Toxoplasmosis in Pallas' cats (Otocolobus felis manul) at the Denver Zoological Gardens.

In May 1996 the Denver Zoological Gardens obtained two male and two female Pallas' cats (Otocolobus felis manul) that were wild-caught in the Ukraine. These animals were part of a group of 16 wild-caught adults (eight male and eight female) imported to the United States and Canada between 1995 and 1996. The Denver Zoological Gardens cats were quarantined at the zoo hospital for approximately I mo. During the quarantine period they were immobilized for physical examination, and sera were obtained from them to evaluate for exposure to Toxoplasma gondii. All cats were positive for T. gondii antibodies by latex agglutination (titers from 1:512 to 1:1,024). After being paired for breeding, one pair produced two litters, and another pair produced four litters, a total of 17 kittens between 1997 and 2001. Four kittens and two young adults died from a disseminated granulomatous and necrotizing inflammation consistent with toxoplasmosis. Toxoplasma gondii infection was confirmed in all six deceased cats by polymerase chain reaction performed on formalin-fixed tissues. An additional five kittens disappeared and were not available for necropsy. The fatality rate from toxoplasmosis was 35.3% (6/17) for cats that were available for necropsy and could have been as high as 64.7% (11/17) if it were assumed that the disappeared kittens were also affected. The Pallas' kitten survival rate at the Denver Zoological Gardens was 35.3%. This article describes the clinical and pathologic features of toxoplasmosis in a group of Pallas' cats at the Denver Zoological Gardens.     

Relating Kirtland's warbler population to changing landscape composition and structure

The population of male Kirtland's warbler (Dendroica kirtlandii) in the breeding season has averaged 206 from 1971 to 1987. The Kirtland's warbler occupies dense jack pine (Pinus banksiana) barrens from 5 to 23 years old and from 1.4 to 5.0 m high, formerly of wildfire origin. In 1984, 73% of the males censused were found in habitat naturally regenerated from wildfire or prescribed burning. The rest were in plantations (11%) or in harvested, unburned jack pine stands stocked by natural regeneration (16%). Twenty-two percent (630 of 2,886) of the Kirtland's warbler males counted in the annual censuses from 1971 through 1984 were found in 26 stands that were unburned and naturally regenerated following harvest. From 1982 to 1987, suitable regenerating areas were barely sufficient to replace currently occupied maturing stands, so population growth was impeded. Ecosystems of suitable size and regeneration characteristics (wildfire and plantation) doubled in area by 1989. In response, the population of Kirtland's warblers increased from 167 to 398 males between 1987 and 1992, but they withdrew almost entirely from the unburned, unplanted barrens by 1989 when the area of more suitable regeneration types increased. Minimum (368 males) and maximum (542 males) population estimates for 1996 were calculated based on 1984 average density (1.9 males per 40 ha) and peak population in burns (2.8 males per 40 ha).     

Nitrogen retention and performance of brown laying hens on diets with different protein content and constant concentration of amino acids and energy.

1. The aim of this study was to determine the nitrogen balance and the performance of laying hens fed on diets with a protein content lower than the diets currently used in commercial practice but with adequate concentrations of lysine, sulphur amino acids, tryptophan and threonine. 2. Ninety-six Hy-Line Brown hens, 24 weeks old, were divided into 3 groups of 8 replicates and received, for 16 weeks, diets formulated to have 3 different protein concentrations: 170 (control), 150 and 130 g/kg CP and the same energy content. For each protein concentration, the contents of lysine, methionine, methionine+cystine, tryptophan and threonine were maintained at minimum requirement concentrations by supplying synthetic amino acids. 3. In the first half of the trial, egg production and egg weight were similar in all groups. From the 9th week onwards group 150 CP laid heavier eggs and had a slightly lower egg deposition and total mass. Food conversion ratio was best in the control group. 4. Nitrogen intake was related to the protein concentration of the diet, the food intake being almost the same in the 3 experimental groups. Faecal nitrogen content significantly and linearly decreased with reduction in dietary protein content and was about 50% of the intake. Considering the nitrogen faecal/intake ratio, the 150 CP group showed better nitrogen utilisation at each sampling time.     

Bovine spongiform encephalopathy in Northern Ireland: epidemiological observations 1988-1990.

This study describes the epidemiological features of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in Northern Ireland where the first case occurred in November 1988. They were very similar to those observed in Great Britain except that the annual incidence of BSE in 1990 in Northern Ireland, 2.3 confirmed cases per 10,000 adult cows, was approximately one 10th of that in Great Britain. The findings were also consistent with the current hypothesis that affected cattle had been exposed to a scrapie-like agent via cattle feedstuffs containing ruminant-derived protein. However, a preliminary investigation of the potential sources of infection for cattle in Northern Ireland did not provide any conclusive evidence.     

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus: morphological, biochemical and serological characteristics of Quebec isolates associated with acute and chronic outbreaks of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome.

Cytolytic and noncytolytic strains of the porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) were isolated in primary cultures of porcine alveolar macrophages (PAM) from lung homogenates of stillborn fetuses or blood samples of dyspneic piglets collected from Quebec pig farms having experienced acute or chronic outbreaks of PRRS. Serological identification of the virus was confirmed by indirect immunofluorescence and indirect protein A-gold immunoelectron microscopy using reference antiserum prepared from experimentally-infected specific pathogen free (SPF) piglets and monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) directed against the p15 nucleocapsid (N) protein of the reference ATCC-VR2332 isolate. Intracytoplasmic enveloped viral particles that tended to accumulate into cytoplasmic vesicles were observed in the infected PAM; no budding was demonstrated at the level of the cytoplasmic membrane. The extracellular virions appeared as pleomorphic but mostly spherical enveloped particles, 50-72 nm in diameter (averaged diameter of 50 particles was 58.3 nm), with an isometric core about 25-30 nm. Buoyant density of the virus in CsCL density gradients was estimated to 1.18-1.20 g/mL. No hemagglutinating activity was demonstrated. Analysis of semipurified virions of isolate IAF-exp91 by radioimmunoprecipitation (RIPA) and Western immunoblotting experiments, using reference rabbit and porcine hyperimmune sera, revealed four major viral proteins, a predominant 15 kD N protein and three other proteins with predicted M(r_ of 19, 26 and 42 kD. Progeny viral particles produced in PRRSV-infected PAM in the presence of tunicamycin lacked the 42 kD protein, thus confirming its N-glycosylated nature. Immunoprecipitation experiments using the anti-ATCC-VR2332 MoAbs confirmed the close antigenic relationships between Quebec and American reference isolates of PRRSV.     

Evaluation of the long-acting somatostatin analogue Octreotide in the management of insulinoma in three dogs

The response of dogs with insulinoma to surgical and medical management is variable, with the majority developing intractable hypoglycaemia. A long-acting somatostatin analogue, Octreotide (SMS 201–995; Sandostatin) has been useful in the management of hypoglycaemia in humans with insulinoma, and preliminary reports suggest a beneficial clinical response in dogs with insulinoma. The present study objectively evaluated Octreotide in the management of three dogs with immunohistochemically confirmed insulinoma. Octreotide had no benefit over placebo, and little effect on circulating glucose and insulin concentrations despite clearly detectable plasma concentrations of Octreotide. No clinical improvement was apparent in two dogs given Octreotide over a period of two and three weeks. These results contrast with the positive clinical responses noted previously and indicate that further placebo controlled, objective studies are necessary before clear statements on the treatment of insulinoma with Octreotide are made.     

Landscape change under indirect effects of human use: the Savanna of Central Chile

The Chilean Intermediate Depression to the north of Santiago has experienced a physiognomical transformation from a Prosopis chilensis woodland to an Acacia caven savanna. Today P. chilensis trees are scarce and belong mostly to the larger size classes. By contrast A. caven seems to reproduce frequently and its populations consist of individuals of all size classes. In this paper we document these changes and report the results of tests aimed at determining the causes of these physiognomical changes. We found that livestock, leporids, introduced Mediterranean forbs and agriculture account for differences in seed dispersal and survival of A. caven and P. chilensis, which can explain the documented changes in the Chilean landscape.     

Evaluation of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for diagnosis of trichinellosis in swine.

Experimental and field trials were conducted to evaluate an ELISA for its ability to detect Trichinella-infected domestic swine and to compare ELISA results with muscle-digestion test results. The ELISA used was a commercial double-antibody kit, containing an excretory-secretory antigen, and was evaluated principally for epidemiologic use. Experimentally induced infection in swine (4 groups of 3 pigs each; inoculated with 0, 50, 500 or 5,000 larvae) was detected as early as postinoculation week 4, with seroconversion of all inoculated swine by postinoculation week 8. The rate of seroconversion appeared to be affected by initial larval dose, time after inoculation, and immunocompetence of the individual host. Determination of antibody kinetics generally revealed rapidly increasing antibody titer, followed by its steady decrease in most pigs. Once seropositive, however, all pigs remained seropositive for the duration of the 10-week study. Presence of muscle larvae was confirmed in all infected pigs at termination of the study. We recognize that the experimental conditions may not be truly representative of those under which natural infection develops in pigs; however, the ELISA detected an infected pig with muscle larval density of 0.87 larvae/g of tissue. Results of a field trial (n = 310) indicated no muscle digestion test-positive pigs (35 g of diaphragm muscle digested/pig), but 3 samples tested positive by ELISA for specificity of 99.0%.