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D Hennessy

Publications and source records attributed to D Hennessy.

29 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Factors contributing to postweaning diarrhoea in a large intensive piggery.

Some aspects of postweaning diarrhoea (PWD) in a piggery during the first week after early weaning were investigated. A haemolytic enterotoxigenic strain of E. coli (O149:K88:H10) was regularly recovered from piglets with PWD while rotavirus was demonstrated on a number of occasions. Prior to weaning piglets were either free of, or shed very few, haemolytic E. coli in their faeces. However, all piglets were excreting haemolytic E. coli between 5 and 7 days after weaning. The role of rotavirus in PWD was unclear. There appeared to be a direct relationship between serum antibodies to rotavirus in the slow at farrowing and those of the piglets soon after birth. The decline of maternal neutralising antibody to rotavirus coincided with the immediate postweaning period (3 to 5 weeks after birth). This was followed by an increase in antibody levels, 5 to 8 weeks after birth. There was no significant difference in the growth rate between affected and unaffected piglets over a period of 120 days. Medication of water during the first week after weaning had no significant effect on the incidence of PWD in the herd. A change in both the weaner diet and the weaning procedure reduced piglet mortality associated with PWD by more than half.

Animals↗

Controlled release of anthelmintic drugs: a new concept for prevention of helminthosis in sheep.

Anthelmintic effects of oxfendazole continuously released at 0:17, 0.28 and 0.47 mg/kg/day from intraruminal capsules were assessed in groups of sheep artificially infected with Ostertagia circumcincta. Removal of worms was directly related to both release rate and plasma concentrations of drug. At the highest level, worm burdens were removed within seven days of administration and anthelmintic efficiency was 99.9 +/- 0.04, 99.3 +/- 0.5 and 98.9 +/- 0.7 per cent against adult worms, developing fourth stage and early fourth stage larvae respectively. In a field experiment, comparisons were made of the parasitological and animal production differences between groups of weaned lambs which were given no treatment, a single oral dose of 5 mg/kg oxfendazole and capsules releasing either 0.24 or 0.48 mg/kg oxfendazole daily. By four days after administration of capsules worm egg counts were reduced and remained below detectable levels for up to 86 days. Worm counts from 'tracer' and flock sheep showed a reduction in worm numbers, especially for Trichostrongylus spp. Compared with untreated controls, live weight gain and fleece weight of sheep given capsules releasing 0.48 mg/kg oxfendazole daily was increased.

Animals↗

An assessment of the vaginal biopsy technique of pregnancy diagnosis in sows.

Vaginal biopsies were taken from 450 sows in 2 commercial herds, 20 to 22 days after mating or artificial insemination. On histological examination, 96% of sows which subsequently farrowed were correctly diagnosed as pregnant, whereas only 21% and 50% of non-pregnant sows were identified. In 1 herd, 31 of 33 non-pregnant sows showed a delay in returning to oestrus (less than 42 days). Twenty-four of these sows were incorrectly diagnosed as pregnant on the basis of their vaginal cytology.

Animals↗

A cross-cultural tool to identify continuing education needs.

Cost-controlled health reforms have created the need for training nurses to provide evidence-based care in new contexts. Planing for nurses' continuing education must thus target the appropriate personnel and simultaneously consider local healthcare needs and training requirements. To plan such educational programmes, a training needs analysis instrument was developed in the UK and used to compare the training needs of nurses in Australia, the USA and the UK. Below, the findings of this survey.

Australia↗

Pain relief after major gynaecological surgery.

The effect of Voltarol, administered routinely, in reducing the postoperative requirement for opioid drugs was monitored using patient-controlled analgesia. Omnopon consumption was recorded together with pain scores. The significance of the results is discussed with reference to the dosage and timing of analgesia and to nursing practice.

Adolescent↗