A survey of gastrointestinal helminths in cats of the metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

The prevalence of gastrointestinal helminth parasites in 135 cats over 1 year of age and inhabiting the metropolitan region of the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil was investigated by necropsy. These animals had two distinct origins: 99 cats (29 males and 70 females) were derived by capture in public areas (feral/stray) and 36 (12 males and 24 females) from shelters. The overall prevalence of gastrointestinal helminth parasites was 89.6%. The following parasites, with their respective prevalence in parenthesis, were found: Dipylidium caninum (52.6%), Ancylostoma braziliense (65.9%), Ancylostoma tubaeforme (8.9%), Toxocara cati (25.2%), Toxascaris leonina (11.9%), Physaloptera praeputialis (9.6%). Concurrent infections with two or more parasites were recorded in 59.5% of the individuals. Of the 121 parasitized cats, 94 were feral/strays and 27 were from shelters. Among feral/stray cats, 80 were infected with A. braziliense (85%) and 17 of the shelter felids were infected with D. caninum (63%). Feral/stray cats had higher worm intensities (6411/94-68.2) than shelter cats (992/27-36.7). The helminth parasites most frequently found in feral/stray cats were Ancylostoma braziliense (47.5%) and D. caninum (47%) while in shelter cats, D. caninum was the predominant species (85.2%). Twenty seven cats (22.3%) had only A. braziliense and 19 (15.7%) were parasitized only with D. caninum. Among those cats harboring mixed infections A. braziliense and D. caninum were the species more frequently found (P < 0.001).     

Relationships between lactational incidence of displaced abomasum and milk production traits in German Holstein cows

The objective of this study was to analyse the heritabilitiy of the lactational incidence of displaced abomasum (DA) and the relationships of DA with milk production traits in German Holstein cows. Data were recorded between February 1999 and January 2000 in cooperation with five veterinary practitioners. Their veterinary practices were located in the northern part of Lower Saxony. The investigation included 160 dairy farms under the official milk-recording scheme with 9,315 cows. The lactational incidence of the left abomasal displacement amounted to 1.21%, and of the right abomasal displacement to 0.41%, respectively. The linear heritability estimates for the lactational incidences of left and right DA were h(2) = 0.05 +/- 0.012 and h(2) = 0.004 +/- 0.005, respectively. Using the Dempster-Lerner-transformation the corresponding heritabilities were h(2) = 0.53 and 0.09, respectively. Milk losses for the lactation when DA was diagnosed were significant and reached 1016 kg milk, 41 kg fat, 36 kg protein and 0.07% protein. Fat content significantly increased by 0.18%. The analysis could not show significant differences between cows diagnosed with DA and cows not diagnosed with DA in the 305-day milk production traits of the lactation preceding the diagnosis of DA. There was also no indication for an unequal distribution of breeding values for milk performance traits between cows with and without DA. The additive genetic correlations between 305-day milk performance and left DA were low. The results indicated that cows with a high milk production and superior breeding values for milk performance were not exposed to an increased risk for DA.     

Wild ostrich (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Struthio camelus</Emphasis>) ecology and physiology

This work discusses some of the important considerations of wild ostrich evolution, behaviour and ecology, as items included in ostrich production. In the process considerable research was conducted by collating information from peer-reviewed papers; textbooks; manuals; and PubMed and Agricola searches. Selected areas reviewed included activity of ostriches; feeding and water needs; sexual maturity; egg laying and natural incubation; selected physiological parameters; and predation. There is an immediate and urgent need to conserve and protect the rapidly declining populations of wild ostriches with the committed involvement of governments and funding bodies.     

Azithromycin in the treatment of a dog infected with Giardia intestinalis

Giardia intestinalis infection is a common cause of diarrhoea in humans and other mammalian species throughout the world. This report describes a case of a dog suffering from diarrhoea, infected with G. intestinalis, effectively treated with azithromycin. Azithromycin is an azalide, semisynthetic macrolide antibiotic having a large spectrum of activity against bacterial pathogens and some protozoa. In this case, Giardia infection in a dog was confirmed by microscopic examination and PCR. Sequencing of the detected Giardia amplicon confirmed infection with assemblage A-I. The dog received azithromycin administered at dose of 10 mg/kg per os, once a day for 5 days. After the therapy, the diarrhoea stopped. Effectiveness of the treatment was also confirmed by PCR and microscopic examination. This is the first report on the therapy of canine giardiosis with azithromycin. It seems that azithromycin can be considered as promising antibiotic for the control of Giardia infection in dogs.     

Comparative efficacy assessment of pentamidine isethionate and diminazene aceturate in the chemotherapy of Trypanosoma brucei brucei infection in dogs

The chemotherapeutic efficacy of diminazene aceturate (Berenil)--a standard veterinary trypanocide and pentamidine isethionate (PMI)--a human trypanocide was compared in dogs experimentally infected with Trypanosoma brucei brucei. Also, the activities of the drugs on some serum liver enzymes were evaluated before and after treatment to ascertain the relative safety of the drugs. Fifteen local dogs (mongrels) were used for the study. Three of the dogs were uninfected controls, and twelve were infected with a stock of T. brucei brucei. Three of the infected dogs were untreated controls, three were given diminazene aceturate (DA) at 7 mg/kg body weight intramuscularly (i/m), another three received pentamidine isethionate (PMI) at 4 mg/kg i/m on days 14, 17, 19, 27, 29, and 31 post infection (PI) and the remaining three dogs were also given same dose of PMI on days 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24 and 26 PI. Both trypanocides effectively cleared the parasites from the blood of the infected treated dogs. However, the infection subsequently relapsed at day 42 PI in one of the dogs in the DA treated group which later died at day 70 PI. Relapse infection was not recorded with the PMI treated groups although two dogs died in the PMI treated group II (treatment at days 14, 17, 19, 27, 29, and 31 PI) without showing relapsed parasitaemia. The packed cell volume (PCV), red blood cell (RBC) count, and haemoglobin (Hb) level which decreased significantly following infection, were reversed by the trypanocidal treatment. The reversal in the red cell values was faster in the PMI treated groups than in the DA treated group. The serum alkaline phosphate (SAP), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels increased following infection and drug administration. The increase in the enzyme levels was greater in the DA treated groups than PMI treated groups. It was thus concluded that PMI given at 4 mg/kg i/m at days 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, and 26 PI constituted a safe and efficient trypanocide and exhibited a superior trypanocidal action than DA in T. brucei brucei infected dogs.     

Experimental oral transmission of chronic wasting disease to red deer (Cervus elaphus elaphus): Early detection and late stage distribution of protease-resistant prion protein

Chronic wasting disease (CWD), an important emerging prion disease of cervids, is readily transmitted by intracerebral or oral inoculation from deer-to-deer and elk-to-elk, suggesting the latter is a natural route of exposure. Studies of host range susceptibility to oral infection, particularly of those species found in habitats where CWD currently exists are imperative. This report describes the experimental transmission of CWD to red deer following oral inoculation with infectious CWD material of elk origin. At 18 to 20 months post-inoculation, mild to moderate neurological signs and weight loss were observed and animals were euthanized and tested using 3 conventional immunological assays. The data indicate that red deer are susceptible to oral challenge and that tissues currently used for CWD diagnosis show strong abnormal prion (PrP^CWD) accumulation. Widespread peripheral PrP^CWD deposition involves lymphoreticular tissues, endocrine tissues, and cardiac muscle and suggests a potential source of prion infectivity, a means of horizontal transmission and carrier state.     

Pharmacokinetic disposition of triclabendazole in cattle and sheep; discrimination of the order and the rate of the absorption process of its active metabolite triclabendazole sulfoxide

A comparative pharmacokinetic study was conducted to determine the order and the rate of absorption of triclabendazole (TCBZ) in cattle and sheep. A commercial suspension of TCBZ (Biofasiolex, Biogénesis S.A., Argentina) was administered at a dose rate of 10 mg/kg by the oral route to six Holstein female calves and six Corriedale female sheep. The plasma concentration profiles of the metabolites triclabendazole sulfoxide (TCBZ-SO) and triclabendazole sulfone (TCBZ-SO₂) were analysed by means of the non-compartmental method. The order of the absorption process of the active metabolite, TCBZ-SO, was determined by construction of curves of cumulative absorbed fraction of the drug by means of the Wagner-Nelson method. The appearance of TCBZ-SO in plasma of cattle and sheep resembles the entry of a constant quantity of drug into the organism per unit time. This is explained by the reservoir effect of the rumen, which acts as a biological slow-release system for TCBZ-SO and its precursor TCBZ to the posterior digestive tract where they are absorbed. The plasma concentration profiles of TCBZ-SO in both species were well described by a one-compartment open model with zero-order process of absorption and first-order process of elimination. The values of AUC_0-∞ and C _max of TCBZ-SO did not differ between species, while other kinetic parameters except for λ _z had higher values in calves than in sheep. In the case of TCBZ-SO₂, t _max was the only parameter that did not differ between species, while other kinetic parameters except for λ _z had higher values in calves than in sheep.     

Yield and mineral content of ten enset (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Ensete ventricosum</Emphasis>) varieties

A study was conducted to evaluate the macro and trace mineral contents of ten enset varieties collected from Sidama zone of southern Ethiopia. Samples of leaf lamina, leaf midrib, pseudostem and corm were taken from ten enset varieties at the age of 5 to 6 years during the main rainy season. The dry weight of each variety and fraction were also determined. Mineral contents in fractions of different enset varieties were analysed and compared with nutrient requirements of ruminants. The contribution of different enset fractions to the total dry weight was variable (P < 0.05), the highest being from pseudostem and the lowest from leaf lamina. There were varietal differences (P < 0.05) in macro and trace mineral content in different fractions except phosphorus (P) content of leaf lamina. Most enset fractions were rich sources of major minerals such as P, potassium (K), calcium (Ca) (except corm) and magnesium (Mg). Sodium (Na) content was very low. Most fractions were rich in iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn), but deficient in copper (Cu), except leaf lamina. Zinc (Zn) content was high in corm, but low in other fractions. This account of the macro and trace mineral content of different enset varieties and fractions could help in strategic supplementation intended to alleviate mineral deficiencies.     

Food intake adjustments of chicks: Short term reactions of genetic stocks to deficiencies in lysine,methionine or tryptophan

1. Growth, food intake, and food preference were measured in two experimental lines (White Rocks and White Leghorns) of chickens fed diets varying in content of lysine, methionine, or tryptophan. Diet A was balanced in all amino acids, while the remaining 6 diets were moderately ( ～ 30%) or slightly ( ～ 15%) deficient in either lysine, methionine, or tryptophan relative to NRC recommendations for broiler diets.

2. Body weight and food utilisation efficiency of White Leghorns at 10 d of age were not affected by diet, whereas the lower concentrations of lysine and methionine depressed these traits in White Rocks.

3. Tryptophan deficiency reduced food intake of White Leghorns, but not White Rocks.

4. With choice feeding of balanced and deficient diets from day 10 to 16, preferences between the diets were minimal for White Leghorns, whereas for White Rocks there was an almost immediate preference for the balanced diet, followed by lack of preference or preference for the deficient diet.

5. Apparently for some genetic stocks there is rapid adjustment to deficiencies in these amino acids with overconsumption, followed by compensation for preference of the balanced diet. The response, however, will vary depending on the deficient amino acid.