Review: Drinking water for liquid-fed pigs.

Liquid feeding has the potential to provide pigs with sufficient water to remain hydrated and prevent prolonged thirst. However, lack of permanent access to fresh water prevents animals from drinking when they are thirsty. Moreover, individual differences between pigs in a pen may result in uneven distribution of the water provided by the liquid feed, leading to some pigs being unable to meet their water requirements. In this review, we look at the need for and provision of water for liquid-fed pigs in terms of their production performance, behaviour, health and welfare. We highlight factors which may lead to water ingestion above or below requirements. Increases in the need for water may be caused by numerous factors such as morbidity, ambient temperature or competition within the social group, emphasising the necessity of permanent access to water as also prescribed in EU legislation. The drinkers can be the target of redirected behaviour in response to feed restriction or in the absence of rooting materials, thereby generating water losses. The method of water provision and drinker design is critical to ensure easy access to water regardless of the pig's physiological state, and to limit the amount of water used, which does not benefit the pig.

Anaemia in the sow: a cohort study to assess factors with an impact on haemoglobin concentration, and the influence of haemoglobin concentration on the reproductive performance.

The aim of this study was to conduct a descriptive study of haemoglobin concentration found on high-prolificacy sows, to study the relationship between the concentration of haemoglobin and body reserves, and to determine whether anaemia is a risk factor for reproductive performance. A cohort of 308 sows from seven farms was followed from the last third of gestation to the confirmation of the following gestation. Haemoglobin concentration was assessed at four stages of the reproductive cycle: seven and four weeks before farrowing, a few days and three weeks after farrowing. Backfat thickness (BFT) was measured at parturition. The results were analysed using linear mixed-effect models. The mean haemoglobin concentration was 108.4 g/l. The mean modellised haemoglobin concentration of parity 1 sows with a BFT of 16 mm, sampled seven weeks before farrowing, was 118 g/l. Haemoglobin concentration of sows of parity 6 or higher was 8.0 g/l lower than those of parity 1 sows (95% confidence interval -11.0 to -5.1). Haemoglobin concentration is lower in sows with a lower BFT, whatever parity rank. There is no evidence of a relation between haemoglobin concentration and the number of total born, stillborn or number of piglets alive at three weeks and the next breeding performance.

Effect of glucocorticoids on stem cell factor expression in human asthmatic bronchi.

BACKGROUND: Stem cell factor (SCF) is a major mast cell growth factor promoting differentiation, chemotaxis as well as inhibition of apoptosis of mast cells. Regulation of SCF expression by glucocorticoids has not yet been reported in human asthmatic bronchi. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate SCF mRNA and protein expression in biopsy specimen and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, respectively, and to determine the mast cell numbers in biopsy sections from control and asthmatic subjects treated or not with glucocorticoids. METHODS: Volunteers were recruited out of pollen season. Asthmatic patients were allergic to common allergen extracts including grass and tree pollen, cat, dog or mite; three volunteers had non-allergic asthma. Mast cell numbers were counted after anti-human tryptase immunolabelling. SCF mRNA was quantified by real-time fluorescent PCR (LightCycler) after reverse transcription, and SCF protein was measured by ELISA. RESULTS: Asthmatic patients not treated with glucocorticoids showed a 5.8-, 1.8- and 3.1-fold significant increase in SCF mRNA, protein levels and mast cell numbers, respectively, compared with healthy volunteers of the control group (7.8 and 1.3 pg/mug SCF mRNA/GAPDH; 99.8+/-11.5 and 56.0+/-11.0 pg/mL SCF protein; 103+/-21 and 33+/-8 mast cells/mm(2), respectively; P<0.05). In asthmatic patients treated with glucocorticoids, a significant decrease of SCF mRNA, protein levels and mast cell numbers was observed as compared with untreated asthmatic patients (1.1 pg/microg mRNA; 62.0+/-10.3 pg/mL SCF protein and 39+/-13 mast cells/mm(2); P<0.05), reaching levels comparable to those of the control group. CONCLUSION: Our study shows that SCF is expressed in the bronchus in humans in vivo. This expression is increased in asthma, and is parallel to the increased mast cell numbers in the airways. Both increases were normalized in glucocorticoid-treated patients, strongly suggesting an involvement of SCF in the mast cell-associated asthmatic disease.

Effect of quinolone treatment on selection and persistence of quinolone-resistant Escherichia coli in swine faecal flora.

AIMS: To study the effect of oral administration of a quinolone on emergence of resistance in an indicator bacterial species from faecal flora. METHODS AND RESULTS: Quinolone resistance was studied in Escherichia coli obtained from the faecal contents of pigs housed in nine commercial farrow-to-finish herds in France after administration of flumequine to sows. The percentage of quinolone-resistant E. coli increased in the faeces of sows after administration of flumequine (mean 21.78% at day 7 vs 6.42% before treatment for nalidixic acid) and then decreased (mean 12.6 and 10.4 at days 30 and 60, respectively for nalidixic acid), being not significantly different from initial values 1 month post-treatment. In young pigs, the proportion of resistant strains was lower and decreased over rearing period. Moreover, changes over time of both total E. coli and the proportion of resistant bacteria exhibited great inter-individual variability. CONCLUSIONS: Restoration of susceptible faecal flora occurred within 2 months after flumequine treatment. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Effect of flumequine treatment of sows on the quinolone resistance of faecal E. coli of both sows and their progeny is noticeable but transitory.

Aluminium hydroxide-induced granulomas in pigs.

The effect of intramuscular injection of 40 mg/2 ml aluminium hydroxide in the neck of pigs was examined in a number of ways. The investigation followed repeated slaughterhouse reports, according to which 64.8% of pigs from one particular farm were found at slaughter to have one or more nodules in the muscles of the neck (group slaughtered). The pigs had been injected with a vaccine containing 40 mg/2 ml dose of aluminium hydroxide as adjuvant. Research consisted of two phases: first, an epidemiological study was carried out, aimed at determining the risk factors for the granulomas. The results indicated that the vaccine was to be held responsible for the formation of granulomas. A clinical trial was then performed to further substantiate the initial hypothesis, by comparing pigs, which were aseptically inoculated twice with either the original vaccine or the adjuvant alone (groups vaccine and adjuvant) to pigs inoculated twice with apyrogenic bi-distilled water (group water) and to pigs inoculated once with the adjuvant and once with apyrogenic bi-distilled water (group adjuvant/water). Both studies agreed in their conclusions, which indicate that the high amount of aluminium hydroxide was the cause of the granulomas.

Impairment of beta chemokine and cytokine production in patients with HIV related Pneumocystis jerovici pneumonia.

BACKGROUND: Pneumocystis jerovici pneumonia (PJP) remains a frequent opportunistic infection in HIV infected patients which markedly upregulates HIV replication by mechanisms so far poorly elucidated. PJP triggers the production of proinflammatory mediators with activating effects on HIV. However, anti-inflammatory factors with inhibiting effects on HIV are normally produced in parallel. We postulated that an imbalance of mediators normally controlling HIV replication could underlie its marked increase during PJP. METHODS: The production of tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha), interleukins IL-6 and IL-10, and beta-chemokine by bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cells recovered from HIV infected patients with and without PJP was compared. The pulmonary viral load was determined and correlations with cytokine and chemokine production were examined. RESULTS: TNFalpha and IL-6 release was similar in patients with and without PJP but IL-10 and beta-chemokine release was markedly lower in the PJP group (IL-10: p<10(-2), RANTES, MIP-1alpha and MIP-1beta: p<0.001). The pulmonary viral load was markedly higher in patients with PJP (p<0.001) and correlated negatively with levels of MIP-1alpha, RANTES and IL-10 in BAL fluid cells (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Pulmonary IL-10 and beta-chemokine production is markedly defective in HIV infected patients with PJP, while pulmonary TNFalpha and IL-6 levels are normal. The resulting excess of these latter factors, which are known to upregulate HIV replication, might contribute to the increase in pulmonary viral load and to the more rapid HIV disease progression observed in patients with PJP.

[Veterinary use of antibiotics and resistance in man: what relation?]. / Usage vétérinaire des antibiotiques et résistances chez l'homme: quel lien?

Early in the 1950's antibiotic therapy was introduced in humans, as well as in animals. In 1997 48% of the total European antibiotic sales were intended to veterinary use. However, there are significant differences between antibiotic classes regarding either administered quantities or intent for use, e.g. growth factor or therapeutic use. Furthermore, food chain or direct contact may be responsible for antimicrobial resistance through animal-to-human transmission. Although various preventive measures were implemented during the past years, evidence of public health risks has been demonstrated. This should lead to better use of antibiotic therapy not only in animal husbandry but also in medical practice.

Efficacy of doxycycline in feed for the control of pneumonia caused by Pasteurella multocida and Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae in fattening pigs.

A multicentre, controlled, randomised and blinded study was carried out in three French pig herds to assess the efficacy of doxycycline administered in the feed for the control of pneumonia. About 20 per cent of 363 pigs from the three fattening units were diseased at the start of the study. Pneumonic lesions were found on pigs examined postmortem and Pasteurella multocida was isolated from the lungs of pigs in all the herds. Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae infection was confirmed either by detection in pneumonic lungs or by seroconversion in pigs sampled three weeks apart. P multocida, Bordetella bronchiseptica and Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae were isolated from 64 per cent, 50 per cent and 2 per cent, respectively, of 148 nasal swabs. The following variables were significantly different between the treated and untreated groups (P < or = 0.001): the incidence of diseased pigs during the three weeks from the start of treatment (8.1 per cent in treated group v 35.4 per cent in control group), mean daily weight gain over the same period (934 g/day in the treated group v 834 g/day in the control group) and the cure rate of pigs which were diseased at the start of treatment (73.5 per cent in treated group v 35.3 per cent in control group). These data demonstrate that an average dose of 11 mg doxycycline/kg bodyweight per day in feed for eight days was effective in controlling pneumonia due to P multocida and M hyopneumoniae in these fattening pigs.

Risk factors for high sow mortality in French swine herds.

Episodes of high sow mortality rates affect profitability of swine farms. However, relevant control actions are difficult to implement. The objective of this study was to identify the risk factors for high levels of sow mortality rate (HM) in French swine herds. A case-control study was carried out in 102 swine herds located in Brittany (western France). Level of sow mortality of a herd was quantified by the annual mortality rate using sow-days as denominator. Fifty-five (53.9%) herds which experienced a sow mortality rate over 5% were classified as HM herds. Logistic regression was used to assess associations of managerial practices and disease prevalence with the odds of HM. High prevalence of urinary tract infections, metritis or lameness were significantly associated with a HM herd status (P < 0.10, OR ranging from 3.4 to 5.2). Multiplying herds were herds at higher risk for sow mortality than commercial farrow-to-finish herds. Providing three meals per day instead of two to dry sows decreased the odds of HM. Feeding plans where the maximum daily amount of feed provided to lactating sows was lower than 8 kg and was reached before 15 d in lactation were related to lower odds of HM (P < 0.10). Average age at weaning of 28 d or more and/or small average litter size at birth (12 piglets or less) were associated with higher odds of experiencing HM.

Salmonella typhimurium contamination from farm to meat in adult cattle. Descriptive study.

The aim of this work was to study the increase in hair contamination by salmonella in cattle between the farm and slaughterhouse and to explore the possible relationship between this contamination and the contamination of carcasses and of the ground beef made from these animals. Between April 1994 and May 1995, eight groups of ten cows were sampled at different stages during transportation between the farm and the slaughterhouse and on the slaughterline. For each group, one or two cows were included in each group because they had been shown to excrete Salmonella typhimurium 15 days before slaughtering. Samples were collected from the animals (faeces, hide, carcasses, lymph nodes, ears), from the environment (vehicles, cubicles, loading corridor, stunning area) and from the final product (ground beef). The hair samples as well as the environmental samples were the most frequently contaminated (26 to 69%). Eleven different salmonella serotypes were identified, with a maximum of three different serotypes per sample. The typhimurium serotype was isolated from 67% of the positive samples. For the animals leaving the farms, the frequency of hair contamination by serotype typhimurium was 8%. The step that most influenced hair contamination seemed to be the transportation to the slaughterhouse with the contamination frequency reaching 25%. The time spent by the animals in the cubicles of the waiting area of the slaughterhouse seemed to have little influence on the frequency of hair contamination. Even though the frequency of coat contamination reached 25% (for serotype typhimurium) at the beginning of the slaughterline, carcass contamination was only 1% before chilling and only involved one group of animals. In this group, hair contamination after slaughter (serotype typhimurium) reached 90% (9/10), and 80% (4/5) of the samples taken from the ground beef were positive (serotype typhimurium). No contamination was detected in the ground meat made from the other groups.

Enhancement of the efficacy of a replication-defective adenovirus-vectored vaccine by the addition of oil adjuvants.

We previously constructed a recombinant adenovirus with a defective E1A gene, which expresses high levels of the pseudorabies virus gp50 in non-transcomplementing cells. The virus is unable to replicate in mice. It elicited the production of anti-gp50 antibodies only when high concentrations (10(8) TCID50 per dose) of the virus were used and it gave mice little protection. The combination of the recombinant adenovirus at several concentrations (10(8), 10(7.4), 10(6.4) TCID50 per dose) with certain oil adjuvants in different galenic forms (water-in-oil, oil-in-water, water-in-oil-in-water) led to an increase in specific antibody responses and protection for the host when challenged with a virulent pseudorabies virus under very severe conditions, i.e. where 100% of unvaccinated mice died. A water-in-oil-in-water formulation induced a very high level of anti-gp50 antibodies even with a low concentration of adenovirus. These results could be correlated to the induction of cytokines, such as IL6, which is observed with this galenic form. The oil-adjuvanted emulsions induced IL2, suggesting that they were able to activate T-helper cells. Different oil formulations elicited the different IgG subclasses (IgG1, IgG2a, IgG2b, IgG3). These results can be extended to other live replication-defective vaccines expressing different proteins.

[Neonatal hyperthyroidism secondary to Basedow's disease in the mother]. / Hyperthyroïdie néo-natale secondaire à une maladie de Basedow maternelle.

Neonatal hyperthyroidism is only seen in children whose mothers had an autoimmune thyroid disease. In these women, thyroid stimulating immunoglobulins (TSI) must be assayed during pregnancy, so that the newborn can be taken care of immediately. Contrary to thyroid hormones, TSI cross the placental barrier and are responsible for thyrotoxicosis; regular monitoring of their decrease in the newborn indicates that these antibodies are of maternal origin. In both mother and child, the treatment of choice is a synthetic antithyroid drug.

[Immunomodulator effects of 2 antibiotics, chloramphenicol and kitasamycin, in the chicken]. / Effets immunomodulateurs de deux antibiotiques, le chloramphénicol et la kitasamycine, chez le poulet.

One-day-old chickens treated via drinking water with kitasamycin (0.7 g/l for 6 days then 0.35 g/l for 15 days) or with chloramphenicol (1 g/l for 6 days the 0.5 g/l for 15 days), were immunized at the 24th day with sheep red blood cells. Body and spleen growths were recorded and compared to control every week for 5 weeks after immunization. Humoral and cell-mediated immune responses were measured by hemagglutinating antibodies titration, direct and indirect plaque forming cells (PFC) numeration, and graft versus host reaction (GVHR). Both antibiotics reduce antibody response and number of PFC, chloramphenicol being significantly more suppressive than kitasamycin. A short stimulation of cellular response is shown with kitasamycin, which stimulates GVHR, whereas chloramphenicol has a negative effect.

Human alveolar macrophage subpopulations isolated on discontinuous albumin gradients: functional data in normals and sarcoid patients.

Cells recovered by bronchoalveolar lavage from seven normals and seven sarcoid patients were centrifuged on discontinuous bovine albumin (BSA) gradients to study alveolar macrophage (AM) heterogeneity. The gradient was made with nine BSA concentrations from 8 to 30%. After centrifugation, the cells were recovered from the nine interfaces, named a to i. The majority of the AM was recovered from layers b to g. Regulatory activity of AM subpopulations was tested on mitogen-induced blood mononuclear cells (BMC) proliferation: autologous BMC were cocultured with AM from the different layers; 16-h culture supernatants of AM subfractions were added to allogeneic BMC cultures from normal donors. In the autologous assay, AM from the middle layers exhibited a stimulatory activity in normals and even more in sarcoid patients, while AM from the upper layers showed an inhibitory activity in normals but a stimulatory activity in sarcoid patients. In the allogeneic assay, a suppressive effect was found in culture supernatants from normal AM. On the other hand, in sarcoid patients, culture supernatants were less inhibiting, but the inhibitory activity was in both cases maximal in b. These results confirm functional heterogeneity of human AM, and demonstrate that the AM subpopulations differ between normals and sarcoid patients.

Hyena disease in cattle: a review.

Hyena disease was first reported in France in 1975 and since then has been recognized in many countries. It is currently regarded as a disorder of skeletal development, mainly localised in the pelvic limbs of young cattle. Some investigators consider that it is a metabolic disease but the authors believe that it may be caused by a virus. Their hypothesis, according to which bovine virus diarrhoea-mucosal disease virus is involved, is based on epidemiological, histopathological and immunological evidence.

Human alveolar macrophage subpopulations isolated on discontinuous albumin gradients. Cytological data in normals and sarcoid patients.

Cells recovered by bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) from ten subjects (five normals and five sarcoid patients) were centrifuged on discontinuous albumin gradients to study alveolar macrophage (AM) heterogeneity. The gradient was made with nine bovine albumin concentrations (from 8 to 30%). After centrifugation (4000 X g) cells were recovered from the interfaces. The majority of AM was recovered in upper and medium layers with AM purity reaching 90-100% in upper layers, while lymphocytes and granulocytes were found in lower layers. Alveolar macrophage morphology was different along the gradient. Large cytoplasmic vacuoles were found in AM from upper layers. Alveolar macrophage cytoplasmic diameters decreased from the top to the bottom of the gradient, but AM from sarcoid patients appeared larger than AM from normals. Alveolar macrophage nucleo-cytoplasmic ratios increased from top to bottom, but were lower in sarcoid patients than in normals. Alveolar macrophage peroxidase activity was rare (0.5-2% of AM) but reached a higher proportion in upper and lower layers.