The effects of Echinacea purpurea supplementation on growth performance, nutrient utilization, body composition and disease resistance were studied in the ornamental fish Poecilia reticulata. Five diets were used, each differing in Echinacea content (0 g kg )1 diet -control, 5 g kg )1 dietgroup 1, 10 g kg )1 diet -group 2, 20 g kg )1 diet -group 3, 30 g kg )1 diet -group 4 and 60 g kg )1 diet -group 5), and the fish were fed twice daily at a rate of 30 g kg )1 body weight per day for 67 days. The gain in the body weight and the condition factor were significantly increased in groups 2-5, whereas specific growth rate and feed conversion ratio were significantly increased in the supplemented groups (P < 0.05). Cumulative mortalities after challenge infection with the fish pathogen Aeromonas bestiarum were the lowest in the groups supplemented with Echinacea. Log-rank tests showed significant differences between the supplemented groups 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 and the control group (P = 0.0074, P = 0.0075, P = 0.00507, P = 0.00001 and P = 0.00001, respectively). The results of this study indicate that Echinacea improves body weight gain and resistance against challenge infection in fish.
The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of selected pathogens in ticks taken from cats and dogs and from vegetation in urban settlements. A study was conducted to estimate the distribution of Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Borrelia burgdorferi in adult Ixodes ricinus (236), Dermacentor reticulatus (237) and Ixodes hexagonus (3) ticks collected from animals in veterinary clinics (184) and from vegetation in urban settlements (292). The most numerous ticks collected from animals were Ixodes ricinus (73.9%), followed by Dermacentor reticulatus (24.5%) and Ixodes hexagonus (1.6%). A total of 65.8% of the ticks collected from vegetation were Dermacentor reticulatus and 30% were Ixodes ricinus. The arthropods removed from the animals were most commonly located around the neck (48.1%) and in the mouth area (17.1%). All ticks were analyzed by molecular techniques. The percentages of ticks positive for Borrelia burgdorferi and Anaplasma phagocytophilum among those collected from animals differed from the corresponding rates for ticks taken from vegetation in the same area. Anaplasma phagocytophilum was more common in ticks collected from vegetation (N = 137, or 47.20%) than in those from animals (N = 12, or 6.6%). Borrelia burgdorferi, as well, was more common in ticks collected from the vegetation (N = 96, or 32.9%) than in those from animals (N = 19, or 10.5%). The DNA of A. phagocytophilum and B. burgdorferi were detected in 30.4% and 22.8% of D. reticulatus ticks, respectively, and in 32.6% and 25.4% of I. ricinus ticks, respectively. The DNA of A. phagocytophilum was also found in one Ixodes hexagonus tick. Single infections were noted in 69 I. ricinus ticks, 56 D. reticulatus ticks and 1 I. hexagonus tick. Coinfections of A. phagocytophilum with B. burgdorferi were detected in 33 (14.0%) I. ricinus ticks and in 29 (12.24%) D. reticulatus ticks. Infected companion animals can form a reservoir for human tick-transmitted infectious agents. The monitoring of the pathogens transmitted by ticks is an important tool in preventing and combating infections transmitted to humans and animals..
Effects of three stress-producing factors: capture, trans portation, and starving on hematological parameters of carp blood were studied. Oxygen deficiency and crowding of fishes occurring on capture and transportation as well as a 21-week starving were found to considerably affect the hematological parameters examined, the effect being confirmed by statistical tests.
The paper concerns the hematological parameters of carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) as related to the age of fish and changes occurring during the spawning period. In blood samples the red and white cell counts, hematocrit, hemoglobin concen tration, MCV, MCH, and MCHC were determined, and the leukogram and morphology of blood cells were examined in detail. The results obtained were treated statistically.
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