Surveying UK sheep farmers' vaccination techniques and the impact of vaccination training.

BACKGROUND: Vaccines are commonly used in sheep farming. However, compliance with vaccination protocols and subsequent suboptimal vaccination techniques are concerns in the industry. METHODS: An online survey containing 31 questions encompassing vaccination storage, technique and training was distributed to UK sheep farmers. Respondents were asked to mark on a sheep diagram where they would administer intramuscular (IM), intradermal, and subcutaneous (SC) vaccines. RESULTS: Of 370 respondents, only 26.1% identified the correct location for SC, 38.0% for intradermal, and 7.7% for IM vaccination. Almost half (45.5%) stored their vaccines in a fridge specific to veterinary medicines, only 33.9% used a temperature logger, and 6.4% checked their fridge temperature daily. Almost half (45.5%) kept their vaccines 48 hours or longer after broaching, and 11.1% kept them until the next time. Significantly more respondents who had received training correctly identified the location for IM vaccination (p < 0.01). However, training had no significant influence on the the correct identification of the other vaccination sites, vaccine storage or administration. CONCLUSION: Suboptimal vaccination techniques are not due to unwillingness to learn; 83.8% responded that they would consider taking a course to improve their use. However, the majority (73.9%) were unaware of the training courses available. Therefore, the industry needs to respond and promote courses.

An EP overexpression screen for genetic modifiers of Notch pathway function in Drosophila melanogaster.

The Notch pathway comprises a signal transduction cascade required for the proper formation of multiple tissues during metazoan development. Originally described in Drosophila for its role in nervous system formation, the pathway has attracted much wider interest owing to its fundamental roles in a range of developmental and disease-related processes. Despite extensive analysis, Notch signaling is not completely understood and it appears that additional components of the pathway remain to be identified and characterized. Here, we describe a novel genetic strategy to screen for additional Notch pathway genes. The strategy combines partial loss of function for pathway activity with Enhancer-promoter (EP)-induced overexpression of random loci across the dorsoventral wing margin. Mastermind (Mam) is a nuclear component of the Notch signaling cascade. Using a GAL4-UAS-driven dominant-negative form of Mam, we created a genotype that exhibits a completely penetrant dominant wing-nicking phenotype. This phenotype was assayed for enhancement or suppression after outcrossing to several thousand EP lines. The screen identified known components or modifiers of Notch pathway function, as well as several potential new components. Our results suggest that a genetic screen that combines partial loss of function with random gene overexpression might be a useful strategy in the analysis of developmental pathways.