Is the Salmonella contamination of swine carcasses at slaughter related to the Salmonella load in caecum?

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between the load of Salmonella spp. in caeca and the carcass contamination in an Italian slaughterhouse. The sampling scheme was designed to be representative of the pigs slaughtered in a day and to estimate a 12% prevalence of pigs highly contaminated by Salmonella spp. (HCP, cecal load ≥3log). Environmental swabs were taken before slaughter. Cecal contents and carcass swabs were collected from the same pig. Salmonella MPN were estimated according to ISO6579- 2:2012/A1 and ISO7218:2007/E. The overall Salmonella prevalence were 34.64% and 7.19% for ceca and carcasses respectively, with S. Derby and S. 4,[5],12:i:- being the prevalent serotypes. The HCP prevalence was 11.44%. 7/59 environmental swabs tested positive; when the same serotype was isolated from the environment and from carcasses, the samples were excluded from further analysis. Statistical analysis was performed to investigate the relationship between Salmonella spp. loads in the cecum and contamination of the carcass of the same pig and the prevalence of HCP and the contamination of carcasses on the same day. For this purpose, the days were classified as “high prevalence days” depending on the proportion of caeca resulted positive (≥36%) and as “high load” days depending on the prevalence of HCP (≥10%). A correlation between the contamination of carcasses and the cecal Salmonella loads of the same animal was found (Spearman’s correlation coefficient: 0.2254; p-value=0.0001). No correlation was found between the contamination of carcasses and the categorization of the day of sampling as “high prevalence day”. Conversely, a correlation was found between the contamination of carcasses and the “high load” category of the sampling day (Wilcoxon test, p=0.0011). Notably, not the prevalence of pigs carrying Salmonella spp. but the prevalence of highly contaminated pigs was shown to be related to the contamination of carcasses

Reproductive cycle, number of parities and faecal Salmonella spp. excretion in sows: a longitudinal study

The aim of the study was to evaluate the fecal excretion of Salmonella spp in sows with different number of parties, in distinct periods of the reproductive cycle. Two integrated farms in central Italy have been included in the study. The target populations were primaparous and multiparous (1-5 and more than 5 parities) sows, tested in different periods of the reprouductive cycle: 14 days before parturition (pre-partum), 2-5 days (post-partum), 20 days after parturition (post-partum 2) and gestation (24-31 days post-partum)

Reproductive cycle, number of parities and faecal Salmonella spp. excretion in sows: a longitudinal study

The aim of the study was to evaluate the fecal excretion of Salmonella spp in sows with different number of parties, in distinct periods of the reproductive cycle. Two integrated farms in central Italy have been included in the study. The target populations were primaparous and multiparous (1-5 and more than 5 parities) sows, tested in different periods of the reprouductive cycle: 14 days before parturition (pre-partum), 2-5 days (post-partum), 20 days after parturition (post-partum 2) and gestation (24-31 days post-partum).</p

Is the Salmonella contamination of swine carcasses at slaughter related to the Salmonella load in caecum?

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between the load of Salmonella spp. in caeca and the carcass contamination in an Italian slaughterhouse. The sampling scheme was designed to be representative of the pigs slaughtered in a day and to estimate a 12% prevalence of pigs highly contaminated by Salmonella spp. (HCP, cecal load ≥3log). Environmental swabs were taken before slaughter. Cecal contents and carcass swabs were collected from the same pig. Salmonella MPN were estimated according to ISO6579- 2:2012/A1 and ISO7218:2007/E. The overall Salmonella prevalence were 34.64% and 7.19% for ceca and carcasses respectively, with S. Derby and S. 4,[5],12:i:- being the prevalent serotypes. The HCP prevalence was 11.44%. 7/59 environmental swabs tested positive; when the same serotype was isolated from the environment and from carcasses, the samples were excluded from further analysis. Statistical analysis was performed to investigate the relationship between Salmonella spp. loads in the cecum and contamination of the carcass of the same pig and the prevalence of HCP and the contamination of carcasses on the same day. For this purpose, the days were classified as “high prevalence days” depending on the proportion of caeca resulted positive (≥36%) and as “high load” days depending on the prevalence of HCP (≥10%). A correlation between the contamination of carcasses and the cecal Salmonella loads of the same animal was found (Spearman’s correlation coefficient: 0.2254; p-value=0.0001). No correlation was found between the contamination of carcasses and the categorization of the day of sampling as “high prevalence day”. Conversely, a correlation was found between the contamination of carcasses and the “high load” category of the sampling day (Wilcoxon test, p=0.0011). Notably, not the prevalence of pigs carrying Salmonella spp. but the prevalence of highly contaminated pigs was shown to be related to the contamination of carcasses.</p

Regression modelling of the flows in an input–output table with accounting constraints

Input–output table, Gravity model, Non-linear constraints, Restricted estimators, Social accounting matrix, Tourist flows,

Src kinase phosphorylates Caspase-8 on Tyr380: a novel mechanism of apoptosis suppression

We identified Caspase-8 as a new substrate for Src kinase. Phosphorylation occurs on Tyr380, situated in the linker region between the large and the small subunits of human Procaspase-8, and results in downregulation of Caspase-8 proapoptotic function. Src activation triggers Caspase-8 phosphorylation on Tyr380 and impairs Fas-induced apoptosis. Accordingly, Src failed to protect Caspase-8-defective human cells in which a Caspase-8-Y380F mutant is expressed from Fas-induced cell death. Remarkably, Src activation upon EGF-receptor stimulation triggers endogenous Caspase-8 phosphorylation and prevents Fas-induced apoptosis. Tyr380 is phosphorylated also in human colon cancers where Src is aberrantly activated. These data provide the first evidence for a direct role of tyrosine phosphorylation in the control of caspases and reveal a new mechanism through which tyrosine kinases inhibit apoptosis and participate in tumor progression