Assessing hygiene proficiency on organic and conventional pig farms regarding pork safety: A pilot study in Finland

A key element in the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) will be a single farm payment system that is linked to compliance with rules on, for instance hygiene standards. However, there are no recommended methods for assessing the hygiene proficiency of pig production farms. The present study was undertaken to develop a method for this purpose. A first implementation was done on pilot scale; with a set of both conventional and organic pig farms (N = 15). Fifty hygiene-related factors were selected, especially with reference to the possible proliferation of enteric pathogens Listeria monocytogenes, Yersinia enterocolitica and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis. The factors were allocated into 8 evaluation categories: (1) general production management, (2) animal density, (3) the outdoor area for pigs, (4) pest and pet animals, (5) general hygiene in the piggery, (6) pen hygiene, (7) feed production hygiene, and (8) feeding hygiene. A farm questionnaire and a supplementary on-site observation form were devised, and one arbitrary scale of hygiene points assigned for each factor. In addition to the mailed questionnaires, one person subsequently visited all the farms, perused the questionnaire with the owners and completed the observation form. The hygiene scores of the farms in each evaluation category were compared both without weighting and with weighting based on expert opinions. The method proved to be feasible and applicable to different types of production.     

Clinical presentation, treatment, and outcome of dacryocystitis in rabbits: a retrospective study of 28 cases (2003–2007)

Objective  To document the clinical presentation, diagnostics, treatment, and clinical outcome of rabbits with dacryocystitis.
Materials and methods  This retrospective study included 28 rabbits diagnosed with dacryocystitis. Available records of clinical and ophthalmological examinations, bacteriological samplings, diagnostic imaging, and treatment were reviewed. A telephone survey of the owners was conducted to evaluate recovery and recurrences.
Results  The mean age of the 28 rabbits presenting with ocular discharge from the nasolacrimal duct was 4.4 years. In 25 rabbits (89%), dacryocystitis was a unilateral finding. No underlying cause could be determined in 10 animals (35%). Dental malocclusion was observed in 14 rabbits (50%) and rhinitis in two animals (7%), with one animal showing both symptoms (4%). One rabbit (4%) presented with panophthalmitis. Most animals (96%) received topical antibiotic treatment. If necessary, additional topical (acetylcysteine, vitamin A ointment, nonsteroidals) or systemic treatment (antibiotics, nonsteroidals, paramunity inducer, and glucocorticoids) was provided. The mean duration of therapy was 5.8 weeks. The nasolacrimal duct was flushed in 27 of 31 affected eyes (87%). Dentistry was performed in 80% of the animals suffering from malocclusion. Regarding the clinical outcome, 12 animals (43%) showed complete recovery, eight rabbits (28%) were euthanized, three (11%) died due to unrelated causes, and three (11%) were lost to follow-up. Two rabbits (7%) continue to display signs of dacryocystitis and are being treated symptomatically by the owners.
Conclusions  This study reports the clinical presentation, treatment, and outcome of dacryocystitis in rabbits and outlines the importance of examination of the oral cavity, diagnostic imaging, and bacteriologic sampling.     

An Ecophysiological Study of the Meiofauna of the Swartkops Estuary

Environmental correlations with mean, as well as seasonal, distribution and abundance of the meiofauna in two exposed beaches in the Swartkops Estuary, near Port Elizabeth, were elucidated. Population densities showed a direct relationship with particle size. Consequent on this, oxygen appeared to be the controlling factor although desiccation played a role in the intertidal distribution of meiofauna in sandy areas. Seasonal fluctuations in numbers were characterized by peaks occurring in spring and autumn. Variations of temperature and oxygen were found to be responsible for this pattern. The presence of the sand prawn Callianassa kraussi affected both vertical penetration and seasonal fluctuation of the meiofauna. Since fluctuation in nitrogen and chlorophyll a content of the substrate bore little relationship to the fluctuation of the meiofauna, it is concluded that food is not limiting in these areas. Biomass determinations revealed that nematodes, which were the dominant taxon, weighed 0,42 μg individual mean ash-free dry mass and harpacticoid copepods 0,47 μg. On this basis the standing crop biomass was 0,40 μm² in the sandy areas and 0,07 g/m² in the muddier areas, both to a depth of 20 cm.     

基于UPLC-MS/MS同时测定猪粪便中5种兽药残留量的研究

为了建立同时测定猪粪便中二甲氧苄啶、磺胺对甲氧嘧啶、恩诺沙星、金霉素、泰乐菌素5种兽药残留量的超高效液相色谱-串联质谱(UPLC-MS/MS)分析方法,样品经McIllvaineNa_2EDTA缓冲溶液提取,C18粉吸附杂质,HLB固相萃取小柱净化,浓缩富集后用0.1%甲酸甲醇溶液复溶,过滤上机,基质液外标法定量。结果显示,5种兽药在10~500μg/kg的质量浓度范围内线性良好,在添加浓度50~500μg/kg,平均回收率为53%~85%,RSD为1.87%~18.81%。该方法具有较好的准确度与精密度,能快速、准确测定猪粪便中5种兽药残留,为养殖环节实时监测兽药使用情况提供了技术支持。     

水通道蛋白在调节肠道健康中的作用

水通道蛋白是一类可以高效选择性转运水分子的细胞膜通道蛋白,广泛分布于人和哺乳动物的胃肠道组织中,在机体液体转运和消化生理中发挥重要作用。本文总结了水通道蛋白的结构、分类及其在人、鼠类和仔猪胃肠道系统的表达和分布情况,并阐述了水通道蛋白与腹泻、肠上皮细胞迁移与修复、肠道屏障功能和肠道炎症相关疾病等过程的关系及其作用。