The use of antibiotics to promote growth and prevent disease in livestock and poultry animals has raised concerns about antimicrobial resistance and its consequences for public health. Increasing pressure on the livestock and poultry industries demands improved productivity, reduced economic losses, and the assurance of food safety for human consumption. Plant bioactive compounds (PBCs) have emerged as safe and sustainable alternatives to antibiotics that promote the growth, support animal health and improve productivity without compromising food safety. PBCs represent a diverse group of secondary metabolites-including phenolics, terpenoids, polysaccharides, and organosulfur compounds-that exhibit a wide range of biological activities relevant to livestock and poultry nutrition and health. Recent studies have shown that supplementing animals with PBCs as feed additives, either as crude extracts or individual compounds, improves growth performance, nutrient utilization, and modulates gut microbiota, while also exerting antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and immunoregulatory effects, thereby enhancing overall resilience of animals. The multifunctional properties of PBCs, and the reduced risk of resistance development position them as promising candidates for next-generation feed additives for livestock and poultry production. However, challenges remain regarding optimal concentration, variability in bioavailability, stability during feed processing, and the standardization of active components. Here, we discuss the major PBCs and their potential as functional feed additives to improve livestock and poultry production. We further highlight research gaps and outline future prospects required to advance their adoption in sustainable animal production.
Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is among the most important transboundary animal diseases, causing widespread economic losses due to decreased productivity, trade restrictions, and costly disease management efforts. This study aimed to characterize circulating FMDV serotypes and quantify within-farm transmission dynamics during active outbreaks in Bishoftu, Ethiopia. Five epithelial tissue and 39 oral swab samples were collected from 11 dairy farms experiencing active FMD outbreaks. Samples were tested using quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and antigen-capturing enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for FMDV detection and serotyping. A susceptible-infected-recovered (SIR) model was fitted to outbreak data to quantify transmission dynamics. Out of 44 samples, 37 (84.1%) were positive for FMDV using RT-qPCR, and 23 (52.3%) were positive by ELISA. Serotypes O, SAT-1, and SAT-2 were identified, with SAT-2 being predominant. Transmission modelling indicated an average transmission rate (λ) of 0.82 and a recovery rate (γ) of 0.32 per day, corresponding to a mean basic reproductive number (R0) of 3.7. The trivalent vaccine demonstrated low effectiveness (31% against single serotypes; 26% when adjusted for mixed infections), which was insufficient to achieve herd immunity given the high transmission intensity. These findings demonstrate that vaccination alone cannot control FMD in these systems. Control requires improved vaccine matching and the combination of vaccination with enhanced biosecurity measures, such as animal isolation and movement control.
Many animals utilize pheromones as chemical substances that regulate reproductive and social behaviors. Elucidating how diverse pheromonal compounds are detected and translated into specific behavioral and physiological responses is crucial for understanding animal behavior. In vertebrates, pheromone reception is primarily mediated by the vomeronasal organ. Vomeronasal sensory neurons detect a broad range of semiochemical molecules including pheromones and allelochemicals, and transmit this information via the accessory olfactory bulb to higher brain regions, such as the amygdala and hypothalamic regions. Although recent studies have advanced the identification of pheromonal molecules and the analysis of the neural circuits responsible for their detection, ligands have been identified for only a small fraction of the hundreds of vomeronasal receptors. Analyses of genetically engineered mice lacking key components of vomeronasal signal transduction in vomeronasal sensory neurons have provided comprehensive insights into the relationship between vomeronasal sensory input and behavioral output. This review focuses on pheromones among the semiochemicals detected by the vomeronasal organ and summarizes current understanding of pheromonal perception and associated social behaviors, primarily based on studies in mice, the most extensively investigated model organism to date.
Advances in genetic engineering have enabled the development of highly modified porcine models for xenotransplantation. Among available technologies, somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) remains the most reliable method for generating multi-genic pigs carrying complex genetic modifications, including the knockout of porcine xenoantigens and the insertion of human immune regulatory genes. Despite these advances, the physiological viability of highly engineered cloned animals remains a major challenge. In our previous study, we generated cloned pigs carrying a knockout of α-1,3-galactosyltransferase (α-gal) and knock-in of five human immune-related genes: human decay-accelerating factor (hDAF), CD39 (hCD39), tissue factor pathway inhibitor (hTFPI), C1 inhibitor (hC1INH), and TNF-α-induced protein 3 (hTNFAIP3). Although genomic integration and cellular expression of these transgenes were confirmed, all piglets in this cohort died within 48 h after birth. Necropsy revealed no evidence of external trauma or systemic abnormalities in major organs. However, hemorrhagic lesions were observed in the left ventricular myocardium of all necropsied piglets, and histological examination confirmed localized intramyocardial hemorrhage without ventricular rupture or pericardial effusion. We propose that incomplete epigenetic reprogramming associated with SCNT, combined with the physiological burden of multi-gene expression, may have compromised myocardial microvascular integrity. Under the abrupt hemodynamic transition that occurs after birth, this structural vulnerability may predispose the left ventricle to intramyocardial hemorrhage and rapid cardiogenic collapse. These findings suggest that left ventricular hemorrhage may represent a previously underrecognized cause of early neonatal death in highly engineered SCNT-derived pigs.
The common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) is a neotropical primate widely distributed in Brazil and frequently associated with urban and peri-urban environments, a condition that favors exposure to different parasites. The present study aimed to report the occurrence of Primasubulura jacchi and to document the first record of Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato parasitizing C. jacchus in Northeastern Brazil. A debilitated female C. jacchus was rescued in a peri-urban area of the municipality of Garanhuns, Pernambuco, and referred to the Veterinary Hospital of the Federal University of the Agreste of Pernambuco for clinical evaluation. Due to the severe clinical condition, the animal was euthanized. During necropsy, a fecal sample was collected directly from the rectum and analysed through egg flotation technique. Main macroscopic findings included extensive cutaneous lesions on the left thoracic and pelvic limbs, intense tick infestation and intestinal parasitism by nematodes. Ticks were morphologically identified as Rh. sanguineus s.l., whereas adult nematodes and eggs were identified as P. jacchi. This study expands the knowledge of the parasitic fauna associated with C. jacchus in Northeastern Brazil and reinforces the importance of health monitoring of primates in anthropized environments.
The growing population of aging dogs has stimulated a demand for functional dietary ingredients that can support long-term health and metabolic stability. Antioxidant properties and digestive stability of porcine liver hydrolysates produced by enzymatic hydrolysis and subsequent Maillard reaction were investigated as a potential functional ingredient in pet food. Porcine liver was hydrolyzed using alcalase, followed by high-temperature treatment with or without xylose to induce Maillard reactions. Three treatment groups were prepared: porcine liver hydrolysate (PLH), heat-treated hydrolysate (PLH-H), and hydrolysate subjected to xylose-induced Maillard reaction (PLH-HX). Antioxidant activity was evaluated before and after simulated canine gastrointestinal digestion to assess functional stability relevant to pet food applications. The Maillard reaction substantially enhanced antioxidant activity prior to digestion, particularly in radical-scavenging assays. However, following in vitro digestion, antioxidant activity decreased in the Maillard reaction-treated samples, and differences between the treatments were reduced. Digestibility was also lower in the Maillard reaction-treated samples than in the non-treat samples. Although Maillard reaction improved the initial antioxidant capacity, its stability under gastrointestinal conditions was limited and assay-dependent. The combined hydrolysis-Maillard reaction strategy modulated the structural and redox characteristics of porcine liver by-products without complex processing, demonstrating its potential for use as a natural antioxidant ingredient in companion animal feed. Further in vivo validation is required to confirm the physiological relevance of these findings.
Salmonella remains one of the most critical zoonotic pathogens in the poultry sector, linked to animal disease, foodborne illness, and the global crisis of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Poultry acts as a major reservoir, enabling Salmonella transmission from hatchery to retail products through horizontal, vertical, and environmental routes. Despite the use of biosecurity, vaccination, antibiotics, and chemical decontamination, effective and sustainable control across the poultry value chain remains difficult, particularly in the face of rising multidrug-resistant strains and growing consumer concerns over chemical residues. Bacteriophages (phages), viruses that selectively infect and lyse bacteria, have emerged as a promising biological alternative for Salmonella control. Although many studies have reported the effectiveness of phages against bacterial species, including Salmonella, in the poultry industry, reports on their full potential to combat antimicrobial-resistant Salmonella across the entire poultry value chain remain limited. Therefore, this review synthesizes current evidence on the application of phages throughout the poultry value chain, including on-farm interventions, processing plant decontamination, and food packaging and storage. Findings from the reviewed articles indicate over a 90% reduction in Salmonella spp. in poultry farms and post-harvest meat, along with lower mortality in phage-treated groups compared to untreated groups; however, these outcomes depend on several factors (e.g., phage strains, concentrations, application methods, and environmental conditions). Laboratory, pilot, and field studies consistently demonstrate that phage preparations, especially when formulated as cocktails or combined with complementary interventions, can achieve substantial reductions in Salmonella, including antibiotic-resistant serovars, in live birds, eggs, poultry environments, and meat products. Unlike antibiotics and chemical sanitizers, phages act with high specificity, preserving beneficial microbiota and maintaining the sensory and nutritional quality of poultry products. Their safety has been supported by toxicological and genomic assessments, and several phage-based products have obtained regulatory approval, including Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status for food applications in the United States. By integrating efficacy, safety, regulatory, and practical deployment data, this review highlights bacteriophages as a scientifically validated and One Health-aligned tool capable of reducing Salmonella transmission from farm to fork across the poultry value chain, thereby laying the foundation for their future adoption in the poultry industry. Phage-based interventions offer a sustainable pathway to enhance food safety, limit antimicrobial resistance (AMR) dissemination, and strengthen consumer confidence in poultry products. However, the major limitation is the emergence of phage-resistant bacterial strains, as well as the potential involvement of some phages in the transfer of resistance and virulence genes, which could raise public concern. Nevertheless, the use of phage cocktails and whole-genome sequencing, involving tools such as ResFinder and virulence finder, can facilitate the selection of safe phages for application.
Osteoarthritis (OA) is driven by a self-perpetuating cycle of cartilage wear, persistent inflammation, and lubrication dysfunction. Inspired by the natural superlubrication and piezoelectricity of healthy cartilage, we designed injectable hydrogel microspheres (HMBTLCs) that break this vicious cycle through a triple synergistic action of lubrication, anti-inflammation, and pro-regeneration. These microspheres are fabricated via a facile microfluidic strategy, integrating curcumin-loaded liposomes and barium titanate (BaTiO3, BT) nanoparticles within a single platform. The liposomes form a self-renewing boundary lubrication layer on the microsphere surface, achieving an ultralow coefficient of friction of 0.022, and provide sustained release of curcumin for over 28 days to scavenge inflammatory factors, thereby ameliorating the OA microenvironment. Concurrently, the embedded BT nanoparticles convert physiological joint loading into endogenous electrical signals (≈20 mV under 3 N load) to promote chondrogenesis. Critically, transcriptomic analysis reveals a cooperative mechanism: curcumin and piezoelectric stimulation not only synergistically upregulate chondrogenic markers (e.g., ACAN) and downregulate the catabolic enzyme MMP13 through distinct pathways, but also converge on shared anti-inflammatory signaling pathways (e.g., TNF-α, NF-κB, IL-17) to promote macrophage M2 polarization (CD206/CD86 ratio increased by 7.7-fold). By orchestrating these chemical and physical cues, HMBTLCs interrupt the pathological OA cycle under both cellular and animal conditions, reducing the OARSI score by 79.31% in a rat OA model, demonstrating their therapeutic potential for OA while also serving as a model for biomimetic material design.
Embryonic germ cells are the lineage restricted precursors to the gametes of the adult animal. Embryonic germ cells from birds offer a cellular system for both the conservation and the genetic modification of avian species. Ongoing discoveries in germ cell self-renewal pathways are extending the number of bird species for which germ cells can be in vitro cultured. Parallelly, the improved development of surrogate host embryos to carry exogenous germ cells is fostering more efficient and 3R-supportive methods to regenerate avian species from this cellular material. The next decade should lead to exciting developments which will aid in both understanding germ cell biology and avian conservation efforts.
Porcine blood meal is a protein and iron-rich animal by-product, but its use in companion animal diets is often limited by poor solubility and variable digestibility caused by thermal processing. This study evaluated whether enzymatic hydrolysis could improve the physicochemical properties, digestibility, iron-related characteristics, and antioxidant capacity of porcine blood meal for potential use in canine diets. Porcine blood meal was hydrolyzed using alcalase or pepsin under controlled conditions, and the resulting hydrolysates were characterized by degree of hydrolysis, electrophoretic peptide profiles, techno-functional properties, in vitro digestibility using a simulated canine gastrointestinal model, heme and non-heme iron fractions, and antioxidant activities. Alcalase treatment produced a higher degree of hydrolysis and more extensive peptide fragmentation than pepsin. Consistent with these structural changes, the alcalase hydrolysate exhibited significantly higher in vitro apparent digestibility. Enzymatic hydrolysis increased extractable heme iron while reducing ferrozine-reactive non-heme iron, suggesting changes in iron binding forms after proteolysis. Hydrolyzed samples also showed enhanced radical scavenging activity and ferric-reducing capacity, whereas superoxide dismutase (SOD)-like activity decreased following hydrolysis. These findings indicate that controlled enzymatic hydrolysis, particularly with alcalase, could improve apparent digestibility and non-enzymatic antioxidant capacity of porcine blood meal, supporting its potential as an iron-containing ingredient in canine diets. Further in vivo studies would be required to confirm iron availability and nutritional efficacy.
This method comparison demonstrated equivalent analytical and diagnostic performance of IndiMix JOE with intype IC-RNA as an alternative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) chemistry compared to the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN) influenza A virus (IAV) RT-PCR surveillance assay using AgPath-ID One-Step RT-PCR Reagents in avian swabs and tissues and bovine milk. In avian samples, IndiMix JOE with intype IC-RNA using a fast reduced-volume protocol had comparable results to the NAHLN reference RT-PCR with and without intype IC-RNA using standard NAHLN thermocycling conditions. A six-way comparison of RT-PCR chemistries and exogenous internal controls in milk samples illustrated equivalent mean CT values (ANOVA, p = 0.9938). Additional experiments in avian swabs and tissues, bovine milk and semen samples resulted in comparable analytical sensitivity in limits of detection (LOD), linearity (R2 > 0.977), and PCR efficiencies, and no significant differences in mean CT values (ANOVA, p > 0.05). Diagnostic performance showed 100% agreement across field and spiked sample matrices compared to the NAHLN reference method. The study supports the use of IndiMix JOE and intype IC-RNA as an alternative, with practical improvements relevant to surveillance workflows including enhanced testing flexibility, efficiency, outbreak response capacity, and reduced time to results.
Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have been widely utilized in the production of fermented foods worldwide due to their well-established health-promoting benefits for both humans and animals. In addition to their nutritional value, LAB exhibit antagonistic activity against foodborne pathogens, particularly Salmonella spp., which are commonly associated with livestock and animal production systems. LAB exert a range of biological effects that can inhibit the growth of Salmonella and modulate its virulence. In the present study, the antagonistic potential of Weissella confusa WM36 was evaluated based on its ability to inhibit S. Typhimurium growth, disrupt biofilm formation, and suppress the expression of virulence-associated genes. A preliminary safety assessment of W. confusa WM36 was conducted through hemolytic activity and antibiotic susceptibility profiling. In addition, the biofunctional properties of its cell-free supernatant (CFS), herein referred to as postbiotic metabolites, were investigated with a particular focus on antioxidant activity. Experimental results demonstrated that W. confusa WM36 and its CFS at 40% (v/v) achieved a complete reduction (100%) of S. Typhimurium cell counts within 6 to 12 h of treatment. Furthermore, CFS at 20% and 40% (v/v) significantly impaired biofilm formation, while treatment with 20% (v/v) CFS markedly downregulated the expression of key virulence genes. The strain WM36 exhibited α-hemolytic activity and showed susceptibility to most of the antibiotics tested, although resistance to ceftriaxone and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole was observed. These findings provide preliminary information regarding its safety characteristics; however, further molecular and in vivo investigations are required to comprehensively evaluate its safety for practical applications. Additionally, the CFS exhibited notable antioxidant activity, with DPPH radical scavenging capacity of 8.90 ± 0.06 mM Trolox equivalents and ABTS radical scavenging power of 13.10 ± 1.42 mM Trolox equivalents. Collectively, these findings highlight the potential of W. confusa WM36 and its postbiotic metabolites as promising biocontrol and functional agents against S. Typhimurium, while further safety validation remains necessary.
The (NRG1)-ERBB4 signaling pathway has been identified to be pathophysiologically meaningful for cognitive impairments in schizophrenia. The in the 1960s approved mineralocorticoid antagonist spironolactone has been shown to be effective to modulate (NRG1)-ERBB4 signaling in preclinical and animal models. Thus, a proof-of-concept drug repurposing trial in patients with schizophrenia was justified. We conducted a multi-site proof-of-concept randomized controlled trial. 90 patients with schizophrenia were randomized to a three-week trial of two different spironolactone dosages (100 mg or 200 mg) or placebo. The primary endpoint was predefined as change in working memory performance after three weeks of treatment. A naturalistic follow-up was performed nine weeks after the end of intervention. The trial was registered at the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry platform ( http://apps.who.int/trialsearch/Trial2.aspx?TrialID=EUCTR2014-001968-35-DE ). Despite large numerical improvements in working memory functions, particularly in the spironolactone 200 mg group, the pre-specified analyses do not demonstrate significant superiority of either intervention over placebo. However, post-hoc sensitivity analyses suggest a significant advantage of spironolactone for the primary endpoint. Safety measures show that both interventions are well tolerated. This finding suggests a potential positive effect of spironolactone on working memory in people with schizophrenia and the good safety outcomes may justify further trials with longer intervention periods or higher spironolactone dosages. Individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia frequently experience cognitive deficits, including challenges related to everyday memory and attention. We evaluated whether spironolactone, a drug available since the 1960s and today used to treat heart failure is effective in treating cognitive impairment in people with schizophrenia. For that, we conducted a placebo-controlled clinical trial where participants received either 100 mg or 200 mg spironolactone or placebo for three weeks. Before and after this intervention, we tested cognition. We were able to show that our intervention with spironolactone has the potential to improve cognition in people with schizophrenia. Further trials are needed before this intervention can be offered as part of the clinical routine.
With the increasing demand for sustainable animal production, the utilization of agricultural and processing by-products as functional feed ingredients has gained growing attention. However, the application of Xiasangju processing residues, a by-product generated during the industrial processing of the traditional Chinese herbal formula Xiasangju, in poultry nutrition remains poorly understood. This study aimed to evaluate the nutritional composition, bioactive components, and potential functional effects of Xiasangju processing by-products as a dietary supplement for late-laying hens. Chemical composition was characterized using LC-MS and conventional nutritional analysis, while potential anti-inflammatory mechanisms were predicted via network pharmacology. A total of 288 Jingfen laying hens (55 weeks old) were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments supplemented with 0, 0.5%, 1.0%, or 1.5% Xiasangju processing by-products for 56 days. Results showed that 11 major active compounds were identified, including relatively high levels of linarin and rosmarinic acid, along with abundant crude protein, fiber, minerals, and amino acids. Dietary supplementation at 1.5% was associated with higher egg production rate, egg weight, and yolk color without obvious adverse effects on organ indices or serum biochemical parameters. This treatment was also associated with lower inflammatory gene expression, including IL-6 and COX-2 in the ileum and NF-κB, IL-6, COX-2, and TNF-α in the cecum. No significant effects were observed on antioxidant status in yolk or liver, or intestinal morphology. Integrated analyses using network pharmacology, molecular docking, and in vitro COX-2 inhibition suggested that anti-inflammatory-related responses may involve COX-2-related pathways, while 16S rRNA sequencing indicated changes in gut microbiota composition. In conclusion, Xiasangju processing by-products may serve as a potential functional feed ingredient for late-laying hens, with 1.5% inclusion showing favorable overall performance under the conditions of this study. These effects may be associated with the combined contribution of residual nutrients and bioactive compounds in the residues.
Despite advances in oncology, the dual challenge of achieving precise tumor-targeted therapy while simultaneously activating antitumor immunity remains a major clinical barrier. In this study, we engineered a biocompatible copper-based platform, hyaluronic acid (HA) modified Cu ions based therapeutic (B-Cu/HA), that integrates selective tumor targeting, intrinsic cytotoxicity, and immune activation within a single therapeutic system. Leveraging the HA-CD44 interaction, B-Cu/HA exhibited preferential accumulation and prolonged retention in CD44-overexpressing tumors, while maintaining an excellent biosafety profile. Across multiple cancer models, B-Cu/HA robustly inhibited tumor progression. Mechanistically, it induced cuproptosis through upregulation of FDX1 and aggregation of lipoylated DLAT, and triggered ROS-mediated activation of the cGAS-STING pathway, promoting immunogenic cell death. Transcriptomic analysis revealed activation of hypoxia and cytokine signaling pathways, aligning with enhanced CD8+ T-cell cytotoxicity and remodeling of the tumor immune microenvironment. The animal models studies demonstrated that B-Cu/HA significantly suppressed tumor growth without systemic toxicity, and synergistically enhanced the efficacy of the immune checkpoint inhibitors anti-TIGIT. Together, these findings establish B-Cu/HA as a multifunctional, immunomodulatory formulation that offers a clinically translatable strategy to enhance tumor immunotherapy and overcome resistance in CD44-overexpressing tumors.
Vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) encompasses a spectrum of cerebrovascular diseases ranging from mild clinical cognitive impairment to advanced vascular dementia and is recognized as a major contributor to the global dementia burden. Frequently coexisting with Alzheimer's Disease (AD), VCI represents a complex, mixed-pathology neurodegenerative process driven by chronic cerebral hypoperfusion (CCH), white matter (WM) injury and volume loss, neurovascular dysfunction, and progressive cognitive decline. While numerous animal models have been developed to characterize the underlying mechanisms and identify therapeutic targets, the field is presently limited by the absence of a distinct framework to guide model selection based on unique pathophysiological features of recently delineated VCI subtypes. Surgical VCI models, including transient and permanent occlusion, stenosis, or gradual occlusion approaches, differ substantially in the duration of ischemic injury, severity of hypoperfusion, and mechanism of cerebral blood flow (CBF) reductions, generating diverse downstream effects on cerebral tissue damage, neuroinflammation, neurometabolic dysfunction, functional integrity, and, ultimately, memory function. No single model completely captures the heterogeneity of VCI pathology; however, each selectively captures unique aspects of disease subtypes. As such, this review aims to establish a clear, pathophysiology-driven framework to guide the selection of appropriate surgical VCI models for investigating specific VCI subtypes. To do so, we evaluate common models of carotid artery manipulation, integrating histological, neuroenergetic, and cognitive outcomes with clinically relevant imaging and patient data. This review provides practical guidance for model selection, enhancing the specificity and translational relevance of preclinical VCI investigation.
Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is widely used in epidemiological investigations of recent transmission events, resulting in high-resolution strain typing. Accurate and rapid strain typing is essential for informing outbreak investigations and guiding tuberculosis control strategies. However, the gold-standard reference-guided SNP-calling pipeline currently used for strain typing relies on computationally intensive reference-mapping approaches, making it challenging to perform in many high-burden, resource-limited settings, where simplified and scalable genomic tools are urgently needed. To address these limitations, we explored reference-free methods for medium-resolution epidemiology, namely, Mtb strain (lineage) typing, using a dataset of 535 complete genomes spanning the human- and animal-adapted lineages. Illumina paired-end reads were simulated from each complete genome, assembled and analysed using three reference-free, k-mer-based tools: MASH, PopPUNK and SKA2 (split k-mer analysis). Genetic distances were generated for each method and compared with a ground truth lineage assignment from TB-Profiler. Our results demonstrated that reference-free methods can effectively distinguish Mtb lineages, with SKA2 showing the most promising performance across all datasets. SKA2 consistently recovered lineage and sub-lineage structure with high accuracy, demonstrating strong potential as an alternative to traditional WGS workflows. These findings highlight the utility of reference-free methods, particularly SKA2, for enabling accessible, scalable and rapid Mtb strain typing, while supporting genomic epidemiology with low computational resources.
Infectious bursal disease (IBD) continues to undermine poultry health and productivity in Ethiopia. Despite the availability of commercial vaccines, there are raising concerns about vaccine performance, particularly in broiler production systems. This study employed a multi-modal evaluation to compare the immunogenicity and field performance of commercially available IBD vaccines in Ethiopia. The research integrated a controlled in vivo trial assessing vaccine-induced antibody responses and a field-level serological survey of broiler flocks under typical management conditions. Additionally, a structured questionnaire was administered to poultry producers to gather data on vaccination practices, biosecurity measures, and general flock management. A total of 100 one-day-old broiler chicks were assigned into four groups. Group 1 received the CEVAC® TRANSMUNE IBD vaccine at day one; Group 2 received the CEVAC® GUMBO L IBD vaccine at day 14; and Group 3 received the IBD VIRUS LC-75 vaccine at day 14 and booster dose at day 21; Group 4 served as an unvaccinated control. Blood samples were collected at multiple time points up to day 42 post-vaccination, and antibody titers were measured using ELISA. Additionally, blood samples were also collected at the same time points from commercial broiler chickens vaccinated with CEVAC® TRANSMUNE IBD vaccine. In parallel, a field survey involving 93 poultry sector participants was implemented to assess vaccine usage and management practices. In the controlled experimental setting, groups vaccinated with the CEVAC® TRANSMUNE IBD vaccine showed higher antibody titers at day 7 post-vaccination (p < 0.05), while the ones vaccinated with CEVAC® GUMBO L IBD and IBD VIRUS LC-75 vaccines demonstrated robust responses from day 14 post-vaccination onward. Similarly, chickens vaccinated with the CEVAC® TRANSMUNE IBD vaccine at the field level showed relatively higher antibody titers at day 7 post vaccination, but lower when compared with the one under controlled experimental conditions. Despite those differences, each vaccine elicited a measurable humoral immune response, though the timing of seroconversion and peak antibody levels varied depending on the specific vaccine platform used. Survey results indicated that improved vaccines and optimized vaccination schedules were crucial for effective disease control. Additionally, 63% of respondents emphasized the importance of awareness and training to enhance IBD management. Hence, our findings highlighted the need for improved vaccines, optimized vaccination schedules, veterinarians, and farmer training to improve Gumboro disease management in Ethiopia.
Primer bias in 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing can distort microbial diversity estimates by underrepresenting key taxa. We introduce a modified primer pair (V4-EXT) targeting the hypervariable V4 region of bacterial and archaeal 16S rRNA genes, with improved in silico taxonomic inclusivity. To benchmark performance, we analyzed 938 samples from terrestrial, aquatic, and host-associated habitats, comparing microbial community profiles derived with V4-EXT and the currently most widely used V4-targeted primers. V4-EXT substantially improved the detection of Patescibacteria and other underrepresented lineages, such as Chloroflexi and Iainarchaeota, while enhancing recovery of novel amplicon sequence variants across sample types. Overall, V4-EXT provides broader taxonomic coverage and more inclusive microbial community profiles, particularly in high-diversity ecosystems such as groundwater and soils. We propose V4-EXT as a robust successor for comprehensive microbial community analysis across diverse habitats.
Apis cerana (A. cerana) is a native and widely managed honey bee species in China. Body size and body weight are crucial breeding traits, as colonies possessing individuals with large body weight tend to be healthier and exhibit high productivity. This study aimed to clarify the relationships between body size and body weight in A. cerana and to evaluate their associations with geographic, climatic, and colony productive traits for selective breeding. Body size and body weight were measured in virgin queens, drones, and workers from Jinfo Mountain, Chongqing, and additional measurements of queens and drones were implemented in five other regions across China. Linear mixed-effects models confirmed that body size had a significant positive effect on body weight in virgin queens, drones, and workers. However, correlations of body-size and body-weight traits among different bee groups were weak and non-significant after FDR correction, indicating that drones or workers cannot be used as direct substitutes for queen body-size traits in the present dataset. Standardized model estimates showed that queen and drone body-size and body-weight traits were consistently negatively associated with annual minimum and annual mean temperatures, but positively associated with latitude after FDR adjustment. Annual precipitation was also negatively associated with queens' body size, queens' body weight, and drones' body size, whereas annual maximum temperature, longitude, and elevation showed no significant associations after FDR adjustment. Moreover, queens' body size and body weight were significantly positively associated with honey yield, honey yield during the main nectar flow, and colony gentleness after FDR correction, whereas their associations with the number of effective eggs laid by queens, colony strength, and robbery were not significant after FDR correction. These findings suggest that queen body-type traits may serve as useful auxiliary indicators for selecting colonies with higher honey production and gentler behavior, but their relationships with other colony traits should be interpreted cautiously. This research is beneficial for initiating a body size-weight selective breeding program for A. cerana, as it can help optimize breeding objectives and accelerate genetic progress.