Research in veterinary science最新文献

The ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor is a major threat to Apis mellifera colonies. Beekeepers use acaricides such as amitraz for control, but resistance has been reported, possibly linked to mutations in the Octβ2R gene. This study examined the frequency of these mutations in Varroa populations from two management systems: organic (oxalic acid treatment) and conventional (amitraz treatment). DNA was extracted individually from 83 mites collected from 14 apiaries, and a 1064 bp fragment of Octβ2R was amplified and sequenced. The F290L-related mutation appeared at a high frequency (89%), with no significant differences between treatments. No other reported mutations were found. The widespread homozygosity of F290L and lack of treatment-related variation suggest that this mutation existed before amitraz use, reflecting historical genetic variation rather than recent selection. Further research is needed to clarify its role in amitraz resistance.

Animal movement plays a critical role in the spread of infectious diseases. Social network analysis can be used to understand animal movement data (AMD) by analyzing trading dynamics and identifying key nodes that are vulnerable to disease spread. This study used swine local shipping permits (LSP) in 2021 from the Philippines' AMD platform. Towns were considered nodes and arcs were defined as shipments, weighted by the number of shipments or pigs per shipment. The year was divided into four quarters to evaluate seasonal trends. R (igraph package) and ArcGISPro were used to analyze and map the network. Results showed a network structure of 685 towns from 37,138 LSPs representing 2,178,536 pigs shipped from 311 towns and delivered to 516 towns with a median travel distance of 102.35 km. Network-level density was 0.06%, transitivity 7.9%, assortativity -0.277, reciprocity 0.014, and average path length 3.73. The mean number of shipments and pigs shipped indicated seasonal variation; October-December was highest (55.5, 3167) while January-March was lowest: (29.5, 1861.5). The Walktrap algorithm identified six large trade communities, involving 21 to 282 towns. Towns with breeder and fattener farms showed high out-degree while high in-degree were associated with metropolitan cities and slaughterhouses. Seasonal trends are consistent with cultural practices with fewer shipments during January-March (Lent) and more shipments during October-December (Christmas). Network-level metrics suggest weak clustering, and one-sided trade relationships. Knowledge of the swine trading patterns is critical in controlling ASF to support risk-based surveillance and proper budgetary resource allocation.

Background: Despite growing global investment in One Health initiatives, limited systematic synthesis exists examining veterinary authority strategies and their performance outcomes in developing countries, creating a knowledge gap for evidence-based policy formulation.

Objective: To develop a comprehensive taxonomy of One Health zoonosis prevention strategies implemented by veterinary authorities in developing countries and establish quantitative effectiveness patterns across resource-constrained settings.

Methods: We conducted a systematic review following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 guidelines, searching Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed for peer-reviewed studies published between January 2015 and July 2025. Two reviewers independently screened 126 records after deduplication with inter-rater agreement (κ = 0.82). We employed mixed-methods synthesis integrating thematic analysis and quantitative effectiveness scoring across 42 included studies.

Results: From 42 studies spanning 18 countries, we identified 14 distinct One Health strategies organized into three dominant modalities: intersectoral coordination mechanisms (35.7%), surveillance system enhancement (28.6%), and integrated service delivery (21.4%). Integrated approaches consistently demonstrated superior effectiveness scores (77-90, 95% CI: 73-94) compared to single-intervention strategies (25-95, 95% CI: 18-88). Mobile surveillance systems achieved 14-fold reporting increases (RR = 14.0, 95% CI: 13.8-14.2), while integrated surveillance systems demonstrated improved epidemiological understanding across human-animal interfaces.

Conclusions: Implementation quality and strategic integration represent more critical determinants of success than intervention type or resource intensity alone. Sub-optimal policy implementation and poor inter-sectoral coordination were consistently identified as barriers to achieving desired outcomes. These findings provide evidence-based guidance for optimizing limited resources in developing countries.

African swine fever (ASF) continues to threaten pig production systems across Southeast Asia, yet regional epidemiological patterns remain fragmented. This systematic review and meta-analysis synthesized prevalence data to provide a consolidated assessment of ASF burden, spatial distribution, and temporal trends from 2019 to 2023. Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, a comprehensive literature search was conducted across eight major databases and supplementary sources, with protocol registration in the Open Science Framework. Four reviewers independently screened studies, and eligible publications underwent quality appraisal using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) checklist. Data extraction encompassed prevalence estimates, diagnostic methods, sample types, and geographic information, which were subsequently mapped using QGIS. Meta-analyses, subgroup analyses, meta-regression modelling, and Egger's test were performed in R Studio using the "meta" and "metafor" packages. Twelve studies met inclusion criteria, representing seven Southeast Asian countries. The random-effects model yielded an overall pooled prevalence of 29.14% (95% CI: 20.56-37.72), with substantial heterogeneity (I² = 100%; τ² = 0.1012). Subgroup analyses demonstrated marked variations by study period, diagnostic method, sample type, and country, with the highest prevalence estimates reported in Vietnam and Lao PDR. Meta-regression identified a significant decline in prevalence over time (p < 0.001). Spatial mapping revealed pronounced regional burden prevalence, particularly in the Lao PDR and southern Vietnam. Funnel plot asymmetry and regression testing suggested the presence of small-study effects. These findings underscore the persistent and heterogenous nature of ASF across Southeast Asia, emphasizing the need for harmonized surveillance, strengthened biosecurity in smallholder systems, and enhanced diagnostic capacity.

Maintaining sufficient levels of biosecurity at the farm level is crucial to prevent the introduction and spread of pathogens. However, data on biosecurity awareness and implementation in small-scale or backyard (hereafter referred to as small-scale) holdings across Europe are lacking. While the risk posed by these farms is generally regarded as limited, they represent a diverse group of farmers and do play a role in disease introduction and spread. The aim of this study was to explore veterinarians' perspectives on small-scale farming in Europe, including the frequency of farm visits, the definition of small-scale farming, the current status of biosecurity, and the most important measures to prevent pathogen introduction and spread. A multidisciplinary team developed a comprehensive survey to collect veterinarians' perspectives on biosecurity in small-scale farms. The survey was translated into 16 languages, digitalised, and distributed online between July and December 2024 by participants of COST Action BETTER. Data were analysed descriptively, and clusters of veterinarians were distinguished using multiple correspondence analysis. In total, 346 veterinarians from 23 countries participated in the survey. There is no standard definition of small-scale farming throughout Europe. According to the participating veterinarians, a small-scale farm was defined as having a median number of fewer than 20 cattle, 30 small ruminants, 13 pigs, or 99 heads of poultry. Three clusters of veterinarians were identified based on geographical location, field experience, biosecurity training, and perceived biosecurity awareness within the small-scale farming community. Biosecurity measures already applied in small-scale farming included fencing, carcass management, and biosecurity measures related to purchasing and feeding practices. According to the participating veterinarians, the most important biosecurity measures for small-scale farms to prevent pathogen introduction and spread included factors related to the introduction of animals, such as quarantine facilities, testing for health status, and purchasing animals from farms with a high health status. Besides factors related to the introduction of animals, hygiene measures and fencing were also frequently indicated as the most important biosecurity measures. Nevertheless, significant differences were found between the clusters regarding the importance of specific biosecurity measures. This study provides valuable insights into the perceived awareness, implementation, and desired biosecurity measures in European small-scale farming and underscores the importance of integrating small farms into "One Health" strategies, given their potential role in the spread of infectious diseases.

The development of the bovine rumen microbiome is crucial for growth, yet the dynamic interactions between the microbiome and metabolome during key growth stages remain poorly understood. This study aims to integrate metagenomics and metabolomics approaches to decipher the stage-specific patterns of rumen microbial community and metabolite changes in castrated Angus cattle at three critical growth stages (6, 12, and 18 months of age), and to elucidate their associations with host growth performance. We collected rumen fluid samples from 24 Angus steers (8 per age group) reared under standardized conditions and performed metagenomic and non-targeted metabolomic analyses. Integrated analysis revealed distinct rumen ecosystem succession patterns: multiple species represented by Prevotella_sp._ne3005 dominated at 6 months, Fibrobacter_succinogenes showed significantly increased abundance at 12 months, and Methanobrevibacter_millerae exhibited the most pronounced enrichment at 18 months. Concurrently, key metabolites 12,13-Dihydroxyoleic Acid, Delta-12-Pgj2, and Cortisol exhibited a significant positive correlation with age. Further Pearson correlation analysis revealed strong correlations between the 18-month-enriched characteristic microorganism Methanobrevibacter_millerae and key metabolites (12,13-Dihydroxyoleic Acid, Delta-12-Pgj2, and Cortisol) as well as higher body weight. This study delineates a dynamic map of synergistic interactions between the rumen microbiome and metabolome, confirming their close association with host growth performance. This work provides a systematic multi-omics framework for understanding rumen development in ruminants and identifies potential targets for optimizing beef cattle production performance through microbial or metabolic interventions.

This study aimed to explore the relationship between intestinal health biomarkers and nutrient digestion and metabolism in nursery pigs. Thirty-two weaned pigs were individually housed and fed a single experimental diet for 22 days. Feces and urine were collected on days 15 to 21 post-weaning to assess energy and protein digestibility and metabolizability. Blood samples were collected on day 22 to assess intestinal permeability, IgG, and IgA. Fecal samples were collected on the same day to quantify calprotectin, neopterin, lactoferrin, calcium-binding proteins, and fatty acid-binding protein (FABP). All pigs were euthanized on day 22 for intestinal tissue collection to determine villus height, villus width, crypt depth, and villus height-to-crypt depth ratio, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), glutathione S-transferase, protein thiols, resistance to rupture, zonula occludens-1, and occludin. Principal component analysis (PCA), correlation, and classification and regression tree (CART) methods were applied. Fecal calcium-binding proteins and FABP levels were identified in the tree-based models (CART) as key predictors of dry matter digestion. On the other hand, fecal calprotectin and FABP levels were the primary determinants of protein and energy digestibility and metabolizability. Fecal calprotectin levels between 79.4 and 79.6 ng/mL served as the cutoff to distinguish nursery pigs with high and low digestibility in two different CART models. Similarly, the cutoff for FABP levels ranged from 70.5 to 87.4 ng/mL, indicating its role in differentiating groups with high and low efficiency. Our results support the potential of fecal biomarkers as non-invasive indicators of digestibility and metabolism in weaned pigs.