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Attitudes of selected Polish consumer groups towards pork and welfare labels
This study aimed to examine the preferences of Polish consumers when buying pork products and to observe whether there are differences between groups of consumers (farmers, animal sciences/veterinary scientists, animal science/veterinary students, or regular consumers). For this purpose, an electronic survey was sent to collect responses from the 6th of August till the 1st of September 2023. In total, 140 responses were obtained. Our survey was designed to capture a sufficient number of respondents among animal/veterinary scientists/students and pig farmers; thus, those three groups account for 42% of all respondents. Females declared paying attention to the welfare label more often than men (Chi2=16.9, p-value=0.010). People with the most frequent contact with pigs also eat pork most often (Chi2=44.1, p-value=0.010). Scientists, students, and farmers all chose “yes” to a question on the importance of welfare (Chi2=18, p-value=0.035). Our study has, however, a few limitations, which are the online distribution of the survey and the focus on collecting enough questionnaires from specific professional groups.
Risk factors for the presence of antibodies against Anaplasma spp. in dogs in Poznań
The aim of the study was to identify the incidence of antibodies against Anaplasma spp. in dogs living in Poznań. Canine anaplasmosis is a tick-borne dog disease caused by Anaplasma phagocytophilum or A. platys infection. To identify the prevalence of antibodies against Anaplasma spp. in dogs, we analyzed blood samples collected from 349 client-owned dogs living in Poznań (Poland). Using an immunochromatographic rapid test (Caniv-4, VetExpert, Poland), antibodies against Anaplasma spp. were detected in 32 (9.2%) dogs aged over two years. Sex, hair length, and location (region of Poznań) were not identified as statistically significant risk factors for the presence of antibodies against Anaplasma spp. The odds ratio for antibodies against Anaplasma spp. in large breed dogs vs small breed dogs was 3.76. The results of the study suggest a growing presence of Anaplasma spp. in dogs living in big cities in Poland.