Copper poisoning in a dairy herd fed a mineral supplement

Copper poisoning in a dairy herd resulted in the death of 9 of 63 (14%) adult Holstein cows. Clinical signs were acute anorexia, weakness, mental dullness, poor pupillary light reflexes, and scant nasal discharge. These were followed by recumbency, chocolate-colored blood, jaundice, and death. Four animals exhibited signs of hyperesthesia and/or rumen stasis prior to death. At necropsy there was generalized icterus of body tissues, with the liver appearing orange and the kidneys dark blue. Histologically, there was accumulation of hemosiderin in Kupffer cells, and severe to moderate hepatocellular necrosis in all cases. Ammonium molybdate added to the ration, combined with the cessation of mineral supplementation, arrested the outbreak.

These cases illustrate significant mortality, due to copper poisoning, in adult cattle fed a low-dose mineral dietary supplement for over two years. Dietary copper intake of the herd (on a dry matter basis) was 37.5 mg/kg for lactating cows and 22.6 mg/kg for dry cows.

     

Hepatotoxicity to dogs of horse meat contaminated with indospicine

SUMMARY: An outbreak of liver disease which killed more than 30 dogs at Alice Springs was associated with feeding meat from horses, some of which had developed Indigofera linnaei poisoning (Birdsville horse disease). Affected livers were small, nodular and yellow. There was associated jaundice, ascites, elevation of alanine aminotransferase levels in serum, a tendency to bleed, and signs of hepatic encephalopathy. Histologically, livers showed periacinar necrosis, collapse and haemorrhage, with severe swelling, vacuolation and cholestasis in remaining hepatocytes. Indospicine, a toxic amino acid found in the genus Indigofera, was detected in samples of suspect horsemeat. Experimental feeding of horsemeat containing 16 mg indospicine/kg for 32 days produced periacinar necrosis and hepatocellular swelling in 2 dogs, although neither died nor showed clinical illness. In another experiment, intakes of as little as 0.13 mg indospicine/kg bodyweightlday for 70 days produced periacinar liver lesions, and indospicine concentrations in serum, muscle and liver rose during this period to 3.9, 7.9 and 17.5 mg/kg, respectively. It was concluded that meat from horses grazing l. linnael can be hepatotoxic for dogs, and that this toxicity may be related to its indospicine content.     

Pathologic features of polybrominated biphenyl toxicosis in the rat and guinea pig.

Young male rats were fed a diet containing 0, 1, 10, 100, or 500 ppm of a commercial mixture of polybrominated biphenyls (PBB) that had been accidentally incorporated into a mineral mixture and fed to Michigan livestock and poultry. After 30 days, 9 of the 12 rats in each group were killed and tissues were examined. Liver weight to body weight ratios were significantly increased at all feeding levels; at 500 ppm, liver weight had more than doubled. Kidney weight was not affected. Microscopic lesions were mostly confined to the liver and consisted of extensive swelling and vacuolation of hepatocytes in rats fed diets containing 100 and 500 ppm of PBB. Slight swelling and vacuolation were seen in rats fed the diet containing 10 ppm, and lesions were not found at 0 or 1 ppm. There was a significant increase in hepatic mitochondrial size at 1 ppm, and smooth endoplasmic reticulum was markedly increased at 100 and 500 ppm. Myelin bodies were present at 100 and 500 ppm, and vacuoles were numerous. Rats killed at 60 days had similar lesions. The activity of hepatic microsomal enzymes increased at all levels of feeding of PBB. Rat pups nursing dams fed a diet containing 10 ppm of PBB had microscopic and ultrastructural hepatic lesions. When guinea pigs were fed PBB at the same amounts as were rats, the results were strikingly different. Guinea pigs fed a diet containing 500 ppm of PBB died within 15 days; at 100 ppm, only 2 of 6 survived for 30 days. Effects on liver weight were inconsistent, but 2 of 6 fed a diet containing 10 ppm had enlarged livers.     

Effect of bulk feeds (alfalfa hay, corn silage) on the metabolism and liver parameters of growing geese.

Rearing experiments were conducted with a total of 90 liver hybrid geese from Babat, divided into three groups of 30 birds each. The effect exerted by all-concentrate feeding (group 1), concentrate feeding supplemented with alfalfa hay (group 2) or with corn silage (group 3) ad libitum on the blood glucose level, blood plasma total lipid, total cholesterol and free fatty acid level, and on total lipid content of the liver was studied. In addition, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activity of the blood plasma and carotene, vitamin A and vitamin E concentration of the blood plasma and the liver were determined. It was found that the blood and liver parameters of goose groups fed different diets changed within the physiological limits typical of the species. Excessive fibre intake resulted in reduced lipid transport within the organism at an unchanged plasma cholesterol level; at the same time, blood glucose level remained unchanged. Ad libitum feeding of alfalfa hay and corn silage enhanced carotene and vitamin A transport and carotene storage but did not affect the transport of vitamin E. The results confirm earlier data of the literature that beta-carotene and vitamin A together impair vitamin E metabolism.     

Influence of dietary fiber sources on the physiological and behavioral stress responses of Greylag geese (Anser anser)

This experiment investigated the physiological and behavioral responses of Greylag geese (Anser anser) fed different fiber sources when exposed to the common stressors at harvest, primarily involving the procedures of fasting, transport, catching, etc. A total of 240 4-week-old Greylag geese were allocated to 4 diets with different fiber sources (corn straw silage [CSS], steam-exploded corn straw [SECS], steam-exploded wheat straw [SEWS], and steam-exploded rice straw [SERS]). The birds were fed for 12 wk and harvested at 16 wk for slaughter. Blood samples designated to determine stress status were collected before (pre-stress) and after (post-stress) the harvest procedure was carried out. Irrespective of the dietary differences, the harvest procedure caused the concentration of superoxide dismutase (SOD) to drop (P < 0.01) 13.57% and increased (P < 0.01) that of creatine kinase (CK) by 186.21% (post-stress vs. pre-stress), inferring that the birds had experienced a severe stress. As to the dietary effects, the birds fed alternative fiber sources did not develop dissimilar (P > 0.05) pre-stress blood parameters and behavioral sensitivities, while the birds fed CSS had a higher (P < 0.05) post-stress concentration of methane dicarboxylic aldehyde (MDA) than those offered SECS by 22.01%, suggesting that feeding Greylag geese alternative fiber sources influenced their stress response.     

夏季高温条件下饲粮中添加刺梨提取物对皖西白鹅生长性能、脂质代谢及肝脏中热休克蛋白70基因表达的影响

本试验旨在研究夏季高温条件下饲粮中添加刺梨提取物对皖西白鹅生长性能、脂质代谢及肝脏中热应激蛋白70(HSP70)基因表达的影响。挑选28日龄、体重相近的健康皖西白鹅150只,随机分成3组,即对照组、试验1组和试验2组,每组5个重复,每个重复10只鹅。对照组试验鹅饲喂基础饲粮,试验1组和试验2组试验鹅分别饲喂在基础饲粮中添加100和200 mL/kg刺梨提取物的试验饲粮。预试期7 d,正试期14 d,试验期间最高气温37℃,最低气温24℃,日平均气温31.6℃。饲喂2周后,每个重复挑选1只鹅屠宰,采集血样,并分离出肝脏,测定血清脂质代谢指标和肝脏中HSP70基因的相对表达量。结果表明:饲粮中添加刺梨提取物对皖西白鹅的平均日采食量和平均日增重均无显著影响(P0.05),但添加200 mL/kg刺梨提取物可显著降低料重比(P0.05);饲粮中添加100和200 mL/kg刺梨提取物均可显著提高血清高密度脂蛋白含量(P0.05),但对血清总胆固醇和甘油三酯含量无显著影响(P0.05);与对照组相比,试验1组和试验2组肝脏中HSP70基因的相对表达量均极显著提高(P0.01),同时试验1组肝脏中HSP70基因的相对表达量还极显著高于试验2组(P0.01)。由此得出,在夏季高温条件下,在皖西白鹅饲粮中添加刺梨提取物可提高饲料转化率、调节脂质代谢、上调肝脏中HSP70基因的表达,具有较明显的抗应激效果,且添加量为100 mL/kg时的抗应激效果优于添加量为200 mL/kg时。     

Idiopathic skeletal muscle necrosis in bluegills

Skeletal muscle degeneration and necrosis in a wild population of bluegills (Lepomis macrochirus) were investigated. Hemorrhage and large areas of muscle necrosis were evident at necropsy. Histologically, muscle fibers were granular, vacuolated, and fragmented. Ultrastructural alterations included mitochondrial swelling, clumping and loss of actin and myosin fibrils, swelling of T tubules, and loss of continuity of the sarcolemma. An etiologic agent was not identified.     

Bacillus piliformis infection (Tyzzer's disease) in a calf

A 1-week-old Jersey bull calf with a history of diarrhea, weakness, and lethargy was submitted for necropsy. Principal macroscopic findings were enteritis and multifocal necrotizing hepatitis. Histologically and ultrastructurally, organisms with characteristics of Bacillus piliformis were associated with the foci of necrosis in the liver.     

Inclusion body hepatitis in bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus)

Farm-reared bobwhite quails less than 3 weeks of age experienced high mortality (250 of 400). At necropsy, these birds had multiple 1-to-2-mm pale foci throughout their livers. Histologically, these foci varied from acute hepatocellular necrosis without an inflammatory response to necrosis with infiltrates of mononuclear inflammatory cells and some heterophils. Hepatocytes adjacent to affected areas had large basophilic intranuclear inclusions. A group I avian adenovirus was isolated from affected livers.     

Detection of Urocanase in The Blood of Chickens Chronically Poisoned with Toxic Groundnut Meal

Chickens were fed for up to six weeks a ration containing 30 per cent of toxic groundnut meal and their controls were fed balanced commercial ration for comparable periods. Urocanase activity was determined in the blood and livers of principal and control birds killed after two, four or six weeks on these diets. Urocanase activity was detected in the blood sera of 3 out of the 9 intoxicated birds examined as early as two weeks after the initiation of the feeding trial. By the sixth week, the incidence of urocanase in the serum increased to 5 of 8 intoxicated birds. Liver urocanase concentration was uniform throughout the duration of the experiment when measured in units per gram of hepatic tissue. However, when its activity was expressed on the basis of units per total liver weight, its total activity increased toward the end of the experiment.     

朗德鹅与籽鹅、莱籽鹅杂交的产肝性能观察

随机选择朗德鹅与籽鹅、莱籽鹅的杂交鹅雏各50只,待养至4月龄后达成年体重时,每组选择20只,进行为期3～4周的填饲试验。测量填饲肥肝平均重、平均耗料量和肝料比。结果表明：朗德×菜籽鹅的平均肝重为669．00g,极显著高于朗德×籽鹅（P〈0．01）,较朗德×籽鹅、菜籽鹅与籽鹅分别提高了163．09g、289．00g和365．85g,即分别提高了32．24％、76．05％和120．68％;同时降低了单位肥肝的饲料消耗量,肝料比为1：33．71。因此,从肥肝重和耗料上综合评价得出,朗德×菜籽鹅组的填饲效果最佳,是生产肥肝最好的杂交组合。     

Filamentous Intranuclear Inclusion Bodies in Psittacine Birds. A Structural and Ultrastructural Study

This paper concerns a disease affecting a group of African grey parrots, which involves intranuclear inclusion bodies composed of filamentous material. The disease was characterized by either sudden death or death within 2–3 days from onset of non-specific symptoms. At necropsy, gross lesions included enlarged liver, mild hepatic congestion and focal necrosis. Samples from five birds were fixed in 10% formol and routinely processed for light and electron microscopy. In four birds, numerous hepatocytes displayed an enlarged nucleus, with peripheral margination of chromatin; the nucleus was partially or wholly filled by a basophilic inclusion body. In the remaining bird, inclusion bodies were acidophilic and completely filled the nucleus; nuclear enlargement was less evident than in the other birds. At ultrastructural examination, and in both types of IIB, nuclei contained looped filaments but no evidence of viral structures. However, virion-like structures were observed in the cytoplasm of some hepatocytes.     

Effects of feeding cull domestic onions (Allium cepa) to sheep.

Twenty crossbred Panama yearling ewes were used to determine the effects of feeding cull onions (Allium cepa) to sheep. Ten test ewes were fed onions free choice with supplemntal alfalfa hay and grain, whereas ten control ewes were fed only alfalfa hay and grain. Anemia developed within 3 weeks in the test ewes, but was not seen in the controls. All ewes remained clinically normal during the study. Onions were fed for about 130 days. Recovery of the erythrocyte system began before the end of the feeding period. Even though onions were fed during most of the gestation period, the numbers of lambs born in the test and control groups were essentially the same.     

Goose haemorrhagic hepatitis caused by a new subtype duck hepatitis type 1 virus

Duck hepatitis type 1 virus (DHV-1) causes a fatal disease in ducklings but there is no report of DHV-1 isolation from goose. Recently, cases of a new disease in overfeeding geese were reported from China. The cases were characterized by haemorrhagic hepatitis lesions on liver after post mortem examinations. The flocks showed about 20-40% morbidity and less than 5% mortality. The histopathological lesions showed destroyed structure of hepatocytic tissue, severe vacuolation and necrosis of hepatocytes. Viral antigen could be detected by monoclonal antibody against duck hepatitis type 1 virus (DHV-1) in the cytoplasm of positive hepatocytes. PCR amplified viral sequences with primers specific for recent Korean-like duck hepatitis type 1 virus (DHV-1C). Alignment of the complete sequence demonstrated that the isolated JT strain from goose exhibiting 95.9% identity to DHV-1C AP-03337 strain, and only 75.3% to classical DHV-1 virus. 80% goslings developed haemorrhagic hepatitis after infection with JT strain. This is the first report on the involvement of a DHV-1 virus in goose.     

Tuberculosis in geese (Anser anser) in Turkey

Tuberculosis was detected in seven geese at the breeding unit of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kafkas University, during 1998. In the necropsy, lesions of nodular type were seen in the liver, spleen, and lungs. Histopathologically, the lesions were characterized by central areas of caseous necrosis surrounded by epithelioid cells, multinucleated giant cells, lymphocytes, and an outer fibrous capsule. Acid-fast bacilli were visualized by the Ziehl-Neelsen staining method in paraffin sections and smears. Inoculation into Lowenstein-Jensen media with glycerin yielded Mycobacterium spp.     

Evaluation of two mycotoxin binders to reduce toxicity of broiler diets containing ochratoxin A and T-2 toxin contaminated grain

In order to assess ochratoxin A (OA) and T-2 toxin (T-2) binding ability of two commercial sorbents, both in vitro and in vivo trials with broilers were performed. Crude OA and T-2 extracts from contaminated grain were used to assess in vitro binding ability of two sorbents (Zeotek [Zk] and Mycofix [Mx]), by quantifying free mycotoxin through an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test. For in vivo trial, a 3 x 2 x 2 factorial arrangement was used for this experiment, being the factors: adsorbents (none, Zk, and Mx), OA (0 and 567 parts per billion [ppb]) and T-2 (0 and 927 ppb). OA and T-2 contaminated wheat and corn, respectively, were added to sorghum-soybean meal diets to meet 567 ppb of OA and 927 ppb of T-2. Mycotoxins were fed alone or combined in treatments. After 21 days, blood chemistry, gross, and histological evaluations were performed. Relative weights of liver, kidney, and bursa of Fabricius were obtained. Zk had the highest OA and T-2 in vitro binding ability (100% and 8.67%, respectively). Chickens fed OA with or without sorbents had a lower body weight and feed intake reduction. However, those birds fed T-2 were partly protected by a sorbent. Birds fed both toxins showed toxic additive effects, and no protection of any adsorbent was observed. A significant reduction in plasma proteins, albumin, and globulins was a characteristic observed in all birds fed diets with OA both with or without adsorbents. Uric acid level in blood was increased in all chickens fed OA-contaminated diets. Histological findings observed in birds fed OA-contaminated diets were necrosis of kidney tubular cells, swollen and necrotic hepatocytes, bile ducts hyperplasia, and increased diameter of proventriculus glands. In birds that received T-2 alone, only the liver, with the same kind of lesions, was affected. According to these results, it can be concluded that there is not a relation between in vitro and in vivo trials. OA toxic effects could not be counteracted by any sorbent. T-2 toxicity could be partially counteracted by an adsorbent used in this research.     

Disseminated toxoplasmosis in black-footed penguins (Spheniscus demersus)

Three 1- to 3-mo-old black-footed penguins (Spheniscus Demersus) died within 24 hr of showing central nervous signs such as ataxia. The birds were housed in a baby penguin crèche. At necropsy, peritonitis, pneumonia, hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, and renomegaly were evident. Histologically, the liver, lung, brain, and small intestine contained numerous tachyzoites and a few cysts of Toxoplasma. Immunohistochemistry identified the protozoal parasites as Toxoplasma gondii. Ultrastructurally, this was confirmed by the presence of many tachyzoites of T. gondii in the liver and lungs.     

Acute toxicosis in swine associated with excessive dietary intake of vitamin D

Acute toxicosis developed in a group (n = 35) of fattening hogs and replacement gilts that had excessive vitamin D3 inadvertently added to their feed. All of the pigs were lethargic, and emesis was evident in about half of the pigs 1 to 2 days after they consumed the feed. On the 2nd day, 3 of the pigs died. The remaining pigs were given a different ration. Five additional pigs died during the next 2 weeks. Clinical toxicosis also was observed in 1 of 2 feeder pigs fed the suspect feed in the laboratory and in 2 of 2 pigs fed the suspect feed by the company that had mixed the feed. Gross necropsy findings consistently observed were hemorrhagic gastritis and diffuse interstitial pneumonia. Myocardial degeneration and nephrosis were seen in, respectively, 1 of 6 and 4 of 6 pigs necropsied. Histologically, necrosis and mineralization of variable severity were observed in the fundic gastric mucosa, lungs, kidneys, bone, heart, and small blood vessels of the lungs and heart. Less necrosis and more mineralization were observed in pigs that survived longer than 6 days. The 2 pigs fed the suspect feed in the laboratory had increased concentrations of serum calcium from the 3rd to the 9th days or the 1st to the 3rd days, after feeding the suspect feed. Serum phosphorus concentrations were increased from the 1st until the 2nd or 3rd day, and serum magnesium concentrations were increased from the 1st or 2nd to the 3rd day after feeding the suspect feed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Treatment of lead poisoning in wild geese.

Twenty-seven wild geese (Anser albifrons) suffering from lead poisoning caused by ingestion of lead shot were treated with disodium calcium ethylenediaminetetraacetate. The concentration of lead in blood ranged from 0.4 to 23.0 micrograms/ml, with a mean concentration of 5.6 micrograms/ml. In 22 of the birds, 1 to 48 lead pellets (mean, 10.5 pellets/bird) were seen on radiographs of their gizzards. Eleven of 27 birds recovered 3 to 8 weeks after the initiation of treatment. In the birds that recovered, the lead pellets were rapidly eroded as the birds recovered their appetites in response to treatment, and disappeared radiographically between treatment days 17 and 52. The birds that did not survive died within 4 weeks, despite decreased concentrations of lead in blood. Of these 16 birds, 15 had radiographic evidence of impaction of the proventriculus at the first examination and no evidence of resolution of the impaction at the time of death. In contrast, only 2 of the 11 geese that recovered had impaction of the proventriculus at the time of admission. Thus, the condition of the proventriculus seems to be the first consideration to evaluate in the prognosis of lead poisoning in geese.     

Effects of dietary protein deficiency on hepatic carbohydrate metabolism in geese.

This paper was aimed at following up the course of glucose in the liver of protein underfed geese. Compared to normally fed geese, liver carbohydrate metabolism in protein underfed animals can be characterised by lowering of free glucose content of in vitro glucose uptake and glycogen synthesis and reduction of carbohydrates in total oxidation. Glycogen content of the liver and rate of glucose oxidation were also lowered, but these differences were not statistically significant. Summing up our results and taking into consideration some literature data, an overall reduction of hepatic carbohydrate metabolism in protein underfed birds may be assumed.