LESNÍK, F.:
Marek's disease - History nad Slovak contribution to the problem.
Marek's disease is still of major economic importance to the modern poultry industry although since 1970 relatively effective vaccines have been usd against this herpesvirus tumor disease in poultry. From its first description by M a r e k in 1907, its history was influenced with global intensive studies wahta at last culminated in developing of effective vaccines. Slovak scientists had also their active moiety on successful studies of this economically significant infection. Significance of Marek's disease overreached the frame of veterinary medicine, because it is a suitable model for protection against herpesvirus-induced tumors in human oncology.
Key words: Marek's disease; history; herpesviruses; epizootology; genetics; pathology; vaccination
In addition to large domestic animals, cattle, sheep and goats, playing the most important role in Q fever, the active role of cat, maily in sporadic cases and minor epidemics of the infection, should be considered. The cat is highly sensitive to infection of Coxiella burnetii, the causative agent of Q fever. The infected cat especially during the time of parturition by elimination of the agent into the environment became the source of infection for man as recorded in numerous outbreaks of Q fever namely in Canada. Its way of life in the area of farms and their close vicinity (hunting of rodents) may destinate the cat as the important link of connection between the primary and secondary foci of Q fever.
Key words: Q fever; Coxiella burnetii; cat; antibodies; epidemics
Microclimatic conditions in four cold-storages (I -- cold-storage of the meat plant, II and III -- cold-storages of small slaughter houses, IV -- cold-storage of meat manufacture) were observed by the registration modul ELPRO (Kucian, Switzerland). In the cold-storage I, the mean temperature during the whole period was 5.75 oC and relative humidity 92.28 %. The highest mean temperature (6.41 oC) was measured in the cold-storage II with the relative humidity of 92.21 %. The cold-storage III had the mean temperature of 4.56 oC and mean humidity of 88.20 %. The lowest mean values (3.99 oC and 75.85 %) were recorded in the cold-storage IV. These facts indicate the incorrect microclimatic conditions as well as storage regime.
The system of measurement and registration enables an objective and fast control of the whole process; it is undemanding for installation and does not require any maintenance. It is suitable for proccessing industry and inspecting activity in meat industry.
Key words: meat cooling; temperature; relative humidity
Occurrence of a cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) in Slovakia and European countries is described. The work gives information on the development of the cormorants' numbers and their nest populations during this century in our territory. The goal of the work is to attract attention to biology of this species, legislative protection and subsequent population expansion. Since adoption of strict protective precautions in 1979, the numbers of cormorants have increased in the western and central Europe from 50,000 to 680,000. The increase in their number in the last decenium induces conflict situations with economical interests of fishing economy. According to actual prognosis, it is possible that in 2000 the European population of cormorants will reach more than 2 million. The possibilities of qualified re-evaluation of inadequate legislative protection of cormorants in Europe are discussed.
Key words: phalacrocoracidae; cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo); species diversity of fauna; Slovak republic
In this work, the effects of an increased intake of fluorine and aluminium on the health and selected biochemical parameters were studied in sheep under experimental conditions. Industrial substrate containing the elements studied was obtained from industrial emissions of an aluminium producing plant at Žiar nad Hronom during dust removal from electrostatic filters. The substrate was administered to experimental sheep orally at the doses of 1.50 g/head (300 mg F and 60 mg Al), daily for 366 days. Administration of the emissions had no obvious effect on the health of experimental animals. In the experimental sheep, there were no differences in food intake, weight gain, gait, and movement of jaw joints compared with the control group. Necropsy of the experimental sheep revealed paleness of mucosal membranes, skin and muscles, and enlargement of liver, kidneys, and spleen. There were exostoses (milliar) on the surface of mandibula, ribs, carpus, metacarpus, tarsus, and metatarsus. The teeth of the experimental animals showed changes in colour, lustre, and damage of enamel (Figs. 3 and 4). The indices of haematological (Er, Hb, Hk, Lc), enzymatic (AST, ALT, GMT, ALP, CK, total Bil.), energetic (Gluc., TCH, TG), and protein (TP, Alb, TIg) profiles were not significantly affected by the used doses of the industrial emission. Significantly increased concentrations of F and Al were determined in the blood serum (Figs. 1 and 2). Administration of industrial emission from the aluminium producing plant did not influence health and physiological functions of the experimental animals markedly.
Key words: fluoride; aluminium; emission; sheep; intoxication
The epidemy of trichinellosis at the village Valaska, district Brezno arose in the region in which a natural cycle of circulation of this zoonosis causative agent occurs. Smoked sausages made with addition of the trichinous dog meat, in which there were 12.6 ± 12.1 larvae per 1 g (LPG), were the source of infection . In the smoked sausage, there were in avarege 2.6 ± 1.9 LPG. In 10 of 18 serologically examined dogs from Valaska and its district, the antibodies against trichinae were found out. In 2 of 5 killed seropositive dogs, the incapsulated larvae of trichinae were found and in 3 dogs there were only migration larvae. These were also found in the hen musculature. Regarding these facts, there is a great risk of the onset of the house cycle of trichinellosis circulation in the infection focus with risk to health od people living in the region as well as outside it. So, it is necessary to abide on principle the appropriate veterinary precautions.
Key words: trichinellosis; epizootology; people epidemy; Trichinella spp.
Within the respiratory complex, three key bacterial pathogens have a dominant position: Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae, Pasteurella multocida and Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae.
Our work gives a literary review on the pathogenesis, clinical symptoms, patho-anatomical findings, diagnostics, prevention and control of enzootic pneumonia, pasteurollosis and porcine pleuropneumonia.
Key words: porcine respiratory disease complex PRDC; M. hyopneumoniae; P. multocida; A. pleuropneumoniae; enzootic pneumonia; pasteurellosis; porcine pleuropneumonia
Incidence of clinical cases of mastitis and dynamics of prevalence was investigated in two breedings of goats with different breeding conditions during 1993-1997. On the specialized farm N with the mean number of 120 Slovak White goats with a stabilized breeding and hygienic standard, the incidence of clinical cases of mastitis had yearly and interyearly a decreasing tendency. The period from delivery to goatling weaning appeared to be a dominant period of the incidence. A decrease in mastitis prevalence in the breeding was pronounced from May to July up to October as well as in the direction from the beginning to end of observation: e.g. from July 1993 to 1997 it was 6.5 to 2.3 %, which may be ascribed to the gradual improvement of operation conditions.
In the breeding S with a mean number of 260 Alpine goats, without precedeing experience and tradition in the goat breeding, 17 cases of clinical form of mastitis were recorded in the first year of observation, whereas the incidence culminated only a year later with 24 cases. The period first 14 days of milking was the most critical period in the mastitis incidence; in 1994, however, the period from delivery to goatling weaning. Two cases were recorded in the average during the machine milking to finishing the breeding season within 4 years of observation. The dynamics of prevalence at three examinations in a year had a decreasing tendency in the breeding S during 1993-1994. In 1995, it stabilized on the values of 6.5 % or 6.3 %. In 1996, the prevalence was the highest (6.4 %) at the second examination in July.
Despite decreasing numbers of positive bacterial findings in individual years, the proportion of S. aureus on the total isolation in the breeding N increased from 65.2 % in 1993 to 88.9 % in 1997. In the breeding S it was 68.5 % to 89.2 %. Culled and died goats formed a loss of 60.1 % in the breeding N and 82.1 % in the breeding S of the total numbers of the individuals affected with clinical form of mastitis.
Key words: goat; mastitis; prevalence; machine milking
The level of oestrus detection in the herd of heifers was evaluated based upon the visual observation of the oestrus symptoms, radioimmunological determination of progesterone, repeated rectal palpation of ovaries, insemination success and early diagnosis of pregnancy. The mean values of progesterone in the blood serum on days 0, 6, 21, 28, 35 and 42 after artificial insemination were 0.86, 11.48, 25.54, 29.54, 27.70 and 32.15 nmol.l-1, respectively. Precision of the oestrus detection found by stockmen was 53.33, by zootechnicians 69.7 and veterinarians 100 %. A ratio of correctly found oestrus of heifers to the real number of animals in oestrus was in all workers lower - 25.81, 37.09 and 79 %, respectively.
Administration of repeated doses of testosterone to females resulted in an increase in its levels in the serum and successfully induced male sex behaviour. Histological examination of ovaries revealed separation of the granulous membrane of follicular cells from the theca interna cells at disappearing of the basal membrane. As well, we observed multiplication of blood vessels in the theca interna and parenchyma of periodic corpus luteum, which was formed by dark or small lutein cells and only sporadically by light lutein cells.
It is concluded that efficiency of finding animals in oestrus by workers in animal production was only 51.6 % and female androgenization induced male sex behaviour suitable to use for oestrus detection.
Key words: oestrus detection in heifers; rectal palpation; progesterone; early pregnancy; androgenization; testosterone
The herbicide chloridazon was tested for its effect to induce micronuclei in cytokinesis-block cells of cultured sheep peripheral blood lymfocytes at concentrations: 7 x 10-6 M, 7 x 10-5 M and 7 x 10-4 M.
A significant increase (P < 0.05) was achieved at a concentration of 7 x 10-4 M in both donors. No significant differences in induction of MN were found at both lower concentrations (7 x 10-6 M and 7 x 10-5 M).
Our results indicate that chloridazon acts as a cytotoxic compound by reducing the proportion of cytokinesis-block cells and has a weak effect on induction of the tested chromosomal changes (MN).
Key words: sheep peripheral lymphocytes; chloridazon, micronucleus