Effect of Equi-Strath® on Leucocyte Occurrence in the Haired Skin of Horses

Strath®/Bio-Strath® is a plasmolyzed herbal yeast product with malt, honey and orange syrup. Its ability to support the immune system of the human being is well known and was tested in several studies. Equi-Strath®, the adapted product for horses was tested in this study. The aim of the study was to analyze the effects of Equi-Strath® on skin condition in the horse. The study included twenty healthy Franches-Montagnes stallions which were divided into two groups. The study group (SG, n = 10) received 0.06 ml/kg bodyweight of Equi-Strath®, the control group (CG, n = 10) the same amount of placebo, daily. The supplement and the placebo were given from week 1 until week 10 of the trial, orally. Skin biopsies were taken three times, once at the beginning of the study (week 0), once at half time (week 5) and once at the end of the study (week 10), followed by histological analysis including leucocytes count twice in five vision fields of each slide. No alterations of hair, adnexal structures or skin thickness were found. However, the number of perivascular lymphocytes turned out to be increased at the end of the study in 9 out of 10 animals of the study group, whereas number of lymphocytes in biopsies of the control group where increased only in 4 out of 10 animals. The increase of lymphocytes in the study group suggests an activation of the immune system due to the application of Equi-Strath®

Agonistic behaviour of dairy goats and sheep during feeding – A pilot study on Swiss farms with mixed rations

Feeding mixed rations is a widely used practice for cattle to ensure the intake of a balanced diet and to reduce competition for food. It is unknown, whether mixed rations have the same advantages for small ruminants because they differ from cattle in their feeding and social behaviour. In this observational pilot study, an array of feeding and social behaviour of dairy goats and sheep fed ad libitum with mixed rations on Swiss farms was investigated. Twelve dairy goat and 12 dairy sheep farms feeding mixed rations were visited once during the winter feeding period. Data on the feeding management, feeding place design and the composition of the mixed rations were collected. The number of animals feeding simultaneously and the number and type of agonistic interactions during feeding were assessed by direct observations for 6 hours after the morning feed-distribution. The feeding management and the composition of the mixed rations were very heterogeneous among farms. The feed rations were mostly well balanced in relation to energy and protein and covered the requirements for the daily production of about 2,5 kg of milk. In terms of feeding simultaneously, sheep were more synchronous than goats. The mean number of agonistic interactions per feeding place within 6 hours were 3,8 in goats and 1,8 in sheep; thus, the probability to observe agonistic behaviour is higher in goats than in sheep. Goats and sheep also differed in the frequency of types of agonistic interactions. Overall, the occurrence of agonistic interactions between animals during feeding decreased with higher numbers of feeding places per animal and longer periods of time since the feed distribution. To conclude, when feeding mixed rations, agonistic interactions related to feeding are more frequent in goats but also occur in sheep to a considerable extent. They can be decreased by offering more feeding places

Survey of SalmonellaeSalmonellae occurrence in meat‐producing rabbitries in Switzerland

Background: An outbreak of salmonellosis due to Salmonella Typhimurium was detected coincidentally in a Swiss meat rabbitry, given that surveillance of Salmonella in rabbits is not mandatory in Switzerland. Methods: To assess the extent of potentially subclinical Salmonella carriage in meat rabbits, faecal pool samples of 50 farms (90% of Swiss commercial rabbitries) with ground covering litter and group housing were bacteriologically tested. Additionally, 236 rabbits showing clinical signs compatible with intestinal diseases, such as salmonellosis, were examined postmortem and analysed bacteriologically. Salmonella isolates were serotyped and analysed by whole genome sequencing (WGS). Results: Salmonella Typhimurium was detected in three commercial farms (6.0% of all tested farms). The affected farms were directly linked to the animal trade and Salmonella isolates were shown to be identical by WGS. Conclusion: There is no increased hazard for Salmonella carriage in the animal welfare-friendly Swiss husbandry systems in general, despite risk factors such as ground covering litter

Antibody response to Influenza booster vaccination in Franches-Montagnes stallions supplemented with Equi-Strath : a randomized trial.

Bio-Strath is a plasmolyzed yeast product enriched with herbs, malt, honey and orange juice. In this study, the effect of Equi-Strath , the adapted product for horses, on the equine immune system was evaluated. A routine influenza booster vaccination was used as a model to study the effects of Equi-Strath supplementation on the immune response. Twenty healthy Franches-Montagnes stallions with pre-existing antibody levels were randomly divided into a study group (SG, n = 10) receiving 0.06 mL/kg bodyweight of Equi-Strath , and a control group (CG, n = 10), receiving the same amount of placebo, daily. The supplement and placebo were given from week 1 until week 14 of the trial. After 10 weeks, the horses were vaccinated with a commercial vaccine containing equine influenza strains of the H3N8 subtype. Antibody titres in blood were measured at day 0 before vaccination, and 14 and 32 days after vaccination. In addition, a complete blood count (CBC) was performed on day 0 and day 32. A linear increase of haemagglutination inhibition titres in both groups was observed after vaccination, but with no difference between treatment groups. CBC components remained unaffected by treatment. In conclusion, daily Equi-Strath supplementation did not affect the adaptive immune response in stallions after a routine commercial H3N8 influenza booster vaccination

A new emerging genotype subgroup within PCV-2b dominates the PMWS epizooty in Switzerland

Postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS) is among the most important emerging pig diseases worldwide. Initially, the insidious nature of the disease made it difficult to pinpoint the pathogen. The presence of porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) in all PMWS diseased animals led to its acceptance, possibly together with an unknown factor, as the causative agent for PMWS. Also, presence of PCV2 in healthy individuals did not facilitate the understanding of the disease. Phylogenetic classification separates PCV2 viruses into at least two major groups. With the aid of a signature motif, a short amino acid motif encoded within the capsid protein, the viruses are determined as belonging to PCV-2a or PCV-2b. Recently, this classification received more attention, as it seemed to define PCV-2b to be more virulent. This simplification, however, could not be confirmed experimentally. Hence, we investigated whether virus genetic shift was an initiator for the PMWS epizooty in Switzerland. Piglet lymphoid tissues from 1973 to 2005 were investigated by histology, immunohistochemistry (IHC) and PCR. For genotype classification, a sequence amplificate of 137bp was used encompassing the signature motif. The onset of Swiss PMWS epizooty exhibited a marked shift in PMWS diseased and subclinically infected piglets to PCV-2b and specifically to one genotype subgroup. Complementary to these observations, healthy piglets also defined by IHC as negative are positive in the PCR reaction and are void of any PCV-2b virus during epizooty. Consequently, our data support PCV2 genome plasticity as a major contributing factor for PMWS disease manifestation

Prevalence and phylogeny of Chlamydiae and hemotropic mycoplasma species in captive and free-living bats

BACKGROUND: Bats are hosts for a variety of microorganisms, however, little is known about the presence of Chlamydiales and hemotropic mycoplasmas. This study investigated 475 captive and free-living bats from Switzerland, Germany and Costa Rica for Chlamydiales and hemotropic mycoplasmas by PCR to determine the prevalence and phylogeny of these organisms. RESULTS: Screening for Chlamydiales resulted in a total prevalence of 31.4%. Positive samples originated from captive and free-living bats from all three countries. Sequencing of 15 samples allowed the detection of two phylogenetically distinct groups. These groups share sequence identities to Chlamydiaceae, and to Chlamydia-like organisms including Rhabdochlamydiaceae and unclassified Chlamydiales from environmental samples, respectively. PCR analysis for the presence of hemotropic mycoplasmas resulted in a total prevalence of 0.7%, comprising free-living bats from Germany and Costa Rica. Sequencing and phylogenetic analysis revealed three sequences related to other unidentified mycoplasmas found in vampire bats and Chilean bats. CONCLUSIONS: Bats can harbor Chlamydiales and hemotropic mycoplasmas and the newly described sequences in this study indicate that the diversity of these bacteria in bats is much larger than previously thought. Both, Chlamydiales and hemotropic mycoplasmas are not restricted to certain bat species or countries and captive and free-living bats can be colonized. In conclusion, bats represent another potential host or vector for novel, previously unidentified, Chlamydiales and hemotropic mycoplasmas

Prevalence and phylogeny of Chlamydiae and hemotropic mycoplasma species in captive and free-living bats

BACKGROUND: Bats are hosts for a variety of microorganisms, however, little is known about the presence of Chlamydiales and hemotropic mycoplasmas. This study investigated 475 captive and free-living bats from Switzerland, Germany, and Costa Rica for Chlamydiales and hemotropic mycoplasmas by PCR to determine the prevalence and phylogeny of these organisms. RESULTS: Screening for Chlamydiales resulted in a total prevalence of 31.4%. Positive samples originated from captive and free-living bats from all three countries. Sequencing of 15 samples allowed the detection of two phylogenetically distinct groups. These groups share sequence identities to Chlamydiaceae, and to Chlamydia-like organisms including Rhabdochlamydiaceae and unclassified Chlamydiales from environmental samples, respectively. PCR analysis for the presence of hemotropic mycoplasmas resulted in a total prevalence of 0.7%, comprising free-living bats from Germany and Costa Rica. Phylogenetic analysis revealed three sequences related to other unidentified mycoplasmas found in vampire bats and Chilean bats. CONCLUSIONS: Bats can harbor Chlamydiales and hemotropic mycoplasmas and the newly described sequences in this study indicate that the diversity of these bacteria in bats is much larger than previously thought. Both, Chlamydiales and hemotropic mycoplasmas are not restricted to certain bat species or countries and captive and free-living bats can be colonized. In conclusion, bats represent another potential host or vector for novel, previously unidentified, Chlamydiales and hemotropic mycoplasmas