When counting cattle is not enough: multiple perspectives in agricultural and veterinary research

A traditional approach in agricultural and veterinary research is focussing on the biological perspective where large cattle-databases are used to analyse the dairy herd. This approach has yielded valuable insights. However, recent research indicates that this knowledge-base can be further increased by examining agricultural and veterinary challenges from other perspectives. In this paper we suggest three perspectives that may supplement the biological perspective in agricultural and veterinary research; the economic-, the managerial-, and the social perspective. We review recent studies applying or combining these perspectives and discuss how multiple perspectives may improve our understanding and ability to handle cattle-health challenges

Climate change and increased risk for the insurance sector: A global perspective and an assessment for the Netherlands.

Climate change is projected to increase the frequency and severity of extreme weather events. As a consequence, economic losses caused by natural catastrophes could increase significantly. This will have considerable consequences for the insurance sector. On the one hand, increased risk from weather extremes requires assessing expected changes in damage and including adequate climate change projections in risk management. On the other hand, climate change can also bring new business opportunities for insurers. This paper gives an overview of the consequences of climate change for the insurance sector and discusses several strategies to cope with and adapt to increased risks. The particular focus is on the Dutch insurance sector, as the Netherlands is extremely vulnerable to climate change, especially with regard to extreme precipitation and flooding. Current risk sharing arrangements for weather risks are examined while potential new business opportunities, adaptation strategies, and public-private partnerships are identified. © The Author(s) 2009

Knowledge, attitudes and practices with regard to the presence, transmission, impact, and control of cystic echinococcosis in Sidi Kacem Province, Morocco

BACKGROUND: This study is a component of a large research project on five major neglected zoonotic diseases (NZDs) including cystic echinococcosis and was undertaken in the Province of Sidi Kacem over a period of four years (April 2009-March 2013). METHODS: Questionnaires were administered at community level in a total of 27 communes and visits were made to all of the 10 abattoirs situated in the Province, to collect qualitative data on determinants of transmission for disease in humans and animals. More specifically, community knowledge, attitudes and practices related to cystic echinococcosis were assessed, as well as the extent to which local customs and behaviours may promote transmission. Abattoir infrastructure and practices, and their role in perpetuating disease transmission were also critically evaluated. RESULTS: The results show that only 50 % of people have heard of the disease, and of those, only 21 % are aware of the dog’s role in disease transmission. Sixty-seven per cent of respondents stated that dogs are fed ruminant organs deemed unfit for human consumption. Owned dogs have access to the family home, including the kitchen, in 39 % of households. The extent of this close proximity between humans and animals is even more pertinent when one considers that dogs are omnipresent in the community, with an average of 1.8 dogs owned per household. The unrestricted access of dogs to abattoirs is a huge issue, which further promotes disease transmission. CONCLUSION: This study would suggest that the high prevalence of cystic echinococcosis in humans and animals in Morocco is largely due to three factors: 1) abundance of dogs 2) engagement in risky behaviour of the local population and 3) poor abattoir infrastructure and practices. This has serious implications in terms of the socio-economic impact of the disease, especially for rural poor communities. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s40249-015-0082-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Fezes de galinhas poedeiras na alimentação de ruminantes análises microbiológicas

The objectives of the present study were: to evaluate the variation in total number of microorganisms in laying hen fecal samples and to identify the pathogenic microorganisms possibly present such as Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella sp., Clostridium botulinum, C chauvoei, Campylobacter sp., Escherichia coli, and Corynebacterium sp. The experiment was conducted at the School of Agrarian and Veterinarian Sciences of Jaboticabal, - UNESP. Fecal samples were collected from the aviary. A fully randomized experimental design was used with 7 treatments and 4 replications, for a total of 28 samples. A decrease in total number of microorganisms was detected when treatment T0 (zero days of storage) was compared with treatment T6 (42 days of storage), with oscillations in numbers being observed during this period of time. Pathogenic bacteria such as Clostridium noyvi, C perfringens, C sordelli, C septicum and C noyvi type B were detected, as well as non-pathogenic bacteria such as Bacillus sp. and Staphylococcus epidermidis.Os objetivos deste trabalho foram: avaliar a variação do número total de microrganismos em amostras de fezes de galinhas poedeiras e identificar os microrganismos patogênicos possivelmente presentes, tais como: Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella sp., Clostridium botulinum, C. perfringens, C. chauvoei Campylobacter sp., Escherichia coli e Corynebacterium sp. O experimento foi conduzido na Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias de Jaboticabal, UNESP, onde foram coletadas amostras de fezes procedentes do aviário. O delineamento experimental foi inteiramente casualizado, com 7 tratamentos e 4 repetições, totalizando 28 amostras. A avaliação demonstrou que houve decréscimo no número total de microrganismos quando se comparou T0 (zero dias de estocagem) com o tratamento T6 (42 dias), havendo, no intervalo, oscilações neste número. Constatou-se a presença de bactérias patogênicas nas amostras de fezes, tais como: Clostridium noyvi, C. perfringens, C sordelli, C. septictun, C noyvi tipo B, havendo a presença de outras bactérias não patogênicas como Bacillus sp., Staphylococcus epidermidis

Microbiological analyses of poultry litter used for ruminant feeding

The aims of this study were to estimate the changes in total bacterial counts (TBC) in poultry litter samples, consisting of rice hulls, after storage, and to identify pathogenic bacteria. For the countings Plate Count agar (Difco) was used. Enrichment and selective media such as blood agar, MacConkey, Baird Parker, brain and heart agar, and egg yolk solid media, and cooked meat and brain and heart infusion, incubated under aerobic or anaerobic conditions were used to isolate Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella sp, Clostridium perfringens, C. botulinum, C. chauvoei, Campylobacter sp, Escherichia coli, and Corynebacterium sp. Litter samples were collected from the houses of the Veterinary School experimental aviary. A fully randomized experimental design was used with four treatments and four replications, for a total of 16 samples. A decrease in TBC was detected when treatment T1 (zero days of storage) was compared with treatments T2 (14 days of storage). on the other hand the treatments T3 (28 days of storage) and T4 (42 days of storage) presented significantly superior counting in relation to treatment T1. Some pathogenic bacteria of Enterobacteriaceae such as Escherichia coil, Proteus, Arizona, Providencia, Edwardsiella, as well as Staphylococcus aureus, S. epidermidis, different species of genus Clostridium as C. perfringens, C. sordelli, C. chauvoei, C. tetani and C. novyi as well as some strains of Corynebacterium pyogenes were isolated

Market-Based Crop Insurance Appraisal Using Whole-Farm Planning

This paper is a study of the viability of market-based crop insurance using whole-farm planning. Utility-efficient programming (UEP) is used to determine demand on the basis of transaction costs and level of farmer's risk aversion. Farm-level data for the utility-efficient programming model were derived from a panel data set for specialised arable farms in the Netherlands. The data included information about the stochastic structure of yields and prices as well as other physical and financial parameters. The UEP results indicated under which conditions farmers were likely to participate. The results showed that the degree of risk aversion affected the optimal choice to retain yield risk or to transfer the risk by means of an insurance contract. Although the viability of market-based crop insurance is partly conditional upon the (currently uncertain) transaction costs, the fact that farmers under study were relatively wealthy reduces the chances of any substantial demand for such a market-based product. Alternative risk-coping options, such as use of credit to enhance farm-firm liquidity in adverse years, are likely to dominate a commercial crop insurance risk strategy

\u3csup\u3e89\u3c/sup\u3eZr- and Fe-labeled polymeric micelles for dual modality PET and T\u3csub\u3e1\u3c/sub\u3e-weighted MR imaging

\u3cp\u3eIn this study, a new \u3csup\u3e89\u3c/sup\u3eZr- and Fe\u3csup\u3e3+\u3c/sup\u3e-labeled micelle nanoplatform (\u3csup\u3e89\u3c/sup\u3eZr/Fe-DFO-micelles) for dual modality position emission tomography/magnetic resonance (PET/MR) imaging is investigated. The nanoplatform consists of self-assembling amphiphilic diblock copolymers that are functionalized with \u3csup\u3e89\u3c/sup\u3eZr-deferoxamine (\u3csup\u3e89\u3c/sup\u3eZr-DFO) and Fe\u3csup\u3e3+\u3c/sup\u3e-deferoxamine (Fe-DFO) for PET and MR purposes, respectively. \u3csup\u3e89\u3c/sup\u3eZr displays favorable PET imaging characteristics with a 3.3 d half-life suitable for imaging long circulating nanoparticles. The nanoparticles are modified with Fe-DFO as MR T\u3csub\u3e1\u3c/sub\u3e-contrast label instead of commonly used Gd\u3csup\u3e3+\u3c/sup\u3e-based chelates. As these micelles are cleared by liver and spleen, any long term Gd- related toxicity such as nephrogenic systemic fibrosis is avoided. As a proof of concept, an in vivo PET/MR study in mice is presented showing tumor targeting of \u3csup\u3e89\u3c/sup\u3eZr/Fe-DFO-micelles through the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect of tumors, yielding high tumor-to-blood (10.3 ± 3.6) and tumor-to-muscle (15.3 ± 8.1) ratios at 48 h post injection. In vivo PET images clearly delineate the tumor tissue and show good correspondence with ex vivo biodistribution results. In vivo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) allows visualization of the intratumoral distribution of the \u3csup\u3e89\u3c/sup\u3eZr/Fe-DFO-micelles at high resolution. In summary, the \u3csup\u3e89\u3c/sup\u3eZr/Fe-DFO-micelle nanoparticulate platform allows EPR-based tumor PET/MRI, and, furthermore, holds great potential for PET/MR image guided drug delivery.\u3c/p\u3