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34 The Manitoba Co-operator | November 29, 2012 E. coli resistance develops in the soil Antibiotic-resistant E. coli will survive in the soil to recolonize in a cow’s gut through pasture, forage or bedding WSU release Washington State Universityresearchers have found an unlikely recipe for antibioticresistant bacteria: Mix cow dung and soil, and add urine infused with metabolized antibiotic. The urine will kill off normal E. coli in the dung-soil mixture. But antibiotic-resistant E. coli will survive in the soil to recolonize in a cow’s gut through pasture, forage or bedding. “I was surprised at how well this works, but it was not a surprise that it could be happening,” says Doug Call, a molecular epidemiologist in WSU’s Paul G. Allen School for Global Animal Health. Call led the research with an immunology and infectious disease PhD student, Muru- gan Subbiah, now a postdoctoral researcher at Texas A & M. Their study appears in a recent issue of the online journal PLOS ONE. The scientists focused on the antibiotic ceftiofur, a cephalosporin believed to be helping drive the proliferation of resistance in bacteria like salmonella and E. coli. Ceftiofur has little impact on gut bacteria, says Call. “Given that about 70 per cent of the drug is excreted in the urine, this was about the only pathway through which it could exert such a large effect on bacterial populations that can reside in both the gut and the environment,” he says. Until now, conventional thinking held that antibiotic resistance is developed inside the animal, Call says. • A “I was surprised at how well this works, but it was not a surprise that it could be happening.” DOUG CAll WSU “If our work turns out to be broadly applicable, it means that selection for resistance to important drugs like ceftiofur occurs mostly outside of the animals,” he says. “This in turn means that it may be possible to develop engineered solutions to interrupt this process. In doing so we would limit the likelihood that anti- THE HOG AND POULTRY BUSINESS CONNECTION “One-stop shopping” for all your production and information needs Winnipeg Convention Centre December 5 & 6 • Taste • More E. coli bacteria. Photo: Wikimedia Commons biotic-resistant bacteria will get back to the animals and thereby have a new approach to preserve the utility of these important drugs.” One possible solution would be to find a way to isolate and dispose of residual antibiotic after it is excreted from an ani- than 150 exhibits featuring the latest in hog & poultry production techniques • Featuring the largest in North America Pork Quality Competition • Health & safety exhibits the finest in foods from Manitoba’s pork, chicken, turkey and egg producers Taste the Best! special Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives presentation on The Role of Premises Identification in Animal Health Emergencies • Educational sessions on New and Emerging Research FREE ADMISSION • DOOR PRIZES www.hogandpoultrydays.ca HP2012_8x10_MC.indd 1 20/11/12 4:18 PM mal but before it interacts with soil bacteria. The WSU experiments were performed in labs using materials from dairy calves. Researchers must now see if the same phenomenon takes place in actual food-animal production systems. Milk house waste considered manure Building a manure pit may be out of reach of small dairy farmers By Shannon VanRaes Co-oPeRatoR staFF Dairy Farmers of Manitoba is looking at ways to assist producers in the face of an upcoming ban on winter manure spreading, which will also affect milk house waste. Under the Save lake Winnipeg Act, milk house wastewater is considered a manure product, and must be stored until spring. This regulation also rules out the use of sewage ejector systems on dairy farms. “I know I can’t afford to build a pit, so this is going to put my operation in jeopardy,” said Andrew leyenhorst who farms near Portage la Prairie. like many small dairy operations, leyenhorst’s farm uses a sewage ejection system for milkhouse waste. He has 35 dairy cows. He said an exemption for small producers would be an ideal, but unlikely solution, given the ejector system is so prevalent on small operations. Milk house waste can be stored with liquid manure until spring if a pit can accommodate the additional volume, but molehill manure storage facilities are not generally designed for liquid waste. Brent Achtemichuk, general manager at Dairy Farmer of Manitoba, said the organization intends to discuss the issue with government. “We are talking to the minister of conservation right now and just trying to understand the issue and see if there are any alternatives we can propose,” he said. Once the ban takes effect next fall, farmers will be unable to apply livestock manure between November 10 of one year and April 10 of the following year. shannon.vanraes@fbcpublishing.com
The Manitoba Co-operator | November 29, 2012 35 Researchers genotyping semen from historic animals By genotyping influential beef bulls, researchers hope to create a low-cost tool that predicts key animal traits By Alexis Kienlen STAFF | EDMONTON Check your tanks for bull semen, because you might have the sample the Canadian Cattle Genome Project is trying to find. R e s e a r c h e r s w a n t t o sequence the genotypes of influential beef bulls and are looking for semen vials, semen straws, blood, tail hair and tissue to obtain DNA samples. “For each of the breeds we’re working with, we have a pedigree looking at the key historic animals that have been involved in creating the population that we have in Canada,” said Mary De Pauw, project manager for the Canadian Cattle Genome Project. Scientists from several institutions, including the University of Guelph and University of Alberta, will be sequencing the DNA of 25 key historic bulls as well as five younger bulls that have had influence on the Canadian cattle population. Over 1,000 animals of each breed will be genotyped to help researchers determine how each animal is different or specialized within its species. “We’re trying to test the genotype and the phenotype so that eventually people will be able to test a really young animal and see its genetic value for their breeding programs,” said De Pauw. T h e r e s e a r c h e r s h a v e a l re a d y re c e i ved a l a rge n u m b e r o f s a m p l e s a n d have begun genotyping and sequencing them. However, they are finding it difficult to find samples from some key historic animals and are asking cattle owners who think they may have such a sample to contact them. Anyone who donates a sample of a key historical animal for sequencing will receive a tax receipt from the University of Alberta. The three-year, $8.2-million project is part of an international effort with Australia, Ireland, Scotland and the U.S. “There’s a great advantage in having these international collaborations because we’re able to share our data with them, and they share data with us,” said De Pauw. “The Mary De Pauw, project manager for the Canadian Cattle Genome Project, invites contact from anyone who thinks they may have a sample from one of the historic bulls. PHOTO: ALEXIS KIENLEN more genotyping information you can get, the stronger and more accurate your prediction tools will become.” Once all the samples have been collected, researchers will be looking to create a low-cost tool that producers can use to measure and predict key animal traits. The Canadian Cattle G enome Project is also working with a number of breed organizations including Charolais, Limousin, Hereford, Gelbvieh, Angus and Simmental. The researchers are also working with Beefbooster, and the Canadian Dairy Network. Cattle from University of Guelph and the University of Alberta’s Kinsella ranch research cattle herd are also included in the project. Anyone who thinks they may have a sample from one of the historic animals can contact Mary De Pauw a t m d e p a u w @ u a l b e r t a . c a or 780-248-1901 or project lead Steve Miller at miller@ uoguelph.ca. “The more genotyping information you can get, the stronger and more accurate your prediction tools will become.” The Canadian Cattle Genome Project has a “Bull of the month” feature on its website (www.canada.cow.ca). For example, Seven forty seven was a worldrenowned grand champion bull (Iowa state fair, 1980) and is one of the key founders of the Canadian Limousin herd. His impressive EPDs made him a fine example of the Limousin breed. Ready to go to market - online. Your business depends on the internet. You can depend on Xplornet. These days, a fast, reliable Internet connection is a must for most every business. Xplornet offers wireless business Internet connectivity across Canada, including many places where wireline service is unavailable. And we offer peace of mind, through our reliable network, which leverages the latest technologies, like 4G. With Xplornet’s Business Internet Solutions, your business is connected. • Choose from a range of business-grade paCkages, with speeds up to 5mbps. 1 • 24/7/365 toll-free Canadian Customer serviCe, and priority teChniCal support if you ever need help at your loCation. • 30-day money baCk guarantee. 2 • 4g business plans starting from just $74.99 / month. 3 • 4g residential plans starting from just $54.99 / month. 3 HigH-Speed internet For All oF Canada xplornet.com 1.866.615.9269 1 Actual speed online may vary with your technical configuration, Internet traffic, server and other factors. All packages are subject to traffic management. For complete details visit xplornet.com. 2 For complete details of Xplornet’s 30-day money-back guarantee, visit xplornet.com. 3 Xplornet’s network uses 3G technology in some areas and 4G technology in other areas. Plans and pricing vary by region. Call or visit xplornet.com for details.
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