Effect of a new pelleting process on the level of contamination of poultry mash by Escherichia coli and Salmonella

The efficacy of a new pelleting process in eliminating naturally occurring Escherichia coli and salmonella from poultry mash was assessed by comparing the microbial load in raw and processed mash. Instead of using steam produced in a boiler, the new process conditioned mash in an Original Vertical Conditioner with steam and other hot gases generated by direct combustion in a Vaporator. E. coli was isolated from 72-100% of samples of raw mash in all trials, and the mean number of colony-forming units of E. coli/g of samples was 6.8 +/- 4.0 X 10(4). Salmonellae (S. senftenberg, S. bredeney, and S. mbandaka) were isolated from 5-10% of samples of raw mash utilized in three of the seven trials. Within limitations of the sampling and analytical tests utilized, the new pelleting process eliminated salmonella from all mash in which the organism was known to be present but eliminated E. coli in only three trials. The process appeared to be 100% effective against both organisms when mash entering the pellet mill from the conditioner had a temperature of 85.7 C and a moisture content of 14.5% and had been retained and treated with steam and hot gases for 4.1 minutes.     

Flow Cytometry Identification of X- and Y-Chromosome-Bearing Goat Spermatozoa

Flow cytometric sorting technology was used to measure the difference in DNA content between X- and Y-chromosome-bearing spermatozoa in bucks. Spermatozoa were analysed by flow cytometry to characterize X- and Y-chromosome-bearing sperm populations and to quantify the DNA difference between them. Two symmetrical, overlapping and clearly separated peaks, corresponding to X- and Y-bearing spermatozoa, were detected. The difference in fluorescence intensity between the peaks was 4.4 +/- 0.03% without any significant inter- or intra-animal variations. Therefore, the identification and selection of high-purity samples of sperm populations for sex sorting is easier in bucks compared with other domestic species.     

Review: The strobilurin fungicides

The original article to which this Correction refers was published in Pest Management Science 58 (7): 649–662 (2002).Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

Equine pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction: current understanding and recommendations from the Australian and New Zealand Equine Endocrine Group

The purpose of this article is to provide a review of the current knowledge and opinions about the epidemiology, clinical findings (including sequelae), diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of equine pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction, particularly in the Australian context. This information and the recommendations provided will assist practitioners in making informed decisions regarding the diagnosis and management of this disorder.     

Effect of bovine seminal plasma on bovine endometrial epithelial cells in culture

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of seminal plasma (SP) from bulls of known fertility on bovine endometrial epithelial cells (bEEC) in culture. The bEEC from passage 5, approximately 5.0–13 × 10⁵ cells per flask, were challenged with SP from bulls of high or low fertility (n = 3 and 2, respectively) or PBS (control), at 1% (75 μl) or 4% (300 μl) and were incubated for 72 hr (n = 13 per challenge). Total cell number and viability of bEEC after challenge with 1% SP from either high‐ or low‐fertility bulls (75H or 75L, respectively) did not differ from controls. In contrast, challenge with 4% of SP from high‐ or low‐fertility bulls (300H or 300L) negatively affected bEEC cell number and viability. Challenge with 300 L had a greater adverse effect than 300H. These results suggest that the negative effect of bovine SP on bEEC is both dose‐dependent and fertility‐dependent.     

A framework for evaluation of on-farm mastitis diagnostics in Australia

Numerous culture-based diagnostics are available on the Australian and international markets for on-farm detection of bacterial pathogens in milk. Use of such diagnostics may provide an opportunity to improve the prudent use of antimicrobials in udder health management. Farms are low-resource settings in terms of diagnostic microbiology capacity. The World Health Organisation has identified criteria for the evaluation of diagnostic tests in low resource settings based on Accuracy, Sensitivity, Specificity, User-friendliness, being Rapid or Robust, Equipment-free and being Deliverable (ASSURED). Here, we review how those criteria can be interpreted in the context of microbiological diagnosis of mastitis pathogens, and how on-farm diagnostics that are currently available in Australia perform relative to ASSURED criteria. This evaluation identifies multiple trade-offs, both with regard to scientific criteria and with regards to convenience criteria. More importantly, the purpose of testing may differ between farms, and test performance should be evaluated relative to its intended use. The ability of on-farm mastitis diagnostics to inform mastitis treatment decision-making in a timely and cost-effective manner depends not just on test characteristics but also on farm-specific pathogen prevalence, and on the farm enterprise's priorities and the farm manager's potential courses of action. With most assay evaluations to date conducted in professional laboratories, there is a surprising dearth of information on how well any of the diagnostic tests perform on-farm and, indeed, of the on-farm decision-making processes that they aim to inform.     

CABI/EPPO distribution maps of plant pests and plant diseases and their important role in plant quarantine

Never before has the need for accurate distribution data for plant pests been so important. CAB International (CABI) and EPPO are international organizations with a long history and strong involvement in collating and disseminating information on the global distribution of plant pests. Distribution Maps of Plant Pests and Distribution Maps of Plant Diseases, first published in 1951 and 1942, respectively, are respected, referenced sources of such data, expertly compiled and validated and used by plant health organizations around the world. They have been joint CABI/EPPO publications since 1997, and provide an essential complement to expanding knowledge on plant pest distribution. The Distribution Maps continue to be the most authoritative sources of information on the presence and extent of specific plant pests, sourced from the 4.5 million records in CAB Abstracts as a basis and numerous other sources. They also feed directly into CABI's Crop Protection Compendium (CPC) and EPPO's Plant Quarantine Data Retrieval System (PQR) databases. Their history, compilation and value are discussed.