Rattus norvegicus (R. norvegicus) are ubiquitous and their presence has several effects on the human populations in our urban areas on a global scale. Both historically and presently, this close interaction has facilitated the dissemination of many pathogens to humans, making screening for potentially zoonotic and emerging viruses in rats highly relevant. We have investigated faecal samples fro...

Keratin is a fibrous, structured protein that constitutes the basis of different structures such as nails, hair, beak, wool, feathers, claws, and horns. Until now, keratin isolation has been carried out from waste feather, hoof hair. However, development effective techniques to obtain without any damage secondary structure remains challenging task. Here in, two distinct methods (Na2S EDTA) were...

Honest advertisement models posit that only individuals in good health can produce and/or maintain ornamental traits. Even though disease has profound effects on condition, few studies have experimentally tested its effects on trait expression and even fewer have identified a mechanistic basis for these effects. Recent evidence suggests that black and white, but not grey, plumage colors of blac...

This paper reviews the possibilities of adapting laying hens to cages by means of genetic selection. By selecting separately for rate of lay and longevity using a kin selection method, a strain of laying hen has been developed that shows much less feather pecking and cannibalism than a control strain, and with no decrease in productivity. This experimental strain enjoys a higher level of welfar...

CVI988 (Rispens), an avirulent strain of Marek's disease virus, is the most widely used vaccine against Marek's disease. The kinetics of replication of CVI988 was examined in tissues of chickens vaccinated at either 1 day or 14 days of age and sampled regularly up to 28 days post-vaccination. Age at vaccination had no significant effect on the kinetics of CVI988 virus replication. During the cy...

High mortality of nestling cockatiels (Nymphicus hollandicus) was observed in one breeding flock in Slovakia. The nestling mortality affected 50% of all breeding pairs. In general, all the nestlings in affected nests died. Death occurred suddenly in 4to 6-day-old birds, most of which had full crops. No feather disorders were diagnosed in this flock. Two dead nestlings were tested by nested PCR ...

The large amounts of feathers produced by the poultry industry, that is considered as a waste was explored for possible uses in various industries, such as meals for animals, biofuels, biodegradable plastic materials, combating water pollution and more. That review mentions these uses, but concentrate on the utilization of feathers for the diagnosis of viral infections and for monitoring vaccin...