bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Enterohemorrhagic
Escherichia coli
Adhesins
Authors: McWilliams Brian D. , Torres Alfredo G.
Published: October 2014

Adhesins are a group of proteins in enterohemorrhagic
Escherichia coli
(EHEC) that are involved in the attachment or colonization of this pathogen to abiotic (plastic or steel) and biological surfaces, such as those found in bovine and human intestines. This review provides the most up-to-date information on these essential adhesion factors, summarizing important historical discoveries and analyzing the current and future state of this research. In doing so, the proteins intimin and Tir are discussed in depth, especially regarding their role in the development of attaching and effacing lesions and in EHEC virulence. Further, a series of fimbrial proteins (Lpf1, Lpf2, curli, ECP, F9, ELF, Sfp, HCP, and type 1 fimbria) are also described, emphasizing their various contributions to adherence and colonization of different surfaces and their potential use as genetic markers in detection and classification of different EHEC serotypes. This review also discusses the role of several autotransporter proteins (EhaA-D, EspP, Saa and Sab, and Cah), as well as other proteins associated with adherence, such as flagella, EibG, Iha, and OmpA. While these proteins have all been studied to varying degrees, all of the adhesins summarized in this article have been linked to different stages of the EHEC life cycle, making them good targets for the development of more effective diagnostics and therapeutics.
Shiga Toxin-Producing
Escherichia coli
(STEC) in Fresh Produce—A Food Safety Dilemma
Authors: Feng Peter
Published: October 2014

Produce contains high levels of mixed microflora, including coliforms and
Escherichia coli
, but occasionally pathogens may also be present. Enterotoxigenic
E. coli
and Shigatoxin-producing
E. coli
(STEC) have been isolated from various produce types, especially spinach. The presence of STEC in produce is easily detected by PCR for the Shiga toxin (Stx) gene,
stx
, but this is insufficient for risk analysis. STEC comprises hundreds of serotypes that include known pathogenic serotypes and strains that do not appear to cause severe illness. Moreover, Stx without a binding factor like intimin (encoded by
eae
) is deemed to be insufficient to cause severe disease. Hence, risk analyses require testing for other virulence or serotype-specific genes. Multiplex PCR enables simultaneous testing of many targets, but, in a mixed flora sample, not all targets detected may be coming from the same cell. The need to isolate and confirm STEC in produce is critical, but it is time- and labor-intensive due to the complexity of the group. Studies showed that only a handful of STEC strains in produce have
eae
, and most belonged to recognized pathogenic serotypes so are of definite health risks. Several
eae
-negative strains belonged to serotypes O113:H21 and O91:H21 that historically have caused severe illness and may also be of concern. Most of the other STEC strains in produce, however, are only partially serotyped or are unremarkable serotypes carrying putative virulence factors, whose role in pathogenesis is uncertain, thus making it difficult to assess the health risks of these STEC strains.
New Therapeutic Developments against Shiga Toxin-Producing
Escherichia coli
Authors: Melton-Celsa Angela R. , O'Brien Alison D.
Published: October 2014

Shiga toxin (Stx)-producing
Escherichia coli
(STEC) is an etiologic agent of bloody diarrhea. A serious sequela of disease, the hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) may arise in up to 25% of patients. The development of HUS after STEC infection is linked to the presence of Stx. STEC strains may produce one or more Stxs, and the Stxs come in two major immunological groups, Stx1 and Stx2. A multitude of possible therapeutics designed to inhibit the actions of the Stxs have been developed over the past 30 years. Such therapeutics are important because antibiotic treatment of STEC infections is contraindicated due to an increased potential for development of HUS. The reason for the increased risk of HUS after antibiotic treatment is likely because certain antibiotics induce expression of the Stxs, which are generally associated with lysogenic bacteriophages. There are a few potential therapeutics that either try to kill STEC without inducing Stx expression or target gene expression within STEC. However, the vast majority of the treatments under development are designed to limit Stx receptor generation or to prevent toxin binding, trafficking, processing, or activity within the cell. The potential therapies described in this review include some that have only been tested in vitro and several that demonstrate efficacy in animals. The therapeutics that are currently the furthest along in development (completed phase I and II trials) are monoclonal antibodies directed against Stx1 and Stx2.
A Unique DNA Recombination Mechanism of the Mating/Cell-type Switching of Fission Yeasts: a Review
Authors: Klar Amar J. S. , Ishikawa Ken , Moore Sharon
Published: October 2014

Cells of the highly diverged
Schizosaccharomyces (S.) pombe
and
S. japonicus
fission yeasts exist in one of two sex/mating types, called P (for plus) or M (for minus), specified by which allele,
M
or
P
, resides at
mat1
. The fission yeasts have evolved an elegant mechanism for switching P or M information at
mat1
by a programmed DNA recombination event with a copy of one of the two silent mating-type genes residing nearby in the genome. The switching process is highly cell-cycle and generation dependent such that only one of four grandchildren of a cell switches mating type. Extensive studies of fission yeast established the natural DNA strand chirality at the
mat1
locus as the primary basis of asymmetric cell division. The asymmetry results from a unique site- and strand-specific epigenetic “imprint” at
mat1
installed in one of the two chromatids during DNA replication. The imprint is inherited by one daughter cell, maintained for one cell cycle, and is then used for initiating recombination during
mat1
replication in the following cell cycle. This mechanism of cell-type switching is considered to be unique to these two organisms, but determining the operation of such a mechanism in other organisms has not been possible for technical reasons. This review summarizes recent exciting developments in the understanding of mating-type switching in fission yeasts and extends these observations to suggest how such a DNA strand-based epigenetic mechanism of cellular differentiation could also operate in diploid organisms.
The Pup-Proteasome System of Mycobacteria
Authors: Bode Nadine J. , Darwin K. Heran
Published: October 2014

Proteasomes are ATP-dependent, barrel-shaped proteases found in all three domains of life. In eukaryotes, proteins are typically targeted for degradation by posttranslational modification with the small protein ubiquitin. In 2008, the first bacterial protein modifier, Pup (
p
rokaryotic
u
biquitin-like
p
rotein), was identified in
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
. Functionally analogous to ubiquitin, conjugation with Pup serves as a signal for degradation by the mycobacterial proteasome. Proteolysis-dependent and -independent functions of the
M. tuberculosis
proteasome are essential for virulence of this successful pathogen. In this article we describe the discovery of the proteasome as a key player in tuberculosis pathogenesis and the biology and biochemistry of the Pup-proteasome system.
Metabolomics of Central Carbon Metabolism in
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Authors: Baughn Anthony D. , Rhee Kyu Y.
Published: October 2014

Metabolism is a biochemical activity of all cells, thought to fuel the physiologic needs of a given cell in a quantitative, rather than qualitatively specific, manner.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
is a chronic facultative intracellular pathogen that resides in humans as its only known host and reservoir. Within humans,
M. tuberculosis
resides chiefly in the macrophage phagosome, the cell type and compartment most committed to its eradication.
M. tuberculosis
thus occupies the majority of its decades-long life cycle in a state of slowed or arrested replication. At the same time,
M. tuberculosis
remains poised to reenter the cell cycle to ensure its propagation as a species.
M. tuberculosis
has thus evolved its metabolic network to both maintain and propagate its survival as a species within a single host. Knowledge of the specific ways in which its metabolic network serves these distinct though interdependent functions, however, remains highly incomplete. In this article we review existing knowledge of
M. tuberculosis
's central carbon metabolism as reported by studies of its basic genetic and biochemical composition, regulation, and organization, with the hope that such knowledge will inform our understanding of
M. tuberculosis
's ability to traverse the stringent and heterogeneous niches encountered in the host.
Genetic Strategies for Identifying New Drug Targets
Authors: Trauner Andrej , Sassetti Christopher M. , Rubin Eric J.
Published: October 2014

Genetic strategies have yet to come into their own as tools for antibiotic development. While holding a lot of initial promise, they have only recently started to bear fruit in the quest for new drug targets. An ever-increasing body of knowledge is showing that genetics can lead to significant improvements in the success and efficiency of drug discovery. Techniques such as high-frequency transposon mutagenesis and expression modulation have matured and have been applied successfully not only to the identification and characterization of new targets, but also to their validation as tractable weaknesses of bacteria. Past experience shows that choosing targets must not rely on gene essentiality alone, but rather needs to incorporate knowledge of the system as a whole. The ability to manipulate genes and their expression is key to ensuring that we understand the entire set of processes that are affected by drug treatment. Focusing on exacerbating these perturbations, together with the identification of new targets to which resistance has not yet occurred—both enabled by genetic approaches—may point us toward the successful development of new combination therapies engineered based on underlying biology.
The Spectrum of Drug Susceptibility in Mycobacteria
Authors: Aldridge Bree B. , Keren Iris , Fortune Sarah M.
Published: October 2014

A major factor complicating efforts to control the tuberculosis epidemic is the long duration of treatment required to successfully clear the infection. One reason that long courses of treatment are required may be the fact that mycobacterial cells arise during the course of infection that are less susceptible to antibiotics. Here we describe the paradigms of phenotypic drug tolerance and resistance as they apply to mycobacteria. We then discuss the mechanisms by which phenotypically drug-tolerant and -resistant cells arise both at a population level and in specialized subpopulations of cells that may be especially important in allowing the bacterium to survive in the face of treatment. These include general mechanisms that have been shown to alter the susceptibility of mycobacteria to antibiotics including growth arrest, efflux pump induction, and biofilm formation. In addition, we discuss emerging data from single-cell studies of mycobacteria that have identified unique ways in which specialized subpopulations of cells arise that vary in their frequency, in their susceptibility to drug, and in their stability over time.
The Partitioning and Copy Number Control Systems of the Selfish Yeast Plasmid: An Optimized Molecular Design for Stable Persistence in Host Cells
Authors: Liu Yen-Ting , Sau Saumitra , Ma Chien-Hui , Kachroo Aashiq H , Rowley Paul A , Chang Keng-Ming , Fan Hsiu-Fang , Jayaram Makkuni
Published: October 2014

The multicopy 2-micron plasmid of
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
, a resident of the nucleus, is remarkable for its high chromosome-like stability. The plasmid does not appear to contribute to the fitness of the host, nor does it impose a significant metabolic burden on the host at its steady state copy number. The plasmid may be viewed as a highly optimized selfish DNA element whose genome design is devoted entirely to efficient replication, equal segregation, and copy number maintenance. A partitioning system comprised of two plasmid-coded proteins, Rep1 and Rep2, and a partitioning locus,
STB
, is responsible for equal or nearly equal segregation of plasmid molecules to mother and daughter cells. Current evidence supports a model in which the Rep-
STB
system promotes the physical association of the plasmid with chromosomes and thus plasmid segregation by a hitchhiking mechanism. The Flp site-specific recombination system housed by the plasmid plays a critical role in maintaining a steady state plasmid copy number. A decrease in plasmid population due to rare missegregation events is rectified by plasmid amplification via a recombination-induced rolling circle-like replication mechanism. Appropriate plasmid amplification, without a runaway increase in copy number, is ensured by positive and negative regulation of
FLP
gene expression by plasmid-coded proteins and by the control of Flp level/activity through host-mediated posttranslational modification(s) of Flp. The Flp system has been successfully utilized to understand mechanisms of site-specific recombination, to bring about directed genetic alterations for addressing fundamental problems in biology, and as a tool in biotechnological applications.
Conjugation in Gram-Positive Bacteria
Authors: Goessweiner-Mohr Nikolaus , Arends Karsten , Keller Walter , Grohmann Elisabeth
Published: October 2014

Conjugative transfer is the most important means of spreading antibiotic resistance and virulence factors among bacteria. The key vehicles of this horizontal gene transfer are a group of mobile genetic elements, termed conjugative plasmids. Conjugative plasmids contain as minimum instrumentation an origin of transfer (
oriT
), DNA-processing factors (a relaxase and accessory proteins), as well as proteins that constitute the
trans
-envelope transport channel, the so-called mating pair formation (Mpf) proteins. All these protein factors are encoded by one or more transfer
(tra
) operons that together form the DNA transport machinery, the Gram-positive type IV secretion system. However, multicellular Gram-positive bacteria belonging to the streptomycetes appear to have evolved another mechanism for conjugative plasmid spread reminiscent of the machinery involved in bacterial cell division and sporulation, which transports double-stranded DNA from donor to recipient cells. Here, we focus on the protein key players involved in the plasmid spread through the two different modes and present a new secondary structure homology-based classification system for type IV secretion protein families. Moreover, we discuss the relevance of conjugative plasmid transfer in the environment and summarize novel techniques to visualize and quantify conjugative transfer in situ.
The Interplay between Different Stability Systems Contributes to Faithful Segregation:Streptococcus pyogenespSM19035 as a Model
Authors: Volante Andrea , Soberón Nora E. , Ayora Silvia , Alonso Juan C.
Published: October 2014

TheStreptococcus pyogenespSM19035 low-copy-number θ-replicating plasmid encodes five segregation (seg) loci that contribute to plasmid maintenance. These loci map outside of the minimal replicon. ThesegAlocus comprises β2recombinase and twosixsites, andsegCincludessegAand also the γ topoisomerase and twossiAsites. Recombinase β2plays a role both in maximizing random segregation by resolving plasmid dimers (segA) and in catalyzing inversion between two inversely orientedsixsites.segA, in concert withsegC, facilitates replication fork pausing atssiAsites and overcomes the accumulation of “toxic” replication intermediates. ThesegB1locus encodes ω, ε, and ζ genes. The short-lived ε2antitoxin and the long-lived ζ toxin form an inactive ζε2ζ complex. Free ζ toxin halts cell proliferation upon decay of the ε2antitoxin and enhances survival. If ε2expression is not recovered, by loss of the plasmid, the toxin raises lethality. ThesegB2locus comprises δ and ω genes and sixparSsites. Proteins δ2and ω2, by forming complexes withparSand chromosomal DNA, pair the plasmid copies at the nucleoid, leading to the formation of a dynamic δ2gradient that separates the plasmids to ensure roughly equal distribution to daughter cells at cell division. ThesegDlocus, which comprises ω2(or ω2plus ω22) andparSsites, coordinates expression of genes that control copy number, better-than-random segregation, faithful partition, and antibiotic resistance. The interplay of thesegloci and with thereplocus facilitates almost absolute plasmid stability.
The Influence of Biofilms in the Biology of Plasmids
Authors: Cook Laura C.C. , Dunny Gary M.
Published: October 2014

The field of plasmid biology has historically focused on bacteria growing in liquid culture. Surface-attached communities of bacterial biofilms have recently been understood to be the normal environment of bacteria in the natural world. Thus, studies examining plasmid replication, maintenance, and transfer in biofilms are essential for a true understanding of bacterial plasmid biology. This article reviews the current knowledge of the interplay between bacterial biofilms and plasmids, focusing on the role of plasmids in biofilm development and the role of biofilms in plasmid maintenance, copy-number control, and transfer. The studies examined herein highlight the importance of biofilms as an important ecological niche in which bacterial plasmids play an essential role.
Sporulation in Bacteria: Beyond the Standard Model
Authors: Hutchison Elizabeth A. , Miller David A. , Angert Esther R.
Published: October 2014

Endospore formation follows a complex, highly regulated developmental pathway that occurs in a broad range of
Firmicutes
. Although
Bacillus subtilis
has served as a powerful model system to study the morphological, biochemical, and genetic determinants of sporulation, fundamental aspects of the program remain mysterious for other genera. For example, it is entirely unknown how most lineages within the
Firmicutes
regulate entry into sporulation. Additionally, little is known about how the sporulation pathway has evolved novel spore forms and reproductive schemes. Here, we describe endospore and internal offspring development in diverse
Firmicutes
and outline progress in characterizing these programs. Moreover, comparative genomics studies are identifying highly conserved sporulation genes, and predictions of sporulation potential in new isolates and uncultured bacteria can be made from these data. One surprising outcome of these comparative studies is that core regulatory and some structural aspects of the program appear to be universally conserved. This suggests that a robust and sophisticated developmental framework was already in place in the last common ancestor of all extant
Firmicutes
that produce internal offspring or endospores. The study of sporulation in model systems beyond
B. subtilis
will continue to provide key information on the flexibility of the program and provide insights into how changes in this developmental course may confer advantages to cells in diverse environments.
Burn injury, gender and cancer risk: population-based cohort study using data from Scotland and Western Australia
Authors: Duke Janine M , Bauer Jacqui , Fear Mark W , Rea Suzanne , Wood Fiona M , Boyd James
Published: October 2014

Objective

To investigate the risk of cancer and potential gender effects in persons hospitalised with burn injury.

Design

Population-based retrospective cohort study using record-linkage systems in Scotland and Western Australia.

Participants

Records of 37 890 and 23 450 persons admitted with a burn injury in Scotland and Western Australia, respectively, from 1983 to 2008. Deidentified extraction of all linked hospital morbidity records, mortality and cancer records were provided by the Information Service Division Scotland and the Western Australian Data Linkage Service.

Main outcome measures

Total and gender-specific number of observed and expected cases of total (‘all sites’) and site-specific cancers and standardised incidence ratios (SIRs).

Results

From 1983 to 2008, for female burn survivors, there was a greater number of observed versus expected notifications of total cancer with 1011 (SIR, 95% CI 1.3, 1.2 to 1.4) and 244 (SIR, 95% CI 1.12, 1.05 to 1.30), respectively, for Scotland and Western Australia. No statistically significant difference in total cancer risk was found for males. Significant excesses in observed cancers among burn survivors (combined gender) in Scotland and Western Australian were found for buccal cavity, liver, larynx and respiratory tract and for cancers of the female genital tract.

Conclusions

Results from the Scotland data confirmed the increased risk of total (‘all sites’) cancer previously observed among female burn survivors in Western Australia. The gender dimorphism observed in this study may be related to the role of gender in the immune response to burn injury. More research is required to understand the underlying mechanism(s) that may link burn injury with an increased risk of some cancers.
Issues for service providers: a response to points raised
Authors: Furedi Ann
Published: October 2014

The issue of abortion has evolved since 1967. In this paper, the shift in the discourses of abortion are discussed. The article suggests that abortion is used as a “back-up” method of family planning and that this is broadly acceptable. Although there is little public opposition to abortion as such, there are influences that undermine abortion provision as it now exists. Growing concern about the status of the fetus shapes a number of debates. For example the issue of what the fetus feels during abortion influences abortion practice. Advances in technology and the increase in knowledge about the unborn fetus will not change a woman's decision about having a late termination. The article concludes with the idea that a woman is a moral, civilised human being that deserves the right to make decisions about her reproductive life.
Efficacy of a recombinant equine influenza vaccine against challenge with an American lineage H3N8 influenza virus responsible for the 2003 outbreak in the United Kingdom
Authors: Edlund Toulemonde C. , Daly J. , Sindle T. , Guigal P. M. , Audonnet J. C. , Minke J. M.
Published: October 2014

Fifteen influenza‐naive Welsh mountain ponies were randomly assigned to three groups of five. A single dose of a recombinant ALVAC vaccine was administered intramuscularly to five of the ponies, two doses, administered five weeks apart, were administered to five, and the other five served as unvaccinated, challenge controls. Two weeks after the completion of the vaccination programme, the ponies were all challenged by exposure to an aerosol of influenza virus A/eq/Newmarket/5/03. Their clinical signs were scored daily for 14 days according to a standardised scoring protocol, and nasal swabs were taken daily for 10 days to monitor the excretion of virus. The challenge produced severe clinical signs of influenza (fever, coughing, nasal discharge and dyspnoea) in all five control ponies, but the vaccinated ponies developed only mild disease, consisting of a serous nasal discharge lasting for only one day. The excretion of virus was almost completely suppressed in the vaccinated ponies, but the control ponies shed the virus for up to seven days after the challenge.
Neuropathological findings in cats with clinically suspect but histologically unconfirmed feline spongiform encephalopathy
Authors: Kelly D. F. , Wells G. A. H. , Haritani M. , Higgins R. J. , Jeffrey M.
Published: October 2014

Central nervous system (CNS) tissues from 192 cats with neurological signs were examined histologically, and tissues from 173 of them were later examined immunohistochemically as part of a survey to determine the prevalence of feline spongiform encephalopathy (FSE). One of the cats was from Norway and the others were from Great Britain. The most commonly recorded clinical signs were ataxia, behavioural changes and epilepsy, but none of the cats had histopathological evidence of FSE. The most common organic CNS lesions were non‐suppurative encephalomyelitis in 28 per cent, neoplasia in 15 per cent and a heterogeneous group of degenerative encephalopathies in 9 per cent of the cats. A range of minor histological lesions of uncertain significance was also observed. No histological lesions were observed in the tissues of 63 (33 per cent) of the cats. Disease‐specific prion protein (PrPSc) was observed in only one of the 173 cats examined by immunohistochemistry.
Laboratory model to evaluate the role of aerosols in the transport of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus
Authors: A. Dee S. , Deen J. , Jacobson L. , Rossow K. D. , Mahlum C. , Pijoan C.
Published: October 2014

The aim of this study was to develop a model to evaluate the aerosol transmission of porcine reproductive and respiratory disease virus (PRRSV). PRRSV (MN 30‐100 strain, total dose 3 × 106 virus particles) was aerosolised and transported up to 150 m and a portable air sampler was used to collect air samples at 1, 30, 60, 90, 120 and 150 m (five replicates at each distance) and the air samples were tested by TaqMan PCR and virus isolation. The infectivity of the aerosolised PRRSV was tested by exposing six PRRSV ‐naive pigs for three hours to aerosolised virus that had been transported 150 m. PRRSV RNA was detected in all five replicate air samples collected at 1, 30, 60 and 90 m, in four of the five collected at 120 m, and in three of the five collected at 150 m. Infectious PRRSV was detected by virus isolation at 1 and 30 m (all five replicates), 60, 90 and 120 m (three of the five) and 150 m (two of the five). There was a 50 per cent reduction in the log concentration of PRRSV RNA every 33 m. Three of the six pigs exposed to PRRSV ‐positive aerosols became infected, and PRRSV RNA was detected in air samples and on swab samples collected from the interior of the chambers that housed the infected pigs while they were being exposed.
Suspected adverse reactions, 2004
Authors: Dyer F. , Mulugeta R. , Spagnuolo‐Weaver M. , Tait A.
Published: October 2014

Reports to the UK Suspected Adverse Reaction Surveillance Scheme (SARSS) in 2004 increased by 22 per cent compared with 2003

The number of reports involving dogs, cats and cattle increased, while there were fewer reports involving sheep and rabbits

A suspected lack of efficacy in cattle was largely responsible for the significant increase in the overall total number of reports for this species

Fewer human suspected adverse reactions were reported in 2004 than 2003

– These are some of the findings under the SARSS in 2004, as discussed in the following article by Fabia Dyer, Rahel Mulugeta, Martha Spagnuolo‐Weaver and Alex Tait of the Veterinary Medicines Directorate
Prevalence and diagnosis of parasites of the stomach and small intestine in horses in south‐west England
Authors: Morgan E. R. , Hetzel N. , Povah C. , Coles G. C.
Published: October 2014

Parasites were extracted from the stomach and small intestine of 118 horses at slaughter. The most abundant species was the tapeworm Anoplocephala perfoliata. Maximum likelihood analysis was used to investigate the relationship between the number of worms and their total weight, and the ability of an antibody‐based elisa to diagnose the level of infection. The total weight of tapeworms increased towards a maximum as the number of worms increased, suggesting a population density‐dependent constraint on the weight. The number of A perfoliata present could be predicted approximately from the results of the elisa. Although wide variation in elisa optical densities confound interpretation in individual animals, tests on groups of animals could provide a useful reflection of overall levels of infection.]
Dysplasia of the caudal vertebral articular facets in four dogs: results of radiographic, myelographic and magnetic resonance imaging investigations
Authors: Penderis J. , Schwarz T. , McConnell J. F. , Garosi L. S. , Thomson C. E. , Dennis R.
Published: October 2014

Congenital anomalies of the vertebral column associated with aberrations of one of the primary vertebral ossification centres have been frequently described in the veterinary literature, but clinically significant abnormalities of secondary vertebral ossification centres, particularly involving the caudal articular processes, are much less frequently reported. This paper describes three dogs with aplasia and one dog with hypoplasia of the caudal vertebral articular processes. Thoracolumbar spinal cord compression and ataxia was evident in the three dogs with aplasia but no clinical signs were evident in the dog with hypoplasia. The radiographic appearance was similar in all four cases, with aplasia or hypoplasia of the caudal articular facets at one or more intervertebral joints in the thoracolumbar region. Bone proliferation was evident secondary to an associated degenerative joint disease. Compensatory hyperplasia of the adjacent cranial articular facets and ligamentum flavum protruded into the vertebral canal, resulting in a compressive myelopathy observed by myelography and magnetic resonance imaging.
Hypocalcaemia due to nutritional calcium deficiency and hypoparathyroidism in an adult dog
Authors: Diquélou A. , Chaput C. , Priymenko N. , Benoit E.
Published: October 2014

A 13‐year‐old intact male poodle had suffered periodic tetanic crises for two months. It was cachectic and moderately dehydrated, and during the crises blindness, a stiff gait and behavioural changes were observed. Routine haematological and biochemical profiles showed that it was severely hypocalcaemic, with a corrected plasma calcium concentration of 1·13 mmol/litre (reference range 2·25 to 3 mmol/litre). The dog was fed a home‐made diet composed of chicken and basmati rice cooked with a soup bouillon cube; an analysis of its daily allowance indicated that the dog was generally malnourished and received only 0·222 g of calcium per day rather than the 0·6 g it required. In addition, the dog had a low blood concentration of parathyroid hormone of 12 ng/litre (reference range 20 to 80 ng/litre). Supplementing the dog with calcitriol for four days and correcting its diet increased its blood calcium to the lower part of the reference range and resolved the clinical signs, although its parathyroid hormone concentration was still low one year later.
Flow cytometric analysis of effusions in dogs and cats with the automated haematologyanalyser ADVIA 120
Authors: Bauer N , Moritz A.
Published: October 2014

Samples were aspirated from 12 thoracic effusions, 10 abdominal effusions and four pericardial effusions in 17 dogs and nine cats. They were analysed cytometrically with the ADVIA 120 flow cytometer and the results were compared with the results of cytological examinations of May‐Grünwald‐Giemsa‐stained smears. The conventional cytology revealed a purulent or pyogranulomatous inflammation in 12 of the animals, lymphoma in six, malignant histiocytosis in two, and an unspecified carcinoma in two; two animals had a chylous effusion, two had a modified transudate, and one dog had an idiopathic pericardial haemorrhage. The flow cytometric analysis was based on cellular volume, peroxidase staining intensity and the determination of nuclear lobularity, and made it possible to identify predominant cell lineages and cell debris, which were shown in characteristic cytograms. Inflammatory effusions, monocytic proliferation and lymphoma were easily detected, but carcinoma cells and mesothelial cells were classified as ‘mononuclear blasts’.
The 2001 epidemic of foot‐and‐mouth disease in the United Kingdom: epidemiological and meteorological case studies
Authors: Gloster J. , Champion H. J. , Mansley L. M. , Romero P. , Brough T. , Ramirez A.
Published: October 2014

The possibility of the airborne spread of foot‐and‐mouth disease during the 2001 epidemic in the UK has been investigated in three epidemiological case studies. On the basis of evidence from field investigations, and a simple meteorological analysis, it is concluded that the spread of disease was consistent with the airborne transport of virus. The distances ranged from less than 1 km to 16 km; six of the farms were over 6 km from the source and involved the passage of virus over the sea combined with meteorological conditions which strongly favoured airborne disease transmission. The results of detailed atmospheric modelling demonstrated that airborne virus could have challenged livestock on all the farms studied. However, with one exception the 24‐hour average daily concentrations of the virus were significantly below the experimentally estimated threshold for infection. A detailed model intercomparison established that, under stable atmospheric conditions, peak concentrations of virus up to two orders of magnitude higher might have been experienced for short periods, owing to fluctuations within the plume of virus, and model limitations. This finding would significantly reduce the apparent discrepancy between the experimentally estimated threshold for infection and the modelling results.
Prevalence and associations between bacterial isolates from dry mammary glands of dairy cows
Authors: Green M. J. , Green L. E. , Medley G. F. , Bradley A. J. , Burton P. R. , Schukken Y. H.
Published: October 2014

To assess the prevalence and patterns of bacterial isolates, cultures were made from the dry mammary glands of dairy cows in six commercial dairy herds in the UK. Milk samples were taken from all four quarters of 480 cows at drying off and at weekly intervals from 14 days before to seven days after calving. A major mastitis pathogen was isolated from at least one quarter of 220 (45·8 per cent) of the cows and from more than one quarter of 90 (18·8 per cent) of them. During the late dry to calving period, of the 957 quarters with three culture results, a major mastitis pathogen was cultured from 236 (24·7 per cent) quarters of 186 (88·8 per cent) cows. The most commonly isolated major pathogen wasEscherichia coli, followed byStreptococcus uberisand coagulase‐positive staphylococci. There were significant differences between the patterns of isolates from different farms and in different calving months, suggesting that the rate of infection was partially dependent on external conditions. The isolation ofE coli, S uberisor coagulasepositive staphylococci from a cow during the late dry/periparturient period was associated with an increased risk of that cow being culled in the next lactation. Bayesian general linear mixed models were used to assess the associations between the different bacterial species. The probability of isolating eitherE coli or S uberiswas significantly greater when the other organism was cultured in a milk sample; this was also true of coagulase‐positive staphylococci andS uberis. WhenCorynebacteriumspecies were isolated from a milk sample, the probability of isolating coagulase‐positive staphylococci orS uberisdecreased significantly, and when coagulase‐negative staphylococci were isolated the probability of isolating coagulase‐positive staphylococci was reduced.
Isolation of bovine adenovirus serotype 6 from a calf in the United Kingdom
Authors: Graham D. A. , Calvert V. , Curran W. , Wylie M. , Snodden D.A. , Moffet D. A. , Adair B. M. , Smyth J. A. , Benkö M. , Papp T.
Published: October 2014

Two viruses, designated 99–8130(C) and 99–8130(I), were isolated in calf testis cells from the colon and ileum, respectively, of a suckled beef calf which had developed dysentery and died. Electron microscopy indicated that the mean (sd) size of the viral particles, 83 (2·5) nm, and their morphology were consistent with their being members of the family Adenoviridae. They were confirmed as adenoviruses by PCR when products of the expected size (608 bp) were amplified from both isolates by using a primer pair specific for members of the genusAtadenovirus. A comparison of the sequence of a 567 bp segment of the 99–8130(C) amplicon with that of other prototype bovine adenovirus (BAdV) strains of atadenoviruses identified the isolate as BAdV serotype 6 (BAdV–6), which had 99·3 per cent and 100 per cent identities at the nucleotide and amino acid levels, respectively, with the prototype BAdV–6 strain 671130. A virus neutralisation test was developed and indicated a high prevalence of antibody to BAdV–6 in Northern Irish cattle. There was no evidence of adenoviral inclusions in tissues from the affected calf and no antigen was detected when the tissues were stained by an immunoperoxidase technique, using a homologous antiserum raised in rabbits. The two viruses were the third reported isolation of BAdV–6, and the first from a clinically ill bovine animal.
Effect of clenbuterol on the clearance of particles of charcoal (4 to 90 μm) from the uteri of mares
Authors: Kolm G. , Gemeiner M. , Deichsel K. , Budik S. , Aurich J. , Aurich C.
Published: October 2014

The failure of clearance mechanisms in the mare’s uterus results in persistent inflammation and is considered a major cause of subfertility. Eighteen mares, of which three were susceptible to endometritis and four had been ovariectomised, underwent charcoal clearance testing to evaluate their clearance mechanisms. This consisted of installing 500 mg of charcoal (particle size 4 to 90 μm) added to 50 ml of phosphate‐buffered saline (PBS) into the uterus. Forty‐eight hours later the uterus was flushed out with 0·0012 per cent methylene blue in 50 ml of PBS for determination of the diluting factor by photospectrometry. Flush volume, pH, specific gravity and pellet size were all analysed. To investigate the effect of a β2‐adrenergic agonist on the ability of genitally healthy oestrous mares to eliminate a suspension of charcoal from the uterus, four genitally healthy mares with appropriate charcoal clearance were also subjected to clearance testing following intravenous administration of 0·8 μg/kg of clenbuterol every 12 hours and 1 μg/kg of clenbuterol every eight hours. All parameters were within their normal range following clenbuterol treatment. However, minimal but significant differences in pre‐ and post‐treatment values regarding fluid volume and extinction rate were recorded.
Establishment of a maedi‐visna‐free flock after the purchase of infected sheep
Authors: Otter A. , Boundy T.
Published: October 2014

Maedi‐visna (MV) infection was detected in a cohort of 68 purchased ewes, one of several groups of sheep introduced to a farm after the previous stock had been culled with suspected foot‐and‐mouth disease in 2001. Except for short periods totalling six to seven weeks when the sheep co‐grazed with 13 ewe lambs and ram lambs, the infected cohort was kept separate from other sheep on the farm over a total of 21 months. During this period two crops of lambs were reared from the infected ewes. All the lambs were fattened and killed, and all ewes were culled after the second crop of lambs had been weaned. Subsequent serological testing of the remaining sheep on the farm confirmed the elimination of MV infection from the flock, leading to its acceptance in the Maedi Visna Accreditation Scheme of the Scottish Agricultural College’s Sheep and Goat Health Schemes.
Acute monocytic leukaemia in a cat
Authors: Nagashima N. , Kano R. , Hirai A. , Yamazaki J. , Inoue C. , Hisasue M. , Moore P. F. , Hasegawa A.
Published: October 2014

A three‐year‐old cat with lymphadenopathy, non‐regenerative anaemia and marked leucocytosis (171·3 × 109 white blood cells/l) was diagnosed with monocytic leukaemia and treated with a combination of anticancer drugs. A number of mature and immature monocyte‐like cells were detected in the peripheral blood and bone marrow; they proved to be monocytic cells by cytochemical examination and an analysis of their cell surface phenotype, indicating that the cat suffered from acute myeloid leukaemia, subclassified as monocytic leukaemia (M5). Treatment with cytarabine, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisolone greatly reduced the number of blast cells in the cat’s peripheral blood and bone marrow. The cat was in partial remission for 67 days and survived for 95 days after it was first examined.
Proteinuria and immunoglobulinuria in neonatal dogs
Authors: Schäfer‐Somi S. , Bär‐Schadler S. , Aurich J. E.
Published: October 2014

Samples of urine and serum from 45 newborn rottweiler puppies from six litters, and milk from their mothers, were taken 24, 48 and 72 hours and seven and 14 days after birth. Urine total protein and creatinine concentrations were determined and the ratios calculated. The immunoglobulin (Ig) concentrations of IgG, IgM and IgA in urine, serum and milk were determined with a commercially available ELISA kit. The concentration of total protein in urine decreased from 1·64 to 0·29 mg/ml, and it and the ratio of total protein to creatinine in the urine of the neonatal puppies exceeded the normal values for adult dogs, but all the puppies developed normally. The average concentration of IgG in urine decreased from 0·0035 to 0·0003 mg/ml, that of IgA from 0·0035 to 0·0002 mg/ml and that of IgM from 0·0006 mg/ml to undetectable levels after two weeks. After two weeks, 47 per cent of the puppies had measurable levels of IgA and 70·6 per cent had measurable levels of IgG, but none of them had measurable levels of IgM.
Effects of meloxicam on the haemostatic profile of dogs undergoing orthopaedic surgery
Authors: Kazakos G. M. , Papazoglou L. G. , Rallis T. , Tsimopoulos G. , Adamama‐Moraitou K. , Tea A.
Published: October 2014

The buccal mucosal bleeding time (BMBT), prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) and intraoperative bleeding score (IBS) of 38 dogs that underwent orthopaedic surgical procedures and received meloxicam orally and/or parenterally were measured. Fourteen of the dogs (group A) received a single subcutaneous dose of 0·2 mg/kg meloxicam at premedication, 18 dogs (group B) received 0·1 mg/kg meloxicam orally daily for five days followed by a single subcutaneous dose of 0·2 mg/kg meloxicam preoperatively, and six dogs (group C) received 0·5 ml of normal saline subcutaneously at premedication. No statistically significant differences among the groups were detected in relation to the mean (sd) values of BMBT, PT and IBS before and after the surgery, or in the values of APTT in group A. In group B there was a small but significant increase in APTT after the surgery, but all the measurements were within the normal range for dogs.
Virological and serological evidence of bovine herpesvirus type 4 in cattle in Northern Ireland
Authors: Graham D. A. , McNeill G. J. , Calvert V. , Mawhinney K. , Curran W. , Ball N. W. , Todd D.
Published: October 2014

Bovine herpesvirus type 4 (BHV‐4), a member of the genus Rhadinovirus, subfamily Gammaherpesvirinae, within the family Herpesviridae, was isolated in fetal bovine lung cells from samples of vaginal discharge taken from a dairy herd in which approximately 50 per cent of the cattle developed metritis after calving. The identity of the isolate was confirmed by immunofluorescent staining with a BHV‐4 ‐specific monoclonal antibody and partial sequencing of a portion of the glycoprotein B gene. Serological testing failed to demonstrate a significant association between the exposure of the cattle to BHV‐4 and the metritis, but several cattle seroconverted during the periparturient period, consistent with the recrudescence and shedding of virus associated with the stresses of parturition and the onset of lactation. Despite the previous failure to detect BHV‐4 in Northern Ireland, a serological survey of 999 cattle in 49 dairy herds and 51 beef herds found widespread evidence of exposure: 29 of the dairy herds and 35 of the beef herds contained one or more seropositive cattle, and 33·3 per cent of the dairy cattle and 23·3 per cent of the beef cattle were positive.
Quantitative assessment of the risks of reducing the routine swabbing requirements for the detection of Taylorella equigenitalis
Authors: Wood J. L. N. , Kelly L. , Cardwell J. M. , Park A. W.
Published: October 2014

The transmission of contagious equine metritis (CEM) on stud farms in Britain, Ireland and other European countries is prevented by following the recommendations in the Horserace Betting Levy Board’s Code of Practice on CEM. A quantitative risk assessment was undertaken to estimate the likely impact of removing the recommendation, from the 2002 code, to culture endometrial or cervical swabs microaerophilically for the presence of Taylorella equigenitalis, the causative organism. The scientific literature was reviewed for evidence about the anatomical distribution of T equigenitalis at different times after infection and it was found that, in chronically infected mares, the organism was detectable in the clitoral swabs of nearly 93 per cent, but in the cervical swabs of only 31 per cent. In contrast, in acutely infected mares, the organism was detectable in the clitoral swabs of nearly 69 per cent, but in the cervical swabs of 84 per cent. By using these results, a quantitative risk assessment was undertaken, assessing the likely effects of removing the recommendation that swabs from the cervix of low‐risk mares should be cultured for T equigenitalis. The results were sensitive to the prevalence of the infection, but when it was low, there appeared to be few benefits in continuing to culture cervical swabs routinely. However, such swabs are vital when the disease is suspected.
Comparison of two commercial ELISAs for the serological diagnosis of salmonellosis in pigs
Authors: Mejía W. , Casal J. , Mateu E. , Martín M.
Published: October 2014

Serum samples from 361 pigs (194 fattening pigs and 167 sows) were examined by means of two commercial ELISA s (Svanovir; Svanova Biotech and Salmotype; Labor Diagnostik) used for the serological diagnosis of salmonellosis in pigs; 211 of the samples came from farms of known bacteriological status and the other 150 were collected randomly from 60 farms of unknown status. The ELISA s were done according to the manufacturers’ directions and the samples were categorised accordingly. The results were compared by using a linear regression analysis and by the calculation of Kappa values. To try to improve the agreement between the tests, the raw optical densities (OD s) were transformed to sample/positive (S/P) ratios by using the positive control as a reference, and cut‐off values for these S/P ratios were calculated by means of a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. All but two of the known infected farms were recognised as such by both tests. However, the correlation of the raw OD s for individual pigs was poor (r=0·546) and had a Kappa value for the results categorised according to the manufacturers’ recommendations of 0·191. On some farms the correlation was high (r=0·97) but on others it was low (r=0·05) with no apparent reason for the difference. The S/P ratios did not improve the agreement (Kappa=0·25).
Role of ketoprofen in the modulation of hyperalgesia associated with lameness in dairy cattle
Authors: Whay H. R. , Webster A. J. F. , Waterman‐Pearson A. E.
Published: October 2014

Forty lame dairy cows were randomly assigned to receive a course of either the non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drug ketoprofen, or sterile saline, together with conventional treatment for lameness. The effect of the ketoprofen was measured by using locomotion scoring and by testing the cows’ nociceptive threshold over a period of 28 days. The locomotion score of all the cows improved but ketoprofen had no significant effect on this change. However, in the cows that received ketoprofen the hyperalgesia associated with lameness, recorded using a nociceptive threshold test, was significantly modulated on days 3, 8 and 28 after their initial examination, drug administration and treatment of lesions.