Longitudinal study of Salmonella shedding in naturally infected finishing pigs

SUMMARYA 3-year longitudinal study was conducted on a multi-site farrow-to-finish production system. For each of 18 cohorts at three finishing sites, 50 pigs were randomly selected. Faecal samples were collected every 2 weeks for 16 weeks. Salmonella was cultured from 453 (6·6%) of 6836 faecal samples. The pig-level incidence of Salmonella was 20·8% (187/899 pigs). Salmonella prevalence varied between cohorts and within pigs. The adjusted Salmonella prevalence decreased over the finishing period from 6·4% to 0·8%. Intermittent detection of Salmonella was found in more than 50% of pigs that were positive at more than one collection. The finding that the majority of pigs shed intermittently has implications for surveillance and research study design when determining Salmonella status. The variability in shedding over time, as well as between and within cohorts and pigs suggests that there may be time-variant risk factors for Salmonella shedding in swine.

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A guide to human microbiome research: study design, sample collection, and bioinformatics analysis

Chinese Medical Journal ◽

10.1097/cm9.0000000000000871 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 133 (15) ◽

pp. 1844-1855

Author(s):

Xu-Bo Qian ◽

Tong Chen ◽

Yi-Ping Xu ◽

Lei Chen ◽

Fu-Xiang Sun ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Study Design ◽

Research Study ◽

Bioinformatics Analysis ◽

Human Microbiome ◽

Sample Collection ◽

Microbiome Research ◽

Research Study Design

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Longitudinal study of adverse behaviour of undocked pigs in two different housing systems

BSAP Occasional Publication ◽

10.1017/s0263967x00040374 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 31 ◽

pp. 165-168

Author(s):

H. A. Van de Weerd ◽

C. M. Docking ◽

J .E. L. Day ◽

K. Breuer ◽

S. A. Edwards

Keyword(s):

Body Weight ◽

Longitudinal Study ◽

Flow System ◽

Housing System ◽

Finishing Pigs ◽

Housing Systems ◽

Tail Biting ◽

Changes Over Time ◽

Over Time ◽

Biting Behaviour

AbstractThe development of adverse behaviour in group–housed growing/ finishing pigs with intact tails was studied in a straw–flow housing system and in a part–slatted system with a commercial enrichment object. Food intake, body weight and behaviour were monitored over the finishing period, with tail biting outbreaks defined as an occasion where three or more pigs within a group had freshly damaged tails and tail biting behaviour was ongoing. Data from the two systems were analysed to identify tail–biting outbreaks and behavioural changes over time. Levels of pig manipulation were higher in the part–slatted system. Over time, pigs in both systems showed reduced interest in the enrichment provided, but not in each other. Despite the presence of the enrichment device, tail biting occurred in all groups in the part–slatted system, but only 1/12 groups in the straw–flow system. The amount of time occupied by manipulation of the enrichment provided was very significantly higher for straw than for the commercial object. Better design of enrichment strategies is therefore needed and should be based on species–relevant requirements.

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