Risk factors for bovine mastitis in the Central Province of Sri Lanka

A study of the risk factors associated with mastitis in Sri Lankan dairy cattle was conducted to inform risk reduction activities to improve the quality and quantity of milk production and dairy farmer income. A cross-sectional survey of randomly selected dairy farms was undertaken to investigate 12 cow and 39 herd level and management risk factors in the Central Province. The farm level prevalence of mastitis (clinical and subclinical) was 48 %, similar to what has been found elsewhere in South and Southeast Asia. Five cow level variables, three herd level variables, and eight management variables remained significant (p?相似文献   

Procaine penicillin by subconjunctival injection in the treatment of infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis

A profile off the penicillin concentration in bovine conjunctival sac fluid (CF) was determined after a single subconjunctival injection of procaine penicillin (6 x 10(5) iu in 2ml). When the injection was made through the skin of the upper eye lid, the duration of therapeutic concentration was significantly greater (P<0.01) than when the injection had been given by the perconjunctival route: approximately 68 hours or 40 hours respectively. These findings support the clinical use of subconjunctivally administered procaine penicillin in the treatment of infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis. A single application of an equivalent dose of either procaine penicillin or benethamine penicillin, applied topically in a simple occulentum base, produced a therapeutic duration in CF of 37 +/- 4 hr and 56 +/- 4.5 hr respectively.     

Farm level and geographic predictors of antibiotic use in Sri Lankan shrimp farms

Black tiger shrimp Penaeus monodon farming is important for Sri Lanka's rural development plans. Consumer confidence is critical for the development and maintenance of export and domestic shrimp markets. Public concern about the use of antimicrobial drugs and chemicals on shrimp farms, however, could threaten market access. We sought to identify high-risk areas and farm-level risk factors for antimicrobial use to inform the core messages and strategic placement of extension programs to help farmers develop best management practices for antimicrobial use. We undertook a survey of 603 operating farms within the Puttalam district over 42 weeks. Lower stocking density and early harvest were associated with a lower risk of antimicrobial use, whereas standard management practices, including water treatment, feed supplements, probiotic use, pond fertilizing, disinfectant use, and pesticide use, were associated with increased risk. Spatial cluster detection found three significant clusters of antimicrobial-using farms. Antimicrobials were more likely to be used in areas with lower farm density. Some of our counterintuitive findings are discussed from a socioecological perspective. A comprehensive understanding of why antimicrobials are used on shrimp farms requires an evaluation of the physical, epidemiological, and socioeconomic factors.     

A high-resolution method for the localization of proanthocyanidins in plant tissues

Background

Histochemical staining of plant tissues with 4-dimethylaminocinnamaldehyde (DMACA) or vanillin-HCl is widely used to characterize spatial patterns of proanthocyanidin accumulation in plant tissues. These methods are limited in their ability to allow high-resolution imaging of proanthocyanidin deposits.

Results

Tissue embedding techniques were used in combination with DMACA staining to analyze the accumulation of proanthocyanidins in Lotus corniculatus (L.) and Trifolium repens (L.) tissues. Embedding of plant tissues in LR White or paraffin matrices, with or without DMACA staining, preserved the physical integrity of the plant tissues, allowing high-resolution imaging that facilitated cell-specific localization of proanthocyanidins. A brown coloration was seen in proanthocyanidin-producing cells when plant tissues were embedded without DMACA staining and this was likely to have been due to non-enzymatic oxidation of proanthocyanidins and the formation of colored semiquinones and quinones.

Conclusions

This paper presents a simple, high-resolution method for analysis of proanthocyanidin accumulation in organs, tissues and cells of two plant species with different patterns of proanthocyanidin accumulation, namely Lotus corniculatus (birdsfoot trefoil) and Trifolium repens (white clover). This technique was used to characterize cell type-specific patterns of proanthocyanidin accumulation in white clover flowers at different stages of development.     

Keratitis in red deer

Twenty-five of 40 red deer (Cervus elaphus) exhibited corneal opacities and ulceration resembling mild bovine infectious keratitis. Attempts to incriminate either a bacterial or viral causal agent were unsuccessful.

Subconjunctival injections of a penicillin/streptomycin mixture were administered in both eyes of affected and in-contact animals. Resolution over an 8 week period was uneventful.     

Farm Level and Geographic Predictors of Antibiotic Use in Sri Lankan Shrimp Farms

Abstract

Black tiger shrimp Penaeus monodon farming is important for Sri Lanka's rural development plans. Consumer confidence is critical for the development and maintenance of export and domestic shrimp markets. Public concern about the use of antimicrobial drugs and chemicals on shrimp farms, however, could threaten market access. We sought to identify high-risk areas and farm-level risk factors for antimicrobial use to inform the core messages and strategic placement of extension programs to help farmers develop best management practices for antimicrobial use. We undertook a survey of 603 operating farms within the Puttalam district over 42 weeks. Lower stocking density and early harvest were associated with a lower risk of antimicrobial use, whereas standard management practices, including water treatment, feed supplements, probiotic use, pond fertilizing, disinfectant use, and pesticide use, were associated with increased risk. Spatial cluster detection found three significant clusters of antimicrobial-using farms. Antimicrobials were more likely to be used in areas with lower farm density. Some of our counterintuitive findings are discussed from a socioecological perspective. A comprehensive understanding of why antimicrobials are used on shrimp farms requires an evaluation of the physical, epidemiological, and socioeconomic factors.

Received June 10, 2011; accepted December 6, 2011