Sézary syndrome in a cat

Sézary syndrome is an uncommon leukemic variant of cutaneous lymphoma in cats. This cat had recurrent dermatitis with erythematous, pruritic plaques. Multiple skin imprints and biopsy samples were obtained over a 6-month period, and histopathological findings were consistent initially with eosinophilic miliary dermatitis and later with erythema multiforme. One week before death, Sézary cells were identified in the peripheral blood that expressed cluster of differentiation (CD)3 and CD8 antigens. Massive infiltration of CD3+ lymphocytes was noted in the skin and multiple internal tissues by histopathological examination. This case demonstrates the difficulty in diagnosing cutaneous lymphoma early in the disease course.     

Detection of antibodies to West Nile virus in equine sera using microsphere immunoassay.

One hundred and ninety-one sera from horses that recently were exposed to West Nile virus (WNV) by either vaccination or natural infection or that were not vaccinated and remained free of infection were used to evaluate fluorescent microsphere immunoassays (MIAs) incorporating recombinant WNV envelope protein (rE) and recombinant nonstructural proteins (rNS1, rNS3, and rNS5) for detection of equine antibodies to WNV. The rE MIA had a diagnostic sensitivity and specificity, respectively, of 99.3% and 97.4% for detection of WNV antibodies in the serum of horses that were recently vaccinated or naturally infected with WNV, as compared to the plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT). The positive rE MIA results were assumed to be WNV-specific because of the close agreement between this assay and the PRNT and the fact that unvaccinated control horses included in this study were confirmed to be free of exposure to the related St Louis encephalitis virus. The NS protein-based MIA were all less sensitive than either the rE MIA or PRNT (sensitivity 0-48.0), although the rNSI MIA distinguished horses vaccinated with the recombinant WNV vaccine from those that were immunized with the inactivated WNV vaccine (P < 0.0001) or naturally infected with WNV (P < 0.0001). The rE MIA would appear to provide a rapid, convenient, inexpensive, and accurate test for the screening of equine sera for the presence of antibodies to WNV.     

Effect of dietary fish oil and vitamin E supplementation on hematologic and serum biochemical analytes and oxidative status in young dogs

Fifteen healthy dogs received a basal diet supplemented with either 12.4 g of sunflower oil, 0.6 g of sunflower oil and 7 g of menhaden fish oil, or 0.6 g of sunflower oil and 7 g of menhaden fish oil plus 0.18 g of alpha-tocopherol acetate for twelve weeks. There was no significant diet effect on platelet aggregation, lipid peroxidation, or standard hematologic and biochemical parameters, with the exception of decreased triglycerides in dogs supplemented with fish oil. These data demonstrate that this level of fish oil supplementation in dogs does not require vitamin E supplementation above recommended dosage and may prove beneficial in the treatment of hyperlipidemia in the dog.     

Fecal shedding of coliform bacteria during the periparturient period in dairy cows

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether numbers of coliform bacteria in feces of dairy cattle changed during the periparturient period and whether fluctuations were associated with changes in dry-matter intake. ANIMALS: 12 healthy Holstein cows. PROCEDURE: Fecal samples were collected on a semi-regular basis (i.e., 3 to 7 times/wk) beginning 4 to 6 weeks before the anticipated parturition date and continuing through the third day (5 cows) or second week (7 cows) after parturition, and total numbers of fecal coliform bacteria were determined. Daily feed intake of 7 cows was monitored. RESULTS: For 11 cows, fecal coliform bacterial counts between 34 and 25 days prior to parturition were low and relatively constant (< 102 change in number of bacteria). Coliform bacteria were not detected in 4 to 8% of fecal samples from 10 cows. All cows had a 10(4) to 10(7) increase in number of colony forming units/g of feces near the time of parturition. Number of fecal coliform bacteria peaked within 7 days of parturition in 9 cows and within 12 days of parturition in 3. Number of fecal coliform bacteria was not correlated with feed intake. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Cows may have large increases in fecal coliform bacteria count during the periparturient period; however, periparturient cows do not continually shed high numbers of coliform bacteria, and coliform bacteria may not always be detectable by conventional culture methods. Changes in fecal coliform bacteria count did not correlate with changes in dry-matter intake.