bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Verification of the identity of bovine semen using DNA microsatellite markers
Authors: Williams J. L. , Usha A. P. , Urquhart B. G. D. , Kilroy M.
Published: October 2010

Over the past 30 years cattle have been identified by blood typing, but recently the use of DNA markers has provided a more precise method of identifying individuals and verifying their parentage. This article describes the use of microsatellite‐based DNA markers for confirming the identity of semen, as part of the evidence presented in a legal dispute. Two panels of markers and two methods for identifying allelic variation are compared; for both approaches the likelihood of finding two Charolais individuals with the same genotype was less than one in a million. Animals can therefore be identified conclusively from DNA samples, a technique which could be of use when their identity is in dispute.
Multicentric schwannomas causing chronic ruminal tympany and forelimb paresis in a Holstein cow
Authors: Peek S. F. , Del Piero F. , Rebhun W. C. , Adamus C.
Published: October 2010

A nine‐year‐old Holstein cow that developed recurrent ruminal tympany and an abnormal forelimb gait and posture ultimately became recumbent and unable to rise, and was euthanased. A postmortem examination demonstrated numerous schwannomas affecting peripheral nerves and several thoracic and abdominal viscera.
Laminitis in young dairy calves fed a high starch diet and with a history of bovine viral diarrhoea virus infection
Authors: Svensson C. , Bergsten C.
Published: October 2010

Six of the 33 calves born in a Swedish dairy herd during a period of four months developed laminitis when they were eight to 12 weeks old. The clinical signs included difficulty in rising, a stiff gait, overgrown claws and haemorrhages in the sole horn. Samples of blood were taken from four of the calves when they had shown signs of laminitis for two to seven weeks; the serum concentrations of calcium, phosphorus and vitamin D3, the activities of aspartate aminotransferase and glutathione peroxidase, and the patterns of serum proteins were within their normal ranges. The feet of the same four calves were examined after slaughter; the third phalanx of each calf was rotated and its distal end osteolytic. Histologically there was separation and degeneration of the squamous cells of the white line, and thromboses and vasculitis in the fine vessels of the corium. Four of the six affected calves were persistently infected with bovine viral diarrhoea virus and one had antibodies against the virus. From six weeks of age the calves had been fed rye wheat, a hybrid seed rich in starch, and this may have contributed to the outbreak of laminitis.
Studies on the development and use of a monoclonal sandwich ELISA for the detection of verotoxic Escherichia coli in animal faeces
Authors: Randall L. P. , Wray C. , McLaren I. M.
Published: October 2010

A sandwich ELISA using monoclonal antibodies to Escherichia coli verocytotoxins 1 and 2 for capture and detection was developed for detection of verocytotoxin‐producing Escherichia coli (VTEC) in animal faeces. For optimal toxin detection, the faeces were cultured in MacConkey broth before subculture on to trypticase soy agar containing mitomycin C. It was possible to detect between 10 and 103 VT1‐producing and 1 to 10 VT2‐producing E coli /g faeces, and overall the sensitivity and specificity of the ELISA for VTEC in faeces were 80.5 per cent and 91.2 per cent, respectively, when compared with a verocell assay. A limited survey of faeces from healthy animals (89 cattle, 16 sheep, 22 pigs, 11 goats and six domestic fowl) and faeces from 144 cattle with enteric disease detected VTEC in 64 per cent, 63 per cent, 5 per cent, 45 per cent, none and 16 per cent of the samples, respectively.
Effects on calves less than one month old of feeding or not feeding them during road transport of up to 24 hours
Authors: Knowles T. G. , Warriss P. D. , Brown S. N. , Edwards J. E. , Watkins P. E. , Phillips A. J.
Published: October 2010

Two trials, each involving 56 calves less than one month old, demonstrated that the responses of calves to food and water deprivation during 24 hours of transport were similar to those observed in older cattle and lambs. There was increasing utilisation of body reserves and a measurable increase in dehydration, coupled with an increased loss of liveweight. Feeding 1 litre of glucose/electrolyte solution at eight‐hour intervals did reduce the effects of food and water deprivation, but it is suggested that the minor benefits of mid‐transport feeding during a 24‐hour journey would not justify the disruption that would be caused by unloading and feeding. It would be better to complete the journey in as short a time as possible, providing the calves were carried under suitable conditions. Liveweight and the levels of plasma beta‐hydroxybutyrate, non‐esterified fatty acids, total protein and albumin had all returned to approximately pre‐transport values after 24 hours of recovery. However, the calves had not started to gain in liveweight until some time after 24 but before 72 hours of recovery. The calves did not show the same marked responses in heart rate, plasma cortisol and plasma glucose that are observed in older cattle and in other species. They also appeared to be unable to regulate their body temperature closely, when they were transported during the winter. It is suggested that their lack of response to transport was not because they were unaffected but because they were physiologically unadapted to coping with transport.
Insemination of cattle with semen from a bull transiently infected with pestivirus
Authors: Kirkland P. D. , McGowan M. R. , Mackintosh S. G. , Moyle A.
Published: October 2010

When 73 heifers (60 of which were seronegative to pestivirus) were inseminated with pestivirus‐contaminated semen from a transiently infected bull, the conception rate to a single insemination was found to be normal (65 per cent). Only three animals became systemically infected, as determined by viraemia and seroconversion. Pestiviru was isolated from the reproductive tracts of two of these heifers when they were slaughtered 42 or 43 days after insemination. Although the initial incidence of infection was low, a cycle of secondary transmission occurred approximately 29 days after insemination, with a further eight heifers (all seronegative) becoming infected from one group of 11 seronegative and four seropositive animals.
Prevalence of Porphyromonas and Prevotella species in the dental plaque of dogs
Authors: Allaker R. P. , de Rosayro R. , Young K. A. , Hardie J. M.
Published: October 2010

The prevalence and populations of Porphyromonas and Prevotella species were determined in three samples of dental plaque from each of 34 healthy dogs. Porphyromonas gingivalis was present in 68 per cent of the dogs and 47 per cent of the plaque samples. The counts of P gingivalis increased with age (P<0.1), the amount of plaque (P<0.05) and the degree of gingivitis (P<0.1). Prevotella intermedia was present in 44 per cent of the dogs and 23 per cent of the plaque samples. The counts of P intermedia were correlated with the amount of plaque (P<0.05) and the degree of gingivitis (P<0.1). Porphyromonas canoris, P salivosa, P cangingivalis, P cansulci, P crevioricanis and Prevotella denticola were isolated from only 9, 6, 3, 3, 3 and 3 per cent of the dogs, respectively. Porphyromonas gingivicanis was not isolated from any of the animals sampled. There was a highly signifilcant (P<0.001) correlation between the amount of plaque, the extent of gingivitis and the age of the dog.
Experimentally assessed public health risks associated with pigs from farms experiencing anthrax
Authors: Redmond C. , Hall G. A. , Turnbull P. C. B. , Gillgan J. S.
Published: October 2010

Following an outbreak of anthrax in an intensive pig rearing unit in north Wales in 1989 a study was initiated by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to assess public health risks during such an outbreak. Of 50 pigs infected by the addition of Bacillus anthracis spores to their feed, two died of anthrax six and eight days later. The remainder were observed for 21 days and exhibited only mild and transient clinical signs of disease. As judged by the results of bacteriological culture of appropriate tissues from the survivors, it was concluded that meat from healthy pigs killed 21 days after the latest case during an outbreak would not pose a public health risk.
Value of α1‐acid glycoprotein in the diagnosis of feline infectious peritonitis
Authors: Duthie S. , Eckersall P. D. , Addie D. D. , Lawrence C. E. , Jarrett O.
Published: October 2010

Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is notoriously difficult to differentiate from the many other diseases with similar clinical signs and at present the only conclusive diagnostic test is the histopathological examination of a biopsy. The potential value of raised levels of the acute phase reactants, α1‐acid glycoprotein (AGP) and haptoglobin in the diagnosis of the disease was investigated. The concentrations of the two proteins were determined in serum samples from healthy cats and gave reference ranges of 0.1 to 0.48 g/litre and 0.04 to 3.84 g/litre, respectively. Levels of AGP greater than 1.5 g/litre in serum, plasma or effusion samples were found to be of value in distinguishing field cases of FIP from cats with similar clinical signs and differentiated these two groups of cats more effectively than the albumin:globulin ratio. The concentration of haptoglobin was higher in cats with FIP than in the group of healthy cats, but this protein was not of value in the diagnosis of FIP. Serum samples from feline immunodeficiency virusinfected cats were also analysed for these proteins and their concentrations were significantly elevated, illustrating that raised levels of AGP and haptoglobin are not pathognomonic for FIP.
Molecular and clinicopathological diagnosis of malignant catarrhal fever in cattle, deer and buffalo in New Zealand
Authors: Tham K. M.
Published: October 2010

Fresh and formalin‐fixed tissues and blood samples in ethylenediaminetetraacetate were collected from cattle, deer and buffalo with clinical signs suggestive of malignant catarrhal fever (MCF). In addition, formalin‐fixed, paraffi'nembedded tissue blocks collected from these animals and retrospectively from field cases of MCF were examined. DNA samples extracted from these samples were analysed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay using primers specific for the sheepassociated (SA)‐ and wildebeest‐associated (WA)‐MCF viruses. Both the SA‐MCF virus and WA‐MCF virus PCR yielded positive results which were in nearly complete agreement with the histopathological diagnoses of MCF in fresh and formalin‐fixed, paraffin‐embedded tissue from 29 cattle, 24 deer and three buffaloes. Some blood samples tested by the two assays indicated that some of the infected cattle were possible carriers.
Outbreak of canine distemper in vaccinated dogs in Finland
Authors: Ek‐Kommonen C. , Sihvonen L. , Pekkanen K. , Rikula U. , Nuotio L.
Published: October 2010

Canine distemper reappeared in dogs in Finland in 1990 after a 16‐year absence. In 1994 to 1995 an outbreak occurred in areas with a high density dog population which involved dogs vaccinated against distemper. The estimated total number of cases was at least 5000, and 865 cases were confirmed by indirect fluorescent antibody testing of 3649 epithelial cell samples. The signs recorded by veterinary clinicians ranged from conjunctivitis, pyrexia and anorexia to signs of respiratory and gastrointestinal illness, with an estimated mortality of 30 per cent. Of the confirmed cases 631 (73 per cent) were between three and 24 months of age; 487 of these had been vaccinated at least once and 351 (41 per cent) had a complete vaccination history. Of these 351 fully vaccinated animals the proportion of dogs vaccinated with the most popular vaccine was significantly higher than would have been expected by its market share. In total, 4676 serum samples were collected from healthy vaccinated dogs during the peak and decline of the outbreak and tested for the presence of virus neutralising antibodies. The decrease in the proportion of young dogs with antibody titres <⅛ coincided with the decline and end of the outbreak during the spring and summer of 1995. It was concluded that a critical decrease in the population's immunity during 1990 to 1994 was a major reason for the outbreak in the summer of 1994 and that the ultimate test for vaccines is an outbreak of disease.
Variations in the force applied to flexion tests of the distal limb of horses
Authors: Keg P. R. , van Weeren P. R. , Schamhardt H. G. , Barneveld A.
Published: October 2010

A pressure‐sensitive device was developed to measure the force applied to flexion tests of the distal limb of horses. The mean force applied by a group of experienced clinicians was 150 N which results in a moment on the flexed fetlock joint of about 28.5 Nm. The coefficient of variation of the force applied by one experienced clinician was only about 12 per cent, but the coefficient of variation between clinicians was considerably higher (20 per cent), irrespective of whether the clinicians were considered to be experienced or not. The mean force applied by a group of women examiners (114 N) was significantly lower than that applied by the group of male examiners. It is concluded that the flexion test used in the clinical examination of the locomotor system of the horse should be better standardised.
Isolation of mycobacteria from lymph node lesions in deer
Authors: Quigley F. C. , Costello E. , Flynn O. , Gogarty A. , McGuirk J. , Murphy A. , Egan J.
Published: October 2010

A total of 14,842 farmed deer were slaughtered and examined postmortem in Irish abattoirs between January 1993 and September 1996. Lymph node lesions were detected in 119 deer and these were examined histopathologically and cultured. A total of 115 of the lesions were characterised as tuberculous and, on culture,Mycobacterium aviumwas isolated from 49 of them,M bovisfrom 41, unclassified mycobacteria from five, and 20 of the tuberculous lesions did not yield any isolate. Tubercles which yieldedM aviumon culture contained on average more acid‐fast bacilli, more epithelioid macrophages and fewer Langhans giant cells than tubercles from whichM boviswas isolated. Twelve lesions from feral deer culled from a national park were also examined andM boviswas isolated from nine.
Experimental reproduction of iodine deficiency in cattle
Authors: McCoy M. A. , Smyth J. A. , Ellis W. A. , Kennedy D. G.
Published: October 2010

The role of iodine deficiency in stillbirth/perinatal weak calf syndrome was investigated in pregnant heifers. Five heifers were fed an iodine deficient diet (mean [sd] iodine concentration 0.06 [0.01] mg/kg dry matter [DM]) and six received an iodine sufficient diet (mean [sd] iodine concentration 1.45 [0.27] mg/kg DM). The diets consisted of wheat and soyabean meal with added minerals and vitamins (with or without iodine) and were fed to the heifers over the final four to five months of pregnancy. The iodine deficient diet produced clinicopathological changes and pathological changes in the thyroid glands of both the heifers and their offspring. However, all the calves in the iodine deficient group were born clinically normal.
Gastric ulcers in finishing pigs: their prevalence and failure to influence growth rate
Authors: Guise H. J. , Carlyle W. W. H. , Penny R. H. C. , Abbott T. A. , Riches H. L. , Hunter E. J.
Published: October 2010

In an abattoir survey the stomachs of 1242 pigs from 15 farms were examined. Ulceration of the pars oesophagea was present in 22.95 per cent with a range from 4.7 to 57.4 per cent. The ulcers were graded mild in 9.5 per cent and severe in 13.4 per cent of the stomachs. Bile staining and hyperkeratinisation of the pars were significantly more common in stomachs with ulcers than in those without (P<0.001), although the difference between the hyperkeratinisation in cases with severe ulcers and cases without ulcers was not significant. The daily liveweight gains of 208 males and 150 females from two units with a high prevalence of ulcers were calculated from their weaning weights at about five weeks of age and their slaughter weights at around 90 kg. At the abattoir their stomachs were examined for the presence of ulcers of the pars. The daily liveweight gain of the males was significantly greater than that of the females (P<0.001), but the presence of mild or severe ulcers had no influence on the rate of gain of the pigs from either unit. The prevalence of ulcers in the males and females was 57.2 and 49.3 per cent, respectively, but the difference was not significant.
Use of a live chlamydial vaccine to prevent ovine enzootic abortion
Authors: Chalmers W. S. K. , Simpson J. , Lee S. J. , Baxendale W.
Published: October 2010

A lyophilised chlamydial vaccine was prepared from the 1B temperature‐sensitive strain of ovine Chiamydia psittaci. Ewes inoculated with a low titre of the live vaccine four weeks before artificial insemination were challenged on day 70 of gestation with five UK field isolates of C psittaci, including strains A22 and S26/3 previously incorporated into a commercial inactivated vaccine. There was a significantly lower chlamydial abortion rate after challenge in the vaccinated group (7.1 per cent) than in the unvaccinated group (80 per cent). All the lambs born to the vaccinated ewes were viable and of good quality. The vaccine also reduced the number of infected ewes in the group and the severity of the infection. The compatibility of the chlamydial vaccine and a toxoplasma vaccine was also tested. The abortion rate of ewes vaccinated with the two vaccines at separate injection sites (16 per cent) was less than that of ewes vaccinated with both vaccines at one site (32 per cent).
Comparison of five tests for the detection of antibodies against chlamydial (enzootic) abortion of ewes
Authors: Jones G. E. , Low J. C. , Machell J. , Armstrong K.
Published: October 2010

Five tests for antibodies against chiamydial (enzootic) abortion of ewes were compared using 255 sera from experimentally (group 1) or naturally (group 2) infected animals, flocks free of the disease (group 3) and individual animals testing positively by the complement fixation test but from flocks with no evidence of chlamydial abortion (group 4). Sera from five specific pathogen‐free lambs vaccinated with two different subtypes ofChlamydia pecorumwere also included (group 5). All tests used some form of processed culture ofC psittacias antigen. Specificities, established with groups 3 and 4 sera, ranged between 96 per cent (ELISA using lipopolysaccharide antigen) and 59 per cent (Immunocomb). Reactions with group 5 sera suggested that the cause of false positive results in the field might be cross‐reactive antibodies against the arthritogenic subtype ofC pecorum. Sensitivities, established with groups 1 and 2 sera, ranged bewteen 81 per cent (Immunocomb) and 51 per cent (ELISA using solubilised protein antigen). The minimum sample sizes required to be 95 per cent certain of detecting at least five seropositives in two infected flocks (combined data) were 15 to 48, dependent on the test applied. The Western blot test, applied to a proportion of samples, yielded no false positives with group 3 sera but 31P7 per cent with group 4 sera. Thus, none of the tests in this comparison emerged as sufficiently satisfactory in all respects, suggesting that further improvements in chlamydial serology must come through the use of non‐native antigens or in the form of a competitive ELISA.
Elimination of mucosal cyathostome larvae by five daily treatments with fenbendazole
Authors: Duncan J. L. , Bairden K. , Abbott E. M.
Published: October 2010

The efficacy of five daily treatments with 7.5 mg fenbendazole/kg bodyweight against mucosal cyathostome larvae was evaluated in 20 12‐ to 24‐month‐old ponies with naturally acquired cyathostome infections. After three weeks communal grazing on infected pasture and six weeks indoors, one group of 10 ponies were treated. Six weeks later, both groups of ponies were humanely destroyed and their burdens of large intestinal cyathostome worms, including luminal parasites and mucosal larvae, were assessed. In the control animals approximately 7 per cent of the total worm burden was present in the gut lumen and 93 per cent was present as larvae in the large intestinal mucosa. The efficacy of fenbendazole against the luminal cyathostomes was 90.7 per cent (P<0.01). The total numbers of mucosal larvae, recovered after digestion, were reduced by 95.3 per cent (P<0.0005); mucosal late third and fourth stage larvae were reduced by 99.4 per cent (P<0.0001), and early inhibited third stage larvae by 91.5 per cent (P<0.005).
Mycobacterial antigen‐specific antibody responses in bovine tuberculosis: an ELISA with potential to confirm disease status
Authors: Lightbody K. A. , Skuce R. A. , Neill S. D. , Pollock J. M.
Published: October 2010

Serological assays may help to identify animals in advanced stages of bovine tuberculosis, but most of the tests available have suboptimal sensitivities and specificities. This study was designed to determine whether the antibody responses to defined antigens (rMPB7O, rMPB64 and rMPB59) of Mycobacterium bovis at the immunoglobulin subclass level could be used to develop improved serological tests. In experimentally infected cattle it was found that the predominant serum antibody response was to rMPB7O, and that an IgG1 response to this antigen was boosted strongly by skin testing. Studies in naturally infected cattle suggested that this memory IgG1 anti‐rMPB7O response may be able to differentiate between skin test‐reactor animals with and without lesions by comparing the ratio of the antibody response before and after skin testing. The study has provided a clearer understanding of the kinetics of antibody responses to defined mycobacterial antigens at the subclass level in bovine tuberculosis and has made it possible to develop a novel ELISA system which may be useful in disease diagnosis.
A retrospective study of mortality associated with general anaesthesia in horses: emergency procedures
Authors: Mee A. M. , Cripps P. J. , Jones R. S.
Published: October 2010

A retrospective study evaluated 995 emergency equine general anaesthetics. The total mortality for emergency procedures was 31.4 per cent. This figure was examined in more detail to determine if all emergency procedures. carried a similar risk. Horses anaesthetised for surgical colic had an increased risk of death or euthanasia, with a total mortality of 35.5 per cent when compared to horses anaesthetised for non‐colic related problems which had a total mortality of 15.3 per cent. The findings of this study illustrate the greatly increased risk of mortality in horses undergoing general anaesthesia for emergency procedures. Mortality is 4.25 times more likely for emergency procedures not associated with colic than for similar procedures carried out electively. Emergency general anaesthesia for colic carries an increased risk of mortality of 9‐86 times that of elective cases.
DNA marker C04107 for copper toxicosis in a population of Bedlington terriers in the United Kingdom
Authors: Holmes N. G. , Herrtage M. E. , Ryder E. J. , Binns M. M.
Published: October 2010

The DNA microsatellite marker C04107, linked to the Bedlington terrier copper toxicosis locus, is used diagnostically in the USA to detect the disease allele. This marker has been typed in Bedlington terriers of known disease status in the United Kingdom, and it is concluded that it should be useful in eradicating the disease from the breed in the UK. The marker also identified a dog which had been diagnosed on the basis of a liver biopsy as having the disease, as being unaffected; a second liver biopsy confirmed that the dog did not have copper toxicosis.
Choosing appropriate space allowances for slaughter pigs transported by road: a review
Authors: Warriss P. D.
Published: October 2010

In the United Kingdom pigs can spend up to 11 hours in transit to slaughter but on average travel for two to three hours. In the past, international journeys have lasted up to 40 hours and have been over 900 miles long. There is evidence that pigs, like calves and sheep, but unlike adult cattle, prefer to lie down if provided with suitable conditions, particularly bedding, on the vehicle. They will, however, sometimes stand during short journeys, possibly when excessive vibration or uncomfortable flooring, particularly a lack of sufficient bedding, cause discomfort. Current UK legislation and EU Directive 95/29/EC specify that, in general, pigs must have sufficient space to lie down during transit. Measurements of the space needed for sternal recumbency, and direct observations of pigs at different stocking densities, suggest that the minimum space required is equivalent to about 250 kg/m2 for normal slaughter pigs of 90 to 100 kg liveweight. This figure may not be appropriate for very small or very large pigs. In the UK at present, more than half of all slaughter pigs are transported at densities greater than that prescribed (235 kg/m2) in the EU Directive. At stocking densities above about 250 kg/m2 there may not be enough room available for all the pigs to lie down, leading to continual disturbance of recumbent animals by those seeking a place to rest. A stocking density of 322 kg/m2 leads to clear evidence of physical stress. During long journeys (≥25 hours) meat quality is reduced by high stocking densities, implying muscle glycogen depletion and possibly fatigue. Higher stocking densities are also associated with higher mortality. There is evidence of wide variations in air temperature inside transporters, particularly for international journeys. Although there are small variations within vehicles, the temperature of the air inside is closely related to the outside temperature. It has been recommended that the temperature within the vehicle should not exceed 30°C in order to remain within the pig's thermoneutral zone. Such temperatures, together with acceptably low concentrations of potentially noxious gases, such as carbon dioxide, can be achieved in moving vehicles by adequate ventilation, provided there is adequate space above the animals' heads. In tripledecked lorries, the height between decks has tended to be reduced and can be as little as 90 cm. Further work is needed to decide whether this is sufficient for modern slaughter pigs.
Studies on the efficacy of hyperbaric rendering procedures in inactivating bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and scrapie agents
Authors: Schreuder B. E. C. , Geertsma R. E. , van Keulen L. J. M. , van Asten J. A. A. M. , Enthoven P. , Oberthür R. C. , de Koeijer A. A. , Osterhaus A. D. M. E.
Published: October 2010

The efficacy of the procedures in use at the two rendering plants in the Netherlands was assessed on a laboratory‐scale using procedures that simulated the pressure cooking part of the rendering process. A pool of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BsE).infected brainstem from the United Kingdom and a pool of scrapie.infected brainstem from Dutch sheep were used to spike the rendering materials. The mixtures were subjected to various time‐temperature combinations of hyperbaric heat treatment related to the conditions used in Dutch rendering plants in the early 1990s, and to the combination of 20 minutes at 133°C required by the EU Directive on rendering of 1996. The efficacy of the procedures in inactivating BSE or scrapie infectivity was measured by titrating the materials before and after heat treatment in inbred mice, by combined intracerebral and intraperitoneal inoculations at limiting dilutions. Two independent series of experiments were carried out. The design of the study allowed for minimum inactivations of up to 2.2 log (2.0 in the second series) to be measured in the diluted infective material and 3.1 log in the undiluted material. After 20 minutes at 133°C there was a reduction of BSE infectivity of about 2.2 log in the first series (with some residual infectivity detected), and in the second series more than 2.0 log (with no residual infectivity detected). With undiluted brain material there was an inactivation of about 3.0 log (with some residual infectivity detected). With the same procedure, scrapie infectivity was reduced by more than 1.7 log in the first series and by more than 2.2 log in the second series. With undiluted brain material there was an inactivation of more than 3.1 log. In each case no residual scrapie infectivity was detected. The BSE agent consistently appeared to be more resistant to heat inactivation procedures than the scrapie agent, particularly at lower temperatures and shorter times.
Assessing abattoir hygiene with a marker organism
Authors: Hudson W. R. , Mead G. C. , Hinton M. H.
Published: October 2010

A study was made to evaluate the use of a marker organism for assessing whether hygienic slaughter practices were being followed at red meat abattoirs. The organism, a nonpathogenic strain of Escherichia coli K12 that was resistant to nalidixic acid, was detected and counted on a highly specific isolation medium. With beef carcases, the practice of bagging the excised anus reduced, but did not prevent the spread of the organism from an inoculum applied in the anal region before the hide was removed. The carcases of sheep that were processed at a low‐throughput abattoir, were contaminated with the marker after the fleece had been inoculated at a single site. The contamination was significantly reduced (P<0.001) when the operative responsible for flaying had cleaned his hands, arms and apron before and during the handling of each carcase, and used a knife which was freshly pasteurised on several occasions. However, the subsequent washing of carcases had little or no effect on the levels of the marker organism. It was concluded that the marker may be of value in assessing hygiene control, improving present practices, and training abattoir staff.
Investigation of mortality and pathological changes in a 14.month birth cohort of boxer puppies
Authors: Nielen A. L. J. , van der Gaag I. , Knol B. W. , Schukken Y. H.
Published: October 2010

This paper presents puppy mortality and postmortem findings for a birth cohort of boxer puppies born in the Netherlands between January 1994 and March 1995. In all, 457 litters were registered, of which 414 (90.6 per cent) were involved in the study. The 414 litters contained 2629 puppies, a mean litter size of 6.4 puppies. Of the 2629 puppies 571 (21.7 per cent) died or were euthanased before they were weaned at 50 days of age; there were 147 (25.7 per cent) stillbirths; 102 (17.9 per cent) were euthanased because they were white; 269 (47.1 per cent) of the puppies died during the first 21 days of life and 53 (9.3 per cent) puppies died between days 22 and 50. The cause of death or the reason for euthanasia was assessed by either the breeder or the veterinarian in 176 of these 269 puppies but was not determined in the other 93 puppies. Three hundred and two puppies were examined postmortem; the most important causes of death or reasons for euthanasia were inflammatory disorders (102; 33.8 per cent), non‐inflammatory disorders such as asphyxia and malnutrition (66; 21.9 per cent), euthanasia because they were white (51; 16.9 per cent), and congenital abnormalities (45; 14.9 per cent). No cause of death or reason for euthanasia could be found for 38 puppies (12.6 per cent).
Cataracts in farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in Ireland, Norway and Scotland from 1995 to 1997
Authors: Wall A. E.
Published: October 2010

From 1995 to 1997 cataracts were observed in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in Ireland, Norway and Scotland at around the time of smoltification (when freshwater fish become adapted to the hypertonic seawater) in both fresh‐ and seawater fish. Over 38,000 fish were screened for the presence of cataracts. Posterior cortical cataracts were the earliest and most consistent change, followed by perinuclear, equatorial and anterior cortical cataracts. On histological examination vacuolation of the lens fibres was consistently present in the posterior cortex. The pattern of the outbreak suggested that a nutritional factor was involved although the variable incidence and severity of the condition indicated that a number of modifying factors may have been involved in the expression of the condition.
Prevention of transmission of sheep pulmonary adenomatosis by embryo transfer
Authors: Parker B. N. J. , Wrathall A. E. , Saunders R. W. , Dawson M. , Done S. H. , Francis P. G. , Dexter I. , Bradley R.
Published: October 2010

Two‐hundred‐and‐fifteen embryos recovered from 76 donor ewes from flocks endemically infected with sheep pulmonary adenomatosis (SPA) and mated with uninfected rams were transferred to 131 uninfected recipients under strict sanitary conditions using International Embryo Transfer Society protocols. The recipients and their progeny were kept in a closed, isolated sPA‐free flock. Thirty‐eight of 51 progeny from SPApositive donors and 55 of 74 progeny from donors in which no lesions of SPA were detected survived for at least five years after birth. In a similar study 11 embryos from four uninfected donors mated to an SPA‐infected ram were transferred to seven recipients, and four of five progeny born to four recipients survived for at least five years. No evidence of SPA was found in the recipients or their progeny by embryo transfer in either study. On the basis of clinical and pathological criteria, it is concluded that embryo transfer can be used to provide an effective barrier against the transmission of SPA from donors from infected flocks, whether or not the parents show clinical signs of the disease.
Intrathoracic tracheal avulsion and pseudodiverticulum following pneumomediastinum in a cat
Authors: Griffiths L. G. , Sullivan M. , Lerche P.
Published: October 2010

A case of tracheal avulsion with pneumomediastinum and pseudodiverticulum formation in a cat is described. Radiographs taken at initial presentation showed a pneumomediastinum with fractures of the right first to sixth ribs. Conservative treatment resolved the pneumomediastinum but following initial improvement the cat developed dyspnoea. Radiography and image intensification at this time showed a tracheal diverticulum at the level of the fourth rib. Surgical resection of the diverticulum and stenotic tracheal ends was performed via a right fourth intercostal lateral thoracotomy. The airway was maintained throughout the procedure using a bridging endotracheal tube. The cat made an unremarkable recovery following surgery.
Role of infected, non‐diseased badgers in the pathogenesis of tuberculosis in the badger
Authors: Gallagher J. , Monies R. , Gavier‐Widen M. , Rule B.
Published: October 2010

The lungs and kidneys of 15 badgers which had no visible lesions of tuberculosis but from which Mycobacterium bovis was isolated from pooled collections of lymph nodes were serially sectioned. Lesions of tuberculosis were detected by histopathology in the lungs of 13 and in the kidneys of one of them. The lesions were mostly typical early stage granulomatous lesions but seven animals had fibrosed lightly calcified lesions which were considered to be the primary foci of infection. These lesions suggest an early containment phase of arrested development previously not observed and provide further evidence on which to propose a hypothesis for the pathogenesis of tuberculosis in the badger.
Aetiology of ovine footrot in Spain
Authors: Hurtado M. A. , Píriz S. , Valle J. , Jimenez R. , Vadillo S.
Published: October 2010

Four hundred and sixty strains of obligate anaerobes were isolated from 216 cases of ovine footrot distributed throughout Spain. The predominant species was Dichelobacter nodosus, which was isolated in 168 cases (77.8 per cent). A higher proportion of the strains of D nodosus than of the other strains had elastolytic activity, 118 of the 168 strains degrading elastin. Species belonging to the genus Prevotella were isolated from 96 cases (44.4 per cent). Serotyping of the D nodosus strains showed that serovars Al, A2 and C were the most commonly isolated in Spain.
Adventitious bursitis of the hock in finishing pigs: prevalence, distribution and association with floor type and foot lesions
Authors: Mouttotou N. , Green L. E. , Hatchell F. M.
Published: October 2010

The prevalence, severity and distribution of adventitious bursitis were estimated in 3989 finishing pigs from 21 units in south‐west England. The overall prevalence of adventitious bursitis was 51.0 per cent and ranged from 10.1 to 84.0 per cent in the different units. Bursae were found on four different aspects of the hock: lateroplantar, plantar, medial and point of the hock (capped hock). The median severity of the bursae at all the different sites was mild (score 1). There was a large variation in the prevalence of different bursal lesions. Lateroplantar bursae (41.8 per cent) were the most prevalent followed by plantar (12.0 per cent), medial (4.8 per cent) and capped hock (3.7 per cent). There was a significant trend in the prevalence of bursitis with floor type; pigs kept on solid concrete floors with deep straw (>10 cm) had the lowest risk of having bursitis, and the prevalence increased successively when the floors were solid concrete with sparse straw (<10 cm), semi‐slatted and fully slatted. There was a significant association between the presence of bursitis and foot lesions.
Epidemiological characteristics of bovine herpesvirus 1 infections determined by bulk milk testing of all Dutch dairy herds
Authors: Van Wuijckhuise L. , Bosch J. , Franken P. , Frankena K. , Elbers A. R. W.
Published: October 2010

Samples of bulk milk were taken from all 33,636 Dutch dairy herds in November 1994 and tested for the presence of bovine herpesvirus 1 (BHV‐1) antibodies with a gB‐blocking ELISA. Sixteen per cent of the herds had a negative BHV‐1 status in the bulk milk. Farms with only dairy cows were 1.9 times more likely to have a negative or weakly positive BHV‐1 status than herds which also had beef/veal animals. Farms in areas containing less than one herd/km2 were 1.5 times more likely to have a negative or weakly positive BHV‐1 status than herds in areas with more than three herds/km2. Differences in numbers of animals per unit area were not significantly associated with BHV‐1 status. The probability of herds having a negative or weakly positive BHV‐1 status decreased linearly with herd size by a factor of 1.2 per 10 animals. The purchase of stock was significantly associated with a negative or weakly positive BHV‐1 status, but there was an interaction between farm type and purchase of stock. For farms with both dairy and beef/veal animals there was a weak association between the purchase of stock and BHV‐1 status. For pure dairy herds the probability of having a negative or weakly positive BHV‐1 status decreased linearly with the numbers of purchased stock by a factor of 1.3 per 10 animals purchased.
Induction of onion‐induced haemolytic anaemia in dogs with sodiumn‐propylthiosulphate
Authors: Yamato O. , Hayashi M. , Yamasaki M. , Maede Y.
Published: October 2010

The haemolytic effect of sodiumn‐propylthiosulphate, which had been isolated from boiled onions, was studied to determine whether it could be one of the agents responsible for induced haemolytic anaemia in dogs. The oral administration of 500 μmol/kg bodyweight of the compound to dogs resulted in a haemolytic anaemia associated with an increase of Heinz body formation in erythrocytes, which was more severe in dogs with the hereditary condition which results in erythrocytes with high concentrations of reduced glutathione and potassium than in normal dogs. In the affected dogs there was a 10‐fold increase in the concentration of oxidised glutathione in their erythrocytes 12 hours after the administration of the compound, whereas in normal dogs there was almost no change.
Biliary elimination of endogenous nortestosterone by pregnant cows
Authors: McEvoy J. D. G. , McVeigh C. E. , McCaughey W. J. , Hewitt S. A.
Published: October 2010

A temporal study of the biliary elimination of endogenous 19‐nortestosterone during two successive pregnancies was made in three cows with cannulated gall bladders. Bile samples were analysed for 17β‐19‐nortestosterone (β‐NT) and the 17α‐epimer (α‐NT) by using high resolution gas chromatography and mass spectroscopy. No β‐NT was detected in any of the samples analysed. However, α‐NT was detected from around 120 days of gestation in each of the cows. Peak concentrations were observed in the last week before calving and ranged from 9.5 to 36.7 ng/ml. After parturition, the concentrations of α‐NT declined rapidly and were undetectable by seven days after calving, and it was not detected again until after 120 days of gestation. The biliary concentrations of α‐NT detected subsequently were similar to those observed in cattle several weeks after an exogenous injection of the synthetic ester β‐NT phenylpropionate.
Acute pancreatitis in chickens due, to non‐virulent Newcastle disease virus
Authors: Meulemans G. , Roels S. , van den Berg T. P. , Godfroid J. , Decaesstecker M.
Published: October 2010

A non‐virulent Newcastle disease virus (strain APMV‐1 96/89 VB) was isolated from a broiler chicken from a backyard flock. Using monoclonal antibodies, the virus was shown to be different from the vaccinal virus strains Hitchner, La Sota and Ulster. The virus was shown to replicate in the pancreas of one‐day‐old specific pathogen‐free chickens infected orally, and the histological lesions observed in the pancreas of chickens inoculated with the fourth chicken passage of the virus five to nine days after infection were consistent with an acute pancreatitis.
Effect of vaccine‐induced immune activation on the performance of early‐weaned pigs
Authors: Fangman T. J. , Ostlund E. N. , Tubbs R. C. , Henningsen‐Dyer K.
Published: October 2010

Two groups of 96 pigs were studied to determine the influence of weaning age, nursery site and a challenge to their immune system on their performance. The weaning ages were 11 to 16 days and 16 to 21 days. One nursery was on‐site and the second nursery was off‐site. Immune activation was stimulated by the administration of infectious bovine rhinotracheitis virus (IBR) vaccine to half of the pigs at each site. Serum virus neutralisation titres to IBR and total immunoglobulins were monitored in some of the pigs in each group. Performance was measured in terms of feed intake, average daily gain in weight, and feed conversion ratio (FCR). The mean serum immunoglobulin concentrations of all the groups of pigs tended to decrease in the first two weeks after weaning and then increase. Twelve of 20 pigs vaccinated with IBR had neutralisation titres to the virus. The site of the nursery did not significantly affect average daily gain in weight, feed intake or FCR. Pigs weaned at 16 to 21 days of age had a significantly better daily gain in weight than the pigs weaned at 11 to 16 days of age. Immune stimulation of the older weaned pigs did not influence their performance, but it had a significantly (P<0.016) negative effect on the performance of the younger weaned pigs.
Salmonella typhimurium DT104 infection in people and animals in Scotland: a collaborative epidemiological study 1993–96
Authors: Calvert N. , Stewart W. C. , Reilly W. J.
Published: October 2010

This paper describes a comparative analysis of human and farm animal salmonellosis in Scotland between 1993 and 1996, with particular reference to Salmonella typhimurium definitive type 104 (DT104). Cattle were the main reservoir, accounting for 73.1 per cent of incidents involving all salmonellae and 69.5 per cent of those involving S typhimurium DT104. The annual rates of incidence in people and cattle were recorded in each Health Board area. Dumfries and Galloway had the highest rate of incidence in cattle for all salmonellae (19.0 per 100,000) but people were affected uniformly across mainland Scotland. However, the rate of incidence of S typhimurium DT104 was highest in Dumfries and Galloway for both people (10.1 per 100,000) and cattle (13.0 per 100,000). In Dumfries and Galloway, Wigtownshire had the highest rates for all salmonellae and for S typhimurium DT104 in both people and cattle. In Dumfries and Galloway, 37.8 per cent of the adult cases of S typhimurium DT104 in people were among those known to have had regular contact with animals, and children under six years of age accounted for 36.3 per cent of the human infections in this region.
Assuring quality in extramural studies: the perceptions of practitioners
Authors: Taylor L. R. , Barnes J. A.
Published: October 2010

This paper presents the results of a questionnaire completed by 331 UK veterinary practitioners which focused on the quality assurance of extramural studies. The questionnaire considered the attributes of practitioners as extramural teachers and the suitability of host practices for extramural studies, the students' evaluation of their quality, and the role of the veterinary schools. The questionnaire identified two broad roles for the practitioner, first, as teacher and, secondly, as professional role model, and there was strong support for students being allowed Co evaluate their role as teacher. The findings are discussed in relation to aspects of good practice associated with quality assurance, and in relation to the need to develop stronger links between the schools and the veterinary profession.
Determination of the aversion of farmed mink (Mustela vison) to carbon dioxide
Authors: Cooper J. , Mason G. , Raj M.
Published: October 2010

High concentrations of carbon dioxide are commonly used to kill mink before their pelts are removed. The aversiveness of this procedure was investigated by using a passive avoidance technique. Eight mink were trained to obtain a reward (a novel object) by entering a chamber which could be filled with carbon dioxide, as under commercial conditions (over 80 per cent by volume). In the absence of carbon dioxide, mink entered the chamber within a mean (sd) of 16 (2.1) seconds and spent 45 (12) per cent of the next 10 minutes interacting with the novel object. When there was carbon dioxide in the test chamber, the mink would not enter it and coughed and recoiled from the chamber's entrance instead. It was concluded that the mink detected and avoided high concentrations of carbon dioxide, and that if mink are to be killed humanely, less aversive techniques should be used.
Humoral and cell‐mediated responses toMalassezia pachydermatisin healthy dogs and dogs withMalasseziadermatitis
Authors: Bond R. , Elwood C. M. , Littler R. M. , Pinter L. , Lloyd D. H.
Published: October 2010

The in vitro proliferative responses of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from seven healthy basset hounds exposed toMalassezia pachydermatisantigen (500 μg/ml) exceeded (P<0.05) those of seborrhoeic basset hounds with high populations ofM pachydermatisand eight Irish setters with glutensensitive enteropathy. The stimulation indices in the latter two groups and in eight healthy beagles were comparable. The stimulation indices of the four groups after exposure to phytohaemaglutinin did not differ significantly. The serum titres ofM pachydermatis‐specific IgG and IgA measured by enzymelinked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) in 21 seborrhoeic basset hounds and 11 affected dogs of various breeds exceeded those of 14 healthy basset hounds and eight healthy beagles (P<0.01 for IgG, P<0.05 for IgA). Total serum IgA concentrations measured by ELISA in the affected dogs were not lower than those of healthy dogs.