bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Antibodies to Brucella in marine mammals around the coast of England and Wales
Authors: Jepson P. D. , Brew S. , MacMillan A. P. , Baker J. R. , Barnett J. , Kirkwood J. K. , Kuiken T. , Robinson I. R. , Simpson V. R.
Published: October 2010

Following the isolation of previously unrecognised species of Brucella from stranded seals and cetaceans in Scotland and northern England, a serological survey was carried out to investigate the range of marine mammal species which may have been exposed to Brucella species around the coasts of England and Wales, the prevalence of infection and the temporal and geographical distribution of seropositive animals. Serum collected from 153 stranded marine mammals from the coasts of England and Wales between 1989 and 1995 were tested by competitive and indirect ELISA. Positive titres were recorded for six of 62 (10 per cent) grey seals (Halichoerus grypus), one of 12 (8 per cent) common seals (Phoca vitulina), 11 of 35 (31 per cent) harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) and nine of 29 (31 per cent) common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) tested. Positive titres were also found in a striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba), a bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), a killer whale (Orcinus orca) and a pilot whale (Globicephala melas). The seropositive animals were from all around the coasts of England and Wales and the first seropositive sample was from a common dolphin in 1990.
Investigation of the association between whole blood and tissue taurine levels and the development of thoracic deformities in neonatal Burmese kittens
Authors: Sturgess C. P. , Waters L. , Gruffydd‐Jones T. J. , Nott H. M. R. , Earle K. E.
Published: October 2010

Flat chests, characterised by a dorsoventral flattening of the rib cage, affect 3 to 4 per cent of all Burmese kittens born in the United Kingdom. Similar deformities have been reported in kittens born to taurine‐depleted queens. In an investigation of whether there might be a relationship between whole blood taurine levels and the appearance of flat chests it was found that Burmese kittens had significantly (P<0.05) higher whole blood taurine levels than Burmese queens. In addition, flatchested Burmese kittens had higher mean (sd) levels (789 [189] μmol/litre) than unaffected Burmese kittens (702 [166] μmol/litre) and non‐Burmese kittens (597 [93] μmol/litre), although these differences were not statistically significant. Higher levels of taurine were found in the skeletal muscle and lower levels in the heart muscle of the flat‐chested Burmese kittens than in normal non‐Burmese kittens.
Aggressive behaviour in English cocker spaniels and the personality of their owners
Authors: Podberscek A. L. , Serpell J. A.
Published: October 2010

The aim of the study was to determine whether there is an association between the personality of the owners of English cocker spaniels and the expression of aggressive behaviour by their dogs. Two‐hundred‐and‐eighty‐five owners of purebred English cocker spaniels completed the Catell 16 Personality Questionnaire. One‐hundred‐and‐twenty‐eight of them owned 153 dogs previously classified as being ‘low’ in terms of aggressiveness and 157 owned 172 dogs classified as being ‘high’ in terms of aggressiveness. Both groups of owners were similar in terms of a variety of demographic variables, including the number of adults and children in the household, the type of house and the sex of the owner. The dogs in both groups were similar in age, age when acquired and sex ratio. Analyses of the data using unpaired t‐tests revealed that the owners of high aggression dogs were significantly more likely to be tense (P<0.001), emotionally less stable (P<0.01), shy (P<0.01) and undisciplined (P<0.05) than owners of low aggression dogs.
Intrauterine infection withEhrlichia phagocytophilain a cow
Authors: Pusterla N. , Braun U. , Wolfensberger C. , Lutz H.
Published: October 2010

An infection withEhrlichia phagocytophila, the agent of tickborne fever, can cause abortion or stillbirth in cows in late pregnancy but, to the authors' knowledge, there have been no reports of intrauterine infection in cows followed by clinical signs in the calf. To study the effect ofE phagocytophilaon the fetus, a cow was infected experimentally after 270 days of pregnancy. It developed the clinical and haematological signs characteristic of tickborne fever six days after infection. At 287 days of pregnancy the cow gave birth to a live calf, which became ill at 13 days of age. The general condition and behaviour of the calf were only mildly affected but it had a high temperature and swollen prescapular lymph nodes. Its appetite and suck reflex remained normal.E phagocytophilainclusion bodies were visible, predominantly in neutrophils and eosinophils, for seven days. The calf seroconverted, as detected by indirect immunofluorescence, 14 days after it became ill.
Entanglement in fishing gear and other causes of death in cetaceans stranded on the coasts of England and Wales
Authors: Kirkwood J. K. , Bennett P. M. , Jepson P. D. , Kuiken T. , Simpson V. R. , Baker J. R.
Published: October 2010

Between August 1990 and September 1995 the carcases of 422 cetaceans of 12 species that had died around the coasts of England and Wales were examined. There were 234 harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena), 138 common dolphins (Delphinus delphis), and 50 individuals of 10 other species of dolphins and whales. The cause of death was diagnosed in 320 (76 per cent) of them. The most frequent cause of death in the harbour porpoises and common dolphins was entanglement in fishing gear (bycatch). Of the cases in which the cause of death was established, 66 (38 per cent) of 176 harbour porpoises, 86 (80 per cent) of 108 common dolphins, and six (19 per cent) of 31 individuals of other species had been bycaught. Neonatal starvation, pneumonia and generalised infections accounted for a further 31 per cent of the diagnosed causes of death in harbour porpoises. The proportion of stranded common dolphins that had been bycaught was consistently high except during 1995, but the proportion of stranded harbour porpoises which had been bycaught increased in each successive year.
Comparison of three injectable anaesthetic techniques in pigs
Authors: Clutton R. E. , Blissitt K. J. , Bradley A. A. , Camburn M. A.
Published: October 2010

Forty‐six near‐adult pigs (mean age 10 months, mean weight 156 kg) were anaesthetised for laparoscopy. After intramuscular azaperone (1.0 mg/kg) and ketamine (2.5 mg/kg), 14 of the pigs received intravenous etomidate (200 μg/kg) and midazolam (100 μg/kg) and 17 were given ketamine (2 mg/kg) and midazolam (100 μg/kg). The other 15 pigs were anaesthetised with pentobarbitone (15 to 20 mg/kg) without pre‐anaesthetic medication. The duration and adequacy of anaesthesia, recovery rate, and seven physiological variables (ECG, heart rate, indirect arterial blood pressure, respiratory rate, minute volume, mean end‐tidal carbon dioxide concentration and percentage oxygen saturation of haemoglobin) were compared. Repeated injections were needed in 29 of the 46 cases. Pentobarbitone was the least satisfactory drug because although the haemodynamic variables were greater, it caused more respiratory depression and a higher overall complication rate than the other methods. Apnoea occurred in two pigs, and was fatal in one, and positive pressure ventilation with oxygen was needed in three others. Intubation conditions were poorer and the times to standing, walking and rooting were longer in the pigs anaesthetised with pentobarbitone.
Infectious temporomandibular joint disease in the horse: computed tomographic diagnosis and treatment of two cases
Authors: Warmerdam E. P. L. , Klein W. R. , van Herpen B. P. J. M.
Published: October 2010

Diagnostic imaging and treatment of unilateral destructive temporomandibular joint disease in two horses is described and discussed. Computed tomography appeared to be the best imaging technique for these lesions. The disease can be followed by functional recovery after the infection has resolved.
Risk of BSE from the import of cattle from the United Kingdom into countries of the European Union
Authors: Schreuder B. E. C. , Wilesmith J. W. , Ryan J. B. M. , Straub O. C.
Published: October 2010

This study assesses quantitatively the risk that other countries, in particular those within the European Union, have incurred by importing cattle from the United Kingdom during the period before or shortly after the ban on the import of live breeding stock was introduced in 1989. It does this by assessing the probability that animals imported from the UK in a certain year would have become a detected BSE case, had they not been exported. Using the annual incidence rates available for separate birth cohorts and a given culling rate, a cumulative incidence for each birth cohort was calculated. These figures were then combined with the numbers of live breeding cattle imported from the UK into the other countries of the EU, to give an import‐related risk index for each country, assuming that their culling rates were similar to that in Great Britain. The countries could thus be categorised in terms of the number of cases of BSE they might have expected.
Health status of otters (Lutra lutra) in south‐west England based on postmortem findings
Authors: Simpson V. R.
Published: October 2010

Seventy‐seven wild otters found dead in south‐west England between 1988 and 1996 were examined postmortem. Road traffic accidents were responsible for 64 of the deaths and there were marked seasonal peaks. Bite wounds were present in 12 animals and five were considered to have died from their injuries. The animals' general nutritional state was good, but the males were in overall poorer condition than the females. There was little evidence of infectious disease and the results suggested a young, generally healthy population. Adrenal hypertrophy was observed in males dying of bite wounds and in lactating or pregnant females. Convoluted, modular uteri were observed in three females.
Caprine enterotoxaemia associated with cerebral microangiopathy
Authors: Uzal F. A. , Glastonbury J. R. W. , Kelly W. R. , Thomas R.
Published: October 2010

Cerebral microangiopathy is described in naturally occurring clostridial enterotoxaemia in two goats. The two cases were selected from the files of two diagnostic laboratories in Australia, on the basis that the clinical syndrome and history were consistent with a diagnosis of enterotoxaemia, and that the diagnosis was confirmed by the identification of epsilon toxin in intestinal contents. The lesions consisted of acute perivascular proteinaceous exudate in the brain and bilaterally symmetrical foci of encephalomalacia were observed in one of the goats. These brain lesions confirm thatClostridium perfringenstype D enterotoxaemia may produce histologically detectable brain changes in goats.
Pathological studies of wobbly possum disease in New Zealand brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula)
Authors: O'Keefe J. S. , Stanislawek W. L. , Heath D. D.
Published: October 2010

Following an outbreak of wobbly possum disease in a colony of brush tail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula), the disease was established experimentally in captive possums by inoculating the animals intraperitoneally with tissue homogenates. Crude tissue homogenates of liver remained infectious after freezing at ‐75°C or filtration through a 0.22 pm filter. The disease was characterised by docility, incoordination, loss of balance and wasting. Fifteen of 16 infected animals had to be euthanased owing to the severity of the clinical signs. Cachexia was the only change observed postmortem. Histology revealed widespread perivascular infiltrations with plasma cells and lymphocytes which were severe in the liver and kidney and moderate to mild in a variety of other tissues, including skeletal and cardiac muscle. Changes in the brain consisted of a mild to moderate mononuclear perivascular cuffing. Most of the animals had small to large numbers of circulating nucleated red blood cells and eosinopenia when they were euthanased. There was a consistent decrease in serum albumin concentration and an increase in serum globulins, which resulted in a decreased albumin:globulin ratio. Virus‐like particles were observed in preparations of liver from two animals; they appeared to be spherical or icosahedral and were 45 nm in diameter.
Serological evidence for pneumovirus infections in pigs
Authors: Allan G. M. , McNeilly F. , Walker I. W. , Young J. A. , Fee S. , Douglas A. J. , Adair B. M.
Published: October 2010

A serological survey was carried out on pig sera from herds in Northern Ireland to investigate the incidence of reactivity to bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRsv) antigens. A total of 529 pig sera from 61 herds were tested and 219 (41 per cent) were found to be reactive with BRsv‐infected cell cultures in an indirect immunofluorescence test. None of the BRSV‐reactive sera immunostained turkey rhinotracheitis virus‐infected cell cultures, indicating specificity for BRsv epitopes. The specificity of this reactivity for BRSv antigen was confirmed by double immunolabelling, using monoclonal antibodies to BRSV and two pig sera with different reactivities to BRSv antigens. A longitudinal serological investigation of two litters of pigs indicated that BRSV‐serum reactivity developed between six and 11 weeks after birth. The immunofluorescent staining pattern observed with the majority (73 per cent) of the BRsv‐reactive pig sera was typical of that observed with known BRsv‐reactive bovine sera. The other immunoreactive pig sera stained BRsv‐infected cell cultures in an atypical staining pattern. These different reactivity patterns, combined with the results of the serum neutralisation tests, suggest that more than one serotype of a porcine pneumovirus may exist.
A neuronal vacuolar disorder in young rottweiler dogs
Authors: van den Ingh T. S. G. A. M. , Mandigers P. J. J. , van Nes J. J.
Published: October 2010

Four rottweiler pups from two litters developed severe progressive signs of spinal ataxia, cerebellar ataxia and tetraparesis/ paralysis. The signs started with ataxia of the pelvic limbs at seven to eight weeks of age and progressed to tetraparesis and paralysis within three to five weeks. Postmortem, a vacuolar neuronal disorder was found in the cerebellum, brainstem and the spinal cord, associated with Wallerian type degeneration in the brainstem, cerebellar peduncles and the medullary cord. Electron microscopy revealed empty membrane‐bound vacuoles. Inmunohistochemistry for PrPScwas negative. The disorder differs clinically and pathologically from other neurological disorders in the breed and a new (familial) neurological disorder in the rottweiler is suspected.
Use of ultrasonography to help to predict observed oestrus in dairy cows after the administration of prostaglandin F2α
Authors: Smith S. T. , Ward W. R. , Dobson H.
Published: October 2010

A total of 76 cows from seven herds with an ultrasonographically visible corpus luteum at routine herd fertility examinations were treated with prostaglandin F2 α. The sizes of the cavities of all the follicles on both ovaries with a diameter greater than 5 mm were measured. The cows were observed for signs of oestrus over the following six days and the time to onset of oestrus was recorded. Milk samples collected when the prostaglandin was administered and at oestrus were assayed for milk progesterone concentration. The herd of origin, lactation number, body condition score, days after calving at the time of examination and the total number of follicles when the prostaglandin was administered were not found to have any correlation with time to oestrus. Seventy‐three of the 76 cows had milk progesterone concentrations consistent with active luteal tissue when the prostaglandin was administered, and 33 of them were observed in oestrus and had low milk progesterone concentration within six days. The mean time to the onset of oestrus was significantly and inversely related to the size of the cavity of the smallest follicle with a diameter of more than 5 mm.
Risk estimates for dichotomous genetic disease traits based on a cohort study of relatedness in purebred dog populations
Authors: Ubbink G. J. , van de Broek J. , Hazewinkel H. A. W. , Rothuizen J.
Published: October 2010

As a result of strong selection in closed gene pools, dog breeds represent populations of highly related animals. Prominent founder‐effects are responsible for inherited diseases occurring in particular breeds, and each breed may have several breed‐related diseases, often with a high incidence. Such inherited diseases are a major problem in purebred dog populations, and probably threaten their survival. On the basis of pedigree information held by the National Kennel Clubs and reliable medical data of a representative longitudinal cohort, estimates have been made of the relative risks of dichotomous disease traits in all combined breeding stock. This approach is independent of assumptipns about modes of inheritance or thresholds. In a cohort study, all the common ancestors of the cases are selected and their degree of relatedness to both cases and controls is estimated. The ancestors which are positively associated with the dichotomous disease trait are selected on the basis of scores of relatedness. To reduce the number of parameters, while maintaining maximal informativeness, a principal component analysis is applied. Finally a logistic model, based on the principal components and the case control definitions, describes the most likely pattern of the passage of genetic risk factors down the generations. Estimates of relatedness to seven highly related ancestors were sufficient to describe the distribution of disease in a population of Dutch labrador retrievers. This approach may be used for genetic counselling for any clinical phenotypically dichotomous trait in such a highly related population of companion animals, and may also help to identify suitable dogs for molecular studies of the underlying defect.
Diagnosis of cranial cruciate ligament injury in dogs by tibial compression radiography
Authors: de Rooster H. , Van Ryssen B. , van Bree H.
Published: October 2010

Stress radiographs were taken of 42 sound stifle joints, of five stifles with injuries other than cruciate disease, and of 72 stifles with surgically confirmed cranial cruciate damage. The stifles were also examined by the cranial drawer test. No false positive compression radiographs were obtained. In the 72 stifles with cranial cruciate damage, instability was diagnosed on the stressed view in all but two cases. The sensitivity of the radiographic tibial compression test was 97 per cent, compared with 86 per cent for the cranial drawer test; the specificities of the tests were 100 per cent and nearly 98 per cent, respectively.
Prevalence of antibodies to bovine virus diarrhoea virus and other viruses in bulk tank milk in England and Wales
Authors: Paton D. J. , Christiansen K. , Alenius S. , Cranwell M. P. , Pritchard G. C. , Drew T. W.
Published: October 2010

Bulk tank milk samples from 1070 dairy herds in England and Wales were tested by ELISA for antibodies to bovine virus diarrhoea virus (BVDV). A subset of 341 herds was tested by ELISA for antibodies to bovine herpesvirus 1 (BHV‐1), bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRsV) and bovine coronavirus (BCV). None of the herds had less than 40 dairy cows and none had been vaccinated against BVDV. The prevalence of BVDV antibody‐positive herds in the national population was estimated at 95 per cent and approximately 65 per cent of the herds had a high level of bulk tank antibody suggestive of recent infection with BVDV. Dairy herds in East Anglia and the south‐east of England had a significantly lower risk of being BVDV antibody‐positive than herds in the rest of England and Wales. However, these regional differences tended to diminish with increasing herd size. Around 69 per cent of the herds were BHV‐1 antibody‐positive and all the herds were antibody positive to BRSV and BCV. Comparison with earlier serological surveys revealed that there had been little change in the prevalence and distribution of BVDV antibody‐positive herds in England and Wales over the last 20 years, but that there had been an increase in the prevalence of BHV‐1 antibodypositive herds.
Activation of extracellular matrix metalloproteinases in equine laminitis
Authors: Johnson P. J. , Tyagi S. C. , Katwa L. C. , Ganjam V. K. , Moore L. A. , Kreeger J. M. , Messer N. T.
Published: October 2010

Samples of connective tissue obtained from the hoof of six laminitic and eight non‐laminitic adult horses were analysed zymographically to investigate whether connective tissue matrix metalloproteinases are activated or induced during laminitis. The activity of matrix metalloproteinases was substantially greater in the tissues from the laminitic horses than in the tissues from the non‐laminitic horses. A comparison of the collagenolytic activity in the laminitic and control tissues showed that collagenolytic activities corresponding to the 92 kDa (P<0.001), 72 kDa (P<0.01) and 66 kDa (P<0.01) bands were induced in the laminitic tissues.
Treatment of infectious arthritis of the radiocarpal joint of cattle with gentamicin‐impregnated collagen sponges
Authors: Hirsbrunner G. , Steiner A.
Published: October 2010

Gentamicin‐impregnated collagen sponges were used successfully in the treatment of chronic septic arthritis of the radiocarpal joint in two cattle. Both animals were moderately to severely lame and refractory to systemic antibiotics, and one of them was refractory to joint lavage and local antibiotics. The clinical diagnosis was confirmed by radiography and arthrocentesis. Arthroscopy was performed under general anaesthesia and, after debridement and lavage of the joint, gentamicin‐impregnated collagen sponges were placed intraarticularly. Synovial fluid was sampled at 10 and 20 days after surgery and radiographs were taken three months (case 1) and two months (case 2) after surgery. The infection was eliminated from both animals and they recovered without residual lameness.
Sudden death in sheep associated with Clostridium sordellii
Authors: Lewis C. J. , Naylor R. D.
Published: October 2010

Clostridium sordellii was isolated from 37 sheep, in 29 flocks, which died suddenly between 1993 and 1995. The sheep were of all ages, but the most severe gross lesions affected lambs four to 10 weeks of age. In older weaned lambs and ewes the gross changes were less marked and more variable. Thirty sheep suffering from a variety of other conditions were examined and C sordellii was not isolated. The isolation of C sordellii has been reported only twice before from sheep in Britain, and on both occasions no detailed investigations were described. The evidence from this study indicates that C sordellii should be considered when investigating the cause of sudden death in sheep of all ages in Britain.
Craniomandibular osteopathy in two Pyrenean mountain dogs
Authors: Franch J. , Cesari J. R. , Font J.
Published: October 2010

Craniomandibular osteopathy was diagnosed in two Pyrenean mountain dogs with a history of mandibular swelling, pain, fever and, in dog 1, lameness. Radiographs demonstrated extensive, active new bone formation on the ventral aspect of the mandibular bodies of both dogs. Dog 2 responded well to treatment but dog 1 was euthanased owing to severe pain, dysphagia and unsuccessful treatment. The mandibles were examined by means of back‐scattered scanning electron microscopy and a well arranged mineralised trabecular network of chondroid tissue and woven bone was observed. The mandibular cortical bone under the areas of periosteal proliferation was also affected, showing a looseness of the characteristic compact appearance of lamellar bone. This is the first report of craniomandibular osteopathy in this breed.
Aorto‐iliac thrombosis in a foal
Authors: Moore L. A. , Johnson P. J. , Bailey K. L.
Published: October 2010

A six‐day‐old Missouri foxtrotter colt was examined because it had had diarrhoea since it was 24 hours old. A diagnosis of colitis, septicaemia, and disruption of the arterial blood flow to the pelvic limbs was made on the basis of clinical and laboratory findings. Despite intensive medical therapy, the foal died 13 hours after being examined. Postmortem examination revealed diffuse fibrinous enteritis with lymphoid necrosis, multifocal fibrinonecrotic typhlocolitis, disseminated intravascular coagulation, and a large occluding thrombus at the aortic termination. The results of bacteriological culturing supported the diagnosis of septicaemia leading to activation of the clotting cascade, disseminated intravascular coagulation, aorto‐iliac thrombosis and infarction of the pelvic limbs.
Porcine dermatitis and nephropathy syndrome in Spain
Authors: Segalés J. , Piella J. , Marco E. , Mateu‐de‐Antonio E. M. , Espuña E. , Domingo M.
Published: October 2010

In August 1995, the first case of porcine dermatitis and nephropathy syndrome was diagnosed in the north‐eastern part of Spain; the pig showed characteristic dermal and renal lesions. Between then and January 1996, nine further animals from five different herds were diagnosed; they showed signs of anorexia, depression and, sometimes, pyrexia. Diarrhoea, Glässer's disease, conjunctivitis and gastric ulcers also occurred on the farms where the diagnoses were made. The affected pigs died of renal failure with diffuse fibrinous glomerulonephritis and a systemic necrotising vasculitis. Chronic interstitial nephritis, glomerulosclerosis and scar‐like marks on the skin were observed in chronic cases. Other common findings in both acute and chronic cases were a diffuse depletion of lymph node lymphocytes with infiltration by syncytial cells (50 per cent of cases) and interstitial pneumonia. All the animals tested positive for porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) by serological tests and virus isolation. Serum urea and creatinine concentrations were above normal in the acutely affected animals. The pathogenesis of the condition is unknown but the lesions and immunopathological observations by other authors suggest that a type III hypersensitivity is a possible aetiology. The occurrence of PRRSV in these pigs suggests that the virus might be implicated in the pathogenesis of porcine dermatitis and nephropathy syndrome.
Determination of the frequency and distribution of vascular and parenchymal amyloid with polyclonal and N‐terminalspecific PrP antibodies in scrapie‐affected sheep and mice
Authors: Jeffrey M. , Goodsir C. M. , Holliman A. , Higgins R. J. , Bruce M. E. , McBride P. A. , Fraser J. R.
Published: October 2010

Brains from 17 histopathologically confirmed cases of scrapie, five of which had congophilic vascular amyloid, were stained immunohistochemically for prion protein (PrP) using a polyclonal antibody. Two clinically suspect but pathologically unconfirmed cases of natural sheep scrapie and the brains of four mice infected with the 111A murine scrapie strain were also examined. Selected sections containing amyloid were stained with each of two peptide antibodies which recognise the N‐terminal amino acid residues which are lost following protease digestion of the disease‐specific isoform of PrP. The mice infected with the 111A murine scrapie strain had large numbers of hypermature plaques. All the amyloid plaques from both natural sheep scrapie brains and experimental murine brains were heavily immunostained by the polyclonal and both peptide antibodies. In addition, disease‐specific accumulations of PrP were detected in endothelial cells or in the intima of blood vessels of the cerebral cortex of sheep scrapie brains. The affected blood vessels were located in areas which otherwise lacked typical scrapie pathology. Vascular accumulations of PrP were also found in leptomeningeal and choroid plexus blood vessels. Vascular amyloid was found mainly in the neocortex. Vascular amyloid and disease‐specific parenchymal accumulations of PrP were found in two sheep which showed clinical signs of scrapie but lacked its typical vacuolar pathology. These results show that the mature amyloid of scrapie is composed of, or contains a substantial proportion of, whole length PrP protein. Thus truncation of PrP is not essential for the aggregation of PrP into amyloid. The vascular amyloid of natural sheep scrapie originates from the accumulation and release of PrP from endothelial cells presumably following systemic scrapie infection. The topography of vascular amyloid distribution in Great Britain differs from that reported in the Netherlands. As amyloid deposition in mice is largely controlled by the strain of the infecting agent it is possible that the strain of the agent may influence vascular amyloid deposition.
Haemorrhagic smolt syndrome: a severe anaemic condition in farmed salmon in Scotland
Authors: Rodger H. D. , Richards R. H.
Published: October 2010

Farmed pre‐smolt stage Atlantic salmon developed an acute, severe haemorrhagic anaemia, termed haemorrhagic smolt syndrome. The fish were in good condition, but lethargic, and had widespread visceral and muscle petechiation and ecchymoses. The mean (sd) haematocrit of affected fish was 1.4 (0.9) per cent and histopathology revealed widespread haemorrhage in all organs, associated with endothelial tissue. No infectious agent was isolated and the condition could not be transmitted experimentally. The clinical evidence indicates that the condition is non‐infectious, but its aetiology could not be fully established.
Cell culture‐grown putative bovine respiratory torovirus identified as a coronavirus
Authors: Cornelissen L. A. H. M. , van Woensel P. A. M. , de Groot R. J. , Horzinek M. C. , Visser N. , Egberink H. F.
Published: October 2010

A putative bovine respiratory torovirus (BRTV) was propagated in bovine fetal diploid lung and human colonic tumour cells, and fringed pleomorphic particles were detected in the culture supernatants by electron microscopy. Antisera directed against a bovine (Breda strain) and equine (Berne strain) torovirus failed to react with BRTV‐infected cells in immunofluorescence assays and did not neutralise BRTV. No toroviral RNA was found in the supernatants of infected cells by means of a reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction with torovirus‐specific primers. On the other hand, bovine coronavirus‐specific antisera and monoclonal antibodies did neutralise the cytopathic effects, and coronaviral antigen was detected in the cultures by immunofluorescence. Furthermore, bovine coronavirus RNA was detected in the supernatants of BRTV‐infected cells after nucleic acid amplification. It is concluded that the cytopathic BRTV isolate is a coronavirus.
Case control study of feline Borna disease in Sweden
Authors: Berg A‐L. , Reid‐Smith R. , Larsson M. , Bonnett B.
Published: October 2010

A questionnaire‐based, retrospective case‐control study of 174 Swedish cats was used to identify possible risk factors for feline Borna disease. The questionnaire consisted of 32 questions on a wide range of subjects, including lifestyle and possible modes of virus transmission. Two control groups were used: a healthy‐control and a hospital‐control. Variables with significant odds ratios in either the Borna disease:healthy‐control or Borna disease:hospital‐control comparison were included in multiple logistic regression analyses. Overall, the models suggested that feline Borna disease has a predominantly rural/woodland distribution, that affected cats were more likely to be males than females and intact than neutered, and that they were more likely than not to have hunted mice. The results indicate that, in contrast to other feline viral infections, Borna disease virus is not readily transmitted between cats. The natural reservoir of the virus is unknown. The fact that exposure to mice by hunting was a risk factor for the disease suggests that rodents may be subclinically infected and act as virus carriers.
Effect of muscle injection site and drug temperature on pre‐anaesthetic sedation in pigs
Authors: Clutton R. E. , Bracken J. , Ritchie M.
Published: October 2010

The responses of 83 Meishan gilts given azaperone (1.0 mg/kg) and ketamine (5 mg/kg) intramuscularly at one of four sites: the cervical muscles (20); the triceps muscle (m triceps brachii) (20); the middle gluteal muscle (m gluteus medius) (22); and the fascia lata muscle (m fascia lata) (21) were recorded. There were more reactions to the injection into the fascia lata muscle than to injections into the middle gluteal muscle and the triceps muscle (P=0.024) and fewest after injections into the cervical muscles (P=0.013). The injection site did not influence the time from injection to recumbency but there was least variability with the fascia lata muscle. The degree of sedation achieved, and the response to venous cannulation were similar in all four groups. There were no long‐term complications (lameness or abscess formation) associated with the injections at any of the sites. In a second study with 68 pigs the same drug mixture was injected into the triceps muscle at either 6 to 8°C (23), 19 to 22°C (23) or 38.5 to 40.5°C (22). There was no significant difference (P=0.078) between the numbers of responses to the injections at each temperature. Mean time to recumbency was shortest with the injections at the highest temperature although the differences were not statistically significant (P=0.498). The degree of sedation achieved, the response to venous cannulation and the incidence of complications were similar in all three groups.
Cohort study of the association between adventitious bursitis of the hock and the age at slaughter and carcase quality of the pigs on one farm
Authors: Mouttotou N. , Sterry J. , Green L. E.
Published: October 2010

The prevalence and severity of adventitious bursitis and its association with age at slaughter and carcase quality were evaluated in a cohort of 1011 pigs reared in a straw‐based system. The prevalence of bursitis was 85.4 per cent (574/672). Pigs with bursitis had a significantly greater depth of fat over the ribs (P=0.01) and at P2 (P=0.02). There was evidence (P=0.06) of an association between bursitis and a reduction in the depth of the rib muscle. There was also a significant reduction in the lean meat content of the carcases of the pigs with bursitis (P<0.01). There was no association with age at slaughter, sex or carcase weight. When the significant associations were considered in a forward stepwise unconditional logistic regression model, with the presence of bursitis as the dependent variable, the only significant variable was depth of rib fat with an odds ratio of 1.12 (95 per cent confidence interval 1.02 to 1.22). The economic impact of adventitious bursitis on carcase quality was estimated to be equivalent to a loss of 0.5 kg per affected pig.
Evaluation of primary haemostasis in canine leishmaniasis
Authors: Moreno P. , Lucena R. , Ginel P. J.
Published: October 2010

Primary haemostasis was evaluated by measurements of bleeding time and platelet count in 26 dogs with leishmaniasis and 10 normal dogs. Bleeding time was significantly (P=0.02) longer in the infected dogs than in the control group, and in infected dogs with creatinine concentrations >1.5 mg/dl than in infected dogs with normal creatinine levels. There was a significant linear regression between the concentration of creatinine and bleeding time (P=0.02) although the coefficient of determination was low (r2=0.194). There were no significant differences in platelet counts between the normal and diseased dogs, and there were no significant differences between male and female dogs in either group.
Relationship between in vitro sensitivity of coliform pathogens in the udder and the outcome of treatment for clinical mastitis
Authors: Shpigel N. Y. , Winkler M. , Ziv G. , Saran A.
Published: October 2010

The relationship between in vitro sensitivity to antimicrobials and the outcome of treatment was studied in 228 cows with coliform mastitis. All the cows were treated with a preparation containing sulphonamide and trimethoprim, and 197 of them were also treated with a non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drug (NSAID). The relationship between in vitro sensitivity to sulphonamide/trimethoprim and recovery was analysed by multivariate logistic regression. The possible confounding effects of treatment with an NSAID, days in lactation, parity, herd, and type of infecting organism were tested. Only treatment with an NSAID had a significant confounding effect and was included in the final statistical model. The recovery rate of the 165 cows infected by coliforms that were sensitive to sulphonamide/trimethoprim (89.1 per cent) was higher than that of the 63 cows infected by coliforms that were resistant to sulphonamide/trimethoprim (74.6 per cent). The odds ratio of recovery for the cases associated with organisms that were sensitive to sulphonamide/trimethoprim relative to the cases associated with organisms that were resistant to sulphonamide/trimethoprim was 2.75, with a 95 per cent confidence from 1.25 to 5.85. The odds ratio of recovery for the cases treated with an NSAID relative to the cases treated with sulphonamide/trimethoprim only was 2.76 with a 95 per cent confidence interval from 1.12 to 6.79.
Porcine nephropathy in Bulgaria: a progressive syndrome of complex or uncertain (mycotoxin) aetiology
Authors: Stoev S. D. , Hald B. , Mantle P. G.
Published: October 2010

Macroscopic nephropathy was observed in 506 pigs at slaughter in Bulgaria in 1993/94. Histopathological changes were mainly degenerative and proliferative, and were linked with kidney hypertrophy similar to that of the classical Danish syndrome. Retention cysts formed by dilated tubules, activation or proliferation of capillary and vascular endothelium, and the development of neoplastic tissue were also observed. The most advanced pathology took the form of extensive interstitial fibrosis. Traces of ochratoxin A were found in the kidneys of the majority of 96 cases examined, and in some feed samples taken retrospectively from farms or commercial sources. The dietary ochratoxin concentration (100 μg/kg), calculated from serum analyses, closely matched the average of individually analysed feeds. In other feeds no ochratoxin A was detected and the cosmopolitan mycobiota isolated did not include the ochratoxinogenic Penicillium verrucosum that caused the Danish syndrome. Aspergillus ochraceus was rare and the isolates did not synthesise ochratoxin in laboratory culture. The unconfirmed diagnosis of ochratoxicosis suggests a complex or multi‐toxin aetiology for this rather common chronic disease in Bulgaria.
Conservative and surgical treatment of tibial fractures in cattle
Authors: Martens A. , Steenhaut M. , De Cupere C. , Gasthuys F. , De Moor A. , Verschooten F.
Published: October 2010

Ninety‐five cattle with tibial fractures, all but one with a uni‐lateral fracture, were examined between 1990 and 1994. The feasibility of repairing the fracture was assessed radiographi‐caily, also taking into account the bodyweight and value of the animal. Twenty‐two cattle were slaughtered. Conservative treatment with stall confinement and/or a splint or cast was applied in 18 cases, with satisfactory results in eight of them (44 per cent). They were fattened to normal bodyweight, but they all had a severe deformity of the affected leg. In 55 ani‐mals, the fractures were fixed externally with Steinmann pins and methylmethacrylate bridges under image‐intensi‐fied fluoroscopy. Ten of them could not bear weight on the affected leg and were slaughtered before the pins were removed. In the remaining 45 animals the pins were removed after a mean (sd) period of 71 (14) days. Four ani‐mals re‐fractured the affected leg shortly after the pins were removed and six others were slaughtered prematurely because of inadequate weight bearing. The results were suc‐cessful in 35 cases (64 per cent). Slight deviations of the affected leg and/or the contralateral leg were often observed. The overall survival rate of the cattle with tibial fractures was 45 per cent.
Prevalence, incidence and geographical distribution of Johne's disease in cattle in England and the Welsh borders
Authors: Çetinkaya B. , Erdogan H. M. , Morgan K. L.
Published: October 2010

The prevalence, incidence and geographical distribution of clinical Johne's disease in dairy cattle in England and the border regions of Wales were determined by a postal survey of 3772 dairy farmers. The study area was divided into three regions; south, central and north. The response rate was 78.3 per cent. The proportion of farms that reported ‘ever’ having the disease was 17.4 per cent. For the 10 years between 1985 and 1994 it was 4.9 per cent, and only 1.5 and 1.3 per cent in 1993 and 1994 respectively. The highest prevalence figures were always in the south. The incidence rate of clinical disease was 3.0/10,000 cow‐years in both years in all herds and 16.7 and 22.8/1000 cow‐years in infected herds in 1993 and 1994 respectively. An estimate of the criterion validity of diagnosis by farmers was obtained by comparing the reporting of the clinical signs with positive veterinary or veterinary investigation centre diagnoses. The proportion of farmers reporting one or other of the correct clinical signs was 95.3 per cent, and 70.6 per cent reported both correct signs (diarrhoea and weight loss).
ActinobacillusandPasteurellaspecies isolated from horses with lower airway disease
Authors: Ward C. L. , Wood J. L. N. , Houghton S. B. , Mumford J. A. , Chanter N.
Published: October 2010

Seventy‐three bacterial isolates from 65 horses with and without evidence of lower airway disease were identified to assess whether the association with disease was accounted for by a small or large number of species. Just over half (50.5 per cent wereActinobacillus equuli, 17.8 per cent were Asuis‐like, 11 per cent werePasteurella pneumotropica, 8.2 per cent wereA lignieresii, 6.8 per cent wereP haemolyticaand 5.5 per cent wereP mairii. These results suggest that a range ofActinobacillusandPasteurellaspecies can be isolated from the lower airways of horses, with many of the isolates beingA equuli. Among the horses examined, lower airway inflammation was significantly associated withA suis‐like bacteria andA lignieresii. However, these two species constituted too small a proportion of the undifferentiatedActinobacillus/Pasteurellaspecies to explain the association of this group of bacteria with lower airway disease. SinceA equuliconstituted just over 50 per cent of the group of bacteria it is possible that it too is playing a significant role in lower airway disease.
Health surveillance of cattle in the vicinity of a chemical industrial complex
Authors: Buckley J. , Larkin H.
Published: October 2010

Following allegations of environmental contamination, a scheme for the surveillance of animal health on dairy farms in the vicinity of a large complex of chemical industries in the region of Cork harbour was initiated in 1991. Multidisciplinary investigations were undertaken as a result of unusual incidents of animal ill‐health or decreased productivity, and an explosion and fire at one of the industrial plants. There was no evidence that exposure to environmental pollutants caused variations in either productivity or the incidence of disease. Many incidents which might have been linked with environmental pollution were found to have other causes. A broad database of animal disease incidence, productivity and blood composition has been established, and a bank of tissues taken from animals submitted for routine slaughter has been frozen, so that they may be analysed for toxins if required. The main difficulty encountered during the study was inadequate disclosure of information by some herd owners.
Use of the modified acrylic external fixator in 54 dogs and 28 cats
Authors: McCartney W.
Published: October 2010

This paper describes the use of acrylic resin instead of a Kirschner clamp for treating bone fractures. The technique is cheaper than using Kirschner external skeletal fixator and allows greater flexibility for pin placement. It is also less prone to self mutilation by dogs than the entirely acrylic external fixator. The modified acrylic fixator gave results similar to those obtained with the Kirschner external fixator, when used in 54 dogs and 28 cats.
Accuracy of different methods of estimating the weight of horses
Authors: Ellis J. M. , Hollands T.
Published: October 2010

Six hundred horses of different ages, heights and breeds were weighed on a weighbridge and had their weights estimated by two weigh tapes, 1 and 2, by a formula, and by a visual estimate. For the population as a whole, the most accurate method was the formula (mean [sd] 98.6 [10.61 per cent) closely followed by weigh tape 2 (98.1 [8.1] per cent). Tape 1 and the visual estimate were the least accurate (112.0 [9.3] and 88.3 [20.1] per cent respectively). When the population was divided into two height groups, the formula and weigh tape 2 were the most accurate for horses <15 hh (99.6 [5.2] per cent and 99.0 [5.6] per cent respectively), and weigh tape 1 and the visual estimate were 113.5 (6.5) per cent and 88.4 (16.3) per cent accurate respectively. For horses ≥15 hh weigh tape 1 was most accurate (103.5 [9.1] per cent) and the formula, tape 2 and the visual estimate were 95.5 (13.1) per cent, 91.8 (9.2) per cent, and 89.3 (22.2) per cent accurate respectively. Overall the formula appeared to be the most accurate estimator of a horse's weight. However, owing to individual variation, it is recommended that the weights of horses <15 hh are estimated by the formula or weigh tape 2, and that the weights of those ≥15 hh are estimated with weigh tape 1.
Collie eye anomaly in the Lancashire heeler
Authors: Bedford P. G. C.
Published: October 2010

An ocular disease ophthalmoscopically identical to collie eye anomaly (CEA) is described in the Lancashire heeler breed of terrier. Survey work completed in 1996 demonstrated a significant incidence of 13.7 per cent. The clinical findings together with initial pedigree analysis support the accepted view that, in the traditionally affected breeds, CEA is a true pleiomorph which segregates as a recessive Mendelian trait. Alternative hypothesis speculates that the several lesions ascribed to CEA may occur as separate congenital disease entities, each with its own mode of inheritance. However, the combination of bilateral chloroidal hypoplasia, papillary or peripapillary coloboma and neuroretinal non‐attachment in a non‐collie breed tends to confirm that these three lesions are indeed individual parts of the one disease. The established appearance of CEA outwith the collie breeds dictates that the nomenclature for this disease is now somewhat inappropriate and that an alternative name should be considered. It is suggested that the term ‘congenital posterior segment anomaly’ could be adopted.
Diarrhoea in nursing piglets associated with coccidiosis: prevalence, microscopic lesions and coexisting microorganisms
Authors: Chae C. , Kwon D. , Kim O. , Min K. , Cheon D‐S. , Choi C. , Kim B. , Suh J.
Published: October 2010

A retrospective study was made of natural infections with Isospora suis in nursing piglets, recorded from April 1994 to May 1997, to determine the prevalence, microscopical lesions and other microorganisms associated with coccidiosis. One hundred and five (17.3 per cent) of the 605 nursing piglets submitted from 304 pig farms were diagnosed positive for coccidiosis. The affected piglets were from seven to 20 days old, with a mean age of 11.1 days. Coccidiosis occurred in each year but the incidence peaked in July (15 cases, 14.3 per cent), September (15 cases, 14.3 per cent), October (16 cases, 15.2 per cent) and November (18 cases, 17.1 per cent) and was lowest in May (no cases), August (two cases, 1.9 per cent) and June (four cases, 3.8 per cent). Histopathologically, villous atrophy resulting from the necrosis and sloughing of epithelial cells was a prominent feature of infection with I suis. In 49 5 per cent of the nursing piglets, other enteropathogens were identified, Escherichia coli (47.6 per cent) and transmissible gastroenteritis virus (3.8 per cent) being the most commonly diagnosed. Forty‐five of 50 E coli isolates associated with coccidiosis tested negative by polymerase chain reaction for enterotoxigenic virulence factors, such as fimbriae and enterotoxins.