Meat retail conditions within the establishments of Kigali city (Rwanda): bacteriological quality and risk factors for <Emphasis Type="Italic">Salmonella</Emphasis> occurrence

Meat constitutes one of the major vehicles for human foodborne infections. This study aimed to assess the retail conditions and to determine the microbiological quality and safety of meat retailed within the establishments of Kigali (Rwanda). A questionnaire survey was carried out in 150 retail outlets to characterise meat retail conditions. Additionally, 270 retail meat samples were analysed for the enumeration of hygiene indicator bacteria (total mesophilic bacteria and Escherichia coli) and for the qualitative detection of Salmonella, using conventional culture methods. The results revealed that beef was the predominant meat sold within the retail premises of Kigali city, while meat from non-bovine animal species was mainly sold in large establishments. Salmonella was detected in 19.6% of all the retailed meat samples evaluated, whereas the mean loads for total mesophilic bacteria and E. coli were 7.3 and 3.5 log cfu/g, respectively. Three factors, namely the temperature conditions of the meat under retail, the cleanability of the used meat cutting boards, and the training of personnel in hygienic meat handling practices, were found to be significantly (p ≤ 0.05) associated with the risk of Salmonella occurrence in the retailed meat. The findings from this study highlight the need for improvements in hygienic meat handling practices, particularly, in small and medium meat retail establishments in Kigali.     

Congenital lacrimal fistula in two prim'Holstein calves

Two 4‐ and 8‐month‐old prim'Holstein calves were presented for chronic epiphora. Examination of the affected eyes revealed an abnormal duct opening inferonasal to the medial canthus. A diagnosis of congenital lacrimal fistula was made based on conventional and computed tomographic‐dacryocystography findings. These revealed an ectopic channel connecting the nasolacrimal duct to the skin opening near the medial canthus. Both of the calves were surgically treated with resection and closure of the ectopic duct and placement of a nasolacrimal stent.     

Accounting for spatial autocorrelation improves the estimation of climate,physical environment and vegetation’s effects on boreal forest’s burn rates

Context

Wildfires play a crucial role in maintaining ecological and societal functions of North American boreal forests. Because of their contagious way of spreading, using statistical methods dealing with spatial autocorrelation has become a major challenge in fire studies analyzing how environmental factors affect their spatial variability.

Objectives

We aimed to demonstrate the performance of a spatially explicit method accounting for spatial autocorrelation in burn rates modelling, and to use this method to determine the relative contribution of climate, physical environment and vegetation to the spatial variability of burn rates between 1972 and 2015.

Methods

Using a 482,000 km² territory located in the coniferous boreal forest of eastern Canada, we built and compared burn rates models with and without accounting for spatial autocorrelation. The relative contribution of climate, physical environment and vegetation to the burn rates variability was identified with variance partitioning.

Results

Accounting for spatial autocorrelation improved the models’ performance by a factor of 1.5. Our method allowed the unadulterated extraction of the contribution of climate, physical environment and vegetation to the spatial variability of burn rates. This contribution was similar for the three groups of factors. The spatial autocorrelation extent was linked to the fire size distribution.

Conclusions

Accounting for spatial autocorrelation can highly improve models and avoids biased results and misinterpretation. Considering climate, physical environment and vegetation altogether is essential, especially when attempting to predict future area burned. In addition to the direct effect of climate, changes in vegetation could have important impacts on future burn rates.

     

Subconjunctival nodule due to Setaria equina erratic migration in a horse: First case report

An 18‐month‐old Arabian‐English filly resident in southwest France was referred for evaluation of a conjunctival mass in the right eye (OD). A pink, solid, and mobile nodular formation, measuring approximately 1.2 × 0.8 cm was found under the superior nasal bulbar conjunctiva during an ophthalmic examination that was otherwise normal. The mass was surgically removed using a standing procedure. Cytological examination of fine‐needle aspirates from the mass revealed a mixed eosinophilic‐lymphocytic inflammation. Histological examination confirmed the dense and diffuse eosinophilic‐lymphocytic infiltrate of the mass, and it revealed several cross sections of a parasitic nematode. The morphometric diagnosis identified an immature form of a filarial worm, and molecular analysis of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxydase subunit 1 (cox1) and 12S rRNA gene sequences led to further identification of the specimen as Setaria equina. Microfilaremia was not observed on fresh blood smears. There have been no signs of local recurrence after 18 months, nor any evidence of intraocular involvement. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first documented case of subconjunctival setariasis due to S equina in a horse.     

Evaluation of the efficiency of three different solvent systems to extract triterpene saponins from roots of Panax quinquefolius using high-performance liquid chromatography

Despite the wide availability of liquid herbal extracts using mixtures of alcohol, glycerin, and water, or glycerin and water as solvents, no data on the chemical composition of such extracts is readily available. In this study, the amount and the stability of the major saponins in Panax quinquefolius root extracts, made either with 50% (v/v) aqueous ethanol, a mixture (v/v/v) of 20% ethanol, 40% glycerin, and 40% water, or with 65% (v/v) aqueous glycerin, were evaluated by HPLC-UV analysis. The amount of total saponins was highest in the 50% aqueous ethanol extract (61.7 +/- 0.1 mg/g dry root), although similar to the ethanol-glycerin-water extract (59.4 +/- 0.5 mg/g dry root). Saponins were significantly lower in the 65% aqueous glycerin extract (51.5 +/- 0.2 mg/g dry root). Interestingly, the amounts of individual saponins were quite variable depending on the solvent. This is in part due to enzymatic cleavage of ginsenosides in the glycerin containing extracts during the maceration process. Storage of the extracts at 25 degrees C over the period of a year led to a 13-15% loss of saponins with all three types of extractions.     

Some Canadian-grown potato cultivars contribute to a substantial content of essential dietary minerals

Potato consumption provides significant dietary contributions to several essential minerals, but the effects of cultivar and planting site are not well-understood. The mineral content of 16 cultivars, grown at 5 locations, was measured using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy and evaluated on a per serving basis for percent recommended daily intake (% RDI), emphasizing some minerals where global deficiencies are common (calcium, iron, selenium, and zinc). Discriminant analysis showed that both genotype and growing location were important. Differences in mineral content occurred between cultivars at each site, specific cultivars at different sites, and collectively between sites. 'Freedom', 'Yukon Gold', and particularly the very stable mineral source 'Russet Burbank' contributed most to the % RDI for minerals. One serving per day of these cultivars provides a significant contribution to the % RDI for the macrominerals magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium and the trace minerals copper, iron, selenium, and zinc.     

Somatic Mining for Phytonutrient Improvement of ‘Russet Burbank’ Potato

Screening of >800 somaclones of ‘Russet Burbank’, North America’s leading French fry cultivar, for improved yield and processing quality, led to the selection of 25 advanced lines. Three replicates of 3–5 tubers each from advanced lines were assessed after 5 months storage for antioxidant and polyphenol attributes; a subject receiving increased attention among plant breeders, nutritionists, and consumers. Phytonutrients affecting antioxidant components and total antioxidant capacity per serving (150 g fresh matter; one serving size) varied significantly among tubers of the 25 somaclones as well as between these somaclones and ‘Russet Burbank’ control plants (field tuber-derived and plantlet-derived). Several phenolics, including chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid derivatives, ferulic acid derivatives as well as the flavonoid rutin, ranged in concentration from 10- to 100-fold with some lines exceeding control tuber concentrations by >7-fold. Similarly, ascorbic acid ranged >3-fold (47.21 to 208.63 mg) on a per serving basis with some lines showing significantly greater concentrations than the control plantlet derived tubers (93.82 mg) by >2-fold. Antioxidant capacity, estimated using 2,2′-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS), ranged up to 5-fold for the advanced somaclones (2,121.34 to 11,163.07 μM trolox equivalent/serving). Less variation occurred with other antioxidant capacity tests (DPPH, Folin-Ciocalteu). Overall 17/25 lines had increased antioxidant components. HPLC assays were necessary to confirm lines with better phytonutrient profiles. Somaclonal selection offers clear benefits for phytonutrient improvement in potato and can follow selection for yield and processing attributes.     

Difference in virulence between Staphylococcus aureus isolates causing gangrenous mastitis versus subclinical mastitis in a dairy sheep flock

Staphylococcus aureus mastitis in dairy sheep ranges from subclinical mastitis to lethal gangrenous mastitis. Neither the S. aureus virulence factors nor the host-factors or the epidemiological events contributing to the different outcomes are known. In a field study in a dairy sheep farm over 21 months, 16 natural isolates of S. aureus were collected from six subclinical mastitis cases, one lethal gangrenous mastitis case, nasal carriage from eight ewes and one isolate from ambient air in the milking room. A genomic comparison of two strains, one responsible for subclinical mastitis and one for lethal gangrenous mastitis, was performed using multi-strain DNA microarrays. Multiple typing techniques (pulsed-field-gel-electrophoresis, multiple-locus variable-number, single-nucleotide polymorphisms, randomly amplified polymorphic DNA, spa typing and sas typing) were used to characterise the remaining isolates and to follow the persistence of the gangrenous isolate in ewes’ nares. Our results showed that the two strains were genetically closely related and they shared 3 615 identical predicted open reading frames. However, the gangrenous mastitis isolate carried variant versions of several genes (sdrD, clfA-B, sasA, sasB, sasD, sasI and splE) and was missing fibrinogen binding protein B (fnbB) and a prophage. The typing results showed that this gangrenous strain emerged after the initial subclinical mastitis screening, but then persisted in the flock in the nares of four ewes. Although we cannot dismiss the role of host susceptibility in the clinical events in this flock, our data support the hypothesis that S. aureus populations had evolved in the sheep flock and that S. aureus genetic variations could have contributed to enhanced virulence.