A 6-year survey of pathological conditions of slaughtered animals at Zango abattoir in Zaria,Kaduna State,Nigeria

A 6-year retrospective study (2000–2005) of animals slaughtered at the Zango abattoir in Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria was carried out to determine disease conditions encountered in slaughtered animals. Records kept at the abattoir were analysed. A total of 69,307 cattle, 3,820 goats and 1,763 sheep were slaughtered for the period under study. Of the 69,307 cattle slaughtered for the period, 22,459 (32.41%) were males and 46,848 (67.59%) were females, while 1,763 sheep were slaughtered comprising of 506 (28.70%) males and 1,257 (71.30%) females, and 3,820 goats made up of 1,212 (31.73%) males and 2,608 (68.27%) were females. The major disease and/or pathological conditions were helminthosis (fascioliasis, haemonchosis and paramphistomosis) 16.20%, Streptothricosis 4.15%, Pericarditis 2.20%, liver cirrhosis 2.08%, abscesses 1.04%, pneumonia 0.14%, nephritis 0.05% and Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia, Tuberculosis and Nocardiosis 0.01% each. Out of the 15,075 infected organs, 13,314 (88.38%) were partially salvaged while 1,751 (11.6%) whole organs were condemned. A total of 1,239 pregnant cows, 221 pregnant ewes and 637 pregnant does were slaughtered, representing a foetal wastage of 2.65% for cattle, 17.58% for sheep and 24.43% for goats. The result of this study apart from serving as an indicator of field disease condition also demonstrates cases of serious losses in production due to slaughter of pregnant animals especially for sheep and goats.     

Aortic to caudal vena cava ratio measurements using abdominal ultrasound are increased in dogs with confirmed systemic hypertension

Chronically sustained systemic hypertension in dogs can damage the kidneys, eye, brain, heart, and vessels. In human medicine, systemic hypertension has been implicated as the most common risk factor for aorta dilation, which can progress to an aneurysm. Abdominal ultrasound has been commonly used to monitor the size of the abdominal aorta in people with systemic hypertension. In this retrospective cross‐sectional abdominal ultrasound study, evaluation of the size of the abdominal aorta relative to the caudal vena cava was performed in 18 control dogs and 128 dogs with confirmed systemic hypertension. Preexisting conditions contributing to systemic hypertension in these dogs were renal disease, hyperadrenocorticism, diabetes mellitus, adrenal tumors, and previous administration of phenylpropanolamine or palladia. The abdominal aorta and caudal vena cava were assessed from longitudinal images cranial to the trifurcation with measurements made from outer border to outer border of the walls, being careful not to compress the caudal vena cava that would alter its size. Our hypothesis was the ratio of the diameter of the abdominal aorta to caudal vena cava would be higher in dogs with systemic hypertension compared to dogs with normal blood pressure. The mean abdominal aorta‐caudal vena cava ratio was 1.028 in control dogs with a normal blood pressure and 1.515 in dogs with systemic hypertension. In dogs with confirmed systemic hypertension, the abdominal aorta was dilated compared to the caudal vena cava in the caudal abdomen. An increase in the abdominal aorta‐caudal vena cava ratio in a dog should raise suspicion for the presence of systemic hypertension and prompt evaluation of blood pressure.     

A New Micromonospora Strain with Antibiotic Activity Isolated from the Microbiome of a Mid-Atlantic Deep-Sea Sponge

To tackle the growing problem of antibiotic resistance, it is essential to identify new bioactive compounds that are effective against resistant microbes and safe to use. Natural products and their derivatives are, and will continue to be, an important source of these molecules. Sea sponges harbour a diverse microbiome that co-exists with the sponge, and these bacterial communities produce a rich array of bioactive metabolites for protection and resource competition. For these reasons, the sponge microbiota constitutes a potential source of clinically relevant natural products. To date, efforts in bioprospecting for these compounds have focused predominantly on sponge specimens isolated from shallow water, with much still to be learned about samples from the deep sea. Here we report the isolation of a new Micromonospora strain, designated 28ISP2-46^T, recovered from the microbiome of a mid-Atlantic deep-sea sponge. Whole-genome sequencing reveals the capacity of this bacterium to produce a diverse array of natural products, including kosinostatin and isoquinocycline B, which exhibit both antibiotic and antitumour properties. Both compounds were isolated from 28ISP2-46^T fermentation broths and were found to be effective against a plethora of multidrug-resistant clinical isolates. This study suggests that the marine production of isoquinocyclines may be more widespread than previously supposed and demonstrates the value of targeting the deep-sea sponge microbiome as a source of novel microbial life with exploitable biosynthetic potential.     

THE EFFECT OF PHYSIOLOGICAL STATUS ON DIET SELECTION BY GRAZING EWES

The effect of the physiological status of grazing ewes on diet selection was studied, using ewes with oesophageal fistulae. The diets of dry ewes grazing Phalaris annual grasses and subterranean clover pastures, over a range of availabilities, were compared with those of ewes in various stages of pregnancy and lactation. There were no significant differences at any stage of reproduction in the botanical composition of the diets. However, small differences in diet digestibility, soluble carbohydrate and nitrogen content were found during pregnancy and lactation. These occurred at all levels of availability of pasture. The differences did not appear to have nutritional significance in the particular pasture ecosystems studied because levels of N, soluble carbohydrates and digestibility of the diet were such that selection for survival was unlikely to be necessary.
It is concluded that dry fistulated ewes can be used to obtain samples for assessing diet N and soluble carbohydrate contents for ewes in other physiological states. The use of in vitro digestibility tests of diets of dry ewes to assess diet digestibility for ewes in other physiological states may be subject to error.     

Impact of Pea necrotic yellow dwarf virus (PNYDV) on nodulation,N2 fixation and yield in faba bean (Vicia faba,L.)

Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection - Pea necrotic yellow dwarf virus (PNYDV) is a novel nanovirus in Europe, affecting various grain legumes. The impact of PNYDV on nodulation, symbiotic N2...     

Appearance of immunoglobulin classes and complement (C3) during Corynebacterium renale-induced experimental pyelonephritis in the rat

The local appearance of various immunoglobulin (Ig) isotypes in the urinary tract during ascending pyelonephritis was studied in rats experimentally infected with Corynebacterium renale. The indirect fluorescent antibody assay was used to detect IgG, IgM, IgA, IgE, and C3 on C renale present in the urine of the experimental animals. Corynebacterium renale coated with IgM and IgG antibodies was found beginning on the 4th day after induced infection, with IgG being the more abundant isotype. Coating with IgA occurred as early as the 4th day, but was less dense than coating with IgG. The presence of C3 on C renale was concurrent with IgM and IgG coating. A significant quantity of IgE could not be identified on antibody-coated C renale. Thus, IgG is the major component of the humoral immune response in this model of ascending pyelonephritis. The IgM early during infection and IgA later during infection seem not to be a major component of the immune response in this model.     

EFFECTS OF EXPERIMENTAL NERVE ROOT COMPRESSION ON ARTERIAL BLOOD FLOW VELOCITY IN THE SEVENTH LUMBAR SPINAL GANGLION OF THE DOG: MEASUREMENT USING INTRAOPERATIVE DOPPLER ULTRASONOGRAPHY

Intraoperative Doppler ultrasonography was used to measure the effects of four experimental nerve root compression treatments (central compression, central-plus-lateral compression, lateral compression, and compression release) on arterial blood flow velocities in the seventh lumbar spinal ganglion of three dogs. Graphed blood flow velocity changes (change = treatment value − pretreatment value) were below baseline during the first three compression treatments and above baseline following compression release. Mean blood flow velocity changes for both central-plus-lateral compression and lateral compression differed (p ≤ 0.05) from changes for central compression. Changes for central-plus-lateral compression did not differ (p > 0.05) from changes for lateral compression. Changes among the first three compression treatments differed (p ≤ 0.05) from changes for compression release. No histologic abnormalities were identified in compressed nerve tissues, compared to contralateral controls. These findings indicate that stenosis within the L7-S1 intervertebral foramen may cause ischemia of the L7 spinal ganglion in dogs.