Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) is the causative agent of avian colibacillosis, a localised or systemic infection resulting in clinical diseases such as colisepticemia, chronic respiratory disease and swollen-head syndrome. Globally, avian colibacillosis is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in poultry, and it has been associated with massive economic losses and welfare problems.This organism is of public health significance as APEC is communicable to humans. The diagnosis of avian colibacillosis relies on clinical signs, typical pathological lesions and culture of E. coli from affected tissue(s). Antimicrobial therapy is often used both for treatment and control. Previous overseas studies have characterised APEC and identified virulence genes (VGs) that can be used as molecular markers for the identification of APEC. Little is known about APEC in broiler chickens in Australia.The aim of this thesis was to gain a better understanding of the epidemiology of APEC in Australian broiler flocks and how factors including presence of VGs and phylogenetic group can improve the identification of this pathotype in Australia. Firstly, three faecal DNA extraction methods were evaluated. Faeces were collected from healthy chickens and chickens with colibacillosis from commercial broiler farms in South East Queensland (SEQ). The extracted DNA was screened by a pentaplex-PCR for five APEC-associated VGs (iroN, iutA, iss, hlyF and ompT). DNA extracted from E. coli isolates cultured from the cloaca and organs of the birds were screened using the same PCR.Repeated bead beating plus column elution was the preferred DNA extraction method, as it yielded good PCR quality and adequate quantity DNA. However, identifying APEC by direct detection of the five VGs from the faecal material was not feasible as all of these genes were also detected in all of the birds. However, the VGs were more commonly detected in E. coli isolates cultured from birds with colibacillosis.A cross-sectional study was performed to estimate APEC farm-level prevalence in healthy broiler chickens in SEQ and to identify potential risk factors associated with the carriage of APEC. At the farm-level, all of the 40 farms sampled were positive for APEC, that is at least one bird per farm carried APEC, while the within-farm prevalence was 63% (95% Confidence Interval: 55.8, 70.2).Higher APEC within-farm bird-level prevalence was significantly associated with the usage of well water as a source of drinking water, failure to disinfect the water line after each flock, farm visitors not showering before entering the shed, distances greater than 20 metres between the car park and the poultry shed and the presence of wild birds within 50 metres of the shed. Chlorinating the drinking water combined with automatic water filtration reduced within-farm bird-level APEC prevalence. Page | 3Therefore, based on the results concluded from the multivariable model, improving biosecurity and water treatments might reduce APEC prevalence, decrease the risk of co...

One in four New Zealand cats are overweight or obese, conditions associated with poor health outcomes. As part of an online survey that was conducted from January 2019 to March 2019, NZ residents aged ≥18 years were asked demographic questions along with questions related to the body condition, breed and diet of their cat/s. From the responses, possible owner-related risk factors for developing obesity were identified. Of the respondents, 65.5% (n = 1537) owned cat/s; the owners being more likely to be female, live rurally, or live with children. Most of the respondents fed their cat/s biscuits from the supermarket (63%) and wet food (57%). Almost half (45%) fed their cat/s specialised food from a pet shop or veterinary clinic and gave them treats, with 31% of respondents feeding their cat/s raw meat. Feeding cats a variety of food types may make it difficult to estimate the appropriate amount of each needed to avoid excess caloric intake. In addition, approximately 30% of the respondents did not agree with the correct body condition statement, revealing a need for owner education. These findings highlight important areas of cat nutrition requiring future research to better inform the development of healthy weight interventions for NZ cats.

Bovine trichomoniasis, caused by the protozoal parasite Tritrichomonas foetus, is a highly contagious venereal disease characterised by early pregnancy loss, abortion and pyometra. Persistently infected bulls and cows are the primary reservoirs of infection in infected herds. This research investigated the prevalence of T. foetus infection in bulls from properties located across northern Australia and New South Wales. Preputial samples were collected from 606 bulls at slaughter and tested for T. foetus using the VetMAX-Gold Trich Detection Kit (Thermo Fisher Scientific). The apparent prevalence of T. foetus infection varied between regions, with northern regions in the Northern Territory, Queensland and Western Australia showing a prevalence of 15.4%, 13.8% and 11.4%, respectively. There was some evidence of an association between infection and postcode (P = 0.06) and increasing bull age (P = 0.054). This study confirms that T. foetus infection is likely to be present in many beef breeding herds and contributing to lower than expected reproductive performance, particularly across northern Australia.

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