Identifying and measuring stakeholder preferences for disease prioritisation: A case study of the pig industry in Australia

We describe stakeholder preference modelling using a combination of new and recently developed techniques to elicit criterion weights to incorporate into a multi-criteria decision analysis framework to prioritise exotic diseases for the pig industry in Australia.     

Bacterial Protein Grown on Natural Gas as Feed for Pigs

Bacterial protein meal (BPM) produced by a mixture of Methylococcus capsulatus (Bath), Alcaligenes acidovorans, Bacillus brevis and Bacillus firmus grown on natural gas, was studied as a protein source for pigs. Three growth trials were conducted, one with weanling pigs (Expt 1) and two with growing-finishing pigs (Expts 2 and 3). In Expt 1, 64 appetitefed weanling pigs (10.4 kg average initial weight) were used to determine the effect of adding BPM (0 g, 40 g, 80 g and 120 g kg^-1) to diets replacing traditional protein feedstuffs on growth performance. During week 0-2, adding BPM to diets increased average daily gain (ADG) (linear P < 0.03). During week 0-2 and week 0-4, the 120 g kg^-1 BPM diet increased (P < 0.01) average daily feed intake compared with the control and the 50 g kg^-1     

Effects of sub-clinical post-weaning colibacillosis and dietary protein on acute phase proteins in weaner pigs

There is an increasing body of evidence that plasma acute phase proteins (APP) can be used as a marker to assess pig health. The objective of this study was to assess whether experimentally induced sub-clinical post-weaning colibacillosis (PWC) affects the concentration of two plasma APP, i.e. haptoglobin (Hp) and C-reactive protein (CRP). Since sub-clinical PWC is sensitive to protein supply, we additionally assessed whether these APP responses are sensitive to dietary protein contents. Weaned pigs (6 groups of 9 each) were offered one of the three foods, i.e. H (230 g CP/kg), L (130 g CP/kg) or HA (23% CP with anti-microbial growth promoters). On day 5 post-weaning, pigs were either dosed with 10⁸ colony forming units of enterotoxigenic E. coli or were sham-infected. Three days later and across feeding treatments, infection had reduced feed intake. Feeding and infection treatment significantly interacted for both Hp and CRP. Infection increased Hp concentration in H and HA pigs, but not in L pigs, whilst infection increased CRP concentration to a larger extent in HA pigs than in H and L pigs. The results suggest that sub-clinical PWC leads to changes in APP profiles and that these changes may be sensitive to dietary protein contents. Usefulness of APP to describe health status in pigs may therefore need to be considered in relation to their nutritional environment.     

Levels of mRNA for three selenoproteins in skeletal muscle of fetal and newborn pigs

Selenoproteins have wide-ranging functions throughout the body, including important roles in protection against oxidative stress, as well as muscle development and integrity. In this study, prepubertal gilts were randomly assigned to either a Se-sufficient or deficient diet (n = 12/treatment). Levels of mRNA coding for the selenoproteins glutathione peroxidase-1 (GPx-1), selenoprotein W (SelW) and selenoprotein N (SelN) and the concentration of Se in fetal and neonatal swine skeletal muscle (gluteus maximus) were measured at time intervals throughout gestation and immediately after birth. Total RNA was isolated from skeletal muscle, and cDNA was synthesized for real-time RT-PCR analysis of the selected selenoproteins. Selenium concentration in skeletal muscle of fetal and newborn pigs decreased throughout gestation (P < 0.0001) and was lower (P < 0.05) when dams were fed the low Se diet. Levels of GPx-1 mRNA in fetal skeletal muscle were unaffected by maternal Se intake nor did GPx-1 mRNA levels change during late gestation. Selenoprotein W mRNA levels increased (P = 0.01) in fetal skeletal muscle during late gestation but were reduced (P = 0.05) by low maternal intake of Se. Levels of SelN mRNA showed a gestational time by treatment interaction (P < 0.05). The increased levels of SelW mRNA in skeletal muscle during late gestation, despite a decrease in Se concentration, indicate that SelW may be an important antioxidant protein to the late term fetus and the newborn.     

Prevalence of leptospirosis among animal herds of north eastern provinces of India

Serum samples from 840 animals were examined for Leptospira spp. antibodies by microscopic agglutination test (MAT) to assess the risk factors and the prevalence of leptospirosis among animal herds of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram the north eastern (NER) provinces. They were compared with Tamilnadu (TN) the southern province of India for the serovar and risk factor inconsistency. Serovar Ballum was reported to be prevalent (28.1 %) in Assam and Grippotyphosa (16.1 %) in Tamilnadu. The overall seropositivity observed was 36.8 %(206/560) from NER and 30.7 %(86/280) from TN. In this study, the higher seroprevalence was observed in pigs (42.6 %), cattle (39.8 %) and goats (26 %) in NER. Cattle (36.4 %) and goat (17.6 %) showed higher prevalence in TN. The presence of rodents in pig herds was found to be significant (P = 0.0088) in NER and it was for cattle in TN (P = 0.0063). We suggest that a program of rodent control should be included in the flock management practices aiming to reduce transmission of the leptospires.     

高温期日粮电解质与铬对肥育猪生长与代谢的影响

将来源相同、体重相近的 (72kg) 杜长大肥育猪 32头 ,公母各半 ,随机分为 4个处理 ,每处理设 2个重复 (各组间差异不显著 ) ,每组公母各 2头 ,在试验日粮中分别添加碳酸氢钠、氯化钾、烟酸铬 ,研究日粮电解质与铬对持续高温期肥育猪生长性能与生化反应的影响。研究结果表明 ,持续高温期肥育猪采食含电解质日粮后 :(1 )日增重显著增加 (p <0 0 5) ;料肉比变化不显著 (p>0 0 5) ,试验组平均体重为1 0 0kg,平均日增重为 91 0g,分别比对照组高 5 %、7% ;(2 )血液葡萄糖、总蛋白、球蛋白、白蛋白含量普遍升高 ,但只有血清球蛋白水平变化差异显著 (p<0 0 5) ,肌酸激酶、尿素氮含量普遍降低(p >0 0 5) ;(3)Na+ 含量显著升高 (p<0 0 5) ,Cl- 明显降低 (p <0 0 5) ;血清K+ 的浓度变化不是很明显 ,但试验组K+ 平均浓度高于对照组     

Towards incorporating spatial risk analysis for Salmonella sero-positivity into the Danish swine surveillance programme

An increased incidence of pork-related human salmonellosis in Denmark led to the development of a national control programme for Salmonella in Danish swine herds in 1993. The aim of the programme has been met and now the issue of cost-effectiveness is receiving greater attention. An appropriate way to address this is to bring a risk-based focus to the programme.

We describe a practical approach to risk-based surveillance through spatial risk assessment using serological and questionnaire data from 2280 herds in 1995. A mixed effects logistic regression model was fitted and both first- and second-order spatial properties of the random effects were investigated. We identified wet-feeding (OR: 0.64; 95% CI: 0.54–0.75) and SPF health status (OR: 0.65; 95% CI: 0.52–0.81) as protective factors for Salmonella sero-positivity. Purchasing feed (OR: 1.81; 95% CI: 1.61–2.04) was a risk factor. The west of the study area generally, and the north of Jutland in particular, experienced the greatest disease risk after controlling for the covariates. There was some evidence for spatial dependency between farms at distances of 6 km (95% CI: 2–35 km) on the Jutland peninsula.

We conclude that when farm location details are analysed in conjunction with routinely recorded surveillance information (such as that collected by the Danish swine Salmonella control programme) and targeted industry surveys (such as those conducted by slaughterhouse co-operatives), our knowledge of the behaviour of disease in animal populations is enhanced and this provides a more informed framework for designing efficient, risk-based surveillance strategies.     

Surveyed attitudes, perceptions and practices in Norway regarding the use of local anaesthesia in piglet castration

The last two years piglet castration in Norway has been performed by veterinarians and with the use of anaesthesia. In order to evaluate this new policy, veterinarians and pig producers were asked to fill out a questionnaire regarding their experiences with the new castration practices. The answers showed that the piglets were most often castrated using a combination of subcutaneous and intratesticular administration of lidocaine with adrenaline at an average age of 10 days. The effect of the anaesthesia was regarded as good by 54% of the veterinarians and 19% of the producers. Post-operative complications were rare. The overall evaluation showed that two-thirds of the veterinarians, but only one-third of the pig producers were satisfied or very satisfied with the implemented policy. However, while two-thirds of the pig producer had a negative attitude to the policy before it was implemented, only one-third were dissatisfied after two years experience.     

关于贵州生猪全产业链发展及其动力的思考

文章围绕对贵州生猪全产业链的认识、全产业链的架构以及全产链上、中、下游各环节之间的相互关系进行了阐述,提出了贵州生猪全产业链发展的九种动力设想,还设计绘制了贵州生猪全产业链架构图,以期抛砖引玉,引发读者对贵州生猪全产业链的关注和讨论,为促进贵州生猪产业持续、稳定、健康发展提供参考和借鉴。     

Influence of guanidination on apparent ileal digestibility of amino acids in pigs fed diets with soybean meal, rapeseed meal or peas as a protein source

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of guanidination, the conversion of dietary lysine to homoarginine, on the apparent ileal digestibilities (AID) of amino acids (AA) from 3 protein sources in diets for pigs. Six barrows, initial body weight of 18 ± 1.5 kg, fitted with a simple T-cannula at the distal ileum, were fed one of three corn starch-based diets that contained 18% crude protein (CP) from soybean meal, rapeseed meal or peas for an experimental period of 10 d according to a repeated 3 × 3 Latin square design. On d 9 of each experimental period, the pigs were fed one meal of the guanidinated test meals, which corresponded to their respective diets. In the test meals, 50% of the protein source in each diet was replaced, on an equal weight basis, with a guanidinated source. Guanidination increased the content of CP by 190, 116 and 28 g kg^− 1 for soybean meal, rapeseed meal and peas, respectively. With the exception of lysine, the AID of CP and AA were 2.2 to 8.2 percentage units (pu) higher in the test meal than in the soybean meal diet. Other than arginine and isoleucine, the differences were significant (P < 0.05) for all indispensable AA. With the exception of lysine, the AID of CP and AA were 3.8 to 11.9 pu higher in the test meal than in the diet with peas. The differences were significant (P < 0.05) for all indispensable AA. Other than lysine, glycine and proline, the AID of CP and AA were slightly higher, 0.1 to 4.3 pu, in the test meal than in the rapeseed meal diet. Of the indispensable AA, the differences were significant (P < 0.05) for arginine, leucine and phenylalanine. The AID of lysine was 10.9 pu lower (P < 0.05) in the test meal than in the rapeseed meal diet, 61.5 vs. 72.4%, indicating that guanidination of rapeseed meal was not uniform and random. The increase in the AID of CP and AA after guanidination may result from solubilisation of protein and degradation of antinutritional factors such as fiber, trypsin inhibitors and tannins.