bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clinical signs of West Nile virus encephalomyelitis in horses during the outbreak in Israel in 2000
Authors: Steinman A. , Sutton G. A. , Hadar S. , Banet C. , Yadin H. , Brill A.
Published: October 2010

Between August and October 2000, 76 horses were reported by veterinary practitioners as having signs of a neurological disorder, varying from an involvement of the spinal cord alone to the entire central nervous system; 15 of the horses died or were euthanased as a result of their grave prognosis or secondary complications. At the same time, an outbreak of West Nile virus infection affected people and birds, principally domestic geese. West Nile virus was isolated from four of the horses with encephalomyelitis and five other horses seroconverted, indicating that the virus was the probable cause of the outbreak in horses. Three of the cases from which the virus was isolated are described briefly and one case is described in detail. This horse behaved abnormally and had general proprioceptive deficits in all four limbs. Its neurological condition deteriorated after two days and severe inspiratory dyspnoea due to a failure to abduct the arytenoids necessitated a tracheostomy. It died on the fourth day and histological lesions were observed in the brain stem and grey matter of the spinal cord.
Incidence and risk factors for exertional rhabdomyolysis in thoroughbred racehorses in the United Kingdom
Authors: McGowan C. M. , Fordham T. , Christley R. M.
Published: October 2010

Telephone surveys of 34 racing yards with 1276 horses in training were made to establish the overall incidence of exertional rhabdomyolysis in the previous year. A case‐control study was used to investigate the risk factors for the syndrome in 12 yards selected on the basis of the routine confirmation of diagnoses by the evaluation of the serum activities of creatine kinase and aspartate aminotransferase. The overall incidence of the syndrome was 6.7 per cent and 80 per cent of the trainers had at least one affected horse. In 74 per cent of the affected horses it frequently recurred, with an average of six lost training days per episode. Risk factors identified for the syndrome included being female, having a nervous, excitable temperament, and being two years old.
Investigation of QT‐interval dispersion in the electrocardiogram of 81 dogs
Authors: Dennis S. G. , Summerfield N. J. , Boswood A.
Published: October 2010

QT‐interval dispersion (QT dispersion) is a marker of the inhomogeneity of ventricular repolarisation. In human beings an increase in QT dispersion has been linked to sudden death and arrhythmias in several cardiac diseases. In dogs it has yet to be evaluated, and this study aimed to establish a normal reference range for QT dispersion and to assess the effects of cardiac disease upon it. Ten‐lead ECGS were recorded from 81 dogs at two hospitals; satisfactory traces were obtained from 68 dogs, 32 of them normal and 36 with cardiac disease. The mean (sd) QT dispersion was 20.8 (18.2 ms) and the mean heart rate‐corrected QT dispersion was 26.1 (23.6 ms). There was no significant effect of cardiac disease. The accuracy of the results may be questioned owing to the identification of several potential errors in the measurements.
Serum haptoglobin concentration as a marker of clinical signs in finishing pigs
Authors: Petersen H. H. , Dideriksen D. , Christiansen B. M. , Nielsen J. P.
Published: October 2010

A case‐control study of 340 finishing pigs aged 10 to 25 weeks in 15 commercial Danish pig herds was carried out to investigate serum haptoglobin concentration as an objective marker of clinical signs of disease. Pigs with different clinical signs were matched to control pigs without clinical signs with respect to herd, pen, estimated weight and gender, and each pig was subjected to a standard clinical examination. In 86 of the case‐control pairs, the rectal temperature was also recorded. There was a significantly higher mean haptoglobin concentration in the serum of lame pigs (P<0.0001), pigs with respiratory disease (P=0.0004), pigs with tail or ear bites (P=0.0004) and pigs with diarrhoea (P=0.02). Similarly, a higher mean rectal temperature was recorded in lame pigs (P<0.0001), pigs with respiratory disease (P=0.002) and pigs with tail or ear bites (P=0.0003). There was a significant but low correlation between rectal temperature and haptoglobin concentration in serum (P=0.003, r=0.20). The area under the receiver‐operating‐characteristic curve was between 0.67 and 0.78 for the different clinical signs. The maximum simultaneous levels of sensitivity (0.61 to 0.71) and specificity (0.61 to 0.77) of serum haptoglobin for the different clinical signs were obtained at a cut‐off value of 1.1 mg/mi. At a cut‐off value of 1.8 mg/ml, the sensitivity decreased to 0.31 to 0.60, and the specificity increased to 0.82 to 0.86. It was not possible to define a cut‐off value which classified individual pigs according to their clinical signs.
Prevalence ofBartonellaspecies causing bacteraemia in domesticated and companion animals in the United Kingdom
Authors: Birtles R. J. , Laycock G. , Day M. J. , Kenny M. J. , Shaw S. E.
Published: October 2010

Between October 1999 and February 2000, 691 blood samples examined routinely for either haematological or virological assessment were screened by culture for the presence ofBartonellaspecies. They came from 615 animals: 360 cats, 211 dogs, 27 horses, 16 cattle and a gorilla. The samples were incubated for long periods on 10 per cent horse blood agar at 37°C in an atmosphere containing 5 per cent carbon dioxide. Isolates were obtained from 35 samples from 34 (9·4 per cent) of the cats, but not from any of the other animals. Comparison of citrate synthase gene sequences from the isolates indicated that they were allBartonella henselae. Analysis of 16S rRNA gene fragments indicated that 30 of the cats were infected solely withB henselaegenotype II, two were infected solely withB henselaegenotype I and two were infected with both genotypes.
Attempts to transmit porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus by aerosols under controlled field conditions
Authors: Trincado C. , Dee S. , Otake S. , Pijoan C. , Jacobson L. , Rossow K.
Published: October 2010

An experimental infection with porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) was established in 150 five‐month‐old pigs housed in a fan‐ventilated finishing facility, the infected barn. To determine whether air exhausted from the wall fans contained infectious PRRSV, a trailer containing 10 four‐week‐old PRRsv‐naive sentinel pigs was placed 10 m from the building from day 3 after the 150 pigs were infected until day 10. To connect the two airspaces, one end of an opaque plastic tube, 15 m in length and 5 cm in diameter, was fastened to the wall fan of the infected barn, and the other end was placed inside the trailer. Air from the building was exhausted into the trailer 24 hours a day for seven consecutive days and PRRSV infection was monitored in the infected pigs and the sentinel pigs. Air samples were collected from the infected barn and the trailer. PRRSV infection was detected in the infected pigs three and seven days after they were infected, but not in the sentinel pigs. All the air samples were negative for PRRSV by PCR, virus isolation and a pig bioassay.
Effect of injecting collagenase into the uterine artery during a caesarean section on the placental separation of cows induced to calve with dexamethasone
Authors: Guérin P. , Badinand F. , Bosc L. , Thiébault J. J. , Delignette‐Muller M. L. , Ménézo Y.
Published: October 2010

A caesarean section was performed on 30 cows before normal term and 16 to 20 hours after the induction of parturition with dexamethasone. During the surgical procedure, 20,000 U of bacterial collagenase was injected into the uterine artery of 15 of the cows. The average periods of retention of the fetal membranes were 40 hours in the treated cows and 114 hours in the control cows (P<0.001). At 36 hours after the surgery six of the treated cows (40 per cent) but all 15 of the control cows had retained fetal membranes. The collagenase‐treated cows showed no abnormal clinical signs during the 10 days after the operation.
Clinicopathological findings in sheep from Sardinia showing neurological signs of disease
Authors: Ligios C. , Viglietti A. , Carta P. , Dexter G. , Simmons M. M. , Agrimi U.
Published: October 2010

Histopathological and bacteriological examinations were performed on 178 brains from Sardinian sheep which were showing neurological signs. The sheep represented the total number of sheep with neurological syndromes submitted for diagnostic investigations over a three‐year period in Sardinia. Scrapie was detected in 57 cases, cerebrocortical necrosis in 25, intoxication by a typical Mediterranean plant (Cistus species) was suspected in 25, coenurosis was detected in 11 cases,Listeria monocytogenesin eight cases and focal symmetrical encephalomalacia in six cases. Non‐suppurative inflammatory changes were observed in three of the brains and suppurative changes were noted in two. Lesions restricted to the spinal cord were found in three cases. In the remaining 38 cases there were no significant neuropathological changes.
Effects of four anaesthetic protocols on the neurological and cardiorespiratory variables of puppies born by caesarean section
Authors: Luna S. P. L. , Cassu R. N. , Castro G. B. , Teixeira Neto F. J. , Silva J. R. , Lopes M. D.
Published: October 2010

Twenty‐four bitches which had been in labour for less than 12 hours were randomly divided into four groups of six. They all received 0.5 mg/kg of chlorpromazine intravenously as premedication, followed 15 minutes later by either 8 mg/kg of thiopentone intravenously (group 1), 2 mg/kg of ketamine and 0.5 mg/kg of midazolam intravenously (group 2), 5 mg/kg of propofol intravenously (group 3), or 2.5 mg/kg of 2 per cent lidocaine with adrenaline and 0.625 mg/kg of 0.5 per cent bupivacaine with adrenaline epidurally (group 4). Except for group 4, the bitches were intubated and anaesthesia was maintained with enflurane. The puppies' heart and respiratory rates and their pain, sucking, anogenital, magnum and flexion reflexes were measured as they were removed from the uterus. The puppies' respiratory rate was higher after epidural anaesthesia. In general the puppies' neurological reflexes were most depressed after midazolam/ketamine, followed by thiopentone, propofol and epidural anaesthesia.
Relationship between acute phase proteins and hoof horn haemorrhages in postpartum first‐lactation heifers
Authors: Laven R. A. , Livesey C. T. , May S. A.
Published: October 2010

As part of a study of the development of hoof horn haemorrhages in first‐lactation heifers, measurements were made of acute phase reactants to investigate the link between the acute phase response and the development of the haemorrhages. Over a period of two years, blood samples were taken from two separate groups of heifers, weekly in the three weeks before they calved and then twice weekly until eight weeks after calving. Plasma total protein, albumin, fibrinogen, haptoglobin, seromucoid and serum iron and caeruloplasmin were measured and the relationships between the peak concentration (or activity) or the area under the curve of each acute phase reactant and the peak scores for sole or white line haemorrhages were assessed by linear regression. The results suggested that the development of the hoof horn haemorrhages observed in the study was not accompanied by an acute phase response, and the haemorrhages were therefore not primarily caused by endotoxicosis. The diets and husbandry systems used were typical of dairy farms in the UK and the results therefore suggest that a significant proportion of hoof horn haemorrhages observed in UK dairy cows may not be caused by endotoxicosis.
Indirect transmission of bovine viral diarrhoea virus at calving and during the postparturient period
Authors: Lindberg A. , Stokstad M. , Løken T. , Alenius S. , Niskanen R.
Published: October 2010

Two trials were designed to investigate whether bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) could be transmitted after the birth of persistently infected calves, even if they were removed immediately after birth. In trial 1, 11 calves were actively exposed to fetal fluids and uterine lochia collected from cows that had delivered calves persistently infected with type 1 BVDV. One calf that was exposed to a sample taken on the day of calving seroconverted. In trial 2, six calves were housed in stables where persistently infected calves were being born and then removed immediately from their dams and from the stable unit within two to three hours. One of four calves in close contact with the cows after delivery seroconverted and one of two calves housed within the same stable unit became infected.
Implementation of the ‘Three Rs’ in biomedical research
Authors: Carlsson H‐E. , Hagelin J. , Hau J.
Published: October 2010

A systematic sample of 2800 articles published between 1970 and 2000 in 14 major biomedical journals was analysed to assess the implementation of the ‘Three Rs’ (replacement, reduction and refinement) in biomedical research. During this period the total number of articles published annually by the journals more than doubled, but the proportion of studies using animals decreased by 30 per cent. There was a significant increase, from 21 per cent to 35 per cent, in the proportion of animal studies which made use of untreated euthanased animals as donors of biological materials, a gradual decrease in the number of chronic studies on animals, and a 50 per cent decrease in the average number of animals used per published paper. There was an improvement in the reporting of the specification of the animals' husbandry, conditions of care and environment. Parameters of importance for the evaluation of the scientific quality of the research and the welfare of the animals were generally poorly reported, but the proportion of papers with adequate information on most of the parameters analysed increased between 1970 and 2000.
Risk of fatal distal limb fractures among thoroughbreds involved in the five tpes of racing in the United Kingdom
Authors: Parkin T. D. H. , French N. P. , Riggs C. M. , Morgan K. L. , Clegg P. D. , Proudman C. J. , Singer E. R. , Webbon P. M.
Published: October 2010

The risk of fatal distal limb fractures in thoroughbreds racing in the UK was calculated and shown to vary considerably between the different types of race. Flat turf racing was associated with the lowest risk (0‐4 per 1000 starts) and national hunt flat racing was associated with the highest risk (2.2 per 1000 starts). The types of fracture were classified by detailed radiographic and postmortem examinations of all the cases recorded over two years, and the distribution of the different types of fracture in the five main types of racing was examined. Overall, lateral condylar fractures of the third metacarpus were the most common, and they were also the most common in national hunt‐type races (hurdle, steeplechase and national hunt flat races). In all‐weather flat racing biaxial proximal sesamoid fractures were most common, and in turf flat racing fractures of the first phalanx were most common. The risk of fractures of more than one bone was greater in national hunt‐type races.
Changes in the feed intake, pH and osmolality of rumen fluid, and the position of the abomasum of eight dairy cows during a dietinduced left displacement of the abomasum
Authors: Van Winden S. C. L. , Muller K. E. , Noordhuizen J. P. T. M. , Schonewille J. Th. , Beynen A. C. , Brattinga C. R.
Published: October 2010

During the last six weeks of the dry period, eight Holstein‐Friesian cows were fed a restricted amount of grass silage; after calving, a mixture of maize silage and concentrates was offered in a feeding regimen designed to induce a displacement of the abomasum. In the first month after calving, the cows were monitored for the following variables: feed intake and composition, milk production, the position of the abomasum, and the pH and osmolality of the rumen contents. In five of the eight cows, a left displacement of the abomasum occurred between four and 21 days after calving in the absence of other diseases. The displacement was temporary, lasting between five and 36 consecutive hours and one or two days in two of the cows (floaters), and for three or more days in the other three. Before these three cows developed the displacement, their abomasum was 4.3 to 7.9 cm higher, its contents had a higher mean osmolality (+19.2 mosmol/kg), and the ratio of roughage to concentrates in their feed was lower (−0.87) than in the three cows that did not develop clinical signs of a displaced abomasum. There were no significant differences in these variables between the floaters and the healthy cows.
Dietary trials with a commercial chicken hydrolysate diet in 63 pruritic dogs
Authors: Loeffler A. , Lloyd D. H. , Bond R. , Pfeiffer D. U. , Kim J. Y.
Published: October 2010

The owners of 63 pruritic dogs were instructed to feed them a chicken hydrolysate diet exclusively for six weeks as part of diagnostic investigations into non‐seasonal pruritus. Ectoparasitism and microbial infections were eliminated during the dietary trial. The dogs' skin lesions, gastrointestinal signs and frequency of defecation were assessed and scores for pruritus were assigned before they started the diet and before and after they resumed their original diet. An adverse food reaction was diagnosed if the pruritus resolved while they were on the diet, but recurred when they resumed their original food regimen. Seventeen of the 63 dogs were withdrawn from the trial, including four which found the diet unpalatable; however, its palatability was reported to be good or excellent in 48 of the dogs. An adverse food reaction alone was diagnosed in nine (19‐6 per cent) of the 46 dogs and another nine had an adverse food reaction and atopy. There were gastrointestinal signs in six of the nine dogs with an adverse food reaction, which resolved on the trial diet but recurred when they resumed their original diet.
Comparative pathology of parasitic infections in free‐ranging and captive pit vipers (Bothrops jararac)
Authors: Fernandes Grego K. , Gardiner C. H. , Catão‐Dias J. L.
Published: October 2010

Between June 1997 and May 1998,47 pit vipers (Bothrops jararaca) (Group A) were euthanased when they were brought to the Instituto Butantan by farmers, and examined postmortem; during the same period, 91 snakes of the same species (group B) were examined after they had died in an outdoor serpentarium. The majority of the parasites encountered were nematodes; lungworms, Rhabdias vellardi, and the intestinal hookworm Kalicephalus inermis were the most common. Some of the snakes in group A were heavily infested, but their lesions were mild, whereas in group B the parasites were generally accompanied by severe lesions. The parasites with a direct life cycle were more common than those with obligatory intermediate hosts, and the snakes were more commonly infected during the hotter and more humid seasons.
Efficacy of danofloxacin in the treatment of respiratory disease in European cattle
Authors: Rowan T. G. , Sunderland S. J. , Smith D. G. , Sarasola P. , Giles C. J.
Published: October 2010

The efficacy of an injectable formulation of danofloxacin (180 mg/ml) in the treatment of naturally occurring bovine respiratory disease was evaluated in field studies on farms in France, Ireland and the United Kingdom. Cattle aged one week to 15 months with clinical respiratory disease were randomly allocated to treatment with 6 mg/kg danofloxacin or 10 mg/kg tilmicosin, administered by a single subcutaneous injection on day 0. A second injection of danofloxacin was administered on day 2, only if predefined clinical criteria were met.Mannheimia haemolytica,Pasteurella muftocidaandHaemophilus somnuswere isolated from pretreatment nasopharyngeal swabs taken on all the farms. After the treatment, there was a more rapid improvement in the clinical response of the 178 animals treated with danofloxacin by day 2 (P<0·01) than in the 90 treated with tilmicosin. For both treatments, there were similar significant (P<0·001) reductions in the mean rectal temperature and severity of clinical signs of abnormal respiration and depression, on days 4 and 10 compared with day 0; 78·1 per cent of the animals treated with danofloxacin and 78·5 per cent of those treated with tilmicosin completed the studies. Danofloxacin 18 per cent was clinically safe and as effective as tilmicosin in the treatment of bovine respiratory disease.
Use of a topical disinfectant as part of a hoof care programme for horses with diseases of the hoof capsule
Authors: Kempson S. A. , Robb R.
Published: October 2010

Twenty‐three horses with persistent hoof horn defects were treated topically with a hoof disinfectant as part of a hoof care programme for a year. The active ingredients of the disinfectant were a poloaximer‐iodine complex, ethylenediamine dihydriodide, isopropyl alcohol and propylene glycol. Hoof trimmings were taken at the start of the study and every six weeks, and examined by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. At the beginning of the study all the horn samples contained large numbers of bacteria, and samples from eight of the horses also had fungal hyphae intermingled with the bacteria. After the application of the hoof disinfectant and adjustments to their diet, there were rapid improvements in the gross appearance of the feet of all the horses; some of them improved within two to three weeks and by 12 weeks the horn quality of all the horses had greatly improved.
PrP polymorphisms in Basque sheep breeds determined by PCR‐restriction fragment length polymorphism and real‐time PCR
Authors: Garcia‐Crespo D. , Oporto B. , Gomez N. , Nagore D. , Benedicto L. , Juste R. A. , Hurtado A.
Published: October 2010

Two new PCR‐based methods were developed to decode prion protein (PrP) gene polymorphisms at codons 136, 154 and 171: a PCR‐restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis consisting of two PCR reactions followed by three enzymatic digestions, and a real‐time PCR consisting of four reactions with seven fluorogenic probes. Both methods were used to study the distribution of PrP gene polymorphisms in a representative sample (1297 animals) of the populations of the two native breeds of sheep of the Spanish Basque Country, Latxa and Carranzana. Fourteen genotypes were found in the Latxa breed, in which ARQ/ARQ was the genotype most frequently observed (49.3 per cent), followed by ARR/ARQ (32.6 per cent) and ARQ/ARH (5.8 per cent). The genotype associated with the highest resistance to scrapie (ARR/ARR) was present in 5 per cent of the animals analysed. Similar results were observed in the Carranzana sheep.
Questionnaire analysis of BSE cases in France detected by active surveillance and the reasons for non‐notification
Authors: Cazeau G. , Ducrot C. , Collin E. , Desjouis x G. , Calavas D.
Published: October 2010

A mandatory reporting system (MRS) was set up in France in December 1990 to detect animals showing clinical signs of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). Since June 2000, four active surveillance programmes dedicated to fallen stock and slaughtered cattle have been implemented to reinforce the MRS. The clinical status of the cases detected through these programmes was investigated to understand why the MRS had failed to detect them. Up to September 1, 2002, 181 cases had been analysed (126 fallen stock and 55 slaughtered cattle). Almost all the fallen stock cases were animals which had been showing clinical signs, and two thirds of them had shown signs which should have led to a suspicion of BSE. No clinical signs had been reported for two thirds of the slaughtered cattle cases and 10 (8 per cent) of the fallen stock cases.
Use of antimicrobial drugs in Swedish dairy calves and replacement heifers
Authors: Ortman K. , Svensson C.
Published: October 2010

A total of 3081 heifer calves in 122 Swedish dairy herds were monitored from birth to first calving, and all their diseases and treatments were recorded. There were 1268 cases of infectious diseases, of which 335 (26.4 per cent) were treated with antimicrobial drugs. Just over 90 per cent of the treatments were given during the first 210 days of the calves' lives, but only 61.8 per cent of the total quantity of antimicrobial drugs was consumed during this period. The most common diseases from birth until 210 days were respiratory diseases and diarrhoea; treatments for mastitis and interdigital phlegmon (foul in the foot) were more common after 420 days of age. Slightly more than 60 per cent of the treatments were given by the farmers without prior consultation with a veterinary surgeon.
Molecular characterisation of a field strain of bubaline herpesvirus isolated from buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis ) after pharmacological reactivation
Authors: De Carlo E. , Re G. N. , Letteriello R. , Del Vecchio V. , Giordanelli M. P. , Magnino S. , Fabbi M. , Bazzocchi C. , Bandi C. , Galiero G.
Published: October 2010

Two healthy buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis ) in a herd which had not been vaccinated against infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR), were selected for their seropositivity for anti‐bovine herpesvirus type 1 (BoHV‐1) glycoprotein E antibodies, and injected intramuscularly daily with dexamethasone for five consecutive days (day 1 to day 5) to reactivate any latent herpesvirus. Blood samples and nasal and vaginal swabs were collected daily from day 5 to day 15 from each buffalo for virological examination. All the vaginal swabs and blood samples were negative, but 13 of the 22 nasal swabs were positive; a cytopathic effect was observed in primary cultures of bovine fetal lung cells, and the viral isolates were identified as a herpesvirus by PcR. The viral strains were characterised by the sequence analysis of the genes coding for glycoproteins D and B, and the gene sequences were then used for phylogenetic analysis. The isolates from both buffaloes appeared identical at the level of the two genes, and were more closely related to bovine herpesvirus type 5 than to BoHv‐1.
Prediction from ultrasonographic measurements of the expected delivery date in two species of bottlenosed dolphin (Tursiops truncatus and Tursiops aduncus )
Authors: Lacave G. , Eggermont M. , Verslycke T. , Brook F. , Salbany A. , Roque L. , Kinoshita R.
Published: October 2010

Ultrasonographic measurements were made at least once a month during 14 gestations in seven Tursiops truncatus and 12 gestations in five Tursiops aduncus (bottlenosed dolphins). The 121 measurements of the fetal biparietal diameter and 139 measurements of the fetal thoracic diameter in T truncatus and the 97 measurements of the biparietal diameter and 97 measurements of the thoracic diameter in T aduncus were used to establish regression lines for the increases in the diameter of the head and thorax of the fetus with time. From these relationships an easy‐to‐use computer program was developed to predict the date of birth of the two species of bottlenosed dolphin, and its predictions were compared with the actual dates of birth of other calves of both species. The births occurred within the range of predicted dates, and even when only a few measurements were available, the program provided accurate predictions.
Influence of diet on the experimental infection of pigs withBrachyspira pilosicoli
Authors: Lindecrona R. H. , Jensen T. K. , Møoler K.
Published: October 2010

The effects of five different diets on the experimental infection of pigs with a Danish field isolate ofBrachyspira pilosicoliwere investigated. The diets tested were a pelleted and a non‐pelleted standard diet based on wheat and barley, the standard diet supplemented with 2 per cent lactic acid, a fermented liquid feed and a diet based on cooked rice. Two trials were conducted, each with six groups of six pigs; in each, two of the groups were fed the standard diet. One of these groups and the other four groups were challenged after two weeks on the diets and euthanased four weeks later. The clinical signs ofB pilosicoliinfection varied from loose stools to watery, mucoid diarrhoea. The group fed the rice diet excretedB pilosicoliin their faeces for a significantly shorter period than the group fed the standard diet (P<0.01), and fewer of them excreted the organism (P<0.05). All the pigs fed the pelleted diet excretedB pilosicoliin their faeces, and significantly more of them showed clinical signs of disease than the pigs fed the standard diet (P<0.05). The fermented liquid feed and the diet containing lactic acid had no significant effect on the excretion ofB pilosicolior on the numbers of pigs showing clinical signs of disease.
Natural infections ofCrenosoma vulpisandAngiostrongylus vasorumin dogs in Atlantic Canada and their treatment with milbemycin oxime
Authors: Conboy G.
Published: October 2010

Milbemycin oxime was used to treat dogs with natural infections of the fox lungworm,Crenosoma vulpisand the French heartworm,Angiostrongylus vasorum. Crenosomosis was identified in 42 of 202 dogs with clinical signs of coughing, dyspnoea or exercise intolerance by a Baermann analysis of faecal samples taken between October 2000 and October 2001. It occurred throughout Atlantic Canada (New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island). The clinical signs resolved and shedding of larvae in faeces ceased in all 32Crenosoma‐infected dogs given a single oral dose of 0‐5 mg/kg milbemycin oxime for which the results of faecal examinations were available. Angiostrongylosis was identified in 16 of the 202 dogs and was restricted to the Avalon peninsula of Newfoundland, where 67 dogs were tested. The clinical signs resolved and shedding of larvae ceased in 14 of the 16 dogs treated with four, weekly oral doses of 0.5 mg/kg milbemycin oxime. One dog with severe clinical signs died during the course of treatment and one owner failed to provide a faecal sample from their dog but reported that the clinical signs had resolved.
Evaluation of the appicatoion of veteroinary judgement in the pre‐emptive cull of contiguous premises during the epidemic of foot‐and‐mouth disease in Cumbria in 2001
Authors: Honhold N. , Taylor N.M. , Wingfield A. , Einshoj P. , Middlemiss C. , Eppink L. , Wroth R. , Mansley L.M.
Published: October 2010

This paper presents a detailed analysis of the application of contiguous culling in Cumbria between May 1 and September 30, during the outbreak of foot‐and‐mouth disease in 2001. The analysis shows that the application of veterinary risk assessment and judgement identified and removed groups of susceptible stock which were at risk of direct transmission of infection and avoided infected animals being left that might have spread the disease. When compared with an automatic contiguous cull, fewer culls were made and some of these were reduced in scale, providing economies in the use of resources. The data suggest that farms contiguous to an infected premises faced a 5 per cent risk of infection by direct transmission and a 12 per cent risk of infection by indirect transmission.
Listeria monocytogenes in horses in Iceland
Authors: Gudmundsdottir K. B. , Svansson V. , Gunnarsson E. , Sigurdarson S. , Aalbæk B.
Published: October 2010

Twenty isolates ofListeria monocytogenesassociated with five confirmed and four suspected incidents of listeriosis in horses in Iceland were characterised by serotyping, pulsed‐field gel electrophoresis and ribotyping. Semiquantitative estimates of the numbers of L monocytogenes were made on faeces from horses with clinical signs of listeriosis and on grass silage fed to them. Large numbers of L monocytogenes were often found in the faeces of horses with severe signs of disease. The 20 isolates could be divided into six genotypes, each incident involving only one genotype. One serovar 1/2a genotype was associated with three confirmed incidents of listeriosis in 1991, 1993 and 1997. In one incident, the same genotype was isolated from the organs of a horse with listeriosis and from the spoiled grass silage fed to it.
Detection of rabies viral antigens in non‐autolysed and autolysed tissues by using an immunoperoxidase technique
Authors: Arslan A. , Temur A. , Saglam Y. S.
Published: October 2010

The objectives of this study were to determine the potential of an immunoperoxidase technique involving the avidin‐biotin complex (ABC) stain for the diagnosis of rabies in fresh tissues and compare it with other standard methods, including the fluorescent antibody test (FAT), haematoxylin and eosin and Seller's stain, and to investigate its capacity to detect rabies antigen in autolysed tissues. Samples of non‐autolysed brain from 81 domestic and wild animals suspected of having rabies were examined. Rabies antigen was detected by FAT in 41 of these samples and Negri bodies were detected in 40 (97.6 per cent) of them by the immunoperoxidase technique, in 25 by haematoxylin and eosin and in 22 by Seller's stain. The sensitivity of the immunoperoxidase technique decreased as the tissues were left to autolyse; after two days it was 91.2 per cent, after four days 70.6 per cent, and after seven days 11.8 per cent.
Effects of hypervaccination with bovine herpesvirus type 1 gE‐deleted marker vaccines on the serological response and virological status of calves challenged with wild‐type virus
Authors: Toussaint J‐F. , Letellier C. , Kerkhofs P. , Rziha H‐J. , Bauer B.
Published: October 2010

Twenty‐four calves were immunised four times with gE‐deleted infectious bovine rhinotracheitis marker vaccines before being challenged with small doses of wild‐type bovine herpesvirus type 1 (BHV‐1). The repeated vaccinations induced strong immunity that prevented detectable virus replication and gE‐seroconversion after the challenge infection in most of the calves. The hypervaccinated calves that shed virus after the challenge infection showed no delay in gE‐seroconversion compared with unvaccinated control calves. Using a sensitive nested PCR, BHV‐1 gE sequences could be detected in the trigeminal ganglia of several of the gE‐seronegative, challenge‐infected calves, possibly indicating the presence of wild‐type BHV‐1 DNA.
Retinal dysplasia in wild otters (Lutra lutra)
Authors: Williams D. L. , Simpson V. R. , Flindall A.
Published: October 2010

Eyes from 88 otters found dead in south‐west England between 1990 and 2000, were collected as part of a larger pathological study. Histopathological examination of 131 eyes revealed dysplastic changes such as rosetting and folding in the retinas of 26 of the otters. In the eyes of 42 of the otters there were postmortem and fixation‐induced retinal detachment which complicated the differentiation of dysplastic from normal retina, but 11 eyes had folds which probably indicated a dysplastic pathology. The eyes of 18 of the otters had inflammatory or autolytic changes which precluded a definitive evaluation of their dysplastic status. Liver samples from 55 of the otters were analysed for a range of polychlorinated hydrocarbons and for vitamin A. The otters with dysplastic retinas had significantly lower concentrations of vitamin A and higher concentrations of dieldrin than the otters with normal retinas.
Echocardiographic examinations of 60 African grey parrots and 30 other psittacine birds
Authors: Pees M. , Straub J. , Krautwald‐Junghanns M‐E.
Published: October 2010

The aim of this study was to establish reference values for the assessment of cardiac function in birds by measuring structures in the heart of healthy psittacine birds; 60 grey parrots, 10 Amazon parrots, 10 cockatoos and 10 Senegal parrots were anaesthetised with isoflurane and examined echocardiographically. The heart was visualised in two planes (vertical and horizontal views). Depending on the quality of the images, several dimensions of the heart could be measured and various parameters calculated. On the basis of these values, it was possible to establish reference values for each parrot genus. Some relative parameters showed no significant difference between the genera, independent of the bird's size.
Relationship betwveen diet and liver carcinomas in roe deer in Kielder Forest and Gallowvay Forest
Authors: de Jong C. B. , san Wieren S. E. , Gill R.M.A. , Munro R.
Published: October 2010

The winter diets of roe deer culled from Kielder Forest, in north‐east England, where the incidence of liver carcinomas in roe deer is high, and Galloway Forest, in south‐west Scotland, where the incidence of liver carcinomas is low, were compared by microhistological analysis of faeces. Both areas are planted with spruce forests but the diets of the deer from Kielder Forest were less varied and contained more spruce and heather than the diets of the deer from Galloway Forest.
Rupture of the flexor tendons of a horse secondary to a non‐responsive digital sheath sepsis
Authors: Kidd J.A. , Voute L.C. , Hewetson M.
Published: October 2010

A 12‐year‐old hunter gelding became severely lame as a result of a laceration to the sheath of the digital flexor tendons of its left hindlimb, but there was no apparent damage to the tendons. The injury became chronically infected withPseudomonasandStreptococcusspecies andEscherichia coliwhich did not respond to antibiotic treatment, and the horse remained lame. A postmortem examination revealed that the tendons had ruptured.
Effects of supplementing pregnant heifers with methionine or melatonin on the anatomy and other characteristics of their lateral hind claws
Authors: Galbraith H. , Rae M. , Omand T. , Hendry K. A. K. , Knight C. H. , Wilde C. J.
Published: October 2010

Three groups of four primiparous Holstein‐Friesian heifers were fed throughout pregnancy either a control diet or that diet supplemented with either 5 to 6 g per day of rumen‐protected intestinally available methionine or 25 mg melatonin. They were euthanased three days after calving. The dietary supplements had no effect on the impression hardness or the concentrations of cysteine and methionine in samples of claw horn collected from a range of sites, or on the areas of erosion in the sole and heel. Significant differences were recorded for the hardness of the horn in the order wall>sole>heel. These differences were associated with higher concentrations of cysteine and lower concentrations of methionine in samples of horn from the dorsal wall than in samples from the prebulbar region of the sole. There were no significant differences attributable to the dietary supplements in the soft tissue anatomy of the solear dermis and epidermis.
Total and relative deficiency of gut mucosal IgA in German shepherd dogs demonstrated by faecal analysis
Authors: Littler R. M. , Batt R. M. , Lloyd D. H.
Published: October 2010

The concentration of immunoglobulins in faecal extracts was investigated as a method of assessing the production of immunoglobulins by the gut mucosa of 137 dogs. There were significant correlations between the concentrations in faecal extracts and the concentrations produced in duodenal organ cultures. Seventy‐six German shepherd dogs had significantly lower median immunoglobulin A (IgA) concentrations in their faecal extracts than 63 controls of various breeds. Sixteen of the German shepherd dogs had IgA concentrations below the 95 per cent confidence limit of the control population and six had no demonstrable faecal IgA. The faecal concentrations of immunoglobulin G and albumin were significantly higher in the German shepherd dogs than in the controls, but their immunoglobulin M concentrations were similar.
Evidence for the presence of bluetongue virus in Kosovo between 2001 and 2004
Authors: Osmani A. , Murati B. , Kabashi Q. , Goga I. , Berisha B. , Wilsmore A. J. , Hamblin C.
Published: October 2010

In 2001, clinical cases of bluetongue were observed in Kosovo, and in that year and in 2003 and 2004, serum samples were collected from cattle and small ruminants and tested for antibodies to bluetongue virus. The results provide evidence that bluetongue virus was not present in Kosovo before the summer of 2001, but that the virus circulated subclinically among the cattle and sheep populations of Kosovo in 2002, 2003 and 2004.
Endoscopic examination of snakes by access through an air sac
Authors: Jekl V. , Knotek Z.
Published: October 2010

Sixteen boa constrictors (Boa constrictor), three royal pythons (Python regius) and 15 Burmese pythons (Python molurus bivittatus) were examined endoscopically by access through the air sac. The snakes were immobilised in a ventral position using a half‐open anaesthetic system with assisted ventilation and a mixture of isoflurane and oxygen. The rigid endoscope was introduced percutaneously and the internal structure of the lungs and the air sac, and the shape, size and external surface of the liver were visible in the cranial direction. In the smaller snakes the bifurcation and caudal part of the trachea could be viewed, provided the endoscope was positioned in a retrograde orientation. The caudal orientation of the endoscope made it possible to view the gall bladder and the size, shape and surface of the spleen. In some cases, the pancreas and the surface of the stomach and colon could be monitored. Endoscopy through the air sac also made it possible to check the major veins in the coelom. The snakes were monitored for at least 30 days after the intervention and no changes in their respiratory function or general health were observed.
Assessment of a commercial sandwich ELISA in the diagnosis of aspergillosis in falcons
Authors: Arca‐Ruibal B. , Wernery U. , Zachariah R. , Bailey T. A. , Di Somma A. , Silvanose C. , McKinney P.
Published: October 2010

A commercial sandwich ELISA (Platelia Aspergillus EIA; Bio‐Rad) developed for the detection of galactomannan, a major cell wall constituent of Aspergillus species, was tested for its efficacy in the diagnosis of aspergillosis in falcons. Ninety serum samples from 50 aspergillosis‐positive falcons and 182 samples from 142 aspergillosis‐negative falcons were tested. The sensitivity of the test was only 12 per cent and its specificity was 95 per cent. The test was therefore unsatisfactory for detecting galactomannan in the serum samples and cannot be used as a screening test for aspergillosis in falcons.
Seasonal variations in the developmental competence of bovine oocytes matured in vitro
Authors: Silva C. C. , Rosa H. J. D. , Knight P. G.
Published: October 2010

Ovaries were collected over a period of two years from heifers slaughtered at under 30 months of age and used to harvest 1757 oocytes. After in vitro maturation, fertilisation and culture, the proportions of oocytes and cleaved embryos that developed to blastocysts were significantly higher (P<0·01) in the autumn, from September to November, than in the spring, from March to May. In contrast, embryo development, as assessed by oocytes that developed to eight or more cells and blastocysts, was lowest (P<0·01) in the spring. These results were consistent during the two‐year study, indicating a seasonal fluctuation in oocyte competence.
Randomised, placebo‐controlled trial of a live vaccine against porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus in sows on infected farms
Authors: Pejsak Z. , Markowska‐Daniel I.
Published: October 2010

A randomised, double‐blinded, placebo‐controlled study into the effectiveness and safety of a vaccine against porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) was carried out on three farms with a history compatible with chronic PRRSV infection; representative groups of sows and gilts were injected with a live vaccine against PRRSV, and during the next six weeks no side effects were observed. The remaining sows and gilts on the three farms were then vaccinated with the same vaccine. Again, no side effects were observed. There were significant reductions in abortion, reproductive disease, returns to oestrus and the numbers of stillborn pigs per sow, and significant increases in the numbers of liveborn pigs per sow and weaned pigs per sow among the vaccinated animals.
Haematological and serum biochemical values of southern chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica)
Authors: López‐Olvera J. R. , Marco I. , Montané J. , Lavín S.
Published: October 2010

Blood samples were taken from 75 free‐ranging southern chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica) captured in drive‐nets in Catalonia, north‐eastern Spain, and 20 haematological and 24 serum biochemical variables were analysed. The values were similar to those of other species of the Caprinae subfamily, except for cortisol, the concentration of which was higher. The red blood cell count (RBC), platelets and leucocytes, and the concentrations of cortisol, lactate, muscular enzymes and γ‐globulins were higher in summer than in spring, whereas the mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular haemoglobin, mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration, and the concentrations of cholesterol, total bilirubin and creatinine were lower. Adult males had higher RBC s and haemoglobin values than females in summer, and lower leucocyte, lymphocyte and neutrophil counts than females and yearling males. The concentrations of triglycerides, total bilirubin, lactate, creatinine, urea, chloride and α2 ‐globulins were higher in adult males than yearling males. In summer the adult females had higher values for platelets, lymphocytes, cortisol, sodium and muscular enzymes.
Herd‐level risk factors for the mortality of cows in Danish dairy herds
Authors: Thomsen P. T. , Kjeldsen A. M. , Sørensen J. T. , Houe H. , Ersbøll A. K.
Published: October 2010

The factors affecting the mortality of cows in Danish dairy herds were investigated by analysing data from 6839 herds. The mean risk of mortality during the first 100 days of lactation was 2·5 per cent. The risk of mortality increased with increasing herd size (odds ratio [OR] 1·05 for an increase in herd size of 50 cows), with the proportion of purchased cows (OR 1·05 for an increase in the proportion of purchased cows of 0·1), and with increases in the somatic cell count (OR 1·16 for an increase in average weighted mean somatic cell count of 100,000 cells/ml). The risk decreased with increasing average milk yield per cow (OR 0·93 for an increase in mean yield per cow‐year of 1000 kg). The risk was lower in free‐stall barns with deep litter (OR 0·79) than in barns with cubicles (OR 1) or tie‐stalls (OR 1·04). Herds with Danish Holstein (OR 1) or Danish Jersey (OR 0·93) cows as the predominant breed had a higher risk of mortality than herds of the Danish red dairy breed (OR 0·67). The risk of mortality was lower in organic herds (OR 1) than in conventional herds (OR 1·17), and lower in herds that grazed pasture during the summer (OR 0·78).
Detection of lymph node micrometastases in malignant mammary tumours in dogs by cytokeratin immunostaining
Authors: Matos A. J. F. , Faustino A. M. R. , Lopes C. , Rutteman G. R. , Gärtner F.
Published: October 2010

A series of 131 local and regional lymph nodes from 40 dogs with malignant mammary tumours were evaluated by staining with haematoxylin and eosin and immunohistochemically for antibodies to pancytokeratin (AE1/AE3) and cytokeratin 14. The immunohistochemical tests detected occult micrometastases in 9·2 per cent of the lymph nodes that were negative by haematoxylin and eosin staining. Under the modified TNM classification of canine mammary tumours, these results raised the clinical stage of 12·5 per cent of the affected dogs. However, if the latest TNM classification of human breast cancer had been applied, none of the animals would have been reclassified.