Disseminated aspergillosis attributable to Aspergillus deflectus in a springer spaniel

Disseminated aspergillosis attributable to Aspergillus deflectus was diagnosed in a Springer Spaniel with lethargy, lameness, anorexia, weight loss, pyrexia, lymphadenopathy, hematuria, and urinary incontinence. Necropsy revealed granulomatous inflammation and numerous fungal hyphae in many organs. The conidial heads of the fungus have a characteristic briar-pipe appearance in culture.     

Blood pressure response to tourniquet use in anesthetized horses

Blood pressure during anesthesia and surgery was compared for 2 groups of horses. Group A, consisting of 23 horses, had a tourniquet placed on the distal portion of a limb. The other group of 20 horses (group B) had surgery of comparable nature and duration as did group-A horses, but a tourniquet was not used. There was a statistical difference (P less than 0.05) in the peak systolic arterial blood pressure between the groups; group-A horses had a mean (+/- SEM) peak of 151 +/- 6 mm of Hg and group-B horses had a peak of 118 +/- 4 mm of Hg. In addition, group-A horses had immediate decrease in blood pressure, coincident with tourniquet deflation. The blood pressure decrease of 23 +/- 3 mm of Hg represented 16% of immediate predeflation blood pressure. Comparable blood pressure decrease was not observed at the end of surgery in group-B horses. Significant difference was not found when other factors that could affect blood pressure were considered. These factors included preanesthetic medication, anesthetic agents, mode of ventilation, pretourniquet inflation blood pressure, and duration of tourniquet inflation. Significant (P less than 0.05) difference in peak blood pressure was observed when the tourniquet was placed on the dependent, compared with the uppermost, limb, with changes more pronounced when the tourniquet was placed on the dependent limb. Tourniquet placement was associated with hypertension, and tourniquet deflation was associated with blood pressure decrease in these anesthetized horses.     

Neurotoxic Mycotoxins: A Review of Fungal Toxins That Cause Neurological Disease in Large Animals

Five mycotoxins found in concentrates or roughages have been shown to cause neurologic disease in livestock. Fumonisin B, is produced by Fusarium moniliforme and causes leukoencephalomalacia in horses. Swainsonine and slaframine are produced by Rhizoctonia leguminicola and cause mannose accumulation and parasympathomimetic effects, respectively. Lolitrems from Acremonium lolii and paspalitrems from Claviceps paspali are tremorgens found in grasses.     

Evaluation of a 'dipstick' immunoassay to detect cysticercosis in experimentally infected cattle

A 'dipstick' immunoassay for bovine cysticercosis, using an antigen isolated from Taenia hydatigena cyst fluid, was evaluated in cattle experimentally infected with Taenia saginata. The assay correctly identified six out of seven infected cattle, including an animal in which only 12 living cysticerci were found. Cattle became seropositive as early as 3 weeks post-infection. A false-negative reaction was found for one very lightly infected animal, from which only four living cysticerci were recovered at necropsy. The assay was also used to detect circulating antibodies in experimentally infected cattle before and after therapeutic treatment with anthelminthics. The results suggest that praziquantel-treated animals gradually revert to being seronegative after the cysticerci are killed.     

Effect of the sow vaccination regimen on the decay rate of maternally derived foot-and-mouth disease antibodies in piglets

Three pairs of sows were vaccinated against foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) at various intervals before farrowing and samples of blood were collected from their piglets periodically for 70 days after birth. When the sows were vaccinated 12 to 13 days before farrowing the predominating FMD neutralising antibody at time of parturition was IgM and the observed half lives of the maternally derived antibodies in the piglets were short (four to eight days). However, when sows were last vaccinated 30 to 32 days before farrowing, the maternally derived FMD neutralising antibodies in the piglets were predominantly IgG and the observed half lives were seven to 21 days. These observed half lives for IgG were shown to be closely related to the period over which the maternally derived antibodies could be demonstrated and to the rate of increase of the piglet's blood volume over the same period. If corrections were made for increase in blood volume the decay rate of IgM antibodies in piglets was seven to 18 days while the decay rate for IgG was greater than 408 days. This result suggested that there was little or no IgG catabolism or excretion during the first 70 days of the piglet's life.