A survey to determine public opinion about the ethics and governance of farm animal welfare

OBJECTIVE: To determine the attitude of the public toward farm animal welfare and identify beliefs regarding how decisions about farm animal welfare should be made. DESIGN: Telephone survey. STUDY POPULATION: A random sample of 1,019 US households. PROCEDURES: US households were contacted by telephone and asked to take part in a survey consisting of 48 items. RESULTS: A majority (437/773 [56.4%]) of respondents believed decisions about farm animal welfare should be made by experts rather than being based on the views of the public. Such advocates of expert decision making were less likely to believe the government should regulate farm animal welfare. Most (420/773 [54.3%]) respondents believed decisions about farm animal welfare should be based on scientific measures of animal well-being, as opposed to moral and ethical considerations. Those individuals who believed farm animal welfare decisions should be made by experts and be based on scientific measures were the least concerned about farm animal welfare issues. People who believed animal welfare decisions should be made by experts and be based on scientific measures were most responsive to information about use of gestation crates for sows. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: These results should help increase recognition that changing public opinion is not simply a matter of convincing the public to support positions established by veterinarians and animal scientists. People's views about the role of the democratic process in regulating technologic change are important determinants of whether people accept the changes in animal agriculture that have occurred during the past century.     

动物生物安全实验室常见生物危害及控制措施

近年来,随着实验室病原微生物感染与外泄问题接踵出现,实验室的生物安全问题越来越受到世界各国政府和公众的重视。其中动物生物安全实验室的潜在生物危害风险更多,需采取的防护措施更为复杂。本文综述了国内外针对生物安全实验室出台的相关法律法规及标准,分析了动物生物安全实验室常见生物危害,并提出了相应的控制措施,以期为我国动物生物安全实验室的建设管理和风险防范体系的完善提供参考。     

A procedure to test and approve standard farm equipment in respect to animal welfare

Since several years, there are claims from various sides to introduce and establish test methods and approval procedures concerning mass-producted standard farm equipment and husbandry systems in Germany. Such a procedure should be closely related to practical conditions, feasible and promoting innovation. The aim is to improve animal welfare, to relieve the authorities of single case testing and to create legal confidence for both, manufacturers and livestock owners.     

Animals in aging research: Requirements,pitfalls and a challenge for the laboratory animal specialist

Summary

The prime goal of aging research is to gain some insight into the basic mechanisms underlying the aging process. The long lifespan and frequent mobility of humans as well as the legal and ethical constraints on human experimentation make man unsuitable for studying the aging process. Therefore animals, particularly rodents, are used in aging research. In studying the aging process in animals, one hopes to find means for the prevention or amelioration of at least some of the disabilities of old age in man. Many intrinsic and extrinsic factors can influence the outcome of animal experiments; hence an extensive monitoring program is a prerequisite in aging research. An important role in controlling the quality of the animals is reserved for the laboratory animal specialist. Since he is faced with all aspects of laboratory animal science, aging research is a challenging area for such a specialist.     

Animals in aging research: requirements, pitfalls and a challenge for the laboratory animal specialist

The prime goal of aging research is to gain some insight into the basic mechanisms underlying the aging process. The long lifespan and frequent mobility of humans as well as the legal and ethical constraints on human experimentation make man unsuitable for studying the aging process. Therefore animals, particularly rodents, are used in aging research. In studying the aging process in animals, one hopes to find means for the prevention or amelioration of at least some of the disabilities of old age in man. Many intrinsic and extrinsic factors can influence the outcome of animal experiments; hence an extensive monitoring program is a prerequisite in aging research. An important role in controlling the quality of the animals is reserved for the laboratory animal specialist. Since he is faced with all aspects of laboratory animal science, aging research is a challenging area for such a specialist.     

动物尿液中莱克多巴胺检测方法的研究探讨

DB33/T539—2005方法是目前检测动物尿液中莱克多巴胺的有效方法,但也存在一些不足之处,对此方法的前处理过程和色谱条件等方面进行改进后,用气相色谱-质谱法(GC-MS)对猪尿液中莱克多巴胺进行检测,回收率可大大提高,重复性也很稳定。且改进后的方法操作简便,灵敏度高。     

鸭疫里默菌的分离鉴定与动物回归实验

为了解最近吉林地区某鸭场大量鸭病死的原因,对该鸭场送检的病料进行细菌分离培养并成功分离出一株革兰阴性菌。通过生化试验、16S r RNA鉴定及序列测序分析、玻片凝集试验和动物回归试验等对分离菌进行鉴定,16S r RNA基因测序结果显示,分离菌与鸭疫里默菌同源性达到99%;该菌能够使雏鸭死亡且致病性较强。结果表明,该鸭场鸭群死亡原因是1株血清2型鸭疫里默菌感染。     

动物布鲁菌病补体结合试验诊断方法比较研究

布鲁菌病是造成严重公共卫生安全和经济损失的人畜共患病,目前对该病的血清学诊断方法主要有凝集试验、ELISA、补体结合试验等,其中补体结合试验(CFT)是世界动物卫生组织(OIE)认可的布病血清学确诊的经典标准方法。但在实际布病检验中,由于其原理复杂、操作繁琐、影响因素多、耗时长等原因而未能被广泛应用。为了进一步明晰其原理,提高CFT的可操作性及准确性,本文比较了我国动物布鲁菌病标准和OIE手册中CFT的差异,并结合本实验室应用情况,对CFT在布鲁菌病诊断中常见的问题和注意事项进行了阐述,为布鲁菌病补体结合试验的科学应用及诊断提供了参考。     

Exposure of domestic swine to influenza A viruses in Ghana suggests unidirectional,reverse zoonotic transmission at the human–animal interface

Influenza A viruses (IAVs) have both zoonotic and anthroponotic potential and are of public and veterinary importance. Swine are intermediate hosts and ‘mixing vessels’ for generating reassortants, progenies of which may harbour pandemic propensity. Swine handlers are at the highest risk of becoming infected with IAVs from swine but there is little information on the ecology of IAVs at the human–animal interface in Africa. We analysed and characterized nasal and throat swabs from swine and farmers respectively, for IAVs using RT‐qPCR, from swine farms in the Ashanti region, Ghana. Sera were also analysed for IAVs antibodies and serotyped using ELISA and HI assays. IAV was detected in 1.4% (n = 17/1,200) and 2.0% (n = 2/99) of swine and farmers samples, respectively. Viral subtypes H3N2 and H1N1pdm09 were found in human samples. All virus‐positive swine samples were subtyped as H1N1pdm09 phylogenetically clustering closely with H1N1pdm09 that circulated among humans during the study period. Phenotypic markers that confer sensitivity to Oseltamivir were found. Serological prevalence of IAVs in swine and farmers by ELISA was 3.2% (n = 38/1,200) and 18.2% (n = 18/99), respectively. Human H1N1pdm09 and H3N2 antibodies were found in both swine and farmers sera. Indigenous swine influenza A viruses and/or antibodies were not detected in swine or farmers samples. Majority (98%, n = 147/150) of farmers reported of not wearing surgical mask and few (4%, n = 6) reported to wear gloves when working. Most (n = 74, 87.7%) farmers reported of working on the farm when experiencing influenza‐like illness. Poor husbandry and biosafety practices of farmers could facilitate virus transmission across the human–swine interface. Farmers should be educated on the importance of good farm practices to mitigate influenza transmission at the human–animal interface.     

An attempt to determine the tissue origin of equine serum alkaline phosphatase by isoelectric focusing.

The main purpose of this study was to ascertain whether isoelectric point determination of alkaline phosphatase (AP) using an isoelectric focusing technique on agarose gels could define the isoenzymes present in healthy equine serum. The isoelectric points of AP extracted from nine tissues ranged from pH 3.5 to 7.5 with all tissues having multiple bands. There was considerable similarity in band pattern among tissues, with only pancreatic and colostral AP having substantially different isoelectric points from the others. Sera contained thirteen bands with isoelectric points ranging from pH 3.5 to 6.2 and as each band was common to more than one tissue it was not possible to define the tissue origin of these by direct comparison with tissue patterns. The intensity of all serum bands declined as foals aged, with the greatest decrease in bands 4 and 5 (numbered from the anode). There was no relative change in the banding pattern between early and late pregnant mares or in the sera of two foals before and after ingestion of colostrum. The mean (+/- SD) total serum AP activities of young foals (1676 +/- 1100 IU/L), three month foals (402 +/- 64 IU/L) early pregnant (190 +/- 54 IU/L) and late pregnant mares (109 +/- 26 IU/L) were significantly different from each other whereas colostral ingestion in two neonatal foals had no effect. We concluded that equine AP is a very heterogeneous protein and that normal horse sera do not contain significant renal or small intestinal derived AP. However isoelectric focusing alone could not differentiate bone from liver derived AP in sera.     

畜牧行业实验室污染物的种类、危害与安全处理措施

此文着重概述了畜牧行业实验室污染物质的危害、污染种类、特点等，阐明了受污染的实验室是行业内的重要污染源之一，排污问题不容忽视，并提出了安全处理的措施。