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Introduction: The use of existing data to provide surveillance intelligence is widely advocated but often presents considerable challenges. Two data sources could be used as proxies for the mortality experienced by the Scottish cattle population: deaths recorded in the mandatory register [Cattle Tracing System (CTS)] and fallen stock collections by the National Fallen Stock Company (NSFCo) with a nationwide voluntary membership., Methods: Data for the period 2011-2016 were described and compared to establish their strengths and limitations. Similarities and differences in their temporal, seasonal and spatial patterns were examined overall, at postcode area level and for different age groups. Temporal aberration detection algorithms (TADA) were fitted., Results: Broadly, similar patterns were observed in the two datasets; however, there were some notable differences. The observed seasonal, annual and spatial patterns match expectations, given knowledge of Scottish cattle production systems. The registry data provide more comprehensive coverage of all areas of Scotland, while collections data provide a more comprehensive measure of the mortality experienced in 0-1-month-old calves., Discussion: Consequently, estimates of early calf mortality and their impact on the livestock sector made using CTS, or successor registers, will be under-estimates. This may apply to other registry-based systems. Fitted TADA detected points of deviations from expected norms some of which coincided in the two datasets; one with a known external event that caused increased mortality. We have demonstrated that both data sources do have the potential to be utilized to provide measures of mortality in the Scottish cattle population that could inform surveillance activities. While neither is perfect, they are complementary. Each has strengths and weaknesses, so ideally, a system where they are analyzed and interpreted in parallel would optimize the information obtained for surveillance purposes for epidemiologists, risk managers, animal health policy-makers and the wider livestock industry sector. This study provides a foundation on which to build an operational system. Further development will require improvements in the timeliness of data availability and further investment of resources., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Eze, Correia-Gomes, Gunn and Tongue.)

The rate that people are bitten by ticks is critical in determining the risk of tick-borne infections but is rarely quantified accurately. Often tick abundance in the environment is used as a proxy for tick bite risk, but the relationship with risk is poorly understood. We used a novel citizen science approach to measure tick bite rate in orienteers, to assess the relationship between tick abundance and tick bite risk and to identify risk factors for tick bites. Eleven orienteering events were attended in Scotland between August 2018 and September 2019. The number of tick bites in orienteers, and the time and distance of activity were collected using an online questionnaire. Tick abundance in the same areas used for the orienteering events was estimated by surveying ticks on ground vegetation using blanket drags. Among orienteers, mean incidence was 409 tick bites per 1,000 person-hours. Tick abundance and tick bite rate were strongly correlated, indicating that data from questing tick surveys is a useful proxy for the risk of human tick bites. Tick bite rate was better explained by the activity duration than distance covered and was higher in orienteers that ran earlier in the day, exposed to higher temperatures and in woodland habitats. This study highlights the value of the citizen science approach used, which crucially included submission of activity reports both with and without ticks, to generate robust data on tick bite rate. Accurately measuring tick bite rate and understanding environmental factors that influence it are essential in mitigating the risk of tick-borne diseases., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors have no competing interests to declare., (Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier GmbH.. All rights reserved.)

Studying the effects of temperature on cookies are necessary especially if the impact on quality attributes are to be deduced. More so, blending wheat flour, date flour, and pineapple juice could improve the nutrient quality required in modern-day cookies. This current study investigated the quality attributes of date and wheat flour pineapple juice blended cookies as affected by different baking temperatures. With pineapple juice serving as water substitute, the formulated date, and wheat flour blends adhered to the following ratios: 100:0, 90:10, 80:20, and 70:30. Baking cookies involved two different temperatures (160 °C and 180 °C) with constant time (30 min). Quality attributes determined proximate composition, micronutrients, physical and functional properties, and microbial and sensory qualities. Cookies proximate results showed moisture (6.89-7.40%), protein (8.73-10.22%), fat (14.37-15.99%), fiber (1.02-1.11%), ash (0.77-1.20%) and carbohydrate (64.85-67.71%). Various ranges appeared, from energy values (434.90-444.10 kcal), minerals (calcium = 33.18-62.45 mg/100 g; iron = 3.47-5.75 mg/100 g; potassium = 100.07-358.63 mg/100 g), vitamins (vitamin A =1.99-4.89 mg/100 g; vitamin C = 0.04-0.15 mg/100 g), physical (weight = 7.4-7.75 g; diameter = 3.50-4.01 cm; thickness = 0.99-1.20 cm; volume = 3.11-3.77 cm 3 ; density = 2.06-2.41 g/cm 3 ; spread ratio = 2.92-4.05 cm 3 ), to functional (water absorption = 1.14-1.18 g/g; oil absorption capacity = 1.31-1.33 g/g; bulk density = 0.74-0.76 g/mL) properties. The microbial loads seemed somewhat acceptable as overall acceptability favoured sample WDFb (90% wheat, 10% date flour). The acceptability of cookies baked at 160 °C over those baked at 180 °C suggests the need for further studies to determine the energy requirements, and long-term environmental implications such (baking) temperatures would pose., Competing Interests: Charles Odilichukwu R. Okpala is an Academic Editor at PeerJ., (© 2023 Okoyeuzu et al.)

Regular evaluation is a prerequisite for systems that provide surveillance of animal populations. Scotland's Rural College Veterinary Services' Disease Surveillance Centre (DSC) network plays an integral part in surveillance to detect new and re-emerging threats within animal populations, predominantly livestock. In response to surveillance reviews and proposed changes to the network, an initial evaluation of diagnostic submissions data in 2010 to mid-2012 established a baseline “footprint,” while highlighting challenges with the data. In this recent evaluation for the period 2013–2018, we developed a new denominator using a combination of agricultural census and movement data, to identify relevant holdings more accurately. Iterative discussions between those processing submissions data and those involved in collection at source took place to understand the intricacies of the data, establish the most appropriate dataset, and develop the processes required to optimise the data extraction and cleansing. The subsequent descriptive analysis identifies the number of diagnostic submissions, the number of unique holdings making submissions to the network and shows that both the surrounding geographic region of, and maximum distance to the closest DSC vary greatly between centres. Analysis of those submissions classed as farm animal post-mortems also highlights the effect of distance to the closest DSC. Whether specific differences between the time periods are due to changes in the behavior of the submitting holdings or the data extraction and cleaning processes was difficult to disentangle. However, with the improved techniques producing better data to work with, a new baseline footprint for the network has been created. This provides information that can help policy makers and surveillance providers make decisions about service provision and evaluate the impact of future changes. Additionally, the outputs of these analyses can provide feedback to those employed in the service, providing evidence of what they are achieving and why changes to data collection processes and ways of working are being made. In a different setting, other data will be available and different challenges may arise. However, the fundamental principles highlighted in these evaluations and the solutions developed should be of interest to any surveillance providers generating similar diagnostic data., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Duncan, Eze, Brülisauer, Stirling, Jennings and Tongue.)

Abstract: The health and economic burden of foodborne illness is high, with approximately 2.4 million cases occurring annually in the United Kingdom. A survey to understand the baseline microbial quality and prevalence of food-related hazards of fresh beef mince on retail sale could inform risk assessment, management, and communication to ensure the safety of this commodity. In such a survey, a two-stage sampling design was used to reflect variations in population density and the market share of five categories of retail outlets in Scotland. From January to December 2019, 1,009 fresh minced beef samples were collected from 15 geographic areas. The microbial quality of each sample was assessed using aerobic colony count and Escherichia coli count. Samples were cultured for Campylobacter and Salmonella, and PCR was used to detect target genes (stx1 all variants, stx2 a to g, and rfbO157) for Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC). The presence of viable E. coli O157 and STEC in samples with a positive PCR signal was confirmed via culture and isolation. Phenotypic antimicrobial sensitivity patterns of cultured pathogens and 100 E. coli isolates were determined, mostly via disk diffusion. The median aerobic colony count and E. coli counts were 6.4 × 105 (interquartile range, 6.9 × 104 to 9.6 × 106) and <10 CFU/g (interquartile range, <10 to 10) of minced beef, respectively. The prevalence was 0.1% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0 to 0.7%) for Campylobacter, 0.3% (95% CI, 0 to 1%) for Salmonella, 22% (95% CI, 20 to 25%) for PCR-positive STEC, and 4% (95% CI, 2 to 5%) for culture-positive STEC. The evidence for phenotypic antimicrobial resistance detected did not give cause for concern, mainly occurring in a few E. coli isolates as single nonsusceptibilities to first-line active substances. The low prevalence of pathogens and phenotypic antimicrobial resistance is encouraging, but ongoing consumer food safety education is necessary to mitigate the residual public health risk., (Published 2022 by the International Association for Food Protection.)

Amoebic gill disease (AGD) and complex gill disease (CGD) are the most significant marine gill diseases in salmon aquaculture in Scotland. Little is published about diagnostic performance of tests to detect these diseases, making it difficult to interpret test results. We estimated diagnostic sensitivity (DSe) and specificity (DSp) of common tests for AGD (gross AGD score, qPCR for Neoparamoeba perurans, histopathology) and CGD (gross proliferative gill disease (PGD) score, gross total gill score, histopathology). Because specifications in our sampling protocol implemented to encourage consistency across the farms might affect diagnostic performance of histopathology (historically the reference standard for gill diseases), we used Bayesian latent class models without reference standard. Cases and non-cases were based on less, medium, and severe stringent case definitions, representing different cut-off levels for the different tests. Gross gill scores for both diseases were excellent in designating non-diseased fish, DSps were generally around 1. To detect CGD, DSe of gross total gill score and gross PGD score were between respectively 0.81 (0.73 - 0.91 lower to upper 95% credible interval) and 0.53 (0.46 - 0.64) for medium stringent case definitions, and to detect AGD the DSe for the gross AGD score was between 0.53 (0.48-0.57) and 0.14 (0.07 - 0.22) for respectively the less and severe stringent case definition. Thus, gross gill scores were medium to good in designating truly diseased fish, implying some false negatives are expected. For CGD the DSe for gross total gill scores were the highest, for AGD it was the qPCR test at a DSe of 0.92 (0.86 - 0.99). For both diseases, DSe was lowest for histopathology, e.g. 0.23 (0.16 - 0.30) for AGD and 0.1 (0.07 - 0.14) for CGD under medium stringent case definitions, perhaps due to collecting the second gill arch on the right rather than the worst affected arch, whilst PCR sampling and gross gill scoring included multiple (PCR) or all (gross scoring) gill arches. The diagnostic goals of these tests differ; gross gill scoring provides a low-cost presumptive diagnosis, PCR a non-lethal confirmation of the presence of a specific pathogen and histopathology provides information on the underlying aetiology of gill damage as well as the extent, severity, and chronology of gill disease. An effective gill health surveillance strategy is likely to incorporate multiple diagnostic tools used in a complementary manner., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Rigid and topologically constrained ethylene cross-bridged tetraazamacrocycles have been increasingly utilised for thirty years as they form remarkably stable transition metal complexes for catalysis, biomedical imaging, and inorganic drug molecule applications. Extending these benefits to pentaazamacrocycles has been achieved and a first transition metal complex prepared and structurally characterized.

The design of surveillance strategies is often a compromise between science, feasibility, and available resources, especially when sampling is based at fixed locations, such as slaughter-houses. Advances in animal identification, movement recording and traceability should provide data that can facilitate the development, design and interpretation of surveillance activities. Here, for the first time since the introduction of electronic identification of sheep, the utility of a statutory sheep movement database to inform the design and interpretation of slaughter-house based surveillance activities has been investigated. Scottish sheep movement records for 2015-2018 were analyzed in combination with several other data sources. Patterns of off-farm movements of Scottish sheep to slaughter were described and the spatial distribution of several distinct slaughter populations, throughputs and catchment areas for Scottish slaughterhouses were determined. These were used to evaluate the coverage of a convenience-sample slaughter-house based survey for antimicrobial resistance (AMR). In addition, non-slaughter sheep movements within and between Scottish regions were described and inter-and intra-regional movement matrices were produced. There is potential at a number of levels for bias in spatially-associated factors for ovine surveillance activities based at Scottish slaughterhouses. The first is intrinsic because the slaughtered in Scotland population differs from the overall Scottish sheep slaughter population. Other levels will be survey-dependent and occur when the catchment area differs from the slaughtered in Scotland population and when the sampled sheep differ from the catchment area. These are both observed in the AMR survey. Furthermore, the Scottish non-slaughter sheep population is dynamic. Inter-regional movements vary seasonally, driven by the sheep calendar year, structure of the Scottish sheep industry and management practices. These sheep movement data provide a valuable resource for surveillance purposes, despite a number of challenges and limitations that were encountered. They can be used to identify and characterize the spatial origin of relevant populations and so inform the interpretation of existing slaughterhouse-based surveillance activities. They can be used to improve future design by exploring the feasibility and cost:benefit of alternative sampling strategies. Further development could also contribute to other surveillance activities, such as situational awareness and resource allocation, for the benefit of stakeholders., (Copyright © 2020 Stirling, Eze, Foster, Reeves, Gunn and Tongue.)

There are calls from policy-makers and industry to use existing data sources to contribute to livestock surveillance systems, especially for syndromic surveillance. However, the practical implications of attempting to use such data sources are challenging; development often requires incremental steps in an iterative cycle. In this study the utility of business operational data from a voluntary fallen stock collection service was investigated, to determine if they could be used as a proxy for the mortality experienced by the British sheep population. Retrospectively, Scottish ovine fallen stock collection data (2011-2014) were transformed into meaningful units for analysis, temporal and spatial patterns were described, time-series methods and a temporal aberration detection algorithm applied. Distinct annual and spatial trends plus seasonal patterns were observed in the three age groups investigated. The algorithm produced an alarm at the point of an historic known departure from normal (April 2013) for two age groups, across Scotland as a whole and in specific postcode areas. The analysis was then extended. Initially, to determine if similar methods could be applied to ovine fallen stock collections from England and Wales for the same time period. Additionally, Scottish contemporaneous laboratory diagnostic submission data were analyzed to see if they could provide further insight for interpretation of statistical alarms. Collaboration was required between the primary data holders, those with industry sector knowledge, plus veterinary, epidemiological and statistical expertise, in order to turn data and analytical outcomes into potentially useful information. A number of limitations were identified and recommendations were made as to how some could be addressed in order to facilitate use of these data as surveillance "intelligence." e.g., improvements to data collection and provision. A recent update of the fallen stock collections data has enabled a longer temporal period to be analyzed, with evidence of changes made in line with the recommendations. Further development will be required before a functional system can be implemented. However, there is potential for use of these data as: a proxy measure for mortality in the sheep population; complementary components in a future surveillance system, and to inform the design of additional surveillance system components., (Copyright © 2020 Tongue, Eze, Correia-Gomes, Brülisauer and Gunn.)

Background: Knowledge of Ixodes ricinus tick distribution is critical for surveillance and risk management of transmissible tick-borne diseases such as Lyme borreliosis. However, as the ecology of I. ricinus is complex, and robust long-term geographically extensive distribution tick data are limited, mapping often relies on datasets collected for other purposes. We compared the modelled distributions derived from three datasets with information on I. ricinus distribution (quantitative I. ricinus count data from scientific surveys; I. ricinus presence-only data from public submissions; and a combined I. ricinus dataset from multiple sources) to assess which could be reliably used to inform Public Health strategy. The outputs also illustrate the strengths and limitations of these three types of data, which are commonly used in mapping tick distributions., Methods: Using the Integrated Nested Laplace algorithm we predicted I. ricinus abundance and presence-absence in Scotland and tested the robustness of the predictions, accounting for errors and uncertainty., Results: All models fitted the data well and the covariate predictors for I. ricinus distribution, i.e. deer presence, temperature, habitat, index of vegetation, were as expected. Differences in the spatial trend of I. ricinus distribution were evident between the three predictive maps. Uncertainties in the spatial models resulted from inherent characteristics of the datasets, particularly the number of data points, and coverage over the covariate range used in making the predictions., Conclusions: Quantitative I. ricinus data from scientific surveys are usually considered to be gold standard data and we recommend their use where high data coverage can be achieved. However in this study their value was limited by poor data coverage. Combined datasets with I. ricinus distribution data from multiple sources are valuable in addressing issues of low coverage and this dataset produced the most appropriate map for national scale decision-making in Scotland. When mapping vector distributions for public-health decision making, model uncertainties and limitations of extrapolation need to be considered; these are often not included in published vector distribution maps. Further development of tools to better assess uncertainties in the models and predictions are necessary to allow more informed interpretation of distribution maps.

Determining the Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) infection status of cattle herds is a challenge for control and eradication schemes. Given the changing dynamics of BVD  virus (BVDV) antibody responses in cattle, classifying herds based on longitudinal changes in the results of BVDV antibody tests could offer a novel, complementary approach to categorising herds that is less likely than the present system to result in a herd's status changing from year to year, as it is more likely to capture the true exposure dynamics of the farms. This paper describes the dynamics of BVDV antibody test values (measured as percentage positivity (PP)) obtained from 15,500 bovines between 2007 and 2010 from thirty nine cattle herds located in Scotland and Northern England. It explores approaches of classifying herds based on trend, magnitude and shape of their antibody PP trajectories and investigates the epidemiological similarities between farms within the same cluster. Gaussian mixture models were used for the magnitude and shape clustering. Epidemiologically meaningful clusters were obtained. Farm cluster membership depends on clustering approach used. Moderate concordance was found between the shape and magnitude clusters. These methods hold potential for application to enhance control efforts for BVD and other infectious livestock diseases.

Traditionally, cost-benefit analyses (CBAs) focus on the direct costs of animal disease, including animal mortality, morbidity, and associated response costs. However, such approaches often fail to capture the wider, dynamic market impacts that could arise. The duration of these market dislocations could last well after an initial disease outbreak. More generally, current approaches also muddle definitions of indirect costs, confusing debate on the scope of the totalities of disease-induced economic impacts. The aim of this work was to clarify definitions of indirect costs in the context of animal diseases and to apply this definition to a time series methodological framework to estimate the indirect costs of animal disease control strategies, using a foot and mouth disease (FMD) outbreak in Scotland as a case study. Time series analysis is an econometric method for analyzing statistical relationships between data series over time, thus allowing insights into how market dynamics may change following a disease outbreak. First an epidemiological model simulated FMD disease dynamics based on alternative control strategies. Output from the epidemiological model was used to quantify direct costs and applied in a multivariate vector error correction model to quantify the indirect costs of alternative vaccine stock strategies as a result of FMD. Indirect costs were defined as the economic losses incurred in markets after disease freedom is declared. As such, our definition of indirect costs captures the knock-on price and quantity effects in six agricultural markets after a disease outbreak. Our results suggest that controlling a FMD epidemic with vaccination is less costly in direct and indirect costs relative to a no vaccination (i.e., "cull only") strategy, when considering large FMD outbreaks in Scotland. Our research clarifies and provides a framework for estimating indirect costs, which is applicable to both exotic and endemic diseases. Standard accounting CBAs only capture activities in isolation, ignore linkages across sectors, and do not consider price effects. However, our framework not only delineates when indirect costs start, but also captures the wider knock-on price effects between sectors, which are often omitted from CBAs but are necessary to support decision-making in animal disease prevention and control strategies.

Context: The seeds of Buchholzia coriacea Engler (Capparaceae) are used in Eastern Nigeria to treat feverish conditions, and to treat malaria and sleeping sickness that cause fever., Objective: The current study assesses the immunomodulatory activity of Buchholzia coriacea seed extract on Trypanosoma brucei brucei infected mice., Materials and Methods: Delayed hypersensitivity reaction, humoral antibody response and in-vivo leucocyte mobilization tests were assessed in three different experiments to determine the effect of the extract on immune response. Seventy-five (75) mice (25 mice per experiment) were used for the study and were each infected with 1.00 × 10 6 trypanosomes intra-peritoneally. Groups A, B and C were given 250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg of the extract, respectively, group D received 7.5 mg/kg body weight of levamisole and group E was the control. Sheep RBCs were used as antigen., Results: The acute toxicity tests did not cause clinical signs or death within 24 h post treatment at all the doses tested. The extract inhibited delayed hypersensitivity reaction by 20.9 and 20.8% at 250 and 500 mg/kg, respectively, while at 1000 mg/kg, the paw size increased (-101.9%) when compared with the control. The extract elevated the antibody titre from 1.60 ± 0.40 for control to 8.00 ± 3.58 for 500 mg/kg group. The extract increased in total leucocytes counts., Discussion and Conclusion: The extract has a very wide safety margin and was able to improve immune response. The results of the present study showed that Buchholzia coriacea seed methanol extract possesses immunostimulatory activity on trypanosome-infected mice.

Collection of abattoir data related to public health is common worldwide. Standardised on-going programmes that collect information from abattoirs that inform producers about the presence and frequency of disease that are important to them rather than public health hazards are less common. The three voluntary pig health schemes, implemented in the United Kingdom, are integrated systems which capture information on different macroscopic disease conditions detected in slaughtered pigs. Many of these conditions have been associated with a reduction in performance traits and consequent increases in production costs. The schemes are the Wholesome Pigs Scotland in Scotland, the British Pig Health Scheme in England and Wales and the Pig Regen Ltd. health and welfare checks in Northern Ireland. In this study, four post mortem conditions (pericarditis, milk spots, papular dermatitis and tail damage) were surveyed and analysed over a ten and half year period, with the aim to compare the prevalence, monthly variations, and yearly trends between schemes. Liver milk spot was the most frequently recorded condition while tail damage was the least frequently observed condition. The prevalence of papular dermatitis was relatively low compared to liver milk spot and pericarditis in the three schemes. A general decreasing trend was observed for milk spots and papular dermatitis for all three schemes. The prevalence of pericarditis increased in Northern Ireland and England and Wales; while Scotland in recent years showed a decreasing trend. An increasing trend of tail damage was depicted in Scotland and Northern Ireland until 2013/2014 followed by a decline in recent years compared to that of England and Wales with a decreasing trend over the full study period. Monthly effects were more evident for milk spots and papular dermatitis. Similarity of the modus operandi of the schemes made the comparison of temporal variations and patterns in gross pathology between countries possible over time, especially between countries with similar pig production profile. This study of temporal patterns enables early detection of prevalence increases and alerts industry and researchers to investigate the reasons behind such changes. These schemes are, therefore, valuable assets for endemic disease surveillance, early warning for emerging disease and also for monitoring of welfare outcomes., (Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Statutory recording of carcass lesions at the abattoir may have significant potential as a resource for surveillance of livestock populations. Food Standards Agency (FSA) data in Great Britain are not currently used for surveillance purposes. There are concerns that the sensitivity of detection, combined with other issues, may make the outputs unreliable. In this study we postulate that FSA data could be used for surveillance purposes. To test this we compared FSA data with BPHS (a targeted surveillance system of slaughtered pigs) and laboratory diagnostic scanning surveillance (FarmFile) data, from mid-2008 to mid-2012, for respiratory conditions and tail bite lesions in pigs at population level. We also evaluated the agreement/correlation at batch level between FSA and BPHS inspections in four field trials during 2013. Temporal trends and regional differences at population level were described and compared using logistic regression models. Population temporal analysis showed an increase in respiratory disease in all datasets but with regional differences. For tail bite, the temporal trend and monthly patterns were completely different between the datasets. The field trials were run in three abattoirs and included 322 batches. Pearson's correlation and Cohen's kappa tests were used to assess correlation/agreement between inspections systems. It was moderate to strong for high prevalence conditions but slight for low prevalence conditions. We conclude that there is potential to use FSA data as a component of a surveillance system to monitor temporal trends and regional differences of chosen indicators at population level. At producer level and for low prevalence conditions it needs further improvement. Overall a number of issues still need to be addressed in order to provide the pig industry with the confidence to base their decisions on these FSA inspection data. Similar conclusions, at national level, may apply to other livestock sectors but require further evaluation of the inspection and data collection processes., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Zinc is an essential trace element crucial for normal development and function of cells mediating nonspecific immunity and protects bio-molecules from oxidative damage. This study was designed to assess the effects of dietary zinc supplementation on anaemia and immunity of trypanosome-infected rats. Thirty rats, divided into five groups (A-E) of 6 each, were used for the study. Parameters used to assess the effect of the supplementation are antibody response to Sheep RBC using direct haemagglutination test, parasitaemia using the rapid matching method, WBC count using the improved Neubauer haemocytometer method, haemoglobin concentration using the cynomethaemoglobin technique while PCV was determined using the microhaematocrit method. The pre-infection supplementation did not prolong the pre-patent period significantly (p > 0.05). However, it significantly (p < 0.05) increased the packed cell volume (PCV), haemoglobin (Hb) concentration, leucocyte count, and antibody titre by day 7 on the supplementation (OTS). Following infection on day 7 OTS, the PCV and Hb decreased but remained significantly (p < 0.05) higher than the infected not supplemented (INS) group, while on day 14 OTS, they maintained a significantly (p < 0.05) higher antibody titre as compared to other groups. On day 21 OTS, theweight of 8 ppm and not infected not supplemented (NINS) groups was significantly (p < 0.05) higher but the relative organ weight of their liver and spleen was significantly (p < 0.05) lower than 2 ppm, 4 ppm and INS groups. On day 21 OTS, the parasitaemia levels of INS group was significantly (p < 0.05) higher than the supplemented groups. From the results, dietary zinc supplementation can be useful in the management of anaemia and immunosupression caused by trypanosomes in rats., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Surveillance of animal diseases provides information essential for the protection of animal health and ultimately public health. The voluntary pig health schemes, implemented in the United Kingdom, are integrated systems which capture information on different macroscopic disease conditions detected in slaughtered pigs. Many of these conditions have been associated with a reduction in performance traits and consequent increases in production costs. The schemes are the Wholesome Pigs Scotland in Scotland, the BPEX Pig Health Scheme in England and Wales and the Pig Regen Ltd. health and welfare checks done in Northern Ireland. This report set out to compare the prevalence of four respiratory conditions (enzootic pneumonia-like lesions, pleurisy, pleuropneumonia lesions and abscesses in the lung) assessed by these three Pig Health Schemes. The seasonal variations and year trends associated with the conditions in each scheme are presented. The paper also highlights the differences in prevalence for each condition across these schemes and areas where further research is needed. A general increase in the prevalence of enzootic pneumonia like lesions was observed in Scotland, England and Wales since 2009, while a general decrease was observed in Northern Ireland over the years of the scheme. Pleurisy prevalence has increased since 2010 in all three schemes, whilst pleuropneumonia has been decreasing. Prevalence of abscesses in the lung has decreased in England, Wales and Northern Ireland but has increased in Scotland. This analysis highlights the value of surveillance schemes based on abattoir pathology monitoring of four respiratory lesions. The outputs at scheme level have significant value as indicators of endemic and emerging disease, and for producers and herd veterinarians in planning and evaluating herd health control programs when comparing individual farm results with national averages.

Summary: The associations with weather and bathing water quality on infectious intestinal disease (IID) were investigated using data from two Scottish NHS Board areas. Monthly counts of viral and non-viral gastrointestinal infections were modelled as a smooth function of temperature, relative humidity and average monthly counts of faecal indicator organisms, respectively, adjusting for season and long-term trend effects. Strong seasonal patterns were observed for each group of pathogens. Peak viral gastrointestinal infection was in May while that of non-viral gastrointestinal infections was in July. A statistically significant negative association existed between weather (temperature and humidity) and viral infection. Average levels of non-viral gastrointestinal infections increased as temperature and relative humidity increased. Increasing levels of faecal indicator organisms in bathing waters were also associated with an increase in the average number of viral and non-viral gastrointestinal infections at the ecological level. Future climate change and prolonged precipitation events may result in increasing levels of faecal indicator organisms in bathing waters leading to likely increases in IIDs.

Trypanosomosis has been associated with immunosuppression, anemia and oxidative damage while selenium possesses both immunostimulatory and antioxidative effects. This study was designed to assess the effect of dietary selenium supplementation on parasitemia, anemia, survival pattern and serum protein profiles of trypanosome-infected rats. Twenty five rats, divided into five groups (A-E) of 5 each, were treated as follows: 4, 8 and 16 ppm (ppm) of selenium in their feed, respectively throughout the experimental period and were infected with Trypanosoma brucei brucei on day 14 post supplementation, infected not supplemented and the negative control. Supplementation at 4 and 8 ppm increased the packed cell volume (PCV) and hemoglobin (Hb) concentration on day 7 of supplementation (PS) when compared with the unsupplemented groups. Following infection on day 14 PS, the PCV, Hb of 16 ppm and infected not supplemented groups were significantly (P < 0.05) lower than other groups on days 28 and 35 PS. Supplementation did not lead to significant (P > 0.05) changes on the total protein, albumin and globulin by day 14 PS. Infection, however, caused significant (P > 0.05) decrease in the total protein and albumin from day 28. The supplementation did not significantly (P > 0.05) increase the pre-patent period but caused a significant reduction in the parasitemia levels and increased survival intervals. Dietary selenium supplementation, from the results, may show promise in the management of African trypanosomosis as the supplementation was able to: reduce anemia and parasitemia and increase survival intervals of trypanosome infected rats., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Twenty-four Large White × Landrace crossbreed primigravid pigs, aged 7.50 to 8.00 months weighing between 86.15 and 88.24 kg were used to study the effects of feeding graded levels of soya bean meal (SBM) replaced blood meal (BM) diets on serum biochemical profile in gestating pigs. The pigs were randomly allotted to four finisher diets formulated such that BM replaced SBM at 0.0, 50.0, 75.0 and 100.0 %, respectively. The diets were T1 (100.0 % SBM, 0.0 % BM), T2 (50.0 % SBM, 50.0 % BM), T3 (25.0 % SBM, 75.0 % BM) and T4 (0.0 % SBM, 100.0 % BM). Individual animal's daily ration of the test diets was 2.20, 2.00 and 2.50 kg at stages one, two and three of gestation. Blood sampling and analysis for the effects of the test diets on biochemical profile of the experimental animals were carried out prior to conception, at weeks 3, 7 and 11 of gestation, respectively. The result showed no significant (P ≥ 0.05) dietary treatment effects on total protein, albumin, globulin fraction, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, creatinine and urea profile of the pigs fed with BM diets when compared to the control fed with 100.0 % SBM. There was however a significant (P ≤ 0.05) variation in these biochemical indices in all the experimental groups at different stages of gestation. It was concluded that BM can replace 100.0 % of SBM in the diets of pregnant pigs in the tropical humid environment without any deleterious effect on their health.

Temporal, biological, and environmental factors affecting accumulation of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are poorly understood in comparison with legacy lipid-soluble persistent organic pollutants. Temporal and biological comparisons of PFAS concentrations were made in great skuas (Stercorarius skua), a marine apex predator. Concentrations of 16 PFASs were quantified, including C4-C10 perfluorosulfonates (PFSAs), perfluorooctanesulfonamide (PFOSA), and C5-C14 perfluorocarboxylates (PFCAs). Concentrations of PFASs (ng/g wet wt) were significantly higher in eggs collected in Shetland in 2008 compared with 1980 for most compounds. However, the magnitude of the differences was small, with a mean increase of 3 ng/g. Levels of PFASs in great skuas were low compared with those of other seabirds in similar ecological niches; and in contrast to other contaminants measured in the same eggs, concentrations of PFASs did not correlate with trophic level. Concentrations of PFASs in adult plasma were significantly higher in males than in females for most PFASs. This suggests that maternal transfer through egg laying may be a significant mode of elimination of PFASs in female great skuas. The low concentrations of PFASs in eggs and plasma compared with other halogenated organic contaminants and other species suggest that great skuas do not bioaccumulate PFASs to the same extent as some other seabirds., (Copyright © 2013 SETAC.)

The immunomodulatory effect of the probiotic (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) on Trypanosoma brucei brucei infected rats was studied. Thirty (30) rats divided into five groups (A-E) of 6 rats each were used for the study. Groups A, B and C rats received feed supplemented with S. cerevisiae (at 0.08, 0.12 and 0.16/kg of feed, respectively) for the duration of the study. Groups D and E diets were not supplemented. All the rats in the 5 groups were immunized with 0.3 ml of 10% sheep red blood cells (SRBC) at day 7 pre-supplementation, and booster doses given every 14 days thereafter. On day 28 post supplementation (PS), rats of groups A-D were infected with 1 × 10(6) of T. brucei brucei intraperitoneally. Supplementation resulted in increases in antibody titres to SRBC which later declined following T. brucei brucei infection, but remained higher than the pre supplementation titres. At termination of the study (i.e. day 49 PS) supplemented groups had significantly (p<0.05) higher antibody titres than either the infected or the non infected controls. The total and differential leucocyte counts followed a similar pattern with initial increases in counts following supplementation followed by reductions after T. brucei brucei infection. Supplementation also resulted in decline in parasitaemia with significant difference between the supplemented groups and the un-supplemented controls on day 42 post infection. The results are indication that probiotics can be used to ameliorate the immunosuppressive effect of T. brucei brucei infections., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) disease was confirmed in West African Dwarf goats. They were managed symptomatically with antibiotics and antidarrhoeics. Following clinical recovery, faeces were collected every week from 40 recovered goats to monitor excretion of the PPR virus haemagglutinins in their faeces. All the 40 recovered goats shed the PPR virus haemagglutinins for 11 weeks post recovery. Nine goats (22.5%) continued shedding the viral antigen 12 weeks post recovery. There was correlation between weekly mean haemagglutination titre of the PPR virus and time post recovery with r = -0.7504 (p < 0.01).

To determine if egg drop syndrome 76 virus infection is among the causes of lowered egg productivity in commercial poultry farms in South Eastern Part of Nigeria and to know the prevalence of the infection, ten farms with history of lowered egg production in Nsukka local government area of Enugu State were randomly selected. Sera from ten hens in each of the selected farms were assayed for antibodies against EDS 76 virus by the haemagglutination-inhibition (HI) test. The mean HI titre of the ten hens in each of the farms was recorded as EDS - 76 antibody titre for the farm. Nine out of the 10 farms tested were positive for EDS - 76 antibodies with HI titres ranging between 16 and 256. Out of 10 flocks with production of 65% and above 9 were EDS-76 HI negative.