First report of Eimeria leuckarti infection in a horse in New Zealand

The protozoan parasite, Eimeria leuckarti was present in the ileal mucosa of a 7-month-old Thoroughbred filly which was destroyed with acute peritonitis resulting from perforation of the rectum. The parasite was considered to be of no clinical significance and the signs of colic noted prior to the rectal rupture were related to the vascular lesions caused by infection with Delafondia vulgaris.     

Equine rhinopneumonitis virus infection in New Zealand

Abstract

Extract

Sir,—Japanese workers (Matumoto el al., 1965 Matumoto, M., Ishizaki, R. and Shimuzu, T. 1965. Serologic survey of equine rhinopneumonitis virus infection among horses in various countries. Arch, f. Viruslorsch., 15: 609–624.  [Google Scholar]) have examined 388 horse sera from 17 countries including New Zealand and have found evidence of a high incidence of infection with equine rhinopneumonitis virus. The New Zealand material was supplied between 1957 and 1960, by Dr J. D. Manning, then of the National Health Institute, Wellington.     

A pilot study to investigate the measurement of immunoglobulin A in Welsh Cob and Welsh Pony foals’ faeces and their dam’s milk

ABSTRACT

Aims: To determine if an ELISA for measurement of IgA in equine serum could be used to measure concentrations of IgA in foal faeces and to determine correlations with concentrations in the milk of the dam.

Methods: Faeces from 20 Welsh Cob and Welsh Pony foals and milk from their dams were collected within 12?hours (Day 0) and at 6 days after parturition (Day 6). On Day 6, faeces could not be collected from 2/20 foals, and milk samples could not be collected from 3/20 mares. An equine IgA ELISA validated for serum and plasma was used to measure concentrations of IgA in all samples in triplicate. The precision of the assay for each sample type was determined using modified CV.

Results: IgA was not detectable in 7/20 Day 0 faecal samples and in 2/18 Day 6 faecal samples. For samples with detectable IgA, the mean modified CV was 10.5 (95% CI?=?6.0–15.0)% for Day 0 faecal samples, and was 6.8 (95% CI?=?4.3–9.4)% for Day 6 faecal samples. Median concentrations of IgA in faeces on Day 0 were lower than concentrations on Day 6 (0.7?mg/g vs. 37?mg/g dry matter; p?=?0.003). Concentrations of IgA in milk and faeces on Day 6 were statistically correlated (r?=?0.59; p?=?0.006).

Conclusions and clinical relevance: The IgA ELISA showed acceptable precision when used to estimate concentrations of IgA in foal faeces during the first week of life, but IgA could not be detected in 37% of meconium samples collected on Day 0. This assay may be useful for investigation of the role of maternal milk IgA in the gastrointestinal tract of neonatal foals, but further assessment of both accuracy and precision of the ELISA is required.     

Comparison of three methods of surveillance with application to the detection of Johne's disease seropositivity in Texas cattle

Surveillance and monitoring are important for measuring the level of disease in a population, documenting changes in prevalence over time, determining high-risk areas for implementation of control measures, eradicating disease, and documenting freedom from disease. The documentation of freedom from disease has importance for international trade and the resumption of production after an outbreak. Johne's disease (JD) is an example of an endemic disease of cattle that has variable prevalence related to environmental and animal-level factors. Three methods of sample collection were used to describe the prevalence and distribution of JD seropositivity in Texas. Sampled cattle were: (1) extensively managed herds, (2) market cattle, and (3) clinically ill cattle examined by practicing veterinarians throughout Texas. Samples were evaluated for JD using a commercially available serum ELISA. Proportion of seropositive samples was compared and spatial distributions were evaluated for clustering. Difference of JD seropositivity was observed among the three sample populations suggesting that estimation of disease prevalence is dependant upon the source of samples.     

Scrotal circumference,bodyweight and semen characteristics in growing dairy-breed natural-service bulls in Tasmania,Australia

Aims: To provide herd managers with a set of decision rules allowing them to predict the likelihood that a juvenile bull is ready for Bull Breeding Soundness Evaluation (BBSE), or breeding, if bodyweight and scrotal circumference are known.

Methods: This was a longitudinal study following two groups of young pasture-fed Holstein and Jersey bulls from northwest Tasmania, Australia. Individual scrotal circumference, bodyweight and semen characteristics were recorded at 6–8 weekly intervals, from 6–18 months of age. Classification and regression tree analyses were used to predict the probability that a bull had ≥70% normal sperm morphology based on scrotal circumference and bodyweight measurements.

Results: Overall 1,661 scrotal circumference and bodyweight measurements were obtained, and 518 semen samples from 356 bulls were assessed for sperm morphology, from 16 examination sessions that took place between 29 May 2015 and 17 August 2016. Classification and regression tree analyses generated a decision tree for Holstein bulls with four node endpoints, and for Jersey bulls with three node endpoints. Diagnostic test performance showed that for Holstein bulls, using the node endpoints of scrotal circumference ≥27?cm and bodyweight ≥349?kg, 98% had ≥70% normal sperm (positive likelihood ratio 10.4; 95% CI?=?2.7–41), and using the node endpoints of scrotal circumference ≥27?cm and bodyweight between 282–349?kg, 89% had ≥70% normal sperm (positive likelihood ratio 1.6; 95% CI?=?0.9–2.6). For Jersey bulls, using the node endpoints of bodyweight ≥259?kg and scrotal circumference ≥29?cm, 88% had ≥70% normal sperm (positive likelihood ratio 3.4; 95% CI?=?1.6–7.0).

Conclusions: This study provides a set of relatively simple decision rules based on bodyweight and scrotal circumference measurements that allows herd managers to assess the likelihood that juvenile bulls are ready for BBSE or breeding.

Abbreviations: BBSE: Bull breeding soundness evaluation; BRT: Boosted regression tree     

1/25 translocations in Blonde d'Aquitaine cattle in New Zealand

A Robertsonian centric fusion between chromosomes 1 and 25 in Blonde d'Aquitaine cattle in New Zealand is reported. This fused chromosome is the same as the widely reported 1/29 translocation chromosome with the difference in the numbering arising from inconsistencies in the G and R-banded cattle karyotypes of the International System for Cytogenetic Nomenclature of Domestic Animals, 1989.     

Direct measurement of femtomoles of osmium and the 187Os/186Os ratio in seawater

Two depth profiles of the osmium concentration and the 187Os/186Os isotopic ratio in the Indian Ocean showed that the osmium concentration seems to be unaltered by chemical or biological processes occuring in seawater; accordingly, osmium is conservative. These data were obtained from an experimental method that eliminated the problems related to osmium preconcentration. This method led to a new evaluation of the concentration of osmium in seawater; the mean concentration of osmium and the 187Os/186Os ratio are equal to 10.86 +/- 0.07 picograms per kilogram and 8.80 +/- 0.07, respectively. The results suggest the existence of an organocomplex that dominates the speciation of osmium in seawater.     

Effects of stocking density,ration and temperature on growth,survival and metamorphosis of auricularia larvae of the California sea cucumber,Parastichopus californicus

The combined effects of stocking density (0.2, 0.5, 1, 2, 4 and 8 inds/ml) and dietary microalgal ration (20,000 and 40,000 cells/ml) and the sole effect of temperature (10, 12, 14, 16, 18 and 22°C) on the specific growth rate (SGR), per cent survival and per cent metamorphosis of auricularia larvae of the California sea cucumber, Parastichopus californicus, were evaluated in two separate experiments. The SGR was not significantly affected by stocking densities in the range of 0.2 to 4 inds/ml, but was significantly reduced at 8 inds/ml. The SGR of larvae fed 20,000 cells/ml was significantly reduced in comparison to those fed 40,000 cells/ml. Larvae had significantly higher per cent survival and per cent metamorphosis when reared at densities of 0.2 and 0.5 inds/ml compared with those reared at 2–8 inds/ml. Microalgal ration level did not significantly impact survival or metamorphosis. Larvae reared at 16 and 18°C had significantly higher SGRs and per cent metamorphosis than those held at all other temperatures, while per cent survival was highest at 16°C. Based on these results, we recommend rearing auricularia larvae of P. californicus at a stocking density at or below 0.5 inds/ml, a dietary ration of 40,000 cells/ml, and a temperature of 16°C.