A descriptive spatial analysis of bovine tuberculosis in intensively controlled cattle farms in New Zealand

We describe the temporal and geographical distribution of confirmed cases of bovine tuberculosis (TB) in a population of cattle in the south-east of the North Island of New Zealand. Data were derived from routine TB testing conducted between 1980 and 2003 and included details for 69 farms. Four six-year periods were defined to coincide with changes in depopulation strategies against the wildlife TB reservoir, the brushtail possum Trichosurus vulpecula. For the periods 1980 to 1985 and 1986 to 1991 the median annual incidence rate of TB was 0.4 and 4.7 cases per 1000 cattle-years at risk, respectively. For the period 1992 to 2003 the median annual incidence rate of TB decreased to 1.8 cases per 1000 cattle-years at risk, coincident with the use of poisoning to control possums in the surrounding forest park (a major possum habitat area). We identified clusters of TB cases adjacent to the forest park and found no evidence of spatio-temporal interaction of TB risk among farms. Our findings support the hypothesis that possums living in the forest park are a source of bovine TB in this area and that farm-to-farm spread of disease was not an important infection mechanism.     

Haematological effects of 2‐phenoxyethanol and etomidate in carp (Cyprinus carpio L.)

ObjectiveTo evaluate the effects of handling alone versus handling under anaesthesia with 2-phenoxyethanol or etomidate on haematological parameters in carp.Study designProspective, randomized, laboratory experiment.AnimalsSeventy-two juvenile carp (Cyprinus carpio) weighing 35.9 ± 10.4 g were divided into six groups of 12 fish.MethodsEither 2-phenoxyethanol or 2% etomidate were administered to induce deep anaesthesia (0.3 mL L⁻¹ and 0.6 mL L⁻¹, respectively) or deep sedation (0.15 mL L⁻¹ and 0.3 mL L⁻¹, respectively). Fish were handled with and without sedation. Blood was sampled at 1 hour and 1 week post-treatment. Phagocyte oxidative activity [nitrotetrazolium blue reduction test (NBT)] and differential erythrocyte [red blood cell (RBC)] and leukocyte (white blood cell) counts were evaluated.ResultsAt 1 hour after the induction of anaesthesia, haematocrit (Ht) and haemoglobin (Hb) were increased in fish anaesthetized with 2-phenoxyethanol, and mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH) was increased in fish anaesthetized with etomidate. At 1 week, an increase in RBC, erythroblastosis, erythrocyte damage, lymphopenia, neutrophilia, monocytosis and thrombocytosis occurred in both groups. Red blood parameters did not change 1 hour after handling alone, but after 1 week Ht, Hb and mean cell volume decreased, whereas MCH concentration (MCHC) and abnormal erythrocytes increased. Lymphopenia, neutrophilia, monocytosis, thrombocytosis and a decrease in NBT occurred. Fish handled under sedation showed an increase in Hb and MCHC followed by a decrease at 1 week in Ht, Hb and MCH, erythroblastosis and increased abnormal erythrocytes. Lymphopenia and neutrophilia were less pronounced than in fish handled without sedation, but a decrease in NBT was noted at 1 week post-treatment.Conclusions and clinical relevanceDeep anaesthesia with 2-phenoxyethanol or etomidate induced significant haematological alterations in juvenile carp. Deep sedation reduced the immediate immunosuppressive effects of handling but did not eliminate longterm effects. These anaesthetics should be avoided during experimental procedures involving haematological measurements. In contexts that require the short-term handling of carp, these drugs should be used with caution in view of their possible side effects.     

Morphometric and location factors shaping sediment texture in small floodplain reservoirs

Journal of Soils and Sediments - This paper investigates the morphological and location features influencing the sediment texture of small reservoirs located within the embanked floodplain of a...     

Medetomidine and dexmedetomidine: a review of cardiovascular effects and antinociceptive properties in the dog

Alpha(2)-adrenoreceptor agonists (alpha(2)-agonists) are commonly used in small animal anaesthesia for their potent sedative and analgesic properties, although concerns about their cardiovascular effects have prevented their full adoption into veterinary practice. Research into alpha(2) adrenoreceptor agonists and their clinical use is extensive, therefore this review focuses on the use of dexmedetomidine and medetomidine in dogs. Emphasis is given to the cardiovascular effects and antinociceptive action of these agents.     

Characterisation of the chemical composition of scab-resistant apple pomaces

Summary

Pomaces obtained during the production of cloudy or clear juice from scab-resistant apple cultivars (28 harvested in 2006, and 23 harvested in 2007) were studied as a source of nutritionally important components. It was shown that the average yield of pomace during the production of cloudy juice was 6.4% (w/w), and 4.9% (w/w) for clear juice pressing. The average total dietary fibre (TDF) contents were 48.4% (w/w) and 52.4% (w/w) for cloudy and clear juice pomaces, respectively. Ten pomaces from cloudy apple juice production, and 12 obtained from clear juice production, contained ≥ 2,000 mg kg^?1 of polyphenols.‘Ariwa’ and ‘Rajka’ are apple cultivars suitable for juice production and their pomaces are characterised by having high contents of TDF [50.9% (w/w) and 51.1% (w/w), respectively], with aboveaverage polyphenol and quercetin glycoside concentrations. The mean contents of quercetin glycosides for pomaces from all apple cultivars was 994 mg kg^?1 after clear juice production, and 908.2 mg kg^?1 after cloudy juice production. ‘Topaz’, which became a popular commercial apple cultivar in Europe, was the best source of health-promoting components. Its pomace was the richest source of polyphenols among all 28 cultivars studied. It contained ≥ 2,000 mg kg^?1 quercetin glycosides in both its clear and cloudy juice pomaces.     

Dynamics of ammonia excretion in juvenile common tench, Tinca tinca (L.), during intensive rearing under controlled conditions

This paper presents the first data on ammonia excretion by fed and starved juvenile common tench. The aim of the study was to determine the amount of ammonia excretion by juvenile common tench Tinca tinca (L.), fed with a commercial feed under intensive rearing conditions. Rearing was conducted for a period of 4 weeks at a water temperature of 27 °C. On the test day, the amounts of ammonia excreted by starved fish (over 12 h: control group) and fish fed with a morning feed dose (3 % of biomass: experimental group) were determined at 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11 h after feeding. Ammonia excretion measurements were taken in 7-day intervals. Despite the increased growth rate in successive weeks of experiment, the amount of ammonia excreted by the fish was always at a similar level within the control (maximum 0.26 mg g^?1) and the experimental group (maximum 0.39 mg g^?1). This paper presents for the first time reliable amount of ammonia excreted by fed and starved juvenile common tench. The obtained results may also increase the effectiveness of intensive rearing procedures (taking into account stocking density and feeding regime) and allow to design the most effective biofiltration capacity of recirculating aquaculture systems for the commercial production of this species.     

Feline cholecystitis and acute neutrophilic cholangitis: clinical findings, bacterial isolates and response to treatment in six cases

Clinicopathological findings from six cats with confirmed cholecystitis or acute neutrophilic cholangitis are presented. Historical findings included lethargy and anorexia or inappetence of up to five days duration. On physical examination all cats were pyrexic and four out of six were jaundiced and had cranial abdominal pain. Bile samples were obtained by cholecystocentesis at exploratory coeliotomy (two cases) or by percutaneous, ultrasound-guided cholecystocentesis (four cases). Gall bladder rupture and bile peritonitis occurred subsequent to ultrasound-guided cholecystocentesis in one case. The most common bacterial isolate was Escherichia coli (four cases); E coli was isolated alone in two cases, in combination with a Streptococcus species (one case) and in combination with a Clostridium species (one case). Streptococcus species alone was isolated from one case, as was Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. The latter is the first reported case of Salmonella-associated cholecystitis in a cat. Concurrent pancreatic or intestinal disease was detected histologically in three cases. All cases were treated with antimicrobials based on in vitro susceptibility results. Treatment was successful in five cases. One cat with concurrent diffuse epitheliotropic intestinal lymphoma was euthanased. Percutaneous ultrasound-guided cholecystocentesis is an effective, minimally-invasive technique enabling identification of bacterial isolates in cats with inflammatory hepatobiliary disease.     

Investigation of the interaction between buprenorphine and sufentanil during anaesthesia for ovariectomy in dogs

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of buprenorphine pre-treatment on sufentanil requirements in female dogs undergoing ovariectomy. STUDY DESIGN: Randomized, 'blinded', prospective clinical study. ANIMALS: Thirty healthy female dogs referred for ovariectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Dogs were randomly assigned to one of two pre-anaesthetic treatment groups. Those in the buprenorphine group (B) received buprenorphine 20 microg kg(-1) and acepromazine 0.03 mg kg(-1) IM. Control group (C) animals received an equal volume of NaCl 0.9% and acepromazine 0.03 mg kg(-1) IM. The anaesthetic technique was identical in both groups. Pre-anaesthetic medication consisted of intravenous (IV) sufentanil (1.0 microg kg(-1)) and midazolam (0.05 mg kg(-1)) and intramuscular atropine (0.03 mg kg(-1)). Anaesthesia was induced with propofol and maintained with a constant rate infusion of sufentanil (1.0 microg kg(-1) hour(-1)) and with oxygen-isoflurane. Ventilation was controlled mechanically. Ovariectomy was performed using a standard technique. Baseline heart rate (HR) and direct mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) were recorded before the first incision. Increases in HR and MAP of > or =20% over baseline and, or spontaneous ventilation were controlled using IV sufentanil (1.0 microg kg(-1)) repeated after 5 minutes if haemodynamic variables remained elevated or attempts at spontaneous ventilation persisted. Analysis of variance was used to determine group differences in mean and median HR and MAP and to compare the maximum HR and MAP attained during surgery. Poisson regression was used to compare the number of sufentanil injections required in both groups. RESULTS: Group B required 2.46 times more sufentanil injections (p = 0.00487) than dogs in group C to maintain haemodynamic stability and prevent spontaneous ventilation during surgery. Group B dogs also had a significantly higher (p = 0.034) marginal mean of the log maximum MAP (4.756 +/- 0.036) compared with group C (4.642 +/- 0.036). CONCLUSIONS: Pre-treatment with buprenorphine appears to negatively influence the antinociceptive efficacy of intra-operative sufentanil. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Withholding buprenorphine therapy 6-8 hours before anaesthesia incorporating pure mu receptor agonists is probably advisable. Alternative methods of analgesia should be provided in this period.     

The effect of temperature on the phenotypic features and the maceration ability of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Dickeya solani</Emphasis> strains isolated in Finland,Israel and Poland

Pectinolytic bacteria from the genus Dickeya (former Erwinia chrysanthemi), belonging to Dickeya dianthicola and Dickeya solani species, are causative agents of blackleg and soft rot diseases in Europe. Recently, D. solani have been isolated most frequently from potato plants with the symptoms of blackleg and soft rot. D. solani strains were shown to cause more severe disease symptoms on potato plants than D. dianthicola especially at the higher temperature. They are also able to develop blackleg disease from lower inoculum levels. In the presented study we not only compared phenotypic features of fifteen D. solani strains isolated in countries having different climatic conditions, Poland, Finland and Israel, but also we examined three D. dianthicola strains. The comparison was performed to determine the influence of the strain origin and the temperature of incubation on the ability of the strains to macerate potato tissue and on their major virulence factors such as: pectinolytic, cellulolytic and proteolytic activities, siderophore production and motility. Polish D. solani strains showed higher activities of cell wall degrading enzymes than the Finnish and Israeli strains at all the tested temperatures: 18, 27, 37 °C. This observation is correlated with the higher ability of Polish D. solani strains to cause soft rot. In addition, D. solani strains exhibited higher activity of the above mentioned enzymes and caused more severe potato tuber maceration in laboratory tests than the tested D. dianthicola strains. The collected results indicate that although D. solani strains from different climatic conditions have identical Pulse Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE) profiles in addition to the same fingerprint profiles obtained by the repetitive sequence-based polymerase chain reaction (REP, ERIC and BOX repetitive sequences), they differ in the examined phenotypic features, especially in the activities of pectinolytic, cellulolytic and proteolytic enzymes and their capacity to macerate potato tuber tissue.