Seroprevalence of Dirofilaria immitis, feline leukemia virus, and feline immunodeficiency virus infection among dogs and cats exported from the 2005 Gulf Coast hurricane disaster area

OBJECTIVE: To determine seroprevalence of dirofilariasis in dogs and seroprevalences of dirofilariasis, FeLV infection, and FIV infection in cats exported from the Gulf Coast region following the 2005 hurricanes. DESIGN: Seroprevalence survey. ANIMALS: 1,958 dogs and 1,289 cats exported from Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas between August 20 and December 31, 2005. PROCEDURES: 141 animal welfare groups in 37 states and Alberta, Canada, reported results of serologic testing. Risk factors for infection, including age, sex, neuter status, breed, and state of rescue, were examined by means of univariate and multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: Seroprevalence of dirofilariasis in dogs was 48.8%. Sexually intact dogs were 1.6 times as likely to have dirofilariasis as were neutered dogs, dogs in the ancient breed group were 2.2 times as likely and dogs in the guarding breed group were 1.7 times as likely to have dirofilariasis as were dogs in the herding breed group, and dogs from Mississippi were significantly less likely to have dirofilariasis than were dogs from Texas. Seroprevalences of dirofilariasis, FeLV infection, and FIV infection in cats were 4.0%, 2.6%, and 3.6%, respectively. Seroprevalence of FIV infection was significantly higher in adult cats than in juveniles and in males than in females. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results suggest that dogs and cats exported from the 2005 Gulf Coast hurricane disaster area had disease rates similar to those for animals in the region prior to the hurricanes.     

Virulence properties of Escherichia coli isolated from ostriches with respiratory disease

Eight Escherichia coli isolates from ostriches with respiratory disease were investigated for the presence of genes encoding the following adhesins: type 1 pili (fim), pili associated with pyelonephritis (pap), S fimbriae (sfa), afimbrial adhesin (afaI), temperature regulated adhesin, curli (crl, csgA) and temperature-sensitive hemagglutinin (tsh). Genes for heat labile (LT) and heat stable (STa and STb) enterotoxins, Shiga toxins (stx1 and stx2), cytotoxic necrotizing factor 1 (cnf), alpha-haemolysin (hly) and aerobactin (aer) production were also investigated. Other characteristics investigated were the presence of hemagglutination activity, growth on an iron-deficient medium, aerobactin production, serum resistance, adherence to chicken tracheal cells, pathogenicity for day-old chicks, and serogroup. Serogrouping showed that four isolates belonged to serogroup O2, two to serogroup O78, one to serogroup O9, and one to serogroup O21. The virulence genes found were: fim in all eight isolates, csgA in seven, aer in six, and pap, crl and tsh in one isolate each. All isolates analyzed were positive for mannose-resistant hemagglutination, adhered in vitro to ciliated tracheal epithelium, grew on iron-deficient medium, and showed serum resistance. Pathogenicity tests on day-old chickens revealed one highly pathogenic isolate, three of low pathogenicity and four isolates with intermediate pathogenicity.     

Effects of dietary vitamin E on chickens infected with eimeria maxima: observations over time of primary infection

Two trrials were conducted to define temporal changes in plasma D-alpha-tocopherol (AT) caused by infection with Eimeria maxima in chickens that consumed either low (25 ppm) or high (225 ppm) levels of dietary DL-alpha-tocopheryl acetate (VE-AC) from 1 day of age. In both trials, rates of weight gain were depressed between days 5 and 7 post-inoculation (PI) and were not influenced by the level of dietary VE-AC. Plasma AT was consistently depressed at 5 and 7 days PI in chickens consuming either level of dietary VE-AC. The pattern and degree of plasma AT depression correlated with those of plasma carotenoids. Plasma levels of NO2- + NO3- were significantly increased at 5 and 7 days PI. In trial 1, the average increase during that period was not as high in chicks consuming 225 ppm VE-AC, but in trial 2, diet had no effect on the degree of increase. Also, there were no consistent effects of dietary VE-AC on lesion scores or amount of oocysts shed. These results are in general accord with findings of earlier experiments, and we conclude that feeding high levels of VE-AC to broiler chicks from 1 day of age is not effective in mitigating the pathology, including weight gain depression and development of mucosal lesions, during E. maxima infections or in modifying immune response events associated with phagocytosis as indexed by plasma NO2- + NO3-. The likely basis for the ineffectiveness of feeding this fat-soluble form of vitamin E is that it is malabsorbed during E. maxima infection in the same manner as carotenoids and becomes less biologically available to infected tissues during the acute phase of infection.     

Prioritizing community behaviors to improve wild dog management in peri-urban areas

Wild dogs contribute to a range of negative impacts in Australian peri-urban regions. We identified and prioritized 13 behaviors that peri-urban residents could engage in to reduce the impacts of wild dogs in their communities. Key-informant interviews and stakeholder focus groups were used to develop a list of wild dog-management behaviors. On-line surveys with wild dog experts (n = 10) and peri-urban residents (n = 302) were used to create a Behavior Prioritization Matrix (BPM), which ranked the behaviors in terms of projected impact, based on: (a) expert estimates of effectiveness, (b) current adoption levels (penetration), and (c) likelihood of future adoption. BPM analysis indicated that increasing community reporting of wild dogs and their impacts would produce the greatest overall benefits for wild dog management. Behaviors rated as highly effective by experts (e.g., baiting and trapping) had low projected impact given that they were unlikely to be adopted by most residents.     

Exclusion of linkage of the RYR1, CACNA1S, and ATP2A1 genes to recurrent exertional rhabdomyolysis in Thoroughbreds

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether there was genetic linkage between the recurrent exertional rhabdomyolysis (RER) trait in Thoroughbred horse pedigrees and DNA markers in genes (the sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium release channel [RYR1] gene, the sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase [ATP2A1] gene, and the transverse tubule dihydropyridine receptor-voltage sensor [CACNA1S] gene) that are important in myoplasmic calcium regulation. ANIMALS: 34 horses in the University of Minnesota RER resource herd and 62 Thoroughbreds from 3 families of Thoroughbreds outside of the university in which RER-affected status was assigned after 2 or more episodes of ER had been observed. PROCEDURES: Microsatellite DNA markers from the RYR1, ATP2A1, and CACNA1S gene loci on equine chromosomes 10, 13, and 30 were identified. Genotypes were obtained for all horses in the 4 families affected by RER, and data were used to test for linkage of these 3 loci to the RER phenotype. RESULTS: Analysis of the RYR1, CACNA1S, and ATP2A1 microsatellites excluded a link between those markers and the RER trait. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: It is likely that the heritable alterations in muscle contractility that are characteristic of RER are caused by a gene that is not yet known to cause related muscle disease in other species.     

Concurrent infection with Cryptococcus neoformans/gattii species complex and Mycobacterium avium affecting the subcutis and bone of a pelvic limb in a cat

This paper describes a cat with severe localised infections with Cryptococcus neoformans/gattii species complex and Mycobacterium avium affecting the subcutis and underlying fascia and bone of the right pelvic limb. The simultaneous isolation of both pathogens in this patient was unexpected and posed unique issues concerning both diagnosis and clinical management. The aetiopathogenesis of this infection is discussed in relation to aspects of diagnosis and therapy.     

A Comparison of Weight Estimation Methods in Adult Horses

Weight tapes and body weight estimation formulas are routinely used to determine the body weight of a horse when a scale is not available. The established formula to estimate body weight in mature horses is weight (kg) = (heartgirth² × body length)/(11,880 cm³). Two variations of the body length measurement have been used, measuring distance from the point of the shoulder to the ischial tuberosity (Point) or to the midpoint of the distance between the widest part of the stifle and the tail when viewed from the rear (Stifle). The objective of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of a commercial weight tape and the body weight estimation formula using both body length measurements in estimating weight of adult horses. Horses (n = 145) were weighed on a portable livestock scale, and measured for height at the withers, heart girth circumference, and body length by using the Point and Stifle measurements. A commercial weight tape was used to estimate body weight on 110 horses. The two formula weight estimations and the weight tape estimation were significantly different from the actual weight and from each other. The mean difference between actual weight and tape weight (n = 110) was 65.81 kg, whereas the differences between actual weight and the formula estimations (n = 145) were 17.25 kg for the Point measurement and 45.26 kg for the Stifle measurement. The estimation formula using body length measurement with the ischial tuberosity endpoint most closely estimates the actual body weight of the horses.