Bleeding skin lesions in gestating sows of a piglet producing farm in Austria.

BACKGROUND Stomoxys calcitrans, the stable fly, occurs in pig producing countries worldwide. While in cattle the impact of this blood sucking insect is quite well described, its role in pig production is poorly investigated. Here we describe a case of a massive stable fly overpopulation in the gestation unit of a piglet producing farm in Austria that resulted in bleeding skin lesions in bitten sows. CASE PRESENTATION In October 2021, the responsible herd veterinarian of the case farm reported of sows in the gestation area presenting with bloody crusts on the whole skin surface of the body and of bleeding skin lesions. 33/55 sows were affected by moderate to severe skin lesions. Reproductive performance decreased during the time of massive stable fly overpopulation. Sows in the gestation unit showed defensive behaviour and at a certain time point resigned and accepted being bitten by stable flies. After controlling the fly population, reproductive performance improved and even exceeded the performance before the massive overgrowth of the stable fly population. CONCLUSIONS Stable flies are a serious harm to pigs and should be kept in mind for improved animal health and welfare. Knowledge about the determination of Stomoxys calcitrans and early recognition of an increasing stable fly population in pig farming systems followed by proper insect control measures have to be performed to reduce losses caused by this harming insect

Front line defenders of the ecological niche! Screening the structural diversity of peptaibiotics from saprotrophic and fungicolous <i>Trichoderma/Hypocrea</i> species

Approximately 950 individual sequences of nonribosomally biosynthesised peptides are produced by the genus Trichoderma/Hypocreathat belong to a perpetually growing class of mostly linear antibiotic oligopeptides, which are rich in the non-proteinogenic α-aminoisobutyric acid (Aib). Thus, they are comprehensively named peptaibiotics. Notably, peptaibiotics represent ca. 80%of the total inventory of secondary metabolites currently known from Trichoderma/Hypocrea. Their unique membrane-modifying bioactivity results from amphipathicity and helicity, thus making them ideal candidates in assisting both colonisation and defence of the natural habitats by their fungal producers. Despite this, reports on the in vivo-detection of peptaibiotics have scarcely been published in the past. In order to evaluate the significance of peptaibiotic production for a broader range of potential producers, we screened nine specimensbelonging to seven hitherto uninvestigated fungicolous orsaprotrophic Trichoderma/Hypocrea species by liquid chromatographycoupled to electrospray high resolution mass spectrometry.Sequences of peptaibiotics found were independently confirmedby analysing the peptaibiome of pure agar culture

20 nye tykksekksopper for Norge

We here report the following 20 species of non-lichenized bitunicate ascomycetes as new to Norway: Antealophiotrema brunneosporum, Botryosphaeria corticola, Capronia munkii, Capronia normandinae, Capronia parasitica, Capronia spinifera, Exosporiella fungorum, Helminthosporium oligosporum, Jahnula aquatica, Lophiostoma fuckelii, Lophiostoma rugulosum, Massaria macra, Massaria platanoidea, Massarina rubi, Moristroma quercinum, Navicella elegans, Poetschia buellioides, Splanchnonema pupula,Twenty species of bitunicate ascomycetes new to Norway20 nye tykksekksopper for NorgeTjue arter av ikke-lavdannende bitunikate sekksporesopper rapporteres nye for Norge: Antealophiotrema brunneosporum, Botryosphaeria corticola, Capronia munkii, Capronia normandinae, Capronia parasitica, Capronia spinifera, Exosporiella fungorum, Helminthosporium oligosporum, Jahnula aquatica, Lophiostoma fuckelii, Lophiostoma rugulosum,Massaria macra, Massaria platanoidea, Massarina rubi, Moristroma quercinum, Navicella elegans, Poetschia buellioides, Splanchnonema pupula, Splanchospora ampullacea and Trematosphaeria hydrela. Femten av artene tilhører klassen Dothideomycetes (Tykksekksopper) og fem arter tilhører underklassen Chaetothyriomycetidae i klassen Eurotiomycetes (Kulsekksopper). De bitunikate sekksporesoppene er en lite studert og svært dårlig kjent soppgruppe i Norge, og det antas at det finnes et betydelig antall uoppdagete arter.publishedVersio

Use of Three Air Samplers for the Detection of PRRSV-1 under Experimental and Field Conditions

Airborne transmission of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) has been known for a long time. Most experiments were performed using PRRSV-2 strains and fairly little information is available on the airborne spread of PRRSV-1. The aim of this study was to assess three different air samplers for their ability to detect PRRSV-1 under experimental and field conditions. All three devices were able to detect PRRSV-1 by quantitative reverse trascription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) under experimental conditions. However, the detection of PRRSV-1 in a PRRSV-positive farm with active virus circulation was not successful

Screening the Biosphere: The Fungicolous Fungus Trichoderma phellinicola, a Prolific Source of Hypophellins, New 17-, 18-, 19-, and 20-Residue Peptaibiotics

To investigate the significance of antibiotics for the producing organism(s) in the natural habitat, we screened a specimen of the fungicolous fungus Trichoderma phellinicola (syn. Hypocrea phellinicola) growing on its natural host Phellinus ferruginosus. Results revealed that a particular group of non-ribosomal antibiotic polypeptides, peptaibiotics, which contain the non-proteinogenic marker amino acid, α-aminoisobutyric acid, was biosynthesized in the natural habitat by the fungicolous producer and, consequently, released into the host. By means of liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray high-resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometry, we detected ten 20-residue peptaibols in the specimen. Sequences of peptaibiotics found in vivo were independently confirmed by analyzing the peptaibiome of an agar plate culture of T. phellinicola CBS 119283 (ex-type) grown under laboratory conditions. Notably, this strain could be identified as a potent producer of 39 new 17-, 18-, and 19-residue peptaibiotics, which display the same building scheme as the 20-residue peptaibols found in the specimen. Two of the 19-residue peptaibols are tentatively assigned to carry tyrosinol, a novel C-terminal residue, as deduced from high-resolution tandem mass-spectrometry data. For the new peptaibiotics produced by T. phellinicola, the name ‘hypophellin(s)’, based on the teleomorph name, is introduced