The Republic of Korea has experienced rapid economic growth alongside increasing concern for animal welfare. However, progress in improving farm animal welfare remains slow, particularly in slaughterhouses, which are recognized as critical points for animal welfare concerns due to numerous issues observed. Due to the impracticality of assessing all slaughterhouses nationwide, this study conducted a field survey of seven chicken slaughterhouses utilizing the widely adopted WQ® protocol. The evaluation criteria included crate density, rough handling, plumage loss and emaciation, panting or huddling, wing flapping, vocalization, leg fractures, and dead-on arrival (DOA). Given that broilers are transported in crates from farms to the stunning area, the relationship between crate density and these welfare indicators was analyzed. The significance level was set at <0.05. Revealed correlations between crate density and various health and welfare indicators, including rough handling, plumage loss and emaciation, crate height, panting or huddling, pen spacing, lairage temperature and humidity, wing flapping, vocalization, and DOA. This study represents a pioneering effort in the Korean poultry industry, marking the first development of a welfare standard for chicken slaughterhouses.
This study was conducted to investigate the residue pattern in milk of tetrachlorvinphos oral product used in dairy cows and to suggest an appropriate withdrawal period for the tetrachlorvinphos oral product in milk. The oral product containing tetrachlorvinphos was administered per oral to Holstein dairy cows at a dose of 3.4 g of the active ingredient per 100 kg body weight (maximum dose). Milk was collected at 12-hour intervals during administration and up to 120 hours after termination of administration to determinate tetrachlorvinphos residue in milk by LC-MS/MS. Tetrachlorvinphos residues at each time point and the maximum residue level for tetrachlorvinphos in milk (0.01 mg/kg) were applied to a non-statistical model to establish the withdrawal period of the test product. The recovery, precision, coefficient of determination(R2), limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantitation (LOQ) of the analytical methods used to quantify tetrachlorvinphos were 98%~104%, 5%~11%, 0.9981~ 0.9991 and 2 μg/kg, 7 μg/kg, respectively. These parameters met all the method validation criteria suggested by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and were used as an analytical method for tetrachlorvinphos in milk. When this product was administered to dairy cows at 1x dose by feeding, the tetrachlorvinphos was undetectable in milk (below the limit of detection) in all cows during the dosing period and up to 120 hours after termination of administration. Therefore, we suggest the withdrawal period of this product in milk as 0 days.
Ischemic stroke is a leading cause of death and neurological disability though mechanisms involving oxidative stress and the activation of apoptosis-related pathways. Retinoic acid, an active metabolite of vitamin A, is known for its neuroprotective effects via antioxidant and anti-apoptotic mechanisms. 14-3-3 γ is abundantly expressed in the brain and plays a critical role in maintaining neuronal function and survival. However, the effect of retinoic acid on the expression of 14-3-3 γ protein has not been fully elucidated. The aim of this study was to determine whether retinoic acid regulates the expression of 14-3-3 γ protein in the cerebral cortex of a stroke animal model. Male rats were randomly divided into four groups: phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) + sham, retinoic acid + sham, PBS + middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO), and retinoic acid + MCAO. Focal cerebral ischemia was induced using the MCAO method. Retinoic acid (5 mg/kg) or PBS was administered intraperitoneally immediately after MCAO. Neurological deficit scores and corner tests were conducted 24 h after MCAO surgery, and the cerebral cortex was harvested for analysis of 14-3-3 γ expression at the mRNA and protein levels. Neurological assessments showed that retinoic acid treatment significantly alleviated MCAO-induced behavioral impairments. Proteomic analysis revealed that MCAO markedly reduced the expression of 14-3-3 γ protein in the cerebral cortex, whereas retinoic acid administration effectively attenuated this reduction. These findings were further supported by reverse transcription-PCR and Western blot analyses, which showed consistent results at both the mRNA and protein levels. Retinoic acid attenuates the ischemia-induced downregulation of 14-3-3 γ expression in the cerebral cortex. Our findings can suggest that retinoic acid exerts neuroprotective effects in ischemic brain injury through the regulation of 14-3-3 γ protein expression.
Fenbendazole (FBZ) is one of benzimidazole drugs, which is well known for its broad spectrum of anthelmintics. During recent research on FBZ, it is also expected to have anti-inflammatory characteristics. However, the related research on FBZ with its anti-inflammatory effects is still lacking. This study focuses on the effects of FBZ on macrophage cell line of mouse, RAW264.7, and also on the inflammatory condition induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). FBZ alone treatment on RAW264.7 cells reduced the metabolic activity on the range of 1-5 μM, but the metabolic activity in the presence of LPS was higher than that of absence of LPS. Given that LPS has the ability to enhance glucose uptake in macrophage and rapid ATP production, there is a possibility that LPS increases the metabolic activity. Whereas TNF-alpha was hardly produced at FBZ 1-5 μM in the presence of LPS, IL-10 was still being produced, suggesting on the possibility of anti-inflammatory effect. Interestingly, despite the decreased survival of cells treated with FBZ, MHC class II and CD86 expression in surviving cells was markedly increased. Further investigation of FBZ is required through in vivo experiments to validate these findings.
Between July 2024 and July 2025, we collected spleen samples from 119 wild rodents captured across various zoogeographical regions of Gwangju City, Republic of Korea, to screen for major zoonotic pathogens, including Anaplasma, Babesia, Bartonella, Borrelia, Coxiella, Ehrlichia, and Rickettsia species. Of these, 13 samples (10.92%) tested positive for Bartonella spp. The positive samples were cultured on blood agar, resulting in eight bacterial isolates. Internal transcribed spacer (ITS) gene sequencing and phylogenetic analysis confirmed all Bartonella-positive samples as B. grahamii. Antibiotic susceptibility testing revealed that all B. grahamii isolates exhibited multidrug resistance (MDR) to ciprofloxacin, nalidixic acid, cefoxitin, streptomycin, and tetracycline, and showed intermediate resistance to ampicillin. In contrast, the isolates were susceptible to ceftazidime, cefotaxime, ceftriaxone, imipenem, gentamicin, amikacin, azithromycin, chloramphenicol, and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. These findings provide essential baseline data on the presence and resistance patterns of B. grahamii in wild rodent populations inhabiting peri-urban environments. The detection of MDR Bartonella strains underscores a potential public health concern, particularly regarding zoonotic spillover via ectoparasites such as ticks. Sustained molecular surveillance and antimicrobial resistance monitoring are warranted to mitigate future zoonotic threats.
This study evaluated the effects of a high-concentration soy pulp (HSP) diet on pig production performance and carcass traits under commercial farming conditions. Data were collected from a pig farm in Jeju, Korea, between 2019 and 2024. From 2019 to 2021, pigs were fed a control diet containing 2.3% soy pulp, and from 2022 to 2024, the proportion of soy pulp was increased by 254% (HSP, 21.9%). We evaluated production performance indicators including shipment date, feed cost per kilogram of weight gain, feed conversion ratio, carcass weight, carcass yield, and proportion of high-grade carcasses. The feed cost per kilogram remained constant under both diet conditions; however, pigs fed an HSP diet reached market weight significantly earlier than those on the control diet and the feed conversion ratio, carcass weight, and proportion of high-grade carcasses were significantly improved. The carcass yield percentage was non-significantly higher for pigs fed the HSP diet than for those fed the control diet. These findings suggest that providing HSP feed to grow–finish pigs enhance growth performance, improves carcass quality, and shortens the production period, indirectly reducing feed costs. Further studies should explore the long-term economic impacts and potential interactions of HSP with gut health and nutrient digestibility.
African Swine Fever (ASF) live-attenuated vaccines (LAVs) present multiple safety concerns, including virulence reversion, recombination, persistent viremia, and reproductive safety in gestating sows. The Vietnam's commercialization experience high light the need to re-evaluate the safety of gene-deleted LAVs. The magnitude and duration of viremia are key indicators of vaccine safety. Cases of fetal abnormalities, transplacental transmission, and virulence reversion following vaccination of pregnant sows underscore the limitations of clinical trials and the long-term, multi-generational risks associated with vaccine use. Accordingly, broad regulatory standards are required, covering safety in piglets and sows, horizontal transmission, virulence reversion, and environmental risks from living modified organisms (LMOs). The establishment of a molecular epidemiology-based post-marketing surveillance (PMS) system is needed. This system should include pre-introduction characterization of regional circulating strains, post-vaccination active surveillance, and whole-genome sequencing to monitor for mutations. A regulatory-scientific framework ensuring both safety and efficacy must be established through international collaboration and standardized reporting systems.
A 9-year-old neutered male Russian Blue cat presented with progressive hindlimb weakness, pain, and difficulty in jumping or running. MRI revealed a hypointense disc at L2-L3 compressing the ventral spinal cord. Despite conservative treatment, neurological symptoms worsened, and the patient was referred for surgical management. A combined L2-L3 mini-hemilaminectomy and lateral partial corpectomy was performed to decompress the spinal cord. Intraoperatively, the lesion was identified as disc protrusion, with no evidence of intradural extrusion. Postoperative day 1, the left hindlimb showed incomplete paresis despite intact proprioception, the right hindlimb exhibited complete paralysis with loss of proprioception. However postoperative recovery was favorable, with gradual restoration of proprioception and ambulation, culminating in full motor recovery including jumping by 9 weeks post-surgery.
This study describes two cases of urolithiasis-related mortality in Asian small-clawed otters (Aonyx cinerea) raised together for over 10 years. Case 1 had multiple renal and bladder stones without clinical signs and died during surgery for stone removal. Case 2, which harbored more extensive renal calculi, also showed no clinical signs but died suddenly from hydronephrosis and renal failure caused by bilateral obstruction of the renal pelvis. In both cases, the uroliths were composed of calcium oxalate. These results highlight the importance of regular examinations in captive otters.