Carcass characteristics and meat quality of sheep fed alfalfa hay to replace Bermuda grass hay

Tropical Animal Health and Production - The objective of this study was to evaluate carcass characteristics, meat quality, and organ and viscera weight of forty male sheep, not castrated, initially...     

氮磷肥对3种牧草的生长效应和氮磷吸收的影响

采用田间试验,单因素随机区组排列,以豆科牧草柱花草和禾本科牧草扭黄茅和孔颖草为试验材料,研究适量氮磷肥的施用对3种牧草旺盛期生长及土壤氮磷吸收的影响和效果。试验结果表明,与未施氮磷肥比较,氮磷的施用有利柱花草、扭黄茅和孔颖草旺盛期(7-9月)的生长,3种牧草物候期有所延迟,可以提高3种牧草旺盛期绝对生长量,显著增加了孔颖草总生物量和氮吸收量(P<0.05)。与未施氮肥对比,施氮(施纯氮120 kg·hm^-2)有利柱花草和孔颖草对氮的吸收,显著提高柱花草含氮量和孔颖草氮的吸收量(P<0.05),促进柱花草和孔颖草的生长,提高柱花草和孔颖草地上部和地下部生物量,提高扭黄茅地上部的生长量和生物量。与未施磷肥对比,施磷(施纯磷75 kg·hm^-2)显著提高孔颖草氮的吸收量(P<0.05)。本研究为3种牧草和其他牧草氮磷的施用提供理论依据,即:适量的氮磷施用有利3种牧草产量的提高。     

Effects of selection,over three and four generations,on meat yield and fatness in Muscovy ducks

1. Two experiments were undertaken to analyse the effects of selection for lowering carcase fatness and improving meat yield of Muscovy ducks. The control generation N and the selected generations N+ 3 and N+ 4 of the same heavy line (Grimaud) were reared under similar conditions.

2. We compared growth, carcase characteristics, chemical composition of breasts and plasma concentrations of very low density lipoproteins (VLDL), triglycerides and phospholipids.

3. Selection induced an increase of body weight ( + 8% to 10% at slaughter age), a decrease of abdominal fat percentage (? 10%) and an improvement of breast and thigh plus shank yields (+ 3% to 7% and + 4% respectively).

4. The lipid content of breast meat decreased in the selected ducks (? 14% to ?20%), particularly phospholipids and triglycerides. Breasts appeared paler and less red which suggested modifications of muscular fibre composition.

5. We found no significant correlations between plasma VLDL, triglyceride and phospholipid concentrations and carcase fatness. It therefore seems difficult to use these variables as selection criteria for lowering carcase fatness of Muscovy ducklings.     

Characterization of fluoroquinolone resistance in Escherichia coli strains from ruminants.

Thirty-seven fluoroquinolone-resistant Escherichia coli strains from ruminants (according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines) were screened by molecular methods for mutations in the quinolone resistance-determining region (QRDR) of the gyrA and parC genes and for the presence of the qnrA gene. One of the strains studied was an enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) strain potentially pathogenic for humans. Three E. coli strains resistant to enrofloxacin (minimal inhibitory concentration [MIC] = 2 microg/ml) but not to ciprofloxacin (MIC = 1 microg/ml) presented single mutations in the gyrA and parC genes, while 34 strains resistant to both fluoroquinolones presented double and single mutations in gyrA and parC, respectively (31 strains), or double mutations in gyrA and parC (3 strains). The EHEC strain presented a double amino acid substitution in the GyrA protein (Ser-83-->Leu and Asp-87-->Gly) and a double amino acid substitution in the ParC protein (Gly-78-->Cys and Ser-80-->Arg), one of which has not been previously described. The present study shows that most of the mutations in the QRDR of the gyrA and parC genes of fluoroquinolone-resistant E. coli strains from ruminants are the same as those seen in E. coli strains from other animal species and humans and that there are no differences in mutation patterns in the QRDR of E. coli strains from healthy ruminants and those with diarrhea. No strains carried qnrA, which indicates that this gene does not play an important role in the selection of fluoroquinolone-resistant E. coli strains from ruminants.     

Antibody response to an anti-rabies vaccine in a dog population under field conditions in Bolivia

Rabies remains an important public health issue in Bolivia, South America. Public concern and fears are most focussed on dogs as the source of rabies. The objective of the present study was to assess immunity of an inactivated suckling mouse brain vaccine against canine rabies used for the official vaccination campaigns under field conditions in an endemic area of rabies in Bolivia. A total of 236 vaccinated and 44 unvaccinated dogs in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, selected using stratified random sampling, were investigated in order to obtain owned dog characteristics and antibody titres against rabies in April 2007. The proportion of vaccinated dogs with an antibody titre exceeded the protection threshold value of 0.5 EU/ml was 58% [95% confidence intervals (CI): 52-65], indicating that vaccination is likely to elicit an antibody response (odds ratio 6.3, 95% CI: 1.2-11.5). The range of geometric mean of antibody titre for vaccinated dogs (0.89 EU/ml; 95% CI: 0.75-1.04) was considered to meet the minimal acceptable level indicating an adequate immune response to the vaccine. However, the titre level was not satisfactory in comparison with the results from other field investigations with inactivated tissue culture vaccines. It is recommended for public health authorities to (1) consider modernizing their vaccine manufacturing method because the level of immunity induced by the current vaccine is comparably low, (2) conduct frequent vaccination campaigns to maintain high levels of vaccination coverage, and (3) actively manage the domestic dog population in the study area, which is largely responsible for rabies maintenance.