Long-distance photogrammetric trait estimation in free-ranging animals: A new approach

The acquisition of accurate information on the size of traits in animals is fundamental for the study of animal ecology and evolution and their management. We demonstrate how morphological traits of free-ranging animals can reliably be estimated on very large observation distances of several hundred meters by the use of ordinary digital photographic equipment and simple photogrammetric software. In our study, we estimated the length of horn annuli in free-ranging male Alpine ibex (Capra ibex) by taking already measured horn annuli of conspecifics on the same photographs as scaling units. Comparisons with hand-measured horn annuli lengths and repeatability analyses revealed a high accuracy of the photogrammetric estimates. If length estimations of specific horn annuli are based on multiple photographs measurement errors of <5.5 mm can be expected. In the current study the application of the described photogrammetric procedure increased the sample size of animals with known horn annuli length by an additional 104%. The presented photogrammetric procedure is of broad applicability and represents an easy, robust and cost-efficient method for the measuring of individuals in populations where animals are hard to capture or to approach.

Estimating Diagnostic Test Accuracies for Brachyspira hyodysenteriae Accounting for the Complexities of Population Structure in Food Animals

For swine dysentery, which is caused by Brachyspira hyodysenteriae infection and is an economically important disease in intensive pig production systems worldwide, a perfect or error-free diagnostic test ("gold standard") is not available. In the absence of a gold standard, Bayesian latent class modelling is a well-established methodology for robust diagnostic test evaluation. In contrast to risk factor studies in food animals, where adjustment for within group correlations is both usual and required for good statistical practice, diagnostic test evaluation studies rarely take such clustering aspects into account, which can result in misleading results. The aim of the present study was to estimate test accuracies of a PCR originally designed for use as a confirmatory test, displaying a high diagnostic specificity, and cultural examination for B. hyodysenteriae. This estimation was conducted based on results of 239 samples from 103 herds originating from routine diagnostic sampling. Using Bayesian latent class modelling comprising of a hierarchical beta-binomial approach (which allowed prevalence across individual herds to vary as herd level random effect), robust estimates for the sensitivities of PCR and culture, as well as for the specificity of PCR, were obtained. The estimated diagnostic sensitivity of PCR (95% CI) and culture were 73.2% (62.3; 82.9) and 88.6% (74.9; 99.3), respectively. The estimated specificity of the PCR was 96.2% (90.9; 99.8). For test evaluation studies, a Bayesian latent class approach is well suited for addressing the considerable complexities of population structure in food animals.

Use of antimicrobials in food-producing animals in Switzerland and in the European Union (EU)

The intensive and inappropriate use of antibiotics in both medicine and agriculture has selected for antibiotic resistant bacteria that cause severe problems in antibiotic therapy. In animal husbandry, antibiotics are used for therapeutic and preventive treatments of infectious diseases and as growth promoters. In Europe, many antibiotics used as growth promoters were of the same classes as important antibiotics used in human medicine. The European Union withdrew the authorization for the use of the major antimicrobial growth promoters between 1996 and 1999. In 1999 Switzerland decided to ban the use of all antimicrobials as growthpromoting feed additives. The regulations concerning antibiotic use in animal husbandry and the chronological reasons for the ban of antimicrobial growth promoters are described. This ban led to a decrease of the antibiotic volume deployed in agriculture. This measure helps to reduce the amount of antibiotic resistant bacteria in food-producing animals. However, the use of medicated feed is still a common practice to prevent and to remedy bacterial infections and thus still leads to resistant pathogens. Surveillance programs, single animal treatment, good manufacturing practices and vaccinations are additional measures to be taken to keep the level of resistances in bacteria low.

Third-Generation-Cephalosporin-Resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae Isolates from Humans and Companion Animals in Switzerland: Spread of a DHA-Producing Sequence Type 11 Clone in a Veterinary Setting.

Characterization of third-generation-cephalosporin-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates originating mainly from one human hospital (n = 22) and one companion animal hospital (n = 25) in Bern (Switzerland) revealed the absence of epidemiological links between human and animal isolates. Human infections were not associated with the spread of any specific clone, while the majority of animal infections were due to K. pneumoniae sequence type 11 isolates producing plasmidic DHA AmpC. This clonal dissemination within the veterinary hospital emphasizes the need for effective infection control practices.

Present-day vegetation and the Holocene and recent development of Egelsee-Moor, Salzburg province, Austria

This paper describes the present-day vegetation, stratigraphy and developmental history of the mire of Egelsee-Moor (Salzburg, Austria; 45°45′N, 13°8.5′E, 700 m a.s.l., 15 ha in area) since the early Late Glacial on the basis of 4 transects with 14 trial borings across the peatland. We present a vegetation map of the mire, a longitudinal section through the peat body based on six cores showing the peat types, overview macrofossil diagrams of six cores showing the local mire development and two pollen diagrams covering the Late Glacial and Holocene. The chronology of the diagrams depends on biostratigraphic dating for the Late Glacial and early Holocene and radiocarbon dating for the remaining Holocene. The northern part of the mire originated through terrestrialisation of nutrient-rich, mostly inundated fen and the southern part through paludification of wet soils. The very small lake of today was a reservoir until recently for providing water-power for timber rafting (‘Holztrift’). The mire vegetation today is a complex of forested parts (mainly planted Pinus sylvestris and Thuja occidentalis, but also spontaneous Picea abies, Betula pubescens and Frangula alnus), reed-lands (Phragmites) and litter meadows (Molinietum, Schoenetum, etc.). The central part has hummock-hollow complexes with regionally rare species of transitional mires (Drosera anglica, D. intermedia, Lycopodiella inundata, Scorpidium scorpioides, Sphagnum platyphyllum, S. subnitens). The results indicate that some of the mid-Holocene sediments may have been removed by the timber-rafting practices, and that water extraction from the hydrological catchment since 1967 has resulted in a partial shift of transitional mire to ombrotrophic bog. The latter potentially endangers the regionally rare species and was used as an argument to stop further water extraction.