BACKGROUND:Ileitis is a wasting disease of pigs. Clinical symptoms are diarrhea in growing pigs, wasting and reduced performance. Ileitis is ubiquitous in pig producing countries all around the world. It is estimated that the economic losses caused by the disease are USD 4.65 per fattening pig, and American pig farmers lose USD 56.1 million annually. It has become necessary to develop a slaughterhouse ileitis monitoring method that is simple, feasible to perform at modern slaughter lines, leads to immediate results and is cost effective. The practical experiences of applying the method are presented below.METHODS:Our studies were performed on pig herds and slaughterhouses in Central European countries (Hungary, Romania, Poland, Croatia, and Slovakia). Experiences were evaluated based on visual and palpation. The results of our investigations were evaluated by a scoring method. Authors made histological and immunohistochemical examinations of investigated ileums. The hypothetic economic losses due to the disease in each farm were determined by estimating the loss of profit according to Holtkamp's presentation in 2019.RESULTS:The essentials of the method we have developed are: it can be performed during slaughterhouse processing, it does not interfere with or make it impossible to carry out normal technological processes, and the results of the procedure are correlated with the results of other laboratory diagnostic tests for ileitis (histology, immunohistochemistry, herd serology, fecal PCR). It is noteworthy that the results of the method can be used to immediately estimate the impact of Lawsonia intracellularis infection on the performance of the herd from which the slaughter animals come.CONCLUSION:Using the results of the slaughtered pigs' visual and tactile examination at the slaughterhouse, the magnitude of the loss caused by Lawsonia intracellularis infection can be estimated quickly and accurately, and the return on investment of the strategy to be applied can be accurately planned.

It is known that noise exerts negative effect on the animals and it could be a severe source of stress,1 while music has a positive effect on some species and could help reduce stress levels.2 Gvaryahu et al.,3 have found that chicks exposed to environmental enrichment and classical music were less afraid during challenging and ate more. In the study of Brantsaeter et al.,4 chicks, raired in complex environment showed less anxiety on weeks 19 and 23 and used better all the dimensions of space. Roy et al.,5 have found an improvement of postnatal perceptual behaviour and synaptic plasticity in chicks, received complex rhythmical musical stimuli before and during hatching. Freshly hatched chicks showed a spontaneous preference to consonant sounds over discordant ones.6 The biological function of the fear is to keep animals away from the source of danger. The fearfullness expresses how an animal react to frightful stimuli. The fearfullnes is developed by multiple genetic and epigenetic factors. The role of the environmental effects, especially in young age is decisive.7 In generally the fear has a useful function, but under some circumstances it may be damaging for the birds, if they cannot run away from the dreadful stimulus.8,9 The keeping conditions of the production and laboratory animals cannot totally eliminate environmental noise. The developed fearfulness depends greatly from the external stimuli of the young age. The raising in a complex environment did decrease the degree of fearfulness in poultry,10 mice,11 and in pig.12 Besides the appropriate environment, the conditioning of the animals may decrease the general fearfulness. The systematic desensitization has long been used for the treatment of phobias in human.13 This technique may work in case of animals, too and not only for the pathological phobias but also for natural fears. Some chicken strains are notably sensitive to noise, in these strains some noises (like thunderstorm) may cause heavy losses due to acute panic reaction. In the present study the authors tested the effect of 20-day-long noise and music exposure on the behaviour and stress state of young meat chicks. The aim of this work was to condition young birds by using soft noises and music in order to expect a positive effect on the acoustic sensitivity for the time being and in later ages.

The effect of 21-day-long noise and music exposure on open-field (OF) behaviour and stress state of young meat chicks has been investigated. The noise decreased the final body weight of cocks by 10.56%, but the noise and music did not influence weight gain of pullets (p›0.05). Necropsy and histopathology did not reveal any stress-related changes. Immobility time and number of siting up were inconsistent. The fluctuating asymmetry in the growth of 3rd toes was significantly higher, while corticosterone level was significantly lower in the control group than is the noise- and music-treated ones (2.83±0.51 vs. 6.39±1.23 and 6.90±0.94 ng/ml). There were differences in the OF behaviour (eating, chirping, gasping), too. There is no real difference between music and noise treatment; chicks respond to music endocrinologically and ethologically the same way as they respond to noise. These results indicate, that the three-week-long noise and music exposure does not mean a substantial stress of pathoclinical signs. The noise and music conditioning decreased, but not eliminated the stress. The serum corticosterone values showed a mild stress state of noise- and music-exposed chickens, but these treatments seemed to decrease the noxious effects of loud noise challenge, establishing a state of eustress.

A total of forty, 7-week-old male rats were exposed to the 'rodentized' version (twice as fast as and one octave higher than the original) of Mozart's Sonata for Two Pianos in D major for ten minutes a day for 10 weeks. One group (10 rats) received the musical stimuli before ('B'), another during ('D') and the third before and during ('BD') the memory test, while the ten control ('C') animals were kept in silence. The animals' spatial learning and memory ability was tested in an 8-arm radial maze. Rats exposed to the music showed a significant (7.1%) improvement in task acquisition (Group BD), but it did not practically change in Group D and worsened by 10.5% in Group B. The 2-h working memory significantly improved by 12.1% (BD) while practically did not change in Groups B and D. The reference memory improved by 11.9% in Group BD, but did not change in Group B and D, compared to the Control. The performance of the groups during the 4-h working memory test did not differ significantly. During the long-term test period the spatial memory performance of the music-exposed rats did not show significant differences compared to the Control (Table 1). At the same time, most results obtained in the long-term period were better than the corresponding short-term data. In conclusion, this particular piece of music, falling within the rats' hearing range, was suitable for improving hippocampus-dependent spatial learning capacity, but only if the animals were exposed to it not only before but also during the task.

Avipoxviruses are emerging pathogens affecting over 200 bird species worldwide. Genetic characterization of avipoxviruses is performed by analysis of genomic regions encoding the 4b and DNA polymerase. Whole genome sequence data are limited to a few avipoxvirus isolates. Based on phylogenetic analysis three major genetic clades are distinguished. In this study we report a novel avipoxvirus strain causing skin lesions in domestic turkey. The virus was identified in Hungary during 2011 in a flock of turkey vaccinated against avipoxvirus infection. The genome of the isolated strain, TKPV-HU1124/2011, was uniquely short (∼188.5kbp) and was predicted to encode reduced number of proteins. Phylogenetic analysis of the genes encoding the 4b and DNA polymerase separated TKPV-HU1124/2011 from other turkey origin avipoxviruses and classified it into a new genetic clade. This study permits new insight into the genetic and genomic heterogeneity of avipoxviruses and pinpoints the importance of strain diversity in vaccine efficacy.

In the early summer of 2014, mass mortality of sichel (Pelecus cultratus) was observed in Lake Balaton, Hungary. Histological examination revealed degenerative changes within the tubular epithelium, mainly in the distal tubules and collecting ducts in the kidneys and multifocal vacuolisation in the brain stem and cerebellum. Routine molecular investigations showed the presence of the DNA of an unknown alloherpesvirus in some specimens. Subsequently, three genes of the putative herpesviral genome (DNA polymerase, terminase, and helicase) were amplified and partially sequenced. A phylogenetic tree reconstruction based on the concatenated sequence of these three conserved genes implied that the virus belongs to the genus Cyprinivirus within the family Alloherpesviridae. The sequences of the sichel herpesvirus differ markedly from those of the cypriniviruses CyHV-1, CyHV-2 and CyHV-3, putatively representing a fifth species in the genus.

Zearalenone is phenolic resorcyclic acid lactone produced by a number of Fusarium species grown on grains, predominantly on maize, in high moisture environment. Due to its oestrogenic effects, feeds contaminated with zearalenone can cause striking negative effects on reproduction primarily in pigs. The aim of the study was to test the efficiency of a feed additive developed for enzymatic decomposition of mycotoxins. A total of sixty 6-week-old conventional Dutch Landrace × Hungarian Large White F1 female pigs weaned at 30 ± 2 days of age were divided into 6 groups of 10 animals. Between 50 and 70 days of age, 4 groups of pigs (experimental) were treated with zearalenone (8 or 16 mg/pig dose) administered every other day via an oesophageal tube; pigs from the other two groups were not treated with zearalenone and served as controls. Throughout the experiment, the diet of two experimental groups and one control group was supplemented with a feed additive (named: Detoxa Plus) at a concentration of 1 kg/tonne; pigs from the other control group received neither zearalenone treatment, nor the feed additive. Pigs’ live weight, weight of ovaries and uterus, histological characteristics of the ovaries, uterus, vagina, spleen and lymph nodes, liver concentrations of zearalenone and its metabolites (α- and β-zearalenol) were studied. This study showed the preventive capacity of the feed additive against zearalenone. Positive effects included the prevention of uterine enlargement, beneficial effects on the histopathological scores of ovaries, uterus and vagina and reduced concentration of zearalenone and metabolites in the liver. This study demonstrates for the first time that due to its enzymatic activity Detoxa Plus renders zearalenone contaminated feeds less toxic.

Koi herpes virus was first described in Europe in 1998. The first outbreaks in Hungary were noted in 2012 (n = 2) and 2013 (n = 3). Most of the diseased fish showed necrotic changes and haemorrhagic patches on gills and some of them enlargement of spleen. Histopathological examination reveled hyperplasia and hypertrophy of branchial epithelium and fusion of secondary lamellae. These findings were most pronounced at the top of lamellae. Necrotic areas were also detected. Occasionally branchial epithelial cells had nuclear swelling, margination of chromatin to give a "signet ring" appearance and eosinophilic intranuclear inclusions were observed. Diagnosis of the disease was based on pathological and histopathological findings and confirmed by PCR and sequencing. The mortality rates in the Hungarian outbreaks were considerably lower (<35%) than described the literature.

An adult European eel Anguilla anguilla, showing typical signs of the so-called cauliflower disease, was subjected to pathological and molecular virological examinations. Samples taken from internal organs and the polypoid proliferative tissue from the mouth were examined by PCR for the detection of several viruses. Positive results were obtained with a nested PCR targeting the rep gene of circoviruses. Analysis of the partial rep sequence indicated the presence of a putative novel circovirus, but attempts to isolate it remained unsuccessful. The missing part of the genome was acquired by an inverse nested PCR with 2 specific primer pairs, designed from the newly determined rep sequence, followed by genome walking. The circular full genome was found to consist of 1378 nt (GenBank accession no. KC469701). Two oppositely oriented open reading frames (ORFs) were present, of which one was unambiguously identified as a circoviral rep gene. However, the predicted product of the other ORF, though it is a clear positional counterpart of the cap genes, showed no obvious homology to any known circoviral capsid proteins. A stem-loop-like element in the intergenic region between the 5' ends of the ORFs was also found. Phylogenetic calculations indicated that the novel virus belongs to the genus Circovirus in the family Circoviridae. The relative amount of the viral DNA in the organ samples was estimated by quantitative real-time PCR. The results suggested that the examined fish was caught in an active viremic state, although the role of this circovirus in the etiology of the cauliflower diseases could not be ascertained.

During the period between 2001 and 2010, the authors observed respiratory diseases relating to adenovirus infection in eight large flocks (6,500-17,000) of young turkeys. The disease occurred at 6-10 weeks of age of the birds and lasted for 2-3 weeks in the flocks. The clinical signs included malaise, anorexia, sneezing and hampered respiration (dyspnoe). The mortality attributable to the disease was around 2-5.5%. At necropsy, gross pathology findings consisted of acute mucous-fibrinous tracheitis, multifocal catarrhal pneumonia, as well as mucous-fibrinous air-sacculitis and pericardititis. By histopathology, mucous-fibrinous tracheo-bronchitis with deciliation of epithelium in the respiratory tract, accompanied by epithelial proliferation and metaplasia, and catarrhal pneumonia were revealed. In the epithelial cells of the respiratory tract, basophil and/or acidophil nuclear inclusion bodies could be observed. In samples from the affected organs, the presence of aviadenoviruses was demonstrated by PCR. The viruses were also isolated in cell culture. The detected viruses, determined as turkey adenovirus 5, differed from every previously known adenovirus but seemed to be identical with each other. The novel virus was found to be a close relative of fowl adenoviruses, but different from turkey adenovirus 1, sequenced recently. Most likely, turkey adenovirus 5 represents a novel adenovirus species. Bacteria, that can be considered as primary pathogen such as Bordetella, Riemerella, Ornithobacterium, Pasteurella, etc., or Mycoplasma were not found. By virological and serological tests (with paired serum samples), the etiological role of the Newcastle disease virus (NDV), avian influenza virus (AIV) and the turkey rhinotracheitis (TRT) virus could be excluded except one flock where also a low pathogenic H9N2 A1V strain was isolated.

Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae has a primary role in the porcine respiratory disease complex (PRDC). The objective of this study was to determine whether fumonisin mycotoxins influence the character and/or the severity of pathological processes induced in the lungs of pigs by Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae. Four groups of pigs (n = 7/group) were used, one fed 20ppm fumonisin B-1 (FB1) from 16 days of age (group F), one only infected with M. hyopneumoniae on study day 30 (group M), and a group fed FB1 and infected with M. hyopneumoniae (group MF), along with an untreated control group (group C). Computed tomography (CT) scans of infected pigs (M and MF) on study day 44 demonstrated lesions extending to the cranial and middle or in the cranial third of the caudal lobe of the lungs. The CT images obtained on study day 58 showed similar but milder lesions in 5 animals from group M, whereas lungs from 2 pigs in group MF appeared progressively worse. The evolution of average pulmonary density calculated from combined pixel frequency values, as measured by quantitative CT, was significantly influenced by the treatment and the age of the animals. The most characteristic histopathologic lesion in FB1-treated pigs was pulmonary edema, whereas the pathomorphological changes in Mycoplasma-infected pigs were consistent with catarrhal bronchointerstitial pneumonia. FB1 aggravated the progression of infection, as demonstrated by severe illness requiring euthanasia observed in 1 pig and evidence of progressive pathology in 2 pigs (group MF) between study days 44 and 58.

The authors initiated turkey and geese tagging experiments. The aim of the study was to determine whether the RFID microchips, used for individual marking, have any effect on the weight gain, some physiological parameters of turkey and geese. It can be established that the applied RFID microchip marking has no negative effect on the weight gain. Plasma concentrations of AST, gamma-GT, glucose and corticosterone did not differ from those observed in untagged birds. Histopathological examinations also support the statement that the applied individual marking method could be suitable for turkey and geese marking. With the use of such process, tracing the product from farm to table could be done even in the poultry sector, furthermore, the illegal poultry stock could be selected.

Beyond the classic, wide-spread mastitis pathogenic bacteria, some, otherwise rarely isolated pathogenic microorganisms cause accumulated bovine mastitis in Hungarian dairy herds. Prototheca zopfii alga, yeasts, corynebacteria and certain fast-growing, atypical mycobacteria are the most frequent representatives. With this survey the authors aim to highlight the impact of these uncommon pathogens which are responsible for considerable economic losses in several herds.

To explore the genetic diversity of avian hepatitis E virus strains, we characterized the near-complete genome of a strain detected in 2010 in Hungary, uncovering moderate genome sequence similarity with reference strains. Public health implications related to consumption of eggs or meat contaminated by avian hepatitis E virus, or to poultry handling, require thorough investigation.