Aerobic bacterial culture of used intravenous fluid bags intended for use as urine collection reservoirs

Numerous studies have shown a relationship between indwelling urinary catheters and bacterial urinary tract infection. Some veterinary hospitals utilize stored, used intravenous (IV) fluid bags as part of the urine collection system. The authors cultured 95 such bags to see if they were potential sources of bacterial contamination. Forty-two unused IV bags were emptied of their contents for use as controls. Results indicated no aerobic bacterial growth in either group. The authors conclude that properly stored, used IV bags are unlikely sources of aerobic bacterial contamination when used in a urine collection system.     

Where art thou louse? A snapshot of attachment location preferences in salmon lice on Atlantic salmon hosts in sea cages

Problematic sea lice infestations on farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) have motivated extensive research and development into new methods to prevent, monitor and control sea lice. Most of these technologies require detailed information on the behaviour, spatial distribution and demography of lice on host fish. This study investigated how salmon lice (Lepeophtheirus salmonis) infestation density varies across the host's surface under sea cage farming conditions. Lice abundance, demography and attachment location were tracked over time, with repeated sampling of 300 individually tagged salmon across three replicate experimental sea cages. The data reveal clear differences in attachment locations according to sex and stage, but with an overall preference for the dorsal surface among mobile stages—dorsal head for adult females and dorsal-posterior section for males and pre-adults. Total lice abundance was highly variable between repeated measures of individual fish, consistent with frequent host-switching or mortality. Total lice numbers also declined between sampling dates, likely due to handling, with lost mobile lice being almost exclusively adult males. As the distribution of sea lice on hosts is likely determined by numerous factors, future image-based automated detection systems should be validated in settings that reflect the complex host–parasite interactions that occur in open farming systems.     

Heat inactivation and reactivation of broccoli peroxidase

Heat inactivation characteristics differed for acidic (A), neutral (N), and basic (B) broccoli peroxidase. At 65 degrees C, A was the most heat stable followed by N and B. The activation energies for denaturation were 388, 189, and 269 kJ/mol for A, N, and B, respectively. Reactivation of N occurred rapidly, within 10 min after the heated enzyme was cooled and incubated at room temperature. The extent of reactivation varied from 0 to 50% depending on the isoenzyme and heating conditions (temperature and time). The denaturation temperature allowing the maximum reactivation was 90 degrees C for A and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and 70 and 80 degrees C for B and N, respectively. In all cases, heat treatment at low temperatures for long times prevented reactivation of the heated enzymes. Calcium (5 mM) increased the thermal stability of N and B but had no effect on reactivation. The presence of 0.05% bovine serum albumin decreased thermal stability but increased the extent of reactivation of A..     

Chromatographic Studies of Sera from Calves Vaccinated with Brucella Abortus, Strain 19

The presence of antibody was detected by agglutination tests in the serum of calves four days after vaccination with Brucella abortus strain 19. Titres had reached a maximum by seven to ten days post-vaccination. Sucrose density-gradient ultracentrifugation demonstrated that the earliest antibodies were macroglobulins, IgM (19Sγ; γM)-globulins. Lighter antibodies, IgG (7Sγ₂; γG)-globulins, appeared a few days later. With time, antibody titres fell, IgM declining somewhat more quickly than IgG. After revaccination some seven months later, there was a rapid rise in both IgM and IgG.

Anion-exchange column chromatography (DEAE-cellulose) and gel filtration (Sephadex G-200) were applied in separating the two forms of antibody. The former method, in which a gradient buffer system was used, proved to be the more efficient; the IgG antibodies apeared in early eluates at pH 7.8 to 8.0 and low ionic strength, 0.03M, whereas IgM was eluted late when the pH had fallen below 6.0 and the molarity had increased to beyond 0.2. DEAE cellulose chromatography detected IgG as well as IgM sera collected as early as five days after vaccination.

     

Field trial of the efficacy of a combination of ivermectin and praziquantel in horses infected with roundworms and tapeworms

Two hundred and thirty-three horses were screened for the presence of roundworms by faecal egg counts (FECs) and for tapeworms by an ELISA specific for antibodies to the immunodominant 12 kDa and 13 kDa tapeworms antigen. The 62 horses were found to be infected with both parasites were treated with a combination of 0.2 mg/kg ivermectin and 1.5 mg/kg praziquantel. The treatment suppressed the median FEC of the horses to zero for 10 weeks and significantly reduced their anti-12/13 kDa antibody levels. The estimated risk of tapeworm-associated colic in these horses was halved by 12 weeks after the treatment.