The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of BioPlus 2B, a probiotic containing Bacillus licheniformis and Bacillus subtilis spores, on the health status and productivity of sows and their litters. A total of 109 gilts and sows were allocated into two experimental groups, as follows: untreated controls (UC) and BioPlus 2B (same feeding as the UC group plus BioPlus 2B) at a dose of 400 g/ton of feed (equal to 1.28 x 10(6) viable spores/g of feed). Treatment started from the day of allocation (14 days prior to the expected farrowing) up to the weaning day. Homogeneity of the groups was satisfied with regard to the parity. From the results it was evident that BioPlus 2B supplementation of the feed improved gilt/sow performance as shown by: (i) the increase of sow feed consumption during the first 14 days postpartum and (ii) the decrease of sow weight loss during the suckling period. Certain blood and milk parameters were significantly improved, as shown by higher serum cholesterol and total lipids concentrations and higher milk fat and protein content at mid-suckling period. As a consequence, a positive effect was also noticed as regard litter health and performance characteristics in terms of: (i) decrease in piglet diarrhoea score, (ii) decrease in pre-weaning mortality thus leading to increase in the number of weaned piglets per litter and (iii) increase in piglet body weight at weaning. Moreover, BioPlus 2B tended to improve the health status and fertility of sows demonstrating: (i) tendency to a lower proportion of sows with Mastitis-Metritus-Agalactia (MMA) problems and (ii) lower proportion of sows returning to oestrus.

Two matched case-control studies were performed at an abattoir with a capacity of 780 pigs per hour, each study using the approximately 7000 pigs slaughtered on one day. In the first study, the severity of tail biting and pneumonia were recorded in pigs with bitten or intact tails. In the second study, the tail score, sex, and the presence of pleuritis, externally visible abscesses and trimming were recorded in pigs with bitten or intact tails. In study 1, there was no significant association between the tail score and the percentage of lung tissue affected by lesions typical of enzootic pneumonia, but there was a significant association between the severity of tail biting and the prevalence of lungs with abscesses and/or pleuritic lesions (P<0.0001). In study 2, there were significant associations between the severity of tail biting, and the prevalence of external carcase abscesses and carcase trimming; the carcases of castrated males had evidence of tail biting more frequently than the carcases of females (P<0.05).

The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate under field conditions the effect of a probiotic containing Bacillus licheniformis and Bacillus subtilis on young lamb mortality and sheep milk production when administered in the late pregnancy and lactation feed of ewes. In a sheep farm, two groups of milking ewes with identical genetic material, management, nutrition, health status and similar production characteristics were formed. One group (46 ewes) served as control, while the other one (48 ewes) served as a probiotic-treated group. Both groups of ewes received a similar feeding regiment, but the ewes of the second group were additionally offered a probiotic product containing B. licheniformis and B. subtilis (BioPlus 2B, Chr. Hansen, Denmark) at the approximate dose of 2.56 x 10(9) viable spores per ewe per day. Lamb mortality during the 1.5 months suckling period, and milk yield during the 2 months of milk collection for commercial purposes have been recorded. In the non-treated control group, 13.1% mortality was observed versus 7.8% in the probiotic-treated group (P = 0.33), with mortality being mainly due to diarrhoea. Microbiological examination of diarrhoeic faeces from some of the dead lambs in both groups revealed the presence of Escherichia coli. The average daily milk yield per ewe was significantly lower in the control group (0.80 l) than that in the probiotic-treated group (0.93 l) (P < 0.05). Fat and protein content of milk in ewes that received probiotics was significantly (P < 0.05) increased compared with untreated ewes. It was concluded that supplementing ewe's feed with probiotics may have beneficial effect on subsequent milk yields, fat and protein content.

The association between PRNP variation and scrapie incidence was investigated in a highly affected Greek goat herd. Four mutations were identified at codons 171Q/R, 211R/Q, 222Q/K and 240P/S. Lysine at codon 222 was found to be associated with the protection from natural scrapie (P50.0111). Glutamine at codon 211 was observed in eight animals, all of them being scrapie-negative, indicating a possible protective role of this polymorphism although statistical analysis failed to support it (P50.1074). A positive association (P50.0457) between scrapieaffected goats and the wild-type Q 171 R 211 Q 222 S 240 allele is presented for the first time. In addition, a novel R 171 RQS allele, which is identical to the A 136 R 154 R 171 allele that has been associated with resistance to classical scrapie in sheep, was observed in low frequency. Resistant alleles that include K 222 and Q 211 are absent or rare in sheep and can provide the basis for the development of a feasible breeding programme for scrapie eradication in goats.

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