Foal-related risk factors associated with development of Rhodococcus equi pneumonia on farms with endemic infection

OBJECTIVE: To identify foal-related risk factors associated with development of Rhodococcus equi pneumonia among foals on farms with endemic R. equi infection. DESIGN: Prospective case-control study. ANIMALS: 220 foals at 2 equine breeding farms in Texas during a 2-year period. PROCEDURE: Information collected for each dam included age, time housed on the farm prior to parturition, whether there were any peripartum illnesses, parity, and health of previous foals. Information collected for each foal included breed, sex, gestational age, month and year of birth, location of birth, type of flooring and bedding in stall, postpartum management and preventive health care, passive immunity status, supplementation of immunoglobulins, exposure to other farms or foals affected with R. equi pneumonia, stall and pasture exposure, commingling with other mare-foal pairs, age at weaning, and whether the foal developed R. equi pneumonia. RESULTS: 32 of the 220 (15%) foals developed R. equi pneumonia, of which 4 (13%) died. Foals at 1 of the 2 farms and foals born during the second year of the study were more likely to develop R. equi pneumonia. Foal-related factors that were examined were not significantly associated with risk of R. equi pneumonia in multivariate analyses. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results suggest that there are farm- and year-related effects on the risk that foals will develop R. equi pneumonia. Other foal-related factors significantly associated with R. equi pneumonia were not identified.     

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service research on biological control of arthropods

During 1999-2001, ARS scientists published over 100 papers on more than 30 species of insect pest and 60 species of predator and parasitoid. These papers address issues crucial to the three strategies of biological control: conservation, augmentation and introduction. Conservation biological control includes both conserving extant populations of natural enemies by using relatively non-toxic pesticides and increasing the abundance of natural enemies in crops by providing or improving refuges for population growth and dispersal into crops. ARS scientists have been very active in determining the effects of pesticides on beneficial arthropods and in studying movement of natural enemies from refuges into crops. Augmentation involves repeated releases of natural enemies in the field, which can be inoculative or inundative. Inoculative releases are used to initiate self-propagating populations at times or in places where they would be slow to colonize. ARS scientists have studied augmentative biological control of a variety of pest insects. The targets are mostly pests in annual crops or other ephemeral habitats, where self-reproducing populations of natural enemies are not sufficiently abundant early enough to keep pest populations in check. ARS research in augmentative biological control centers on methods for rearing large numbers of healthy, effective natural enemies and for releasing them where and when they are needed at a cost less than the value of the reduction in damage to the crop. ARS scientists have researched various aspects of introductions of exotic biological control agents against a diversity of pest insects. The major issues in biological control introductions are accurate identification and adequate systematics of both natural enemies and target pests, exploration for natural enemies, predicting the success of candidates for introduction and the likelihood of non-target impacts, quarantine and rearing methods, and post-introduction evaluation of establishment, control and non-target impacts. ARS scientists have published research on several general issues in biological control. Among the most important are the mechanisms affecting mate- and host-finding and host specificity.     

Isolation of Staphylococcus schleiferi from healthy dogs and dogs with otitis, pyoderma, or both

OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency of isolation and susceptibility patterns of Staphylococcus schleiferi from healthy dogs and dogs with otitis, pyoderma, or both that had or had not received antimicrobial treatment. DESIGN: Prospective study. ANIMALS: 50 dogs. PROCEDURE: Dogs were allocated to 1 of 4 groups: healthy dogs (n=13), dogs without otitis but with pyoderma (10), dogs with otitis but without pyoderma (11), and dogs with otitis and pyoderma (16). Bacteriologic culture of ear swab specimens was performed in all dogs. Bacteriologic culture of skin swab specimens was also performed in dogs with concurrent pyoderma. Isolates were identified as S schleiferi subsp schleiferi or S schleiferi subsp coagulans on the basis of growth and biochemical characteristics. RESULTS: S schleiferi was not isolated from any dogs with pyoderma only. Staphylococcus schleiferi subsp schleiferi was isolated from the ears of 2 healthy dogs, and the skin and ears of 2 dogs and the skin of 1 dog with otitis and pyoderma. Staphylococcus schleiferi subsp coagulans was isolated from the ears of 3 dogs with otitis only, and the ears of 6 dogs and the skin of 2 dogs with otitis and pyoderma. One of the S schleiferi subsp schleiferi isolates from ears, 2 of the S schleiferi subsp coagulans isolates from ears, and 1 of the S schleiferi subsp coagulans isolates from the skin were resistant to methicillin. One methicillin-resistant isolate from the ears and 1 from the skin were also resistant to fluoroquinolones. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: S schleiferi subsp schleiferi was detected in healthy dogs and dogs with otitis and pyoderma. Methicillin-resistant and -susceptible S schleiferi subsp schleiferi and S schleiferi subsp coagulans were detected as the predominant organisms in dogs with otitis.     

Intravascular hemolysis associated with severe cutaneous burn injuries in five horses

Five horses were evaluated because of severe cutaneous burn injuries following a barn fire. Gross hemolysis and morphologic changes in RBCs consistent with oxidative damage were detected in all of the horses. Of these horses, 4 became azotemic. The overall goals of treatment included wound care, correction of dehydration and provision of diuresis, control of inflammation, pain management, and prophylaxis against sepsis. After treatment, 2 horses survived and were discharged from the hospital. Red blood cell damage and hemolysis following cutaneous burn injury have been investigated in other species and appear to be a result of the release of oxygen radicals from complement-activated neutrophils. Early intervention with aggressive fluid therapy is recommended in the treatment of human burn patients and is likely to be of benefit in horses with burn injuries; a beneficial role of free radical scavengers and xanthine oxidase inhibitors has also been suggested.     

Arthroscopic biceps tenodesis: technique and results in six dogs

Biceps tenodesis was performed using an arthroscopic-assisted technique on six dogs diagnosed with chronic bicipital tendon pathology. The technique was performed using two different fixation methods (i.e., cannulated interference screw, cannulated screw and tissue washer). All six dogs had successful outcomes in terms of return to full function at a mean follow-up time of 11.7 months after surgery. Arthroscopic biceps tenodesis is a feasible option for surgical management of biceps tendon pathology, and it may have advantages over open tenodesis and open or arthroscopic tenotomy. Further study is needed before definitive recommendations regarding indications, complications, and prognosis associated with arthroscopic biceps tenodesis can be made.