A pilot study on the improvement of the lying area of finishing pigs by a soft lying mat

In this pilot study, we tested whether a soft mat (foam covered with a heat-sealed thermoplastic) reduces alterations and injuries at the skin and the leg joints.The soft mat in the lying area of partly slatted pens was compared to a lying area consisting of either bare or slightly littered (100 g straw per pig and day) concrete flooring. In this study we focused on skin lesions on the legs of finishing pigs as indicators of impaired welfare. Pigs were kept in 19 groups of 8-10 individuals and were examined for skin lesions around the carpal and tarsal joints either at a weight of <35 kg, or at close to 100 kg. The likelihood of hairless patches and wounds at the tarsal joints was significantly lower in pens with the soft lying mat than in pens with a bare concrete floor. Pens with a littered concrete floor did not differ compared to pens with a bare concrete floor. The soft lying mat thus improved floor quality in the lying area in terms of preventing skin lesions compared to bare and slightly littered concrete flooring. Such soft lying mats have thus the potential to improve lying comfort and welfare of finishing pigs.     

Managing and learning with multiple models: Objectives and optimization algorithms

The quality of environmental decisions should be gauged according to managers’ objectives. Management objectives generally seek to maximize quantifiable measures of system benefit, for instance population growth rate. Reaching these goals often requires a certain degree of learning about the system. Learning can occur by using management action in combination with a monitoring system. Furthermore, actions can be chosen strategically to obtain specific kinds of information. Formal decision making tools can choose actions to favor such learning in two ways: implicitly via the optimization algorithm that is used when there is a management objective (for instance, when using adaptive management), or explicitly by quantifying knowledge and using it as the fundamental project objective, an approach new to conservation.This paper outlines three conservation project objectives – a pure management objective, a pure learning objective, and an objective that is a weighted mixture of these two. We use eight optimization algorithms to choose actions that meet project objectives and illustrate them in a simulated conservation project. The algorithms provide a taxonomy of decision making tools in conservation management when there is uncertainty surrounding competing models of system function. The algorithms build upon each other such that their differences are highlighted and practitioners may see where their decision making tools can be improved.     

Pathological findings in lentivirus infected cats

This report describes the necropsy findings in 3 cats with a natural T-lymphotropic Lentivirus (FTLV) infection. The changes are compared with the "immunodeficiency syndrome" of humans and monkeys. Furthermore, the pathogenicity of the FTLV and the significance of a dual infection with FTLV and Spumavirus is discussed.     

Volunteer biomass production between multipurpose tree hedgerows after two years of fallow in southern Cameroon

The ability of multipurpose hedgerow tree species to out-compete undesired regrowth during fallow phases was examined. Biomass and spatial distribution of grass and broad leaf volunteers was measured after two years of fallow, in two alley cropping systems planted at six m interrow distance, at the Humid Forest Ecoregional Centre Research Station, Mbalmayo, southern Cameroon. The two experiments had been continuously cropped for five and six years previously. In the experiment cropped for six years, the presence of Senna spectabilis [(DC.) Irwin and Barnaby] hedgerows reduced the biomass of the volunteer regrowth from 9.2 to 4.3 Mg ha⁻¹. Tillage during the previous cropping phase increased the broad leaf biomass from 3.0 to 4.4 Mg ha⁻¹, reduced the biomass of grasses from 3.4 to 2.7 Mg ha⁻¹ but had no effect on the total volunteer biomass. Volunteer biomass was significantly lower within 1.5 m of the S. spectabilis hedgerows than at positions further away. In the experiment cropped for five years, S. spectabilis reduced the volunteer regrowth biomass significantly. Two other hedgerow species, Dactyladenia barteri [(Hook f ex Oliv.) Engl.] and Flemingia macrophylla [(Willd.) Merrill] had no effect on the total amount of volunteer regrowth but did reduce volunteer biomass within 0.5 m of the hedgerows. S. spectabilis caused a stronger reduction of volunteer biomass than D. barteri and F. macrophylla at almost all distances from the hedgerows. The competitiveness of D. barteri and F. macrophylla is insufficient and their growth habit is unsuitable to out-compete undesired species in this alley cropping system. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Comparative genomic analyses of the Taylorellae

Contagious equine metritis (CEM) is an important venereal disease of horses that is of concern to the thoroughbred industry. Taylorella equigenitalis is a causative agent of CEM but very little is known about it or its close relative Taylorella asinigenitalis. To reveal novel information about Taylorella biology, comparative genomic analyses were undertaken. Whole genome sequencing was performed for the T. equigenitalis type strain, NCTC11184. Draft genome sequences were produced for a second T. equigenitalis strain and for a strain of T. asinigenitalis. These genome sequences were analysed and compared to each other and the recently released genome sequence of T. equigenitalis MCE9. These analyses revealed that T. equigenitalis strains appear to be very similar to each other with relatively little strain-specific DNA content. A number of genes were identified that encode putative toxins and adhesins that are possibly involved in infection. Analysis of T. asinigenitalis revealed that it has a very similar gene repertoire to that of T. equigenitalis but shares surprisingly little DNA sequence identity with it. The generation of genome sequence information greatly increases knowledge of these poorly characterised bacteria and greatly facilitates study of them.     

Import risk analysis in animal disease control

At the Swiss Federal Veterinary Office risk analyses are conducted according to international standards. A risk analysis contains the elements risk management, risk assessment and risk communication. A risk assessment is based on risk profile, hazard identification and a pathway model. All available information is gathered, documented and assessed and the risk estimated. The question. "What is the probability that unprocessed wild boar meat imported to Switzerland from the federal state Mecklenburg Western Pommerania is contaminated with classical swine fever virus?" was answered by a release assessment. The hazard identification recognized classical swine fever virus and attenuated live virus vaccine used for oral immunization as hazards. The probability of contamination was estimated to be small. The question: "What is the likelihood to introduce Aujeszky's disease to Switzerland and infect the indigenous pig population with the disease, by means of importing pork and meat products?" was answered by assessing the release, exposure and resulting consequences. The risk of an infection of the indigenous pig population was estimated to be very small, as 80% of the imported products derive from countries or zones free from Aujeszky's disease. Furthermore the majority of the imported products are processed. The strict implementation of the regulations governing feeding of food wastes to pigs reduces the probability of exposure. In all assessments the risk management decides on a strategy to deal with the risk, taking into consideration the results and recommendations derived from the risk assessment as well as other relevant factors.     

Epidemiological basis and results of the National Survey 2001 conducted in the Swiss pig population

Free trade with animals and animal products requires transparency concerning health information of animal populations. On the basis of the bilateral agreement with the European Union (EU), Switzerland is obliged to document freedom from Aujeszky's disease (AD) in its pig population by conducting surveys on a regular basis. Such a survey was planned for the first time for the year 2001. In this context, it was evaluated whether additional pig diseases should be included in the survey. This article describes the evaluation procedure for the selection of pig diseases integrated in the survey 2001. Additionally, it reports and interprets the results of this survey. All of the 2537 farms and 41,719 blood samples were tested negative. Therefore, it could be documented with a confidence of 99.98% that the AD-prevalence in Switzerland is below 1%.     

Ultrasonographic observations of the uterine regression in the ewe under different obstetrical conditions

Involution of the ovine uterus after parturition was studied using real-time B-mode ultrasonography. The diameter of the uterus, the uterine lumen and the caruncles were investigated during the first 30 days post-parturition (p.p.) by transrectal and transabdominal application of the ultrasound probe. Ewes that spontaneously delivered showed a physiological regression of the uterus with a transversal diameter of 4.9 (+/- 0.86) cm on day 1 p.p. which decreased to 1.84 (+/- 0.14) cm until day 30. The course of uterine regression was established on these data and was described by the exponential equation: y = E + A * e(-b*t). 'E' means the final value on day 30 p.p. and 'A' the difference between the initial transversal diameter on day 1 p.p. minus the final value on day 30 p.p. The exponents 'b' and 't' indicate the downward gradient of the regression curve and also the factor time in days. Furthermore, we found that the uterine regression in ewes finishes approximately on day 17 p.p. The uterine involution was delayed in ewes after manual obstetrics and caesarean section, in addition the incidence for retention of foetal membranes was increased. The present study demonstrates that the ultrasonographic technique is a suitable method for the control of the uterine involution and for the diagnosis of pathological aberrations in sheep.