Disposition kinetics and dosage regimen of ceftriaxone in crossbred calves (short communication).

Disposition kinetics and urinary excretion of ceftriaxone were investigated in healthy crossbred calves after its single intravenous administration (10 mg kg-1). Based on kinetic parameters, an appropriate dosage regimen of ceftriaxone in calves was calculated. The peak plasma level of ceftriaxone at 1 min was 84.0 +/- 1.55 micrograms ml-1 which declined to 0.43 +/- 0.05 microgram ml-1 at 8 h. The value of elimination half-life (t1/2 beta), volume of distribution Vd (area) and total body clearance (ClB) were 4.39 +/- 0.63 h, 1.91 +/- 0.19 L kg-1 and 0.31 +/- 0.01 L kg-1 h-1, respectively. Approximately 41 per cent of total administered drug was recovered in the urine within 24 h of its administration. The plasma protein binding of ceftriaxone was found to be concentration dependent with an overall mean of 38.55 per cent. The binding capacity of ceftriaxone to plasma proteins and the dissociation rate constant of protein-drug complex were 20.1 x 10(-8) +/- 18.4 x 10(-8) mole g-1 and 1.07 x 10(-6) +/- 0.52 x 10(-6) mole, respectively. An appropriate intravenous dosage regimen of ceftriaxone in cattle would be 12 mg kg-1 repeated at 24 h.     

New pig disease in Hungary: postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome caused by circovirus (short communication)

Postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS), a new disease in Hungary, was recognized in a swine herd located in Southeast Hungary, during the early winter of 1999. The first clinical signs of paleness, anaemia, and leanness appeared immediately after weaning, at the age of 40-50 days. Pustules were frequently observed on the skin of the trunk, and signs of necrotic dermatitis were also visible. A syndrome of poor growth and wasting was characteristic of the affected pigs. A porcine circovirus (PCV), the suspected causative agent, was detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Sequencing data and restriction endonuclease (RE) analysis of the PCR products suggested that the virus belonged to the PCV-II group where all the causative agents of PMWS are also grouped.     

Comparison of staining and concentration techniques for detection of Cryptosporidium oocysts in cat faecal specimens.

Modified Ziehl-Neelsen (MZN), auramine-phenol (A-P) and fluorescein isothiocyanate-labelled (FITC-labelled) monoclonal antibody (MAb) techniques were compared for detection of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts in cat faecal specimens inoculated with known numbers of C. parvum oocysts. Of the three techniques, the FITC-labelled MAb technique detected more oocysts than the MZN and A-P techniques (P < 0.05), but A-P was more efficient than MZN (P < 0.05). Comparison of sucrose flotation, zinc sulphate (ZnSO4) flotation and formol-ether (F-E) sedimentation techniques revealed that F-E was the most efficient of the three (P < 0.05) for concentration of C. parvum oocysts from cat faecal specimens. On average, the F-E technique recovered 37% of oocysts from the original sample, whereas the sucrose and ZnSO4 flotation techniques recovered 33% and 11%, respectively. The findings of this study suggest that MZN and A-P staining are both useful for screening C. parvum oocysts in cat faecal materials containing 10(6) oocysts or more, but FITC-labelled MAb should be used when the number of oocysts is low. Also, the F-E sedimentation technique is recommended for concentrating oocysts in cat faecal specimens.     

牦牛源牛凸隆病毒的检测及其基因组特征

本研究旨在证实青藏高原牦牛中牛凸隆病毒（bovine torovirus,BToV）的存在,并分析其基因组特征。采用RT-PCR方法检测西藏、青海、四川藏区的犊牦牛腹泻粪便中BToV,并扩增基因组。结果从145份样本中检出10份BToV阳性,平均阳性率约为6.9%,其中西藏、青海、四川藏区的阳性率分别约为11.8%、8.9%、3.0%。成功获得1个长为28 314 bp的牦牛源BToV基因组,GC含量为36.31%,与GenBank中已有的5个BToV基因组的核苷酸相似性为82%～97%,与国内BToV基因组SC2的相似性最高且遗传关系最近。本研究中BToV基因组的S基因与GenBank中已有的14个完整BToV-S基因相比,存在8个独特的氨基酸变异,其中,6个位于S1结构域,2个位于S2结构域,且在222—2 473 bp发生区域重组事件。本研究证明BToV在牦牛中的存在,并且地域分布广泛,获得了牦牛源Ⅲ型BToV基因组,报道了BToV的S基因重组事件,有助于进一步了解BToV的分子特征和遗传进化。     

N-ras mutation in a canine lymphoma: short communication

Lymphomas of dogs were investigated by molecular genetic methods. Regions of exon 1 and 2 of the N-ras gene, which harbours the mutation hot spots (codons 12, 13 and 61) were screened. A GGT [symbol: see text] GAT (glycine [symbol: see text] aspartic acid) mutation in codon 13 was present in a multicentric-type lymphoma of a 1-year-old male dog.     

Administration of Bacillus coagulans in calves: recovery from faecal samples and evaluation of functional aspects of spores

An investigation was carried out into the recovery from calf faeces of Bacillus coagulans spores added to the feed as probiotic. For this purpose, Bacillus coagulans spores (9 log₁₀ CFU g^?1) were given daily to 10 calves during the whole farming periods; another 10 calves acted as controls. Throughout the trial the faecal spore counts were significantly (P?<?0.01) higher in the treated group than in the controls (averaging 2.1?×?10⁵ vs 3.7?×?10⁴?CFU g^?1). Bacterial cells were recovered from faecal samples and ribotyping matched the strain isolated from faecal sample to the clone administered to the animals. In addition, the recovered cells were found to maintain their functionality aspects of acid production, survival in artificial gastric juice and in the presence of bile, and attachment to human intestinal epithelial cells. The results further elucidate the fate of spore formers administered to calves, and this will help in the development of new species-specific nutritional strategies.     

A method of extraction in the detection of residual inhibiting substances in the tissues of pigs and calves after unavoidable slaughter

Differences were studied in detecting residues of inhibitory substances in tissue samples of pigs and calves after emergency slaughter. Samples of liver, heart, kidney and muscle of 30 pigs and 16 calves were examined. Solid samples of organ tissues placed on an agar medium and extracts of the solid samples placed into agar pits were used for detection. Samples were parallelly subjected to the microbiologic diffusion method, using the S. aureus CCM 2022 and B. subtilis CCM 1999 microorganisms. The method of obtaining the extracts from solid samples of the organs was proposed and tested at our own workplace. The presence of inhibitory substances was displayed by the formation of inhibition zones. Results of the positive samples in calves (7 samples) and in pigs (3 samples) point out explicitly to the fact that the extracts of the tissue samples display positively larger inhibition zones in comparison with the solid samples. B. subtilis was demonstrated to be more sensitive than S. aureus, comparing the used microorganisms.     

Tissue residues of diacetoxyscirpenol in pigs and calves after intravenous dosing

Pigs (n = 19) were given 0, 0.1, 0.5, or 1 mg of diacetoxyscirpenol (DAS)/kg of body weight, and heifers (n = 7) were given 0 or 0.5 mg of DAS/kg. Animals were anesthetized and exsanguinated 8 hours after administration of DAS, and liver, kidney, skeletal muscle, mesenteric lymph node, and spleen were analyzed for DAS. Diacetoxyscirpenol was not detected in tissues from animals not given DAS. All tissues from pigs and calves given DAS contained at least traces (less than or equal to 10 ng/g of tissue) of DAS.     

Phenotypic and genotypic characterisation of Pasteurella multocida strains isolated from pigs in Hungary

A total of 146 Pasteurella multocida strains isolated from swine in Hungary in the last 20 years were examined. Biochemical characterisation and PCR-based techniques were used to determine species, subspecies, biovar, capsule type and presence of the toxA gene. Eighty-seven percent of the isolates belonged to P. multocida ssp. multocida, and 98% of these had biovar 3 or were trehalose- or lactose-fermenting or ornithine decarboxylase negative variants of that. Ten percent of the strains were P. multocida ssp. septica, and within this group 80% of the strains showed sorbitol-negative biovars (5, 6 and 7). The rest of the strains (20%) were lactose positive. Only 3% of the porcine isolates were P. multocida ssp. gallicida and 3 out of the 4 strains belonged to the dulcitol-fermenting biovar 8. Using a capsule-specific multiplex PCR, 60% of the strains belonged to capsule type D, 38% to capsule type A, and only 1 isolate had capsule type F. In contrast with data published in the literature, only 3% of capsule type D isolates carried the toxA gene, while this ratio was 41% for the type A strains. A remarkable regional distribution of toxA gene positive strains was observed. All but two isolates were found in swine herds located in the Transdanubian region, separated from other parts of Hungary by the river Danube.     

Immunohistochemical detection of porcine teschovirus antigen in the formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded specimens from pigs experimentally infected with porcine teschovirus

Porcine teschovirus (PTV) antigens were detected by a streptavidin-biotin complex method in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues of 3-week-old pigs that had been inoculated intravenously with PTV Talfan strain. PTV antigens were detected in cytoplasm of nerve cells, glial cells and endothelial cells in the cerebellar nuclei, the grey matter of the midbrain, pons and medulla oblongata and the ventral horn of the spinal cord and of ganglion cells in the spinal ganglion corresponding to those lesions characterized as non-suppurative encephalomyelitis and ganglionitis. The results of this study suggest that nerve cells of the brain stem and spinal cord and ganglion cells of the spinal ganglion permit PTV replication and represent the main target cell population of PTV. This is the first study to demonstrate PTV antigen by immunohistochemistry in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue specimens from pigs infected with PTV.     

Babesia canis canis in dogs from Hungary: detection by PCR and sequencing

Canine babesiosis in Hungary has always been a severe and frequent disease, attributed to infection with Babesia canis transmitted by Dermacentor reticulatus. Identification of the disease agent has been based merely on size and morphology of the intraerythrocytic parasites and no evidence has been found concerning the subspecies (genotype) of B. canis. Therefore, a molecular survey on natural Babesia infection of dogs in Hungary using PCR and sequence analysis was attempted to clarify the subspecies (genotype) and to obtain information on the occurrence of B. canis. A total of 44 blood samples from dogs showing clinical signs of babesiosis were collected. A piroplasm-specific PCR amplifying the partial 18S rRNA gene yielded an approximately 450 bp PCR product in 39 (88.6%) samples. Thirteen positive samples originated from Budapest and 26 from 21 other locations. Five PCR products were chosen randomly for sequencing. The partial 18S rDNA sequences were submitted to GenBank (accession numbers AY611729; AY611730; AY611731; AY611732 and AY611733). The sequences showed 100% homology to one another or differed by one nucleotide. BLAST search against GenBank revealed the highest similarity (99.8 or 100%) with Babesia canis canis. The implication of these data, for the further study and diagnosis of canine babesiosis is discussed.     

Serum enzyme activity of newborn calves, pigs and lambs

Serum activities of aspartate aminotransferase (AspAT = GOT), alanine aminotransferase (AlAT = GPT), and total lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) have been investigated in newborn calves, pigs, and lambs. In the two latter species the LDH isoenzyme distribution in serum was also studied. Blood samples were taken at frequent intervals from birth to 48–72 hrs. post partum.Calves and pigs were born with very low serum enzyme values, whereas lambs showed a picture more similar to what has been reported in human infants. In all species a marked temporary enzyme increase occurred during the first 24–48 hrs. This elevation was found not to be due to colostrum feeding, since a parallel increase was found in starved animals. Possible regulating mechanisms are discussed.The LDH isoenzyme pattern proved to be more stable than total LDH in the early post-natal period.The percentage isoenzyme distribution, however, showed characteristic differences from that found in adult animals of the same species.     

Prediction of nutrient digestibility in grower-finisher pigs based on faecal microbiota composition

Microbiota play an important role in total tract nutrient digestion, especially when fibrous diets are fed to pigs. This study aimed to use metagenomics to predict faecal nutrient digestibility in grower-finisher pigs. The study design consisted of 160 three-way crossbreed grower-finisher pigs (80 female and 80 male) which were either fed a diet based on corn/soybean meal or a more fibrous diet based on wheat/barley/by-products. On the day before slaughter, faecal samples were collected and used to determine faecal digestibility of dry matter, ash, organic matter, crude protein, crude fat, crude fibre and non-starch polysaccharides. The faecal samples were also sequenced for the 16S hypervariable region of bacteria (V3/V4) to profile the faecal microbiome. With these data, we calculated the between-animal variation in faecal nutrient digestibility associated with variation in the faecal microbiome, that is the “microbiability”. The microbiability values were significantly greater than zero for dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, crude fibre and non-starch polysaccharides, ranging from 0.58 to 0.93, as well as for crude fat with a value of 0.37, but not significantly different from zero for ash. Using leave-one-out cross-validation, we estimated the accuracy of predicting digestibility values of individual pigs based on their faecal microbiota composition. The accuracies of prediction for crude fat and ash digestibility were virtually 0, and for the other nutrients, the accuracies ranged from 0.42 to 0.63. In conclusion, the faecal microbiota composition gave high microbiability values for faecal digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, crude fibre and non-starch polysaccharides. The accuracies of prediction are relatively low if the interest is in precisely predicting faecal nutrient digestibility of individual pigs, but are promising from the perspective of ranking animals in a genetic selection context.