Rapid inspection method for investigating the heat processing conditions employed for chicken meat using Raman spectroscopy.

In Japan, the imports of meat products have been increasing every year. Heat processing of meat is the current standard method for ensuring domestic animal health, particularly in case of meat products from areas where infectious diseases are known to have occurred in domestic animals. The Animal Quarantine Service needs to establish a method that detects the temperature at which the meat has been heat-processed (endpoint temperature) to ensure that the standard protocol is followed at the production location.

A novel H7N3 reassortant originating from the zoonotic H7N9 highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses that has adapted to ducks.

The first human case of zoonotic H7N9 avian influenza virus (AIV) infection was reported in March 2013 in China. This virus continues to circulate in poultry in China while mutating to highly pathogenic AIVs (HPAIVs). Through monitoring at airports in Japan, a novel H7N3 reassortant of the zoonotic H7N9 HPAIVs, A/duck/Japan/AQ-HE30-1/2018 (HE30-1), was detected in a poultry meat product illegally brought by a passenger from China into Japan.

Characterization of a novel reassortant H7N3 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus isolated from a poultry meat product taken on a passenger flight to Japan.

A new reassortant H7N3 avian influenza virus (AIV) was isolated from a duck meat product that was illegally taken on board a passenger flight from China to Japan in March 2018. Sequencing analysis revealed that the H7N3 isolate, A/duck/Japan/AQ-HE30-1/2018 (Dk/HE30-1) (H7N3), was a reassortant highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) that contained the haemagglutinin (HA) gene of Chinese H7N9 HPAIV. Dk/HE30-1 (H7N3) possessed a novel polybasic sequence motif PEVPKRRRTAR/GLF at the HA cleavage site that has never previously been reported in H7 HPAIVs.

Systemic Streptococcus dysgalactiae subspecies equisimilis infection in a Yorkshire pig with severe disseminated suppurative meningoencephalomyelitis.

An 18-week-old female breeding Yorkshire pig displayed symptoms of astasia and subsequently died. Histologically, severe disseminated suppurative meningoencephalomyelitis was detected, as were numerous myocardial microabscesses. Gram-positive cocci were detected in these suppurative lesions, and these cocci reacted with an antibody against Streptococcus C group species.