Maiken Gravdal, Ian David Woolsey, Lucy Jane Robertson, Johan Höglund, Christophe Chartier, Snorre Stuen
{"title":"Occurrence of gastrointestinal nematodes in lambs in Norway, as assessed by copromicroscopy and droplet digital polymerase chain reaction","authors":"Maiken Gravdal, Ian David Woolsey, Lucy Jane Robertson, Johan Höglund, Christophe Chartier, Snorre Stuen","doi":"10.1186/s13028-024-00743-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s13028-024-00743-z","url":null,"abstract":"Gastrointestinal nematodes (GINs) have a major impact on sheep production, health, and welfare worldwide. Norway is no exception, but there are only a few studies on the prevalence of GINs in Norwegian sheep. The aim of this study was to investigate the current occurrence of the most important nematodes in sheep flocks in Norway. Faecal samples were collected from flocks in 2021/2022, mainly from three geographical regions in Norway, i.e., northern, eastern, and western. In each of 134 flocks included, individual samples from 10 lambs (autumn) were pooled. Third stage larvae (L3) were cultivated and harvested (Baermann method) from the pooled samples. The DNA was then extracted and further analysed using droplet digital PCR (ddPCR). This enables assessment of the proportions of the three most important nematode species/genera, i.e., H. contortus, T. circumcincta, and Trichostrongylus. The fractional abundance/relative proportion of each species/genus was assessed by performing duplex assays with universal strongyle and species/genus-specific primers and probe sets. In addition, the occurrence of Nematodirus eggs was assessed by standard faecal egg counts (i.e., McMaster method). Of the 134 flocks sampled, 24 were from the northern region, 31 from eastern, and 71 from western Norway. In addition, some flocks from central (n = 7), and southern (n = 1) Norway were included. Among the sampled flocks, T. circumcincta occurred most commonly (94%), followed by H. contortus (60%) and Trichostrongylus (55%), and Nematodirus (51%). In general, mixed infections were observed, with 38% and 18% of flocks infected with three or all four genera, respectively. The results of this study indicate that GINs are widespread in Norway. Teladorsagia circumcincta seems to be present in most flocks based on this screening. Moreover, the results show that Nematodirus spp. infect lambs throughout the country, predominantly N. battus, and indicate that this nematode has become more abundant, which could lead to an increase in nematodirosis.","PeriodicalId":7181,"journal":{"name":"Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica","volume":"35 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2024-05-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141147588","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Comparing the effects of contact duration on cow and calf performance beyond separation - a prospective cohort study.","authors":"Johanne Sørby, Ingrid Hunter Holmøy, Ane Nødtvedt, Sabine Ferneborg, Julie Føske Johnsen","doi":"10.1186/s13028-024-00741-1","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13028-024-00741-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Consumers, the industry, and many farmers have shown increased interest in alternative management systems that allow for cow-calf contact (CCC) and this topic has become an important focus of research for a sustainable dairy industry. Among the many knowledge gaps still existing in this novel research field, there is a need for further research to investigate effects of CCC beyond the nursing period (i.e., after cow-calf separation). Moreover, multi-herd observational studies are scarce. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the within-herd effect of CCC on machine milk yield and calf growth beyond separation. In this prospective cohort study, we studied all cows and their calves (Norwegian Red breed) born between September 1st 2021 and January 31th 2022 at three Norwegian dairy farms, investigating the impact of CCC on machine milk yield and calf average daily gain (ADG) after separation of the cow-calf pair. The follow-up period was 305 d for cows and six months for calves. Machine milk yield was automatically registered at each milking and calf heart girth was measured once a month. As various contact durations emerged, they were categorized into three groups: no contact (NC 0-3 d), short duration (4-30 d) and long duration (> 30 d). Data were analyzed with linear mixed models with the individual animal as the unit of interest. For cows, days in milk (DIM) from date of separation up to 305 DIM were included in the analysis as a continuous variable. For calves, age up to 195 d was used in the statistical analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We found no differences in machine milk yield after separation across the different contact groups: cows with no contact (n = 28), short duration (n = 51) and long duration (n = 27) of contact, all exhibited comparable milk yields from the time of separation until the end of lactation. Furthermore, in the case of calves, no disparities in average daily gain (ADG) were identified for any of the contact groups: calves with no contact (n = 39), short duration (n = 61) and long duration (n = 38) of contact, displayed comparable growth during the first six months of life.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our findings indicate no negative effects of CCC on machine milk yield after separation, nor any sustained effects on calf growth under the conditions of this study. More multi-herd observational studies conducted on-farm is needed to expand the understanding of effects of CCC on cow and calf performance after separation.</p>","PeriodicalId":7181,"journal":{"name":"Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica","volume":"66 1","pages":"21"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2024-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11110400/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141080270","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Bacteriophage-derived endolysins as innovative antimicrobials against bovine mastitis-causing streptococci and staphylococci: a state-of-the-art review.","authors":"Niels Vander Elst","doi":"10.1186/s13028-024-00740-2","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13028-024-00740-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Bacteriophage-encoded endolysins, peptidoglycan hydrolases breaking down the Gram-positive bacterial cell wall, represent a groundbreaking class of novel antimicrobials to revolutionize the veterinary medicine field. Wild-type endolysins exhibit a modular structure, consisting of enzymatically active and cell wall-binding domains, that enable genetic engineering strategies for the creation of chimeric fusion proteins or so-called 'engineered endolysins'. This biotechnological approach has yielded variants with modified lytic spectrums, introducing new possibilities in antimicrobial development. However, the discovery of highly similar endolysins by different groups has occasionally resulted in the assignment of different names that complicate a straightforward comparison. The aim of this review was to perform a homology-based comparison of the wild-type and engineered endolysins that have been characterized in the context of bovine mastitis-causing streptococci and staphylococci, grouping homologous endolysins with ≥ 95.0% protein sequence similarity. Literature is explored by homologous groups for the wild-type endolysins, followed by a chronological examination of engineered endolysins according to their year of publication. This review concludes that the wild-type endolysins encountered persistent challenges in raw milk and in vivo settings, causing a notable shift in the field towards the engineering of endolysins. Lead candidates that display robust lytic activity are nowadays selected from screening assays that are performed under these challenging conditions, often utilizing advanced high-throughput protein engineering methods. Overall, these recent advancements suggest that endolysins will integrate into the antibiotic arsenal over the next decade, thereby innovating antimicrobial treatment against bovine mastitis-causing streptococci and staphylococci.</p>","PeriodicalId":7181,"journal":{"name":"Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica","volume":"66 1","pages":"20"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2024-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11106882/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141069732","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Tobias Volhøj, Cecilie Kirstine Nielsen, Ditte Marie Schjermer, Natascha Schou Jensen, Benjamin Meyer Jørgensen, Søren Saxmose Nielsen, Henrik Elvang Jensen
{"title":"Prevalence and characterisation of band-shaped tail lesions in Holstein cows.","authors":"Tobias Volhøj, Cecilie Kirstine Nielsen, Ditte Marie Schjermer, Natascha Schou Jensen, Benjamin Meyer Jørgensen, Søren Saxmose Nielsen, Henrik Elvang Jensen","doi":"10.1186/s13028-024-00742-0","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13028-024-00742-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The aim of the study was to characterise and determine the prevalence of band-shaped tail lesions in Holstein cows. Lesions were present either as wounds or by epithelised granulation/connective tissue formations. Both types were characterised by a median localisation 7 cm from the tip of the tail, and they occurred on the dorsal aspect of the tail. From here they encircled the tail either completely or in varying degrees, and they were often present as isolated lesions (93%). The prevalence of band-shaped tail lesions was found to be 25% among 2099 cows examined in 16 Danish Holstein herds with a variation from 18 to 40% between herds. In the herds, the wound lesions and the connective tissue formations accounted for 22% and 78% of all band-shaped tail lesions, respectively. Among 458 Holstein cows examined at an abattoir the prevalence of band-shaped tail lesions was 23%, i.e. similar to the prevalence within the herds. At the abattoir the share of band-shaped wound lesions was 67% and the band-shaped connective tissue formation 33%. Associations between the occurrence of band-shaped tail lesions and parity and lack of the tail tip were observed.</p>","PeriodicalId":7181,"journal":{"name":"Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica","volume":"66 1","pages":"19"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2024-05-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11091988/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140920169","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Silva Rubini, Roberto Rubini, Silvia Bertocchi, Silvia Zordan, Alice Magri, Filippo Barsi, Maria Sampieri, Carlo Alessandro Locatelli, Erika Baldini, Stefano Manfredini, Silvia Vertuani
{"title":"A case of severe benzalkonium chloride intoxication in a cat","authors":"Silva Rubini, Roberto Rubini, Silvia Bertocchi, Silvia Zordan, Alice Magri, Filippo Barsi, Maria Sampieri, Carlo Alessandro Locatelli, Erika Baldini, Stefano Manfredini, Silvia Vertuani","doi":"10.1186/s13028-024-00737-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s13028-024-00737-x","url":null,"abstract":"Benzalkonium chloride (BAC) is a quaternary ammonium compound (QAC), that can be found in a wide variety of household products–from disinfectants to medicaments and home fragrances–but also professional products. In pets, cats have long been reported as more sensitive than dogs to QACs; in fact, signs of irritation such as oral ulcerations, stomatitis and pharyngitis can be observed after contact with concentrations of 2% or lower. In a review of 245 cases of BAC exposure in cats, reported by the Veterinary Poisons Information Service (United Kingdom) only 1.2% of the cases died or were euthanized. Nevertheless, BAC toxidromes in cats can result in transitory CNS and respiratory distress, as well as severe mucosal and cutaneous lesions. Currently, only a few reports are available concerning BAC poisoning in this species. A 4 month-old kitten presented with severe glossitis, lameness in the hindlimbs and episodes of vomiting and diarrhoea. The cause was unknown until the owners reported use of a BAC-containing mould remover (5%) 4 days later. The patient developed severe oral burns requiring a pharyngeal tube for feeding and severe cutaneous chemical burns. The kitten was managed with supportive therapy and required hospitalization for 10 days. The symptoms disappeared completely 3 weeks after exposure. BAC is a very common compound contained in several household and professional products but, to the best of our knowledge, no previous case had been reported in Italy. We hope that this report will help raise awareness on the hazards of BAC products for cats in both domestic and work contexts.","PeriodicalId":7181,"journal":{"name":"Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica","volume":"71 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2024-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140598585","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ueli Braun, Christian Gerspach, Claudia Volz, Monika Hilbe, Karl Nuss
{"title":"Torsion of the spiral colon in cattle– a retrospective analysis of 58 cases","authors":"Ueli Braun, Christian Gerspach, Claudia Volz, Monika Hilbe, Karl Nuss","doi":"10.1186/s13028-024-00738-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s13028-024-00738-w","url":null,"abstract":"Torsion of the spiral colon (TSC) describes twisting of the spiral colon around its mesentery. The present study reviewed the medical records of 58 cows and heifers with TSC and described the findings, treatment and outcome. All cases had an abnormal general condition, and the main vital sign abnormalities were tachycardia (72.4%), tachypnoea (67.2%) and decreased rectal temperature (51.8%). Signs of colic were seen in 62.1% of the cows. The most common intestinal abnormalities were an empty or almost empty rectum (96.6%), reduced or absent rumen motility (93.2%), positive ballottement and/or percussion and simultaneous auscultation on the right side of the abdomen (87.9%), reduced or absent intestinal motility (84.5%) and dilatation of the large intestines (spiral colon and/or caecum, 70.7%) diagnosed by transrectal palpation. The main biochemical changes were hypermagnesaemia (70.8%), hypocalcaemia (70.8%), and acidosis (66.7%). Haemoconcentration was found in 63.8%. The main ultrasonographic findings were reduced to absent small intestinal motility (83.3%), dilated small intestines (69.6%) and ascites (66.7%). The spiral colon was dilated in 44.0% of the cows and the caecum in 24.0%. The actual site of torsion could not be visualised. Based on the clinical findings, TSC was diagnosed in 22.4% and caecal dilatation in 50.0% of the cows. A tentative diagnosis of small intestinal ileus was made in another 10.3% of the cows, and a definitive diagnosis of small intestinal ileus in 17.3%. Fifty-three cows underwent right flank laparotomy, and the TSC could be reduced in 26. Twenty-six of the 58 (44.8%) cows were discharged and 32 (55.2%) were euthanased before, during or after surgery. Acute illness, a sparse amount of faeces in the rectum and dilated spiral colon and caecum are characteristic findings of TSC. The final diagnosis often relies on the surgical or postmortem findings. Cattle with TSC should be treated surgically without delay. The prognosis is guarded with a survival rate of 44.8%.","PeriodicalId":7181,"journal":{"name":"Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica","volume":"130 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2024-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140598581","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Correction to: Dystocia in cattle and horses: a compilation of historical artworks dedicated to Professor Gerhard Sand (1861–1921)","authors":"Jørgen Steen Agerholm, Mette Christoffersen, Jan Boysen-Møller Secher, Annika Normann, Hanne Gervi Pedersen","doi":"10.1186/s13028-024-00739-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s13028-024-00739-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><b>Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica (2024) 66:12</b></p><p>https://doi.org/10.1186/s13028-024-00733-1</p><p>Following publication of the original article [1], we have been notified that the supplementary materials’ file should be corrected as the published files were incorrectly uploaded.</p><p>The original article was updated.</p><ol data-track-component=\"outbound reference\"><li data-counter=\"1.\"><p>Agerholm et al. (2024) Dystocia in cattle and horses: a compilation of historical artworks dedicated to Professor Gerhard Sand (1861–1921) (2024). 66:12 https://doi.org/10.1186/s13028-024-00733-1.</p></li></ol><p>Download references<svg aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" height=\"16\" role=\"img\" width=\"16\"><use xlink:href=\"#icon-eds-i-download-medium\" xmlns:xlink=\"http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink\"></use></svg></p><h3>Authors and Affiliations</h3><ol><li><p>Section for Veterinary Reproduction and Obstetrics, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Højbakkegaard Allé 5A, DK-2630, Taastrup, Denmark</p><p>Jørgen Steen Agerholm, Mette Christoffersen, Jan Boysen-Møller Secher & Hanne Gervi Pedersen</p></li><li><p>Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Grønnegårdsvej 15, DK-1870, Frederiksberg C, Denmark</p><p>Annika Normann</p></li></ol><span>Authors</span><ol><li><span>Jørgen Steen Agerholm</span>View author publications<p>You can also search for this author in <span>PubMed<span> </span>Google Scholar</span></p></li><li><span>Mette Christoffersen</span>View author publications<p>You can also search for this author in <span>PubMed<span> </span>Google Scholar</span></p></li><li><span>Jan Boysen-Møller Secher</span>View author publications<p>You can also search for this author in <span>PubMed<span> </span>Google Scholar</span></p></li><li><span>Annika Normann</span>View author publications<p>You can also search for this author in <span>PubMed<span> </span>Google Scholar</span></p></li><li><span>Hanne Gervi Pedersen</span>View author publications<p>You can also search for this author in <span>PubMed<span> </span>Google Scholar</span></p></li></ol><h3>Corresponding author</h3><p>Correspondence to Jørgen Steen Agerholm.</p><h3>Publisher’s Note</h3><p>Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.</p><p>The online version of the original article can be found at https://doi.org/10.1186/s13028-024-00733-1.</p><p><b>Open Access</b> This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to th","PeriodicalId":7181,"journal":{"name":"Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica","volume":"57 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2024-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140598545","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Transversotrema hafniensis n. sp. infection in Poecilia reticulata by cercariae released from Melanoides tuberculata in Denmark","authors":"Kurt Buchmann, Per Walter Kania","doi":"10.1186/s13028-024-00736-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s13028-024-00736-y","url":null,"abstract":"Exotic and ornamental fish are highly popular companion animals resulting in a significant transcontinental trade of fish, invertebrates and aquatic plants. A major issue is the diseases associated with these organisms, as they have a major impact on health of the fish in both public and private household aquaria. A secondary issue is the trade with these products, which potentially may expand the distribution area and spread a range of diseases to new habitats. We here describe how Poecilia reticulata (guppy), produced in a private household aquarium, were invaded by cercariae of an exotic trematode released by imported Melanoides tuberculata snails. The fish presented with severe clinical signs (tremor, flashing, scraping of body against objects). A standard parasitological examination and morphometric identification showed scale pocket infections with a digenean trematode species within the genus Transversotrema. Molecular identification by PCR, sequencing and phylogenetic analyses of a 2646 bp sequence encoding ribosomal RNA (partial 18 S, ITS1, 5.8 S, ITS2, partial 28 S) was performed. The 1107 bp sequence of mitochondrial DNA (cox1) showed that the parasite differed from previously described Transversotrema species in M. tuberculata. Morphometrics of adult and larval specimens of this isolate also differed from previously described freshwater species within the genus. The new species was described and is named after Copenhagen, for its geographic origin. The genus Transversotrema comprises a range of species, adapted to a microhabitat in scalepockets of teleosts. A combination of morphological and molecular characterization techniques has been shown to provide a good differentiation between species. The fish were not purchased from a pet shop but produced in the home aquarium. This indicated that an infection pressure existed in the aquarium, where the source of infection was found to be exotic intermediate host snails M. tuberculata, which originally were imported and purchased from a pet shop. The potential spread of fish diseases associated with trade of fish and snails to new geographic regions, where climate conditions are favourable, is discussed.","PeriodicalId":7181,"journal":{"name":"Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica","volume":"158 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2024-04-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140598579","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Filippo Maria Dini, Laura Stancampiano, Giovanni Poglayen, Roberta Galuppi
{"title":"Risk factors for Toxoplasma gondii infection in dogs: a serological survey.","authors":"Filippo Maria Dini, Laura Stancampiano, Giovanni Poglayen, Roberta Galuppi","doi":"10.1186/s13028-024-00734-0","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13028-024-00734-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Dogs, as well as a wide variety of other warm-blooded animals, act as intermediate host of Toxoplasma gondii. In dogs, most cases of toxoplasmosis are subclinical, although clinical disease has been sporadically reported. Beyond its role in diagnostic pathways, seropositivity also functions as a reflection of the parasite's spread within the dog's living environment. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the possible risk factor associated with seropositivity to T. gondii in dogs in Central-Northern Italy, analysing 120 dogs sera for the presence of IgG antibodies by indirect fluorescence antibody test (IFAT).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The population examined was composed of 54.2% hunting dogs, 24.2% companion dogs, 14.2% truffle dogs and 7.5% watchdogs. Thirty-four (29.2%) dogs tested positive for T. gondii IgG, with titres ranging from 1:40 to 1:1280. Seroprevalence and antibodies titres were not related to dog gender, age or function. The logistic regression and ordered logistic regression results indicated that seroprevalence, and antibody titres were significantly higher in dogs cohabiting with cats, exhibiting coprophagy habits, and living constantly outdoors. Notably, the lifestyle factor showed the highest odds-ratios in the study: dogs living constantly outdoors were found to be at approximately 5 times greater risk of testing positive and having higher antibody titres compared to dogs living both indoors and outdoors.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Both logistic and ordered logistic regression results support the key role of living with cats, engaging in coprophagy behaviours, and maintaining an outdoor lifestyle in increasing the risk of T. gondii infection in dogs. These identified risk factors collectively suggest that both ingesting oocysts, as observed through cat cohabitation and coprophagy, and engaging in predatory behaviours, as possible for outdoor living dogs, are indicating likely sources of T. gondii infection in this host species.</p>","PeriodicalId":7181,"journal":{"name":"Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica","volume":"66 1","pages":"14"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2024-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10964533/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140287945","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Iron status in piglets at three days of age and at weaning and possible seasonal effects on the blood haemoglobin levels in a Swedish outdoor pig-producing farm","authors":"Johanna Fjelkner, Axel Sannö, Ulf Emanuelson","doi":"10.1186/s13028-024-00735-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s13028-024-00735-z","url":null,"abstract":"Piglets are born with limited stores of iron, and with an increasing number of live-born piglets, there may be a risk that the sows cannot provide enough iron to their offspring. The iron content in soil may not meet the demands of today’s piglet, born and reared in an outdoor setting. The study aimed to describe the blood haemoglobin (Hb) levels in pigs reared outdoors and to determine whether piglets have higher Hb levels at weaning when an iron supplement is administered intramuscularly at three days of age, as compared to pigs not given an iron supplement. The seasonal variation in Hb-levels was also to be investigated. The Hb concentration was analysed with a HemoCue 201 + Hb photometer. In total 56 litters (399 piglets) were included in the study and sampled at three days of age, while 378 piglets were sampled at weaning. The mean Hb level at three days of age was 91 g/L (48–154 g/L). In total 47% of the piglets had Hb levels < 90 g/L at three days of age. The mean Hb level at weaning was 127 g/L (76–176 g/L), with a lower level (122 g/L) in the group given the iron supplement than in the group not given an iron supplement (132 g/L). Only 1% of the piglets had Hb levels lower than 90 g/L at weaning. Results indicative of a seasonal effect on Hb levels at three days of age was demonstrated. Piglets born in spring had significantly lower Hb levels, and piglets born in autumn had significantly higher Hb levels. No seasonal effect could be demonstrated for Hb levels at day 33. The results indicate that the natural uptake from the environment was sufficient, but that there was a seasonal effect on the Hb levels at three days of age. This indicates that there might be a need for different routines regarding iron supplementation in outdoor reared piglets depending on the climate and season.","PeriodicalId":7181,"journal":{"name":"Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica","volume":"160 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2024-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140167760","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}