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At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

Lipid composition of hepatocyte plasma membranes from geese overfed with corn.

Twelve-week-old Landes male geese were overfed with corn for 21 d in order to induce liver steatosis (fatty liver). Lipid composition of hepatocyte plasma membranes from fatty livers was compared to that of lean livers obtained from geese fed a normal diet. The ratio cholesterol/phospholipids was higher in fatty hepatocyte plasma membranes (0.63 vs. 0.47), whereas the phospholipid/protein ratio was less than half. Overfeeding induced changes in fatty acid composition of hepatocyte plasma membranes, including a greater than twofold increase in the percentage of oleic acid (29.7 vs. 13.8%) and a somewhat lesser increase in lauric, palmitic, and palmitoleic acid contents of plasma membrane lipids of fatty livers. A concomitant reduction in the proportion of stearic acid (18.4 vs. 25.1%) was also observed. In fatty livers, the increased ratio of saturated to polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) (1.5 vs. 1.0) was related to a significant decrease in PUFA content. Among all the PUFA, only the eicosatrienoic acid (20:3n-9) percentage was increased by liver steatosis. Overfeeding with corn appeared to induce competition between de novo synthesized and dietary fatty acids incorporated in hepatocyte plasma membranes. This resulted in an accumulation of de novo synthesized monounsaturated and derived fatty acids in plasma membranes from overfed birds. A defect in the incorporation of linoleic acid and linoleic- and linolenic-derived PUFA was observed despite the high proportion of these essential fatty acids in the diet. It was concluded that in overfed palmipeds, de novo hepatic lipogenesis prevails over dietary lipid intake to modulate lipid composition of the fatty liver plasma membrane.

Animal Feed↗

Polygraphic and behavioral study of sleep in geese: existence of nuchal atonia during paradoxical sleep.

In adult geese, chronic polygraphic recordings of EEG, EOG, EMG, ECG and respiratory rate completed with behavioral observations allowed the characterization of four states of vigilance: wakefulness (W), drowsiness (D), slow wave sleep (SWS) and paradoxical sleep (PS). The EEG, EOG, EMG general patterns observed during W, D, SWS and PS episodes with nuchal isotonia or hypotonia were similar to those reported in other birds. The characteristic brevity of avian PS was confirmed since this sleep state occupied only 2.8% of the nycthemere in geese. For the first time in an adult bird it was shown that numerous PS episodes were accompanied, as in mammals, by a total disappearance of nuchal EMG activity. These observations made in a bird species with a stable head support when sleeping, suggest that, as in mammals, inhibitory mechanisms leading to a PS related nuchal atonia do exist and that head falling is not the cause of PS episodes brevity in birds.

Animals↗

Blood flow distribution during hypocapnic hypoxia in Pekin ducks and bar-headed geese.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of hypocapnic hypoxia on regional blood flow in birds. Regional blood flow was measured using the radioactive microsphere method in unanesthetized Pekin ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) and bar-headed geese (Anser indicus) breathing 21, 10 and 5% O2. In both birds, arterial PO2 was reduced from about 96 Torr during normoxia to about 28 Torr during severe hypoxia. Severe hypocapnic hypoxia produced a change in the pattern of blood flow in ducks; blood flow to some organs increased (brain, adrenal glands, heart, and eyes) while flow to other organs decreased (liver, spleen, small intestine, shell gland). Compared with ducks, bar-headed geese were able to provide higher levels of O2 delivery to their tissues since blood flow to a variety of organs and skeletal muscles was either unchanged or increased during severe hypoxia. The redistribution of blood flow in Pekin ducks during severe hypocapnic hypoxia may help to support large increases in cerebral and coronary blood flow but may also contribute to the development of a metabolic acidosis.

Animals↗

Halothane effects on ventilatory responses to changes in intrapulmonary CO2 in geese.

Experiments were conducted to test the hypothesis that halothane anesthesia functionally disrupts CO2-sensitive intrapulmonary chemoreceptors (IPC) in birds. Halothane effects on ventilatory reflexes elicited by changes in lung CO2 without extrapulmonary halothane or CO2 effects were studied in 6 anesthetized (pentobarbital, 30 mg/kg) and unidirectionally ventilated geese. Each lung was independently ventilated. Halothane was added only to gases ventilating the left lung. The left pulmonary artery was occluded to prevent changes in PCO2 or halothane concentration within the left lung from affecting arterial blood. The right lung allowed control of arterial blood gases and was vagally denervated. Left lung CO2 reflexes were observed at different levels of halothane concentration between 0 and 2% while arterial PCO2 and PO2 were held constant. Higher levels of chemical drive were necessary to initiate ventilatory movements in geese (PACO2 = 40-60 mmHg) relative to previous reports on chickens using similar experimental procedures (PaCO2 less than or equal to 30 mmHg). The amplitude of sternal movements or respiratory amplitude (RA) increased as left lung PCO2 increased from 6 to 55 mmHg, and then reached a plateau. Adding halothane (1 or 2%) to the left lung increased RA through a limited range of PCO2, but had no effect on its maximum value. Neither CO2 nor halothane in the left lung had any effect on respiratory frequency. We conclude that halothane impairs lung CO2 reflexes largely due to its effects on IPC since intrapulmonary halothane augments ventilatory activity at low, but not high intrapulmonary PCO2. Effects of halothane on IPC may play a role in the unique ventilatory effects of halothane anesthesia in intact, spontaneously breathing birds relative to mammals at equipotent anesthetic levels.

Anesthesia↗

Cryptosporidium infection in domestic geese (Anser anser f. domestica) detected by in-situ hybridization.

An in-situ hybridization (ISH) procedure was developed for the detection of Cryptosporidium sp. in paraffin wax-embedded tissues with a digoxigenin-labelled probe targeting the 18S rRNA. This technique was used in addition to traditional methods, such as haematoxylin and eosin staining, periodic acid-Schiff reaction, transmission electron microscopy and the polymerase chain reaction, to examine the bursa of Fabricius (BF), conjunctiva and other tissues from 20 domestic geese aged 16-36 days for the presence of cryptosporidia. Positive signals were found to a moderate or marked extent in both conjunctival samples (89%) and BF samples (88%) but not in other tissues. Sequencing of the PCR amplification product revealed identity with Cryptosporidium baileyi. The infected geese showed no clinical signs and only scanty histological lesions. These results confirm reports showing that young waterfowl are especially vulnerable to cryptosporidium infection and indicate that the BF and conjunctiva are the preferred sites for the presence of the protozoon. ISH proved a good method for detecting and identifying even small numbers of cryptosporidia in tissue sections.

Animals↗

An inactivated West Nile virus vaccine for domestic geese-efficacy study and a summary of 4 years of field application.

Following the isolation in 1997 of West Nile virus from the brains of geese with an acute neuroparalytic disease in Israel, which reappeared in the following years, an inactivated vaccine was prepared from suckling mouse brains. The brain homogenate was inactivated with formaldehyde and blended with mineral oil adjuvant. In 2000, the first flocks were vaccinated according to a schedule of two subcutaneous doses, commencing at the age of 2 weeks and given with a 2-weeks interval. In efficacy trials, the challenge virus was injected at 7 weeks by the intracranial route, and over 85% protection was recorded in vaccinated geese. In extensive field trials conducted in 2001--2003, the vaccine was demonstrated to be safe and efficacious, and over 3 million doses were manufactured in 2000--2003.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗

Chimeric West Nile/dengue virus vaccine candidate: preclinical evaluation in mice, geese and monkeys for safety and immunogenicity.

A live attenuated virus vaccine is being developed to protect against West Nile virus (WN) disease in humans. Previously, it was found that chimeric West Nile/dengue viruses (WN/DEN4 and WN/DEN4Delta30) bearing the membrane precursor and envelope protein genes of WN on a backbone of dengue type 4 virus (DEN4) with or without a deletion of 30 nucleotides (Delta30) in the 3' noncoding region of the DEN4 part of the chimeric genome were attenuated and efficacious in mice and monkeys against WN challenge. Here, we report the generation of a clinical lot of WN/DEN4Delta30 virus and its further preclinical evaluation for safety and immunogenicity in mice, geese and monkeys. The vaccine candidate had lost neuroinvasiveness in highly sensitive immunodeficient mice inoculated intraperitoneally and had greatly reduced neurovirulence in suckling mice inoculated intracerebrally (IC). Compared to the wild-type WN parent, the chimeric virus was highly restricted in replication in both murine and human neuroblastoma cells as well as in brains of suckling mice. The WN/DEN4Delta30 virus failed to infect geese, indicating that chimerization of WN with DEN4 completely attenuated WN for this avian host. This observation suggests that the WN/DEN4 chimeric viruses would be restricted in their ability to be transmitted from vaccinees to domestic or wild birds. In monkeys, the WN/DEN4Delta30 vaccine candidate was highly immunogenic despite its low level of replication with undetectable viremia. Furthermore, the WN/DEN4Delta30 vaccine virus was safe and readily induced neutralizing antibodies against WN in monkeys immune to each of the four serotypes of dengue virus. These studies confirm the attenuation of WN/DEN4Delta30 for non-human primates, including dengue-immune monkeys, and demonstrate both a highly restricted replication (>10(8)-fold decrease) in the brain of mice inoculated IC and an absence of infectivity for birds, findings that indicate this vaccine should be safe for both the recipient and the environment.

Animals↗

PCR-based typing of Mycobacterium avium isolates in an epidemic among farmed lesser white-fronted geese (Anser erythropus).

Mycobacterium avium is an important veterinary pathogen causing avian tuberculosis in birds. The aim of the study was to evaluate the genetic relatedness in M. avium isolates from deep tissues of farmed lesser white-fronted geese with avian tuberculosis and in samples from the farm environment. The strains were analyzed by two PCR-based typing methods, inverted repeat (IR) typing and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis. The primers for the inverted repeats of the insertion sequences IS1245 and IS1311 were used in IR typing, and the RAPD analysis was performed with six primers. Seven of the nine avian strains yielded an identical pattern in the IR typing, but they could be divided into two groups in the RAPD analysis. The remaining two bird isolates had an identical IR pattern (IR cluster II) which they shared with two environmental isolates. However, the RAPD analysis revealed that these environmental isolates had a RAPD pattern (RAPD cluster VI) distinct and different from either of the bird isolates (RAPD clusters II and IV). In all, four M. avium strains were verified as being inducers of avian tuberculosis in birds, and all were distinct from the three environmental strains identified. Thus, the results did not confirm the preliminary idea that a single strain had caused the epidemic. The polymorphism among M. avium strains highlighted the great biodiversity among an M. avium population even in a limited environmental setting during a short time span, and indicated the high susceptibility to avian tuberculosis of lesser white-fronted geese.

Animal Husbandry↗

Isolation and pathogenicity of mycoplasmas from geese.

Several mycoplasma isolation trials were performed on infertile goose eggs and goose embryos which died during incubation, as well as on geese of different ages. A total of 43 out of 110 goose eggs proved to be contaminated by mycoplasmas. Upon autopsy of birds which laid positive eggs, lesions were observed in the airsacs. Mycoplasmas could be isolated from their air sacs and oviduct. Four out of 15 strains examined biochemically and serologically with antisera prepared against all known avian mycoplasma species were identified as Acholeplasma laidlawii and A. axanthum, respectively. Two strains proved to be glucose-positive and arginine-negative and 9 were glucose-negative but arginine-positive. Some strains caused 50-80% mortality among embryos inoculated intra-yolk-sac at 12 days. In goslings inoculated at the age of 3 days with these strains, we observed fibrinous airsacculitis and peritonitis. By inoculating laying geese with one of the strains, we demonstrated decreasing egg production, increasing early-embryo mortality and egg transmission of mycoplasmas.

Acholeplasma↗

Arterial vascularization of the uropygial glands (Gl. uropygialis) in geese (Anser anser) and ducks (Anas platyrhynches).

In the present study, arterial vascularization of the uropygial glands (Gl. uropygialis) of 10 adult geese (Anser anser) and 10 adult ducks (Anas platyrhynches) were studied. Takilon was injected into the median coccygeal arteries of six specimens from each species, and Latex (a natural rubber with ammonia) into those of four specimens. Takilon-injected specimens were corrosion casted, and arteries nourishing the gland were revealed via dissection. Vascularization of the uropygial glands of both the goose and the duck was observed to be the right (a. gl. uropygii dextra), left (a. gl. uropygi sinistra) and ventral (a. gl. uropygi ventralis) glandular uropygial arteries, arising from the median coccygeal (a. coccygea media) artery. Both the right and left glandular uropygial arteries were observed, divided into four branches as follows; muscular ramus (ramus muscularis), medial ramus (ramus medialis), ventral ramus (ramus ventralis) and lateral ramus (ramus lateralis). Of these, as the lateral, medial and ventral branches feed the gland, the muscular branch provides blood for the lateral coccygeal (m. coccygealis lateralis) and levator coccygeal (m. levator coccygealis) muscles, and the skin. Among the arteries mentioned above, anastomosis between the first and the second branches of the right ventral uropygial arteries in the five geese and five ducks was found.

Animals↗

Reovirus identified as cause of disease in young geese.

The pathology, epizootiology and aetiology of a specific disease of young geese, which has been seen in Hungary for more than three decades, were investigated. The disease was characterised by splenitis and hepatitis with miliary necrotic foci during the acute phase, and epicarditis, arthritis and tenosynovitis during the subacute/chronic phase. Clinical signs usually appeared at 2 to 3 weeks of age and persisted for 3 to 6 weeks. From different organs of the affected birds, a reovirus was isolated in embryonated eggs and tissue cultures of Muscovy duck or goose origin, as well as in Vero cells. In experimental infections, the dominant features of the disease were reproduced in day-old and young goslings. The biological and partial molecular characterisation of one of the isolated strains (D15/99) showed that it was related to the reovirus described as the cause of a similar disease of Muscovy ducks. An RT-PCR method suitable for the detection of reoviruses was also elaborated and tested. This is the first report on the involvement of reovirus in arthritis of geese.

Age of Onset↗

Diagnosis of goose circovirus infection in Hungarian geese samples using polymerase chain reaction and dot blot hybridization tests.

A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and dot blot hybridization (DBH) test have been developed for the diagnosis of infection by a novel circovirus of geese (GoCV). These tests were applied to samples of bursae of Fabricius from sick and dead birds from commercial goose farms in Hungary. In this second report of the occurrence of circovirus infection in diseased geese, 103 of 214 (48.1%) and 37 of 150 (24.6%) birds, and 49 of 76 (64.5%) and 18 of 76 (23.7%) flocks were positive by PCR and DBH respectively. The sensitivity of the PCR test was such that 0.10 fg of virus DNA was detectable. The DBH test was less sensitive, only detecting larger amounts (40 pg) of DNA, but was used as a semi-quantitative method for detecting the presence of virus. The incidence of infection was affected by factors such as the age of the birds and rearing methods.

Age Factors↗

Epizootic occurrence of haemorrhagic nephritis enteritis virus infection of geese.

Recent outbreaks of haemorrhagic nephritis enteritis in geese flocks of 3 to 10 weeks in age in Hungary were investigated. Mortality varied between 4% and 67%. Affected birds generally died suddenly. Occasional clinical signs included tremors of the head and neck, subcutaneous haemorrhages and excretion of faeces containing partly digested blood. At necropsy the most frequent findings were a turgid wall and reddish mucosa of the intestines and reddish discolouration of the swollen kidneys, but oedema and haemorrhages of the subcutaneous connective tissue, hydropericardium and ascites were also seen. In subacute cases, visceral gout was frequently observed. Histological examination revealed zonal necrosis of the tubular epithelial cells with haemorrhages in the kidney. Other histological findings were serous hepatitis with fatty infiltration, necrotizing haemorrhagic enteritis and haemorrhages in the different organs including the brain. Experimental geese infected parenterally with crude liver and spleen homogenates prepared from diseased birds died after 8 to 20 days without premonitory signs, and had typical gross and histological lesions. Attempts to isolate cytopathic virus on different tissue cultures failed. The presence of polyomavirus was proven by polymerase chain reaction. Five isolates were further investigated by analysing their complete VP1 gene sequence. All tested strains were very closely related to each other on the basis of the nucleotide sequence, and they were identical at the deduced amino acid level.

Aging↗

Toxicity and hazard of vanadium to mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) and Canada geese (Branta canadensis).

A recent Canada goose (Branta canadensis) die-off at a petroleum refinery fly ash pond in Delaware was attributed to vanadium (V) toxicity. Because of the paucity of V toxicity data for wild birds, a series of studies was undertaken using the forms of V believed to have resulted in this incident. In 7-d single oral dose trials with mallard drakes (Anas platyrhynchos), the estimated median lethal dose (LD50) for vanadium pentoxide was 113 mg/kg body weight, while the LD50 for sodium metavanadate was 75.5 mg/kg. Sodium metavanadate was found to be even more potent (LD50 = 37.2 mg/kg) in male Canada geese. The most distinctive histopathological lesion of both forms of V was lympho-granulocytic enteritis with hemorrhage into the intestinal lumen. Vanadium accumulation in liver and kidney was proportional to the administered dose, and predictive analyses based on these data suggest that V concentrations of 10 microg/g dry weight (dw) in liver and 25 microg/g dw in kidney are associated with mortality (>90% confidence that exposure is >LD50) in mallards acutely exposed to sodium metavanadate. Chronic exposure to increasing dietary concentrations of sodium metavanadate (38.5 to 2651 ppm) over 67 d resulted in V accumulation in liver and kidney (25.2 and 13.6 microg/g dw, respectively), mild intestinal hemorrhage, blood chemistry changes, and evidence of hepatic oxidative stress in mallards, although some of these responses may have been confounded by food avoidance and weight loss. Dietary exposure of mallards to 250 ppm sodium metavanadate for 4 wk resulted in modest accumulation of V in liver and kidney (<5 microg/g dw) and mild intestinal hemorrhage. Based on these data and other observations, it is unlikely that chronic low-level dietary exposure to V poses a direct lethal hazard to wildlife. However, point sources, such as the V-laden fly ash pond encountered by geese at the petroleum refinery in Delaware, may pose a significant hazard to water birds.

Animals↗

[Energy and crude protein requirements of young fattening geese. 2. Inluence of varying energy and crude protein contents of feed on carcass quality].

In 5 trials using a total of 5,7000 geese (Deutsche Legegans maleXWhite Italian Goose female) of which 482 were slaughtered and subsequently dressed, the influence of varying net energy and crude protein levels in the ration on fattening and carcass performance were studied. Increased crude protein contents were found to improve the meat yield. High-energy feeding likewise caused gains to go up, the extra gain almost exclusively consisting in adipose tissue (particularly skin, and intestinal and abdominal fat). In addition, high energy intakes induced earlier juvenile moulting, this effect making the 56-day old carcasses rather bristly. Therefore, it seems more convenient to fatten geese on low-energy rations (500 energetic feed equivalents/poultry [EFp] per kg) up to the age of 63 days because the meat yield (especially of breast meat) is likely to improve considerably when slaughter takes place at a later date. Goose fattening rations should stick to the following parameters (per kg): 500--550 EFp, 160--180 g crude protein, 8 g lysine, 6.5 g thio-amino acids.

Animal Feed↗

The effects of electrical and controlled atmosphere stunning methods on meat and liver quality of geese.

The objective of this research was to investigate the effects of electrical and gas stunning on the meat and liver quality characteristics of liver geese. Sixty birds were slaughtered at 12 wk of age, in groups of 20 at three different times. Thirty birds each were subjected to one of the two stunning methods. Deboned breast fillets and thigh muscles were evaluated for hemorrhaging, amount of blood in the veins, and color by using a visual grading system. Livers were removed from carcasses during evisceration and were subsequently graded. Besides external color and hemorrhaging, the degree of liver weight loss due to removal of blood vessels was also determined. The use of controlled atmosphere stunning significantly reduced the incidence of muscle hemorrhages when compared to electrical stunning. However, no significant difference was found for color or amount of blood remaining in the veins of muscles between geese receiving electrical or controlled atmosphere stunning. The hemorrhaging and color scores of livers from gas-stunned birds did not differ from those of electrically stunned birds. As for the liver weight loss caused by removal of veins and capillaries, stunning treatment had no significant effect on this parameter. These results suggest that controlled atmosphere stunning produced slightly better quality goose meat but did not improve liver quality when compared to the electrical stunning method used.

Animal Welfare↗

Hazards to wintering geese and other wildlife from the use of dieldrin, chlorfenvinphos and carbophenothion as wheat seed treatments.

Chemical treatments of cereal seeds are used in the United Kingdom to prevent damage by a number of pests including the wheat bulb fly, which is a serious pest of winter wheat. The persistent organochlorine dieldrin was introduced in the 1950s as a seed treatment but caused the death of large numbers of grain eating birds and gave rise to unacceptable environmental contamination. The withdrawal of dieldrin as a seed treatment was made possible by the introduction of two less persistent organophosphate insecticides, chlorfenvinphos and carbophenothion. Although the introduction of these chemicals has been beneficial in reducing environmental contamination, some side-effects on wildlife have still been discernible and carbophenothion has now been withdrawn from use in Scotland owing to the deaths of wintering geese from carbophenothion poisoning. Subsequent laboratory studies have demonstrated that Anser geese are particularly susceptible to carbophenothion poisoning, and the underlying biochemical mechanism has been investigated. The fundamental problem of species variation in toxicity among the organophosphorus and carbamate pesticides which this investigation illustrates presents difficulties for registration authorities when they are considered for clearance for agricultural use. The implications of the environmental problems encountered with dieldrin, chlorfenvinphos and carbophenothion for the pre-clearance testing of new chemicals are discussed and the critical surveillance of the early years of commercial use of a chemical is recommended to support pre-clearance studies aimed at assessing the potential hazard to the environment.

Animals↗

Survival of Svalbard pink-footed geese Anser brachyrhynchus in relation to winter climate, density and land-use.

1. Global change may strongly affect population dynamics, but mechanisms remain elusive. Several Arctic goose species have increased considerably during the last decades. Climate, and land-use changes outside the breeding area have been invoked as causes but have not been tested. We analysed the relationships between conditions on wintering and migration staging areas, and survival in Svalbard pink-footed geese Anser brachyrhynchus. Using mark-recapture data from 14 winters (1989-2002) we estimated survival rates and tested for time trends, and effects of climate, goose density and land-use. 2. Resighting rates differed for males and females, were higher for birds recorded during the previous winter and changed smoothly over time. Survival rates did not differ between sexes, varied over time with a nonsignificant negative trend, and were higher for the first interval after marking (0.88-0.97) than afterwards (0.74-0.93). Average survival estimates were 0.967 (SE 0.026) for the first and 0.861 (SE 0.023) for all later survival intervals. 3. We combined 16 winter and spring climate covariates into two principal components axes. F1 was related to warm/wet winters and an early spring on the Norwegian staging areas and F2 to dry/cold winters. We expected that F1 would be positively related to survival and F2 negatively. F1 explained 23% of survival variation (F1,10=3.24; one-sided P=0.051) when alone in a model and 28% (F1,9=4.50; one-sided P=0.031) in a model that assumed a trend for survival. In contrast, neither F2 nor density, land-use, or scaring practices on important Norwegian spring staging areas had discernible effects on survival. 4. Climate change may thus affect goose population dynamics, with warmer winters and earlier springs enhancing survival and fecundity. A possible mechanism is increased food availability on Danish wintering and Norwegian staging areas. As geese are among the main herbivores in Arctic ecosystems, climate change, by increasing goose populations, may have important indirect effects on Arctic vegetation. Our study also highlights the importance of events outside the breeding area for the population dynamics of migrant species.

Animals↗