Designing a "good life" for livestock: Could gene editing improve farm animal welfare in low- and middle- income countries?

Gene editing's successful application to benefit farm animals' welfare is unlikely in the short to medium term, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), given the high costs and low rates of success to date in research settings.Reasons: 1. Gene editing is biased toward outcomes that can be easily measured and assessed. More complex traits associated with animal welfare such as behavior or condition are less likely to be targeted using gene editing.  2. Gene editing has been designed for use in vertically integrated production systems as livestock breeding is centralized and breeds themselves are highly standardised in these systems. Many LMICs lack vertically integrated production systems, have higher numbers of smallholder farmers, lack investment by companies and NGOs to promote these technologies, lack gene editing researchers, and have limited local support for biotechnology research and training.Potential downsides of gene editing: 1. Where the intensification of livestock production is growing, gene editing is likely to further accelerate intensification and disadvantage farmers relying on less intensive production systems. 2. Genetic diversity across traditional breeds is valuable and should be maintained. It is not clear how gene editing could affect this diversity.There may be specific applications that could lead to improvements in animal welfare in certain LMICs, for example: 1. Using gene editing to bias sex ratios could be particularly valuable in India, given the country's extensive dairy industry. 2. Sex selection in layer hens in Egypt, given hens there are raised in an increasingly vertically integrated production system. 3. Producing polled cattle and eliminating the need for mechanical dehorning as currently occurs in many locales.Many farm animal welfare issues in LMICs are less likely to be addressed through applications of gene editing as opposed to lower technological measures such as better access to veterinary services, better management practices, improved biosecurity, and poverty reduction

Australian meat consumers’ understandings of farm animal welfare

This dissertation investigates Australian meat consumers’ understandings about farm animal welfare and explores their underlying values associated with meat production. Focus groups and interviews were the primary sources of data used to capture how Australian meat consumers conceptualise the issue of farm animal welfare. A total of sixty-six meat consumers across Australia participated in interviews and focus groups, facilitating the documentation of how their values are enacted through their understandings of farm animal welfare. While extensive research into perceptions of farm animal welfare have been undertaken in other developed countries, this thesis is the first to explore Australian meat consumer views on these issues using qualitative research methods. Popular understandings of an issue, and the associated values, are shaped by a variety of sources including the media, popular culture, education, religion and socioeconomic status. Two key influences associated with shaping consumer understandings of farm animal welfare are news media and the work of animal welfare activists. Due to the extensive involvement of the media in communicating about the issue of farm animal welfare in Australia, a framing analysis of Australian print press articles was undertaken as part of this dissertation. This analysis allowed the issue of farm animal welfare to be positioned within the broader social and cultural discourse within Australia. Alongside the changing media landscape, the adoption of social media has changed how animal welfare activists communicate with the public. There is anecdotal evidence of concern from the livestock industry about the role that animal welfare activists have on public understanding of farm animal welfare, and the use of animals in agriculture more generally, particularly since the rising popularity of social media in disseminating news and information. Thus this research also explores participant opinions of farm animal welfare activism, specifically online activism. This research demonstrates that public understandings of farm animal welfare extend far beyond the ways in which an animal is treated on farm or within the meat value chain. This dissertation highlights that concerns about farm animal welfare are related to the quality of life experienced by the animal. Ideas about ‘natural’ and ‘traditional’ production were found to be blurred in the Australian context as, collectively, they were considered to be representative of what participants considered to be ‘normal’ in relation to livestock production. These production methods were understood by participants to provide livestock animals with a better quality of life. In contrast, despite an appreciation for affordable and abundant protein, participants rejected intensive production methods which provided such protein as they were viewed as having negative impacts on animal quality of life. Thus, intensively raised meat is a site of tension, with conflict between participant values of abundant affordable protein and animal quality of life. Furthermore, this research highlights that concerns for animal quality of life are not only related to an animal’s emotional state but are associated with concerns about food safety and quality. Using a ‘risk’ framework, findings are summarised to argue that farm animal welfare is an issue of increasing concern in Australia because modern livestock production practices impact animal quality of life, and in turn place meat quality at risk. These findings have implications for future research into attitudes of other meat value chain participants and communication strategies to generate constructive dialogues with consumers to ultimately re-build trust in meat producers and others in the value chain amongst meat consumers and the broader community.Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Humanities, 201

Genomic investigations of unexplained acute hepatitis in children

Since its first identification in Scotland, over 1,000 cases of unexplained paediatric hepatitis in children have been reported worldwide, including 278 cases in the UK1. Here we report an investigation of 38 cases, 66 age-matched immunocompetent controls and 21 immunocompromised comparator participants, using a combination of genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic and immunohistochemical methods. We detected high levels of adeno-associated virus 2 (AAV2) DNA in the liver, blood, plasma or stool from 27 of 28 cases. We found low levels of adenovirus (HAdV) and human herpesvirus 6B (HHV-6B) in 23 of 31 and 16 of 23, respectively, of the cases tested. By contrast, AAV2 was infrequently detected and at low titre in the blood or the liver from control children with HAdV, even when profoundly immunosuppressed. AAV2, HAdV and HHV-6 phylogeny excluded the emergence of novel strains in cases. Histological analyses of explanted livers showed enrichment for T cells and B lineage cells. Proteomic comparison of liver tissue from cases and healthy controls identified increased expression of HLA class 2, immunoglobulin variable regions and complement proteins. HAdV and AAV2 proteins were not detected in the livers. Instead, we identified AAV2 DNA complexes reflecting both HAdV-mediated and HHV-6B-mediated replication. We hypothesize that high levels of abnormal AAV2 replication products aided by HAdV and, in severe cases, HHV-6B may have triggered immune-mediated hepatic disease in genetically and immunologically predisposed children

A Review of Legal Regulation of Religious Slaughter in Australia: Failure to Regulate or a Regulatory Fail?

While religious slaughter is not a new practice in Australia, it has recently attracted public concern regarding questions of animal welfare following unfavourable media coverage. However, the details of religious slaughter practices, including related animal welfare provisions, appear to be poorly understood by the Australian public, and no existing literature concisely synthesises current regulations, practices, and issues. This paper addresses this gap by examining the processes associated with various types of religious slaughter and associated animal welfare issues, by reviewing the relevant legislation and examining public views, while highlighting areas for further research, particularly in Australia. The paper finds shortcomings in relation to transparency and understanding of current practices and regulation and suggests a need for more clear and consistent legislative provisions, as well as increased independence from industry in the setting of the standards, enforcement and administration of religious slaughter. A starting point for legal reform would be the relocation of important provisions pertaining to religious slaughter from delegated codes to the responsible act or regulation, ensuring proper parliamentary oversight. In addition, more active public engagement must occur, particularly with regard to what constitutes legal practices and animal welfare standards in the Australian context to overcome ongoing conflict between those who oppose religious slaughter and the Muslim and Jewish communities