Salmonella Schwarzengrund is one of the infective Salmonella serotypes for humans and food animals, such as poultry and swine. Because consumption of foods containing salmonellae due to cross contamination or inadequate cooking may lead to human salmonellosis, in this report, the prevalence of Salmonella Schwarzengrund contamination in chicken meat samples purchased from different traditional marketplaces in Taiwan between 2000 and 2006 was investigated. In addition, 228 Salmonella Schwarzengrund strains isolated from these chicken meat samples and 30 human isolates obtained between 2004 and 2006 were compared for their antimicrobial susceptibility. Results showed that the prevalence of Salmonella Schwarzengrund contamination in raw chicken meat samples was 30.5%. Of all of the Salmonella isolates from chicken meat, Salmonella Schwarzengrund accounted for 39.3%. On the other hand, of the total Salmonella strains isolates from humans between 2004 and 2006, Salmonella Schwarzengrund accounted for 2.8%. All these chicken meat isolates and human isolates were multidrug-resistant and demonstrated high resistance to ampicillin, gentamicin, kanamycin, streptomycin, tetracycline, nalidixic acid, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, and chloramphenicol. For gentamicin and kanamycin, however, the resistance gradually declined. The antibiogram study may indicate the abuse of some antibiotics for both humans and chickens. Also, transmission of Salmonella Schwarzengrund strains between humans and food of animal origin is possible.

Stable isotope analyses of animal tissues can be used to infer diet through application of mixing models. An important component in a mixing model is the incorporation of stable isotope discrimination factors so that isotopic shifts between diet and tissues built from the diet can be accounted for when comparing tissues to potential food sources. We determined the stable carbon and nitrogen isotopic discrimination factors between lipid-free diet and blood plasma, cellular blood, and adult chest contour feathers for captive female Spectacled Eiders ( Somateria fischeri (Brandt, 1847)). Mean discrimination factors for blood components and feathers were either similar or slightly larger compared with previously studied species. Additionally, we determined the stable carbon isotope discrimination factors between dietary lipids and adipose tissue fatty acids using three adipose tissue biopsies from captive male Spectacled Eiders that were fed three different diet treatments. Isotopic signatures of adipose tissue fatty acids closely reflected shifts in the diet and were either similar to or increased relative to diet. Our study provides a foundation for research using tissues as end-members in stable isotope nutrient allocation models and foraging ecology studies of Spectacled Eiders, and will provide the most applicable isotope data to date for sea ducks.