Candida species are a natural component of the intestinal tract microflora, but in favourable conditions they can cause superficial, mucosal, or even systemic candidiasis. Poultry production might be a source of human drug-resistant yeast infections, including Candida spp. The limited data concerning the antifungal susceptibility of poultry Candida isolates prompted us to carry out research to determine the susceptibility of isolates from turkey intestinal tracts. The beak cavity, crop and cloaca were swabbed of 580 turkeys from 58 flocks in western Poland. The susceptibility tests were conducted using the E-test method with amphotericin B, fluconazole, itraconazole, and voriconazole on 52 isolates of C. albicans, C. catenulata, C. glabrata, C. palmioleophila, C. rugosa, C. krusei and C. lusitaniae. All isolates were susceptible to voriconazole. According to the MIC values obtained for amphotericin B and fluconazole, all Candida spp. isolates were classified as susceptible according to the described breakpoints except for C. krusei, which was the only isolate that was amphotericin B-, fluconazole- and itraconazole-resistant. The susceptibility to itraconazole varied: 11 of the Candida isolates were susceptible (21.1%), 29 were dose-dependently susceptible (55.8%), and 12 isolates were resistant (23.1%). There are few resistant strains of Candida in turkeys, and the drug resistance varies. When Candida passes from turkeys to humans, there is a wide range of antifungal treatment options.

An effective way of preventing undesirable boar taint in pork meat caused by the presence of androstenone, skatole and indole is surgical castration of piglets. This, however, arouses growing social opposition. An alternative method of inhibiting the development of unpleasant odour is immune castration. The aim of the study was to compare the effectiveness of both methods of castration for the elimination of the compounds responsible and to assess the suitability of oral fluid for pre-slaughter predictive testing for boar taint. The research material was pooled oral fluid and fat samples taken from gilts and surgically and immunologically castrated piglets. The samples were tested with a liquid chromatography– tandem mass spectrometry method developed in this research. The compounds giving rise to boar taint were found only sporadically above the accepted limits; only one sample of oral fluid contained skatole at a concentration above 200 μg L⁻¹ and one contained indole more concentrated than 100 μg L⁻¹. Indole above the limit value was also detected in one fat sample. In none of the tested samples was androstenone found. The results indicate the similar effectiveness of both methods of piglet castration on the reduction of compounds generating boar taint. The usefulness of testing oral fluid for the ante-mortem prediction of boar taint has not been fully confirmed and further investigation is needed.

Salmonellosis is a zoonotic disease, and Salmonella spp. can sometimes be found in dogs and cats, posing a risk to human health. In this study, the prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility of faecal Salmonella were investigated in pet dogs and cats in Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province, China. Faecal samples from 243 dogs and 113 cats, at seven pet clinics, were tested between March 2018 and May 2019. Each Salmonella isolate was characterised using serotyping and antimicrobial susceptibility tests. The prevalence of Salmonella was 9.47% in dogs and 1.77% in cats. Among the 25 isolates, eight serotypes of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica were detected, S. Kentucky (n = 11), S. Indiana (n = 5), and S. Typhimurium (n = 4) predominating. S. Derby, S. Toucra, S. Sandiego, S. Newport, and S. Saintpaul all occurred singly. The 23 Salmonella strains found in dogs were from seven different serovars, while the two strains in cats were from two. The highest resistance rates were found for tetracycline (92%), azithromycin (88%), cefazolin (84%), nalidixic acid (80%), ampicillin (80%), ceftriaxone (80%), and streptomycin (76%). Resistance to three or more antimicrobial agents was detected in 24 (96%) isolates. Most of the S. Kentucky and S. Indiana isolates were multi-drug resistant to more than 11 agents. The carriage rate was far higher in dogs than in cats from Xuzhou. Some isolated strains were highly resistant to antimicrobials used to treat infections in humans and pets, which may raise the risk of humans being infected with multi-drug resistant Salmonella via close contact with pets.

The aim of the study was to estimate the diagnostic sensitivity (DSe) and specificity (DSp) of an agar gel immunodiffusion (AGID) assay for detection of myxoma virus (MYXV) in the classical form of myxomatosis and to compare its diagnostic performance to that of molecular methods (IAC-PCR, OIE PCR, and OIE real-time PCR). A panel of MYXV-positive samples of tissue homogenates with low (1 PCR unit – PCRU) and high (3,125 PCRU) virus levels and outbreak samples were used for method comparison studies. The validation parameters of the AGID assay were assessed using statistical methods. The AGID attained DSe of 0.65 (CI₉₅%: 0.53–0.76), DSp of 1.00 (CI₉₅%: 0.40–1.00), and accuracy of 0.67 (CI₉₅%: 0.55–0.76). The assay confirmed its diagnostic usefulness primarily for testing samples containing ≥3,125 PCRU of MYXV DNA. However, in the assaying of samples containing <3,125 PCRU of the virus there was a higher probability of getting false negative results, and only molecular methods showed a 100% sensitivity for samples with low (1 PCRU) virus concentration. The overall concordance of the results between AGID and IAC-PCR was fair (ĸ = 0.40). Full concordance of the results was observed for OIE PCR and OIE real-time PCR when control reference material was analysed. Findings from this study suggest that AGID can be used with some limitations as a screening tool for detection of MYXV infections.

Differing conditions in captive breeding and in the wild have impact on the mineral profile of the pheasant carcass and its heavy metal contents. This may be an indicator of environmental contamination. The study evaluated the nutritional composition and selected macro- and trace element contents (heavy metals in particular) in usable sections of pheasant breast and thigh muscles originating from captive breeding and wild birds. The tests were performed on the breast and thigh muscles of 20 wild and 20 farm bred birds from around Lublin, Poland, with equal sex representation. The nutrient and lead, cadmium, chromium, and nickel contents were determined using inductively-coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy. The farmed pheasants had a higher proportion of breast muscle. The thigh muscles of all birds had a higher fat content than the breast muscles (5.1 g vs. 3.4 g per kg of natural weight). The macroelement level depended on the muscle type and bird origin. The trace element content also did and gender dependence was also evident. The wild birds contained more cadmium in the breast muscles and lead in both muscles than the farm-raised ones. The high quality and usefulness of wild and farmed pheasant meat is confirmed. It has advantageous macro- and trace element contents and permissible heavy metal contents except for lead in wild birds. The heavy metal level can be a bioindicator of their environmental occurrence. In wild birds, the lead level may also reflect birdshot remnants.

Early detection of pregnancy is vital for appropriate reproductive management programmes to facilitate the rapid re-insemination of non-pregnant females and reduce the calving interval. A barium chloride test was compared with a commercial progesterone ELISA to detect pregnancy in non-descriptive cows and investigate if it could be applied as an alternative to ELISA in the field. Blood and urine samples were collected from 74 cows with recorded insemination dates. The progesterone ELISA and barium chloride assay were implemented to detect progesterone (P4) in blood and urine specimens, respectively. The cows' reproductive systems were examined after they were slaughtered to determine the uterus's status. Macroscopic examination of the uterus was used as a reference standard for both tests. The sensitivity rates of the P4 ELISA and barium chloride test to detect pregnant cows were 100.0% and 79.4%, and to detect the corpus luteum (CL) were 83.0% and 87.0%, respectively, their sensitivity increasing in the presence of the CL. The ELISA and barium chloride tests were 79.7% and 52.7% accurate in the diagnosis of pregnancy. The accuracy of the barium chloride test in CL detection increased to 81.0%, and that of the ELISA to 86.4%. There were no significant differences (P = 0.052) between the barium chloride assay and ELISA when they were utilised for the identification of the CL. The barium chloride test can be an inexpensive and time-saving alternative to ELISA in pregnancy diagnosis when the insemination date is known.