Hygiene and biosecurity conditions of initial examination on-spot in Portugal: One step toward game meat safety.

Background and Aim: Due to the particularities of the first steps of the game food chain, large game species are shot, bled, and handled in collection points (spot of evisceration and initial examination in the field). These steps of the game meat chain affect the microbiological quality of this type of meat, thus posing a risk to consumers. This study aimed to characterize the collection points in terms of central hygiene and biosecurity procedures/requirements. Materials and Methods: One survey with 16 questions was applied in 95 hunting areas throughout Portugal. It was a convenience sample obtained by direct visualization on-spot procedures. Four categories were characterized in the survey: Initial examination (performance assiduity and type of operator performing it), hygiene requirements on-spot (floor, ceiling, water, and electricity), biosecurity procedures such on initial examination (use of personal protective equipment as gloves, glasses, mask, and specific clothes), and by-products disposal (destination and packaging of by-products). Results: Sixty percentage (n = 57) eviscerated the carcasses and performed the initial examination on-spot. Moreover, most of the time (n = 71), the initial examination was carried out by veterinarians. However, the category that showed the best results was those related to the biosecurity procedures on initial examination, mainly with the use of the individual protective material (e.g., regular use of disposal clothes and specific clothes). Concerning the questions about the disposal of by-products, 66 game managers say that this was done correctly (69%), being the majority destination of the inspected carcasses was the burial (64%; n = 47). Conclusion: This survey demonstrates an immediate need in all this problematic of the standardization of hygiene and biosecurity requirements of the collection points, which requires uniform application of rules. There is a lot of resistance and limitations to the inclusion of these requirements in collection points, due to lack of structural and financial conditions. However, training all those involved in the hunting area (hunters, game managers, authorities, etc.) creating rules that promote hunting food security and setting limits on the microbiological criteria of game meat are hot points to consider in the future.

Tick (Acari: Ixodidae) infestations in cattle along Geba River basin in Guinea-Bissau.

Tick infestations are a major problem for animal production in tropical areas where prevention and control remain deficient. The present study sought to assess the awareness of traditional cattle producers towards the importance of ticks and aimed at the identification of tick species infesting bovines within the Geba River basin, Guinea-Bissau. Interviews with producers revealed that the majority directly correlates the presence of ticks with the occurrence of diseases in cattle. However, insufficient or inadequate control approaches prevail. A total of 337 ticks were collected on bovines at 18 different villages (10 during dry season, and 8 during rainy season). The tick species collected during the dry season were Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) geigyi (56.5%), followed by Amblyomma variegatum (23.3%), Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) annulatus (17.6%) and Hyalomma truncatum (1%). In the rainy season A. variegatum was the most collected (88.9%), followed by R. (Boophilus) geigyi (4.2%), R. (Boophilus) annulatus (3.4%), Rhipicephalus sanguineus group (2.8%) and H. truncatum (0.7%). To support species identification, segments of both cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) and 12S ribosomal RNA (12S) genes were sequenced and the data gathered were analysed by maximum likelihood and parsimony. Morphological and genetic data of individual specimens gathered in this study provide relevant information for future studies on tick population dynamics in the region. In addition, it led to a deeper characterization of R. sulcatus and a R. sanguineus-like specimen, exploring their genetic relationship with other R. sanguineus, which supports their classification as distinct species within R. sanguineus group.

Glucose intolerance in dairy goats with pregnancy toxemia: Lack of correlation between blood pH and beta hydroxybutyric acid values.

This study assessed the response to a glucose tolerance test in dairy goats with pregnancy toxemia (PT), in healthy, pregnant, non-lactating dairy goats in the last month of gestation (HP), and in healthy, lactating, non-pregnant, dairy goats in mid-lactation (HL). A 500 mL volume of a 5% glucose solution was administered by the IV route. Blood glucose concentrations returned to pre-infusion levels by 90 min in all 8 HL goats, and by 180 min in all 8 HP goats. In contrast, concentrations of blood glucose were still significantly above pre-infusion levels at 180 min post-infusion in all 8 PT goats. Thus, marked glucose intolerance was demonstrated in the PT goats, and mild intolerance was noted in the HP goats. In 25 goats diagnosed with PT and having blood beta hydroxybutyric acid (BHBA) values ≥ 2.9 mmol/L, the correlation coefficient for BHBA with blood pH was non-significant.

Intolérance au glucose chez les chèvres laitières atteintes de toxémie gestationnelle : absence de corrélation entre les valeurs du pH sanguin et de l'acide bêta-hydroxybutyrique. Cette étude a évalué la réponse à un test de tolérance au glucose chez des chèvres laitières atteintes de toxémie gestationnelle (TG), chez des chèvres laitières gravides en santé qui n'étaient pas en lactation durant le dernier mois de la gestation (HP) et chez des chèvres laitières non gravides en santé en pleine lactation (HL). Un volume de 500 mL d'une solution de glucose à 5 % a été administrée par voie IV. Les concentrations de glucose sanguin sont retournées à la normale dans un délai de 90 minutes chez les huit chèvres HL et dans un délai de 180 minutes chez les huit chèvres HP. Par contraste, les concentrations de glucose sanguin étaient toujours significativement supérieures aux niveaux de pré-infusion 180 minutes après l'infusion chez les huit chèvres TG. Par conséquent, une intolérance au glucose marquée a été démontrée chez les chèvres TG et une intolérance légère a été observée chez les chèvres HP. Chez les 25 chèvres diagnostiquées avec la TG qui présentaient des valeurs sanguines d'acide bêta-hydroxybotyrique (BHBA) de ≥ 2,9 mmol/L, le coefficient de corrélation pour les BHBA avec le pH sanguin n'était pas significatif.(Traduit par Isabelle Vallières).

Serological survey of Toxoplasma gondii and Besnoitia besnoiti in a wildlife conservation area in southern Portugal.

Toxoplasma gondii and Besnoitia besnoiti are closely related apicomplexan protozoa. T. gondii is a zoonotic pathogen which may cause serious disease in man and warm-blooded animals, including wild species. B. besnoiti causes bovine besnoitiosis, an emergent disease in Europe, which is linked to important production losses. Unlike T. gondii, the life cycle of B. besnoiti remains a mystery, since the definitive host has not yet been identified. The aim of this work was to determine the seroprevalence of T. gondii in wildlife and feral cats from a hitherto unsampled area in southern Portugal and to identify likely candidates for definitive and/or other intermediate hosts of B. besnoiti. A total of 260 animals were screened for T. gondii and B. besnoiti by the modified agglutination tests, using the cut-off value of 1:20 and 1:80, respectively. The prevalence of T. gondii was 85.3% in Egyptian mongoose (Herpestes ichneumon; n=34), 83.3% in wildcats (Felis silvestris; n=6), 66.7% in stone martens (Martes foina; n=6), 47.1% in genets (Genetta genetta; n=17), 40% in foxes (Vulpes vulpes; n=25), 39.2% in cats (Felis catus; n=79), 33.3% in European polecats (Mustela putorius; n=3), 21.4% in red deer (Cervus elaphus; n=14), 7.7% in wild boars (Sus scrofa; n=26), 2.8% in rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus; n=36) and 0% in European otters (Lutra lutra; n=2), European badgers (Meles meles; n=6) and rodents (n=5). None of the species tested was positive for B. besnoiti. Based on the present results, the monitoring of T. gondii in native animal populations may be of major importance for wildlife conservation strategies and human health protection, while the search for other hosts of B. besnoiti requires further investigations in wild and domestic species.

The dog and cat population on Maio Island, Cape Verde: characterisation and prediction based on household survey and remotely sensed imagery.

The objective was to estimate and characterise the dog and cat population on Maio Island, Cape Verde. Remotely sensed imagery was used to document the number of houses across the island and a household survey was carried out in six administrative areas recording the location of each animal using a global positioning system instrument. Linear statistical models were applied to predict the dog and cat populations based on the number of houses found and according to various levels of data aggregation. In the surveyed localities, a total of 457 dogs and 306 cats were found. The majority of animals had owners and only a few had free access to outdoor activities. The estimated population size was 531 dogs [95% confidence interval (CI): 453-609] and 354 cats (95% CI: 275-431). Stray animals were not a concern on the island in contrast to the rest of the country.

Prevalence and geographic distribution of Besnoitia besnoiti infection in cattle herds in Portugal.

Bovine besnoitiosis, caused by the apicomplexan parasite Besnoitia besnoiti is considered an emergent disease in Europe. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and geographic distribution of B. besnoiti in cattle herds in continental Portugal and to identify potential spatial clustering of infection. A stratified two-stage cross-sectional serological survey was carried out between March 2012 and May 2013 with the five administrative NUTS II regions, Norte, Centro, Lisboa, Alentejo, and Algarve, as the stratification level. Sera from 391 herds in 220 parishes and 83 municipalities were analyzed by a serial testing strategy, with the modified agglutination test (B-MAT) as the first screening assay and the immunofluorescent antibody test (IFAT) as the confirmatory test. Within-herd prevalence of positive herds varied between 0.7 and 72.4% and was ≥10.3% in half of the infected herds. Using a Bayesian approach, the true prevalence of B. besnoiti in cattle herds was determined to be 5.1% (confidence interval (CI), 3.1-7.8%) and the mean within-herd prevalence of positive herds was 33.0% (CI, 20.3-46.0%). The sensitivity and specificity of the B-MAT were estimated to be 96.9% (CI, 93.7-98.8 %) and 99.7% (CI, 99.6-99.8%), whereas those of the IFAT were 89.6% (CI, 86.0-92.5%) and 99.7% (CI, 98.5-99.9%), respectively. Spatial scan statistics analysis identified one spatial cluster covering the majority of the Alentejo region. Seropositive herds were detected for the first time outside Alentejo, in the region Centro and in the northeast of Portugal. Further epidemiological research is needed to identify eco-biological factors, which could explain the geographic clustering of B. besnoiti in Portugal.

Risk factors for canine leishmaniasis in an endemic Mediterranean region.

Human visceral leishmaniasis is an emergent/re-emergent parasitic zoonotic disease in Europe caused by Leishmania infantum, with domestic dog as its main reservoir host. This study presents the results of a canine epidemiological survey in a mediterranean region where human and canine leishmaniasis (CanL) are endemic - Portugal. The main goal was to identify risk factors, which can be relevant for Leishmania infection control. The national survey was carried out in January 2009 with a screening of 3974 dogs from all 18 districts of mainland Portugal. Direct Agglutination Test was used for the detection of anti-Leishmania antibodies in canine blood. An overall CanL true prevalence of 6.31% was observed. Apparent prevalence at district level ranged from 0.88% to 16.16%, with the highest prevalence in the interior regions. Identified risk factors for positivity were: dogs of 2 years and older (adjusted odds ratio OR=5.39); spending exclusively/most of the time outdoors (OR=2.51); origin from the interior of Portugal in comparison to littoral/coast districts (OR=2.51); not having long fur (OR=2.03); and being pure exotic (OR=1.67). The results confirm the leishmaniasis endemicity in Portugal and the dynamic character of prevalence as new foci emerged and old foci lost their importance. The dog's age, fur size, district and living outdoors as opposed to indoors were more important than dog breeds and insecticide treatment in the transmission of Leishmania infection. The future of CanL prevention and control rely on an integrated approach involving veterinarians, dog owners and health authorities in order to reduce the canine infection risk and consequently, the human zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis.

Survey of infectious and parasitic diseases in stray cats at the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, Portugal.

A survey of infectious and parasitic diseases of stray cats was carried out using biological samples collected from animals captured during a catch-neuter-release programme in four counties of the Lisbon Metropolitan Area. The main objective was to investigate the potential threat of stray cats for animal and public health. Samples of blood, stool, hair and auricular swabs were collected from 231 cats in 27 colonies. Anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies were detected in 47/194 samples (24.2%); anti-Leishmania infantum antibodies in 1/180 cats (0.6%); intestinal parasites in 23/74 samples (Toxocara cati, Isospora felis, Ancylostoma tubaeforme, Dipylidium caninum, Uncinaria stenocephala, Toxascaris leonina) and Otodectes cynotis in 4/182 cats (2.2%); dermatophyte fungi were isolated in 40/136 samples (29.4%); feline immunodeficiency virus antibodies were detected in 23/226 samples (10.2%); feline leukaemia virus antigen in 14/198 samples (7.1%); and feline coronavirus RNA in 9/127 samples (7.1%). Our results revealed that zoonotic agents, namely dermatophyte fungi and Toxocara cati were present in stray cat colonies in the investigated counties. Overall the low frequency of major pathogens suggests a balanced relationship between host and agents.