deposition of these metals, followed by emissions of the metals. Low to very low correlations were observed between mercury concentrations in mosses and modelled atmospheric deposition of mercury. According to the multivariate analyses, spatial variations of the mercury concentration in mosses was primarily associated with the sampled moss species and not with the modelled deposition, but regional differences in the atmospheric chemistry of mercury and corresponding interactions with the moss may also be involved.

Conclusions

At least for cadmium and lead, concentrations in mosses are a valuable tool in determining and mapping the spatial variation in atmospheric deposition across Europe at a high spatial resolution. For mercury, more studies are needed to elucidate interactions of different chemical species with the moss.     

The effect of the combination of acids and tannin in diet on the performance and selected biochemical,haematological and antioxidant enzyme parameters in grower pigs

Background

The abolition of in-feed antibiotics or chemotherapeutics as growth promoters have stimulated the swine industry to look for alternatives such as organic acids, botanicals, probiotics and tannin. The objective of the present study was to compare the effects of a combination of acids and tannin with diet with organic acids and diet without growth promoters on the growth performance and selected biochemical, haematological and antioxidant enzyme parameters in grower pigs. Tannin is more natural and cheaper but possibly with the same effectiveness as organic acids with regard to growth performance.

Methods

Thirty-six 7 week old grower pigs, divided into three equal groups, were used in a three week feeding trial. Group I was fed basal diet, group II basal diet with added organic acids and group III basal diet with added organic and inorganic acids and tannin. Pigs were weighed before and after feeding and observed daily. Blood was collected before and after the feeding trial for the determination of selected biochemical, haematological and antioxidant enzyme parameters. One-way ANOVA was used to assess any diet related changes of all the parameters. Paired t-test was used to evaluate changes of blood parameters individually in each group of growers before and after feeding.

Results

No clinical health problems related to diet were noted during the three week feeding trial. The average daily gain (ADG) and selected blood parameters were not affected by the addition to basal diet of either acids and tannin or of organic acids alone. Selected blood parameters remained within the reference range before and after the feeding trial, with the exception of total serum proteins that were below the lower value of reference range at both times. The significant changes (paired t-test) observed in individual groups before and after the feeding trial are related to the growth of pigs.

Conclusion

Diet with acids and tannin did not improve the growth performance of grower pigs but had no deleterious effects on selected blood parameters. The possibility of beneficial effects of adding acids and tannin in diets on growth performance over a longer period, however, could not be excluded.     

Sorption of Heavy Metals by Canola Meal

The results from this research indicate that canola meal (CM) can be used for adsorption of Zn²⁺, Cd²⁺, Cu²⁺, Pb²⁺and Ni²⁺from aqueous solutions. The order of sorption for these metals in single metal systems was as follows (molar basis): Zn²⁺> Cu²⁺> Cd²⁺> Ni²⁺> Pb²⁺. It was noted that a decrease in the concentration of CM caused a higher metal loading on the meal. Increases in the metal concentration, temperature or pH resulted in increased sorption of the metals by the meal. The systems with identical ratios of CM to Zn²⁺concentrations, regardless of their levels, resulted in the same amount of metal adsorbed per unit weight of meal. The Freundlich isotherm type model was used in this study and was found to fit the experimental equilibrium concentration data of Zn²⁺and Cd²⁺; however, the Langmuir isotherm model fit only the equilibrium data of Zn²⁺. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy-Dispersive X-ray (EDX) microanalyses revealed that the metal ions were sorbed mainly at the cell wall and only small amounts of ions diffused into the cytoplasm of the CM cells. The Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) tests were inconclusive regarding the direct participation of free radicals in copper sorption.