The significance of sheep and goats as carriers of zoonoses in this country]

The significance of sheep and goats in this country in connection with the zoonoses rabies, tick-borne encephalitis, contagious ecthyma, Q-fever, chlamydiosis, brucellosis, campylobacteriosis, echinococcosis and toxoplasmosis is discussed.     

Transrectal ultrasonography for the evaluation of stallion accessory sex glands.

This article reviews the capabilities of transrectal ultrasonography for determining the distribution of fluid and tissue within stallion accessory sex glands. Emphasis is placed on describing the normal ultrasonographic appearance of the accessory sex glands, excurrent ducts, and pelvic urethra of stallions during rest, after teasing, and after ejaculation and using this information to detect glandular abnormalities.     

Efficacy of the morantel sustained release trilaminate matrix against gastrointestinal nematodes in beef calves

The effectiveness of the morantel sustained release trilaminate (MSRT) in controlling gastrointestinal nematodes through a grazing season was evaluated using 60 yearling beef stocker calves randomly divided into 2 groups of 30 animals each. In April 1985, the calves comprising the treatment group each received an MSRT designed to release morantel tartrate continuously for 90 days while those of the control group remained unmedicated. All animals were weighed and samples of rectal feces were taken at 14-day intervals, beginning on Day 0, until trial termination (Day 168). At trial termination, 10 control and 10 treated calves were necropsied for recovery of gastrointestinal nematodes. Three sets of parasite-na?ve tracer calves were utilized to evaluate the initial, interim and final levels of pasture contamination by nematode larvae. Overall, the use of the MSRT resulted in a 75.5% reduction (P less than 0.001) in output of nematode eggs from the principals, an 81.8% reduction (P less than 0.001) in numbers of gastrointestinal nematodes in principals (at trial termination), and a 96.9% reduction (P less than 0.05) of pasture larval nematode contamination (as indirectly indicated by parasite burdens in tracer calves). The mean weight advantage of treated calves was 16.6 kg per head (P less than 0.001).     

Detection of Salmonella-containing food using the 1-2 test

133 samples of food were investigated for comparison of a recent commercially available 1-2 test (Biocontrol) with a cultural standard method (non-selective pre-enrichment in buffered peptone water, selective enrichment in Rappaport-Vassiliadis-medium and selenite brilliant-green mannitol enrichment broth, inoculation on two selective agars) for presence of Salmonella. The 1-2 test showed in positive results an accuracy ("sensitivity") of 94.7% and in negative results an assurance ("specificity") of 97.9% and is therefore considered suitable for detection of Salmonella contaminated food.     

Pilot study of the practicability of a commercially-available Salmonella rapid test for the detection of the Salmonella content of cattle fecal samples

100 faeces samples of cattle were investigated in comparison to a recent commercially available Salmonella Rapid Test (OXOID) and a cultural standard method (non-selective enrichment in buffered peptone water, selective enrichment in RAPPAPORT-VASSILIADIS-medium) for presence of Salmonella. The Salmonella Rapid Test showed in positive results an accuracy ("sensitivity") of 94.7% and in negative results an assurance ("specificity") of 97.5% and is therefore suitable for rapid detection (within 2 days) of faeces sample of cattle with Salmonella.     

Apoptosis in the Antral Follicles of Swamp Buffalo and Cattle Ovary: TUNEL and Caspase-3 Histochemistry

The present study was carried out to investigate the pattern of apoptosis in the healthy antral and atretic follicles of Philippine swamp buffaloes (BU) in comparison with Holstein-Friesian (HF) cows. Paraffin sections of healthy follicles and various stages of atretic follicles were stained using the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated biotinylated deoxyuridine triphosphates (dUTP) nick end-labelling (TUNEL) method to detect DNA fragmentation and cleaved caspase-3 antibody to detect cells committed to undergo apoptosis. Five equidistant areas of a follicle were counted for the presence of TUNEL- and caspase-3-positive cells. Healthy follicles of BU and HF contained no TUNEL-positive cells in the granulosa and theca layer but showed some caspase-3 positivity. The granulosa layer of advanced atretic follicles showed a significantly higher frequency of caspase-3 positivity than the healthy and early atretic follicles in both breeds. The frequency of caspase-3-positive cells of BU was significantly higher than HF in the granulosa layer of healthy, early atretic and advanced atretic follicles. In the theca interna layer, BU and HF showed a significantly lower and higher frequency of TUNEL-positive cells in the late atretic follicles compared with advanced atretic follicle, respectively. However, the frequency of caspase-3-positive cells of both BU and HF in the late atretic follicles was significantly higher than the advanced atretic follicles in the theca interna layer. These results indicate that caspase-3 and DNA fragmentation is involved in the buffalo ovarian apoptotic process.     

Erysipelothrix septicemia in a little blue penguin (Eudyptula minor).

On June 25, 2002, aquarium veterinarians treated a 5-year-old, male little blue penguin (Eudyptula minor) that was acutely recumbent and dull, with inappetence of 24-hour duration. The penguin died within 10 minutes of presentation despite emergency resuscitation efforts. Gross pathologic findings consisted of pulmonary congestion and intestinal hemorrhage. Histopathologic findings included necrosis of tips of intestinal villi, increased numbers of mononuclear cells in pulmonary interstitium and hepatic sinusoids, and gram-positive bacteria in systemic microvasculature. Transmission electron microscopic examination revealed short gram-positive bacilli located in lumina of glomerular capillaries and in cytoplasm of mononuclear phagocytic cells in the lung and liver. Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae was recovered from the lung, liver, and intestine by bacteriologic culture. Amplicons from polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests using Erysipelothrix genus-specific primers and total genomic DNA extracted from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections of lung and intestine demonstrated 99% nucleotide sequence identity with 16S small-subunit ribosomal DNA of E. rhusiopathiae and E. tonsillarum. The source of infection was speculated to be fish in the diet; however, repeated attempts to detect Erysipelothrix spp. from the mucous layer of food fish using bacteriologic culture and PCR were unsuccessful. This is the first report of erysipelas in a captive aquatic bird. Details of the isolation of E. rhusiopathiae and the application of molecular testing to identify Erysipelothrix DNA in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections are given.     

Cell Proliferation in the Atretic Follicles of Buffalo and Cattle Ovary

The present study was carried out to describe the proliferative activity of granulosa and theca cells in healthy antral and atretic follicles of Philippine buffaloes (BU) and Holstein-Friesian (HF) cows. Paraffin sections of ovary were immunostained with mouse monoclonal antibody to proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). Then the follicles were classified into healthy and various stages of atretic follicles. The granulosa layer of healthy follicles had a significantly higher frequency of PCNA-positive cells than the early and advanced atretic follicles in both breeds. In the theca interna, significantly reduced populations of the PCNA-positive cells were found in both breeds as atresia progressed. Moreover, HF had significantly higher PCNA-positive cells in the theca interna of healthy, early atretic and advanced atretic follicles than BU. A reduction of PCNA-positive cells during atresia was also noted in the theca externa in both animals although differences were not significant. The results of the present work suggest that the proliferative activity of granulosa and theca cells decreases in association with follicular atresia in the BU similar to HF. Furthermore, a significantly deficient cell proliferative activity of theca interna was found in BU compared with HF.