| Records |
| Author |
Baltic, M.; Jenni-Eiermann, S.; Arlettaz, R.; Palme, R. |
| Title |
A noninvasive technique to evaluate human-generated stress in the black grouse |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2005 |
Publication |
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences |
Abbreviated Journal |
Ann N Y Acad Sci |
| Volume |
1046 |
Issue |
|
Pages |
81-95 |
| Keywords |
Adrenocorticotropic Hormone/metabolism; Animals; Bird Diseases/*metabolism; Conservation of Natural Resources; Corticosterone/*metabolism; Ecosystem; Feces/*chemistry; Female; Galliformes/*metabolism; Immunoenzyme Techniques/methods/veterinary; Male; Reproducibility of Results; Stress/metabolism/*veterinary; Tritium/diagnostic use |
| Abstract |
The continuous development of tourism and related leisure activities is exerting an increasingly intense pressure on wildlife. In this study, a novel noninvasive method for measuring stress in the black grouse, an endangered, emblematic species of European ecosystems that is currently declining in several parts of its European range, is tested and physiologically validated. A radiometabolism study and an ACTH challenge test were performed on four captive black grouse (two of each sex) in order to get basic information about the metabolism and excretion of corticosterone and to find an appropriate enzyme-immunoassay (EIA) to measure its metabolites in the feces. Peak radioactivity in the droppings was detected within 1 to 2 hours. Injected (3)H-corticosterone was excreted as polar metabolites and by itself was almost absent. A cortisone-EIA was chosen from among seven tested EIAs for different groups of glucocorticoid metabolites, because it cross-reacted with some of the formed metabolites and best reflected the increase of excreted corticosterone metabolites, after the ACTH challenge test. Concentrations of the metabolites from fecal samples collected from snow burrows of free-ranging black grouse were within the same range as in captive birds. The noninvasive method described may be appropriate for evaluating the stress faced by free-living black grouse populations in the wild, particularly in mountain ecosystems where human disturbance, especially by winter sports, is of increasing conservation concern. |
| Address |
Zoological Institute, Division of Conservation Biology, Baltzerstrasse 6, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland |
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| Language |
English |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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ISSN  |
0077-8923 |
ISBN |
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Medium |
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Expedition |
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Conference |
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| Notes |
PMID:16055845 |
Approved |
no |
| Call Number |
Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
Serial |
4080 |
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| Author |
Palme, R. |
| Title |
Measuring fecal steroids: guidelines for practical application |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2005 |
Publication |
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences |
Abbreviated Journal |
Ann N Y Acad Sci |
| Volume |
1046 |
Issue |
|
Pages |
75-80 |
| Keywords |
Animals; Feces/*chemistry; Immunoassay/methods; Reproducibility of Results; Specimen Handling/methods; Steroids/*analysis |
| Abstract |
During the past 20 years, measuring steroid hormone metabolites in fecal samples has become a widely appreciated technique, because it has proved to be a powerful, noninvasive tool that provides important information about an animal's endocrine status (adrenocortical activity and reproductive status). However, although sampling is relatively easy to perform and free of feedback, a careful consideration of various factors is necessary to achieve proper results that lead to sound conclusions. This article aims to provide guidelines for an adequate application of these techniques. It is meant as a checklist that addresses the main topics of concern, such as sample collection and storage, time delay extraction procedures, assay selection and validation, biological relevance, and some confounding factors. These issues are discussed briefly here and in more detail in other recent articles. |
| Address |
Institute of Biochemistry, Department of Natural Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinaerplatz 1, A-1210 Vienna, Austria. Rupert.Palme@vu-wien.ac.at |
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English |
Summary Language |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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| ISSN |
0077-8923 |
ISBN |
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Medium |
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Expedition |
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Conference |
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| Notes |
PMID:16055844 |
Approved |
no |
| Call Number |
Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
Serial |
4081 |
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| Author |
Mostl, E.; Rettenbacher, S.; Palme, R. |
| Title |
Measurement of corticosterone metabolites in birds' droppings: an analytical approach |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2005 |
Publication |
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences |
Abbreviated Journal |
Ann N Y Acad Sci |
| Volume |
1046 |
Issue |
|
Pages |
17-34 |
| Keywords |
Animals; Birds/*metabolism; Corticosterone/*analysis/metabolism; Feces/*chemistry; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; Immunoassay; Molecular Structure; Reproducibility of Results; Sensitivity and Specificity |
| Abstract |
Fecal steroid analyses are becoming increasingly popular among both field and laboratory scientists. The benefits associated with sampling procedures that do not require restraint, anesthesia, and blood collection include less risk to subject and investigator, as well as the potential to obtain endocrine profiles that are not influenced by the sampling procedure itself. In the feces, a species-specific pattern of metabolites is present, because glucocorticoids are extensively metabolized. Therefore, selection of adequate extraction procedures and immunoassays for measuring the relevant metabolites is a serious issue. In this review, emphasis is placed on the establishment and analytical validation of methods to measure glucocorticoid metabolites for a noninvasive evaluation of adrenocortical activity in droppings of birds. |
| Address |
Institute of Biochemistry, Department of Natural Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Veterinarplatz 1, A-1210 Vienna, Austria. erich.moestl@vu-wien.ac.at |
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| Language |
English |
Summary Language |
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Original Title |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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| ISSN |
0077-8923 |
ISBN |
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Medium |
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Expedition |
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Conference |
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| Notes |
PMID:16055841 |
Approved |
no |
| Call Number |
Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
Serial |
4082 |
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| Author |
Palme, R.; Rettenbacher, S.; Touma, C.; El-Bahr, S.M.; Mostl, E. |
| Title |
Stress hormones in mammals and birds: comparative aspects regarding metabolism, excretion, and noninvasive measurement in fecal samples |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2005 |
Publication |
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences |
Abbreviated Journal |
Ann N Y Acad Sci |
| Volume |
1040 |
Issue |
|
Pages |
162-171 |
| Keywords |
Adrenal Glands/chemistry/metabolism; Animals; Birds; Catecholamines/analysis/chemistry/*metabolism; Feces/*chemistry; Glucocorticoids/analysis/chemistry/*metabolism; Hormones/analysis/metabolism; Mammals; Species Specificity; Stress/*metabolism |
| Abstract |
A multitude of endocrine mechanisms are involved in coping with challenges. Front-line hormones to overcome stressful situations are glucocorticoids (GCs) and catecholamines (CAs). These hormones are usually determined in plasma samples as parameters of adrenal activity and thus of disturbance. GCs (and CAs) are extensively metabolized and excreted afterwards. Therefore, the concentration of GCs (or their metabolites) can be measured in various body fluids or excreta. Above all, fecal samples offer the advantages of easy collection and a feedback-free sampling procedure. However, large differences exist among species regarding the route and time course of excretion, as well as the types of metabolites formed. Based on information gained from radiometabolism studies (reviewed in this paper), we recently developed and successfully validated different enzyme immunoassays that enable the noninvasive measurement of groups of cortisol or corticosterone metabolites in animal feces. The determination of these metabolites in fecal samples can be used as a powerful tool to monitor GC production in various species of domestic, wildlife, and laboratory animals. |
| Address |
Institute of Biochemistry, Department of Natural Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria. rupert.palme@vu-wien.ac.at |
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English |
Summary Language |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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| ISSN |
0077-8923 |
ISBN |
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Medium |
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Expedition |
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Conference |
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| Notes |
PMID:15891021 |
Approved |
no |
| Call Number |
Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
Serial |
4083 |
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| Author |
Nicol, C.J.; Davidson, H.P.D.; Harris, P.A.; Waters, A.J.; Wilson, A.D. |
| Title |
Study of crib-biting and gastric inflammation and ulceration in young horses |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2002 |
Publication |
The Veterinary record |
Abbreviated Journal |
Vet. Rec. |
| Volume |
151 |
Issue |
22 |
Pages |
658-662 |
| Keywords |
Animal Husbandry/methods; Animals; Antacids/therapeutic use; *Behavior, Animal; Diet/veterinary; Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal/veterinary; Feces/chemistry; Female; Gastritis/diet therapy/physiopathology/*veterinary; Horse Diseases/diet therapy/*physiopathology/psychology; Horses; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Male; Random Allocation; Stereotyped Behavior/*physiology; Stomach Ulcer/diet therapy/physiopathology/*veterinary; Treatment Outcome; Weaning |
| Abstract |
Nineteen young horses that had recently started to perform the stereotypy of crib-biting were compared with 16 non-stereotypic horses for 14 weeks. After initial observations of their behaviour and an endoscopic examination of the condition of their stomachs, the horses were randomly allocated to a control or an antacid diet At the start of the trial, the stomachs of the crib-biting foals were significantly more ulcerated and inflamed than the stomachs of the normal foals. In addition, the faecal pH of the crib-biting foals (6.05) was significantly lower than that of the normal foals (6.58). The antacid diet resulted in a significant improvement in the condition of the horses' stomachs. The crib-biting behaviour declined in most of the foals, regardless of their diet, but tended to decline to a greater extent in the foals on the antacid diet. |
| Address |
Department of Clinical Veterinary Science, University of Bristol, Langford House, Bristol BS40 5DU |
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Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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| Language |
English |
Summary Language |
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Original Title |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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| ISSN |
0042-4900 |
ISBN |
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Medium |
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Expedition |
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Conference |
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| Notes |
PMID:12498408 |
Approved |
no |
| Call Number |
refbase @ user @ |
Serial |
83 |
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| Author |
Carlsson, H.-E.; Lyberg, K.; Royo, F.; Hau, J. |
| Title |
Quantification of stress sensitive markers in single fecal samples do not accurately predict excretion of these in the pig |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2007 |
Publication |
Research in Veterinary Science |
Abbreviated Journal |
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| Volume |
82 |
Issue |
3 |
Pages |
423-428 |
| Keywords |
Cortisol; Immunoglobulin A; Stress; Pigs; Feces; Animal welfare |
| Abstract |
All feces produced during 24 h were collected from five pigs and cortisol and immunoreactive cortisol metabolites (CICM), and IgA were quantified. Within pigs, the concentrations of CICM and IgA varied extensively between random samples obtained from a single fecal dropping, and deviated in most cases significantly from the true concentration measured in total fecal output (CV 6.7–130%). The CICM and IgA contents varied considerably (CV 8.1–114%) within and between individual fecal droppings from the same pig compared to the total fecal excretion. In conclusion, single random samples could not be used to reliably quantify the total fecal concentration or excretion of CICM or IgA in pigs. Analyses of all feces collected during shorter periods than 24 h did not provide an accurate estimate of the daily excretion of CICM. Thus, the concentration of stress sensitive molecules in random single fecal samples as an indicator of animal welfare should be interpreted with prudence. |
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Place of Publication |
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Summary Language |
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Original Title |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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| ISSN |
0034-5288 |
ISBN |
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Medium |
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Expedition |
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Conference |
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| Notes |
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Approved |
no |
| Call Number |
Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
Serial |
5853 |
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| Author |
Stahlbaum, C.C.; Houpt, K.A. |
| Title |
The role of the Flehmen response in the behavioral repertoire of the stallion |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
1989 |
Publication |
Physiology & behavior |
Abbreviated Journal |
Physiol. Behav. |
| Volume |
45 |
Issue |
6 |
Pages |
1207-1214 |
| Keywords |
Animals; Behavior, Animal/*physiology; Circadian Rhythm; Discrimination (Psychology)/physiology; Estrus; Feces; Female; Horses/*physiology; Male; Sexual Behavior, Animal/*physiology; Smell/*physiology; Taste/physiology; Urine |
| Abstract |
The role of the Flehmen response in equine behavior was investigated under field and laboratory conditions. In Experiment 1, a field study made of five stallions on pasture with between three and eighteen mares each during the season indicated the following: 1) The Flehmen response was most frequently preceded by nasal, rather than oral, investigation of substances; 2) The stallions' rate of Flehmen varied with the estrous cycles of the mares; 3) The rate of Flehmen response did not show a variation with time of day; and 4) The Flehmen response was most frequently followed by marking behaviors rather than courtship behaviors. The results suggest that the Flehmen response is not an immediate component of sexual behavior, e.g., courtship of the stallion but may be involved in the overall monitoring of the mare's estrous cycle. Therefore the Flehmen response may contribute to the chemosensory priming of the stallion for reproduction. In Experiment 2 stallions were presented with urine or feces of mares in various stages of the reproductive cycle as well as with their own or other males' urine or feces. The occurrence of sniffing and Flehmen was used to determine the discriminatory ability of the stallions. Stallions can differentiate the sex of a horse on the basis of its feces alone, but cannot differentiate on the basis of urine. This ability may explain the function of fecal marking behavior of stallions. |
| Address |
New York State College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca 14853 |
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Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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English |
Summary Language |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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| ISSN |
0031-9384 |
ISBN |
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Conference |
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| Notes |
PMID:2813545 |
Approved |
no |
| Call Number |
refbase @ user @ |
Serial |
44 |
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| Author |
Traversa, D.; Giangaspero, A.; Iorio, R.; Otranto, D.; Paoletti, B.; Gasser, R.B. |
| Title |
Semi-nested PCR for the specific detection of Habronema microstoma or Habronema muscae DNA in horse faeces |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2004 |
Publication |
Parasitology |
Abbreviated Journal |
Parasitology |
| Volume |
129 |
Issue |
Pt 6 |
Pages |
733-739 |
| Keywords |
Animals; DNA, Helminth/*analysis; DNA, Ribosomal Spacer/*chemistry; Feces/*chemistry; Female; Horse Diseases/*diagnosis/parasitology; Horses; Male; Polymerase Chain Reaction/*methods; Species Specificity; Spirurida Infections/diagnosis/*veterinary; Spiruroidea/*genetics |
| Abstract |
Habronema microstoma and Habronema muscae (Spirurida: Habronematidae) are parasitic nematodes which infect the stomach and/or skin of equids. The accurate diagnosis of gastric habronemosis is central to studying its epidemiology, but data on its distribution and prevalence are lacking, mainly due to the limitations of clinical and coprological diagnosis in live horses. To overcome this constraint, a two-step, semi-nested PCR-based assay was validated (utilizing genetic markers in the nuclear ribosomal DNA) for the specific amplification of H. microstoma or H. muscae DNA from the faeces from horses (n = 46) whose gastrointestinal parasite status had been determined at autopsy and whose faeces were examined previously using a conventional parasitological approach. Of these horses examined at autopsy, some harboured adults of either H. microstoma (n= 19) or H. muscae (n =4), and others (n = 7) harboured both species. Most of them were also infected with other parasites, including strongylid nematodes (subfamilies Cyathostominae and Strongylinae), bots and/or cestodes; there was no evidence of metazoan parasites in 2 horses. Larvated spirurid eggs were detected in the faeces of 1 of the 30 horses (3.3 %) shown to be infected with Habronema at autopsy. For this set of 46 samples, the PCR assay achieved a diagnostic specificity of 100 % and a sensitivity of approximately 97 % (being able to specifically detect as little as approximately 0.02 fg of Habronema DNA). The specificity of the assay was also tested using a panel of control DNA samples representing horse, the gastric spirurid Draschia megastoma and 26 other species of parasites from the alimentary tract of the horse. H. microstoma, H. muscae and D. megastoma could be readily differentiated from one another based on the sizes of their specific amplicons in the PCR. The results of this study showed that the performance of the PCR for the diagnosis of gastric habronemosis was similar to that of autopsy but substantially better than the traditional coprological examination procedure used. The ability to specifically diagnose gastric habronemosis in equids should have important implications for investigating the epidemiology and ecology of H. microstoma and H. muscae. |
| Address |
Department of Biomedical Comparative Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy. traversa@unite.it |
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English |
Summary Language |
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Original Title |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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| ISSN |
0031-1820 |
ISBN |
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Medium |
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Expedition |
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Conference |
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| Notes |
PMID:15648696 |
Approved |
no |
| Call Number |
Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
Serial |
2631 |
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| Author |
Ogbourne, C.P. |
| Title |
Variations in the fecundity of strongylid worms of the horse |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
1971 |
Publication |
Parasitology |
Abbreviated Journal |
Parasitology |
| Volume |
63 |
Issue |
2 |
Pages |
289-298 |
| Keywords |
Animals; Animals, Newborn; Ecology; Feces; Female; Horses; Larva/growth & development; Male; Ovum; Parasite Egg Count; Reproduction; Seasons; Strongyle Infections, Equine/*etiology; Strongyloides/*growth & development; Time Factors |
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Editor |
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English |
Summary Language |
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Original Title |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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| ISSN |
0031-1820 |
ISBN |
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Medium |
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Expedition |
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Conference |
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| Notes |
PMID:5129804 |
Approved |
no |
| Call Number |
Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
Serial |
2727 |
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| Author |
Turner, J.W.J.; Liu, I.K.; Kirkpatrick, J.F. |
| Title |
Remotely delivered immunocontraception in free-roaming feral burros (Equus asinus) |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
1996 |
Publication |
Journal of reproduction and fertility |
Abbreviated Journal |
J Reprod Fertil |
| Volume |
107 |
Issue |
1 |
Pages |
31-35 |
| Keywords |
Animals; *Animals, Wild; Contraception, Immunologic/methods/*veterinary; *Equidae; Feces/chemistry; Female; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Tests; Swine; Zona Pellucida/immunology |
| Abstract |
Regulation of local overpopulations of free-roaming feral equids is in demand worldwide for ecological balance and habitat preservation. Contraceptive vaccines have proven effective in feral horses, which breed seasonally, but no data are available for equids such as the burro, which is reproductively active all year round. In the present study, 27 individually identified female feral burros (Equus asinus) roaming free in Virgin Islands National Park (St John, US Virgin Islands; Lesser Antilles) were remotely treated with pig zonae pellucidae (PZP) vaccine. Between January and May, 16 burros were darted with a 1 ml emulsion of PZP plus Freund's adjuvant. Ten to twelve months later each treated burro was given a single booster injection of PZP plus adjuvant to maintain contraception through a second year. Eleven adult untreated jennies served as controls. Beginning one year after initial vaccination, these burros were monitored for pregnancy and foal production. Collection of data to determine treatment effect was not begun until 12 months after initial treatment to ensure that pregnancies existing before vaccination were not included. Pregnancy was assessed using previously validated methods for steroid metabolite measurement in fresh faecal samples. None of the PZP-treated burros produced foals between 0 and 12 months after the last inoculation. One PZP-treated burro tested positive for pregnancy at 10 months after the final inoculation. During this same period, six of 11 untreated burros tested pregnancy-positive, and four were observed with foals. There was no difference in pregnancy rates among treated, control and randomly sampled jennies between 12 and 24 months after the last inoculation. The results demonstrate that, in free-roaming feral burros that are reproductively active all year round: (1) burros can be accessed for remotely delivered PZP vaccination; (2) PZP contraception is effective; (3) PZP contraception is reversible; and (4) pregnancy can be reliably detected by faecal steroid analysis. |
| Address |
Department of Physiology and Molecular Medicine, Medical College of Ohio, Toledo 43699, USA |
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Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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English |
Summary Language |
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Original Title |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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| ISSN |
0022-4251 |
ISBN |
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Expedition |
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Conference |
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| Notes |
PMID:8699431 |
Approved |
no |
| Call Number |
refbase @ user @ |
Serial |
144 |
| Permanent link to this record |
