Oral Recombinant Feline Interferon-Omega as an alternative immune modulation therapy in FIV positive cats: Clinical and laboratory evaluation

Recombinant-Feline Interferon-Omega (rFeIFN-ω) is an immune-modulator licensed for use subcutaneously in Feline Immunodeficiency virus (FIV) therapy. Despite oral protocols have been suggested, little is known about such use in FIV-infected cats. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical improvement, laboratory findings, concurrent viral excretion and acute phase proteins (APPs) in naturally FIV-infected cats under oral rFeIFN-ω therapy (0.1 MU/cat rFeIFN-ω PO, SID, 90 days). 11 FIV-positive cats were treated with oral rFeIFN-ω (PO Group). Results were compared to previous data from 7 FIV-positive cats treated with the subcutaneous licensed protocol (SC Group). Initial clinical scores were similar in both groups. Independently of the protocol, rFeIFN-ω induced a significant clinical improvement of treated cats. Concurrent viral excretion and APP’s variation were not significant in the PO Group. Oral rFeIFN-ω can be an effective alternative therapy for FIV-infected cats, being also an option for treatment follow-up in cats submitted to the licensed protocol.     

Horizontal transmission dynamics of White spot syndrome virus by cohabitation trials in juvenile Penaeus monodon and P. vannamei

White spot syndrome virus (WSSV), a rod-shaped double-stranded DNA virus, is an infectious agent causing fatal disease in shrimp farming around the globe. Within shrimp populations WSSV is transmitted very fast, however, the modes and dynamics of transmission of this virus are not well understood. In the current study the dynamics of disease transmission of WSSV were investigated in small, closed populations of Penaeus monodon and Penaeus vannamei. Pair cohabitation experiments using PCR as a readout for virus infection were used to estimate transmission parameters for WSSV in these two species. The mortality rate of contact-infected shrimp in P. monodon was higher than the rate in P. vannamei. The transmission rate parameters for WSSV were not different between the two species. The relative contribution of direct and indirect transmission rates of WSSV differed between the two species. For P. vannamei the direct contact transmission rate of WSSV was significantly lower than the indirect environmental transmission rate, but for P. monodon, the opposite was found. The reproduction ratio R₀ for WSSV for these two species of shrimp was estimated to be above one: 2.07 (95%CI 1.53, 2.79) for P. monodon and 1.51 (95%CI 1.12, 2.03) for P. vannamei. The difference in R₀ between the two species is due to a lower host mortality and hence a longer infectious period of WSSV in P. monodon.     

Re‐opening the window on fenestration as a treatment for acute thoracolumbar intervertebral disc herniation in dogs

Acute thoracolumbar intervertebral disc herniation in dogs is a common cause of “back” pain, pelvic limb paresis or paralysis and incontinence. Treatment of this condition has long been a source of controversy, especially since the introduction of surgical interventions in the 1950s. Unfortunately, formal clinical trials to compare efficacy of conservative and surgical interventions have never been carried out and the current lack of clinical equipoise on this subject now precludes such a trial on ethical grounds. In this article we re‐examine and discuss earlier published data on recovery associated with the various therapies, focusing on evidence suggesting that decompressive surgery and fenestration may be equally efficacious.     

The Epidemiology and Characteristics of Q fever and Co‐infections with Scrub Typhus,Murine Typhus or Leptospirosis in Taiwan: A Nationwide Database Study

Q fever (QF) is a worldwide zoonosis associated with outbreaks. Only a few nationwide studies regarding the surveillance and epidemiology of human QF have been reported. Although QF is endemic in Taiwan, a nationwide database investigation of the epidemiology and characteristics of QF and its associations with scrub typhus (ST), murine typhus (MT) and leptospirosis (LS) has never been reported. We analysed nationwide databases of suspected QF, ST, MT and LS cases from October 2007 to December 2014 obtained from the Centers for Disease Control, Taiwan. A total of 468 (4.2%) QF cases were identified among 11 109 suspected QF cases. QF cases were mainly distributed in the southern and Kaohsiung–Pingtung regions but rarely in the eastern region. Compared to non‐QF cases, QF cases had significantly higher percentages of males (88.7 versus 66.2%) and high‐risk occupations (farming, animal husbandry or veterinary medicine) (16.2 versus 10.5%). But the percentages of specific animal contact, including cattle (0.6 versus 0.8%) and goats (0.9 versus 1.0%), were low in both. The majority of suspected QF cases (89.4%) were simultaneously suspected with ST, MT or LS, and the combinations of suspected diseases differed between regions. The number of suspected QF cases from the eastern region decreased since 2009, which was not observed in other regions. A total of 1420 (12.8%) cases had confirmed diseases, including QF (453, 4.1%), QF+ST (7, 0.06%), QF+MT (4, 0.04%), QF+LS (4, 0.04%), MT (186, 1.7%), ST (545, 4.9%), ST+LS (11, 0.1%) and LS (210, 1.9%). Compared to cases of unknown disease, QF cases had larger percentages of high‐risk occupations (16.2 versus 9.6%) but similar histories of animal contact (29.8 versus 25.1%). QF is an endemic disease in southern Taiwan. It is difficult to differentiate QF from ST, MT or LS only by high‐risk occupations and history of animal contact, and co‐infection of QF with these diseases should be considered.     

Mitral valve repair in dogs using an ePTFE chordal implantation device: a pilot study

Objective

Mitral valve (MV) regurgitation due to degenerative MV disease is the leading cause of cardiac death in dogs. We carried out preliminary experiments to determine the feasibility and short-term effects of beating-heart MV repair using an expanded polytetrafluorethylene (ePTFE) chordal implantation device (Harpoon TSD-5) in dogs.

Pharmacokinetics and safety of firocoxib after oral administration of repeated consecutive doses to neonatal foals

The purpose of this study was to determine the pharmacokinetics and safety profile of firocoxib in neonatal foals. Seven healthy foals were administered 0.1 mg/kg firocoxib orally q24 h for nine consecutive days, commencing at 36 h of age. Blood was collected for firocoxib analysis using high‐pressure liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection at 0 (dose #1 only), 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, and 24 h after doses 1, 5, and 9. For all other doses (2, 3, 4, 6, 7, and 8), blood was collected immediately prior to the next dose (24 h trough). Elimination samples (36, 48, 72, 96, 120, and 144 h) were collected after dose 9. Safety was assessed via physical examinations, body weight measurements, gastroscopy, complete blood count, plasma biochemistry and urinalysis. Firocoxib was rapidly absorbed following oral administration with minimal accumulation after repeat dosing. After the final dose, the terminal half‐life was approximately 11 h. Firocoxib was below the limit of detection (<2.5 ng/mL) in plasma 72 h after the final dose. No significant abnormalities were found on blood analyses, urinalysis, or gastroscopy. This study demonstrated that firocoxib is absorbed in neonatal foals with no demonstrable adverse effects after repeated doses of 0.1 mg/kg.     

Differential pharmacokinetics and pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic modelling of robenacoxib and ketoprofen in a feline model of inflammation

Robenacoxib and ketoprofen are acidic nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Both are licensed for once daily administration in the cat, despite having short blood half‐lives. This study reports the pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) modelling of each drug in a feline model of inflammation. Eight cats were enrolled in a randomized, controlled, three‐period cross‐over study. In each period, sterile inflammation was induced by the injection of carrageenan into a subcutaneously implanted tissue cage, immediately before the subcutaneous injection of robenacoxib (2 mg/kg), ketoprofen (2 mg/kg) or placebo. Blood samples were taken for the determination of drug and serum thromboxane (Tx)B₂ concentrations (measuring COX‐1 activity). Tissue cage exudate samples were obtained for drug and prostaglandin (PG)E₂ concentrations (measuring COX‐2 activity). Individual animal pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic parameters for COX‐1 and COX‐2 inhibition were generated by PK/PD modelling. S(+) ketoprofen clearance scaled by bioavailability (CL/F) was 0.114 L/kg/h (elimination half‐life = 1.62 h). For robenacoxib, blood CL/F was 0.684 L/kg/h (elimination half‐life = 1.13 h). Exudate elimination half‐lives were 25.9 and 41.5 h for S(+) ketoprofen and robenacoxib, respectively. Both drugs reduced exudate PGE₂ concentration significantly between 6 and 36 h. Ketoprofen significantly suppressed (>97%) serum TxB₂ between 4 min and 24 h, whereas suppression was mild and transient with robenacoxib. In vivoIC₅₀COX‐1/IC₅₀COX‐2 ratios were 66.9:1 for robenacoxib and 1:107 for S(+) ketoprofen. The carboxylic acid nature of both drugs may contribute to the prolonged COX‐2 inhibition in exudate, despite short half‐lives in blood.