To assess the effect of various vaccine strains on replication and shedding of virulent Marek's disease virus from experimentally infected chickens, quantitative PCR (q-PCR) methods were developed to accurately quantify viral DNA in infected chickens and in the environment in which they were housed. Four groups of 10 chickens, kept in poultry isolators, were vaccinated at 1 day old with one of ...

This study reports concentrations of selected emerging halogenated flame retardants (HFRs) and hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDs) in foodstuffs sourced from an e-waste processing area in Vietnam and two reference sites in Vietnam and Japan. Concentrations of all target HFRs in e-waste-impacted samples in this study exceed significantly (p < 0.05) those detected in the controls, suggesting that e-w...

A total of 151 fecal specimens from chickens were randomly collected from local markets in Uberlândia and Belo Horizonte in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, to evaluate the presence of Enterocytozoon bieneusi by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Enterocytozoon bieneusi was identified in 24 fecal samples (15.9%). This represents the first report of E. bieneusi in chickens in Brazil. All PCR-pos...

The environmental contamination of Toxoplasma gondii in an endemic area in Brazil was mapped by georeferencing isolates from chickens in farms in the Southeast of the state of Rio de Janeiro. Tissue samples obtained from 153 adult chickens were analyzed by the mouse bioassay for T. gondii infection. These animals were reared free-range on 51 farms in the municipalities of Rio Bonito and Maricá....

The industrial agriculture system consumes fossil fuel, water, and topsoil at unsustainable rates. It contributes to numerous forms of environmental degradation, including air and water pollution, soil depletion, diminishing biodiversity, and fish die-offs. Meat production contributes disproportionately to these problems, in part because feeding grain to livestock to produce meat--instead of fe...

For some, the pleasure of eating meat comes served with a side of guilt. Raising animals for food contributes to climate change, water pollution, and habitat destruction. Governmental dietary recommendations and social campaigns like Meatless Monday pepper us with messages to eat less meat, particularly red meat. But for meat lovers, come dinnertime, alternative protein sources, like beans or s...

Coliforms, more recently fecal coliforms, and enterococci are often used to assess the hygienic quality of foods. Although these bacteria serve rather successfully as an index of fecal pollution of water supplies, their usefulness in measuring fecal pollution in foods is less than satisfactory. The ratio and correlation of coliforms and enterococci in fish-fillet and lobster-meat samples led us...

The human CYP1A1 gene codes for an inducible enzyme system involved in biotransformation of certain xenobiotics, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; some of the metabolites are carcinogenic and mutagenic. Effects of environmental exposures (smoking, air pollution, and diet) on CYP1A1 gene induction in placental tissue and the modulation of induction by the CYP1A1 MspI RFLP were evaluate...

BACKGROUND One Health is the integrative effort of multiple disciplines working locally, nationally and globally to attain optimal health for people, animals and the environment. As the human population continues to increase across the world, the interface of people, animals and the environment becomes more significant and impactful. For the past few years, the One Health concept has brought to...