Veterinary Preventive Medicine, Epidemiology, and Public Health Commons^™

Productivity Of Young Broilers Fed Phyllanthus Niruri Linn And Melaleuca Cajuput Leaf Meal As A Phytogenic Feed Additive, Listya Purnamasari

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

Feed additives from medicinal plants can be used as alternative antibiotics to optimize productivity, growth, and health of livestock. Medicinal plants Phyllanthus niruri Linn (Meniran) and Melaleuca cajuput (Kajuput) as alternative growth promoters contain antioxidants and antimicrobials to improve the quality of animal products. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of medicinal plant leaf meals as phytogenic feed additives on broilers’ productivity and internal organ parameters. For 21 days fed, 80 1-day-old Loughmann broilers (MB202) unsex were distributed in 4 treatments with 4 pens per treatment and 5 birds per pen. The dietary treatments were: T1 …

Effects Of Prostaglandin Administration After Farrowing On Milk Output, Vaginal Discharge, And Mastitis During The Early Postpartum Period In Sows Under Field Conditions, G. Romano, R. Saleri, F. De Rensis, E. Dall’Olio, Padet Tummaruk, M. Andrani, C. Mazzoni

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

The present study evaluates the clinical effects of early post-partum prostaglandin administration on milk output, vaginal discharge and mastitis in sow. Two groups of sows were used: sows (n = 25) treated with prostaglandin F-2alpha (PGF-2α) intramuscularly 36 h after farrowing and a control group (n = 48) that did not receive any treatment. Seventy-two hours after farrowing, all animals were scored for rectal temperature, respiratory rate, feed ingestion, milk output, vaginal discharge and mastitis. Rectal temperature, feed intake, and milk output did not differ between the groups (P = 0.43). Regarding the clinical data, vaginal discharge was detected in …

Antibiotic Resistance In Livestock: A Literature Review Of Its Consequences And International Effort On Human Antimicrobial Agents Resistant Crisis, Ha Nguyen

Theses and Graduate Projects

Background: Despite their benefits, the overuse of antibiotics in livestock has resulted in negative consequences to human health and the augmenting of an antibiotic-resistant crisis. Countries worldwide have conducted analyses and confirmed the growth of bacterial strains immune to most antibiotics. The widespread use of antibiotics is shown in various sectors, including human medicine and agriculture, leading to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains.

Purpose: This comprehensive literature review focuses on finding the connection between the usage of antibiotics in livestock, the transfer of antibiotic resistance to humans through consumption and exposure, and international efforts to find solutions to antimicrobial …

Understanding The Role Of The Microbiome In Infectious Disease, Developing Surveillance Tools, And Engineering Direct Fed Microbials To Improve Animal Health, Alison Clare (Bartenslager) Neujahr

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

With the ever-increasing demand for animal protein and the continual need for the assurance of proper animal welfare, investigations of preventative strategies for diseases is greatly needed. Specifically in the cattle industry, infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis (IBK), commonly known as pinkeye, causes a large economic loss to the producer. However, effective mitigation strategies are lacking. Partly, this is due to the lack of studies investigating the ocular microbiome. Therefore, studies investigating the bovine ocular microbiome are greatly needed to better understand IBK disease etiology. To this end, we investigated the changes in the ocular microbiome in animals before, during and after …

A History Of The Development Of Alternatives To Animals In Research And Testing, John Parascandola

New Directions in the Human-Animal Bond

Growing public interest in animal welfare issues in recent decades has prompted increased attention to the efforts to develop alternative, nonanimal methods for use in biomedical research and product testing. In A History of the Development of Alternatives to Animals in Research and Testing, the first book-length study of the subject, John Parascandola traces the history of the concept of alternatives to the use of animals in research and testing in Britain and the United States from its beginnings until it had become firmly established in the scientific and animal protection communities by the end of the 1980s. This …

Addressing Farm Safety: Farm Safety Dinner Theaters In The Shenandoah Valley, Tammy Kiser, Michelle Seekford, Jeremy Daubert

Virginia Journal of Public Health

Statistics demonstrate that farm safety and wellness issues affect all ages in the agricultural community. However, an increased proportion of youth and older farm workers comprise the highest rates of farm-related morbidity and mortality. Engaging farmers in increasing safe practices in the agricultural community is an important, ongoing challenge.

Methodology

Farm Safety Dinner Theaters, an initiative created through community-based participatory research (CBPR) at the University of Kentucky, provide a relaxed environment where farmers and their families can identify safety and wellness issues, watch as the actors process these issues, and enjoy a meal. Seeing the situations played out in theater …

A Survey Of Pet Caretakers On The Use And Perceptions Regarding Heartworm Prophylaxis For Prevention Of Canine Heartworm Disease, Stacie Williams, Charles T. Faulkner

Faculty Other Scholarly Content

Canine heartworm disease (CHWD) is caused by infection with the nematode parasite Dirofilaria immitis transmitted through the bite of a mosquito carrying the infective stage larva. The disease is insidious in its onset and almost 100% preventable with the use of highly effective pharmaceutical compounds that target the migrating larval stage acquired from the mosquito. However, use of canine heartworm prophylaxis among pet dog caretakers is not universally accepted and sometimes viewed with skepticism. Previous research conducted in the Cumberland Gap Region (CGR) indicated that 41.8% of dog owning individuals do not use prophylactic products. In this study, we surveyed …

Characterizing The Roles Of Bacterial And Viral Agents In House Crickets (Acheta Domesticus) At Commercial Rearing Facilities In The United States, Kimberly L. Boykin

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Feeder insects, and in particular crickets, are becoming more popular as food for humans and domesticated animals. However, disease outbreaks continue to decimate commercial populations. The goals of this dissertation were to characterize the epidemiology of different viral and bacterial pathogens affecting the survival of European house crickets (Acheta domesticus) being raised under mass rearing conditions and identify methods to reduce the impact of these pathogens.

Crickets from nine different producers across the United States were sampled during different seasons to better estimate the prevalence of three pathogenic viruses: Acheta domesticus densovirus (AdDV), Acheta domesticus volvovirus (AdVVV), and …

Histories, Cultural Contexts, Health Status, Wildlife Contact Characteristics, And Perception Towards Covid-19 Of The Urak Lawoi Ethnic Group In Koh Lanta District, Krabi Province Of Thailand: A Qualitative Study, Kanokwan Suwannarong, Paisit Boonyakawee, Thanomsin Ponlap, Kannika Thammasutti, Phitsanuruk Kanthawee, Nisachon Bubpa, Chularat Boonyakawee, Vittaya Pulkird, Junsri Changnum

Journal of Health Research

Background: The Urak Lawoi ethnic group is an indigenous community residing in the Andaman Sea of southern Thailand and are engaged in various activities related to wild animals. This qualitative study was conducted from November 2022 to February 2023 to collect information on wildlife contact characteristics and determine the level of awareness and understanding of zoonotic diseases and COVID-19 risks among this ethnic group in Koh Lanta district, Krabi province.

Methods: This qualitative study collected data through key informant interviews (KIIs) and focus group discussions (FGDs). The study respondents included 29 Urak Lawoi village health volunteers (VHVs), To Mo …

Experimental Sars-Cov-2 Infection Of Elk And Mule Deer, Stephanie M. Porter, Airn E. Hartwig, Helle Bielefeldt-Ohmann, Jeffrey M. Marano, J. Jeffrey Root, Angela M. Bosco-Lauth

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

To assess the susceptibility of elk (Cervus canadensis) and mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) to SARS-CoV-2, we performed experimental infections in both species. Elk did not shed infectious virus but mounted low-level serologic responses. Mule deer shed and transmitted virus and mounted pronounced serologic responses and thus could play a role in SARS-CoV-2 epidemiology.

Limitations Of Invasive Snake Control Tools In The Context Of A New Invasion On An Island With Abundant Prey, Shane R. Siers, Melia G. Nafus, Jereid E. Calaor, Rachel M. Volsteadt, Matthew S. Grassi, Megan Volsteadt, Aaron F. Collins, Patrick D. Barnhart, Logan T. Huse, Amy A. Yackel Adams, Diane L. Vice

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

In October 2020, a new population of invasive brown treesnakes (Boiga irregularis) was discovered on the 33-ha Cocos Island, 2.5 km off the south coast of Guam, United States. Cocos Island is a unique conservation resource, providing refuge for many lizards and birds, including endangered species, which were extirpated from mainland Guam by invasive predators including brown treesnakes. We sought to evaluate the usefulness of toxic baiting with acetaminophen-treated carrion baits and cage trapping, common tools for the control of brown treesnakes on mainland Guam, as potential eradication tools on Cocos Island. We evaluated multiple bait types and …

Site-Specific Space Use And Resource Selection By Black Vultures (Coragyps Atratus) In The Southeastern Usa, Betsy Evans, John S. Humphrey, Eric A. Tillman, Michael L. Avery, Bryan M. Kluever

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

North American populations of Black Vultures Coragyps atratus have increased and expanded their distribution in the southern and eastern USA. In conjunction with these patterns has been a rise in human–vulture conflicts. To improve our understanding of space use patterns and better inform management, we evaluated the movements of Black Vultures (n = 23) in the southeastern USA using a long-term GPS tracking database. Our specific objectives were to: (1) quantify home-range sizes in relation to season and geographical study location and (2) examine within-home-range resource selection to identify landscape and anthropogenic factors influencing roost and diurnal space use. …

Identifying Priority Mitigation Areas For Human–Osprey Conflict, Natasha K. Murphy, Melanie R. Boudreau, Brian S. Dorr, Kate Slankard, Scott A. Rush

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Raptor nests on human‐built structures represent a significant source of conflict, as they can result in bird mortality, fires, or power outages due to falling nest materials or animals connecting with energized conductors. Power companies typically try to mitigate these conflicts to avoid service disruptions. Performing mitigation measures across all potentially problematic power infrastructure is generally not a practical solution given logistical, time, or budgetary constraints. Therefore, there is a need for quantitative, landscapescale tools to identify conflict risk and prioritize mitigation. We examined the influence of habitat and transmission infrastructure distribution on the potential risk of osprey (Pandion …

Efficacy Of An Inflatable Deterrent For Reducing New World Vulture Human‑Wildlife Conflict, Bryan M. Kluever, Betsy A. Evans, Noah M. Osterhoudt, Eric A. Tillman

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Increasing urbanization coupled with spatial expansion and numerical increase of New World vulture populations has engendered a rise in human-vulture conflict, creating a need for effective tools to mitigate vulture-related damage. Visual frightening devices that mimic the presence of human or other predators can be employed in human-vulture conflict scenarios to increase perceived risk by the pest species, thereby eliciting an antipredator behavioral response, such as fleeing. One visual frightening device, inflatable scarecrows, recently proved effective at reducing passerine attendance at feral swine feeders, but their effectiveness when directed at other species and conflict scenarios has varied. Our primary objective …

Antipredator Blood-Squirting Defense In Horned Lizards (Phrynosoma): Chemical Isolation Of Plasma Component(S), Pogonomyrmex Ant Dietary Origin, And Evolution, Wade C. Sherbrooke, Bruce A. Kimball

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

North American horned lizards of the genus Phrynosoma are largely myrmecophagous and squirt systemic blood from circumocular sinuses during encounters with certain mammalian predators. The predators react with distinct revulsion. Using bioassay-guided fractionation of blood plasma, we endeavored to identify the source and characteristics of the active chemical compound(s) responsible for this negative oral response. Our results of coyote bioassays and a series of novel mouse bioassay experiments were largely concordant. The active compound(s) was likely plasma-borne with a molecular weight (mw) of between 800 and 1,600. To identify the source of the active compound(s), we noted bioassay responses …

Internal And External Factors Affect Pair Mate Proximity In Captive Coyotes, Canis Latrans, Alexandra Turano, Stacey P. Brummer, Jeffrey T. Schultz, Julie Young, Sara M. Freeman

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Coyotes In The Great Basin Desert Do Not Exhibit A Spatial Response Following The Removal Of Anthropogenic Water Sources, Nadine A. Pershyn, Eric M. Gese, Erica F. Stuber, Bryan M. Kluever

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Coyote (Canis latrans) range expansion into desert ecosystems has highlighted the role of anthropogenic water sources in arid ecosystems. Despite hypotheses that additional water facilitated this expansion, previous studies reported that coyotes did not exhibit a spatial or dietary response to removal of anthropogenic water. We used GPS data to examine if coyotes responded to water removal at a finer spatial scale than previously investigated. Our integrated step selection analysis did not find evidence that coyotes adjusted their distance to water following water removal. Vegetation was an important factor in habitat selection of coyotes, with riparian and agricultural …

An Estimate Of The Marginal Annual Economic Contribution Of Wild-Pig Hunting In Texas, Sophie C. Mckee, Keith M. Carlisle, John Tomeček, Stephanie A. Shwiff, Rachael Connally, Maureen Frank, Mike Bodenchuk, Nicole Didero

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Context

Wild-pig (Sus scrofa) hunting is a culturally significant recreational and commercial activity in Texas, but the overall impacts are contested. Except for one 1980s study, there has been no research to formally quantify any economic benefits of wild-pig hunting in Texas, which is an important component for weighing the costs and benefits of wild-pig presence in the state.

Aims and methods

To fill that research gap, we surveyed a sample of resident and non-resident 2018–2019 hunting-license holders in Texas about various topics related to their wild-pig hunting activities, including expenditures

Key results

On the basis of the …

Eradication Of Feral Swine From A Barrier Island In Florida, Usa: An Examination Of Effort And Multi-Method, Multi-Species Population Indexing, Richard M. Engeman, Eric A. Tillman, Betsy A. Evans, John C. Griffin, Garrison Grobaski, Bradley S. Smith, John Stark, Bryan M. Kluever

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Feral swine (Sus scrofa) were targeted for and successfully eradicated from Saint Vincent Island (SVI), a National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) along the coast of Florida’s panhandle to protect its habitats and uncharacteristically high diversity of wildlife species for barrier islands in the region, including federal and state-listed threatened and endangered species. The eradication effort was initiated in early 2015 and concluded in 2019. A total of 438 feral swine were removed from the Island, 417 by federal control experts and 21 by recreational hunters. In general, the amount of effort needed to eradicate each feral swine slowly increased …

Steps Towards Operationalizing One Health Approaches, Kim M. Pepin, Keith M. Carlisle, Dean Anderson, Michael G. Baker, Richard B. Chipman, Jackie Benschop, Nigel P. French, Suzie Greenhalgh, Scott Mcdougall, Petra Muellner, Emil Murphy, Dion R. J. Neale, Michael J. Plank, David T. S. Hayman

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

One Health recognizes the health of humans, agriculture, wildlife, and the environment are interrelated. The concept has been embraced by international health and environmental authorities such as WHO, WOAH, FAO, and UNEP, but One Health approaches have been more practiced by researchers than national or international authorities. To identify priorities for operationalizing One Health beyond research contexts, we conducted 41 semi-structured interviews with professionals across One Health sectors (public health, environment, agriculture, wildlife) and institutional contexts, who focus on national-scale and international applications. We identify important challenges, solutions, and priorities for delivering the One Health agenda through government action. Participants …