Diversity of virulence profiles of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli serotypes in food-producing animals in Brazil

The prevalence, serotypes and virulence profiles of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) were investigated in 205 healthy beef and dairy cattle, and 106 goats reared in the southeastern region of Minas Gerais State, Brazil. The prevalence of STEC was 57.5% (61/106) in goats, 39.2%, (40/102) in beef cattle and 17.5% (18/103) in dairy cattle. Among the 514 STEC isolates, 40 different serotypes were found and some of them were identified in a specific host. STEC isolates harboring stx(1) corresponded to 15.6% (28/180), 26.7% (16/60) and 24.1% (66/274) in beef cattle, dairy cattle and goats, respectively. stx(2) was found in 30% (54/180), 53.3% (32/60) and 34.7% (95/274) of beef and dairy cattle, and goats. stx(1) plus stx(2) sequences were harbored by 54.4% (98/180), 20% (12/60) and 41.2% (113/274) of beef cattle, dairy cattle and goats, respectively. The eae sequence was found in 15% (9/60) and 0.6% (1/180) of STEC isolates from dairy and beef cattle, respectively, and the toxB gene was found only in one O157:H7 strain isolated from beef cattle. Strains with the genetic profiles stx(2) ehxA iha saa and stx(1) stx(2) ehxA iha saa were the most prevalent among STEC isolates from cattle. Profiles stx(1) stx(2) ehxA iha, stx(2), and stx(1) iha accounted for 75.5% (207 /274) of the STEC isolates from goats. While STEC strains carrying either stx(2) alone or associated with stx(1) were found more frequently in cattle, those harboring sequences stx(1c) and stx(2d) alone or associated with stx(1c) predominated in goats. Our data show a diversity of STEC strains in food-producing animals, most of them carrying genes linked to severe forms of human diseases.     

Short communication: Antimethanogenic effects of 3-nitrooxypropanol depend on supplementation dose,dietary fiber content,and cattle type

3-Nitrooxypropanol (NOP) is a promising methane (CH₄) inhibitor. Recent studies have shown major reductions in CH₄ emissions from beef and dairy cattle when using NOP but with large variation in response. The objective of this study was to quantitatively evaluate the factors that explain heterogeneity in response to NOP using meta-analytical approaches. Data from 11 experiments and 38 treatment means were used. Factors considered were cattle type (dairy or beef), measurement technique (GreenFeed technique, C-Lock Inc., Rapid City, SD; sulfur hexafluoride tracer technique; and respiration chamber technique), dry matter (DM) intake, body weight, NOP dose, roughage proportion, dietary crude protein content, and dietary neutral detergent fiber (NDF) content. The mean difference (MD) in CH₄ production (g/d) and CH₄ yield (g/kg of DM intake) was calculated by subtracting the mean of CH₄ emission for the control group from that of the NOP-supplemented group. Forest plots of standardized MD indicated variable effect sizes of NOP across studies. Compared with beef cattle, dairy cattle had a much larger feed intake (22.3 ± 4.13 vs. 7.3 ± 0.97 kg of DM/d; mean ± standard deviation) and CH₄ production (351 ± 94.1 vs. 124 ± 44.8 g/d). Therefore, in further analyses across dairy and beef cattle studies, MD was expressed as a proportion (%) of observed control mean. The final mixed-effect model for relative MD in CH₄ production included cattle type, NOP dose, and NDF content. When adjusted for NOP dose and NDF content, the CH₄-mitigating effect of NOP was less in beef cattle (?22.2 ± 3.33%) than in dairy cattle (?39.0 ± 5.40%). An increase of 10 mg/kg of DM in NOP dose from its mean (123 mg/kg of DM) enhanced the NOP effect on CH₄ production decline by 2.56 ± 0.550%. However, a greater dietary NDF content impaired the NOP effect on CH₄ production by 1.64 ± 0.330% per 10 g/kg DM increase in NDF content from its mean (331 g of NDF/kg of DM). The factors included in the final mixed-effect model for CH₄ yield were ?17.1 ± 4.23% (beef cattle) and ?38.8 ± 5.49% (dairy cattle), ?2.48 ± 0.734% per 10 mg/kg DM increase in NOP dose from its mean, and 1.52 ± 0.406% per 10 g/kg DM increase in NDF content from its mean. In conclusion, the present meta-analysis indicates that a greater NOP dose enhances the NOP effect on CH₄ emission, whereas an increased dietary fiber content decreases its effect. 3-Nitrooxypropanol has stronger antimethanogenic effects in dairy cattle than in beef cattle.     

内蒙古地区不同养殖草食动物背最长肌氨基酸组成及营养价值评价

以内蒙古地区集约化养殖草食动物牛、绵羊、山羊和驴背最长肌为研究对象,以鸡胸肉为参照,采用全自动氨基酸分析仪内标法检测氨基酸含量,评价肌肉氨基酸组成及营养价值。结果表明：各氨基酸在不同动物肌肉中的含量均呈显著差异（P＜0.05）;鸡胸肉、牛肉和山羊肉总必需氨基酸含量显著高于绵羊肉（P＜0.05）,驴肉与其他肉无显著差异;牛肉和驴肉总非必需氨基酸含量显著高于山羊肉（P＜0.05）,其他肉无显著差异。不同草食动物肌肉必需氨基酸指数（essential amino acid index,EAAI）均高于95,属于优质蛋白质来源,EAAI顺序为山羊肉＞鸡胸肉＞绵羊肉＞牛肉＞驴肉;驴肉甜味氨基酸含量显著高于其他肉（P＜0.05）,牛肉和绵羊肉鲜味氨基酸含量显著高于其他肉（P＜0.05）,鸡胸肉苦味氨基酸含量显著高于其他肉（P＜0.05）,牛肉和绵羊肉总呈味氨基酸含量显著高于其他肉（P＜0.05）;以氨基酸相对含量聚类,绵羊肉和牛肉在图谱中最接近,驴肉处于图谱最远端。     

我国常见家畜胴体分割及分级技术发展

牛、猪、羊为我国主要家畜品种。改革开放以来,我国牛、猪、羊胴体分割、分级技术水平有了一定的提升,关于家畜胴体分割、分级技术的发展过程及其标准的研究不断完善。本文概述了我国牛、猪、羊胴体分割、分级技术相关标准规定,阐述了常见家畜胴体分割、分级技术的发展历程,并对胴体分割、分级技术存在的问题提出意见,旨在为我国家畜屠宰企业进行牛肉、猪肉和羊肉分割、分级提供参考,促进肉质提高及分割肉的增值,推动我国畜肉产业健康、持续、稳定、快速发展。     

Mycobacterium avium ssp. paratuberculosis in foods: current evidence and potential consequences

Mycobacterium avium ssp . paratuberculosis (MAP), the cause of Johne's disease in cattle, sheep and goats, may have a role in Crohn's disease in humans. Animals with Johne's disease shed viable MAP in their milk and faeces. The organism is also widely disseminated in the blood and tissues of infected animals. Consequently, transmission to humans via consumption of animal-derived foods is a distinct possibility. Milk, other dairy products, beef and water have been identified as possible food vehicles of transmission. To date, viable MAP has been cultured from raw cows', sheep and goats' milk, retail pasteurized cows' milk, and some retail cheeses in several countries during recent studies. MAP has not been isolated from retail beef to date, although limited testing has been carried out. The public health consequences, if any, of low numbers of viable MAP being periodically consumed by susceptible individuals are uncertain. An association between MAP and Crohn's disease is not proven, but neither can it be discounted on the basis of current evidence. A precautionary approach is therefore warranted in relation to the existence of MAP in food, and action is needed to reduce the prevalence of Johne's disease in the cattle population worldwide, in order to minimize public exposure to this potential human pathogen.     

Prevalence of shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in dairy cattle and their products

The main objective of this review was to assess the role of dairy cattle and their products in human infections with Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC). A large number of STEC strains (e.g., members of the serogroups O26, O91, O103, O111, O118, O145, and O166) have caused major outbreaks and sporadic cases of human illnesses that have ranged from mild diarrhea to the life-threatening hemolytic uremic syndrome. These illnesses were traced to O157 and non-O157 STEC. In most cases, STEC infection was attributed to consumption of ground beef or dairy products that were contaminated with cattle feces. Thus, dairy cattle are considered reservoirs of STEC and can impose a significant health risk to humans. The global nature of food supply suggests that safety concerns with beef and dairy foods will continue and the challenges facing the dairy industry will increase at the production and processing levels. In this review, published reports on STEC in dairy cattle and their products were evaluated to achieve the following specific objectives: 1) to assemble a database on human infections with STEC from dairy cattle, 2) to assess prevalence of STEC in dairy cattle, and 3) to determine the health risks associated with STEC strains from dairy cattle. The latter objective is critically important, as many dairy STEC isolates are known to be of high virulence. Fecal testing of dairy cattle worldwide showed wide ranges of prevalence rates for O157 (0.2 to 48.8%) and non-O157 STEC (0.4 to 74.0%). Of the 193 STEC serotypes of dairy cattle origin, 24 have been isolated from patients with hemolytic uremic syndrome. Such risks emphasize the importance and the need to develop long-term strategies to assure safety of foods from dairy cattle.     

Are dietary strategies to mitigate enteric methane emission equally effective across dairy cattle,beef cattle,and sheep?

The digestive physiology of ruminants is sufficiently different (e.g., with respect to mean retention time of digesta, digestibility of the feed offered, digestion, and fermentation characteristics) that caution is needed before extrapolating results from one type of ruminant to another. The objectives of the present study were (1) to provide an overview of some essential differences in rumen physiology between dairy cattle, beef cattle, and sheep that are related to methane (CH₄) emission; and (2) to evaluate whether dietary strategies to mitigate CH₄ emission with various modes of action are equally effective in dairy cattle, beef cattle, and sheep. A literature search was performed using Web of Science and Scopus, and 94 studies were selected from the literature. Per study, the effect size of the dietary strategies was expressed as a proportion (%) of the control level of CH₄ emission, as this enabled a comparison across ruminant types. Evaluation of the literature indicated that the effectiveness of forage-related CH₄ mitigation strategies, including feeding more highly digestible grass (herbage or silage) or replacing different forage types with corn silage, differs across ruminant types. These strategies are most effective for dairy cattle, are effective for beef cattle to a certain extent, but seem to have minor or no effects in sheep. In general, the effectiveness of other dietary mitigation strategies, including increased concentrate feeding and feed additives (e.g., nitrate), appeared to be similar for dairy cattle, beef cattle, and sheep. We concluded that if the mode of action of a dietary CH₄ mitigation strategy is related to ruminant-specific factors, such as feed intake or rumen physiology, the effectiveness of the strategy differs across ruminant types, whereas if the mode of action is associated with methanogenesis-related fermentation pathways, the strategy is effective across ruminant types. Hence, caution is needed when translating effectiveness of dietary CH₄ mitigation strategies across different ruminant types or production systems.     

Intensive sheep and beef production from pasture — A New Zealand perspective of concerns,opportunities and challenges

This paper details current production trends for sheep and beef cattle production in New Zealand and gives some insight into the opportunities for improvement based on New Zealand research at Massey University. Further it outlines some of the challenges the industries face in the near future. The New Zealand climate favours pasture growth and this is the key to sheep and beef cattle production with over 95% of the diet being grazed pasture or crop. Exports are the focus of the industry with 95% of sheep meat and wool, and 80% of beef exported. There have been considerable gains in production over the last 20 years but there still remains a huge opportunity for further intensification through breeding sheep at an earlier age, increasing the weight of lambs weaned per ewe per year and improving beef production systems. These improvements need to occur within a framework of minimal environmental footprint and produce products that are in demand in the high end international markets.     

Livestock Performance: Feeding Biotech Crops

To date, genetically enhanced plants in the marketplace that are used as feeds for livestock are based on producing insecticidal compounds or developing herbicide tolerance. Corn grain, whole plant green chop corn, corn silage, corn residue, soybeans, and soybean meal from the current genetically enhanced plants have been fed to chickens, sheep, beef cattle, and dairy cows and compared with feeds produced from isolines of nongenetically enhanced plants. Results from 23 research trials indicate that genetically enhanced corn and soybeans that are currently available in the marketplace are substantially equivalent in composition, are similar in digestibility, and have a similar feeding value for livestock.     

Random Forests approach for identifying additive and epistatic single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with residual feed intake in dairy cattle

Feed efficiency is an economically important trait in the beef and dairy cattle industries. Residual feed intake (RFI) is a measure of partial efficiency that is independent of production level per unit of body weight. The objective of this study was to identify significant associations between single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers and RFI in dairy cattle using the Random Forests (RF) algorithm. Genomic data included 42,275 SNP genotypes for 395 Holstein cows, whereas phenotypic measurements were daily RFI from 50 to 150 d postpartum. Residual feed intake was defined as the difference between an animal’s feed intake and the average intake of its cohort, after adjustment for year and season of calving, year and season of measurement, age at calving nested within parity, days in milk, milk yield, body weight, and body weight change. Random Forests is a widely used machine-learning algorithm that has been applied to classification and regression problems. By analyzing the tree structures produced within RF, the 25 most frequent pairwise SNP interactions were reported as possible epistatic interactions. The importance scores that are generated by RF take into account both main effects of variables and interactions between variables, and the most negative value of all importance scores can be used as the cutoff level for declaring SNP effects as significant. Ranking by importance scores, 188 SNP surpassed the threshold, among which 38 SNP were mapped to RFI quantitative trait loci (QTL) regions reported in a previous study in beef cattle, and 2 SNP were also detected by a genome-wide association study in beef cattle. The ratio of number of SNP located in RFI QTL to the total number of SNP in the top 188 SNP chosen by RF was significantly higher than in all 42,275 whole-genome markers. Pathway analysis indicated that many of the top 188 SNP are in genomic regions that contain annotated genes with biological functions that may influence RFI. Frequently occurring ancestor-descendant SNP pairs can be explored as possible epistatic effects for further study. The importance scores generated by RF can be used effectively to identify large additive or epistatic SNP and informative QTL. The consistency in results of our study and previous studies in beef cattle indicates that the genetic architecture of RFI in dairy cattle might be similar to that of beef cattle.     

The pharmacokinetics of transdermal flunixin in lactating dairy goats

Flunixin is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug approved for use in cattle to manage pyrexia associated with bovine respiratory disease, mastitis, and endotoxemia. In the United States, no nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are approved for use in goats, but analgesics are needed for management of painful conditions to improve animal welfare. The objective of this study was to evaluate the pharmacokinetics of transdermal flunixin in dairy goats to determine a milk withdrawal interval (WDI) to avoid violative residue contamination in the food supply. Six adult lactating dairy goats received 3.3 mg/kg of transdermal flunixin before milk, interstitial fluid (ISF), and blood samples were collected at various time points for 360 h. The samples were analyzed using tandem mass spectrometry to detect flunixin as well as the flunixin marker metabolite, 5-hydroxyflunixin followed by a pharmacokinetic WDI calculation using the US Food and Drug Administration tolerance limit method to propose safe residue levels in goat milk. The mean flunixin apparent plasma half-life was 21.63 h. The apparent milk half-life for 5-hydroxyflunixin was 17.52 h. Our findings provide a milk WDI of 60 h using the US Food and Drug Administration tolerance of 0.002 µg/mL (established for bovine milk) and a more conservative WDI of 96 h using a limit of quantification of 0.001 µg/mL following the extralabel use of transdermal flunixin in dairy goats.     

Emergency slaughter of casualty cattle increases the prevalence of anthelmintic drug residues in muscle

The ProSafeBeef project studied the prevalence of residues of anthelmintic drugs used to control parasitic worms and fluke in beef cattle in Ireland. Injured (casualty) cattle may enter the human food chain under certain conditions, verified by an attending veterinarian and the livestock keeper. An analytical survey was conducted to determine if muscle from casualty cattle contained a higher prevalence of anthelmintic drug residues than healthy (full slaughter weight) cattle as a result of possible non-observance of complete drug withdrawal periods. A validated analytical method based on matrix solid-phase dispersive extraction (QuEChERS) and ultra-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry was used to quantify 37 anthelmintic drugs and metabolites in muscle (assay decision limits, CCα, 0.15–10.2?µg?kg^?1). Of 199 control samples of beef purchased in Irish shops, 7% contained detectable anthelmintic drug residues but all were compliant with European Union Maximum Residue Limits (MRL). Of 305 muscle samples from injured cattle submitted to abattoirs in Northern Ireland, 17% contained detectable residues and 2% were non-compliant (containing either residues at concentrations above the MRL or residues of a compound unlicensed for use in cattle). Closantel and ivermectin were the most common residues, but a wider range of drugs was detected in muscle of casualty cattle than in retail beef. These data suggest that specific targeting of casualty cattle for testing for anthelmintic residues may be warranted in a manner similar to the targeted testing for antimicrobial compounds often applied in European National Residues Surveillance Schemes.     

Anti-methanogenic effects of monensin in dairy and beef cattle: A meta-analysis

Monensin is a widely used feed additive with the potential to minimize methane (CH₄) emissions from cattle. Several studies have investigated the effects of monensin on CH₄, but findings have been inconsistent. The objective of the present study was to conduct meta-analyses to quantitatively summarize the effect of monensin on CH₄ production (g/d) and the percentage of dietary gross energy lost as CH₄ (Y_m) in dairy cows and beef steers. Data from 22 controlled studies were used. Heterogeneity of the monensin effects were estimated using random effect models. Due to significant heterogeneity (>68%) in both dairy and beef studies, the random effect models were then extended to mixed effect models by including fixed effects of DMI, dietary nutrient contents, monensin dose, and length of monensin treatment period. Monensin reduced Y_m from 5.97 to 5.43% and diets with greater neutral detergent fiber contents (g/kg of dry matter) tended to enhance the monensin effect on CH₄ in beef steers. When adjusted for the neutral detergent fiber effect, monensin supplementation [average 32 mg/kg of dry matter intake (DMI)] reduced CH₄ emissions from beef steers by 19 ± 4 g/d. Dietary ether extract content and DMI had a positive and a negative effect on monensin in dairy cows, respectively. When adjusted for these 2 effects in the final mixed-effect model, monensin feeding (average 21 mg/kg of DMI) was associated with a 6 ± 3 g/d reduction in CH₄ emissions in dairy cows. When analyzed across dairy and beef cattle studies, DMI or monensin dose (mg/kg of DMI) tended to decrease or increase the effect of monensin in reducing methane emissions, respectively. Methane mitigation effects of monensin in dairy cows (–12 ± 6 g/d) and beef steers (–14 ± 6 g/d) became similar when adjusted for the monensin dose differences between dairy cow and beef steer studies. When adjusted for DMI differences, monensin reduced Y_m in dairy cows (–0.23 ± 0.14) and beef steers (–0.33 ± 0.16). Monensin treatment period length did not significantly modify the monensin effects in dairy cow or beef steer studies. Overall, monensin had stronger antimethanogenic effects in beef steers than dairy cows, but the effects in dairy cows could potentially be improved by dietary composition modifications and increasing the monensin dose.     

夏南牛不同部位加工特性及牛肉干加工适宜性评价

夏南牛是我国自主培育的第一个专用肉牛新品种，为促进夏南牛肉及其深加工产品的工业化和科学化发展，本实验研究不同部位牛肉的理化指标和加工品质指标的差异，并评价其牛肉干加工适宜性。选取并测定20 个原料肉理化指标和9 个牛肉干产品加工品质指标，利用相关性分析和主成分分析筛选关键指标，并建立评估方程。结果表明：不同部位牛肉理化特性存在明显差异。臀肉的水分质量分数（75.47%）和蛋白质量分数（21.51%）最高，脂肪质量分数（2.39%）最低（P＜0.05），凝胶和乳化性能较好。肩肉的脂肪质量分数最高（8.69%），质构特性较好，剪切力较小。牛腱的解冻损失率（1.81%）和蒸煮损失率（24.08%）最低，剪切力最小（4.99 kg）。霖肉的解冻损失率（6.36%）和蒸煮损失率（34.22%）最大。2）牛肉干加工适宜性综合评价模型为Y＝0.197 9A＋0.026 0B＋0.312 8C＋0.218 8D＋0.245 5E（A、B、C、D和E分别代表a*、硬度、羟脯氨酸含量、蒸煮损失率和乳化稳定性）。3）肩肉和黄瓜条适合加工牛肉干，而霖肉和牛腱不适合；4）以感官评价结果为因变量，以综合品质评价结果为自变量，建立回归方程为y＝3.646 5x＋4.556 2（R2＝0.824 2）。综合评价模型可以较好地预测肉干加工适宜性。本研究为夏南牛加工特性补充和更新了必要的参数，此外，还找到了更适合牛肉干加工的部位。     

Bifidobacterium species isolated from animal feces and from beef and pork meat

Bifidobacteria were isolated from 122 of 145 samples of animal feces (from cattle, swine, sheep, goats, horses, rabbits, chickens, geese, and pigeons) from farms in France and Austria and from 92 of 955 production and processing chain samples of beef and pork (obtained at slaughter, cutting, and retail). Bacterial strains were identified to species by phenotypic numerical classification based on API 50CH and ID 32A tests and DNA-DNA hybridization. Bifidobacterium pseudolongum was present in 81% (99 of 122 samples) of all Bifidobacterium-positive fecal samples and predominated in samples from all animal species except those from swine from Austria. In these Austrian swine samples, the majority of strains were identified as Bifidobacterium thermophilum (78%), followed by B. pseudolongum (48%). The distribution of B. thermophilum and B. pseudolongum differed significantly between Austrian swine and cattle samples such as those collected along beef and pork production and processing chains. Bifidobacterium animalis was isolated from swine feces, and Bifidobacterium ruminantium was isolated from cow dung. Six fecal isolates (from cattle, swine, rabbits, goats, and horses) were identified as belonging to Bifidobacterium species of predominantly human origin: B. adolescentis, B. bifidum, and B. catenulatum. Only one other species, Bifidobacterium choerinum, was detected with low frequency in a pork processing chain. B. pseudolongum subsp. pseudolongum was predominant in pig feces, whereas B. pseudolongum subsp. globosum was predominant in feces from other animal species. Four strains closely related to both subspecies (58 to 61% DNA reassociation) formed a distinct genomic group. PCR techniques, which are more rapid and sensitive than culture-based methods, could be used to detect directly B. pseudolongum and B. thermophilum as indicators of fecal contamination along the meat processing chain.     

Influence of physiological status on residues of lipophilic xenobiotics in livestock

Data on the transfer of lipophilic xenobiotics from livestock feed and the environment to meat and milk are required for risk assessment purposes. Often, data are only available for lactating dairy cattle. Physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling has been used to explore differences between classes of food-producing animals. Blood and tissue levels of lipophilic xenobiotics under conditions approximating steady-state were simulated. Simulations of constant exposure were performed for lactating cows, non-lactating cattle, sheep, goats and swine. The tissue : blood partition coefficient, fat volume and fat blood flow were identified as critical determinants of predicted tissue concentrations. There may be significant breed differences in residues in milk and fat following exposure. Modeling was used to derive scaling factors that can be used to assist the extrapolation of transfer studies, carried out on lactating dairy cows, to other classes of cattle and different species.     

Clostridium difficile from healthy food animals: optimized isolation and prevalence

Two isolation methods were compared for isolation of Clostridium difficile from food animal feces. The single alcohol shock method (SS) used selective enrichment in cycloserine-cefoxitin fructose broth supplemented with 0.1% sodium taurocholate, followed by alcohol shock and isolation on tryptic soy agar supplemented with 5% sheep blood, and cycloserine-cefoxitin fructose agar. The double alcohol shock method (DS) used alcohol shock prior to and after selective enrichment in cycloserine-cefoxitin fructose broth supplemented with 0.1% sodium taurocholate, followed by isolation on tryptic soy agar supplemented with 5% sheep blood and cycloserine-cefoxitin fructose agar. A total of 55 (15.9%, n = 345) swine fecal samples, 32 (2.4%, n = 1,325) dairy cattle fecal samples, and 188 (6.3%, n = 2,965) beef cattle fecal samples were positive for C. difficile by either method. However, the DS was significantly better than the SS for the recovery of C. difficile from swine feces, while the SS was significantly better than the DS for the recovery of C. difficile from beef cattle feces. There was no significant difference between methods for the recovery of C. difficile from dairy cattle feces. This study suggests that food animals might harbor C. difficile and it provides critical information that isolation methods might not have universal application across animal species.     

Cross-sectional analyses of a national database to determine if superior genetic merit translates to superior dairy cow performance

Various studies have validated that genetic divergence in dairy cattle translates to phenotypic differences; nonetheless, many studies that consider the breeding goal, or associated traits, have generally been small scale, often undertaken in controlled environments, and they lack consideration for the entire suite of traits included in the breeding goal. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to fill this void, and in doing so, provide producers with confidence that the estimated breeding values (EBV) included in the breeding goal do (or otherwise) translate to desired changes in performance among commercial cattle; an additional outcome of such an approach is the identification of potential areas for improvements. Performance data on 536,923 Irish dairy cows (and their progeny) from 13,399 commercial spring-calving herds were used. Association analyses between the cow's EBV of each trait included in the Irish total merit index for dairy cows (which was derived before her own performance data accumulated) and her subsequent performance were undertaken using linear mixed models; milk production, fertility, calving, maintenance (i.e., liveweight), beef, health, and management traits were all considered in the analyses. Results confirm that excelling in EBV for individual traits, as well as on the total merit index, generally delivers superior phenotypic performance; examples of the improved performance for genetically elite animals include a greater yield and concentration of both milk fat and milk protein, despite a lower milk volume, superior reproductive performance, better survival, improved udder and hoof health, lighter cows, and fewer calving complications; all these gains were achieved with minimal to no effect on the beef merit of the dairy cow's progeny. The associated phenotypic change in each performance trait per unit change in its respective EBV was largely in line with the direction and magnitude of expectation, the exception being for calving interval. Per unit change in calving interval EBV, the direction of phenotypic response was as anticipated but the magnitude of the response was only half of what was expected. Despite the deviation from expectation between the calving interval EBV and its associated phenotype, a superior total merit index or a superior fertility EBV was indeed associated with an improvement in all detailed fertility performance phenotypes investigated. Results substantiate that breeding is a sustainable strategy of improving phenotypic performance in commercial dairy cattle and, by extension, profit.     

Technical note: A rapid enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay blood test for pregnancy in dairy and beef cattle

The ruminant trophoblast produces pregnancy-associated glycoproteins (PAG) that can be detected in the blood of pregnant animals. The objective was to determine the accuracy of a rapid ELISA PAG-based test for the purpose of pregnancy detection in cattle. Blood was sampled from dairy cattle (539 Holstein cows, 173 Holstein heifers, 73 Guernsey cows, 22 Guernsey heifers, and 12 Jersey heifers) and crossbred beef cattle (145 cows and 46 heifers) that were ≥25 d after insemination (range = 25 to 45 d for dairy and 29 to 56 d for beef). Cattle were examined by ultrasonography for detection of pregnancy within 2 d of blood collection. Whole blood or plasma was incubated in a polystyrene tube coated with a monoclonal PAG antibody for 15 min. The tubes were then washed and subjected to sequential incubations with a biotinylated polyclonal PAG antibody (15 min, followed by wash), a horseradish peroxidase-streptavidin solution (15 min, followed by wash), and a peroxidase substrate. Tubes were visually assessed for color after 15 min (clear solution = PAG negative, not pregnant; blue solution = PAG positive, pregnant). Total assay time was approximately 90 min. The ultrasound examination was used as the standard for pregnancy diagnosis. The sensitivity (99.8 ± 0.2%), specificity (91.7 ± 1.4%), and negative predictive value (99.7 ± 0.3%) for the PAG test used in dairy cattle were similar for different breeds and for cows and heifers. The positive predictive value for the test was greater in dairy heifers than in dairy cows (96.5 ± 1.4% vs. 90.5 ± 1.7%, respectively). In beef cattle, the sensitivity (100%), specificity (92.3 ± 3.0%), positive predictive value (95.0 ± 2.0%), and negative predictive value (100%) for the PAG test were similar for cows and heifers. The accuracy of the test was not different for dairy and beef cattle. In conclusion, the rapid ELISA pregnancy test based on PAG was highly sensitive and specific for pregnancy detection in dairy and beef cattle.     

Hygiene indicator microorganisms for selected pathogens on beef, pork, and poultry meats in Belgium

Several bacterial indicators are used to evaluate hygiene during the meat slaughtering process. The objectives of this study were to assess the Belgian baseline data on hygienic indicators and the relationship between the indicators and zoonotic agents to establish hygiene indicator criteria for cattle, pig, and chicken carcasses and meat. The study used the results from the official Belgian surveillance plan from 2000 to 2003, which included the monitoring of Escherichia coli counts (ECC), Enterobacteriaceae counts (EC), aerobic colony counts (ACC), and Pseudomonas counts (PC). The sampling method was the wet and dry swabbing technique for cattle and pig carcasses and neck skin excision for broiler and layer chicken carcasses. The 75th and 95th percentiles of ECC were -0.20 and 0.95 log CFU/cm2 for cattle carcasses, 1.20 and 2.32 log CFU/cm2 for pig carcasses, and 4.05 and 5.24 log CFU/g for chicken carcasses. The ACC were 2.1- to 4.5-log higher than the ECC for cattle, pigs, and chickens. For cattle and pig carcasses, a significant correlation between ECC, EC, and ACC was found. ECC for pork and beef samples and EC in pig carcasses were significantly higher in samples contaminated with Salmonella. In poultry samples, ECC were in general higher for samples containing Salmonella or Campylobacter. Thus, E. coli may be considered as a good indicator for enteric zoonotic agents such as Salmonella for beef, pork, and poultry samples and for Campylobacter in poultry samples.