山东省首起野生天鹅H5N8高致病性禽流感疫情的紧急调查及处置

2021年1月12—19日,山东黄河三角洲国家级自然保护区大汶流管理站出现35只死亡的野生疣鼻天鹅。经现场调查,市级和省级实验室检测,诊断为疑似H5N8亚型高致病性禽流感,经国家禽流感参考实验室进行病毒分离鉴定,最终确定为H5N8亚型高致病性禽流感疫情。疫情发生后,通过现场调查、座谈及实验室检测等方式,对此次疫情开展了紧急流行病学调查,追溯疫情的可能来源,分析疫情的扩散风险,继而提出针对性的应急处置措施。调查发现,此次疫情由迁徙候鸟带毒引入引起的可能性较大;野生鸟类未及时开展免疫,导致体内抗体水平低下是疫情暴发的内源因素。由于迅速采取了合理的应急处理措施,此次疫情得到迅速控制,避免了疫情扩散。本次疫情警示,必须切实做好禽流感的强制免疫和监测工作,高度重视自然保护区及其附近场所珍稀禽类的免疫,以降低疫情发生风险。     

非洲猪瘟自然弱毒株演变进程

自2018年非洲猪瘟(African swine fever,ASF)传入中国以来疫情得到了有效控制。但2021年以后,我国的ASF流行情况出现了新的变化,临床中出现了“自然变异株”。这些毒株可能导致感染后临床症状不典型,容易与其他疫病混淆等问题。这与国外的流行演变规律一致,即当ASF在一个国家或地区流行较长时间后,其临床表现将由急性发病转变为缓慢发病或出现新的临床表现。经过多年的观察积累,国外已经对该病毒的流行规律特别是自然弱毒株的演变进程有了大量记载,但国内目前尚无这方面的描述。为此,就ASF自然弱毒株的演变进程进行综述,从而提出加强血清学诊断产品研发、加快产业化报批进程、适时开展血清学监测追溯等建议,以期为我国ASF科学防控提供参考。     

Opioid requirements after locoregional anaesthesia in dogs undergoing tibial plateau levelling osteotomy: a pilot study

ObjectiveTo determine the intraoperative and early postoperative opioid requirement after ultrasound-guided sciatic and/or femoral nerve block or epidural anaesthesia in dogs undergoing tibial plateau levelling osteotomy (TPLO).Study designProspective, masked, pilot, randomized, clinical trial.AnimalsA total of 40 client-owned dogs undergoing TPLO.MethodsEach dog was randomly assigned to group SF (combined sciatic and femoral nerve block), group S (sciatic nerve block), group F (femoral nerve block) or group E (epidural anaesthesia). A total of 0.3 mL kg^–1 of ropivacaine 0.5% was administered to each nerve or in the epidural space. Intraoperatively, fentanyl (2 μg kg^–1) was administered intravenously when heart rate, mean arterial pressure or respiratory rate increased by >30% compared with baseline values. Postoperatively, a visual analogue scale (VAS) and a modified German version of the French pain scale (4AVet) were used to assess pain every 30 minutes for 150 minutes and again once the morning after surgery. Methadone (0.1 mg kg^–1) was administered intravenously if the VAS was ≥ 4 cm [maximal value 10 cm; median (interquartile range)] or the composite pain score was ≥5 [maximal value 15; median (interquartile range)]. Significance was defined as p ≤ 0.05.ResultsGroups SF and E required less total intraoperative and early postoperative opioid doses compared with groups S and F (p = 0.031). No dogs in group SF had a block failure or required postoperative methadone. A reduced methadone requirement was found in group SF compared with all the other groups up to 150 minutes after recovery (p = 0.041).Conclusions and clinical relevanceCombined sciatic and femoral nerve block and epidural anaesthesia lead to less cumulative consumption of perioperative opioids than single nerve blockade. Sciatic or femoral nerve block alone might be insufficient to control nociception and early postoperative pain in dogs undergoing TPLO.     

Effects of extracerebral dopamine on salsolinol‐ or thyrotropin‐releasing hormone‐induced prolactin (PRL) secretion in goats

The aim of the present study was to clarify the effect of extracerebral dopamine (DA) on salsolinol (SAL)‐induced prolactin (PRL) secretion in goats. An intravenous injection of SAL or thyrotropin‐releasing hormone (TRH) was given to female goats before and after treatment with an extracerebral DA receptor antagonist, domperidone (DOM), and the PRL‐releasing response to SAL was compared with that to TRH. DOM alone increased plasma PRL concentrations and the PRL‐releasing response to DOM alone was greater than that to either SAL alone or TRH alone. The PRL‐releasing response to DOM plus SAL was similar to that to DOM alone, and no additive effect of DOM and SAL on the secretion of PRL was observed. In contrast, the PRL‐releasing response to DOM plus TRH was greater than that to either TRH alone or DOM alone and DOM synergistically increased TRH‐induced PRL secretion. The present results demonstrate that the mechanism involved in PRL secretion by SAL differs from that by TRH, and suggest that the extracerebral DA might be associated in part with the modulation of SAL‐induced PRL secretion in goats.     

Suspected levamisole intoxication in calves

CASE HISTORY: A group of 32 Friesian and four Hereford calves, 3–4 months old with body weights between 100–120?kg, were purchased from a weaner sale. On arrival at the property the Hereford calves were treated with a combination anthelmintic containing 2?g/L abamectin and 80?g/L levamisole hydrochloride. Shortly afterwards they developed tremors and frothing from the mouth, and two died overnight. The Friesian calves were treated with the same anthelmintic on the following day, when some showed hypersalivation and frothing from the mouth.

CLINICAL FINDINGS: Examination of the three most severely affected Friesian calves revealed severe nicotinic-type symptoms including hypersalivation, frothing from the mouth, muscle tremors, recumbency, rapid respiration, hyperaesthesia, and central nervous system depression. Other calves showed mild to moderate signs of intoxication including restlessness, tail switching, salivation, tremors, frequent defaecation, mild colic and jaw chomping. Two calves died shortly afterwards. An adverse drug event investigation revealed that the formulation and quality of the anthelmintic was within the correct specification, and that the drench gun was functioning correctly.

DIAGNOSIS: Suspected levamisole intoxication due to a combination of possible overdosing, dehydration, and stress caused by transportation and prolonged yarding.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Susceptibility to levamisole toxicity in New Zealand calves can be increased if factors like dehydration or stress are present. Levamisole has a narrow margin of safety, and overdosing in calves can easily occur if the dose rate is not based on their actual weight or health status.