Dead Cow Research Articles

Southwestward Expansion of the Pacific Sleeper Shark's (Somniosus pacificus) Known Distribution into the South China Sea.

We conducted an experiment of planting a dead cow and a metal-framed cage with cameras on the 1629 m deep sea floor off the southeast coast of Hainan Island in the northwestern South China Sea, using ROV diving and setting up a video camera on the cage to observe animals who came to eat the bait. The deep-sea cameras captured footage of eight Pacific sleeper sharks (Somniosus pacificus) swimming and feeding around the dead cow. To our knowledge, this is the first time the occurrence of such a shark species has been reported in the South China Sea. Eight individuals were differentiated based on the characteristic differences displayed in the images, with lengths of 1.9 to 5.1 m estimated. The video camera also recorded the predators' behavior of tearing at the dead cow on the seabed. It was discovered that Pacific sleeper sharks are not strictly solitary and exhibit queue-feeding behavior. This study is significant as it documents a record of a data-scarce shark species, for which little information is available in the literature. It also documents an expansion of the species' known habitat from the north Pacific Ocean into the South China Sea. Such sharks diving into the deep sea to predate on dead animals also suggests that occurrences of large chunks of dead organic bodies falling onto the deep sea might have been more frequent than we previously thought in the South China Sea. The findings have implications for understanding the geographic connectivity of large swimming animals between the South China Sea and the Pacific Ocean and provide scientific evidence for formulating conservation and management strategies for sharks and other large animals in the oceans.

The first isolation of Clostridium massiliodielmoense from a dead beef cow in Japan and pitfalls to be aware of in identifying the Clostridium species.

Clostridium sp. was detected in the organs of a cow with black watery diarrhea in Japan. Results identifying this species were inconsistent; Clostridium novyi type A infection was suggested by PCR assay targeting Clostridium fliC region (fliC-multiplex PCR), while 16S rRNA gene sequencing identified the isolated bacteria as Clostridium massiliodielmoense. Sequencing of fliC-multiplex PCR products from the isolates revealed the presence of fliC region in C. massiliodielmoense, which had 92.7% nucleotide similarity to that of C. novyi type A JCM 1406T, leading to the false positive detection of C. novyi by the PCR. This is the first C. massiliodielmoense isolation from clinical specimens, suggesting the need for further research on its pathogenicity and improvement in fliC-multiplex PCR.

‘It's cheaper than a dead cow’: Understanding veterinary medicine use on dairy farms

This study offers a detailed and original assessment of the practices of prescription veterinary medicine use on UK dairy farms. The emergence of antimicrobial resistance as a global threat has necessitated an increasing focus on medicine use in agriculture. While an abundance of studies have recently emerged to demonstrate and evaluate strategies for medicine reduction, this paper seeks to understand the context and the on-farm culture within which treatment practices occur on a sample of UK dairy farms. Arguing that the experiential knowledge, on-farm culture and informal information flows are as important as ‘science’ in the practice of treatment decision making and drawing on extensive participant observation fieldwork combined with semi-structured interviews, this paper identifies and discusses three key themes that develop and, in places, challenge our current understanding of farmer treatment practices. These areas - treatment knowledge and understanding, a duty of care and autonomy of treatment practice - are seen to have complex effects on the use of veterinary medicines in dairy cattle and, as such, highlight critical areas for further research and opportunities for policy interventions aimed at improving responsible medicine use.

Mannheimia bovis sp. nov., Isolated from a Dead Cow with Hemorrhagic Pneumonia.

Strain ZY190616T was isolated from lung of a dead cow with hemorrhagic pneumonia in Yunnan Province, China. The strain was Gram-stain-negative, facultatively anaerobic bacterium. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequence indicated that the strain was closely related to species of the genus Mannheimia and formed an independent clade with M.varigena CCUG 38462T (97.0% similarity). Phylogenetic analysis based on recN gene indicated that the strain formed a clade with M.caviae CCUG 59995T (87.8% similarity). Phylogenetic analysis based on rpoB gene indicated that the strain formed a clade with M.varigena CCUG 38462T (94.7% similarity). The genomic OrthoANI values between strain ZY190616T and M. ovis, M.haemolytica and M.granulomatis were 84.5%, 82.7% and 81.9%, respectively. The genomic G + C content was 39.8mol%. The predominant fatty acids (> 5%) of the strain were C16:0, C14:0, C18:1ω7c, summed feature 3 (C16:1 ω7c and/ or C16:1ω6c) and summed feature 2 (C14:0 3OH/ C16:1 Iso). The major polar lipids were phosphatidylglycerol (PG), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), monophosphatidylglycerol (MGDG), triacylglycerol (TAG) and diphosphatidylglycerol (DLCL). The sole respiratory quinone was CoQ-7. Based on evidence from the taxonomic study, strain ZY190616T represents a novel species of the genus Mannheimia, for which the name Mannheimia bovis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is ZY190616T (= CCTCC AB 2020168T = KCTC 25018T).

Assessment of knowledge, attitudes and practices towards anthrax in Narok County, Southern Kenya.

Introductionanthrax is endemic in some parts of Kenya causing mortalities in livestock and morbidity in humans. On January 20th, 2018, news media reported suspected anthrax in a remote southern Kenyan village after villagers became ill following consumption of meat from a dead cow that was confirmed, by microscopy, to have died of anthrax. We assessed community knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) to identify intervention gaps for anthrax prevention.Methodswe conducted a KAP survey in randomly selected households (HHs) in villages from selected wards. Using multi-stage sampling approach, we administered structured questionnaire to persons aged ≥15 years to collect KAP information from February 11th-21st, 2018. From a set of questions for KAP, we scored participants’ response as “1” for a correct response and “0” for an incorrect response. Univariate analysis and Chi-square tests were performed to explore determinants of KAP. Concurrently, we gathered qualitative data using interview guides for thematic areas on anthrax KAP from key informant interviews and focus group discussions. Qualitative data were transcribed in Ms Word and analyzed along themes by content analysis.Resultsamong 334 respondents: 187/334 (56%) were male; mean age, 40.7±13.6 years; 331/334 (99.1%) had heard of anthrax and 304/331 (91.8%) knew anthrax to be zoonotic. Transmission was considered to be through eating dead-carcasses by 273/331 (82.5%) and through contact with infected tissue by 213/331 (64.4%). About 59% (194/329) regularly vaccinated their livestock against anthrax, 53.0% (174/328) had slaughtered or skinned a dead-animal and 59.5% (195/328) practiced home slaughter while 52.9% (172/325) treated sick-animals by themselves. Sex (p≤0.001), age (p=0.007) and livestock-rearing years (p≤0.001) were significantly associated with knowledge and practice.Conclusionthere were differences in knowledge and practices towards anthrax by age-group and sex. Enhanced public health education and targeted interventions by relevant government agencies is recommended.

Draft Genome Sequence of Serratia marcescens Strain ZZCCN01, Isolated from the Cardiac Blood of a Beef Cow.

Serratia marcescens strain ZZCCN01 was isolated from the cardiac blood of a dead beef cow with a lung infection and a foam-like secretion from the nostril. Here, we introduce the 5.1-Mb draft genome sequence, which comprises 105 scaffolds, and the corresponding annotation.

Poisoning and re-introduction of the Griffon Vulture <i>Gyps fulvus</i> in Kresna Gorge, Bulgaria 2017

The reintroduction of the Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus in Kresna Gorge in south-western Bulgaria started in 2010 (Stoynov & Peshev 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014) and is run by the Fund for the Wild Flora and Fauna (FWFF). At present it is part of the project “Vultures Back to LIFE”. The number of wintering Griffon Vultures during the winter season 2016-2017 was a record high: 50 birds with some counts of over 60. About 10 pairs were showing breeding behaviour and at least four eggs were laid, until mid-March 2017 when the largest documented poisoning event of Griffon Vultures in the Balkan Peninsula occurred. From 12 March 2017 to early April of that year, the bodies of 18 Griffon Vultures were found, and the missing and indirectly identified victims numbered more than 30 individuals. Although several cases of poison baits targeted to kill wolves were recorded near the villages of Stara Kresna, Krupnik and Tserovo, all the vultures were poisoned probably in the same place near the village of Tserovo over at least three consecutive stages. While small baits were used in the first two regions and affected mostly wolves, foxes, and dogs, in the area of Tserovo the poison was set in a carcass of a dead cow that remained an active bait on the ground for more than two weeks. Despite the wide media coverage and mass public response to this destruction of nature, law enforcement investigations did not result in any prosecutions. The incident marked 2017 year as a catastrophe for the colony of Griffon Vultures in Kresna Gorge. Birds from other colonies were killed too: several birds from Vrachanski Balkan, including the first marked chick from a nest in the region, a bird from the Eastern Rhodopes and several from Macedonia and Serbia. High levels of management effort, combined with an increasing knowledge of the species and applied by FWFF and related organizations, resulted in the Kresan Gorge colony reconsolidating and being sustained. The remaining five to eight birds, probably with memory of the colony of Kresna Gorge, were supported by the immediate release of six more Griffon Vultures and by the continuous provision of safe food at vulture feeding sites. By the end of 2017, the local group of vultures ranged in size between 15 and 35 birds. For the monitoring and possible prevention of poisoning, the use of precise and intensive data collection via satellite transmitters was introduced.

Labia and Lingua Histopathology of Bali Cow (Bos sondaicus) on Hepatogenous Photosensitization Symptoms in Pakutatan Village, Jembrana, Bali

Hepatogenous photosensitization is one of the ruminant diseases with symptoms of dermatitis or eczema of the skin accompanied by liver damage. The disease is caused by the compounds of toxic lantadene A and lantadene B which are secondary metabolites of Lantana camara plant. This research was carried out on January 2017. The material used in this study was preserved organs of the labia and lingua of dead three year old cow (Bos sondaicus). Samples were taken from Pakutatan Village, Jembrana, Bali. Identification of organ samples, histological preparation and histopathological examination were conducted at the Disease Investigation Center (DIC) 6, Denpasar, Bali. The preparation of labia and lingua samples used the paraffin method with Hematoxylin and Eosin staining. The tissue structural damages found were necrosis, inflammatory cell infiltration, congestion and tissue bleeding. The data obtained were analyzed statistically by One Way Anova test with a confidence level of 95%. Based on the results, dead Bali cow which consumed a large numbers of Lantana camara plants showed that the highest number of cell damage was at the picnotic stage of cell necrosis (cell death) in the labia organ significantly (P<0.005), while the highest bacterial invasion was found in the labia organ with an average percentage of 12.40%.

Pathological findings of severe pancreatolithiasis in a cow

The aim of this study was to describe macroscopic and microscopic characteristics of pancreatolithiasis in a cow. On post mortem examination, severe pancreatolithiasis or a large numbers of white stones with rough surfaces and the ectasis of pancreatic ducts were observed in a female dead cow. Histopathological examination of the affected pancreas revealed focal dilation of exocrine pancreatic acini, atrophy of the acini epithelial cells, infiltrations of lipocytes, mild cystic dilatation of the glands, squamous metaplasia and infiltration of chronic inflammatory cells in the pancreatic ducts wall. The histopathological results of this study showed that pancreatolithiasis can cause microscopic changes in the affected pancreas that some of these lesions have not previously been reported in pancreatolithiasis. Further studies are needed to find out the effects of these microscopic changes on the gland functions in cow.

Sporadic outbreaks of cutaneous anthrax: A tip of the iceberg

Background: Although primarily a zoonotic disease, anthrax can be transmitted to human beings either directly or indirectly from animals. India being an endemic region for anthrax, the underreporting of cases from different parts makes it difficult to estimate the actual burden of anthrax, particularly in rural belt. Materials and Methods: A medical team consisting of members from medical college, public health and animal husbandry department went to visit a tribal village of Paschim Medinipur, West Bengal, from which place one person attended the skin department of Midnapur Medical College with painless hemorrhagic vesicular lesion. It resulted to high index of suspicion for an outbreak of anthrax. We interrogated the risk population of the area along with clinical examination and samples for relevant investigation were collected from them. Results: Out of 151 persons, 111 were found to come in contact with a dead cow. Among them, 11 persons had cutaneous anthrax, and all were associated with butchering animal. Attack rate was 7.3%, and the mean age was 35.9 years with a mean incubation period of 2.81 days. Six cows were found positive for anthrax in blood examination. Conclusion: Public awareness programs are to be undertaken from time to time so that early detection and treatment can prevent death from human anthrax. Regular survey and vaccination of livestock in endemic regions are to be undertaken by the animal health department.

Triumph of the Till

Triumph of the Till

High-Quality Genome Sequence of Bacillus anthracis Strain 14RA5914 Isolated during an Outbreak in Germany in 2014

ABSTRACTBacillus anthracis is a zoonotic agent causing anthrax, a notifiable disease in animals. The last anthrax outbreak among cattle in Germany occurred in April 2014 in Saxony-Anhalt. Here we report a high-quality genome sequence of the Bacillus anthracis strain 14RA5914 Dobichau isolated from the spleen of a dead cow.

Pining for the fjords1

Pining for the fjords¹

Source tracking of an anthrax outbreak in northeastern China using complete genome analysis and MLVA genotyping.

Anthrax is caused by Bacillus anthracis, an etiological agent behind zoonotic diseases worldwide. B. anthracis is also one of the most dangerous bioterrorism agents. An anthrax outbreak took place in Liaoning Province in northeastern China in August 2012. It resulted in seven human infections and dozens of dead cows. One B. anthracis strain, named Han, was isolated from a dead cow. This strain showed minor pathogenicity in mice and was suspected to be derived from the locally administered vaccine strain, Vac. In order to determine if the Han isolate was derived from the vaccine strain Vac and to track the source of the anthrax outbreak and, so, exclude the possibility of terrorism attack, a complete genome sequencing of these two B. anthracis strains was conducted. With the genome sequencing data, canonical single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis and whole-genome SNP screening were performed. The results indicate that the Han strain was markedly different from the Vac strain. Further analysis by multiple-locus variable-number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) showed that Han clustered with previously reported Chinese strains. The result of MLVA15 confirmed that the Han strain is a naturally occurring isolate instead of an engineered agent deliberately distributed by terrorists or other parties. In conclusion, our method used in this study not only facilitates epidemiological studies but also made it easier to distinguish naturally occurring outbreaks from intentionally released pathogens.

Jejunal hematoma in cattle

Sixteen years of adult cattle submissions to the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System were examined and data captured from cases with anaerobic cultures of intestinal content. Analysis was performed to determine if there were statistical differences between case submission types (nonbloody intestinal content [129 cases], bloody intestinal content [134 cases], and jejunal hematoma [JH; 51 cases]) for the presence of Clostridium perfringens (314 cases), C. perfringens toxinotypes (35 cases), and C. perfringens toxins (51 cases) in the content. Across submission types, significant differences were found in the isolation of C. perfringens between different specimen types (live cow, dead cow, or tissue from a field necropsy) with field samples being the most likely to have C. perfringens detected and live animals the least likely (P = 0.001). In cases of JH, detection of C. perfringens by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was more likely when a live or dead animal was submitted (P = 0.023) or when a live animal was submitted (P = 0.019) compared with submission of field necropsy tissues. These differences were not observed when cultures were performed to detect C. perfringens in cases of JH. There were no statistical differences between submission types with regard to any other variables evaluated. Detailed histologic examination of 21 cases of JH suggested disturbance of normal vascular or lymphatic function as the underlying problem in this entity.

Four Cases of Cutaneous Anthrax in Diyarbakir, Turkey

Anthrax which is a rare disease in developed countries, is still a serious public health problem in countries like Turkey where livestock is common. In this report, four cases of cutaneous anthrax detected in Kirkira village of Diyarbakir, Southeast Anatolia, Turkey, were presented. Three female and one male patients were admitted to our hospital with the complaints of skin lesions and high fever lasting for 10 days. Their history indicated that they injured their fingers during slaughtering of a dead cow meat. All patients had irregular edged necrotic vesiculobullous lesions on the erythematous and edematous base on their hand fingers, developed in 1 week following the contact. There was no systemic finding and the laboratory findings were within normal limits. Typical bamboo cane shaped gram-positive bacilli were observed on the Gram stained smears prepared from the vesicular lesions. Aerobic cultures in blood agar media revealed typical R type colonies, gray in color, creased, granulated and 2-3 mm in diameter within 24 hours of incubation. In one patient although the lesion was typical and characteristic gram-positive bacilli were detected in the Gram stained smears, no growth was seen in the cultures. The isolates (n= 3) were identified as Bacillus anthracis by conventional microbiological methods, and also confirmed by Vitek 2 (BioMerieux, France) automated identification system. Antibiotic susceptibility tests were performed by disc diffusion method according to the CLSI guidelines. The isolates were found susceptible to penicillin G, ampicillin, erythromycin, amikacin, chloramphenicol, tetracycline, vancomycin and ciprofloxacin. All of the patients were treated successfully with penicillin or ciprofloxacin accompanied by topical wound care. In the last years several case series of anthrax were reported especially from the East and Southeastern Anatolia regions of Turkey. These four cutaneous anthrax cases from Diyarbakir, Turkey were reported to withdraw attention to anthrax in that specific area. It was concluded that in areas where anthrax is endemic to educate people under risk, to take the necessary preventive measures and to rule out anthrax in the differential diagnosis of cases presenting with typical ulcers and had contact with animals or their products, are of crucial importance for the early initiation of appropriate treatment which would decrease related morbidity and mortality.

Openhole, Multistage Fracturing Holds Big Potential in Argentina

Technology Update Almost a century after its first oil discovery, Argentina is making headlines again through reports of the potential of the Vaca Muerta Shale in the Neuquén Basin—the most prolific basin in Argentina (Fig. 1). The existence of Vaca Muerta, which means “dead cow,” has been known for years, but the formation received little attention until the development of shale plays in North America. Vaca Muerta is virtually a virgin play with only a few operators involved. Yet with Argentina’s need to increase production and reduce dependence on foreign oil and gas, change is clearly in the air. Expanding Reserves and Production YPF has reported reserves and resources in the Vaca Muerta formation to be an estimated 22.8 billion BOE (YPF 2012). Encouraged by the estimate, YPF and several other Argentinean operators are continuing exploration activity to define the extent and productivity of the Vaca Muerta, particularly to identify the oil, wet gas, and dry gas areas. Early results suggest that Argentina has an opportunity to replicate the unconventional resource revolution of the United States and eventually meet domestic oil and gas demand through internal production. Argentina has the potential to increase oil and gas production by 50% in 10 years, which would reverse the negative trend that turned the country into a net importer in recent years. Yet this potential does not come easily, as preliminary estimates indicate the need for more than 1,000 wells to be drilled as a first step and 40 additional rigs to accomplish the goal. Besides the investment challenge that the Vaca Muerta now faces, there is an immediate challenge that needs to be dealt with: What is the best way to produce Vaca Muerta? Maximizing Production in Shale, Other Tight Plays In North America, the production of oil and gas from shale has increased greatly since 2007, with the development of several key plays such as the Bakken in North Dakota, the Barnett and Eagle Ford in Texas, and the Marcellus in the eastern United States, which have helped to reverse the declining production of the past few decades. The US and Canadian oil and gas industries were prepared for shale development. While these plays were not new to them, the use of new, unconventional exploitation technologies has been critical to success. In particular, as several studies have proved and is widely known in the industry, the challenge in these shale plays is connecting productive channels and creating fractures that will allow proper fluid movement and endure through the production cycles.

Feral swine disturbance at important archaeological sites

Feral swine are well known as environmentally destructive invasive animals in many areas around the world, where they degrade native habitats, harm rare plant and animal species, damage agricultural interests, and spread disease. We provide the first quantification of their potential as agents of disturbance at archaeological sites. Our study was conducted in south-central Florida at Avon Park Air Force Range, a base comprising over 40,000 ha and containing many archaeological sites. To determine the identifiable prevalence of feral swine disturbance, we examined 36 sites registered with the Florida State Historic Preservation Office and also eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). Moreover, we evaluated the extent of swine disturbance at a prehistoric site of extraordinary significance to Florida's prehistory, "Dead Cow." Fifteen of the 36 NRHP-eligible sites (42 %) had some level of swine disturbance, including 14 of 30 (47 %) sites known to have artifacts within 20 cm of the surface (well within swine rooting depths). At the Dead Cow site, we documented disturbance at 74 % of shovel test points. Sites with shallow artifact depositions appeared highly vulnerable to disturbance by feral swine, threatening destruction of artifact stratigraphy and provenience. Our observations likely are a minimal representation of accumulated damage. These irreplaceable sites tell the area's land use story across the millennia. That they are under threat from feral swine should serve broad notice of potential threats that feral swine may pose to archaeological sites globally, making effective swine management imperative for site protection.

Herd-level and territorial-level factors influencing average herd somatic cell count in France in 2005 and 2006

Mastitis is a multifactorial disease and the most costly dairy production issue. In spite of extensive literature on udder-health risk factors, effects of metabolic diseases, farmers' competencies and livestock farming system on somatic cells count (SCC) are sparsely described. Herd-level or territorial-level factors affecting monthly composite milk weighted mean cow SCC (CMSCC) were analysed with a linear mixed effect model. The average CMSCC was 266,000 cells/ml. Half of the herds had CMSCC >300,000 cells/ml for 2-6 months a year, and 15% of herds for more than 7 months a year. CMSCC was positively associated with the number of cows, having a beef or fattening herd in addition to the dairy herd, the monthly average days in milk, the yearly age at first calving, the yearly proportion of purchased cows and the yearly culling rate. Moreover, a positive association is reported between CMSCC and the monthly proportion of cows probably with subacute ruminal acidosis (fat percentage minus protein percentage ≤0·30%, for Holstein) and negative energy balance (protein to fat ratio ≤0·66, for Holstein), the yearly average calving interval, having at least one dead cow and the mean monthly temperature. The association was negative for a predominant breed other than Holstein, the monthly milk production, the yearly dry-off period length, the monthly first calving cow proportion, having an autumn calving peak, being a Good Breeding Practices member, the monthly number of days with rain, the altitude and the territorial cattle density. CMSCC varied widely among the 11 dairy production areas. In conclusion, this study showed the average CMSCC for the French dairy cows, compared with international results. Moreover, it quantified the contribution of several factors to CMSCC, in particular metabolic diseases and the farm environment.

Survival, lifetime production, and profitability of Normande × Holstein, Montbéliarde × Holstein, and Scandinavian Red × Holstein crossbreds versus pure Holsteins

Pure Holstein (HO) cows (n=416) were compared with Normande (NO) × HO (n=251), Montbéliarde (MO) × HO (n=503), and Scandinavian Red (SR) × HO (n=321) crossbred cows for survival, lifetime production, and profitability in 6 commercial herds in California. The SR crossbred cows were sired by both Swedish Red and Norwegian Red bulls. Cows calved from June 2002 to January 2009. For analysis of survival to subsequent calvings, lifetime production, and profitability, data were restricted to 3 of 6 herds because they had at least 20 cows in each of the breed groups. All cows had the opportunity to calve at least 4 times. Best prediction, which is used by USDA for national genetic evaluations in the United States, was used to determine lifetime production to 4 yr (1,461 d) in the herd after first calving from test-day observations. Production and survival were estimated after 4 yr to calculate lifetime profit. A profit function was defined to include revenues and expenses for milk, fat, protein, and other solids production; somatic cell count; reproduction; feed intake; calf value; salvage value; dead cow disposal; and fixed cost. The NO × HO (1.2%), MO × HO (2.0%), and SR × HO cows (1.6%) had significantly fewer deaths than did pure HO cows (5.3%) during the first 305 d of first lactation. All crossbred groups had significantly more cows that calved a second, third, and fourth time, and had mean survival that was 300 to 400 d longer than did pure HO cows. The NO × HO, MO × HO, and SR × HO cows had significantly higher lifetime fat plus protein production than did pure HO cows up to 1,461 d after first calving. For profitability (ignoring possible differences in health costs), NO × HO cows had 26% greater projected lifetime profit per cow, but 6.7% less profit per cow-day, than did pure HO cows. On the other hand, MO × HO and SR × HO cows had 50 to 44%, respectively, more projected lifetime profit per cow and 5.3 to 3.6%, respectively, more projected profit per cow-day than did pure HO cows.