Chicken anemia agent in the United States: isolation of the virus and detection of antibody in broiler breeder flocks

Chicken anemia agent (CAA) was isolated from broiler chickens in Texas with a blue wing or anemia dermatitis-like syndrome. Specific-pathogen-free chicks inoculated with field material developed anemia, and CAA was isolated in MDCC-MSB1 cells from bone marrow and lymphoid tissue from inoculated chicks. One isolate, designated EF88/78/276, was further characterized. Infectivity of EF88/78/276 was resistant to treatment with chloroform and with heat at 70 C for 5 minutes. EF88/78/276 was indistinguishable from the Cux-1 and Gifu-1 isolates of CAA by cross-neutralization tests. Almost all 1-day-old susceptible chicks inoculated intramuscularly with EF88/78/276 developed anemia, but contact-infected chicks did not. Antibody to CAA was detected in broiler breeder flocks from Texas, the Delmarva peninsula, and Alabama.     

Rapid [14C]heptachlor clearance from body stores of ovines: ingested mineral oil and parenteral trans-stilbene oxide lack effects

Recently we reported elimination of radioactivity from [14C]heptachlor from body stores of lactating ovines, mainly into excreta rather than milk, contrasting sharply with bovines. To further assess heptachlor metabolism and clearance by ovines, 12 fine-wool wether lambs (41 +/- 3 kg) housed in metabolism stalls were fed pelleted alfalfa hay (96%) plus molasses (3%) ad libitum and were dosed i.p. once with [14C]heptachlor (1.643 mg/kg body wt; sp. act. = .89 microCi/mg). Feces and urine were collected separately and quantitatively. Light mineral oil was mixed with feed (5 g/100 g) of six lambs and trans-stilbene oxide, an inducer of biotransformational enzymes, was administered i.p. (4 g/hd initially; 2 g/hd daily thereafter) through 20 d to three lambs given each mineral oil treatment, in 2 x 2 factorial arrangement. Feces, urine, blood, bile and body tissues were assayed for total 14C activity. Radioactivity (heptachlor and [or] metabolites) eliminated into excreta during 21 d amounted to 34 to 36% of dose administered, of which 67% appeared in urine and 33% in feces. Biological half-time for elimination into excreta was 11.3 d [Kel = -.061/d], similar to 11.7 d we reported for lactating ewes. Clearance from blood had T1/2 = 14 d. Neither mineral oil nor trans-stilbene oxide altered rate or route of 14C activity excreted or concentrations of 14C activity in blood. Results confirmed that ovines eliminate heptachlor much more rapidly than bovines.     

Ionophores alter hepatic concentrations of intermediary carbohydrate metabolites in steers

The effects of ionophores on liver weight and function were determined in finishing steers (n = 24; avg weight 440 kg). Steers were group-fed one of three treatments (control, lasalocid or monensin at 33 mg/kg feed) for 46 d prior to slaughter. Three days prior to slaughter, blood was collected for the determination of serum Ca and Mg. At slaughter, the liver was removed, weighed, sampled, frozen in liquid nitrogen and subsequently analyzed for concentrations of carbohydrate metabolites and minerals. Liver weight (5.9 kg) was unaffected by treatment. Serum and hepatic Ca and Mg were not affected by ionophore treatment. Hepatic glycogen levels in steers fed ionophores were unaffected by treatment. Fructose 1,6-bisphosphate was 21% lower (P less than .10) in hepatic tissue of steers fed ionophores, whereas dihydroxyacetone phosphate was 15 to 37% greater in hepatic tissue of steers fed monensin (P less than .20) or lasalocid (P less than .10). Glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate was elevated more extensively by lasalocid than by monensin with increases of 72 (P less than .05) and 132% (P less than .001), respectively, over controls. Glycerol 3-phosphate levels were 37% (P less than .05) and 12% (NS) greater with these ionophores. Hepatic levels of pyruvate were elevated 12 (NS) to 36% (P less than .17) for monensin and lasalocid. Fructose 2,6-bisphosphate levels were 25% lower (P less than .25) in hepatic tissue of steers fed ionophores than in hepatic tissue from control steers. Other metabolites of carbohydrate metabolism in hepatic tissue were not altered appreciably. Changes in levels of intermediary metabolites of carbohydrate metabolism suggest alterations in hepatic carbohydrate metabolism favoring gluconeogenesis in steers fed ionophores.     

Ocular manifestations of Rocky Mountain spotted fever in dogs

Dogs were examined ophthalmoscopically to determine the prevalence and type of ocular lesions associated with naturally acquired Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF). In a consecutive series of 11 dogs with serologically confirmed RMSF, 9 had ocular involvement reflecting various degrees of vascular damage, including subconjunctival hemorrhage, hyphema, anterior uveitis, iris stromal hemorrhage, retinal petechiae, and focal areas of retinal edema and perivascular inflammatory cell infiltrate. The ophthalmic lesions generally were mild, and most resolved without complication after systemic administration of appropriate antibiotics. The high prevalence of ocular lesions in these dogs suggested that critical ophthalmologic evaluation is a useful diagnostic tool for the early detection and management of RMSF in dogs.     

Effects of fenbendazole administration on hematology, clinical chemistries and selected hormones in the white Pekin duck

The effects of single i.v. and p.o. doses (5 mg/kg) of fenbendazole, were evaluated on thyroxine, tri-iodothyronine, corticosterone, hematology, clinical chemistries, and serum proteins in 10 white Pekin ducks. Fenbendazole was administered i.v. (n = 5) as a 3% dimethyl sulfoxide solution and p.o. (n = 5) as a 10% commercial suspension. Serum enzyme concentrations, total protein and protein fractions, glucose, cholesterol, uric acid, sodium, and potassium were unchanged from baseline values. Serum triglycerides decreased consistently in the i.v.-treated group but remained unchanged in the p.o.-treated group. Serum chloride was consistently elevated above baseline values for both i.v.- and p.o.-treated ducks, while inorganic phosphate was consistently decreased only in the i.v.-treated group. Hemoglobin and hematocrit values generally were below baseline values. Leukocyte values varied considerably and were not significantly different from baseline values. Serum thyroxine and tri-iodothyronine values in both the i.v.- and p.o.-treated groups were not changed significantly from baseline values. Serum corticosterone values were not changed in the i.v.-treated groups but they were decreased at various times in the p.o.-treated group. Although there were some sporadic significant changes in the parameters measured versus baseline values all values remained within the physiologic limits for ducks. The safety of fenbendazole has been previously demonstrated for several species.     

Cytological, Immunocytochemical and Ultrastructural Study of the Adenohypophyseal Pars Distalis of the Kid (Capra hircus): The TSH cell

The structure and ultrastructure of the adenohypophyseal pars distalis in kids of the Murciano-granadiana breed (18 males and 12 females), aged 2-3 months and with an average carcass weight of 8 kg has been studied. Techniques of staining (Tetrachrome Herlant's, and Cleveland-Wolfe) and histochemistry (PAS, PAS-OG and BA-PAS-OG) contrasted with immunolabelling (PAP) have been used. In addition an ultrastructural study has been made and nucleus and cytoplasm, secretory granules, mitochondria and lysosomes have been measured with a semiautomatic image analyzer (IBAS-1). TSH cells are found in sagittal section in the anterior area and in an antero-caudodorsal band, and transversally in the ventral and medial region; they are 6% and their average size is 14.15 microns. Ultrastructurally they are a single cellular type with spherical granules whose size is 195 nm in males and 149 in females; these granules are characterized by a clear halo and a variable electronic density. The rough endoplasmic reticulum is found as slightly enlarged vesicles with a homogeneous and moderately electro-dense content or in concentric stratifications.     

Arthropathy associated with Brucella abortus strain 19 vaccination in cattle. II. Experimental studies

Attempts to reproduce in calves the arthropathy associated with Brucella abortus strain 19 (S19) vaccination by direct intra-articular injection of S19 or virulent Brucella cells were unsuccessful. Intra-articular injection of rabbits and a calf with immune complexes isolated from the synovial fluid of a field case produced clinical and histological signs of arthropathy accompanied by the development of rheumatoid factor.     

The relationships of birth weight, preweaning gain and postweaning gain with the bovine major histocompatibility system

A total of 739 cattle from nine breeds maintained at the Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center, Clay Center, Nebraska were tested for 42 class I antigens of the bovine major histocompatibility system (BoLA). Each antigen appears to be the product of a distinct co-dominant allele of the BoLA-A locus. The number of antigens present in each breed ranged from a minimum of 10 in Hereford to a maximum of 21 in Charolais cattle. There were large differences among breeds in the frequencies of antigens. The effect of each antigen on birth weight, preweaning weight gain and postweaning weight gain was estimated in a gene substitution model. Each breed was analyzed separately. There were significant effects of some BoLA antigens on birth weight, preweaning weight gain and postweaning weight gain, which is consistent with previous reports showing associations between the major histocompatibility system and growth parameters in mice, rats and pigs. However, further research is necessary to confirm these findings and to determine the biological mechanisms underlying these associations.     

Characteristics of Salmonella isolated from an outbreak of equine salmonellosis in a veterinary teaching hospital

During an outbreak of equine salmonellosis in a veterinary teaching hospital 20 Salmonella isolates were cultured from sick horses (13 isolates) or from the hospital environment (7 isolates). Three serotypes were isolated from the environment including: S. give, S. newportand S. agona. The serotypes isolated from horses included: S. give, S. newport and S. anatum. Examination of antibiotic profiles, presence of plasmids, production of bacteriocins and hemagglutination of erythrocytes implied a common origin for the equine and environmental isolates.