ULTRASONOGRAPHIC FEATURES OF PERITONEAL CESTODIASIS CAUSED BY MESOCESTOIDES SP. IN A DOG AND IN A CAT

Peritoneal infections caused by Mesocestoides spp. are rare in dogs and cats. Little data exist on the role of abdominal ultrasonography for diagnosis and therapy management of the disease. We describe the ultrasonographic features of peritoneal cestodiasis in a dog and in a cat. In the dog, abdominal ultrasound allowed both a presumptive diagnosis and the collection of tissue samples to confirm peritoneal larval infection. Ultrasound was also very useful for therapy management. In the second patient the ultrasonographic features of tetrathyridial infection in a cat in which the parasite was observed as an incidental finding during ovariohysterectomy are described.     

COMPARISON OF UPPER GASTROINTESTINAL RADIOGRAPHIC FINDINGS TO HISTOPATHOLOGIC OBSERVATIONS: A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY OF 41 DOGS AND CATS WITH SUSPECTED SMALL BOWEL INFILTRATIVE DISEASE (1985 to 1990)

It was the intent of this study to define which, if any, radiographic observations corresponded with specific causes of diffuse infiltrative small bowel disease and if radiographic findings could differentiate inflammatory disease from neoplastic disease and either of them from normal. Bowel spasticity, luminal narrowing, and thumbprinting tend to indicate the presence of tumor more often than inflammatory disease. Increased bowel gas in cats and barium adhesion in dogs and cats suggest that a component of enteritis is present. Decreased bowel gas in dogs is more often associated with obstructive disease, but is not helpful in differentiating diffuse inflammatory disease from diffuse neoplastic disease. While several observations that can foster differentiation of neoplastic from inflammatory disease were found, this study also indicated that the UGI lacks a high degree of predictive value other than to indicate the presence of infiltrative small bowel disease.     

RIGHT LEG MUSCLE ATROPHY AND OSTEOPENIA CAUSED BY RENAL ADENOCARCINOMA IN A COCKATIEL (MELOPSITTACUS, UNDULATUS)

A 7-year-old cockatiel presented with a 1 week history of right leg lameness. A renal adenocarcinoma invading and constricting the right ischiatic nerve resulted in disuse atrophy of the affected leg and radiographic evidence of osteopenia. This report illustrates the natural behavior, radiographic, and pathologic appearance of malignant renal tumors in birds.     

利用生物卫星搭载家蚕试验初报

１９９２年１２月，利用俄罗斯发射的第１０颗生物返回式科学实验卫星（１９９２年１２月２９日发射升空，１９９３年１月１０日回收，飞行１２天），进行家蚕（ＢｏｍｂｙｓｍｏｒｉＬ．）卵、幼虫、茧和蛹的搭载试验。结果表明，在空间飞行期间，家蚕能完成吐丝、结茧、化蛹、化蛾、交配、产卵、受精、胚胎形成、胚胎发育直至幼虫孵化等重要的生命行为。通过对太空飞行回收试验材料的跟踪观察研究，在回收材料个体中，发现有螯虾蛹、过剩斑纹和三眠蚕的变异，经继代饲养该变异能遗传给后代，地面模拟对照组未观察到相关性状变异的存在。     

Identification of equine herpesvirus 3 (equine coital exanthema virus), equine gammaherpesviruses 2 and 5, equine adenoviruses 1 and 2, equine arteritis virus and equine rhinitis A virus by polymerase chain reaction

OBJECTIVE: To develop rapid (< 8 hour) tests using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the diagnosis of equine herpesvirus 3 (EHV3; equine coital exanthema virus), equine gammaherpesviruses 2 (EHV2) and EHV5, equine adenovirus 1 (EAdV1), EAdV2, equine arteritis virus (EAV), equine rhinitis A virus (ERAV; formerly equine rhinovirus 1) DESIGN: Either single round or second round (seminested) PCRs were developed and validated. METHODS: Oligonucleotide primers were designed that were specific for each virus, PCR conditions were defined and the specificity and sensitivity of the assays were determined. The application of the tests was validated using a number of independent virus isolates for most of the viruses studied. The PCRs were applied directly to clinical samples where samples were available. RESULTS: We developed a single round PCR for the diagnosis of EHV3, a seminested PCR for EHV2 and single round PCRs for EHV5, EAdV1, EAdV2 and RT-PCRs for EAV and ERAV. The PCR primer sets for each virus were designed and shown to be highly specific (did not amplify any recognised non-target template) and sensitive (detection of minimal amounts of virus) and, where multiple virus isolates were available all isolates were detected. CONCLUSION: The development and validation of a comprehensive panel of PCR diagnostic tests, predominantly for viruses causing equine respiratory disease, that can be completed within 8 hours from receipt of clinical samples, provides a major advance in the rapid diagnosis or exclusion diagnosis of these endemic equine virus diseases in Australia.