Incidence of and risk factors for cat bites: a first step in prevention and treatment of feline aggression

Feline aggression towards people has a smaller incidence than canine aggression, but also represents an important public health problem. The aim of this work was to analyse feline aggression reported towards people, to estimate its incidence and to assess the risk factors involved. The information was obtained from the Public Health Centres in the Valencian Region (Spain). A total of 936 acts of feline aggression were analysed. Cats inflicted 8% of all animal bites reported. The annual average was 6.36 feline aggression incidents per 100,000 people. Most aggressive incidents occurred during the summer months. Children (0-14 years old) and women were more likely to be bitten. Wounds were mainly punctures, single, and mild, and were located mostly on the hands. In children, the head and neck areas were affected much more than in adults. The cats involved in incidents were mostly Siamese, female and owned; these cats mainly attacked their owners. Most occurrences were a defensive response by the cat.     

Enteric parasites of free-roaming,owned, and rural cats in prairie regions of Canada

The objective of this study was to determine prevalence, intensity, and zoonotic potential of gastrointestinal parasites in free-roaming and pet cats in urban areas of Saskatchewan (SK) and a rural region in southwestern Alberta (AB). Fecal samples were analyzed using a modified double centrifugation sucrose flotation to detect helminth eggs and coccidian oocysts, and an immunofluorescence assay to detect Giardia and Cryptosporidium. Endoparasite prevalence was higher in samples from rural AB cats (41% of 27) and free-roaming SK cats (32% of 161) than client-owned SK cats (6% of 31). Parasites identified using morphological and molecular techniques included Toxocara cati, Toxascaris leonina, Baylisascaris-type eggs, Eucoleus aerophilus, Taenia taeniaeformis, Isospora spp., Cryptosporidium spp., and zoonotic genotype A of Giardia duodenalis. This study demonstrates significant differences in endoparasite prevalence in feline populations, and the value of molecular techniques in fecal-based surveys to identify and determine parasite zoonotic potential.     

Physiometabolic responses to road transport in weaned piglets for a short period and the effects of straw bedding

The aim of the study was to evaluate the physiometabolic responses to stress in hybrid suckling piglets that were weaned and transported at different ages on a paved road under two vehicle conditions: with and without a layer of straw bedding. The piglets were weaned and transported at the following ages: 8, 15 and 22 days. The duration of each trip was 1 h. The piglets in each group were further divided into two sub‐groups for two distinct experimental transport conditions: (1) over the road with straw bedding; and (2) over the same road but without straw bedding. A total of three repetitions were performed for each experimental condition. In order to assess their responses to weaning‐ and transport‐induced stress, the study evaluated a thorough physiometabolic blood profile. The 8‐ and 15‐day‐old piglets transported without straw bedding showed increases in their pCO2, blood glucose, blood lactate levels and the percentage of hematocrit, but a decrease of pO2 upon arrival (P < 0.05). In contrast, the 22‐day‐old piglets transported on the same road with straw bedding were able to re‐establish their blood concentrations of lactate, pCO2, pO2, Na+, K+, Ca2+ and pH during the trip (P < 0.05).     

QTL analysis and mapping of pre-harvest sprouting resistance in Sorghum

One of the most important agronomic problems in the production of sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] in humid climates is pre-harvest sprouting (PHS). A molecular linkage map was developed using 112molecular markers in an F₂ mapping population derived from a cross between IS 9530 (high resistance to PHS) and Redland B2 (susceptible to PHS). Two year phenotypic data was obtained. By means of interval mapping analysis, two significant QTL were detected in two different linkage groups with LOD scores of 8.77and 4.39. Each of these two QTL individually explained approximately 53% of the phenotypic variance, but together, in a two-QTL model, they explained 83% of the phenotypic variance with a LOD score of 12.37.These results were corroborated by a one-way ANOVA in which the four flanking markers of the most likely QTL positions displayed highly significant values in theF-test, and significant variation in trait expression was associated with marker genotypic classes. The four markers with highest effect in the one-way ANOVA were also detected in the second year replication of the F₂ population, and significant genotype × environment interactions was observed. The putative relationship between PHS resistance in sorghum and the maize Vp1 gene is also discussed. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Characterisation of woody Medicago (sect. Dendrotelis) species, on the basis of seed and seedling morphometry

The three species belonging to the sect. Dendrotelis of the genus Medicago: M. arborea L., M. citrina (Font Quer) Greuter, and M. strasseri Greuter, Matthäs & Risse, were characterized using 12 morphometrical characters of seeds and 20 of seedlings. These species have interest for the regeneration of degraded lands in semi-arid climates. M. arborea presents the largest phenotypic variability and is dispersed throughout the Mediterranean basin, while the other two species are endemic to a very reduced area, M. citrina, in Columbretes Islands and Cabrera Islands (Spain) and M. strasseri in Crete. Several populations of M. arborea were measured, in order to compare the intraspecific variability within M. arborea with the differences among all three species. The multivariate analysis of the data used characters that were independent of the size of the studied organs. The three species were clearly differentiated on the basis of seed characters. On the other hand, seedling characters distinguished M. citrina from the other two species, but M. strasseri and the populations of M. arborea were intermingled. In spite of this, we have described relevant morphological differences among M. arborea, M. strasseri and M. citrina, which are consistent with other ecological or bromatological differences. The study supports that the three accessions merit to be considered as three different species.     

Distribution of IS900 restriction fragment length polymorphism types among animal Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis isolates from Argentina and Europe

Sixty-one Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis isolates from cattle and deer from the Buenos Aires province, an important livestock region in Argentina, were typed by restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP) analysis based on IS900. Four different RFLP patterns (designated ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’ and ‘E’) were identified in BstEII digests of genomic DNA. The most frequently observed type, pattern ‘A’, was found in 46 isolates (75%). The second, pattern ‘E’, included 8 isolates (13%), while the third, pattern ‘B’, included 6 isolates (10%). Pattern ‘C’ was found for only one isolate. All of the deer isolates were classified as pattern ‘A’, while cattle isolates represented all four RFLP patterns. Twenty-one isolates representing the four different BstEII-RFLP patterns were digested with PstI. Twenty isolates showed identical PstI-RFLP pattern. BstEII-RFLP patterns from Argentine cattle and deer were compared with patterns found in cattle, goat, deer, rabbit, and human isolates from Europe. The most common pattern in Argentina, pattern ‘A’, was identical to a less frequently occurring pattern R9 (C17) from Europe. The other Argentine patterns ‘B’, ‘C’ and ‘E’, were not found in the Europe. These results indicate that the distribution of M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis genotypes in the Buenos Aires province of Argentina is different from that found in Europe.     

Decomposition of chestnut litterfall and eight-year soil chemical changes under a no-tillage management system in Northern Portugal

? Chestnut stands (Castanea sativa Mill.) for fruit production, in Northern Portugal, are subjected to frequent soil tillage operations, which is considered a threat for the system sustainability.

? The effects of replacement of conventional tillage by the no-tillage system in chestnut stands on decomposition and nutrient dynamics of leaf litter and burs were evaluated, using the litterbag methodology. Amounts of mass and nutrients in the organic layers, and chemical characteristics of the 0–20 cm top soil layer were assessed after eight years.

? The mass loss and release of N, P, Ca and Mg from both leaves and burs buried in the soil were faster than from those placed on the soil surface. Burs decomposed and released nutrients more slowly than leaf litter. The no-tillage system led to the formation of organic layers, which retained great amounts of N (249.2 kg ha^?1) and Ca (215.5 kg ha^?1). Such a management system increased the concentration of organic C and nutrients in the 0–5 cm top soil layer, but significant differences were only observed for exchangeable Ca.

? The no-tillage system may enhance organic C accumulation regarding the conventional system, due to the increment in both organic and mineral soil layers.

     

Diversity and genetic population structure of the Brazilian sharpnose shark Rhizoprionodon lalandii

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