Risk factors and control measures for subclinical salmonella infection in pig herds

In the last 20 years there was an enormous increase in pig production in several parts of the European Union. After entering of disease agents in such areas it is very easy for them to spread and to persist in the pig population. This has resulted in a situation in which a lot of pathogens continually occur in the pig population. The size of the pig farming operations and the small geographical distance between them makes it almost impossible to eliminate most of the disease agents from the populations. On the other hand there is a development in the EU-regulations that requires more and more guarantees with respect to the absence of some pathogens in the population in a non-vaccination policy. Only countries able to comply with these requirements have free entrance to the European market. A second development in this field is the increasing interest in a high quality standard of the products at the end of the pig production chain; first of all in relation to the safety of the product linked to residues and zoonoses, but further to the meat quality and at last the emotional quality for the consumer. These developments have lead to a health control policy in swine production that is based on two different tracks: the safeguarding strategy and the controlling strategy

Study plan and preliminary results of the intervention in the Salmonella status of finishing herds by adding organic acids to the drinking water of finishers

Risk factor analysis of Salmonella infections in The Netherlands showed that feeding acidified or fermented byproducts to finishers gave a strong protection against Salmonella infections. This protective effect can be explained by bactericidal effect of the organic acids present in these feeds and the low pH (pH=4). In this study we investigated the hypothesis that the same result could be obtained by adding organic acids to the drinkingwater of finishers on farms that feed their finishers compound feed

Resulls of a longitudinal study of Salmonella enterica infections in 5 sero-positive and 5 sero-negative finishing swine herds in The Netherlands

In order to monitor the course of Salmonella-infections in finishing pig herds, repeated sampling of consecutive batches of finishing pigs is necessary. This study followed 5 sero-negative and 5 sero-positive herds during 7 sampling rounds with 3 months between samplings

Blood sampling at two slaughterhouses and serological screening of salmonella infections in swine using an indirect ELISA

The Animal Health Service in the Netherlands is currently investigating Salmonella infections in finishing pigs in the Netherlands. The investigations combine 2 projects: the SALINPORK-project, financed by the European Union, and a national project \u27Speerpunt Salmonella\u27, financed by the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature management and Fisheries and the Dutch Product Board for Livestock and Meat

Aging Impairs Recipient T Cell Intrinsic and Extrinsic Factors in Response to Transplantation

As increasing numbers of older people are listed for solid organ transplantation, there is an urgent need to better understand how aging modifies alloimmune responses. Here, we investigated whether aging impairs the ability of donor dendritic cells or recipient immunity to prime alloimmune responses to organ transplantation.Using murine experimental models, we found that aging impaired the host environment to expand and activate antigen specific CD8(+) T cells. Additionally, aging impaired the ability of polyclonal T cells to induce acute allograft rejection. However, the alloimmune priming capability of donor dendritic cells was preserved with aging.Aging impairs recipient responses, both T cell intrinsic and extrinsic, in response to organ transplantation

“My Lung Disease Won’t Go Away, it’s There to Stay”: Profiles of Adaptation to Functional Limitations in Workers with Asthma and COPD

Purpose Earlier research has shown that adaptation (i.e., the way in which employees cope with limitations resulting from their disease) is associated with sick leave. Our aim was to investigate signs of adequate or inadequate adaptation in employees with asthma and COPD. Methods A Q-methodological study was carried out among 34 workers with asthma or COPD. Results Four adaptation profiles were distinguished: the eager, the adjusted, the cautious, and the worried workers. The adaptation profiles provide insight into the different ways in which workers with asthma and COPD cope with their illness at work. Conclusions The adaptation profiles serve as a starting point for the design of appropriate (occupational) care. The eager workers experience little difficulties at work; the cautious workers may need assistance in learning how to accept their disease; the worried workers need reassurance, and may need reactivation; the adjusted workers deserve extra attention, and, when necessary, advice on how to live with their asthma or COPD