Temporal-spatial epidemiology of foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks in Mongolia, 2000 – 2002

Prior to 2000, foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) had not been observed in Mongolia since 1973; however, between April 2000 and July 2002, Mongolia reported 44 FMD outbreaks that affected cattle, sheep, goats, and camels. The objectives of this study were to describe the distributions of the 44 reported FMD outbreaks in Mongolia and to assess their spatial clustering and directions of movement. Official reports were collected to obtain the number and species of animals both affected and at risk, and the date and geographical coordinates of each outbreak. Significant global and local spatial clusters of reported FMD outbreaks were identified. Disease spread during the second epidemic moved 76° northeast and the spread of the disease during the third epidemic moved 110° northwest. FMD outbreaks were clustered intensely close to other FMD-positive counties. These findings can be used in the future to help plan prevention and control measures in high risk areas.     

Histopathological findings in the early diagnosis of granulosa cell tumour in bitches

Granulosa cell tumour (GCT) is a majorly observed ovarian tumour in female dogs. It is essential to diagnose GCT in its initial phase before any symptoms occur, as histological and physiological differences may be observed based on the evolution of this neoplasia. This study aimed to analyse the anatomic histopathology of GCT in its initial stage, with findings of ovaries not yet with the suspicion of neoplasms in the Canis familiaris. A sample including 55 ovaries presented GCT in 40 female dogs. The histopathological analysis was performed considering the intensity of pleomorphism, vascularization and inflammatory infiltrate. Furthermore, we evaluated the mitoses count in 10 fields using 40× magnification. Out of the 40 animals evaluated, 62.5% (25/40) presented the tumour in only one ovary. The Call‐Exner corpuscle was present in 65% (26/40) of the cases. The follicular histological pattern was present in 52.5% (21/40) of the animals. The presence of the Call‐Exner bodies and the degree of tumour cell pleomorphism (p = 0.033) were associated. Moreover, the degree of vascularization and the intensity of the inflammatory infiltrate were also related (p = 0.001). In addition, there was a positive relationship between the increase in pleomorphism and the mean age of the animals (p = 0.044). This study confirmed that the appearance of this tumour may precede any clinical symptomatology. In this study, the most frequent histopathological pattern was the follicular. The characteristics of the granulosa cell tumour diagnosed early were poorly pleomorphic cells, low mitotic index and presence of Call‐Exner body.     

Validation of the fluorescence polarization assay as a serological test for the presumptive diagnosis of porcine brucellosis.

Sera from Canadian pigs (brucellosis free, n = 14037) and sera from pigs infected with Brucella suis (n = 401) were tested by the buffered antigen plate agglutination test, the complement fixation test, an indirect and a competitive enzyme immunoassay and a fluorescence polarization assay. The results were analysed and assay sensitivity and specificity estimates were calculated. The sensitivity and specificity of the tests were as follows: the buffered antigen plate agglutination test, 77.1 and 96.9%; the complement fixation test (considering anticomplementary sera as negative), 93.3 and 95.5%; the complement fixation test (considering anticomplementary sera as positive), 58.1 and 99.9%; the indirect enzyme immunoassay, 94.0 and 97.9%; the competitive enzyme immunoassay, 90.8 and 96.6%; and the fluorescence polarization assay, 93.5 and 97.2%; respectively. It was concluded that the fluorescence polarization assay was a valuable asset to the diagnosis of porcine brucellosis because of its accuracy, ease of performance and relative cost.     

A practitioner's views on fluid therapy in calves.

This article is aimed to persuade most bovine practitioners that FET is a therapeutic tool that can easily be used under field conditions, and that by following the right protocol, one can provide a cost-effective treatment for the farmer, a rewarding experience for us, and a boost for our professional image. Based on the excellent current publications, the scheme of work to put FET into practice is presented. Controversial decisions must be made (such as oral vs. parenteral fluids, removing milk from diet vs. continued feeding, oral fluids with bicarbonate vs. those with metabolizable bases, and so forth). Practicality, economy, and owner compliance are critical components of a successful protocol. This work protocol is based on the current literature, considers controversial subjects, such as route of administration, alkalinizing agents, and fasting, employs simple yet effective techniques, and is successful in a high percentage of cases.     

Genetic variability of rhizobacteria from wild populations of four Lupinus species based on PCR-RAPDs§

The metabolic capacities of rhizosphere bacteria can depend on intraspecific genetic variability at strain level. We sampled bacteria from the rhizosphere of three populations of four different Lupinus species at two growth stages (flowering: GS1 and fruiting: GS2). Isolates were identified to the genus level by classical biochemical tests. The most abundant genera found were Bacillus, Aureobacterium, Cellulomonas, Pseudomonas, and Arthrobacter. Genetic divergence of rhizobacteria was tested by PCR-RAPDs. The genetic distances were low, with mean values of 37 % for Bacillus, 25 % for Aureobacterium, 46 % for Cellulomonas, 16 % for Pseudomonas, and 23 % for Arthrobacter. Aureobacterium, the most abundant genus, predominated in the rhizosphere of all populations and at both growth stages (GS1 and GS2) of L. angustifolius. The Aureobacterium strains consisted of 11 groups with 90 % similarity indexes. The cluster analysis of these groups shows that strains isolated from different lupin species and sampling times have extraordinary low diversity indexes, or are even identical. This fact, together with the low genetic distance detected in the rhizosphere, reveals a clear specificity in the plant-bacteria interaction. This specificity could be related with several aspects of plant physiology.