Cryptosporidiosis in calves during the period of milk nutrition

It has been found out by examining faeces of 83 calves from calf house in Uhercice (Breclav district) that 52 calves excreted coccidium oocysts, genus Cryptosporidium Tyzzer, 1907, during the period of milk nutrition. The calves excreted oocysts from the eighth day of age, and at the end of the milk nutrition period (43rd-47th ridium Tyzzer, 1907, during the period of milk nutrition. The calves excreted oocysts of cryptosporidia were found in two thirds of calves suffering from diarrheas. By histological examination of a 27-day-old calf, developmental stages of this coccidium were found on the surface of villus epithelium in the distal part of ileum. Villi were shortened and expanded, submucous connective tissue was penetrated by inflammatory infiltrate with large quantity of eosinophil granulocytes. For demonstration of oocysts in faeces, Breza flotation method combined with sedimentation and staining by modified Giemsa panoptic method were used.     

Prolapse of the uterus and cataract: a comparison of veterinary and human medicine in Greco-Roman antiquity

A number of surgical interventions in ancient veterinary medicine were modelled on the same procedures in human medicine. This is discussed in some detail for the prolapse of the uterus and the couching of the cataract in horses. In the introductory section, the importance of Switzerland and neighbouring areas for the transmission of ancient veterinary medicine is highlighted.     

The "Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut": past, present and future of research in infectious diseases of animals

The Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, founded in 1910 by Friedrich Loeffler, the discoverer of the first animal virus, foot-and-mouth disease virus, is the oldest virological research facility in the world. Beyond viruses, its area of competence has significantly expanded since its foundation and now also covers bacterial, parasitic and prion diseases of livestock, poultry and aquatic animals. Presently located at four sites within Germany (Insel Riems, Jena,Tübingen,Wusterhausen) the tasks of the institute as delineated in the Animal Disease Act encompass research on infectious animal diseases including zoonoses, import/export examinations, epidemiological studies in case of outbreaks of notifiable animal diseases, acting as reference laboratory for notifiable animal diseases and nationwide quality management of diagnosis of notifiable animal diseases. It is obliged to publish and maintain up-to-date diagnostic regimes for notifiable animal diseases, and it publishes a yearly report on animal health in Germany. With the increasing importance of infectious diseases of animals, in particular those potentially harmful to man (zoonoses), the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut will be moving into new facilities including laboratories and animal facilities up to the highest biosafety level at its main site Insel Riems on the occasion of its 100th anniversary.     

Prevalence and risk-factor analysis of Shiga toxigenic Escherichia coli in faecal samples of organically and conventionally farmed dairy cattle

Cattle are a natural reservoir for Shiga toxigenic Escherichia coli (STEC), however, no data are available on the prevalence and their possible association with organic or conventional farming practices. We have therefore studied the prevalence of STEC and specifically O157:H7 in Swiss dairy cattle by collecting faeces from approximately 500 cows from 60 farms with organic production (OP) and 60 farms with integrated (conventional) production (IP). IP farms were matched to OP farms and were comparable in terms of community, agricultural zone, and number of cows per farm. E. coli were grown overnight in an enrichment medium, followed by DNA isolation and PCR analysis using specific TaqMan assays. STEC were detected in all farms and O157:H7 were present in 25% of OP farms and 17% of IP farms. STEC were detected in 58% and O157:H7 were evidenced in 4.6% of individual faeces. Multivariate statistical analyses of over 250 parameters revealed several risk-factors for the presence of STEC and O157:H7. Risk-factors were mainly related to the potential of cross-contamination of feeds and cross-infection of cows, and age of the animals. In general, no significant differences between the two farm types concerning prevalence or risk for carrying STEC or O157:H7 were observed. Because the incidence of human disease caused by STEC in Switzerland is low, the risk that people to get infected appears to be small despite a relatively high prevalence in cattle. Nevertheless, control and prevention practices are indicated to avoid contamination of animal products.     

Gefrierkonservierung von Schafbockspermien in Gegenwart oberflächenaktiver Substanzen

Inhalt Ein Zusatz von Alkylsulfaten bzw. von TRITON X 45 in sehr geringer Konzentration zum Medium für die Gefrierkonservierung von Schafbocksperma führt zu verbesserten Auftauergebnissen. In einem Medium ohne Kryoprotektiva wird die Empfindlichkeit gegenüber Kälteschock bzw. osmotischen Schock verringert. Der vermutlich membranstabilisierende Effekt von Natriumhexadecylsulfat hatte keinen Einfluβ auf das Befruchtungsergebnis nach Insemination gefrierkonservierten Schafbockspermas.
Ein Zusatz von N-Acetyl-cystein bei der Gefrierkonservierung von Schafbocksperma verbessert Motilität und Resistenz nach dem Auftauen signifikant. Andere Vitalitätsparameter werden nicht beeinfluβt. Im Besamungsversuch konnte der positive Effekt dieses Zusatzes bestätigt werden, ohne daβ damit praxisrelevante Ergebnisse erreicht wurden.
Contents: Cryopreservation of ram spermatozoa in the presence of surface active substances
The addition of alkylsulphates or TRITON X 45 in very low concentrations to diluents for the cryopreservation of ram semen leads to an improvement of after-thawing results. In a diluent without cryoprotectives the sensitivity against cold shock as well as osmotic shock is diminished. The membrane stabilising effect of sodium-hexadecylsulphate has no influence on the fertility rate after insemination of cryopreserved ram semen.
The addition of N-acetyl-cysteine in cry opreservation of ram spermatozoa increases the motility and lifetime in a resistance test after thawing significantly. Other parameters of viability are not influenced. In insemination experiments the positive effect of this addition could be verified, but, on the whole, the effect is too small to be relevant in practice.     

Is feeding of green silage in areas with hog cholera in wild boar a danger for domestic swine herds? Experimental study]

In an experimental study we tested the survival of hog cholera virus (HCV) contained in pieces of muscular tissue and organs from experimentally infected swine after incubation in silage. In big (diameter greater than 20 cm) muscular pieces HCV survived even in excellent mineral acid silage (pH 3.8-4.0) after a storage of 5 months. On the other hand in smaller parts (musculature tissue, organs less than 20 cm diameter) we never found virulent HCV after 3 months of incubation. Independent of the size of the tested organs we did not find any virulent HCV in silage with pH 5.2 after 3 months. The results of our investigations show, that the feeding of green silage in areas with hog cholera among wild boar is a potential risk for the domestic swine population. In conclusion we propose to feed green silage to unvaccinated pigs in such areas only after a storage of 9 month.     

Paratuberculosis in farmed and free-living wild ruminants in the Czech Republic (1999-2001)

Due to the occurrence of the infection of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis among domestic ruminants and the rapid development of farmed deer industry and the market of cloven-hoofed game we have carried surveys of paratuberculosis, beginning in 1997, in the most common four species of wild ruminants in the Czech Republic [Pavlik et al., Vet. Microbiol. 77 (2000) 231-251]. From 1999 the prevalence of paratuberculosis has been slightly reduced in all three types of husbandry of wild ruminants. Nevertheless paratuberculosis has been diagnosed in wild ruminants in three districts, in four game parks and in five farms. M. a. paratuberculosis was isolated from 128 (5.3%) out of 2,403 wild ruminants of four animal species: 106 red deer, 2 roe deer, 4 fallow deer and 16 mouflons. In red deer farms, the highest number of clinical paratuberculosis cases was in yearling deer. RFLP type B-C1 of M. a. paratuberculosis predominated during the second period (1999-2001) in all types of husbandry with no relationship to wild ruminant species. New "cattle" RFLP types B-C5 and B-C16 of M. a. paratuberculosis were described in infected farmed red deer and one "intermediate" RFLP type R-I4 in fallow deer from one game park. The survival of M. a. paratuberculosis was found to be 4 months during winter in the pasture after destocking of all cattle infected with paratuberculosis. We found that non-vertebrates, wild ruminants or non-ruminant wildlife can be vectors and potentially become a risk factor in the spread of M. a. paratuberculosis infection.