Prevalence of livestock-associated MRSA in broiler flocks and risk factors for slaughterhouse personnel in The Netherlands.

To determine methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) carriage in poultry and slaughterhouse personnel, 40 Dutch broiler flocks, in six slaughterhouses and 466 personnel were sampled. Of the employees, 26 were positive (5.6%), indicating a higher risk of exposure when compared to the general Dutch population (0.1%). This risk was significantly higher for personnel having contact with live animals (5.2%) - especially hanging broilers on the slaughterline (20.0%) - than for all other personnel (1.9%). Conventional electric stunning conferred a significantly higher risk of MRSA carriage for employees than CO2 stunning (9.7% vs. 2.0%). A total of 405 broilers were sampled upon their arrival at the slaughterhouse, of which 6.9% were positive. These broilers originated from 40 Dutch slaughter flocks of which 35.0% were positive. MRSA contamination in the different compartments of slaughterhouses increased during the production day, from 8% to 35%. Of the 119 MRSA isolates, predominantly livestock-associated MRSA ST398 was found, although 27.7% belonged to ST9 (spa type t1430). There is an increased risk of MRSA carriage in personnel working at broiler slaughterhouses, particularly those having contact with live animals.

Fermentation of liquid coproducts and liquid compound diets: Part 1. Effects on chemical composition during a 6-day storage period.

The effects of a 6-day storage period on changes in dry matter, crude ash, crude protein, true protein, crude fat, starch, soluble starch, sugar and lactose of three liquid coproducts and two liquid compound diets were studied. The three liquid coproducts studied were: liquid wheat starch (LWS), mashed potato steam peel (PSP) and cheese whey (CW), and the two liquid compound diets were: liquid grower diet (LGD) and liquid finisher diet (LFD). The loss of corrected dry matter after a 6-day storage, expressed in relation to the initial content, was 1.9, 6.2, 9.6, 4.6 and 4.2% for LWS, PSP, CW, LGD and LFD, respectively. During storage, the total amount of starch decreased 2.7, 24.0, 28.1 and 33.3% for LWS, PSP, LGD and LFD, respectively. The total amount of lactose decreased 23.5% for CW. The gross energy value of the products did not change remarkably during the 6-day storage period; gross energy losses being less than 3% of the initial gross energy content.

Fermentation of liquid coproducts and liquid compound diets: Part 2. Effects on pH, acid-binding capacity, organic acids and ethanol during a 6-day storage period.

The effects of a 6-day storage period on changes in pH, acid-binding capacity, level of organic acids and ethanol of three liquid coproducts [liquid wheat starch (LWS), mashed potato steam peel (PSP) and cheese whey (CW)] and two liquid compound diets [liquid grower diet (LGD) and liquid finisher diet (LFD)] were studied. All products, except LWS, showed a significant decrease in pH and acid-binding capacity during storage. At the end of the storage period, all products reached a pH of between 3.5 and 3.9. In general, it can be concluded that the lactic acid content, and to a lesser extent the acetic acid content, increased dramatically during storage. In contrast, the ethanol content increased significantly in the liquid compound diets only. The pattern of changes in pH and organic acids during the 6-day storage period was different between the liquid coproducts and the liquid compound diets. At the start of storage, liquid coproducts are already in the 'middle' of the fermentation process, while liquid compound diets need approximately 24-36 h before fermentation begins. Consequently, in practice a different approach to obtain fermented diets is needed for liquid coproducts and liquid compound diets.

Individually measured feed intake characteristics and growth performance of group-housed weanling pigs: effects of sex, initial body weight, and body weight distribution within groups.

Feed intake characteristics of 192, 27-d-old weanling pigs housed in groups and given ad libitum access to feed and water were measured individually with the use of computerized feeding stations. The groups were either homogeneous or heterogeneous as to BW distribution; pigs of three defined initial BW classes were used (mean BW of 6.7, 7.9, or 9.3 kg). The effects of BW distribution, BW class, and sex were studied with regard to average performance traits, latency time (interval between weaning and first feed intake), initial feed intake (intake during the first 24 h following first feed intake), and daily increase in feed intake during the interval between first feed intake and the day on which energy intake met or exceeded 1.5 times the maintenance requirement. Homogeneous and heterogeneous groups had similar latency times, initial feed intakes, and daily increases in feed intake. For the period 0 to 34 d after weaning, ADFI and ADG were also similar for homogeneous and heterogeneous groups, but gain:feed ratio was greater (P < 0.05) in the homogeneous groups. Gilts had higher (P < 0.05) initial feed intakes than barrows and also had greater (P < 0.05) ADFI and ADG during the period 0 to 13 d after weaning. Pigs with average BW of 6.7 kg had higher (P < 0.05) initial feed intakes than their counterparts with average BW of 7.9 kg and 9.3 kg, but the daily increase in feed intake was similar for the three groups. The lighter pigs had more daily visits and a lower feed intake per visit and tended to have a shorter postweaning latency to the onset of feeding than the heavier pigs. This study indicates that the high variability in early feeding behavior among group-housed weanling pigs may be related to BW and sex.

Glucose tolerance of pregnant sows is related to postnatal pig mortality.

An experiment was conducted on three farms to study the relationship between the results of an oral glucose tolerance test on d 104 +/- 4 of pregnancy and subsequent reproductive performance of 104 multiparous sows. After an overnight period without feed, sows were fed (3 g/kg BW.75) glucose, and blood samples were taken for analyses of glucose at -10, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 70, 80, 90, 105, and 120 min after administration of glucose. Glucose concentrations before glucose administration ranged from 2.0 to 3.6 mmol/L. Sows with lesser pretest glucose concentrations had longer (P < .01) durations of pregnancy (corrected for number of live pigs born) and heavier (P < .05) pigs at birth (corrected for farm and number of live pigs born). Peak glucose concentrations and areas under the curves (i.e., first 70 min and entire 120 min) ranged from .1 to 4.4 mmol/L, -40 to 211 (mmol/L).min, and -95 to 247 (mmol/L).min, respectively. Sows with greater (P < .01) peak concentration of glucose and greater area under the curve (first 70 min [P < .01] and entire 120 min [P < .01]) had increased pig mortality during the first 7 d after farrowing (corrected for live weight of the sows). In 83 sows, a sample of morning urine (before feeding) was collected and tested for glucose and ketone bodies. Neither glucose nor the ketone body acetoacetic acid was detected in the urine. The results indicate that sows that are less glucose-tolerant have greater pig mortality.

[Study of the possibility of breeding serologically negative animals from a breeding farm infected with serotype 2 Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae]. / Onderzoek naar een mogelijkheid om vanuit een met Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae serotype 2 geïnfecteerd fokbedrijf serologisch negatieve dieren op te fokken.

Two sanitation trials showed that it was possible to rear serologically negative animals from pigs on a breeding farm infected with Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae serotype 2. This was achieved by the medication of sows and piglets during the farrowing-house period and by isolating the piglets from the infected stock of pigs immediately after weaning. Medication of the sows consisted in administering sulphamethoxazole-trimethoprim in the drinking water for a period from five days before to eight days after farrowing. The piglets were treated by injections of sulphadoxine-trimethoprim on days 3, 10, 17 and 24.