An oestrogenic toxin from the fungus Fusarium graminearum of standing corn. The toxin has caused abortion in sows, and possibly a splayleg condition in piglets. It can result in udder development in farm animals and has been used in the past as a growth promoter, but is now banned in Europe.
Danio rerio is a tropical fish that has been kept in aquaria. It has a remarkable ability to repair its heart muscle. It is being studied to discover the mechanism with a view to developing treatments for other species.
Bos indicus, the cattle of India, East and West Africa, and Southeast Asia. The American name is Brahman; in South Africa, the Afrikaner.
A natural reservoir rock containing loosely-held water. It includes aluminium silicates and three-dimensional macro-molecular structures. The elementary unit is a tetrahedron. It absorbs water, carbon dioxide, ammonia and mercury. It is used in some alimentary conditions and to prevent uptake of toxins including mercury.
Taking cut fodder to yarded cattle, or to cattle in exercise paddocks. Zero-grazing has a place on heavy land, with high stocking rates and large herds. It obviates poaching and the spoiling of grass, and a given acreage zero-grazed can provide more grass than if grazed. It means, however, cutting grass every day, and mechanical failures can upset the system. It is not yet considered economic for sheep.
The term is now also used for cattle kept inside all the year round and normally fed conserved grass products rather than fresh grass. It allows more feed control and results in more consistent feed quality for the cattle. Many Danish herds are housed and it is increasing in Britain (two per cent of dairy herds in 2012).
A stain used to demonstrate ACID-FAST staining. It is used to stain organisms which are difficult to stain with ordinary staining techniques e.g. GRAM’S STAINING. It is used in Mycobacterium species such as M. bovis, M. tuberculosis, M. avium subspecies paratuberculosis. Gram-positive micro-organisms stain bright red. A MODIFIED ZIEHL-NEELSEN STAIN can be used and stains various micro-organisms such as Cryptosporidium spp. (See CRYPTOSPORIDIOSIS.)
A GROWTH PROMOTER used in North America improving growth and conformation in steers and heifers before slaughter. It was alleged that it might cause lameness and was voluntarily discontinued in 2013, although research did not find a link. It is not used in Europe.
Zinc (Zn) is a trace element, and a deficiency has occurred in pigs (see PARAKERATOSIS). It has a role in immunity and increases thymocyte and peripheral T-cell count, the activity of natural killer cells and neutrophils. It is important in the production of macrophages, antibodies and interferon. Deficiency of zinc impairs interleukin-2 production, which plays a role in cell-mediated immunity. A zinc supplement to prevent or correct this condition must be used with care, as 1000 parts per million can cause poisoning. It seems that a high calcium intake by pigs aggravates a zinc deficiency.
A zinc deficiency may also occur in dogs, especially in those fed largely on flaked maize or ‘loose cereal-based diets’. Signs include a predisposition to skin infections, a poor coat, localised alopecia, and hardening of the skin in places. Response to a zinc supplement is usually quick. (See SHEEPDOGS.)
A zinc supplement has been used to protect sheep against facial eczema due to ingestion of the MYCOTOXIN SPORIDESMIN. Feeding 160 ppm of zinc sulphate and 140 ppm of zinc-amino acid complex in the diet of broiler breeders resulted in superior performance in some studies and improved feed conversion in their progeny in other trials. Zinc as acetate at 1 per cent of the diet can successfully induce moult in poultry, and is important as the traditional method of withholding feed for 24 hours is prohibited in the EU.
Zinc toxicity has been reported in dogs, with signs of vomiting, pigmenturia and haemolytic anaemia. Blood analysis shows hyperbilirubinaemia. Treatment is usually successful with hospitalisation for two days.
External uses Zinc oxide is an ingredient of ointments; the carbonate an ingredient of calamine lotion used for moist eczema, etc. The sulphate in weak solution has been used in wound treatment and in eye lotions; the chloride – a caustic – to repress granulations.
An antibiotic formerly used as a feed additive to improve growth rate in most farm animals and egg production in poultry. (See ADDITIVES.)
Chronic zinc poisoning has been reported in a dairy herd as a result of contaminated drinking water – caused by interaction between copper pipes and newly galvanised tanks, and from accidental incorporation of zinc oxide in the manufacture of dairy nuts. The main sign was chronic constipation throughout the herd, and a diminished yield from the cows in milk.
Fatalities of zinc poisoning have occurred in dairy cattle fed on dairy nuts to which zinc oxide has been added instead of magnesium oxide. The first deaths occurred after three weeks.
Zinc poisoning is quite common in psittacine birds kept in old or recently constructed aviaries in which new galvanised wire mesh has been added. The birds gnaw at the wire with their beaks and ingest particles of zinc from the galvanised coating. Neurological signs occur. In dogs it occurs orally from skin preparations or tablets and the main problem is HAEMOLYTIC ANAEMIA, with colic, anorexia, and vomiting.
Treatment is by CHELATING AGENTS. Prevention involves allowing the wire to ‘weather’ in normal rainfall or by the application of dilute acetic acid to remove excess zinc.
Zinc-responsive skin disease It has been seen in many species especially dogs, cattle and camelids. The most common cause of this is the feeding of soya or cereal-based diets – with little or no meat, which is rich in zinc. Some dogs may have an inherent defect which limits zinc absorption.
Signs A dull, harsh coat; sometimes with whitish crusts on the skin.
A compound found in red blood cells when HAEM production is inhibited by LEAD POISONING and/or a lack of IRON.
(See PREGNANCY DIAGNOSIS.)
The Zoo Licensing Act 1981 (amended 2002) is intended to promote animal welfare and public safety at zoos. It covers any collection of wild animals (including mammals, birds, reptiles, fish, and insects) in Britain to which the public has access for more than seven days in any 12-month period; but exempts pet shops and circuses, as these are covered by the Pet Animals Act 1951 and the Performing Animals (Registration) Act 1952.
Of 150 zoos inspected following the passing of the Act, only five were refused a licence; and in those cases it was public-safety considerations rather than the quality of animal care which brought about the refusal.
(singular, Zoonosis; adjective, Zoonotic)
Diseases communicable between animals and human beings and which may have passed through intermediate hosts such as ticks, mosquitoes, midges etc. Information about them will be found under the following headings: ARIZONA INFECTION; BABESIA; Babesiosis; ANTHRAX; BAYLISASCARIOSIS; B VIRUS (from monkeys); BOVINE SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHY; BRUCELLOSIS; CAMPYLOBACTER SPP. INFECTIONS; CAT-SCRATCH FEVER; CHAGAS DISEASE; EQUINE ENCEPHALITIS; EQUINE INFECTIOUS ANAEMIA; FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE (very rare in human beings); GLANDERS; HYDATID DISEASE; LEISHMANIASIS; LEPTOSPIROSIS; LISTERIOSIS; LIVER-FLUKES; LOUPING-ILL; LYME DISEASE; LYMPHOCYTIC CHORIOMENINGITIS (from mice); NEWCASTLE DISEASE; ORNITHOSIS; ORF; pasteurellosis; Q FEVER; RABIES; RAT-BITE FEVER; RIFT VALLEY FEVER; RINGWORM; ROCKY MOUNTAIN FEVER; RUSSIAN SPRING-SUMMER VIRUS; SALMONELLOSIS; SCABIES; SCHISTOSOMIASIS; TAPEWORMS; TICK-BITE FEVER OF MAN IN AFRICA; TICK PARALYSIS; Toxocara; TOXOPLASMOSIS; TRICHINOSIS; TUBERCULOSIS; TULARAEMIA; VESICULAR STOMATITIS; MARBURG DISEASE; WESSELSBRON DISEASE; YERSINIOSIS; YELLOW FEVER; SWINE VESICULAR DISEASE; PORCINE STREPTOCOCCAL MENINGITIS; ROTAVIRUS; LASSA FEVER; BOVINE ENCEPHALOMYELITIS; LEISHMANIASIS; BUBONIC PLAGUE; ENCEPHALOMYOCARDITIS VIRUS.)
Typhus and plague may be transmitted, by flea-bite, from rats; and, in jungle areas, yellow fever, by mosquito-bite, from monkeys. (See also under RODENTS; MONKEYS; INFLUENZA.)
Among skin diseases, the parasite of follicular mange may occasionally infest the human eyelid. Among eye infections, INFECTIOUS BOVINE KERATOCONJUNCTIVITIS should be mentioned. Human enteritis has followed contact with sheep affected with campylobacter abortion.
(See also BIRD-FANCIER’S LUNG; MELIOIDOSIS; CHLAMYDOPHILA; PSITTACOSIS; BOUTONNEUSE FEVER; LEISHMANIA; HANTAVIRUS; TICK-BORNE ENCEPHALITIS; Ehrlichia canis; ABORTION, ENZOOTIC.)
A questionnaire was distributed to 1,717 members of veterinary and support staff of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Institute for Research on Animal Diseases; 1,625 (95 per cent) responded, comprising 563 veterinary surgeons, 690 scientific staff and 372 technical support staff. A total of 1,057 (61.5 per cent) had apparently not suffered any zoonotic infection. Animal RINGWORM was the commonest reported zoonosis. The incidences of ringworm, BRUCELLOSIS and NEWCASTLE DISEASE were higher in the veterinary and support staff than in the laboratory workers. In contrast, ORNITHOSIS, SALMONELLOSIS and Q FEVER occurred at least as often in the laboratory staff. Fourteen people developed TUBERCULOSIS during their employment, although only one was caused by Mycobacterium bovis. The veterinarians reported 441 injuries that resulted from accidents at work; 397 (71 per cent of all veterinarians) of these involved animal-handling. The comparable figures for laboratory workers and technical staff were 329 and 103 (15 per cent) and 198 and 179 (42 per cent) respectively.
These include measures intended to reduce the risk to humans of salmonella and brucella infections of animal origin. The 1989 Order recognises bovine spongiform encephalopathy as a zoonotic disease.
Animal management.
The sheep were developed at the start of the 20th century in Freisland, Holland, and were introduced in Britain in 1980s. They are a large black sheep with a white blaze on the face from nose to crown, the legs may be part white and a white tip to the undocked tail. The medium to fine fleece is chocolate brown to black and weighs about 4 kg (9 lb). The average mature ram weighs 100 kg (220 lb) and the ewe 85 kg (185 lb).
A neutral molecule with both a positive and negative charge at different locations within the molecule but not at the poles. It is a characteristic of FLUOROQUINOLONES.
A congenital fusion of two or more digits (same as SYNDACTYLY).
Zygoma is the bridge of bone which runs from near the base of the ear to the lower posterior part of the eye-socket. It protects the side of the bony orbit, forms part of the support of the outside of the joint of the lower jaw with the rest of the head, and serves as a base of attachment for part of the strong masseter muscle which closes the mouth and is important in the chewing of the food. The zygomatic arch (another name for the zygoma) is formed by projections from the temporal, zygomatic, and maxillary bones.
The body that results from the fertilisation of an egg cell by a sperm.