Stakeholder perspectives on the use of pig meat inspection as a health and welfare diagnostic tool in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland; a SWOT analysis

Background

A SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis is a strategic management tool applied to policy planning and decision-making. This short report presents the results of a SWOT analysis, carried out with n?=?16 stakeholders i) involved in the pig industry in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, and ii) in general animal welfare and food safety policy areas. As part of a larger study called PIGWELFIND, the analysis sought to explore the potential development of pig meat inspection as an animal welfare and diagnostic tool.

Findings

The final SWOT framework comprised two strengths, three opportunities, six weaknesses, and five threats. Issues around relationships and communication between producers and their veterinary practitioner, processors and producers were common to both the strengths and weakness clusters. Practical challenges within the processing plant were also named. Overall, the SWOT framework complements results reported in Devitt et al. (Ir Vet J 69:2, 2016) regarding problematic issues within the current system of information feedback on meat inspection especially within the Republic of Ireland, and the wider challenges of communication and problems of distrust.

Conclusion

The results of the SWOT analysis support the conclusions from Devitt et al. (Ir Vet J 69:2, 2016), that trust between all stakeholders across the supply chain will be essential for the development of an effective environment in which to realise the full diagnostic potential of MI data. Further stakeholder engagement could seek to apply the findings of the SWOT analysis to a policy Delphi methodology, as used elsewhere.

     

Influence of race and crossbreeding on casein micelles size

Casein (CN) micelles are colloidal aggregates of protein dispersed in milk, the importance of which in the dairy industry is related to functionality and yield in dairy products. The objective of this work was to investigate the correlation of milk CN micelles diameter from Holstein and Zebu crossbreds with milk composition (protein, fat, lactose, total and nonfat solids and milk urea nitrogen), somatic cell count (SCC), age, lactation stage and production. Average casein micelles diameters of milk samples obtained from 200 cows were measured using photon correlation spectroscopy and multiple regression analysis was used to find relationship between variables. CN micelle diameter, SCC and nonfat solids were different between animals with different Holstein crossbreed ratios, which suggests influence of genetic factors, mammary gland health and milk composition. Overall, results indicate the potential use of CN micelle diameter as a tool to select animals to produce milk more suitable to cheese production.     

Cardiomyocyte calcium cycling in a naturally occurring German shepherd dog model of inherited ventricular arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death

ObjectiveTo further characterize arrhythmic mechanisms in German shepherd dogs (GSDs) affected with inherited ventricular arrhythmias by evaluating intracellular calcium cycling and expression of calcium handling genes.AnimalsTwenty five GSDs, 9 backcross dogs, and 6 normal mongrel dogs (controls) were studied. The GSDs and backcross dogs were from a research colony of inherited ventricular arrhythmias. The control research dogs were purchased.MethodsAction potentials (APs) and pseudo-electrocardiograms (ECG) were recorded from left ventricular (LV) wedge preparations of GSDs and normal dogs. Midmyocardial (Mid) LV cells from GSDs and normal mongrels were isolated by enzymatic digestion. Cells were either field stimulated or voltage clamped and calcium transients were measured by confocal microscopy using the indicator Fluo-3AM. Expression of calcium handling genes was measured by quantitative RT-PCR.ResultsMean calcium transient decay (tau) was not different between affected GSDs and control dogs, but striking cell-to-cell variability for tau was observed within affected GSDs and between affected GSDs and controls (P < 0.0001 each); within-dog variability accounted for 75% of total variability. Calcium sparks and afterdepolarizations occurred in GSD but not control cells. ATP2A2/SERCA2a expression was significantly reduced (P = 0.0063) in affected GSDs and inversely correlated (P = 0.0006) with severity of ventricular arrhythmias.ConclusionsGerman shepherd dogs with inherited ventricular arrhythmias have electrophysiologic abnormalities in calcium cycling associated with reduced ATP2A2/SERCA2a expression. These animals provide a unique opportunity to study calcium remodeling at the genetic and molecular level in familial ventricular arrhythmias.     

Effects of oral isosorbide and glycerol on intraocular pressure,serum osmolality,and blood glucose in normal dogs

Objective To evaluate and compare the effects of oral isosorbide and glycerol on intraocular pressure (IOP), serum osmolality (SOSM), and blood glucose (BG) in normal dogs. Methods Ten normal dogs were administered an oral dose of either isosorbide (1.5 g/kg), glycerol (1.5 g/kg) or control (water, 2 mL/kg) in a double blind protocol. Prior to dosing, baseline IOP, SOSM, and BG were measured in all dogs. IOP was subsequently evaluated every 30 min for 6 h post‐dosing. BG and SOSM were reassessed at times 1, 2, 4, and 6 h post‐dosing. After 1‐week washout periods, every dog was subject to each of the three treatments. The dogs were held NPO for 4 h after dosing. Results The maximal decrease in IOP was 17% by 1 h and 13.5% by 30 min after glycerol and isosorbide administration, respectively. However, the overall changes in IOP were not significant when compared to the controls. SOSM increased above baseline after dosing with glycerol but decreased after isosorbide, which difference was significant at 1, 2, and 4 h post‐administration. BG significantly increased after administration of glycerol relative to the control but was not significantly affected by isosorbide. Conclusions Neither glycerol nor isosorbide significantly affected IOP when compared to the control. However, glycerol induced significant elevations in both BG relative to the control and SOSM relative to isosorbide.     

Treatment Abandonment in Feline Sporotrichosis – Study of 147 Cases

This study describes the epidemiological, clinical and mycological aspects of feline sporotrichosis cases attending the Laboratory of Clinical Research on Dermatozoonosis in Domestic Animals – Evandro Chagas Clinical Research Institute (LAPCLIN‐DERMZOO/IPEC/FIOCRUZ), from 1998 to 2005. It was possible to get in contact with 147 (19.2%) cat owners. One hundred and thirteen (76.9%) cats were male, 117 (79.6%) had no defined race and 87 (59.2%) were sexually intact. The age ranged from 72 to 216 months (median = 108 months). Nineteen cats were reassessed: eleven (57.8%) were male, thirteen (36.8%) were breed and fifteen (47.3%) castrated. Fourteen (52.6%) animals lived at home and did not roamed the streets. Seven (36.8%) had normal clinical findings and negative mycological examination. Twelve (63.1%) cats had skin lesions compatible with sporotrichosis. Thirty‐one (21%, n = 147) cats disappeared after abandoning treatment, 36 (24.5%, n = 147) were alive and 80 (54.4%, n = 147) had died. Causes of death informed by the owners were: sporotrichosis in 35 (43.7%, n = 80), accidental death in 27 (33.7%, n = 80) and other diseases in 18 (22.5%, n = 80). Withdrawal of treatment occurred mainly at the time of clinical improvement and may represent a serious obstacle to the control of sporotrichosis.     

Lactation in a calf

Extract

An Ayrshire heifer calf, 10 days old, which had been lactating from the day of birth.     

Myelin Sheath Development in the Maxillary Nerve of the Newborn Pig

Myelination, the ensheathing of neuronal axons by myelin, is important for the proper function of both central and peripheral nervous systems. Various studies have investigated the quantitative parameters of myelination in certain species. Pigs are among the species of which their use as laboratory animals in neuroscience research increased the past few decades. However, there is limited data regarding the myelination process in the pig. Moreover, the maxillary nerve is crucial for Pseudorabies Virus (PrV) neuropathogenesis. In this context, a quantitative analysis of various myelination parameters of the maxillary nerve was performed, during the first 5 weeks of porcine post‐natal development, the time period, which exhibits the highest interest for PrV neuropathogenesis. The evaluation was conducted in four groups of uninfected pigs, at the time of birth (group 0w), at the age of 1 week (group 1w), 3 weeks (group 3w) and 5 weeks (group 5w), using toluidine blue staining, immunofluorescence and electron microscopy. Axon and fibre diameter, perimeter and surface, myelin sheath thickness and g‐ratio were measured on histological sections transverse to the longitudinal axis of the maxillary nerve. The thickness of myelin sheath was 0.76 μm for group 0w, 0.94 μm for group 1w, 0.98 μm for group 3w and 1.03 μm for group 5w. The g‐ratio was 0.529, 0.540, 0.542 and 0.531 for the respective animal groups. The results of this study contribute to the understanding of the myelination process in the pig will be used for the study of PrV effects on the myelination development of newborn piglets' maxillary nerve and may shed new light to their vulnerability to the virus.