Cutaneous vascular neoplasia in 15 cats: clinical, morphologic, and immunohistochemical studies.

Seven cases of cutaneous hemangioma and nine of cutaneous hemangiosarcoma were diagnosed from biopsy specimens of 15 Domestic Shorthairs of 5,091 cats that were examined by necropsy or biopsy during the 5-year period from 1 January 1986 through 31 December 1990. All but three cats were male. Tumor cells of both hemangiomas and hemangiosarcomas were immunoreactive for factor VIII-related antigen and for vimentin by the avidin biotin peroxidase complex method. In cats with a median age of 10 years, hemangiomas occurred in skin with pigmented hair in six of seven cases without apparent site predilection. These solitary tumors did not recur after excision although one cat (No. 3) subsequently developed cutaneous hemangiosarcoma at another site. Seven of nine hemangiosarcomas occurred in dermis and subcutis of the head, usually on the pinna. All five hemangiosarcomas of the head, for which cutaneous pigmentation could be determined, occurred in unpigmented skin. Cats with hemangiosarcoma had a median age of 12.5 years at the time of diagnosis. Metastasis has not been documented, but hemangiosarcoma has recurred, from 1 month to 2 years after excision, in 6/7 cats that were studied.     

Efficacy of the morantel sustained release trilaminate matrix against gastrointestinal nematodes in beef calves

The effectiveness of the morantel sustained release trilaminate (MSRT) in controlling gastrointestinal nematodes through a grazing season was evaluated using 60 yearling beef stocker calves randomly divided into 2 groups of 30 animals each. In April 1985, the calves comprising the treatment group each received an MSRT designed to release morantel tartrate continuously for 90 days while those of the control group remained unmedicated. All animals were weighed and samples of rectal feces were taken at 14-day intervals, beginning on Day 0, until trial termination (Day 168). At trial termination, 10 control and 10 treated calves were necropsied for recovery of gastrointestinal nematodes. Three sets of parasite-na?ve tracer calves were utilized to evaluate the initial, interim and final levels of pasture contamination by nematode larvae. Overall, the use of the MSRT resulted in a 75.5% reduction (P less than 0.001) in output of nematode eggs from the principals, an 81.8% reduction (P less than 0.001) in numbers of gastrointestinal nematodes in principals (at trial termination), and a 96.9% reduction (P less than 0.05) of pasture larval nematode contamination (as indirectly indicated by parasite burdens in tracer calves). The mean weight advantage of treated calves was 16.6 kg per head (P less than 0.001).     

Abundant PrP(CWD) in tonsil from mule deer with preclinical chronic wasting disease.

A monoclonal antibody dot-blot assay was used to evaluate detergent lysates of tonsil tissue from mule deer to detect PrP(CWD), the marker for the cervid transmissible spongiform encephalopathy chronic wasting disease (CWD). Samples of formalin-fixed brain and tonsil tissues from mule deer were examined for PrP(CWD) using immunohistochemistry (IHC) with Mab F99/97.6.1, the gold standard for diagnosis of preclinical CWD. The contralateral tonsil from each of the 143 deer was prepared for confirmatory IHC and as a 10% (wt/vol) detergent lysate without purification or enrichment steps for monoclonal antibody dot-blot assay. PrP(CWD) was detected by dot-blot assay in 49 of 50 samples considered positive by IHC. Forty-eight of the positive samples were evaluated with a quantitative dot-blot assay calibrated with recombinant PrP. Tonsillar PrP(CWD) concentrations ranged from 34 to 1,188 ng per 0.5 mg starting wet weight of tissue. The abundant PrP(CWD) in mule deer tonsil will facilitate development and validation of high-throughput screening tests for CWD in large populations of free-ranging deer.     

Apparent clinical resolution of pinnal actinic keratoses and squamous cell carcinoma in a cat using topical imiquimod 5% cream

Imiquimod is a topical immune response modifier and stimulator used in humans to treat a number of cutaneous neoplasms. This case report describes a cat with actinic keratoses and squamous cell carcinoma of the pinnae. The pinnal lesions were treated with topical 5% imiquimod three times per week. Treatment was discontinued after 82 days of therapy. Twelve weeks of topical imiquimod application resulted in clinical resolution of the pinnal lesions. Although no post-treatment biopsies were performed, there was no relapse of the pinnal lesions in 5 months of clinical follow-up. Expected side effects were limited to erythema, crusting, alopecia, and mild discomfort at the sites of application during the first 3 weeks of application. These results suggest that topical imiquimod, although unproven, might be a therapeutic option or adjunct to therapy for cats with actinic keratoses and squamous cell carcinoma, especially those cats for whom surgery and radiation therapy are not an option.     

Validation of the FAMACHA eye color chart for detecting clinical anemia in sheep and goats on farms in the southern United States

Recent studies on sheep and goat farms in the southern United States indicate that multiple-anthelmintic resistance in Haemonchus contortus is becoming a severe problem. Though many factors are involved in the evolution of resistance, the proportion of the parasite population under drug selection is believed to be the single most important factor influencing how rapidly resistance develops. Therefore, where prevention of resistance is an important parallel goal of worm control, it is recommended to leave a portion of the animals untreated. Recently, a novel system called FAMACHA was developed in South Africa, which enables clinical identification of anemic sheep and goats. When H. contortus is the primary parasitic pathogen, this system can be applied on the farm level to reduce the number of treatments administered, thereby increasing the proportion of the worm population in refugia. Since most studies validating the FAMACHA method have been performed in South Africa, it is important that the method be tested in other regions before its use is broadly recommended. We performed a validation study of FAMACHA by testing the system in sheep (n = 847) and goats (n = 537) of various breeds and ages from 39 farms located in Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Florida, and the US Virgin Islands. The color of the ocular conjunctiva of all animals were scored on a 1-5 scale using the FAMACHA card, and blood samples were collected from each animal for determination of packed cell volume (PCV). Fecal samples were also collected from a majority of the animals tested for performance of fecal egg counts (FEC). Correlations between PCV and eye scores, PCV and FEC, and FEC and eye scores were all highly significant for both sheep and goats (P < 0.001). Data for both FAMACHA scores and PCV were evaluated using two separate criteria for anemia: eye score values of 3, 4 and 5 or 4 and 5, and PCV values of < or =19 or < or =15 were considered anemic. Specificity was maximized when eye score values of 4 and 5 were considered anemic and PCV cut off for anemia was < or =19, but sensitivity was low. In contrast, sensitivity was 100% for both sheep and goats when eye score values of 3, 4 and 5 were considered anemic and PCV cut off was < or =15, but specificity was low. In both sheep and goats, predictive value of a negative was greater than 92% for all anemia and eye score categories, and was greater than 99% for both eye score categories when an anemia cutoff of < or =15 was used. Predictive value of a positive test was low under all criteria indicating that many non-anemic animals would be treated using this system. However, compared to conventional dosing practices where all animals are treated, a large proportion of animals would still be left untreated. These data indicate that the FAMACHA method is an extremely useful tool for identifying anemic sheep and goats in the southern US and US Virgin Islands. However, further studies are required to determine optimal strategies for incorporating FAMACHA-based selective treatment protocols into integrated nematode control programs.     

Pathogenesis of Mycobacterium bovis infection in American bison

Eighteen 12-month-old bison were randomly placed in each of 3 groups (6 animals/group): group-1 bison were exposed to live Mycobacterium bovis, group-2 bison were inoculated with killed M bovis in oil, and group-3 bison were noninfected controls. Six, 6-month-old, tuberculin test-negative calves were placed (pen contact) with group-1 bison 30 days after exposure to M bovis. Tuberculin skin test responses (caudal fold and/or comparative cervical) were detected in all bison in groups 1 and 2 at 2, 4, 6, 10, and 12 months. Tuberculin skin test responses were observed in 2 of 6 calves at 9 and 11 months after pen contact with M bovis-exposed bison (group 1). Statistically significant lymphocyte blastogenic responses to M bovis purified protein derivative were detected in group-1 bison exposed to live M bovis at 2 months after exposure (P less than 0.025). Significant ELISA reactions were detected in sera of bison at 2 months after exposure to killed M bovis in oil (P less than 0.005) and in bison 2 months after exposure to live M bovis (P less than 0.01). Significant tuberculin skin responses, ELISA reactions, or lymphocyte blastogenic responses to M bovis purified protein derivative were not observed in the 6 control bison. Grossly visible tuberculous lesions were observed in lymph nodes and/or lung collected at necropsy in 4 of 6 bison at 12 months after exposure to live M bovis. Microscopic granulomas compatible with tuberculosis were detected in 5 of 6 bison; M bovis was isolated from tissues of each of the 6 bison.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)