RESUMO
Selected demographic features and trends in bovine tuberculosis (BTB) from 1995 to 2010 are described for the countries of the UK and the Republic of Ireland, using standardised definitions and measures. All countries experienced a reduction in the number of cattle and herds and in the proportion of dairy herds, while average herd size increased. In general, the trends indicate a stable situation of very low BTB prevalence in Scotland and, over most of the period, a rising prevalence in England and Wales. The prevalence in the Republic of Ireland declined while Northern Ireland experienced both a rise and fall. Differences in demography, BTB programme structure and test results were noted, particularly between the island of Ireland and Great Britain. Further investigation of these differences may provide valuable insights into risk factors for BTB and optimisation of existing BTB programmes.
Assuntos
Vigilância de Evento Sentinela/veterinária , Tuberculose Bovina/epidemiologia , Tuberculose Bovina/prevenção & controle , Criação de Animais Domésticos/métodos , Animais , Bovinos , Feminino , Irlanda/epidemiologia , Masculino , Densidade Demográfica , Prevalência , Fatores de Risco , Reino Unido/epidemiologiaRESUMO
The ability of rams to discriminate between urine odour of oestrous ewes and urine odours from ewes at other days of the oestrous cycle was determined using operant conditioning techniques. Rams could discriminate between the odour of urine of oestrous ewes and the odours of urine from ewes at day 6 to day 1 before oestrus and from ewes at day 4 to day 10 after oestrus. Rams did not discriminate between odours of urine samples from different ewes in oestrus, or between urine odour of oestrous ewes (day 0) and urine odours from ewes at day 1 to day 3 after oestrus. These results support the hypothesis that ewes in oestrus produce an odour in urine that is detectable by rams.
