The Rural Voice, 2003-10, Page 57The leading edge
Researchers team with doctor to
look at troubling bacteria
There are few diseases that can
spread from animals to humans but a
team of equine researchers from the
University of Guelph along with
human health researchers are working
together to root out the cause of a
troubling, complicated and
transferable bacterial illness and stop
its spread.
Prof. Scott Weese, clinical studies
department and Marie Archambault,
and animal health laboratory
bacteriologist are working with Don
Low, chief of microbiology at Mount
Sinai Hospital and Hani Dick, a
bacteriologist with Vita -Tech
Veterinary Laboratories, to research
characteristics of a serious strain of a
common bacterium — Staphylococcus
aureus — and its effects on horses
and humans.
S. aureus is often present in the
nasal passages of healthy individuals
and can cause secondary infections in
both humans and horses. Although
most S. aureus strains are of minimal
concern, methicillin-resistant strains
(MRSA) are a significant worry in
human medicine. Physicians first
discovered MRSA in humans in the
early 1960s. just after methicillin, a
drug that's used as a substitute for
penicillin, was introduced to treat
staphylococci infections such as S.
aureus.
The main problem with MRSA
infections is they're difficult to treat
because they're resistant to most
antibiotics. In humans, MRSA
infection increases the chances of
serious illness and death. Outbreaks of
the infection can occur in a hospital,
with bacterium transferred between
patients directly or via staff.
MRSA infections in horses have
been identified in Canada, the U.S.
and Japan, among other countries.
Transmission of the bacterium is
thought to occur from direct contact
between infected animals and people,
but only a small percentage get sick.
Guelph researchers are collecting
data from nasal swabs taken during a
veterinary examination of horses or a
human blood, urine or skin sample
taken by a human physician then cult-
uring them to determine if MRSA is
present. By last spring they had found
more than 80 horses and 25 people
who are in contact with horses, that
have tested positive for the infection.
"Through this research, we hope to
determine the scope of MRSA
infection in horses and people who
work with horses," said Weese. "We
want people to understand the risks
associated with MRSA infection both
for other horses and for people and to
find an alternative way for equine
practitioners to treat MRSA carriers."
— Source: University of Guelph
Research Magazine
Company has solution to carcass disposal
A U.S. company, WIZ'ofIndiana says it has developed a process that reduces
carcasses to bone powder and appears to destroy prions, the rogue proteins that
are responsible for such animal diseases as BSE and scrapie.
The problem of what to do with heads, offal and bones of animals has became
an issue with the single case of BSE which was found in an Albertan cow in
May. Normal markets for rendered products across the border have collapsed,
leaving dead stock removal companies with a lack of markets.
The U.S. company's alkaline hydrolysis tissue digester uses an alkali solution
working under pressure to convert cells and tissues into a solution of amino acids
and sugars. It reduces the weight of material by 97 per cent.
The solids are reduced to "bone shadows" that crumble into powder when
touched. Water is drained into a sludge that can be flushed down the sewer and
the dry matter can be used as bone fertilizer.
Low pressure units can handle about 3,000 pounds of material in 18 hours
while high pressure units can break down 7,000 pounds in six hours.0
— Source: Western Producer
`Designer foods' taking
off scientist says
"The market for designer foods
is really beginning to take off and
flax is behind some of those
products and ones that will be out
there in the near future," said Vern
Racz of the University of
Saskatchewan's Prairie Feed
Resource Centre.
A few years ago Racz and his
associate developed an extruded
pea and flax feed this is now
marketed by Oleet Processing of
Regina under the trade name
Linpro.
When it was fed to calves
entering a recent feedlot trial at
Kansas State University, the rectal
temperatures of bacterially
infected animals were lower and
their recovery faster after
antibiotic treatments than control
animals that were fed traditional
tallow -and -soybean -based feeds.
Hog feeder -finisher trials at the
University of Saskatchewan have
shown dramatic increases of the
omega 3 fatty acid content of meat
when flax is included in the ration.
"A 15 per cent flax ration will
raise the level of omega 3 fatty
acids (in pork) from two to 13 per
cent," Racz said.
"That may be a bit high, but we
could easily produce a 10 per cent
product with an improved fat
characteristic and a healthful
omega 3 content."
University of Saskatchewan
researcher Phil Thacker said more
work is needed on flax's ability to
improve pig health, lowering the
need for antibiotics.
"We know it's there, but we
have to show why and how much
and that will take more research,"
he said.
Racz said flax seems to
improve animal health by
reducing inflammation. "Sows
benefit from having flax in their
ration at farrowing time because
of the natural mucilage in the seed
coat. It's a laxative and that
lowers stress during pregnancy. -0
—Source: Western Producer
OCTOBER 2003 53