Interspecies interactions and potential Influenza A virus risk in small swine farms in Peru

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The recent avian influenza epidemic in Asia and the H1N1 pandemic demonstrated that influenza A viruses pose a threat to global public health. The animal origins of the viruses confirmed the potential for interspecies transmission. Swine are hypothesized to be prime "mixing vessels" due to the dual receptivity of their trachea to human and avian strains. Additionally, avian and human influenza viruses have previously been isolated in swine. Therefore, understanding interspecies contact on smallholder swine farms and its potential role in the transmission of pathogens such as influenza virus is very important.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This qualitative study aimed to determine swine-associated interspecies contacts in two coastal areas of Peru. Direct observations were conducted at both small-scale confined and low-investment swine farms (n = 36) and in open areas where swine freely range during the day (n = 4). Interviews were also conducted with key stakeholders in swine farming.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In both locations, the intermingling of swine and domestic birds was common. An unexpected contact with avian species was that swine were fed poultry mortality in 6/20 of the farms in Chancay. Human-swine contacts were common, with a higher frequency on the confined farms. Mixed farming of swine with chickens or ducks was observed in 36% of all farms. Human-avian interactions were less frequent overall. Use of adequate biosecurity and hygiene practices by farmers was suboptimal at both locations.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Close human-animal interaction, frequent interspecies contacts and suboptimal biosecurity and hygiene practices pose significant risks of interspecies influenza virus transmission. Farmers in small-scale swine production systems constitute a high-risk population and need to be recognized as key in preventing interspecies pathogen transfer. A two-pronged prevention approach, which offers educational activities for swine farmers about sound hygiene and biosecurity practices and guidelines and education for poultry farmers about alternative approaches for processing poultry mortality, is recommended. Virological and serological surveillance for influenza viruses will also be critical for these human and animal populations.</p

NACWO Named Animal Care &amp; Welfare Officer guidelines Guidance notes on the role of the Named Animal Care and Welfare Officer in establishments designated under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:98/12100 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo

Chokeberry Pomace as a Determinant of Antioxidant Parameters Assayed in Blood and Liver Tissue of Polish Merino and Wrzosówka Lambs

Despite being a plant by-product, chokeberry pomace is believed to exert some therapeutic effects because it is one of the richest sources of highly bioavailable non-enzymatic antioxidants. The aim of this study was to determine the functionality of bioactive compounds present in the Aronia melanocarpa pomace (chokeberry) based on enzymatic and non-enzymatic parameters related to the active defence of liver and blood against the effects of oxidative stress. The experiment was conducted with 48 lambs of two breeds—Polish Merino and Wrzosówka. Experimental groups were administered the basic feed with the addition of 150 g or 300 g of black chokeberry pomace per each kg of the complete feed. The activities of antioxidative enzymes (superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase), peptides (glutathione, glutathione disulfide), and a lipid peroxidation indicator (malondialdehyde), as well as the capacity of non-enzymatic antioxidants were investigated. The results proved a strong effect of bioactive compounds contained in the black chokeberry pomace on the estimated parameters. The inclusion of chokeberry pomace in feed mixtures brought many benefits linked with the antioxidative protection. Parameters responsible for the oxidative status were significantly modified despite the commonly-held view about a limited possibility of transferring phenolic compounds to the organs.© 2017 by the author

Ethnopharmacological Approaches for Therapy of Jaundice: Part II. Highly Used Plant Species from Acanthaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Asteraceae, Combretaceae, and Fabaceae Families

In many developing countries, jaundice is the common symptom of hepatic diseases which are a major cause of mortality. The use of natural product-based therapies is very popular for such hepatic disorders. A great number of medicinal plants have been utilized for this purpose and some facilitated the discovery of active compounds which helped the development of new synthetic drugs against jaundice. However, more epidemiological studies and clinical trials are required for the practical implementation of the plant pharmacotherapy of jaundice. The focus of this second part of our review is on several of the most prominent plants used against jaundice identified in the analysis performed in the first part of the review viz. Andrographis paniculata (Burm.f.) Nees, Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn., Terminalia chebula Retz., Glycyrrhiza glabra L. and some species of genus Phyllanthus. Furthermore, we discuss their physiological effects, biologically active ingredients, and the potential mechanisms of action. Some of the most important active ingredients were silybin (also recommended by German commission), phyllanthin and andrographolide, whose action leads to bilirubin reduction and normalization of the levels of relevant serum enzymes indicative for the pathophysiological status of the liver.© 2017 Tewari, Mocan, Parvanov, Sah, Nabavi, Huminiecki, Ma, Lee, Horbańczuk and Atanaso

Corrigendum: Ethnopharmacological Approaches for Therapy of Jaundice: Part II. Highly Used Plant Species from Acanthaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Asteraceae, Combretaceae, and Fabaceae Families

No abstract available© 2017 Tewari, Mocan, Parvanov, Sah, Nabavi, Huminiecki, Ma, Lee, Horbańczuk and Atanaso

Ethnopharmacological Approaches for Therapy of Jaundice: Part I

Jaundice is a very common symptom especially in the developing countries. It is associated with several hepatic diseases which are still major causes of death. There are many different approaches to jaundice treatment and the growing number of ethnomedicinal studies shows the plant pharmacology as very promising direction. Many medicinal plants are used for the treatment of jaundice, however a comprehensive review on this subject has not been published. The use of medicinal plants in drug discovery is highly emphasized (based on their traditional and safe uses in different folk medicine systems from ancient times). Many sophisticated analytical techniques are emerging in the pharmaceutical field to validate and discover new biologically active chemical entities derived from plants. Here, we aim to classify and categorize medicinal plants relevant for the treatment of jaundice according to their origin, geographical location, and usage. Our search included various databases like Pubmed, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar. Keywords and phrases used for these searches included: “jaundice,” “hyperbilirubinemia,” “serum glutamate,” “bilirubin,” “Ayurveda.” The first part of the review focuses on the variety of medicinal plant used for the treatment of jaundice (a total of 207 medicinal plants). In the second part, possible mechanisms of action of biologically active secondary metabolites of plants from five families for jaundice treatment are discussed.© 2017 Tewari, Mocan, Parvanov, Sah, Nabavi, Huminiecki, Ma, Lee, Horbańczuk and Atanaso

Histological and MRI brain atlas of the common shrew, Sorex araneus, with brain region-specific gene expression profiles

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Next-generation phylogeography resolves post-glacial colonization patterns in a widespread carnivore, the red fox (Vulpes vulpes), in Europe

Carnivores tend to exhibit a lack of (or less pronounced) genetic structure at continental scales in both a geographic and temporal sense using various mitochondrial DNA markers on modern and/or ancient specimens. This tends to confound the identification of refugial areas and post-glacial colonization patterns in this group. In this study we used Genotyping-by-Sequencing (GBS) to reconstruct the phylogeographic history of a widespread carnivore, the red fox (Vulpes vulpes), in Europe by investigating broad-scale patterns of genomic variation, differentiation and admixture amongst contemporary populations. Using 15,003 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from 524 individuals allowed us to identify the importance of refugial regions for the red fox in terms of endemism (e.g. Iberia) and sources of post-glacial re-expansion (e.g. Carpathians and Balkans) across northern regions of the continent. In addition, we tested multiple post-glacial re-colonization scenarios of previously glaciated regions during the Last Glacial Maximum using an Approximate Bayesian Computation (ABC) approach. We identified the role of ancient and temporary land-bridges in the colonization of Scandinavia and the British Isles, with a natural colonization of Ireland deemed more likely than an ancient human-mediated introduction as has previously been proposed. Using genome-wide data has allowed us to tease apart broad-scale patterns of structure and diversity in a widespread carnivore in Europe that was not always evident from using more limited marker sets