Classification and prediction of Mycobacterium Avium subsp. Paratuberculosis (MAP) shedding severity in cattle based on young stock heifer faecal microbiota composition using random forest algorithms.

Background: Bovine paratuberculosis is a devastating infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP). The development of the paratuberculosis in cattle can take up to a few years and vastly differs between individuals in severity of the clinical symptoms and shedding of the pathogen.

Predictive Value of Precision-Cut Lung Slices for the Susceptibility of Three Animal Species for SARS-CoV-2 and Validation in a Refined Hamster Model.

In assessing species susceptibility for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), and in the search for an appropriate animal model, multiple research groups around the world inoculated a broad range of animal species using various SARS-CoV-2 strains, doses and administration routes. Although in silico analyses based on receptor binding and diverse in vitro cell cultures were valuable, exact prediction of species susceptibility based on these tools proved challenging. Here, we assessed whether precision-cut lung slices (PCLS) could facilitate the selection of animal models, thereby reducing animal experimentation.

The effect of maternal antibiotic use in sows on intestinal development in offspring.

The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of a maternal antibiotic administration during the last week of gestation on the early life intestinal development in neonatal piglets. Colonization of the gut with bacteria starts during birth and plays a major role in the intestinal and immunological development of the intestine. We demonstrate that maternal interventions induced changes in the sows (n = 6 to 8 per treatment) fecal microbiota diversity around birth (P < 0.

Supplementation of fructooligosaccharides to suckling piglets affects intestinal microbiota colonization and immune development.

Emerging knowledge shows the importance of early life events in programming the intestinal mucosal immune system and development of the intestinal barrier function. These processes depend heavily on close interactions between gut microbiota and host cells in the intestinal mucosa. In turn, development of the intestinal microbiota is largely dependent on available nutrients required for the specific microbial community structures to expand.

Perturbation of microbiota in one-day old broiler chickens with antibiotic for 24 hours negatively affects intestinal immune development.

Background: Gut microbial colonization and development of immune competence are intertwined and are influenced by early-life nutritional, environmental, and management factors. Perturbation of the gut microbiome at young age affects the crosstalk between intestinal bacteria and host cells of the intestinal mucosa.

Results: We investigated the effect of a perturbation of the normal early life microbial colonization of the jejunum in 1-day old chickens.

Early life microbial colonization of the gut and intestinal development differ between genetically divergent broiler lines.

Background: Host genetic makeup plays a role in early gut microbial colonization and immune programming. Interactions between gut microbiota and host cells of the mucosal layer are of paramount importance for a proper development of host defence mechanisms. For different livestock species, it has already been shown that particular genotypes have increased susceptibilities towards disease causing pathogens.

Long-lasting effects of early-life antibiotic treatment and routine animal handling on gut microbiota composition and immune system in pigs.

Background: In intensive pig husbandry systems, antibiotics are frequently administrated during early life stages to prevent respiratory and gastro-intestinal tract infections, often in combination with stressful handlings. The immediate effects of these treatments on microbial colonization and immune development have been described recently. Here we studied whether the early life administration of antibiotics has long-lasting effects on the pig's intestinal microbial community and on gut functionality.

Early-life environmental variation affects intestinal microbiota and immune development in new-born piglets.

Background: Early-life environmental variation affects gut microbial colonization and immune competence development; however, the timing and additional specifics of these processes are unknown. The impact of early-life environmental variations, as experienced under real life circumstances, on gut microbial colonization and immune development has not been studied extensively so far. We designed a study to investigate environmental variation, experienced early after birth, to gut microbial colonization and intestinal immune development.

Genetic characterization of an atypical Schmallenberg virus isolated from the brain of a malformed lamb.

A novel orthobunyavirus, named "Schmallenberg virus" (SBV), was first detected in the blood of cattle at the end of the summer in Germany in 2011, and subsequently in late autumn from the brain of a stillborn malformed lamb in The Netherlands. Full genome sequences, including 5' and 3' terminal "panhandle" sequences of the L, M, and S segments of the SBV isolated from lamb brain tissue (named HL1) were determined. In addition, a second SBV strain was isolated from the blood of a dairy cow (named F6) also in The Netherlands.

Transcription networks responsible for early regulation of Salmonella-induced inflammation in the jejunum of pigs.

Background: The aim of this study was to identify transcription factors/regulators that play a crucial role in steering the (innate) immune response shortly (within a few hours) after the first contact of the intestinal mucosa with an inflammatory mediator, and to test whether the processes regulated by these factors/regulators can be modulated by chemical substances of natural origin.

Methods: We experimentally induced inflammation by perfusion of surgically applied jejunal loops with Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Typhimurium DT104 in three pigs. Segments of mock and Salmonella treated loops were dissected after 2, 4 and 8 hours of perfusion.