Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in mainland and sub-Antarctic New Zealand sea lion (Phocarctos hookeri) populations

AIMS: To investigate the seroprevalence of antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii in New Zealand sea lions (Phocarctos hookeri), as a potential contributor to reproductive failure.

METHODS: Archived sera were sourced from New Zealand sea lions from two recolonising mainland populations in the Otago Peninsula (n=15) and Stewart Island (n=12), as well as a declining population at Enderby Island (n=28) in the New Zealand sub-Antarctic. Sera were tested for antibodies to T. gondii using a commercially available ELISA (with samples considered positive if the sample to positive ratio was?>30%), and latex agglutination test (LAT; with titres ≥1:32 considered positive). Western blot analysis was used to validate the results of a subset of 14 samples.

RESULTS: Five samples from sea lions in mainland locations were confirmed positive for antibodies to T. gondii. Two adult females exhibited high LAT antibody titres (min 1:2048, max 1:4096) on both occasions when sampled 1 and 2 years apart, respectively. No animals from Enderby Island were seropositive.

CONCLUSIONS: Toxoplasma gondii infection is unlikely to be a major contributor to poor reproductive success in New Zealand sea lions. However, continued surveillance is pertinent to assess subclinical and clinical impacts of the parasite on these threatened populations. The commercial tests evaluated here, with further species-specific threshold refinement could provide a fast, inexpensive and reliable indicator of T. gondii exposure in New Zealand sea lions.     

Effects of dietary supplements on the availability of minerals in fish meal; preliminary observations

Preliminary studies were conducted to determine if several feed supplements with the potential to improve dietary mineral availabilities in fish meal had any measurable effect in fish feeds. In the first study with rainbow trout, 11 supplements were tested: citric acid; sodium citrate; potassium chloride; sodium chloride; histamine dihydrochloride; EDTA disodium salt; sodium bicarbonate; a mixture of amino acids; ascorbic acid; a mixture of inositol and choline; and cholecalciferol. Apparent availability of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, iron, manganese and strontium in fish meal-based diets was determined using both yttrium oxide (Y₂O₃) and chromium oxide (Cr₂O₃) as inert dietary markers. Apparent availability was expressed as the fractional net absorption (%) of minerals from diets. After a 7-day acclimation period with test diets, fecal samples were collected for five consecutive days using passive collection systems. Apparent availability of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, manganese and strontium was increased by citric acid supplementation. Apparent availability of manganese also was increased by EDTA and sodium citrate. The other supplements had no measurable effect on the apparent availability of minerals in fish meal. In the second study, the effect of supplemental citric acid was further investigated using monogastric (rainbow trout) and agastric fish (goldfish). Fish were fed for 5 weeks (rainbow trout) or 3 weeks (goldfish) with fish meal-based diets containing either 0% (control), 2% or 5% citric acid on a dry basis. Feces were collected by settling and by stripping. Apparent availabilities of calcium and phosphorus were greatly affected by citric acid supplementation in rainbow trout but not in goldfish. Phosphorus levels in feces of fish fed a diet with 5% citric acid were approximately half of that of fish fed the control diet (0% citric acid) in the rainbow trout trial. This pattern was consistent during the 5-week feeding trial. A dietary supplement of citric acid as high as 5% did not reduce feed intake or appetite of rainbow trout. Conversely, this level of dietary acidification led to a marked reduction of feed intake in goldfish. Dietary supplementation of citric acid at 2% level did not reduce feed intake of goldfish; however, this level of dietary acidification had little effect on the apparent availability of major minerals in fish meal-based diet. Levels of non-fecal excretion of calcium and phosphorus, inorganic phosphorus in urine, and citric acid in feces were increased in rainbow trout fed 5% citric acid. The pH values of the feces and urine were decreased in rainbow trout fed citric acid. Plasma bicarbonate, plasma calcium and phosphorus, and blood pH of rainbow trout tended to increase by a 5% dietary supplementation of citric acid. The soluble inorganic phosphorus content increased in the diets and decreased in the feces of rainbow trout by supplementing the diet with 5% citric acid. Feces samples of rainbow trout collected by stripping provided similar availability values to data collected by settling for most elements except sodium, which had negative values in all dietary treatments.     

Treatment of Ionized Hypercalcemia in 12 Cats (2006–2008) Using PO‐Administered Alendronate

Background

Long‐term treatment of cats with ionized hypercalcemia using alendronate has not been evaluated.

Hypothesis/Objectives

Alendronate is well tolerated in treatment of ionized hypercalcemia in cats.

Animals

A total of 12 cats with ionized hypercalcemia.

Methods

Prospective study of 12 cats with ionized hypercalcemia of idiopathic origin was identified by telephone and email communication with a convenience sample of consulting veterinarians. Cats were treated with alendronate at a dose of 5–20 mg per feline PO q7d. Serum ionized calcium concentration (iCa) was measured before beginning treatment with alendronate, and after 1, 3, and 6 months of treatment. Alendronate dosage was adjusted according to iCa. Evaluation included physical examination, CBC, biochemistry profile, and diagnostic imaging. The owners and referring veterinarians were questioned about any observed adverse effects. The Wilcoxon matched‐pairs signed rank test was used to compare baseline iCa to iCa at different time periods.

Results

Alendronate treatment resulted in a decrease in iCa in all 12 cats. The median percentage change in iCa was −13.2%, −15.9%, and −18.1% (range, −29.6 to +7.6; −30.5 to −1.9; −45.8 to +1.5%) at the 1, 3, and 6 month time points, respectively. Baseline iCa was significantly different from 1 month (P = .0042), 3 months (P = .0005), and 6 months (P = .0015). No adverse effects were reported for any of the cats.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

Alendronate was well tolerated and decreased iCa in most cats for the 6‐month period of observation.     

大豆粕在鲑鳟鱼类饲料中的利用（三）

（上接2009年第五期）六、鲑鳟饲料中目前的大豆产品用量如前所讨论,大豆粕在鳟鱼饲料中的使用已有60年的历史,不过仅使用于鱼苗后的阶段,且用量很少。其它在鲑鳟饲料中曾被评估过的大豆产品包括大豆浓缩蛋白、大豆分离蛋白、全脂大豆与大豆油。溶剂萃脂之去皮大豆粕（48％粗蛋白）在鲑鳟饲料中使用较普遍。     

大豆粕在鲑鳟鱼类饲料中的利用（二）

三．鲑鳟鱼类膨化饲料之开发 膨化饲料的制造是将湿的原料混合后加热至100—150℃在压力下挤出膨化,然后将饲料水分干燥至10％以下。饲料水分在膨化机内为液态,当饲料经由模孔挤出时压力下降使得水分瞬间转变为蒸气。这个现象使饲料颗粒迅速膨胀,密度下降成为浮性饲料。原料混合物的差异、水分含量以及膨化条件的方式,膨化饲料的密度可被改变而使下沉速率增快、减缓或甚至浮在水面。     

Geochemical tracing and spatial evolution of the sediment bed load of the Romaine River,Québec,Canada

A four-reservoir hydroelectric complex which is projected on the Romaine River, in eastern Québec, Canada, will likely lead to the complete settling of the sand-size bed load of the river. In order to characterise the present river bed load sources, sediment transport and sedimentary connectivity, a study was conducted to document the compositional continuum of the lower 300 km portion of the river. Bed load samples were collected during the late summer low water period and ICP-MS geochemical analyses of the light and heavy mineral portions were conducted. Principal component analysis of the results successfully identified a series of distinctive geochemical domains. Multivariate Euclidean distance coefficients were also calculated between consecutive samples along the river revealing major bed load compositional breaks. These results indicate a longitudinal fractionation of the bed load along the 300 km course of the river. This is further supported by the sedimentary budget calculated from the annual sedimentary input derived from erosion rates of the river banks, from sediment bed load measurements at three gauging stations and from calculated bed load transport capacity at these three locations. It appears that significant sediment accommodation space is available on the upper course (250 km) of the Romaine River, in spite of the fact that this river has drained highly sediment-laden meltwaters from the receding Laurentide Ice Sheet, some 10 ka ago. This accommodation space leads to the renewal of the bed load due to recurrent partial to complete sedimentation. The major part of the bed load reaching the Romaine River mouth originates from the lower 50 km of the river course.     

Phytophthora bilorbang sp. nov., a new species associated with the decline of Rubus anglocandicans (European blackberry) in Western Australia

A new homothallic Phytophthora species, isolated from rhizosphere soil and roots of declining or dead Rubus anglocandicans (European blackberry) in south-west Western Australia, is described as Phytophthora bilorbang sp. nov. It produces non-papillate sporangia, smooth-walled oogonia containing thick-walled oospores, and paragynous antheridia. Although morphologically similar to several species within ITS Clade 6 and sub-clade II, namely P. gibbosa, P. gregata and P. megasperma, phylogenetic analyses of the ITS, cox1, HSP90, BT and NADH gene regions demonstrate that P. bilorbang sp. nov. is a distinct species. Additionally, P. bilorbang differs from these species in its growth and colony morphology on several media. Pathogenicity tests indicate that P. bilorbang could be responsible for the decline syndrome of blackberry within the Warren and Donnelly River catchments in the south-west of Western Australia.