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The weaning time is a crucial period in the management of piglets. The risk of development of post-weaning diarrhoea (PWD) in piglets is high. PWD is the cause of serious economic losses in pig herds. Since 2006, the use of antibiotic growth promoters for prevention of diarrhoeal diseases in piglets has been banned. This measure also led to the investigation of alternative suitable feed supplements that would be reasonably efficient in protecting and sustaining animal health and performance. Various natural materials such as probiotics, prebiotics, organic acids, zinc and plant extracts have been tested as effective alternatives to antibiotics. Recently, owing to their high adsorption capacity, research efforts have been conducted on the application of natural clays and clay-based feed supplements. The purpose of this review is to summarize the effect of different alternative components as growth promoters on the health and performance of weaned and growing piglets.

Faecal samples from 230 diarrhoeic and healthy calves aged 0-6 weeks, from 100 farms in Austria, were examined between October 2004 and February 2005 for the presence of bacteria, especially Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), viruses and parasites. Escherichia coli was detected in 17% of all the faecal samples and was more prevalent in healthy calves. However, E. coli F5 was identified only in one calf without diarrhoea. Overall, 35 out of the 230 (15.2%) samples analyzed carried the Shiga toxin gene: stx1, stx2 or both stx1 and stx2 in their faeces. Nevertheless, out of 39 pathogenic E. coli positive samples observed, only two carried the Shiga toxin genes: stx1 in one diarrhoeic calf, and both stx1 and stx2 in one healthy calf; eaeA and Ehly genes were detected more frequently in the strains from diarrhoeic calves (57.1% and 50.0%, respectively). Clostridium perfringens was detected in twenty-one samples, the most prevalent toxin type of C. perfringens was found to be type A (76.2%). Other bacteria such as Klebsiella spp. and Proteus spp. were present in 1.3% and 0.4% of all samples. Salmonella spp. was not detected. The detection rates of other enteropathogens were 25.7% bovine coronavirus, 11.7% Cryptosporidium spp., 10.4% Eimeria spp., 9.1% group A rotavirus and Giardia spp. 6.1%. We demonstrated the presence of the STEC virulence genes in healthy and diarrhoeic Austrian calves but the importance of the virulence factors of STEC (stx1, stx2, eae and Ehly) in calf diarrhoea and systemic disease is not well defined.

The purpose of the present study was to assess the effect of kaolin feeding on health status, body weight gain (BWG), course of diarrhoeal infections caused by enterotoxigenic strains of Escherichia coli (ETEC) and the level of mycobacterial contamination in weaned piglets. The testing was performed in two experiments involving 40 weaned piglets at the age of 28 days. In the infection-free experiment, piglets were fed a diet without (C0) or with 1% content of kaolin (K0) for 20 days. Subsequently, all of them were fed the same diet without kaolin supplementation for 39 days. Identical diets were fed during the infection experiment, and moreover, both groups (CI and KI) were orally infected with ETEC (O141:F18ac, STa+) on Day 1 of experiment. The short-term feeding of kaolin to weaned piglets had a significant positive effect on their BWG. During the period of feeding the kaolin-containing diets, BWG in C0 and K0 were 0.20 and 0.29 kg, respectively (P less than 0.05), and in CI and KI 0.13 and 0.19 kg, respectively (P less than 0.05). The protective effect of kaolin on the course of ETEC infection was evident. Colonization and shedding of ETEC by piglets fed the kaolin diet were milder and had a shorter duration in comparison with control animals. The culture examination of pure kaolin and kaolin containing diets for mycobacteria were negative. Potentially pathogenic mycobacteria occurring in the environment were isolated from faeces and tissues of pigs. According to these results, supplementation of diets with 1% kaolin to prevent diarrhoea in piglets and to support their growth in the critical post-weaning period could be recommended.

This video breaks the process of a complex diarrhea diagnosis down into an easy to understand flowsheet for practicing gastroenterologists and medical students. The flowsheet provides a visual representation of the step-by-step decision-making involved in assessing and diagnosing a patient experiencing loose stools. Dr. Piracha discusses the definition, types, and causes of diarrhea, as well as infective organisms and underlying conditions associated with this disorder. This concise diagnostic video tool helps clinicians make better decisions while taking care of their patients or quickly update their knowledge while preparing for an exam.

:  Quantification of lipophilic toxins in bivalves associated with diarrhetic shellfish poisoning was investigated by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS). Using a C8‐silica reversed phase column and a mobile phase of aqueous acetonitrile containing 2 mM ammonium formate and 50 mM formic acid, okadaic acid, dinophysistoxin‐1, 7‐O‐palmitoyldinophysistoxin‐1, pectenotoxin‐1, pectenotoxin‐2, pectenotoxin‐6, pectenotoxin‐2 seco‐acid, yessotoxin, and 45‐hydroxyyessotoxin in bivalves were quantified by LC–MS in the negative mode. When the crude 90% methanol extracts were analyzed by LC–MS, there were no significant effects from bivalve matrices on the quantification of toxins. More than 200 bivalve samples collected from various production areas in Japan were analyzed by LC–MS. Pectenotoxin‐6 and dinophysistoxin‐1 were the dominant toxins in scallops and mussels, respectively. Yessotoxin and 45‐hydroxyyessotoxin were also detected in both species. Comparison of the quantitative results obtained for these bivalve samples between LC–MS and mouse bioassay indicates that LC–MS is suitable for routine monitoring of lipophilic toxins in Japanese bivalves.

Background. In developing countries the duration and severity of diarrheal illnesses are greatest among infants and young children with malnutrition and impaired immune status, both factors that may be associated with zinc deficiency. In children with severe zinc deficiency, diarrhea is common and responds quickly to zinc supplementation. Methods. To evaluate the effects of daily supplementation with 20 mg of elemental zinc on the duration and severity of acute diarrhea, we conducted a double-blind, randomized, controlled trial involving 937 children, 6 to 35 months of age, in New Delhi, India. All the children also received oral rehydration therapy and vitamin supplements. Results. Among the children who received zinc supplementation, there was a 23 percent reduction (95 percent confidence interval, 12 percent to 32 percent) in the risk of continued diarrhea. Estimates of the likelihood of recovery according to the day of zinc supplementation revealed a reduction of 7 percent (95 percent confidence interval, -9 percent to +22 percent) in the risk of continued diarrhea during days 1 through 3 and a reduction of 38 percent (95 percent confidence interval, 27 percent to 48 percent) after day 3. When zinc supplementation was initiated within three days of the onset of diarrhea, there was a 39 percent reduction (95 percent confidence interval, 7 percent to 61 percent) in the proportion of episodes lasting more than seven days. In the zinc-supplementation group there was a decrease of 39 percent (95 percent confidence interval, 6 percent to 70 percent) in the mean number of watery stools per day (P=0.02) and a decrease of 21 percent (95 percent confidence interval, 10 percent to 31 percent) in the number of days with watery diarrhea. The reductions in the duration and severity of diarrhea were greater in children with stunted growth than in those with normal growth

A total of 116 Escherichia (E.) coli isolates isolated from neonatal diarrhoeic piglets were serogrouped and tested for the presence of virulence genes for fimbrial and non-fimbrial adhesins, intimin, and enterotoxins. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) pulsotypes were also analyzed within O149 enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) isolates. In total, Sixty eight (58.6%) isolates were serotyped. Among them, forty three (63.2%) belonged to 12 serogroups in the descending order: O149, O8, O157, O101, O60, O9, O117, O127, O138, O167, O27 and O97. The predominant pathotype was ETEC (68, 58.6%) which is closely associated with F4 (37, 31.9%) and LT:STb:EAST1 (23, 19.8%) out of the isolates harbouring at least one gene for toxin and/or fimbria. Among non-fimbrial adhesins, porcine attaching and effacing-associated factor (paa) was closely associated with F4-positive isolates (64.7%) rather than F18-positive isolates (5.9%). Adhesion involved in diffuse adherence (AIDA) was only detected in 3 isolates. No eae-positive isolates were detected. The PFGE pattern of 15 O149 isolates was grouped into 12 pulsotypes at 88% similarity level. The results show a wide variety of distinct restriction patterns though all belonged to the same serogroup O149. It is believed that a broad array of O serogroup and virulence genes are associated with neonatal diarrhoea in Korea.

Fatty-acid esters of dinophysistoxin-1 (DTX1) in scallops Patinopecten yessoensis, mussels Mytilus coruscus, and toxic dinoflagellate Dinophysis species, collected from Japanese seawater, were analyzed by liquid-chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Precursor ion monitoring, multiple reaction monitoring for 18 fatty-acid esters of DTX1, and full-scan MS/MS spectra obtained with a hybrid triple-quadrupole linear-ion-trap mass spectrometer showed that 14:0, 16:0, and 16:1 esters were the most abundant 7-O-acyl-DTX1 analogues in bivalves. Fatty-acids esters formed by conjugations at hydroxyl positions other than the 7-position of DTX1 was not detected in the bivalves. DTX1 and okadaic acid-16:0 fatty-acid esters have been reported as the most abundant ester in bivalves in several previous studies; however, we found that 7-O-16:1-DTX1 was the most abundant ester in some mussels in which 16:1 was more dominant than 16:0 in the free fatty-acid profile. Comparison between 7-O-acyl-DTX1 and free fatty-acid profiles in the same bivalve samples suggests that polyunsaturated fatty acids are selectively excluded in enzymatic acylation of DTX1. No 7-O-acyl-DTX1 was detected in any single-cell isolates of D. fortii, D. acuminata, D. mitra, D. norvegica, D. tripos, D. infundibulus, and D. rotundata.

Twenty Lithuanian Black-and-White calves (10 bulls, 10 heifers) were used to evaluate the effects of the supplemental probiotic product, Enterococcus faecium M74 (2.4 g/day/calve), added to fresh milk and skimmed milk in a 56 day-study. The probiotic was administered by dietary supplementation to first group of calves and their respective pens (probiotic group), whereas the second group (control group) received no probiotic supplementation. The results of this trial indicate positive effects of the probiotic product Enterococcus faecium M74. The actual percentage of calves with diarrhoea was reduced from 50% to 20% among the calves fed the pre- and probiotic diet. Probiotic supplementation reduced the faecal count of clostridia and enterococci. The calves fed Enterococcus faecium M74 weighed more at 20, 40 and 62 days of age by 4.9%, by 9.7% (P less than 0.05) and by 9.4% (P less than 0.01), respectively, than the control calves. The calves fed Enterococcus faecium M74 had increased daily weight gains compared with the calves not fed a probiotic product. The average weight gain and the daily weight gain of the probiotic-supplemented calves were by 7.8 kg (P less than 0.01) and by 0.14 kg higher (P less than 0.01), resp., compared with the control calves. The calves given the Enterococcus faecium M74 also had forage and total DM intakes that were numerically higher than those fed the control diet, without any additive. During the 56 days experimental period, the average feed conversion rate was improved by 12.9% in the probiotic-treated group.