A cluster of two psittacosis cases among women farmers exposed to Chlamydia psittaci-infected domestic poultry in Zhejiang Province,China

A cluster of Chlamydia psittaci (C. psittaci) cases was reported in Zhejiang Province, China, 2019. This study evaluates the extent of the outbreak and determines the source of infection. Real-time PCR and sequencing of the ompA gene of C. psittaci were performed to identify the cases, the domesticated poultry and close contacts. The index patient was a 76-year-old woman with chronic vertigo, and Case 2 was a 64-year-old female farmer with herpes zoster. Both women bought psittaci-infected chickens or ducks from the same mobile street vendor and raised them for 10 days and 23 days before fever onset. There were no direct contact between the two women. C. psittaci test was positive for the two patients, one sick chicken, three healthy ducks and the vendor's chicken cage. Phylogenetic analysis showed that all seven C. psittaci positive samples carried identical ompA genotype A of C. psittaci. Of all of the patients' 148 close contacts, none tested positive for C. psittaci, or developed acute respiratory symptoms. Both patients were discharged after a 4-week hospital stay. In conclusion, the source of this cluster was the poultry infected with C. psittaci, which occasionally cause infections in farmers, but inter-human transmission seems unlikely.     

HACCP体系在出口兔肉检验检疫备案养殖场中的应用

输欧盟兔肉一直是出口敏感商品之一,多次因药物残留等问题被欧盟通报,严重影响了我国兔业的出口,而问题的根源主要在肉兔的养殖过程。本文就肉兔养殖过程中建立和应用HACCP体系的可行性和必要性进行探讨,对养殖过程中的安全危害进行分析,确定关键控制点,提出控制措施,从源头保证输欧兔肉产品的质量安全卫生。     

Pharmacokinetics of sanguinarine,chelerythrine, and their metabolites in broiler chickens following oral and intravenous administration

Sanguinarine (SA) and chelerythrine (CHE) are the main active components of the phytogenic livestock feed additive, Sangrovit®. However, little information is available on the pharmacokinetics of Sangrovit® in poultry. The goal of this work was to study the pharmacokinetics of SA, CHE, and their metabolites, dihydrosanguinarine (DHSA) and dihydrochelerythrine (DHCHE), in 10 healthy female broiler chickens following oral (p.o.) administration of Sangrovit® and intravenous (i.v.) administration of a mixture of SA and CHE. The plasma samples were processed using two different simple protein precipitation methods because the parent drugs and metabolites are stable under different pH conditions. The absorption and metabolism of SA following p.o. administration were fast, with half‐life (t_1/2) values of 1.05 ± 0.18 hr and 0.83 ± 0.10 hr for SA and DHSA, respectively. The maximum concentration (C_max) of DHSA (2.49 ± 1.4 μg/L) was higher that of SA (1.89 ± 0.8 μg/L). The area under the concentration vs. time curve (AUC) values for SA and DHSA were 9.92 ± 5.4 and 6.08 ± 3.49 ng/ml hr, respectively. Following i.v. administration, the clearance (CL) of SA was 6.79 ± 0.63 (L·h^?1·kg^?1) with a t_1/2 of 0.34 ± 0.13 hr. The AUC values for DHSA and DHCHE were 7.48 ± 1.05 and 0.52 ± 0.09 (ng/ml hr), respectively. These data suggested that Sangrovit® had low absorption and bioavailability in broiler chickens. The work reported here provides useful information on the pharmacokinetic behavior of Sangrovit® after p.o. and i.v. administration in broiler chickens, which is important for the evaluation of its use in poultry.     

Milk utilisation patterns in the low-input production systems in South Africa

Understanding the utilisation patterns of milk assists in designing appropriate dairy development schemes in rural communities. The objective of the study was to determine milk utilisation patterns in different smallholder farming systems in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Data were collected through the administration of recording sheets to 130 randomly selected households in Alice, Fort Beaufort and Queenstown districts. Amounts of milk produced per household ranged from 9 to 21 l per household per day. Milk consumption/household/day was similar among the three districts. Milk consumption in the early lactation doubled the amount consumed in late lactation (P < 0.05). Milk in the communal areas was largely utilised as fresh or sour milk. Fresh milk was mostly used in tea/coffee or to make porridge for children. Sour milk was consumed with thick boiled maize meal. Fort Beaufort (10.2 ± 1.37 l/day) had the highest sour milk sales whilst Queenstown had the highest fresh milk sales (9.7 ± 5.57 l/day). It was concluded that quantities of milk consumed or sold as fresh or sour were generally low and varied across smallholder farming systems.     

Seroprevalence of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Brucella</Emphasis> antibodies in camels in Katsina State,Nigeria

A cross-sectional study was carried out to determine the status of Brucella infection in one-humped (Dromedary) camels in the North and Central senatorial districts of Katsina State, Nigeria. Nine hundred and eighty serum samples from live and slaughtered camels were tested. Modified Rose Bengal plate test (RBPT) and serum agglutination test (SAT) with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, (EDTA) were used as screening and standard tests, respectively. The prevalence of Brucella antibodies were 110 (11.2%) and 103 (10.5%) for RBPT and SAT, respectively. Of the 472 and 508 serum samples tested from the herds and abattoirs, respectively, 63 (13.3%) and 47 (9.3%) were positive by RBPT while 62 (13.1%) and 41 (8.1%) were positive by SAT, respectively. Based on the results, it was concluded that Brucella antibodies were present in camels in the study area. Poor management practices and mixing of camels with other species of livestock as well as unrestricted movement of camels were proposed to be the reasons for the prevalence of the disease in the study area. In view of the public health importance of the disease, it is recommended that there is the need to develop a strategic plan to decrease spread of brucellosis in the study area.     

Effect of spineless cactus intake (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Opuntia ficus-indica</Emphasis>) on blood glucose levels in lactating sows and its impact on feed intake,body weight loss,and weaning-estrus interval

The effect of spineless cactus intake (Opuntia ficus-indica) on blood glucose (BG) levels in lactating sows and its impact on daily and total feed intake (dFI^?1 and TFI, respectively), body weight loss (BWL), and weaning-estrus interval length (WEI) were evaluated. Thirty-four hybrid (Yorkshire × Landrace × Pietrain) sows in lactation phase were used. Sows were divided into two groups: G1 (n = 17) where they received commercial feed and G2 (n = 17) provided with commercial feed plus an average of 2.0 ± 0.5 kg spineless cactus, based on a sow’s body weight. The variables evaluated were BG, dFI^?1, TFI, BWL, and WEI. Statistical analysis was performed by using a fixed and mixed model methodology, under a repeated measurements experiment. Group effects were found on all analyzed variables (P < 0.05). The BG was lower in G2 (55.2 and 64.5 mg/dL pre- and post-prandial, respectively), compared to that in G1 (70.9 and 80.1 mg/dL pre- and post-prandial, respectively) (P < 0.05). G2 showed better performance than G1 for dFI^?1, BWL, and WEI (P < 0.05) whose averages were 5.5 ± 1.8 kg, 7.4 ± 4.5%, and 5.3 ± 1.2 days, respectively. Averages for these variables in G1 were 4.7 ± 1.5 kg, 16.8 ± 4.6%, and 6.1 ± 1.6 days, respectively. Intake of spineless cactus reduced BG levels in lactating sows, generating greater dFI^?1, lower BWL at the end of lactation, and a lower WEI.     

Endotoxin activity in whole blood measured by neutrophil chemiluminescence is applicable to canine whole blood

The dog is widely used as a translational experimental model studying the host response and new treatments for human endotoxemia. The present study evaluated the applicability of a novel patient-near neutrophil chemiluminescence assay for the measurement of endotoxin activity in human blood when applied to canine blood samples. The assay was observed to be analytically sensitive and specific to endotoxin when tested in vitro, spiked with purified Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide and live E. coli. The diagnostic sensitivity was sustained during Gram-positive contamination. Finally, it also demonstrated diagnostic potential when able to discriminate dogs with spontaneously occurring endotoxemia from both healthy dogs and diseased dogs without endotoxemia. The rapid patient-near assessment of endotoxin activity in canine blood should facilitate future studies on endotoxemia in both spontaneous disease and in experimental settings.