Postvaccination serosurveillance of foot-and-mouth disease through virus-neutralizing and nonstructural protein antibody tests on pig farms in Taiwan: 2009-2020.

The use of virus-neutralizing (VN) and nonstructural protein (NSP) antibody tests in a serosurveillance program for foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) can identify pig herds that are adequately vaccinated, with a high percentage of pigs with VN positive antibody titers; these tests can also help identify pigs with NSP-positivity that have previously been or are currently infected even in vaccinated herds. To identify infected herds and manage infection, the combination of VN and NSP antibody tests was used in Taiwan's serosurveillance program implemented simultaneously with the compulsory FMD vaccination program. The result was the eradication of FMD: Taiwan was recognized by the World Organization for Animal Health as an FMD-free country without vaccination in 2020.

Prevalence and risk factors for Salmonella spp. contamination of slaughtered chickens in Taiwan.

The present study was designed to estimate the prevalence of Salmonella contamination in Taiwanese broilers at slaughter and to identify risk factors associated with the presence of Salmonella in processed batches of broilers. Carcass rinse samples from 362 batches of broilers were collected from 45 chicken abattoirs in Taiwan between February 2013 and November 2014. Univariate analyses and multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify putative risk factors for contamination.

Detection of chicken carcasses contaminated with Salmonella enterica serovar in the abattoir environment of Taiwan.

Although a nation-wide microbiological screening program of chicken carcasses after chilling in Taiwanese chicken abattoirs has been undertaken since 2006, little is known regarding the potential sources of the Salmonella during the slaughter process. The present study provides data on the detection and serotypes of Salmonella isolated from broilers during processing and from the environment in six abattoirs in Taiwan. Overall, Salmonella were detected in 156 of 622 samples (25.

Genetically engineered distal airway stem cell transplantation protects mice from pulmonary infection.

Severe pulmonary infection is a major threat to human health accompanied by substantial medical costs, prolonged inpatient requirements, and high mortality rates. New antimicrobial therapeutic strategies are urgently required to address the emergence of antibiotic resistance and persistent bacterial infections. In this study, we show that the constitutive expression of a native antimicrobial peptide LL-37 in transgenic mice aids in clearing Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PAO1), a major pathogen of clinical pulmonary infection.