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Foodborne diseases continue to impact human health and the economy. The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically affected the food system from production to consumption. This project aims to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the spread of foodborne diseases and the factors that may have contributed, including environmental, behavioral, political, and socioeconomic. Data for this study were collected from The Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) for 2015-2020. FoodNet personnel located at state health departments regularly contact the clinical laboratories in Connecticut (CT), Georgia (GA), Maryland (MD), Minnesota (MN), New Mexico (NM), Oregon (OR), Tennessee (TN), and selected counties in California (CA), Colorado (CO), and New York (NY). Data were analyzed using SAS to determine the changes in rates of foodborne pathogens reported in FoodNet before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in the ten reporting states. Results of the study showed a significant decline in the incidences of foodborne diseases ranging between 25% and 60%. A geographical variation was also observed between California and states with the highest decline rate of foodborne illnesses. Policies and restrictions, in addition to environmental and behavioral changes during the COVID-19 pandemic, may have reduced rates of foodborne diseases.

The SARS-CoV-2 virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread worldwide, with over half a billion cases linked to over 6 million deaths globally. COVID-19 has impacted populations unequally based on income, age, race, sex, and geographical location. This study aimed to characterize COVID-19 incidence and death rate trends in six states of the southern region of the USA and to understand the demographic and racial differences in its incidence and death rates. Data for the study were collected from the COVID-19 Data tracker of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the following southern states: Alabama (AL), Florida (FL), Georgia (GA), Louisiana (LA), Mississippi (MS), and Tennessee (TN). The results showed a significant geographical variation in the COVID-19 cases and related deaths. Significant variations in COVID-19 cases and death rates were observed among different races and ethnic groups. The highest number of COVID-19 cases were observed among the Hispanic and Black populations, and the highest death rates were found among non-Hispanic Blacks and Whites. The southern states included in this paper showed a high number of COVID-19 cases and high death rates during the study period. These increased rates may result from the low socioeconomic status and large minority populations.

On wk 1, 24 healthy mixed breed kennel dogs were screened by physical examination, complete blood count, serum biochemistry, and plasma cortisol measurement. Dogs were tested to ensure they barked at an unfamiliar dog. Dogs were randomly assigned to control, electronic bark collar or lemon spray bark collar groups (n = 8 per group). On wk 0 (acclimation baseline), dogs wore inactivated collars 30 min/day for 3 consecutivedays.On wks1and 2,dogsworeanactivatedcollar 30 min/dayfor 3consecutive days.Controls wore an inactivated collar. The bark stimulus was an unfamiliar dog walked in front of the run, three times, 30 sperpresentation.Plasmacortisolwasmeasuredwk1,wk0d3,wk1d1,wk1d3andwk2d3.ACTH was measured wk 0 d 3 and wk 1 d 1. Barking and activity were measured each session. Results: Dogswearingelectronicorlemonspraycollars barkedless thancontrols (P 0.05). Mean plasma cortisol levels werewithin the reference range for all groups throughout the study. Overall, there was a significant time effect (P 0.05). Activity did not change significantly over time (P > 0.05).

An experiment was conducted to determine the effects of dietary calcium source, phosphorus level and the time of feeding on the physiological responses of laying hens pertaining to egg shell formation. Seventy-two Hyline W-36 hens were divided into three treatment groups. Treatment 1 was fed a commercial layer ration as morning and evening feed with limestone as the calcium source. Treatment 2 was fed the commercial ration in the morning, while the evening feed contained a normal calcium level with limestone as the calcium source, but a lower phosphorus level than Treatment 1. Treatment 3 feed contained normal calcium and phosphorus in the morning while Treatment 3 evening feed contained normal calcium, but low phosphorus. The calcium source for Treatment 3 was ½ limestone and ½ oyster shell. Blood was drawn for each post-oviposition hour from all three-treatment groups to collect 4 samples per hour. Oyster shell or the reduced phosphorus level in the layers' diet did not raise the plasma calcium level in Treatment 2 or 3 compared to Treatment 1 that had a significantly higher plasma calcium level. Reduced dietary phosphorus decreased plasma inorganic phosphorus in Treatment 3. Limestone alone with reduced phosphorus (Treatment 2) did not decrease plasma phosphorus. Reduced dietary phosphorus and/or calcium source appears to have affected blood levels of estradiol and progesterone. Eggshell quality can be improved by partial (½) replacement of the limestone with Oyster shell. Reduced phosphorus did not improve eggshell quality, however, it did help indirectly by reducing plasma inorganic phosphorus, the excess of which is otherwise detrimental to eggshell quality.

SUMMARY Nutrient requirements for maximum profits are dependent on the production performance of the flock, egg and feed prices, and overall farm management. The production performance in turn is a function of many factors: nutrient density, TSAA levels, housing temperature, and feeding. For any viable layer operations, the above mentioned factors are the underpinning and need to be optimized. To optimize profits, all of the above factors must be optimized not maximized. For example, depending upon egg and feed prices, maximum performance may or may not result in maximum profits. In this project we found little or no effect on egg production, feed consumption, or egg specific gravity when various levels of TSAA were fed to laying hens. Hens housed in a cooler environment consumed significantly more feed and produced more and heavier eggs compared with those housed in a warmer environment. The TSAA requirement for maximum profits, therefore, varies with environmental temperature and market conditions (feed cost and egg price).

SUMMARY Eggshell quality, due to its economical impact on commercial egg production, has always been a matter of great concern. Numerous studies have been conducted to address separately various parameters influencing shell quality including calcium, vitamin D3 levels, and blood chemistry. There has been little research conducted to deal with these issues collectively. In this project, eggshell quality, egg production, and egg weight were evaluated as affected by a combination of different calcium sources, phosphorus levels, and time of feeding. Results suggest that there is a potential to improve eggshell quality with reduced economic losses by changing the feeding patterns of commercial layers using alternative calcium sources and phosphorus levels in the morning and evening feedings.

An experiment was conducted to determine the effect of feeding method (constant vs. variable) and method of formulation (lysine vs. protein) on the performance and profits of molted Dekalb Delta hens from 86 to 94 wk of age as influenced by egg and feed prices. Treatments 1 to 5 were formulated based on lysine to contain 0.69 to 0.57% TSAA and fed continuously regardless of feed consumption (constant feeding). Treatments 6 to 10 were formulated based on lysine to supply 650 to 570 mg TSAA and treatments 11 to 15 were formulated base on protein to supply 660 to 580 mg TSAA per hen per d and were fed based on feed intake. Dietary TSAA level had no overall significant effect on feed consumption, egg production, egg weight, mortality, or body weight. Hens fed diets using constant method of feeding had slightly higher egg production than hens fed diets formulated based on lysine or protein using variable method of feeding. However, egg weight, egg specific gravity, and body weight were not different. Two variable feeding methods had no significant effects on feed consumption, egg production, egg weight, egg specific gravity, or body weight. These results demonstrate that there can be no fixed TSAA or protein requirement of molted hens for maximum profits.

Calcium requirements of laying hens have been widely studied yet keep challenging nutritionists as a result of new genetic make-ups of commercial strains, farm management techniques, environmental concerns, and economics considerations. The present research was conducted to determine the calcium requirement of "Bovines" hens that represent about 17% of US layer industry. Increasing dietary level of calcium from 2.5 to 5.0% in hens' diets in increments of 0.5% had a significant positive linear effect on egg production and egg specific gravity. Increasing dietary calcium level from 2.5 to 5.0% increased egg production from 75.3 to 82.4% and egg specific gravity from 1.078 to 1.083 units. Calcium level had no effect on feed consumption or egg weight. "Bovines" hens required 5.57 g calcium/h/d for a maximum egg specific gravity index of 1.083 units (high shell quality). The decision to feed this level of calcium to achieve maximum shell quality however depends upon the nature and cost-benefits analysis of the layer operation.

SUMMARY Efficient phosphorus utilization and reduced excretion from poultry has been a matter of great concern due mainly to the detrimental effect on the environment. This research was conducted to analyze the effect of Allzyme 2x , a nongenetically modified phytase produced by solid-state fermentation on performance of commercial Leghorns. The experiment was designed using a factorial analysis with two lysine levels of 0.83 and 0.92% and three available phosphorus (aP) levels of 0.4% (control), 0.1% (without phytase), and 0.1% (with phytase). There were eight replicates of 20 hens (40 wk old) for each treatment, and the diets were fed for 8 wk. Results indicated that reducing the lysine level from 0.92 to 0.83% significantly reduced egg weight and feed consumption but had no influence on egg production. Reducing the aP level from 0.4 to 0.1% reduced egg production, egg weight and feed consumption. Supplementing 11,400 phytase units (PTU)/kg Allzyme 2x (phytase) to the phosphorus-deficient diet alleviated the drop in egg production and egg weight. These results indicate the nongenetically modified phytase completely reversed the negative effects of aP deficiency in commercial layers.

Light and methionine supplementation for molting hens have been the focus of attention in may different research papers. The present experiments examined the combined effects of additional light prior to molting and methionine supplementation in molt feed on the performance of molted hens. Additional light or methionine supplementation in molt feed had no significant effect on most of the performance criteria observed in the two experiments. However, the did increase feed cost, utility cost, and incidence of body-checked eggs in both experiments. These result give reason to question the efficiency of supplying 24 hr light for 7 days prior to molt and using TSAA levels greater than 0.60% or protein levels greater than 15.90% in molt feed.

An experiment was conducted to determine the effect of feeding method (constant vs variable) and method of formulation (lysine vs protein) on the performance and profits of first cycle, phase 2 DeKalb Delta hens from 40 to 52 wk of age as influenced by egg and feed prices. Treatments 1 to 5 were formulated based on lysine to contain 0.65 to 0.81% TSAA and fed continuously regardless of feed consumption (constant feeding). Treatments 6 to 10 and 11 to 15 were formulated based on lysine to supply 570 to 650 mg TSAA and protein to supply 580 to 660 mg TSAA per hen per d, respectively, and fed based on feed intake. Dietary TSAA level had no overall significant effect on feed consumption, egg production, egg weight, mortality, or body weight. Hens fed diets using the constant method of feeding had significantly higher egg production, egg weight, egg specific gravity, and body weight than hens fed diets formulated based on lysine or protein using the variable method of feeding. When the treatments in the two variable feeding methods were compared, feed consumption was significantly higher for hens fed diets formulated based on protein whereas egg production, egg weight, egg specific gravity, and body weight were not different. It was concluded that method of formulation (lysine vs protein) and TSAA levels required for maximum profits can vary from at least 570 to 821 mg per hen per d depending upon energy and protein cost.