药物预防羊血液原虫病试验

近年来，羊只血液原虫病已成为威胁张家川县羔羊的主要疾病，给饲养户造成了一定的损失。为寻找最佳预防药物，将临床上使用的5种预防药物进行预防效果观察试验。结果表明，5种预防药物均具有效果，羊只平均染蜱数下降92．74％。     

Aspergillosis in hihi (Notiomystis cincta) on Mokoia Island

AIM: An intensive 2-year field study of 65 hihi (or stitchbirds) on Mokoia Island provided an opportunity to investigate the causes of mortality of this endangered species in a free-living environment. METHODS: The birds were observed daily during the breeding season (October to March) and every 4 weeks during the remainder of the year. Any abnormalities in behaviour, voice and body weight were recorded and all sick or dead birds which could be recovered were taken to the laboratory for necropsy. RESULTS: Thirty-one birds died during the period of this study. Aspergillosis was found to be the cause of death in six of nine adult birds examined post mortem. Some of the affected birds experienced subtle voice changes before becoming ill and all birds had granulomatous lesions in airsacs or lungs at necropsy. A further eight birds for which carcasses could not be found or which were autolysed showed similar clinical signs before death or disappearance. CONCLUSION: Because Aspergillus is an opportunist pathogen it seems likely that affected birds were immunosuppressed. This may have occurred during the breeding season which in this species is highly stressful. The presence of fungal material in bronchial exudate and the occurrence of the disease in mates, raises the possibility that aspergillosis in hihi may be contagious.     

Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis in a pony

A 10-year-old pony died 5 days after the onset of a nervous disorder. Necropsy revealed a yellowish area of discoloration (1.5 by 1 cm) in the medulla oblongata. Microscopically, necrosis and nonsuppurative myeloencephalitis were found in the medulla oblongata. Immature and mature meronts (25 by 10 microns) were seen in neural tissue and in capillaries of the brain stem. Organisms were similar structurally to those seen in equine protozoal myeloencephalitis of horses.     

Systemic effects of periodontal disease in cats

Background: Periodontal disease in cats is a local disease that may have systemic consequences that are affected by treatment.

Objective: To test the hypotheses that systemic health indices would be correlated with the severity of periodontitis, and would improve with treatment.

Animals and methods: Apparently otherwise healthy cats from an in-bred colony were randomly assigned to a treatment group (n?=?30), or a control group (n?=?18), which was left untreated for 3 months. Periodontal disease was scored at baseline in the treatment group according to calculus, gingivitis, and alveolar bone loss measured from dental radiographs. Blood, urine and saliva were collected from both groups before, and 16, 45, and 90 days after dental treatment. Assays included haematology, urinalysis, serum biochemistry, serum IgG, salivary IgA, lymphocyte subsets and proliferation, and plasma malonyldialdehyde (MDA). Correlations between the severity of periodontitis and assays at baseline were assessed, and the effect of treatment determined using linear mixed model methodology.

Results: The severity of periodontitis was associated with age, bodyweight, total globulins (Globs), Alanine aminotransferase, and IgG, and negatively associated with albumin, haemoglobin, haematocrit, and Aspartate aminotransferase (AST). Treatment significantly reduced IgG, total Globs, AST, and eosinophils, and increased cholesterol. Other leucocyte assays and plasma MDA concentrations were not affected by the treatment. Cats ate dry food faster 1 week after, than they did 1 week before treatment.

Conclusions and clinical relevance: Although the clinical significance of these findings are unknown, we conclude that periodontitis is not simply a localized disease, but also impacts on systemic health and wellbeing.     

Systemic hypertensive disease and the feline fundus

The fundoscopic appearance and some of the histopathological findings of arterial hypertension in the cat are reviewed in relation to the anatomical and physiological features that place retinal function at particular risk when the eye is subjected to sustained increased arterial blood pressure. The fundus changes fall into three categories: hypertensive retinopathy, hypertensive choroidopathy and hypertensive optic neuropathy, and information from cases with confirmed arterial hypertensive disease is used to provide a basis for discussion and future investigation.     

Systemic spindle-cell proliferative disease in broiler chickens

The major organs and tissues of 24 broiler chickens (70 or 71 days old) suspected of spindle-cell proliferative disease (SPD) because of showing the tumorous lesions distributed throughout the body at meat inspection were collected for histopathological and immunohistochemical examination. Macroscopically, liver, spleen and cecal tonsil showed severe enlargement and white nodules or plaques were observed in the liver, spleen, kidney, intestine and bone marrow of the femur. All chickens were diagnosed with SPD based on the histopathological examination. The lesions of SPD were observed in the liver, spleen, kidney, heart, lung, pancreas, proventriculus, gizzard, duodenum, jejunum, ileum, rectum, cecal tonsil, bursa of Fabricius, bone marrow of the femur and skin. Hemangioma was observed in the lung of 1 bird. Eight 1-day-old specific pathogen-free chicks were inoculated intraperitoneally with 0.25 ml of a 20% homogenate of the affected spleens of three naturally occurring cases. One inoculated bird, necropsied at 10 weeks of age, macroscopically had a white nodule in the kidney and histopathologically had spindle-cell proliferative lesions, a pattern similar to that seen in the naturally occurring cases, in the liver, spleen, kidney, heart, lung, pancreas, proventriculus, duodenum, cecal tonsil and bone marrow of the femur, and was diagnosed with SPD. Immunohistochemically, significant positive reactions with a rabbit antiserum against avian leukosis virus antigens were detected in all spindle cells in the proliferative lesions of all examined SPD cases and in tumor cells of the hemangioma of a field case.     

Suspected protozoal myeloencephalitis in a two-month-old colt

A two-month-old Appaloosa colt developed neurological signs shortly after birth involving deficits affecting cranial nerves IV, VII, VIII, IX, X and XII, and possibly nerve VI. The most likely differential diagnoses were congenital anomalies, meningoencephalitides, trauma or nutritional causes. The foal was investigated by the analysis of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), electromyelography (EMG), brain auditory evoked responses, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), peripheral nerve biopsy, and Western blot analysis for the presence of intrathecal antibodies to Sarcocystis neurona, the causative agent of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis. Significantly abnormal EMG findings included spontaneous electrical activity of the tongue, suggesting denervation. The MRI was useful in ruling out masses, congenital anomalies and focal abscessation. The cytology of CSF revealed mild mononuclear reactivity. Western blot testing of CSF was positive, indicating the intrathecal presence of antibodies to S neurona. The foal was treated with pyrimethamine and trimethoprim-sulphadiazine for two months and returned to nearly normal neurologic status.     

Systemic therapies for joint disease in horses.

Systemic therapies for joint disease may be prescribed when a single joint is involved or when multiple sites are affected. The precise therapeutic regimen recommended depends on the duration,cause, and site(s) of injury and is often an adjunct to intra-articular or supportive therapies. If the clinical signs of joint disease are acute and moderate in severity, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are often administered to alleviate pain and inflammation.When aiming for more of a generalized maintenance or chondro-protective regimen, an alternative medication, such as hyaluronan,polysulfated glycosaminoglycan, or a nutraceutical will commonly be prescribed.     

Systemic glycoproteinosis resembling Lafora's disease in a cow

A 6-year-old, Hereford/Angus crossbred cow which died acutely was submitted for necropsy and diagnostic evaluation. A toxicity was suspected by the owner who had noticed incoordination of one week's duration. The animal was last observed 24 hours prior to death. Toxicology screens for alkaloids, heavy metals, pesticides and nitrates were negative. The significant histologic abnormalities were confined to the thalamic nuclei, periventricular neurons and the liver. Neurons and hepatocytes contained 1 to 2 intracytoplasmic inclusions which stained faintly eosinophilic to slightly basophilic with H&E. The inclusions frequently had dense central cores and a fibrillar to homogeneous periphery. Based on a battery of histochemical stains for carbohydrates, and other mucosubstances and the morphology and location of the inclusions, a diagnosis of systemic glycoproteinosis consistent with Lafora's disease was made. This case represents the first report of lesions consistent with Lafora's disease in the bovine species.     

Systemic autoimmune disease and concurrent nematode infection in a dog

Systemic lupus erythematosus was diagnosed in a dog with concurrent nematode infection. The clinical signs of disease were unusually severe and included multiple neurologic deficits, polyarthritis, and weight loss. The dog was thrombocytopenic, and serotest results included positive lupus erythematosus test, positive rheumatoid factor test, positive antinuclear antibody test, hypergammaglobulinemia, and high platelet-associated IgG concentration. After treatment of hookworm, whipworm, and heartworm infections concurrently with corticosteroid and empiric treatment, the dog's condition improved. However, 10 days later, cyclophosphamide administration was necessary for continued immunosuppression. The dog was euthanatized because of progressive deterioration and development of canine coronavirus diarrhea. Serotest data generated from the dog's serum obtained at the time of referral suggested that autoantibodies and circulating immune complexes may have included IgE isotypes.     

Myelitis associated with protozoal infection in newborn calves

Four newborn calves from different herds were examined because of recumbency and inability to rise. Abnormal physical findings were confined to the nervous and/or musculoskeletal systems. Because of poor prognosis, all calves were euthanatized and necropsied. The histopathologic findings were multifocal lymphocytic myelitis, meningitis, and encephalitis associated with protozoal cysts.     

Systemic granulomatous disease and sialometaplasia in a dog with Bartonella infection

Systemic granulomatous disease involving the spleen, heart, lymph nodes, omentum, liver, kidney, lung, mediastinum, and salivary glands developed in an 8-year-old Rottweiler. The dog also had sialometaplasia of both submandibular salivary glands. Bartonella henselae and B. vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii DNA was amplified from the salivary gland by polymerase chain reaction analysis. Bartonellae may be the cause of this systemic disease, but to the authors' knowledge, involvement of omentum, mediastinum, and salivary glands has not previously been reported in association with Bartonella infection. Bartonellae should be considered potential causes of sialometaplasia.