Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale (ORT) is an economically important bacterial pathogen of turkeys and chickens worldwide. Since its first detection, a variety of typing methods have been used to gain basic knowledge about the bacterial population structure, an issue that still needs to be addressed. Serological characterization revealed at least 18 different serotypes (A-R) with ORT of serotype A to be predominate among poultry. This study aimed to establish a multilocus sequence typing (MLST) scheme for ORT that could easily be used by other laboratories and allows for worldwide comparison of sequence data. For this purpose, 87 ORT strains from different poultry hosts, geographical origins, years of isolation and serotypes were included in the analysis to identify correlations. Fourteen different sequence types (ST) were found. The most common ST1 was identified in 40 ORT strains from turkeys and chickens on 4 continents and in 3 different European countries. Together with ST9, both STs represented over three quarters (77%) of ORT strains used in the MLST analysis and included strains of frequently cross-reacting ORT serotypes A, E and I. Nine STs were only represented by one ORT strain and might indicate possible avian host, disease or serotype-specific relationships. In contrast, discrepancies between serotype and phylogenetic relatedness were clearly demonstrated by ORT strains that belonged to identical serotypes but differed in their ST. The overall identified low genetic diversity among strains isolated from turkeys and chickens independent of host and geographical origins suggests that ORT has only recently been introduced into domestic poultry and dispersed worldwide.

Listeria (L.) monocytogenes is a foodborne pathogen that can cause disease, mainly in elderly, pregnant or immunocompromised persons through consumption of contaminated food, including pork products. It is widespread in the environment and can also be found in asymptomatic carrier animals, for example, in different tissues of pigs. To learn more about their nature, 16 Listeria spp. isolates found in tonsils and intestinal content of pigs and 13 isolates from the slaughterhouse environment were characterized using next-generation sequencing (NGS). A wide distribution of clonal complexes was observed in pigs, as well as in the pork production chain, suggesting multiple sources of entry. Hypervirulent clones were found in pig tonsils, showing the potential risk of pigs as source of isolates causing human disease. The presence of closely related isolates along the production chain suggests a cross-contamination in the slaughterhouse or recontamination from the same source, strengthening the importance of efficient cleaning and disinfection procedures. The phenotypical antimicrobial resistance status of L. monocytogenes isolates was examined via broth microdilution and revealed a low resistance level. Nevertheless, genotypical resistance data suggested multiple resistances in some non-pathogenic L. innocua isolates from pig samples, which might pose a risk of spreading resistances to pathogenic species.

The sudden emergence of Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale (ORT) in commercially raised poultry species and its presence in non-galliform birds raise important epidemiological issues about the role of interspecies transmission. In the present study, 21 ORT strains isolated from pigeons and from birds of prey were analyzed using the recently established multilocus sequence typing (MLST) scheme. Results were compared to MLST sequence data available from ORT strains isolated mainly from turkeys and chickens, but also single strains from pheasant, guineafowl and rook.

Since communication skills contribute significantly to professional success among veterinarians, there is a particular focus on developing communication classes in veterinary curricula. At Freie Universität Berlin, an e-learning course covering the basics of communication and a practical communication course based on role plays with and without simulation persons have been established. The outcome of these communication courses on the assessment of the relevance of several veterinary competencies and on the self-assessment of communication skills using the SE-12 questionnaire was investigated. For this purpose, students were surveyed before and after the e-learning course as well as before and after the practical course. Veterinarians were also surveyed on the relevance of veterinary competencies. The relevance of communicative competencies for professional success was rated significantly higher by the students after completing the practical course than by the other students and the veterinarians. Self-assessment of communication skills showed little increase after the e-learning course, but a significant increase after the practical course. Thus, an effective outcome of the communication classes was observed mainly after the practical course. However, the effect of the e-learning course cannot be ruled out since the students participating in the practical course have also completed the e-learning course beforehand.

The water distribution system in the lairage pens of abattoirs could act as a route of contamination for produced meat. In this study, biofilm formation and the occurrence of specific pathogens in drinking equipment was investigated in different lairage pens in a German commercial pig abattoir. Samples of the water and the drinkers in different locations were microbiologically cultivated and examined. After new drinking equipment had been installed for one month, three months and five years, biofilm formation was detectable, and retrograde growth from the nipple drinkers was seen up to the connection with the main water distribution system. In particular, Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas spp. were found in all samplings of the nipple drinkers. Zoonotic pathogens, Salmonella, pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, were also isolated from the nipple drinkers, while Listeria monocytogenes was not detected via microbial cultivation methods in any of the samples. Since the pigs take the contaminated nipple drinkers into their mouths to drink, or drink contaminated water containing the pathogens, transmission and even infection of the pigs in the lairage can be assumed. This could consequently lead to contamination or cross-contamination of the meat during slaughter and processing and to a public health risk.