Gustafsonhammond8384

Piling is a behavior in laying hens whereby individuals aggregate in larger densities than would be normally expected. When piling behavior leads to mortalities it is known as smothering and its frequent but unpredictable occurrence is a major concern for many egg producers. There are generally considered to be three types of piling panic, nest box and recurring piling. Whilst nest box and panic piling have apparent triggers, recurring piling does not, making it an enigmatic and ethologically intriguing behavior. The repetitive nature of recurring piling may result in a higher incidence of smothering and could have unconsidered, sub-lethal consequences. Here, we consider the possible causes of recurring piling from an ethological perspective and outline the potential welfare and production consequences. Drawing on a wide range of literature, we consider different timescales of causes from immediate triggers to ontogeny and domestication processes, and finally consider the evolution of collective behavior. By considering different timescales of influence, we built four hypotheses relevant to the causes of piling, which state that the behavior (i) is caused by hens moving toward or away from an attractant/repellent; (ii) is socially influenced; (iii) is influenced by early life experiences and; (iv) can be described as a maladaptive collective behavior. We further propose that the following could be welfare consequences of piling behavior Heat stress, physical injury (such as keel bone damage), and behavioral and physiological stress effects. Production consequences include direct and indirect mortality (smothering and knock-on effects of piling, respectively), potential negative impacts on egg quality and on worker welfare. In future studies the causes of piling and smothering should be considered according to the different timescales on which causes might occur. Here, both epidemiological and modeling approaches could support further study of piling behavior, where empirical studies can be challenging.Leishmaniosis by Leishmania infantum is a major zoonotic Vector-Borne Disease (VBD) in terms of geographic distribution, pathogenicity and zoonotic potential. While dogs are the main reservoir of L. infantum, the infection in cats is poorly understood although increasingly reported from enzootic and non-enzootic areas. The Mediterranean basin is a key area for leishmaniosis and includes touristic spots that require continuous surveillance for VBDs in consideration of the growing tendency of tourists to travel with their pets. This study evaluated L. infantum seroprevalence in cats living in selected touristic localities of Italy and Greece. A total of 269 cat serum samples from three Sites i.e., 76, 40, and 153 from Adriatic Coast of Abruzzo, Italy (Site A), Giglio Island, Tuscany, Italy (Site B), and Mykonos Island, Greece (Site C), respectively, were included in the survey. Sera samples were subjected to an indirect immunofluorescence antibody assay for the detection of anti-L. infantum specific IgG. Associations between possible risk factors and seropositivity to L. infantum were statistically evaluated. Antibodies against L. infantum were detected in eight out of 269 (3.0%) cats tested i.e., 4/76 (5.3%), 1/40 (2.5%), and 3/153 (2.0%), from sites A, B, and C, respectively. A statistical association between anti-L. infantum antibodies and cohabitation with dogs was shown. This study indicates that feline populations living in the examined Italian and Greek touristic areas are exposed to L. infantum and that they may contribute to the circulation of L. infantum, enhancing the risk of infection for dogs and humans.Influenza D virus (IDV), a novel orthomyxovirus, is currently emerging in cattle worldwide. Reversan It shares >50% sequence similarity with the human influenza C virus (HICV). Two clades of IDV are currently co-circulating in cattle herds in the U.S. New assays specific for each lineage are needed for accurate surveillance. Also, differential diagnosis between zoonotic human influenza C virus and the two clades of IDV are important to assess the zoonotic potential of IDV. We developed an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) based on two different epitopes HEF and NP and four peptides, and fluorescent focus neutralization assay to differentiate between IDV bovine and swine clades. Calf sera were obtained, and bovine samples underwent surveillance. Our results highlight the importance of position 215 with 212 in determining the heterogeneity between the two lineages. We needed IFA and FFN for tissue culture-based analysis and a BSL2 facility for analyzing virus interactions. Unfortunately, these are not available However, blocking ELISAs differentiated between the two viruses. Diagnostic tools and assays to differentiate between ICV and IDV are required for serological and epidemiological analysis to clarify the complexity and evolution and eliminate misdiagnosis between ICV and IDV in human samples.Trematodes are snail-borne parasites of major zoonotic importance that infect millions of people and animals worldwide and frequently hybridize with closely related species. Therefore, it is desirable to study trematodiases in a One Health framework, where human and animal trematodes are considered equally important. It is within this framework that we set out to study the snail and trematode communities in four artificial lakes and an abattoir in Zimbabwe. Trematode infections in snails were detected through multiplex PCR protocols. Subsequently, we identified snails by sequencing a partial mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) fragment, and trematodes (adults from the abattoir and larval stages detected in snails) using COI and nuclear rDNA markers. Of the 1,674 collected snails, 699 were molecularly analyzed, in which we identified 12 snail and 19 trematode species. Additionally, three parasite species were sampled from the abattoir. Merely four trematode species were identified to species level through COI-based barcoding. Moreover, identification of members of the superfamilies Opisthorchioidea and Plagiorchioidea required a phylogenetic inference using the highly conserved 18S rDNA marker, as no related COI reference sequences were present in public databases. These barcoding challenges demonstrate a severe barcoding void in the available databases, which can be attributed to the neglected status of trematodiases. Adding to this, many available sequences cannot be used as different studies use different markers. To fill this gap, more studies on African trematodes, using a standardized COI barcoding region, are desperately needed.