Phaidra - University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna
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Chlamydia suis survival in dust: First insights
No full textChlamydia (C.) suis, a zoonotic intracellular bacterium, is described as a causative agent for conjunctivitis, particularly in nursery and fattening pigs. Chlamydiaceae are claimed to survive drying and to persist in dust. The objective of this study was to evaluate the viability of Chlamydia in dust sampled in a fattening pig farm with a high appearance of chlamydial-induced conjunctivitis. Dust was collected and stored at room temperature. To evaluate bacterial load and survival over time, quantitative PCR (Chlamydiaceae, C. suis) and isolation in cell culture were performed every week for up to 16 weeks. While qPCR results remained highly positive with consistent bacterial loads between 103 and 104 copy numbers/100 μL eluate over a period of 16 weeks and even after 40 weeks, it was not possible to isolate Chlamydia except for the initial sample. These results show only short-term viability of C. suis in dust. This is an important information regarding reduction of chlamydial loads in pig farms and risk for pigs and people to get infected via dust
Bestimmung von Speichelcortisolwerten von Blindenführhunden zur Ermittlung ihres Stresslevels im Vergleich zu Familienhunden sowie anderen Assistenzhundeklassen
No full textDiplomarbeit - Veterinärmedizinische Universität Wien - 2024Blindenführhunde spielen in unserer Gesellschaft eine große Rolle für Inklusion von Menschen mit Sehbeeinträchtigungen. Es existieren einige Studien, die sich mit der Eignung von Hunden für diese Aufgabe im Vorfeld beschäftigen. Jedoch gibt es im Hinblick auf das Wohlergehen der Blindenführhunde nach der Anerkennung wenig wissenschaftliche Grundlagen. Gerade weil sie in vielen unterschiedlichen Situationen konzentriert arbeiten müssen, ist es möglich, dass Blindenführhunde einer erhöhten Stressbelastung ausgesetzt sind, was dem Körper auf Dauer schaden kann. Ziel dieser Studie ist daher, die Stressbelastung im Alltag von Blindenführhunden im Vergleich zu anderen Hundegruppen (Familienhunde, Therapiebegleithunde, Diabetikerwarnhunde und Assistenzhunde für Menschen mit posttraumatischer Belastungsstörung (PTBS)) zu untersuchen. Ein guter Biomarker für die Bestimmung von akutem Stress ist das Hormon Cortisol, welches unter anderem in Speichelproben nachgewiesen werden kann und sich bereits in Studien mit Hunden als verlässlicher Parameter zeigte. Proben von neun in Österreich anerkannten Blindenführhunden wurden über einen Zeitraum von sieben Tagen dreimal täglich entnommen, um mögliche Schwankungen zu detektieren. Stressereignisse wurden während des Entnahmezeitraumes dokumentiert. Es zeigte sich, dass weder Entnahmezeitpunkt noch der Entnahmetag einen Einfluss auf die Cortisolkonzentrationen hatten. Im Vergleich zu Daten aus früheren Studien zeigten die Blindenführhunde tendenziell niedrigere Cortisolwerte als Familienhunde, Therapiebegleithunde und Diabetikerwarnhunde. Die Cortisolwerte der PTBS-Assistenzhunde liegen im Bereich der Testgruppe. Beide Assistenzhundeklassen sind in permanenter nonverbaler Kommunikation mit ihren Hundeführer:innen. Um den Herausforderungen im Alltag gewachsen zu sein, ist mitunter eine besondere Resilienz und Ausgeglichenheit von Nöten, was sich auch in einem niedrigeren Cortisolspiegel zeigen kann. Qualitative Betrachtungen in dieser Studie haben zudem gezeigt, dass Blindenführhunde durchaus mit einem Cortisolanstieg auf dezidierte Stressstimuli reagieren. Generell legen die Ergebnisse dieser Untersuchung nahe, dass die momentanen Auswahlkriterien für potenzielle Blindenführhunde und die anschließende Ausbildung adäquat sind, sodass keine erhöhte Stressbelastung im Alltag entsteht. Für eine statistische Vergleichbarkeit der Hundegruppen ist sowohl eine größere Stichprobe als auch eine maximale Standarisierung im Versuchsdesign und der Vergleichsgruppen erforderlich.Diplomarbeit - Veterinärmedizinische Universität Wien - 2024Blindenführhunde spielen in unserer Gesellschaft eine große Rolle für Inklusion von Menschen mit Sehbeeinträchtigungen. Es existieren einige Studien, die sich mit der Eignung von Hunden für diese Aufgabe im Vorfeld beschäftigen. Jedoch gibt es im Hinblick auf das Wohlergehen der Blindenführhunde nach der Anerkennung wenig wissenschaftliche Grundlagen. Gerade weil sie in vielen unterschiedlichen Situationen konzentriert arbeiten müssen, ist es möglich, dass Blindenführhunde einer erhöhten Stressbelastung ausgesetzt sind, was dem Körper auf Dauer schaden kann. Ziel dieser Studie ist daher, die Stressbelastung im Alltag von Blindenführhunden im Vergleich zu anderen Hundegruppen (Familienhunde, Therapiebegleithunde, Diabetikerwarnhunde und Assistenzhunde für Menschen mit posttraumatischer Belastungsstörung (PTBS)) zu untersuchen. Ein guter Biomarker für die Bestimmung von akutem Stress ist das Hormon Cortisol, welches unter anderem in Speichelproben nachgewiesen werden kann und sich bereits in Studien mit Hunden als verlässlicher Parameter zeigte. Proben von neun in Österreich anerkannten Blindenführhunden wurden über einen Zeitraum von sieben Tagen dreimal täglich entnommen, um mögliche Schwankungen zu detektieren. Stressereignisse wurden während des Entnahmezeitraumes dokumentiert. Es zeigte sich, dass weder Entnahmezeitpunkt noch der Entnahmetag einen Einfluss auf die Cortisolkonzentrationen hatten. Im Vergleich zu Daten aus früheren Studien zeigten die Blindenführhunde tendenziell niedrigere Cortisolwerte als Familienhunde, Therapiebegleithunde und Diabetikerwarnhunde. Die Cortisolwerte der PTBS-Assistenzhunde liegen im Bereich der Testgruppe. Beide Assistenzhundeklassen sind in permanenter nonverbaler Kommunikation mit ihren Hundeführer:innen. Um den Herausforderungen im Alltag gewachsen zu sein, ist mitunter eine besondere Resilienz und Ausgeglichenheit von Nöten, was sich auch in einem niedrigeren Cortisolspiegel zeigen kann. Qualitative Betrachtungen in dieser Studie haben zudem gezeigt, dass Blindenführhunde durchaus mit einem Cortisolanstieg auf dezidierte Stressstimuli reagieren. Generell legen die Ergebnisse dieser Untersuchung nahe, dass die momentanen Auswahlkriterien für potenzielle Blindenführhunde und die anschließende Ausbildung adäquat sind, sodass keine erhöhte Stressbelastung im Alltag entsteht. Für eine statistische Vergleichbarkeit der Hundegruppen ist sowohl eine größere Stichprobe als auch eine maximale Standarisierung im Versuchsdesign und der Vergleichsgruppen erforderlich.Guide dogs play a significant role in promoting inclusion and integration for individuals with visual impairments. While numerous studies have assessed the suitability of dogs for this role, there is a lack of scientific research focusing on the welfare of guide dogs post-certification. Given the diverse and often demanding situations these dogs encounter, they may experience elevated stress levels, potentially leading to long-term physiological damage. This study aims to evaluate the everyday stress levels of guide dogs compared to other dog groups (family pets, therapy dogs, diabetic alert dogs, and PTSD assistance dogs). Cortisol, a hormone measurable in saliva, serves as a reliable biomarker for acute stress in dogs, as established by previous research. Saliva samples from nine certified guide dogs were collected three times daily over a seven-day period to detect potential fluctuations. Special stress-inducing events were documented throughout the sampling period. The findings indicate that neither the time of day nor the specific day of sampling significantly affected cortisol concentrations. Compared to data from previous studies, guide dogs exhibited lower cortisol levels than family pets, therapy dogs, and diabetic alert dogs. The cortisol levels of PTSD assistance dogs were comparable to those of the guide dogs. Both guide dogs and PTSD assistance dogs share a close partnership with their handlers, involving constant non-verbal communication. This unique relationship may foster resilience and emotional stability, reflected in lower cortisol levels. Qualitative analyses also revealed that guide dogs respond to specific stress stimuli with a rise in cortisol. Due to the significant individual variability in basal cortisol levels, examining relative cortisol responses presents a promising avenue for future research to better evaluate stress in assistance dogs. Overall, the results of this study suggest that the current selection criteria and training processes for prospective guide dogs are adequate, ensuring that they do not experience increased stress levels in their daily lives. For statistical comparability of the dog groups, both a larger sample size and maximum standardization in the experimental design and comparison groups are required
Inzidenzen von Klauenläsionen in österreichischen Milchkuhherden in Abhängigkeit von Laktationszahl, Laktationsmonat, Aufstallungsform und Rasse
No full textClaw health of Austrian dairy herds was evaluated using data collected in the project \u27Klauen- Q-Wohl\u27 from 28,638 cattle in 526 dairy farms. We calculated the incidence of claw lesions and examined the relationships between cumulative incidence of claw lesions and lactation number, lactation month, housing type and breed. Claw health data were electronically documented by hoof trimmers from 2010 to 2019. Data were subjected to validity checks and hoof trimmers underwent inter-observer reliability testing. During the observation period of ten years, only 12.4 % of cows were hoof-trimmed at approximately and after 305 days, 28.3 % during their first 100 DIM and 59.3 % be- tween their 101 and 305 DIM. The mean incidences during the ten-year-observation peri- od were 59.2 % for heel horn erosion, 42.6 % for white- line-lesions, 29.6 % for digital dermatitis (DD), 14.2 % for ulcers at all claw locations and 29.5 % for claw lesions that are always associated with pain and lame- ness (\u27alarm\u27 lesions). Herd prevalence of DD in 2019 was 48.9 %. Cows in higher lactations had significantly higher incidences of concave dorsal walls, sole haemorrhages, sole ulcers, white-line-lesions and heel horn erosion, while heifers, cows in their first two lactations and cows around parturition showed significantly high- er incidences of DD and interdigital phlegmon (foot rot). The mean incidence of all claw lesions was significantly (p<0.05) higher in cows kept in loose housing systems (85.3 %) than in cows kept in tie stalls (79.6 %). Fleckvieh cows had the highest overall incidence of all claw lesions of 89.5 %, followed by Holstein Friesian cows with 87.4 % and Brown Swiss cows with 72.1 %. \u27Alarm\u27 lesions (44.3 %) and DD (42.1 %) were most frequent in Holstein Friesian cows. To reduce the incidence of claw lesions, hoof trimming at dry-off and again around 40–60 DIM could be implemented, with significant benefits to claw health.Ziel dieser Studie war die Aus-wertung von Klauenläsionen österreichischer Milchviehherden aus dem Projekt \u27Klauen-Q-Wohl\u27 mit Berechnung der Inzidenzen von Klauenläsionen sowie die Überprüfung auf statistische Zusammen-hänge zwischen den Inzidenzen der Klauenläsionen und Laktationszahl, Laktationsmonat, Haltungsform und Rasse. Die Klauenbefunde waren in den Jahren 2010–2019 von Klauen-pflegern elektronisch dokumentiert worden. Die Daten waren einer Validitätsprüfung und die Klauen-pfleger einem Interobserver-Reliability-Test unterzogen worden. Für die statistischen Analysen wurden die Daten von 28.638 Rindern aus 526 Milchviehbetrieben ausgewertet. Im Beobachtungszeitraum von zehn Jahren wurden um und nach den 305. Laktationstag nur 12,4 % der Kühe, in den ersten 100 Laktationstagen 28,3 % und zwischen dem 101. und 305. Laktationstag 59,3 % der Kühe klauengepflegt. Die mittleren Inzidenzen in diesem 10-Jahres-Zeitraum betrugen bei Ballenhornfäule 59,2 %, bei Weiße- Linie-Defekten 42,6 %, bei Derma-titis digitalis (DD) 29,5 %, bei Ge-schwüren an allen Klauenlokalisationen 14,2 % und bei Alarmerkrankungen insgesamt 29,5 %. Alarm-erkrankungen sind Klauenläsionen, welche immer mit Schmerzen und daher mit Lahmheit einhergehen. Die DD-Herdenprävalenz lag im Jahr 2019 bei 48,9 %. Kühe in höheren Laktationen wiesen signifikant höhere Inzidenzen an konkaven Vorderwänden, Sohlenblutungen, Sohlengeschwüren, Weiße-Linie-Erkrankungen und Ballenhornfäule auf. Kalbinnen (Färsen) und Kühe in den beiden ersten Laktationen sowie Kühe um die Geburt zeigten signifi¬kant häufiger DD und Zwischenklauenphlegmone. Die mittlere Inzidenz aller Klauenläsionen war bei Kühen aus Laufställen mit 85,3 % signifikant (p<0,05) höher als bei Kühen in Anbindehaltung mit 79,6 %. Fleckvieh- Kühe hatten dabei mit 89,5 % die höchste Inzidenz, ge¬folgt von Holstein-Friesian-Kühen mit 87,4 % und Brown Swiss-Kühen mit 72,1 %. Im Vergleich zu den beiden anderen Rassen wurden bei Holstein-Friesian-Kühen am häufigsten Alarmerkrankungen (44,3 %) und DD (42,1 %) dokumentiert. Die regelmäßige Klauenpflege der Kühe beim Trockenstellen und zwischen dem 40.–60. Laktationstag könnte kurzfristig umgesetzt werden, wodurch die Inzidenz von schmerzhaften Klauenerkrankungen reduziert und positive Auswirkungen auf die Klauengesundheit erzielt werden könnten.Claw health of Austrian dairy herds was evaluated using data collected in the project \u27Klauen- Q-Wohl\u27 from 28,638 cattle in 526 dairy farms. We calculated the incidence of claw lesions and examined the relationships between cumulative incidence of claw lesions and lactation number, lactation month, housing type and breed. Claw health data were electronically documented by hoof trimmers from 2010 to 2019. Data were subjected to validity checks and hoof trimmers underwent inter-observer reliability testing. During the observation period of ten years, only 12.4 % of cows were hoof-trimmed at approximately and after 305 days, 28.3 % during their first 100 DIM and 59.3 % be- tween their 101 and 305 DIM. The mean incidences during the ten-year-observation peri- od were 59.2 % for heel horn erosion, 42.6 % for white- line-lesions, 29.6 % for digital dermatitis (DD), 14.2 % for ulcers at all claw locations and 29.5 % for claw lesions that are always associated with pain and lame- ness (\u27alarm\u27 lesions). Herd prevalence of DD in 2019 was 48.9 %. Cows in higher lactations had significantly higher incidences of concave dorsal walls, sole haemorrhages, sole ulcers, white-line-lesions and heel horn erosion, while heifers, cows in their first two lactations and cows around parturition showed significantly high- er incidences of DD and interdigital phlegmon (foot rot). The mean incidence of all claw lesions was significantly (p<0.05) higher in cows kept in loose housing systems (85.3 %) than in cows kept in tie stalls (79.6 %). Fleckvieh cows had the highest overall incidence of all claw lesions of 89.5 %, followed by Holstein Friesian cows with 87.4 % and Brown Swiss cows with 72.1 %. \u27Alarm\u27 lesions (44.3 %) and DD (42.1 %) were most frequent in Holstein Friesian cows. To reduce the incidence of claw lesions, hoof trimming at dry-off and again around 40–60 DIM could be implemented, with significant benefits to claw health
StadtWildTiere - added value and impact of transnational urban wildlife community science projects
No full textWe present and exemplify the potential of the long-term community science (= citizen science) project StadtWildTiere (German for \u27urban wildlife\u27) in a transnational context. StadtWildTiere gathers opportunistic sightings of urban wildlife to raise awareness of, increase knowledge of, and promote biodiversity in urban areas across Central Europe. Transnationally similar methodologies enable direct comparisons concerning occurrence, distribution, and trends of urban wildlife populations and allow for new insights into and potential conservation and management measures of these otherwise unmonitored wildlife populations. We advocate the use and promotion for such community-based science projects, which align with the guiding principles of awareness, knowledge, and action. Such projects should whenever possible connect with similar initiatives in other countries to benefit from comparisons and get a strong impact on a transnational level
The mechanics of male courtship display behaviour in the Ptiloris riflebirds (Aves: Paradisaeidae)
No full textSexual selection through female choice has driven the evolution of some of the most elaborate signalling behaviours in animals. These displays often require specialized morphological adaptations and may incorporate signals in multiple sensory modalities. Visual and acoustic signals are often precisely choreographed in temporally structured courtship performances, though the precise mechanics of such signalling behaviours are often enigmatic. We find that riflebirds (genus Ptiloris)-a bird of paradise clade-achieve their remarkable display postures by hyperextending the wrist joint, vastly exceeding the maximal wrist extension capabilities of any other known bird. Using video collected in the field, we then show that this hypermobility is required for a sonation unique to riflebirds, and find that the yellow interior of the mouth is displayed in the dynamic phase of display. As this sonation cannot be produced when the mouth is exposed, it represents a mechanical constraint to signal design. Finally, we used a large morphometric dataset to describe patterns of sexual dimorphism in wing length across diverse bird of paradise species, and find evidence of sexual selection for large and structurally modified wings used in riflebird displays. Our study highlights nuanced choreographic differences in the display behaviours of different riflebird species, and sheds light on the intricate design features of sexual signals in this fascinating taxon
A Comparison of Bottom-Up Proteomic Sample Preparation Methods for the Human Parasite Trichomonas vaginalis
No full textBottom-up proteomic approaches depend on the efficient digestion of proteins into peptides for mass spectrometric analysis. Sample preparation strategies, based on magnetic beads, filter-aided systems, or in-solution digests, are commonly used for proteomic analysis. Time-intensive methods like filter-aided sample preparation (FASP) have led to the development of new, more time-efficient filter-based strategies like suspension trappings (S-Traps) or magnetic bead-based strategies like SP3. S-Traps have been reported as an alternative proteomic sample preparation method as they allow for high sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) concentrations to be present in the sample. In this study, we compare the efficiency of different protocols for FASP, SP3, and S-Trap-based digestion of proteins after extraction from Trichomonas vaginalis. Overall, we found a high number of protein IDs for all tested methods and a high degree of reproducibility within each method type. However, FASP with a 3 kDa cutoff filter unit outperformed the other methods analyzed, referring to the number of protein IDs. This is the first work providing the direct comparison of four different bottom-up proteomic approaches regarding the most efficient proteomic sample preparation protocol for the human parasite T. vaginalis
Water-borne testosterone levels predict exploratory tendency in male poison frogs.
No full textHormones play a fundamental role in mediating social behaviors of animals. However, it is less well understood to what extent behavioral variation between individuals can be attributed to variation in underlying hormonal profiles. The goal of the present study was to infer if individual androgen levels, and/or the modulation thereof, can explain among-individual variation in aggressiveness, boldness and exploration. We used as a model the dart-poison frog Allobates femoralis and took repeated non-invasive water-borne hormonal samples of individual males before (baseline) and after (experimental) a series of behavioral tests for assessing aggression, boldness, and exploratory tendency. Our results show that androgen levels in A. femoralis are quite stable across the reproductive season. Repeatability in wbT baseline levels was high, while time of day, age of the frog, and trial order did not show any significant impact on measured wbT levels. In general, experimental wbT levels after behavioral tests were lower compared to the respective baseline levels. However, we identified two different patterns with regard to androgen modulation in response to behavioral testing: individuals with low baseline wbT tended to have increased wbT levels after the behavioral testing, while individuals with comparatively high baseline wbT levels rather showed a decrease in hormonal levels after testing. Our results also suggest that baseline wbT levels are linked to the personality trait exploration, and that androgen modulation is linked to boldness in A. femoralis males. These results show that differences in hormonal profiles and/or hormonal modulation in response to social challenges can indeed explain among-individual differences in behavioral traits
Structural comparison of typical and atypical E2 pestivirus glycoproteins
No full textPestiviruses, within the family Flaviviridae, are economically important viruses of livestock. In recent years, new pestiviruses have been reported in domestic animals and non-cloven-hoofed animals. Among them, atypical porcine pestivirus (APPV) and Norway rat pestivirus (NRPV) have relatively little sequence conservation in their surface glycoprotein E2. Despite E2 being the main target for neutralizing antibodies and necessary for cell attachment and viral fusion, the mechanism of viral entry remains elusive. To gain further insights into the pestivirus E2 mechanism of action and to assess its diversity within the genus, we report X-ray structures of the pestivirus E2 proteins from APPV and NRPV. Despite the highly divergent structures, both are able to dimerize through their C-terminal domain and contain a solvent-exposed β-hairpin reported to be involved in host receptor binding. Functional analysis of this β-hairpin in the context of BVDV revealed its ability to rescue viral infectivity
Bacterial diversity in semen from stallions in three European countries evaluated by 16S sequencing
No full textThe microbiome plays a significant role in shaping the health and functioning of the systems it inhabits. The seminal microbiome of stallions has implications for the health of the reproductive tract, sperm quality during preservation and antibiotic use in semen extenders. Diverse bacteria are present on the external genital tract and a mix of commensal microorganisms populates various parts of the reproductive tract, influencing the seminal bacterial content. Other sources of bacteria include the environment, semen collection equipment, and personnel. The bacterial load can adversely affect sperm quality and fertility, particularly in artificial insemination, where semen is extended and stored before use. Antibiotics are frequently used to inhibit bacterial growth, but their effectiveness varies depending on the bacterial strains present. The aim of this study was to assess the bacterial diversity in semen from 37 healthy stallions across three European nations (Germany, Portugal, and Sweden) using 16S sequencing. Semen samples were collected from individual stallions at three AI centers; DNA extraction, sequencing, and bioinformatic analysis were performed. Differences in bacterial diversity among the stallions were seen; although bacterial phyla were shared across the regions, differences were observed at the genus level. Climate, husbandry practices, and individual variability likely contribute to these differences. These findings underscore the importance of tailoring antibiotic strategies for semen preservation based on regional bacterial profiles. The study presents a comprehensive approach to understanding the intricacies of the stallion seminal microbiome and its potential implications for reproductive technologies and animal health
Colostrum as a source of ESBL-Escherichia coli in feces of newborn calves
No full textThe aim of the present study was to determine if colostrum and the equipment for harvesting and feeding colostrum are sources of fecal ESBL/AmpC-producing Escherichia coli (ESBL/AmpC-E. coli) in calves. Therefore, 15 male calves fed with pooled colostrum on a dairy farm and held individually in an experimental barn, the colostrum pool and the equipment for harvesting and feeding colostrum were sampled and analyzed for the occurrence of ESBL/AmpC-E. coli. The ESBL-AmpC-E. coli suspicious isolates were subjected to whole-genome sequence analysis. Forty-three of 45 fecal samples were tested positive for ESBL/AmpC-E. coli. In the colostrum sample and in the milking pot, we also found ESBL/AmpC-E. coli. All 45 E. coli isolates were ESBL-producers, mainly commensal sequence type (ST) 10, but also human-extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli ST131 and ST117 were found. The clonal identity of six fecal isolates with the ESBL-E. coli isolate from the colostrum and of five fecal isolates with the strain from the milking pot demonstrates that the hygiene of colostrum or the colostrum equipment can play a significant role in the spread of ESBL-E. coli. Effective sanitation procedures for colostrum harvesting and feeding equipment are crucial to reduce the ESBL-E. coli shedding of neonatal dairy calves