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Food Animals (food + animals)
Selected AbstractsDynamics of Campylobacter colonization of a natural host, Sturnus vulgaris (European Starling)ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 1 2009F. M. Colles Summary Wild European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) shed Campylobacter at high rates, suggesting that they may be a source of human and farm animal infection. A survey of Campylobacter shedding of 957 wild starlings was undertaken by culture of faecal specimens and genetic analysis of the campylobacters isolated: shedding rates were 30.6% for Campylobacter jejuni, 0.6% for C. coli and 6.3% for C. lari. Genotyping by multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and antigen sequence typing established that these bacteria were distinct from poultry or human disease isolates with the ST-177 and ST-682 clonal complexes possibly representing starling-adapted genotypes. There was seasonal variation in both shedding rate and genotypic diversity, both exhibiting a maximum during the late spring/early summer. Host age also affected Campylobacter shedding, which was higher in younger birds, and turnover was rapid with no evidence of cross-immunity among Campylobacter species or genotypes. In nestlings, C. jejuni shedding was evident from 9 days of age but siblings were not readily co-infected. The dynamics of Campylobacter infection of starlings differed from that observed in commercial poultry and consequently there was no evidence that wild starlings represent a major source of Campylobacter infections of food animals or humans. [source] Paleopathology and health of native and introduced animals on Southern Peruvian and Bolivian Spanish Colonial sitesINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OSTEOARCHAEOLOGY, Issue 5 2010S. D. Defrance Abstract Spanish colonial sites in southern Peru and Bolivia contain remains of native camelids and introduced bovids with examples of degenerative paleopathologies that are interpreted as reflecting changes in herd management, animal use and animal health following the Spanish conquest. The archaeological contexts include three Spanish colonial wineries from Moquegua in southern Peru and the nearby colonial village of Torata Alta where indigenous people were forced to resettle under Spanish control. Also from Peru is faunal material from the 14th to 16th century rural agropastoral village of Pillistay located near Camana. Animal remains with bone abnormalities are also present in residential, commercial and industrial sites associated with Spanish silver mining near Potosí, Bolivia at Tarapaya and Cruz Pampa. Eighteen pathological specimens are described including examples of degenerative changes to phalanges, vertebrae, tarsals, limb elements and ribs. Paleopathologies present include exostoses, osteophytes, porosity, grooving and eburnation. Examples of phalangeal exostoses on bovid phalanges indicate the use of these introduced animals as draught cattle. Exostoses on camelid first phalanges suggests their use as cargo animals as do thoracic vertebrae with severe cases of degenerative pathology. Introduced caprines contain few pathologies indicating their primary use as food animals. The bone abnormalities from colonial sites are more severe than those reported for prehispanic faunal assemblages. These data provide insights into the health and work behaviour of indigenous Andean camelids and introduced Eurasian animals following the Spanish conquest. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Antibiotics: Has the magic gone?JOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE, Issue 5 2007Yogesh Chander Abstract The emergence of antibiotic resistant bacteria has diminished the efficacy of several antibiotics that were used to treat infectious diseases in humans and animals. In recent years, the problem of antibiotic resistance has become more apparent as increasing numbers of bacteria have acquired resistance to multiple antibiotics. Antibiotics inhibit bacterial growth through a variety of mechanisms including inhibition of cell wall or protein synthesis, interference with DNA (or RNA) replication, and disruption of metabolic pathways or cell membrane. Bacteria develop resistance through genetic mutations or by acquiring resistant genes involved in the production of antibiotic degrading enzymes, overproduction of target molecules, efflux pumps to drain out antibiotics, and/or altered cell wall permeability to survive adverse physiological conditions. Published literature suggests that sub-therapeutic feeding of food animals for growth promotion along with casual use of antibiotics in household products such as soaps and creams is contributing to increased antimicrobial resistance in the environment. If steps are not taken to minimize selective pressure on bacteria, the effectiveness of antibiotics (hailed as ,magic bullets') may be marginalized. Important steps in the judicious use of antibiotics on the farm are: (1) education of farmers on the pitfalls of using antibiotics sub-therapeutically in the production of food animals; (2) development of animal production practices that reduce dependence on antibiotics; and (3) development of manure disposal practices that minimize the spread of residual antibiotics and antibiotic resistant bacteria into the environment. In addition, educating the general public on the use and misuse of antibiotics in daily life is also important if there is to be any significant impact on reducing the environmental spread of antibiotic resistance. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Metabolism of olaquindox in rat liver microsomes: structural elucidation of metabolites by high-performance liquid chromatography combined with ion trap/time-of-flight mass spectrometry,RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY, Issue 7 2008Zhaoying Liu Olaquindox (N -(2-hydroxyethyl)-3-methyl-2-quinoxalincarboxamide-1,4-dioxide) is a growth-promoting feed additive for food-producing animals. Its toxicity is closely related to the metabolism. The complete metabolic pathways of olaquindox are not revealed. To improve studies of the metabolism and toxicity of olaquindox, its biotransformation in rat liver microsomes and the structure of its metabolites using high-performance liquid chromatography combined with ion trap/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC/MS-ITTOF) were investigated. When olaquindox was incubated with an NADPH-generating system and rat liver microsomes, ten metabolites (M1,M10) were detected. The structures of these metabolites were identified from mass spectra and comparison of their changes in their accurate molecular masses and fragment ions with those of the parent drug. With the high resolution and good mass accuracy achieved by this technique, the elemental compositions of the metabolites and their fragment ions were exactly determined. The results indicate that the N,,,O group reduction is the main metabolic pathway of olaquindox metabolism in rat liver microsomes, because abundant 1-desolaquindox (M2), 4-desolaquindox (M1) and bisdesoxyolaquindox (M9) were produced during the incubation step. Seven other minor metabolites were revealed which were considered to be hydroxylation metabolites, based on the position of the quinoxaline ring or 3-methyl group and a carboxylic acid derivative on the side chain at position 2 of the quinoxaline ring. Among the identified metabolites, five new hydroxylated metabolites (M3,M7) were found for the first time in rat liver microsomes. This work will conduce to complete clarification of olaquindox metabolism, and improve the in vivo metabolism of olaquindox in food animals. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Veterinary Drug Usage and Antimicrobial Resistance in Bacteria of Animal OriginBASIC AND CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY & TOXICOLOGY, Issue 4 2005Frank M. Aarestrup There are large variations in the amounts of antimicrobial agents used to produce the same amount of meat among the different European countries, which leaves room for considerable reductions in some countries. The emergence of resistant bacteria and resistance genes due to the use of antimicrobial agents are well documented. In Denmark it has been possible to reduce the usage of antimicrobial agents for food animals significantly and in general decreases in resistance have followed. Guidelines for prudent use of antimicrobial agents may help to slow down the selection for resistance and should be based on knowledge regarding the normal susceptibility patterns of the causative agents and take into account the potential problems for human health. Current knowledge regarding the occurrence of antimicrobial resistance in food animals, the quantitative impact of the use of different antimicrobial agents on selection of resistance and the most appropriate treatment regimes to limit the development of resistance is incomplete. Programmes monitoring the occurrence and development of resistance and consumption of antimicrobial agents are strongly desirable, as is research into the most appropriate ways to use antimicrobial agents in veterinary medicine. [source] Clostridium difficile in food,innocent bystander or serious threat?CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY AND INFECTION, Issue 1 2010J. S. Weese Abstract Clostridium difficile is a critically important cause of disease in humans, particularly in hospitalized individuals. Three major factors have raised concern about the potential for this pathogen to be a cause of foodborne disease: the increasing recognition of community-associated C. difficile infection, recent studies identifying C. difficile in food animals and food, and similarities in C. difficile isolates from animals, food and humans. It is clear that C. difficile can be commonly found in food animals and food in many regions, and that strains important in human infections, such as ribotype 027/NAP1/toxinotype III and ribotype 078/toxinotype V, are often present. However, it is currently unclear whether ingestion of contaminated food can result in colonization or infection. Many questions remain unanswered regarding the role of C. difficile in community-associated diarrhoea: its source when it is a food contaminant, the infective dose, and the association between ingestion of contaminated food and disease. The significant role of this pathogen in human disease and its potential emergence as an important community-associated pathogen indicate that careful evaluation of different sources of exposure, including food, is required, but determination of the potential role of food in C. difficile infection may be difficult. [source] Illegal use of nitrofurans in food animals: contribution to human salmonellosis?CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY AND INFECTION, Issue 11 2006P. Antunes Abstract Recent observations in Portugal of a remarkable incidence (65%) of Salmonella isolates from several sources (predominantly human and poultry) with decreased susceptibility to nitrofurantoin (MIC ,64 mg/L), mostly comprising serogroup D isolates of Salmonella Enteritidis belonging to different phage types, suggest that illegal use of nitrofurans, especially in the poultry industry, might have contributed to the selection and prevalence of S. Enteritidis in food animals, and consequently to human salmonellosis in Portugal. Indiscriminate use of nitrofurans might also be implicated in the emergence of two multiresistant Salmonella Typhimurium clones disseminated throughout the country. [source] | |||||||||||||