First identification of "Brachyspira hampsonii" in wild European waterfowl.

Anseriformes deserve special attention in the epidemiology of Brachyspira spp. because diverse Anseriformes species have been described to act as highly efficient carriers of several Brachyspira spp. that can also infect livestock.

Identification of weakly haemolytic Brachyspira isolates recovered from pigs with diarrhoea in Spain and Portugal and comparison with results from other countries.

Weakly haemolytic anaerobic intestinal spirochaetes of the genus Brachyspira are commonly identified based on species-specific gene sequences. Apart from the pathogenic Brachyspira pilosicoli, the distribution and disease associations of the other weakly haemolytic Brachyspira species in pigs have not been comprehensively investigated. In this study weakly haemolytic Brachyspira isolates (n=67) from Spanish and Portuguese pigs with diarrhoea, negative in a routine diagnostic PCR for B.

Evaluation of protection conferred by a Salmonella Typhimurium inactivated vaccine in Salmonella-infected finishing pig farms.

The efficacy of an inactivated S. Typhimurium vaccine administered to pigs at the beginning of the fattening period was evaluated in four clinical trials (trials A, B, C and D). Faecal shedding and the systemic antibody response during fattening, as well as, the cecal contents and mesenteric lymph nodes collected after slaughtering were used to assess the outcome.

Antibacterial activity and mode of action of a commercial citrus fruit extract.

Aims: This study addresses the antibacterial activity and mechanism of action of BIOLL(+®), a commercial extract obtained from citrus fruits.

Methods And Results: Strong activities with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) ranging from 10 ppm (for some Brachyspira hyodysenteriae strains) to 80 ppm (for various Salmonella enterica and Escherichia coli strains) were observed. Membrane integrity tests and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopic analyses were performed to shed light on the effects caused on molecular structure and composition.

Sero- and genotyping of Salmonella in slaughter pigs, from farm to cutting plant, with a focus on the slaughter process.

The objective of this study was to investigate the role of the slaughtering process in Salmonella carcass contamination by typing isolates recovered previously in a double study of the following: (1) a tracking survey from the farm to the slaughterhouse and (2) a survey of the slaughterhouse environment (i.e., lairage area, slaughter line, cutting plant and carcasses).