Detomidine, a potent α2-adrenoceptoragonist, is permitted for use in cattle under European legislation. However, its efficacy in calves for cautery disbudding remains poorly understood. Thus, we compared the sedative effects of detomidine as a standalone drug or combined with ketamine to the commonly used xylazine in calves undergoing cautery disbudding with local anesthesia.
Thirty-nine calves (24 ± 10 days old, 71 ± 16 kg) were equally and randomly assigned to receive intramuscular detomidine 0.05 mg kg-1 (D), detomidine 0.03 mg kg-1 + ketamine 2 mg kg-1 (DK), or xylazine 0.2 mg kg-1 (X). Ten minutes later, all calves received bilateral cornual nerve blocks (4.5 mg kg-1procaine- epinephrine) and meloxicam (0.5 mg kg-1) subcutaneously. Calves underwent cautery disbudding 20 minutes post-sedation. Sedation depth was assessed using a 19-point scale (0 = no sedation to 18 = deep sedation) at intervals up to 4 hours, whereas reaction to disbudding was scored on a 4-pointscale (0 = absent to 3 = strong). Latencies to recumbency, first head lift, and standing were recorded. Group comparisons were performed using the Kruskal-Wallis test with post-hoc Bonferroni correction (significance p < 0.05).
Recumbency times 2.2 ± 1.01,2.1 ± 0.64, and 2.2 ± 1.1 minutesfor DK, D, and X did not differ significantly (p= 0.796). Headlift times were significantly shorter in DKthan D (35.0 ± 11.8 vs. 54.6 ± 21.0min, p = 0.035), while standing timeswere 63.2 ± 30.3, 67.4 ± 22.6, and 77.9 ± 33.4 minutes for DK, D, and X, respectively(p= 0.210). Disbudding reaction scores were comparable acrossgroups (p = 0.409). Sedationscores were similar except at90 minutes post-sedation, where D showed deeper sedation than DK (p = 0.043).
Although further research is needed on the pain-alleviatingproperties, detomidine alone and combined withketamine provided deep,effective sedation for cautery disbudding with minimal resistance, presenting a viable alternative to xylazine in calves.
The use of antimicrobials (AMU) in food-producing animals significantly impacts animal health, productivity, and antimicrobial resistance. In Finland, the use of medicines for pigs is recorded in the nationalweb-based herd health and welfare register Sikava. We aimed to qualitatively and quantitatively describe AMU in Finnish sows using anonymous herd health data and to identify indications for antimicrobial treatment, antimicrobial agents used foreach indication, and herd-level risk factors associated with AMU.
Forty-eight randomly chosen herds, each with over 100 sows, were selected from the herd register of 905herds. The register data included AMU in sows, biosecurity scores, and assessments of veterinary healthcare visits for 2022. Visiting veterinarians collect information on husbandry, animal health, and welfare using a Sikava protocol and record their findings electronically in the herd health register. Producers record AMU in sows electronically in the register. AMU data included the product name and antimicrobial group (active substance), indication, duration of therapy(in days), the number of sows treated, and dosage. AMU in sows was quantified at the herd level as milligrams of antimicrobials administered per population corrected unit (mg/PCU). The Generalized Linear Mixed Models package in SPSS was used to identify herd-level risk factors associated with AMU in sows. The three predictors with the highest correlations to mg/PCU (herd size, sows slaughter rate, and Biocheck internal) also correlated with each other to a degree, causing significant collinearity. Separate models were built around each of these three variables.
The median total AMU for the sows was 21.9 mg/PCU (range:0.3-178.5). The most used antimicrobial for sows was penicillin, and sows were most commonly treated parenterally for locomotory (34% of the treatments), udder (20%), reproductive(12%), and skin (11%) disorders. Total AMU in sows expressed as mg/PCU was predicted by herd size (p<0.001) and herd type (p=0.04). The AMU was higher in large herds (>400 sows) (predicted mg/PCU 44.3 ± SE 7.7) compared with small (<150 sows) (20.7 ± 8.3; p=0.02) and medium-sized herds (>150 ≤400 sows) (8.0 ± 7.7; p<0.001). Piglet-producing herds (n=23) tended to have a higher AMU (predicted mg/PCU 39.4 ± 6.0; p=0.05) than both farrow-to-finish herds (n=21) (24.3 ± 6.6; p=0.05) and sow pools (n=4) (9.3 ± 14.7; p=0.05) inpair-wise comparisons. AMU in sows increased with increasing internal biosecurity scores (1.32%per point; p<0.001). Herd type was also significant (p=0.03), with predicted higher values for piglet-producing herds (39.2 ± SE 6.3) than farrow-to-finish herds (23.6 ± 6.8, p=0.04) and a similar tendency between piglet-producing herds and sow pools (8.6 ± 15.4, p=0.06).
Compared to other European countries, AMU in Finnish sows was moderate. No group treatments were administered. AMU was highly variable between herds, but generally the antimicrobial selection followed guidelines for prudent use of AMU for different indications.
The wild boar population in Finland is about 2,100 animals. The densest populations are in Southeastern and Southern Finland. Wild boar may carry infectious diseases such as African swine fever, classical swine fever, Aujeszky's disease, and brucellosis. These diseases are monitored through a surveillance program involving hunted wild boar in Finland. Brucella suis infects primarily swine but can occasionally infect also other species such as hares, dogs, and humans.
Brucella infections in wild boar were first detected in Finland in 2015. Subsequent surveillance was conducted in 2016, 2019, 2021, and 2024. Surveillance was primarily performed using serological methods, with some organ samples cultivated for Brucella bacteria in 2015, 2016, 2019. The surveillance covered the entire country, except in 2019, only samples from outside Southeastern Finland were examined. This selection was based on previous findings of seropositive animals primarily in Southeastern Finland. The methods used in serosurveillance were Rose Bengal test in 2015, 2016, and 2019, and iELISA test (IDVet Brucellosis indirect multispecies) in 2021 and 2024. The samples positive in Rose Bengal test were further tested with iELISA and all of them were positive.
Seroprevalence was found to be 4.7% (5/107 samples), 6.8% (6/88), 8.2% (12/146), 2.7% (16/598), and 1.0 (5/503) in 2015, 2016, 2019, 2021, and 2024, respectively. Additionally, Brucella suis biovar 2 was detected in organ samples from three, five, and one animals in 2015, 2016, and 2019, respectively. The highest number of seropositive samples was detected in Southeastern and Southern Finland, where the population is also the largest. Individual seropositive samples were also obtained from the central and western parts of the country.
Brucella infections in wild boar are concerning due to the potential spread of the disease to domestic pigs. Moreover, Brucella bacteria have zoonotic potential and have occasionally been found in dogs consuming raw meat. The spread of new diseases in wildlife is possible, and from a One Health perspective, it is crucial to monitor the disease situation. Public awareness of the risk of Brucella infections to domestic pigs, farmers, hunters, and dogs is important.
Colibacillosis, a major bacterial disease in poultry, is caused by avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC). In Finland, a colibacillosis outbreak occurred in 2021, impacting numerous flocks across the three major broiler companies in the country.
A comprehensive analysis involved 91 flocks, with a median of six birds per flock subjected to necropsy. The average age of birds was 22 days. Inner organs and bone marrow were subjected to bacteriological cultivation. The E. coli isolates, primarily isolated from bone marrow underwent PCR typing for phylogeny group and eightvirulence-associated genes.
Necropsies unveiled classical colibacillosis indicators such as polyserositis, cellulitis, and femoral head necrosis. The E. coli typing results revealed a sudden surge in a specific APEC type belonging to phylogeny group A, with virulence genes cva, irp2, iss, IucD, and tsh. Out of 217 typed isolates, 165 (76%) belonged to this type. Subsequent whole genome sequencing (WGS) analysis of 25 single isolates of this type, representative of all three companies and both parent and broiler flocks, revealed that all isolates belonged to sequence type 23 (ST23) and serotype O78:H4. Core genome multilocus sequence typing (cgMLST) demonstrated high genetic similarity with allele differences ranging from 0 to 13 (mean 5).
This study underscores that certain APEC strains with high virulence potential can trigger colibacillosis outbreaks affecting multiple farms. The epidemiological connection between affected farms was common grandparents. Vertical transmission of the strains in the broiler pyramid is evident, supported by the small allele differences revealed by cgMLST. PCR typing is a cost-effective and reliable method for detecting APEC strains responsible for colibacillosis outbreaks. Typing isolates serves as an initial step in confirming outbreaks and can be crucial in disease prevention by incorporating the strain into autogenous vaccines for broilers.
Farrowing crates are widely used for farrowing and lactating sows on commercial farms although they have a negative impact on sow welfare and behaviour. The aim was to investigate the effects of different farrowing strategies on piglet mortality, piglet growth, farrowing duration, and average piglet birth interval.
The study consisted of three farrowing treatments on two farms: free farrowing (FF), free nest-building and crated farrowing (FNB) and temporary crating (TC). FF sows were not crated around farrowing. FNB sows were free during nest-building period but crated when farrowing started, and for three days. TC sows were crated from 2 days before expected farrowing until 3 days after farrowing. On farm 1, sows were studied in two farrowing batches and allocated to all three farrowing treatments: FF (n = 39), FNB (n = 34) and TC (n = 36). On farm 2, sows were in three farrowing batches and allocated two treatments: FF (n = 24) and FNB (n = 23). Farrowing treatment tended to affect the number of stillborn piglets on farm 1 (Kruskal-Wallis test, p = 0.09). The median of stillborn piglets in FF was 0 (range 0 – 4), in FNB 1 (0 – 6) and in TC 0 (0 – 4). Farrowing treatment had no effect on mortality on farm 2.
On farm 1, farrowing treatment had no effect on piglet growth. On farm 2, FNB sows had better piglet growth compared to FF sows (Linear mixed model (LMM), estimated mean (EM) FNB 324 g/day vs. FF 298 g/day, p = 0.03).
On farm 1, farrowing treatment had no effect on the farrowing duration or the piglet births intervals. On farm 2, farrowing treatment affected the total duration of farrowing (LMM, p = 0.01), average birth interval between 1st – 5th piglets (LMM, p = 0.04) and 1st – 10th piglets (LMM, p < 0.01); the total duration of farrowing was shorter for FF sows (mean 3h41min) compared to FNB sows (5h6min) and both birth intervals similarly shorter (1-5; FF 16min vs. FNB 22min, 1-10; FF 12min vs. FNB 21min).
In conclusion, farrowing strategies have different effects depending on the farm. These results might partly be due to both farrowing pens were designed for TC. Furthermore, farm 1 normally uses TC for all sows and farm 2 FNB.
Porojen kuolinsyytutkimukset Ruokavirastolla ovat vähentyneet 2020-luvun aikana. Ruokaviraston Oulun toimipaikka on Suomen pohjoisin sijainti, jossa tehdään porojen patologisia kuolinsyytutkimuksia. Poron sairauden tai kuoleman syyn selvittäminen tuo arvokasta tietoa poronhoitajille ja eläinlääkäreille, ja laajemman aineiston kerääminen lisää tietämystä porojen terveydestä ja hyvinvoinnista. Vuonna 2023 käynnistyneen PORAUS-hankkeen myötä poroille on kehitetty etäavausmallia (ns. remote digital necropsy), jossa paikallisia eläinlääkäreitä on koulutettu tekemään poroille raadonavauksia etäyhteydessä patologiin. Porojen kuolinsyytutkimus sisältää raadonavauksen ja näytteenoton histologian, parasitologian, bakteriologian, virologian ja hirvieläinten näivetystauti CWD:n (chronic wastingdisease) tutkimuksiin. Osa näytteistä otetaan perustuen raadon kuntoon, poron ikään, esitietoihin ja löydöksiin. PORAUS-hankkeessa poronhoitoalueen eläinlääkäreitä on koulutettu tekemään kenttäavaus, täyttämään avauspöytäkirja ja keräämään näytteet tutkittavaksi Ruokavirastolle. Hankkeessa on hyödynnetty valokuvia ja reaaliaikaista videoyhteyttä Ruokaviraston patologin kanssa. Lopullisen diagnoosin etäavauksista tekee Ruokaviraston patologi.
Yhteensä 60 kuollutta poroa tutkittiin Ruokavirastolla Oulussa tammikuun 2020 ja heinäkuun 2025 välillä. Porojen raadonavausten määrä on laskenut 2020-luvulla lähes lineaarisesti. PORAUS-hankkeen alkamisen jälkeen on tehty lisäksi 43 etäavausta joulukuun 2023 ja heinäkuun 2025 välillä. Kaikista Ruokavirastolla ja PORAUS-hankkeessa tutkituista poroista vuosina 2020-2025 (n=103) yleisimmät merkittävät löydökset ovat olleet nääntyminen (n=26), rumeniitti (n=19) ja suutulehdus (n=8). Joillekin poroille on määritetty useita merkittäviä löydöksiä. Kuoleman tai sairauden syy saatiin määritettyä 91 % (n=94) tutkituista poroista. Ruokavirastolla ja PORAUS-hankkeessa tutkittujen porojen yleisimmät löydökset ovat 2020-luvulla olleet nääntyminen sekä ruuansulatuskanavan sairaudet ja häiriöt. Porojen nääntymisen yhteydessä ei havaita aina muita sairauden merkkejä ja lisää tutkimusta tarvitaankin porojen nääntymistä aiheuttavien taustatekijöiden selvittämiseksi. Edelleen käynnissä oleva PORAUS-hanke on lisännyt tutkittujen porojen määrää ja tietoa porojen sairauksista ja kuolinsyistä. Etäavausten yleistyminen ja vakiintuminen Suomessa voisi taata tiedonkeruun porojen terveydestä ja sairauksista myös tulevaisuudessa.
Male piglets are routinely castrated to prevent boar taint in pork. Surgical castration causes severe pain, which can be alleviated by local anaesthesia. In Finland, the voluntary use of local anaesthesia before surgical castration began in 2024, with mandatory implementation set for 2027. Local anaesthesia can be administered only by trained individuals, and its introduction changes castration practices, requiring new skills in piglet medication and increased handling.
Research suggests that farmer attitudes are linked to the treatment of pain in animals. However, there is limited research on farmers’ views about castration pain in piglets and its mitigation. In this study, we investigated producers’ and farm workers’ perceptions of castration-related pain, pain alleviation, and the effects of local anaesthesia on piglet welfare. Additionally, we examined their experiences regarding the use of local anaesthesia and its practical farm-level aspects.
Semi-structured online interviews of 16 Finnish farmers and piggery workers were conducted in 2025. Interviewees included producers who have implemented local anaesthesia at their farms, and farmers and workers who have completed the piglet castration training and have at least two months of experience using local anaesthesia. The interviews explored farm-level implementation of local anaesthesia, analgesia, castration, piglet handling, monitoring of castrated piglets, views about castration pain and its mitigation, and changes in working conditions due to local anaesthesia. Qualitative analysis of the interviews involved thematic coding by using ATLAS.ti 25, while numerical data were analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics (V29).
Our findings suggest that animal caretakers regard surgical castration without pain relief as highly painful, perceiving local anaesthesia as effective in reducing pain during castration. Piglets were observed to be calmer during castration following local anaesthesia administration. Conversely, the injection of local anaesthesia was considered painful, and the increased handling and restraining of piglets were typically seen as negatively impacting piglet welfare. The application of local anaesthesia significantly increased workload.
In conclusion, animal caretakers perceived local anaesthesia to significantly reduce castration pain, but its use involved medication-related pain and increased stress. Piglet welfare can be improved by introducing less stressful handling and restraining methods that can be implemented in practical farm work.
Antibiotic dry cow therapy (DCT) is a key measure in controlling bovine mastitis. Currently, global livestock production is under dual pressure to reduce antibiotic consumption, driven by consumer concerns and regulatory restrictions. European Union legislation now prohibits prophylactic antibiotics in all European Union member states, initiating a shift to treat only infected cows at dry-off rather than all cows. Our objective was to evaluate the variation in new intramammary infection (IMI) cure rate, in new IMI rate, and in post-calving IMI risk betweenDCT-treated and untreated quarters over dry period. The sample totaled 269 cows from 12 Finnish herds, eligibility criteria being a final test-day SCC ≥100,000cells/mL and no clinical signs of mastitis. Based on odd or even ear-tag number, cows with an SCC 100,000-250,000 cells/mL received DCT (DCT100-250) or remained untreated (no DCT100-250). Cows with an SCC>250,000 cells/mL received DCT (DCT>250). No quarters received teat sealants. Farmers collected aseptic quarter-milk samples for qPCR analysis 0 to 4 days before dry-off and 0 to 4days after calving. The statistical tool was a generalized linear mixed-effectsmodel with logit link function and two-level random intercepts, cows nested within herds. The untreated quarters in the NoDCT100–250 group had a 1.1 times higher risk of failing to cure over the dry period than the treated quarters in the DCT100–250 group (unadjusted risk ratio1.10, 95% CI 0.94–1.28) and a 1.2 times higher risk than the treated quarters in the DCT>250 group (unadjusted risk ratio 1.15, 95% CI 1.00–1.33). The untreated quarters in the NoDCT100–250 group had a 1.5 times higher risk of having a new IMI over the dry period than did the treated quarters in the DCT100– 250 group (unadjusted risk ratio 1.48, 95% CI1.35–1.63) and a 1.4 times higher risk than the treated quarters in the DCT>250 group (unadjusted risk ratio 1.35, 95% CI 1.23–1.49). The principal cause of new IMI was non-aureus staphylococci followed by Streptococcus dysgalactiae. Quarters in the NoDCT100–250 group had 6.6 times higher odds for having an IMI at freshening than did quarters in the DCT100–250 group (95%CI 3.52– 12.21). Under the conditions of this field trial, selectivelyDCT-treated cows with an SCC between 100,000 and 250,000 cells/mLat dry-off demonstrated that untreated quarters had a higher risk of acquiring a new IMI over the dry period than did treated quarters, highlighting the effectiveness of DCT in reducing IMI risks. The cows included in the trial did not receive internal teat sealants, but based on previous studies, administering teat sealants at dry-offcould prove effective in preventing IMI over the dry period in untreated cows.
Objective of our study was to investigate, if one intranasal vaccine given at birth farm, before transport to rearing farm, affected mortality, ADWG and use of antimicrobials during calf´s first 6 months. Dairy farm with 540 cows and its associated calf rearing unit, which purchased calves from the farm, participated in this study. A total of389 calves were included: 198 control and 191 vaccinated calves. The control calves were not vaccinated while other calves received vaccination against bovine respiratory syncytial virus and parainfluenza-3 virus [Bovilis RSP Live vet, Intervet International B.V.]. Calves received 1 ml of the vaccine in both nostrils within one week after birth. Calves were transported and weighed at the age of approximately 3 weeks. Calves were moved from calf rearing unit at 6 months of age and weighed for a second time. Mortality and antibiotic usage (defined daily dose, DDD) were recorded into Naseva, from which DDDs were collected. R (R Core Team 2024) multilevel regression techniques were used to assess associations between vaccination and ADWG as well as used DDDs.
The average age at arrival for control group was 19.0 (SD ±7.5, median 18.0) days and the average weight was 56.6 (SD ±9.9, median 56.0) kg. Same parameters for vaccination group were 21.6 (SD ±9.3, median 19.0) days and 55.5 (SD ±9.7, median 55.0) kg. The average age at relocation was for control group 195.5 (SD ± 34.6,median 191.5) days and weight 205.0 (SD ±35.9, median 199.5) kg and for vaccination group 233.8 (SD ±42.1, median 227) days and 253.0 (SD ±46.5,median 242.5) kg respectively. Average daily weight gain from arrival day until second weighing was in control group843.8 (SD ±133.7,median 845.2) g/day and in vaccination group 933.8 (SD ±130.7, median 928.3) g/day. The final multivariable regression model with confounding factors age at transport, breed and gender showed that vaccinated calves grew 77.2 (95% CI 50.9-103) g/day more than control calves (p<0.001). This resulted to final weight, adjusted forage, of 15.9 kg (95% CI 9.61-22.1 kg) more in vaccination group (p<0.001). DDD in the control group was 4.3 (SD ±5.1,median 3.2) and in vaccination group 3.9 (SD ±4.3, median 6.5). The final multivariable linear regression model, with gender, breed, age at transport and age at final weighing as confounding factors, revealed that vaccinated calves received 1.4 DDD (95% CI -2.5 --0.37 DDD) less antimicrobials than non-vaccinated calves (p-value < 0.01). Age at transport affected DDD by decreasing its value with 0.9 units by 1 day increase in age at transport (p<0.001).
We concluded that vaccination of calves with one dose of intranasal vaccine given within one week after birth resulted in a significant increase in the ADWG and in a significant decrease in antibiotics use. No effect on mortality was observed.
This study is the first demonstrating that intranasal vaccination before transport to calf rearing unit significantly affects both ADWG and DDD. Further research is required to generate additional knowledge for improving calf quality.
Medication safety is integral to patient safety and animal welfare. However, research on medication safety in veterinary medicine, especially concerning farm animals, is limited. This study explored Finnish veterinarians' perceptions of medication safety risks and defences [i.e. protective mechanisms (safeguards) supporting safe medicine use]in sow farms.
Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with 15 veterinarians responsible for veterinary advice services to pig producers. Thematic analysis of the transcribed interviews was performed using ATLAS.ti software.
The interviews revealed several key risks: veterinarians' overreliance on caretakers' expertise and insufficient knowledge of farm practices; insufficient veterinary guidance on disease diagnostics and medical care; challenges in communication and information barriers; challenges in medicine logistics and availability; unhygienic and inappropriate medication practices; caretakers’ insufficient clinical examination, diagnostics and monitoring of sick sows; pain and fear associated with injections and inadequate pain management; challenging farm conditions compromising sow welfare, staff retention, and veterinary work.
The identified defences included: veterinary awareness and oversight of medication practices, and sow welfare; simplified medical care with clear guidelines for diagnosis, treatment and medication; effective communication and collaboration between veterinarians and caretakers; reliable medicine logistics; hygienic and appropriate medication practices; adequate recognition, examination, diagnostics, and daily monitoring of sick sows; painmanagement and stress reduction in sow treatment; sufficient farm resources; prudent medicine use while providing adequate treatment.
Identifying these key medication safety risks and defences can inform policymakers and support the development of targeted protocols that promote animal welfare and enhance responsible and safer medication use in pig farms.
The welfare of farmed fish is a growing concern in aquaculture, impacting both ethical considerations and production efficiency. In Finland, the welfare of farmed fish has not previously been systematically assessed. Understanding current welfare conditions and evaluation practices are essential for developing effective monitoring and improvement strategies.
To address this gap, two parallel surveys were conducted in spring 2023: one targeting fish farmers and the other veterinarians responsible for fish health and farm oversight. The surveys explored the welfare indicators currently in use, perceptions of their effectiveness, and areas requiring further development. Structured Webropol questionnaires, consisting of multiple-choice questions and open comment fields, were distributed by email to respondents. The survey received anonymous responses from 26 fish farmers and 16 veterinarians, providing a solid representation of professional perspectives from both industry and regulatory viewpoints in Finland. Analyses were performed in R (v4.5.1) using the base, lme4, and emmeans packages. Binary judgments of indicator importance were modelled with binomial logistic regression including random intercepts to account for respondent-levelvariation, and urgency rankings were compared using Wilcoxon rank-sum tests.
The survey findings revealed both shared perspectives and notable differences in welfare assessment approaches between fish farmers and veterinarians. Fish farmers predominantly emphasized production-related welfare indicators, such as mortality rates, disease occurrence, and medication use. Veterinarians, in contrast, focused more on the fulfilment of species-specific welfare needs and raised concerns about the narrow scope of current assessment practices.
Routine farm inspections primarily monitor clear and overt signs of compromised welfare, while early or subtle indicators are oftenunder-recognized. A key limitation identified was the strong dependence on standardized inspection forms, which constrains the ability to perform comprehensive welfare evaluations. Both groups highlighted fish health as central to welfare and emphasized the mutual relationship between good welfare and disease resistance. Key development needs included finding practical welfare indicators, effective solutions for environmental enrichment, assuring the welfare of fish during slaughter and more effective treatment strategies especially for water mould infections. Other priorities included water quality challenges in recirculating aquaculture systems, improving fish resilience to temperature extremes, mitigation of seal predation, and the development of automated monitoring tools. Overall, the surveys highlight the need for authorities and researchers to improve welfare practices in Finnish fish farms through targeted research. The surveys provide a solid foundation for developing targeted training programs to strengthen fish farmers’ capacity to assess welfare more holistically and veterinarians' role as professional advisors in fish welfare.
Antibioottien käyttö porsastuotannossa bakteeriperäisten tulehdusten hoidossa on usein välttämätöntä. Lääkitys vaikuttaa kuitenkin aina myös hoidetun yksilön omaan suolistomikrobistoon. Mikrobittomilla hiirillä tehdyissä kokeissa on havaittu, että emon suolistomikrobisto vaikuttaa sikiöiden immuunijärjestelmän kehitykseen tiineyden aikana. Emakoilla tutkimusta antibioottien vaikutuksista immuniteettiin on tehty lähinnä juuri ennen porsimista tai pian sen jälkeen. Tässä tutkimuksessa selvitimme, voiko emakolle aikaisemmin tiineydessä annettu lyhyt antibioottikuuri vaikuttaa sen syntyvien porsaiden immuunijärjestelmään. Tämä on tietääksemme myös ensimmäinen tutkimus, jossa emakolle annetun antibiootin mahdollisia vaikutuksia porsaiden kehittyvään immuniteettiin on seurattu 10 viikon ikään saakka.
Tutkimukseen valittiin 30 eläinlääkärin kliinisesti terveeksi toteamaa tiinettä emakkoa suomalaisessa sikalassa. Emakot jaettiin kolmeen koeryhmään (10 per ryhmä) ja niille pistettiin kolmena peräkkäisenä päivänä lihaksensisäisesti joko tetrasykliiniä (T), penisilliiniä (P) tai suolaliuosta (C = control) ajankohtana, jolloin sikiöiden adaptiivinen immuunijärjestelmä oli juuri kehittymässä (tiineyspäivät 78–80). Emakoilta otettiin verinäytteet juuri ennen injektioita ja juuri ennen porsimisia. Porsailta (n=82) otettiin verinäytteet 3 päivän, 3 viikon (juuri ennen vieroitusta) ja 10 viikon iässä. Verinäytteistä tutkimme mm. sytokiineja ja akuutin faasin proteiineja. Lisäksi porsaiden kasvua seurattiin syntymästä 10 viikon ikään saakka. Tuloksia analysoitiin monimuuttuja-analyysien avulla.
Injektiot eivät vaikuttaneet emakoiden immunoparametreihin. Emakoiden lääkitykset sen sijaan vaikuttivat porsaiden immuunijärjestelmään ja kasvuun, erityisesti 3 päivän ja 10 viikon iässä. Penisilliinin vaikutus oli yleisesti ottaen tetrasykliiniä suurempi. T- ja P- porsailla oli 3 päivän ja 10 viikon iässä veressään kontrolliporsaisiin verrattuna suuremmat pitoisuudet inflammatorisia sytokiineja (interleukiineja IL-1ß, IL-6 ja IL-8). P-porsaiden veressä anti-inflammatorisen sytokiiniinterleukiini IL-10:n pitoisuus oli kaikissa aikapisteissä matalampi kuin kontrolliporsaiden. Akuutin faasin proteiineja, haptoglobiinia (Hp) ja seerumin amyloidi A:ta (SAA) oli T-ja P-porsaiden veressä 10 viikon iässä suuremmat pitoisuudet kuin kontrolliporsaiden. T- ja P-porsaiden päiväkasvu (T= 0.41±0.02 kg/pv, P = 0.37±0.02 kg/pv) oli huonompi kuin kontrolliporsailla (0.44 ± SE 0.02 kg /pv). Korkea SAA-pitoisuus oli yhteydessä heikompaan päiväkasvuun 3 viikon iässä.
Tiineelle emakolle annettu antibiootti saattaa vaikuttaa syntyneiden porsaiden immuunijärjestelmään ja kasvuun jopa 10 viikon ikään saakka. Vaikutus välittyy mahdollisesti antibiootin manipuloiman emakon mikrobiston kautta, sillä se säätelee osittain sikiöiden immuunijärjestelmän kehitystä.
The peripheral alpha2-adrenoceptor antagonist vatinoxan has been shown to attenuate the side-effects of alpha2-adrenergic sedatives in experimental horses. In the present study, the effects of vatinoxan on the sedation level, heart rate and intestinal borborygmi were investigated in client-owned horses sedated for gastroscopy using a combination of detomidine and butorphanol.
Horses (n=22) were randomly allocated to receive one of two treatments:
1. Detomidine HCl (12 μg/kg) + butorphanol tartrate(12 μg/kg) (DB; n=11)
2. Detomidine HCl (12 μg/kg) + butorphanol tartrate(12 μg/kg) + vatinoxan HCl (200 μg/kg) (DBV; n=11) The drugs were mixed in the same syringe and injected as an intravenous bolus.
Intestinal borborygmi score and heart rate were recorded by auscultation and the sedation level was evaluated before drug administration and at 30, 60, 120, 180 and 240 minutes thereafter. Gastroscopy was performed within 30 minutes from the injection.
The level of sedation was adequate in all horses to perform gastroscopy. Heart rate was significantly higher with DBV compared to DB. Borborygmi scores were significantly higher 120 minutes after injection with DBV than with DB.
In this study, vatinoxan alleviated the decrease in heartrate and borborygmi caused by DB in client-ownedhorses. Therefore, vatinoxan may be a beneficial addition to clinical equine sedation protocols.
Anecdotally, mares are at increased risk of laminitis during estrus; however, data on estrous cycle-related changes in blood insulin concentration are limited. The hypothesis of this study was that serum basal insulin varies depending on estrous cycle phase.
Serum for basal insulin concentration was collected from 10 healthy,non-pregnant riding school mares 9 times weekly (median number of days between samplings7, range 5-15) during spring 2024. The estrous cycle was monitored on the same days using rectal examination and ultrasonography and categorized as estrus (follicles >25 mm and endometrial edema) or diestrus (corpus luteum, no endometrial edema).
Serum insulin concentration was analyzed with a commercial equine-optimized ELISA (Mercodia equine insulin ELISA). Insulin values during and after the first ovulatory estrus were included in the statistical analysis.
Serum basal insulin concentration varied within the horses. The median insulin concentrations in estrous and diestrous phases were 22.5(min-max 6.8-87.5) µIU/mL and 15.2 (min-max 2.4-55.3) µIU/mL, respectively, and there was no difference between the phases(p=0.397). One horse was classified as having insulin dysregulation (insulin > 71 µIU/mL) in one estrus sample and insulin concentration in the equivocal zone (49-70.9 µIU/mL) in another estrus sample. Two other horses had insulin concentration in the equivocal zone in one diestrus sample. None of the horses had signs of laminitis.
In this population, the estrous cycle phase was not associated with changes in serum basal insulin concentration. Therefore, the estrous cycle phase may not predispose mares to laminitis.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in horses is an emerging concern in veterinary medicine, posing challenges for effective treatment and potential risks to both humans and the environment. Resistant bacterial strains can be transmitted to humans, particularly those working with horses, and may contribute to environmental contamination through the excretion of resistant bacteria into soil and water. Despite the global recognition of AMR as a critical issue, comprehensive studies on the current state of AMR in horses in Finland are lacking. Understanding trends in the resistance profiles of equine pathogens is essential for establishing treatment protocols and guidelines for the prudent use of antimicrobials. The objective of this study was to evaluate the development of AMR in equine pathogens over an 11-year period.
This retrospective study analyzed antimicrobial susceptibility data from bacterial isolates obtained from clinical equine samples submitted to the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, University of Helsinki, between 2013 and 2023. The study focused on the most significant or frequently occurring equine pathogenic bacteria: Streptococcus sp., Staphylococcus sp., Enterobacterales (excluding Escherichia coli), Escherichia coli, and Actinobacillus sp. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using standardized methods, and only antimicrobials commonly used in equine medicine in Finland or relevant to the bacterial group were included in the analysis. The development of resistance over time was assessed using trend analysis to identify significant changes in antimicrobial susceptibility patterns across the study period.
Chi-square analysis for trend showed that Streptococcus sp. exhibited a significant increase in resistance to trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (TMS) (p = 0.002, slope = 0.0083) over the evaluated period. Enterobacterales demonstrated a significant decrease in resistance to doxycycline (p < 0.0001, slope = -0.0715), enrofloxacin (p = 0.0001, slope = -0.0379), gentamicin (p < 0.0001, slope = -0.055), and TMS (p < 0.0001, slope = -0.0582). Actinobacillus sp. showed a significant increase in resistance to tetracycline (p = 0.0408, slope = 0.035).
This study highlights significant trends in antimicrobial resistance among bacterial isolates from equine clinical cases in Finland over an 11-year period. The findings indicate both increasing and decreasing resistance patterns, emphasizing the dynamic nature of AMR. The increased resistance of Streptococcus sp. to TMS and Actinobacillus sp. to tetracycline suggests a need for prudent antimicrobial use and continuous monitoring. However, the decreased resistance in Enterobacterales to multiple antimicrobials is an encouraging trend. These results underline the importance of ongoing AMR surveillance and responsible antibiotic prescribing in equine medicine to mitigate the impact of AMR and safeguard both animals and humans.
Neonatal foals are born without any antibodies in their blood due to horses´ epitheliochorial placenta. For a functioning immune system foals need to receive antibodies such as immunoglobulin G (IgG) from their mare´s colostrum, which foals should ingest and absorb from their digestive tract within the first few hours of life. In case of failure to receive antibodies from good quality colostrum in a timely manner, the foals are incapable of fighting pathogens originating from their environment. The failure to receive adequate antibodies is commonly referred to as failure of passive transfer (FPT). Commonly accepted cut off level for adequate IgG is 800 mg/dl. Severe systemic infections leading to sepsis and death are common sequalae of FPT in foals. Therefore, it is important to identify FPT quickly and reliably right next to the foal. The semi-quantitative ELISA immunoassay SNAP Foal IgG test (IDEXX Laboratories, USA) done from foal´s blood sample is commonly used to diagnose FPT. SNAP-test is easy to perform, but it shows limited reliability and doesn´t provide exact numeric results for IgG concentrations. More information about alternative methods in detecting immunoglobulin deficiencies is desired in clinical practice.
The SNAP-test was compared to the recently launched quantitative LUCIA Foal IgG-test (Labmaster, Finland), which is based on cathodic electrochemiluminescence. The performance of LUCIA-test on different sample types was evaluated. Gold standard method, Single Radial Immunodiffusion (SRID) was used as the reference standard. Fifty-eight blood samples were collected from 39 foals at the University of Helsinki Veterinary Teaching Hospital in summer 2023. IgG concentration was determined using SNAP- and LUCIA- tests within 36 h from sampling from the surplus blood. After this, plasma was separated, and IgG concentration of plasma was measured using LUCIA. An aliquot of blood was stored at 4°C, and IgG was measured again from blood 5-7 days later. An aliquot of plasma was frozen, and IgG concentration was determined within 12 weeks using SRID.
Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy and the positive and negative predictive values were calculated from the results of blood samples for SNAP and LUCIA-tests using IBM SPSS Statistics 28.0.0.0 (Chicago, USA). SNAP showed 78.8% sensitivity, 96.0% specificity and 86.2% accuracy to FPT detection. LUCIA showed 90.9% sensitivity, 96.0% specificity and 93.1% accuracy. Positive predictive value was 96.3% for SNAP and 96.8% for LUCIA and negative predictive values were 77.4% and 88.9%, respectively. Results from < 36 h blood, plasma and blood after 5-7 days had coefficient of variation between 20 - 22%.
In conclusion, LUCIA showed higher sensitivity and a superior negative predictive value in comparison to SNAP in detecting FPT in hospitalized neonatal foals. LUCIA results were unaffected by storage conditions or sample type and were easy to interpret due to their quantitative nature. Although LUCIA-test is technically not demanding, performance may vary between users. This may limit the repeatability of the results.
Rectal biopsy is the most used diagnostic tool for diagnosis of equine inflammatory bowel disease. However, there are few studies on how rectal inflammation correlates with inflammation in other parts of the equine intestine and about the normal leukocyte numbers in equine rectal mucosa.
Histological samples from jejunum, ventral colon, small colon, and the routine rectal biopsy site were obtained from 20 horses, with or without intestinal signs, during routine autopsy. Samples were stained with HE and categorised according to inflammation type (eosinophilic, neutrophilic, lymphoplasmacytic),site (proprial, submucosal), and severity (mild, moderate, severe),using one scoring system for all examined areas. Ventral colon was substituted with dorsal colon in one case with severe autolysis. Statistical association between sites and severity were analysed using Fisher’s exact test (significance level p<0.05).14 rectal samples showed inflammation, five of them moderate, nine mild. In contrast, 19 large colon samples showed inflammation, 11 of them severe. Increased rectal submucosal eosinophils (p=0.0281) and moderate/severe inflammation of the small colon (p=0.0378) correlated with severe large colon inflammation. However, moderate or severe inflammation in either rectal mucosa (p=1.0000) or small intestine (p=1.0000) did not correlate with large colon inflammation of any severity.
This small pilot study indicates that submucosal eosinophils are noteworthy in rectal biopsies and that mucosal changes in the small colon, accessible for biopsy per rectum, may better represent changes in the equine large colon. Mild or absent proctitis does not exclude severe large intestine inflammation.
This poster has been previous presented at the annual ESVP-ECVP Congress in 2025.
The aim was to characterise extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacter cloacae complex (ESBL-ECC) isolates from patient horses at an equine hospital in Finland, including clinical manifestations, genotypic antimicrobial resistance, and clonal relationships.
We conducted a retrospective investigation of clinical and non-clinical ESBL-ECC isolates obtained from horses at the Equine Hospital of the University of Helsinki between 2011 and 2023. The included isolates underwent Illumina short-readwhole-genome sequencing (WGS), and genomic characteristics were determined using Ridom SeqSphere+ and web-based tools. In silico multi-locus sequence typing (MLST)and ad hoc core-genome MLST were employed to determine clonal relationships.
In total, 55 isolates from non-clinical rectal screening samples and 19 isolates from clinical infection samples were available for analysis. ESBL-ECC were recovered from multiple infection types, with colic surgery incisional infections being the most common (9/19,47%). All isolates contained a range of resistance genes. Co-carriage of the ESBL gene blaSHV-12 and the colistin resistance gene mcr-9.1 was frequent (70/74, 95%) and was commonly associated with the IncHI2 plasmid replicon (74/74, 100%). Twelve distinct sequence types (STs) were identified, including three novel types. ST78 and ST88 predominated and were detected over a span of a decade. AmongST78 isolates (n=26), two clusters and three singletons were observed.
ESBL-ECC are implicated in various equine infections and exhibit complex resistance traits, underscoring the need for epidemiological surveillance in equine hospitals, ideally incorporating WGS. The repeated isolation of clonal lineages is alarming and highlights equine clinical settings as potential hotspots for the spread of infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance, despite ongoing control measures. The detection of the global high-risk clone E. hormaechei ST78in diseased horses raises concerns about the possibility of inter- species transmission.
Rider weight has recently been discussed widely among horse riding industries in relation to animal welfare. Anecdotally, the maximum rider:horsebody weight ratio (BWR) has been considered to be 20%. However, there are noevidence-based guidelines regarding acceptable rider:horse size proportions, and currently, the appropriateness of them is based solely on subjective opinions. The aim of this study was to investigate the horse and rider size proportions in Finnish horses and riders. In addition, the study investigated riders’ general perceptions of the acceptability of these size proportions.
A web-based survey was conducted in Autumn 2024. The questionnaire requested information about the signalment and size measurements of the horse and rider. Additionally, riders’ perceptions regarding the effects of rider:horse size proportions on horse welfare were investigated.
A total of 134 responses were received. The BWR averaged 12.9%(±3.0%, range 7.7–23.1%) with most riders falling within the 10–15% category(61.2%). The height ratio (rider’s height:horse’s withers height) was 104.2% (±7.4%,range 87.3–125.4%). The majority (86.6%)of riders considered their weight to be appropriate, and 13.4% too heavy for their horse. Additionally, 91% of riders estimated their height to be appropriate, 5.2% too short, and 3.7% too tall for their horse.
In conclusion, the Finnish horse:rider BWR appears to average lower than the anecdotal 20%. In riders’ opinions, they generally believe they are of appropriate size for their horses. However, from the equine welfare perspective, further studies regarding optimal size proportions are warranted.
Equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) is a significant welfare issue in modern horse populations. EMS with insulin dysregulation (ID) is linked to increased risk of laminitis. Both genetic predisposition and environmental causes are recognised as contributing factors to the morbidity associated with EMS/ID.
Previously, we investigated the genetic basis of ID in Finnhorses in a case-control genome-wide association study. We identified a SNP in chromosome 17, located close to Arginine and Glutamate Rich1 gene(ARGLU1). The present study aimed to define whether mutations in the ARGLU1 gene are linked with ID. ARGLU1 is associated with glucocorticoid-mediated gluconeogenesis and adipogenesis in humans.
We sequenced 2411 bp from 34 cases and 37 controls. Altogether 15 variable sites, 9 in cases and 10 in controls, were found. Twenty-one horses in the control group and twelve in the case group were found to have nucleotide substitutions. Differentiation of control and case groups from each other was significant, based on FST values on haplotype frequencies only (FST = 0.556, p = 0.000) or using both haplotype frequencies and genetic distances of haplotypes (ST = 0.0302, p = 0.000). Similarly, the exact test of differentiation provided a highly significantp-value for differentiation (p = 0.000).However, there were no substitutions fixed in either of the groups.
Although no clear differences between ID horses and healthy control horses were found for the ARGLU1 gene, due to the multifactorial background of EMS/ID, the gene ARGLU1 may have some significance in morbidity. Further studies are needed in the future.
Anal sac impaction is common in dogs. Manual expression may be effective, yet recurrence can be problematic. To facilitate physiological emptying of the sacs, it is important to maintain bulky stool consistency. This study evaluated if supplementation with a complementary feed product formulated as a chew containing Bacillus velezensis C-3102 and fibre sources, reduced anal sac impaction recurrence. Thirty-five client-owned dogs with anal sac impaction were enrolled.
Prospective, randomised, negative controlled field clinical trial with 22 dogs receiving the chew orally for 90 consecutive days and 13 dogs with no treatment. Dogs were evaluated on Day (D) 30, 60, 90 and 120 for the presence of clinical signs of anal sac impaction and the need to empty the sacs. Any animal that required manual expression of the sacs was classified as a failure and was withdrawn from the study. The cumulative percentage of failures in the untreated group increased steadily from the first follow- up visit on D30 (15%)to the last visit on D120 (61.5%). However, in the group receiving the probiotic chew, the cumulative percentage of failures increased at a much slower rate and stabilised at 19% from the D90 visit (last administration day)until the end of the study on D120, with statistically significant differences(p = 0.025). Animals receiving the chew also showed reduction in clinical signs. The probiotic and fibre chew was a safe and effective management option for recurrent anal sac impaction in dogs.
Microbicidal activity of antimicrobial peptides(AMPs) contribute to host defence in respiratory epithelium. Irish Wolfhounds (IWHs)have increased incidence of bacterial pneumonia (BP), and recurrence is common. As the susceptibility to BP has not been explained by common immune deficits, the levels of AMPs were measured in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) to study local immune defence in lower airways. Twelve IWHs with recurrent BP and14 healthy control dogs of other breeds were included in this prospective observational study. Bronchoscopy was performed on all dogs under general anaesthesia and BALF was retrieved for cytology, bacterial culture and AMP analysis. Levels of selected AMPs; lysozyme, lactoferrin and canine beta-defensin-1 were measured in BALF, and epithelial lining fluid (ELF) concentrations were further calculated.Lysozyme activity was quantified according to minor modified microplate method, and lactoferrin and beta-defensin-1 concentrations were determined using ELISA method (LS-F6444; LifeSpan BioSciences, MBS05126; MyBioSource).
ELF lactoferrin concentrations were significantly lower (P=0.04)in IWHs (median 138 ng/ml, IQR 121-259)than in controls (median 267 ng/ml, IQR 201-330). ELF concentrations ofbeta-defensin-1 (mean 1587 pg/ml, SD 984) and ELF lysozyme activity (median 652U/ml, IQR 111-808) of IWHs did not significantly differ from controls (mean2016 pg/ml, SD 904, P=0.26; median93.7 U/ml, IQR 0.575-1237, P=0.47; respectively). Lactoferrin concentrations in the lower airway appear to be decreased in IWHs with recurrent BP. A potential reduction in the antimicrobial activity of ELF may play a role in the predisposition to BP in IWHs.
The Cephenemyia sp. -botflies (Diptera: Oestridae) are large, hairy flies mimicking bumblebees in appearance. Their larvae are obligate parasites of cervids. Cephenemyia sp. are host-specific: the adult C. ulrichii -females spray their larvae into the nostrils of moose (Alcesalces). The larvae develop in the nasal cavity and pharynx during winter. In the spring, the moose sneezes the now 4 cm-long larvae out and they pupate in the soil. The adult flies emerge in the summer. C. ulrichii -larvae have been found in human upper lip and eyes, but it has not been reported from accidental canine hosts before these cases.
We describe two dogs in which acute respiratory signs were caused by C.ulrichii myiasis. In July 2020, a 12-year-old Finnish Lapphund female presented with acute onset of sneezing and gagging for four days. The dog lived in Helsinki but had visited a forest in southeastern Finland before the onset of clinical signs. During rhinoscopy, ten 1- 2mm long, white-coloured, black-headed, actively moving larvae were found in the nasopharynx and nasal cavity. In August 2024, a 3-year-old Border Collie female presented with acute cough for six days. The dog lived in Lahti area. In bronchoscopy, similar appearing larvae were found in the trachea and right mainstem bronchus. Larvae were collected with endoscopic biopsy forceps for analysis from both. Both dogs were treated with imidacloprid 10% / moxidectin 1% spot-on formulation. Treatment quickly led to clinical cure and control rhinoscopy was not considered necessary. The parasites were morphologically identified as Cephenemyia sp. first instar larvae. DNA was isolated from one formalin-preserved (first dog) and oneethanol-preserved larva (second dog). Molecular confirmation of C. ulrichii was then achieved via DNA barcoding.
C.ulrichii -moose throat botfly can unintentionally spray its larvae into the upper and lower respiratory tract of dogs. It is possible that the condition is underdiagnosed and the presented cases reflect only a fraction of the true prevalence. Therefore, botfly myiasis should be considered as a differential diagnosis for respiratory tract foreign bodies in dogs with acute respiratory signs in endemic areas in the summer. Imidacloprid / moxidectin seems to be effective.
German shepherd dogs (GSDs) are known to be hereditary predisposed to lumbosacral transitional vertebra (LTV). Prevalence and heritability estimate for LTV in GSDs have been previously reported, but none of the radiographic screening schemes used have included identification of lumbarization and sacralization. The aim of the current study was to evaluate breeding program outcome and heritability of LTV in GSDs in Finland.
All Finnish Kennel Club (FKC) GSD LTV screening results (N= 7556) from 2013-2023 were analyzed. The FKC scoring systems includes LTV0 (normal), LTV1 (= divided median sacral crest/some other mild lumbosacral abnormality), LTV2 (= symmetrical), LTV3 (= asymmetrical), and LTV4(= total or nearly total lumbarization/sacralization). Heritability was estimated by the restricted maximum likelihood method and genetic trend was assessed from estimated breeding values (EBVs) of individual dogs by comparing the mean EBVs of dog born in different years.
Approximately half (46%) of the GSDs born in 2014-2022 had been screened for LTV. The overall prevalence of LTV was 29% (2194/7556). LTV1 was most common (22%, 1694/7556)morphology, followed by LTV4 (3%) and LTV2 and LTV3 (2% each). Heritability estimate for LTV was high (0.49)and slight favorable genetic trend was seen.
Our results show that large portion of GSDsin Finland have been screened for LTV and genetic improvement based on heritabilityand genetic trend is possible. However, LTV results should be used morevigorously and EBVs included in the breeding program for even better progress.LTV4 prevalence supports its inclusion in the classification scheme.
Vatinoxan is a peripherally acting alpha2-adrenergic antagonist that poorly penetrates the blood-brainbarrier. In veterinary medicine, it is used to attenuate the cardiovascular adverse effects of alpha2-agonists. Vatinoxan also appears to decrease the lead time to sedation after parenteral co-administration with alpha2- agonists, such as medetomidine. By preventing the agonist-induced vasoconstriction at both the systemic and local level (i.e. extravascular administration site), vatinoxan has been suggested to both enhance the absorption rate and increase the volume of distribution ofco-administered drugs. In this study, we investigated vatinoxan’s impact on the concentrations of medetomidine, midazolam and fentanyl in central nervous system tissues after subcutaneous co-administration in rats. Twelve healthy male Wistar rats (13– 15 weeks old) received either medetomidine 0.25mg/kg, midazolam 2 mg/kg, and fentanyl 0.01 mg/kg (MMF) or MMF combined with 5 mg/kg vatinoxan (MMF-V).Fifteen minutes later, the rats were human elyeuthanized with intravenous pentobarbital. Tissue samples of the left parietal cerebral cortex, thalamus, pons, lumbar spinal cord and plasma were analyzed for drug concentrations. Treatments were compared using Bonferroni-corrected t-tests after one-way ANOVA. Cortical concentrations of medetomidine (144 ±19.4 vs. 107 ± 13.1 ng/g, p = 0.04 (mean± 95 % confidence interval)) and fentanyl (2.3 ± 0.2 vs. 1.7 ± 0.3 ng/g, p = 0.04) were significantly higher in the MMF-V group. Cortex-to-plasma concentration ratios were also significantly higher for medetomidine (3.8 ± 0.7 vs. 8.0 ± 1.2), midazolam (2.0 ± 0.6 vs. 4.7 ± 0.7), and fentanyl (2.6 ± 0.5 vs. 5.6 ± 1.0) in MMF-V-treated rats (p < 0.001for all drugs). Vatinoxan increased early CNS drug exposure. The cortex-to-plasma concentration ratios were nearly doubled at 15 minutes after injection. The impact of vatinoxan was most obvious in the cortical tissue, which was likely the most perfused of the selected regions of interest. The result offer a plausible explanation why the onset of central effects is shortened by the addition of vatinoxan, which by mitigating the vasoconstrictive effects of the agonist, allows more efficient disposition of simultaneously delivered sedative drugs. The results support the 3R principles by refining experimental animal sedation towards more reliable and effective medetomidine-based sedation protocols.
Chronic inflammatory rhinitis (CIR) is among the most common causes of chronic nasal signs in dogs, and consistently effective treatments are currently lacking. Neurokinin-1 (NK-1) receptor activation has been associated with rhinitis in experimental animals.
The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of oral NK-1 receptor antagonist (maropitant) and placebo on clinical signs of CIR. Study design was prospective, randomized, placebo controlled double blinded trial. The diagnosis of CIR was based on clinical presentation, computed tomography, rhinoscopy and histopathology findings. A total of 18 dogs with CIR were included, which were randomized to receive either maropitant 2 mg/kg or placebo perorally every other day for four weeks (9 dogs in both groups). Response to treatment was evaluated weekly with a validated questionnaire and clinical scores for CIR signs (including nasal discharge, sneezing, reverse sneezing and thickness of the discharge)were calculated. Differences between groups were evaluated with Welch’s t-test.
There were no significant differences in clinical scores between groups at the beginning (P=0.46) or at the end(P=0.41) of the treatment trial. Furthermore, there was no significant change in CIR signs between the beginning and end of the trial in treatment (P=0.66)or placebo (P=0.68)group. Owners considered the quality of life in affected dogs to be good throughout the trial in both groups.
In conclusion, peroral NK-1 receptor antagonist maropitant at the dose 2 mg/kg EOD did not reduce clinical signs in dogs with CIR.
Our goal was to study the prevalence of ESBL/AmpC/carbapenemase/VRE-producing E. coli and K. pneumoniae, as well as idenEfy drivers behind the spread of these bacteria in sheltered and owned dogs in Crete, Greece. In total252 swab samples were collected in two different shelters and two veterinary clinics in Crete, Greece July 2024. Samples were obtained directly from the rectum of sheltered (n = 205) and owned dogs (n = 32), and the shelter environment (n = 13). Samples were transported to the Department of Food Hygiene and Environmental Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland for analyses. The samples were enriched and cultured onto selecEve media and species confirmaEon done with MALDI-TOF MS. Subsequently confirmed isolates were subjected for WGS. Phenotypic resistance was invesEgated with anEbioEc suscepEbility tesEng. All together we idenEfied 77 putativeESBL/AmpC/carbapenemase -producing E. coli (n = 71) and K. pneumoniae (n = 6)isolates. All confirmed isolates originated from sheltered (n = 81) and owned (n = 6) dogs. The prevalence of the studied bacteria in sheltered dogs was30% (n = 61) for E. coli and 2,9% (n = 6) for K. pneumoniae, and for owned dogs12,5% (n = 4) for E. coli, 0% (n = 0)for K. pneumoniae. The prevalence of ESBL/AmpC -producing E. coli was higher in sheltered dogs (30%) compared to owned dogs (12,5%), however the prevalence of carbapenemase - producing E. coli was higher in owned dogs (6,3%) compared to sheltered dogs (3,9%). A closer examinaEon of the genomic characterisEcsof the isolates revealed differences between the dog populaEons studied, suggesEng that external factors may influence the spread of specific resistant bacterial lineages in certain environments.
Musculoskeletal diseases (MSDs)have not been extensively studied in chondrodysplastic breeds, despite these dogs being prone to various skeletal disorders. The aim of our study was to determine the owner- perceived exercise habits, musculoskeletal health, limb conformations (LCs), and the prevalence of pes varus, a hind limb growth disorder, in Finnish dachshund population. We used an online survey aimed to owners of purebred dachshunds, aged one year or older (n=640).
Owner-reported exercise amounts varied from at least an hour per day (38.8%) to at least two hours per day (37%) for most dogs (n=485/640). Total amount of exercise was lower, and dogs were more reluctant to locomote if they had bilateral carpal and/or tarsal valgus malposition (p=0.0007), or hip dysplasia (p=0.0382) compared to dogs without the mentioned conditions. Owners reported MSDs as the second most common type of chronic illness (24.0%), and as the main cause for impaired quality of life (61.5%). The most reported MSD in our study was pes varus (6.9%), followed by front limb growth disturbances (5.8%), and patellar luxation (3.1%). Impaired mobility was more likely in dogs with MSDs(p=0.0003), or any limb malposition (p=0.0055).
In conclusion, this study provides important new information concerning the consequences of chondrodysplasia on exercise habits and mobility. Musculoskeletal diseases are a common problem in dachshunds. Dogs affected by abnormal LCs or MSDs are likely to exercise less, be more reluctant to locomote and have poorer mobility than their unaffected counterparts.
Chronic cough is one of the most common respiratory complaints in dogs and it may be caused by both inflammatory and infectious bronchial diseases, which present with similar clinical signs.Non-invasive biomarkers could aid in limiting antimicrobial use solely to cases of bacterial bronchitis. The objective of this study was to investigate whether the measurement of serum amyloid A (SAA), high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) or glycoprotein acetyls (GlykA) in serum samples could differentiate bacterial bronchitis from other non-infectious causes of chronic cough.
Dogs with bacterial bronchitis caused by Bordetella bronchiseptica (BB, n=15), chronic bronchitis (CB, n=18) and eosinophilic bronchopneumopathy (EBP, n=20) as well healthy controls (n=20) were included in the study. The diagnosis was based on thorough clinical examinations including bronchoscopy and bronchoalveolar lavage. Inflammatory biomarkers were measured from serum samples using turbidimetric immunoassays for SAA and hsCRP and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy for GlykA.
Serum hsCRP and GlykA were significantly higher (P=0.014 and P=0.0005) in dogs with BB (median 4.7 mg/L, interquartile range [IQR] 1.4-13.0 mg/L and median 912.3 mmol/L,IQR 835,4-994,4 mmol/L)when compared to healthy dogs (median 0.9 mg/L, IQR 0.7-1.5 mg/L and median732.9 mmol/L, IQR 675.2- 807.9 mmol/L). However, there were no significant differences (P>0.05 in all comparisons) in serum hsCRP or GlykA when compared to dogs with CB (median 2.3 mg/L, IQR 1.2-13.1 mg/L and median 900.9 mmol/L, IQR 770.7-966.3 mmol/L) or EBP(median 3.6 mg/L, IQR 1.1-12.4 mg/L and 872.0 mmol/L, IQR 811.4-986.4 mmol/L. Serum SAA did not differ between any of the groups (P>0.05).
To conclude, serum hsCRP and GlykA are increased in dogs with bacterial bronchitis when compared to healthy dogs. However, these biomarkers cannot distinguish between bacterial bronchitis and non-infectious causes of chronic cough.
With the majority of emerging infectious diseases being zoonoses, it is crucial to establish a coordinated disease surveillance system utilizing the One Health approach. OH4Surveillance project, co-funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101132473, supports participating countries in setting up and scaling up One Health surveillance for emerging or re-emerging zoonotic pathogens in animals and the environment. The project aims to improve early detection and preparedness for zoonotic diseases to safeguard public health. Altogether 11 European countries are partaking in the project, which is coordinated by Statens Serum Institute(SSI, Denmark).
In Finland, the project is undertaken by the Finnish Food Authority and the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare. The chosen priority cross-border zoonoses to be surveilled in Finland include Q fever, tick-borne encephalitis (TBE), and ‘Disease Y’.
Domestic ruminants are considered the main reservoir for human Q fever infections. Aborted ruminant fetuses are tested for Coxiella burnetii, the causative agent of Q fever, and milk samples are tested for antibodies. In addition, fetus samples showing gross or histological lesions indicative of an infectious disease, but without findings of a pathogen with conventional bacteriological and virological methods, are subjected to metagenomic sequencing to identify potential previously unidentified pathogens causing disease, termed ‘DiseaseY’. Testing antibodies against TBEV in ruminants helps determine if these animals can serve as sentinels for predicting TBE risk areas for humans. In addition to pathogen surveillance, the project focuses on capacity building and evaluating current surveillance systems. An important aspect is to enhance nationalcross-sectoral cooperation between animal and human health.
Furthermore, building a national,long-term network for vector species and vector-borne disease experts from different sectors(human, animal, environmental health, social sciences)will be planned to enhance data management, information sharing, surveillance and risk preparedness of vector-borne diseases in Finland.
Campylobacter jejuni is the leading cause of zoonotic gastroenteritis in EU and Finland. Infection is usually acquired via consumption of undercooked poultry meat. In the Finnish broiler production, both the prevalence and antibiotic resistance of C. jejuni have long been below the EU average .Antibiotics have not been used in production flocks since 2010,however, in 2014,2016 and 2018 resistance to fluoroquinolones and tetracycline was detected in C. jejuni broiler isolates. Here in we investigate potential causes for the spread of antibiotic-resistant strains in the broiler production chain, including vertical transmission from parental to production flocks, aiming at risk management recommendations.
C. jejuni isolates from broiler production flocks (n=188) and parental flocks (n=145)were collected from caeca at slaughter in the national control program and volunteer in-house control in 2014–2019, respectively. The isolates represented all C. jejuni positive findings during the period, of which one temporally representative isolate per flock was subjected to whole-genome sequencing. C. jejuni genomes (n=333) were further subjected to de novo assembly, multi-locus sequence typing(MLST), whole-genome MLST and genotypic antibiotic resistance determination. Metadata linking production and parental flocks were also available.
Similar whole-genome allelic profiles between production and parental flocks were detected especially among antibiotic-sensitive C. jejuni isolates belonging to clonal complexes ST-45 CC and ST-677 CC. Genotypic fluoroquinolone resistance was detected in 15.9% of all C. jejuni isolates, especially among isolates from production flocks and belonging to ST-206 CC and ST-21 CC. Genotypic tetracycline resistance was detected in 7.8% of all C. jejuni isolates, evenly from production and parental flocks. No epidemiological linkage was observed betweenantibiotic-resistant production and parental flock isolates contradicting vertical transmission.
Despite the absence of antibiotics consumption, occurrence of antibiotic resistance among C. jejuni isolates from Finnish broiler production flocks was high in 2014–2019, yet unexplainable by vertical transmission. Allelic profiles rather suggest horizontal transmission from a common environmental source. This study provides new information on the genotypes, resistance profiles and population genetics of C. jejuni isolates from Finnish broilers and breeder hens.
The main aim for meat inspection is to secure food safety, but meat inspection data can also be used to monitor animal health and welfare. In Finland, abscesses, arthritis, milk spots, pericarditis, pleuritis, pneumonia and tail bite of slaughter pigs are recorded and centrally collected as morbidity data during meat inspection in addition to condemnation data. The aim of this study was to assess the trends of these findings during 2016–2023.
The meat inspection data of all pigs slaughtered in Finland during 2016–2023 were collected from the online data published by Finnish Food Authority (FFA). The data was managed, and graphs drawn using Microsoft Excel.
Based on the data, there was a downward trend of ante mortem condemnations (from0.006% to 0.002%) of fattening pigs and upward trend of total (from 0.35 %to0.49%) and partial (from 6.8% to 8.8%) condemnation of carcasses. In addition, the prevalence of pleuritis (from 18.3% to 29.7%),pneumonia (from 2.3% to 4.8%) and pericarditis (from 3.9% to 7.6%) increased during the years and prevalence of milk spots (from 6.8% to 3.8%) decreased. No trend was seen in the prevalence of arthritis (with yearly prevalence of2.8%–3.1%), abscesses (with yearly prevalences of 2.8%–4.5%) or tail bite (with yearly prevalences of 0.9%–2.1%). A change in the prevalences of pericarditis, abscesses and tail bite was visible after the change of meat inspection instructions of FFA in 2022 suggesting a change in reporting. The increasing numbers of pneumonia, pleuritis and pericarditis may indicate a growing occurrence of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, which is a major causative agent of respiratory disease in pigs in Finland. In the central meat inspection data, the morbidity data is not linked to condemnations. Therefore, the reasons for the increase in partial and total condemnations is unknown and should be further studied.
Although the data centrally collected and published by the FFA are fairly limited, they can be used to visualize trends in meat inspection findings and suggest possible rising problems in animal health and welfare that may need attention in the primary production. It can also show a positive development in the animal health as seen with milk spots. However, care must be used when interpreting the data, since many things, such as changes in the inspection instructions, can affect the collected data.
Animal health and welfare are corner stones for profitable farms producing high quality and safe meat. In addition, the origin and welfare quality are increasingly important factors for consumers. Sheep meat production in Finland is small but organic production is common. In 2024, ca. 50 000 heads, 77 % lamb and23% sheep, of which 22 % were organically produced, were slaughtered in Finland.
Meat inspection data can be used to assess animal health and welfare, yet this is often overlooked. Only some of the meat inspection data is collected centrally. The data does not account for production types or slaughter age. Published studies on meat inspection findings of sheep or lamb in Finland are scarce. Here, we report the preliminary data on condemnations of carcasses and most common meat inspection findings of sheep and lamb in organic and conventional production in Finland.
Meat inspection data from 2024 were collected from one major sheep slaughterhouse. Lamb constituted 79%of the slaughtered animals, with 37 % of the animals being organically produced. The data was managed in Excel and confidence limits were calculated using Binomial method in Epitools Epidemiological Calculators.
Only 0.14% of slaughtered animals were totally condemned and 1.66% were partially condemned. Total and partial condemnations were significantly more common in sheep than in lamb both in conventional and organic production. This is natural, since older sheep are usually removed from production for some reason, whereas lambs are raised for slaughter. There was no significant difference in total and partial condemnations between organic and conventional production.
The most common meat inspection finding was liver changes caused by Dicrocoelium dendriticum (lancet liver fluke)in organic sheep (7.95%) and lamb (2.27%) and conventional sheep(3.87%) and lamb (1.42%). D. dendriticum is a farm problem. In this study, only 2.8% of the farms were positive for D. dendriticum with an on-farm prevalence ranging from 11% to 100%. D. dendriticum was significantly more prevalent in organic sheep than in other groups. It was more prevalent in sheep than in lamb, in both organic and conventional production systems. However, the effect of individual positive farms was considerable.
The second most common finding was pleuritis (0.76%), which was significantly more common in sheep than in lambs both in organic and conventional production. There was no significant difference between the production types. Pneumonia (0.17%) was considerably less common, but was still one of the most frequently observed findings, with no significant differences between production types or age groups. Other common findings were fractures (0.36%) and acute bruises(0.32%) that did not differ between production types or age. However, these impact animal welfare and reasons for bruises and fractures should be further studied.
This study is part of a project “SheepWell” funded by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.
Hepatiitti E -virus (HEV) on zoonoottinen RNA-virus, joka on levinnyt ympäri maapalloa. HEV-tartunta on yleensä terveillä ihmisillä oireeton tai aiheuttaa lieväoireisen akuutin hepatiitin, mutta pahimmillaan se voi johtaa neurologisiin oireisiin tai krooniseen hepatiittiin ja jopa kuolemaan. Tyypillisin genotyyppi länsimaissa – myös Suomessa – on HEV-3, ja tartuntojen epäillään olevan pääasiallisesti elintarvikeperäisiä. HEV-3:n reservuaarina ovat siat ja villisiat, joskin muillakin nisäkkäillä on todettu tartuntoja. HEV-tartuntoja esiintyy erityisesti nuorilla sioilla, kun taas teurasiässä suurin osa sioista on jo virusnegatiivisia. Vain 3–4 %:a suomalaisista sioista on HEV-positiivisia teurastuksen aikaan. Sikaa sisältävät elintarvikkeet ovat riski ihmisille, mikäli virus ei tuhoudu elintarvikkeen valmistusprosessissa. Tässä posterissa vedetään yhteen kahden julkaisemamme artikkelin tulokset siitä, miten virukset inaktivoituvat erilaisissa makkaravalmisteiden käsittelyprosesseissa.
Aineistona käytimme kahta virusta, HEV:ta ja hiiren norovirusta (MNV). Näytteinä käytettiin sekä viruspitoista liuosta (HEV, MNV) että makkaraa(MNV). Makkaramassaan virus lisättiin ennen makkaranpursotusta. Makkaranäytteinä käytimme sekä keittomakkaraa (grillimakkara) että kestomakkaraa (meetvursti).
Näytteet käsittelimme keittokäsittelyssä lämminsavustuksella, lyhyissä savustuksissa korkealla ja matalalla savustusintensiteetillä (vain nestenäytteet) sekä kuukauden mittaisessa kylmäsavustuskäsittelyssä. Jokaisessa kokeessa oli mukana aikakontrolli huoneenlämmössä. Keittokäsittely sisälsi viisi eri vaihetta(esilämmitys, kuivatus, lämminsavustus, keitto, lisäkeitto) loppulämpötilan kohotessa +72 °C:een. Lyhyissä savustuksissa nestenäytteet olivat kosketuksissa savuun 10 min,30 min tai 3 h ajan, ja lämpötila pidettiin huoneenlämpöisenä. Kylmäsavustuskäsittelyssä näytteitä otettiin ensimmäisen viikonajan päivittäin ja sen jälkeen kahdesti viikossa, eikä korkeita lämpötiloja käytetty.
Makkaranäytteet käsiteltiin PEG-saostuksella virukseneristämiseksi ennen soluviljelyä toisin kuin nestenäytteet. MNV:lla solukuoppien infektoituminen todennettiin valomikroskoopilla CPE:n perusteella. HEV:lla solukuoppien infektoituminen todennettiin RT-qPCR:llä, jolla laskettiin arvio HEV:n genomikopiomäärästä/ml. Lopulliset infektiivisyystulokset laskettiinTCID50/ml-arvoina. Solutoksisuus arvioitiin viruksettomilla kontrollinäytteillä.
Keittokäsittelykokeen lopussa näytteissä ei havaittu enää kumpaakaan viruksista. MNV säilyi pidempään infektiivisenä keittomakkarassa (68 min, vähenemä >3,8log10 TCID50/ml) kuin liuoksessa (54 min, vähenemä >5,9 log10 TCID50/ml) (p<0,001), kun taas liuoksessa HEV inaktivoitui (maksimaalinen vähenemä >1,4 log10 TCID50/ml) MNV:ta maltillisemmalla tahdilla(p<0,001). Lyhyissä savustuksissa MNV inaktivoitui, kun liuosta käsiteltiin korkean intensiteetin savustuksella 10 min savustusajalla (vähenemä 2,8 log10 TCID50/ml, p<0,001) ja matalan intensiteetin savustuksella 3 h savustusajalla (vähenemä0,5 log10 TCID50/ml, p=0,013).Kyseiset savustuskäsittelyt estivät solutoksisuudellaan HEV:n infektiivisyyden arvioinnin. Muissa lyhyissä savustuksissa ei havaittu virusten merkittävääinaktivaatiota. Kylmäsavustuskäsittelyssä HEV-määrä laski matalan pitoisuuden takia liuoksessa alle toteamisrajan kolmantena päivänä ja huonelämpökontrollissaseitsemäntenä päivänä(maksimaalinen vähenemä 1,1 log10 TCID50/ml). Myös liuoksessa oleva MNVinaktivoitui kylmäsavustuskäsittelyssä (vähenemä 4,3 log10 TCID50/ml) nopeammin kuin huoneenlämpökontrollissa (vähenemä 1,8 TCID50/ml) (p<0,05). MNV:ta oli kuitenkin havaittavissa kuukauden mittaisen kokeenlopussa sekä liuoksessa että meetvursteissa (vähenemä1,9 log10 TCID50/ml). MNV:n inaktivaatio meetvursteissa oli vähäisempää kuin kylmäsavustuskäsitellyssä liuoksessa (p<0,05).
Tulostemme perusteella +72 °C:een keittokäsittely vähentää tehokkaasti grillimakkaran sisältämää HEV:n määrää ja siten HEV-tartuntariskiä. Sen sijaan on mahdollista, että jopa neljänviikon pituisen kylmäsavustuskäsittelyn jälkeen sianlihaa sisältävässä meetvurstissa olisi jäljellä vielä infektiokykyistä HEV:ta, joskin savustuksella vaikuttaa olevan viruksen määrää lievästi vähentäviä vaikutuksia. Tulosta tukee myös aiempi Suomessa tapahtunut HEV-epidemia, jonka syyksi epäiltiin kylmäsavustettua, sianlihaa sisältäneitä kestomakkaroita. Tulevaisuudessa korkeammalla HEV-pitoisuudella olisi mahdollista tutkia viruksen inaktivoitumista itse makkarassa. Lisäksi olisi tärkeää tutkia, onko tulos vastaava hirven- tai peuranlihalla, sillä riistalihaa syödään usein HEV:n suhteen riittämättömällä lämmöllä kypsennettynä.
Waterborne viral pathogens pose significant public health risk, par6cularly when they contaminate water sources used for drinking, agriculture, and recreational purposes. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and distribution of waterborne RNA viruses—norovirus GI and GII, hepa66s E virus (HEV), and SARS-CoV-2—in the River Vantaa(Vantaanjoki) and mostly treated wastewater from the wastewater treatment plants along the river.
A total of 55 water samples were collected from four loca6ons along the River Vantaa and four waste water treatment plants. Sampling was conducted seasonally in 2022 and2023, with additional samples collected in winter 2024. Treated wastewater samples were 24-hour composites. In addition to treated (effluent) wastewater, some untreated (influent) wastewater samples were analyzed. Viral concentrations were processed using the DEUF and PEG methods for river water and the aluminum chloride method for wastewater. Detection of viral RNA was performed using RT-qPCR, while somatic coliphages were analyzed with the Blue Phage Somatic Coliphage Kit.
All three viruses were detected in at least one sample, with varying concentra6ons. Norovirus GII was frequently found, with detection rates of 50% in river water and 65% in effluent wastewater. HEV and SARS-CoV-2 were present in all influent wastewater samples.Soma6c coliphages exhibited high prevalence, with 87% posi6vity in river water and 91% in wastewater. This research highlights the significant presence of enteric viruses, particularly noroviruses, in river water and wastewater. The findings underscore the public health risks posed by these pathogens and emphasize the need forcon6nuous monitoring and effec6ve water treatment processes to mitigate contamina6on in environmental water sources.
Waterborne viruses, such as human enteric viruses, pose public health risks via contaminated drinking water. The long-term survival of viruses in bottled water is understudied. This research investigates the persistence of model viruses—murine norovirus (MNV),simian rhesus rotavirus (RRV), and porcine sapovirus (PoSaV)— under varying storage conditions, contributing to water safety management.
Bottled drinking water samples were inoculated with each virus and stored at 4°C, 25°C, and 37°C for up to one year. Viral concentrations were assessed periodically using TCID50 assay, plaque assay and immunofluorescence (IF) to evaluate persistence.
Initial titers of MNV and RRV were 5.17 log10 TCID50/mL and 6.46 log10 PFU/mL, respectively. At4°C, both MNV and RRV remained stable for 80 days. At 25°C, MNV titers declined to 4.08, 3.25, and 1.06 log10 TCID50/mL at 20, 40, and 80 days, respectively, while RRV titers showed minor reductions. At 37°C, MNV titers dropped to 2.81 and 0.5 log10 TCID50/mL, and RRV titers decreased to 5.57 and 4.78 log10 PFU/mL after 10 and 20 days, respectively. A method using IF on LLC-PK1 cells for PoSaV detection using chamber slides was applied. Preliminary results will be shown.
Temperature and storage duration significantly affect virus survival in drinking water. Among the studied viruses, RRV demonstrated greater persistence across all conditions, particularly at elevated temperatures. These findings underscore the importance of considering both temperature and time in assessing viral risks in water safety management. Further studies are required to evaluate additional environmental factors influencing viral survival.
Lihantuotanto on usein lammastalouden päätuotantosuunta. Lampaita teurastetaan noin 50 000 kpl vuodessa, joista luomulampaiden osuus on noin neljännes. Suurin osa (77 %) teuraslampaista on alle vuoden ikäisiä. Lampaiden teurastus on kausiluonteista ajoittuen helmi-maaliskuulle ja syys-marraskuulle. Suomessa vuonna 2024 teurastettiin kaikki lampaat pienteurastamoissa. Virkaeläinlääkäri tarkastaa teurastamolla elintarvikeketjutiedot, tekee lampaille ante ja post mortem -tarkastukset sekä lihantarkastuspäätöksen. Lihantarkastuksen tarkoitus on varmistaa lampaanlihan laatu ja turvallisuus. Teurastushygienia vaikuttaa ruhon bakteeripitoisuuteen. Korkeat bakteeripitoisuudet heikentävät lihan laatua ja säilyvyyttä. Lampaiden tautitilanne on Suomessa hyvä, mutta lihavälitteisten zoonoottisten bakteerien esiintyvyydestä teuraslampaissa on niukalti tietoa. Tässä työssä tutkimme kokonaisbakteerien määrää ja lihavälitteisten patogeenien esiintyvyyttä lampaiden ruhon pinnalla.
Keräsimme 100 lampaan ruhon pintasivelynäytteet vuonna 2024.Näytteenottokertoja oli neljä: helmi-, maalis-, syys- ja lokakuussa. Lampaat olivat peräisin 23 tilalta ja tutkittujen lampaiden määrä vaihteli 1–14 tilaa kohti. Sivelynäytteet otettiin rinnan alueelta (5x10 cm2) kummastakin ruhonpuoliskosta, yhteensä 100 cm2 kokoinen alue sideharsotaitoksella. Tutkimukset aloitettiin seuraavana päivänä. Näytteistä tutkittiin kokonaisbakteerimäärät ja tärkeimmät lihavälitteiset patogeeniset bakteerit: kampylobakteeri, salmonella, shiga-toksiinia tuottava Esherichia coli (STEC), yersinia ja listeria. Patogeenistenbakteerien esiintyvyys kartoitettiin ensin PCR-menetelmällä, jonka jälkeen positiiviset näytteet viljeltiin selektiivisille alustoille, joista bakteerit eristettiin ja tunnistettiin.
Ruhojen kokonaisbakteerien määrä vaihteli välillä50 (1,70 log10)ja 1,07x105 (5,03 log10) pmy/cm2keskiarvon ollessa 1000 (3,00 log10) pmy/cm2. Suurin osa (81%) ruhoista olivat mikrobiologiselta laadulta hyviä (<3,5log10 pmy/cm2).STEC (63 %) ja L. monocytogenes (51 %) -esiintyvyys oli korkea, salmonella (10 %) ja kampylobakteeria (8 %) -esiintyvyys oli selkeästimatalampi. Yersiniaa ei löytynyt ollenkaan (<1 %). Kokonaisbakteerien määräja STEC:n esiintyvyys olivat merkittävästi (p<0,001) korkeammat syksyn näytteissä verrattuna kevään näytteisiin. Kokonaisbakteerien määrä korreloi positiivisesti (p<0.001) listerian esiintyvyyden kanssa.
Tuloksemme osoittivat, että ruhojen kokonaisbakteerimäärä oli useimmiten kohtalaisen matala, mutta vaihtelua ruhojen välillä oli runsaasti ja vaihtelua esiintyi myös tilojen välillä. Bakteerimääriin vaikuttaa eläinten puhtausja teurastushygienia. Ruhot olivat yllättävän usein saastuneet STEC ja L. monocytogenes - bakteereilla. Salmonellaa (S. subsp. diarizonae) ja kampylobakteeria löytyi myös ruhojen pinnoilta. Etenkin suolistoperäiset patogeenit (salmonella, kampylobakteerija STEC) leviävät helposti ulosteen välityksellä joko suoraan tai epäsuorasti ruhojen pinnoille. Listeria leviää useimmiten saastuneen ympäristön välityksellä. Lampaita teurastettaessa on tärkeää kiinnittää huomiota teurastushygieniaan ja teurastamonympäristön puhtauteen.
Tutkimus on osa laajempaamaa- ja metsätalousministeriön rahoittamaa SheepWell-hanketta.
Grazing is an essential part of sheep farming and efficient way to maintain endangered meadow biotopes and increase biodiversity. However, zoonotic pathogens might spread from sheep pastures through runoff water. There is no comprehensive information on the prevalence of zoonotic pathogens in living environments of sheep in Finland. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of drinking water, surface water and sediments at sheep farms and nearby waterside pastures as vehicles for zoonotic disease transmission. A total of 46 sheep drinking water samples were collected in February and August from 19 sheep farms—nine without direct access to surface water and ten with waterside pastures. Additionally, eight surface water and six sediment samples were collected from waterside pastures in August. Escherichia coli, and intestinal enterococci counts were analyzed using Colilert-18 and Enterolert-DW, respectively. Gene-specific PCR techniques were used to detect Cryptosporidium, Fasciolahepatica, Dicrocoelium dendriticum, ruminant fecal marker (Rum2Bac) and STEC genes stx1, stx2, and eae. Cryptosporidium spp. and Dicrocoelium dendriticum were identified via Sanger sequencing of 18S rRNA and ITS2genes, respectively. Water and sediment samples for Campylobacter spp. were studied according to ISO 17995:2019 standard. Most of the sheep's drinking water samples contained indicator bacteria, with 26%(5/19) of samples in February and 11% (3/28) in August contained fecal indicator bacteria less than 1 CFU/100ml. The ruminant fecal marker was detected in 28% (11/39) of the sheep drinking water samples and 42% (3/7) of the sediment samples. Only one surface water sample showed a high count of E. coli (1,553 CFU/100ml), suggesting recent fecal contamination. However, the ruminant fecal marker was not found in any of the surface water samples, and enterococci were present in only small quantities (up to 57CFU/100ml). None of the studied zoonotic pathogens were detected in any of the water or sediment samples. The absence of zoonotic pathogens in the surface water samples suggests that water near sheep pastures poses minimal risk of infection for the pathogens investigated, even though all pathogens except Fasciola hepatica were detected in sheep feces from the same farms. One surface water sample showed a high E. coli count, but the absence of ruminant markers indicates that the contamination likely did not originate from sheep or other ruminants. In contrast, most of the sheep drinking water samples contained fecal indicator bacteria and ruminant fecal markers. This suggests that sheep feces end up in sheep's drinking water, potentially increasing infection risks among the herd. In conclusion, while surface water near sheep pastures did not appear to be contaminated by sheep feces at the time of sampling, the sheep’s drinking water was contaminated with fecal indicators and ruminant fecal markers.
Grazing is the most efficient way to maintain extremely endangered waterside meadows. However, more information about the fecal microbiota of grazing animals is needed. Cryptosporidium spp. and Campylobacter spp. are common zoonotic pathogens, carrying potential to cause waterborne infections. The life cycle of the liver fluke Fasciola hepatica is directly associated to grazed wetlands. Liver fluke Dicrocoelium dendriticum requires grazed environment for reproduction and infection.
The aim of this study was to use different molecular methods to detect and verify the presence of zoonotic pathogens from grazed environments.
Fecal samples (60 cattle and 60 sheep feces) and water samples (31) were collected from 11 waterside pastures. The presence of Cryptosporidium spp., Cryptosporidium parvum, F. hepatica and D. dendriticum was analyzed with qPCR. qPCR positive samples were further analyzed with Sanger sequencing using genus-specific primers. Thermotolerant Campylobacter spp. were analyzed according to ISO 17995:2019, and the species and genotype identified through whole genome sequencing (WGS). 18S amplicon sequencing for the V4 region was done for 12 fecal sample pools (according to pasture and animal species)and individual water samples. The data was analyzed using Mothur v1.48 toolkit with the Silvav138 for alignment and PR2 database for taxonomy. Four fecal sample pools, representing both pathogen positive and negative samples, and water samples collected from the same pastures were selected to shotgun sequencing. The data was analyzed using BV-BRC v. 3.4.1 taxonomic classification online tool.
In comparison to WGS done for Campylobacter spp. cultured from individual samples, the species found with shotgun sequencing from pooled samples showed greater species variety. As culture-based methods may not be ideal for certain species, shotgun sequencing may provide a tool to study the Campylobacter spp. variety in greater depth. Around 33% of individually studied fecal and water samples gave false positive results in Cryptosporidium spp. specific qPCR. Majority of these were identified as eukaryotes often associated with freshwater environments. Cryptosporidium spp. was often not detected from fecal sample pools with NGS methods, even when they were detected with Sanger sequencing. However, C. parvum was found from some water samples studied with shotgun sequencing although not detected with qPCR or Sanger sequencing. As oocysts are very resistant to environmental factors, they may have originated from other sources further away from the sampling area, as C. parvum was not found from the waterside pastures. Liver flukes were not detected with NGS methods, although D. dendriticum was verified from individual cattle fecal samples from one pasture with Sanger sequencing. F. hepatica was not found from the studied samples.
