Elephant herpes virus--a problem for breeding and housing of elephants]

Herpesvirus infections which take a fatal turn on African elephants as well as on Asian elephants seem to occur increasingly not only in the USA but also in European stocks. The endotheliotropic herpesvirus causes a rapidly progressing and severe disease which makes any therapeutical effort unsuccessful and finally results in death of the animal, especially in young Asian elephants. As all attempts to culture the virus failed up to now, molecular biological procedures have to be used more often for diagnostical purpose together with the common methods of pathology, virology, and electronmicroscopical evaluation. This is a report on the case of 'KIBA', an eleven year old male elephant at the Zoological Garden Berlin, infected with the endotheliotropic elephants herpesvirus. 'KIBA' was born at the Zoo in Houston, Texas, and raised within his herd. Upon arriving in Berlin in November 1997 he adapted to the new premises and climate and new social circumstances without any problems. In June 1998 he already serviced three females of his new herd several times. In August 1998 he died after passing a peracute progression of the disease after residenting in Berlin for only 9 months. The dissection of the animal revealed some evidence on an agent damaging the endothelium. Major signs indicating this agent were bleedings in several serous membranes, mucosa and on the the right atrium, as well as other parts of the myocardium. Furthermore there have been ulcerations at various localisations of the whole digestive tract. Slightly basophilic intranuclear inclusion bodies have been found histologically in endothelial cells of different organ samples. An examination of altered organ-material by electronmicroscopy made some herpesvirus-like particles visible. A virological investigation first revealed evidence of giant cell formations with solitary basophilic intranuclear inclusion bodies in different cell cultures, however, without any distinct cytopathogenic effect. Supported by molecular biological procedures the infection of 'KIBA' could be verified as the elephants herpesvirus. By means of PCR and subsequent sequence analysis a DNA-sequence typical for the elephants herpesvirus could be obtained which showed an identity of 97% with the terminase sequence of the elephant herpesvirus described by American authors. The deduced amino acid-sequences were 100% identical. To the terminase of the human cytomegalovirus, the elephant sequence had an identity of 53% (similarity: 74%). Based on the cooperation of ILAT, Institute of Veterinary-Pathology/Free University Berlin, Robert-Koch-Institut Berlin, and Zoological Garden Berlin, the cause of 'KIBA's' death could be discovered immediately. Possible implications of this case especially on breeding and keeping elephants are discussed briefly.     

Lack of a type-2 glycosyltransferase in the fish pathogen Flavobacterium psychrophilum determines pleiotropic changes and loss of virulence

Flavobacterium psychrophilum is an important fish pathogen, responsible for Cold Water Disease, with a significant economic impact on salmonid farms worldwide. In spite of this, little is known about the bacterial physiology and pathogenesis mechanisms, maybe because it is difficult to manipulate, being considered a fastidious microorganism. Mutants obtained using a Tn4351 transposon were screened in order to identify those with alteration in colony morphology, colony spreading and extracellular proteolytic activity, amongst other phenotypes. A F. psychrophilum mutant lacking gliding motility showed interruption of the FP1638 locus that encodes a putative type-2 glycosyltransferase (from here on referred to as fpgA gene, Flavobacterium psychrophilum glycosyltransferase). Additionally, the mutant also showed a decrease in the extracellular proteolytic activity as a consequence of down regulation in the fpgA mutant background of the fpp2-fpp1 operon promoter, responsible for the major extracellular proteolytic activity of the bacterium. The protein glycosylation profile of the parental strain showed the presence of a 22 kDa glycosylated protein which is lost in the mutant. Complementation with the fpgA gene led to the recovery of the wild-type phenotype. LD₅₀ experiments in the rainbow trout infection model show that the mutant was highly attenuated. The pleiotropic phenotype of the mutant demonstrated the importance of this glycosyltranferase in the physiology and virulence of the bacterium. Moreover, the fpgA mutant strain could be considered a good candidate for the design of an attenuated vaccine.     

Acute sterile hemorrhagic cystitis after a single intravenous administration of cyclophosphamide in three dogs.

Three dogs receiving cyclophosphamide IV as part of a combination chemotherapeutic regimen developed macrohematuria, stranguria, and pollakiuria within 24 hours of administration of the first dose of this drug. An 11-year-old spayed mixed-breed dog with an oral squamous cell carcinoma was administered 250 mg of cyclophosphamide/m2 of body surface, whereas a 4-year-old castrated male Gordon Setter was treated with 100 mg of cyclophosphamide/m2 and a 6-year-old male German Shepherd Dog with a cutaneous hemangiosarcoma was administered 140 mg of cyclophosphamide/m2. Aerobic bacterial culture, antimicrobial susceptibility testing, and urinalysis were performed on urine obtained by cystocentesis from all 3 dogs after hematuria was observed. Sterile hemorrhagic cystitis was diagnosed on the basis of large numbers of RBC in the urine, lack of pathogens on bacterial culturing of urine, and clinical signs. Although cyclophosphamide-induced cystitis in dogs has been reported in the literature numerous times, acute episodes developing within 24 hours of administration of the first dose have not been reported in this species with the use of therapeutic doses. Therefore, appropriate precautionary steps should be taken, even when the drug is being administered intermittently.     

Pharmacokinetics of enrofloxacin in fingerling rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

The pharmacokinetics of intravenously and orally administered enrofloxacin was determined in fingerling rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Doses of 5 or 10 mg enrofloxacin/kg body weight were administered intravenously to 26 fish for each dose and blood was sampled over a 60-h period at 15 degrees C. Two groups of fish were treated orally with 5, 10, or 50 mg/kg (80 fish/dose at each temperature) and held at 15 degrees C or 10 degrees C during the 60-h sampling period. Following intravenous administration, the serum concentration-time data of enrofloxacin in rainbow trout were best described by a two-compartment open model for both doses of 5 and 10 mg enrofloxacin/kg. The hybrid rate constants alpha and beta did not differ between doses. The distributional phase was rapid with a half-life of 6-7 min for both doses. Overall half-lives of elimination were 24.4 h (95% CI = 20.2-30.8) and 30.4 h (24.2-41.0), respectively, for the 5- and 10-mg/kg doses. A large Vd(area) was observed following dosing of either 5 or 10 mg enrofloxacin/kg,: 3.22 and 2.56 l/kg, respectively. Whole body clearance for 5 mg/kg was 92 ml/h.kg and 58 ml/h.kg at the 10-mg/kg dose. Following oral administration, the serum concentration-time data for enrofloxacin were best described as a one-compartment open model with first-order absorption and elimination. Apparent Ka over all doses at 10 degrees C averaged 62% less than apparent Ka at 15 degrees C. Estimates of the apparent t(1/2)e over both temperatures ranged from 29.5 h (18.4-73.4) to 56.3 h (38.3-106.6). Bioavailability averaged 42% over all doses at 15 degrees C and was decreased to an average of 25% at 10 degrees C. Peak serum concentrations appeared between 6 and 8 h following dosing. A dose of 5 mg/kg/day was estimated to provide average steady-state serum concentrations at 10 degrees C that are approximately 4.5 times the highest reported MIC values for Streptococcus spp., the fish pathogen least sensitive to enrofloxacin. Owing to the long apparent half-life of elimination of enrofloxacin in fingerling trout, it would take approximately 5 to 9 days to achieve these predicted steady-state serum concentrations; this estimate is important when considering the duration of therapy in clinical trials.     

Site and extent of neutral detergent fiber digestion, efficiency of ruminal digesta flux and fecal output as related to variations in voluntary intake and chewing behavior in heifers

Six heifers (1/4 Brahman x 1/4 Jersey x 1/2 Angus, 290 kg avg wt) with ruminal, duodenal and ileal cannulas were given ad libitum access to a corn silage-based diet with or without 100 mg monensin.hd-1.d-1 in a two-period crossover design. There was no significant effect of monensin on voluntary intake (VI), flow of NDF to the abomasum, fecal output or the efficiency of transfer of NDF to the duodenum (unitary fluxes of NDF through the reticulo-omasal orifice, number.g NDF.(kg BW.75)-1). Monensin increased extent of NDF digestion (NDFD) in the dorsal (P = .07) and ventral (P = .09) ruminal sac. As a fraction of the total tract NDFD, NDFD increased progressively in dorsal rumen (.214), ventral rumen (.548) and duodenal (.818) sites. The VI among individual heifers was negatively related to unitary fluxes of NDF through the reticulo-omasal orifice (P = .001) and to the extent of digestion of potentially digestible NDF (PDNDFD) in the ventral rumen (P = .006) and duodenum (P = .032), but not in the dorsal rumen (P = .720) or in the total tract (P = .785). Fecal output of NDF was negatively related to unitary times of eating (P = .027), ruminating (P = .001), masticating (P = .001) and unitary number of rumination boli (P = .001). These relationships all were influenced (P = .001) by individual heifer.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Intraocular silicone prosthesis in a horse

A 40-mm intraocular silicone prosthesis was placed in a horse's globe to control glaucoma. The glaucoma was suspected to be associated with a lens subluxation, but primary glaucoma could not be ruled out. Medical treatment and cyclocryotherapy had been attempted, but failed to decrease the intraocular pressure to a normal value. The prosthesis was placed, via a dorsal scleral incision, after removal of the intraocular contents. The size of the prosthesis was estimated from measurements of the horse's normal left globe and an enucleated, age-matched globe. Silicone prostheses offer a cosmetic alternative to enucleation of blind, sensitive globes in horses.     

Serum concentrations of thyroxine and 3,5,3'-triiodothyronine in dogs before and after administration of freshly reconstituted or previously frozen thyrotropin-releasing hormone

Concentrations of serum thyroxine (T4) and 3,5,3'-triiodothyronine (T3) were determined after the administration of freshly reconstituted thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH), reconstituted TRH that had been previously frozen, or thyrotropin (TSH) to 10 mature dogs (6 Greyhounds and 4 mixed-breed dogs). Thyrotropin-releasing hormone (0.1 mg/kg) or TSH (5 U/dog) was administered IV; venous blood samples were collected before and 6 hours after administration of TRH or TSH. Concentrations of the T4 and T3 were similar (P greater than 0.05) in serum after administration of freshly reconstituted or previously frozen TRH, indicating that TRH can be frozen at -20 C for at least 1 week without a loss in potency. Concentrations of T4, but not T3, were higher after the administration of TSH than they were after the administration of TRH (P less than 0.01). Concentrations of T4 increased at least 3-fold in all 10 dogs given TSH, whereas a 3-fold increase occurred in 7 of 10 dogs given freshly reconstituted or previously frozen TRH. Concentrations of T4 did not double in 1 dog given freshly reconstituted TRH and in 1 dog given previously frozen TRH. Concentrations of T3 doubled in 5 of 10, 2 of 10, and 5 of 10 dogs given TSH, freshly reconstituted TRH, or previously frozen TRH, respectively. Results suggested that concentrations of serum T4 are higher 6 hours after the administration of TSH than after administration of TRH, using dosage regimens of 5 U of TSH/dog or 0.1 mg of TRH/kg.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Some pharmacokinetic data of aditoprim and trimethoprim in healthy and tick-borne fever infected dwarf goats

Aditoprim (AP) is a new dihydrofolate reductase inhibitor, which is structurally related to trimethoprim (TMP). The pharmacokinetics of AP (10 mg/kg) and TMP (20 mg/kg) were assessed in healthy dwarf goats. Therapeutic efficacy against rickettsial infections was tested in tick-borne fever (TBF) infected goats. The animals were given TMP (n = 5) or AP (n = 5) by i.v. injection, and subsequently the drugs were administered orally (same groups, similar doses). Finally, both groups were infected with TBF and the i.v. experiment was repeated. Plasma concentration-time curves for both drugs followed first-order two-compartment decay. For TMP, mean t1/2 beta +/- SEM (h) was 0.84 +/- 0.06 (i.v. control) and 0.90 +/- 0.06 (i.v. infected), respectively, whereas for AP values of 8.00 +/- 0.31 (i.v. control) and 10.28 +/- 0.67 (i.v. infected) were obtained (P less than 0.05). Mean Vd beta +/- SEM values (l/kg) were 3.84 +/- 0.27 (i.v. control) and 4.07 +/- 0.85 (i.v. infected) for TMP (NS) and 7.02 +/- 0.63 vs 9.29 +/- 0.21 (P less than 0.05) for AP. After i.v. injection, rumen fluid concentrations of AP were significantly (P less than 0.05) higher and more persistent than those of TMP. For AP, the plasma and rumen fluid concentrations at 3 h were 1.20 +/- 0.06 micrograms/ml and 0.85 +/- 0.17 microgram/ml, respectively. After oral administration of TMP, Cmax in plasma was 0.12 +/- 0.01 microgram/ml and the maximum was reached after 1.2 +/- 0.16 h; systemic bioavailability (F) was 10.3% (relative to AUC i.v.). Oral treatment with AP resulted in a Cmax value of 0.21 +/- 0.02 microgram/ml with Tmax of 22.5 +/- 1.65 h and a F value of 71%. Based on WBC, serum ALP and rectal temperature responses, it was concluded that both TMP and AP were inactive against Ehrlichia phagocytophila.