QUALITY AND MICROBIOLOGICAL SAFETY OF A DAILY MORTALITY COMPOST PRODUCED IN A VETERINARY FACULTY AT SÃO PAULO STATE

Introduction: Daily and outbursts mortality composting have been identified as one of the finest methods for final disposal of animal corpses, but the probable threat of pathogens transmission truly limits its use. Materials and Methods: In this study we evaluated the quality and microbiological biosafety of a compost produced in daily mortality experimental unit composting at the Universidade Estadual Paulista in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Settled compost sample was evaluated in order to determine the presence and counting of coliforms and Salmonella sp. and the pathotypes of E. coli STEC, EPEC and EHEC using culture and molecular techniques. The occurrence of frequent soil borne phytopathogenic fungi was also estimated using selective and differential microbiological culture media. Results and Discussion: The occurrence of pathogenic E. coli, Salmonella sp and phytopathogenic fungi were negative. Coliforms level was 3.05 log10/g. Concussions: The results showed that daily mortality composting method is effective to reduce pathogenic microorganisms, however, in order to add the product on crops or plants such as vegetables that are for direct human consumption, additional tests must be performed to assess the presence of viral pathogens and endospores forming bacteria.

Assessment of Burnout, Professional Fulfillment, and Strategies for Improvement in Veterinary Faculty at a Large Academic Department

Retention and recruitment of clinical faculty is crucial for the success of quality veterinary education. Clinical faculty in busy teaching hospital environments have the potential to experience significant burnout, though few studies have focused on identifying stressors in this group. The objective of this study was to measure burnout and professional fulfillment in clinical faculty using a recently validated instrument, the Stanford Professional Fulfillment Index (PFI). The survey was distributed to faculty in July 2020, a time that coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey was completed by 80% (52/65) of survey recipients. Scores for Overall Burnout were significantly higher ( p = .027) and Professional Fulfillment scores significantly lower ( p < .001) for veterinary faculty when compared to a reference group of academic physicians. 61.7% (29/47) of the faculty met the criteria for burnout, and 20.4% (10/49) met the criteria for professional fulfillment. Overall Burnout and Professional Fulfillment scores were not affected by faculty rank or gender, although interpersonal disengagement was greater in faculty who had worked > 6 years at the institution ( p = .032). Responses indicated that faculty valued their work and their patients but faced an excessive workload and lacked autonomy to make changes. Faculty proposed improving efficiency, increasing staffing, and distributing work to technical staff. The PFI is a brief, no-cost instrument validated for measuring burnout and fulfillment in health care workers that can be used to assess well-being among veterinary faculty. Involving faculty in suggesting interventions may yield a variety of creative and actionable options.

Contribution of veterinary profession to the response to COVID-19 pandemic conveyed through experiences of the Veterinary Faculty Sarajevo

The International Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), from the onset of COVID-19 pandemic, promoted One Health in global and national responses. The OIE accentuated the role of the veterinary profession due to testing capacity of animal health laboratories and expertise. Veterinary Faculty Sarajevo through its Veterinary Institute participates in the national veterinary service with diagnostic and advisory roles. It has proactively enhanced the scope and quality of laboratories, including strengthening the interdisciplinarity and internationality. Development achieved through earlier pandemic threats resulted in having laboratory and technical facilities for molecular SARS-CoV-2 detection in the wake of the unveiling COVID-19 pandemic (early 2020). From confirmation of the first COVID-19 cases in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), our staff participated in crisis response teams and, so far, held over sixty media addresses promoting public awareness and science based information. Our laboratories were included in the official detection system and were the first to sequence SARS-CoV-2, then to establish the Alpha COVID-19 variant in BiH human samples and to substantiate one-way virus transmission from humans to pets. The aim of this paper is to describe our activities as a participant in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, alongside faced challenges and gained experiences.

Development and Formative Evaluation of a Low-Fidelity Equine Castration Model for Veterinary Education

Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) are units of activity that early-stage professionals perform in the workplace that necessitate simultaneous integration of multiple competencies. EPA #6 requires students to perform a common surgical procedure on a stable patient, including pre-operative and post-operative management. Castration is one of the most common surgeries performed by equine primary care practitioners and is considered an “entry-level competency” for veterinary graduates entering equine private practice, however, to our knowledge there are no equine castration models available for veterinary student education. Therefore, we developed an inexpensive, low-fidelity model of equine field castration and evaluated it using a mixed-methods approach. Two different groups of students, with or without model experience, completed surveys before and after live horse castration. Students who used the model also completed model specific surveys. Videos of the students completing the model were evaluated by at least two different equine veterinary faculty using a 15-point rubric, and inter-rater reliability of the rubric was determined. After completing the model, students reflected on strengths and weaknesses of their performance. From our student survey results, we determined that student attitudes toward the model were mostly positive. Interestingly, there were several student attitudes toward the model that became significantly more favorable after live horse castration. Prior to live horse castration, there was no significant difference in confidence in model vs. no-model groups. Following live horse castration, students who used the model had higher confidence in procedure preparation and hand-ties than students who did not use the model, but they had lower scores for confidence during patient recovery. When reflecting on model castration, students most commonly cited preparation and surgical description as strengths, and ligature placement and hand-ties as weaknesses. Experts provided several suggestions to improve the model, including incorporation of emasculators and the need for better model stabilization. Our findings suggest that both students and veterinary educators feel that this low-fidelity model has educational value. Rubric performance metrics were favorable, but additional steps are needed to improve grading consistency among educators. Future research will determine whether student performance on the model is predictive of competence score during live-horse castration.

Effect of feeding of chelated zinc form on security, productivity and slaughter parameters of broilers

The results of the effect of feeding the chelated form of Zinc on the safety, productivity and slaughter parameters of broiler chickens are presented. The aim of this study was to determine the safety, productivity and slaughter parameters of broilers on the background of feeding chelated form of Zinc. Materials and methods. Experimental studies were conducted during 2020 on broiler chickens cross Cobb-500 in the vivarium of the Veterinary Faculty of Sumy National Agrarian University (Ukraine), divided into two groups on the principle of analogues (control and experimental) of 50 broilers each. The source of zinc for chickens in the control group was their sulfates. Chelated forms of Zinc were used for broiler chickens of the experimental group. All groups of broiler chickens were administered the compound with compound feed in a dose that corresponded to the daily requirement of the bird in this trace element. The duration of the experiment is 42 days. The growth and development of broilers were evaluated on the basis of determining the relevant zootechnical indicators. Live weight of birds was determined by individual weighing on scales of the VNC type with an accuracy of ±1 g at the age of 7, 14, 21, 28, 35 and 42 days. Both scientific and economic experiments also determined the preservation of livestock - daily by the number of culled and dead birds. Feed consumption was recorded daily, for each week of cultivation and for the entire period of the experiment. At the end of the experiment, the cost of feed per 1 kg of live gained weight was calculated. Results. According to the results of the conducted researches, it was established that feeding of the chelated form of Zinc probably increased both the average daily gain and the total live weight of broiler chickens at different age periods of rearing. The live weight of chickens at the beginning of the experiment was almost the same, but at 7 days of age it tended to increase in chickens of the experimental group, although a significant difference between groups in this indicator was not found. It was found that the weight of uneviscerated, semi-eviscerated and eviscerated chicken in poultry of the experimental group was greater than similar indicators in the young animals of the control group by 9.3, 9.2, and 9.8 %, and this difference was significant (p<0.01). The yield of semi-eviscerated carcasses was higher in ones of the experimental group (84.19 %), and the difference was significant (p<0.05). Conclusions. It was found that the live weight of chickens of the experimental group (consumption of feed with a chelated form of Zinc) prevailed at 7 days of age by 1.1 g; on the 14th day – on 22.1 g (p<0.01); at 21 days – 35.4 g (p<0.01); at 28 days – 94.5 g (p<0.05); at 35 days – 133.6 g (p<0.01); at 42 days – at 218.9 g (p<0.05). Preservation of young animals in the experimental group, which used chelated compounds of Zinc, was higher and amounted to 96 %, compared with the control – 92 %. By age, feed costs per unit weight gain were lower in the experiment, respectively: 0.05; 0.08; 0.12; 0.06; 0.07 and 0.05 kg, compared to the control group. Growing broiler chickens on compound feed with a chelated form of Zinc by 9.8 % (p<0.01) increases the weight of the eviscerated carcass.

Anthelmintic resistance in Creole horses in the South of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

ABSTRACT The objective of the study was to evaluate the antiparasitic resistance against horse nematodes in the South of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The results concerning the tests of anthelmintic efficacy on horses, stored in the database of the Parasitic Diseases Study Group (GEEP) - Veterinary Faculty, at the Federal University of Pelotas (UFPel), were carried out in the laboratory from 2018 to 2019. Stool samples were received from farms with breeding of adult female and male Criollo horses naturally infected, located in municipalities in the country’s southern region. The antiparasitic agents tested were Triclorfon + Fenbendazole, Closantel + Albendazole, Ivermectin + Praziquantel, Fenbendazole, Ivermectin, Doramectin, Mebendazole and Moxidectin. Techniques such as Gordon and Whitlock, Coproculture and Fecal Egg Count Reduction Test were performed. Of all the antiparasitic drugs tested, it was observed that only treatments with Ivermectin 2% showed desired values. The observed results indicate that resistance to macrocyclic lactones is usual in equine parasites in this Brazilian region, despite the results with isolated Ivermectin.

Phylogenetic pattern of SARS-CoV-2 from COVID-19 patients from Bosnia and Herzegovina: lessons learned to optimize future molecular and epidemiological approaches

This is the first report of molecular and epidemiology findings from Bosnia and Herzegovina related to ongoing SARS-CoV-2 epidemic. Whole Genome Sequence of four samples from COVID-19 outbreaks was done in two laboratories in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Veterinary Faculty Sarajevo and Alea Genetic Center). All four BiH sequences cluster mainly with European ones (Italy, Austria, France, Sweden, Cyprus, England). The constructed phylogenetic tree indicates possible multiple independent introduction events. The data presented contributes to a better understanding of COVID-19 in the current reemergence of the disease.

Twenty Years of Passive Disease Surveillance of Roe Deer (Capreolus capreolus) in Slovenia

In this paper, we provide an overview of the causes of death of roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) diagnosed within the national passive health surveillance of roe deer in Slovenia. From 2000 to 2019, postmortem examinations of 510 free-ranging roe deer provided by hunters were conducted at the Veterinary Faculty, Slovenia. A comprehensive necropsy was performed. According to the results of the necropsy, the samples were subjected to microscopic, histopathological, bacteriological, parasitological, or virological examination. The most frequent causes of death in roe deer were infectious diseases (67%), followed by noninfectious diseases (28%). Of all deaths, parasitic infections represented 48%, bacterial infections 14.8%, trauma 12.5%, and metabolic disorders 9.8%. Less frequent causes were diseases like neoplasia and mycotic infections, winter starvation, hernias, and lightning strike. This study covered an estimated 1% of the total disease-related mortality of roe deer in Slovenia. Comparisons of sex/age structure indicated that hunters did not provide random samples (e.g., young males were disproportionately represented). Therefore, such monitoring does not ensure an unbiased assessment of the significance of the individual disease for the mortality of the population; however, it can provide credible evidence of whether or not a particular disease is present in a population. We show that no identified disease in roe deer in Slovenia can be considered a significant health threat to roe deer, other wildlife species, or humans.

Iatrogenic Chlorpromazine Abuse in a Kitten

Chlorpromazine is a sedative effective phenothiazine derivative used to prevent nausea and vomiting, especially in cases of motion sickness in cats. It has serious side effects at high doses, including weakness, tremors, loss of anal sphincter tone and reflexes, hypotension, heart rhythm abnormalities, coma, agitation and seizures. In this case report, chlorpromazine toxicity was defined in a 4-month-old, 1.2 kg male Van kitten brought to Selcuk University Veterinary Faculty Emergency Clinic with complaints of stagnation, tremors, vomiting and excessive sleepiness. Hypothermia (35.2 °C), hyperpnea (88 breaths/min), hypersalivation, constipation, excessive agitation, tremors and incoordination were determined in the clinical examination of the kitten. It was learned from the anamnesis that 100 mg chlorpromazine was given orally before the trip against motion sickness. Electrocardiographic examination determined sinus tachycardia (220 beats/min), increase in P wave amplitude, elevation in ST complex and hypotension (S/MAP/D = 148/124/112). The major laboratory findings were metabolic acidosis (pH 7.278), hypoglycaemia (61 mg/dL), leukocytosis (22.43 m/mm3), increase in blood ured nitrogen (17.7 mg/dL), creatinine (0.6 mg/dL) and ALP (121 U/L) concentrations and hypertriglyceridemia (122 mg/dL). Based on the anamnesis, clinical, laboratory and ECG findings, the kitten was diagnosed with overdose chlorpromazine toxicity and hospitalized, and put under surveillance for continuous cardiac monitoring. Lactated ringer solution, norepinephrine tartrate, furosemide, activated charcoal and oxygen therapy were given. The treatment was successful. In conclusion, it was evaluated that continuous cardiac monitoring and controlling hypotension were important in the management of chlorpromazine toxicity, and fluid therapy, norepinephrine, diuretic and activated charcoal administrations achieve success in treatment.

Epidemiology of Canine Mast Cell Tumors in Uruguay

We examined in the present study main epidemiological features of canine mast cell tumors in Uruguay, principal breeds of occurrence, age, gender, anatomical distributions, and associated differences of pathological grading. During a three-year period, eighty four out of 405 skin specimens of dogs mainly received at the Veterinary Faculty of Montevideo from private clinics were mast cell tumors. Mix-breed dogs were mostly affected, followed by Labrador Retrievers, Boxers, Pit bulls and Golden Retrievers. Age of patients ranged from 3 to 15 years (median 7.9), and the incidence in females was slightly higher than in males. Tumors were more frequent in the trunk, followed by extremities, scrotum and neck. The majority of specimens were of high malignancy.