bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Treatment of suckling beef cattle with a progestagen sponge and oestradiol benzoate or equine chorionic gonadotrophin
Authors: Viñoles C. , Quintans G. , Paiva N. , Cavestany D.
Published: October 2010

The ovarian responses of anoestrus beef cows to a combined treatment with medroxy‐progesterone acetate (MAP) sponges and oestradiol benzoate or equine chorionic gonadotrophin (eCG) were evaluated. Forty‐fiwe suckling Hereford cows were allocated to three equal groups. Group 1 received a MAP sponge for seven days plus an injection of 2 mg oestradiol benzoate when the sponge was inserted (day 0) and 1 mg when the sponge was withdrawn; group 2 received identical treatment until day 7, when a dose of 400 iu of eCG was administered, and group 3 were left untreated as control animals. From day 0 to day 11 the cows' ovaries were examined daily by transrectal ultrasonography, and their oestrous behaviour was observed from 24 hours to 96 hours after the sponge was removed. Data from cows that had a corpus luteum present before the sponge was withdrawn were not used in subsequent analyses; there were four in group 1, five in group 2 and four in group 3. In 19 of the 21 cows in groups 1 and 2 a new follicular wave was observed to emerge at a mean (sd) interval of 3.9 (0.3) days after the insertion of the sponge, whereas in group 3 it occurred in all 11 cows after 3.4 (0.6) days. Only the six cows that had a follicle of 9 mm or larger in diameter ovulated (P≤0.001). Nine of the 11 cows in group 1 came into oestrus, compared with two of the 10 in group 2 and none of the control cows (P≤0.001). Ovulation was observed in four, two and none of the cows in groups 1, 2 and 3, respectively.
Avipoxvirus infection in peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus ) from a reintroduction programme in Germany
Authors: Krone O. , Essbauer S. , Wibbelt G. , Isa G. , Rudolph M. , Gough R. E.
Published: October 2010

Poxvirus infections are common in domestic birds in Germany, but they are rare in birds of prey. Only species of falconidae imported from Arabian or Asian countries have so far tested positive for poxvirus, and, among these, only raptors kept for falconry. As part of a reintroduction programme in the northern county of Mecklenburg‐Western Pomerania, which is adjacent to the Baltic Sea, 21 young peregrine falcons were released into the wild; six of them died and one was examined postmortem, its tissues being examined by light and electron microscopy. In addition, an ELISA for fowipox, pigeonpox and canarypox was applied. No virus could be isolated and propagation in culture failed, but virus particles were detected by electron microscopy in lesions from its skin and tongue.
Pantarsal arthrodesis with a customised medial or lateral bone plate in 13 dogs
Authors: McKee W. M. , May C. , Macias C. , Lapish J. P.
Published: October 2010

Pantarsal arthrodesis was performed in 12 dogs using a customised medial bone plate, and in one using a lateral bone plate. The dogs' ages ranged from 14 months to 144 months (median 30 months) and their bodyweights ranged from 7 to 66 kg (median 32 kg). Before the surgery they had been lame on a pelvic limb for between one and 16 months (median eight months). In eight of the dogs the fixation of the plate was augmented with a calcaneotibial positional screw, and in one of them with a talocrural lag screw. A cranial half cast was applied to 12 of the dogs and an external skeletal fixator to the other for six to eight weeks. Five complications were recorded in four of the dogs. Between 29 and 156 weeks postoperatively the clinical outcome was graded as excellent in six dogs, good in six dogs and fair in the other.
Four‐year survey of urinary tract infections in calves in Israel
Authors: Yeruham I. , Elad D. , Avidar Y. , Goshen T. , Asis E.
Published: October 2010

The prevalence of urinary tract infections in calves aged seven days to three months in three dairy cattle herds ranged from 0.5 to 1.6 per cent, with an average of 1.1 per cent. The mortality rate reached 16‐1 per cent. The morbidity rate of the female calves was 1.4 per cent and that of the male calves 0.8 per cent. The bacteria isolated from urine, and from vaginal and preputial swabs wereEscherichia coli(35 per cent),Corynebacterium renale(14 per cent), plasma coagulase‐negativeStaphylococcusspecies (12 per cent),Pseudomonas aeruginosa(12 per cent),Proteusspecies (12 per cent) andArcanobacteriumpyogenes (5 per cent). The affected calves had a significantly lower serum concentration of inorganic phosphorus (P<O‐01).
Minimum inhibitory concentrations of some antimicrobial drugs against bacteria causing uterine infections in cattle
Authors: Sheldon I. M. , Bushnell M. , Montgomery J. , Rycroft A. N.
Published: October 2010

The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of oxytetracycline, cephapirin, cephapirin/mecillinam, cefquinome, ceftiofur and enrofloxacin, candidate antibiotics for the principal bacteria associated with uterine infections:Escherichia coli,Arcanobacterium pyogenesand the anaerobic bacteriaFusobacterium necrophorumandPrevotella melaninogenicus, were determined by the agar dilution method. The bacteria were isolated from animals with clinical metritis and/or endometritis. ForE coli, cefquinome and enrofloxacin had the lowest MIC90 and MIC50 values (<0.06 μg/ml), and oxytetracycline and cephapirin had the highest values. ForA pyogenes, oxytetracycline had the highest MIC50 value (16 μg/ml), but all the cephalosporins had values below 0.06 μg/ml. For the anaerobic bacteria, enrofloxacin and oxytetracycline had the highest MIC50 values but all the cephalosporins had values of 0.06 μg/ml or below.
Mycoplasmaspecies and related organisms isolated from ruminants in Britain between 1990 and 2000
Authors: Ayling R.D. , Bashiruddin S. E. , Nicholas R. A. J.
Published: October 2010

Between 1990 and 2000, more than 1600 mycoplasmas and the related acholeplasmas were identified from ruminant animals by the Mycoplasma Group at the Veterinary Laboratories Agency — Weybridge.Mycoplasma boviswas the most commonly identified pathogen, mostly from pneumonic calves but occasionally from cattle with mastitis and arthritis.Mycoplasma caniswas first isolated in Britain in 1995 from pneumonic calves and the number of isolates increased to 18 per cent of the total mycoplasmas isolated from cattle in 1999. The ELISA for antibodies toM bovisdetected 1971 positive samples (22 per cent) among 8959 serum samples, mainly from pneumonic cattle. Other mycoplasmas identified includedMycoplasma disparfrom the lungs of cattle with respiratory disease, andMycoplasma bovigenitaliumfrom the reproductive tract of cows with vulvovaginitis and infertility.Mycoplasma bovirhinisandAcholeplasmaspecies were found commonly but are thought to be more opportunistic than pathogenic. In sheep and goats, the majority ofMycoplasmaspecies isolated were identified asMycoplasma ovipneumoniaefrom pneumonic sheep,Mycoplasma conjunctivaefrom sheep with keratoconjunctivitis, and the ubiquitousMycoplasma arginini.
Ultrasonographic evaluation of partially attenuated congenital extrahepatic portosystemic shunts in 14 dogs
Authors: Szatmári V. , Voorhout G. , Rothuizen J. , van Sluijs F. J. , Ingh T. S. G. A. M. van den
Published: October 2010

Doppler ultrasonography was used to evaluate the portal vein in 14 dogs before, immediately after and four weeks after a partial ligation of a congenital extrahepatic portocaval shunt. By four weeks after the operation, the hepatofugal or zero flow in the portal vein segment cranial to the shunt origin had become a hepatopetal flow in 13 of the dogs, which became clinically healthy. The other dog continued to have a hepatofugal flow in the portal vein cranial to the origin of the shunt and continued to show clinical signs of hepatic encephalopathy. The shunt remained functional in six of the dogs, and three of them developed portosystemic collaterals in addition. In the other eight dogs the patent shunt was non‐functional, because a hepatopetal flow was detected in the shunt adjacent to the portal vein. This flow was the result of the splenic vein entering the shunt, and the splenic blood dividing; some flowed via the shunt towards the portal vein, preventing the portal blood from shunting, and the rest flowed via the attenuated shunt segment to the caudal vena cava. Shunting of the splenic venous blood was clinically insignificant.
Urinary corticoid:creatinine ratios in healthy pet dogs after oral low‐dose dexamethasone suppression tests
Authors: Vaessen M. M. A. R. , Kooistra H. S. , Mol J. A. , Rijnberk A.
Published: October 2010

Eleven dogs were used in a trial to find a suitable dose of dexamethasone for an oral dexamethasone suppression test for the diagnosis of hyperadrenocorticism. Basal urinary corticoid:creatinine ratios were established in all 11 and then groups of seven were given oral doses of 0.02, 0.01 or 0.0075 mg dexamethasone/kg bodyweight and urine samples were collected at two‐hour intervals from 08.00 to 22.00. The doses of 0.02 and 0.01 mg/kg consistently suppressed their urinary corticoid:creatinine ratios measured at 16.00 by a mean of more than 50 per cent and those of individual dogs to less than 1.0 × 10‐6, whereas the dose of 0.0075 mg/kg did not.
Clinical findings in 78 suspected cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in Great Britain
Authors: Konold T. , Bone G. , Ryder S. , Hawkins S. A. C. , Berthelin‐Baker C. , Courtin F.
Published: October 2010

The clinical findings in 59 cows with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) were compared with those in 19 cattle that were submitted as BSE suspects but not confirmed by immunohistochemistry. Both groups were also compared with a control group of 20 healthy cows. Abnormalities in behaviour, temperament, mental status and activity, neurogenic disorders of gait and hyperreactivity to touch were frequently observed in the cattle with BSE. Not every animal with BSE displayed clinical signs in all these categories, and the severity of the signs was not always useful for differentiating them from the BSE suspects that were not confirmed by pathology. The neurological examination was better than passive observations for the clinical diagnosis of BSE. Tests of the animals' responses to sudden auditory, visual and tactile stimuli were very useful for distinguishing cases of BSE from unconfirmed BSE suspects if the cases did not display signs in all the categories.
Comparison of the analgesic effects of meloxicam and carprofen administered preoperatively to dogs undergoing orthopaedic surgery
Authors: Laredo F. G. , Belda E. , Murciano J. , Escobar M. , Navarro A. , Robinson K. J. , Jones R. S.
Published: October 2010

Thirty‐two dogs undergoing operations to repair a torn cranial cruciate ligament or a fractured long bone were randomly allocated to one of two treatment groups in a study on postoperative pain. Sixteen of the dogs were given 4 mg/kg carprofen and the other 16 were given 0.2 mg/kg meloxicam subcutaneously before the operation. The signs of pain shown by the animals were assessed for 24 hours on a visual analogue scale, a discontinuous scoring system, and a score based on five behavioural and physiological variables. The dogs' heart and respiratory rates and their mean arterial blood pressures were also measured non‐invasively at each assessment. Blood samples were taken before the surgery and 24 hours after it, and the concentrations of urea and creatinine were measured in plasma. Both drugs were effective in relieving the signs of pain for up to 24 hours in all the dogs. There were no significant changes in the concentrations of urea and creatinine, and no adverse effects were reported during the postoperative period.
Serum activity/concentration profiles of a sustained‐released formulation of sulphathiazole‐trimethoprim (2·5:1) in calves
Authors: Sumano H. , Gutierrez L. , Zamora M. A. , Perez M. , Cruz C.
Published: October 2010

Thirty‐six two‐week‐old healthy Holstein‐Friesian calves weighing between 52 and 58 kg were divided at random into three groups of 12; group A calves were given a single oral bolus containing 2.5 g sulphathiazole and 1 g trimethoprim in a sustained‐release formulation; group B received the same doses of the drugs but the trimethoprim was not in a sustained‐release formulation; group C received a bolus containing 2.5 g sulphathiazole and 0.5 g conventional trimethoprim. Blood samples were collected at intervals for two days, the serum was separated and the composite antibacterial activity profiles of the mixture were analysed by an agar‐diffusion microbiological method. The mean maximum activities in the serum of the three groups were 23.4 μg/ml in group A, 9.25 μg/ml in group B and 8.01 μg/ml in group C. The mean areas under the curves of the serum activity time curves were 838 μg/ml/hour in group A, 216 μg/ml/hour in group B and 182 μg/ml/hour in group C.
Doppler ultrasonographic assessment of closure of the ductus venosus in neonatal Irish wolfhounds
Authors: Lamb C. R. , Burton C. A.
Published: October 2010

The normal appearance and closure time of the ductus venosus of 22 neonatal Irish wolfhounds from three unrelated litters were determined by repeated two‐dimensional, grey‐scale and colour‐flow Doppler ultrasound examinations. A left intercostal approach was used to identify the ductus venosus, which appeared as a parallel‐sided or cone‐shaped vessel connecting a left‐sided intrahepatic branch of the portal vein with a confluence of veins on the cranial aspect of the liver. Doppler signals indicative of patent ductus venosus were obtained in nine of nine puppies on day 2, 11 of 17 on day 4, five of 22 on day 6, none of nine on day 9 and none of eight on day 10.
Investigations of the motivation underlying Norwegian dairy farmers' use of homoeopathy
Authors: Hektoen L.
Published: October 2010

Eighteen Norwegian dairy farmers were interviewed to examine their reasons for using homoeopathic treatments in managing their herds' health. Overall, they chose the treatments on the basis of factors related to their personal experience, considerations of individual animals and the framework for dairy production. For individual animals homoeopathy was used as an alternative to conventional veterinary treatment, but at the herd level it was used to complement it. The farmers' use of homoeopathic treatment for personal health problems and the experience of their colleagues with its use in dairy production were important factors motivating their initial use of homoeopathy. Other factors included a desire to decrease the use of antibacterial drugs, reduce costs and find alternatives when conventional veterinary medicine provided no effective treatment. In individual cases, the severity of disease, previous experience and the farmers' personal knowledge and resources were important. These factors parallel those found to influence the use of complementary and alternative therapies in human medicine. The lack of understanding and documentation of the effects of homoeopathic remedies was not important to the farmers, and they valued personal experience more highly than scientific evidence or the opposition to homoeopathy encountered within the veterinary profession.
Risks to farm animals from pathogens in composted catering waste containing meat
Authors: Gale P.
Published: October 2010

Uncooked meat may contain animal pathogens, including bovine spongiform encephalopathy, foot‐and‐mouth disease virus, African swine fever virus and classical swine fever virus, and to prevent outbreaks of these diseases in farm animals, the disposal of meat from catering waste is controlled under the Animal By‐Products Regulations. This paper estimates the risks to farm animals of grazing land on to which compost, produced by the composting of catering waste containing meat, has been applied. The factors controlling the level of risk are the separation of the meat at source, the efficiency of the composting process, and the decay and dilution of the pathogens in soil. The net pathogen destruction by the composting process is determined largely by the degree of bypass, and to accommodate the possibility of large joints or even whole carcases being discarded uncooked to catering waste, a time/temperature condition of 60°C for two days is recommended. Where data are lacking, worst‐case assumptions have been applied. According to the model, classical swine fever virus constitutes the highest risk, but the assessment shows that a two‐barrier composting approach, together with a two‐month grazing ban, reduces the risk to one infection in pigs every 190 years in England and Wales. This work defined the operational conditions for the composting of catering waste as set out in the Animal By‐Products Regulations 2003 (SI 1482).
Effect of teasing, mechanical stimulaton and the intrauterine infusion of saline on uterine contractions in mares
Authors: Campbell M. L. H. , England G. C. W.
Published: October 2010

Uterine motility may have significance for the transportation of spermatozoa and the elimination of the ejaculate and inflammatory products after mares have been covered. The effect of some of the component stimuli of coitus on uterine contractions was investigated by using M‐mode ultrasound. The number, amplitude and duration of the uterine contractions of each uterine horn and of the uterine body were measured in oestrous mares for four minutes before and four minutes after teasing by a stallion, mechanical stimulation of the vagina and cervix, the intrauterine infusion of 80 ml of sterile saline, the intrauterine infusion of 10 ml of sterile saline, the intrauterine infusion of 150 ml of sterile saline, and the transcervical passage of a uterine catheter. Teasing by a stallion did not affect the total number, mean amplitude or mean duration of the uterine contractions. Mechanical stimulation of the vagina and cervix increased the total number of uterine contractions, but did not affect the amplitude or duration of the contractions. The intrauterine infusion of 80 ml of sterile saline resulted in an increase in the total number of contractions and a significant increase in the mean amplitude and the mean duration of the contractions in the uterine horns but not the uterine body. The intrauterine infusion of 10 ml of sterile saline caused a significant decrease in the number of uterine contractions in the uterine horns, but had no effect on the contractions of the uterine body. The infusion of 150 ml of sterile saline reduced the number of contractions in the uterine horns but not the uterine body, and did not affect the mean amplitude and mean duration of the contractions. The transcervical insertion of a catheter reduced the number of contractions in the uterine horns, but did not affect the amplitude or duration of the uterine contractions.
Field study of the prevalence of lameness in horses with back problems
Authors: Landman M. A. A. M. , de Blaauw J. A. , Hofland L. J. , van Weeren P. R.
Published: October 2010

A population of 805 horses (70 per cent dressage, 20 per cent show jumpers and 10 per cent trotters) with orthopaedic problems was examined for signs of lameness and back problems, irrespective of their original complaints. In the horses with a back problem the prevalence of lameness was 74 per cent, and back problems were diagnosed in 32 per cent of the lame horses. These percentages were significantly higher than those recorded in a control population of 399 horses, of which 20 per cent were lame and 12 per cent had back problems. In the group of horses with orthopaedic problems there was a strong association between lameness and back problems and, in particular, there was a high prevalence of lameness among the horses with back problems.
Behavioural analysis of the efficacy of treatments for injuries to the spinal cord in animals
Authors: Webb A.A. , Muir G.D. , Jeffrey N.D. , Olby N.J.
Published: October 2010

There have been very few clinical trials evaluating therapies for naturally occurring spinal cord injury in dogs and cats. This review describes the methods suitable for evaluating the behavioural recovery of animals with spinal cord injuries, in either a clinical or a laboratory setting. A list of commonly used methods for evaluating behavioural recovery in animals is provided, both in the clinical and laboratory setting; the tests, their limitations and benefits and specific recommendations for their use are also discussed in more depth.
Antibodies to Aqx toxin ofActinobacilus equuliin horses and foals
Authors: Berthoud H. , Frey J. , Kuhnert P. , Straub R. , Sternberg S.
Published: October 2010

Actinobacillus equuliis found in the normal oral flora of horses, but has been associated with several diseases, and particularly with the usually fatal septicaemia in neonatal foals which is thought to be associated with a failure of the passive transfer of immunoglobulins via the colostrum. The Aqx protein ofA equuli, belonging to the RTX family of pore‐forming toxins, is also cytotoxic to horse lymphocytes. The presence of antibodies to Aqx was investigated in sera from individual horses from different regions; the sera from adult horses and foals 24 hours after birth reacted with Aqx, and sera from foals sampled shortly after an intake of colostrum also reacted with Aqx, but sera from foals taken before an intake of colostrum did not react with Aqx.
Secondary nutritional hyerparathyroidism associated with viltamin D deficiency in two domestic skunks (Mephitis mephitis)
Authors: Hanley C.S. , Wilson G.H. , Hernandez‐Divers S.J.
Published: October 2010

Two privately owned domestic skunks (Mephitis mephitis) developed clinical signs of hyperparathyroidism. Survey radiographs, complete blood counts and biochemical profiles, including the concentrations of ionised calcium, parathyroid hormone and 25‐(OH)‐vitamin D, established that they were deficient in vitamin D and had secondary nutritional hyperparathyroidism. They both responded to treatment, as well as to changes in their diet, and levels of exercise and exposure to sunlight.
Costs to farmers of a tuberculosis breakdown
Authors: Bennett R. M. , Cooke R. J.
Published: October 2010

An on‐farm survey of 151 cattle farmers who had experienced a bovine tuberculosis (Mycobacterium bovis) breakdown on their farms was undertaken in 2003 to assess the costs associated with the breakdown. In 90 per cent of cases the cost was estimated to be less than £18,513 for dairy herds and less than £11,462 for beef herds, but with a range from £229 to £103,817. The main cost was the slaughter of reactor cattle. For the majority of the farmers, the compensation payments seemed to meet most of the costs of their breakdowns, although a majority was still left with net losses.
Estimation of the relative risk of developing clinical scrapie: the role of prion protein (PrP) genotype and selection bias
Authors: Tongue S. C. , Pfeiffer D. U. , Warner R. , Elliott H. , Del Rio Vilas V.
Published: October 2010

Prion protein (PrP) genotype data from statutory confirmed cases and from three non‐case datasets have been used to calculate the odds ratio (OR) for the development of clinical scrapie for an individual sheep of a given PrP genotype, compared with one possessing the ‘wild‐type’ ARQ /ARQ genotype. Logistic regression has been used to estimate the OR s, and a multiple‐test procedure has been used to evaluate the statistical significance of each comparison. The results are similar to those observed in other studies: the VRQ /VRQ genotype has OR point estimates greater than 20; the ARQ /VRQ and ARH /VRQ genotypes have OR point estimates between 5 and 20; AHQ /VRQ between 0·03 and 0·1; ARR /VRQ 0·4 and 0·5; all the other PrP genotypes, excluding ARR /ARR, ARR /ARH and AHQ /ARH for which no clinical cases have been recorded have OR point estimates of less than 0·3. The estimates derived from each dataset are comparable, but not identical. This can be explained by plausible biases inherent in the sampling of the non‐case populations
Estimates of the prevalence of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies in sheep and goats in France in 2002
Authors: Morignat E. , Cazeau G. , Biacabe A‐G. , Vinard J‐L. , Bencsik A. , Madec J‐Y. , Ducrot C. , Baron T. , Calavas D.
Published: October 2010

An active surveillance programme for transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE s) in sheep and goats was implemented in France in 2002 at abattoirs and rendering plants. The analysis of the results of this programme highlighted three biases: a potentially non‐random sampling scheme in both rendering plants and abattoirs, a heterogeneous geographical sampling ratio, and the use of two diagnostic tests of unequal sensitivity. Simulations were run to estimate the prevalence of TSE s by taking these biases into account. A comparison of the prevalence of TSE s calculated from the raw data with the simulation results showed that the effects of non‐random sampling were minor in comparison with the effects of the heterogeneous geographical sampling ratio and the use of two diagnostic tests.
Steroid hormone receptors in normal, dysplastic and neoplastic feline mammary tissues and their prognostic significance
Authors: Millanta F. , Calandrella M. , Vannozzi I. , Poli A.
Published: October 2010

The expression of oestrogen‐α and progesterone receptors was determined in 13 normal, 21 dysplastic and 53 neoplastic feline mammary tissues. Expression of the receptors was correlated with cell proliferation, as assessed by the MIB‐1 immunolabelling index, and with the clinical course of the disease. The expression of oestrogen receptors was significantly higher in healthy tissues and in adenosis than in neoplastic lesions, and the levels of progesterone receptors increased in fibroadenomatous changes and in ‘in situ’ carcinomas but decreased in invasive carcinomas. The oestrogen and progesterone receptor status of the invasive carcinomas did not correlate either with the histological parameters or with the overall survival of the cats, although the oestrogen receptor‐negative tumours had a poor prognosis. Oestrogen receptorpositive neoplasms had a significantly lower MIB‐1 immunolabelling index than oestrogen receptor‐negative neoplasms.
Investigations of the reliability of observational gait analysis for the assessment of lameness in horses
Authors: Hewetson M. , Christley R. M. , Hunt I. D. , Voute L. C.
Published: October 2010

The objectives of this study were to assess the reliability of a numerical rating scale (NRS) and a verbal rating scale (VRS) for the assessment of lameness in horses and to determine whether they can be used interchangeably. Sixteen independent observers graded the severity of lameness in 20 videotaped horses, and the agreement between and within observers, correlation and bias were determined for each scale. The observers agreed with each other in 56 per cent of the observations with the NRS and in 60 per cent of the observations with the VRS, and the associated Kendall coefficient of concordance was high. Similar trends were evident in the agreement between two observations by each observer. The correlation between and within observers was high for both scales. There were no significant differences (bias) among the observers’ mean scores when using either scale. There was a significant correlation between the lameness scores attributed when using the two scales, but the differences between the scores when plotted against their overall mean were unacceptable for clinical purposes. The results indicate that the NRS and VRS are only moderately reliable when used to assess lameness severity in the horse, and that they should not be used interchangeably.
Methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolated from a veterinary surgeon and five dogs in one practice
Authors: Leonard F. C. , Abbott Y. , Rossney A. , Quinn P. J. , O’Mahony R. , Markey B. K.
Published: October 2010

Methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was isolated from five dogs with wound discharges after surgical procedures at a veterinary practice, and MRSA with similar molecular and phenotypic characteristics was isolated from the nares of one veterinary surgeon in the practice. The pulsed‐field gel electrophoresis patterns of all the isolates were indistinguishable from each other and from the most common human isolates of MRSA in Ireland.
Results of a postal survey of scrapie in the Shetland Islands in 2003
Authors: Gubbins S. , Clark A. M. , Eglin R. D. , Sivam S. K.
Published: October 2010

In February 2003, a postal survey of 1279 sheep farmers in the Shetland Islands yielded 586 responses (46 per cent response rate). The principal aim of the survey was to gather information on the history and control of scrapie. Overall, 28·5 per cent of the respondents thought they had had a case of scrapie in their flock at some time. There was a slow increase in the proportion of affected flocks during the 1970s, followed by a more rapid increase during the 1980s and early 1990s, and a decline from the mid‐1990s onwards. The peak proportion of affected flocks was approximately 6 per cent in 1994. Of the farmers who had ever had scrapie in their flock, 97·1 per cent had attempted to control the disease. The most common method of control was breeding from non‐susceptible tups, used by 90·6 per cent of the affected flocks and 75·1 per cent of the flocks that had never been affected. A comparison of the characteristics of the affected and unaffected flocks indicated that an increased risk of scrapie was associated with the larger flocks, the open flocks and the flocks that bought in lambs. The basic reproduction ratio for the spread of scrapie between flocks was estimated to be 1·47, and the mean duration of an outbreak within a flock was estimated to be approximately two years.
Retrospective study of 99 cases of bone fractures in cattle treated by external coaptation or confinement
Authors: Gangl M. , Grulke S. , Serteyn D. , Touati K.
Published: October 2010

Between 2000 and 2003, 99 cattle with limb fractures were treated. Over 50 per cent were tibial fractures, with the femur and os calcis being the second and third most frequently affected bones. Eight of the cattle were slaughtered because of their poor prognosis, 10 were treated by stall confinement, 76 were treated by external coaptation with a Thomas splint‐cast combination and three were treated with a simple or reinforced half limb cast; these 79 cattle were usually discharged immediately. One calf was treated with internal fixation, and another by amputation. Follow‐up information was obtained by telephone, and the treatments were classified as either completely successful (return to previous production level), partially successful (return to lower production level) or failure. Forty (52·6 per cent) of the cattle treated with the Thomas splint‐cast combination were classified as a complete success and 14 (18·4 per cent) as a partial success; the treatment failed in 19 of the cattle and three were lost to follow‐up. The animals’ bodyweight, age and sex, and whether the fracture was open or closed, had no significant influence on the outcome. Among the 10 cattle treated for proximal fractures by stall confinement, there were five survivors, four non‐survivors and one was lost to follow‐up.
Diazinon toxicity in sheep and cattle arising from the misuse of unlicensed and out‐of‐date products
Authors: Sharpe R. T. , Livesey C. T. , Davies I. H. , Jones J. R. , Jones A.
Published: October 2010

Two incidents involving the misuse of unlabelled or out‐of‐date diazinon products are described. In the first incident, 81 of a group of 210 five‐month‐old lambs died within 12 hours of being dipped with the contents of a partly used tin of 15‐year‐old sheep dip. Analysis showed that the diazinon had decomposed by hydrolysis into a range of breakdown products, including tetraethyldithiopyrophosphate (sulfotepp) and monothiono‐tetraethylpyrophosphate (monothiono‐tepp), which are much more toxic to mammals than diazinon. In the second incident, four yearling bulls were affected within 48 hours of being treated with a liquid that the farmer believed to be a lice treatment but was actually old diazinon sheep dip. Three of the bulls recovered but one died four days after the treatment. Analysis of the dip confirmed the presence of diazinon but in this incident no breakdown products were detected.
Comparisons of original laboratory results and retrospective analysis by real‐time reverse transcriptase‐PCR of virological samples collected from confirmed cases of foot‐and‐mouth disease in the UK in 2001
Authors: Ferris N. P. , King D. P. , Reid S. M. , Shaw A. E. , Hutchings G. H.
Published: October 2010

There were 2030 designated cases of foot‐and‐mouth disease (fmd) during the course of the epidemic in the uk in 2001 (including four from Northern Ireland). Samples from 1720 of the infected premises (ip s) were received in the laboratory and examined for either the presence of fmd virus (virological samples from 1421 ip s) or both fmd virus and antibody (virological and serological samples from 255 ip s) or antibody alone (from 44 ip s). The time taken to issue final diagnostic results ranged from a few hours in cases in which positive results were obtained by elisa on epithelia containing sufficient virus to be detected, to several days for samples containing small amounts of virus requiring amplification through cell culture, negative samples or samples tested for antibody. Two subsets of samples were analysed retrospectively by real‐time reverse transcriptase‐pcr (rt‐pcr); first, epithelia that were negative by both elisa and virus isolation (vi) in cell culture, and secondly, samples that were negative by elisa on epithelial suspension but positive by vi. There was broad agreement between the rt‐pcr and vi /elisa combined, except that the rt‐pcr procedure did not detect a group of related virus isolates from Wales. These viruses had evidently evolved during the epidemic and had a nucleotide substitution in the rt‐pcr probe site, which prevented them from being detected by the routine diagnostic probe. No evidence of fmd virus, antibody or nucleic acid was found in approximately 23 per cent (390 of 1730) of ip s from which samples were received, suggesting that the incidence of fmd during the outbreak may have been over‐reported.
Methods used in veterinary practice to maintain the temperature of intravenous fluids
Authors: Dix G. M. , Jones A. , Knowles T. G. , Holt P. E.
Published: October 2010

To determine the methods used in veterinary practice to maintain the temperature of intravenous fluids, and the users' impression of their efficacy, data were collected from a survey of 150 veterinary practices. Of the 99 per cent of the practices that warmed intravenous fluids, the use of a heat retention bag cover was most popular and was considered most effective. In a laboratory experiment, four methods of maintaining the temperature of intravenous fluids were compared. The results showed that there was a significant loss of heat through the giving set. A heat retention cover was an effective device for maintaining the temperature of the prewarmed fluid in its bag. The use of ‘hot hands’ (a sealed surgical glove containing warmed water) was most effective in reducing heat loss from the delivered fluid, and was aided by prewarming the giving set.
Molecular epidemiology of ovine herpesvirus type 2 infection in Kashmir, India
Authors: Wani S. A. , Samanta I. , Pandit F. , Buchoo B. A. , Peer F. , Bhat M. A.
Published: October 2010

The aims of this investigation were to determine the prevalence of ovine herpesvirus type 2 (ovhv‐2) (the causative agent of malignant catarrhal fever) infection in cattle, the carrier status of sheep and goats, and to define the pattern of acquisition of ovhv‐2 in lambs under natural flock conditions in Kashmir, India. None of the buffy coat samples from 21 lambs contained ovhv‐2 dna sequences up to 28 days after birth, only one lamb had sequences of ovhv‐2 dna as early as 29 days after birth, and they were detected in the other 20 lambs when they were between 43 and 94 days of age. Sequences of ovhv‐2 dna were detected in buffy coat samples from 28 (85 per cent) of 33 adult sheep and in 16 (61 per cent) of 26 samples from adult goats by hemi‐nested pcr. Seventeen (31 per cent) of 55 cattle with malignant catarrhal fever‐like clinical signs had sequences of ovhv‐2 dna in their blood, and nine of the 17 died, all of them during the months of April to November, between November 2002 and March 2004. No clinical cases of sheep‐associated malignant catarrhal fever was recorded during the months of December to March. The overall prevalence of ovhv‐2 infection in the cattle in the region was estimated to be less than 1 per cent.
Derivation of a scrapie‐free sheep flock from the progeny of a flock affected by scrapie
Authors: Foster J. , McKenzie C. , Parnham D. , Drummond D. , Goldmann W. , Stevenson E. , Hunter N.
Published: October 2010

The Cheviot flock at the Institute for Animal Health's Neuropathogenesis Unit (npu) has endemic scrapie, which affects primarily vrq/vrq sheep and at high frequency. A new flock with a full range of PrP genotypes, including the highly susceptible vrq/vrq, has been produced on a separate site, from animals in the npu breeding flock, and it remains scrapie‐free after eight years. In contrast, in a parallel flock at the npu farm, scrapie has reappeared after five years, although the animals were kept in separate accommodation from the scrapie‐affected sheep. During this time the npu breeding flock continued to have scrapie cases. Although it is known that highly susceptible sheep can remain free of infection in a clean environment, this is the first report of the infection being removed successfully from the bloodlines of scrapie‐affected sheep. The results confirm that scrapie is not a genetic disease dependent only on the PrP gene sequence, but requires both genetic susceptibility and an infectious agent.
Clinical findings in 56 cows with toxic mastitis
Authors: Bleul U. , Sacher K. , Corti S. , Braun U.
Published: October 2010

The clinical, haematological, biochemical and bacteriological findings in 56 cows with toxic mastitis are described. In addition to acute mastitis, the most frequent clinical findings were tachycardia in 40 of the cows, anorexia or reduced appetite in 50, reduced ruminal and intestinal motility in 52 and no ruminal and intestinal motility in 39. The most important haematological and biochemical findings were a high haematocrit in 26 of the cows, leucopenia in 23 and a high concentration of urea in 31. In 27 of the cows the secretion of the affected mammary gland did not resemble milk. The most commonly isolated bacteria were Escherichia coli from 26 of the cows and Staphylococcus aureus from 11. Seven of the cows were investigated by an exploratory laparotomy because the principal sign was intestinal in origin, but no abnormalities were found. Seventeen of the cows were euthanased immediately after the diagnostic work, and 14 during the course of their treatment.
International disease monitoring, July to September 2006
Authors: Sabirovic M. , Raw L. , Rogers A. , Lock F. , Hall S. , Elliott H. , Coulson N.
Published: October 2010

Classical swine fever outbreaks in South America, eastern Europe and east Asia

Foot‐and‐mouth disease reported from Africa, east Asia, eastern Europe and South America

Updates on highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses in Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Europe

Low pathogenic avian influenza controlled in the European Union (eu)

Outbreaks of Newcastle disease in Europe and South America

Outbreak of contagious bovine pleuropneumonia in Zambia

Emergence of bluetongue (bt) virus serotype 8 in western Europe, and spread ofbtvirus serotype 1 through Algeria

Vesicular stomatitis re‐emerges in theusaand Ecuador

Lumpy skin disease controlled in Israel

Endemic sheep pox and goat pox continues to be reported by Turkey

First occurrence of peste des petits ruminants in the Democratic Republic of Congo; continued reports from endemic areas in Turkey

Outbreaks of equine infectious anaemia in theeu

— These are among matters discussed in the international disease monitoring report for July to September 2006, prepared bydefra's International Animal Health Division
In vitro study of the effectiveness of different dressings for debriding fibrin in blood clots from horses
Authors: Pain R. , Sneddon J. C. , Cochrane C. A.
Published: October 2010

Franz diffusion cells containing uniformly dehydrated equine blood clots to simulate fibrinous eschar were used to measure the rate of debridement of fibrin by novel and traditional wound dressings, under standardised conditions of temperature, pH and humidity. Significant increases in protein breakdown occurred within 24 hours with all the dressings, but not thereafter. In general, dressings hydrated in normal saline were better as debriding agents than dressings hydrated in water. Autolytic debriding agents were 47 per cent more effective than chemical debriding agents; specifically, hydrofibre and gauze dressings hydrated in saline broke down more than 3500 μg/ml of protein whereas dressings impregnated with proteolytic enzymatic agents digested less than 1400 μg/ml.
Comparative trial of the canine parvovirus, canine distemper virus and canine adenovirus type 2 fractions of two commercially available modified live vaccines
Authors: Bergman J. G. H. E. , Muniz M. , Sutton D. , Fensome R. , Ling F. , Paul G.
Published: October 2010

The results of vaccinating two groups of puppies with commercial vaccines, both of which claimed to provide adequate protection with a final vaccination at 10 weeks of age, were compared. Groups of 19 and 20 puppies with similar titres of maternally derived antibodies against canine parvovirus (cpv), canine distemper virus (cdv) and canine adenovirus type 2 (cav‐2) at four weeks of age were vaccinated at six and 10 weeks of age and their responses to each vaccination were measured by comparing the titres against cpv, cdv and cav‐2 in the serum samples taken immediately before the vaccination and four weeks later. After the vaccination at six weeks of age, all 19 of the puppies in group 1 had responded to cpv and cdv, and 14 had responded to cav‐2; in group 2, 17 of the 20 had responded to cpv, 19 to cdv and 15 to cav‐2. In both groups the puppies that did not respond to the first vaccination had responded serologically to cpv, cdv and cav‐2 at 10 weeks of age.
Signs of travel‐related problems in dogs and their response to treatment with dog appeasing pheromone
Authors: Gandia Estellés M. , Mills D.S.
Published: October 2010

Sixty‐two dogs with problems when travelling in the car took part in a non‐blinded study aimed at differentiating groups of dogs on the basis of the pattern of signs shown by individual dogs and their response to treatment with a collar impregnated with dog‐appeasing pheromone (dap) for six weeks and general behavioural advice. The dogs were taken out in the owner's car at least twice weekly for nine weeks, and their behaviour was assessed every three weeks to determine the frequency of 21 behavioural signs. On the basis of these signs and by using principal components analysis, the dogs were grouped into five well defined groups, defined as ‘excitable’, ‘nausea’, ‘tense’, ‘attention‐seeking’ and ‘elimination’. For the purpose of statistical analysis, the attention‐seeking and elimination groups were combined when assessing the effect of the treatment. All the groups showed some statistically significant improvements after treatment, but their responses were not uniform. The greatest perceived improvement was among the nausea group and the least was among the excitable group. In the groups for which there were sufficient data for analysis, there was little evidence of a relapse in most of the signs in the three to five months after the collar had been removed.
M gene analysis of atypical strains of feline and canine coronavirus circulating in an Austrian animal shelter
Authors: Benetka V. , Kolodziejek J. , Walk K. , Rennhofer M. , Möstl K.
Published: October 2010

Coronavirus‐positive samples of faeces collected in an Austrian animal shelter from 12 cats and 10 dogs were analysed by reverse transcriptase‐pcr with primers amplifying a segment of the M protein gene, and by sequence analysis. In addition, the samples were subjected to S gene typing, using primers that differentiated between feline coronavirus (fc ov) types I and II. A phylogenetic analysis of the M gene sequences revealed not only clearly segregating canine coronavirus (cc ov) in the dogs, typical cc ov sequences and the recently described fc ov ‐like cc ov, but also at least two genetic clusters of fc ov in the cats, one species‐specific, the other more closely related to fc ov ‐like cc ov. The M gene sequences of these new feline strains had at most 88 per cent identity with the fc ov ‐like cc ov strain 259/01 and only up to 85 per cent with any fc ov sequence available in GenBank. In the phylogenetic tree they occupy an intermediate position between feline and canine coronaviruses.
International disease monitoring, April to June 2006
Authors: Sabirovic M. , Raw L. , Lock F. , Hall S. , Coulson N.
Published: October 2010

Classical swine fever in Brazil, Guatemala and Germany

Foot‐and‐mouth disease in Turkey, Palestinian Autonomous Territories, Egypt, Botswana, Brazil, Ecuador, China and Vietnam

Highly pathogenic avian influenza in Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, the uk, Azerbaijan, Israel, Jordan, Palestinian Autonomous Territories, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Thailand, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Niger, Nigeria, Sudan and Djibouti

Low pathogenic avian influenza in Denmark and the uk

Newcastle disease in Bulgaria, Denmark, France, Romania, Sweden, Turkey and Japan

Rinderpest in Iraq

African horse sickness in South Africa

Vesicular stomatitis in the usa

Lumpy skin disease in Egypt and Israel

West Nile fever in Argentina

— These are among matters discussed in the international disease monitoring report for April to June 2006, prepared by defra 's International Animal Health Division
Vitamin A requirements of alipochromatic (‘recessive‐white’) and coloured canaries (Serinus canaria) during the breeding season
Authors: Preuss S. E. , Bartels T. , Schmidt V. , Krautwald‐Junghanns M‐E.
Published: October 2010

Six pairs of alipochromatic (‘recessive‐white’) canaries (Serinus canaria) and six pairs of coloured canaries were kept through a complete breeding cycle while being fed a diet providing 12,000 iu vitamin A/kg. The eggs of three pairs (one recessive‐white and two coloured) were all unfertilised and there were only 23 hatchlings (14 recessive‐white and nine coloured), of which 14 (10 recessive‐white and four coloured) were alive after the first moult. However, there was no clinical, biochemical or pathological evidence that the recessive‐white canaries were suffering from vitamin A deficiency or that the coloured canaries were suffering from vitamin A toxicity, suggesting that the diet met the vitamin A requirements of both groups.
Lancefield group B and C streptococci in East African camels (Camelus dromedarius)
Authors: Younan M. , Bornstein S.
Published: October 2010

Seventeen Lancefield group C streptococci (13 Streptococcus equi zooepidemicus and four Streptococcus dysgalactiae equisimilis) and 185 Lancefield group B streptococci (Streptococcus agalactiae) were isolated from camels (Camelus dromedarius) in Kenya and Somalia; 59 of the isolates were from healthy nasopharynx, vaginal and rectal mucosa and from non‐abscessed lymph nodes, and the other 143 isolates were from clinical infections of the respiratory tract, tick bite lesions, abscessed lymph nodes, abscesses and other purulent skin lesions, periarthritis and arthritis, puerperal infection and gingivitis. The role of Lancefield group B and C streptococci as commensals and common opportunistic pathogens in East African camels is described.