Mycobacteriosis in an American bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)

Avian mycobacteriosis is an important disease in companion, captive, exotic, and wild birds worldwide. Mycobacterium avium is the most widely distributed and pathogenic organism causing tuberculous lesions in birds. Multiple factors including age, stress, immune status, and preexisting disease determine the pathogenicity of M. avium, and the disease can manifest itself in a variety of forms. Mycobacteriosis can cause severe losses in zoo aviaries, including the loss of rare and endangered bird species. We report a case of systemic avian mycobacteriosis in an adult, free-living male American bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) that presented to the Diagnostic Center for Population and Animal Health in November 2003.     

Chronic wasting disease in Canada: Part 1

The purpose of part 1 is to provide an overview of published literature (1980-2002) on chronic wasting disease (CWD) to inform Canadian readers about the disease and to explain Canadian regulatory approaches to the surveillance and control of CWD. Much of the scientific information is drawn from American publications obtained from internet searches in PubMed and Medline databases. The following keywords were used: chronic wasting disease, prion, diagnosis, transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, CWD and deer, CWD and elk, and CWD and environment. The article also presents information from Canadian publications and unpublished observations, Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) documents, and both government and nongovernment internet Web sites. The article highlights some different features of CWD in Canada, as compared with the situation in the United States, and mentions public health implications of the disease. It also describes the basis for development of Canada's surveillance and control program. Part 2 will detail the activities and results of the surveillance and control program during 2000 to 2002 and discuss factors that will influence the feasibility of eradicating CWD. Chronic wasting disease appears to have been introduced into Canada through the importation of infected farmed elk from the United States in the late 1980s and early 1990s, at a time when little was known about the disease. Since then, eradication efforts in Canada have led to the control of the spread of CWD in the farmed elk industry. Still, management of this disease, especially in free-ranging cervids, is a challenge.     

Efficacy of pre-treatment with lufenuron for the prevention of Microsporum canis infection in a feline direct topical challenge model

Oral lufenuron is reportedly an effective treatment for some cats with dermatophytosis. The purpose of this study was to determine if lufenuron, when used as a pre-treatment prior to challenge exposure, would be protective against the development of infection after the direct topical application of fungal macrocondia (Microsporum canis spores). Three groups (n = 6/group) of juvenile cats were treated with either monthly oral lufenuron (30 or 133 mg/kg) or placebo. After 2 months of treatment, kittens were challenged using 10(5)Microsporum canis spores applied to the skin under occlusion. Cats were examined weekly and the following data collected: Wood's lamp examination; scoring for scale/crust, erythema and induration; lesion size; and the development of satellite lesions. Fungal cultures were performed bi-weekly. All cats became infected; the infections progressed, and then regressed, in a similar fashion in all groups. There were no consistent statistically significant differences in weekly infection scores between treated and untreated cats throughout the study. Treated cats did not recover faster than untreated cats. We conclude that oral lufenuron at the dosing schedule and conditions used in this study did not prevent dermatophytosis or alter the course of infection by direct topical challenge.     

Molecular characterization of a stable antisense chalcone synthase phenotype in strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa)

An octaploid (Fragaria x ananassa cv. Calypso) genotype of strawberry was transformed with an antisense chalcone synthase (CHS) gene construct using a ripening related CHS cDNA from Fragaria x ananassa cv. Elsanta under the control of the constitutive CaMV 35S promoter via Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Out of 25 transgenic lines, nine lines showed a reduction in CHS mRNA accumulation of more than 50% as compared to the untransformed cv. Calypso control. The antisense CHS construct was found to be integrated into the genome, with a copy number ranging from one to four. The pigmentation of the fruit was only affected when less than 5% of the control CHS expression level was detected. A stable antisense phenotype over a period of 4 years was obtained in the primary transgenic lines at a rate of 1:20. As a consequence of the reduced activity of CHS, the levels of anthocyanins, flavonols, and proanthocyanidins were downregulated and precursors of the flavonoid pathway were shunted to the phenylpropanoid pathway leading to highly increased levels of cinnamoyl glucose (520% of control), caffeoyl glucose (816% of control), and feruloyl glucose (1092% of control) as well as p-coumaryl alcohol (363% of control) and p-coumaryl-1-acetate (1079% of control), which occur only as trace components in untransformed control fruits. These results demonstrate that the introduction of an antisense CHS construct in strawberry results in an unpredictable biochemical phenotype, thereby confirming that CHS function is an important regulatory point of substrate flow between the flavonoid and the phenylpropanoid pathways.     

The clinical usefulness of the ventrodorsal versus dorsoventral thoracic radiograph in dogs

Differences exist in the ventrodorsal (VD) and dorsoventral (DV) radiographic views of the canine thorax. One view may be preferred over another because of how it portrays different areas of interest or different disease conditions. The VD view is indicated for evaluation of the cranial and caudal mediastinum, the caudal vena cava, and the accessory lung lobe, and in cases of pleural effusion. Indications for the DV view include assessment of a consistent cardiac silhouette, evaluation of the pulmonary lobar vessels, and evaluation of the structures of the dorsal thorax, such as hilar lymph nodes, the caudal dorsal lungs, trachea, mainstem bronchi, and left atrium.     

Airway inflammation is associated with mucous cell metaplasia and increased intraepithelial stored mucosubstances in horses

This study was performed to determine if a peripheral sample of lung from the site where biopsy is conducted is representative of the rest of the lung and to investigate the relationship between airway inflammation and intraepithelial mucous production in the peripheral airways. Lung parenchyma samples were collected from five different regions of the lung in five control and five heaves-affected horses. Horse groups were defined by clinical response to stabling. Tissue sections were used for semi-quantitative scoring of lesions, to count the number of airways, to quantify the amount of stored mucosubstances (Vs) within the epithelium, and to count the number of epithelial cells in terminal airways. No significant differences were found between lung regions or between groups of horses. Lack of regional differences in airway structures means that a biopsy sample can be used for diagnosis and investigation of diffusely distributed diseases. Airway inflammation was correlated with mucous cell metaplasia and Vs. Therefore, in horses, mucus accumulation is partly caused by increased number of mucous cells and is associated with airway inflammation. Therapy targeted to reduce airway inflammation will help reduce the excessive mucous accumulation in horses.