Experimental infection of pregnant gilts with swine hepatitis E virus

To determine the effect of swine hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection on pregnant gilts, their fetuses, and offspring, 12 gilts were intravenously inoculated with swine HEV. Six gilts, who were not inoculated, served as controls. All inoculated gilts became actively infected and shed HEV in feces, but vertical transmission was not detected in the fetuses. There was no evidence of clinical disease in the gilts or their offspring. Mild multifocal lymphohistiocytic hepatitis was observed in 4 of 12 inoculated gilts. There was no significant effect of swine HEV on fetal size, fetal viability, or offspring birth weight or weight gain. The offspring acquired anti-HEV colostral antibodies but remained seronegative after the antibodies waned by 71 days of age. Swine HEV infection induced subclinical hepatitis in pregnant gilts, but had no effect on the gilts' reproductive performance, or the fetuses or offspring. Fulminant hepatitis associated with HEV infection was not reproduced in gilts.     

Biochemical Changes during Post-larval Growth in White Muscle of Gilthead Sea Bream (Sparus aurata) fed Zinc-fortified Diets

Veterinary Research Communications -     

Hepatic lipidosis in pregnant cows on a dairy farm.

A syndrome very similar to hepatic lipidosis is described in dairy cows during the dry period. After being sent to pasture the animals did not eat well for undetermined reasons. The disease phenomena were mainly observed in animals carrying twins. At post mortem examination severe falty infiltration was found in the 3 animals made available for post mortem examination. Increase of the energy supply to the dry cows by addition of maize silage to the ration prevented new cases.     

Recent studies on the enterotropic strain of avian infectious bronchitis virus

Avian infectious bronchitis (AIB) is an economically important disease of chickens. Recent studies have revealed enterotropism by at least one strain of AIB virus with pathological lesions in parts of the gut. This review highlights the findings of the studies so far made on this enterotropic strain of AIB virus.     

Effects of recombinant canine granulocyte colony-stimulating factor on white blood cell production in clinically normal and neutropenic dogs.

Recombinant canine granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (rcG-CSF) was administered to clinically normal dogs, cyclic-hematopoietic dogs, and dogs undergoing autologous bone marrow transplantation, to determine whether rcG-CSF could be used to stimulate WBC production and function in normal and neutropenic dogs. To the normal dogs, rcG-CSF was administered by SC injection at rates of 1 microgram/kg of body weight, q 12 h; 2 micrograms/kg, q 12 h; or 5 micrograms/kg, q 12 h. A significant dose-dependent increase in the WBC count resulted from the stimulation of bone marrow progenitor cells. The increased WBC count was characterized by mature neutrophilia and monocytosis. Neutrophil myeloperoxidase and phagocytic activity were normal in rcG-CSF-treated normal dogs, demonstrating the production of normal functional neutrophils in response to rcG-CSF treatment. Recombinant canine G-CSF prevented neutropenia and associated clinical signs but did not completely eliminate the cycling of neutrophils in cyclic-hematopoietic dogs when it was administered at rates of 1 microgram/kg, q 12 h, and 2.5 micrograms/kg, q 12 h. The time to bone marrow reconstitution was not decreased in dogs treated with rcG-CSF at a rate of 2.5 micrograms/kg, q 12 h, for 13 days following autologous bone marrow transplantation. On the basis of our findings, we suggest that treatment with rcG-CSF is an effective way to stimulate myelopoiesis in dogs, but that the dose of rcG-CSF required to stimulate WBC production will vary depending on the cause of neutropenia. Recombinant canine G-CSF should be useful in stimulating production and maintaining function of WBC for treatment of clinical diseases seen commonly in veterinary practice.