Fin fish farming: significant diseases and trends

[Extract] The 'Blue revolution' is on its way! The speaker stated that capture fisheries and aquaculture have grown significantly over the last 30 years with global fisheries doubling its annual production since 1970 and aquaculture steadily increasing its production by approximately 10% per annum over the same time period. In the USA, aquaculture now exceeds the combined production of lamb, mutton and veal and by 2020 the Chinese authorities expect fish to become the country's main source of protein. China is the most important nation in aquaculture and has shown the largest growth (>70% in 2002). Traditionally, small local production was important in China but intensive multinational farms are now rapidly developing

Guidelines for the use and reuse of animals for teaching within veterinary medical education programs

Use and reuse of animals for educational purposes could adversely affect animal welfare. Guidelines for quantifying, monitoring and planning the use and reuse of animals have been developed. Within this framework animals are assigned points for usage, with more points being allocated to procedures that may have a greater adverse effect on animal welfare. Usage of individual animals is limited to a maximum of 8 points in a calendar week, 24 points in a month or 60 points within a 16-week study period and any associated examination period. Advantages and disadvantages of the system are discussed while modification is expected as knowledge emerges on the impact of procedures on animal welfare

Fin fish farming: significant diseases and trends

[Extract] The 'Blue revolution' is on its way! The speaker stated that capture fisheries and aquaculture have grown significantly over the last 30 years with global fisheries doubling its annual production since 1970 and aquaculture steadily increasing its production by approximately 10% per annum over the same time period. In the USA, aquaculture now exceeds the combined production of lamb, mutton and veal and by 2020 the Chinese authorities expect fish to become the country's main source of protein. China is the most important nation in aquaculture and has shown the largest growth (>70% in 2002). Traditionally, small local production was important in China but intensive multinational farms are now rapidly developing

Investigation into an outbreak of encephalomyelitis caused by a neuroinvasive porcine sapelovirus in the United Kingdom

An outbreak of neurological disease in grower pigs characterised by ataxia and paraparesis was investigated in this study. The outbreak occurred 3-4 weeks post weaning in grower pigs which displayed signs of spinal cord damage progressing to recumbency. Pathology in the affected spinal cords and to a lesser extent in the brainstem was characterised by pronounced inflammation and neuronophagia in the grey matter. Molecular investigation using a pan-virus microarray identified a virus related to porcine sapelovirus (PSV) in the spinal cord of the two affected pigs examined. Analysis of 802 nucleotides of the virus polymerase gene showed the highest homology with those of viruses in the genus Sapelovirus of Picornaviridae. This PSV, strain G5, shared 91-93%, 67-69% and 63% nucleotide homology with porcine, simian and avian sapeloviruses, respectively. The nucleotide homology to other members of the Picornaviridae ranged from 41% to 62%. Furthermore, viral antigen was detected and co-localised in the spinal cord lesions of affected animals by an antibody known to react with PSV. In conclusion, clinical and laboratory observations of the diseased pigs in this outbreak are consistent with PSV-G5 being the causative agent. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first unequivocal report of polioencephalomyelitis in pigs by a neuroinvasive PSV in the United Kingdom

Prevalence and distribution of antimicrobial resistance in effluent wastewater from animal slaughter facilities: A systematic review

The extensive use of antibiotics in food animal production and disposal of untreated wastewater from food animal slaughter facilities may create a shift in microbiomes of different ecosystems by generating reservoirs of antimicrobial resistance along the human-animal-environmental interface. This epidemiological problem has been studied, but its magnitude and impact on a global scale is poorly characterised. A systematic review was done to determine global prevalence and distribution patterns of antimicrobial resistance in effluent wastewater from animal slaughter facilities. Extracted data were stratified into rational groups for secondary analyses and presented as percentages. Culture and sensitivity testing was the predominant method; Escherichia spp., Enterococcus spp., and Staphylococcus aureus were the most targeted isolates. Variable incidences of resistance were detected against all major antimicrobial classes including reserved drugs such as ceftazidime, piperacillin, gentamicin, ciprofloxacin, and chloramphenicol; the median frequency and range in resistant Gram-negative isolates were: 11 (0–100), 62 (0–100), 8 (0–100), 14 (0–93) and 12 (0–62) respectively. Ciprofloxacin was the most tested drug with the highest incidences of resistance in livestock slaughterhouses in Iran (93%), Nigeria (50%) and China (20%), and poultry slaughterhouses in Germany (21–81%) and Spain (56%). Spatial global distribution patterns for antimicrobial resistance were associated with previously reported magnitude of antibiotic use in livestock or poultry farming and, the implicit existence of jurisdictional policies to regulate antibiotic use. These data indicate that anthropogenic activities in farming systems are a major contributor to the cause and dissemination of antimicrobial resistance into the environment via slaughterhouse effluents