Research on physical or psychological stress, in order to monitor objective parameters for animal welfare, is usually performed during experimental stress induction. To avoid treatment of animals with physiological addition the stress-related hormone corticosterone drinking water, may serve as a practical alternative reproducibly investigate hormone-related broiler chickens. Rapid uptake and distribution bloodstream were affirmed by elevated plasma concentrations immediately after start...

Coxiella burnetii is an intracellular bacterial pathogen that causes Q fever. Infected pregnant goats are a major source of human infection. However, the tissue dissemination and excretion pathway in still poorly understood. To better understand fever pathogenesis, we inoculated groups via intranasal route with recent Dutch outbreak C. isolate. Tissue were followed for up to 95 days after parturition. Goats successfully infected route. PCR immunohistochemistry showed strong tropism towards...

Background Early-life environmental variation affects gut microbial colonization and immune competence development; however, the timing additional specifics of these processes are unknown. The impact early-life variations, as experienced under real life circumstances, on development has not been studied extensively so far. We designed a study to investigate variation, early after birth, intestinal development. Methodology/Principal Findings To effects changes, piglets 16 piglet litters were...

Background In intensive pig husbandry systems, antibiotics are frequently administrated during early life stages to prevent respiratory and gastro-intestinal tract infections, often in combination with stressful handlings. The immediate effects of these treatments on microbial colonization immune development have been described recently. Here we studied whether the administration has long-lasting pig's intestinal community gut functionality. Methodology/Principal Findings To investigate...

Host genetic makeup plays a role in early gut microbial colonization and immune programming. Interactions between microbiota host cells of the mucosal layer are paramount importance for proper development defence mechanisms. For different livestock species, it has already been shown that particular genotypes have increased susceptibilities towards disease causing pathogens. The objective this study was to investigate impact genotypic variation on both functional intestinal tissue. From two...

Gut microbial colonization and development of immune competence are intertwined influenced by early-life nutritional, environmental, management factors. Perturbation the gut microbiome at young age affects crosstalk between intestinal bacteria host cells mucosa. We investigated effect a perturbation normal early life jejunum in 1-day old chickens. was induced administering 0.8 mg amoxicillin per bird day) via drinking water for period 24 h. Effects were measured 16S rRNA profiling whole...

Ducks and chickens are hosts of avian influenza virus, each with distinctive responses to infection. To understand these differences, we characterized the innate immune response low-pathogenicity virus H7N1 infection in ducks. Viral RNA was detected lungs from day 0.8 7, ducks mainly at 4. In both species, viral bursa gut. Infection resulted up-regulation interferon (IFN)-α IFN-β mRNA, while IFN-γ mRNA strongly up-regulated lung bursa. ducks, all investigated pathogen recognition receptor...

Avian influenza virus can be divided into two groups, highly pathogenic avian (HPAI) and low (LPAI) based on their difference in virulence. To investigate if the clinical outcome between LPAI HPAI chickens is due to immunological host responses lung within first 24 hours post infection (hpi), were infected with or of subtype H7N1. Virus was found caudal cranial part lung. With LPAI, localised around intrapulmonary bronchus secondary bronchi. In sharp contrast, detected throughout whole...

We studied the immunological responses in lung, brain and spleen of ducks chickens within first 7 days after infection with H7N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). Infection HPAI caused significant morbidity mortality chickens, while was asymptomatic. The viral mRNA load higher all investigated tissues compared duck tissues. In HPAI-infected a high, but delayed, pro-inflammatory response IL-6 IL-1β induced, including up-regulation IFN-β, IFN-γ, TLR3 MDA-5 from 1 day post (p.i.)....

Q fever is a zoonosis caused by the intracellular bacterium Coxiella burnetii. Both humoral and cellular immunity are important in host defence against bacteria. Little known about immune response to C. burnetii infections domestic ruminants even though these species major source of humans. To investigate goat's we inoculated groups pregnant goats via inhalation with Dutch outbreak isolate All animals were successfully infected. Phase 1 2 IgM- IgG-specific antibodies measured. Cellular...

Conventional pig housing and management conditions are associated with gastrointestinal pathophysiology disease susceptibility in early life. Developing new strategies to reduce both therapeutic prophylactic antibiotic use is urgent for the sustainable swine production globally. To this end, methodology providing effective environmental enrichment could be a promising alternative approach usage, as it has been proven positively influence welfare immune status infections. It is, however,...

Feed additives aiming to improve gastrointestinal health are frequently supplied piglets after weaning (d28) but might be more effective when administered before weaning. In this period, feed can either directly neonates, or indirectly via sow's feed. It is yet unknown what the effect of administration route on gut functionality and in piglets. Therefore, we compared different dietary interventions maternal (lactation feed) neonatal (oral gavage). These included medium chain fatty acids...

ABSTRACT Streptococcus suis causes infections in pigs and occasionally humans, resulting manifestations as meningitis, sepsis, arthritis, septic shock. For survival within the host, S. requires numerous nutrients including trace metals. Little is known about specific proteins involved metal scavenging . In this study we evaluated role of putative high-affinity binding lipoprotein TroA acquisition virulence. A mutant strain deficient expression (Δ troA mutant) was constructed. Growth Δ...

In chickens the heterophil/lymphocyte ratio (H/L) has proved to be a valuable tool in stress related research. general, H/L is determined with microscopic differential count on blood film. We evaluated automated analysis for measuring cell parameters relation corticosterone recently introduced model. Discrepancies between and counts were found percentage of monocytes basophils. The relative appeared sensitive increased plasma levels. However, increase heterophil frequencies measured...