COMBINED USE OF ULTRASONOGRAPHY AND CONTRAST ENHANCED COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY TO EVALUATE ACUTE NECROTIZING PANCREATITIS IN TWO DOGS

The imaging findings in two miniature schnauzers with acute necrotizing pancreatitis are described. Both dogs were treated previously for diabetes mellitus and hyperlipidemia. Vomiting, anorexia, and lethargy were observed in both dogs at presentation. Laboratory evaluations supportive of pancreatitis included left shift, abnormally high serum amylase and lipase activities, hypocalcemia, and abnormally high serum activities of liver enzymes. Sonographically, both dogs had diffusely enlarged hypoechoic pancreatic tissue with anechoic foci compatible with necrosis, abscessation, phlegmon, and pseudocysts formation. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) findings in both dogs were compatible with pancreatic necrosis. Dog 1 was managed medically for 11 days. Follow-up CT scan in this dog disclosed decreased pancreatic size and increased contrast enhancement compatible with partial resolution of pancreatitis.     

Spatio-temporal epidemiology of foot-and-mouth disease in two counties of Great Britain in 2001

The spatial, temporal, and spatio-temporal features of the 2001 British foot-and-mouth disease epidemic in selected areas within the counties of Cumbria and Devon, which experienced the greatest incidence of disease, are described using hazard functions, extraction mapping and the space-time K-function. In Cumbria, the hazard of foot-and-mouth disease infection peaked at 2.8% in the week commencing 8 March 2001 and farm holdings in this area continued to be identified with disease to 12 September 2001. In contrast, peak infection hazard in Devon was 0.7% in the week commencing 15 March 2001 and eradication of the disease was achieved in this area by 31 May 2001. Persistence of the disease in Cumbria was consistent with: (1) many cattle holdings infected early in the epidemic (creating a high environmental viral load), and (2) a relatively large amount of medium-to-long-distance spread of the virus associated with seasonal farming activities-compounded to some extent by the movement of people and vehicles between disaggregated farm land parcels. The interaction of disease risk in Cumbria showed that premises remained infectious for longer throughout May, June and July, consistent with delays in disease detection during this period.     

Endoscopic surgery in the treatment of contaminated and infected synovial cavities

REASONS FOR PERFORMING STUDY: Contamination and infection of synovial cavities are a common occurrence in clinical practice and, if inadequately treated, may have career or life threatening consequences for affected horses. HYPOTHESIS: The objectives in treating contamination and infection of joints, tendon sheaths and bursae are most effectively met by endoscopic surgery. METHODS: Over a 6 year period, cases of synovial contamination and infection admitted to a referral clinic were evaluated and treated endoscopically. The horses received local and systemic antimicrobial drugs with minimal nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication but no other medical or surgical treatment. All arthroscope and instrument portals and, whenever possible, all traumatic wounds were closed. Diagnostic information, endoscopic observations and results of treatment were evaluated retrospectively. RESULTS: A total of 140 affected animals were referred and 121 cases were treated endoscopically. These involved 70 joints, 29 tendon sheaths, 10 bursae and in 12 cases a combination of synovial cavities. The most common aetiologies were open wounds (n = 54) and self-sealing punctures (n = 41). Foreign material was identified endoscopically in 41 but predicted prior to surgery in only 6 cases. Osteochondral lesions were evident at surgery in 51 and recognised before surgery in 25 cases; 32 horses had intrathecal tendon or ligament defects. Follow-up information was obtained for 118 animals; 106 (90%) survived and 96 (81%) returned to their preoperative level of performance. The presence of osteitis/osteomyelitis, other osteochondral lesions and marked deposits of pannus were associated with nonsurvival. For those animals which survived, non-Thoroughbred horses, a combination of synovial structure involvement and regional i.v. antimicrobial administration were associated with reduced post operative performance. Marked pannus, regional i.v. antimicrobial administration and duration of systemic antimicrobial administration were associated with a group combining nonsurviving animals and those with reduced post operative performance. CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic surgery makes a valuable contribution to the management of synovial contamination and infection. POTENTIAL RELEVANCE: The information obtained from and therapeutic options offered by endoscopy justify its early use in cases of synovial contamination and infection.     

Assessing antibiotic resistance in fecal Escherichia coli in young calves using cluster analysis techniques

This study uses cluster analysis techniques to describe the antibiotic susceptibility patterns seen in calf fecal Escherichia coli (E. coli). Cohorts of 30 dairy calves at six farms were sampled at 2-week intervals during the pre-weaning period. At each sampling occasion five fecal E. coli isolates per calf were analyzed for antibiotic susceptibility to 12 antibiotics using the disk diffusion method. All isolates had a profile consisting of the aggregate measured inhibition zone size for each of the evaluated antibiotics. Several cluster analytic algorithms were assessed to partition the E. coli isolates. For our data, Ward's minimum variance method met the objectives of the study. Relative to the number of possible combinations of resistance clusters, a parsimonious set of 14 patterns was developed. This set of E. coli isolates exhibited a limited set of resistance patterns to the different antibiotics indicating that certain resistance genes may be linked.     

Outer membrane protein profiles of Edwardsiella ictaluri from fish.

Outer membrane proteins (OMP) prepared with sodium N-lauroyl sarcocinate (SLS) from 33 Edwardsiella ictaluri isolates from fish were examined by electrophoresis. Twenty-eight isolates from channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) had similar OMP profiles. Ten bands (71 kilodaltons [kD] to 19.5 kD) were identified in all isolates from channel catfish. One major 35-kD protein comprised most of the protein content of the outer membrane of isolates from channel catfish. Differences existed among isolates in the amount of protein within minor OMP bands. Edwardsiella ictaluri ATCC 33202 contained larger quantities of the 38.5- and 37-kD proteins than did the other isolates. Outer membrane protein profiles of E ictaluri derived from Bengal danio (Danio devario) and walking catfish (Clarias batrachus) were identical to OMP profiles of isolates from channel catfish. In contrast, OMP profiles from single isolates from green knife fish (Eigemannia virescens) and white catfish (Ictalurus catus) were different. Variations in incubation time, SLS extraction time, SLS extraction number, and in vivo and in vitro passage had no effect on the OMP profile of E ictaluri ATCC 33202. An increase in duration of sample solubilization did affect the OMP profile of E ictaluri ATCC 33202 by decreasing the amount of protein in 52-, 46-, and 43.5-kD bands. Accompanying the decrease were increased staining intensity in the 31.5- and 28.5-kD bands and the appearance of 4 new bands (34, 33, 25.5, and 22.5 kD). Edwardsiella ictaluri, a gram-negative bacterium in the family Enterobacteriaceae, is the cause of enteric septicemia of catfish.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Monoclonal antibodies to Chlamydia psittaci guinea pig inclusion conjunctivitis (GPIC) strain

Monoclonal antibodies to a strain of Chlamydia psittaci isolated from guinea pig inclusion conjunctivitis (GPIC) were developed. Only five of the 15 hybridomas isolated produced antibodies specific for the GPIC strain, while seven others produced antibodies which cross reacted with other strains and another species. Strain-specific and species-specific monoclonal antibodies were isotyped as IgG2a and IgG3, respectively. It appears that the GPIC strain has at least two epitopes, one of which is specific for the strain and the other common to the species. These monoclonal reagents may be used to immunotype GPIC agents, better than available methods and may be of potential use in the development of vaccines against chlamydial infections.     

Influence of antibody treatment of Campylobacter jejuni on the dose required to colonize chicks

This study was designed to clarify the role of antibodies in controlling chicken colonization by Campylobacter jejuni. Cecal colonization by C. jejuni was compared after the organism was exposed either to phosphate-buffered saline, normal rabbit serum, rabbit hyperimmune anti-C. jejuni serum, or anti-C. jejuni antibodies extracted from chicken bile. Antibodies from chicken bile were extracted by affinity absorption against outer-membrane proteins from the challenge organism. Sera were heated 1 hour at 56 C to destroy complement activity. Bacterial inoculum levels were enumerated after 1 hour exposure at 4 C to the various treatments. The heated sera and the bile antibodies were not bactericidal, and bacterial agglutination was not evident. Serial dilutions of the antibody-treated C. jejuni were given by gavage into 1-day-old chicks. Six days later, the ceca were removed from the chicks, and samples were cultured on Campylobacter-charcoal differential agar. The colonization dose-50% was increased by twofold to 160-fold when the organism was preincubated with hyperimmune antiserum or the bile antibodies as compared with preincubation with phosphate-buffered saline. We conclude that antibodies inhibit chicken cecal colonization by C. jejuni.     

Medical dissolution and prevention of canine and feline uroliths: diagnostic and therapeutic caveats

Medical protocols designed to promote the dissolution of canine and feline struvite uroliths, the dissolution of canine ammonium urate and cystine uroliths and the prevention of all major types of canine and feline uroliths have been developed. However, because the causes of different types of uroliths vary, the medical protocols for their dissolution and prevention also vary. When the diagnosis of the underlying causes of uroliths becomes the rule rather than the exception, therapeutic failures should become the exception rather than the rule.