A long-term study of apicoectomy and endodontic treatment of apically infected cheek teeth in 12 horses

The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term results of apicoectomy and retrograde endodontic treatment in 12 horses with apical cheek teeth infections. The affected apices were removed using a diamond bur mounted on a dental drill, and after pulp removal the root canals were filed with Hedstrøm files and then alternately flushed with sodium hypochlorite, hydrogen peroxide and alcohol. The pulp canals were dried and filled with endodontic cement and gutta-percha points. An undercut was made in the apical aspect of the root canals that were then sealed with self-curing glass ionomer cement.Follow up information was obtained 38–67 months following treatment and indicated that the treatment had been successful in 7/12 horses (58%), partially successful in 2 horses (17%) and unsuccessful in 3 (25%). With good case selection, apicoectomy can preserve a proportion of apically infected cheek teeth. The use of advanced imaging techniques and improved surgical techniques could increase the success rate.     

Tomato dwarf leaf curl virus, a new bipartite geminivirus associated with tomatoes and peppers in Jamaica and mixed infection with tomato yellow leaf curl virus

Genomic characterization using nonradioactive probes, polymerase chain reaction with degenerate primers for whitefly transmitted geminiviruses and nucleotide sequencing were used to describe a new bipartite geminivirus, associated with dwarfing and leaf curling of tomatoes and peppers in Jamaica. Partial DNA-A and DNA-B clones were obtained. DNA sequence analysis showed that tomato and pepper samples have a similar geminivirus associated with them. Nucleotide sequence identity > 92% between the common regions of DNA-A and DNA-B confirmed the bipartite nature of the Jamaican geminivirus isolates. Nucleotide sequence comparisons of DNA-A and DNA-B with those of geminiviruses representing the major phylogenetic groups of Western Hemisphere geminiviruses showed the greatest similarity to potato yellow mosaic virus and members of the Abutilon mosaic virus cluster of geminiviruses. This new virus is given the name tomato dwarf leaf curl virus (TDLCV) because of the dwarfing and leaf curling symptoms associated with infected tomato plants. Polymerase chain reaction and Southern hybridization showed mixed infections of TDLCV with tomato yellow leaf curl virus from Israel in 16% of the field samples of tomatoes and peppers.     

Antibody response of two populations of common carp, Cyprinus carpio L., exposed to koi herpesvirus

Common carp, Cyprinus carpio L., exposed to koi herpesvirus (KHV) may become persistently infected and populations containing such virus-infected individuals may transmit the virus to other fish when co-habited. Detection of virus-infected fish in a population is thus critical to surveillance and control programmes for KHV. A study was therefore designed to detect anti-KHV serum antibodies, with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, in common carp following experimental exposures to KHV under varying environmental conditions. The study determined that a proportion of fish within a population experimentally exposed to KHV (at least 10–25%) develop high antibody titres (1/1600 or greater) to the virus, and this immunological response was detectable for several months (observed at the termination of the experiments at 65, 46 and 27 weeks post-exposure). Furthermore, this response was detected in one population of fish that did not succumb to a high level of mortality when maintained at water temperatures that were non-permissive for KHV. Elevating the water temperatures to permissive conditions for KHV resulted in recurrence of disease despite the presence of anti-virus antibodies, suggesting that serum antibodies alone are not protective under the conditions of our trials.     

1例藏香猪伪狂犬病、猪圆环病毒病与附红细胞体病混合感染的诊治

为对送检的发病藏香猪病死因进行确诊,本试验采用常规PCR、RT-PCR及荧光定量PCR方法,并结合流行病学调查、临床诊断及病理剖检等实验室检测对送检病料进行诊断,结果显示病死猪心脏、肺脏充血出血,肺脏肉变,气管内充满白色泡沫,全身淋巴结出血;荧光定量PCR方法检测猪圆环病毒呈阳性,PCR方法检出猪伪狂犬病病毒特异性条带,未见猪传染性胸膜肺炎放线杆菌、猪肺炎支原体条带,RT-PCR方法未扩增出猪瘟病毒、猪繁殖与呼吸综合征病毒特异性条带;血液涂片染色镜检可见猪附红细胞体。结果表明病死猪为猪伪狂犬病、猪圆环病毒病与猪附红细胞体病混合感染,采用经实验室诊断给出的综合防治方案治疗后,疫情得到控制。本次病例的诊治为养猪业可能发生的猪伪狂犬病、猪圆环病毒病、猪附红细胞体病的混合感染提供了有效的防治方法和借鉴经验。     

Resistance against Botrytis cinerea in smooth leaf pruning wounds of tomato does not depend on major disease signalling pathways

In high‐tech, heated tomato glasshouses, stem infections caused by Botrytis cinerea usually end up girdling the stem, resulting in plant death and consequently high economic losses. Such infections originate primarily from wounds created during leaf pruning, a common cultural practice in which it is intended to remove leaves completely, resulting in smooth stem wounds. However, hasty leaf pruning often results in numerous petiole stubs accidentally left behind. In this study analysis of disease incidences clearly proved that pruning leaves flush to the stem resulted in absolute resistance of the stem wounds, whereas petiole stubs displayed a high level of susceptibility to B. cinerea. Postponing inoculation of wounds after pruning indicated that development of nearly complete resistance occurs within 48 h after deleafing. Monitoring of the wound wetness period showed that drying of the wound surface is not the cause of the decreased susceptibility, contrary to what was commonly believed. Tomato mutants deficient in disease signalling showed altered phenotypes for susceptibility to B. cinerea, indicating that defences against this pathogen in petiole stubs depend on ethylene signalling. Additionally, the decreased susceptibility of mutants deficient in the biosynthesis of jasmonates and abscisic acid suggest an antagonistic effect of these signal molecules. On the other hand, resistance of smooth stem wounds could not be altered by disruption of salicylic acid, ethylene, jasmonate or abscisic acid signalling. This indicates that this remarkable absolute resistance to B. cinerea does not depend on the major disease signalling pathways.     

Diseases in neonatal foals. Part 2: Potential risk factors for a higher incidence of infectious diseases during the first 30 days post partum

Reason for performing study: The development of clinical illness in foals is usually predetermined by perinatal history, management or stressful environmental conditions. Objectives: To determine potential risk factors for an increased incidence of infectious diseases during the first 30 days post partum. Methods: The population consisted of Thoroughbred foals born on stud farms in the Newmarket (UK) area in 2005 (n = 1031). They were followed for their first 30 days. Factors suspected to influence the incidence of infectious neonatal diseases were examined in a logistic regression approach for each of the 3 outcomes (total infectious diseases, systemic disease with diarrhoea and total infectious diseases excluding diarrhoea). All 28 factors were either foal or mare or stud farm related. Results: Several significant risk factors for a higher disease incidence, such as birth complications, colostrum intake by stomach tube and leucocytosis 12–48 h post partum were identified. The factor ‘boarding stud’ seemed to be protective against disease. Conclusion: Some factors, such as the mare's time at stud before foaling, the mare's rotavirus vaccination schedule and fibrinogen‐values that empirically had been linked to the outcome previously were not confirmed as relevant. This included the reported useful prophylactic treatment with antimicrobial drugs. Potential relevance: Factors to be considered when evaluating newborn foals include: stud management, the birth process, route of colostrum intake, white and red blood cells, and the date of birth. These may help to detect foals at risk to develop an infection so that targeted prophylactic measures can be initiated.     

Experimental infections with Lepeophtheirus salmonis (Krøyer) on threespine sticklebacks, Gasterosteus aculeatus L., and juvenile Pacific salmon, Oncorhynchus spp

Experimental infections with Lepeophtheirus salmonis (Krøyer) were established on threespine sticklebacks, Gasterosteus aculeatus L., juvenile pink, Oncorhynchus gorbuscha (Walbaum), and chum, Oncorhynchus keta (Walbaum), salmon. The prevalence and abundance of infections were initially higher on sticklebacks than on either salmon species. The initial prevalence and intensity of infections on chum salmon were higher than those on pink salmon, and declined on both species during louse development. The rate of parasite development to adult stages was similar on all species although development beyond the preadult stage was not observed on sticklebacks. These results confirm previous field observations on the occurrence and development of L. salmonis on threespine sticklebacks.     

新疆牛梨形虫病单一与混合感染的流行病学调查

【目的】分别以纯化的重组蛋白GST-MSA-2c、GST-HSP20、GST-Tams1作为抗原,对2006～2008年全疆14个地州的牛梨形虫病流行病学进行调查。【方法】使用三种已建立的牛梨形虫病间接ELISA检测方法。【结果】(1)在三年采集的1340份血清样品中共检出牛梨形虫阳性血清280例,感染率为20.90%,其中牛巴贝斯虫、双芽巴贝斯虫、泰勒梨形虫单一感染率分别为8.21%(23/280)、15.71%(44/280)和43.93%(123/280)。(2)新疆牛梨形虫混合感染上升,为15.35%,甚至出现个别的三重感染。(3)2008年在流行区内的牛梨形虫感染率高达74%(37/50),单一感染和混合感染分别64.85%(24/37)和35.15%(13/37),流行区的混合感染率明显增高。【结论】新疆牛梨形病的流行病学特征是感染率逐年增加,疫区不断扩大,混合感染使疫情趋于复杂化。这是新疆首次利用血清学方法对全疆牛梨形虫病进行大规模的流行病学调查。