Computer programs for teaching animal breeding and genetics

The results of a survey of computer programs used in teaching animal breeding and genetics are reported. An inventory of programs is presented and the experiences of users summarized. The value of computer teaching aids is discussed and a number of recommendations for documenting programs are made.     

Tularemia: emergence/re-emergence

Francisella tularensis is a gram-negative coccobacillus and the etiologic agent of the zoonotic disease tularemia. First described in 1911 in Tulare County, California, it has since been reported throughout the Northern Hemisphere, with natural infections reported among an unusually wide range of vertebrates and invertebrates. In recent years, tularemia has emerged in new geographic locations, populations, and settings. This review will serve to highlight mechanisms contributing to the recent emergence of tularemia as well as a repertoire of diagnostic tools useful for detecting and diagnosing disease.     

Cross-sectional survey in pig breeding farms in Hesse, Germany: seroprevalence and risk factors of infections with Toxoplasma gondii, Sarcocystis spp. and Neospora caninum in sows

A cross-sectional survey was performed to estimate the prevalences of antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii (ELISA, IFAT), Sarcocystis spp. (ELISA, using S. miescheriana as antigen) and Neospora caninum (ELISA, immunoblotting) in sows from breeding farms in southern Hesse, Germany. A total of 2041 plasma samples of sows from 94 randomly selected farms was examined. Data on farm profiles, husbandry management and sows were collected by a questionnaire and exploratively analysed. For T. gondii the ELISA results agreed well with the results obtained by IFAT (kappa=0.71). Antibodies to T. gondii were detected by ELISA in 19% of the sows. Sixty-nine percent of the farms had at least one seropositive sow, and a within-farm seroprevalence of >or=50% was observed in 14% of all farms. The prevalence of anti-T. gondii antibodies was positively correlated with the age of sows. The within-herd seroprevalence was significantly higher in farms with reproductive disorders than in those without such problems. On the farm level, the farm type 'piglet production' (versus 'pedigree breeding' or 'farrow-to-finish') was the only risk factor associated with the presence of T. gondii-seropositive sows. Antibodies to Sarcocystis spp. were found in 29% of the sows. Seventy-two percent of the farms harboured at least one seropositive sow, and a within-farm seroprevalence of >or=50% was detected in 23% of all farms. The seroprevalence increased significantly with the age of sows. On the farm level, only the farm type 'piglet production' (versus 'pedigree breeding') and the replacement of sows by purchasing (versus raising on the own farm) were identified as risk factors for seropositivity. Antibodies to N. caninum were detected in one sow using both the screening ELISA and the confirmatory immunoblotting technique. This may indicate the first natural N. caninum infection in pigs.     

The application of sexual coral recruits for the sustainable management of ex situ populations in public aquariums to promote coral reef conservation — SECORE Project

• 1. SECORE (SExual COral REproduction) Project is an initiative of public aquariums and research institutions to produce and exchange sexual coral recruits for the sustainable management of ex situ populations. Here we present the results of the initial three years (2002–2004).
• 2. Primary polyps (n=501) of corals (Acropora tenuis, Agaricia humilis, Favia fragum) were transported from Rotterdam Zoo to Cologne, Burgers', Hagenbeck and London Zoos, where development of juveniles was monitored for 10 months. All polyps were produced at Rotterdam Zoo from laboratory colonies (A. humilis, F. fragum), and from larvae generated from field collected gametes at Akajima, Okinawa, Japan (A. tenuis). Additionally, planulae of A. tenuis (n=1440) were transported from Rotterdam Zoo to Burgers' Zoo and to London Zoo to obtain primary polyps.
• 3. Larval settlement (A. tenuis) was observed to be 3.00 ± 2.57% (mean ± SD; n=1480) in 2002 and 17.36 ± 6.01% (mean ± SD; n=1480) in 2003, significantly lower compared to settlement at Rotterdam Zoo (57.84 ± 11.01% in 2003; mean ± SD, n=1480). High post‐transport survival rates of 95.18 ± 4.86% (mean ± SD; n=501) were observed in primary polyps of all species.
• 4. Juvenile survival (t=10 months; A. tenuis: 18.4–86.2%; A. humilis: 0–19.7%; F. fragum: 13.3–72.7%) differed significantly between institutions. Mean colony sizes (measured 10 months after transportation) were, in all cases, similar or higher to those reported from literature.
• 5. The results demonstrate the potential of this method to serve as an economical and sustainable alternative to existing mostly exploitative techniques for aquarium stocking. The use of sexual recruits provides an effective and low cost alternative, which is, in principle, applicable to all coral species.
• 6. The project was extended from 9 to 28 institutions across Europe, the USA and Japan in 2004.

Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Comparison of Postfire Soil Water Repellency Amelioration Strategies on Bluebunch Wheatgrass and Cheatgrass Survival

Soil water repellency can limit postfire reseeding efforts and thus increase the susceptibility of a site to weed invasion. We evaluated the effectiveness of wetting agents and simulated anchor chaining for improving seedling growth and survival in water-repellent soil, for the native perennial bluebunch wheatgrass (Pseudoroegneria spicata) and invasive annual cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum). Research was performed in a glasshouse, on 20-cm-diameter soil cores that were excavated from underneath burned Utah juniper (Juniperus osteosperma) trees. The experiment was arranged as a randomized split-plot design, with the two grass species sown separately under four soil treatments: 1) no treatment (control), 2) simulated anchor chaining (hereafter referred to as “till”), 3) wetting agent, and 4) till plus wetting agent. Soil water content was highest in the wetting agent treatment, lower for till, and lowest in the control. Overall, the response of bluebunch wheatgrass and cheatgrass was similar among treatments. At the conclusion of the study, wetting agent cores had twice as many seedlings as the control, while the till and control were similar. Despite a lower number of seedlings, tilling in general resulted in the same level of biomass as the wetting agent treatment. Overall, biomass in the till and wetting agent treatments was at least twofold higher than the control. No benefit was found in applying both till and wetting agent treatments together in comparison to just applying wetting agent. Because of a lack of correlation between glasshouse and field settings the results of this study need to be interpreted with caution. Our data may indicate that if cheatgrass is not already present on the site, anchor chaining or treating the soil with wetting agent can increase establishment of seeded species.     

Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus isolates from equine infectious endometritis belong to a distinct genetic group

Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus is the pathogen most commonly isolated from the uterus of mares. S. zooepidemicus is an opportunistic pathogen and part of the resident flora in the caudal reproductive tract. The aim of this study was to investigate whether a genotypically distinct subpopulation of S. zooepidemicus is associated with endometritis in the mare, by genotyping and comparing uterine S. zooepidemicus strains with isolates from the vagina and clitoral fossa. Mares with (n = 18) or without (n = 11) clinical symptoms of endometritis were included. Uterine samples were obtained using a guarded endometrial biopsy punch, whereas a swab was used to recover samples from the cranial vagina and the clitoral fossa. If S. zooepidemicus was present, up to three colonies were selected from each anatomical location (max. 9 isolates per mare). Bacterial isolates were characterized by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and multilocus sequence typing (MLST). S. zooepidemicus was isolated from the endometrium of 12 mares. A total of 88 isolates were analyzed by PFGE: 31 from the endometrium, 26 from the cranial vagina and 31 isolates from the clitoral fossa. For MLST 21 isolates were chosen. Results demonstrated a higher genetic similarity of the isolates obtained from infectious endometritis compared to isolates obtained from the caudal reproductive tract. In conclusion, we demonstrate for the first time that a genetically distinct group of S. zooepidemicus is associated with infectious endometritis in the mare.     

Comparison of hair follicle histology between horses with pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction and excessive hair growth and normal aged horses

Background –  Pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) in older equids is commonly recognized by a long hair coat that fails to shed. Objective –  The aim of this study was to compare hair follicle stages in PPID‐affected horses with excessively long hair coats with the stages of normal aged horses (controls) and to compare hair follicle stages in PPID‐affected horses after 6 months of treatment with pergolide mesylate with those of control horses. Animals –  Eight PPID‐affected horses and four normal, age‐matched, control horses. Methods –  Skin biopsies were collected from the neck and rump of PPID‐affected and control horses. A diagnosis of PPID was established based on hair coat changes and supportive overnight dexamethasone suppression test results. Skin biopsies were repeated after 6 months of treatment with pergolide. The number of hair follicles in anagen (A) or telogen (T) was counted for each skin biopsy using transverse sections. Results –  Pretreatment biopsies had a greater percentage of A follicles (neck 96%, rump 95%) and a lower percentage of T follicles (neck 4%, rump 5%) in PPID‐affected horses than in control horses (A, neck 15%, rump 25%; and T, neck 85%, rump 75%). After treatment with pergolide, all PPID‐affected horses had improved shedding, and the percentages of A follicles (neck 69%, rump 70%) and T follicles (neck 31%, rump 30%) were not different from untreated control horses (A, neck 68%, rump 82%; and T, neck 32%, rump 18%). Conclusions –  These findings document that excessive hair growth (hypertrichosis) in PPID‐affected horses is due to persistence of hair follicles in A. Furthermore, treatment with pergolide improved shedding and reduced the percentage of A follicles in PPID‐affected horses.     

Effects of Diet and Weight Gain on Body Condition Scoring in Thoroughbred Geldings

In the horse, the body condition score (BCS) system to assess subcutaneous fat deposition is a useful tool for making feeding management decisions. The system includes assessing fat deposition at six body areas (neck, withers, shoulders, ribs, loin, and tail head) and was developed in Quarter Horse mares. It has not been tested for use on other breeds or genders, possibly compromising the system's ability to describe fat accretion in other classes of horse. The objective of this study was to examine the ability of the previously developed fat accretion characteristics to describe fat deposition in mature Thoroughbred (TB) geldings. An additional goal was to determine whether fewer body areas could be used. Fifteen mature TB geldings were fed for weight gain over an 8-month period on one of two diets and were independently assessed for BCS on a monthly basis by two judges. BCS was determined by averaging the scores that were assigned to each of the six body areas. Fat accretion characteristics were also recorded. Across both diets, the neck area scored significantly higher than the withers and loin (P < 0.05) throughout the study. A BCS derived only from the body areas of neck, shoulders, ribs, and tailhead was found to accurately predict the six body area−derived mean BCS. The results of this study provide justification for modifications of the BCS system for use in TB geldings and also demonstrated that fewer body areas can be used to accurately predict mean BCS.     

Disseminated Leishmania infantum infection in two sibling foxhounds due to possible vertical transmission

Two sibling foxhounds born to a Leishmania seropositive bitch were presented after testing seropositive for Leishmania. Leishmania infantum infection was detected via histopathology, culture, and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (q-PCR). This is the first report of natural infection with Leishmania infantum with the possibility for vertical transmission in North America.