ObjectiveTo assess rates of food insecurity (FI) among college students enrolled at a large public university system across one US state and identify factors associated with experiencing FI.DesignCross-sectional online survey administered to eligible, enrolled students (n 38 614) across three campuses within the university system, with 5593 students responding (4824 final sample after applying exclusion criteria, 12·5 % response rate). FI was assessed using the US Department of Agriculture’s Adult Food Security Survey Module. Descriptive statistics were conducted to calculate FI status and identify sample characteristics. Associations between FI status and independent variables were assessed using bivariate analyses (χ2 and ANOVA tests) and multivariate logistic regression.SettingLarge public university system, Southeast USA.ParticipantsEnrolled college students (excluding freshman, <18 years of age).ResultsThirty-six per cent of students were classified as FI. After controlling for confounders, factors that were significantly associated with increased likelihood of FI included previous FI (P<0·001; OR=4·78), financial factors and self-reported grade point average ≤3·85. Seniors were significantly more likely experience FI than graduate students (P=0·004, OR=1·41). A significant relationship was not identified between FI and meal plan participation, and no differences in FI were found between graduate students and individuals with sophomore or junior standing.ConclusionsThis research identifies high rates of FI among college students enrolled in a large public university system in the Southeast USA, as well as selected factors related to FI. Programmes to assist college students experiencing FI need to be developed and tested.

Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) contains two sets of rRNA genes (5S, 16S and 23S) in its genome, but only one of the two is organized in an operon cluster and contains a unique 660-nucleotide intergenic spacer region (IGSR) between the 16S and the 23S rRNA genes. We designed a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the specific amplification of the complete MG IGSR segment. The MG IGSR PCR was tested on 18 avian mollicute species and was confirmed as MG specific. The reaction sensitivity was demonstrated by comparing it to the well-established MG mgc2 PCR. The MG IGSR sequence was found to be highly variable (discrimination [D] index of 0.950) among a variety of MG laboratory strains, vaccine strains, and field isolates. The sequencing of the MG IGSR appears to be a valuable single-locus sequence typing (SLST) tool for MG isolate differentiation in diagnostic cases and epizootiological studies.

Groups of eight chickens were challenged with 10-fold dilutions of one of two strains of Mycoplasma synoviae (MS); each challenge group contained two noninfected sentinels. Both strains were highly efficient in colonizing the respiratory tract with challenge doses as low as 76 and 24 color-changing units/bird. Infection spread rapidly (within 7 days) to sentinels, while uninfected control chickens separated from infected chickens by two empty pens remained uninfected for the 56-day experimental period. Although sentinels and birds challenged with the lowest doses had weaker or slightly slower antibody responses in some cases as measured by serum plate agglutination, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and hemagglutination inhibition (HI), they generally exhibited a typical antibody response. Agglutination reactions tended to be weak, but a high percentage of tests (generally >30% from day 14 postchallenge) were positive. ELISA results were variable, and in some cases reactor rates were low (generally <20%), even though the chickens were colonized in the upper respiratory tract. The HI test was reliable in detecting infected groups; usually >50% were positive from 14 days postchallenge. Mean HI titers were higher when using hemagglutination antigens prepared from the homologous MS strain as compared with antigen prepared from the heterologous strain or with standard antigen prepared from WVU 1853.

Mycoplasma synoviae (MS) is an important pathogen of domestic poultry and is prevalent in commercial layers. During the last decade Escherichia coli peritonitis became a major cause of layer mortality. The possible role of MS in the E. coli peritonitis syndrome of laying hens was studied. Four groups of 64 mycoplasma-free commercial layers at the onset of lay (about 80% daily production) were challenged with a virulent MS strain or a virulent avian E. coli strain or both. The four experimental groups were identified as follows: negative control, E. coli, MS, and MS plus E. coli. A typical E. coli peritonitis mortality was reproduced and included one, three, zero, and five birds in the negative control, E. coli, MS, and MS plus E. coli groups, respectively. Only the increased mortality in the MS plus E. coli group had statistical significance. Four weeks postchallenge 10 clinically normal birds from each of the four experimental groups were necropsied. All of the examined birds in the two MS-challenged groups demonstrated severe tracheal lesions. Body cavity lesions were detected in two and four birds in the MS and MS plus E. coli groups, respectively. The results demonstrate a possible pathogenesis mechanism of respiratory origin with regard to the layer E. coli peritonitis syndrome, show the MS pathological effect in layers, and indicate that a virulent MS strain can act as a complicating factor in the layer E. coli peritonitis syndrome.

Two groups of Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) isolates (n = 24) from Jordan were analyzed by molecular methods and compared with other Middle Eastern isolates, related international isolates, and reference strains. The first group (n = 19) was isolated from July 2004 to January 2005 (isolation period A), and the newer group (n = 5) from June 2007 to April 2008 (isolation period B). The groups of isolates are from chicken flocks from northern Jordan, but are not from the same farms. None of the flocks were vaccinated for MG. Random amplified polymorphic DNA analysis, targeted sequencing of the partial MG cytadhesin 2 (mgc2), and the MG 16S-23S rRNA intergenic spacer region (IGSR) divided the Jordanian isolates into two groups. All of the 19 isolates from time period A, in addition to two isolates from time period B, were indistinguishable from the F strain. Three of five isolates from time period B were characterized as wild types and were indistinguishable from each other. The wild-type field strain was readily distinguished from the F strain. It was 91% and 96.4% similar to the F strain based on Clustal-W alignments of sequences of mgc2 and IGSR, respectively. Sequence similarity of mgc2 gene of the Jordan wild-type strain to isolates from Israel and Egypt ranged from 96.5% to 100%, whereas for IGSR it was 99.4%-100%. We theorize that the F-strain live MG vaccine, commonly used in Jordan prior to 2007, was transmitted to nonvaccinated poultry in the region and was a predominant genotype during time period A.