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First isolation and genotyping of pathogenic Leptospira spp. from Austria
No full textLeptospirosis is a globally distributed zoonotic disease. The standard serological test, known as Microscopic Agglutination Test (MAT), requires the use of live Leptospira strains. To enhance its sensitivity and specificity, the usage of locally circulating strains is recommended. However, to date, no local strain is available from Austria. This study aimed to isolate circulating Leptospira strains from cattle in Austria to enhance the performances of the routine serological test for both humans and animals. We used a statistical approach combined with a comprehensive literature search to profile cattle with greater risk of leptospirosis infection and implemented a targeted sampling between November 2021 and October 2022. Urine and/or kidney tissue were sampled from 410 cattle considered at higher risk of infection. Samples were inoculated into EMJH-STAFF culture media within 2-6 h and a real-time PCR targeting the lipL32 gene was used to confirm the presence/absence of pathogenic Leptospira in each sample. Isolates were further characterised by core genome multilocus sequence typing (cgMLST). Nine out of 429 samples tested positive by PCR, from which three isolates were successfully cultured and identified as Leptospira borgpetersenii serogroup Sejroe serovar Hardjobovis, cgMLST cluster 40. This is the first report on the isolation and genotyping of local zoonotic Leptospira in Austria, which holds the potential for a significant improvement in diagnostic performance in the country. Although the local strain was identified as a cattle-adapted serovar, it possesses significant zoonotic implications. Furthermore, this study contributes to a better understanding of the epidemiology of leptospirosis in Europe
Mission impossible accomplished? A European cross-national comparative study on the integration of the harm-benefit analysis into law and policy documents
No full textThe harm-benefit analysis (HBA) is a cornerstone of the European Directive 2010/63/EU (the Directive). The Directive regulates the care and handling of animals used for scientific purposes in the European Union (EU). Since its implementation, there has been ongoing debate around the practical applicability of the HBA for research project review processes. The objectives of this study are to analyze the operationalization of HBA in EU member states and investigate the consistency of HBA\u27s implementation in terms of national legislation and available policy documents. To meet these objectives, we evaluated the transposition of the HBA requirement into national legislation. We also conducted a comprehensive comparative cross-national analysis of all guidance documents pertinent to HBA. The results of our study show that there are (1) deficits in the transposition of the HBA requirement into national laws, (2) significant discrepancies in available policy documents relating to HBA, and (3) insufficiently consistent implementations of HBA in European countries
Diversity of selected toll-like receptor genes in cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) and African leopards (Panthera pardus pardus)
No full textThe anthropogenic impact on wildlife is ever increasing. With shrinking habitats, wild populations are being pushed to co-exist in proximity to humans leading to an increased threat of infectious diseases. Therefore, understanding the immune system of a species is key to assess its resilience in a changing environment. The innate immune system (IIS) is the body\u27s first line of defense against pathogens. High variability in IIS genes, like toll-like receptor (TLR) genes, appears to be associated with resistance to infectious diseases. However, few studies have investigated diversity in TLR genes in vulnerable species for conservation. Large predators are threatened globally including leopards and cheetahs, both listed as \u27vulnerable\u27 by IUCN. To examine IIS diversity in these sympatric species, we used next-generation-sequencing to compare selected TLR genes in African leopards and cheetahs. Despite differences, both species show some TLR haplotype similarity. Historic cheetahs from all subspecies exhibit greater genetic diversity than modern Southern African cheetahs. The diversity in investigated TLR genes is lower in modern Southern African cheetahs than in African leopards. Compared to historic cheetah data and other subspecies, a more recent population decline might explain the observed genetic impoverishment of TLR genes in modern Southern African cheetahs. However, this may not yet impact the health of this cheetah subspecies
Annual report 2023 / University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna
No full textThe Annual Report gives an overview of academic life at the university, summarising the latest news in research, teaching and the university clinics. This report is available in german and english
Preguntas de opción múltiple versus preguntas de respuestamuy breve en la evaluación de estudiantes de patologíaveterinaria
No full textBackground: Well-developed assessment methods have a positive impact on students\u27 performance, and higher education institutes are usually encouraged to establish and use effective assessment methods that effectively enhance the learning process. Objectives: This study was designed to compare students\u27 performance in multiple choice questions (MCQs) including best single answer (BSA) and multiple true and false (MTF) types, and very short answer (VSA) questions, and to evaluate gender differences and feedback from students and faculty.
Materials and methods: A test containing three different types of questions, BSA, MTF and VSA questions (10 each), was delivered to eight groups of veterinary pathology students (3rd level, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt) in April 2022. Students\u27 performance, test reliability and gender differences as well as feedback from students and faculty were evaluated.
Results: Students did a significant higher performance in BSA and MTF questions compared to VSA questions. The reliability of BSA, MTF and VSA questions between different groups of students were 0.53, 0.52 and 0.13, respectively. Female students achieved a higher performance in the whole test compared to male students. Both male and female students showed nearly similar performance in BSA and MTF questions. However, female students got significant higher score in VSA questions compared to male students. Students\u27 and faculty opinions were in favor of BSA and MTF questions.
Conclusion: Students did much better in MCQs than VSA questions. BSA and MTF questions are preferentially favored by students and faculty
A randomized controlled trial to study the effect of supplemental premilking stimulation on milking performance, teat tissue condition, udder health, and well-being in dairy cows
No full textThe objectives of this study were to evaluate the effect of supplemental premilking stimulation, provided after manual stimulation, by means of high-frequency pulsation without reduction of the vacuum in the pulsation chamber on milking performance, teat tissue condition, udder health, and well-being in dairy cows. In a randomized controlled trial, Holstein cows (n = 491) from 1 commercial dairy farm with a thrice-daily milking schedule were assigned to treatment and control groups over a 64-d period. Treatments consisted of a maximum of 20 s of pulsation stimulation at a pulsation rate of 100 (SPS100) or 300 (SPS300) cycles per minute and a pulsation ratio of 25:75. The treatments were applied after completion of manual premilking stimulation upon milking unit attachment. Cows in the control group (CON) received only traditional premilking stimulation by manual forestripping and wiping for 6 s. Milking characteristics were measured with on-farm milk flow meters. Milking machine-induced short-term (swelling at teat base, firmness at teat end, and teat discoloration) and long-term (teat-end callosity) changes to the teat tissue were assessed manually and visually. Composite milk samples were analyzed for SCC. Cow hind-leg activity was assessed with 3-dimensional accelerometers. Fecal 11,17-dioxoandrostanes (11,17-DOA; a group of cortisol metabolites) were determined on wk 4 and 8 to assess the well-being of the cows. Generalized linear mixed models were used to study the effect of treatments on the outcome variables milk yield per milking and milking unit-on time. We observed no meaningful differences among groups for milk yield or milking unit-on time. Least squares means and their 95% CI for cows in the SPS100, SPS300, and CON groups were 13.9 (13.3-14.5), 14.0 (13.4-14.6), and 13.9 (13.3-14.6) kg for milk yield and 218 (212-224), 218 (211-224), and 218 (212-224) s for milking unit-on time, respectively. Compared with cows in the CON group, the odds (95% CI) of short-term changes were 1.30 (0.95-1.78) for the SPS100 group and 1.50 (1.10-2.05) for the SPS300 group. The odds of long-term changes were 0.94 (0.67-1.34) for cows in the SPS100 group and 0.71 (0.49-1.04) for cows in the SPS300 group. We observed no differences in SCC. In reference to the CON group, the hazard ratio (95% CI) in SPS100 and SPS300, respectively, were 0.35 (0.13-0.98) and 1.22 (0.57-2.64) for clinical mastitis, and 0.34 (0.12-0.95) and 1.28 (0.60-2.73) for culling. The LSM (95% CI) of hind-leg activity during milking were 8.3 (6.5-10.5), 10.6 (8.1-13.7), and 9.1 (7.2-11.6) movements per milking for the SPS100, SPS300, and CON groups, respectively. The LSM (95% CI) of fecal 11,17-DOA concentration (ng/g) at the first and second test days, respectively, were 31.1 (28.1-34.2) and 22.3 (19.2-25.4) for the SPS100 group, 26.4 (23.4-29.4) and 25.2 (22.0-28.4) for the SPS300 group, and 24.8 (21.8-27.9) and 25.0 (21.7-28.3) for the CON group. We conclude that applying supplemental stimulation after manual stimulation through the high-frequency pulsation system tested here did not impart additional benefits to the milk harvesting process, teat tissue condition, somatic cell count, or the well-being of the animals
The adsorption of drugs on nanoplastics has severe biological impact
No full textMicro- and nanoplastics can interact with various biologically active compounds forming aggregates of which the effects have yet to be understood. To this end, it is vital to characterize these aggregates of key compounds and micro- and nanoplastics. In this study, we examined the adsorption of the antibiotic tetracycline on four different nanoplastics, made of polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), and nylon 6,6 (N66) through chemical computation. Two separate approaches were employed to generate relevant conformations of the tetracycline-plastic complexes. In the first approach, we folded the plastic particle from individual polymer chains in the presence of the drug through multiple separate simulated annealing setups. In the second, more biased, approach, the neat plastic was pre-folded through simulated annealing, and the drug was placed at its surface in multiple orientations. The former approach was clearly superior to the other, obtaining lower energy conformations even with the antibiotic buried inside the plastic particle. Quantum chemical calculations on the structures revealed that the adsorption energies show a trend of decreasing affinity to the drug in the order of N66> PS> PP> PE. In vitro experiments on tetracycline-sensitive cell lines demonstrated that, in qualitative agreement with the calculations, the biological activity of tetracycline drops significantly in the presence of PS particles. Preliminary molecular dynamics simulations on two selected aggregates with each plastic served as first stability test of the aggregates under influence of temperature and in water. We found that all the selected cases persisted in water indicating that the aggregates may be stable also in more realistic environments. In summary, our data show that the interaction of micro- and nanoplastics with drugs can alter drug absorption, facilitate drug transport to new locations, and increase local antibiotic concentrations, potentially attenuating antibiotic effect and at the same time promoting antibiotic resistance
Vetmed : das Magazin der Veterinärmedizinischen Universität Wien und der Gesellschaft der Freunde der Veterinärmedizinischen Universität Wien 3/2024
No full textDas Universitätsmagazin berichtet über die vielfältigen Aktivitäten der Universität in Forschung, Studium und Universitätskliniken, informiert über Tiergesundheit, Tierhaltung und Tierschutz sowie Lebensmittelsicherheit und beschäftigt sich mit Fragen der Mensch-Tier-Beziehung.Schwerpunkt dieser Ausgabe: Third Mission - Den Dialog mit der Gesellschaft stärke
Home range and habitat selection of wolves recolonising central European human-dominated landscapes
No full textDecades of persecution has resulted in the long-term absence of grey wolves Canis lupus from most European countries. However, recent changes in both legislation and public attitudes toward wolves has eased the pressure, allowing wolves to rapidly re-establish territories in their previous central European habitats over the last 20 years. Unfortunately, these habitats are now heavily altered by humans. Understanding the spatial ecology of wolves in such highly modified environments is crucial, given the high potential for conflict and the need to reconcile their return with multiple human concerns. We equipped 20 wolves, originating from seven packs in six central European regions, with GPS collars, allowing us to calculate monthly average home range sizes for 14 of the animals of 213.3 km2 using autocorrelated kernel density estimation. We then used ESA WorldCover data to assess the mosaic of available habitats used within each home range. Our data confirmed a general seasonal pattern for breeding individuals, with smaller apparent home ranges during the reproduction phase, and no specific pattern for non-breeders. Predictably, our wolves showed a general preference for remote areas, and especially forests, though some wolves within military training areas also showed a broader preference for grassland, possibly influenced by local land use and high availability of prey. Our results provide a comprehensive insight into the ecology of wolves during their re-colonisation of central Europe. Though wolves are spreading relatively quickly across central European landscapes, their permanent reoccupation remains uncertain due to conflicts with the human population. To secure the restoration of European wolf populations, further robust biological data, including data on spatial ecology, will be needed to clearly identify any management implications
First Investigation of a Eustachian Tube Stent in Experimentally Induced Eustachian Tube Dysfunction
No full textUnmet needs in the treatment of chronic otitis media and Eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD) triggered the development of stents for the Eustachian tube (ET). In this study, for the first time, stents were placed in an artificially blocked ET to evaluate stent function. Eight adult female sheep were injected with stabilized hyaluronic acid (HA) on both sides to induce ETD. Subsequently, a tapered nitinol ET stent was inserted on one side, and animals were examined bilaterally by endoscopy, tympanometry, cone beam computed tomography, and final histology. Seven of the stents were placed in the desired cartilaginous portion of the ET. At the end of the study, one stented side appeared slightly open; all other ET orifices were closed. Tympanometry revealed re-ventilation of the middle ear in four out of seven correctly stented animals within 3 to 6 weeks after stent insertion. The major amount of HA was found at the pharyngeal orifice of the ET anterior to the stent. Thus, the stent position did not completely align with the HA position. While a functional analysis will require refinement of the experimental setup, this study provides first promising results for stent insertion in a sheep model of ETD