The gastrointestinal microbiome affects the health and productivity of animals. Modifying these traits with additives may enhance their effects, making it a relevant strategy. This study investigated the effects of humic acids (HA) on the ruminal and fecal microbiomes of lambs and its potential adherence to ruminal mucosa. Twenty weaned Hampshire Down crossbred lambs aged 102.1 ± 6.6 days with an average body weight of 24.2 ± 3.5 kg were randomly allocated into two groups. Control group was fed a basal diet without HA, and treatment group was fed a basal diet with commercial HA at a dose of 500 mg/kg BW/day for 56 days. At the end of the experiment, ruminal and fecal samples were analyzed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and ruminal mucosal tissue from the slaughtered lambs was evaluated using histology and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The addition of HA to the feed of lambs increased the relative abundance of the genus Bifidobacterium and decreased the genus Lachnospiraceae CAG-127 in the ruminal microbiome of lambs. Furthermore, an increase in the relative abundance of the genera Acutalibacteraceae UBA5905 and Lachnospiraceae VUNI01, along with a reduction in the order Campylobacterales and the genus Acutalibacteraceae CAG-180 was observed in the fecal microbiome. HA was not found in the ruminal mucosa of lambs, as determined by histology or SEM. HA supplementation modulated the ruminal and fecal microbiomes of lambs by reducing harmful and increasing beneficial bacteria, highlighting its potential as a functional feed additive to support ovine gut health.

Gastrointestinal infections significantly impact sheep health and productivity, with diarrhea and parasites particularly threatening lambs. To address these challenges, feed additives offer solutions to enhance animal health and performance. This study aimed to investigate the effects of humic acids (HA) on the gastrointestinal tract and growth of lambs. Forty 1/2 Hampshire Down weaned lambs (aged 100.9 ± 7.1 days; average weight 24.4 ± 3.9 kg) were randomly allocated to two groups (20 each), balanced for weight and sex. The control group (CG) received a basal diet without HA supplementation, while the treatment group (TG) was fed a basal diet plus commercial HA at 500 mg/kg body weight/day for 56 days. Every two weeks, lambs underwent hematological, biochemical, parasitological, immunological, fecal consistency, and performance analyses. After the experimental period, 10 lambs per group were slaughtered. Histological analyses included measuring abomasal mucosa thickness and mucus production in the abomasum, duodenum, jejunum, and ileum. Tissues from the abomasum, duodenum, jejunum, ileum, and cecum were also used for leukocyte counts and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) evaluations, while parasitological analysis consisted of parasite recovery from the abomasum and small intestine. The TG exhibited improved fecal consistency, a decrease in CD8 lymphocytes in the abomasum and duodenum, and reduced platelet counts. In general, hematological, biochemical, parasitological, histological, and performance parameters did not differ significantly between groups. HA fragments were not able to be distinguished with SEM on gastrointestinal mucosa surface. Overall, HA supplementation positively impacted digestive health by mitigating gastrointestinal inflammation.

Serum macro- and microminerals (copper (Cu), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), and magnesium (Mg)) were measured in lactating dairy cows managed under pasture-based and confinement-based systems in the state of Paraná, southern Brazil. The cross-sectional study was performed with 323 lactating cows, aged ≥2 years, from 34 dairy herds, 18 counties and 4 regions of Paraná. The cows were classified into two groups: Group 1 (G1, n=208) consisted of cows raised in confinement systems, while Group 2 (G2, n=115) included cows from pasture-based herds supplemented at feed troughs. Biochemical analyses were performed by spectrophotometry using commercial kits. The mean values found were as follows (G1 and G2): Ca = 8.1 ± 0.9 mg/dl; P = 6.1 ± 1.2 mg/dl; Mg = 2.3 ± 0.4 mg/dl; Cu = 83.6 ± 18.8 μg/dl; Zn = 94.0 ± 23.4 μg/dl; and Fe = 129.2 ± 44.2 μg/dl. The most prevalent deficiency was Ca, whereas the macromineral with the lowest prevalence of deficiency was P. Most dairy cows evaluated were not at risk of Cu intoxication. G2 had a lower mean serum mineral and a higher number of cows considered deficient than G1, with the exception of Mg. Even presuming that dairy cattle are better nourished than beef cattle the conclusion is that dairy cows in Paraná are at risk for mineral deficiencies, including Fe. This emphasizes the need for diagnostic monitoring to identify the affected cattle and herds in order to optimize animal health and production.

ABSTRACT: The main transmission route of bovine coronavirus (BCoV) is direct contact with secretions and feces, and potentially also via contaminated surfaces. Following PRISMA guidelines, a systematic review was conducted to evaluate the presence of BCoV on environmental surfaces. A literature search, conducted between March and April 2023, utilized databases including Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, and Springer. The review adhered to the PEO structure: Population - environmental surfaces; Exposure - contact with BCoV; Outcome - identification of presence or infectivity. Primary data were recorded using an extraction form organizing methods for detecting BCoV presence, assessing BCoV infectivity, types of surfaces evaluated, and study type. Search terms “Bovine coronavirus” and “BCoV” yielded 2703 articles. After removing 964 duplicates and excluding 1546 articles not mentioning BCoV in titles, 193 studies underwent abstract reading. Following exclusion criteria not addressing BCoV presence in the environment, three articles were selected for comprehensive review. These articles identified BCoV presence on various types of surfaces, with detection possible up to 81 hours after contamination, depending on surface type. Despite limited studies on BCoV presence on surfaces, findings suggested potential transmission via contaminated surfaces due to the virus’s ability to remain infectious for up to 24 hours on fomites. This review underscores the need for further research on BCoV persistence in farm environments, an area currently lacking focused studies.

Bovine coronavirus (BCoV) causes neonatal diarrhea and respiratory diseases in cattle. Detection of BCoV on surfaces and fomites in dairy facilities is rarely reported. We examined the presence of BCoV on various surfaces of a dairy farm with previous BCoV-positive cattle. A total of 61 samples were collected, including 37 samples of surfaces and fomites from the housing of suckling calves, weaned calves, heifers, and lactating cows. Fecal samples (n = 13) and nasal secretions (n = 11) were collected from calves and cows. Molecular identification of BCoV was performed using semi-nested RT-PCR. Amplicons of BCoV genes N and S1 from three positive samples (environment, diarrheic feces, and nasal secretions) were selected for nucleotide (nt) sequencing analysis. BCoV RNA was detected in 27

Haemonchus contortus is an important parasite in sheep and the abuse of anti-helminthics has resulted in a rapid resistance. Little is known about the abomasal microbiota in sheep and the relation to local parasitism. This study aimed to identify bacteria in the abomasum of sheep, through the abomasal content, abomasal mucosa, and adult H. contortus parasites, in high and low parasitism. Eight sheep naturally infected with H. contortus were classified as high (n = 4) and low infection (n = 4). Samples of abomasal contents, abomasal mucosa, and adult H. contortus parasites were collected. Samples were pooled to form six groups, three in each level of parasitism: high infection/abomasal contents (HC), high infection/mucosa (HM), high infection/parasites (HP); low infection/abomasal contents (LC), low infection/mucosa (LM), and low infection/parasites (LP). Molecular identification of bacteria was performed by the amplification and sequencing of the 16S rRNA bacterial gene. A similar distribution of phyla was observed between pools HC/LC and HP/LP. For pools HM/LM, there was a significant difference (p = 0.01) in the proportion of phyla observed. The bacterial phyla predominant for libraries HC/LC were Firmicutes (82% and 62%) and Bacteroidetes (10.4% and 17.6%); for HM/LM, Firmicutes (76.9% and 56%) and Proteobacteria (10.2% and 38.4%); and for HP/LP, Proteobacteria (42.8% and 55%) and Firmicutes (31.6% and 40%). We observed differences about the samples analyzed, suggesting that there are various bacterial communities closely associated with the different materials analyzed, even from the close environment.

The present study aimed to investigate the impact of adding two doses of a commercial probiotic on productive performance, ruminal and fecal microbiome in growing lambs. Forty-two Texel or Ile de France crossbred lambs aged 86.9 ± 8.0 days (body weight: 27.4 ± 3.7 kg) were distributed into three groups: basal diet without probiotic supplementation (CG); basal diet + 1 g/animal/day of probiotic (GP1) and basal diet + 5 g/animal/day of probiotic (GP5). The experimental period was 84 days. The weight was evaluated weekly and dry matter intake (DMI) and leftovers were measured daily. At the end of the experiment, lambs were slaughtered. Feces and rumen fluid were collected for microbiome analysis and rumen fragments for histological evaluation. The use of probiotics did not affect weight gain, but GP1 showed a higher silage and DMI intake than CG (p < 0.001). The CG had a greater thickness of keratinized epithelium and stratum corneum (< 0.001) than GP1 and GP5, and greater total papilla width (p = 0.039) than GP1. There was no difference in the general abundance in the rumen and fecal microbiomes. GP5 had a higher proportion of Azoarcus and Dialister taxa in the rumen fluid (p = 0.012 and p = 0.017, respectively) and higher proportion of Treponema and Fibrobacter taxa in the fecal microbiome (p = 0.015 and p = 0.026, respectively), whereas CG had a higher proportion of Anaeroplasma than the other groups (p = 0.032). These results demonstrated the benefits of probiotics for ruminal epithelium protection and microbial diversity. However, there was no effect on performance parameters.

Os bacteriófagos, vírus naturais que atacam bactérias, apresentam uma solução promissora para o desafio persistente das bactérias resistentes aos antimicrobia-nos na medicina humana e veterinária. Apesar de um século de esforços, esta questão permanece sem solução. Todavia, este artigo se concentrou em ilustrar as morfologias de placas reveladas por bacteriófagos isolados de rios e esgotos urbanos em Curitiba, Paraná, sul do Brasil. A análise laboratorial revelou características distintivas na macromorfologia das placas de fagos de Escherichia coli, representando vários morfotipos. A obtenção destes dados é um processo relativamente rápido e barato, que destaca a importância da triagem primária para a recuperação bem-sucedida de fagos para serem posteriormente utilizados no combate à E. coli através da tecnologia de fagos.

The control of parasitosis is based on the use of anthelmintics. However, its long-term and indiscriminate use can select populations of resistant nematodes. New alternatives such as probiotics are being studied to solve this problem. This study aimed to investigate the effects of an oral probiotic containing six different bacterial strains and the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae on the blood biochemistry, parasitological, and histological parameters of naturally infected lambs. Forty-two weaned Texel or Ile de France crossbred lambs aged 86.9 ± 8.0 days and weighing 27.4 ± 3.7 kg were randomly allocated into three groups (n = 14 lambs). The control group (CG) was fed a basal diet without probiotic supplementation. The treatment group 1 g (T1G) was fed a basal diet with commercial probiotic supplementation at a dose of 1 g/lamb/day. The treatment group 5 g (T5G) was fed a basal diet with commercial probiotic supplementation at a dose of 5 g/lamb/day. The experimental period was 84 days, where the groups undergo mild natural infection. Every two weeks the hematocrit, total protein, albumin, globulin, fibrinogen, plasma protein, fecal egg count (FEC), and fecal consistency score were evaluated. Twenty lambs were slaughtered for histological evaluation of the rumen and abomasal wall and for counting abomasal nematodes. The area, length, and number of eggs from the recovered Haemonchus contortus female uteri were measured. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey's test (p ≤ 0.05). The area and length of Haemonchus contortus females from T1G were smaller (p < 0.01) than those of CG and T5G. The number of eggs from the H. contortus female uterus was lower (p < 0.01) in T1G and T5G. Evaluating the incidence of diarrhea, the T1G and T5G groups had a higher prevalence with a 35% and 39% score of zero, respectively (p < 0.05), while the CG group had 22%. All other evaluated parameters showed no significant differences (p > 0.05) between the groups. The probiotic had a beneficial effect on the gastrointestinal health of the weaned lambs through a decrease of the area, length, and the number of eggs of female H. contortus and an improvement in fecal consistency.

SUMMARYFeathers are among the main by-products of the poultry meat industry and are a serious environmental and health liability, with millions of tons being burned or buried annually. However, given their protein nature, they can be used as an energy matrix based on methane-rich biogas, the so-called biomethane. In theory, energy conversion is very cost-effective and would be employable to generate heat or electricity for the producer or the industry. This review presents biotechnological aspects to increase the production of methane-rich biogas (MRB). Topics such as feather quality, keratin hydrolysis (by keratinolytic microorganisms, by alkali and by reducing agents), keratin extraction by rapid vapour explosion, methane production, inoculants for anaerobic digestion and ammonia stripping are addressed.

The effects of intramammary dry cow therapy based on the administration of 5

Reduced welfare and productivity of dairy goats have often been associated with poor claw health, especially conditions such as claw overgrowth and deformations. It is known that periodic claw trimmings have prophylactic and therapeutic effects on these problems, and this study aimed to evaluate if the additional use of an angle grinder to finish trimming overgrown and deformed goat claws, after the usual trimming using hoof shears, could provide further changes in these claws. For this, twelve Saanen goats (57.29 ± 11.15 kg of body weight, 3.08 ± 1.78 years old) were selected by presence of severe claw overgrowth, and absence of claw alterations of other nature. Their claws were trimmed in two steps, first using hoof shears and then using an angle grinder. Morphometric, baropodometric, and conformational aspects of all claws were assessed before claw trimming and after each trimming step. To analyse the effects of the trimming steps in each claw, the Tukey's test was used on parametric data, with 5% probability, and descriptive statistics were used on non-parametric data. Although this is a small pilot study, results suggest that using an angle grinder after the use of hoof shears, could further reduce heel length and sole width of claws, as well as reduce the number of deformed claws. The incorporation of the second trimming tool, could also further increase the frequency with which the point of maximum pressure was found in the toes, rather then in the heels of the claws as seen in deformed claws.

This datasheet on Dermatophilus congolensis covers Identity, Overview, Distribution, Hosts/Species Affected, Vectors & Intermediate Hosts, Further Information.

Animals Raised in the Ukraine Colonization Community of Palmital, Paraná State, Brazil.  Although Brazil is one of the world’s major cattle producers and has rich social, ethnic, and biological diversity, ethnoveterinary studies are rare in Southern Brazil. Knowledge of plant use by farmers in the rural areas of the Ukrainian colony of Palmital, southern Brazil, can contribute to understanding the relationships among plants, smallholder farmers, and their livestock. Semi–structured interviews were conducted with non–random sampling following the “snowball” method. The information collected included local plant names, plant parts used, mode of preparation, route of administration, domestic animal species, and diseases requiring treatment. The informants were encouraged to show the plants, which were collected, identified, and stored. The informant consensus factor (ICF) and the use value (UV) were calculated. Thirty women and 20 men reported a total of 45 native and introduced plant species belonging to 29 families that are used for ethnoveterinary practices, mostly for cattle and goats, with the highest ICF for mastitis and antiparasitic treatments. Cattle are the most important livestock species bred in the community; therefore, most plant treatments were for cattle health problems. Similar studies on European immigrant communities in Brazil are lacking and could be a valuable source of information about how immigrant culture translate into local knowledge of veterinary medicinal plants.

Background: The bovine alphaherpesvirus type 1 (BoHV-1) belonging to the order Herpesvirales, family Herpesviridae, subfamily Alphaherpesvirinae and genus Varicellovirus.Bovine alphaherpesvirus 1 (BoHV-1) infections have a great importance due to the high rates of dissemination in cattles worldwide. Although, the BoHV-1 was largely related in cattle, buffaloes were also classified as host for the virus. However, studies that determine seroepidemiological data in this species are scarce and necessary. The aim of the present study was to determine the presence of antibodies against BoHV-1 in healthy beef buffaloes using the virus neutralization (VN) technique.Cases: This work portrays an epidemiological survey, based on a sectional study characterized by blood samples collected from 54 Murrah buffalo, aged 6 to 24 months, from the municipalities of Guaraqueçaba, Ponta Grossa, Antonina and Doutor Ulysses, located in Paraná state, being 20, 14, 10 and 10 samples from each location, respectively. Thirty-seven percent (20/54) of the samples were collected at slaughterhouse with registration at the Federal Inspection Service (SIF) of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply (MAPA), and 63% (34/54) at the buffalo's farms. The serum samples were collected in sterile tubes without anticoagulant in stored isothermal boxes, with serum separation and stored at -20ºC. The samples were sent to the Animal Virology Laboratory of Universidade Estadual de Londrina, UEL for serological analysis. Serological diagnosis using the virus neutralization (VN) technique was performed according the OIE manual of diagnostic tests and vaccines for terrestrial animals, using the BoHV-1 Los Angeles strain. Forth-five of the 54 samples (83.3%) evaluated generated titers of antibodies against BoHV-1 present in all evaluated herds, and the samples collected in herd from Antonina city were 100% positive, following by 80% in Guaraqueçaba and Doutor Ulysses city, and 78.6% in Ponta Grossa city. In relationship to the titration of anti-bovine herpesvirus 1 antibodies (BoHV-1), it was found that 23/45 (51.12%) of the samples had titers ≤ 16, 13/45 (28.88 %) with indexes between 32-64, and 9/45 (20%) with levels above 128.Discussion: The confirmation of the presence of antibodies against BoHV-1 in the buffalo samples tested in the present study proves the circulation of the agent in the studied species, with a homogeneous distribution of bovine alphaherpesvirus 1 in all the evaluated herds. There was high variability in antibody titers against BoHV-1 from all herds, and the occurrence of a high number of buffaloes reactive to BoHV-1 and with high antibody titers suggests a course of active or reactive infections in these animals. In only one of the herds, the age of the animals studied varied between 6 to 8 months. The fact that these animals are lactating raises the possibility of anti-BoHV-1 antibodies being acquired by breastfeeding. The results obtained allow to conclude, considering the fact that the animals are not vaccinated against BoHV-1, the presence of circulating antibodies is from a natural infection, and the positivity in all farms tested denotes the endemicity of the BoHV-1 infection in herds. To the best knowledge of the authors, this is the first study on the detection and measurement of antibodies against BoHV-1 in healthy and unvaccinated buffaloes in the state of Paraná, southern Brazil, showing a high frequency of seroreagent animals.

The present study aimed to monitor Holstein cows in the postpartum period, and to evaluate the occurrence of clinical diseases and their relationship with metabolic profile, milk yield and composition, and reproductive performance. One hundred and five Holstein cows, 32 primiparous and 73 multiparous, from two dairy herds in Arapoti, Paraná State, were clinically monitored up to ten days after calving. The clinical occurrences diagnosed were: dystocia, metritis, retained placenta, clinical hypocalcemia, displaced abomasum, mastitis, pneumonia, and digital dermatitis. Blood samples were collected at one, two, five, and ten days postpartum for analysis of non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), and total calcium. Individual milk yield was measured up to 100 days in milk (DIM), and the first test-day was evaluated for milk composition. Statistical analyses were conducted using the MIXED procedure of SAS, and the fixed effects of farm (A and B), parity (primiparous and multiparous), and occurrence of clinical diseases (sick and healthy cows) were included. Forty-eight cows (45.7%) had one or more clinical occurrences. In these sick cows, the BHB concentration at five DIM was higher (P = 0.06) than in healthy cows; 0.78 and 0.57 mmol L-1, respectively. Regarding milk yield, cows with one or more clinical occurrences had lower (P < 0.01) daily milk yield up to 30 DIM, and had a tendency of lower (P = 0.09) accumulated production up to 100 DIM than healthy cows. Sick cows had a tendency to show lower (P = 0.08) milk total solids content than healthy cows; 12.04 and 12.60%, respectively. There were no significant differences between sick and healthy animals in the remaining milk components, or the reproductive parameters assessed. The differences observed for days in the first artificial insemination (AI), AI number, and days open occurred due to the effect of the herd.

Background: Bovine digital dermatitis (BDD) is one of the most important diseases that effect dairy cows. Methylene blue-mediated antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (MB-APDT) emerges as a promising technique to treat superficial infections in bovines. Methods: Twenty BDD lesions located at the skin horn transition of the claw of pelvic limbs of 16 cows were treated by MB-APDT, using a red LED cluster (lambda = 660 nm, irradiance =60 mW/cm(2) , exposure time = 40 s) combined with topical application of MB at 0.01 %; or by topical application of OXY (500 mg in 20 % solution). Each lesion was treated twice with an interval of 14 days. Lesions were weekly evaluated until day 28 by clinical analysis and by histological examination on days 0 and 28. Results: Both treatments led to a similar reduction of lesions area. At day 28, three lesions treated by OXY did not present completely recovery, whereas no lesions were observed in MB-APDT group. OXY resulted in a slight increase in type I and III collagen levels, while MB-APDT led to a significant increase in the total area of both collagen types. An abundant number of spirochetes were histologically observed in all lesions before treatments. On the 28th day, five lesions treated by OXY still presented a slight number of spirochetes, whereas in MB-APDT group no spirochetes were evidenced. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that MB-APDT is more effective than OXY and could be used in Veterinary practice to fight BDD.