Prevalence of Rickettsia species antibodies and Rickettsia species DNA in the blood of cats with and without fever

Rickettsia species antibodies have been detected in some cats but it is unknown whether infected cats develop clinical signs. The prevalence of Rickettsia species deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) in blood from clinically ill cats has not been determined. The objective of this study was to determine if cats with fever (body temperature >or=102.5 degrees F [39.2 degrees C]) were more likely to have evidence of rickettsial infection than healthy, age-matched, control cats with a body temperature<102.5 degrees F. Rickettsia species polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays were performed to detect rickettsial DNA extracted from blood (71 paired samples), indirect immunofluorescence assays (IFA) were performed to detect serum antibodies against Rickettsia felis (90 paired samples) and Rickettsia rickettsii (91 paired samples), and the results between pairs were compared. All samples were negative for Rickettsia species DNA. More cats with fever were seropositive for R felis or R rickettsii than control cats, but results were not statistically significant. Results of this pilot study failed to show an association between Rickettsia species DNA or Rickettsia species antibodies and fever.     

Photocatalytic Degradation of Emerging Contaminants: Artificial Sweeteners

Artificial sweeteners are food additives widely used, mainly in reduced sugar or sugar-free foods and beverages. Acesulfame potassium (ACE-K) and sodium saccharin (SAC) are among the most widely consumed sweeteners worldwide. These compounds when ingested are not metabolized by the body, being excreted unchanged. They arrive at treatment plants, where they are partially degraded and consequently released directly into water bodies. For this reason, artificial sweeteners have been detected in the most diverse aquatic environments, being recognized as emerging contaminants. In this work, aqueous solutions of ACE-K and SAC, submitted to heterogeneous photocatalysis (TiO₂/UV-A) for 60 min, showed degradations of more than 99% and maximum mineralization of 57% for ACE-K and 49% for SAC. The effects of certain variables were evaluated, with pH having a greater influence on the degradation of acesulfame and the mass of semiconductor on that of saccharin. The degradation of ACE-K and SAC followed a pseudo-first-order kinetic model according to the Langmuir–Hinshelwood model. Assays using Artemia salina as the test organism demonstrated the low toxicity of the photocatalyzed solutions of ACE-K and SAC. The contribution of different reactive species to the photocatalysis was investigated using specific radical inhibitors; the results indicate that singlet oxygen (¹O₂) has a fundamental role in the photocatalytic degradation of ACE-K and SAC.

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Genetic characterization of porcine circovirus type 2 in captive wild boars in southern Brazil

Tropical Animal Health and Production - Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) has been identified in pig population in Brazil since 2000, but scarce studies involving wild boars with PCV2 infection are...     

Fournier's gangrene in a cat

Objective – To describe the clinical course of a cat diagnosed with Fournier's gangrene.
Case Summary – A 2-year-old castrated male cat was presented to an emergency hospital for evaluation of acute onset of lethargy, mucoid anal discharge, and fever. During hospitalization, with provision of supportive care, an area of necrotizing fasciitis around the prepuce and anus developed and surgical debridement was performed. Severe sepsis developed secondary to the necrotizing fasciitis and the cat was eventually euthanized.
New Information Provided – The purpose of this report is to document the first case of Fournier's gangrene in a cat that presented for mucoid anal discharge, lethargy, and mild ataxia, and to alert emergency clinicians to this disease process. Early detection of the disease with prompt, aggressive supportive care and surgical debridement is necessary for successful treatment.     

Evaluating marine protected areas for the conservation of tropical coastal sharks

Global declines in shark populations have created uncertainty in the future status of many species and conservation efforts are urgently needed. Marine protected areas (MPAs) are used increasingly as conservation tools around the world, but how they benefit mobile and wide ranging species like sharks remains unclear. To evaluate the degree of protection MPAs may provide for sharks, we used an array of acoustic receivers to examine the movements and spatial use of two tropical coastal species within two MPAs in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, Australia. Juvenile pigeye (Carcharhinus amboinensis) and adult spottail (Carcharhinus sorrah) sharks were fitted with acoustic transmitters from 2009 to 2010. Both species displayed long-term use of MPAs, with some individuals detected for longer than 600 days. The mean percentage of time C. amboinensis and C. sorrah spent inside MPAs was 22% and 32%, respectively. MPA use varied seasonally, with C. amboinensis spending a higher percentage of time inside MPAs in summer (mean = 28%) and C. sorrah spending a higher percentage of time inside MPAs in winter (mean = 40%). Although sharks used large areas inside MPAs, most individuals tended to use only half of the available protected space. In addition, all sharks made excursions from MPAs and individuals exited and re-entered at consistent locations along the MPA boundaries. These results demonstrate that MPAs have conservation benefits for shark populations by providing protection across different species and life stages, and tracking studies can be used to help tailor MPA design to maximize effectiveness.     

Relationship between amino acid scores and protein quality indices based on rat growth

Protein efficiency ratio (PER), relative PER (RPER), net protein ratio (NPR) and relative NPR (RNPR) values, and amino acid scores were calculated for 20 food products (casein, casein + Met, beef salami, skim milk, tuna, chicken frankfurters, sausage, heated skim milk, peanut butter, rolled oats, soy isolate, chick peas, pea concentrate, kidney beans, wheat cereal, pinto bean, lentils, rice-wheat gluten cereal, macaroni-cheese, and beef stew). In most cases, PER, RPER, NPR or RNPR ranked the products in the same order and positive correlations among the protein quality methods were highly significant (r=0.98–0.99). Amino acid scores (based on the first limiting amino acid, Lys-Met-Cys, Lys-Met-Cys-Trp or lys-Met-Cys-Trp-Thr) were positively correlated to the PER, RPER, NPR or RNPR data (r=0.61–0.75). Inclusion of the correction for true digestibility of protein improved the correlations between amino acid scores and the indices based on rat growth. The correlations were especially high between Lys-Met-Cys scores (corrected for true digestibility of protein) and PER, RPER, NPR or RNPR (r=0.86–0.91). Inclusion of the correction for true digestibility of individual amino acids did not result in further improvements of the correlations in most cases. It is concluded that adjusting amino acid scores for true digestibility of protein would be sufficient and further correction for digestibility of amino acids would be unnecessary in mixed diets.This paper was presented in part at the 71st annual FASAB meeting, Washington, DC, March 29–April 2, 1987.     

Comparison of anal sac cytological findings and behaviour in clinically normal dogs and those affected with anal sac disease

No previous study has explored the relationship between cytology and the frequency of behaviours associated with anal sac disease (ASD). The goals of the study were: (i) to compare the cytological findings between anal sac secretions from normal dogs with no history of ASD to those with non-neoplastic ASD; (ii) to determine whether anal sac cytological findings can be used to differentiate between normal dogs and dogs with ASD; (iii) to explore the correlation of anal sac cytology and behaviour between normal dogs and dogs with ASD; and (iv) to describe behaviours typical of ASD as reported by owners. Thirty dogs were selected for this study, based on their behavioural history as detailed in a questionnaire completed by their owners. Of the thirty dogs, ten were considered normal insofar as they had no history of ASD clinical signs. The remaining 20 dogs were characterized as having ASD, with a chronic history of perianal pruritus, but no other pruritus. All dogs had their anal sacs manually expressed, and the discharge was examined microscopically in a blinded manner. A total of 171 oil immersion fields (OIFs) were examined from normal dogs and 333 OIFs from dogs with ASD. The behavioural results for dogs with ASD revealed that scooting recurred with a median frequency of 3 weeks post-anal sac expression. There were no clinically statistically significant cytological differences between normal dogs and those with ASD, thereby leading to the conclusion that cytology is an ineffective tool for diagnosing ASD.