Meningoencephalitis in commercial meat turkeys associated with Mycoplasma gallisepticum.

Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) infection was diagnosed in three different flocks of 12-to-16-week-old commercial meat turkeys displaying torticollis and/or opisthotonos. MG was isolated from the brain, air sacs, trachea, and sinus of one bird with neurological signs. Histological examination of brains in all three cases revealed moderate-to-severe encephalitis with lymphoplasmacytic cuffing of vessels, fibrinoid vasculitis, focal parenchymal necrosis, and meningitis. Birds with neurological signs were seropositive for MG by the serum-plate agglutination and hemagglutination-inhibition tests. The encephalitic form of MG has been described previously but is rarely mentioned in the current literature.     

A method to identify BSE suspects in emergency slaughtered cattle during ante mortem examination

A method is presented by which a maximal number of BSE-infected cattle that had escaped the filter of clinical examination are identified during ante mortem examination. This approach might prove to be an efficient and cost-effective method for veterinary and non-veterinary meat inspectors to remove infected animals prior to slaughter. In a case-control study, the clinical signs of 224 randomly selected sick slaughtered animals were compared with the clinical signs of 26 sick slaughtered animals in which BSE infection was diagnosed using a rapid test post mortem. In addition, the clinical signs of the sick slaughtered BSE-positive animals were compared with the clinical signs of a group of BSE suspects identified during the same time period and in which BSE infection could be confirmed. As a result of this study a mathematical model was developed to identify BSE suspects. This model contains a total of 7 variables (clinical signs) that proved to be of importance. These signs were aggressive behaviour, grinding of teeth, protruding eyeballs, reduced rumination, inability to stand, overexcitability, and difficulty in standing up. The presented model has a sensitivity of 61.5% (16 out of 26 BSE-positive animals slaughtered while sick were identified) and a specificity of 99.6% when compared to a rapid test conducted post mortem.     

The effect of large burns in ruminants on the edibility of meat]

The effect of non-contact burns was studied on a model of a slaughter ruminant. The study included the examination of the penetration of germs into the blood stream and into the meat and of the main changes characterizing the ripening of the obtained meat. The tests were conducted with two groups of animals, killed 1) at the beginning of the development of the infection process in the burn, 2) in a health state in which the prognosis was unfavourable quo ad vitam. It was found on the basis of haemocultivation, microbiological examination of the samples of organs and meat, and examination of pH values in the meat that the natural body barriers were destructed and the biochemistry of the muscular tissue was impaired. The penetration of the germs through the natural barriers of the organism was recorded also before the initiation of the development of the infection in the burn. The acidification of the meat worsened post mortem. It is possible, on the basis of the facts which were revealed, to present the following recommendations for the practical use of the results in the veterinary inspection of meat in ruminants with large burns: to take samples for microbial examination, even though the animal has been slaughtered in the earliest stage of the disease; to determine the pH in the meat obtained from the slaughtered animals and to expect worse acidification and imperfect ripening of the meat.     

The effect of the addition of dried pig excrement to beef cattle diet on meat quality

The carcasses and meat and fat properties of a group of five bulls fed a basal diet with an addition of 0.80 kg of dried pig excrements for 135 days were compared with a group of five control bulls fed the basal diet. The pre-mortal examination of the clinical state of the animals, the post-mortal veterinary inspection of the meat and internal organs, and the comparison of blood transaminase activity did not reveal any signs of health disorders ascribable to the experimental diet. The organoleptic examination and determination of the basic and some other technological characteristics and other properties of the meat and fat did not show any significant differences in quality to justify a decision by which the meat of the experimental bulls would be treated as less valuable or non-edible.     

Veterinary and sanitary expertise in the USSR on the intoxication of animals with carbamate pesticides]

Pigs, sheep and rabbits were given carbamates per os. The animals were slaughtered one to thirty days after application. The examination of the slaughtered animals and meat was supplemented by determining the residues of carbamates in the meat and by physico-chemical, bio-chemical and bacteriological examinations. In the case of sevin, TMTD and/or zineb intoxication, pigs and sheep may be slaughtered after 20 to 30 days and rabbits seven to 12 days after intoxication. Meat containing sevin, TMTD and/or zineb may not be used for human consumption. After long-term storage of meat in freezing units and two-hour boiling the substance in the meat is not destroyed. From the veterinary and hygienic aspect the meat of the intoxicated animals may be used only after a complex examination.     

A survey of more than 11 years of neurologic diseases of ruminants with special reference to transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) in Greece

The first cases of scrapie were detected in Greece in a flock of sheep in October 1986. All the animals of the affected flock and all sheep in two flocks that were in contact were killed and buried. A systematic investigation of all available cases with signs indicating a neurological disease started in sheep and goats in late 1986, as well as in cattle in 1989. The investigation was based on clinical examination, necropsy or macroscopical examination of the brain and viscera, and histological examination of the brain in all animals except those with coenurosis. Histological examinations of specimens from the spinal cord and other tissues, and if considered necessary bacteriological, toxicological and serological examinations were also carried out. In October 1997, scrapie was diagnosed in sheep of a second flock (a mixed flock of sheep and goats), grazing in a pasture close to the place where scrapie was initially detected. All animals of the second flock were also killed and buried. Diagnosis in the first flock was based on clinical signs and histological lesions, and in the second immunoblotting was also used. Distinctive lesions of scrapie were found in the brain and/or the spinal cord of eight sheep with clinical signs from the two flocks. The lesions were revealed in the brain stem and/or in the cervical spinal cord, and tended to be symmetrical. In one sheep, severe lesions in the cortex of cerebral hemispheres and of the cerebellum were also found. In the brain of two sheep from the second flock the pathological isoform of PrP protein was detected. Despite the eradication scheme applied, scrapie in sheep reappeared after 11 years in a place close to where it occurred initially. This may indicate that the effectiveness of the eradication scheme implemented was not adequate and additional approaches may be needed.     

Hepatic capillariasis in captive ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta)

A female ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta) and her two cubs held in a zoo in Chile exhibited signs of severe hepatic insufficiency. In spite of supportive treatment, the three animals died a few days after the onset of signs. Postmortem examination revealed ascites and fibrotic lesions in the liver of all the individuals. Histologically, the liver of two of them showed a severe parasitic ova infection and lipidosis, the morphologic characteristics of the parasitic ovas were consistent with Capillaria hepatica (syn. Calodium hepatica) eggs. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first clinical case report of hepatic capillariasis in prosimians, and its implications are discussed.     

METRIZAMIDE MYELOGRAPHY IN FIVE DOGS AND TWO CATS WITH SUSPECTED SPINAL CORD NEOPLASMS

Metrizamide myelography was used in five dogs and two cats with signs of spinal cord disease. The history, clinical signs, cerebrospinal fluid examination, and myelography supported a presumptive diagnosis of spinal cord neoplasia in all seven animals. Myelography demonstrated a deviation of the subarachnoid space in each of them. Five of the animals had an expansile intramedullary spinal cord lesion causing thinning and peripheral deviation of the subarachnoid space. Two had extramedullary lesions causing a central deviation of the subarachnoid space. Spinal cord tumors in six of the seven animals were confirmed by necropsy or surgical excision and histopathologic examination. In the seventh animal, a spinal cord fungal grapuloma was diagnosed by necropsy.     

Clinical Parelaphostrongylus tenuis infection in two captive American bison (Bison bison)

CASE DESCRIPTION: 2 juvenile (17 and 19 months of age) male American bison (Bison bison) were examined because of acute bilateral hind limb weakness and ataxia; 1 animal also had urinary incontinence. TREATMENT AND OUTCOME: Given the clinical signs and rapid deterioration in the condition of these 2 animals, obtaining a definitive diagnosis was considered essential to minimizing the risk of disease in the remaining bison herd and among other animals at the facility. Therefore, both affected animals were euthanized. At necropsy, no gross abnormalities were seen. Histologic examination of sections of the brains from both animals revealed mild to moderate multifocal aggregates of eosinophils and mononuclear cells in perivascular regions of the meninges and gray matter of the cerebrum, cerebellum, and brainstem. Systematic examination of multiple sections of brain and spinal cord revealed evidence of nematode sections and aberrant parasite migration. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Findings suggested that CNS migration of Parelaphostrongylus tenuis in American bison may cause clinical signs. These findings have implications for the management of captive bison and free-ranging bison sharing ranges with white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), the definitive host, and elk (Cervus elaphus canadensis).     

Pancreatic islet fibrosis in rock hyraxes (Procavia capensis), Part 1: Case histories, clinical pathology, and epizootiology.

Two adult female rock hyraxes (Procavia capensis) at the Dallas Zoo were confirmed with spontaneous diabetes mellitus from 1997-2000, whereas a third animal with a similar clinical presentation never became hyperglycemic. The pancreas in all three animals showed pancreatic islet fibrosis (PIF). Retrospective examination of medical records for rock hyraxes acquired by this collection or born into it from 1991-2002 identified eight more animals affected with PIE All affected animals, including three males and eight females, were 1-7 yr of age and presented either with vague clinical signs of soft feces and rough hair coat or were acutely moribund or dead. Clinical pathology data was available for seven of the animals before onset of overt clinical signs and revealed inappropriate hyperglycemia in six, as well as elevated serum concentrations of creatine phosphokinase, amylase, and lipase in all seven animals. Pedigree evaluation did not support a familial pattern for PIE Review of the histopathology findings from nine other zoologic collections with rock hyrax deaths during the study period identified six institutions with 12 additional cases genetically unrelated to the incident collection. Histopathology and viral serology did not support an infectious cause. Analysis of serum anti-islet and anti-insulin antibodies did not suggest autoimmune disease, and none of the animals had known exposure to toxic substances. Limited nutritional analyses did not support a nutritional basis for the condition, and the cause for PIF remains unknown.     

A case of nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism in a Siberian tiger cub

A three-month-old female Siberian tiger cub with hindlimb ataxia was referred to the veterinary teaching hospital of Konkuk University. The patient was fed only beef without supplementation of calcium and vitamins after weaning. The tiger was presented with ataxia and back pain on digital palpation. In addition, abnormal gait, reluctance to move, and depressed withdrawal reflex were noted at the neurological examination. The overall osteodystrophic change of the lumbosacral vertebrae was observed on the lateral and ventrodorsal view of radiographic examination. And also PTH level was increased in hormonal assay when compared to that of cat reference range. Based on the results of examinations, nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism was diagnosed. Clinical signs of this patient were improved after administration of vitamin D and calcium. This case demonstrates that nutritional hyperparathyroidism could be occurred in wild animals raised on a meat diet containing imbalanced calcium and phosphate.     

Cerebrospinal elaphostrongylosis in dairy goats in northern Norway.

Ten carcasses and three vertebral columns from north Norwegian dairy goats, which had been killed due to clinical signs of severe neurologic disease, were received for necropsy. Pathological examination revealed nematodes and nematode ova in the central nervous system (CNS) of nine goats. Worms found by gross examination were identified as Elaphostrongylus rangiferi Mitskevich, 1960. Focal traumatic encephalomyelomalacia, apparently caused by migrating worms, perivascular cuffing, eosinophilic leptomeningitis and perineural infiltrations and granulomas, could be demonstrated in CNS sections from all 13 animals examined. Clinical signs reported were initial pruritus followed by motor weakness, lameness, paresis, reduced vision, circling, abnormal head position, bulging eyes and scoliosis. The disease occurred from September to January in regions with a considerable migrant reindeer population. It was concluded that the reported outbreaks of neurologic disease represented seasonal occurrence of cerebrospinal elaphostrongylosis caused by Elaphostrongylus rangiferi, the elaphostrongyloid nematode of reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus).     

Bovine borreliosis in Botswana

Clinical Borrelia theileri infection was reported for the first time in cattle from Botswana concurrent with Babesia bovis and Theileria mutans infections. Two animals, an ox and a cow of the Tswana breed demonstrated clinical signs of fever, haemoglobinuria, inappetance, diarrhoea, pallor of mucous membranes, enlarged superficial lymph nodes and rough hair coats. Examination of the blood smears from the affected animals revealed numerous B. theileri, and very few B. bovis and T. mutans organisms. Oxytetracycline was administered parenterally to all the animals in the herd. The ox, being extremely weak and recumbent for the previous 4-5 days, succumbed to death the day after the examination. The clearance of spirochaetes from the blood circulation and recovery of the cow three days after treatment with oxytetracycline suggest an involvement of B. theileri in producing clinical disease.     

Carbamate poisoning in a dairy goat herd: Clinicopathological findings and therapeutic approach

Abstract

CASE HISTORY: Approximately 1 hour after the consumption of carnations from a nearby glasshouse 55 animals from a dairy goat herd exhibited signs of possible poisoning.

CLINICAL FINDINGS: Upon clinical examination affected animals exhibited signs of salivation, tympany, tachypnoea, polydipsia, urination, diarrhoea, bradycardia, miosis, tremor and convulsions. As poisoning from an acetylcholinesterase-inhibiting insecticide was suspected, treatment with atropine sulphate was initiated at a dose of 0.3 mg/kg bodyweight. The treatment was repeated for some animals that relapsed, and was effective in all cases, with the exception of one goat kid that died.

DIAGNOSIS: Necropsy of the goat kid showed pulmonary oedema and congestion of internal organs. Toxicological analysis of stomach contents and liver of the dead animal, as well as of the carnations, revealed high concentrations of carbamates.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Carbamate poisoning after consumption of polluted feedstuffs or glasshouse products can be fatal for dairy goats. Atropine sulphate, at 0.3 mg/kg, can be useful in treating this condition.     

Hepatotoxicosis in dogs consuming a diet of camel meat contaminated with indospicine

Background Four dogs presented with clinical signs of severe hepatic disease after consuming a commercial camel meat diet. Methods Laboratory investigation revealed evidence of severe liver disease, including markedly increased serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity and total bilirubin concentration, and prolonged clotting times. Results Two dogs deteriorated despite supportive therapy and were euthanased. Histologically, both livers appeared similar, with the main lesion being extensive periacinar necrosis and haemorrhage. Indospicine, a toxic amino acid of plant origin, was detected in the serum and/or plasma from all four dogs, as well as in tissues of a dog that was necropsied and in a sample of the camel meat fed to this animal. Serum biochemistry tests using blood samples collected from 15 additional dogs identified as having eaten the diet detected indospicine was in the serum of 14 and 3 had increased ALT activity. One of the latter dogs subsequently developed clinical signs of severe liver disease and was euthanased. Conclusion To the authors' knowledge, this is the first published report of the detection of indospicine residues in camel meat and the occurrence of severe, sometimes fatal, liver disease in dogs that consumed this contaminated meat.     

Cysticercosis of slaughtered cattle in northwestern Ethiopia

The occurrence of cysticercosis due to Taenia saginata in cattle slaughtered for meat in Amhara National Regional State, northwestern Ethiopia between September 2005 and February 2007 was investigated. Routine meat inspection of various organs of 4456 cattle in eight abattoirs of this region showed that 824 (18.49%) were infected with Cysticercus bovis. The occurrence rate did not vary significantly from abattoir to abattoir (P>0.5). The tongue, masseter muscles, heart muscles, triceps muscles and thigh muscles were the main predilection sites of the cysts. Of 4102 male cattle, examined, 768 (18.72%) had cysts of C. bovis while 56 (15.82%) of the 354 female animals investigated were infected. The animals slaughtered were all adults. No significant difference in occurrence was recorded between the sexes. Monthly occurrence of the cysts in the animals revealed a rise of infected animals during the dry season.     

Hiatal hernia in the dog and cat: A retrospective study of 16 cases

Sixteen cases of hiatal hernia were diagnosed in cats and dogs at the University of Tennessee between 1978 and 1989. Three cases were found as incidental findings during thoracic or abdominal radiography and another two cases were found during post mortem examination. The remaining 11 cases were evaluated clinically and radiographically. The results of conservative or surgical therapy were reviewed. Not all animals with a hiatal hernia were symptomatic. Five animals with signs underwent surgery and another three had surgical intervention but were asymptomatic. Medical management was successful in controlling the signs in two animals showing signs consistent with reflux oesophagitis. One dog with ‘shortened oesophagus syndrome’ was treated inappropriately with conventional surgical techniques used in veterinary medicine for hiatal hernia. This study clearly emphasises the need to evaluate carefully each dog or cat with hiatal hernia before choosing the best therapeutic plan.     

Clinical findings and treatment of 30 cattle with botulism

The clinical signs, the results of haematological and biochemical analyses and the treatment of 30 cattle with botulism are described, and the signs of the 13 cattle that survived are compared with those of the 17 that were euthanased owing to the disease. The cattle originated from 11 farms that had experienced an outbreak of botulism. The most important clinical sign in all the cattle was a reduction in the strength of the tongue; excessive salivation and difficulty in swallowing were observed in 20 of the animals, and the ears of 15 of them drooped. In 21 of the cattle, reaction to pricking of the head and body with a hypodermic needle was either absent or slight. Twelve of the animals had an unsteady, slow, difficult gait, and nine were unable to stand. A significantly higher proportion of the cattle which were euthanased had marked changes in behaviour and condition, anorexia, severely reduced skin turgor, weak tongues, a low rectal temperature, a high heart rate and a low blood pH; 11 were euthanased immediately after a clinical examination and six were euthanased one to five days after the initiation of treatment because their condition had deteriorated. Thirteen of the animals were treated for three to 23 days and were healthy when they were discharged. The treatment consisted of an intravenous infusion of 10 to 20 litres of glucose saline per day and the daily administration of fresh ruminal juice. Follow-up by telephone several months later revealed that all 13 animals had recovered completely.     

绵羊实验性黄花棘豆中毒的病理观察

用发病区的黄花棘豆草对10只绵羊进行了人工饲喂试验。饲喂这种毒草经一定时间后,全部被试动物陆续发生了和自然病例相同的临床症状,主要表现沉郁和神经功能异常。对中枢神经系统用病理方法检查揭示,脑干神经核里的神经细胞和小脑浦肯野氏细胞发生了极严重的空泡变性,淋巴结和脾的网状内皮细胞以及肝、肾实质细胞也发现同样的病变。显然,动物的神经和免疫功能受损。作者认为,病初或中毒轻微时,与生命有关的细胞成分还不会发生死亡,所以在停止饲喂毒草,并及时给予治疗后,有可能使病情好转或痊愈。     

Demodicosis in nine prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus)

This case report describes the clinical signs and treatment of demodicosis in nine pet prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus). Clinical records including history, clinical examination, microscopic evaluation and fungal culture of the skin lesions were available for all nine animals. In seven animals, blood was obtained for haematological and biochemical analyses. Clinical signs comprised bilaterally symmetrical alopecia extending from the middle part of the back down to the skin of the thighs and the dorsal and ventral parts of the tail. Demodex mites were found in skin scrapings from all cases. Treatment with amitraz at 250 p.p.m. resulted in resolution of lesions and hair regrowth. This is the first report of demodicosis in this species.