Evaluation of a Bacillus stearothermophilus tube test as a screening tool for anticoccidial residues in poultry

A Bacillus stearothermophilus var. calidolactis C953 tube test was evaluated for its ability in detecting the residue of selected anticoccidial drugs in poultry, specically sulfamethazine, furazolidone, and amprolium. Various concentrations of each drug were injected into chicken liver and kidney tissues and these tissues were tested to determine the drug detection limits for each drug. The detection limit was defined as the drug concentration at which 95% of the test results were interpreted as positive. The limits of detection in liver tissue were 0.35 µg/ml for furazolidone, 0.70 µg/ml for sulfamethazine and 7.80 µg/ml for amprolium. In kidney tissues, they were 0.30 µg/ml for furazolidone, 0.54 µg/ml for sulfamethazine, and 7.6 µg/ml for amprolium. It was concluded that this tube test could be used to screen for the residue of these three drugs in poultry

The importance of subcutaneous abscess infection by Pasteurella spp. and Staphylococcus aureus as a cause of meat condemnation in slaughtered commercial rabbits

[EN] Subcutaneous abscesses are lesions frequently reported in commercial rabbits. Both at farm and slaughterhouse level, these lesions are responsible for economic losses and a potential decrease in meat quality. The present study was devised to identify the main causes of meat condemnation in slaughtered commercial rabbits and assess the importance of abscess lesions in this domain. For these purposes, 281423 rabbits were evaluated during meat inspection at the slaughterhouse. The results achieved showed that subcutaneous abscesses were the major cause of condemnation, being responsible for the rejection of 1355 (0.48%) rabbit carcasses. The main affected area was the hind limbs (31.37%), followed by the cervical area (23.10%). Microbiological analyses of 27 abscess samples indicated Pasteurella spp. as the bacteria mostly isolated (59.3%), followed by Staphylococcus aureus (25.9%). These results enable us to advise the industry on the significance of abscesses as an important cause of economic losses, due to meat condemnation during post mortem inspection, and highlight the importance of implementing monitoring plans as a way to control this pathological problem.This research was supported by the Strategic Research Project PEst-OE/AGR/UI0772/2014 financed by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT)Ferreira, A.; Monteiro, J.; Vieira-Pinto, M. (2014). The importance of subcutaneous abscess infection by Pasteurella spp. and Staphylococcus aureus as a cause of meat condemnation in slaughtered commercial rabbits. World Rabbit Science. 22(4):311-317. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.4995/wrs.2014.2238.SWORD311317224Antia, R. E., & Alonge, D. O. (1982). Survey of abattoir data in southern Nigeria. Tropical Animal Health and Production, 14(2), 119-120. doi:10.1007/bf02282595Badiola J.I. 2000. Aparato respiratorio: Pasteurelosis. In: Rosell J.M. (ed.), Enfermedades del conejo, Ediciones Mundi-Prensa, Madrid, Spain, 275-288.Coudert P., Rideaud P., Virag G., Cerrone A. 2006. Pasteurellosis in rabbits. In: Maertens L., Coudert P. (ed.). Recent Advances in Rabbit Sciences, Belgium, Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research, 147-12.EFSA. 2005. The impact of the current housing and husbandry systems on the health and welfare of farmed domestic rabbits. EFSA J., 267: 1-31.EC Council. 2004. Regulation laying down specific rules for the organisation of official controls on products of animal origin intended for human consumption. No. 854/2004/EC, 29 April 2004. Off. J. Eur. Comm., 25 June, 2004, L226, 83-127.García B.M. 2003. Higiene e inspección de la carne de conejo y de caza de cría o granja. In: Garcia B.M. (ed.), Higiene e inspeccion de carnes, Ediciones Diaz de Santos, SA, Spain, 441-454.Kofer J., Kutschera G., Fuchs K. 2001. Monitoring of animal health at abattoirs. Fleischwirtschaft, 81: 107-111.Menes I., García M.L., Moreno B., Gutiérrez L., Polledo J.J., 1984. Staphylococci isolated from abscesses in slaughtered animals: characterization and epidemiological studies. Zentralbl. Bakterio. Mikrobiol. Hyg. B. 178: 551-61.Murray P.R., Baron, E.J., Pfaller M.A., Tenover F.C., Yolken R.H.1999. Manual of Clinical Microbiology, 7th ed. American Society for Microbiology, Washington, D.C. USA.Okerman L. 1988. Diseases of Domestic rabbits, Blackwell Scientific Publications, London, UK, 1-119.Rampin, F., Piccirillo, A., Schiavon, E., Poppi, L., & Grilli, G. (2008). Detection of pathological lesions in slaughtered rabbits. Italian Journal of Animal Science, 7(1), 105-111. doi:10.4081/ijas.2008.105Rosell J.M. 2000. Aparato respiratorio: Introducción. In: Rosell J.M. (ed.), Enfermedades del conejo, Ediciones Mundi-Prensa, Madrid, Spain, 267-268.Rosell J.M., Dronda M.Á., Fuente L.F. 2000. Dermatologia. In: Rosell J.M. (ed.), Enfermedades del conejo, Ediciones Mundi-Prensa, Madrid, Spain, 354-396.Tanti-à M., Rosell J.M., Facchin E., 2000. Salud pública. In: Rosell J.M. (ed.), Enfermedades del conejo, Ediciones Mundi-Prensa, Madrid, Spain, 465-513.Vecerck V., Kozak A., Malena M., Tremlova, B., Chloupek P. 2003. Veterinary meat inspection of bovine carcasses in the Czech Republic during the period of 1995–2002. Vet. Med. Czech, 48: 183-189.Xiccato G., Trocino A. 2007. Italy, system of integrated rabbit production. In Proc.: II Congresso Ibérico Cunicultura, 5-6 June, 2007. Vila Real, Portugal. 175-184

Antibiotics Threaten Wildlife: Circulating Quinolone Residues and Disease in Avian Scavengers

Antibiotic residues that may be present in carcasses of medicated livestock could pass to and greatly reduce scavenger wildlife populations. We surveyed residues of the quinolones enrofloxacin and its metabolite ciprofloxacin and other antibiotics (amoxicillin and oxytetracycline) in nestling griffon Gyps fulvus, cinereous Aegypius monachus and Egyptian Neophron percnopterus vultures in central Spain. We found high concentrations of antibiotics in the plasma of many nestling cinereous (57%) and Egyptian (40%) vultures. Enrofloxacin and ciprofloxacin were also found in liver samples of all dead cinereous vultures. This is the first report of antibiotic residues in wildlife. We also provide evidence of a direct association between antibiotic residues, primarily quinolones, and severe disease due to bacterial and fungal pathogens. Our results indicate that, by damaging the liver and kidney and through the acquisition and proliferation of pathogens associated with the depletion of lymphoid organs, continuous exposure to antibiotics could increase mortality rates, at least in cinereous vultures. If antibiotics ingested with livestock carrion are clearly implicated in the decline of the vultures in central Spain then it should be considered a primary concern for conservation of their populations

The Emergency Medical Services Sleep Health Study

DTNH2215C00029While fatigue and poor sleep quality affect more than than half of emergency medical services (EMS) clinicians, there is no known standard for educating and training. For this report the research team created the Fatigue Education Program for Emergency Medical Services, 10 brief education modules based on recommendations from the American College of Occupational Environmental Medicine. The primary aim of this study was to determine if providing education and training to EMS personnel on the importance of sleep health and dangers of fatigue improves indicators of sleep quality and fatigue. The researchers used a pragmatic, cluster-randomized, wait-list control, 6-month study design. The primary outcome was the Pittsburgh sleep quality index -measured sleep quality at 3- and 6-month follow-ups. Intention-to-treat analyses revealed no differences between the intervention and comparison groups in mean sleep quality scores at 3- and 6-month follow-ups. Per protocol analyses showed that the greater the number of modules viewed, compared to no viewings, the greater the improvement in sleep quality and greater the reduction in fatigue. The largest improvement in sleep quality was observed among EMS clinicians who viewed eight to 10 education modules. Given these findings, the Fatigue Education Program for Emergency Medical Services may be a useful resource for EMS administrators who aim to fulfill the 2018 evidence-based guideline recommendation of educating and training EMS workers on sleep and fatigue

Alien Registration- Okerman, Thomas (Dedham, Hancock County)

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Cable Time Estimation Database

The use of time standards are the basis for a high efficiency system in the manufacturing environment. This project will investigate the process followed to design and develop a database used to calculate accurate cable assembly time standards used for scheduling at General Atomics. This project will then justify the use of the Cable Time Estimation Database, through an economic analysis compared to the current methods applied