Bovine virus diarrhea and the vector-borne diseases Anaplasmosis and Bluetongue: a sero-surveillance in free-ranging red deer (Cervus elaphus) in selected areas of Switzerland

Due to climate changes, diseases emerging from southerly adjacent areas (Mediterranean countries) are likely to spread northward. Expanded migration of red deer harbors the risk of introducing new pathogens into a naive population of either wild or domestic animals. Little is known about the importance of red deer as a potential reservoir for diseases of domestic ruminants in Switzerland. Deer is susceptible for all three agents that were selected in this study: bovine virus diarrhea virus (BVDV), Anaplasma marginale (AM), and Bluetongue virus (BTV). The goal of this project was to establish the serological status of red deer in Switzerland concerning BVDV, AM, and BTV, and to assess the possible impact of disease dynamics with a focus on potential transmission of these diseases from red deer to cattle or vice versa. Sampling areas were selected according the following criteria: abundance of red deer, potential insect vector distribution due to climatic conditions, and traditional alpine pasture husbandry along with known migration routes of red deer. Blood samples were collected during the regular hunting season 2004 and 2005 by hunters and gamekeepers. There was no serological evidence for the presence of the vector-borne diseases AM and BT in red deer in Switzerland. Four out of 234 sera showed a positive result for BVD, corresponding to a sero-prevalence of 1.7% (95% CI 0.46–4.38). Facing the fact of the high sero-prevalence for BVD in Swiss cattle (60–80%) disease transmission from red deer to cattle in these areas under investigation is rather unlikely

Spillway-Induced Salmon Head Injury Triggers the Generation of Brain αII-Spectrin Breakdown Product Biomarkers Similar to Mammalian Traumatic Brain Injury

Recent advances in biomedical research have resulted in the development of specific biomarkers for diagnostic testing of disease condition or physiological risk. Of specific interest are αII-spectrin breakdown products (SBDPs), which are produced by proteolytic events in traumatic brain injury and have been used as biomarkers to predict the severity of injury in humans and other mammalian brain injury models. This study describes and demonstrates the successful use of antibody-based mammalian SBDP biomarkers to detect head injury in migrating juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) that have been injured during passage through high-energy hydraulic environments present in spillways under different operational configurations. Mortality and injury assessment techniques currently measure only near-term direct mortality and easily observable acute injury. Injury-based biomarkers may serve as a quantitative indicator of subacute physical injury and recovery, and aid hydropower operators in evaluation of safest passage configuration and operation actions for migrating juvenile salmonids. We describe a novel application of SBDP biomarkers for head injury for migrating salmon. To our knowledge, this is the first documented cross-over use of a human molecular biomarker in a wildlife and operational risk management scenario

Estimating the probability and level of contamination with Salmonella of feed for finishing pigs produced in Switzerland - the impact of the production pathway

Contaminated feed is a source of infection with Salmonella for livestock, including pigs. Because pigs rarely show clinical signs of salmonellosis, undetected carriers can enter the food production chain. In a "Farm to Fork" food safety concept, safe feed is the first step for ensuring safe food. Heat treatment or adding organic acids are process steps for reducing or eliminating a contamination with Salmonella. The aims of this study were (I) to estimate the probability and the level of Salmonella contamination in batches of feed for finishing pigs in Swiss mills and (II) to assess the efficacy of specific process steps for reducing the level of contamination with Salmonella. A quantitative release assessment was performed by gathering and combining data on the various parameters having an influence on the final contamination of feed. Fixed values and probability distributions attributed to these parameters were used as input values for a Monte Carlo simulation. The simulation showed that-depending on the production pathway-the probability that a batch of feed for finishing pigs contains Salmonella ranged from 34% (for feed on which no specific decontaminating step was applied) to 0% (for feed in which organic acids were added and a heat treatment was implemented). If contamination occurred, the level of contamination ranged from a few Salmonella kg(-1) feed to a maximum of 8E+04 Salmonella kg(-1) feed. Probability and levels of contamination were highest when no production process able to reduce or eliminate the pathogen was implemented. However, most of the Swiss production was shown to undergo some kind of decontaminating step. A heat treatment, in combination with the use of organic acids, was found as a solution of choice for the control of Salmonella in feed. (c) 2004 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.status: publishe