Evaluation of factors associated with positive IgM capture ELISA results in equids with clinical signs compatible with West Nile virus infection: 1,017 cases (2003)

OBJECTIVE: To describe the prevalence of West Nile virus (WNV) infection and evaluate factors associated with positive IgM capture ELISA results in equids with clinical signs compatible with WNV infection. DESIGN: Retrospective case series. SAMPLE POPULATION: Laboratory submission forms from 1,104 equids tested for WNV in Colorado in 2003. PROCEDURES: Submission forms accompanying samples submitted for detection of WNV via IgM capture ELISA were obtained from the Colorado state veterinarian and diagnostic laboratories performing the tests. Data on signalment, clinical signs, history of vaccination against WNV, and assay results were collected from laboratory submission forms. Equids with clinical signs compatible with WNV infection in which IgM capture ELISA results were positive were considered as case equids. RESULTS: 1,104 equids were tested for WNV; 1,017 (92.1%) had clinical signs compatible with WNV infection. Among equids with clinical signs compatible with WNV infection, the odds of testing positive for WNV via IgM capture ELISA were lower in males and in vaccinated equids and higher in equids with moderate and severe illness, compared with females, unvaccinated equids, and equids with mild illness. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Among equids with clinical signs compatible with WNV infection, vaccination against WNV, severity of clinical signs, duration of illness, and region in Colorado were associated with increased risk of having a positive IgM capture ELISA result.     

Phytophthora genome sequences uncover evolutionary origins and mechanisms of pathogenesis

Draft genome sequences have been determined for the soybean pathogen Phytophthora sojae and the sudden oak death pathogen Phytophthora ramorum. O?mycetes such as these Phytophthora species share the kingdom Stramenopila with photosynthetic algae such as diatoms, and the presence of many Phytophthora genes of probable phototroph origin supports a photosynthetic ancestry for the stramenopiles. Comparison of the two species' genomes reveals a rapid expansion and diversification of many protein families associated with plant infection such as hydrolases, ABC transporters, protein toxins, proteinase inhibitors, and, in particular, a superfamily of 700 proteins with similarity to known o?mycete avirulence genes.     

Prevalence of Bartonella species, haemoplasma species, Ehrlichia species, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and Neorickettsia risticii DNA in the blood of cats and their fleas in the United States

Ctenocephalides felis were killed and collected from 92 cats in Alabama, Maryland, and Texas. The fleas and blood from the corresponding cat were digested and assessed in polymerase chain reaction assays that amplify DNA of Ehrlichia species, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Neorickettsia risticii, Mycoplasma haemofelis, 'Candidatus M haemominutum' and Bartonella species. DNA consistent with B henselae, B clarridgeiae, M haemofelis, or 'Candidatus M haemominutum' was commonly amplified from cats (60.9%) and their fleas (65.2%). Results of this study support the recommendation to maintain flea control on cats in endemic areas.     

Feline pyoderma therapy

Feline pyoderma is a disease entity more prevalent than previously described. Diagnosis is made by finding bacteria in the presence of inflammatory cells or bacterial phagocytosis on routine cytological examination. Diseases leading to secondary bacterial pyoderma include allergic and inflammatory skin diseases, parasitosis, feline chin acne, and others. Lesions of feline pyoderma are variable and include crusted and eroded papules, pustules, furuncles, eroded to ulcerated plaques with variable exudation and crusting, and linear to nodular ulcerative granulomatous lesions. Three cases of feline pyoderma responsive to antimicrobial therapy are discussed: case 1, a 10.5-year-old male neutered domestic short hair with eosinophilic lip ulcer, case 2, a 7-year-old male neutered domestic short hair with multiple cutaneous eosinophilic plaques, and case 3, an 8-month-old male neutered domestic short hair cat with Pseudomonas dermatitis, vasculitis, and panniculitis. Antibiotic selection for treatment of feline pyoderma should be based on cytological examination, and culture and sensitivity in unresponsive cases.     

Connecting Small Farmers in the Caribbean to Knowledge,Networks, and Institutions Through ICTs

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) have been shown to be useful in agricultural knowledge systems to improve communication linkages among research, extension services, and farmers. The end result would be new information and technologies being made available to those who need it the most in larger numbers and in a timelier manner. While the role of ICTs in stimulating technological, organizational, institutional, and policy innovations in developing countries has been recognized, in many Caribbean States where ICTs are becoming readily available, the development and use of ICT in agricultural research and innovation systems remain underexploited, despite the fact that the agricultural sector in these developing nations accounts for a significant amount of the total employed labor force. This article traces key developments in ICT use in the agricultural sector in the Caribbean region, while highlighting the challenges as well as the potential of this technology. Several initiatives in the region are described and suggestions made for the development of innovative, appropriate, and efficient information and communication systems.     

Transgene-mediated resistance to <Emphasis Type="Italic">Papaya ringspot virus</Emphasis>: challenges and solutions

Global papaya production is severely affected by papaya ringspot disease caused by Papaya ringspot virus (PRSV). Management of this potyvirus is challenging, due to 1) its non-persistent transmission by numerous aphid species and 2) the diversity of PRSV strains that exists within a country or between different geographical regions. Papaya cultivars with transgenic resistance have reduced the impact of the disease. There are no effective alternatives to transgenic resistance available in areas where disease pressure is high. In Hawaii, transgenic papayas such as “SunUp” and “Rainbow” have remained resistant to PRSV more than two decades saving the commercial papaya industry. Following the success in Hawaii, researchers from other countries have focused on developing PRSV-resistant transgenic papaya. These transgenic cultivars often demonstrated an initial transitory resistance that was ultimately overcome by the virus. For other cases, resistance was inconsistent. That is, some transgenic lines were resistant while others were not. Transgenic cultivars are now losing PRSV-resistance for various reasons in China and Taiwan. In this review, we present an update on work with transgenic papaya with resistance to PRSV. The focus is on factors affecting transgenic resistance in papaya and our attempt to explain why the Hawaiian scenario of complete and durable resistance has not been replicated in other regions. The utilization of more recent technologies to the development of virus resistance in papaya is also discussed.     

Use of Food Label Information by Trinidad Consumers and Implications for National Health

Nutritional information on food labels helps consumers make informed decisions about what they chose to consume. This study, conducted among 320 consumers in Trinidad, West Indies, examined consumers' use of various informational components of the label and the influence of health-related factors on use of such information. The study found that, although there was a fairly high reading of food label information, fats and sodium information were not given the required attention. Six variables—(a) diabetes; (b) allergies; (c) gender; (d) level of schooling; (e) fast food consumption; and (f) fiber consumption—significantly impacted the use of food label information.     

Composition of Oat Bran and Flour Prepared by Three Different Mechanisms of Dry Milling

Three mechanisms of oat milling were tested for laboratory-scale oat bran production. Oat bran consistent with AACC definition and commercially obtained product was generated with either roller-milling or impact-milling of groats, followed by sieving to retain larger particles. These bran preparations were enriched ≈1.7-fold in β-glucan and ash, 1.4-fold in protein, and 1.1-fold in lipid. Bran finishing made further enrichments in protein, β-glucan, and ash. Tempering oat (to 12% moisture for 20 min) improved bran yield from roller-milling nearly two-fold but had little effect on bran composition. Bran yield from the impact-type mill was significantly affected by grinding screen size. Oat bran obtained from a pearling mill was only slightly enriched in β-glucan and protein, but it was more heavily enriched in ash and oil than brans from roller or impact mills. The pearling mill isolated the outer layers of the groat directly, but because of its low β-glucan composition it did not meet the AACC definition of oat bran, indicating a relatively uniform distribution of β-glucan in the groat.