Numerous studies have shown that, despite many generations of selection for various traits, the behavioural repertoire of domestic animals is almost identical to that of their wild ancestors. A broiler chicken has a similar demand for dust bathing as a jungle fowl. A thoroughbred racehorse has the same demand for social contact as the Przwalski horse. These are just two of many other examples. ...

Use of antibiotics as feed additives in poultry production has been linked to the presence of antibiotic resistant bacteria in farm workers, consumer poultry products and the environs of confined poultry operations. There are concerns that these resistant bacteria may be transferred to communities near these operations; however, environmental pathways of exposure are not well documented. We ass...

Cryptosporidium is one of the most important parasites in poultry, and this pathogen can infect more than 30 avian species. The present study investigated the infection rate of Cryptosporidium among broiler chicken flocks. A total of 385 fecal samples from broiler chickens in 7 regions of Zhejiang Province collected from November 2010 to January 2012 were examined by microscopy. Thirty-eight (1...

The U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) pathogen reduction-hazard analysis critical control point systems final rule, published in 1996, established Salmonella performance standards for broiler chicken, cow and bull, market hog, and steer and heifer carcasses and for ground beef, chicken, and turkey meat. In 1998, the FSIS began testing to verify that establishments are meeting perfo...

In the course of our studies concerning the derivatization of the polyether ionophore nigericin1'2) we observed a dependence of the antibacterial activity on the counter ion at C-l,3) which prompted us to investigate if related effects can also be found for other polyethers and indications. Salinomycin (1), for example is another important polyether4'5) which is produced in combination with rel...

The U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) tests sets of samples of selected raw meat and poultry products for Salmonella to ensure that federally inspected establishments meet performance standards defined in the pathogen reduction-hazard analysis and critical control point system (PR-HACCP) final rule. In the present report, sample set results are described and associations between se...

BACKGROUD Mycoplasma synoviae (M. synoviae) is widely distributed around the world, and leads to serious economic losses in the world every year. Nevertheless, the incidence and epidemiology of M. synoviae infection in China have remained unclear. RESULTS In this study we demonstrate that over 9773 broiler chicken flocks in 16 Chinese provinces were affected by M. synoviae between 2010 and 20...

The whole carcass rinse (WCR) procedure is routinely used as a sampling method for determining the presence and number of quality-indicator organisms or pathogens associated with broiler chicken carcasses in processing facilities. Collection of a cumulative drip sample by placing collection vessels under the processing line could potentially capture a more representative sample of bacterial pop...

Integrated fish farming combines livestock production with fish farming. Animal manure is shed directly into a fish pond as fertilizer and supports the growth of photosynthetic organisms. The livestock, mainly chickens and pigs, is often fed feed containing growth promoters. In this study we investigated the impact of integrated fish farming on the levels of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in ...

Antimicrobial resistance of Escherichia coli to modern beta-lactam antibiotics due to the production of extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL) and/or plasmid-mediated AmpC beta-lactamases (AmpC) represents an emerging and increasing resistance problem that dramatically limits therapeutic options in both human and veterinary medicine. The presence of ESBL/AmpC genes in commensal E. coli from f...