ABERRANT THYROID TISSUE IN THE MOUSE

Aberrant thyroid tissue was observed at the base of the heart in seven of 2634 mice of the BALB/c strain. Such tissue was not seen in any of 1033 mice of the Strong A strain. The normal thyroid gland of the BALB/c mouse was observed to be more loose than that of the Strong A mouse and isolated follicles were frequently observed in tissue sections at either pole of the gland which were not attached to the body of the thyroid.     

Outcomes of thoracic surgery in dogs and cats

Summary: Records of 146 dogs and 41 cats that underwent thoracic surgery at The University of Sydney Veterinary Teaching Hospital were reviewed for age, sex, breed, disease, operation date, periods of pre- and post-operative hospitalisation, use of surgical drains and outcome. Animals were assigned to 16 disease categories, the most common being patent ductus arteriosus, traumatic diaphragmatic hernia and oesophageal foreign body in dogs and traumatic diaphragmatic hernia in cats. Differences were observed between disease categories in all the criteria examined. There were almost equal numbers of male (72) and female (74) dogs, the median (range) age was 2.0 (0.2 to 14.0) years, the median pre-operative stay was 1 (0 to 14) days, the median post-operative stay was 4 (0 to 28) days and the overall survival to discharge rate was 78%.
There were 24 male and 15 female cats (sex not recorded in 2 cats). The median (range) age was 3 (0.1 to 12) years, pre-operative stay 1 (0 to 6) days, post-operative stay 5 (0 to 15) days and the overall survival to discharge rate was 85%. Causes of post-operative deaths among animals in the most common categories are recorded and discussed.     

Cellophane banding for the gradual attenuation of single extrahepatic portosystemic shunts in eleven dogs

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and short term effects of a cellophane banding technique for progressive attenuation of canine single extrahepatic portosystemic shunts.
Design A prospective trial of 11 dogs with single congenital extrahepatic shunts.
Procedure Rectal ammonia tolerance testing and routine biochemical tests were performed preoperatively on all dogs. In seven dogs, preoperative abdominal Doppler ultrasonography was also performed. Exploratory laparotomy revealed a single extrahepatic portocaval shunt in each animal, which was attenuated using a cellophane band with an internal diameter of 2 to 3 mm. The abdomen was closed routinely. Follow-up biochemical analysis and abdominal Doppler ultrasonography or splenoportography were performed postoperatively.
Results The shunt was not amenable to total ligation in 11 dogs, based upon reported criteria. All dogs recovered uneventfully from surgery without evidence of portal hypertension, and showed clinical improvement thereafter. Shunt occlusion was deemed to have occurred in 10 dogs based on resolution of biochemical and/or sonographic abnormalities. One dog continued to have sonographic evidence of portosystemic shunting when evaluated 3 weeks after surgery, despite normal ammonia tolerance, but was lost to subsequent follow-up. Two dogs, in which 3 mm cellophane bands were placed, experienced delayed shunt occlusion.
Conclusion Cellophane banding is simple to perform, and causes progressive attenuation of single extrahepatic shunts in dogs. Further work is needed to determine the maximum diameter of a cellophane band which will produce total attenuation, and the long-term safety and reliability of the treatment.     

Isolation, culture and ultrastructure of a xylem-limited bacterium associated with Sumatra disease of cloves

A xylem-limited bacterium (XLB) previously shown to be associated with Sumatra disease of clove trees was consistently isolated from diseased but not from healthy trees. Isolation of the XLB was most successful using freshly expressed bacterial ooze obtained from root and branch tissues with low to moderate levels of xylem vessel invasion in trees at early stages of disease. XLB were commonly isolated from trees with the rapid form of disease but infrequently from those with slow decline. Bacterial colonies grew slowly on nutrient agar, reaching a maximum diameter of 1 mm in 5-7 days at 28^oC. Cells of the bacterium were 0.5-0.6 μm in width and 1.0-1.5 μm in length and did not possess flagella. The bacterial envelope was strongly rippled and Gram negative.     

Sumatra disease in cloves induced by a xylem-limited bacterium following mechanical inoculation

Suspensions of a Gram negative, non motile nutritionally fastidious bacterium, cultured from clove trees affected by Sumatra disease and inoculated by needle puncture into the xylem of seedling cloves and young trees, caused the death of over 60% of the plants withing 2 year. Bacteria, confined to zylem vesssels, occurred throughout the vascular systems of dying plants and were also still active in some of the plants which survived for 3 years after inoculation. Bactria resembling those used as inoculum were readily reisolated form dying plants but not from any water-treated controls. Symptoms in experimental plants and the appearance and distribution of vessels occluded by bacteria were indistinguishable from those resulting from natural infection. All clove types tested were susceptible, including progeny from trees which had survived past disease attack. Result suggest the importance of using vigorously growing plants and providing protection against full sunlight during incubation for the successful establishment of beacterial infection in juvenile clove plants follwing mechanical inoculation.     

Seroprevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and Anaplasma phagocytophilum in Danish horses

Background

Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and Anaplasma phagocytophilum are able to infect horses. However, the extend to which Danish horses are infected and seroconvert due to these two bacteria is unknown. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the seroprevalence of B. burgdorferi sensu lato and A. phagocytophilum in Danish horses.

Methods

A total of 390 blood samples collected from all major regions of Denmark and with a geographical distribution corresponding to the density of the Danish horse population were analyzed. All samples were examined for the presence of antibodies against B. burgdorferi sensu lato and A. phagocytophilum by the use of the SNAP^®4DX ^® ELISA test.

Results

Overall, 29.0% of the horses were seropositive for B. burgdorferi sensu lato whereas 22.3% were seropositive for A. phagocytophilum.

Conclusions

Antibodies against B burgdorferi sensu lato and A. phagocytophilum are commonly found among Danish horses thus showing that Danish horses are frequently infected by these organisms.