Quarantine requirements for the importation of black rhinoceros from Zimbabwe into Australia

SUMMARY The proposal by the Zoological Parks Board of New South Wales to import 10 southern black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) from Zimbabwe as part of an international project for conservation of the species presented the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) with a unique challenge. This importation is, at least in the modern era, the first importation of live herbivores from the African continent. Many of the serious animal diseases in the world are endemic in parts of Africa. Knowledge of which of these diseases infect wild species and may be transmitted from the wild species to domesticated species, is limited. This paper describes the strategies adopted by AQIS to facilitate the importation of rhinoceros while maintaining protection of Australian consumers, rural industries, domestic livestock and fauna against the entry and spread of unwanted pests and diseases.     

Prevalence and duration of insensibility following electrical stunning in calves

Sixty-one calves were electrically stunned with 100-250 V currents (103-1806 mA) and the prevalence and duration of insensibility was assessed from their physical behaviour, the presence of epileptiform activity in their electrocorticograms, and the absence of visual evoked responses in their electrocorticograms. A current applied at 100 V across the head for 3 s failed to induce insensibility in all cases. Currents at 150-250 V induced insensibility in all calves and the shortest duration of insensibility was 44 s. It is recommended that a 150-200 V current would be appropriate for commercial use.     

Equine influenza vaccine containing older H3N8 strains offers protection against A/eq/South Africa/4/03 (H3N8) strain in a short-term vaccine efficacy study

REASONS FOR PERFORMING STUDY: Surveillance of equine influenza viruses has suggested that strains included in currently licensed vaccines are a poor match for those predominantly circulating in the field. OBJECTIVE: To assess the ability of Duvaxyn IE-T Plus to provide cross protection against the newly evolved South Africa/4/03 (H3N8) strain of equine influenza virus. METHODS: The vaccine efficacy was evaluated by challenge infection with influenza strain A/eq/South Africa/4/03 (H3N8) 2 weeks after a primary course of 2 vaccinations with Duvaxyn IE-T Plus given at a 4-week interval. The outcome of challenge in vaccinated ponies was compared with that in unvaccinated animals. RESULTS: At the time of challenge, all vaccinated ponies had high levels of antibody to Newmarket/1/93, Newmarket/2/93 and South Africa/4/03 strains measured by single radial haemolysis. After challenge infection, there were statistically significantly decreased clinical scores and virus shedding was significantly lower in the vaccinated ponies compared to unvaccinated controls. CONCLUSION: Two doses of Duvaxyn IE-T Plus provides good clinical and virological protection against challenge with a variant virus 2 weeks after the 2 doses of vaccine. POTENTIAL RELEVANCE: When variant strains of equine influenza virus first emerge, booster immunisations with currently available vaccines may limit infection provided sufficiently high antibody levels are achieved, suggesting that vaccination in the face of an outbreak may be beneficial.     

Retrospective assessment of tolerability and efficacy of zoledronate in the palliative treatment of cancer-bearing dogs

Zoledronate is a bisphosphonate frequently used for the treatment of hypercalcaemia of malignancy and tumour-associated bone pain in dogs, however, there is a paucity of information regarding its use in veterinary medicine. The aim of this retrospective study was to report the tolerability of zoledronate in the palliative treatment of cancer-bearing dogs and secondarily to to assess the efficacy of zoledronate for the treatment of hypercalcaemia of malignancy. Thirty-seven dogs (22 with tumour-associated bone pain and 15 with hypercalcaemia of malignancy) that received 114 zoledronate infusions were included. Tolerability was assessed by the absence of post-zoledronate hypocalcaemia or other adverse events as defined by Veterinary Cooperative Oncology Group-Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events criteria. Efficacy was assessed by comparison of available ionized calcium levels before and after zoledronate administration in hypercalcaemic dogs. In 79% of zoledronate infusions, no adverse events were reported. The majority of adverse events which occurred in the other 21% of infusions could be attributed to concurrent chemotherapy or the underlying neoplastic disease. There was a small but significant increase in creatinine following treatment with zoledronate, however, none of the dogs developed clinically significant renal disease. In eight hypercalcaemic dogs with available ionized calcium following zoledronate administration, ionized calcium decreased rapidly within 7 days following treatment with zoledronate. Zoledronate is well-tolerated with few recorded adverse events, however, monitoring of serum creatinine is advised. Zoledronate seems to be effective in the treatment of hypercalcaemia of malignancy.     

新疆生产建设兵团第八师农田残膜含量及在土壤中分布情况

在新疆生产建设兵团第八师农田进行了残膜样品采集,并对不同采样深度下不同面积的农田残膜含量及数量进行统计分析,获取了土壤中残膜的分布情况,旨在为残膜回收机械的设计以及残膜回收策略的制定提供参考。      

水生植被对洪泽湖湖滨湿地水环境净化效果及影响因素分析(英文)

[目的]分析研究洪泽湖湖滨地区植物群落对湿地水环境的净化效果,为该区生态修复提供参考依据。[方法]以洪泽湖湿地国家级自然保护区典型湖滨带为研究对象,通过对该区的水草区和无草区环境特征进行野外调查,并结合室内试验,测定湖泊湿地水体的营养盐(N和P)、化学需氧量(COD)及透明度(SD)含量的变化,定量分析水生植被在生长过程中对湖泊湿地生态系统中水环境的净化效果,并对其可能存在的影响因素进行探讨。[结果]水生植被对洪泽湖湿地水环境中TN、TP、COD、Chla的去除作用及对SD含量变化有较明显的影响。水生植物之间的竞争可以抑制藻类的生长,减轻水体的富营养化情况。[结论]该试验为研究洪泽湖湖滨带生态修复及增强其自净能力提供理论依据。     

放牧补饲对肉用犊牛生长发育与经济效益的影响

[目的]研究在放牧补饲条件下不同品种肉牛的早期生长发育与经济效益。[方法]选择3月龄断奶新褐杂牛(新疆褐牛与本地牛)、安杂牛(安格斯与本地牛)、荷斯坦牛、土种牛31头,按品种分组开展夏草场放牧补饲试验。[结果]安杂牛、荷斯坦牛、新褐杂牛和土种牛补饲日增重分别为0.51、0.55、0.56、0.25 kg/d,安杂牛、荷斯坦牛、新褐杂牛的日增重与土种牛相比差异极显著(P0.01)。新褐杂牛、荷斯坦牛、安杂牛的放牧补饲效果较土种牛好,新褐杂牛、荷斯坦牛、安杂牛和土种牛的投入产出比分别为1∶2.32、1∶2.29、1∶2.12和1∶1.02,放牧补饲经济效益明显。[结论]早期断奶对后期放牧补饲肉牛的生长发育具有促进作用。     

Oceanographic investigation of the American Samoa albacore (Thunnus alalunga) habitat and longline fishing grounds

The American Samoa fishing ground is a dynamic region with strong mesoscale eddy activity and temporal variability on scales of <1 week. Seasonal and interannual variability in eddy activity, induced by baroclinic instability that is fueled by horizontal shear between the eastward‐flowing South Equatorial Counter Current (SECC) and the westward‐flowing South Equatorial Current (SEC), seems to play an important role in the performance of the longline fishery for albacore. Mesoscale eddy variability in the American Samoa Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) peaks from March to April, when the kinetic energy of the SECC is at its strongest. Longline albacore catch tends to be highest at the eddy edges, while albacore catch per effort (CPUE) shows intra‐annual variability with high CPUE that lags the periods of peak eddy activity by about 2 months. When CPUE is highest, the values are distributed toward the northern half of the EEZ, the region affected most by the SECC. Further indication of the possible importance of the SECC for longline performance is the significant drop in eddy variability in 2004 when compared with that observed in 2003 – resulting from a weak SECC – which was accompanied by a substantial drop in albacore CPUE rates and a lack of northward intensification of CPUE. From an ecosystem perspective, evidence to support higher micronekton biomass in the upper 200 m at eddy boundaries is inconclusive. Albacore's vertical distribution seems to be governed by the presence of prey. Albacore spend most of their time between 150 and 250 m, away from the deep daytime and shallow nighttime sonic scattering layers, at depths coinciding with those of small local maxima in micronekton biomass whose backscattering properties are consistent with those of albacore's preferred prey. Settling depths of longline sets during periods of decreased eddy activity correspond to those most occupied by albacore, possibly contributing to the lower CPUE by reducing catchability through rendering bait less attractive to albacore in the presence of prey.