The aim of this study was to determine the association of lung lesions with carcass and meat quality traits in slaughter pigs and to describe the main morphological features associated with lung lesions. Macroscopic lesions on the lungs were detected in 67.09% of a total of 79 pigs examined. Histopathological examination revealed that acute and chronic interstitial pneumonia represented the commonest changes, detected in 26.67% and 33.33% of the cases, respectively. Bronchopneumonia was found in 33.33% of the cases. By immunohistochemical examination, 26.67% of the lungs showed the presence of severe peribronchiolar and perialveolar infiltration composed predominantly of CD3+ T lymphocytes, which finding may be indicative of viral pneumonia. Regarding the production traits, it was confirmed that pigs with severe lung lesions had the lowest liveweight, hot carcass weight and meatiness, the highest pH value 45 min after slaughtering (pH) and the highest incidence of dark, firm, dry (DFD) and pale, soft, exudative (PSE) meat. The presence of lung lesions significantly downgraded carcass value and caused a significant deterioration in pork quality.

Ammonia production in commercial poultry sheds poses a problem for farmers as high levels can affect animal's respiratory health, resulting in hock and foot pad lesions and thereby affecting performance. A study was conducted to evaluate the suitability of whole, chopped and dried Yucca schidigera (De-Odorase™, Alltech Inc, USA) to reduce ammonia excretion from broilers and investigate the impact on broiler performance. Nine hundred and two, one-day-old Cobb broilers were randomly assigned to one of two diets, without (control) or supplemented with 500 g/t De-Odorase™. Birds fed the treatment diet had significantly higher body weight (P < 0.05) at 42 d and improved FCR (P < 0.05). Significant reductions in ammonia from litter were reported at 37 and 42 days old (P < 0.05 and P < 0.1, respectively). No significant differences were seen in foot pad, gait score, feather score or carcass data; although the birds fed De-Odorase™ had consistent numerical improvements in these parameters. The results of this study suggest that feeding whole, chopped and dried Yucca schidigera as a functional ingredient in the diet can be part of an ammonia management programme to improve broiler welfare and zootechnical performance.

Swine respiratory diseases represent one of the most frequent health issues in pig production worldwide. Despite the great progress that has been made in the field of diagnostics, control and prophylaxis, respiratory diseases still remain the most challenging health problem in modern commercial pig production. The list of infectious agents that cause respiratory diseases in swine is extensive and includes both, bacterial and viral pathogens. In Serbia, more than fifteen years after the introduction of modern vaccines, the list of bacterial pathogens related to swine respiratory infections still include Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae, Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, Haemophilus parasuis and Pasteurella multocida. On the other hand, most commonly involved viral pathogens are Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus, Swine influenza virus, Porcine circovirus type 2 and Pseudorabies virus. The morphological features of pneumonia where several agents are involved, depend on the predominant etiological agent. Expanding knowledge of the main pathogens associated with swine respiratory diseases and the effects of their interactions on the disease outcome is important for further investigations of lung diseases and implementation of control strategies in commercial pig populations in Serbia. This review discusses the latest findings on swine respiratory disease and current trends in Serbian pig production.

Background: Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) is a disorder characterized by amyloid deposition in the wall of cerebral blood vessels. The deposits of amyloid occur frequently in the blood vessels of the frontal, parietal and occipital cortex. Objective: To examine the characteristics of CAA classified according to the Vonsattel scale in elderly dogs histologically and immunohistochemically as well as the semi-quantitative evaluation of the amyloid deposits in the different segments of the brain. Animals and methods: The brains of 36 dogs of different breeds and sexes, which had been routinely necropsied, were used and divided into two groups: dogs from 1 to 5 and 10 to 18 years old. The tissue sections were stained by hematoxylin-eosin, Congo red and immunohistochemically. Results: Amyloid was accumulated in the wall of cerebral blood vessels in 70% of dogs over the age of 10 years predominantly in the frontal cortex. CAA was demonstrated in elderly dogs as follows: in the frontal cortex (n D 19 or 63%), the parietal cortex (n D 12 or 40%), the hippocampus (40%) and the cerebellum (n D 5 or 17%). The deposits of amyloid in the wall of blood vessels detected by Congo red staining were also Ab1-14 and Ab1-42 immunohistochemically positive. Most commonly, the amyloid deposits affected a moderate number of blood vessels. The accumulation of amyloid was immunohistochemically revealed in the blood vessel walls as well as in the senile plaques and neurons. Conclusion: The amount of amyloid in the arterial walls increased with age in dogs, whereas the amyloid accumulated in plaques was Congo red negative.

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