Significant differences in the caecal bacterial microbiota of red and grey squirrels in Britain.

Red squirrel populations have declined in the UK since the introduction of the grey squirrel, due to resource competition and grey squirrels carrying a squirrelpox virus that is fatal to red squirrels. It is not known if the gut microbiota of the two species is similar and if this could impact the survival of red squirrels. The aim of this study was to profile the caecal microbiota of red and grey squirrels obtained opportunistically from a conservation programme in North Wales.

Bayesian evaluation of meat juice ELISA for detecting Salmonella in slaughtered pigs without specifying a cut-off.

Background: Consumption of pork and pork products is a major source of human infection with Salmonella. Salmonella is typically subclinical in pigs, making it difficult to identify infected pigs. Therefore, effective surveillance of Salmonella in pigs critically relies on good knowledge on how well the diagnostic tests used perform.

Efficacy of Five Disinfectant Products Commonly Used in Pig Herds against a Panel of Bacteria Sensitive and Resistant to Selected Antimicrobials.

The growing threat of antimicrobial resistance worldwide has led to an increasing concern in the human, veterinary, and environmental fields, highlighting the need for strategies to effectively control bacterial contamination. Correct biosecurity practices, including the appropriate use of disinfectants, play a crucial role in controlling bacterial contamination. This study aimed to verify whether the recommended concentrations defined according to the Defra General Orders concentration (GO, published by the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' disinfectant-approval scheme) of five commercial disinfectant preparations (peroxygen-based, phenol-based, two halogen-releasing agents, and glutaraldehyde/quaternary ammonium compound-based; disinfectants A to E, respectively) were sufficient to inhibit growth and inactivate selected bacterial strains, including some that carry known phenotypic patterns of multidrug resistance.

Distribution Drivers of the Alien Butterfly Geranium Bronze () in an Alpine Protected Area and Indications for an Effective Management.

is the only alien butterfly in Europe. It has recently spread in the Gran Paradiso National Park (GPNP), where it could potentially compete with native geranium-consuming butterflies. Our study aimed to (1) assess the main drivers of its distribution, (2) evaluate the potential species distribution in GPNP and (3) predict different scenarios to understand the impact of climate warming and the effect of possible mitigations.

Use of genomics to explore AMR persistence in an outdoor pig farm with low antimicrobial usage.

Food animals may be reservoirs of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) passing through the food chain, but little is known about AMR prevalence in bacteria when selective pressure from antimicrobials is low or absent. We monitored antimicrobial-resistant over 1 year in a UK outdoor pig farm with low antimicrobial usage (AMU) compared to conventional pig farms in the United Kingdom. Short and selected long-read whole-genome sequencing (WGS) was performed to identify AMR genes, phylogeny and mobile elements in 385 isolates purified mainly from pig and some seagull faeces.

Observations on the distribution and control of Salmonella in commercial broiler hatcheries in Great Britain.

Salmonella can enter hatcheries via contaminated eggs and other breaches of biosecurity. The study examined the prevalence and distribution of Salmonella in commercial hatcheries and assessed the effects of providing advice on Salmonella control. Intensive swab sampling was performed throughout 23 broiler hatcheries in Great Britain (GB).

Early balance impairment in Parkinson's Disease: Evidence from Robot-assisted axial rotations.

Objective: Early postural instability (PI) is a red flag for the diagnosis of Parkinson's disease (PD). Several patients, however, fall within the first three years of disease, particularly when turning. We investigated whether PD patients, without clinically overt PI, manifest abnormal reactive postural responses to ecological perturbations resembling turning.

Pilot Investigation of Anti- Antibodies in Oral Fluids from Typhimurium Vaccinated and Unvaccinated Swine Herds.

Oral fluid (OF) can be a simple, cheap and non-invasive alternative to serum or meat juice for the diagnosis and surveillance of important pathogens in pigs. This study was conducted on four Typhimurium-positive farrow-to-finish pig farms: two -vaccinated (V) and two non-vaccinated (NV). Gilts and sows in the V farms were vaccinated with a live, attenuated vaccine prior to farrowing.

The Prognostic Role of Early Skeletal Muscle Mass Depletion in Multimodality Management of Patients with Advanced Gastric Cancer Treated with First Line Chemotherapy: A Pilot Experience from Modena Cancer Center.

Background: Few data about the link between nutritional status and survival are available in the metastatic gastric cancer (GC) setting. The aim of this work was to evaluate the prognostic role of tissue modifications during treatment and the benefit of a scheduled nutritional assessment in this setting.

Methods: Clinical and laboratory variables of 40 metastatic GC patients treated at Modena Cancer Center were retrieved: 20 received a nutritional assessment on the oncology's discretion, the other 20 received a scheduled nutritional assessment at baseline and every 2-4 weeks.

Scale-Up of Cluster Beam Deposition to the Gram Scale with the Matrix Assembly Cluster Source for Heterogeneous Catalysis (Catalytic Ozonation of Nitrophenol in Aqueous Solution).

The deposition of precisely controlled clusters from the beam onto suitable supports represents a novel method to prepare advanced cluster-based catalysts. In principle, cluster size, composition, and morphology can be tuned or selected prior to deposition. The newly invented matrix assembly cluster source (MACS) offers one solution to the long-standing problem of low cluster deposition rate.

Correlation of Anti- Antibodies Between Serum and Saliva Samples Collected From Finisher Pigs.

Saliva samples obtained by using absorptive devices, can provide an alternative diagnostic matrix to serum for monitoring disease status in pigs. The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation of anti- antibodies between serum and saliva samples collected from pigs. Twenty individual paired serum and saliva samples were collected from a single farm.

Observations on the distribution and persistence of monophasic Salmonella Typhimurium on infected pig and cattle farms.

Following a rapid rise in cases of monophasic Salmonella Typhimurium DT193 (mST) in humans and pigs since 2007 a detailed study of the prevalence and persistence of mST on pig and cattle farms in Great Britain (GB) was undertaken. Thirteen commercial pig farms and twelve cattle farms, identified as mST-positive from surveillance data, were intensively sampled over a three year period. Five indoor and eight outdoor pig farms and four beef and eight dairy farms were included.

Role of wild birds and environmental contamination in the epidemiology of Salmonella infection in an outdoor pig farm.

Foodborne outbreaks caused by Salmonella are often attributed to the pork consumption. Salmonella contamination of retail pork is directly linked to the Salmonella prevalence on farm. In UK, approximately 40% of breeding pigs are kept outdoors.

Development of Low-Cost Air Quality Stations for Next Generation Monitoring Networks: Calibration and Validation of PM and PM Sensors.

A low-cost air quality station has been developed for real-time monitoring of main atmospheric pollutants. Sensors for CO, CO₂, NO₂, O₃, VOC, PM and PM were integrated on an Arduino Shield compatible board. As concerns PM and PM sensors, the station underwent a laboratory calibration and later a field validation.

Commercial Frozen Mice Used by Owners to Feed Reptiles are Highly Externally Contaminated with Salmonella Enteritidis PT8.

Salmonella remains one of the most prevalent zoonoses worldwide. Although salmonellosis is commonly associated with the consumption of contaminated food, it has been estimated that up to 11% of Salmonella infections overall are acquired from direct or indirect contact with animals, including reptiles. In 2016, an outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis involving multiple cases, especially children, associated with reptile contact and contaminated feeder mice was reported in the United Kingdom.

Observations on the introduction and dissemination of Salmonella in three previously low prevalence status pig farms in the United Kingdom.

In the United Kingdom a serological Salmonella surveillance scheme was run in pigs up to 2012. Farms that maintained a low seroprevalence (<10%) were recognised as "Platinum" pig farms. The aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence and distribution of Salmonella in three farms (17P, 18P and 46P) that had lost their "Platinum" status.

Review of egg-related salmonellosis and reduction strategies in United States, Australia, United Kingdom and New Zealand.

Globally, Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica is one of the most commonly reported causes of foodborne illness in humans. Contaminated food products of animal origin, particularly egg and egg products are frequently implicated in outbreaks of human salmonellosis.

Evaluation of an enhanced cleaning and disinfection protocol in Salmonella contaminated pig holdings in the United Kingdom.

Salmonella is the second most commonly reported zoonotic gastrointestinal pathogen in the European Union, and a significant proportion of the cases are linked to the consumption of contaminated pork. Reduction of Salmonella at the farm level helps to mininimise the contamination pressure at the slaughterhouse, and therefore the number of Salmonella bacteria entering the food chain. Cleaning and disinfection (C&D) between batches of pigs is an intervention measure that has potential to reduce the transmission of Salmonella contamination within farms.

Occurrence and characterization of mcr-1-harbouring Escherichia coli isolated from pigs in Great Britain from 2013 to 2015.

Objectives: To determine the occurrence of mcr-1 -harbouring Escherichia coli in archived pig material originating in Great Britain (GB) from 2013 to 2015 and characterize mcr-1 plasmids.

Methods: Enrichment and selective culture of 387 archived porcine caecal contents and recovery from archive of 1109 E. coli isolates to identify colistin-resistant bacteria by testing for the presence of mcr-1 by PCR and RT-PCR.

Observations on Salmonella contamination of commercial duck farms before and after cleaning and disinfection.

In the European Union, statutory control of Salmonella is in place in the chicken and turkey sectors, but not in the duck sector. In this study, 14 Salmonella-positive duck farms were sampled before and after cleaning and disinfection, and once the houses had been restocked with a new flock. The cleaning and disinfection programmes used were subdivided into two main categories: ones in which a final formaldehyde disinfection step was included (1) and ones in which it was not included (2).

Mapping B-cell responses to Salmonella enterica serovars Typhimurium and Enteritidis in chickens for the discrimination of infected from vaccinated animals.

Serological surveillance and vaccination are important strategies for controlling infectious diseases of food production animals. However, the compatibility of these strategies is limited by a lack of assays capable of differentiating infected from vaccinated animals (DIVA tests) for established killed or attenuated vaccines. Here, we used next generation phage-display (NGPD) and a 2-proportion Z score analysis to identify peptides that were preferentially bound by IgY from chickens infected with Salmonella Typhimurium or S.

Colistin resistance in Salmonella and Escherichia coli isolates from a pig farm in Great Britain.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to characterize colistin-resistant bacteria isolated from pigs on a farm in Great Britain following identification of a plasmid-borne colistin resistance mechanism in Escherichia coli from China.

Methods: Phenotypic antimicrobial susceptibility testing was undertaken by broth dilution and WGS was performed to detect the presence of genes encoding resistance and virulence. Transferable colistin resistance was investigated by conjugation.