Fernando Esteves

By Helena Vala, João Rodrigo Mesquita, Fernando Esteves, Carla Santos, Rita Cruz, Cristina Mega and Carmen Nóbrega

Part of the book: Insights from Veterinary Medicine

By Fernando Esteves, João Rodrigo Mesquita, Cármen Nóbrega, Carla Santos, António Monteiro, Rita Cruz, Helena Vala and Ana Cláudia Coelho

Schmallenberg virus (SBV) is a novel Orthobunyavirus causing mild clinical signs in cows and malformations in aborted and neonatal ruminants in Europe. SBV belongs to the family Bunyaviridae and is transmitted by biting midges. This new virus was identified for the first time in the blood samples of cows in the city of Schmallenberg in NorthRhine-Westphalia in November 2011. Since then the virus spread to several European countries. Here we describe the origin and emergence, as well as the transmission and the differential diagnosis of this virus, now known to be a serious threat to Veterinary Public Health.

Part of the book: Epidemiology of Communicable and Non-Communicable Diseases

By António Monteiro, José Costa, Fernando Esteves and Sérgio Santos

Semi-natural Mediterranean pastures are an important resource in traditional systems of land use, namely in the Serra da Estrela region, located in the centre of mainland Portugal, where livestock activity is performed, mostly based in the dairy sheep farming. It is a region of rugged and mountainous relief, composed of shrub and herbaceous strata, usually associated with the sheep diet while they are grazing. These pastures take on some typologies, mainly in the mountain areas, including meadows, mesophille perennial Nardus grasslands and other perennial pastures of high ecological and scenic value. The floristic composition is predominantly composed of grasses (Poaceae), and legume (Fabaceae) species. The implementation of adequate cultivation techniques for the pasture management allows an increase in its productivity and nutritional value, resulting in increased stocking rate and reduced supplementation needs. In addition, these techniques promote the maintenance of biodiversity and landscape mosaic supporting the environment programmatic indications of the Common Agricultural Policy. Thus, the characteristics, potentialities and management practices of grasslands in the Serra da Estrela region are described, based on a literature review. This chapter aims to provide useful information, to the farmers who intend to make their pastures management more efficient while promoting environmental sustainability.

Part of the book: Sheep Farming

By Carmen Nóbrega, Maria Aires Pereira, Catarina Coelho, Isabel Brás, Ana Cristina Mega, Carla Santos, Fernando Esteves, Rita Cruz, Ana I. Faustino-Rocha, Paula A. Oliveira, João Mesquita and Helena Vala

Veterinary physiology is a basic curricular unit for every course within the veterinary field. It is mandatory to understand how the animal body works, and what to expect of a healthy body, in order to recognize any misfunction, and to be able to treat it. Classic physiology teaching involves wet labs, much equipment, many reagents, some animals, and a lot of time. But times are changing. In the 21st century, it is expected that the teaching and learning process can be more active and attractive, motivating students to learn better. It is necessary to understand what students like, and to introduce novelties into the school routine. The use of a game-based learning, using “new” technologies, creating virtual experiences and labs, reducing the costs of reagents, equipment, and especially reducing the use of animals, will be the future for physiology teaching.

Part of the book: Updates on Veterinary Anatomy and Physiology