Publications by authors named "Heidi Petersen"

is a zoonotic parasite, which historically has been of large concern for public health in Europe. Consequently, testing of all pigs for has been mandatory in many European countries, even though is almost exclusively found in outdoor or backyard production. The idea therefore emerged that auditing for biosecurity should replace testing in indoor production.

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Exosomes are gaining prominence as vectors for drug delivery, vaccination, and regenerative medicine. Owing to their surface biochemistry, which reflects the parent cell membrane, these nanoscale biologics feature low immunogenicity, tunable tissue tropism, and the ability to carry a variety of payloads across biological barriers. The heterogeneity of exosomes' size and composition, however, makes their purification challenging.

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Edible insects represent a great alternative protein source but food neophobia remains the main barrier to consumption. However, the incorporation of insects as protein-rich ingredients, such as protein concentrates, could increase acceptance. In this study, two methods, isoelectric precipitation and ultrafiltration-diafiltration, were applied to produce mealworm protein concentrates, which were compared in terms of composition, protein structure and techno-functional properties.

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Measuring trace element concentrations in tissue can be a valuable approach to monitor animal health status. Temporal variation in the absorption, transport, and storage of elements between different tissues can, however, complicate the assessment of element-health relationships. Here, we measured concentrations of selected essential (copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), selenium (Se)) and non-essential (arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb)) trace elements within blood, liver, kidney, and hair of fallow deer (Dama dama; N=20) and red deer (Cervus elaphus; N=21).

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Article Synopsis
  • Urban cloudburst management involves temporarily storing flood water in green spaces, but this can expose people to sewage and increase diarrheal disease risk.
  • A model was created to estimate the risk of illness, focusing on a scenario where rainwater mixes with sewage in a park, leading to potential pathogen exposure for children playing on the grass.
  • The study found that the probability of illness from such exposure ranges from 0.03% to 17%, suggesting that if this risk is deemed unacceptable, changes to flood management plans or public safety measures are necessary.
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For the purpose of nature management and species conservation, European bison () are being increasingly reintroduced into nature reserves across Europe. The aim of this study was to investigate European bison's adaptability to new areas through the study of their parasite-EPG (eggs per gram feces) and dietary diversity during twelve months after translocation. We compared the parasite-EPG from introduced European bison in Lille Vildmose, Denmark, with the parasite-EPG from populations from Bornholm, Denmark, and Białowieża Forest, Poland.

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Parasites can exert a substantial influence on the ecology of wildlife populations by altering host condition. Our objectives were to estimate single and multiparasite-condition relationships for fallow deer () and red deer () in Denmark and to assess potential health effects along the parasite burden gradient. Fallow deer hosted on average two endoparasite taxa per individual (min = 0, max = 5) while red deer carried on average five parasite taxa per individual (min = 2, max = 9).

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This study aimed to investigate the suitability of the application of high-intensity ultrasounds (HIUS) to improve the acid induced gelation of mixed protein systems formed by casein micelles (CMs) and pea. The protein suspensions were prepared in different protein ratios CMs: pea (100:0, 80:20, 50:50, 20:80, 0:100) at 8% (w/w) total protein concentration. In the suspensions, the ultrasound treatment produced an increase in solubility, surface hydrophobicity, and a decrease in the samples' viscosity, with more remarkable differences in protein blends in which pea protein was the major component.

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This study performed the extraction of gelatin from saithe () skin and compared it to commercial marine gelatin. As a first stage, we investigated the physicochemical and biochemical properties of the gelatin. SDS-PAGE analysis revealed the presence of α-chains, β-chains, and other high-molecular-weight aggregates.

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The prevalence of Onchocerca infection in wild cervids from Denmark was studied in 119 fallow deer (Dama dama), 123 red deer (Cervus elaphus), 51 roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) and eight sika deer (Cervus Nippon) shot during the hunting season from October 2017 to January 2018 from 18 geographical locations across Denmark. The carcasses were macroscopic checked for nodules, and skin samples were examined for microfilaria. All roe deer, fallow deer and sika deer were negative for Onchocerca, while 30.

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The European hedgehog population is declining in Europe. It is therefore important to investigate the causes for the decline and monitor the general health of the species. We investigated the endoparasite occurrence in 299 dead European hedgehogs.

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In the past few decades, the relevance of and , causing cardiopulmonary and subcutaneous dirofilariosis in dogs and cats, and of , causing canine angiostrongylosis, has steadily increased in Central and Northern Europe. In this review, a summary of published articles and additional reports dealing with imported or autochthonous cases of these parasites is provided for Central (Austria, Czechia, Germany, Hungary, Luxemburg, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Switzerland) and Northern (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden) Europe. Research efforts focusing on spp.

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Raccoon dogs have successfully invaded Europe, including Denmark. Raccoon dogs are potential vectors and reservoir hosts of several zoonotic pathogens and thus have the potential for posing a threat to both human and animal health. This study includes analysis of four zoonotic parasites, 16 tick-borne pathogens and two pathogen groups from 292 raccoon dogs collected from January 2018 to December 2018.

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The black soldier fly larvae (BSFL), Hermetia illucens (Linnaeus), has been largely utilized for animal feed. Due to its interesting composition, BSFL has great potential to be further implemented in the human diet. Herein we compared the flour and protein extract composition based on their moisture, ash, amino acids, mineral, and protein content.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to determine the occurrence of Cryptosporidium spp. and Toxoplasma gondii in both farmed and feral mink in Denmark.
  • Out of the 541 mink tested, all farmed mink were negative for T. gondii, while 53.6% of feral mink showed positive results; male feral mink had a higher positivity rate than females.
  • Cryptosporidium was found at low levels, with only a small percentage of mink (5 out of 279) testing positive, suggesting a low overall public health risk from these parasites in the studied mink populations.
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SARS-CoV-2 infection is the cause of COVID-19 in humans. In April 2020, SARS-CoV-2 infection in farmed mink () occurred in the Netherlands. The first outbreaks in Denmark were detected in June 2020 in three farms.

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The feral mink population in Denmark consists of two groups of animals: mink born in the wild and mink that have recently escaped from farms. The aims of this study were to: (1) estimate the reproductive performance and mortality of the Danish mink born in the wild (wild-born) and mink escaped from farms (captive-born); (2) discuss the likelihood of a self-sustaining population of wild-born mink in Denmark; and (3) model the relationship between the pulp cavity width and the age of mink. During 2018, 247 wild caught mink were sent for necropsy at the Danish National Veterinary Institute.

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The cardiopulmonary nematodes and , are a cause of concern in the scientific and veterinary community, potentially causing significant disease in domestic animals. To investigate the potential of wild carnivores as reservoir hosts to these parasites, a total of 1041 animals from seven regions of Denmark were sampled: 476 raccoon dogs (), 367 red foxes (), 123 American mink (), 31 beech martens (), 30 Eurasian otters () and 14 polecats (). Hearts and lungs were collected and examined for cardiopulmonary parasites.

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Background: Similar to the situation in other European countries, Danish wild boars may harbour a wide range of pathogens infectious to humans and domestic pigs. Although wild boars must be kept behind fences in Denmark, hunting and consumption of the meat may cause zoonotic transmission. Moreover, most infections of wild boars are transmissible to domestic pigs, which may have important economic consequences.

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Gelatin from saithe (Pollachius virens) skin, with high mineral content, was characterized and compared to marine gelatin from the market. As expected, gelatin extracted from the saithe skin had a high mineral content (>20%), compared to commercial gelatin (<0.2%).

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In Denmark, American mink (Neovison vison) have been bred for their fur since the mid-1920s. Mink escaping from farms may supply the feral population. Often, it is of biological and management interest to separate the population of feral mink (i.

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Toxoplasma gondii is a zoonotic parasite of worldwide importance. In this study, we estimated T. gondii seroprevalence in extensively farmed wild boars in Denmark, where little is known about T.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study investigated bovine fasciolosis, a significant disease affecting livestock, particularly on organic farms in Denmark, over two years, analyzing infection trends using various diagnostic methods.
  • - Results indicated that infection patterns varied between farms depending on grazing practices and anthelmintic use, with young heifers becoming infected around 1.5-2 years old, mainly during the autumn season.
  • - Key findings included the early detection of infections through serum antibody testing and the prolonged lifespan of the parasite, suggesting that management practices have a critical impact on infection rates and parasite control effectiveness.
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is a parasitic nematode belonging to the family Capillariidae. The adult parasites reside in the urinary tract of wild and domestic canines. The infection is most often asymptomatic, but can cause a wide range of symptoms including urinary bladder inflammation, pollacisuria, dysuria and hematuria.

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Background: The nematophagous fungus Pochonia chlamydosporia can degrade ascarid (e.g. Ascaridia galli) eggs in agar and soil in vitro.

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