Seroprevalence of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Brucella</Emphasis> antibodies in camels in Katsina State,Nigeria

A cross-sectional study was carried out to determine the status of Brucella infection in one-humped (Dromedary) camels in the North and Central senatorial districts of Katsina State, Nigeria. Nine hundred and eighty serum samples from live and slaughtered camels were tested. Modified Rose Bengal plate test (RBPT) and serum agglutination test (SAT) with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, (EDTA) were used as screening and standard tests, respectively. The prevalence of Brucella antibodies were 110 (11.2%) and 103 (10.5%) for RBPT and SAT, respectively. Of the 472 and 508 serum samples tested from the herds and abattoirs, respectively, 63 (13.3%) and 47 (9.3%) were positive by RBPT while 62 (13.1%) and 41 (8.1%) were positive by SAT, respectively. Based on the results, it was concluded that Brucella antibodies were present in camels in the study area. Poor management practices and mixing of camels with other species of livestock as well as unrestricted movement of camels were proposed to be the reasons for the prevalence of the disease in the study area. In view of the public health importance of the disease, it is recommended that there is the need to develop a strategic plan to decrease spread of brucellosis in the study area.     

Surgical margins in the veterinary cancer patient

In veterinary oncologic specimens, histopathology is the gold standard for determining adequacy of excision. Despite limitations of this technique, the pathologist's interpretation of margin status significantly impacts patient management, including indications for adjuvant therapy. This article aims to summarize peer‐reviewed literature as it relates to histologic margin evaluation in veterinary cancer patients. The value of histologic tumour‐free margins and technical factors influencing histopathologic margin outcomes are also discussed. We review alternative strategies for determining excisional status, and discuss how an evolving understanding of tumour biology might inform clinical and research perspectives on surgical margins. In doing so, we aim to provide context and a stimulus for future investigations into this important yet incompletely understood topic.     

Comparison of the Value of Pulsed-field Gel Electrophoresis,Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA and Amplified rDNA Restriction Analysis for Subtyping Taylorella equigenitalis

Eight strains of Taylorella equigenitalis were identified by a polymerase chain reaction using a primer pair specific to the 16S rDNA of T equigenitalis. These eight strains were chosen because they had previously been shown to represent eight distinct genotypes by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis analysis after separate digestion of the genomic DNA with ApaI or NotI. The eight strains could be classified into six or seven types by random amplified polymorphic DNA analysis using different kinds of primers. Amplified rDNA restriction analysis after separate digestion with five restriction enzymes, including AluI and MboI, of the 1,500 bp fragments of rDNA amplified by polymerase chain reaction did not discriminate the genomic variations among the eight strains of T equigenitalis. Thus, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis was shown to discriminate these eight organisms better than random amplified polymorphic DNA analysis, while amplified rDNA restriction analysis was found to be unsuitable for subtyping T equigenitalis.     

Video-assisted thoracoscopy.

Thoracoscopy is a minimally invasive operative endoscopic procedure designed for visual inspection of the thoracic cavity. The use of small, highly maneuverable, rigid telescopes allows visualization beyond what is possible by standard operative techniques. The use of a small video camera attached to a standard rigid telescope allows the operator and assistants to view a simultaneous, enlarged, and clear image. This article focuses on the basic diagnostic and surgical techniques used in veterinary video-assisted thoracoscopy.     

Effect of K-diformate in starter diets on acidity, microbiota, and the amount of organic acids in the digestive tract of piglets, and on gastric alterations

The aim of this investigation was to study the effect of K-diformate on the intraluminal pH, microbial composition in digesta and feces, organic acids along the digestive tract, and alterations of the gastric epithelium of pigs. Pigs (n = 36) weaned at 28 d of age were allotted to two groups and fed without (control diet) or with 1.8% supplemental K-diformate. Fecal samples were taken from the rectum on d 0, 1, 3, 5, 7, 14, 21, and 28 postweaning. Half of the animals from each group were killed on d 7 and the other half on d 29 postweaning. Growth performance was not different for both groups (P > or = 0.73). The gastric epithelium was not negatively affected by K-diformate (P = 0.25). Potassium-diformate decreased (P < or = 0.04) or tended to decrease (P < or = 0.10) the counts of total anaerobic bacteria, lactic acid bacteria, and yeasts in feces and digesta samples from the stomach, distal small intestine, cecum, and middle segment of the colon. The pH along the gastrointestinal tract of piglets was not affected by K-diformate (P > or = 0.30). On d 7, the concentration of lactic acid along the gastrointestinal tract was similar with both diets (P = 0.15). On d 29, the concentrations of lactic acid tended to be lower along the small intestine (P < or = 0.08) and the stomach (P = 0.11) of the pigs fed K-diformate. Formic acid in digesta was detected at significant levels only in the distal segment of the small intestine of the control pigs (from 4 to 11 mmol/kg of wet digesta), whereas considerable amounts were measured in the stomach (from 23 to 40 mmol/kg of wet digesta) and all segments of the small intestine (from 7 to 25 mmol/kg of wet digesta) in the K-diformate-fed pigs on both days. On d 7, pigs fed the K-diformate diet had a tendency (P < or = 0.08) to have higher concentrations of organic acids (acetic + propionic + butyric) in the digesta of the distal small intestine, cecum, and proximal colon. On d 29, both groups had similar concentrations of these acids, irrespective of the segment of the gastrointestinal tract (P = 0.95). Our study showed that the addition of K-diformate to a starter diet for piglets decreased total anaerobic bacteria, lactic acid bacteria, coliforms, and yeasts in feces and in digesta from various segments of the gastrointestinal tract, without affecting the gastric or intestinal pH.     

A comparison of foal and adult horse neutrophil function using flow cytometric techniques

Flow cytometric assays were used to compare phagocytic and oxidative burst activity of neutrophils from healthy foals less than 7 days of age with the activity of cells from healthy adult horses. The phagocytosis of Staphylococcus aureus by foal neutrophils was less than that observed for adult neutrophils when autologous serum was used as the source of opsonins in the assay. The use of adult serum did not significantly improve the ability of foal neutrophils to attach bacteria. The oxidative burst activity of foal neutrophils was equivalent to that of adult cells. However, when serum or plasma was incorporated into the oxidative burst assay, foal neutrophils demonstrated greatly reduced autofluorescence and a suppressed response to phorbol myristate acetate (PMA), relative to that demonstrated by adult cells. These results suggest that peripheral blood neutrophils from foals have a reduced ability to phagocytose bacteria relative to that exhibited by adult horse neutrophils and that the oxidative burst activity of foal neutrophils is down-regulated in response to an unidentified serum factor(s). Such changes may contribute to the increased susceptibility of foals to septic disease.     

Detection of Pasteurella multocida in pigs with porcine dermatitis and nephropathy syndrome.

Comprehensive bacterial cultures were made on samples from 20 pigs that had died of porcine dermatitis and nephropathy syndrome after a short clinical illness. Eleven species of porcine bacterial pathogens and a range of commensal organisms were isolated. Pasteurella multocida was isolated from 16 of the 20 cases but the other pathogens occurred much less commonly. P. multocida was isolated from between one and five sites per case and from the tonsils, retropharyngeal lymph node or lungs in 14 of the 16 cases. Immunohistochemical investigations of kidneys from 30 cases of the syndrome (including the 20 cases in the bacteriological study) revealed P. multocida-specific staining in 26 of the cases, primarily in the renal tubular epithelial cells of the proximal convoluted tubules, but also in the glomeruli, in lesions of renal vasculitis and in the cytoplasm of interstitial mononuclear cells.     

Dairy-cattle health in Gyeongnam, Korea.

An animal-health monitoring system in the Gyeongnam area was started in 1997 to develop statistically valid data for use in estimating disease frequencies in dairy cattle, and the associated costs. The objectives of this study were to: (1) describe what was done to implement and maintain the system in Gyeongnam; (2) present selected disease frequencies; (3) discuss the epidemiological consideration of what was done and implications for results obtained.Veterinary medical officers (VMOs), comprising professors and graduate students from Gyeongsang National University, faculty of Gyeongnam Livestock Promotion Institute and clinic veterinarians, served as data collectors. After training on current disease and management problems of dairy cattle, interview techniques, sampling methods and data-collection instruments, the VMOs participated in selection of the sample herds and data gathering. Forty (n=40) of 167 dairy herds were selected randomly using a computer-generated list of random numbers and the VMOs visited farms once in a month for 12 months to collect data about management, disease, inventory, production, preventive treatment, financial and other relevant data. Strict data-quality control devices were used. Specific feed-back was developed for the producers and data collectors.The six disorders found most frequently in cows (from the highest to the lowest) were breeding problems, clinical mastitis, birth problems, gastrointestinal problems, metabolic problems and lameness. In young stock, respiratory, multiple system, breeding and gastrointestinal problems were predominant, whereas in calves, gastrointestinal, respiratory and integumental problems predominated.