• Title/Summary/Keyword: animal health

Search Result 3,245, Processing Time 0.027 seconds

Field and laboratory investigation of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N6 and H5N8 in Quang Ninh province, Vietnam, 2020 to 2021

  • Trong Duc Tran;Suwicha Kasemsuwan;Manakorn Sukmak;Waraphon Phimpraphai;Tippawon Prarakamawongsa;Long Thanh Pham;Tuyet Bach Hoang;Phuong Thi Nguyen;Thang Minh Nguyen;Minh Van Truong;Tuan Pham Dao;Pawin Padungtod
    • Journal of Veterinary Science
    • /
    • v.25 no.2
    • /
    • pp.20.1-20.15
    • /
    • 2024
  • Background: Avian influenza (AI) is a contagious disease that causes illness and death in poultry and humans. High pathogenicity AI (HPAI) H5N6 outbreaks commonly occur in Quang Ninh province bordering China. In June 2021, the first HPAI H5N8 outbreak occurred at a Quang Ninh chicken farm. Objectives: This study examined the risk factors associated with HPAI H5N6 and H5N8 outbreaks in Quang Ninh. Methods: A retrospective case-control study was conducted in Quang Ninh from Nov 2021 to Jan 2022. The cases were households with susceptible poultry with two or more clinical signs and tested positive by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. The controls were households in the same village as the cases but did not show clinical symptoms of the disease. Logistic regression models were constructed to assess the risk factors associated with HPAI outbreaks at the household level. Results: There were 38 cases with H5N6 clade 2.3.4.4h viruses (n = 35) and H5N8 clade 2.3.4.4b viruses (n = 3). Compared to the 112 controls, raising poultry in uncovered or partially covered ponds (odds ratio [OR], 7.52; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.44-39.27), poultry traders visiting the farm (OR, 8.66; 95% CI, 2.7-27.69), farms with 50-2,000 birds (OR, 3.00; 95% CI, 1.06-8-51), and farms with ≥ 2,000 birds (OR, 11.35; 95% CI, 3.07-41.94) were significantly associated with HPAI outbreaks. Conclusions: Combining biosecurity measures, such as restricting visitor entry and vaccination in farms with more than 50 birds, can enhance the control and prevention of HPAI in Quang Ninh and its spread across borders.

Evaluation of adenosine triphosphate testing for on-farm cleanliness monitoring compared to microbiological testing in an empty pig farrowing unit

  • Yi, Seung-Won;Cho, Ara;Kim, Eunju;Oh, Sang-Ik;Roh, Jae Hee;Jung, Young-Hun;Choe, Changyong;Yoo, Jae Gyu;Do, Yoon Jung
    • Journal of Animal Science and Technology
    • /
    • v.62 no.5
    • /
    • pp.682-691
    • /
    • 2020
  • Careful cleaning and disinfection of pigpens is essential to prevent disease spread and avoid the resultant economic losses. Hygiene in pigpens is generally evaluated by visual monitoring supplemented with bacteriological monitoring, which includes counting the total aerobic bacteria (TAB) and/or fecal indicator bacteria (FIB). However, these methods present drawbacks such as time and labor requirements. As adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is ubiquitous in all living organisms including microorganisms, this study aimed to directly compare the results of microbial assessment and ATP quantification, and to suggest possible detailed application methods of the ATP test for hygiene evaluation in pigpens of a farrowing unit. Before and after standard cleaning procedures, samples were collected from the floor corner, floor center, and feeding trough of four pigpens at different time points. No FIB were detected and both the TAB and ATP levels were significantly decreased in the floor center area after cleaning. FIB were continuously detected after cleaning and disinfection of the floor corners, and there was no significant ATP level reduction. The feeding trough did not show any significant difference in these values before and after cleaning, indicating insufficient cleaning of this area. The levels of TAB and ATP after cleaning were significantly correlated and the average ATP value was significantly lower in the absence of FIB than in their presence. In the absence of standard references, a more thorough hygiene management could be achieved evenly by supplementing cleaning or disinfection based on the lowest ATP results obtained at the cleanest test site, which in the present study was the floor center. Overall, these results indicate that the on-farm ATP test can be used to determine the cleanliness status, in addition to visual inspection, as an alternative to laboratory culture-based testing for the presence of microorganisms.

Prevalence of common medical disorders among dog breeds examined in primary-care veterinary clinics at Jeollabuk-Do, Republic of Korea (전라북도 지역 동물병원에 내원한 반려견의 주요 품종별 질환 양상 조사)

  • Kim, Eunju;Choe, Changyong;Yoo, Jae Gyu;Oh, Sang-Ik;Jung, Younghun;Cho, Ara;Kim, Suhee;Do, Yoon Jung
    • Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
    • /
    • v.41 no.2
    • /
    • pp.97-104
    • /
    • 2018
  • Recently, demographic studies of veterinary medical database have been conducted to understand patterns of disease occurrence. Understanding incidence of breed-related disease would provide appropriate guidance for future health care strategies and offer useful information for early diagnosis of disease. However, in veterinary medicine, theses research has not yet been investigated in the Republic of Korea. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of common medical disorders among dog breeds examined at primary-care veterinary clinics in Jeollabuk-Do, Republic of Korea. The data were analyzed based on World Health Organization's International Classification of Disease. A total 13,176 medical records of canine patients were analyzed from six primary veterinary clinics in Jeollabuk-Do from January to December 2016. Results showed that the most common health problems were 'disease of skin' (17.7%); followed by 'diseases of digestive system' (12.26%), 'preventive medicine' (10.08%), and 'diseases of ear and mastoid process' (10.4%). In seven out of ten breeds, the most common medical disorder was skin disease. For poodle such as Pomeranian and Chihuahua, digestive system disease was most prevalent. On the other hand, respiratory system disease was found to be higher in Pomeranian than other breeds; while ear and mastoid process disease was most common for Maltese and Poodle. This study can help owners, breeders, and veterinarians prevent and manage various diseases of popular breeds in Jeollabuk-Do in the future.

Organoleptic Quality Attributes of Three Different Types of Vegetable-Based Milk Analogs Supplemented with Hibiscus Oil

  • Tae-Jin Kim;Kun-Ho Seo;Jung-Whan Chon;Hyungsuk Oh;Hyeon-Jin Kim;Hye-Young Youn;Won-Uk Hwang;Seok-Hyeong Kang;Hajeong Jeong;Hyun-Ju Kim;Dongkwan Jeong;Kwang-Young Song
    • Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
    • /
    • v.41 no.2
    • /
    • pp.67-75
    • /
    • 2023
  • Hibiscus is rich in acids, anthocyanins, flavonols, oils, proanthocyanidins, and various pigments. It is utilized for medicinal purposes, to improve human health, and as a galactagogue to stimulate milk production in cows. Due to its biofunctional activities, hibiscus oil has broad applications spanning different fields. This study analyzed the pH and organoleptic quality attributes of three different vegetable-based milk analogs supplemented with hibiscus oil at 0%-1.5% concentrations. The results revealed that the addition of hibiscus oil did not affect pH; however, as the concentration of the hibiscus oil increased, the organoleptic quality attributes of the milk analogs supplemented with it decreased. All three milk analogs supplemented with 0.25% hibiscus oil demonstrated favorable attributes compared to the control group. This study provides valuable foundational data for developing new vegetable-based milk analogs that possess enhanced biofunctionality through the supplementation of hibiscus oil.

Effect of feeding raw potato starch on the composition dynamics of the piglet intestinal microbiome

  • Yi, Seung-Won;Lee, Han Gyu;So, Kyoung-Min;Kim, Eunju;Jung, Young-Hun;Kim, Minji;Jeong, Jin Young;Kim, Ki Hyun;Oem, Jae-Ku;Hur, Tai-Young;Oh, Sang-Ik
    • Animal Bioscience
    • /
    • v.35 no.11
    • /
    • pp.1698-1710
    • /
    • 2022
  • Objective: Raw potato starch (RPS) is resistant to digestion, escapes absorption, and is metabolized by intestinal microflora in the large intestine and acts as their energy source. In this study, we compared the effect of different concentrations of RPS on the intestinal bacterial community of weaned piglets. Methods: Male weaned piglets (25-days-old, 7.03±0.49 kg) were either fed a corn/soybean-based control diet (CON, n = 6) or two treatment diets supplemented with 5% RPS (RPS5, n = 4) or 10% RPS (RPS10, n = 4) for 20 days and their fecal samples were collected. The day 0 and 20 samples were analyzed using a 16S rRNA gene sequencing technology, followed by total genomic DNA extraction, library construction, and high-throughput sequencing. After statistical analysis, five phyla and 45 genera accounting for over 0.5% of the reads in any of the three groups were further analyzed. Furthermore, short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in the day 20 fecal samples were analyzed using gas chromatography. Results: Significant changes were not observed in the bacterial composition at the phylum level even after 20 d post feeding (dpf); however, the abundance of Intestinimonas and Barnesiella decreased in both RPS treatment groups compared to the CON group. Consumption of 5% RPS increased the abundance of Roseburia (p<0.05) and decreased the abundance of Clostridium (p<0.01) and Mediterraneibacter (p< 0.05). In contrast, consumption of 10% RPS increased the abundance of Olsenella (p<0.05) and decreased the abundance of Campylobacter (p<0.05), Kineothrix (p<0.05), Paraprevotella (p<0.05), and Vallitalea (p<0.05). Additionally, acetate (p<0.01), butyrate (p<0.05), valerate (p = 0.01), and total SCFAs (p = 0.01) were upregulated in the RPS5 treatment group Conclusion: Feeding 5% RPS altered bacterial community composition and promoted gut health in weaned piglets. Thus, resistant starch as a feed additive may prevent diarrhea in piglets during weaning.

Effects of early commercial milk supplement on the mucosal morphology, bacterial community and bacterial metabolites in jejunum of the pre- and post-weaning piglets

  • Hu, Ping;Niu, Qingyan;Zhu, Yizhi;Shi, Chao;Wang, Jing;Zhu, Weiyun
    • Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
    • /
    • v.33 no.3
    • /
    • pp.480-489
    • /
    • 2020
  • Objective: Sow milk (SM) may not be able to meet the piglet's nutritional needs in late lactation. Hence, this study was conducted to investigate the effects of early commercial milk (CM) supplement on the mucosal morphology, bacterial community and bacterial metabolites in jejunum of piglets. Methods: Ten litters of newborn piglets ([Yorkshire×Landrace]×Duroc) were randomly divided into 2 groups of 5 litters. The piglets in the control group were suckled by the sow (SM), while the piglets in the treatment group (CM supplement) were supplemented with a CM supplement along with suckling from d 4 to d 28 of age. Results: No significant differences were observed about jejunal mucosal morphology on d 28 and d 35 between two groups. On d 28, the activity of lactase in the jejunum was significantly decreased in the CM group, while the activity of sucrase and the ratio of maltase to lactase were significantly increased (p<0.05). On d 35, the activity of maltase in the jejunum was significantly increased in the CM group (p<0.05), and maltase to lactase ratio tended to increase in the CM group (p = 0.065). In addition, piglets in the CM group had a higher abundance of Clostridium XI, Tuicibater, and Moraxella in the jejunum on d 28, while the abundance of Lactobacillus was significantly increased on d 35 (p<0.05). Conclusion: The early CM supplement improved the maturation of the jejunum to some extent by enhancing the maltase and sucrase activities. Moreover, the early CM supplement could help maintain the homeostasis of internal environment in jejunum by increasing the microbial-derived metabolites.

The effects of plant extracts on lipid metabolism of chickens - A review

  • Xuedong Ding;Ilias Giannenas;Ioannis Skoufos;Jing Wang;Weiyun Zhu
    • Animal Bioscience
    • /
    • v.36 no.5
    • /
    • pp.679-691
    • /
    • 2023
  • The fat deposition is an important factor affecting chicken meat quality, which is closely related to lipid metabolism of chickens. Therefore, it is important to regulate the lipid metabolism of chickens to improve the chicken meat quality. Plant extracts have special regulatory effects on animal's growth and health and have been widely used in chicken breeding. Some plant extracts have been reported to have functions of changing the fatty acid composition, reducing abdominal fat percentage, and enhancing the intramuscular fat content of chickens by improving the antioxidant capacity, regulating the expression of genes, enzymes, and signaling pathways related to lipid metabolism, modulating intestinal microbiota, affecting hormones level, and regulating DNA methylation. This paper reviewed the application and mechanism of plant extracts on regulating lipid metabolism of chickens to provide a reference for the further application of plant extracts in chicken breeding.

Nucleomodulin BspJ as an effector promotes the colonization of Brucella abortus in the host

  • Ma, Zhongchen;Yu, Shuifa;Cheng, Kejian;Miao, Yuhe;Xu, Yimei;Hu, Ruirui;Zheng, Wei;Yi, Jihai;Zhang, Huan;Li, Ruirui;Li, Zhiqiang;Wang, Yong;Chen, Chuangfu
    • Journal of Veterinary Science
    • /
    • v.23 no.1
    • /
    • pp.8.1-8.15
    • /
    • 2022
  • Background: Brucella infection induces brucellosis, a zoonotic disease. The intracellular circulation process and virulence of Brucella mainly depend on its type IV secretion system (T4SS) expressing secretory effectors. Secreted protein BspJ is a nucleomodulin of Brucella that invades the host cell nucleus. BspJ mediates host energy synthesis and apoptosis through interaction with proteins. However, the mechanism of BspJ as it affects the intracellular survival of Brucella remains to be clarified. Objectives: To verify the functions of nucleomodulin BspJ in Brucella's intracellular infection cycles. Methods: Constructed Brucella abortus BspJ gene deletion strain (B. abortus ∆BspJ) and complement strain (B. abortus pBspJ) and studied their roles in the proliferation of Brucella both in vivo and in vitro. Results: BspJ gene deletion reduced the survival and intracellular proliferation of Brucella at the replicating Brucella-containing vacuoles (rBCV) stage. Compared with the parent strain, the colonization ability of the bacteria in mice was significantly reduced, causing less inflammatory infiltration and pathological damage. We also found that the knockout of BspJ altered the secretion of cytokines (interleukin [IL]-6, IL-1β, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor-α, interferon-γ) in host cells and in mice to affect the intracellular survival of Brucella. Conclusions: BspJ is extremely important for the circulatory proliferation of Brucella in the host, and it may be involved in a previously unknown mechanism of Brucella's intracellular survival.

Antiviral Effect of Probiotics against Respiratory Tract Infections: A Review (프로바이오틱스의 호흡기감염에 대한 항바이러스 효과: 총설)

  • Jung-Whan Chon;Kun-Ho Seo;Young-Seon Kim;Hye-Young Youn;Hyeon-Jin Kim;Hyungsuk Oh;Won-Uk Hwang;Seok-Hyeong Kang;Hajeong Jeong;Hyun-Ju Kim;Dongkwan Jeong;Kwang-Young Song
    • Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
    • /
    • v.41 no.2
    • /
    • pp.57-66
    • /
    • 2023
  • Majority of the respiratory infectious diseases that are generally prevalent in Korea from autumn to winter are caused by viruses such as respiratory syncytial virus and influenza A virus. Therefore, there is rapidly rising interest in determining the antiviral effects of probiotics against respiratory viruses and elucidating the probable mechanism behind it. Various human clinical trials as well as animal experiments have shown that some probiotics potentially have antiviral activity based on their immunomodulatory effect. Hence, this review describes in detail the various possibilities of using probiotics as antiviral agents against respiratory viruses and their potential effects. Also, it provides basic data regarding the availability of different probiotics relevant for their production by dairy and food industries.