Business intelligence tools to optimize the appropriateness of the diagnostic process for clinical and epidemiologic purposes in a multicenter veterinary pathology service

Laboratory tests provide essential support to the veterinary practitioner, and their use has grown exponentially. This growth is the result of several factors, such as the eradication of historical diseases, the occurrence of multifactorial diseases, and the obligation to control endemic and epidemic diseases. However, the introduction of novel techniques is counterbalanced by economic constraints, and the establishment of evidence- and consensus-based guidelines is essential to support the pathologist. Therefore, we developed standardized protocols, categorized by species, type of production, age, and syndrome at the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie (IZSVe), a multicenter institution for animal health and food safety. We have 72 protocols in use for livestock, poultry, and pets, categorized as, for example, “bovine enteric calf”, “rabbit respiratory”, “broiler articular”. Each protocol consists of a panel of tests, divided into ‘mandatory’ and ‘ancillary’, to be selected by the pathologist in order to reach the final diagnosis. After autopsy, the case is categorized into a specific syndrome, subsequently referred to as a syndrome-specific panel of analyses. The activity of the laboratories is monitored through a web-based dynamic reporting system developed using a business intelligence product (QlikView) connected to the laboratory information management system (IZILAB). On a daily basis, reports become available at general, laboratory, and case levels, and are updated as needed. The reporting system highlights epidemiologic variations in the field and allows verification of compliance with the protocols within the organization. The diagnostic protocols are revised annually to increase system efficiency and to address stakeholder requests.     

Influence of some technological parameters on the formation of dimethyl sulfide, 2-mercaptoethanol,methionol, and dimethyl sulfone in port wines

Volatile sulfur compounds of 15 young port wines and 12 old port wines were determined. As there is a great difference in the pool of sulfur compounds between the two groups of wines, an experimental protocol was performed to determine which technological parameter (dissolved O(2), free SO(2) levels, pH, and time/temperature) was related with the formation/consumption of these compounds. Four sulfur compounds were selected for this purpose: dimethyl sulfide, 2-mercaptoethanol, dimethyl sulfone, and methionol. The synergistic effects of increasing temperature and O(2) at lower pH had the largest impact. Dimethyl sulfide was formed during the experimental period in the presence of O(2). Dimethyl sulfone had the same behavior. Methionol decreased significantly in the presence of O(2), but no methional was formed. 2-Mercaptoethanol, considered to be an important "off-flavor" in dry wines, also decreased during the experimental period (54 days) in the presence of O(2), and the respective disulfide was formed. These results corroborate the fact that old port wine (barrel aged) never develops "off-flavors" associated with the presence of methionol (cauliflower), 2-mercaptoethanol (rubber/burnt), or methional (cooked potato). In fact, temperature and oxygen are the major factors in the consumption of these molecules. However, some notes of "quince" and "metallic" can appear during port wine aging, and these can be associated with the presence of dimethyl sulfide.     

Germplasm characterization of Sesbania accessions based on multivariate analyses

Nineteen Sesbania accessions were investigated, in a total of six species, to characterize the accessions based on morphological and agronomic data using multivariate methods, to identify a core set of morphological and agronomic attributes to be used in germplasm characterization of Sesbania spp., and to evaluate the forage potential of these accessions. Plots, in randomized block design, consisted of single 16 m-long rows of eight plants, spaced at 2 m between plants and 3 m between rows. Morphological data were obtained from the first four plants in each plot. The four remaining plants, submitted to four cuts at a height of 1 m, provided agronomic data. Principal component analysis indicated that variance accumulated by the first two components for morphological and agronomic data was 74.4% and 77.0%, respectively. Two large groups of accessions were formed in the cluster analysis for morphological data, one consisting of S. virgata, subgenus Daubentonia and the second group comprising the other five species. Cluster analysis using agronomic data classified higher yielding perennial species in three groups, and the annual species, which stood out principally in relation to seed production, in three other groups. Accession n° 8 of S. sesbanwas classified in an isolated group due to its forage superiority. A character discard resulted in the selection of eight characters: floral initiation, pod and leaf length, number of leaflet pairs, plant regrowth height, leaf dry matter yield, seed production and vigour, indicated as a core set of attributes for Sesbania germplasm characterization.     

Effects of preoperative epidural administration of racemic ketamine for analgesia in sheep undergoing surgery

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of preoperative epidural administration of racemic ketamine to provide analgesia in sheep undergoing experimental hind limb orthopedic surgery. ANIMALS: 12 adult sheep (weight range, 51.4 to 67.2 kg). PROCEDURE: Sheep were anesthetized with guaifenesin, thiopental, and isoflurane; after induction of anesthesia, sheep received a lumbosacral epidural injection of ketamine (1 mg/kg; n = 6) or saline (0.9% NaCl) solution (1 mL/7 kg; 6 [control group]). Respiratory and cardiovascular variables were recorded before and at intervals during and for 6 hours after anesthesia. During that 6-hour postoperative period, analgesia was evaluated subjectively with a numeric ranking scale that included assessments of comfort, posture, movement, and response to wound palpation; buprenorphine was administered when a score > 3 (maximum score, 10) was achieved. Rectal temperature, heart and respiratory rates, and lameness were evaluated daily for 2 weeks after surgery. RESULTS: At all evaluations, cardiovascular and respiratory variables were comparable between the 2 groups. Compared with control sheep, time to first administration of rescue analgesic was significantly longer and total dose of buprenorphine administered during the 6- hour postoperative period was significantly decreased for ketamine-treated sheep. During the second week following surgery, ketamine-treated sheep had significantly less lameness than control sheep. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: In sheep undergoing hind limb surgery, preoperative epidural administration of ketamine appears to provide analgesia in the immediate postoperative period and has residual analgesic effects, which may contribute to more rapid return of normal function in surgically treated limbs.     

Association between the presence of serum antibodies against Neospora spp. and fetal loss in equines

A study of the association between the presence of serum antibodies against Neospora spp. and fetal loss was performed using serum samples of horses submitted to the laboratory for the detection of antibodies to Equine Herpesvirus-1 and Equine Infectious Anemia Virus. The sera submitted for equine infectious anemia testing were from horses declared healthy and those submitted for the detection of antibodies to Equine Herpesvirus-1 were from mares with late clinical signs of reproductive disorders or males living in close contact with diseased mares. For the detection of Neospora spp. infection, the immunofluorescent antibody test was employed, using a cut-off titer of 50 as significant for the presence of antibodies. Among the 483 mares in the diseased group, 15.1% (73/483) was reactant, while 5.8% (19/325) was seropositive in the healthy group. The results show that late clinical signs of reproductive disorders in mares are positively associated (p<0.001) to infection with protozoa belonging to the genus Neospora and point to the fact that the participation of this group of coccidia in the genesis of reproductive disorders in equine must be investigated.     

Evaluation of histamine release during constant rate infusion of morphine in dogs

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate histamine release and selected physiologic variables during constant rate infusion (CRI) of morphine in dogs. ANIMALS: Five healthy, conscious, intact female dogs. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Using a Latin square, repeated-measures design, dogs were randomly assigned to three treatment groups to receive a 4-hour CRI of saline (SAL), or a loading dose of morphine at 0.3 mg kg(-1) (LM), or 0.6 mg kg(-1) (HM), followed by an infusion of 0.17 mg kg(-1) hour(-1) (LM) and 0.34 mg kg(-1) hour(-1) (HM) respectively. Dogs received each of the three treatments at intervals of at least 7 days. Plasma histamine concentration, skin flushing, edema and wheals, heart rate and rhythm and non-invasive arterial blood pressure were measured before the loading dose and at 1, 2, 5, 15, 30, 60, 120, 180 and 240 minutes during the CRI, or at the time of occurrence. RESULTS: The loading dose induced the highest histamine release in the HM group being statistically higher than the SAL group. The histamine release obtained in the LM group after the loading dose did not differ from SAL. During the infusion, plasma histamine levels were numerically higher in the LM group. Besides one dog that developed hypotension for 2 minutes after the loading dose in the HM group and one dog that showed occasional ventricular premature contractions during both morphine infusions, cardiovascular variables were similar among the three treatment groups. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Both doses of morphine induced variable histamine release with minimal adverse cardiovascular effects in these conscious, healthy dogs. The plasma histamine levels obtained may be associated with significant hemodynamic changes in patients with limited cardiovascular reserve and sympathetic nervous tone.     

Bovine vaccinia,a systemic infection: Evidence of fecal shedding,viremia and detection in lymphoid organs

Bovine vaccinia (BV) is a zoonosis caused by Vaccinia virus (VACV) that affects dairy cattle and milkers, causing economic losses and impacting animal and human health. Based on the clinical presentation, BV appears to be a localized disease, with lesions restricted to the skin of affected individuals. However, there are no studies on the pathogenesis of the disease in cows to determine if there is a systemic spread of the virus and if there are different ways of VACV shedding. The objective of this work was to study if there is a systemic spread of VACV in experimentally infected cows and to study the kinetics of VACV circulation in the blood and shedding in the feces of these animals. To this end, eight crossbred lactating cows were used. Three teats of each cow were inoculated with the GP2V strain of VACV. All animals were monitored daily, and blood and fecal samples were collected for 67 days post-infection (dpi). After this period, four of these previously infected cows were immunosuppressed using dexamethasone. Viral DNA was continuously detected and quantified in the blood and feces of these animals in an intermittent way, even after the resolution of the lesions. At slaughter, tissues were collected, and viral DNA was detected and quantified in the mesenteric and retromammary lymph nodes, ileum, spleen and liver. The detection of VACV DNA in the feces for a longer period (67 dpi) and in the lymphatic organs provides new evidence about VACV elimination and suggests that BV could be a systemic infection with a chronic course and viral shedding through the feces.     

Evaluation of the Genetic Diversity of Xylella fastidiosa Strains from Citrus and Coffee Hosts by Single-Nucleotide Polymorphism Markers

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to obtain information about genetic diversity and make some inferences about the relationship of 27 strains of Xylella fastidiosa from different hosts and distinct geographical areas. Single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) molecular markers were identified in DNA sequences from 16 distinct regions of the genome of 24 strains of X. fastidiosa from coffee and citrus plants. Among the Brazilian strains, coffee-dependent strains have a greater number of SNPs (10 to 24 SNPs) than the citrus-based strains (2 to 12 SNPs); all the strains were compared with the sequenced strain 9a5c. The identified SNP markers were able to distinguish, for the first time, strains from citrus plants and coffee and showed that strains from coffee present higher genetic diversity than the others. These markers also have proven to be efficient for discriminating strains from the same host obtained from different geographic regions. X. fastidiosa, the causal agent of citrus variegated chlorosis, possesses genetic diversity, and the SNP markers were highly efficient for discriminating genetically close organisms.