TRYPNET. New hemoparasite information network.

This study investigated the impact of feeding 17% moringa leaf meal (MLM) on the ruminal and fecal microbial composition and body weight gain (BWG) performance of lambs (Ovis aries) and kids (Capra hircus). A total of n = 28 lambs (n = 14, no-moringa, n = 14, 17% moringa) and 24 kids (n = 12, no-moringa, n = 12, 17% moringa) were involved in the experiment and body weight was recorded fortnightly. Metagenomic shotgun sequencing was performed on 28, 22, and 26 ruminal solid, liquid fraction, and fecal samples from lambs, and 23, 22, and 23 samples from kids. Moringa supplementation significantly increased BWG in lambs (21.09 ± 0.78 to 26.12 ± 0.81 kg) and kids (14.60 ± 1.29 to 18.28 ± 1.09 kg) (p-value ≤ 0.01). Microbiome analysis revealed an elevated Firmicutes:Bacteroidetes ratio in the moringa diet group. Moringa-fed animals exhibited increased microbial genera associated with volatile fatty acids (VFAs) production (Prevotella, Anaerovibrio, Lachnospiraceae, Butyrivibrio, Christensenella) and starch and fiber digesters (Proteobacteria, Ruminococcus). The increase in the bacterial genus Sharpea suggested possible methane reduction and decreased proportion of pathogens, Aliarcobacter_ID28198, Campylobacter_ID194 and Campylobacter_ID1660076 suggest health benefits. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis demonstrated significant alterations in microbial gene pool and metabolic pathways related to carbohydrate, protein, lipid and energy metabolism, indicating potential improvements in animal health. Overall, moringa feeding showed higher energy recovery, improved growth, and potential benefits in methane reduction and reduced pathogenic bacteria.

BackgroundMechanical transmission of the major livestock pathogen Trypanosoma vivax by other biting flies than tsetse allows its spread from Africa to the New World. Genetic studies are restricted to a small number of isolates and based on molecular markers that evolve too slowly to resolve the relationships between American and West African populations and, thus, unable us to uncover the recent history of T. vivax in the New World.MethodsT. vivax genetic diversity, population structure and the source of outbreaks was investigated through the microsatellite multiloci (7 loci) genotype (MLGs) analysis in South America (47isolates from Brazil, Venezuela and French Guiana) and West Africa (12 isolates from The Gambia, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Benin and Nigeria). Relationships among MLGs were explored using phylogenetic, principal component and STRUCTURE analyses.ResultsAlthough closely phylogenetically related, for the first time, genetic differences were detected between T. vivax isolates from South America (11 genotypes/47 isolates) and West Africa (12 genotypes/12 isolates) with no MLGs in common. Diversity was far greater across West Africa than in South America, where genotypes from Brazil (MLG1-6), Venezuela (MLG7-10) and French Guiana (MLG11) shared similar but not identical allele composition. No MLG was exclusive to asymptomatic (endemic areas) or sick (outbreaks in non-endemic areas) animals, but only MLGs1, 2 and 3 were responsible for severe haematological and neurological disorders.ConclusionsOur results revealed closely related genotypes of T. vivax in Brazil and Venezuela, regardless of endemicity and clinical conditions of the infected livestock. The MLGs analysis from T. vivax across SA and WA support clonal propagation, and is consistent with the hypothesis that the SA populations examined here derived from common ancestors recently introduced from West Africa. The molecular markers defined here are valuable to assess the genetic diversity, to track the source and dispersion of outbreaks, and to explore the epidemiological and pathological significance of T. vivax genotypes.

Prevalence of hemoparasites of ruminants (cattle, sheep and goat) in and around Debre-Zeit was determined using diagnostic records from November, 2010 to April, 2011. A total of 384 blood samples collected from ruminants present in Debre-Zeit town and surrounding peasant associated areas were examined by Giemsa stained, thin blood smears and Diff-quick method for hemoparasite. Packed cell volume (PCV) for each sample was estimated and hematocrit centrifugation (HCT) technique was used to determine the presence of hemoflagellates. An overall prevalence of hemoparasites was 6.3% which consisted of Anaplasma species (Anaplasma ovis 2.1%, Anaplasma marginale 1.6%, Anaplasma centerale 0.3%), Babesia species (Babesia bigeemina, Babesia bovis and Babesia ovis total of 0.9%) and Trypanosome species (only Trypanosome vivax 1.6%). The hemoparasite detected alone or in concurrent infection had a significant (P<0.05) effect on PCV of infected animals. The result of this study shows these hemoparasites are not endemic in ruminants in the study area, which may results in serious disease conditions when such animals are subjected to stress full condition. Key words: Debre-Zeit, hemoparasites, prevalence, ruminants.

\n Introduction. This study was carried\nout in French Guiana, over ten years (1994–2003) by three institutions (SPV,\nFDGPC and CIRAD); it updates the current state of knowledge of Tephritidae\n(both Dacini and Toxotrypanini tribes) species present in this country. \nMaterials and methods. The work was mainly conducted\nin inhabited areas (from the Brazilian border to the Surinamese\nborder) where cultivated fruit crops are located. Specimens were\nobtained by adult trapping and fruit sampling in nearby orchards\nand at the edge of the rainforest. Trapping was done consistently\nfor 10 years, while fruit sampling was a discontinuous activity.\nWe present only the results for fruit sampling from three consecutive years\n(2001–2003) in which a total of 880 kg from 45 fruit species in\n22 plant families were collected. Results. Twenty-nine\nplant species from fourteen plant families were found to be hosts\nof twenty-one Anastrepha species and one Bactrocera species, \nBactrocera carambolae Drew and Hancock. During\nthis period, no specimen of Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann)\nwas collected in traps or fruit samples. We registered the main fruit\ntrees which were hosts for B. carambolae and Anastrepha spp. Five\nhymenopterous parasitoid species were identified. Among them, Diachasmimorpha\nlongicaudata (Ashmead) (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) is an\nexotic species and was introduced into French Guiana in collaboration\nwith Brazilian authorities (EMBRAPA) in 2000 and 2001 within the framework\nof a classical biological control program. Conclusion.\nOur data provide baseline information about the tephritid species of\neconomic importance present in French Guiana and assist in developing potential\nfuture control programs of both the B. carambolae and \nAnastrepha species in the Amazon Basin. These preliminary results\nare discussed in the light of their implication for rainforest conservation\nefforts and also evolutionary relationships between fruit flies\nand their hosts.\n

The development of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for Trypanosoma vivax and its use in a seroepidemiological survey of the Eastern Caribbean Basin

Leptospirosis is a cosmopolitan zoonosis caused by bacteria of the genus Leptospira. Whether the distribution is worldwide, the hot and humid climate of the tropics is particularly conducive to its expansion. In most French overseas departments and territories, leptospirosis is considered as a public health problem. In French Guiana, a French department located in the northeastern part of the Amazon rainforest, it is supposed to be rare. The objective of this review was to make an inventory of the knowledge on human and animal leptospirosis in French Guiana and neighboring countries. A comprehensive search was conducted through the indexed and informal medical literature in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese. Thus, respectively ten and four publications were identified on human and animal leptospirosis in French Guiana, published between 1940 and 1995 in the form of case reports or case series. The publications concerning this disease in the other countries of the Guiana Shield, eastern Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, and Brazilian state of Amapá, also scarce or nonexistent. However recent data from the French National Centre of leptospirosis showed a recent and sudden increase in the number of cases in the department, probably partly due to the development of diagnostic tools such as Elisa IgM serology. It is likely that leptospirosis is a neglected disease in the region, due to the lack of diagnostic tools readily available, the lack of knowledge of the local clinicians on this disease and the existence of many other pathogens with similar clinical presentation such as malaria, arboviruses and Q fever and Amazonian toxoplasmosis. The establishment of more large-scale studies on animal and human leptospirosis is necessary and urgent to know the true burden of this disease in our region.

A cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2008 to March 2009 in Adigudem and Kwiha districts of Tigray regional state with the objective of identifying the prevalence of haemoparasites and the associated risk factors in working donkeys. Blood samples were collected from a total of 400 randomly selected donkeys and examined by dark ground/phase contrast buffy coat technique and Giemsa stained blood smears. The overall prevalence of haemoparasites was 2.5% (n =10) without significant variation between the two districts (p>0.05). Babesia and trypansomes were the haemoparasites observed in the donkeys with a prevalence of 1.75% (n=7) and 0.75 % (n=3), respectively. Species identification has indicated the presence of two species of Babesia: Babesia equi (71.43%) and Babesia caballi (28.6%) whereas all the trypanosomes encountered belong to the single species of Trypanosoma vivax. No significant association was observed between the prevalence of either of the two haemoparasites and the hypothesized risk factors (district, sex, age and body condition score) (p>0.05 for all factors). The mean packed cell volume (PCV) of trypanosome infected donkeys (20.67±4.04) was significantly (p 0.05). Moreover, this study has shown that 22% donkeys tested serologically were seropositive for Trypanosoma evansi and Trypanosoma equiperdum. Overall, the prevalence of haemoparasites reported in the current study is low compared with previous studies and might be associated with the study design, the season of study, low sensitivity of the parasitological technique or a better veterinary service provided in the area by a charity organization.

What do you think of when you hear the words: milking equipment? Do you think of the different brands? Boumatic, DeLaval, GEA or Lely? Do you think of parlours, parallels or rotaries? Do you think of teat cups, liners or rubber hosing? Do you think of teat dips and cleaners? If you think of mostly hardware – I can’t blame you. If I look at DeLaval, the company I work for, it has a 136-year history of offering dairy producers revolutionary innovations. In 1878, Gustaf de Laval patented the cream separator, which was the basis for forming our company in 1883. (That was even before Old MacDonald’s farm.) DeLaval has since made other significant improvements in animal health and welfare, milk production, food safety and labor efficiency with technologies like: the vacuum operated milking machine (1917); a commercial rotary (1930); animal identification systems (1978); variable speed vacuum pumps (1977); milking robots (late 1990s); an on-farm lab called Herd Navigator; Clover-shaped liners (2013); a teat spray robot (2015); a body condition score camera (2015); and our latest robot, the VMSTM V300 (2018). DeLaval has been pushing the Brave New World for many years. Today, we have a software program called DelProTM Farm Manager – a powerful data management tool providing valuable information and analysis. It enables the dairy producer to make efficient daily actions and for advisors to monitor and provide profitable and sustainable management actions. As animal scientists, what is your role in this? One avenue is to consider working with the data to provide relevant summaries on what the information is telling us. You can have a role in influencing management changes for dairy farms for the future. While not all farms have access to this data and information, your research projects can help dairy farmers wanting to make improvements to their operations. Producers need non-bias, third party sources they can reference. The dairy farming world is changing; we all need to keep up. Make sure the research that you decide upon fits into this rapid pace.

The intestinal microbiota has a profound impact on the health and productivity of poultry species, making the acquisition, composition, and functional contributions of individual community members of vital importance for producers. Determining the source(s) of the initial microbial inoculum from which newly hatched chicks establish their intestinal microbiota and assessing the functionality of individual intestinal microbes can provide producers with potential interventions to achieve the improvements in animal health and performance. Here, we evaluate the impacts of different inocula sources, namely the eggshell- and the environmental-associated microbial communities, on the establishment and successional processes along the intestinal tract of newly hatched chicks. It was found that both the eggshell and environmental microbiota contribute to microbial succession in the poultry intestinal tract. Interestingly, the eggshell seems to play an appreciable role in the development of the small intestine microbiota, specifically the jejunum and ileum, where the microbial community structure of birds exposed exclusively to the eggshell microbiota significantly resembled the structure of conventionally raised birds. Additionally, a novel species of Turicibacter was isolated from chicken eggshells and the swine ileum. Novel Turicibacter isolates were genomically characterized and their physiological responses to chicken bile and individual bile acids were compared. Turicibacter strains were capable of deconjugating bile acids, potentially impacting host nutrient absorption. Future research should focus on the application of well-described microbial consortia to drive beneficial successional processes in the intestinal tract of poultry and the further description of novel bacteria that have the potential to impact host health and productivity.

Ranching and the new global range: Amazônia in the 21st century

Spirulina (Athrospira sp.) is an edible microalga and a highly nutritious potential feed resource for many agriculturally important animal species. Research findings have associated Spirulina to improvements in animal growth, fertility, aesthetic and nutritional product quality. Spirulina intake has also been linked to an improvement in animal health and welfare. Its influence over animal development stems from its nutritive and protein-rich composition, thus leading to an increased commercial production to meet consumer demand. Consequently, Spirulina is emerging as a cost-effective means of improving animal productivity for a sustainable and viable food security future. However, our present knowledge of animal response to dietary Spirulina supplementation is relatively scanty and largely unknown. Therefore, the primary objective of this paper was to review past and current findings on the utilisation of Spirulina as a feed supplement and its impact on animal productivity and health. Only animals deemed to be of agricultural significance were investigated; hence, only ruminants, poultry, swine and rabbits and their responses to dietary Spirulina supplementation are covered.

It is stimulating to note the progress that has been made in the nutrition of domestic animals–-as in that of man–-in recent years. The part played by a number of trace elements in enzymic catalysis and other roles of direct or indirect benefit is being elucidated. By dosing the animal and by treating pastures, disabilities can now be dramatically removed, or avoided, with immediate improvement in animal health and productivity.

ABSTRACT: Many inconclusive diagnoses have been reported in studies carried out in veterinary diagnostic laboratories (VDLs). These inconclusive diagnoses are often associated with field veterinarians sending tissue samples and carcasses for histopathological examination. The use of social media in care has the potential as a tool for improvements in animal health. We evaluated the improvement in the rate of conclusive diagnoses in the VDL when using a messaging application for smartphones as a guidance tool for field veterinarians to refer animals and sample tissues for necropsy and histopathology. Veterinarians contacted the VDL team via a messaging app and forwarded videos, images, and clinical-epidemiological history. Based on this information, guidelines were created in real-time for contacting professionals about methods for collecting samples during necropsy and making diagnoses and scheduling visits to properties. The data obtained showed that smartphone messaging applications could be useful tools to expand the performance of VDLs and improve their diagnostic efficiency, especially when sending samples of animals that died is impossible due to certain sanitary conditions.

The importance of equality between EEC countries to provide for fair competition is emphasized and the gap between UK and other Community producers in costs and returns examined. Comparisons are made of climatic conditions, herd size, genetic quality of the dairy herd, utilization of artificial insemination for breeding, yields achieved/cow and the provision of dairy husbandry services, such as herd yield prediction from computerized records. The need for improvements in animal health in the UK, particularly eliminating brucellosis and controlling mastitis, is stressed. Transport and bulk collection of milk, standardization, retail distribution and the economics of processing and manufacturing are discussed. Tables indicate the level and trends in consumption of milk and dairy products, which are more encouraging in the UK than elsewhere in the Community. The need to improve the application of basis research findings is mentioned, as is the desirability of closer links between the industry and the Ministry. The author concludes that the UK industry has a competitive advantage that all involved in it should strive to maintain.

Biotechnological advances in animal health and nutrition continue to play a significant role in the improvement of animal health, growth, and production performance. These biotechnological advancements, especially the use of direct-fed microbials, also termed probiotics, those genetically modified and otherwise, have minimized many challenges facing livestock production around the world. Such advancements result in healthy animals and animal products, such as meat, for a growing population worldwide. Increasing demand for productivity, healthy animals, and consumer food safety concerns, especially those emanating from excessive use of antibiotics or growth promoters, are a driving force for investing in safer alternatives, such as probiotics. The advent of vastly diverse pathogens and bacterial organisms, some of which have acquired antimicrobial resistance due to therapeutic use of these antibiotics, has had a negative impact on the animal and food industries. Probiotics have been chosen as substitutes to counter this excessive use of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance. Over the last decade, probiotics have gained recognition, increased in importance, and stimulated growing interest in the animal health and nutrition industry. Probiotics are considered to be favorable live microorganisms by the host organism by maintaining microbial homeostasis and healthy gut, and can be a viable alternative to antibiotics in addition to providing other growth-promoting properties. Even though various studies describe the modes of action of probiotics, more research is needed to illuminate the exact mechanism of action of probiotics and how they benefit the host. This review describes the importance of probiotics in animal health, nutrition, and in growth and production performance. It also provides a thorough review of recent advances in probiotics research and application in animal health and nutrition and future directions on probiotic research to enhance animal performance.