Leptospira interrogans serovar hardjo is not a major cause of bovine abortion in Victoria

The aim of this study was to determine whether evidence could be obtained of foetal infection with Leptospira interrogans serovar hardjo in aborted foetuses collected from dairy farms. Material from 197 abortions occurring over a wide area of Victoria was collected over 3 years. None of 195 foetal kidney cultures or 7 cultures from membranes was positive for leptospiral organisms. Immunogold silver staining for leptospires was performed on sections of kidneys, lungs or heart from 156 foetuses, with negative results. Evidence of transient leptospiral infection in 11 of 123 foetuses was obtained by foetal heart blood serology. Two isolates of L. interrogans serovar hardjo were obtained from the urine of milking cows. These strains were examined by restriction endonuclease analysis and both were shown to be of the genotype Hardjobovis, as have been all Australian isolates studied so far. It appears that foetal infection with serovar hardjo is not associated with any substantial proportion of bovine abortions in Victoria, in contrast to the situation in Northern Ireland. The apparent absence from Victoria of the pathogenic genotype Hardjoprajitno is a possible explanation.     

COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHIC EVALUATION OF DINOSAUR EGG SHELL INTEGRITY

The purpose of this study was to determine whether computed tomography (CT) could be used to identify hatching holes in partially embedded dinosaur eggs. One Faveololithus and two Dendroolithus eggs were examined using a fourth generation CT scanner. The eggs were partially embedded in a fossilized sediment matrix, with the exposed portion of the shell appearing intact. In CT images of all three eggs, the shells appeared hyperdense relative to the matrix. Hatching holes were visible as large gaps in the embedded portion of the shell, with inwardly displaced shell fragments. It was concluded that CT is an effective technique for nondestructively assessing dinosaur egg shell integrity.     

CANINE HIP DYSPLASIA EVALUATION

The ventrodorsal radiograph of the pelvis and femurs with the hind limbs extended, femurs parallel to each other, patellae superimposed over the distal femurs, and the pelvis symmetrical has become the standard method by which to evaluate animals for hip dysplasia. The following illustrated guide details the methods of positioning recommended by the American Veterinary Medical Association¹ and used by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA). Additionally, some commonly encountered positioning errors and methods of labeling radiographs are shown. The authors stress positioning requirements and aids they feel are necessary to produce an adequately positioned radiograph.     

Prevalence of exposure and infection of Lawsonia intracellularis among slaughter-age pigs

The extent of clinical or subclinical infection associated with Lawsonia intracellularis within Dutch pig herds was uncertain. A case-control study of slaughter age pigs was used to study natural infection within Dutch herds and to compare diagnostic methods. From six case herds where clinical disease had been identified recently, and six disease-free herds, 40 pigs of slaughter-age were examined postmortem. The diagnostic methods used were: serology, gross examination, Haematoxylin and Eosin stain (HE), Warthin-Starry silver stain, Lawsonia-specific indirect immunoperoxidase of the ileum, and PCR of ileum mucosa and colon contents. There were 59% seropositive pigs in case herds and 26% seropositive pigs in control herds. Using immunohistochemistry, 57% of case herds and 46% of control herds were bacteria positive in the ileum mucosa. It was concluded that a majority of Dutch herds contain L. intracellularis infected finisher pigs. In some herds this is associated with clinical outbreaks of acute haemorrhagic enteropathy but in other herds no clinical disease is apparent. Many seropositive pigs in herds without clinical disease had evidence of Lawsonia antigen in sites other than the apical cytoplasm of proliferating epithelial cells, particularly the supranuclear region. It was uncertain whether to classify these pigs as having "recovered" from an infection or whether they have a sub-clinical or chronic form of the disease. We concluded that PCR examination of faeces and serology probably provide more specific results than gross examinations at slaughter, and that a monoclonal antibody-based examination of ileum mucosa should be the accepted screening method for this infection.     

The use of age-clustered pooled faecal samples for monitoring worm control in horses

A study was performed on two horse farms to evaluate the use of age-clustered pooled faecal samples for monitoring worm control in horses. In total 109 horses, 57 on farm A and 52 on farm B, were monitored at weekly intervals between 6 and 14 weeks after ivermectin treatment. This was performed through pooled faecal samples of pools of up to 10 horses of the groups 'yearlings' (both farms), '2-year-old' (two pools in farm A), '3-year-old' (farm A) and adult horses (four pools on farm A and five pools on farm B), which were compared with the mean individual faecal egg counts of the same pools. A very high correlation between the faecal egg counts in pooled samples and the mean faecal egg counts was seen and also between the faecal egg counts in pooled samples and larval counts from pooled faecal larval cultures. Faecal egg counts increased more rapidly in yearlings and 2-year-old horses than in older horses. This implied that in these groups of young animals faecal egg counts of more than 200 EPG were reached at or just after the egg reappearance period (ERP) of 8 weeks that is usually indicated for ivermectin. This probably means that, certainly under intensive conditions, repeated treatment at this ERP is warranted in these young animals, with or without monitoring through faecal examination. A different situation is seen in adult animals. Based on the mean faecal egg counts on both farms and on the results of pooled samples in farm A, using 100 EPG as threshold, no justification for treatment was seen throughout the experimental period. However, on farm B values of 100 EPG were seen at 9 and 11, 13 and 14 and 14 weeks after ivermectin treatment in pools 10, 12 and 13, respectively. This coincided with the presence of one or two horses with egg counts above 200 EPG. The conclusion is that random pooled faecal samples of 10 adult horses from a larger herd, starting at the ERP and repeating it at, for instance, 4-week intervals, could be used for decisions on worm control. However, there would be a certain risk for underestimating pasture contamination through missing high-egg excreters. An alternative use of pooled samples would be as a cheap first screening to detect which adult horses really contribute to pasture contamination with worm eggs on a farm. All horses should be sampled and subsequently animals from 'positive' pools can be reexamined individually.     

Sexual Performance of Rams Sequentially Exposed to Short-tailed and Fat-tailed Ewes

The objective of the study was to compare sexual performance of pure and crossbred rams, and to evaluate whether prior exposure of rams to short-tailed females would enhance their mating ability when later exposed to fat-tailed females. Twenty-two virgin, yearling Awassi (A; n = 7), F₁ Charollais × Awassi (CA; n = 7) and F₁ Romanov × Awassi (RA; n = 8) rams were subjected to sexual performance tests on six 20-min occasions. Each ram was individually exposed to two short-tailed oestrous ewes for three 20-min occasions on three consecutive days. Following 1 day of rest, the same 3-day procedure was repeated for each ram with fat-tailed ewes. Leg kicking bout frequency increased in CA and RA rams and decreased in A rams, when they were exposed to fat-tailed compared with short-tailed ewes. No differences in anogenital sniffing were observed among rams exposed to either short-tailed or fat-tailed ewes. However, greater (p < 0.001) anogenital sniffing bouts were recorded, when rams were exposed to short-tailed females. Upon exposure to fat-tailed ewes, CA and RA rams experienced a marked increase in mounting frequency compared with a slight increase in mounting of A rams (p < 0.001). The ability of Awassi rams to raise the fat tail of Awassi ewes was greater (p < 0.001) than CA and RA rams. Mating was improved in A while declining in CA and RA, when they were exposed to fat-tailed compared with short-tailed ewes (p < 0.001). Based on the results of the current study, it seems that all yearling rams were capable of mating with short-tailed ewes, whereas only Awassi rams managed to mate with fat-tailed ewes. It appears that brief exposures of yearling crossbred rams to short-tailed ewes do not improve their mating ability when later exposed to fat-tailed ewes.     

The role of siderophores in potato tuber yield increase by Pseudomonas putida in a short rotation of potato

The effect of treatment of potato seed tubers withPseudomonas putida isolate WCS358 on tuber yield was studied in different crop rotations at the Experimental Farm De Schreef, near Lelystad. With untreated, tuber yield in a 1:3 (short) rotation compared to yield in a 1:6 (long) rotation of potato was decreased by 11% at 86 days (seed tuber harvest) and by 14% at 130 days (ware potato harvest) after seeding. Seed tuber treatment with the wild-type isolate WCS358 increased tuber yield with 13% in a short rotation of potato 86 days after seeding, whereas a siderophore-negative Tn5 transposon mutant of this isolate had no effect on tuber yield. Seed tuber treatment with the wild-type isolate or the siderophore-negative mutant in a long rotation of potato had no effect on tuber yield. At 130 days after seeding no effect of any of the seed tuber treatments was found in both short and long rotations of potato.Root colonization by siderophore-producing Tn5 transposon mutants of WCS358 was decreased at the end of the growing season. No difference in root colonization between siderophore-producing and siderophore-negative Tn5 transposon mutants was found at 130 days after seeding.Siderophore production seems to be a prerequisite in potato tuber yield increase by WCS358 under field conditions. This is the first time that the involvement of siderophores in growth stimulation has been demonstrated in the field.Samenvatting De invloed van een behandeling van aardappelpootgoed metPseudomonas putida isolaat WCS358 op de knolopbrengst werd onderzocht in verschillende gewasrotaties on een proefveld van proefboerderij De Schreef, Flevopolder. In de controlebehandelingen werd in een nauwe aardappelrotatie (1:3) een reductie van 11% in opbrengst van pootaardappelen (86 dagen na het poten) geconstateerd ten opzichte van een ruime aardappelrotatie (1:6); 130 dagen na het poten werd een vermindering met 14% gevonden in de opbrengst van consumptieaardappelen.Pootgoedbehandeling met het siderofoorproducerende isolaat WCS358 verhoogde de opbrengst van pootaardappelen in de 1:3-rotatie met 13%. Een Tn5-transposonmutant van dit isolaat die het vermogen sideroforen te produceren had verloren, had geen effect op de opbrengst. In de 1:6-rotatie had behandeling van pootgoed met WCS358 geen effect op de opbrengst van pootaardappelen.Zowel in de nauwe (1:3) als in de ruimte (1:6) rotatie werd (130 dagen na het poten), geen effect van behandeling van pootgoed met WCS358 op de opbrengst van consumptieaardappelen gevonden.Wortelkolonisatie door siderofoorproducerende Tn5-transposonmutanten van WCS358 nam aan het eind van het seizoen af. Er werd, 130 dagen na het poten, geen verschil in wortelkolonisatie geconstateerd tussen siderofoorproducerende en siderofoornegatieve Tn5-transposonmutanten.Siderofoorproduktie blijkt een voorwaarde te zijn voor verhoging van de knolopbrengst door WCS358 onder veldomstandigheden. De verhoging van de knolopbrengst treedt alleen op in de nauwe aardappelrotatie. Dit is de eerste keer dat de betrokkenheid van sideroforen bij groeistimulatie onder veldomstandigheden is aangetoond.     

Principles for regulatory testing and interpretation of semi-field and field studies with non-target arthropods

This paper is a guidance document for side-effect testing with plant protection products on non-target arthropods under semi-field and field conditions. The principles, methods, endpoints and interpretation of non-target arthropod semi-field and field trials which should be conducted for registration of plant protection products in the European Union are presented and discussed. The recommendations presented reflect the opinions of the experts from authority, academia, industry and consulting which participated at the IOBC (International Organisation of Biological Control), BART (Beneficial Arthropod Regulatory Testing) group and EPPO (European Plant Protection Organisation) Joint Initiative workshop held in Versailles (France) on the 25–26 October, 1999.