Veterinary aspects of ecological monitoring: the natural history of emerging infectious diseases of humans,domestic animals and wildlife

Proliferation of disease pathogens capable of affecting humans, domestic livestock and wildlife increasingly threatens environmental security and biodiversity. Livestock and wild animals in proximity to human beings are often in the chain of transmission and infection. Globalization of industrial livestock production (especially poultry upon which so much of the burgeoning human population depends) often permits transcontinental disease spread. Rapidly expanding (and often illegal) international trade in wild and domestic animals and their products are increasingly involved in the emergence of new diseases that may have the ability to transmit among humans, livestock and wildlife. Rapidly increasing urbanization has led in many places to overcrowded townships that rely on “bushmeat” for sustenance and has contributed to the emergence of virulent zoonotic pathogens. The emergence and proliferation of pathogens are exacerbated by anthropogenic transformation of natural landscapes in order to increase agricultural and livestock production. This paper posits that data gathered by veterinary ecologists should be interpreted and used by other disciplines. The importance of a thorough knowledge of the “natural history” (ecology) of the disease agent and its human, domestic and wild hosts is stressed.     

封闭群实验小鼠的生产管理要点

实验小鼠来源于野生小家鼠,大约在19世纪开始用于遗传学研究,经过长期人工饲养、选育,目前已培育成500多个独立的近交系和远交群,是当今世界上研究最详尽、用量最大、用途最广、品种最多的一种实验动物。由于小鼠体型小,易于控制,生长繁殖快,产仔多,易饲养管理,质量标准明确,品种、品系多,在生物医学研究的各个领域中得到了广泛的应用     

短期禁牧对天山北坡蒿类荒漠群落特征及其稳定性的影响

本研究以天山北坡蒿类荒漠为研究对象,采用野外调查取样的方法,探讨不同区域荒漠围栏内外群落特征和物种多样性对禁牧的响应规律,分析禁牧对生态系统稳定性的影响。结果表明,1)禁牧能改变荒漠植被功能群结构,禁牧后不同生态经济类群群落盖度和生物量分别上升40.2%~57.0%和44.4%~81.0%;2)荒漠群落物种多样性指数对短期禁牧的响应较小,但从区域上看,玛纳斯荒漠放牧区Patrick丰富度指数、Shannon-Wiener多样性指数比博乐和奇台显著高16.7%~20.0%,而禁牧区Simpson优势度指数、Shannon-Wiener多样性指数、Pielou均匀度指数高了8.6%~17.7%;3)短期禁牧有利于荒漠群落稳定性的维持,且稳定性可能与禁牧年限和生态环境的变化均有一定的关系。因此,短期禁牧能显著提高荒漠草地生产力,有利于群落物种多样性和群落稳定性的维持。     

High‐level exogenous trans10, cis12 conjugated linoleic acid plays an anti‐lipogenesis role in bovine mammary epithelial cells

Primary bovine mammary epithelial cells (BMECs) were treated by 0, 37.5, 75, 112.5, 150 μmol/L trans10, cis12 conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) to evaluate the effects of different level trans10, cis12 CLA on lipogenesis in BMEC. Addition of 75–150 μmol/L trans10, cis12 CLA reduced significantly the triacylglycerol (TAG) content (P < 0.05), but did not have inhibiting action on cell proliferation (P > 0.05). Treatment with 150 μmol/L trans10, cis12 CLA for 48 h resulted in a 17.1% reduction (P < 0.0001) of medium chain fatty acids (MCFA, C14 < C < C16), a 26.5% reduction (P < 0.0001) of unsaturated fatty acids (UFA) and a corresponding reduction of the mRNA abundance of acetyl coenzyme A (acetylCoA) carboxylase (ACC) (P = 0.046), fatty acid synthase (FAS) (P = 0.017) and stearoylCoA desaturase1 (SCD1) (P = 0.002). Another finding was that trans10, cis12 CLA elevated expression of diacylglycerol acyltransferase2 (DGAT2) (P = 0.020) and long chain acylCoA synthetases (ACSL) (P = 0.032). In conclusion, higher trans10, cis12 CLA, not low trans10, cis12 CLA, inhibited milk fat synthesis and changed fatty acid composition by regulating the expression of FAS, ACC, SCD1, DGAT2 and ACSL.     

Experimental studies with foot-and-mouth disease virus type Asia-1, responsible for the 2005 epidemic in China

This study was carried out to investigate the biological characteristics of the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) virus strain Asia-1 China/2005, which is responsible for the 2005 epidemic in China. The result showed that this strain is not host restricted, and could not only cause FMD in cattle and sheep but also in pigs by either inoculation or direct contact.     

Acaricidal activity of extracts of neem (Azadirachta indica) oil against the larvae of the rabbit mite Sarcoptes scabiei var. cuniculi in vitro

The acaricidal activity of the petroleum ether extract, the chloroform extract and the acetic ether extract of neem (Azadirachta indica) oil against Sarcoptes scabiei var. cuniculi larvae was tested in vitro. A complementary log-log (CLL) model was used to analyze the data of the toxicity tests. The results showed that at all test time points, the petroleum ether extract demonstrated the highest activity against the larvae of S. scabiei var. cuniculi, while the activities of the chloroform extract and the acetic ether extract were similar. The activities of both the petroleum ether extract and the chloroform extract against the larvae showed the relation of time and concentration dependent. The median lethal concentration (LC(50)) of the petroleum ether extract (1.3muL/mL) was about three times that of the chloroform extract (4.1muL/mL) at 24h post-treatment. At the concentrations of 500.0muL/mL, the median lethal time (LT(50)) of the petroleum ether extract and the chloroform extract was 8.4 and 9.6h, respectively.     

Socio-economic factors influencing control of vector-borne diseases in the pastoralist system of south western Uganda

Research in control of tick-borne diseases and trypanosomosis, and their vectors, namely, ticks and tsetse flies respectively, has been on going for decades. However, very little attention has been paid to the socio-economic factors that are likely to influence the outcome of the interventions in the control of these diseases. Thus, this study was designed to investigate these factors, mainly the intra-household factors influencing decision-making in the control of Vector-borne diseases in the pastoralist areas of Uganda. These factors included: indigenous technical knowledge, household economic factors, and gender. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used in the collection and analysis of data. The tools used for data collection included among others, participatory learning and action (PLA), and Case studies. The findings included the following: In pastoralist households, a big proportion of the household budget was allocated to vector-borne diseases control. In the male-headed households, men dominated decision-making on vector-borne diseases control, although the goals and priorities of men and women in these households were not the same. Also, vector-borne disease control was predominantly by use of modern veterinary drugs, and pastoralists treated sick cattle by themselves even in situations where there were veterinary personnel.     

丰宁县森林食品资源现状及开发利用前景

随着科学技术的进步、人类生活水平的提高,天然绿色食品受到人们的青睐。森林经济植物种源丰富,其可食部分的营养价值及微量元素有的优于栽培植物,开发利用前景广阔。1989年,丰宁林业局同原北京林学院等单位联合,对丰宁森林木本植物资源进行了清查,摸清了种源分布,为合理?..     

乌桕金带蛾新种记述(鳞翅目:带蛾科)

本文为贵州省的重要林木害虫－乌桕金带蛾的新种记述，与近缘种中华金带蛾详加比较，附有特征图以兹鉴别。     

Normal bacterial flora from vaginas of Criollo Limonero cows

In order to describe the normal bacterial flora in vaginas of Criollo Limonero cows, 51 healthy multiparous cows, at least 90-day postpartum, were selected. Duplicated swabs (N = 102) were taken from the vaginal fornix of cows to perform aerobic and anaerobic cultures as well as conventional biochemical tests. Out of 102 swabs, bacterial growth was obtained in 55 (53.9%) while the remaining 47 (46.1%) did not exhibited any bacterial growth. Of the 55 bacterial growths, 23 (41.8%) were aerobic whereas 32 (58.1%) were anaerobic. Likewise, 29 (52.72%) of bacterial growths were pure and 26 (47.27%) were mixed. Under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions, Gram positive bacteria were predominant (81.82% and 73.08%, respectively) over Gram negative bacteria (18.18% and 26.92%, respectively). Isolated bacteria were Arcanobacterium pyogenes (22.92%), Staphylococcus aureus (15.63%), Staphylococcus coagulase negative (17.71%), Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae (6.25%), Bacteroides spp. (13.54%), and Peptostreptococcus spp. (7.29%). In conclusion, normal vaginal bacterial flora of Criollo Limonero cows was predominantly Gram positive and included A. pyogenes, S. aureus, coagulase negative Staphylococcus, E. rhusiopathiae, Bacteroides spp., and Peptostreptococcus spp. In Criollo Limonero cattle, adaptive aspects such as development of humoral and physical mechanisms for defense, and bacterial adaptation to host deserve research attention.