Monitoring of fecal indicators in rivers on the basis of random sampling and percentiles

Thermotolerant coliform bacteria and fecal streptococci were monitored in polluted rivers using random sampling and a distribution-free method of estimating percentiles. The objective was to investigate the wide temporal and spatial variation observed earlier in some of these rivers and to monitor for compliance with the standard of acceptable swimming water (1000 thermotolerant coliform bacteria per 100mL). In the summer of 1986 eleven river reaches were visited in random order 3 to 10 times, randomly sampling 2 to 13 sites per reach and visit. Thermotolerant coliform bacteria and fecal streptococci were determined by the membrane filtration technique from 341 and 232 samples, respectively. The results were evaluated on the basis of statistical parameters, percentiles and analysis of variance. Bacterial concentrations varied widely in every reach due to fluctuations of loading and/or hydrological phenomena. During dry periods the bacterial concentrations in rivers were lower than during wet periods. The standard of acceptable swimming water was temporarily exceeded during wet periods but never during dry periods. The use of random sampling and calculation of percentiles was found to provide a good overall picture of the variability of water quality in the rivers. It is recommended to evaluate the bacterial concentrations separately during wet and dry periods.     

A survey of owners' perceptions of fear of fireworks in a sample of dogs and cats in New Zealand

Abstract

AIMS: To establish reliable information regarding the behavioural responses of dogs and cats to fireworks in New Zealand; record interventions used by owners, and their perceived efficacies; and establish the prevalence of firework-related injury, and quantify owners' attitudes towards fireworks.

METHODS: A questionnaire targeting dog and cat owners was distributed via the Auckland Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Animals Voice magazine and 25 veterinary clinics. The questionnaire covered demographics of animals, fear of fireworks, severity of the fear, and behaviours exhibited. Also included were treatments tried, source and perceived efficacy, prevalence of injury, and owners' attitudes towards the sale of fireworks for private use.

RESULTS: From a total of 8,966 questionnaires distributed, 1,007 valid questionnaires were returned, representing 3,527 animals. Of these 1,635 (46%) animals displayed a level of fear of fireworks recognisable to their owners. Owners of dogs identified a significantly higher fear response than owners of cats but the duration of these fear responses did not differ between species. Fear of fireworks frequently resulted in dogs exhibiting active fear behaviours, whereas cats were more likely to exhibit hiding and cowering behaviours. A significantly increased severity and duration of fear response over time in dogs and cats was associated with owners who comforted them when they displayed a fearful response. Only 141/890 (15.8%) of owners sought professional treatment from a veterinarian, animal behaviourist or animal trainer for their animals, with variable efficacy. Six percent (51/923) of animals had received physical injuries from fireworks. The majority (837/1,007; 83%) of respondents, regardless of whether they owned a fearful animal or not, supported a ban on the sale of fireworks for private use.

CONCLUSIONS: The results provide valuable information that is, as yet, unsubstantiated in New Zealand, although potential biases exist due to the non-random selection of respondents. Differences between dogs and cats were likely due to differing responses to fear-provoking stimuli between the species. Owner-reported increase in fearful response over time for comforted animals may indicate a negative impact on the longer-term psychological welfare of their animal.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The greater the awareness of effective treatment plans for animals that suffer from a fear of fireworks, the greater the possibility that this fear can be reduced. Wider dissemination of effective owner behaviour and treatment programmes for firework fears is needed to improve levels of professional treatment for dogs and cats.     

Seroconversion to avian influenza virus in free-range chickens in the Riverland region of Victoria

Background Since 2005, H5N1 avian influenza (AI) has spread from South-East Asia to over 60 different countries, resulting in the direct death or slaughter of over 250,000,000 poultry. Migratory waterfowl have been implicated in this spread and in Australia there have been numerous isolations of low-pathogenicity AI virus from wild waterfowl and shorebirds. The Department of Human Services, Victoria maintains 10 sentinel free-range chicken flocks in the Riverland at locations that are populated by large numbers of waterfowl known to carry a range of strains of AI. Objective This study analysed historical samples collected in 1991–94 and 2003–06 from the library of serum samples for antibodies against AI to assess the potential for transfer of AI virus from wild waterfowl to free-range poultry. Results Of the 2000 serum samples analysed, 17 were positive for antibodies against AI and 87 were suspect, with a clustering of positive and suspect results in the years 1994, 2003 and 2004. There was also a clustering of positive samples at the site of the Barmah flock. Nine sequential sets of sera from individual chickens with at least one positive result were identified. Analysis of these sequential sets showed that infection was acquired on site but that the antibody response to AI infection was short-lived and was no longer detectable at 8 weeks after the positive finding. Conclusion The surveillance of sentinel chickens is a potential avenue for monitoring the circulation of AI viruses and could provide an early warning system for the commercial poultry industries.     

Bayesian Spatial Point Process Modeling of Line Transect Data

This paper develops a Bayesian approach for spatial inference on animal density from line transect survey data. We model the spatial distribution of animals within a geographical area of interest by an inhomogeneous Poisson process whose intensity function incorporates both covariate effects and spatial smoothing of residual variation. Independently thinning the animal locations according to their estimated detection probabilities results into another spatial Poisson process for the sightings (the observations). Prior distributions are elicited for all unknown model parameters. Due to the sparsity of data in the application we consider, eliciting sensible prior distributions is important in order to get meaningful estimation results. A reversible jump Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithm for simulation of the posterior distribution is developed. We present results for simulated data and a real data set of minke whale pods from Antarctic waters. The main advantages of our method compared to design-based analyses are that it can use data arising from sources other than specifically designed surveys and its ability to link covariate effects to variation of animal density. The Bayesian paradigm provides a coherent framework for quantifying uncertainty in estimation results.     

Identification of lactoferrin and glutamate receptor‐interacting protein 1 in bovine cervical mucus: A putative marker for oestrous detection

Accurate detection of oestrus is important for artificial insemination. The aim of this study was to identify oestrous‐specific bovine cervical mucus proteins that could be used to determine the optimal time for artificial insemination. Non‐oestrous and controlled internal drug release (CIDR)‐induced oestrous‐stage mucus proteins were purified and subjected to surface‐enhanced laser desorption/ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry, sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and MALDI‐TOF/TOF. Among differentially expressed proteins, lactoferrin (LF) and glutamate receptor‐interacting protein 1 (GRIP1) showed a twofold increase during the CIDR‐induced oestrous stage compared to the levels in non‐oestrous stage in bovine cervical mucus. The RT‐PCR, Western blotting and immunohistochemistry results showed that LF and GRIP1 expression was significantly increased during the oestrous stage in the uterus. This study demonstrated that bovine LF and GRIP1 exist during the oestrous stage, but not during the non‐oestrous stage, suggesting that cervical mucus LF and GRIP1 are useful oestrous detection markers in cattle.     

The Importance of Spatial Scale for Conservation and Assessment of Anuran Populations in Coastal Wetlands of the Western Great Lakes,USA

Distributions of pond-breeding amphibians may be influenced by habitat factors at different spatial scales. We used anuran calling surveys to investigate the association between 5 anuran species and habitat variables measured within 100, 500, 1000, and 3000 m of sampling points at 63 coastal wetlands along the US shores of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. Stepwise logistic regression was used to create predictive models for each species at each spatial scale. Our results confirm the view that habitat variables at multiple scales influence frog distributions, but the strength of predictive models was significantly affected by the spatial scale at which habitat variables were derived. Remotely sensed habitat variables within a 3000 m radius were among the most effective predictors of occurrence for American toad (Bufo americanus), eastern gray treefrog (Hyla versicolor), spring peeper (Pseudacris crucifer), and green frog (Rana clamitans melanota). The western chorus frog (Pseudacris triseriata) was predicted most effectively by variables derived within a 500 m radius. For the most part, these anurans exhibited species-specific responses to habitat variables; however the suite of landscape-scale variables associated with urban land use appeared in all species’ regression models. Associations with landscape-scale variables coupled with well-documented habitat needs at local breeding sites suggest that conservation and assessment of frogs and toads in coastal wetlands should consider the influence of habitat variables at multiple spatial scales.     

Hematologic and serum protein reference values of the Octodon degus

Blood and serum from normal degus (Octodon degus) that ranged in age from 3 to 48 months were analyzed to determine reference hematologic and serum protein values. Both sexes were evaluated and were similar. The hematologic and serum protein values for males were: erythrocytes, 8.69 +/- 0.19 X 10(6) /microliter; packed cell volume, 42.1% +/- 0.59%; hemoglobin, 12.0 +/- 0.15 g/dl; leukocytes, 8.50 +/- 0.39 X 10(3)/microliter; neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ration, 40:60; and total protein, 5.70 +/- 0.20 g/dl. The hematologic and serum protein values for females were: erythrocytes, 8.94 +/- 0.16 X 10(6)/microliter; packed cell volume, 40.0% +/- 0.61%; hemoglobin, 11.7 +/- 0.17 g/dl; leukocytes, 8.20 +/- 0.36 X 10(3)/microliter; neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, 40:60; and total protein, 5.62 +/- 0.18 g/dl. The hematologic and serum protein values for the degu were similar in some respects to values reported for guinea pigs and rats.