Associations between pregnancy outcome and serological response to Neospora caninum among a group of dairy heifers

AIM: To monitor pregnancy in a group of rising 2-year-old dairy heifers on a farm on which abortion due to Neospora caninum was known to occur in previous years.

METHODS: A prospective cohort study group of 164 rising 2-year-old heifers was pregnancy-tested and blood-sampled at 4–5-week intervals throughout gestation. Sera were tested for antibodies to N. caninum at 3–4-month intervals, using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). When loss of pregnancy was detected, an N. caninum indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) was conducted retrospectively on stored sera collected the month before abortion, the month abortion was detected, and for the following 2 months, from heifers that aborted. All fetal and placental material detected following abortion was subjected to gross post-mortem and histopathological examination.

RESULTS: Eleven of 18 (61%) heifers that were seropositive and 4/146 (3%) heifers that were seronegative to N. caninum by ELISA, aborted. The relative risk for abortion among ELISApositive heifers was 23.6. Abortion occurred predominantly between Days 120 and 152 gestation among the ELISA-positive heifers and throughout gestation among the ELISA-negative heifers. IFAT titres rose around the time of abortion in most of the heifers that were previously seropositive by ELISA, but dropped rapidly again in post-abortion samples. IFAT titres among 4/6 ELISA-positive heifers that did not abort increased, but later in gestation than the time other heifers aborted. IFAT titres remained negative in heifers that aborted that were ELISAnegative.

CONCLUSIONS: Heifers that were seropositive to N. caninum by ELISA had a much greater risk of abortion than seronegative heifers. Most seropositive heifers showed evidence of a reactivation of infection during pregnancy. High (≥1:2,000) N. caninum IFAT titres also occurred in non-aborting heifers.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Culling of replacement heifers seropositive to N. caninum may be a cost-effective strategy for minimising risk of abortion. Pregnancy testing heifers before 5 months gestation may overestimate the number that calve in N. caninum-infected herds, but would assist in documenting the occurrence of abortion. Reliance on a high (>1:2,000) IFAT titre to rule-in N. caninum as a cause of abortion is likely to produce false-positive results.     

Management of gastrointestinal nematode parasites on sheep farms in New Zealand

AIM: To report current farmer opinions and farming practices relating to control of gastrointestinal nematodes and anthelmintic resistance on sheep farms in New Zealand.

METHODS: An interview-based cross-sectional study of grazing management and anthelmintic useage was conducted by veterinarians on 80 randomly selected sheep farms in New Zealand.

RESULTS: Useable data were returned by 74/80 (92%) farmers who participated in the study. However, despite contacting 400 farmers the target sample size of 100 farms was not reached. The results indicated that only 31% of farms had previously tested for drench resistance, that effective quarantine-drenching of imported stock was not always carried out, and that farmers were more likely to integrate cattle than ewes into their grazing management of lambs. Furthermore, the number of drenches given to lambs had changed little in 25 years. The use of faecal egg counting by farmers has increased.

CONCLUSIONS: Dependence on anthelmintics continues to be high on sheep farms in New Zealand. Whilst the number of drench treatments has changed little, there is more widespread use of persistent or long-acting treatments. Farmers need to be encouraged to monitor the resistance status of nematode populations on their farms and use this information to develop strategies aimed at maintaining susceptible alleles within the parasite populations and conserving the efficacy of existing drug families.     

Modelled female sale options demonstrate improved profitability in northern beef herds

Objective To examine the impact of improving the average value of cows sold, the risk of decreasing the number weaned, and total sales on the profitability of northern Australian cattle breeding properties. Design Gather, model and interpret breeder herd performances and production parameters on properties from six beef‐producing regions in northern Australia. Procedure Production parameters, prices, costs and herd structure were entered into a herd simulation model for six northern Australian breeding properties that spay females to enhance their marketing options. After the data were validated by management, alternative management strategies were modelled using current market prices and most likely herd outcomes. Results The model predicted a close relationship between the average sale value of cows, the total herd sales and the gross margin/adult equivalent. Keeping breeders out of the herd to fatten generally improves their sale value, and this can be cost‐effective, despite the lower number of progeny produced and the subsequent reduction in total herd sales. Furthermore, if the price of culled cows exceeds the price of culled heifers, provided there are sufficient replacement pregnant heifers available to maintain the breeder herd nucleus, substantial gains in profitability can be obtained by decreasing the age at which cows are culled from the herd. Conclusion Generalised recommendations on improving reproductive performance are not necessarily the most cost‐effective strategy to improve breeder herd profitability. Judicious use of simulation models is essential to help develop the best turnoff strategies for females and to improve station profitability.     

Apparent lack of efficacy of toltrazuril against Eimeria species affecting brown kiwi (Apteryx mantelli) at a captive rearing facility

AIM: To assess the efficacy of toltrazuril against the Eimeria spp. affecting brown kiwi (Apteryx mantelli).

METHODS: Droppings were collected from three brown kiwi, aged <6 months old, at a captive rearing facility in the North Island of New Zealand, between 22 February and 20 April 2017, on 14 sampling dates. Only droppings (n=30) that were excreted between 03:00 and 07:00, as determined using video surveillance, were included for analysis, reflecting the peak time for shedding of coccidial oocysts for brown kiwi. Oocysts were quantified in each sample and Eimeria species identified on the basis of oocyst morphology. All samples were collected between 2 and 10 days after the birds had been treated with 25?mg/kg toltrazuril.

RESULTS: Eimeria spp. oocysts were identified in 28/30 individual samples and on 14/14 sampling dates. Oocyst counts varied from 0 to 328,080 oocysts per gram (opg), and at least one oocyst count >10,000 opg was measured on 12/14 sampling dates. Three species of Eimeria were observed, with Eimeria apteryxii and E. kiwii most commonly encountered, whereas only one sample contained E. paraurii.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: In the three birds monitored at this research site, there was a high abundance of E. apteryxii and E. kiwii oocysts in droppings despite recent administration of toltrazuril. These results suggest that the populations of Eimeria spp. affecting brown kiwi at this location appear to possess an ability to survive exposure to toltrazuril. Toltrazuril is widely used at captive rearing facilities to limit the effects of coccidiosis in juvenile kiwi. If a lack of efficacy is confirmed, it will be necessary to investigate alternative treatment regimens alongside broader environmental management strategies.     

CD4+ and CD8+ T- lymphocytopenia in a filly with Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia

Decreased proportion of CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes in peripheral blood likely contributed to susceptibility to Pneumocystis carinii in a foal. Cytological evaluation of bronchoalveolar lavage was required for identification of the pathogen and serial flow-cytometric analysis of peripheral blood lymphocytes documented transient low expression of CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes. Although immunodeficiency is uncommon, it must be included in the differential diagnosis for patients suffering from chronic or opportunistic infections and may provide an indication for immunostimulant therapy.     

紫色丘陵区小流域典型降雨径流氮磷流失特征

对2007年盐亭小流域两场典型降雨(施肥后首场大雨和大暴雨)的径流过程进行了连续监测,同步测定了径流量、氮磷浓度,旨在阐明农业小流域典型降雨氮磷流失随降雨径流的变异规律.结果表明,流量曲线与浓度过程线变化趋势一致.整个径流过程中的氨态氮(AN)与磷酸盐(PO3-4-P)浓度较低且波动较小.初期径流颗粒态氮(PN)、颗粒态磷(PP)与总磷(TP)的浓度高于后期径流,初期冲刷效应明显.颗粒态氮(PN)是氮素在径流初期迁移的主要形态,而后期以硝态氮(NN)为主;但PP是整个径流过程中的主要迁移形态.初期径流中AN、PN、TP、PP及泥沙(SS)负荷分布较大,而硝态氮(NN)、总氮(TN)和PO3-4一P则主要分布在径流后期.污染物初期冲刷和NN后期淋溶是暴雨径流氮素流失的主要原因,而施肥后首场降雨氮素流失的主要原因是NN淋溶.暴雨径流产生氮磷负荷巨大,TN与TP分别为167.04kg和20.75 kg;而施肥后首场大雨径流氮磷流失负荷较小,分别为12.07 kg(TN)、1.04 kg(TP),其中60%的TN以NN流失.     

瓠瓜新品种‘越蒲1号’

‘越蒲1号’为早熟瓠瓜一代杂种。商品瓜棒形,淡绿色,表面密生白色短茸毛,粗细均匀,长25～35cm,直径5～7cm,脐部较平,果肩微凸,单瓜质量350～500g,肉质致密,口感糯,味微甜。从播种到始收,春季95～105d,秋季45～50d,一般春季产量45.0t.hm-2以上,秋季产量22.5t.hm-2以上。     

不同灌溉方式对制种玉米产量及水分利用效率的影响

通过田间试验,研究了畦灌、常规沟灌、隔沟交替灌3种灌溉方式对制种玉米产量及水分利用效率的影响,结果表明,不同灌溉方式下,制种玉米产量为8.73~10.87 t/hm~2,耗水量为349.7~625.0 mm,WUE为1.40~3.01kg/m~3。隔沟交替灌溉方式耗水量最低,畦灌方式最高,常规沟灌居中。相同灌溉定额条件下,隔沟交替灌制种玉米产量较常规沟灌增减幅度在-2.43%~10.24%。常规沟灌方式若能保证作物需水关键期的灌溉,适度减少灌水不会造成制种玉米减产。产量构成要素结果表明,行粒数、出籽率、穗长、穗粗、秃尖长、千粒重产量构成要素对产量的累积贡献率达85.54%。在甘肃河西地区,制种玉米全生育期灌水8次(苗期1次,拔节期2次,抽穗期1次,灌浆期2次,乳熟期2次),灌溉定额2 250 m~3/hm~2的隔沟交替灌溉方式(T6处理)能稳定提高产量和水分利用效率。     

再生水灌溉对土壤盐分和重金属累积分布影响的研究

再生水是农业灌溉的重要水资源。为了合理利用城市污水处理后的再生水资源,采用天津市纪庄子污水处理厂二级出水作为再生水,以自来水为对照进行叶类蔬菜小区种植试验,研究了再生水灌溉对菜地土壤次生盐渍化及盐分离子和重金属离子累积分布规律的影响。结果表明:除0~15 cm土层全盐量增加外,15~45 cm土壤层盐分累积现象与自来水灌溉相比无明显差异。与自来水灌溉相比,短期内采用再生水灌溉不会显著增加土壤阳离子含量。重金属在土壤中的累积也不明显,同时,不同再生水灌溉水量条件下,土壤中重金属含量无显著差异,且土壤中的重金属含量都远低于国家标准规定的允许值,表明再生水短期灌溉对土壤环境不会造成污染影响。