Genetic diversity, population structure and origin of the native goats in Central Laos.

Maintaining genetic diversity and variation in livestock populations is critical for natural and artificial selection promoting genetic improvement while avoiding problems due to inbreeding. In Laos, there are concerns that there has been a decline in genetic diversity and a rise in inbreeding among native goats in their village-based smallholder system. In this study, we investigated the genetic diversity of Lao native goats in Phin, Songkhone and Sepon districts in Central Laos for the first time using Illumina's Goat SNP50 BeadChip.

Epidemiology and Transmission of in Australasia.

Oriental theileriosis, a disease primarily impacting cattle is caused by an apicomplexan hemoprotozoan parasite, . It has now become established in the Australasia region. The organism was long considered a benign cause of persistent infections; however, an increase in clinical outbreaks since 2006 in the eastern Australian states and New Zealand was associated with the identification of the pathogenic Ikeda (Type 2) and Chitose (Type 1) genotypes.

Protection Efficacy of the Infectious Laryngotracheitis (ILT) Serva CEO Vaccine Strain in Broiler Chickens Under Different Vaccination Coverage Conditions.

Mass vaccination against infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV) in drinking water can result in variable initial vaccine take. Partial initial vaccine coverage of 20% with an Australian ILT vaccine (A20) previously resulted in significant protection against virulent ILTV challenge. This follow-up study used the international Serva ILT vaccine strain in a factorial design testing four levels of vaccination coverage (0%, 10%, 20%, or 100% of chicks eye-drop vaccinated with the live vaccine at 7 days of age) and three levels of ILTV challenge (no challenge or challenge at 7 or 21 days postvaccination [DPV]).

Prevalence and magnitude of gastrointestinal helminth infections in cage-free laying chickens in Australia.

Helminth infections have been re-emerging with the growing popularity of free-range and floor-based chicken production systems. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and worm burdens of intestinal helminth infection in cage-free laying chickens in Australia. In an online survey about worm prevalence, a high proportion of respondents reported the detection of Ascaridia galli (77%), followed by tapeworms (69%) and caecal worms (Heterakis gallinarum) (62%), whereas fewer respondents (23%) reported the presence of hair worms (Capillaria spp.

Detection of Chicken Respiratory Pathogens in Live Markets of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and Epidemiological Implications.

A moderate to high seroprevalence of exposure to Newcastle disease (NDV), avian metapneumovirus (aMPV), infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV), infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) and Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) has recently been reported in Ethiopia, but it is unclear to what extent these contribute to clinical cases of respiratory disease. This study investigated the presence of these pathogens in chickens exhibiting respiratory disease in two live markets in Addis Ababa. Markets were visited weekly for three months, and 18 chickens displaying respiratory clinical signs were acquired.

Field Application of qPCR Monitoring of Infectious Laryngotracheitis Virus in Settled Chicken House Dust and Its Role in Control of a Major Outbreak.

Population-level sampling based on qPCR detection of infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV) in poultry dust can be used to assess ILT vaccination outcomes following mass administration in drinking water. We report on the field application of this approach to assess the success of vaccine administration and its use in ILT outbreak control in meat chickens. In Study 1, dust samples were collected from 26 meat chicken flocks at 0, 4, 7, 14, and 21 days post drinking water vaccination (DPV) given between 7 to 13 days of age with the Serva or A20 live attenuated ILT vaccines.

Ascaridia galli eggs obtained from fresh excreta, worm uteri or worms cultured in artificial media differ in embryonation capacity and infectivity.

Ascaridia galli infection models use eggs isolated from chicken excreta, worm uteri and worms cultured in artificial media. The aim of this study was to compare the infectivity of A. galli eggs isolated from these sources under two infection regimens.

Seroprevalence of major respiratory diseases of chickens in central Ethiopia in different chicken production systems.

In Ethiopia, most chicken disease outbreaks and mortalities are attributed to a respiratory syndrome known as "fengil" with variable clinical signs and undefined etiology. The main goal of this study was to determine whether key respiratory pathogens that could contribute to the fengil syndrome circulate in Ethiopia. Specifically, we aimed to determine the seroprevalence of infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV), infectious bronchitis virus (IBV), Newcastle disease virus (NDV), Mycoplasma gallisepticum (Mg), and avian metapneumovirus (aMPV).

Method optimisation for prolonged laboratory storage of Ascaridia galli eggs.

Eggs in the infective stage of the chicken nematode Ascaridia galli are often required for in vivo and in vitro studies on this parasite. The reliability of any artificial A. galli infection depends on the viability and embryonation capacity of A.

Evaluation of methods of anthelmintic efficacy testing against .

To investigate methods for in vitro assessment of anthelmintic efficacy against the chicken nematode Ascaridia galli this study firstly evaluated sample preparation methods including recovery of eggs from excreta using different flotation fluids and induced larval hatching by the deshelling-centrifugation method and the glass-bead method with or without bile. It then evaluated two in vitro assays, the in-ovo larval development assay (LDA) and larval migration inhibition assay (LMIA), for anthelmintic efficacy testing against A. galli using fresh eggs and artificially hatched larvae, respectively.

Worm control practices on free-range egg farms in Australia and anthelmintic efficacy against nematodes in naturally infected layer chickens.

This study investigated worm control practices by free-range egg farmers and the efficacy of the commercial anthelmintics levamisole (LEV), piperazine (PIP), flubendazole (FLBZ) and fenbendazole (FBZ) against gastrointestinal nematodes on two free-range layer farms in Australia. An online survey comprising 36 questions was designed and implemented using SurveyMonkey. The survey contained questions about participant demographics, farm and flock characteristics, perceived intestinal worm importance, infection monitoring, deworming and other worm control practices.

Circulation and Molecular Characterization of Hemorrhagic Enteritis Virus in Commercial Turkey and Meat Chicken Flocks in Australia.

Currently, there is no available vaccine against hemorrhagic enteritis virus (HEV) in Australia. Although it is assumed that subclinical HEV infections occur and may be associated with an increase in colibacillosis in Australian commercial turkey flocks, the prevalence of infection with this virus in the country is largely unknown. The aims of this study were to determine the extent of HEV infection in commercial flocks in Australia and to investigate the diversity of Australian HEV strains.

Molecular-based monitoring of live vaccines in dust samples from experimental and commercial chicken flocks and its potential use as a screening test.

Despite the high cost of vaccination programmes, conventional methods to evaluate vaccine uptake are often impractical and costly. More recently, molecular-based testing of poultry dust has been used to monitor the "take" of Marek's disease virus and infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV) live vaccines. This study aimed to provide proof-of-concept for detecting other poultry pathogens by using molecular detection of vaccine microorganisms in poultry dust of vaccinated flocks.

Anthelmintic efficacy evaluation against different developmental stages of Ascaridia galli following individual or group administration in artificially trickle-infected chickens.

The efficacy of commercially available anthelmintics against mature and immature stages (including ovicidal effects) of two Australian field isolates of Ascaridia galli was evaluated in two separate experiments. The anthelmintics tested were levamisole (LEV), piperazine (PIP) and flubendazole (FBZ) plus LEV-PIP. A total of 192 artificially trickle-infected young cockerels (96 birds per isolate) were randomized into sixteen experimental groups of 12 cockerels each (7 treatments and 1 untreated control per isolate).

Ascaridia galli challenge model for worm propagation in young chickens with or without immunosuppression.

With the continued growth of free-range egg production, the importance of the chicken roundworm Ascaridia galli is increasing. Investigations into this parasite would be facilitated by the availability of characterised strains and clear guidelines on optimal methods of multiplication and maintenance. Currently, there is lack of well-defined in vivo models for maintaining A.

A preliminary study of the localization of infectious laryngotracheitis virus glycoprotein E within specific peripheral blood lymphocytes.

Infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV) DNA has been detected in blood fractions, but the cell phenotype with which the virus is associated is unknown. This study investigated the presence of ILTV antigen in peripheral blood cells of six acutely ILTV-infected chickens (5 or 9 days post ocular inoculation with a virulent isolate) and three sham-inoculated chickens using immunofluorescent staining. Blood fractions were separated by Ficoll-Paque density gradient centrifugation, and smears were prepared from erythrocyte and leukocyte fractions.

Comparison of the Modified McMaster and Mini-FLOTAC methods for the enumeration of nematode eggs in egg spiked and naturally infected chicken excreta.

Excreta egg counting techniques are used for indirectly estimating the magnitude of gastrointestinal nematode infection in live animals. The aim of this study was to optimise laboratory and field sampling methods for routine monitoring of nematode infections in chickens by evaluating the sensitivity, accuracy, and precision of the Modified McMaster (MM) and Mini-FLOTAC (MF) methods using laying chicken excreta samples spiked with estimated true numbers of eggs (Experiment 1 = 5-1500 EPG (eggs/g); Experiment 2 = 5-500 EPG) without and with operator effects, respectively or using individual fresh excreta (n = 230) and fresh floor excreta (n = 42) from naturally infected free-range layer farms. The Coefficient of Variation (CV) was assessed within and between operators and the time spent on sample preparation and counting was also evaluated.

Microbial taxa in dust and excreta associated with the productive performance of commercial meat chicken flocks.

Background: A major focus of research on the gut microbiota of poultry has been to define signatures of a healthy gut and identify microbiota components that correlate with feed conversion. However, there is a high variation in individual gut microbiota profiles and their association with performance. Population level samples such as dust and pooled excreta could be useful to investigate bacterial signatures associated with productivity at the flock-level.

Contributions of village animal health workers to foot-and-mouth disease control in Cambodia.

Local animal health services in rural communities in Cambodia are mainly provided by village animal health workers (VAHWs), although the participation and contribution of VAHWs to livestock disease prevention are uncertain. The participation of the VAHWs as identified by their 'dropout rate' was examined in a desktop review in December 2020 of the national data on VAHWs recorded between 2011 and 2020. The contribution and involvement of VAHWs in disease prevention programmes were examined in a survey conducted between February and March 2014, then analyzed in the context of other surveys of VAHW knowledge, attitudes and practices.

Australian surveys on parasite control in sheep between 2003 and 2019 reveal marked regional variation and increasing utilisation of online resources and on-farm biosecurity practices.

Australian Wool Innovation Limited (AWI) commissioned three cross-sectional surveys of sheep producers' sheep parasite control practices over a 15-year period from 2003 to 2018. The aims were to document current sheep parasite incidence and control practices, to measure change in sheep parasite control practices over time and to inform extension messages for sheep industry advisors and sheep farmers. The surveys were conducted in 2004, 2012 and 2019 measuring sheep parasite control practices in the years 2003, 2011 and 2018.

A molecular based method for rapid detection of spp. in poultry dust samples.

Salmonellosis, caused by spp., is a widely reported foodborne zoonosis frequently associated with ingestion of poultry products. vaccination of chickens can be used to reduce bacterial shedding and risk of human infection.

Microbial communities of poultry house dust, excreta and litter are partially representative of microbiota of chicken caecum and ileum.

Traditional sampling methods for the study of poultry gut microbiota preclude longitudinal studies as they require euthanasia of birds for the collection of caecal and ileal contents. Some recent research has investigated alternative sampling methods to overcome this issue. The main goal of this study was to assess to what extent the microbial composition of non-invasive samples (excreta, litter and poultry dust) are representative of invasive samples (caecal and ileal contents).

Detection and Quantification of and spp. in Poultry Dust Using Real-Time PCR Under Experimental and Field Conditions.

Infection of poultry with spp., the causative agent of coccidiosis, can predispose birds to necrotic enteritis (NE) caused by gene-positive strains of . The detection of spp.

Airborne Transmission of Vaccinal and Wild Type Infectious Laryngotracheitis Virus and Noninfectivity of Extracts of Excreta from Infected Chickens.

Infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV) is thought to exit the host in respiratory aerosols and enter by inhalation of these. High levels of ILTV DNA have been detected in excreta, raising the possibility of alternative routes of shedding from the host. However, it is not known whether or not the ILTV DNA in excreta represents infective virus.

Comparative therapeutic efficacies of oral and in-water administered levamisole, piperazine and fenbendazole against experimental Ascaridia galli infection in chickens.

Evidence on the current efficacy status of anthelmintics used in the Australian poultry sector is lacking. A controlled trial was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of three commonly used anthelmintics, namely levamisole (LEV), piperazine (PIP) and fenbendazole (FBZ) plus levamisole-piperazine combination (LEV-PIP) against a field strain of A. galli recovered following flock treatment with LEV.