人工践踏对无土草坪基质的影响

本试验采用人工践踏的方式,研究了不同组合配比的基质对无土草坪耐践踏性的影响。结果表明,良好的无土草坪基质配比及适合的厚度是保证无土草坪优良的耐践踏性及观赏性的关键。本试验中,草坪草生长基质层和弹性材料层均为25 mm,结构合理、厚度适中,克服了现有草坪基质薄、持水力差的缺点。在相同践踏强度下,能维持较高水平的草层高度、草坪盖度和草坪草分蘖数,分别达到了5.14 cm、97.60%和123.97 个·dm-2,且停止践踏后草坪质量能快速恢复。均匀混合的草坪草生长基质层和弹性材料层,在厚度一致的前提下并不耐践踏,实际效果不好。土壤坪床的处理效果最差。因此,具有独立的草坪草生长基质层和弹性材料层且厚度适中的基质,适用于生产耐践踏性好的无土草坪。     

Prevalence of anthelmintic resistance on sheep farms in New Zealand

AIM: To establish the prevalence of anthelmintic resistance in parasitic nematodes on sheep farms in New Zealand.

METHODS: A cross-sectional prevalence study was conducted, using a standardised faecal nematode egg count (FEC) reduction (FECR) test (FECRT) for ivermectin, at a full (0.2 mg/kg) and half (0.1 mg/kg) dose rate, and albendazole, levamisole and albendazole-levamisole in combination, on 60 lambs (n=10 per group) on farms selected from throughout New Zealand. Farms that conformed with selection criteria were chosen at random (n=80) or with a history of suspected resistance to macrocy- clic lactone (ML) anthelmintics (n=32). Resistance to an an- thelmintic was inferred when there was <95% reduction in FEC 7-10 days after treatment. Larval cultures were performed for all control groups and for treated groups for which resistance was evident.

RESULTS: Of the farms randomly selected, 36% showed ≥95% FECR for all anthelmintics tested; resistance to ivermectin at 0.1 and 0.2 mg/kg liveweight was evident on 36% and 25% of these farms, respectively. Resistance to both ivermectin (0.2 mg/kg) and levamisole was evident on 8/80 (10%) farms, to ivermectin and albendazole on 10/80 (13%) farms, and to iver- mectin, levamisole and albendazole on 6/80 (8%) farms. The prevalence of resistance to a half dose of ivermectin tended to be more prevalent on farms with a history of suspected ML resistance (p=0.06). Resistance to albendazole was seen across all the main parasite genera, and to levamisole in Nematodirus, Ostertagia (= Teladorsagia) and Trichostrongylus species. Resistance to ivermectin was dominated by Ostertagia spp, although Cooperia, Nematodirus and Trichostrongylus species were also implicated.

CONCLUSION: Anthelmintic resistance in parasitic nema-todes of sheep is common in New Zealand. Not only was resistance to albendazole and levamisole common, but resistance to the ML, ivermectin, was at a higher prevalence than expected. Sheep farmers and advisors in New Zealand need to re-evaluate the way they manage parasites, and more research is urgently needed if the steady decline in anthelmintic susceptibility is to be halted.     

Selective and on-demand drenching of lambs: Impact on parasite populations and performance of lambs

AIM: To determine whether drenching regimes for lambs by which a proportion (10%) of the heaviest animals was selectively left untreated, or animals are only drenched ‘on demand’ when faecal nematode egg counts (FEC) exceeded a threshold level, would result in measurable increases in parasite larval challenge in the autumn and/or decreases in the performance of lambs.

METHODS: A replicated study compared three drenching strategies in which mobs of lambs (n=360 in total) received either: a five-drench preventive programme, administered to all animals (Treatment 1); a five-drench preventive programme, but the 10% heaviest animals left untreated each time (Treatment 2); or drench treatments administered only when FEC exceeded 500 eggs per gram of faeces (epg) (Treatment 3). After the five-drench programme, animals in Treatments 1 and 2 were treated according to FEC as for Treatment 3. A triple-combination drench containing ivermectin, oxfendazole and levamisole, administered orally, was used for all treatments. There were nine farmlets, allowing three replicates of each treatment, in a completely randomised design. Parasite infestations on pasture were measured in autumn by pasture plucks, and worm burdens were monitored in tracer lambs, while the performance of lambs was assessed by liveweight gains, fleece weights, and body condition and dag scores.

RESULTS: Increased numbers of Haemonchus contortus and Trichostrongylus colubriformis larvae on pasture were found in the autumn on farmlets treating selectively or on-demand (Treatments 2 and 3). No differences were detected in other parasite species. Mean liveweight gains did not differ between treatments but some differences were detected between drenched and undrenched lambs in Treatment 2. Mean body condition and mean dag scores of lambs in Treatment 3 tended to be lower and higher, respectively, than those of lambs in Treatment 1; Treatment 2 was generally intermediate.

CONCLUSIONS: Drenching strategies for lambs designed to slow the development of anthelmintic resistance, by increasing the pool of susceptible worms available to dilute resistant survivors after treatment, resulted in increased numbers of H. contortus and T. colubriformis but not other species of parasite on pasture. The increased parasite challenge to lambs in the autumn was associated with small production losses, which may be acceptable to farmers wishing to implement such strategies. It is clear that further work is required on the interaction between management practices and the population dynamics of parasites, especially with regard to creating pools of susceptible genotypes to slow the development of drench resistance.     

Has the optimum time for faecal nematode egg count reduction testing in sheep in New Zealand changed?

Abstract

AIM: To determine what, if any, changes have taken place in the optimum time, for undertaking faecal egg count reduction tests (FECRT) in sheep in New Zealand.

METHODS: A comparison was made between the numbers and types of nematode genera adequately represented for testing purposes (faecal nematode egg count (FEC) of >50 epg) in initial FECRT case submissions to a veterinary laboratory in New Zealand, during two 4-year periods, in 1992–1995 and 2006–2009.

RESULTS: Although there were some minor differences between them, the seasonal patterns of occurrence remained basically the same for all parasite genera in both datasets, with their individual peak periods of representation occurring during February to May in all instances. Not surprisingly, this period of maximum seasonal occurrence for each parasite genus also coincided with those months of the year when the greatest numbers of worm genera were adequately represented for faecal nematode egg count reduction (FECR) testing.

CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicate that the optimum time for conducting FECRT in sheep in New Zealand continues to be during the late summer-autumn months of February to May. However, they also reaffirmed that even during this optimal period there are still likely to be many occasions when relatively few nematode genera may be sufficiently well represented for satisfactory FECR testing. Accordingly, veterinary practitioners ought to be aware that, in order to obtain a complete picture of the resistance status of all worm genera on a particular property, such testing may need to be carried out on more than one occasion.     

Anthelmintic resistance in non-strongylid parasites of horses

Since 2002, selected populations of Parascaris equorum in several countries have been reported to survive treatment with macrocyclic lactone (M/L) anthelmintics. Clinical treatment failures are characterized by negligible fecal egg count reduction, but M/L resistance has been confirmed in ascarids by controlled efficacy testing. Resistance was selected by current parasite control practices for foals, which often include exclusive and excessively frequent use of M/L dewormers, thereby minimizing refugia within the host and in the environment. Chemical control of M/L-resistant isolates can be accomplished with pyrimidine and/or benzimidazole anthelmintics, but a few M/L-resistant populations have recently exhibited resistance to pyrantel pamoate as well. Some specimens of Oxyuris equi regularly survive treatment with macrocyclic lactones, but it is uncertain whether this constitutes resistance or merely confirms the incomplete oxyuricidal efficacy of virtually all broad spectrum equine anthelmintics. Variations in other biological parameters of Oxyuris and Parascaris, specifically atypical infection of older hosts and shorter prepatent periods, have been reported anecdotally. These changes may represent genetic modifications that have evolved in parallel with resistance as a result of anthelmintic selection pressure.     

Antibiotic use and resistance in animal farming: a quantitative and qualitative study on knowledge and practices among farmers in Khartoum, Sudan

Antibiotic resistance is a major emerging global public health threat. Farmers in the Khartoum state are believed to misuse antibiotics in animal farming leading to daily exposure to resistant bacteria and antibiotic residues. Hence, farmers are at potential risk exposure to bacteria, zoonotic infection and toxicity. We hypothesized that farmers' misuse of antibiotics could be due to their ignorance of the importance of optimal use of antibiotics, the potential health hazards and the economical waste associated with antibiotic misuse practices. In the present study, we investigated knowledge and practices among farmers regarding antibiotic use and resistance. For this purpose, a cross-sectional study was conducted in Khartoum state where data were collected from 81 farmers using structured interviews. Data were analysed both quantitatively and qualitatively. Fifty-two per cent of farmers were uneducated or had studied for < 6 years. The majority reported antibiotic use for treatment and prevention while only 5% stated use for growth promotion. Antibiotic group treatment for both sick and healthy animals was commonly practiced among most farmers. The most commonly used group of antibiotics was the quinolones, which was reported by one-third. Only 30% of the farmers had heard of antibiotic resistance and provided their definition. Almost half were not aware of the commonly transferred zoonotic infections between humans and animals. The farmers consume 1-2 meals/day from their own farm products. A significant association between low education, poor knowledge of farmers on antibiotic use, antibiotic resistance and zoonotic infections was found. This association may play a vital role in the present practiced misuse of antibiotics. Our findings on farmers' practices could be used as baseline information in defining the gaps related to antibiotic use and resistance in animal farming in Sudan. It can thus serve as a foundation for future interventions.     

灰雁黏质沙雷菌的鉴定及其耐药性分析

为研究2016年武汉地区灰雁粪便中所产红色色素的未知菌的类别及其耐药性,经细菌分离、生化鉴定、细菌16SrDNA通用引物等鉴定,确定1株病原菌为黏质沙雷菌。经药敏试验发现黏质沙雷菌对萘啶酸、头孢噻肟、环丙沙星、阿米卡星、复方新诺明、庆大霉素、甲氧嘧啶等敏感,对头孢他啶、氨曲南、氨苄西林等中介,对头孢曲松、四环素、呋喃妥因、链霉素、磺胺异恶唑耐药。了解黏质灰雁沙雷菌的耐药情况,对环境中食源性肠道菌进行监测,为今后禽源沙雷菌抗生素替代药物的开发提供潜在的候选菌株。     

Association of oxidative status and insulin sensitivity in periparturient dairy cattle: an observational study

Post‐parturient insulin resistance (IR) is a common feature in all mammalian animals. However, in dairy cows, it can be exacerbated because of high milk yield, leading to excessive negative energy balance, which is related with increased disease incidence, reduced milk production and worsened reproductive performance. IR has been extensively investigated in humans suffering from diabetes mellitus. In these subjects, it is known that oxidative stress (OS) plays a causative role in the onset of IR. Although OS occurs in transitional dairy cattle, there are yet no studies that investigated the association between IR and OS in dairy cattle. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate whether there is a relationship between OS and IR in dairy cattle. Serum samples were taken repeatedly from 22 dairy cows from 2 months prior to the expected calving date to 2 months after calving and were analysed for markers of metabolic and redox balance. Surrogate indices of insulin sensitivity were also calculated. Generalised linear mixed models revealed an effect of the oxidative status on peripheral insulin concentration and on indices of insulin sensitivity. Hence, field trials should investigate the effectiveness of antioxidant therapy on insulin sensitivity in peripheral tissues during the transition period of dairy cattle.