Prevalence of Streptococcus suis types 1 and 2 in domestic pigs in Australia and New Zealand

Using an indirect fluorescent antibody test, 54 per cent of 734 palatine tonsils of conventional pigs slaughtered in Australia and New Zealand were found to be infected with Streptococcus suis type 1 and 73 per cent of 959 were infected with S suis type 2. Variations in the prevalence of infection in pigs from different herds were thought to be due to differences in the sample sizes rather than to real differences in the prevalence between herds. The prevalence of infection with S suis was similar in pigs of either sex and in different age groups. Streptococcus suis type 2 was detected in the blood of 3 per cent of apparently normal pigs slaughtered at a meat processing plant. The presence of this organism in edible tissue may pose a health risk to consumers and meat-workers. Both S suis types 1 and 2 were detected in the vaginas and uteri of slaughtered pigs and the female reproductive tract could be another site for the carriage of infection. Piglets from sows with vaginas infected with S suis type 2 became infected earlier than piglets from sows with uninfected vaginas. No infected male reproductive tracts were detected and venereal transmission of S suis therefore appears unlikely. Three specific pathogen free herds were found to be free from infection with both S suis types 1 and 2. It is concluded that hysterectomy derived piglets are delivered free from infection, whereas some piglets born to sows with uterine and vaginal infections are either born infected or become infected at, or soon after, birth.     

Morphology of alpaca (Vicugna pacos) embryos in the first third of pregnancy

The breeding of South American camelids is the main economic activity of the high Andean region of South America and it, is potentially, the most profitable resource in of the Puna environmental conditions of the Puna. The duration of the gestation in alpaca is 339.7 ± 12 days. The objective of the present work was to macroscopically and microscopically describe the ontogenic development of the splanchnic cavities of the alpaca and to determine the gestational time in which the post‐cranial ossification centers are observed in the embryos/fetuses of this species, from day 21 to 107 of gestation. The documentation of normal ontogenic development, which is vacant for this period, is of the utmost importance to understand the consequences of the alterations at the different gestational times, as well as for the estimation of the gestational age in the case of abortions. Forty‐seven alpaca specimens of both sexes, at different times of their gestational development, collected during slaughter at local slaughterhouses of the Department of Huancavelica, Peru, were evaluated. Specimens were assigned to seven groups according to their morphological characteristics. The embryogenesis in the alpaca was characterized by a series of changes comparable to those occurring in other mammals with similar gestational periods. Despite these similarities, species differences were found in some organs as stomach, which are observed too in adult individuals.     

Effect of a Single Dose of Cadmium on Pregnant Wistar Rats and their Offspring

Cadmium (Cd) is a well‐known toxicant targeting many organs, among them placenta. This heavy metal also has embryonary and foetal toxicity. This study was undertaken to analyse the effect of a single Cd dose administered at 4, 7, 10 or 15 days of gestation on the offspring of pregnant rats sacrificed at 20 days of gestation. Cadmium chloride was administered subcutaneously at 10 mg/kg body weight to Wistar pregnant dams; control animals received a proportionate volume of sterile normal saline by the same route. Maternal uteri, livers, kidneys and lungs, and foetuses were examined at necropsy. Samples of maternal organs and whole foetuses were collected for histopathologic examination, determination of Cd levels and staining by the Alizarin red S technique. Results revealed a clear embryotoxic and a teratogenic effect of this heavy metal, the former as a significant increase in the number of resorptions, and the latter as significant decrease of the gestational sac weight, and the size and weight of foetuses of Cd‐treated dams as well as induced malformations in skull bones, vertebrae and thoracic, and pelvian limbs. The deleterious effects found were similar to those previously reported for other animal models suggesting a high conservation of the pathogenic mechanisms of Cd. Additionally, many of the addressed aspects showed a slight dependence on the time of administration of the toxic that might be due to the accumulation of the metal in different organs, as we were able to demonstrate by the analysis of its concentration.     

Selenium and gamma-glutamyl transferase activity in the serum of thoroughbreds.

Selenium and gamma-glutamyl transferase activity has been measured in the serum of clinically health thoroughbreds. The thoroughbreds, whose performance was reported to be unsatisfactory, had consistently low concentrations of selenium and high activity of gamma-glutamyl transferase in the serum when compared with those whose performance was as expected. Vitamin E levels in the serum showed no such difference. The only other biochemical and haematological abnormality was lower serum phosphate concentrations in the unsatisfactory group. These results suggest that low concentrations of selenium in the serum may be associated with subclinical hepatic insufficiency in the thoroughbred.     

Intra-uterine transmission of Mycobacterium avium subsp paratuberculosis in subclinically affected red deer (Cervus elaphus)

AIM: To determine the rate of transmission of Mycobacterium avium subsp paratuberculosis (M. ptb) from hind to fetus in utero, and the risk of transmission from dam to fawn via infected colostrum and milk in subclinically affected red deer hinds.

METHODS: Hinds were sourced from farms in Otago or Southland and selected for the study if they were positive to the immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) modified enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) (Paralisa) and exhibited no clinical signs of Johne's disease. The hinds (n=35) were sent to a deer slaughter premises (DSP; n=31) or were killed on-farm (n=4). All post-mortem samples were collected from the fetus first and then from the dam, taking care to avoid cross contamination between samples. Fresh samples (n=185) were collected for culture, and tissue samples (n=72) were collected from 24 hinds and their fetuses for histopathological examination.

RESULTS: A total of 24/35 hinds selected were suitable for inclusion in the study. Eighteen of these pregnant hinds were culture-positive for M. ptb, and 14 of these had culture-positive fetuses, representing a transmission rate of 78% (95% confidence interval (CI) =0.58–0.98) from dam to fetus. Of the 16 mammary glands sampled, 11 (69%) were culture-positive for M. ptb while 12/15 (80%) mammary lymph nodes sampled were also culture-positive.

CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated a high rate of transmission of M. ptb from dam to fetus in red deer, and a potential risk of transmission to fawns suckling from mothers that are subclinically affected with Johne's disease.     

Developing Strategies for Spatially Variable Nitrogen Application in Cereals, Part II: Wheat

For precision agriculture to provide both economic and environmental benefits over conventional farm practice, management strategies must be developed to accommodate the spatial variability in crop performance that occurs within fields. Experiments were established in crops of wheat (Triticum aestivum) over three seasons in two fields. The aim was to evaluate a set of variable rate nitrogen strategies and examining the spatial variation in crop response to applied N. The optimum N application rate in the field with three different soil series (predominantly calcareous silty clay loam over oolitic limestone) was uniform across the field. In contrast the other field with uniform soil type (slightly calcareous brown clay loam), provided a more variable response. Estimates of yield potential, produced from either historic yield data or shoot density maps derived from airborne digital photographic images, were used to divide experimental strips into management zones. These zones were then managed according to two N application strategies. The results from the historic yield approach, which is currently the most practical commercial system, based on 3 yr of yield data, were variable with no overall yield or economic advantages. It was concluded that that this approach may not provide a suitable basis for varying N rates. The shoot density approach, however, offered considerably greater potential as it takes account of variation in the current crop. Using this approach, it was found that there was insufficient variation in the shoot density in the field with diverse soil types. However, in the field with the uniform soil type, applying additional N to areas with a low shoot population and maintaining the standard N rate to areas with an average shoot population resulted in an average strategy benefit of up to 0·46 t ha⁻¹ compared with standard farm practice. It is necessary to combine the ‘real-time’ data on relative crop structure, obtained by remote sensing with ground truth assessments and absolute benchmark values to successfully adjust N input levels to maximise yield.     

Seed Mapping of Sugar Beet

Individual plant care may well become embodied in precision farming in the future and will lead to new opportunities in agricultural crop management. The objective of this project was to develop and evaluate a data logging system attached to a precision seeder to enable high accuracy seed position mapping of a field of sugar beet. A Real Time Kinematic Global Positioning System (RTK GPS), optical seed detectors and a data logging system were retrofitted on to a precision seeder to map the seeds as they were planted. The average error between the seed map and the actual plant map was about 16–43 mm depending on vehicle speed and seed spacing. The results showed that the overall accuracy of the estimated plant positions was acceptable for the guidance of vehicles and implements as well as potential individual plant treatments.     

Light intensity and fur-chewing in rabbits

Extract

Madam:-, Fur-chewing is a relatively common apparent behavioural problem of farmed rabbits. Unlike the preparturient doe, who pulls out fur from ventral body surfaces to line her nest, rabbits of either sex which fur-chew, bite off hair from any part of the body which is accessible and may partially denude more than 50% of their body surface. The condition often appears to be self-inflicted, and unlike whisker chewing in mice, or feather plucking in chickens, a rabbit may either chew its own fur or that of others. The condition is a serious problem for commercial producers of rabbit pelts and for those attempting to carry out nutritional studies which require analysis and comparison of food intake and faecal output. For instance, in digestibility studies, fur-chewing constitutes a confounding variable in relation to nitrogen analysis.