Future directions in the European union for veterinary education as related to food-producing animals, with special reference to Greece

During the past 50 years, procedures for raising food-producing animals have changed. Intensification of food production was necessary to keep prices low and to fulfill market demands for the continuously increasing worldwide population. Intensification of farming procedures produced many new problems, some of which had a considerable impact on public opinion about how animals are raised and how food of animal origin is produced and preserved. "Man made diseases" of animals such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE); contamination of foods with dioxins either through contamination of animal feeds or from the environment; and increased microbial resistance to drugs used for treatment, for prophylaxis of animals from infectious agents, and for growth promotion are some well-known hazards of intensified farming. Veterinarians working on food-producing animals are faced with an increased demand for foods of high quality and safety in developed countries, and higher quantities in the rest of the world. These qualitative and quantitative changes indicate that they must adjust to these new conditions. They will be most successful if their education is adjusted to meet the challenges that the public has created for them through new concepts of the production of food of animal origin. One such concept is the production of foods under fully certified procedures from the farm to the consumer's table. Food safety measures protecting public health will better be achieved if the education of the future veterinarian includes the principles of Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) starting at farm level. This article provides some market-driven ideas in this direction for European Union (EU) countries, including Greece.     

The effect of a natural feed additive (Macleaya cordata), containing sanguinarine,on the performance and health status of weaning pigs

The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of Sangrovit^®, a plant‐derived feed additive, given throughout the nursery stage via feed at 15 ppm and 50 ppm, on the health status and performance of weaners against negative controls. In a 900‐sow farrow‐to‐finish farm, a total of 864 piglets were divided into three groups: (i) negative controls (NC); (ii) Sang 15: same feed as NCs, plus 15 g Sangrovit^® /t of feed; (iii) Sang 50: same feed as NCs plus 50 g Sangrovit^® /t of feed. The results indicated that administration of 50 ppm^‐Sangrovit^® had the most beneficial effects on growth performance in weaning pigs. Specifically there was increase of body weight and average daily gain, as well as reduction of feed conversion ratio. Blood analysis from the Sang groups and especially the Sang 50 group revealed low values of haptoglobin and serum amyloid A.     

Sex-specific roost movements and population dynamics of the vulnerable long-fingered bat, Myotis capaccinii

The roosts of many IUCN-listed cave-roosting bat species are under threat from tourist development in SE Europe and other regions of the world. Much-needed conservation strategies require, among other information, an understanding of their roost movements and population dynamics, which can now be obtained relatively quickly using advanced models. We have studied the long-fingered bat, Myotis capaccinii, an obligate cave-dweller, in Dadia National Park, Greece. The species formed colonies of up to a few thousand individuals and was highly mobile, frequently switching summer roosts up to 39 km apart, even during late pregnancy. The bats migrated to distant hibernacula including a cave in Bulgaria 140 km NW of the Park. Adult recapture probabilities varied with season and sex: low female recapture rates in autumn, relative to spring and summer, indicated non-random temporary emigration following nursery colony dispersal. The opposite pattern was seen in males: increasing recapture rates in the autumn suggest that males gather in these roosts to mate with females in transit. Adult survival (0.86-0.94) was similar in females and males, similar in winter and summer, and comparable to recent estimates for other bats based on similar modelling techniques. Sex-based differences in juvenile recapture suggest female philopatry and male-biased dispersal. Our work shows that protection of M. capaccinii roosts must extend beyond the Park’s and indeed the country’s boundaries: its conservation requires large-scale, trans-national integrated conservation plans. Our results will apply to many other warm-temperate species with similar life history cycles.     

Migratory passerine birds in Britain carry Phytophthora ramorum inoculum on their feathers and “feet” at low frequency

In this study, we investigated whether birds could be vectors facilitating long‐distance spread of Phytophthora ramorum in Britain. Migratory bird species associated with the main sporangium‐producing host plants and most likely to pick up P. ramorum spores were considered. Swabs were taken from the flank and “feet” of 1,014 birds over a 12‐month period (April 2011–March 2012) in the west of Britain and subsequently analyzed for the presence of P. ramorum using nested PCR. Ten positive samples from 10 birds were identified: three in Cornwall, one in Devon, three in Gloucestershire, two in north Wales and one in Merseyside. Phytophthora ramorum was detected on samples from four species of thrushes (Redwing Turdus iliacus, Fieldfare T. pilaris, Blackbird T. merula and Song Thrush T. philomelos) and one species of warbler (Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita). All birds that tested positive were sampled in late autumn and winter (October–February), when long‐distance movements (over 100 km) would have stopped. The low incidence of P. ramorum found using PCR suggests that the incidence of inoculum, whether viable or not, on birds was low. The apparently low incidence of inoculum on birds suggests migratory passerine birds can carry P. ramorum inoculum on their feathers and “feet,” albeit at low frequency. The dates of positive samples indicate that birds would not have been moving long distances at the time but further work is needed to estimate the extent of their contribution to the spread of P. ramorum in Britain.     

THE DETERMINANTS OF CONSUMPTION FOR ORGANIC AQUACULTURE PRODUCTS—EVIDENCE FROM GREECE

This study investigates Greek consumers' behavior towards organic aquaculture products, identifying possible distinct consumer groups and examining possible linkages between consumer characteristics and marketing aspects of organic aquaculture. Using data from an in-person field survey, a two-step cluster analysis demonstrated different attitudes among consumers with different profiles and also identified two distinct consumer groups differentiated primarily by income: the low-potential consumers and the high-potential consumers, representing 34% and 66% of the total sample, respectively. This study provides evidence that consumers' socioeconomic and demographic characteristics are key factors determining the consumers' purchasing behavior for organic aquaculture products. Thus, a market segmentation strategy is needed to allow organic aquaculture production to take advantage of the significant potential for growth in the near future.     

Isolation and Antimicrobial Resistance of Staphylococcus spp. in Freshwater Fish and Greek Marketplaces

The presence and antibiotic resistance of Staphylococcus spp. in freshwater fish and the environment of fish markets of Northern Greece were investigated. A total of 269 samples were examined, consisting of 71 rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), 65 gibel carp (Carassius gibelio), and 133 environmental samples swabbed from various surfaces at fish markets.Staphylococcus spp. was isolated from 27% of the samples, and 16%, 9%, 0.7%, 0.4% and 0.4% were found to be positive for S. aureus, S. epidermidis, S. warneri, S. hominis-hominis, and S. haemolyticus, respectively. All isolates were examined for their susceptibility to 20 antibiotics. None of the S. aureus isolates were resistant to oxacillin and glycopeptides. Three S. epidermidis, two S. Warneri, and one S. haemolyticus isolates were resistant to oxacillin (methicillin resistant Staphylococcus, MRS). All isolates, except one, showed resistance to as many as 15 antibiotics. The population of Staphylococcus spp. in fish did not exceed 1.0 log CFU/g. Freshwater fish and the environments of retail fish markets were found to harbor multi-drug resistant staphylococci. Whether these findings present a real health risk for humans and to what extent needs to be evaluated.     

Detection of Cyprinid herpesvirus 2 in association with an Aeromonas sobria infection of Carassius carassius (L.), in Italy

Sixteen specimens of female crucian carp, Carassius carassius (L.), during the breeding season, were investigated for post‐mortem and full diagnostic examination during a mortality outbreak in a tributary stream of the Arno River in Tuscany in 2011. Necropsy highlighted the presence of a swollen anus and widespread haemorrhages in the body, fins, gills and eyes. Haemorrhages in internal organs and spleen granulomas were also observed. Bacteria isolated from the brain, kidney and spleen of affected fish were identified as A. sobria. Microscopic lesions observed in gills were characterized by necrosis of the secondary lamellae, congestion and multifocal lamellar fusion. The kidney showed necrosis, oedema, fibrin exudation and areas of haemorrhages, while in the spleen the main lesions were by multifocal necrosis of the lymphoid tissue. In the gills, transmission electron microscopy revealed herpesvirus‐like particles, subsequently identified as Cyprinid herpesvirus‐2 (CyHV‐2) with a nested PCR protocol. Although it was not possible to attribute a pathogenic role to CyHV‐2 in this mortality event, the identification of this herpesvirus in crucian carp increases the concern about its potential role in this species.     

Genetic characterization of central Mediterranean stocks of the loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) using mitochondrial and nuclear markers,and conservation implications

1. that the north Adriatic, the Tunisian continental shelf, the waters around Malta and the Italian Ionian Sea represent important areas for the conservation of rookeries in Greece, Libya and Turkey, respectively;
2. that waters off the Italian peninsula and the islands of Lampedusa and Malta are mainly inhabited by individuals of Mediterranean origin, with a major contribution from the nearest and largest colonies, while Atlantic turtles are restricted to the western areas;
3. that specific migratory routes exist from rookeries to foraging grounds;
4. a poor bi‐parental genetic structuring, which suggests a high male‐mediated gene flow in the Mediterranean;
5. mixing of small turtles in waters distant from natal rookeries, and recovery of structuring for large‐sized individuals; and
6. that uncommon mtDNA haplotypes are more powerful markers than microsatellite alleles in assessing an individual's origin, owing to their higher geographic specificity.

Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.