Testing of the palatability of Thymus vulgaris L. and Origanum vulgare L. as flavouring feed additive for weaner pigs on the basis of a choice experiment

The objective of the study at hand was to investigate within the framework of a pilot project the preference of weaner pigs for either an ad libitum standard feed with thyme or oregano herb as flavouring additive or an ad libitum standard feed without any herbal additive. Thyme or oregano herbs or a combination of both were offered in two different concentrations each (1% and 0.1%) as additive (experimental diets) in standard diet in comparison to the latter without herbal additive (control diet) free of choice. The dosage of the two herbs in terms of total essential oil(s) in the feeds used in the study was 0.02% or 0.002% (v/w), which was equivalent to 1% or 0.1% herbs in the mixture, respectively. A Latin square according to Williams (1949) was used with 6 groups in order to record possible differences in feed intake. All experimental diets aside from that mixed with 0.1% thyme herb were, in comparison to the control diet, significantly less ingested. Where the weanling was given the choice, it did not choose feed with any flavouring additive. Further studies aimed at assessing the use of herbs as aroma additive in the form of a choice experiment are recommended.     

Replacement of soybean oil by Hermetia illucens fat in turkey nutrition: effect on performance,digestibility, microbial community,immune and physiological status and final product quality

ABSTRACT

1. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of partial (50%) or total replacement of soybean oil (SO) by black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) fat on the growth performance, coefficients of apparent nutrient digestibility, selected internal organ weights and length, pancreatic enzyme activity and gastrointestinal tract (GIT) microecology modulation, as well as microbiota activity, physiological and immunological responses in young turkey poults.

2. A total of 216, seven day old female turkeys (B.U.T 6) were randomly distributed to three dietary treatments using six replicate pens per group with 12 birds per pen. The following design of the trial was applied: SO 100% soybean oil; BSFL50 a 50/50 combination of SO and BSFL fat; or 100% BSFL fat (total replacement of SO).

3. The use of BSFL fat did not affect the growth performance, nutrient digestibility, GIT morphology, or quality of the breast and thigh muscles. However, reduced trypsin activity was noticed in the BSFL100 group, but this had no effect on digestibility. Total replacement of SO reduced proliferation of potentially pathogenic bacteria, i.e., Enterobacteriaceae spp., as well as decreasing levels of IL-6, while partial substitution lowered the TNF-α concentration.

4. The replacement of commonly used SO by BSFL fat can be successfully applied in young turkey poult nutrition. BSFL fat may be considered an antimicrobial agent and support immune responses.     

Screening for antibodies against zoonotic agents among employees of the Zoological Garden of Vienna, Schönbrunn, Austria

The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of antibodies against zoonotic agents in employees of the zoological garden of Vienna, Sch?nbrunn, Austria. Sixty out of 120 employees participated in the study. In 97% of them antibodies to at least one zoonotic agent were identified. Only two participants were free of antibodies to the zoonotic agents tested. The following seroprevalences (in brackets) were obtained: Viral zoonotic (and potentially zoonotic) agents: Influenzavirus A/H1N1 (58%), Influenzavirus A/H3N2 (85%), Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (13%), Encephalomyocarditis virus (5%), Orthopox- (Cowpox-) virus and Hantavirus type Puumala (3%). Hantavirus type Hantaan and Borna disease virus (all negative). Bacterial zoonotic agents: Bartonella henselae (65 %), Borrelia burgdorferi (10%), Leptospira interrogans serovar copenhageni and serovar icterohaemorrhagiae as well as Chlamydophila psittoci (2% each). Brucella spp., Coxiella bumetii, and Francisella tularensis (all negative). Parasitic zoonotic agents: Toxoplasma gondii (53%), Toxocara spp. (21%), Capillaria hepatica (2%), Fasciola hepatica, Schistosoma mansoni, E. multilocularis, and E. granulosus (all negative). The remarkably high seroprevalence to the causative agent of cat scratch disease, Bartonella henselae, is probably due to the private contact of the employees to cats. Regarding viral zoonotic agents it has to be mentioned that Influenzavirus vaccination and/or human-to-human transmission of especially A/H3N2 Influenzaviruses probably attributed significantly to the very high seroprevalence to both Influenzavirus types A/H1N1 and A/H3N2. When investigating parasitic zoonotic agents, high prevalence rates were found against Toxoplasma gondii and Toxocara spp., however, it was not possible to establish a causal link between seropositivity and the professional activity in the zoo. Interestingly, in the case of antibodies to T. gondii, the typical correlation with age was not found in this study, while in the case of the Toxocara spp. positive subjects a correlation was identified with both age and duration of employment in the zoo. Regarding the later two zoonotic parasites, employees of the zoological garden showed significantly higher seroprevalences than the average Austrian population. Antibodies to Capillaria hepatica, a hepatic-parasite in rodents which is diagnosed in humans rarely, were identified in one employee and another one showed a questionable positive result. Further investigations did not exhibit clinical infestations with the parasite in these two individuals so far.     

Antibodies to selected pathogens in free-ranging terrestrial carnivores and marine mammals in Canada

Antibody titres to selected pathogens (canine adenovirus [CAV-2], feline herpesvirus [FHV], phocine herpesvirus [PHV-1], canine distemper virus, dolphin morbillivirus [DMV], phocine distemper virus [PDV], parainfluenza virus type 3 [PI3], rabies virus, dolphin rhabdovirus [DRV], canine coronavirus, feline coronavirus, feline leukaemia virus, Borrelia burgdorferi and Toxoplasma gondii) were determined in whole blood or serum samples from selected free-ranging terrestrial carnivores and marine mammals, including cougars (Fellis concolor), lynxes (Fellis lynx), American badgers (Taxidea taxus), fishers (Martes pennanti), wolverines (Gulo gulo), wolves (Canis lupus), black bears (Ursus americanus), grizzly bears (Ursus arctos), polar bears (Ursus maritimus), walruses (Odobenus rosmarus) and belugas (Delphinapterus leucas), which had been collected at several locations in Canada between 1984 and 2001. Antibodies to a number of viruses were detected in species in which these infections have not been reported before, for example, antibodies to CAV-2 in walruses, to PDV in black bears, grizzly bears, polar bears, lynxes and wolves, to DMV in grizzly bears, polar bears, walruses and wolves, to PI3 in black bears and fishers, and to DRV in belugas and walruses.     

Comparison of three continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) interfaces in healthy Beagle dogs during medetomidine–propofol constant rate infusions

Objective

To compare the efficacy of three continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) interfaces in dogs on gas exchange, lung volumes, amount of leak during CPAP and rebreathing in case of equipment failure or disconnection.

Ammonia and greenhouse gas emissions from a straw flow system for fattening pigs: Housing and manure storage

Animal welfare and environmental protection are increasingly important. Housing systems must be found that offer animal welfare while minimizing the overall emissions of ammonia and greenhouse gases. The straw flow system is an animal friendly housing system for fattening pigs, which can be operated economically on commercial farms. Emissions from conventional slurry based pig houses have been intensively studied, but more research is needed into straw based systems. In this study, we quantified emissions of ammonia and greenhouse gases from a straw flow system with or without daily removal of slurry to an outside store. The effect of applying a solid cover during outside storage was also examined.

Emissions of NH₃, N₂O, CH₄, and volatile organic C (VOC) from a commercial straw flow system for fattening pigs in Upper Austria were measured between June 2003 and March 2004. Emissions of CH₄ during housing were 1.24 and 0.54 kg CH₄ per pig place per year without and with daily manure removal, respectively. The corresponding N₂O emissions amounted to 39.9 and 24.5 g N₂O per pig place per year, and NH₃ emissions to 2.10 and 1.90 kg NH₃ per pig place per year without and with daily manure removal. Emissions of CH₄, N₂O and NH₃, and of total greenhouse gases, from the straw flow system were lower than literature reference values for forced ventilated fully slatted floor systems. Daily removal of the manure to an outside store reduced emissions from the pig house.

Emissions during storage of pig slurry derived from a straw flow system were quantified between June 2004 and June 2005. Slurry was stored in pilot scale stores with or without a solid cover and emissions quantified by a large open dynamic chamber. The solid cover reduced NH₃ and greenhouse gas emissions by 30 and 50%, respectively. During cold climatic conditions stored pig manure emitted less NH₃ and greenhouse gases than when stored under warm climatic conditions. We recommend the use of separate emission factors for slurry storage in the colder and warmer periods in the national emission inventory, and the use of covers on pig slurry stores.

Overall, it is concluded that the straw flow system may combine recommendations of animal welfare and environmental protection.     

Resistance of mastitis pathogens in northern Germany

The data of 1692 susceptibility tests acquired from April 2003 through March 2004 in the mastitis laboratory of the Institute for Food Quality and Safety were summarized in order to help veterinarians confronted with acute mastitis in choosing the appropriate antibiotic. Two thirds of the milk samples were infected with gram-positive cocci. One third of these were identified as Streptococcus (S.) uberis, one fourth as Staphylococcus (S.) aureus. All isolates (100%) of S. uberis, S. dysgalactiae, S. agalactiae and Arcanobacterium pyogenes were susceptible to Penicillin and Ampicillin. Concering S. aureus, nearly 100% of the isolates were susceptible to Oxacillin, Cephalothin, Cefacetril, Cefquinom and Neomycin, but only 88% of the isolates were sensitive to Penicillin, Ampicillin and Cefoperazon. The gram-negative rods (Escherichia (E.) coli, Klebsiella spp. and Pseudomonas spp.) displayed an irregular resistance pattern. More than 93% of all examined isolates including Pseudomonas spp. were susceptible to Colistin. The sensitivity of E. coli and Klebsiella spp.to Marbofloxacin, Enrofloxacin and Cefquinom exceeded 96%. Thus, the susceptibility of gram-positive mastitis pathogens to common antibiotics is favourable. Because the highly effective Colistin is no longer approved for local therapy, the situation for gram-negative bacteria is more difficult.     

Evaluation of three tidal volumes (10, 12 and 15 mL kg−1) in dogs for controlled mechanical ventilation assessed by volumetric capnography: a randomized clinical trial

Objective

To evaluate three routinely used tidal volumes (V_T; 10, 12 and 15 mL kg^?1) for controlled mechanical ventilation (CMV) in lung-healthy anaesthetized dogs by assessing alveolar ventilation (VT_alv) and dead space (DS).

Elimination of Salmonella spp. by lactic acid

The aim of the present study was to determine the elimination of Salmonella by different lactic acid concentrations in microbiological media and on turkey carcass elements. The average bacteria counts in the control samples without lactic acid were: 1.8 x 10(8), 1.1 x 10(8) and 2.3 x 10(8), for S. Enteritidis, S. Anatum and S. Typhimurium, respectively. The concentration of lactic acid of 0.1% in the agar media completely inhibited the growth of all Salmonella strains. At 0.05% lactic acid concentration, the bacteria count was 2 log cycles lower and at a 0.03% solution it was 1 log cycle lower than that in the respective control samples. However, the examined bacteria developed in the presence of 0.02% and 0.01% lactic acid concentrations and their counts fell into the same log brackets. An analysis of the experimental results obtained from turkey carcass elements immersed in the lactic acid solution showed that the Salmonella identification rate was determined by the bacteria inoculum spread over the turkey carcass surface. The contamination of 10(1) CFU of Salmonella spread onto the turkey carcass was completely eliminated by immersing the carcasses in 1% or 2% lactic acid solutions. The contamination of turkey carcass elements with 10(2) CFU of S. Enteritidis and their immersion in 2% lactic acid solution for 15 min resulted in the reduction of the number of samples with Salmonella compared to the number of control samples with Salmonella. At contaminations of 10(3) CFU on the carcass surfaces, the immersions in 1% and 2% lactic acid solutions did not reduce Salmonella counts.