Report of a serological study of Coxiella burnetii in domestic animals in Albania

The prevalence of Coxiella burnetii antibodies in domestic ruminants in Albania has been investigated. A total of 1656 serum samples taken from sheep, goats, and cattle housed on farms located in 20 different districts were tested by ELISA for the presence of specific antibodies to C. burnetii phase I and II antigens. Specific IgG antibodies were detected in 9.1% of the animals from both lowland and mountainous areas. In total, a slightly higher percentage of antibodies was detected in sheep and goats (9.8%) than in cattle (7.9%).     

Effects of peroral insulin and glucose on circulating insulin-like growth factor-I, its binding proteins and thyroid hormones in neonatal calves

There is disagreement in the literature about the ability of neonatal calves to absorb perorally administered insulin. This study evaluated the absorption of a bolus of insulin administered alone or with an energy souce and its effects on the circulating insulin-like growth factor system and thyroid hormones in newborn Holstein-Friesian calves. Within 1 h of dosing, mean serum insulin and triiodothyronine (T3) concentrations had increased considerably, whether the insulin was applied alone (n = 4) or together with glucose (n = 4), accompanied by marked hypoglycemia. No significant changes were observed in control calves (n = 4) given the vehicle solution. Increased serum glucose and T3 concentrations with no change in insulinemia occurred in a 4th group of calves given glucose alone. At 32 h of age and after 3 meals of colostrum there were no differences in glycemia, insulinemia, or proteinemia among the 4 groups of calves examined. Mean serum insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) tended to decrease over this period in the control group. The decrease was more pronounced in the insulin-treated group but absent in both groups that received glucose. These differences were associated with equivalent differences in abundance of the 40-45K IGF-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3); however, lower molecular mass IGFBPs were not affected. The results show that a pharmacological peroral dose of insulin can lead to rapid systemic alterations in the IGF/IGFBP system in neonatal calves that can be modified by simultaneous administration of a small energy supply in the form of glucose.     

Tick-borne encephalitis epidemic in Hungary 1951–2021: The story and lessons learned

The authors analysed epidemiological data of the Hungarian tick-borne encephalitis epidemic from the past seven decades. A total of 911 meningitis serosa cases were described from 1930-1950 s by local hospital physicians, indicating that the virus had been present in the country decades before its official identification in 1952. The virus spread freely in the 1950s–1960s, occupying almost all habitats where ticks occurred in large numbers. The increasing number of cases drove authorities to classify this illness as a notifiable disease in 1977 and to organize the first measures to stop the epidemic. Statistical analysis revealed that the large-scale vaccination launched from the 1990s was responsible for the sharp decrease in the number of human cases from 1997. A significant negative correlation was found between the number of vaccine doses sold and human cases 6 years later. The TBEV endemic area covers 16.57% of the territory and 16.65% of the population of the country. In the last 10 years, 186,000 vaccine doses/year in average were enough to keep the incidence of human TBEV infections between 0.45 and 0.06/100,000 persons. A 20-year-long study found evidence for easing clinical signs in TBEV-infected hospitalized patients. Statistics found a sharp decrease in the number of samples sent for TBEV diagnosis after 1989. Male dominance of patients was characteristic of the epidemics since the 1940s, but now analysis of detailed data from the 1981–2021 period (60.5%–87.5%) proved the statistical significance of this dominance. Obviously, the voluntary vaccination programme was the tool which broke the spread of the epidemic. Widespread public awareness of the disease and the tick vector, probable evolutionary spread of less pathogenic virus strains supplemented with the vaccination campaign led to a negligible level of human TBE cases in Hungary in the last years.     

Correlation between carcass condemnations in slaughterhouses and official notifications of cattle testing positive for tuberculosis

Tropical Animal Health and Production - The objective of this study was to analyze the correlation between condemnations in slaughterhouses situated in Minas Gerais State and notifications to the...     

A rare Cryptosporidium parvum genotype associated with infection of lambs and zoonotic transmission in Italy

An outbreak of cryptosporidiosis occurred in a mixed sheep/cattle farm of Central Italy in October 2011. A total of 450 ovines (250 sheep and 200 lambs) and 140 bovines (130 cows and 10 calves) were housed in two separated units, at the time of the outbreak. About half of the lambs had diarrhea due to Cryptosporidium sp. with a mortality rate of 80%; calves were not infected. Genomic DNA was extracted from an archived slide and from fecal specimens, and the parasite was identified as Cryptosporidium parvum by PCR and sequence analysis at the CpA135 gene. Genotyping at the GP60 gene showed the presence of a very rare genotype, IIaA20G2R1. Shortly after the outbreak was identified, the son of the farm's owner, aged 18 months, experienced an acute gastroenteritis and was hospitalized due to recurrent episodes of diarrhea, fever, vomiting and lack of appetite. The feces tested negative for bacteria and viruses, whereas cryptosporidiosis was diagnosed by microscopy and an immunochromatographic test. Molecular typing identified the C. parvum genotype IIaA20G2R1 in the feces of the child. This is the first case of transmission of cryptosporidiosis in Italy involving lambs as source of oocysts infectious to humans.     

Prevalence of clinical findings at examinations of young Swedish warmblood riding horses

Background

Soundness of an individual horse is important for animal welfare and owner economy. However, knowledge of health status in normal horse populations is limited due to lack of systematic health recordings. The aim of the investigation was to study the prevalence of veterinary clinical findings in 4-5-year-old Swedish warmblood riding horses, and their influence on overall health scores, where associations to future longevity has been indicated.

Results

The prevalence of clinical findings in 8,281 horses examined during 1983–2005 was studied according to a standardised protocol and related to overall health scores in linear statistical models. Effects of sex, age, examination event and changes over time were included. In total, 49% of the horses had clinical findings of medical health (MED), 42% in hooves (HOOF) and 74% of palpatory orthopaedic health (PALP). However, only 6%, 3% and 24% had moderate or severe findings, of MED, HOOF and PALP, respectively. Flexion test reactions were reported in 21% of the horses (5% moderate/severe), heavily influencing the overall score (H2). One fifth of these horses also had findings of unprovoked lameness while 83% had PALP findings (44% with moderate/severe findings). Acute clinical signs, i.e. heat or soreness, had a large influence on the H2 score but were rare, whereas more common clinical findings had smaller effects on overall health. Large variations in recorded health results were observed among events. A decrease in findings has occurred since 1983, in particular for PALP findings.

Conclusions

Results of occurrence and relevance of evaluated clinical findings could be used for advice on preventive actions to keep horses sound, and possibly for benchmarking, and genetic evaluation of health traits. The distinct effect of event on recorded clinical findings emphasises that further harmonisation of veterinary examinations are desirable.     

Sample pooling for real-time PCR detection and virulence determination of the footrot pathogen <Emphasis Type="Italic">Dichelobacter nodosus</Emphasis>

Dichelobacter nodosus is the principal cause of ovine footrot and strain virulence is an important factor in disease severity. Therefore, detection and virulence determination of D. nodosus is important for proper diagnosis of the disease. Today this is possible by real-time PCR analysis. Analysis of large numbers of samples is costly and laborious; therefore, pooling of individual samples is common in surveillance programs. However, pooling can reduce the sensitivity of the method. The aim of this study was to develop a pooling method for real-time PCR analysis that would allow sensitive detection and simultaneous virulence determination of D. nodosus. A total of 225 sheep from 17 flocks were sampled using ESwabs within the Swedish Footrot Control Program in 2014. Samples were first analysed individually and then in pools of five by real-time PCR assays targeting the 16S rRNA and aprV2/B2 genes of D. nodosus. Each pool consisted of four negative and one positive D. nodosus samples with varying amounts of the bacterium. In the individual analysis, 61 (27.1%) samples were positive in the 16S rRNA and the aprV2/B2 PCR assays and 164 (72.9%) samples were negative. All samples positive in the aprV2/B2 PCR-assay were of aprB2 variant. The pooled analysis showed that all 41 pools were also positive for D. nodosus 16S rRNA and the aprB2 variant. The diagnostic sensitivity for pooled and individual samples was therefore similar. Our method includes concentration of the bacteria before DNA-extraction. This may account for the maintenance of diagnostic sensitivity. Diagnostic sensitivity in the real-time PCR assays of the pooled samples were comparable to the sensitivity obtained for individually analysed samples. Even sub-clinical infections were able to be detected in the pooled PCR samples which is important for control of the disease. This method may therefore be implemented in footrot control programs where it can replace analysis of individual samples.