Reported adverse reactions of veterinary drugs and vaccines in 2005

We received 105 reports of suspected adverse events (SARs) following the use of veterinary drugs for the year 2005. This corresponds to a 35% increase compared to 2004. Practicing veterinarians sent most of these declarations. 73% of these concerned drugs used on companion animals. Antiparasitic drugs approved for topical use were the most frequently represented group with 48%, followed by drugs used to treat gastrointestinal disorders (11%) and drugs used off-label (14%; other target species or other indication). For the first time 2 declarations concerning the application of permethrin containing spot-on preparations used by mistake on cats were received. An overview of 20 declarations about adverse reactions following application of different vaccines is also presented with emphasis on the problem of fibrosarcoma in cats. We are pleased by the growing interest shown by practicing veterinarians for the vigilance system and hope to further develop this collaboration in the future.     

Rabies and brucellosis immunization status and adverse reactions to rabies vaccines in veterinary students.

Rabies pre-immunization has been recommended for high risk professions, including veterinarians. Cell-cultured rabies vaccines have considerably reduced the risk of post-vaccination neurological reactions found in earlier vaccines. However, some adverse reactions have been reported with Human Diploid Cell Vaccines. 329 French veterinary students were surveyed about their rabies and brucellosis vaccination status, the occurrence of adverse reactions to rabies vaccine, and their antibody titer monitoring practices. Questions also were asked to determine if mandatory rabies pre-exposure immunization upon entry to veterinary school motivated students to maintain their rabies pre-exposure vaccination. The overall vaccination rate was 98.5% for rabies and 17% for brucellosis. 19% of the rabies vaccinated students reported some form of adverse reaction, whatever the vaccine brand used, but not experienced systemic allergic reaction. Adverse reactions were twice more frequent in female than male students and were more frequent after primary series than revaccination series (Relative Risk = 1.76). Despite the mild reactions encountered, rabies pre-exposure vaccination has been well-accepted by French veterinary students. In contrast, vaccination against brucellosis was not as well-accepted for prophylaxis.     

Studies onEscherichia coli vaccines: Estimation of endotoxins in veterinary vaccines

Fifteen batches ofE. coli vaccines for pigs, from three different manufacturers, were subjected to a quantitative form of the in vitro Limulusamoebocyte-lysate (LAL) test for their free endotoxin content. A batch of vaccine associated with abortions in pregnant sows was found to contain a much higher level of free endotoxin than batches of vaccine not associated with abortion. The evidence of these assays suggests that they will be useful in the quality control ofE. coli vaccines.     

香精油在家禽营养中的主要影响和作用

<正>合理搭配家禽的日粮营养水平能够有效地促进生长、提高饲料消化率、降低死亡率具有至关重要的作用。近年来,芳香植物和它们的提取物(如香精油)更多的作为生产促进剂添加到饲料中。香精油(也称挥发油或脂肪油)能够增强消化液的分泌,刺激血液循环,增加抗氧化能力,降低致病菌水平和增强免疫能力。本文简要阐述了香精油在家禽营养上的作用和其作用机制。     

DNA vaccines and their applications in veterinary practice: current perspectives

Inoculation of plasmid DNA, encoding an immunogenic protein gene of an infectious agent, stands out as a novel approach for developing new generation vaccines for prevention of infectious diseases of animals. The potential of DNA vaccines to act in presence of maternal antibodies, its stability and cost effectiveness and the non-requirement of cold chain have heightened the prospects. Even though great strides have been made in nucleic acid vaccination, still there are many areas that need further research for its wholesome practical implementation. Major areas of concern are vaccine delivery, designing of suitable vectors and cytotoxic T cell responses. Also, the induction of immune responses by DNA vaccines is inconclusive due to the lack of knowledge regarding the concentration of the protein expressed in vivo. Alternative delivery systems having higher transfection efficiency and the use of cytokines, as immunomodulators, needs to be further explored. Recently, efforts are being made to modulate and prolong the active life of dendritic cells, in order to make antigen presentation a more efficacious one. For combating diseases like acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), influenza, malaria and tuberculosis in humans; and foot and mouth disease, Aujesky’s disease, swine fever, rabies, canine distemper and brucellosis in animals, DNA vaccine clinical trials are underway. This review highlights the salient features of DNA vaccines, and measures to enhance their efficacy so as to devise an effective and novel vaccination strategy against animal diseases.     

三种佐剂对鸡体液免疫影响的比较

佐剂是疫苗的重要组成部分,不同佐剂对体液免疫会产生不同的作用.选择合适的佐剂不仅可以增强疫苗的免疫效果,而且可以提高机体的抵抗力.本试验选用白油佐剂、弗氏佐剂和蜂胶佐剂分别与灭活的新城疫病毒制成疫苗,免疫雏鸡,探讨不同佐剂对鸡体液免疫的影响.结果表明,试验组鸡抗体水平高,饲养至61日龄均未发生新城疫,其中弗氏佐剂的效果最好,蜂胶佐剂的效果次之,油佐剂的效果最次.     

Brucellosis vaccines: past,present and future

The first effective Brucella vaccine was based on live Brucella abortus strain 19, a laboratory-derived strain attenuated by an unknown process during subculture. This induces reasonable protection against B. abortus, but at the expense of persistent serological responses. A similar problem occurs with the B. melitensis Rev.1 strain that is still the most effective vaccine against caprine and ovine brucellosis. Vaccines based on killed cells of virulent strains administered with adjuvant induced significant protection but also unacceptable levels of antibodies interfering with diagnostic tests. Attempts were made to circumvent this problem by using a live rough strain B. abortus 45/20, but this reverted to virulence in vivo. Use of killed cells of this strain in adjuvant met with moderate success but batch to batch variation in reactogenicity and agglutinogenicity limited application. This problem has been overcome by the development of the rifampicin-resistant mutant B. abortus RB51 strain. This strain has proved safe and effective in the field against bovine brucellosis and exhibits negligible interference with diagnostic serology. Attempts are being made to develop defined rough mutant vaccine strains that would be more effective against B. melitensis and B. suis. Various studies have examined cell-free native and recombinant proteins as candidate protective antigens, with or without adjuvants. Limited success has been obtained with these or with DNA vaccines encoding known protective antigens in experimental models and further work is indicated.     

DNA疫苗免疫机理及其在动物医学中的应用

疫苗在人和家畜疾病防治方面起着巨大的作用，它主要是通过激发机体的免疫系统来达到疾病防治的目的。目前传统的疫苗主要有灭活疫苗、减毒疫苗及基因工程多肽苗。随着现代免疫学和分子生物学技术的发展，在上个世纪90年代初，一种新型的疫苗DNA疫苗诞生了。     

Tryptophan in poultry nutrition: Impacts and mechanisms of action

Many studies have shown that productivity, immune system, antioxidant status, and meat and egg quality can be optimized by dietary supplementation with amino acids that are not usually added to poultry diets. Understanding the effects of these amino acids may encourage feed manufacturers and poultry producers to include them as additives. One of these amino acids is tryptophan (Trp). The importance of Trp is directly related to its role in protein anabolism and indirectly related to its metabolites such as serotonin and melatonin. Thus, Trp could affect the secretion of hormones, development of immune organs, meat and egg production, and meat and egg quality in poultry raised under controlled or stressed conditions. Therefore, this review discusses the main roles of Trp in poultry production and its mode (s) of action in order to help poultry producers decide whether they need to add Trp to poultry diets. Further areas of research are also identified to address information gaps.     

Absence of protection from West Nile virus disease and adverse effects in red legged partridges after non-structural NS1 protein administration

The red-legged partridge (Alectoris rufa) is a competent host for West Nile virus (WNV) replication and highly susceptible to WNV disease. With the aim to assess in this species whether the inoculation of non-structural protein NS1 from WNV elicits a protective immune response against WNV infection, groups of partridges were inoculated with recombinant NS1 (NS1 group) or an unrelated recombinant protein (mock group), and challenged with infectious WNV. A third group received no inoculation prior to challenge (challenge group). The NS1 group failed to elicit detectable antibodies to NS1 while in the mock group a specific antibody response was observed. Moreover, no protection against WNV disease was observed in the NS1 group, but rather, it showed significantly higher viral RNA load and delayed neutralizing antibody response, and suffered a more severe clinical disease, which resulted in higher mortality. This adverse effect has not been observed before and warrants further investigations.     

Vigilance for veterinary medicinal products: declarations of adverse reactions in the year 2009

During the year 2009, 134 reports of suspected adverse drug reactions (ADRs) to veterinary medicinal products (VMPs) were received (106 in the year 2008). The distribution according to species and drug classes remained in line with previous years. Companion animals were involved in most of the reports (46 % dogs, 19 % cats), followed by cattle or calves (22 %). Antiparasitic drugs made the biggest part with 30 % of the reports, followed by antiinfectives (19 %) and hormones (13 %). Some reactions following their use are specifically discussed. 95 additional enquiries about ADRs of VMPs were received by the Swiss Toxicological Information Centre in Zürich. Most of them concerned dogs or cats and antiparasitics or anti-inflammatory drugs. In the vaccinovigilance program, a total of 1020 reports were received, of which 1000 were related to the vaccination against blue tongue disease. The most frequently reported adverse reactions were aborts, mastitis or alterations of milk quality and they are specifically discussed.     

Vigilance for veterinary medicinal products: declarations of adverse reactions in the year 2010

In 2010, we observed again an increase in the number of declarations reported to the vigilance system for veterinary medicinal products up to a total of 160. The species and drug classes reported remained the same as in previous years: the majority of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) concerned either dogs or cats and the most frequently involved drugs were either antiparasitic products or antiinfectives. Adverse reactions following reconversions and 8 cases of suspected allergic reactions following the use of amoxicillin-clavulanic acid combinations in dogs were reported. Additional enquiries were processed by the Swiss Toxicological Information Centre and transmitted to Swiss medic. 11 of these reported accidental ingestions of flavoured tablets in overdose by dogs and some cats. The vaccino vigilance program received 179 declarations following immunization against blue tongue disease as well as 82 declarations following the application of other vaccines. The vigilance system increases the chance to identify rare reactions or interactions and thereby contributes to the security of veterinary medicinal products.     

The potential for liability in the use and misuse of veterinary vaccines.

The lack of specific rules regarding the use of animal vaccines by veterinarians leaves them vulnerable to legal action for negligence or breach of warranty. A veterinarian's liability may depend on the answers to the questions asked previously in this article. The answers ultimately depend on the specific circumstances of the case. Although no one can ensure that he or she is never going to be sued, veterinarians can go a long way in defending themselves against these kinds of allegations by conforming to the standards of practice as they apply to the care and use of vaccines; by adhering closely to the doctrines of informed consent; and by not providing undue warranty to the vaccine product he or she sells.     

Training satisfaction and well-being among veterinary anaesthesia residents: time for action

ObjectiveTo explore the satisfaction and well-being experienced by anaesthesia residents during their training, and to investigate factors that may have influenced their experiences.Study designCross-sectional online anonymous voluntary survey.Sample populationA total of 150 (of approximately 600 canvassed) former veterinary anaesthesia residents.MethodsParticipants were invited to complete an internet-based survey regarding the satisfaction and well-being experienced during their residency. Multiple choice, categorical, dichotomous, Likert-type rating scales and slider questions were used to investigate five domains (demographic, working conditions, educational environment, training satisfaction, well-being). Sampling adequacy, questionnaire reliability and participant responses were investigated by Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) indices, Cronbach’s α and standard statistical techniques, respectively (p < 0.05).ResultsThe questionnaire demonstrated good sampling adequacy (median KMO index 0.74; range 0.51–0.89) and high item ‘reliability’ (α = 0.82–0.94). Of the 150 responders, (25% participation rate) 62% were satisfied, 14% were neutral and 24% were dissatisfied with their residency training; 60.6% would do the residency again, 39.3% would not or were unsure. Sex and age did not correlate with training satisfaction (p > 0.05). Salary/stipend was considered inadequate by 70% of responders; 66% received no on-call supplement. Greater supervisory input, a good working environment and extra income when on-call were positively correlated with training satisfaction (p < 0.01). The majority (94.6%) of trainees suffered from at least one medical condition during their residency, with fatigue, sleep disturbance or anxiety reported by > 62%.ConclusionsAlthough a quarter of responders were dissatisfied with their residency, several modifiable factors were identified, particularly with respect to supervisors’ input, working environment and pay, which could inform improvements for future residency programmes. Most trainees experienced negative health impacts; however, this parallels the general situation in both the medical and veterinary professions, which requires greater attention from the supervisors, trainees and colleges.     

Effect of gender on ownership and income in veterinary practice

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the effect of gender on ownership and income in veterinary practice in Australia. METHODS: Questionnaire completed by private veterinary practitioners, and analysed using the SAS System for Windows 7.0. RESULTS: More than three-quarters (78%) of male but 36% of female private practitioners were partial or sole owners of practices. The median annual income for all male practitioners working more than 40 hours/week was $70K, but that for females was $43K. These disparities existed in both city and country practices, and in the case of income it increased with increasing time in the workforce. Male practice owners also reported higher incomes than female owners. CONCLUSIONS: Female veterinary practitioners are less likely to own practices, and more likely to earn low incomes than males. These differentials do not appear to be due to location, hours worked or years since graduation or, in the case of income, to whether they are owners or employees. The evidence points to a lower interest by women than men in the business aspects of veterinary practice.     

New data on the mechanism of action of immuno-adjuvants: Applications in veterinary medicine

Certain natural or synthetic peptidoglycans which act as watersoluble adjuvants represent a new family of drugs which can act selectively on certain lymphoid cells, B or T cells or macrophages. Some of these molecules can inhibit the immune response.We have developed a technique which enables either normal membranous vesicles, (cellular surface on the outside, RSO), or inverted vesicles, (cellular surface on the inside, IO), to be taken from a murine plasmacytoma. Some peptidoglycans act on the RSO vesicles, others on the IO vesicles, in every case by activating and/or inhibiting membranous enzymes such as 5-nucleotidase and Na⁺/K⁺ ATPase.It is likely that the immuno-adjuvants act selectively and that the same substance can activate or inhibit according to the dose used.

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Kurzfassung Bestimmte natürliche oder synthetisch hergestellte Peptidoglykane (wasserlösliche Adjuvanzien) sind eine neue Familie pharmakodynamischer Agenzien, die elektiv auf bestimmte Lymphoidzellen, B-Zellen, T-Zellen oder Makrophagen wirken. Bestimmte Moleküle können die Immunreaktion inhibieren. Es wurde ein Verfahren erarbeitet, mit dem aus einem Plasmozytom bei Ratten oder Mäusen Membranbläschen gewonnen werden konnten, die entweder richtig geformt (Zelloberfläche aussen, RSO) oder umgekehrt (Zelloberfläche innen, IO) sind. Manche Peptidoglykane wirken auf RSO, andere auf IO; in allen Fällen ist diese Wirkung gekennzeichnet durch die Activierung und/oder Inhibierung von Membranenzymen wie der 5-Nukleotidase und der Na+/KA—ATPase.Voraussichtlich haben die Immunitätsadjuvanzien eine Zielspezifität und derselbe Stoff kann je nach Dosierung stimulierend oder inhibierend wirken.Riassunto Gli adiuvanti idrosolubili, che sono peptido-glicani naturali o sintetici, costituiscono una nuova famiglia di agenti farmacodinamici in grado di agire selettivamente su alcune cellule linfoidi, le cellule B, T o macrofagi. Alcune molecole possono inibire la reazione immunitaria.Gli autori hanno messo a punto una tecnica che permette di ottenere, partendo da un plasmocitoma murino, vescicole membranose girate nel senso giusto (superficie cellulare rivolta all-esterno RSO) o rovesciate (superficie cellulare all'interno, IO). Alcuni peptido-glicani sono attivi sulle RSO, altrillo sono sulle IO; in ambedue i casi detta attività è caratterizzata dall-attivazione e/o dall'inibizione di enzimi membranosi come la 5 nucleotidasi e la Na⁺/K⁺ ATP-asi.Si puo ipotizzare che gli adiuvanti dell'immunita posseggano una specificita di bersaglio, e che la medesinna sostanza possa rivelarsi stimolante od inibitoria a seconda della dose impiegata.

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Resume Les adjuvants hydrosolubles que sont certains peptidoglycanes naturels ou synthétiques représentent une nouvelle famille d'agents pharmacodynamiques capables d'agir électivement sur certaines cellules lymphoides, cellules B, T ou macrophages. Certaines molécules peuvent inhiber la réponse immunitaire.Nous avons mis au point une technique permettant d'obtenir à partir d'un plasmocytome murin des vésicules membranaires tournées dans le bon sens (surface cellulaire à l'extérieur, RSO) ou inversées (surface cellulaire à l'intérieur, IO). Certains peptidoglycanes sont actifs sur les RSO, d'autres sur les IO: dans tous les cas cette activité est caractérisée par l'activation et/ou l'inhibition d'enzymes membranaires telles que la 5-nucléotidase et la Na⁺/K⁺ ATPase.Il est prévisible que les adjuvants de l'immunité ont une spécificité de cible et qu'une même substance peut se révéler stimulante ou inhibitrice selon la dose utilisée.

     

牛病毒性腹泻病毒弱毒活疫苗免疫持续期的研究

为检测牛病毒性腹泻病毒(BVDV)弱毒活疫苗在免疫牛体内抗体产生及其消长规律,评价弱毒疫苗的保护效力,并确定免疫持续期,本试验对免疫试验牛每头颈部肌肉接种BVDV SM株弱毒疫苗104.5TCID50,监测血清抗体效价,进行免疫持续期的确定。在疫苗免疫后的6个月、9个月和12个月,分别抽取5头免疫组和5头对照组牛,采用BVDV-JL强毒株进行攻毒试验,每头牛攻毒剂量为6×107.0TCID50/mL。结果显示疫苗免疫后12个月时血清中和抗体效价仍维持在1∶1048以上。攻毒结果显示,在3个不同时间点进行强毒攻击后,免疫组所有动物白细胞数量都没有下降也没有分离到病毒,而对照组动物白细胞数下降均超过30%,6个月和9个月时动物血清中均能分离到病毒,而12个月对照组动物由于年龄大,没有分离到病毒,因此暂定此疫苗的免疫持续期为9个月。