Toxoplasma gondii, Neospora caninum, Sarcocystis neurona, and Sarcocystis canis-like infections in marine mammals

Toxoplasma gondii, Neospora caninum, Sarcocystis neurona, and S. canis are related protozoans that can cause mortality in many species of domestic and wild animals. Recently, T. gondii and S. neurona were recognized to cause encephalitis in marine mammals. As yet, there is no report of natural exposure of N. caninum in marine mammals. In the present study, antibodies to T. gondii and N. caninum were assayed in sera of several species of marine mammals. For T. gondii, sera were diluted 1:25, 1:50, and 1:500 and assayed in the T. gondii modified agglutination test (MAT). Antibodies (MAT > or =1:25) to T. gondii were found in 89 of 115 (77%) dead, and 18 of 30 (60%) apparently healthy sea otters (Enhydra lutris), 51 of 311 (16%) Pacific harbor seals (Phoca vitulina), 19 of 45 (42%) sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) [corrected] 5 of 32 (16%) ringed seals (Phoca hispida), 4 of 8 (50%) bearded seals (Erignathus barbatus), 1 of 9 (11.1%) spotted seals (Phoca largha), 138 of 141 (98%) Atlantic bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), and 3 of 53 (6%) walruses (Odobenus rosmarus). For N. caninum, sera were diluted 1:40, 1:80, 1:160, and 1:320 and examined with the Neospora agglutination test (NAT) using mouse-derived tachyzoites. NAT antibodies were found in 3 of 53 (6%) walruses, 28 of 145 (19%) sea otters, 11 of 311 (3.5%) harbor seals, 1 of 27 (3.7%) sea lions, 4 of 32 (12.5%) ringed seals, 1 of 8 (12.5%) bearded seals, and 43 of 47 (91%) bottlenose dolphins. To our knowledge, this is the first report of N. caninum antibodies in any marine mammal, and the first report of T. gondii antibodies in walruses and in ringed, bearded, spotted, and ribbon seals. Current information on T. gondii-like and Sarcocystis-like infections in marine mammals is reviewed. New cases of clinical S. canis and T. gondii infections are also reported in sea lions, and T. gondii infection in an Antillean manatee (Trichechus manatus manatus).     

Author Index to Volume 4 (2001)

Authors Index

Author Index to Volume 4 (2001)     

Field‐related quality management system for grass silage production

A model for the prediction of the silage quality was tested in several large farms in northeast Germany. The model uses data and information on the fresh grass and the application of silage additives at ensiling to evaluate the “ensilability.” During clamp filling, the model analyses information on the filling performance, activity of compacting machines and hermitic covering of the clamp and evaluates the “ensiling technique.” Both “ensilability” and “ensiling technique” are assessed as “good,” “medium” or “bad” and pooled in “silage evaluation grades” 1–5. In the present model version, the predicted silage net energy lactation (NEL) and crude protein (CP) content is between 3% (for the best grade 1) and 15% (for the weakest grade 5) lower than the fresh grass NEL and CP content. In our experiments, all the grass silage production systems were characterized by “good” “ensilability” and “ensiling technique.” Under those circumstances, the experimental results indicated a closer numerical relation between fresh grass and measured silage NEL and CP content than between predicted silage and measured silage NEL and CP content. The results reveal that the model prediction calculation should be changed compared to the present version. If “ensilability” and “ensiling technique” are evaluated as “good,” the predicted silage NEL and CP content should be forecasted in a range between 0% and 3% decrease compared to fresh grass.     

SELLING FRESHWATER PRAWN IN FOOD FESTIVALS: A MARKETING EXPERIMENT IN KENTUCKY

This paper evaluated consumer perceptions of cooked freshwater prawn sold in festivals. Data were collected from prawn consumers attending the Kentucky State Fair and Garrett's Festival (in Lexington, Kentucky) on knowledge of prawn, seafood consumption frequency, proclivity of purchasing locally grown food, etc. A conjoint experiment was conducted in which respondents rated nine hypothetical plates of cooked prawn, differing from one another by the number of prawns, price, cooking style, and the presence or absence of side items. Results from data analyses indicated that the Garrett's Festival respondents were more educated and had more knowledge of prawns than the State Fair respondents. The State Fair respondents, while indifferent to the prawn cooking style, considered the product's price to be more important than the Garrett's Festival respondents. All results suggest that vendors would be more successful in dedicated prawn festivals than participating in festivals of general interest, such as the State Fair.     

Large-scale spatial dynamics of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Drosophila suzukii</Emphasis> in Trentino,Italy

Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae) is an invasive alien species devastating soft fruit crops in newly invaded territories. Little is known about the importance and potential of long-distance dispersal at a regional scale. The goal of this work is to investigate D. suzukii dispersal ability during different times of the season, and along an elevational gradient in a mountain valley in Trentino Province, Italy. We employed a mark–release–recapture strategy using protein markers. Flies were recaptured using fruit-baited traps. The protein-marked flies were positively identified using ELISA procedure. Additional microsatellite analyses were performed on D. suzukii collected during autumn at different elevations to characterize the population structure. Results suggest that a portion of the local D. suzukii population moves from low to high elevations during spring and summer and travels back to low elevations in autumn. Genetic analysis further revealed that samples collected during autumn at different elevations belong to the same population. These results show that D. suzukii are able to fly up to about 9000 m away from the marking point and that seasonal breezes likely facilitate long-distance movement. We suggest that these migrations have multiple functions for D. suzukii, including conferring the ability to exploit gradual changes of temperature, food, and ovipositional resources in spring and autumn, as well as to assist in the search for suitable overwintering sites in late autumn. Our findings help to unveil the complex ecology of D. suzukii in Italian mountainous regions and provide important clues for improving the efficacy of integrated pest management control techniques to combat this pest.     

Proanthocyanidins: target compounds as antibacterial agents

Grape seeds accumulate in huge quantities as byproduct during wine production and are therefore a cheap source for pharmacologically active agents. However, studies prove poor antibacterial activity, and results of analyses are sometimes contradictory. The aim of this study was, thus, to determine the antibacterial activity of grape seed extracts with special focus on the chromatographic characterization of active fractions. In the course of these investigations, extraction protocols were optimized so that microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) guaranteed highest preconcentration efficiency. Proanthocyanidins, monomeric flavonoid aglycones, as well as some of their glycosides could be identified within yielded extracts via high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS). By that means the coherence number of possible isomers of procyanidins was approximated by a newly developed equation. As far as antibacterial activity determined via screening tests is concerned, the extracts generally have been found to be positively responsive toward 10 different gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria strains. After fractionation of the raw extracts, proanthocyanidins P2, P3, P4 and gallate esters P2G and P3G (P = proanthocyanidin consisting of catechin and epicatechin units, n = oligomerization degree, G = gallate ester) were determined as active antibacterial agents toward 10 different pathogens. Only moderate activity was found for monomeric flavonoid fractions.     

Usefulness of restriction fragment length polymorphism and spoligotyping for epidemiological studies of Mycobacterium bovis in Madagascar: description of new genotypes

Tuberculosis is highly prevalent in cattle in Madagascar. An epidemiological study based on genotyping of Mycobacterium bovis and its transmission to humans was carried out. The restriction fragment length polymorphism (IS6110 and DR markers) and spoligotyping were used to assess the genetic diversity of strains from different regions of Madagascar. One of these strains was isolated from goat, the other strains were isolated from zebu cattle. Nine IS6110 profiles, 20 DR profiles and 12 spoligotypes were obtained. About 90% of all isolates gave a single IS6110 band at about 1.8 kb. Most strains had the same spoligotype. M. bovis strains commonly lack spacers 39-43, and all Malagasy strains also lacked spacers 3-5, 8-10 and 16. This pattern has not been reported elsewhere. DR was the most discriminatory of the three markers. The patterns obtained with the three markers were combined to identify 34 different genotypes, one of which was found in 35% of the strains. No region-specific M. bovis genotype was identified, but the genotyping of 18 M. bovis strains isolated from patients showed that the human and bovine strains were identical, suggesting possible human contamination from zebu cattle.     

Is routine pre-anaesthetic haematological and biochemical screening justified in dogs?

OBJECTIVES: To determine if routine haematological and biochemical screening is of benefit in dogs requiring anaesthesia and to establish the most useful tests for pre-anaesthetic risk assessment. ANIMALS: One thousand five hundred and thirty-seven client-owned dogs undergoing surgery at the University of Leipzig between January 2003 and April 2004. MATERIALS AND METHODS: After obtaining a standardized history and a physical examination, all dogs requiring anaesthesia were assigned to an ASA physical status group, their needs for pre-anaesthetic therapy determined and an anaesthetic protocol proposed. Haematological (haematocrit, red blood cell count, white blood cell count, platelet count and haemoglobin concentration) and serum biochemistry tests (plasma urea, creatinine, glucose, total protein, sodium and potassium concentration; serum alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase and lipase activity) were then performed in all animals. The results of these were then used to: 1) re-define each dog's ASA physical status; 2) determine any altered requirement for pre-anaesthetic therapy; 3) re-determine the suitability of the dog to undergo surgery; and 4) re-examine the suitability of the original proposed anaesthetic protocol. RESULTS: The history and clinical examination in 1293 out of 1537 dogs (84.1%) revealed that haematological and biochemical tests would have been considered unnecessary under normal conditions. Of these, 63.9% were categorized as ASA 1, 28.5% as ASA 2, and 7.6% at higher risk. In some dogs, screening tests showed abnormal results: 16.7% of 1293 dogs had abnormal plasma urea levels, with 5.9% of values above the reference range. However, only 104 dogs (8%) would have been re-categorized at a higher physical status category had the laboratory results been available. Additional screening data indicated that surgery would have been postponed in 10 dogs (0.8%) additional pre-anaesthetic therapy would have been provided in 19 animals (1.5%) and the anaesthetic protocol altered in two dogs (0.2%). CONCLUSION: The changes revealed by pre-operative screening were usually of little clinical relevance and did not prompt major changes to the anaesthetic technique. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: In dogs, pre-anaesthetic laboratory examination is unlikely to yield additional important information if no potential problems are identified in the history and on physical examination.     

Beobachtungen über das Auftreten des Nelkenwicklers (Tortrix pronubana Hb.) in Schlesien

Ohne Zusammenfassung (Mit 4 Abbildungen.) Vorl?ufige Mitteilung.