Impact of residual antibiotics on microbial decomposition of livestock manures in Eutric Regosol: Implications for sustainable nutrient recycling and soil carbon sequestration.

The land application of livestock manure has been widely acknowledged as a beneficial approach for nutrient recycling and environmental protection. However, the impact of residual antibiotics, a common contaminant of manure, on the degradation of organic compounds and nutrient release in Eutric Regosol is not well understood. Here, we studied, how oxytetracycline (OTC) and ciprofloxacin (CIP) affect the decomposition, microbial community structure, extracellular enzyme activities and nutrient release from cattle and pig manure using litterbag incubation experiments. Results showed that OTC and CIP greatly inhibited livestock manure decomposition, causing a decreased rate of carbon (28%-87%), nitrogen (15%-44%) and phosphorus (26%-43%) release. The relative abundance of gram-negative (G-) bacteria was reduced by 4.0%-13% while fungi increased by 7.0%-71% during a 28-day incubation period. Co-occurrence network analysis showed that antibiotic exposure disrupted microbial interactions, particularly among G- bacteria, G+ bacteria, and actinomycetes. These changes in microbial community structure and function resulted in decreased activity of urease, ß-1,4-N-acetyl-glucosaminidase, alkaline protease, chitinase, and catalase, causing reduced decomposition and nutrient release in cattle and pig manures. These findings advance our understanding of decomposition and nutrient recycling from manure-contaminated antibiotics, which will help facilitate sustainable agricultural production and soil carbon sequestration.

Overcoming China's animal waste disposal challenge brought by elevated levels of veterinary antimicrobial residues and antimicrobial resistance.

Direct application of animal waste on farmlands was banned in China recently, rendering organic fertilizer production a sound solution for disposing of animal manures and recycling their materials and nutrients. Due to the overuse of antimicrobials in livestock and poultry farms, manure-based organic fertilizers often contain elevated residues of antimicrobials and abundant antimicrobial resistance genes. Land application of such products has caused significant concerns on the environmental pollution of antimicrobials, and the transmission and development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which is a major global health challenge. China's recent attempt to restrict the contents of antimicrobial residues in organic fertilizers encountered strong resistance from the industry as it would hinder the utilization of animal manures as a raw material. Reducing and even eliminating the use of antimicrobials in animal farms is the ultimate solution to the challenge of manure disposal posed by the elevated levels of antimicrobial residues and AMR. Phasing out the non-therapeutic use of antimicrobials, developing substitutes of antimicrobials, enhancing animal welfare in farms, promoting diversification of animal farms, and developing antimicrobial removal and disinfection technologies for animal waste are recommended to improve the veterinary antimicrobial stewardship and manure management in China's animal agriculture. These concerted measures would enhance the sustainability of crop and animal farming systems in China and mitigate the impact of antimicrobials and AMR to agro-environmental quality and human health.

Transparency and adaptability aid in realigning the complexity of objectives, approaches, and systems in human-wildlife coexistence research.

Human-wildlife interactions are situated within dynamic systems, characterized by social and ecological complexity. Human-wildlife coexistence research, however, typically focuses on one component of these systems in isolation. We inadvertently followed this norm while carrying out semi-structured interviews of livestock-owners in Northern Tanzania. As existing literature highlighted that this area was a hotspot for livestock depredation, our research questions focused on human interactions with carnivores. Interestingly, almost three quarters (72%, n = 72 of 100) of study participants independently raised African elephants (Loxodonta africana) as presenting the greatest impediments to coexistence. By centering our interviews on carnivores, we omitted vital components of this complex system. To counteract the effects of this oversimplification, we changed our intended analytical process after data collection. Instead of conducting a quantitative analysis of rates of livestock depredation and perceptions of risk posed by a suite of sympatric carnivores, we applied a grounded theory approach to assess interactions across multiple dimensions of this complex system. Through this transparent effort to realign our approaches with the complexity of the study system, we highlight the importance of designing research approaches that effectively reflect the complexities inherent to human-wildlife coexistence.

Willingness to pay for sheep traits and their heterogeneous effects on prices: Evidence from primary livestock markets in Ethiopia.

We test the hypothesis whether levels of key traits of sheep heterogeneously affect market prices of sheep in a rural setting. Feasible generalized least squares and (un)conditional quantile regression estimations were made on a dataset of 1153 sheep transactions in two primary small ruminant markets in the Amhara region of Ethiopia. The empirical results show that animal traits affect the observed prices of sheep differently, but only partly explain the sheep price differences. Our results also reveal that in addition to animal traits, the type of buyers and seasonality of sheep marketing cause heterogeneity in the observed prices. These findings imply that targeting the animal traits demanded by the market and access to price information that enables farmers to respond to the seasonal changes in livestock markets are essential to increase the income of sheep keepers.

Rethinking livestock encroachment at a protected area boundary.

The presence of livestock inside protected areas, or "livestock encroachment," is a global conservation concern because livestock is broadly thought to negatively affect wildlife. The Maasai Mara National Reserve (MMNR), Kenya, exemplifies this tension as livestock is believed to have resulted in the declining wildlife populations, contributing to the strict and sometimes violent exclusion measures targeting Maasai pastoralists. However, research embedded in the real-world setting that draws insights from the social-ecological contexts is lacking. In this study, we conducted 19 mo of ecological monitoring covering 60 sites in MMNR and found that cattle presence inside the reserve did not significantly impact most co-occurring wild herbivores at the current intensity. Using the Hierarchical Modeling of Species Communities and Gaussian copula graphic models, we showed that cattle had no direct associations-neither negative nor positive-with nearly all wild herbivores despite frequently sharing the same space. Moreover, we did not detect resource degradation correlated with cattle presence near the MMNR boundary. Given the colonial legacy and land use history of Mara, entering MMNR becomes the only viable option for many herders. These results corroborate the emerging perspective that the ecological impacts of extensively herded livestock on wildlife might be more nuanced than previously thought. To effectively balance the needs of people, livestock, and wildlife, the current rigid livestock exclusion measures need to be reassessed to holistically consider herbivore ecology, local land use history, and modern politics of protected area management.

Exposure patterns and the risk factors of Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever virus amongst humans, livestock and selected wild animals at the human/livestock/wildlife interface in Isiolo County, upper eastern Kenya.

Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a tick-borne zoonotic disease caused by CCHF virus (CCHFV). The disease has a complex transmission cycle that involves a wide range of hosts including mammalian and some species of birds. We implemented a sero-epidemiological study in Isiolo County, Kenya, to determine relative seroprevalences of CCHFV in humans, livestock and in wild animals. In addition, we identified subject and environment level factors that could promote exposure to CCHFV. Humans (n = 580) and livestock (n = 2,137) were recruited into the study through a multistage random sampling technique, and in addition, various species of wild animals (n = 87) were also sampled conveniently. Serum samples from all recruited humans and animals were collected and screened for CCHFV antibodies using ID Screen multispecies, double-antigen IgG enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The overall anti-CCHFV IgG seroprevalences in humans, cattle, goats, sheep and camels were 7.2% [95% CI: 3.1-15.8%], 53.9% [95% CI: 30.7-50.9%], 11.6% [95% CI: 7.2-22.5%], 8.6% [95% CI: 3-14%] and 89.7% [95% CI: 78-94%], respectively. On average, the sampled wild animals had CCHFV seroprevalence of 41.0% [95% CI: 29.1-49.4%]; giraffes had the highest mean CCHF seroprevalence followed by buffaloes, while impala had very low exposure levels. Statistical analyses using mixed effects logistic regression models showed that CCHFV exposure in humans was significantly associated with male gender, being over 30 years of age and belonging to a household with a seropositive herd. In livestock, a combination of animal- and environment level factors including older animals, being in an area with high normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and high vapour pressure deficit were significantly associated with CCHFV infection. Age, sex and species of wild animals were considered as the key risk factors in the analysis, but none of these variables was significant (P-value = 0.891, 0.401 and 0.664, respectively). Additionally, RT-qPCR analysis revealed the presence of CCHFV RNA in camels (30%), cattle (14.3%), and goats (3.8%), but not in humans, sheep, or wild animals. This study demonstrates that environmental factors, such as NDVI and vapor pressure deficit, affect CCHFV exposure in livestock, while the presence of infected livestock is the key determinant of human exposure at the household level. These findings underscore the importance of using One Health approaches to control the disease in human-livestock-wildlife interfaces. For instance, the existing CCHF surveillance measures could be enhanced by incorporating algorithms that simulate disease risk based on the environmental factors identified in the study. Additionally, tick control in livestock, such as the use of acaricides, could reduce CCHFV exposure in livestock and, consequently, in humans.

Genomic analysis of Brucella isolates from animals and humans, Türkiye, 2010 to 2020.

BackgroundBrucellosis is a bacterial zoonosis causing severe illness in humans and animals and leading to economic losses in the livestock production in Türkiye and other endemic countries.AimWe aimed at investigating genomic differences of Brucella isolates from animals and humans in Türkiye.MethodsWe used whole genome sequencing (WGS) to assess the genetic diversity of Brucella isolates from 41 provinces in Türkiye and compared with isolates from other countries. We applied allele-based typing and core genome single nucleotide polymorphism (cgSNP) determination.ResultsOf the 106 Turkish Brucella isolates included, 57 were B. abortus and 49 were B. melitensis. One B. melitensis and two B. abortus isolates were identified as vaccine strains. Most (n = 55) B. abortus isolates clustered in three major branches, with no spatial discernible pattern. Of the B. melitensis isolates, 48 were assigned to the Eastern Mediterranean lineage with no discernible patterns between host species, location and sampling date. The Turkish isolates clustered with isolates from neighbouring countries such as Greece and Syria, but some also with isolates from human patients in European countries, like Germany, Norway and Sweden, suggesting that the source may be travel-related.ConclusionSeveral B. melitensis and B. abortus lineages are circulating in Türkiye. To decrease the prevalence and prevent brucellosis in animals and humans, stricter control measures are needed, particularly in areas where humans and animals have close contact. Furthermore, illegal transportation of animals across borders should be more closely controlled and regulated.

Progress on deep learning in genomics.

With the rapid growth of data driven by high-throughput sequencing technologies, genomics has entered an era characterized by big data, which presents significant challenges for traditional bioinformatics methods in handling complex data patterns. At this critical juncture of technological progress, deep learning-an advanced artificial intelligence technology-offers powerful capabilities for data analysis and pattern recognition, revitalizing genomic research. In this review, we focus on four major deep learning models: Convolutional Neural Network(CNN), Recurrent Neural Network(RNN), Long Short-Term Memory(LSTM), and Generative Adversarial Network(GAN). We outline their core principles and provide a comprehensive review of their applications in DNA, RNA, and protein research over the past five years. Additionally, we also explore the use of deep learning in livestock genomics, highlighting its potential benefits and challenges in genetic trait analysis, disease prevention, and genetic enhancement. By delivering a thorough analysis, we aim to enhance precision and efficiency in genomic research through deep learning and offer a framework for developing and applying livestock genomic strategies, thereby advancing precision livestock farming and genetic breeding technologies.

Application of Global Burden of Animal Diseases methods at country level: experiences of the Ethiopia case study.

Animals play a central role in human livelihoods and welfare. Animal diseases have a great impact on the benefits humans derive from animals and can also pose a risk to human health. Better control of animal diseases generates wider societal benefits, including reducing the climate and ecological impacts of livestock and improving animal welfare. To better understand the scale of investment justified for the control and prevention of animal disease, the wide-ranging impacts of disease on animal production and health must be measured. The Global Burden of Animal Diseases (GBADs) programme is quantifying animal disease burden from the local to global levels. The GBADs programme includes country case studies for national- and local-level analysis. Ethiopia is the first case study country in which GBADs methods have been applied. GBADs'Ethiopia case study consists of three activity areas: i) stakeholder engagement; ii) livestock disease burden estimation, including data collection, analytics, evidence generation and communication; and iii) capacity building in animal health economics. At the start of the case study, various stakeholder communication platforms were used to familiarise stakeholders with GBADs and engage their support in various ways, including data access, and, through this engagement, to ensure the programme tools and outputs were relevant and useful to their needs. Existing data were retrieved from multiple sources and used to estimate disease burden. This process involved multiple steps, including estimation of biomass and economic value, the Animal Health Loss Envelope (farm-level disease burden), wider economic impacts and attribution of the disease burden to different levels of causes. This was carried out for major livestock species (cattle, sheep, goats and poultry) in Ethiopia. Capacity building on animal health economics was carried out for GBADs end users to increase competence in utilising animal health economic evidence, including GBADs outputs. This article documents experiences of the implementation of these activities in the GBADs Ethiopia case study.

Les animaux représentent une part substantielle des moyens de subsistance et contribuent de manière essentielle au bien-être humain. Les bénéfices que l'humanité peut retirer des animaux sont toutefois compromis par les maladies animales, qui font aussi peser un risque sur la santé publique. Les avantages sociétaux d'un meilleur contrôle des maladies animales dépassent la portée strictement sanitaire et recouvrent notamment l'atténuation de l'impact climatique et environnemental des animaux d'élevage et l'amélioration du bien-être animal. Pour mieux appréhender l'échelle des investissements requis pour contrôler et prévenir les maladies animales, il convient de mesurer les impacts très divers de ces maladies sur la production et la santé animales. Le programme " Impact mondial des maladies animales " (GBADs) procède actuellement à la quantification de la charge des maladies animales, du niveau local au niveau mondial. Il comprend aussi des études de cas conduites dans des pays choisis pour une analyse à l'échelle nationale, voire locale. L'Ethiopie est le premier pays à avoir fait l'objet d'une étude de cas nationale reprenant les méthodes du GBADs. L'étude comportait trois volets d'activités : i) la mobilisation des parties prenantes ; ii) l'estimation de la charge des maladies chez les animaux d'élevage, notamment la collecte de données, leur analyse, l'apport d'éléments probants et la communication ; et iii) le renforcement des capacités en économie de la santé animale. Au lancement de l'étude, plusieurs plateformes de communication professionnelles ont été utilisées pour mieux faire connaître le GBADs aux différents acteurs et solliciter leur soutien de diverses manières, en particulier en termes d'accès aux données, et pour s'assurer, grâce à cette mobilisation, que les outils et les résultats du programme étaient pertinents pour eux et répondaient à leurs besoins. Les données existantes ont été recueillies auprès de multiples sources et ont permis d'estimer la charge sanitaire. Ce processus comportait plusieurs étapes, dont l'estimation de la biomasse et de la valeur économique, la définition de l'enveloppe des pertes sanitaires animales (charge sanitaire à l'échelle des exploitations), l'appréciation des effets économiques au sens large et la répartition de la charge sanitaire en fonction des niveaux des causes attribuées. Les analyses portaient sur les principales espèces d'animaux d'élevage (bovins, ovins, caprins et volailles) en Ethiopie. Des activités de renforcement des capacités en économie de la santé animale ont été proposées aux utilisateurs finaux du GBADs afin de les former à l'utilisation des preuves économiques en santé animale. Les auteurs expliquent comment s'est déroulée la mise en oeuvre de ces activités lors de l'étude du GBADs conduite en Ethiopie.

Los animales desempeñan un papel fundamental en los medios de subsistencia y el bienestar humanos. En este sentido, las enfermedades animales tienen un gran impacto en los beneficios que los humanos obtienen de los animales y también pueden suponer un riesgo para la salud humana. Un mejor control de las enfermedades animales genera beneficios sociales más amplios, como la reducción del impacto climático y ecológico de la ganadería y la mejora del bienestar animal. Para comprender mejor la magnitud de la inversión justificada para el control y la prevención de las enfermedades animales, es preciso medir las amplias repercusiones de las enfermedades en la producción y la sanidad animal. El programa sobre el impacto global de las enfermedades animales (GBADs) cuantifica el impacto de las enfermedades animales desde el nivel local hasta el mundial. El programa GBADs incluye estudios de casos por países a fin de realizar un análisis a escala nacional y local. Etiopía es el primer país en el que se han aplicado los métodos del GBADs. El estudio de caso del GBADs en dicho país se divide en tres áreas de actividad: i) la participación de las partes interesadas; ii) la estimación del impacto de las enfermedades del ganado, incluida la recopilación de datos, el análisis, la generación de pruebas y la comunicación; y iii) el desarrollo de capacidades en el ámbito de la economía de la sanidad animal. Al inicio del estudio de caso, se utilizaron diversas plataformas de comunicación con las partes interesadas para familiarizarlas con el GBADs y recabar su apoyo a través de diversas vías, entre las que se incluía el acceso a los datos, y, mediante esta colaboración, garantizar que las herramientas y los resultados del programa fueran pertinentes y útiles para sus necesidades. Se obtuvieron datos de diversas fuentes que se utilizaron para estimar el impacto de las enfermedades. Este proceso implicó múltiples pasos, incluida la estimación de la biomasa y el valor económico, la cartera de pérdidas en sanidad animal (impacto de las enfermedades a nivel de explotación), los impactos económicos más amplios y la atribución del impacto de las enfermedades a diferentes categorías de causas. Esto se llevó a cabo para las principales especies ganaderas (bovinos, ovinos, caprinos y aves de corral) en Etiopía. Se realizaron actividades de capacitación en economía de la sanidad animal para los usuarios finales con el fin de aumentar su competencia en la utilización de los datos económicos sobre sanidad animal, incluidos los resultados del GBADs. Este artículo documenta las experiencias de la puesta en práctica de estas actividades en el estudio de caso del GBADs en Etiopía.

Burden assessment of antimicrobial use and resistance in livestock in data-scarce contexts.

Misuse and overuse of antimicrobials in livestock production are identified as drivers for antimicrobial resistance (AMR). To improve decision-making concerning livestock health, it is important to understand the impact of AMR in livestock and aquaculture, within and beyond farm level, as well as expenditure on antimicrobial use (AMU). Such understanding provides grounds for systematic disease prioritisation and establishes a baseline for understanding the value of different strategies to mitigate animal health problems and for the monitoring and evaluation of the impact of those strategies. Yet limited data availability and quality surrounding AMU and AMR create barriers to furthering the knowledge of such impact. These data constraints are also more prevalent in contexts that lack the necessary resources to develop and maintain systematic and centralised data collection and collation systems. Even in regions with robust AMU and AMR monitoring systems in place, data limitations remain, such that the expenditure on antimicrobials and impacts of AMR remain unclear. Additionally, the current research funding strategies have been less focused on primary data collection, adding further barriers to filling the data void and reducing the global AMU/AMR knowledge gap. To work around the data scarcity and leverage previous and ongoing research efforts, it is vital to gain comprehensive knowledge of the people, projects and research consortia dedicated to the topic of AMU/AMR.

Les utilisations incorrecte et excessive d'agents antimicrobiens dans la production animale figurent parmi les facteurs connus de développement de résistances aux agents antimicrobiens (RAM). Pour améliorer la prise de décision relative à la santé des cheptels, il est essentiel de comprendre l'impact de la RAM chez les animaux d'élevage terrestres et aquatiques, aussi bien au niveau des élevages qu'au-delà, et de pouvoir quantifier les dépenses consacrées à l'utilisation d'agents antimicrobiens (UAM). Cette compréhension apporte les éléments d'information pour la priorisation systématique des maladies et établit un cadre de référence pour comprendre la valeur respective des différentes stratégies d'atténuation des problèmes de santé animale et pour assurer le suivi et l'évaluation d'impact de ces stratégies. Cependant, la disponibilité et la qualité limitées des données relatives à l'UAM et à la RAM font obstacle à une connaissance plus poussée de cet impact. Ces contraintes liées aux données sont plus répandues dans les contextes dépourvus des ressources nécessaires pour élaborer et entretenir des systèmes de collecte de données systématiques et centralisés. Même dans les régions où des systèmes robustes de suivi de l'UAM et de la RAM sont en place, le problème de l'insuffisance de données reste posé de sorte que la réalité des coûts induits par les agents antimicrobiens et l'impact de la RAM demeurent incertains. De plus, les stratégies actuelles de financement de la recherche ont été moins axées sur la collecte de données primaires, ce qui ajoute des obstacles supplémentaires pour l'obtention des données manquantes et compromet les efforts visant à réduire les écarts de connaissances sur l'UAM et la RAM à l'échelle mondiale. Afin de remédier à la pénurie de données et de mettre à profit les recherches antérieures et en cours, il est indispensable de savoir quels sont les acteurs, les projets et les consortiums de recherche qui travaillent sur l'UAM et la RAM.

El uso incorrecto y excesivo de antimicrobianos en la producción ganadera se considera un impulsor de la resistencia a los antimicrobianos (RAM). Para mejorar la toma de decisiones relativas a la sanidad del ganado, es importante comprender el impacto de la RAM en la ganadería y la acuicultura, a nivel de las granjas y más allá, así como el coste con el uso de antimicrobianos (UAM). Tal comprensión permite una priorización sistemática de enfermedades y establece una línea base para comprender el valor de las distintas estrategias destinadas a mitigar los problemas de sanidad animal, así como para supervisar y evaluar el impacto de esas estrategias. Sin embargo, la limitada disponibilidad y calidad de los datos en torno al UAM y a la RAM crean barreras que impiden ampliar la comprensión de dicho impacto. Estas limitaciones de datos también son más frecuentes en contextos que carecen de los recursos necesarios para desarrollar y mantener sistemas sistemáticos y centralizados de recopilación y cotejo de datos. Incluso en las regiones que cuentan con sistemas sólidos de seguimiento del UAM y la RAM, los datos siguen siendo limitados, de modo que los costes con antimicrobianos y las repercusiones de la resistencia a estos siguen sin estar claros. Además, las actuales estrategias de financiación de la investigación se han centrado menos en la recopilación de datos primarios, lo que añade más obstáculos a la hora de llenar el vacío de datos y reducir la brecha mundial de conocimientos sobre el UAM y la RAM. Para superar la escasez de datos y aprovechar las iniciativas de investigación previas y en curso, es fundamental adquirir un conocimiento detallado de las personas, los proyectos y los consorcios de investigación dedicados al tema del uso de antimicrobianos y la resistencia a estos.

Loss of production and animal health costs in assessing economic burden of animal disease.

This article focuses on identifying the loss of production and costs (or lack thereof) associated with livestock health as well as animal disease externalities, with the intent to estimate economy-wide burden. It limits its scope to terrestrial livestock and aquaculture, wherein economic burden is predominately determined by market forces. Losses and costs are delineated into both direct losses and costs and indirect losses and costs, as well as ex post costs and ex ante costs. These costs include not only private expenditures but also public expenditures related to the prevention of, treatment of, and response to livestock disease. This distinction is important because a primary role of government is to mitigate externalities. The article then discusses market impacts and investments. Finally, it provides selected examples and illustrative observations and discusses future directions for research and application.

Cet article examine les pertes de production et les coûts associés (ou non) à la santé animale ainsi que les externalités liées aux maladies animales, dans le but d'estimer le fardeau pour l'ensemble de l'économie. L'examen se limite à la production d'animaux terrestres et aquatiques, secteurs où le fardeau économique est principalement déterminé par les forces du marché. Les pertes et les coûts sont répartis en pertes et coûts directs et indirects, ainsi qu'en coûts ex post et ex ante. Ces coûts comprennent non seulement les dépenses privées, mais aussi les dépenses publiques liées à la prévention, au traitement et aux réponses aux maladies des animaux d'élevage. Il s'agit d'une distinction importante car l'une des fonctions premières d'un gouvernement est d'atténuer les externalités. Les auteurs examinent ensuite les impacts sur les marchés et les investissements. Pour conclure, à partir d'exemples choisis et d'observations illustrant leur propos, les auteurs proposent des voies d'exploration pour la recherche et ses applications.

Este artículo se centra en determinar las pérdidas de producción y los costos (o la ausencia de ellos) asociados con las externalidades de la sanidad del ganado y las enfermedades animales, con el objetivo de estimar su impacto en toda la economía. El ámbito del artículo se limita a la ganadería terrestre y la acuicultura, donde el impacto económico está principalmente determinado por las fuerzas del mercado. Las pérdidas y los costos se clasifican en pérdidas y costos directos e indirectos, así como en costos ex post y ex ante. Dichos costos incluyen no solo los gastos privados, sino también los gastos públicos relacionados con la prevención y el tratamiento de las enfermedades del ganado y la respuesta ante estas, una distinción que es importante habida cuenta de que una de las principales funciones del gobierno es mitigar las externalidades. En el artículo se analizan a continuación las repercusiones en el mercado y las inversiones y, por último, se presentan algunos ejemplos y observaciones ilustrativas y se examinan las orientaciones futuras de la investigación y sus aplicaciones.

Methods and data needs to estimate the economic market value of livestock at different spatial scales.

Assessing the economic value of livestock such as cattle, goats, sheep, pigs, chickens and fish can offer information about their financial performance and economic importance at farm, national and global scale. Such information is needed for decision-making surrounding livestock finance, investment and strategic development. The aim of this study was to provide an overview of the key livestock valuation methods and associated data requirements. The study was conducted using a literature review. Five key livestock valuation methods were identified and described: historical costs, net current market value, replacement costs, net present value and cost of production. The findings of this study may be of interest to livestock scientists, veterinarians, policy-makers and other stakeholders who aim to assess the economic value of livestock herds. The Global Burden of Animal Diseases programme relied on the outcomes of this study to identify methods for the estimation of the economic value of livestock at the global scale and for its Ethiopia and Indonesia case studies.

L'estimation de la valeur économique des animaux d'élevage (bovins, caprins, ovins, porcins, poulets et poissons d'élevage) peut apporter un éclairage sur leurs performances financières et leur intérêt économique à l'échelle d'une exploitation, d'un pays ou du monde. Ces informations sont indispensables pour étayer les décisions de financement, d'investissement et de développement stratégique des élevages. L'étude présentée par l'autrice vise à donner une vue d'ensemble des principales méthodes d'estimation de la valeur des animaux d'élevage et des exigences qui leur sont associées en termes de données. L'étude repose sur un examen de la littérature sur le sujet. Cinq méthodes principales d'estimation de la valeur des animaux d'élevage y sont répertoriées et décrites : coûts historiques, valeur marchande courante nette, coûts de remplacement, valeur actuelle nette et coûts de production. Les résultats de cette étude pourraient intéresser les spécialistes de l'élevage, les vétérinaires, les décideurs politiques et d'autres parties prenantes qui cherchent à évaluer la valeur économique des cheptels. Le programme " Impact mondial des maladies animales " s'est appuyé sur les résultats de cette étude pour retenir les méthodes d'estimation de la valeur économique des animaux d'élevage appliquées à l'échelle mondiale ainsi que dans les études de cas conduites en Ethiopie et en Indonésie.

Evaluar el valor económico del ganado, como vacas, cabras, ovejas, cerdos, pollos y peces, puede ofrecer información sobre su desempeño financiero y su importancia económica tanto a nivel de la explotación como a escala nacional y mundial. Esta información es necesaria para la toma de decisiones en materia de financiación, inversión y desarrollo estratégico de la ganadería. El objetivo de este estudio era ofrecer una visión general de los principales métodos de valoración del ganado y de las necesidades de datos conexas. Para ello, se llevó a cabo una revisión bibliográfica y se distinguieron y describieron cinco métodos fundamentales de valoración de la ganadería: costes históricos, valor actual de mercado neto, costes de reposición, valor actual neto y costes de producción. Las conclusiones de este estudio pueden ser de interés para científicos que trabajan en el ámbito de la ganadería, veterinarios, responsables de la toma de decisiones y otras partes interesadas en la evaluación del valor económico del ganado. El programa sobre el Impacto Global de las Enfermedades Animales se basó en los resultados de este estudio para definir métodos de estimación del valor económico del ganado a escala mundial y para sus estudios de caso de Etiopía e Indonesia.

Ontologies related to livestock for the Global Burden of Animal Diseases programme: a review.

The Global Burden of Animal Diseases (GBADs) programme aims to assess the impact of animal health on agricultural animals, livestock production systems and associated communities worldwide. As part of the objectives of GBADs'Animal Health Ontology theme, the programme reviewed conceptual frameworks, ontologies and classification systems in biomedical science. The focus was on data requirements in animal health and the connections between animal health and human and environmental health. In May 2023, the team conducted searches of recognised repositories of biomedical ontologies, including BioPortal, Open Biological and Biomedical Ontology Foundry, and Ontology Lookup Service, to identify animal and livestock ontologies and those containing relevant concepts. Sixteen ontologies were found, covering topics such as surveillance, anatomy and genetics. Notable examples include the Animal Trait Ontology for Livestock, the Animal Health Surveillance Ontology, the National Center for Biotechnology Information Taxonomy and the Uberon Multi-Species Anatomy Ontology. However, some ontologies lacked class definitions for a significant portion of their classes. The review highlights the need for domain evidence to support proposed models, critical appraisal of external ontologies before reuse, and external expert reviews along with statistical tests of agreements. The findings from this review informed the structural framework, concepts and rationales of the animal health ontology for GBADs. This animal health ontology aims to increase the interoperability and transparency of GBADs data, thereby enabling estimates of the impacts of animal diseases on agriculture, livestock production systems and associated communities globally.

Le programme " Impact mondial des maladies animales " (GBADs) vise à évaluer l'impact de la santé animale sur les animaux d'élevage, les systèmes de production animale et les communautés liées à ce secteur d'activités dans le monde. Afin de définir une ontologie de la santé animale répondant aux objectifs du GBADs, le programme a procédé à un examen des cadres conceptuels, des ontologies et des systèmes de classification actuellement appliqués en sciences biomédicales. Il s'agissait de définir les besoins en données dans le domaine de la santé animale ainsi que les connexions entre la santé animale, la santé publique et la santé environnementale. En mai 2023, l'équipe a procédé à des recherches dans des référentiels reconnus d'ontologies biomédicales, notamment BioPortal, Open Biological and Biomedical Ontology Foundry et Ontology Lookup Service, afin de recenser les ontologies relatives aux animaux et au bétail ainsi que celles contenant des concepts pertinents. Seize ontologies ont été relevées, couvrant des thèmes tels que la surveillance, l'anatomie et la génétique. Parmi les exemples notables on peut citer : Animal Trait Ontology for Livestock (ontologie dédiée aux caractères phénotypiques des animaux d'élevage), Animal Health Surveillance Ontology (ontologie dédiée à la surveillance de la santé animale), National Center for Biotechnology Information Taxonomy (la base de données Taxonomie du Centre américain pour les informations biotechnologiques), et Uberon Multi-Species Anatomy Ontology (ontologie anatomique représentant diverses espèces animales). Il a cependant été constaté que certaines ontologies ne disposent pas de définitions de classes pour une grande partie des classes qui les composent. L'examen a souligné l'importance d'étayer les modèles proposés par des données issues des spécialités en question, de procéder à une évaluation critique des ontologies externes avant de les réutiliser et de faire effectuer des examens complémentaires par des experts externes ainsi que des tests statistiques de concordance. Les résultats de cette étude ont apporté des éléments permettant de définir le cadre structurel, les concepts et les principes de l'ontologie relative à la santé animale destinée au GBADs. Cette ontologie de la santé animale vise à accroître l'interopérabilité et la transparence des données du GBADs, ce qui permet d'effectuer des estimations de l'impact des maladies animales sur l'agriculture, les systèmes de production animale et les communautés associées à ce secteur d'activités à l'échelle mondiale.

El programa sobre el impacto global de las enfermedades animales (GBADs) tiene como objetivo evaluar el impacto de la sanidad animal en los animales de granja, los sistemas de producción ganadera y las comunidades conexas en todo el mundo. Como parte de los objetivos en torno al tema de la ontología de la sanidad animal del GBADs, el programa revisó marcos conceptuales, ontologías y sistemas de clasificación en el ámbito de la ciencia biomédica. Se hizo hincapié en los requisitos de datos sobre la sanidad animal y en las conexiones entre la sanidad animal y la salud humana y ambiental. En mayo de 2023, el equipo realizó búsquedas en repositorios reconocidos de ontologías biomédicas, como BioPortal, Open Biological and Biomedical Ontology Foundry y Ontology Lookup Service, para identificar no solo ontologías animales y ganaderas, sino también aquellas que incluyeran conceptos relevantes. En este sentido, se encontraron dieciséis ontologías, que abarcan temas como vigilancia, anatomía y genética. Entre los ejemplos más destacados figuran Animal Trait Ontology for Livestock (Ontología de Características Animales para el Ganado), Animal Health Surveillance Ontology (Ontología de Vigilancia de la Sanidad Animal), National Center for Biotechnology Information Taxonomy (la base de datos Taxonomía del Centro Nacional para la Información Biotecnológica) y Uberon Multi-Species Anatomy Ontology (Ontología Anatómica de Especies Múltiples). Sin embargo, algunas ontologías carecían de definiciones para una parte significativa de sus clases. La revisión pone de relieve la necesidad de contar con datos probatorios del ámbito en cuestión que respalden los modelos propuestos, una evaluación crítica de las ontologías externas antes de su reutilización y revisiones de expertos externos junto con pruebas estadísticas de los acuerdos. Los resultados de esta revisión han servido de base para el marco estructural, los conceptos y los fundamentos de la ontología de la sanidad animal para el GBADs. Esta ontología pretende aumentar la interoperabilidad y la transparencia de los datos del GBADs, permitiendo así estimar el impacto de las enfermedades animales en la agricultura, los sistemas de producción ganadera y las comunidades conexas en todo el mundo.

Estimating livestock biomass across diverse populations and data ecosystems.

Estimates of livestock biomass can be used as denominators in disease burden estimates, in addition to informing assessments of resource use and environmental impacts. This article explores the challenges of accurately estimating biomass across different scales and data ecosystems, with a particular focus on the use of biomass in the Global Burden of Animal Diseases programme. The greatest of these challenges is a lack of subgroup (breed, age, sex)-specific data on populations and liveweights at national and subnational level. This can be overcome by using global datasets and generic estimates of liveweight for each species, though this approach fails to account for the diversity of livestock systems.

Les estimations de la biomasse du bétail peuvent servir de dénominateurs lors des estimations de l'impact des maladies, en plus d'apporter des éléments d'appréciation pour évaluer l'utilisation des ressources et les impacts sur l'environnement. Les auteurs analysent les difficultés qui se posent lorsqu'il s'agit d'obtenir une estimation précise de la biomasse à différentes échelles et en utilisant divers écosystèmes de données, et se penchent plus particulièrement sur l'utilisation de la biomasse dans le programme " Impact mondial des maladies animales ". La difficulté majeure est l'absence de données spécifiques aux sous-groupes (en fonction de la race, de l'âge, du sexe) dans les populations et par poids vif à l'échelle nationale et infranationale. Ce problème pourrait être résolu en recourant à des jeux de données mondiaux et à des estimations génériques du poids vif par espèce, mais cette approche ne parvient pas à rendre compte de la diversité des systèmes d'élevage.

Las estimaciones de la biomasa del ganado pueden utilizarse como denominadores en las estimaciones del impacto de las enfermedades, además de servir de base para evaluar el uso de los recursos y los efectos ambientales. En este artículo se analizan los desafíos que plantea la estimación precisa de la biomasa en diferentes escalas y ecosistemas de datos, prestando especial atención al uso de la biomasa en el programa sobre el Impacto Global de las Enfermedades Animales. El mayor de estos desafíos radica en la falta de datos específicos por subgrupos (raza, edad, sexo) sobre poblaciones y pesos vivos a escala nacional y subnacional. Esta dificultad se puede resolver utilizando conjuntos de datos globales y estimaciones genéricas del peso vivo para cada especie, aunque este enfoque no tiene en cuenta la diversidad de los sistemas pecuarios.

A retrospective analysis of tuberculosis in livestock farmers in Lahore district, Pakistan.

INTRODUCTION: Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the main cause of tuberculosis in humans, accounting for numerous illnesses and thousands of fatalities globally. Data regarding the association of various risk factors and TB in livestock farmers in Pakistan is scarce. METHODOLOGY: A retrospective matched case-control study of TB cases was performed in Lahore, Pakistan to investigate the potential risk factors that lead to the development of TB in Pakistani livestock farmers. A total of 170 participants were included in the study. The case was matched with control based on neighborhood and the case-control ratio was kept 1:1. Data were statistically analyzed using R version 4.2.1. Conditional logistic regression was conducted to identify biologically and statistically plausible risk factors associated with the TB outcome among livestock farmers. RESULTS: In univariable analysis, 10 risk factors were identified (p < 0.05). Gender, age, being married, family type, living in a big family, BCG vaccination status, history of smoking, working at a cattle farm, co-housing with cattle at night, , consumption of raw milk. The multivariable model identified four risk factors i.e., consumption of raw milk (Odds Ratio [OR]: 7.7; 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 1.95-30.68), living in big family (OR: 6.2; 95% CI: 1.25-30.82) and working at cattle farm (OR: 4.2; 95% CI: 1.08-16.56), while gender was found to be a protective factor with OR < 1 (OR: 0.06; 95% CI: 0.01-0.26). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that sociodemographic risk factors and exposure to infected cattle can influence the development of TB in farmers.

Hormesis of black soldier fly larva: Influence and interactions in livestock manure recycling.

Black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) are considered important organisms, utilized as tools to transform waste including manure into valuable products. The growth and cultivation of BSFL are influenced by various factors, such as the presence of toxic substances in the feed and parasites. These factors play a crucial role in hormesis, and contributing to regulate these contaminants hermetic doses to get sustainable byproducts. This review aims to understand the effects on BSFL growth and activities in the presence of compounds like organic and inorganic pollutants. It also assesses the impact of microbes on BSFL growth and explores the bioaccumulation of pharmaceutical compounds, specifically focusing on heavy metals, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, indigenous bacteria, insects, and nematodes. The review concludes by addressing knowledge gaps, proposing future biorefineries, and offering recommendations for further research.

Analysis of miRNAs in milk of four livestock species.

BACKGROUND: Milk is essential for mammalian nutrition because it provides vital nutrients for growth and development. Milk composition, which is influenced by genetic and environmental factors, supports lactation, a complex process crucial for milk production and quality. Recent research has focused on noncoding RNAs, particularly microRNAs (miRNAs), which are present in body fluids and regulate gene expression post-transcriptionally. This study comprehensively characterizes miRNAs in milk of four livestock species, namely Bubalus bubalis, Capra hircus, Equus asinus, and Ovis aries and identifies potential target genes. RESULTS: High-throughput sequencing of milk RNA resulted in distinct read counts across species: B. bubalis (8,790,441 reads), C. hircus (12,976,275 reads), E. asinus (9,385,067 reads), and O. aries (7,295,297 reads). E. asinus had the highest RNA mapping rate (94.6%) and O. aries the lowest (84.8%). A substantially greater proportion of miRNAs over other small RNAs was observed for the donkey milk sample (7.74%) compared to buffalo (0.87%), goat (1.57%), and sheep (1.12%). Shared miRNAs, which included miR-200a, miR-200b, miR-200c, and miR-23a among others, showed varying expression levels across species, confirmed by qPCR analysis. Functional annotation of predicted miRNA target genes highlighted diverse roles, with an enrichment in functions linked to metabolism and immunity. Pathway analysis identified immune response pathways as significant, with several miRNAs targeting specific genes across species, suggesting their regulatory function in milk. CONCLUSIONS: Both conserved and species-specific miRNAs were detected in milk of the investigated species. The identified target genes of these miRNAs have important roles in neonatal development, adaptation, growth, and immune response. Furthermore, they influence milk and meat production traits in livestock.

The bacterial and yeast microbiota in livestock forages in Hungary.

BACKGROUND: Along bacteria, yeasts are common in forages and forage fermentations as spoilage microbes or as additives, yet few studies exist with species-level data on these fungi's occurrence in feedstuff. Active dry yeast and other yeast-based products are also common feed additives in animal husbandry. Here, we aimed to characterize both fermented and non-fermented milking cow feedstuff samples from Hungary to assess their microbial diversity in the first such study from Central Europe. RESULTS: We applied long-read bacterial metabarcoding to 10 fermented and 25 non-fermented types of samples to assess bacterial communities and their characteristics, surveyed culturable mold and yeast abundance, and identified culturable yeast species. Fermented forages showed the abundance of Aerococcaceae, Bacillaceae, Brucellaceae, Lactobacillaceae, Staphylococcaceae, and Thermoactinomycetaceae, non-fermented ones had Cyanothecaceae, Enterobacteriaceae, Erwiniaceae, Gomontiellaceae, Oxalobacteraceae, Rhodobiaceae, Rickettsiaceae, and Staphylococcaceae. Abundances of bacterial families showed mostly weak correlation with yeast CFU numbers, only Microcoleaceae (positive) and Enterococcaceae and Alcaligenaceae (negative correlation) showed moderate correlation. We identified 14 yeast species, most commonly Diutina rugosa, Pichia fermentans, P. kudriavzevii, and Wickerhahomyces anomalus. We recorded S. cerevisiae isolates only from animal feed mixes with added active dry yeast, while the species was completely absent from fermented forages. The S. cerevisiae isolates showed high genetic uniformity. CONCLUSION: Our results show that both fermented and non-fermented forages harbor diverse bacterial microbiota, with higher alpha diversity in the latter. The bacterial microbiome had an overall weak correlation with yeast abundance, but yeasts were present in the majority of the samples, including four new records for forages as a habitat for yeasts. Yeasts in forages mostly represented common species including opportunistic pathogens, along with a single strain of Saccharomyces used as a feed mix additive.

Effects of changing farming practices in African agriculture.

Information on the effects of changing agricultural management on crop and livestock performance is critical for developing evidence-based policies, investments, and programs. Evidence for Resilient Agriculture (ERA) v1.0.1 presents a dataset that harmonizes and aggregates 112,859 observations from 2,011 agricultural studies taken place in Africa between 1934 and 2018. The dataset includes information on the effect of 364 combinations of management practices and technologies on 87 environmental, social, and economic indicators of outcomes. Observations are geolocated and temporally tagged and thus can be linked to other datasets such as historical weather, soil properties, and road networks. ERA offers a new resource for understanding the impacts of changing farming practices under diverse environmental contexts, providing data to support strategic interventions aimed to enhance productivity, resilience, and sustainability of African agriculture.