Erythema multiforme in a spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta).

A 10.5-yr-old male spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta) developed acute, severe erythematous and ulcerative dermatitis of the hindquarters, feet, face, and ears 19 days after receiving a recombinant canary pox vectored canine distemper vaccine. Biopsies of the lesions supported a diagnosis of erythema multiforme (EM), which is an immune-mediated disorder that can occur days to months after exposure to antigenic stimuli. During the lengthy recovery, esophageal regurgitation and ulceration developed either as complications of the disease or secondary to therapy. The esophageal disease was managed with metoclopramide, sulcrafate, omeprazole, and frequent feedings. The distemper vaccine is postulated to have been the inciting cause of EM in this animal.     

Lesions and transmission of experimental adenovirus hemorrhagic disease in black-tailed deer fawns

Adenovirus infection was the cause of an epizootic of hemorrhagic disease that is believed to have killed thousands of mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) in California during the latter half of 1993. A systemic vasculitis with pulmonary edema and hemorrhagic enteropathy or a localized vasculitis associated with necrotizing stomatitis/pharyngitis/glossitis or osteomyelitis of the jaw were common necropsy findings in animals that died during this epizootic. To study transmission of adenovirus infection in deer and susceptibility of black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus) fawns to adenovirus infection, six 3-6-month-old black-tailed fawns were divided into two treatment groups. One group was inoculated intravenously and the other group was inoculated through the mucous membranes of the eyes, nose and mouth with purified adenovirus. Each treatment group also included two additional fawns (four total) that were not inoculated but were exposed to inoculated animals (contact animals). One fawn served as a negative control. Between 4 and 16 days postinoculation, 8/10 fawns developed systemic or localized infection with lesions identical to lesions seen in animals with natural disease that died during the epizootic. Transmission was by direct contact, and the route of inoculation did not affect the incubation period or the distribution of the virus (systemic or the localized infection). Immunohistochemical analysis using polyclonal antiserum against bovine adenovirus type 5 demonstrated staining in endothelial cells of vessels in numerous tissues in animals with systemic infection and endothelial staining only in vessels subtending necrotic foci in the upper alimentary tract in animals with the localized form of the disease. All inoculated or exposed animals had staining in the tonsillar epithelium. Transmission electron microscopic examination of lung and ileum from two fawns with pulmonary edema and hemorrhagic enteropathy demonstrated endothelial necrosis and adenovirus virions in endothelial cell nuclei. Adenovirus was reisolated in black-tailed deer pulmonary artery endothelial cells using lung homogenate of the first fawn that developed systemic adenovirus infection. Serum virus neutralization test results suggest that this deer adenovirus is a new serotype.     

Outbreaks of proliferative haemorrhagic enteropathy on two pig farms

SUMMARY Clinical signs of proliferative haemorrhagic enteropathy (PHE) including anaemia, dysentery and sudden death were observed in finisher pigs and young breeding stock on 2 farms. On farm A, PHE occurred 12 months after repopulation of the farm. Other outbreaks of PHE occurred after the withdrawal of therapeutic concentrations of in-feed antibacterial agents (farm A), or after monensin sodium (100 g/t) replaced olaquindox (100 g/t) in feed (farm B). The outbreaks, the possible sources of contamination and the role of antibacterial feed additives in the treatment and control of PHE are described.     

Comparative Expression Analysis of Gametogenesis‐Associated Genes in Foetal and Adult Bubaline (Bubalus bubalis) Ovaries and Testes

This study was conducted to identify and analyse the expression of gametogenesis‐associated genes and proteins in foetal and adult buffalo gonads of both the sexes. Relative quantification of the genes was determined by qPCR and Western blotting. Immunohistochemistry was also performed for various gametogenesis‐associated proteins in foetal and adult gonads of both the sexes. We observed significantly (p < 0.05) increased expression of primordial germ cell‐specific, meiotic as well as genes associated with oocyte maturation and development in foetal ovaries as compared to the adult ones. However, significantly (p < 0.05) increased expression of proteins associated with oocyte maturation like GDF9 and ZP4 was found in adult ovaries, indicating temporal regulation of mRNA translation during oogenesis. Meiotic genes showed significantly (p < 0.05) increased expression in adult testes as compared to foetal testes and ovaries, indicating onset of meiosis at a later stage in spermatogenesis. In general, the expression of primordial germ cell‐associated as well as meiotic genes was higher in adult testes, indicating the increased biological activity in the organ. Immunohistochemistry revealed localized expression of gametogenesis‐associated proteins in ovarian follicles and seminiferous tubules of testes, while the surrounding somatic tissues were devoid of these proteins. The study gives an understanding of the sequential and temporal events of gene expression as well as mRNA translation during male and female gametogenesis. It could also be concluded that follicles and seminiferous tubules are the functional units of the female and male gonads, respectively, and their function could be enhanced by appropriate chemical and genetic intervention of the somatic tissue immediately surrounding them. This assumes importance in the context that buffalo attains sexual maturity at an older age of 2–3 years and have smaller ovaries with lesser number of primordial follicles in comparison with cattle, which is suggested to be the main reason of their poor breeding performance.     

Production of Wild Buffalo (Bubalus arnee) Embryos by Interspecies Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer Using Domestic Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) Oocytes

The objective of this study was to explore the possibility of producing wild buffalo embryos by interspecies somatic cell nuclear transfer (iSCNT) through handmade cloning using wild buffalo somatic cells and domestic buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) oocytes. Somatic cells derived from the ear skin of wild buffalo were found to express vimentin but not keratin and cytokeratin‐18, indicating that they were of fibroblast origin. The population doubling time of skin fibroblasts from wild buffalo was significantly (p < 0.05) higher, and the cell proliferation rate was significantly (p < 0.05) lower compared with that of skin fibroblasts from domestic buffalo. Neither the cleavage (92.6 ± 2.0% vs 92.8 ± 2.0%) nor the blastocyst rate (42.4 ± 2.4% vs 38.7 ± 2.8%) was significantly different between the intraspecies cloned embryos produced using skin fibroblasts from domestic buffalo and interspecies cloned embryos produced using skin fibroblasts from wild buffalo. However, the total cell number (TCN) was significantly (p < 0.05) lower (192.0 ± 25.6 vs 345.7 ± 42.2), and the apoptotic index was significantly (p < 0.05) higher (15.1 ± 3.1 vs 8.0 ± 1.4) for interspecies than that for intraspecies cloned embryos. Following vitrification in open‐pulled straws (OPS) and warming, although the cryosurvival rate of both types of cloned embryos, as indicated by their re‐expansion rate, was not significantly different (34.8 ± 1.5% vs 47.8 ± 7.8), the apoptotic index was significantly (p < 0.05) higher for vitrified–warmed interspecies than that for corresponding intraspecies cloned embryos (48.9 ± 7.2 vs 23.9 ± 2.8). The global level of H3K18ac was significantly (p < 0.05) lower in interspecies cloned embryos than that in intraspecies cloned embryos. The expression level of HDAC1, DNMT3a and CASPASE3 was significantly (p < 0.05) higher, that of P53 was significantly (p < 0.05) lower in interspecies than in intraspecies embryos, whereas that of DNMT1 was similar between the two types of embryos. In conclusion, these results demonstrate that wild buffalo embryos can be produced by iSCNT.     

The efficacy of insecticides against the screw-worm fly (Chrysomya bezziana)

A number of insecticides used for ectoparasite control in the livestock industry were screened for their efficacy against larvae of the screw-worm fly, Chrysomya bezziana, using in vivo and laboratory tests. Proprietary screw-worm fly treatments (after exposure to outdoor conditions for up to 10 days) were also tested against eggs and adults of C bezziana. Three of these were also evaluated on naturally acquired screw-worm infestations. Residual protection was generally of short duration. Among the organophosphorus compounds, the most effective formulations contained relatively high concentrations (3 to 4% al) of coumaphos, 2.5% fenchlorphos or low concentrations (0.05 to 0.5% al) of diazinon, chlorfenvinphos and fenthion methyl. Two chlorinated hydrocarbon insecticides containing 3% lindane and 5% dieldrin were very effective but are now prohibited for use in Australia. Preparations had serious deficiencies when used under field conditions, especially for treating large, deepseated myiases for which systemic insecticides are recommended. A comparison of methods demonstrated that a laboratory test could supersede live animal experimentation, at least for the initial screening of potential insecticides.     

Locating and protecting critical reserve sites to minimize expected and worst-case losses

There has been much recent interest in the development of systematic reserve selection methods that are capable of incorporating uncertainty associated with site destruction. This paper makes a contribution to this line of research by presenting two different optimization models for minimizing species losses within a planning region. Given limited acquisition budgets, the first minimizes expected species losses over all possible site loss patterns outside the reserve network while the second minimizes maximum species losses following the worst-case loss of a restricted subset of nonreserve sites. By incorporating the uncertainty of site destruction directly into the decision planning process, these models allow a conservation planner to take a less defensive and more strategic view of reserve selection that seeks to minimize species losses through the targeted acquisition of high-value/high-risk sites. We compare both of these methods to a more standard approach, which simply maximizes within reserve representation without regard for the varied level of threat faced by different sites and species. Results on a realistic dataset show that significant reductions in species losses can be achieved using either of these more intelligent modeling frameworks.     

Costs and benefits of wild goose conservation in Scotland

This paper applies the cost-benefit analysis framework to the issue of wild geese conservation in Scotland. Wild goose numbers have risen rapidly over the past 30 years, bringing nature conservationists into conflict with farmers whose crops are damaged. We estimate the costs of damage due to goose grazing to farmers in two goose areas, Strathbeg and Islay. Conservation benefits are estimated using a contingent valuation survey of the Scottish population, and we find that benefits outweigh costs by a very considerable margin. This can be seen as providing support for recent UK government moves to compensate farmers in goose areas in order to further conservation.