Obtaining Microbiologically Safe Hatching Eggs from Hatcheries: Using Essential Oils for Integrated Sanitization Strategies in Hatching Eggs, Poultry Houses and Poultry.

Essential oils are liquids containing non-toxic compounds that are unfavorable to the growth of microorganisms. They are sold globally at affordable or very high prices, depending on the availability and type of plant, the scale of production, the extraction method, costs associated with logistics and electricity consumption, among other variables. Each year, the quantity of research dedicated to the antimicrobial potential of essential oils in poultry farming is expanding. Researchers consensually relay that this increase is due to the growing resistance of microorganisms to traditional antimicrobials and concerns about the toxicity of these products. This review proposes an analysis of the antimicrobial feasibility of using essential oils to address microbial challenges in poultry farms, aiming to ensure the production and supply of microbiologically safe hatching eggs. Based on the findings in the literature, in addition to following other necessary precautions in the daily routines of poultry farming practices, developing an antimicrobial control program with essential oils that integrates poultry facilities, poultry and hatching eggs, adapted to the particularities of each context seems to be extremely effective.

Control of Escherichia coli in Poultry Using the In Ovo Injection Technique.

Pathogens, such as Escherichia coli (E. coli), have been identified as significant causes of poultry mortality. Poultry can serve as potential sources of E. coli transmission, even when asymptomatic, posing a substantial threat to food safety and human health. The in ovo administration of antimicrobials is crucial for preventing and/or effectively combating acute and chronic infections caused by poultry pathogens. To achieve this goal, it is critical that antimicrobials are properly injected into embryonic fluids, such as the amnion, to reach target tissues and trigger robust antimicrobial responses. Several protocols based on antimicrobials were evaluated to meet these requirements. This review analyzed the impacts of antimicrobial substances injected in ovo on the control of E. coli in poultry. The reduction in infection rates, resulting from the implementation of in ovo antimicrobials, combined with efforts aimed at hygienic-sanitary action plans in poultry sheds, reinforces confidence that E. coli can be contained before causing large scale damage. For example, antimicrobial peptides and probiotics have shown potential to provide protection to poultry against infections caused by E. coli. Issues related to the toxicity and bacterial resistance of many synthetic chemical compounds represent challenges that need to be overcome before the commercial application of in ovo injection protocols focused on microbiological control.

A Mini-Review of the Main Effects of Essential Oils from Citrus aurantifolia, Ocimum basilicum, and Allium sativum as Safe Antimicrobial Activity in Poultry.

Poultry production is accompanied by the use of antimicrobial agents because no production step is free of microorganisms. In the absence of antimicrobial treatments with synthetic drugs, essential oils are among the most cited natural alternatives used to prevent and treat microbial contamination in poultry. Although there are several studies on the antimicrobial properties of essential oils, there is still no review that simultaneously compiles information on the leading antimicrobial role of essential oils from Citrus aurantifolia (CAEO), Ocimum basilicum (OBEO), and Allium sativum (ASEO) in poultry. Awareness of the antimicrobial role of these substances opens the door to encouraging their use in natural antimicrobial protocols and discouraging harmful synthetics in poultry. This review aimed to compile information on applying CAEO, OBEO, and ASEO as antimicrobials in poultry farming. The available literature suggests that these essential oils can proportionately align with the poultry industry's demands for microbiologically safe food products.

Sanitizing Hatching Eggs with Essential Oils: Avian and Microbiological Safety.

Increased meat and egg production leads to concomitant changes in poultry practices, including the indiscriminate use of formaldehyde to sanitize hatching eggs. Although this sanitizer aids in the increase in poultry production, its toxic potential for man and for avian embryos represents an obstacle to its long-term use. This review assesses whether essential oils fit into the context of hatching egg contamination, reviewing their antimicrobial efficiency, toxicity to poultry embryos and chicks, and their sanitizing effects on poultry production parameters. Studies have indicated that, because they are safer, most of the essential oils studied can be a potential substitute for formaldehyde for minimizing microbial exposure of hatching eggs and embryos. However, complementary studies on the microbiological profile of embryos and chicks hatched from eggs sanitized with essential oils need to be carried out and the economic feasibility of the candidate products should also be considered.

Antimicrobial Coating Based on Tahiti Lemon Essential Oil and Green Banana Flour to Preserve the Internal Quality of Quail Eggs.

This study evaluated the microbiological and internal quality of quail eggs stored for 21 days at room temperature (29.53 ± 1.36 °C) after being coated with green banana flour and Tahiti lemon essential oil (GBF/TAH). One hundred and sixty-two quail eggs were equally distributed into three treatments: (1) uncoated eggs, (2) eggs coated with green banana flour (GBF), and (3) eggs coated with GBF/TAH. The Haugh unit (HU) of the eggs was significantly lower in the third week for uncoated eggs (70.94 ± 1.63, grade A) compared to eggs coated with GBF/TAH (81.47 ± 2.38, grade AA). On the 21st day of storage, the eggs coated with GBF/TAH had significantly lower total counts of aerobic mesophilic bacteria in the shell and egg contents compared to the other treatments. GBF/TAH coating is an effective blending approach to reduce the microbial load of the shell and egg contents and preserve the sensory and internal quality of the eggs.

Bibliographical Mapping of Research into the Relationship between In Ovo Injection Practice and Hatchability in Poultry.

Recent advances in poultry practice have produced new tools enabling the poultry industry to increase productivity. Aiming at increasing production quality, varying protocols of in ovo injection facilitate the introduction of exogenous substances into the egg to complement the nutrients that support embryonic development up to hatching, which are already available in the internal and external compartments. Due to embryonic sensitivity, adding any substance into the egg can be either advantageous or disadvantageous for embryonic survival and can influence hatch rates. Thus, understanding the relationship between poultry practices and production rates is the first step towards successful commercial application. This review aims to assess the influence on hatch rates of injecting different substances in ovo, including effects on embryo and chick health parameters where these are reported. Bibliographic mappings of co-authorship of citations, co-occurrence of keywords, and bibliographic coupling based on the in ovo injection technique and hatchability parameters were also performed. Using the Scopus database, 242 papers were retrieved, reviewed, and submitted for bibliographic mapping using the VOSviewer® software. This review provides a broad overview of just over 38 years' research on the subject, revealing that studies have significantly increased and peaked in 2020, being produced primarily by US researchers and published primarily in the journal Poultry Science. It also reveals that despite negative reports relating to some substances in the embryo, in ovo delivery of substances may possibly change the poultry industry for the better in terms of production rates (hatchability) and/or poultry health.

Effects of Sanitizers on Microbiological Control of Hatching Eggshells and Poultry Health during Embryogenesis and Early Stages after Hatching in the Last Decade.

The sanitization of hatching eggs is the backbone of the hygienic-sanitary management of eggs on farms and extends to the hatchery. Poultry production gains depend on the benefits of sanitizers. Obtaining the maximum yield from incubation free of toxic sanitizers is a trend in poultry farming, closely following the concerns imposed through scientific research. The toxic characteristics of formaldehyde, the primary sanitizer for hatching eggs, are disappointing, but it is a cheap, practical and widely used antimicrobial. To overcome this shortcoming, multiple synthetic and natural chemical sanitizers have been, and continue to be, tested on hatching eggs. This review aims to evaluate the effects of different sanitizers on the microbiological quality of hatching eggshells and poultry health during embryogenesis and early stages after hatching.

Spraying Hatching Eggs with Clove Essential Oil Does Not Compromise the Quality of Embryos and One-Day-Old Chicks or Broiler Performance.

The objective of this study was to evaluate whether sanitizing hatching eggs with clove essential oil in the preincubation phase affects broiler performance and influences the hatch window and quality of embryos and one-day-old chicks. Hatching eggs (n = 1280; mean weight = 58.64 ± 0.49 g) from a batch of 37-week-old broiler breeder hens of the CPK (Pesadão Vermelho) lineage were randomly distributed into four treatments in the preincubation phase. The treatments consisted of three different sanitization procedures (spraying with grain alcohol, spraying with clove essential oil, and fumigation with paraformaldehyde) and a control treatment (nonsanitized). The lengths of the embryos and one-day-old chicks (one of the parameters used to assess bird quality) were not significantly different among the treatments, with means of 15.30 ± 1.41 and 18.37 ± 0.76 mm, respectively. Body weight, body weight gain, feed consumption, and feed conversion rate in different rearing periods did not differ significantly among the treatments. However, there was a significant difference in the percentage of survivability during the initial period (1 to 28 days) among the treatments. In conclusion, clove essential oil treatment did not negatively affect the quality of embryos and one-day-old chicks or the performance of broilers.

Identificação laboratorial de micobactérias em amostras respiratórias de pacientes com suspeita de tuberculose pulmonar no Laboratório Central de Saúde Pública do Distrito Federal (LACEN-DF) / Laboratory identification of mycobacteria from respiratory samples of patients with suspected pulmonary tuberculosis in samples isolated at the Central Laboratory of Public Health of the Federal District (LACEN-DF)

Introdução: O diagnóstico rápido e preciso da tuberculose (TB) e o início precoce do tratamento são fatores de grande importância para reduzir e minimizar o risco de contágio pelo Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Nesse contexto, as principais metodologias empregadas no Brasil para o diagnóstico da TB são os testes de baciloscopia e de cultura. Objetivo: O presente estudo tem como objetivo descrever os resultados de três técnicas laboratoriais para o diagnóstico da TB pulmonar. Métodos: Foram analisados dados de baciloscopias e culturas de 10.418 prontuários de pacientes de ambos os sexos, diferentes idades e locais de residência, no período de janeiro de 2011 a junho de 2014. Resultados: Foram analisados os prontuários de 284 pacientes com resultado positivo para o Complexo Mycobacterium Tuberculosis (CMTB). Dos 284 pacientes positivos para o CMTB, 210 apresentaram BAAR positivos (73,9%) e 74 negativos (26,1%). Nos cultivos em meio LJ, 255 amostras foram positivas (89,7%) e 29 negativas (10,3%), enquanto no meio de cultivo líquido Bactec MGIT® a positividade foi de 276 (97,1%) e 8 negativas (2,9 %). Conclusões: Observou-se que a identificação de BAAR em exame direto continua a ser de suma importância no diagnóstico precoce da TB. Os métodos de cultura, principalmente o sistema Bactec-MGIT®, mostraram neste estudo um incremento de 23,2% no diagnóstico da TB pulmonar. (AU)

Introduction: The rapid and accurate diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) and early treatment are very important factors to reduce and minimize the risk of infection by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In this context the main methodologies used in Brazil for the diagnosis of TB are smear tests and culture. Objective: This study aimed to describe the results of three laboratory techniques for the diagnosis of pulmonary TB. Methods: Sputum smear and culture data from 10,418 records of patients of both sexes, different ages and places of residence, from January 2011 to June 2014 were analyzed. Results: We analyzed the results of 284 patients with positive report for Mycobacterium tuberculosis Complex (CMTB). Of the 284 positive patients, 210 were positive AFB (73.9%) and 74 were negative (26.1%). In the culture medium LJ, 255 samples were positive (89.7%) and 29 negative (10.3%), while in the liquid Bactec MGIT® cultivation, 276 were positive (97.1%) and 8 were negative (2.9%). Conclusions: It was observed that the identification of acid-fast bacilli on direct examination continues to be of paramount importance in the early diagnosis of TB. The methods of culture, especially the Bactec-MGIT® system, showed in this study an increase of 23.2% in the diagnosis of pulmonary TB. (AU)

Avaliação da eficácia das ações preventivas adotadas pela Gevaz-Brasília-DF, visando o controle da transmissão da leishmaniose visceral canina / Effectiveness evaluation of preventive actions taken by Gevaz-Brasília-DF, aiming at the control of transmission canine visceral leishmaniasis

Objetivo ­ Analisar as medidas preventivas para diminuir o número de casos de Leishmaniose Visceral Canina na Gerência de Vigilância Ambiental de Zoonoses (GEVAZ) em Brasília ­ Distrito Federal. Métodos ­ O estudo é do tipo retrospectivo descritivo que foi desenvolvido na Gerência de Vigilância Ambiental de Zoonoses em Brasília/DF em outubro de 2013. Os dados foram obtidos por meio de um questionário claro e conciso apresentado por escrito aos médicos veterinários, farmacêuticos, biólogos e funcionários do local. Resultados ­ Investigou-se para o cumprimento do Programa Nacional de Controle Leishmaniose Visceral que a GEVAZ tem realizado ações de vigilância, prevenção, controle e monitoramento sistemático, a fim de evitar surtos, epidemias e desacelerar a dispersão da doença para outras localidades. Conclusão ­ Observou-se, neste estudo, que as ações preventivas para o controle da Leishmaniose Visceral Canina à população não foram suficientes para reduzir os casos da doença. Entretanto, torna-se imprescindível um apoio governamental para realização dessas ações.

Objective ­ To analyze preventive measures to decrease the number of cases of Canine Visceral Leishmaniasis in Management Environmental Surveillance Zoonoses in Brasília ­ Distrito Federal. Methods ­ The study was a retrospective developed in Management Environmental Surveillance Zoonoses in Brasília/DF in October 2013. Os November data were obtained through a questionnaire clear and concise writing presented to veterinarians, pharmacists, biologists and local officials. Results ­ We investigated for the fulfillment of the National Program for the Control Visceral Leishmaniasis Gevaz has performed for surveillance, prevention, control, and systematic monitoring in order to prevent outbreaks, epidemics and slow the spread of disease to other locations. Conclusion ­ Observed in this study that the preventive actions to control Canine Visceral Leishmaniasis the population were not enough to reduce cases of the disease, however, it becomes essential government support to carry out these actions.