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For the purpose of detecting methicillin (oxacillin) resistance in staphylococcal strains, in a number of microbiological laboratories only disc diffusion method with cefoxitin and/or oxacillin discs is used. Besides this method, it is desirable to determine MIC values for cefoxitin and/or oxacillin. After examination by disc diffusion and dilution methods, latex agglutination is used for the detection of PBP2a and PCR is used for the detection of mecA gene. Use of PCR is not possible in a large number of diagnostic laboratories and as method of choice, latex agglutination test for rapid detection of PBP2a is recommended. In this investigation, as confirmatory methods, latex agglutination and PCR were used for strains that were resistant to oxacillin and/or cefoxitin by disc diffusion and broth microdilution methods. In total, 14 strains of coagulase-negative staphylococci originating from clinical specimens of cats, dogs and chicken were examined. Among isolated strains, it was established that the dominating species was Staphylococcus haemolyticus with 11 isolated strains. Other isolated species were Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus capitis and Staphylococcus vitulinus, each with one isolated strain. For all 14 strains, oxacillin MIC values ranged from 0.5 μg/mL to >64 μg/mL and cefoxitin MIC values ranged from 1 μg/mL to >256 μg/mL. Positive agglutination reaction by latex agglutination test was recorded in 13 out of 14 strains. The PCR assay for mecA gene was positive in 12 investigated strains. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 31079]

Four pooled samples of whole poultry carcasses with their internal organs were used to determine the presence of Newcastle disease (ND) virus. Samples were collected from one epizootiological area in the Republic of Serbia during January 2007. Newcastle disease virus strains were isolated from four samples. The identification of isolated strains was done by using the hemagglutination and hemagglutination-inhibition tests. The nucleic acid of the ND virus was identified in all the four samples It was confirmed that all the isolated strains were velogenic strains. Analysis of the nucleotide sequences of the gene encoding the F cleavage site of the fusion F protein showed the presence of motifs 112RRQKRFIG119, characteristic for the velogenic strains of the ND virus. Phylogenetic analysis of the F gene sequences revealed that all isolated strains of the virus belong to class II and genotype VIId. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 31008]

The objective of this work was to identify isolated Staphylococcus species and to investigate their sensitivity to some antibacterial drugs. The material used for these investigations were Staphylococcus isolates originating from milk samples. A total of 25 strains of Staphylococcus isolates were examined, including 24 from milk samples from cows with mastitis, and one strain was isolated from a milk sample from a cow following treatment for mastitis. For primary identification, catalase and oxidase tests were used, as well as the free coagulase test. Following the preliminary tests, the isolated strains were identified using commercial systems ID32 STAPH (bioMérieux, France) and the BBL Crystal Gram-Positive ID Kit (Becton Dickinson, USA) according to the enclosed instructions. The Staphylococcus isolates were examined for sensitivity to the following: oxacillin, penicillin, cefoxitin, gentamicin, erythromycin, chloramphenicol, tetracycline, ciprofloxacin, sulfametoxazol/trimetoprim, and vacomycin using the disk diffusion method and the broth microdilution method as recommended by the Clinical and Laboratory Strandards Institute - CLSI(2003), and the results were interpreted according to CLSI recommendations from 2008 and 2010. Antibiogram disks manufactured by Becton Dickinson (USA) were used, and the broth microdilution method was applied using pure antibiotic substances from different manufacturers: erythromycin, chloramphenicol, cefoxitin, gentamicin, oxacillin, tetracycline (Sigma Aldrich, USA), sulfametoxazol (Fluka, USA), penicillin (Calbiochem, Germany), vancomycin (Abbott laboratories, USA), ciprofloxacin and trimetoprim (Zdravlje A.D., Serbia). All 25 strains were catalase positive and oxidase negative. Of the 25 strains, 19 were coagulase positive and 6 were coagulase negative.With the implementation of the disk diffusion method on 19 strains of S. aureus, 17 were established to be resistant to penicillin (89.5%), and 2 strains to gentamicin (10.5%). The investigation of 3 strains of S. xylosus using the disk diffusion method showed that one strain was resistant to tetracycline (33.3%) and to oxacillin (33.3%), while another strain was found to be resistant to penicillin (33.3%). The third strain of S. xylosus was sensitive to all the examined antibiotics. Two strains of S. simulans and one strain of S. haemolyticus were not found to be resistant to any of the examined antibiotics using the disk diffusion method. The implementation of the broth microdilution method yielded in 13 strains of S. aureus resistance to penicillin (68.4%) with MIC values from 0.5 to 4 μg/m, in 2 strains to gentamicin (10.5%) with MIC values of 32 μg/ml, and intermediary sensitivity to chloramphenicol was established in 9 strains of S. aureus (47.4%) with MIC values of 16 μg/ml and to vancomycin in 1 strain of S. aureus (5.3%) with MIC values of 4 μg/ml. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. br 31079]

The aim of this investigation was to establish the presence and prevalence of streptococci, enterococci and streptococci-like bacteria in various materials originating from healthy, slaughtered and dead pigs belonging to different categories from several farms and slaughterhouses in the Republic of Serbia. The total number of investigated samples comprised 226 swabs of tonsils and noses from clinically healthy breeders, swabs of tonsils from piglets 5-20 days old, parts of nasopharyngeal tonsils from breeders slaughtered in a slaughterhouse, parts of nasopharyngeal tonsils from piglets slaughtered in a slaughterhouse, swabs of slaughtered pig carcasses from a slaughterhouse, swabs from knives for evisceration in a slaughterhouse, as well as swabs of lungs, abdominal cavity and organs from piglets which died suddenly. The standard microbiological methods were used for investigations of the presence of the listed microorganisms. Commercial biochemical tests were used for the identification of the isolated bacteria and specific sera for capsular antigenes were used for serological determination of the isolated S. suis strains. It was established that the great majority of the isolated strains belonged to the genus Streptococcus (36) (75%), and the minority of the strains belonged to the following genera: Enterococcus (6) (10.4%), Aerococcus (3) (6.2%), Lactococcus (2) (4.2%) and Globicatella (2) (4.2%). The great majority of Streptococcus species belonged to S. suis. The presence of other á haemolytic streptococci was established in the swabs of nasopharyngeal tonsils: Streptococcus sanguinis (13.8%), Streptococcus salivarius (5.6%), Streptococcus mitis (5.6%), Streptococcus parasanguinis (2.7%) and Streptococcus oralis (2.7%). Also, S. bovis was isolated in a smaller percentage (5.6%). The greatest number of isolated bacteria from the genus Enterococcus belonged to Enterococcus faecalis (80%), while the minority of isolated strains belonged to Enterococcus faecium (20%). The following from the streptococci-like bacteria were isolated: Aerococcus viridans, Globicatella sanguinis and Lactococcus lactis ssp.cremoris.

Examinations were performed on 65 samples of nasal smeas taken from calves and young cows with clinical symptoms of respiratory infection to determine the presence of the bovine herpes virus 1 using parallel implementation of molecular and standard methods of virological diagnostics. The appearance of a cytopathogenic effect (CPE) was not established in inoculated cell lines 24h, 48h and 72h following inoculation, or after two successive passages of the examined material sample through these cell lines. The application of polymerize chain reaction (PCR) using a primer for glucoprotein B and thymidine - kinasis, established the presence of bovine herpes virus 1 nucleic acid in one sample of a bovine nasal smear, while the presence of this virus was established in three samples in an examination of the nasal smear samples using the Real-Time PCR method.

The resistance of bacteria poses a significant problem everywhere in the world, and consequently in our country as well. The non-critical use of antibacterial medicines in human and veterinary medicine has contributed to the spreading of this resistance. Due to the topical importance of this problem, large numbers of states in the world are financing projects of which the objective is to follow and monitor bacterial resistance. The objective of this investigation was to isolate and identify pathogenic strains of E. coli from piglets with clinically manifest diarrhea and to examine the sensitivity of the isolated strains to a certain number of selected antibiotics. The material for these investigations were parts of intestines (jejunum, ileum) from piglets that died, rectal smears and feces of diseased piglets sampled pig farms in the vicinity of Belgrade. Conventional methods of microbiological diagnostics were used for isolation, and conventional and commercial tests API 20E (bio Merieux, France) were used for identification. Following biochemical identification using hyper immune serums for certain group (O) antigens: (O8, O138, O139, O147, O149, and O157), the serological typization of the strains was carried out. Commercial antiserums: T K88 (F4), K99 (F5), and 987P (F6), Toxigenic E. coli pili antisera, Denka Seiken Co. Ltd. Tokyo, Japan) were used to establish the presence and to identify fimbrial antigens-adhesions through slide agglutination reaction. The sensitivity of the antibiotics to the isolated strains of E. coli was examined using the disc diffusion method according to Kirby Bauer and the microdillution method in bouillon according to CLSI recommendations (2008). Examinations using the microdillution method in bouillon were performed with pure active antibiotic substances: ampicillin, apramycin, gentamicin, kanamycin, tetracycline, ceftriaxone, and ciprofloxacin (Sigma, USA). A total of 400 E. coli strains were isolated, including 48 E. coli strains that are within the category of pathogenic strains. Out of the total number of pathogenic strains of E. coli, 32 (66.67%) were found to be multi resistant to 3 or more than 3 antibiotics, and 16 (33.33%) pathogenic strains of E. coli were resistant to 2 or 1 of the examined antibiotics. Resistance to tetracycline and ampicillin was established in 89.58% isolated strains of E. coli, and to ciprofloxacin in 37.5% strains. The lowest percentage of resistance to ceftriaxone was established in 4.17% strains of E. coli. The isolated strains of E. coli were also found to be resistant to certain amino glycosides antibiotics. Thus, resistance to apramycin was established in 18.75% strains whose MIC values were higher than 128 µg/mL. Resistance to kanamycin was established in 52.08% strains of E. coli, and in these, 96.00% strains showed MIC kanamycin values of over 256µg/mL. Resistance to the third amino glycosides antibiotic, gentamicin, was established in 33.33% E. coli strains. All the E. coli strains that led to diarrhea in piglets were resistant to at least two antibiotics, and more than 50% strains were found to be resistant to more than 3 antibiotics. It is significant to stress that all isolated strains of E. coli covered by these investigations were sensitive only to amikacyn. .

Examinations were carried out during the period from January 2006 until March 2007 on a total of 449 samples of the cecum of broilers and the cecum and the colon of pigs. These samples included 251 samples originating from broilers and 198 samples of pig cecums and colons. All the listed samples were obtained by scraping the surface of these parts of the digestive system of broilers and pigs. At the site of sampling, the diluted material was sown on a medium (Karmali agar), in order to get individual colonies. After sowing, the bases were placed in anaerobic jars in which microaerophilic conditions were achieved using Campy Pak, BBL bags. On arrival at the laboratory, the jars containing the sown bases were placed in a thermostat, at a temperature of 42oC for 48 hours for the purpose of incubation. Following incubation, the grown colonies were examined macroscopically, and then microscopic preparations were made from them, which were stained with 2% carbol fuchsin after drying and fixation. Those isolates which were in the form of a comma, the letter S, or gull's wings in the microscopic preparations were considered Campylobacter species (Figures 1 and 2). The isolated thermophilic campylobacteria were identified using conventional and commercial biochemical tests API Campy, manufactured by Bio Mérieux, France. With the application of these microbiological methods, thermophilic Campylobacter species were isolated from 203 (80.88%) of the 251 samples of broiler cecums. Furthermore, thermophilic campylobacteria were isolated from 153 (77.27%) of the 198 samples from the cecum and colon of pigs taken within these investigations. The obtained results indicate that there is a somewhat greater prevalence of these bacteria among the broilers. However, such a high percentage of both broilers and pigs colonized by thermophilic Campylobacter species could pose a serious problem, in particular when it is known that infections of humans caused by the consumption of insufficiently thermally processed meat of broilers or pigs are not infrequent.

The examinations covered numerous clinical and referent strain of both bacteria, as well as viruses and fungi. The paper presents only one part of the examinations in which referent strains of E. coli NTCC 8116, Proteus mirabilis ATCC 19086, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 511, Salmonella Choleraeuis ATCC 10653, Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 6055 and Bacillus cereus ATCC 11778 were used. The effect of Peral-S in concentrations of 0.25%, 0.5% and 1% on the listed strain of bacteria was examined using the suspension method at exposition times of 5, 10, 15 and 20 minutes. Examinations were also performed of the antiviral effects of Peral-S in concentrations of 0.1% to 1% and at exposure times from 30 seconds to 5 minutes on the viruses Aujeszky 257/II, P13, Newcastle virus, Coxackie B6 , Herpes simplex type I. The efficacy of the antiviral effects of Peral-S was checked on tissue cultures MDBK, AUBEK and HEP-2 using the floating technique method. Examinations also covered the fungicidal effect of Peral-S in concentrations of from 0.1% to 1%, and of 3%, 4%, and 5% at exposure times of 5, 15 and 60 minutes and cultures aged 1 to 14 days. The investigations covered fungi from the following genera: Penicillium spp., Aspergillus spp. and Mucor spp. Peral-S showed a bactericidal effect on all the examined bacteria strains, in all the applied concentrations and at all exposure times. Peral-S in a concentration of 0.1% and at an exposure time of 30 seconds had a vurcidal effect on all examined viruses. How-ever, there was no fungicidal effect of Peral-S in concentrations of 0.1% to 1% at all expo-sure times on fungi cultures aged from one to 14 days. The preparation did exhibit a fungicidal effect in a concentration of 3% in all examined fungi cultures after 60 minutes of expo-sure, while it exhibited a fungicidal effect in a concentration of 4% after 5 minutes of expo-sure on all examined fungi cultures, regardless of their age.

A total of 1666 samples were examined, of which 512 samples of parenchymatous organs of dead or deliberately sacrtificed animals, 60 samples of non-hatched fertilized eggs, 202 samples of feces, 652 samples of cloacal smears, 221 samples of smears from walls of maintenance objects, incubator stations, and transport vehicles, 19 samples of beddings and shavings. The samples originated from poultry farms and which were taken to a laboratory immediately on sampling and sown the same day. A total of 104 strains of Salmonella were isolated: 94 strains from samples of parenchymatous organs of dead chicks, 1 strain from non-hatched eggs, 3 strains from feces samples, 1 strain from samples of cloacal smears, 4 strains from samples of surface smears of maintenance objects and transport vehicles, and 1 strain from samples of beddings and shavings. Serological typization established the presence of the following serovarieties: Salmonella Enteritidis 79 strains, Salmonella Hartford 17 strains, Salmonella Typohimurium 5 strains, Salmonella Mbandaka 2 strains, and Salmonella Glostrup 1 strain. We examined the sensitivity of Salmonella strains to ampicillin, amoxicillin, gentamycin, streptomycin, neomycin, enrofloxacine, norfloxacine, flumequin, erythromycin, lincospectin, colistin, fluorphenicol, and a combination of sulphamethoxasole and trimethoprim. In S. Enteritidis strains, no resistence was established to colistin, fluorphenicol and sulphamethoxasole+trimethoprim, in fact, the sensitivity to these antibiotics and chemotherapeutics was 100%. Prevalence resitence of 0.96%, in only one strain, was established for enrofloxacine. A high prevalence resistence of 33.6% was established for neomycin, while prevalence resistence of 3.86% was established for the related aminoglycozide antibiotic gentamycin. The highest prevalence resistance in S.Hartford strains was established for erythromycin, 15.38%, and streptomycin, 7.6%. Resistence of S. Tyohimurium was established for flumequin and erythromycin in 1.9% strains. No resistance to antibiotics was established in the strains S. Mbandaka and S. Glostrup.

The presence of multiresistance to the effects of antibiotics and chemotherapeutics and extended spectrum beta-lactamase were examined in 45 strains of E. coli and 35 strains of Salmonella. The strains of E. coli originated from several species of domestic animals: dogs, cats, poultry, and cattle, and 30 strains of Salmonella originated from poultry, 4 strains from cattle, and 1 strain from swine. The presence of the following serovarieties was established using serological examinations: Salmonella Enteritidis 17 strains, Salmonella Gallinarum 1 strain, Salmonella Hartford 5 strains, Salmonella Anatum 1 strain, Salmonella Typhimurium 4 strains, Salmonella Agona 1 strain, Salmonella Infantis 1 strain, Salmonella Thompson var. Berlin 1 strain, Salmonella Tennessee 1 strain, Salmonella Senftenberg 1 strain, Salmonella Glostrup 1 strain, and Salmonella Hadar 1 strain. In the examinations of the listed strains we used antibiogram discs of ampicillin, amoxicillin with clavulanic acid, cephalexin, cephtriaxon, cephotaxim, cephtazidime, aztreonam, gentamycin, chloramphenicol, tetracycline, cyprofloxacine, and a combination of sulphamethoxasole and trimethoprim. The lowest prevalence of multiresistance in E. Coli strains to 3 or more antibiotics was established in dogs 20%, and the highest in 60% strains originating from swine. In 62.88% strains of Salmonella we established sensitivity to all applied antibiotics. Resistance was also established in a small number of the examined strains to ampicillin (11 strains), to tetracycline (5 strains), to amoxicillin with clavulanic acid (5 strains), to sulphamethoxasole with trimethoprim (5 strains), to gentamycin (3 strains), and to cloramphenicol (1 strain). Of all the examined strains of Salmonella, 6 strains originating from poultry exhibited multiresistence. The presence of extended spectrum beta-lactamase effects examined using the ESBL test, was not established in strains of E. coli and Salmonella strains.

It is known that laboratory investigations secure safe and reliable results that provide a final confirmation of the quality of work. Ideas, planning, knowledge, skills, experience, and environment, along with good laboratory practice, quality control and reliability of quality, make the area of biological investigations very complex. In recent years, quality control, including the control of work in the laboratory, is based on international standards and is used at that level. The implementation of widely recognized international standards, such as the International Standard ISO/IEC 17025 (1) and the implementing of the quality system series ISO/IEC 9000 (2) have become the imperative on the grounds of which laboratories have a formal, visible and corresponding system of quality. The diagnostic methods that are used must constantly yield results which identify the animal as positive or negative, and the precise status of the animal is determined with a predefined degree of statistical significance. Methods applied on a selected population reduce the risk of obtaining falsely positive or falsely negative results. A condition for this are well conceived and documented methods, with the application of the corresponding reagents, and work with professional and skilled staff. This process requires also a consistent implementation of the most rigorous experimental plans, epidemiological and statistical data and estimations, with constant monitoring of the validity of the applied methods. Such an approach is necessary in order to cut down the number of misconceptions and accidental mistakes, for a referent population of animals on which the validity of a method is tested. Once a valid method is included in daily routine investigations, it is necessary to apply constant monitoring for the purpose of internal quality control, in order adequately to evaluate its reproducibility and reliability. Consequently, it is necessary at least twice yearly to conduct comparative inter-laboratory investigations of the reproducibility of the used methods. Having in mind the above presented facts, it can be concluded that good laboratory practice, as well as the implementation of a complete program for security quality, will in the near future become necessary for all laboratories which are interested in acquiring national and international certificates.

Streptococcus suis is a normal inhabitant of the respiratory system of pigs. Clinically healthy pigs are a major reservoir of the pathogen, but, as well, the most important link in the epidemiology of infection in humans. Hence, the aim of this study was to establish the presence of S. suis on some pig farms in Serbia and to determine their serotype affiliation. For this research, we tested 226 samples: nasopharyngeal tonsil swabs, nasal cavities swabs, parts of or all nasopharyngeal tonsils, swabs from dead animals, swabs from pig carcasses, and swabs from the butchers' knives. Identification of S. suis strains was performed with antisera specific for capsular antigens. S. suis serotype 2 was established in 67.7% cases, and serotypes 7. 9 and 1 were isolated in a much smaller percentage (17.6, 8.8 and 5.9%, respectively). Serotype 2 is the only serotype isolated from all the collected samples. Serotype 9 was isolated from healthy pig tonsil swab and from 2 nasal swabs, and was not found in the samples taken from diseased pigs. The serotype 1 was isolated only from nasopharyngeal tonsil swabs of piglets, while serotype 7 was isolated from nasopharyngeal tonsil swabs, nasopharyngeal tonsil sections, but also from nasal swabs of healthy pigs. It can be concluded that the infections caused by different serotypes of S. suis are present in the herd of pigs in Serbia; hence, it is very important to identify what serotypes of S. suis are involved in pathogenesis of infections in pigs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Listeria monocytogenes is the causative agent of numerous epidemics and sporadic cases of illness in humans. Food is the principal route of infection. Raw materials of animal and vegetable origin are the potential sources of contamination with this bacterium, particularly the foodstuff undergoing minimal processing procedures. However, in the recent years, emphasis has been increasingly laid on the importance of post-processing contamination occurring through the contact of products with contaminated surfaces in food-processing plants, where this bacterium can persist for months, even for years, as a biofilm. Although it appears to be widely accepted that L. monocytogenes forms biofilms on food-processing surfaces, there has been very little direct microscopical evidence to support this. In this study we investigated the ability of biofilm formation in 14 strains of Listeria monocytogenes of different origin. The biofilms were formed on stainless steel surfaces during 7 days of incubation in a tryptone soy broth supplemented with 0.6% yeast extract (TSB-YE) at a temperature of 25°C. The developed structures were examined using scanning electron microscopy. Our results revealed significant differences among tested Listeria monocytogenes strains in terms of their ability to form a biofilm in given experimental conditions. Seven of 14 investigated strains of Listeria monocytogenes did not form a biofilm, and only individual bacterial cells were distributed over the stainless steel surface. The strains classified as biofilm producers formed structures of different appearances, from a uniform, confluent monolayer of bacterial cells to individual large, three-dimensional cell aggregates. All strains proved weak producers of extracellular polymeric substance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infections caused by the avian influenza virus have been known for a long time and they are present, to a smaller or greater extent, in both extensive and intensive poultry production in many parts of the world. Epidemiological investigations have established a definite significance of the population of wild birds in maintaining and spreading this infection. Avian influenza is a zoonosis, and the virus has a great potential for causing mortality in humans, in particular its subtypes H5 and H7, which is why it has lately been provoking much attention among scientists and experts, as well as the general public. The objective of the work was to catch a certain number of wild birds in several locations in the Republic of Serbia, to identify them, and to collect samples of their blood serum for the determination of specific antibodies against the avian influenza virus. Birds were caught in ten locations in a manner that was safe for the birds themselves, as well as for the staff that did the catching. The birds were caught in especially produced nets, and in some cases in special traps. The caught wild birds were identified using the methods described in reference literature. All the names of the wild birds were coordinated with the valid Serbian nomenclature of European birds, prepared by prominent ornithologist and bird lover Milan Ružić. Following catching and identification, blood samples were taken from the birds from the wing vein (in bigger birds) or from the leg vein (in smaller birds). In taking blood samples from wild birds, all the principles of asepsis and antisepsis were followed in order to prevent any possibility of infection. After that, the birds were returned to their natural habitat, to the same locations in which they were caught. Serums were isolated from the taken blood samples and they were stored at -20°C until the final examinations. A total of 46 species of wild birds were identified among a total of 259 birds from which 259 samples of blood serum were isolated. The following were used for the detection of the presence of specific antibodies against the avian influenza virus in blood serum samples of wild birds: agar gel precipitation (AGP), the hemagglutination inhibition test (HI) for subtypes H5 and H7, the cELISA test with antigen for the A type avian infleunza virus, and the cELISA test with antigen for subtype H5 of the avian influenza virus. Due to the fact that about 360 different species of wild birds live in the Republic of Serbia, the number of 46 identified species covered by these investigations account for 12.77% of the total number of bird species present in Serbia, which is considered a good sample. Specific antibodies against the A type avian influenza virus were established in serum samples of only 9 of the 259 birds covered by examinations using the cELISA test. Of the 46 identified wild bird species, 6 belonged to birds that live exclusively in water habitats and are considered a reservoir of the avian influenza virus (white stork, mallard, mute swan, common pochard, common goldeneye, and Eurasian coot). Among the listed species, particular attention was drawn to 4 species of wild birds of the order Anseriformes and the family Anatidae (mallard, mute swan, common pochard, common goldeneye) of which there were 30 birds among the total of 259 examined. In the 30 blood serum samples of the listed bird species, specific antibodies against the A type avian influenza virus were established in 9 (30%) serum samples using cELISA. Specific antibodies against the avian inluenza virus subtype H5 were established in 3 serum samples of mute swans (one serum sample originated from a mute swan which was tagged in Poland) and in one blood serum sample of a common pochard, or a total of 4 (13.33%) serum samples, using the hemagglutination inhibition test.… [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae has been established in all suspected cases of pleuropneumonia at several farms that have been included in the research. Equal incidence of pleuropneumonia has been found both among piglets for breeding and for fattening. The health monitoring of herds is extremely important, firstly because of the need for the adequate strategy to be chosen for controlling the Actinobacillus-caused pleuropneumonia and, at the same time, in order to prevent enormous economic losses that this disease may cause. The morphological, physiological and biochemical characteristics of isolated strains of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae were completely identical to those of referent strains. It has been found that Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae grows most abundantly on chocolate agar when PolyVitex (bioMerieux) is used as the substrate. Out of 237 samples of altered parts of swine lungs, 13 bacterial species have been found in 193 (81%), and the incidence of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae within this percentage was 33%. Of all bacterial species isolated in pure culture from all investigated specimen the most dominant species were Pasteurella multocida with the incidence of 32.64% and Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae with 29.01%. Their common incidence in all positive findings was 61.65%. If one adds to this their participation in mixed infections (2.59%), this percentage is higher (64.24%). The high percentage of these two bacterial species shows that they are at the same time the most common bacterial pathogens causing pneumonia in pigs. The incidence of other species of bacteria isolated from the lungs of diseased pigs ranged from 0.51 to 10.88%. The sensitivity of isolated strains of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae to the selected range of antibiotics used in clinical veterinary medicine (penicillin, ampicillin, amoxicillin, cephalosporin (III gen.) gentamycin, streptomycin, neomycin, thylosine, enrofloxacin, linkomycin-spectinomycin, tetracycline, florphenycol, trimethoprimsulphomethoxazol and tulatromycin) was tested by the disc-diffusion method, with the implementation of antibiogram tabletes (Torlak) and antibiogram discs (Oxoid), on chocolate agar and on Chaemophilus test medium (HTM, Biomedics). All tested strains of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae were sensitive to thulatromycin, while resistance of same strains was the highest to tetracycline (53%) and trimethoprim/sulphomethoxazole (56%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A prerequisite to the development of an efficient animal health, food safety and traceability management system in the animal food production chain is the implementation of an integrated veterinary informational management system (VIMS) capable for the capture, storage, analysis and retrieval of data and providing the opportunity for the cumulative gathering of the knowledge and capability for its competent interpretation. Such a system will enable collecting appropriate data, including quality management and inspection controls, from all establishments and commodities in the "from farm to fork" food production chain (farms, holdings, slaughterhouses, laboratories, traders etc.) in a structured, predefined format, and facilitate competent analyses and reporting of such data, as well as the improvement of the existing programs and strategies. The role of information system in animal disease diagnosis, surveillance and notification, control of national and international trade of commodities, food safety management, investigation of diseases, predictive microbiology and quantitative risk assessment is of great importance for the quality of veterinary service. Integral part of the VIMS is animal disease notification system designed according to and in compliance with international requirements, standards and recommendation and able to exchange relevant information with similar information systems. The aim of this contribution is to describe national animal disease notification system which is in place in Serbia as a part of VIMS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Isolation of carrot fruit (Daucus carrota L., cultivar “Chanteney”) essential oil by supercritical carbon dioxide was investigated from the pretreatment of herbaceous matrix and extraction conditions to the chemical composition of obtained extract and its antimicrobial activity. The qualitative and quantitative analyses of the supercritical extract, as well as of the essential oil obtained by hydrodistillation, were done by GC/FID and GC/MS methods. Antimicrobial properties of both samples were investigated against ten species of microorganisms. Experimental results showed that the particle size had no influence on the extraction process. The highest yield was obtained at 40°C and 10MPa. The main component of the supercritical extract, as well as of the essential oil was carotol. The supercritical extract was characterized by the presence of heavier molecular weight compounds, while some lighter compounds, e.g. pinenes, were not detected. The supercritical extract and the essential oil were the most effective against Gram-positive bacteria. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]