bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Scabies in free‐ranging mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei) in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda
Authors: Kalema‐Zikusoka G. , Kock R. A. , Macfie E. J.
Published: October 2010

Between August and December 1996, there was an outbreak of a debilitating skin disease attributed to Sarcoptes scabiei infection in mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei) in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda. All four members of a gorilla group which had been habituated to tourists were clinically affected; the infant male gorilla was most severely affected and died, the juvenile male showed serious manifestations of the disease and the two adult animals showed milder signs. The three older animals recovered after a single intramuscular dose of ivermectin. S scabiei mites were observed on skin scrapings and biopsies taken while the juvenile was immobilised and in postmortem samples taken from the infant. The clinical signs did not recur during the following year, and no other gorilla groups in the park were observed to be clinically affected.
Identification and distribution of a novelMalasseziaspecies yeast on normal equine skin
Authors: Nell A. , Herrtage M. E. , James S. A. , Bond C. J. , Hunt B.
Published: October 2010

This study aimed to investigate the distribution ofMalasseziaspecies yeasts on the skin of healthy horses. Acetate tape samples were obtained from the lip, axilla, interbulbar region, groin and anus of 12 healthy horses. The samples were stained and examined microscopically and sites harbouring yeast‐like organisms were identified. Contact plates were applied to the skin at these sites and cultured at 26°C and 32°C. No growth was obtained on horse blood, Sabouraud's dextrose or modified Dixon's agar. A pure growth of aMalassezia‐type organism was obtained on Sabouraud's dextrose agar enriched with oleic acid when it was incubated at 30°C. It was identified by 26S ribosomal DNA D1/D2 sequence analysis as a member of the genusMalassezia, and most closely related toMalassezia sympodialis. However, the level of sequence divergence indicated that it was a novel species.
Estimated nutrient content of diets commonly fed to pet birds
Authors: Hess L. , Mauldin G. , Rosenthal K.
Published: October 2010

The owners of 135 pet birds were surveyed by questionnaire to determine their birds' weekly food consumption. The birds were divided into six food groups on the basis of the amounts of seeds, formulated products and human food they consumed. The formulated products and seeds were analysed for their nutrient content by two independent laboratories, the nutrient content of the human foods was obtained from a standard nutrition reference, and each bird's nutrient intake was estimated. The dietary content of individual nutrients was then compared with the estimated maintenance requirements for pet birds. Birds consuming less than approximately 50 per cent of their diets as formulated products had inadequate intakes of vitamins A and D3, and calcium. Diets high in human food were low in protein, energy, vitamins and minerals. Diets high in seed were excessive in fat and deficient in vitamins A and D3, and calcium.
Differentiation of dogs with regenerative and non‐regenerative anaemia on the basis of their red cell distribution width and mean corpuscular volume
Authors: Neiger R. , Hadley J. , Pfeiffer D. U.
Published: October 2010

The red blood cell distribution width (RDW), which provides a quantitative measure of the heterogeneity of the red cell population (anisocytosis) in the peripheral blood, the mean corpuscular volume (Mcv) and a regression model combining both variables were used to assess their predictive accuracy in differentiating 51 dogs with regenerative anaemia from 92 dogs with non‐regenerative anaemia, which had been diagnosed on the basis of the corrected reticulocyte count. A classification tree analysis was constructed to generate an optimum set of diagnostic rules to differentiate between the two types of anaemia. Seventyfour dogs with a normal haemogram were used as controls. An increase of 1 per cent in the RDW and of 1 fl in the mcv increased the odds of an anaemic dog suffering from regenerative anaemia by factors of 1.3 and 1.14, respectively. By the classification tree, 78 per cent of anaemic dogs with a RDW of 16.25 per cent or less would be expected to have non‐regenerative anaemia. With a RDW over 16.25 per cent, an McV of 68.2 fl was the cut‐off between dogs expected to have regenerative (71 per cent) or non‐regenerative (75 per cent) anaemia. The RDW and mcv are measured by most automatic haematology analysers and may give the first indication of the bone marrow response of an anaemic dog. However, different electronic counters give different normal values of the RDW and MCV.
Serovars of Salmonellaisolated from Danish turkeys between 1995 and 2000 and their antimicrobial resistance
Authors: Pedersen K. , Hansen H. C. , Jørgensen J. C. , Borck B.
Published: October 2010

The prevalence of Salmonellaserovars and their antimicrobial resistance patterns were investigated among Danish turkeys between 1995 and 2000, by sampling the flocks approximately 14 days before they were slaughtered. Within the flocks, the prevalence of salmonella varied from 7.1 per cent to 25 per cent, and 24 different serovars were detected. The five most prevalent, which accounted for 58.5 per cent of the isolates were SalmonellaHeidelberg (16.2 per cent of the isolates), SalmonellaAgona (15.8 per cent), SalmonellaDerby (12.4 per cent), SalmonellaMuenster (7.3 per cent) and SalmonellaAnatum (6.8 per cent). In addition, a few rough isolates and isolates belonging to the antigenically incomplete formulae 6,7:‐:‐ and 4,12:b:‐ were found. The level of antimicrobial resistance was low; the highest resistance was recorded to ampicillin (13.7 per cent) and streptomycin (9.0 per cent) followed by tetracycline (8.5 per cent), sulphonamides (7.7 per cent) and spectinomycin (4.7 per cent). Resistance to quinolones was very low: four isolates were resistant to nalidixic acid, and only one was resistant to enrofloxacin. No resistance was recorded to colistin, apramycin, ceftiofur, florfenicol, or amoxycillin with clavulanic acid. Only 24 isolates were resistant to two or more compounds in various combinations of up to six compounds; one SalmonellaHavana isolate was resistant to six compounds. Six isolates were serovar Typhimurium, but none of them belonged to phage type DT104.
Domoic acid toxicity in Californian sea lions (Zalophus californianus): clinical signs, treatment and survival
Authors: Gulland E M. D. , Haulena M. , Fauquier D. , Lander M. E. , Zabka T. , Duerr R. , Langlois G.
Published: October 2010

Eighty‐one Californian sea lions (Zalophus californianus) with signs of domoic acid toxicity stranded along the coast of California in 1998 when there were blooms of the domoic acid‐producing alga Pseudonitzschia australisoff‐shore. In 2000, a further 184 sea lions stranded with similar clinical signs, but the strandings occurred both during detectable algal blooms and after the blooms had subsided. The clinical signs in these 265 Californian sea lions included seizures, ataxia, head weaving, decreased responsiveness to stimuli and scratching behaviour. Affected animals had high haematocrits, and eosinophil counts, and high activities of serum creatine kinase. They were treated supportively by using fluid therapy, diazepam, lorazepam and phenobarbitone. Fifty‐five of the 81 sea lions (68 per cent) affected in 1998 and 81 of the 184 (44 per cent) affected in 2000 died despite the treatment. Three of the 23 sea lions which survived in 1998 were tracked with satellite and radiotransmitters; they travelled as far south as San Miguel Island, California, and survived for at least three months. Eleven of the 129 animals which were released stranded within four months of being released.
Treatment of laryngeal hemiplegia in horses by prosthetic laryngoplasty, ventriculectomy and vocal cordectomy
Authors: Kidd J. A. , Slone D. E.
Published: October 2010

The medical records of 80 horses treated for left laryngeal hemiplegia by prosthetic laryngoplasty, ventriculectomy and vocal cordectomy were examined, first to compare the subjective and objective success rates for groups of horses of different ages and used for different purposes, and secondly, to compare the efficacy of including vocal cordectomy in the surgical protocol with published success rates for laryngoplasty and ventriculectomy alone. Subjectively, 70 per cent of the horses were said to have had a successful surgical outcome. The success rate for thoroughbred racehorses (66 per cent) was lower than for other breeds (90 per cent) on the basis of a subjective assessment by owners and trainers. Thoroughbreds two years old or younger had a success rate of 69 per cent, but older thoroughbreds had a success rate of 61 per cent. Of the 17 horses for which an objective performance index could be calculated, 10 (59 per cent) had an improved performance postoperatively. There was a nearly significant association between the objective and subjective assessments (P=0.078). Six of 69 horses (8.7 per cent) continued to make a respiratory noise after surgery. The subjective assessment of success did not appear to correlate with the objective measure of success used in this study and age had no apparent association with a successful surgical outcome. Inclusion of a vocal cordectomy in the surgical protocol may be more important in the eradication of postoperative respiratory noise than in improving clinical success rates.
Health of cows, calves and young stock on 26 organic dairy herds in Sweden
Authors: Hamilton C. , Forslund K. , Hansson I. , Emanuelson U. , Ekman T.
Published: October 2010

The health and housing of the stock on 26 organic dairy herds in four counties in eastern Sweden were studied for one year. The herds ranged in size from 12 to 64 cows, and their milk production from 3772 to 10,334 kg per cow per year. A large‐animal practitioner visited the farms three times during the year, and a random sample of a third of the cows in each herd were examined. The calves and young stock and their housing were also studied. The calves were in good condition in all but four herds; their serum immunoglobulins varied from almost none to high levels. The young stock were in good condition and in good housing in 20 herds. No cows with clinical signs of metabolic disorders were found. Body condition scores were adequate or good except in two herds. Acetone was analysed in milk samples from individual cows three to six weeks postpartum, and only sporadic cases with high levels were found. The incidence of diseases treated by a veterinarian was lower in the organic herds than the average for the conventional herds in the local dairy association. The findings at the farm visits supported these data, and it is evident that a good standard of health and welfare can be achieved in organic dairy herds.
Variations in the severity of phocid herpesvirus type 1 infections with age in grey seals and harbour seals
Authors: Martina B. E. E. , Jensen T. H. , van de Bildt M. W. G. , Osterhaus A. D. M. E. , Harder T. C.
Published: October 2010

The data recorded during an outbreak of phocid herpesvirus type 1 infection among 19 harbour seals and 29 grey seals being nursed in a seal rehabilitation centre in the Netherlands in 1998 were used, together with data from similar outbreaks in previous years, to compare the clinical signs observed in the two species at different ages. The severity of the disease was inversely correlated with age in the harbour seals, and the infected harbour seals generally developed more severe clinical signs than the infected grey seals.
Faecal carriage of verocytotoxin‐producing Escherichia coli0157 in cattle and sheep at slaughter in Great Britain
Authors: Paiba G. A. , Pascoe S. J. S. , Wilesmith J. W. , Kidd S. A. , Byrne C. , Ryan J. B. M. , Smith R. P. , McLaren I. M. , Jones Y. E. , Chappell S. A. , Gibbens J. C. , Futter R. J. , Kay A. C. S. , Willshaw G. A. , Cheasty T.
Published: October 2010

A 12‐month abattoir survey was conducted between January 1999 and January 2000, to determine the prevalence of faecal carriage of verocytotoxin‐producing Escherichia coli0157 (VTEC 0157) in cattle and sheep slaughtered for human consumption in Great Britain. Samples of rectum containing faeces were collected from 3939 cattle and 4171 sheep at 118 abattoirs, in numbers proportional to the throughput of the premises. The annual prevalence of faecal carriage of VTEC 0157 was 4.7 per cent (95 per cent confidence interval 4.1 to 5.4) for cattle and 1.7 per cent (1.3 to 2.1) for sheep, values which were statistically significantly different from each other (P<0.001). The organisms were recovered from both cattle and sheep slaughtered throughout the year and at abattoirs in all regions of the country, but the highest prevalence was in the summer. The most frequency recovered VTEC 0157 isolates were phage types 2, 8 and 21/28 in cattle and 4 and 32 in sheep, the five most frequently isolated phage types associated with illness in people in Great Britain during the same period.
Evaluation of measurements of the conductivity of quarter milk samples for the early diagnosis of mastitis
Authors: Biggadike H. J. , Ohnstad I. , Laven R. A. , Hillerton J. E.
Published: October 2010

Measurements of the conductivity of quarter milk samples were made in 31 cows in a 70‐cow herd in southeast England, for a period of 15 weeks. Over this period, 42 per cent of cow‐weeks and 20 per cent of quarter‐weeks had an increase in quarter milk conductivity of 10 per cent of more compared with the mean conductivity of the previous 14 milkings. Fourteen per cent of quarter‐weeks had an increase in conductivity of 15 per cent or more. The geometric mean somatic cell count (cell count) was higher in quarter‐weeks with a 10 per cent or greater increase in conductivity than in quarter‐weeks with a conductivity change of less than 10 per cent. At a conductivity threshold of 10 or 15 per cent and a cell count threshold of 200,000 or 400,000 cells/ml the specificity of this system was estimated to be 85 to 92 per cent, the sensitivity 40 to 54 per cent, the negative predictive value 87 to 93 per cent and the positive predictive value 33 to 55 per cent. The positive predictive value of the individual quarter milk conductivity was insufficiently accurate to be used as the sole criterion for the selection of quarters for early antibiotic treatment.
Hock injuries in cattle kept in straw yards or cubicles with rubber mats or mattresses
Authors: Livesey C. T. , Marsh C. , Metcalf J. A. , Laven R. A.
Published: October 2010

Hock damage is one of the most common traumatic injuries suffered by dairy cows, but most hock injuries should be avoidable. This study investigated the effect of housing system on the development of hock damage in first lactation Holstein heifers. After calving, 60 heifers were randomly allocated to either straw yards, cubicles with butyl rubber mats or cubicles with mattresses filled with chopped tyres. The hocks of these heifers were examined in the first week after calving (week 1) and in weeks 6, 12 and 26 of lactation. Hock damage was scored as either 1 (hair loss only) or 2 (all other damage). Heifers housed in cubicles with mats had significantly worse lesions at week 26 than at week 1, while there was no change in heifers housed in cubicles with matresses, and heifers housed on straw had significantly lower lesion scores. Additionally, heifers with no lesions at calving were significantly more likely to develop lesions when kept on mats than heifers kept on straw or mattresses. These data suggest that replacing mats with mattresses in cubicles can result in a significant reduction in traumatic hock injury.
Fertility of dairy cows in Northern Ireland
Authors: Mayne C. S. , Mackey D. R. , Verner M. , McCaughey W. J. , Gordon F. J. , McCoy M. A. , Lennox S. D. , Catney D. C. , Wylie A. R. G. , Kennedy B. W.
Published: October 2010

A comprehensive database was established on the milk production and reproductive performance of dairy cows in 19 selected herds in Northern Ireland, varying in size, management system and genetic merit. Data were obtained for 2471 cows, 1775 of which calved in a second year, and 693 were culled from the herd for specific reasons. The estimated mean rate of heat detection (assessed by the interheat interval during the main breeding season) in all the herds was 71 per cent, with a range from 53 to 92 per cent. The average conception rate to first insemination was 37.1 per cent (range 21 to 66 per cent). The average calving interval for the retained cows was 407.2 days (range 359 to 448 days). Twenty.eight per cent of the cows that calved were culled, with infertility being the largest single reason (26.8 per cent of the cows culled). There were major differences in reproductive performance between the herds, but heat detection rate, conception rate and calving interval did not appear to be affected by a herd's genetic merit. The herds with shorter calving intervals were characterised by better heat detection efficiency (83 v 61 per cent, P<0.01), a shorter interval from calving to first insemination (74 v 97 days; P<0.05), a higher conception rate to first insemination (45 v 34 per cent, P>0.10) and a lower removal rate (23 v 37 per cent, P<0.01). Furthermore, the cows in these herds had lower body condition scores (BCS) in the dry period (3.0 v 3.3; P<0.05) but lost less body condition in early lactation (0.3 v 0.6 BCS units, P<0.05). These results show that dairy herd fertility in Northern Ireland is generally low and similar to that previously reported for England and the USA, but that in some herds changes in herd management practices improved the cows' fertility.
Urinary cortisol:creatinine ratios in healthy horses and horses with hyperadrenocorticism and non.adrenal disease
Authors: Chandler K. J. , Dixon R. M.
Published: October 2010

Urinary cortisol and creatinine concentrations, and the cortisol:creatinine ratio were compared between 12 healthy horses (group 1), 13 horses with Cushing's disease (group 2), and eight horses with dysautonomia syndrome (equine grass sickness) (group 3). The mean (sd) urinary cortisol concentrations were 112 (55.7), 250 (357) and 864 (526) nmol/litre in groups 1,2 and 3, respectively; the mean (sd) urinary creatinine concentrations were 18.9 (7.3),12.0 (6.7) and 45.2 (26.4) nmol/litre in groups 1,2 and 3, respedively, and the mean (sd) ratios were 6.1 (2.6),19.8 (23.8) and 21.3 (14.5) (× 10‐6) in groups 1,2 and 3, respectively. The urinary cortisol and creatinine concentrations were significantly greater in group 3 than in groups 1 and 2, but the ratios were not significantly different, although there was a trend (P=0.076) towards higher values in groups 2 and 3. A diagnostic cut.off in the cortisol:creatinine ratio for the confirmation of Cushing's disease of more than 6.9 × 10‐6was associated with a diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of 92.3 and 75.0 per cent, respectively, when compared with healthy horses. However, when group 3 horses were included, a cut.off of more than 7.4 × 10‐6was associated with a diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of 84.6 and 54.5 per cent, respectively.
Trilostane treatment of 78 dogs with pituitary‐dependent hyperadrenocorticism
Authors: Neiger R. , Hurley K. J. , Ramsey I. , O'Connor J. , Mooney C. T.
Published: October 2010

The efficacy of trilostane in the treatment of canine pituitary‐dependent hyperadrenocorticism (PDH) was evaluated in 78 dogs with the condition which were treated for up to three years. The drug appeared to be well tolerated by almost all the dogs, and only two developed clinical signs and biochemical evidence of hypoadrenocorticism. Polyuria and polydipsia completely resolved in 70 per cent of the dogs that had these problems, and skin changes resolved in 62 per cent of the dogs that had skin abnormalities. There was a significant reduction (P<0.001 in each case) in both the mean basal and post‐adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) cortisol concentrations after a mean of 12.3 days of treatment. The post‐ACTH cortisol concentration decreased to less than 250 nmol/litre in 81 per cent of the dogs within one month of the start of treatment and in another 15 per cent at some later time. The median survival time of the 26 dogs which died was 549 days, and 51 of the dogs were alive at the completion of the study. One was lost to follow up after 241 days treatment.
Degrees of aversion shown by rats and mice to different concentrations of inhalational anaesthetics
Authors: Leach M. C. , Bowell V. A. , Allan T. F. , Morton D. B.
Published: October 2010

The distress associated with the induction of anaesthesia with halothane, isoflurane, enflurane and carbon dioxide was investigated in rats and mice by measuring the level of aversion they displayed on exposure to low, medium and high concentrations of these agents. The animals were exposed to each agent in a test chamber containing air or gas mixtures, which they were able to enter and leave at will, and the level of aversion was assessed in terms of the initial withdrawal and total dwelling times in the chamber. Comparisons between the anaesthetic and air‐control treatments indicated that concentrations of the agents recommended for the rapid and efficient induction of anaesthesia were associated with some degree of aversion. Carbon dioxide was by far the most aversive gas for both rats and mice, with the least aversive being halothane for rats, and halothane and enflurane for mice. With all the anaesthetics, the level of aversion increased as the concentration increased.
Epidemiology and control of an outbreak of classical swine fever in wild boar in Switzerland
Authors: Schnyder M. , Vanzetti T. , Stärk K. D. C. , Schleiss W. , Salman M. D. , Thur B. , Griot C.
Published: October 2010

An outbreak of classical swine fever in wild boar in the southern part of Switzerland (Canton of Ticino) was investigated after the implementation of control measures in a defined infected area (the risk zone), and in a surrounding surveillance zone (the non‐risk zone). After the disease had been detected, hunting was not allowed in the risk zone for over six months, during which the disease was left to run its course, but hunting was continued in the non‐risk zone for one month. After seven months, a hunting strategy targeted at young animals was implemented in both zones. Between May 1998 and January 2000,1294 wild boar were shot or found dead, and diagnostic and biological data were collected and analysed. Only one animal from the nonrisk zone was found to be seropositive for antibodies to the virus, whereas 179 of 528 wild boar from the risk zone were virus positive and 162 were seropositive. The proportion of virus‐positive animals decreased from 62.7 per cent to zero over one year. During the first hunting season, seropositive animals were found in all age groups, but 12 months later only animals more than one year old had antibodies against the virus.
Evaluation of peripheral lymphoreticular biopsy techniques and their clinical side effects in sheep
Authors: Thuring C. M. A. , Crowe M. A. , Roche J. F. , Sweeney T. , McAllister H. , Earley B.
Published: October 2010

Tissue samples were collected postmortem from 126 sheep at five lymphoreticular sites by different techniques. The three most successful combinations of sites and techniques were: the third eyelids, using a forceps and scissors, which provided a mean (se) of 5.32 (0.70) lymphoid follicles per 5 pm tissue section, a mandibular lymph node, using a Biopty gun, which gave 1.19 (0.26) lymphoid follicles per 5 pm tissue section, and tonsil, using a biopsy forceps, which gave 1.14 (0.27) lymphoid follicles per 5 pm tissue section. These three techniques were repeated once a month for five months on five sheep under general anaesthesia, and their clinical effects were compared with five control sheep which were restrained and anaesthetised in the same way but from which no biopsies were taken. Most lymphoid follicles (3.47 [0.581 per 5 pm tissue section) were obtained by using the third eyelid biopsy technique. There were no clinical side effects associated with the biopsy procedure. There were increases in the plasma concentration of cortisol in all the animals, suggesting that the restraint and anaesthesia were more stressful than the biopsy procedure.
Risk factors for Johne's disease in Scotland ‐ the results of a survey of farmers
Authors: Daniels M. J. , Hutchings M. R. , Allcroft D. J. , McKendrick I. J. , Greig A.
Published: October 2010

The reported incidence of Johne's disease has been increasing in the east of Scotland since 1993. A postal questionnaire survey was sent to 127 farms to identify potential risk factors for Johne's disease in relation to wildlife and farm management practices, and 86 returns were obtained. Of 22 farms which had been assumed to be free of the disease, on the basis of information held by local veterinary centres, seven (32 per cent) reported cases of Johne's disease in the 1990s, indicating that the disease is under‐reported. Logistic regression analyses showed that eight of 63 potentially explanatory variables were significant at the 5 per cent level in affecting the likelihood of farms reporting Johne's disease. Of these, large numbers of livestock and rabbits, and access of wildlife to feed stores were the clearest and most consistent risk factors associated with the disease. The application of manure to grazing pasture, the type of water supply for the cattle and the numbers of crows were also related to the presence of Johne's disease but the nature of these relationships was less clear. Only 38 per cent of the farms reported taking any control measures to combat Johne's disease, but three of the control measures were relevant to risk factors identified as significant by the survey, namely maintaining a clean water supply, controlling rabbits and not spreading manure on to grazing pasture.
Analysis of the variations in clinical signs shown by 254 cases of equine headshaking
Authors: Mills D. S. , Cook S. , Taylor K. , Jones B.
Published: October 2010

A national survey of headshaking in 254 horses was undertaken to describe the clinical signs of the condition as observed by horse owners. Principal component analysis was used to determine the underlying structure of 11 signs and the criteria by which the affected horses could be most effectively differentiated; the analysis suggested five components with a variance greater than one which together explained over 60 per cent of the total variance. Other analyses of the data indicated that headshaking could develop at any age and that twice as many males were affected as females; 64 per cent of the horses shook their heads seasonally and geldings were more likely than mares to be seasonally affected. Seasonal headshaking tended to be significantly worse on sunny days but improved on rainy days, windy days, at night and indoors.
Effect of vaccinating sows and their piglets on the development of Glässer's disease induced by a virulent strain ofHaemophilus parasuisserovar 5
Authors: Baumann G. , Bilkei G.
Published: October 2010

Ten pregnant gilts were divided into two groups of five and one group was vaccinated at 80 and 95 days of pregnancy with a commercial bacterin containingHaemophilus parasuisserovars 2, 3 and 5. Half the piglets born to each group of gilts were vaccinated at seven and 21 days of age with the same bacterin, and one week after they were weaned at five weeks, all the piglets were inoculated intratracheally with 106colony‐forming units ofH parasuisserovar 5. At slaughter, a significantly smaller percentage of the lungs of the pigs born to the vaccinated gilts was affected by pneumonic lesions, and significantly fewer of them had arthritic joint changes. The average daily liveweight gain of the pigs born to the vaccinated gilts was significantly greater than that of those born to the unvaccinated gilts, but the vaccination of the piglets had no effect. There was no significant difference between the feed conversion ratios of the four groups of piglets, and none between the average times they took to reach slaughter weight. The pigs born to the vaccinated gilts had higher ELISA titres toH parasuisthan those born to the unvaccinated gilts.
Atypical time course of clinical signs in a dog poisoned by strychnine
Authors: Meiser H. , Hagedorn H‐W.
Published: October 2010

The general health of a German shepherd dog had deteriorated slightly when it was found after being loose for one hour. After 10 hours of observation, the dog showed signs of pain for the first time and signs of poisoning, such as tenseness of muscles, slight opisthotonus, regurgitation, salivation, mydriasis, dyspnoea and cyanosis, were observed; it died 15 minutes after showing the first clinical signs but it had no seizures or tetanic spasms at any time. A postmortem examination did not reveal any pathological changes. A screening test for alkaloids was positive for strychnine (strychnidin‐10‐one). The presence of strychnine was confirmed and its concentration was determined by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry in urine (728.5 ng/ml) and in the stomach contents (44.6 μg/g). No strychnine was detected in the dog's serum, but traces of brucine (2,3‐dimethoxystrychnidin‐10‐one), the dimethoxy derivative of strychnine, were detected. This case was compared with other strychnine poisonings recorded in the authors' laboratory over the previous six years, taking into account the species, type of samples, the clinical signs and their duration, the postmortem findings, and the concentrations of strychnine. This was the only case to show such an atypical time course of clinical signs.
Hereditary cerebellar degeneration in three full sibling kittens
Authors: Willoughby K. , Kelly D. E
Published: October 2010

Two domestic shorthair littermate kittens had signs of cerebellar dysfunction, first observed between seven and eight weeks of age; a third littermate was unaffected. The signs were progressive and the more severely affected kitten was euthanased after six days. A postmortem examination revealed no gross lesions but the kitten had cerebellar cortical degeneration with extensive loss of Purkinje cells. The second kitten was euthanased at 10 months of age with similar, though more pronounced, changes. One of the two kittens in the next litter of the same parents had similar clinical signs and histopathological findings. The lesions in the cerebellum are interpreted as probably due to genetically determined abiotrophy. In addition, the two older kittens had medullary neuronal changes interpreted as probable neuraxonal dystrophy, and focal vacuolation of the neuropil in the medulla and cervical spinal cord.
Trends in antimicrobial susceptibility among isolates of Campylobacter species in Ireland and the emergence of resistance to ciprofloxacin
Authors: Lucey B. , Cryan B. , O'Halloran F. , Wall P. G. , Buckley T. , Fanning S.
Published: October 2010

Measurements were made of the susceptibility to six commonly prescribed antibiotics, including erythromycin, tetracycline and ciprofloxacin, of 130 isolates of Campylobacter jejuni and 15 isolates of Campylobacter coli cultured from human and poultry sources during 2000. The results were compared with the results from a collection of strains isolated between 1996 and 1998. The levels of resistance to erythromycin remained low, 2 per cent and 4.4 per cent for the human and poultry isolates, respectively. Resistance to tetracycline had increased to 31 per cent and 24.4 per cent from 13.9 per cent and 18.8 per cent for the human and poultry isolates, respectively. However, the resistance to ciprofloxacin of the strains isolated during 2000 had increased to 30 per cent, whereas between 1996 and 1998 there had been no resistance to this agent among human isolates, and only 3‐1 per cent resistance among poultry isolates. The molecular basis for this resistance has been shown to be the result of a single amino acid substitution, Thr‐86‐lle, in the gyrA subunit of DNA gyrase in C jejuni. A subset of 59 isolates was tested by molecular methods and all of the 25 phenotypically resistant isolates possessed this substitution. None of the human isolates had been treated with ciprofloxacin before their laboratory isolation.
Effects of grazing undrenched weaner deer on chicory or perennial ryegrass/white clover pasture on the viability of gastrointestinal nematodes and lungworms
Authors: Schreurs N. M. , Lopez‐Villalobos N. , Barry T. N. , Molan A. L. , McNabb W. C.
Published: October 2010

This study determined the in vitro effects on the viability of internal parasites of grazing undrenched weaner deer on either chicory (Cichorium intybus) or perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne)/white clover (Trifolium repens) pasture. One experiment investigated the hatching and development of gastrointestinal nematode eggs and larvae, and the development and motility of Li lungworm (Dictyocaulus eckerti) larvae, and a second experiment used larval migration inhibition assays to test the viability of LI lungworm larvae extracted from the faeces of weaner deer grazed on either chicory or pasture when they were incubated with rumen and abomasal fluids from fistulated deer also grazing on chicory or pasture. The incubations were undertaken with and without added condensed tannins purified from chicory and with or without polyethylene glycol (PEG) to bind the tannins. Chicory had no effect on the hatching and development of gastrointestinal nematode eggs and larvae. Grazing chicory reduced the number of lungworm larvae developing to the L3 stage, and Li lungworm larvae from the faeces of chicory‐grazed deer were less viable in rumen and abomasal fluid than larvae from pasture‐grazed animals. Abomasal fluid was significantly (P<0.001) less inhibitory to the migration of Li lungworms than rumen fluid. When the larvae were incubated in rumen and abomasal fluids from chicory‐grazed deer, their passage through sieves was significantly (P<0.001) reduced in comparison with when they were incubated in the fluids from pasture‐razed deer. Adding condensed tannins to rumen fluid increased the inhibition of the migration of Li lungworm larvae but PEG removed this inhibition; this effect was not observed with abomasal fluid.
Treatment of urethral sphincter mechanism incompetence in 11 bitches with a sustainedrelease formulation of phenylpropanolamine hydrochloride
Authors: Bacon N. J. , Oni O. , White R. A. S.
Published: October 2010

Between 1995 and 1999, urethral sphincter mechanism incompetence was diagnosed in 11 bitches. They had been treated with phenylpropanolamine hydrochloride at the recommended dose rate, but had shown no response or had become refractory to treatment. They were treated with phenylpropanolamine hydrochloride in a sustained‐release formulation combined with diphenylpyraline hydrochloride. The urinary incontinence resolved fully in six of the bitches, two of which remained continent after the treatment was withdrawn; two showed a marked improvement on daily treatment, but the other three bitches failed to respond and underwent colposuspension.
Effect of a treatment with eprinomectin or trichiorfon on the yield and quality of milk produced by multiparous dairy cows
Authors: Reist M. , Medjitna T. D. E. , Braun U. , Pfister K.
Published: October 2010

The effects of a strategic antiparasitic treatment againstHypodermaspecies and other parasites on the milk yield, composition, and somatic cell counts of 742 multiparous dairy cattle were investigated on 79 farms in aHypodermaspecies.endemic area in western Switzerland; 357 of the cows were treated with eprinomectin, 252 with trichlorfon, and 133 were left untreated. The treatments were given between October and early December 1998, on average 53 days before calving. Milk yield, fat, protein and somatic cell counts were measured once a month until the end of lactation. Eprinomectin and trichlorfon significantly increased milk yield during the first month after treatment compared with the control cows by 2.14 (P<0.001) and 2.50 kg per day (P<0.001), respectively. Initially, the difference between the eprinomectin‐ and trichlorfon‐treated animals was not significant, but the effect of eprinomectin on milk yield was persistent, whereas the effect of trichlorfon decreased significantly by 0.12 kg per day per month (P<0.05). The somatic cell counts increased significantly slower in the treated cows than in the control cows (P<0.05). Milk composition was not affected by the treatments.
Chronic nodular panniculitis in a three‐year‐old mare
Authors: Menzies‐Gow N. J. , McGowan C. M. , Patterson‐Kane J. C.
Published: October 2010

The clinical signs of chronic nodular panniculitis in a three‐year‐old mare were consistent with a diagnosis of sterile nodular panniculitis, but the mare had histopathological signs of both generalised steatitis and sterile nodular panniculitis. The mare was deficient in vitamin E and selenium.
Geographical clustering of cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) born in Switzerland after the feed ban
Authors: Doherr M. G. , Zurbriggen A. , Hett A. R. , Rüfenacht J. , Heim D.
Published: October 2010

Over one‐third of the cases of BSE in Switzerland have been born after the feed ban of December 1, 1990. Evidence for the geographical clustering of these cases emerged in two distinct regions. All the 354 BSE cases recorded until June 30, 2000 (set A), and the 376 cases recorded up to May 14, 2001 (set B), were georeferenced to the centres of the communities in which the herds of origin were located, and control populations were georeferenced to the centres of the communities in which these herds were located at the time of the census. The latitudes and longitudes of these centres were used in the statistical analysis of the spatial clustering. The Cuzick‐Edwards test and the spatial scan statistics were applied to assess the significance of the clusters, while controlling for the spatial distribution of the underlying cattle population. There was global clustering of the cases born after the ban, and distinct and significant (P<0.05) spatial clusters were repeatedly identified in the two case datasets, and in several control populations (all cases born before the feed ban on a random sample of control farms) in terms of cattle density by region or cow density by region. Differential reporting was excluded as the underlying reason for the observed clusters.
Isolation ofMycoplasmaspecies from the lower respiratory tract of healthy cattle and cattle with respiratory disease in Belgium
Authors: Thomas A. , Dizier I. , Trolin A. , Mainil J. , Linden A. , Ball H. , Bell C.
Published: October 2010

Between 1997 and 2000, a total of 150 healthy cattle and 238 animals with respiratory disease were examined for sixMycoplasmaspecies. Attempts were made to detectMycoplasma canis, Mycoplasma disparandUreaplasma diversumin calves with recurrent disease, and all three of these spedes were identified in calves with recurrent disease and in healthy lungs. In healthy calves, 84 per cent of bronchoalveolar lavage fluids were mycoplasma free; when cultures were positive,Mycoplasma bovirhiniswas the only species isolated. Mycoplasmas were isolated from 78 per cent of animals suffering recurrent respiratory disease and from 65 per cent of acute respiratory cases.Mycoplasma boviswas isolated from bronchoalveolar lavages from 35 per cent of calves suffering recurrent respiratory disease, and from 50 per cent of acute cases, and from 20 per cent of pneumonic cases examined postmortem.M boviswas associated with otherMycoplasmaspecies in 44 per cent of cases.M disparwas also isolated from 45.5 per cent of calves suffering recurrent respiratory disease, often in association withM bovis.M caniswas identified for the first time in diseased Belgian cattle. Other mycoplasmas, includingMycoplasma arginini, Mycoplasma alkalescensandU diversum, were isolated less frequently. Associations between mycoplasmas and other pathogens were often observed. Among lungs infected withPasteurellaand/orMannheimiaspecies, more than 50 per cent were mixed infections withM bovis.
Protection of vaccinated pigs against experimental infections with homologous and heterologousHoemophilus parasuis
Authors: Bak H. , Riising H‐J.
Published: October 2010

The efficacy of a newHaemophilus parasuisvaccine for pigs was investigated. The vaccine containsH parasuisserotype 5 cells and is adjuvanted with Diluvac Forte (Intervet). Groups of pigs were vaccinated at fwe and seven weeks with 2 ml and their littermates served as unvaccinated controls. The vaccinated pigs were protected against a challenge with another strain ofH parasuisserotype 5 at two, eight and 17 weeks after the second vaccination, whereas the controls became very ill. The susceptibility of the pigs to the infection decreased with increasing age. After a heterologous challenge withH parasuisserotypes 1, 12, 13 and 14, two weeks after the second vaccination, the vaccine also gave clear protection. The severity of the illness among the control pigs differed with the different serotypes.
Efficacy of bronopol against infection of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) with the fungus Saprolegnia species
Authors: Branson E.
Published: October 2010

A trial was carried out to test the efficacy of bronopol against infection of rainbow trout broodstock with the fungus Saprolegnia species. Replicate groups of 20 fish were held in each of four raceways. Two groups were treated in baths containing 20 mg bronopol/litre for 30 minutes on 15 consecutive days, and the other groups were treated in a similar way with a placebo. In the treated groups the percentages of infected fish decreased during the trial from 70 per cent and 40 per cent to 0 per cent, whereas the percentages in the placebo groups increased from 45 to 74 per cent and from 35 to 55 per cent; the severity of the infection also increased in the placebo groups.
Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serotype Typhimurium and Escherichia coli 086 in wild birds at two garden sites in south‐west Scotland
Authors: Pennycott T. W. , Cinderey R. N. , Park A. , Mather H. A. , Foster G.
Published: October 2010

Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serotype Typhimurium and Escherichia coli 086:K61 :NM are two bacteria that can cause outbreaks of mortality in garden birds visiting bird tables and other feeding stations. Two sites in south‐west Scotland were monitored for the two organisms for 12 months. At site A, large numbers of birds fed throughout the year, and at site B smaller numbers of birds fed only in the winter months. Samples of composite faeces were collected from the feeding stations and screened for the organisms, and any dead birds were also screened. S Typhimurium definitive type (DT) 56 (variant) was found to be endemic at site A, and was recovered from 48 per cent of samples of composite faeces collected from the bird table, from 42 per cent of composite faeces from underneath a hanging feeder, and from 33 per cent of composite faeces from below a roost used by house sparrows; the organism was also isolated from the carcases of six wild birds found dead at the site. In contrast, S Typhimurium (DT41) was recovered only once at site B, from 2 per cent of the composite faeces from below a hanging feeder, and no dead birds were recovered from the site. E coli 086 was not recovered from the faeces collected from either site, but was isolated from a bird that died from trauma at site A.
Antimicrobial resistance in staphylococci from canine pyoderma: a prospective study of first‐time and recurrent cases in Sweden
Authors: Holm B. R. , Petersson U. , Mörner A. , Bergström K. , Franklin A. , Greko C.
Published: October 2010

In a prospective study involving eight veterinary clinics during 1995 and 1996, samples from first‐time and recurrent cases of canine pyoderma were collected by a needle technique. Three hundred and ninety‐four staphylococci were isolated and their susceptibility to various antimicrobial drugs was assessed by a microdilution technique. Resistance to macrolides, lincosamides, fusidic acid, tetracycline and streptomycin was significantly more common in isolates from the recurrent cases than from the first‐time cases; 20 per cent of the isolates from the first‐time cases were resistant to three or more of the antimicrobials tested, compared with 45 per cent of those from the recurrent cases. Coresistance between macrolidelincosamides, tetracyclines and streptomycin was common. No resistance to penicillinase‐stable β‐lactams was observed. A comparison with earlier studies indicated that there had been a marked increase in resistance during the previous five years.
Controlling the onset of natural cryptosporidiosis in calves with paromomycin sulphate
Authors: Grinberg A. , Markovics A. , Galindez J. , Lopez‐Villalobos N. , Kosak A. , Tranquillo V. M.
Published: October 2010

A prospective, controlled‐blind field trial was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of paromomycin sulphate, given for 10 days from birth, in preventing natural cryptosporidiosis in calves. In the untreated control group, oocyst shedding and diarrhoea followed the pattern that had occurred on the farm before the trial, consistent with a perinatal infection, whereas in the treated group, the prepatent period was significantly longer than in the control group (P<0.01) and oocyst shedding and diarrhoea started only after the drug was withdrawn. However, the regimen did not reduce the incidence of disease in the treated group.
Serological surveyToxoplasma gondiiof a on feline immunodeficiency virus and feine leukaemia virus in urban stray cats in Belgium
Authors: Dorny P. , Speybroeck N. , Verstraete S. , Baeke M. , De Becker A. , Berkvens D. , Vercruysse J.
Published: October 2010

Three hundred and forty‐six serum samples taken between 1998 and 2000 from urban stray cats in the city of Ghent were tested for antibodies toToxoplasma gondiiand feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), and antigens of feline leukemia virus (FeLV). Of these 346 samples, 243 (70.2 per cent) were seropositive forT gondii. Thirty‐nine cats (1 1.3 per cent) had antibodies againSt Flv and 13 (3.8 per cent) had circulating antigens Of FeLv. Fewer of the female cats had FIV and heavier cats had a higher seroprevalence Of FIV. Exact logistic regression showed that cats that were infected with FIV were more likely to be infected withT gondii(P=0.04), and the cats with Fivl had a higher titre ofT gondiiantibodies than Fill‐negative animals. However, FeLV was not associated with eitherT gondiior FIV.
Effects of epidural injections and transvaginal aspiration of ovarian follicles in heifers used repeatedly for ultrasound‐guided retrieval of ova and embryo production
Authors: McEvoy T. G. , Thompson H. , Dolman D. F. , Watt R. G. , Reis A. , Staines M. E.
Published: October 2010

Postmortem examinations of 13 Simmental heifers that had received between 16 and 28 injections to induce caudal epidural anaesthesia, the last not less than seven months before they were slaughtered, showed that none of them had any evidence of infection or inflammation at the injection site or in adjacent bone and soft tissues. Seven of them had minor damage to intercoccygeal discs, consisting of discospondylosis with neovascularisation and chondroid metaplasia, consistent with injuries caused by needles. The severity of the damage was not related to the number of epidural injections received, suggesting that the damage was probably caused by a discrete suboptimal injection procedure. In a second study, the ovaries from 22 Simmental heifers that had undergone between 13 and 16 transvaginal follicular aspirations were examined postmortem. Approximately one‐third of them had a natural texture with little or no evidence of scar tissue, and less than one in five had extensive scarring and a toughened texture. There was no evidence of compromised ovarian function, as determined by the number and normality of corpora lutea and large follicles, in any of the animals.