Enhanced HPLC Method for Boar Taint Quantification.

Boar taint is an unpleasant odour found in the carcasses of entire male pigs, resulting from androstenone and skatole accumulation during pubertal development, and impacting pork quality. This study proposes the validation of an adapted chromatographic method for quantifying skatole and androstenone in the pigs' liquid fat using fluorescence detection. A good chromatographic separation was achieved, with skatole (SKA) and androstenone (AND) elution at 4.

The first full study of heavy metal(loid)s in western-European hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus) from Portugal.

The western-European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) is an insectivore with a wide distribution in Portugal and a potential tool for biomonitoring relevant One Health hazards, including heavy metal(loid)s' pollution. The aim of this study was to positively contribute to the current knowledge about the metal(loid) pollution in Portugal. Forty-six hedgehogs (from rescue centres; with known provenance) were necropsied.

Molecular Detection of Metronidazole and Tetracycline Resistance Genes in -Like Positive Gastric Samples from Pigs.

Antimicrobial resistance is a major public health concern. The aim of this study was to assess the presence of antibiotic resistance genes, previously reported in in gastric samples of 36 pigs, in which DNA of -like organisms had been detected. Based on PCR and sequencing analysis, two samples were positive for the mutation gene, conferring tetracycline resistance, and one sample was positive for the gene with a single nucleotide polymorphism, conferring metronidazole resistance.

High Levels of Heavy Metal(loid)s Related to Biliary Hyperplasia in Hedgehogs ().

Heavy metal(loid) pollution of ecosystems is a current One Health problem. The liver is one of the most affected organs in cases of acute or chronic exposure to abnormal amounts of these substances, inducing histopathologic lesions. In order to assess the influence of heavy metal(loids), forty-five European hedgehogs () were submitted to necropsy, and liver samples were collected for a routine histopathology exam and metal(loid)s determination (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu and Pb) by ICP-MS.

Perception and Knowledge of Portuguese Veterinarians about the Zoonotic Transmission of and : The Need for One Health Intervention.

species can colonize the gastrointestinal tract of both humans and animals, and are associated with gastrointestinal and extra-gastrointestinal diseases. Some studies indicate that animals, health professionals, and people in close contact with animals might be at higher risk for infection with gastric spp. Considering that veterinarians are professionals at risk for infection with zoonotic gastric Helicobacters and are also seen by many as health communicators concerning zoonoses, the aim of this study was to evaluate the Portuguese veterinarians' perception and knowledge of spp.

ANIPHI: An innovative pedagogical platform based on the Delphi method to support animal welfare teaching.

As a teaching subject, animal welfare is challenging for educators and learners, as was recently shown in a recent survey on the evolution of animal welfare teaching in Europe. Among several suggestions to overcome the current resistance to implementing animal welfare education, we highlight two. The first is that animal welfare education should be based on learner-centred approaches; the second is that it should encompass both animal welfare science and ethics and law.

Molecular detection of Helicobacter spp. and Fusobacterium gastrosuis in pigs and wild boars and its association with gastric histopathological alterations.

Besides Helicobacter pylori, a Gram-negative bacterium that may cause gastric disorders in humans, non-Helicobacter pylori helicobacters (NHPH) may also colonize the stomach of humans and animals. In pigs, H. suis can induce gastritis and may play a role in gastric ulcer disease, possibly in association with Fusobacterium gastrosuis.

Distinct phenotypic behaviours within a clonal population of Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae.

Bacterial canker of the kiwifruit caused by the etiological agent Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae is the most severe disease in kiwifruit production. Since 2008 a hypervirulent Psa biovar 3 has spread rapidly worldwide.

Effects of vegetation on soil cyanobacterial communities through time and space.

Photoautotrophic soil cyanobacteria play essential ecological roles and are known to exhibit large changes in their diversity and abundance throughout early succession. However, much less is known about how and why soil cyanobacterial communities change as soil develops over centuries and millennia, and the effects that vegetation have on such communities. We combined an extensive field survey, including 16 global soil chronosequences across contrasting ecosystems (from deserts to tropical forests), with molecular analyses to investigate how the diversity and abundance of photosynthetic and nonphotosynthetic soil cyanobacteria are affected by vegetation change during soil development, over time periods from hundreds to thousands of years.

Serra da Estrela PDO Cheese Microbiome as Revealed by Next Generation Sequencing.

Serra da Estrela PDO cheese is the oldest traditional cheese manufactured in Portugal. In this work, its microbiome as well as the main raw materials used in cheese production, raw ewes' milk and thistle flowers ( L.), were characterized using next generation sequencing.

A Framework for Using Epidemiology in Animal Welfare Science.

The potential advantages of using epidemiology in animal welfare research are substantial and are used with increased frequency. Collaboration between scientists of different fields, with different specific expertise is advantageous in the advancement of science. In this review, a framework to use epidemiology in animal welfare science is established.

First Report of in Free-Living Wild Boar () from Portugal.

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a zoonosis that is prevalent worldwide. It is considered endemic in Portugal but few studies have been performed on and their hosts. In this study, CE cysts are reported for the first time in a free-living wild boar () in Portugal.

Presence of and DNA in Free-Range Wild Boars.

() is a Gram-negative bacterium that infects half of the human population worldwide, causing gastric disorders, such as chronic gastritis, gastric or duodenal ulcers, and gastric malignancies. is mainly associated with pigs, but can also colonize the stomach of humans, resulting in gastric pathologies. In pigs, can induce gastritis and seems to play a role in gastric ulcer disease, seriously affecting animal production and welfare.

A Synergic Potential of Antimicrobial Peptides against pv. .

pv. (Psa) is the pathogenic agent responsible for the bacterial canker of kiwifruit (BCK) leading to major losses in kiwifruit productions. No effective treatments and measures have yet been found to control this disease.

FISH in Food Samples.

Foodborne diseases are a major global public health concern. The gold standard detection techniques, namely culture plating techniques, are nowadays considered inadequate for the modern food industry mainly due to the time requirements of this sector. As such, the adoption of faster detection methods to be routinely used in screening the protocols of foodborne pathogens is required.

Flow-FISH Using Nucleic Acid Mimic Probes for the Detection of Bacteria.

Flow-Fluorescence in situ hybridization (Flow-FISH) enables multiparametric high-throughput detection of target nucleic acid sequences at the single cell-level, allowing an accurate quantification of different cell populations by using a combination of flow cytometry and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH). In this chapter, a flow-FISH protocol is described with labeled nucleic acid mimics (NAMs) (e.g.

Increasing importance of anthelmintic resistance in European livestock: creation and meta-analysis of an open database.

Helminth infections are ubiquitous in grazing ruminant production systems, and are responsible for significant costs and production losses. Anthelmintic Resistance (AR) in parasites is now widespread throughout Europe, although there are still gaps in our knowledge in some regions and countries. AR is a major threat to the sustainability of modern ruminant livestock production, resulting in reduced productivity, compromised animal health and welfare, and increased greenhouse gas emissions through increased parasitism and farm inputs.

A Qualitative Market Analysis Applied to Mini-FLOTAC and Fill-FLOTAC for Diagnosis of Helminth Infections in Ruminants.

Helminth infections, mainly by gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN), are one of the main concerns for animal health, welfare and productivity in grazing ruminant livestock worldwide. The use of a sensitive, precise, accurate, low-cost, and easy-to-perform copromicroscopic technique is of pivotal importance to perform reliable fecal egg count (FEC) and fecal egg count reduction test (FECRT), in order to determine the need of anthelmintic treatment, but also anthelmintic efficacy or resistance. This approach is fundamental to a correct and efficient control of GIN.

Epidemiological survey on intestinal helminths of stray dogs in Guimarães, Portugal.

The new legislative framework on Animal Welfare brought increased responsibilities to municipal shelters, in particular in the collection of stray dogs, their sterilization and future adoption. These centers quickly became overcrowded, leading to high parasitism environmental contamination, to the easy spread of parasitic infections and to increased risks to public health. The prevalence of intestinal parasites was evaluated by examination of dog faecal sample, in the municipal control animal centre of Guimarães (north Portugal), identifying risk factors and transmission to man.