Actinomycin D for Reinduction of Remission in Dogs With Resistant Lymphoma

Twenty-five dogs with malignant lymphoma refractory to chemotherapy were treated with actinomycin D at a median dose of 0.7 mg/m² (range, 0.5 to 0.9 mg/m²) every 3 weeks. The dogs treated had received between 2 and 8 chemotherapeutic agents (median 7), for a median of 266 days before being treated with actinomycin D. For 23 of the 25 dogs, previous chemotherapy included doxorubicin. No dog responded to actinomycin D chemotherapy.     

Use of 64Copper Measurements to Diagnose Canine Copper Toxicosis

Inherited canine copper toxicosis is a serious problem in Bedlington terriers and West Highland White terriers, and may also be a problem in other less-studied breeds. Affected dogs become ill at midlife with progressive and ultimately fatal liver disease. Treatments for removal of copper and prevention of copper accumulation are available, but are most effective if begun before the dog becomes ill. Until recently diagnosis has not been available until the dog is 1 year of age, and then only by an invasive liver biopsy with determination of liver copper concentration. The authors studied the use of 64copper for early diagnosis of canine copper toxicosis. Two procedures were evaluated. The first involved measuring the concentration of 64copper in blood 24 hours after oral administration of the radioisotope. At this time, 64copper was associated primarily with ceruloplasmin secreted into the blood by the liver. This procedure is useful in the diagnosis of the human counterpart, Wilson's disease. However, the authors found it to be nondiscriminatory between affected and unaffected dogs. In contrast, the second procedure, which involved measuring 64copper excreted in stool during 48 hours after an intravenous dose of radioisotope, yielded results that differentiated most affected and unaffected dogs.     

Coccidioidomycosis in 48 Cats: A Retrospective Study (1984–1993)

Coccidioidomycosis was diagnosed in 48 cats. Forty-one cases were identified within a period of 3 years. Coccidioides immitis was revealed by cytological or histopathological examinations, or culture in 70% of cats. The remaining 30% of cases were diagnosed by appropriate clinical signs, radiographic lesions, and serological test results. The average age of affected cats was 6.2 years with a median age of 5.0 years. Fifty-four percent (n = 26) were female and 46% (n = 22) were male. Domestic shorthaired and longhaired breeds comprised 89% (n = 41) of affected cats. Sixty-seven percent of cases were diagnosed during the 6-month period of December through May. Cats infected with C immitis were presented for evaluation of dermatologic (56%), respiratory (25%), musculoskeletal (19%), and neurological or ophthalmologic signs (19%). Fever, inappetence, and weight loss were present in 44% of the cats. Duration of clinical signs before diagnosis was less than 4 weeks in 85% (n = 42) of cats, with an average of 3.8 weeks and a median of 2 weeks. Agar gel immunodiffusion tests were positive in all 39 cats tested at sometime during the course of their disease. Hyperproteinemia (greater than 7.9 g/dL) was present in 52% (10/23) of cases. The majority of cats (n = 39) were negative for feline leukemia virus. Antibodies to feline immunodeficiency virus were absent in the 19 cats tested. Ketoconazole was the most common antifungal agent used to treat cats with Coccidioidomycosis. Duration of treatment ranged from less than 1 week to 43 months. Thirty-two cats are currently asymptomatic, with or without treatment. Eleven cats died or were euthanized. Five cats were lost to follow-up. Ketoconazole likely is more suppressive than curative because relapses were common after discontinuing therapy.     

Effects of time and concentration on mortality of phosphine-resistant Sitophilus oryzae (L) fumigated with phosphine

The effects of exposure period and phosphine concentration on mortality of susceptible and resistant Sitophilus oryzae (L) were investigated. Although S oryzae is one of the world's most serious pests of stored grain there are few data on the practical significance of phosphine resistance in this species. The strains investigated were an Australian susceptible strain, a homozygous resistant strain exhibiting a level of resistance common in Australia and an unselected field strain from China with a much stronger resistance. Fumigations were carried out at 25 degrees C on adults and mixed-age cultures. For adults of all three strains and mixed-age cultures of the susceptible and resistant Australian strains, the relationship between concentration and time could be described by equations of the form Cnt = k. In all cases n < 1, indicating that time was a more important variable than concentration. In all fumigations of adults the resistant strains were harder to kill than the susceptible strain. However, in fumigations of mixed-age cultures, which contained the tolerant pupal stage, the difference between susceptible and resistant strains was more pronounced at lower concentrations than higher concentrations. For example, at 0.02 mg litre-1 the estimated LT99.9 for mixed-age cultures of the Australian resistant strain (27 days) is 3.4 times that of the susceptible strain (8 days), but at 1 mg litre-1 there is no difference between the two strains (4 days). Limited data on the Chinese resistant strain supported this finding. Twenty-three days exposure at 0.02 mg litre-1 had no effect on mixed-age cultures of this strain, but there were no survivors after 5 days exposure to 1 mg litre-1.     

Second round of an interlaboratory comparison of SARS-CoV2 molecular detection assays used by 45 veterinary diagnostic laboratories in the United States

The COVID-19 pandemic presents a continued public health challenge. Veterinary diagnostic laboratories in the United States use RT-rtPCR for animal testing, and many laboratories are certified for testing human samples; hence, ensuring that laboratories have sensitive and specific SARS-CoV2 testing methods is a critical component of the pandemic response. In 2020, the FDA Veterinary Laboratory Investigation and Response Network (Vet-LIRN) led an interlaboratory comparison (ILC1) to help laboratories evaluate their existing RT-rtPCR methods for detecting SARS-CoV2. All participating laboratories were able to detect the viral RNA spiked in buffer and PrimeStore molecular transport medium (MTM). With ILC2, Vet-LIRN extended ILC1 by evaluating analytical sensitivity and specificity of the methods used by participating laboratories to detect 3 SARS-CoV2 variants (B.1; B.1.1.7 [Alpha]; B.1.351 [Beta]) at various copy levels. We analyzed 57 sets of results from 45 laboratories qualitatively and quantitatively according to the principles of ISO 16140-2:2016. More than 95% of analysts detected the SARS-CoV2 RNA in MTM at ≥500 copies for all 3 variants. In addition, for nucleocapsid markers N1 and N2, 81% and 92% of the analysts detected ≤20 copies in the assays, respectively. The analytical specificity of the evaluated methods was >99%. Participating laboratories were able to assess their current method performance, identify possible limitations, and recognize method strengths as part of a continuous learning environment to support the critical need for the reliable diagnosis of COVID-19 in potentially infected animals and humans.     

On-farm evaluation of three different hatchery sources of Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) cultured in on-levee tanks in low-salinity waters of west Alabama

ABSTRACT

Shrimp farmers in Alabama who produce the Pacific white shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei, have recently reported abnormally low survival at harvest. Farmers have hypothesized that this phenomenon may be due to disease, toxic algae, shrimp source, or reduced shrimp robustness in later stages of production. To compare performance of shrimp from different sources, postlarvae were obtained from three different hatcheries and stocked on the same day in on-levee tank systems (TS) on two farms (Farm 1-TS; Farm 2-TS1; Farm 2-TS2). Following 104 days of culture on Farm 2-TS1 and Farm 2-TS2, there were no differences in survival (72.8%–91.2%) or final weight (19.8–24.6 g). At Farm 1-TS following 107 days of culture, there were differences in survival from shrimp sourced from one hatchery (40.5%) compared to the other two hatcheries (61.0%–69.8%). Results demonstrated acceptable growth performance and survival from all hatchery sources.