Search results for "Ruminant"

THE INTENSITY OF SEXUAL SELECTION PREDICTS WEAPON SIZE IN MALE BOVIDS

2007

As a classical example of a sexually selected trait, the horns of male bovids offer a prime opportunity to identify predictors of the intensity of sexual selection. Here I use the comparative method to quantify sexual and natural selection pressures behind interspecific variation in horn length. I show that male horn length depends on factors proposed to affect the mean mate number per mating male, correlating positively with group size and negatively with male territoriality. This suggests that whereas group size increases the opportunity for sexual selection, territoriality reduces it because territorial males are unable to follow and monopolize female groups as effectively as males in no…

Analysis of the tegument of Zygocotyle lunata (Trematoda: Paramphistomidae) adults by scanning electron microscopy.

2012

Paramphistomiasis is a parasitic disease caused by various species of the Paramphistomidae. These species mainly affect domestic and wild ruminants; the economic impact of these diseases is often underestimated. Traditionally, the identification of paramphistomes has been difficult and has been based on morphological aspects such as the body shape, the position of the esophagus and cecae, or the tegumental papillae. Despite the many investigations regarding the tegumental papillae for other paramphistomes, very few efforts have been made using Zygocotyle lunata, partly because many authors differ with respect to the importance of papillae in the classification of paramphistomids. Herein, we…

Prevalence, Genetic Diversity and Factors Associated with Distribution of Listeria monocytogenes and Other Listeria spp. in Cattle Farms in Latvia

2021

Listeria spp. is a diverse genus of Gram-positive bacteria commonly present in the environment while L. monocytogenes and L. ivanovii are well known human and ruminant pathogens. The aim of the present study was to reveal the prevalence and genetic diversity of L. monocytogenes and other Listeria spp. and to identify the factors related to the abundance of pathogen at cattle farms. A total of 521 animal and environmental samples from 27 meat and dairy cattle farms were investigated and the genetic diversity of L. monocytogenes isolates was studied with WGS. The prevalence of Listeria was 58.9%, while of L. monocytogenes it was −11%. The highest prevalence of L. monocytogenes was found in th…

A first comparative map of copy number variations in the sheep genome.

2011

article i nfo We carried out a cross species cattle-sheep array comparative genome hybridization experiment to identify copy number variations (CNVs) in the sheep genome analysing ewes of Italian dairy or dual-purpose breeds (Bagnolese, Comisana, Laticauda, Massese, Sarda, and Valle del Belice) using a tiling oligonucleotide array with ~385,000 probes designed on the bovine genome. We identified 135 CNV regions (CNVRs; 24 reported in more than one animal) covering ~10.5 Mb of the virtual sheep genome referred to the bovine genome (0.398%) with a mean and a median equal to 77.6 and 55.9 kb, respectively. A comparative analysis between the identified sheep CNVRs and those reported in cattle a…

Speculation on whether a vaccine against cryptosporidiosis is a reality or fantasy

1999

In this paper the authors question whether the development of a vaccine against cryptosporidiosis could be taken into consideration. The necessity and feasibility of such a vaccine for human and veterinary application is discussed. Developmental stages within the life cycle of the parasite that might act as possible targets for vaccine development are summarised, as well as the target antigens offered by molecular biology and immunology studies. Vaccination trials against cryptosporidiosis carried out so far, including the active and passive immunisation approach, are also overviewed. It seems that with respect to a Cryptosporidium vaccine two target groups can be considered: children of th…

Qualitative analysis of goat and sheep production data using self-organizing maps

2009

The aim of this study was to analyse the relationship between different small ruminant livestock production systems with different levels of specialization. The analysis is carried out by using the self-organizing map. This tool allows high-dimensional input spaces to be mapped into much lower-dimensional spaces, thus making it much more straightforward to understand any set of data. These representations enable the visual extraction of qualitative relationships among variables (visual data mining), converting the data to maps. The data used in this study were obtained from surveys completed by farmers who are principally dedicated to goat and sheep production. With the self-organizing map …

Zootecnia: uno studio per l’integrazione alimentare con granelle prodotte localmente.

2011

Diagnostic polymorphisms in the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene allow discrimination between cattle, sheep, goat, roe buck and deer by PCR-RFLP

2004

Abstract Background As an alternative to direct DNA sequencing of PCR products, random PCR-RFLP is an efficient technique to discriminate between species. The PCR-RFLP-method is an inexpensive tool in forensic science, even if the template is degraded or contains only traces of DNA from various species. Results Interspecies-specific DNA sequence polymorphisms in the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene were analyzed using PCR-RFLP technology to determine the source (i.e., species) of blood traces obtained from a leaf. Conclusions The method presented can be used for the discrimination of cattle (Bos taurus), sheep (Ovis aries), goat (Capra hircus), roe buck (Capreolus capreolus) and red deer (Ce…

Validation of Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) Field Tool for Rapid and Sensitive Diagnosis of Contagious Agalactia in Small Ruminants

2020

Simple Summary Contagious agalactia (CA) is an infectious disease of small ruminants endemic in the Mediterranean countries, causing significant socioeconomic impacts predominantly on small-scale farmers who still subsist on marginal lands. Mycoplasma agalactiae is historically considered the principal etiological agent of CA, especially in sheep. Clinical signs are characterised by mastitis, arthritis, keratoconjunctivitis and occasionally, abortion. Rapid, accurate and cost-effective field tests are urgently needed for effective control of M. agalactiae mastitis. Our study illustrated the validation of a Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) test for the detection of M. agalactiae…

Ecological, morphological and genetic characterization of sympatric Haemonchus spp. parasites of domestic ruminants in Mauritania

1995

SUMMARYThe 4 species of ruminants (dromedary, zebu cattle, sheep and goat) in arid areas of Mauritania harboured Haemonchus spp. as the most frequent internal parasite. This was a rare situation where the 3 putative species, H. longistipes (dromedary), H. placet (zebu cattle) and H. contortus (sheep and goat) occurred sympatrically. The study was undertaken on hosts slaughtered at the Nouakchott abattoir, on the basis of monthly collection of worms. The environment was very unfavourable to H. placei and unfavourable to H. contortus, as intensity of infection remained low throughout the year, whereas infection in the dromedary was 10 to 20-fold higher. The survival strategies during the long…