Detection of antibodies to Francisella tularensis in cats

Blood samples were obtained from privately owned cats in Connecticut and New York State, USA in 1985-1990, and analyzed for evidence of Francisella tularensis, the etiologic agent of tularemia. Of the 91 sera tested by microagglutination (MA) methods, 11 (12%) contained antibodies to F. tularensis. Analyses of the same sera by indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) staining methods revealed 22 (24%) positives. There was good agreement in results of both tests (73% concordance). However, we measured higher titers (1:80 to 1:640) with IFA analysis than by MA methods (1:80 to 1:160). Both tests were suitable for general screening purposes. The DNA of F.tularensis was not detected in the 24 antibody-positive sera tested. Cats living in Connecticut and New York State were naturally exposed to F.tularensis or a closely related organism. With exposure to ticks, other biting arthropods, mice, and rabbits, cats are at risk for acquiring F.tularensis infections and can be an important source of information on the presence of this agent in nature.     

Gegenwärtige Hauptprobleme der landwirtschaftlichen Schädlingsforschung in Finnland

Zusammenfassung Einige der wichtigsten gegenwärtigen Probleme hinsichtlich der landwirtschaftlichen Schädlinge in Finnland sind folgende:Bei Getreide die Schäden durchCalligypona pellucida am Hafer sowie die Schäden durch die Fritfliege(Oscinella frit) an Saat von Winter- und Sommergetreide, die durch Blasenfüßer(Thysanoptera) u. a. Arten verursachte Weißährigkeit und Schmachtkörnigkeit, deren Bekämpfung noch nicht befriedigend entschieden ist. — Beim RotkleePhytonomus nigrirostris, Apion apricans undA. assimile, Sitona spp. undDitylenchus dipsaci, deren Biologie und Bekämpfung weiterhin fortgesetzt werden, — Bei ÖlpflanzenCeuthorrhynchus assimilis undC. quadridens sowieDasyneura brassicae, deren Bekä mpfung zu ermitteln ist. — Bei Zuckerrübe sowie einigen anderen Kulturpflanzen Bedeutung und Bekä mpfung vonLygus-Arten (besondersL. rugulipennis undL. pratensis). Bekämpfung der Rübenfliege(Pegomyia hyoscyami) bei Zuckerrübenkulturen. — Bei den Wurzelschädlingen von Gemüse und Hackfrüchten Klären von Biologie und Bekämpfung der Kohlfliegen (Hylemyia brassicae undH. floralis), der Fliegenschädlinge von Zwiebeln (Hylemyia antiqua, Eumerus tuberculatus undE. strigatus) und der Möhrenfliege. — Die Wirkung der Spritzungen in Obstgärten auf die wichtigsten Schä dlinge(Metatetranychus pilosus, Doralina pomi, Psylla mali, Carpocapsa pomonella, Argyresthia conjugella) und ihre wirksamsten Feinde.— In Beerengärten bei den ArtenTarsonemus fragariae, Eriophyes ribis undPachynematus pumilio sowie in Obstgärten bei der ArtAnisandrus dispar Intensivierung der Bekä mpfung. — Älchen(Anguillulidae), besondersdas Kleeälchen und Klärung von Lebensbedingungen und Bekämpfung desKartoffelälchens. — Bedeutung und Bekämpfung der Wühlmäuse (besondersMicrotus agrestis, M. arvalis undArvicola terrestris). — Untersuchung der Bedeutung von virusverbreitenden Insektenarten. — Erforschung der Nachteile von Bekämpfungsmitteln für die Pflanzen.     

City Branding as a Response to Global Intercity Competition

Globalisation is dramatically changing the context of urban communities and the premises for urban development policy. In the context of global intercity competition, cities' major goal is to increase their competitiveness, in which the positioning and attractiveness of a city have a critical function. Attraction‐oriented development strategies aim at effective absorption of external resources from the global space of flows. At the core of attraction strategy are business promotion activities with appealing incentives, but it is assumed that such a competition is risky and may lead to a race to the bottom. Therefore the emphasis is increasingly on less costly and more synergistic city marketing, which utilises city branding and “city profiling” that aim at attract high value‐adding services or high‐tech firms. This paper proposes a city attraction hypothesis that states that global intercity competition is essentially about a city's ability to attract the highest possible value from global flows of values in order to promote urban development. The result of such a global intercity competition determines cities' functions and positions in the global division of labour and thus in the global urban hierarchy, and ultimately determines their ability to increase prosperity and welfare in urban communities.     

Communities of Enchytraeidae (Oligochaeta) in planted birch stands as compared with natural forests in central Finland

This study compares the enchytraeid communities in anthropogenous birch (Betula pendula) stands of different origin with each other and with natural forests at the same latitude in Finland. Nine sites were investigated: three birch stands planted ca. 30 years prior to the study after clear-cutting of spruce stands, three birch stands established ca. 30 years earlier on arable soil (cleared from earlier coniferous forest), and three natural deciduous forests. Each site was sampled three times (May, August and October) in 1999, animals were extracted using the wet funnel method, counted and identified. Non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMS) was used to analyse the communities. There were clear differences between the birch stands established after spruce forest and after cultivation, and between these and natural deciduous stands, but even more between replicates of similarly managed forests. Total numbers and populations of most species were lower in birch-after-field than in birch-after-spruce. The superdominant species in coniferous forests, Cognettia sphagnetorum, was dominant in all birch-after-spruce sites and one natural deciduous site. Enchytronia parva was the only species more abundant in birch-after-field than in birch-after-spruce. It is hypothesized that, in addition to soil acidity, accidental transport by man explains the presence of many species on a given locality, and that competition with earthworms plays a role in regulating enchytraeid abundances.     

Dispersal of microarthropods in forest soil

This experiment was a part of a research on the soil community in anthropogenous birch stands in Finland. In that study it was found that communities of Collembola are similar in birch stands of different origin (cultivated field or spruce forest), while the communities of Oribatida are essentially different. When compared to original spruce forest, the communities of both groups are different.Cultivation eliminates the populations of most microarthropod species, that have to disperse after reforestation from the surrounding areas. The aim of the experiment was to study the ambulatory dispersal of soil microarthropods. It was carried out in plastic boxes filled with an intact block of defaunated surface soil taken from a birch stand that was established ca. 30 years earlier on a cultivated field. A strip of intact spruce forest soil was placed at one end of the boxes to harbour the source populations. At the opposite end we placed a row of pitfall traps. Soil samples were taken every two weeks at increasing distances from the source soil using a metal corer, and animals were extracted in a high gradient apparatus. The pitfalls were also emptied every two weeks. The experiment lasted for ten weeks.Pitfall and soil sample data gave an estimation of the maximum dispersal rate for each species or genus. The distance that the populations could potentially disperse in 30 years (age of the stand) indicated that some, but not all of the species could have actively migrated to the central parts of the birch stand (30 m).     

The role of soil fauna in ecosystems: A historical review

The research development in this review is divided into successive periods: (1) “From Darwin to Satchell”, covering the “pre-experimental” decades dealing with the functions of earthworms, (2) “Litterbag Studies”, characterized by field experiments on the faunal influence on litter decomposition, (3) “The Time of IBP”, concentrating on community energetics, (4) “The Microcosm Era”, laboratory studies that started with simple systems, followed by increasing complexity of experimental setup and community of organisms, including living plants, and ending to laboratory-scale “ecosystems”, (5) the recent “Biodiversity Boom”, analysing the relations between soil biodiversity and ecosystem functions, and (6) the current “Holistic View” that tends to link the diversity and functions of aboveground and belowground communities. These “periods” started roughly in this order, but are largely overlapping, since the early techniques are in continuing use together with the modern ones. The current knowledge on the role of soil biota, their diversity and various components has accumulated mainly during the last 30 years, resulting in the modern view of soil fauna as a part of the ecosystem.     

A synthetic fraction of feline facial pheromones calms but does not reduce struggling in cats before venous catheterization

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether a synthetic analogue of feline facial pheromone (FFP) calms cats before, and reduces struggling during intravenous catheterization. DESIGN: Block-randomized, 'blinded' clinical trial. ANIMALS: Seventy-seven healthy cats presented for elective surgery. PROCEDURE: Cats given glycopyrrolate and oxymorphone were assigned to one of four treatments: acepromazine and exposure to FFP (aceFFP); acepromazine and exposure to a placebo (acePlac); exposure to FFP only (FFP) and exposure to placebo only (Plac). The behaviour of cats was recorded on videotape for evaluation by assessors unaware of treatment group. Cats' veins were then catheterized by veterinary students unaware of the study protocol. Based on each cat's response to catheterization, the student independently decided whether intramuscular ketamine was required. RESULTS: Cats in the aceFFP group appeared to be calmer than acePlac cats on the basis of head position and their location in the cage (suggesting benefit from FFP among cats receiving acepromazine) but appeared to be less sedated. Cats in the aceFFP group also appeared to be calmer than FFP cats on the basis of head position and location in the cage. Feline facial pheromone cats were also calmer than Plac cats when compared using body and leg position. Exposure to FFP did not significantly reduce struggling at catheterization, nevertheless, the students were able to catheterize the veins in all cats. CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: There were no detrimental behavioural effects associated with either FFP or acepromazine. The FFP had additional calming effects in cats given acepromazine and, to a lesser degree, helped to calm cats that were not given acepromazine. Feline facial pheromone helps to calm cats in unfamiliar surroundings.     

An investigation of Salmonella Fluntern illnesses linked to leopard geckos—United States, 2018

Reptile contact can result in zoonotic non‐typhoidal salmonellosis. In April 2018, Oregon Public Health Division contacted CDC about a cluster of four Salmonella serovar Fluntern (SF) illnesses in four states (OR, CA, IA, NY); patients reported contact with geckos, a popular reptile pet. PulseNet, the national molecular subtyping network of food‐borne disease surveillance, subsequently identified additional SF clinical isolates. Twelve cases in 11 states were identified; median age was 5 years (range: <1–58 years). Three patients were hospitalized; no deaths were reported. Of those with exposure information (n = 10), all reported reptile exposure; 9 (90%) specified contact with leopard geckos. No common source of geckos was identified from reported purchase locations. Los Angeles County (LAC) health officials isolated SF from one patient's leopard gecko. Five reptile/gecko isolates were identified from the USDA National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) from 2015 to 2018. Five countries responded to an Epidemic Intelligence Information System post by PulseNet; reptile isolate sequence data were received from Czech Republic. A clinical case from England was identified through the National Center for Biotechnology Information pathogen detection pipeline; the patient did not report contact with leopard geckos. Whole genome sequencing analysis revealed substantial genetic diversity between clinical and animal isolates; however, gecko and clinical isolates from LAC were highly related (1 allele difference). This investigation linking SF illnesses to leopard geckos highlights an important public health risk from pets. A better understanding of how geckos are distributed by the pet industry in the United States could improve traceability to points of origin and mitigate Salmonella transmission at gecko breeders. Earlier NVSL reports of SF isolates from geckos suggest the risk of human SF infection from geckos is not new. This investigation demonstrates a need to educate gecko breeders, retailers and gecko owners about the continued Salmonella infection risk from pet geckos.