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The African swine fever virus (ASFV), prevalent globally, causes high mortality and morbidity in domestic pigs. However, there is a lack of effective treatment or vaccines against ASFV infection despite the ongoing research in this field. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we conducted a quantitative evaluation of the efficacy of non-replicating vaccines against ASFV. The vaccine efficacy (VE) was analyzed based on three key disease outcomes: mortality, fever, and clinical symptoms after infection. The search of relevant electronic databases yielded 23 studies for inclusion in the review. Vaccination with subunit vaccines significantly reduced mortality risk in vaccinated pigs compared to that in controls (  = 0.02), with a relative risk (RR) of 0.90 (95% CI: 0.83-0.98), indicating a VE of 10% (95% CI: 2-17). However, subunit vaccines did not substantially reduce the risk of fever and other clinical symptoms in vaccinated pigs, with a RR of 0.97 (95% CI: 0.93-1.01) for both outcomes. Moreover, inactivated vaccines did not provide any protection against mortality (RR = 1.01, 95% CI: 0.95-1.06) or other clinical signs (RR = 1.00, 95% CI: 1.00-1.00). No significant between-study heterogeneity was detected, indicating consistent findings across different vaccination trials. Thus, currently available non-replicating vaccines fail to deliver the protection required for field applications. Currently, subunit vaccines are more likely to serve as long-term options for vaccine development strategies. Further research is essential to deepen our understanding of the roles and significance of humoral and cellular immune responses against ASFV, and to identify critical viral antigens that can induce effective protective immunity.

In recent years, the swine industry has witnessed the withdrawal of antibiotics and continuous regulation of zinc and copper oxides in the early-life nutrition of piglets. Due to this development, alternative additives from plant sources have been extensively explored. Therefore, this study’s objective was to evaluate the effect of dietary supplementation with tannins on weaned piglets’ growth performance, serum antioxidant capacity, and serum immune status using a systematic review and meta-analysis approach. A total of 16 studies with parameters of interest were deemed eligible after a two-step screening process following a comprehensive literature search in the scientific databases of Web of Science, Scopus, ScienceDirect, PubMed, and Google Scholar. The inclusion criteria were mainly (1) studies involving basal diet supplemented with tannins and (2) studies with the quantification of tannin doses, while the exclusion criteria were (1) studies with pre- and post-weaning pigs and (2) challenged studies. Applying the random-effects models, Hedges’ g effect size of supplementation with tannins was calculated using R software to determine the standardized mean difference (SMD) at a 95% confidence interval. Sub-group analysis and meta-regression further explored heterogeneity (PSMD < 0.05, I2 > 50%, n ≥ 10). Supplementation with tannins reduced the feed conversion ratio (p < 0.01) but increased the final body weight (p < 0.01) of weaned piglets. Chestnut and grape seed proanthocyanidin tannin sources yielded higher effects on growth performance. In addition, meta-regression models indicated that tannin dosage and supplementation duration were directly associated with tannins’ effectiveness on productive performance. In the serum, the concentration of glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and total antioxidant capacity were elevated (p < 0.01) in response to tannin supplementation, whereas malondialdehydes was reduced (p < 0.01). Likewise, increased immunoglobin M and G levels (p < 0.01) were detected. In conclusion, dietary supplementation with tannins, particularly with chestnut and grape seed proanthocyanidins, increases the productivity of weaned piglets. At the same time, it is a possible nutritional strategy to mitigate oxidative stress and stimulate gut health. Thus, supplementing chestnut and grape seed proanthocyanidin tannins in the early phase of swine production could be used to alleviate the incidence of diarrhea.

Bacterial skin infections, particularly pyoderma and otitis externa, are widespread in dogs, primarily caused by Staphylococcus and Pseudomonas species. This study evaluates the prevalence and types of bacterial pathogens in affected dogs in South Korea using a meta-analytical approach. Following the PRISMA guidelines, five electronic databases were searched for relevant studies published between 1990 and 2024. Three researchers independently performed data extraction and quality assessment. A subgroup analysis explored the variability in pathogen prevalence across studies based on bacterial genus, bacterial species, publication year, sampling year, sampling location, infection type, diagnostic method, and sample size. Publication bias was evaluated using funnel plots and Egger’s regression test, with all analyses conducted using the R program. Of the 944 articles, 29 met the eligibility criteria. The pooled bacterial prevalence among infected dogs was 99.95% (95%CI: 99.85–100). Staphylococcus was the most prevalent genus (95.93%), followed by Pseudomonas (48.43%), Enterococcus (20.32%), and Escherichia (17.63%). The most common species were Staphylococcus pseudintermedius (78.89%), Staphylococcus intermedius (71.43%), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (46.13%). This study underscores the need for comprehensive treatment strategies targeting Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, emphasizing further research on antimicrobial resistance patterns and treatment efficacy to enhance canine health outcomes in South Korea.

Multiple studies have yielded conflicting findings regarding the impact of incorporating triticale as a feed ingredient on laying hens’ production parameters. This article used a meta-analysis to assess the factors influencing its effects on layers’ performance. According to the PRISMA guidelines, articles examining the influence of triticale on layers’ egg production (EP), egg weight (EW), egg yolk color (EYC), feed intake (FI), and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were identified across Google Scholar, PubMed, and Science Direct. As a result, six articles were selected and categorized into 16 experiments for inclusion in our meta-analysis. Overall, the trim-and-fill method indicated that triticale had comparable effects to conventional cereals on the performance of laying hens. However, the meta-ANOVA emphasized that the Hy-Line Brown hen strain and Joesong and Juanilo triticale strains induced the best laying hen performance. Moreover, the meta-regression emphasized a positive correlation between the triticale inclusion percentage and the EW in Juanilo triticale diets and a negative correlation between the triticale inclusion percentages and the EYC in the triticale and laying hens strains studied. Therefore, this meta-analysis makes a valuable contribution to comprehending the factors that may influence the effects of triticale on the performance of layers.

To decipher the dynamics, challenges, and opportunities of smallholder pig farming in Rwanda, a household survey was conducted in ten districts of the country. A total of 900 households selected randomly across four provinces and one city, 12 districts, 28 sectors, and villages were interviewed using a pretested printed questionnaire. Most of the respondents were heads of household: 70.9% for western, 63.5% in eastern, 54.1% in northern, and 52.5% in southern province, and their mean age was 46.7 years and had widely varying education levels. Crossbred pig genotypes were the most preferred due to their high growth rate and produce large litters compared to local pigs, as well as their high resistance to disease, and can better utilize low-quality feeds compared to pure exotic pigs. Piglets and sows were the biggest populations on most farms. Production of piglets for sale was the main purpose of rearing pigs in 63.7% of the farms. Natural mating was almost (99.1%) exclusive on all farms, implying that artificial insemination is yet to take root in Rwanda. Weeds were reported to be the main feed resource used particularly in wet season, while cereal grain mashes and concentrates were used by very few farmers due to high costs. Dominant challenges related to limited pig and pork markets, high taxation, limited extension services, and disease outbreak were highlighted. The most common diseases affecting pigs were swine erysipelas and internal parasites. Access to veterinary services by the households was limited especially in northern province (20%) leading to wrong diagnosis. Capacity building and provision of access to quality animal health services as well as setting up of markets were proposed as strategies to improve pig production by smallholders in Rwanda and grab a share of the lucrative pork market in the region.