45 research outputs found

    Neurological disorder in two moose calves ( Alces alces L.) naturally infected with Elaphostrongylus alces

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    Two months old moose calves exhibiting neurological signs were videotaped, killed and necropsied. The parasite Elaphostrongylus alces (Steen et al 1989) was found epidurally along the meninges of the spinal cord, and in the muscle faciae of the thoracic and lumbar regions. Progressive inflammatory processes were present in the epineurium, perineurium and endoneurium. Accumulations of inflammatory cells, eosinophils, lymfocytes and macrophages, were found around eggs and larvae and frequently, around regional blood wessels. The neurological disturbances in the moose calves were pronounced, with locomotive abnormalities and ataxia. They showed weakness in the hindquarters, with uncoordinated and swaying movements of the hind legs. In addition, one of the calves was lame on the left forelimb. The muscles of the leg were visibly atrophic. The lesions produced by E. alces at the lumbar nerve roots and in the cauda equina are suggested to be the cause of the clinical signs observed

    Malignant catarrhal fever in wild Swedish moose (Alces alces L)

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    Malignant catarrhal fever (MCF) was diagnosed in two moose (Alces alces L) from the county of Uppland, Sweden. The animals showed an abnormal behaviour e.g. nervous signs as circling movements, nodding of the head and lack of awareness. One of these two animals was shot. The other was found dead on the day after being observed. Gross and histologic findings revealed characteristic lesions of MCF. Serological investigation and viral isolation for BVD and IBR/IPV viruses were negative

    Parasitic fauna of Eurasian beavers (Castor fiber) in Sweden (1997–1998)

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    Background The parasitic fauna of beavers (Castor fiber and C. canadensis) has been well studied in many parts of their respective areas of distribution. In Scandinavia there have, however, been limited investigations conducted on the parasites of beavers in recent times. The present study is the first quantitative survey of parasites on beavers living in Sweden and elsewhere in Scandinavia. We investigated the parasitic fauna of the Eurasian beaver (C. fiber) in a North–South gradient in Sweden. The aim of the study was to investigate parasite distribution and prevalence in particular, related to average yearly air temperature and different age groups of beavers. A total of 30 beavers were sampled at eight localities, spanning a 720 km North–South gradient during the springs of 1997 and 1998. Results Five parasite taxa were identified. Four of these were present in all of the examined beavers, Stichorchis subtriquetrus (trematode), Travassosius rufus (nematode), Platypsyllus castoris (coleopteran), and Schizocarpus spp. (arachnid). A higher number of new infections of S. subtriquetrus, and more adults of T. rufus, were seen in beavers in southern Sweden where temperatures are higher. One-year old beavers had a higher infestation of S. subtriquetrus, but not of T. rufus, than older individuals. Conclusions The parasite fauna of Swedish beavers mirrored the impoverished parasite fauna of the original Norwegian population, and the high prevalence of parasites could be due to low major histocompatibility complex (MHC) polymorphism. Young beavers had a higher load of trematodes, probably depending on behavioural and ecological factors. Warmer temperatures in southern localities likely contributed to increased endoparasite loads

    Visual assessment of body condition and skin soiling in cattle by professionals and undergraduate students using photo slides

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    We aimed to study to what extent body condition and skin soiling in cattle are rated differently depending on the profession, education and professional experience of assessors. Data were collected at 15 group-training sessions in the years 2009-2016. Totally, 569 persons; Swedish animal welfare inspectors, veterinarians/advisers, animal welfare scientists, other animal professionals as well as undergraduate students in animal science rated a set of 6-40 photos with respect to animal body condition, animal skin soiling, and recommended corrective action in response to perceived animal soiling. The more extensive animal science education, the less prone animal welfare inspectors were to give higher body condition scores. Students had a higher overall probability of rating the degree of soiling higher than the animal welfare inspectors and veterinarians/advisers. Students also recommended stricter corrective actions than did welfare inspectors and veterinarians/advisers, and veterinarians/advisers recommended less strict actions than animal welfare inspectors

    Consequential costs of sheep depredation by large carnivores in Sweden

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    The aim of this paper is to investigate consequential costs of livestock depredation by large carnivores. We estimate costs for productivity losses and additional labor using Swedish survey data on sheep farmers. Impacts on productivity and labor are identified through a comparison of sheep farmers in areas with low and high carnivore densities, farmers that have suffered attacks, and summer pasture farmers that have and have not suffered attacks, respectively. Results indicate that sheep herds in areas with high densities of carnivores and in herds that have experienced carnivore attacks have lower reproductive rates than do herds in areas with low densities of carnivores. Farmers who have experienced a carnivore attack on their livestock spend extra labor on fence maintenance, searching for lost animals, and bringing the animals in for the night. The use of enforced so-called carnivore fences has a significant impact on time spent on fence maintenance and on searching for lost animals. Finally, results show that costs for farmers that have experienced an attack differ between farms that keep the sheep within fences, and summer pasture farms that apply free-range grazing. Results from the study can motivate the use of a flat rate compensation per ewe in the herd, which is differentiated between farms in areas with high carnivore densities and conventional and summer pasture farms that have suffered an attack

    The Dividing Line Between Wildlife Research and Management-Implications for Animal Welfare

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    Wild animals are used for research and management purposes in Sweden and throughout the world. Animals are often subjected to similar procedures and risks of compromised welfare from capture, anesthesia, handling, sampling, marking, and sometimes selective removal. The interpretation of the protection of animals used for scientific purposes in Sweden is based on the EU Directive 2010/63/EU. The purpose of animal use, irrespective if the animal is suffering or not, decides the classification as a research animal, according to Swedish legislation. In Sweden, like in several other European countries, the legislation differs between research and management. Whereas, animal research is generally well-defined and covered in the legislation, wildlife management is not. The protection of wild animals differs depending on the procedure they are subjected to, and how they are classified. In contrast to wildlife management activities, research projects have to implement the 3Rs and must undergo ethical reviews and official animal welfare controls. It is often difficult to define the dividing line between the two categories, e.g., when marking for identification purposes. This gray area creates uncertainty and problems beyond animal welfare, e.g., in Sweden, information that has been collected during management without ethical approval should not be published. The legislation therefore needs to be harmonized. To ensure consistent ethical and welfare assessments for wild animals at the hands of humans, and for the benefit of science and management, we suggest that both research and management procedures are assessed by one single Animal Ethics Committee with expertise in the 3Rs, animal welfare, wildlife population health and One Health. We emphasize the need for increased and improved official animal welfare control, facilitated by compatible legislation and a similar ethical authorization process for all wild animal procedures

    Pain, depression and anxiety in people with haemophilia from three Nordic countries : Cross-sectional survey data from the MIND study

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    Introduction People with haemophilia (PwH) may experience symptoms of haemophilia-related pain, depression or anxiety, which can negatively impact health-related quality of life. Aim To obtain the perspective of PwH and treaters from Sweden, Finland and Denmark on the management of haemophilia-related pain, depression and anxiety using cross-sectional survey data from the MIND study (NCT03276130). Methods PwH or their caregivers completed a survey about experiences of pain, depression and anxiety related to haemophilia, and the standard EQ-5D-5L instrument. Five investigators at haemophilia treatment centres (HTC) were sent a complementary survey containing questions about the management of pain and depression/anxiety. Results There were 343 PwH (mild: 103; moderate: 53; severe: 180; seven lacking severity information) and 71 caregiver responses. Experience of pain in the last 6 months was reported by 50% of PwH respondents and 46% of caregiver respondents. Anxiety/depression was reported by 28% of PwH respondents. Reporting of pain and anxiety/depression was associated with disease severity. Whilst 62% of PwH who had experienced pain at any time point (n = 242) felt this was adequately addressed and treated at their HTC, only 24% of those who had experienced depression/anxiety (n = 127) felt this was adequately addressed. Disease severity was negatively associated with EQ-5D-5L utility value (p < .001). In the HTC survey, 4/5 and 2/5 agreed that pain and depression/anxiety, respectively, are adequately addressed. Conclusions Pain and depression/anxiety occur more frequently with increasing haemophilia severity, with negative impacts on health-related quality of life. PwH with depression/anxiety or unaddressed pain could benefit from improved management strategies.Peer reviewe

    Djurskydd inom grisuppfödning

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    I Sverige tillĂ„ts idag generellt avvĂ€njning av smĂ„grisar i praktiken vid en individuell Ă„lder om tidigast 28 dagar. Detta skiljer frĂ„n EUs grisdirektiv dĂ€r avvĂ€njning tillĂ„ts frĂ„n 21 dagars Ă„lder. En digivningsperiod pĂ„ 21 dagar ger en högre produktion eftersom medeltalet kullar per sugga och Ă„r teoretiskt dĂ„ kan öka med 4,5 % (frĂ„n 2,2 till 2,3 kullar per Ă„r). Det har Ă€ven föreslagits att en kortare digivningsperiod skulle innebĂ€ra mindre pĂ„frestningar pĂ„ suggorna, och dĂ€rigenom medföra förbĂ€ttrad vĂ€lfĂ€rd för dessa. RĂ„det finner att det finns mycket fĂ„ studier som jĂ€mför avvĂ€njning vid just 21 och 28 dagar. De vetenskapliga studier som studerar detta mer i detalj Ă€r i de flesta fall genomförda i alternativa system, sĂ„ som grupphĂ„llnings-system eller sĂ„ kallade ”getaway pens” dĂ€r suggan kan gĂ„ ifrĂ„n sina smĂ„grisar. Resultat frĂ„n dessa studier gĂ„r dĂ€rmed inte att generalisera till konventionella system dĂ€r suggor med smĂ„grisar hĂ„lls individuellt med smĂ„ möjligheter för suggan att reglera t.ex. digivning eller födosöksbeteende. Trots bristen pĂ„ vetenskapligt granskade rapporter konstaterades att en avvĂ€njning vid 28 dagars Ă„lder var att föredra sett ur smĂ„grisens perspektiv, eftersom matsmĂ€ltningsapparat och immunsystem Ă€r mer utvecklade den fjĂ€rde levnadsveckan. Det förefaller dock finnas en ganska tydlig skillnad i fysiologisk mognad mellan grisar som Ă€r yngre (&lt;19-21 dagar) respektive Ă€ldre (28 dagar), men dĂ€r grisar som Ă€r 25 dagar och Ă€ldre skiljer sig mindre frĂ„n grisar som Ă€r 28 dagar gamla Ă€n grisar som Ă€r 23 dagar och yngre. Diperiodens belastning pĂ„ den domesticerade suggan i modern grisproduktion överstiger den hos frilevande suggor eftersom antalet överlevande kultingar Ă€r högre, samt att suggan inte heller genom att styra digivningen kan skydda sig frĂ„n kullens ökande krav pĂ„ att dia. De ökande kullstorlekarna kan teoretiskt innebĂ€ra pĂ„frestningar pĂ„ suggan, och tidig avvĂ€njning skulle dĂ€rmed kunna bidra till att minska pĂ„frestningarna pĂ„ suggan. Det finns dock inga vetenskapliga studier som stödjer en sĂ„dan slutsats. Det kan dock konstateras att en svensk sugga under slutet av diperioden i medeltal ger di till 13 kultingar som vardera vĂ€ger cirka 10 kg, vilka tillsammans dagligen krĂ€ver 108 MJ omsĂ€ttbar energi (25 800 kcal) varav huvuddelen kommer frĂ„n suggans mjölk. I dagens svenska grisproduktion med omgĂ„ngsuppfödning kan det skilja 4-7 dagar mellan de först födda och de sist födda i gruppen. För att samla sugg-gruppen inför nĂ€sta grisning avvĂ€njs alla suggor samma dag och vid en lĂ€gsta individuell avvĂ€njningsĂ„lder av 28 dagar blir medelĂ„ldern vid avvĂ€njning dĂ€rför i praktiken cirka 32 dagar. Om lantbruken fortsĂ€tter att fokusera pĂ„ avvĂ€njning sĂ„ nĂ€ra 28 dagars Ă„lder som möjligt kommer ”manöverutrymmet” för att synkronisera suggorna vid avvĂ€njning att försvinna. Suggor med fysiologiskt lĂ€ngre drĂ€ktighet Ă€n genomsnittet riskerar dĂ„ att förskjutas i grisningstid jĂ€mfört med medelsuggorna. Vid en förlĂ€ngning med tre dagar mellan tvĂ„ grisningstillfĂ€llen kan en sugga redan som tredjegrisare vara sĂ„ pass avvikande vad gĂ€ller grisningsdag att hon kommer att slĂ„s ut (slaktas) i förtid om det inte ges möjlighet att synkronisera gruppen vid avvĂ€njning. Vid en bedömning av lĂ€mpligaste dagen för avvĂ€njning bör sĂ„vĂ€l smĂ„grisens som suggans situation beaktas. Det vetenskapliga underlaget för detta Ă€r mycket begrĂ€nsat, men det ska beaktas att inhysning och skötsel har större betydelse för sĂ„vĂ€l smĂ„grisars som suggors hĂ€lsa och vĂ€lfĂ€rd Ă€n den exakta avvĂ€njningsĂ„ldern. Vid en samlad bedömning ansĂ„gs dĂ€rför att en avvĂ€njning vid 28 dagar i genomsnitt förefaller acceptabel, under förutsĂ€ttning att avvĂ€njningsĂ„ldern i inget enskilt fall understiger 25 dagar
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