Development of a questionnaire to assess the impact of atopic dermatitis on health-related quality of life of affected dogs and their owners

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic or chronically relapsing human and canine skin disease that is known to affect the quality of life (QoL) of affected individuals. Several studies have been conducted to develop disease-specific questionnaires and assess QoL in parents of children with AD and in the children themselves. The severity of canine AD is however currently evaluated using only clinical and pruritus scores. Measurement of the QoL of affected dogs and their owners could therefore provide a new tool for assessing disease severity and treatment efficacy. Ninety-eight owners of AD-affected dogs were asked to complete two questionnaires aiming to evaluate the QoL of affected dogs and their owners on one hand and the relationship between them and their dog on the other hand. Statistical analyses were carried out in order to assess the validity of the questionnaires and to select relevant questions for future studies. These analyses resulted in the selection of 13 questions that could be used in further studies aiming at determining the QoL of affected animals and their owners.     

A molecular approach for identification of paramphistomes from Africa and Asia

Paramphistomiasis is a disease of domestic and wild ruminants caused by some digenetic trematodes of the superfamily Paramphistomoidea. Human infections with certain species of paramphistomes have been reported. Given their ubiquity and their abundance within hosts, it seems likely that the importance of these worms is underestimated globally. Based on the reported difficulties of morphological identification of paramphistomes, the development of alternative approaches to better delineate species is needed. Paramphistome samples examined during this study were cercariae, rediae from snail hosts and adult flukes obtained from slaughterhouses from Kenya, Tanzania, Egypt and Nepal. The results confirm that ITS2 is a good molecular marker for paramphistome identification and can be used to determine the affiliation of samples among the different taxa of Paramphistomoidea. Our 22 samples include eight species of paramphistomes. Ten samples of paramphistome larvae (cercariae or rediae) yielded seven species and the 12 samples of adult flukes from bovines yielded four, only one of which was not also represented among the larvae. We found three cases in which the sequences for adult worms and larvae matched, thus revealing the hosts involved locally in those particular life cycles. We interpret our specimens to include five species from Kenya, two from Nepal, two from Tanzania and one from Egypt. Bulinus forskalii was found infected with three species of paramphistomes. The results of the present study will help construct a framework to facilitate identification and eventually control of this underestimated cosmopolitan group of digeneans.     

Acute Reactions in Dogs Treated with Doxorubicin: Increased Frequency with the Use of a Generic Formulation

During a 4-month period, 34 dogs with tumors received a total of 60 doses of a single generic formulation of doxorubicin; 13 acute drug reactions were observed in these 34 dogs, and no acute reactions were observed after replacing the product with the proprietary brand. These reactions were characterized by one or more of the following signs: pruritus; head-shaking; urticaria; erythema of the pinnal, axillary, or inguinal regions; vocalization; vomiting; hyperemic or pale mucous membranes; high heart rate; and high respiratory rate. We propose that a component unique to generic doxorubicin was responsible for the unusually high number of acute drug reactions observed.     

Epidemiological, clinical, echo-doppler characteristics of mitral valve endocardiosis in Cavalier King Charles in France: a retrospective study of 451 cases (1995 to 2003)

A study performed on 451 Cavalier King Charles showed that 40.6% of dogs had a left apical systolic heart murmur, whose prevalence increased with age (> 11-year-old, 100%), but was not different between males and females. Mitral valve endocardiosis represented 93.3% of the ultrasonographic abnormalities.     

Prediction of human cases of West Nile virus by equine cases, Saskatchewan, Canada, 2003

In 2003, an outbreak of West Nile virus (WNV) occurred in Saskatchewan, Canada from July to September. One-hundred thirty-three horse cases and 947 human cases were recorded and data were analyzed retrospectively for evidence of clustering to determine if clinical infection in the horse population could be used to estimate human risk of infection with WNV. Kulldorff's scan statistic was used to identify spatial-temporal clusters in both the human and horse cases. In most areas, human clusters were not preceded by horse clusters. In one area, a significant cluster of horse cases preceded human cases by 1 week; however, 1 week does not provide sufficient time for human-health authorities to act and provide advance warning for the public.     

The IgA system: a comparison of structure and function in different species

The predominant immunoglobulin isotype on most mucosal surfaces is secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA), a polypeptide complex comprising two IgA monomers, the connecting J chain, and the secretory component. The molecular stability and strong anti-inflammatory properties make SIgA particularly well suited to provide protective immunity to the vulnerable mucosal surfaces by preventing invasion of inhaled and ingested pathogens. In contrast to SIgA, IgA in serum functions as an inflammatory antibody through interaction with FcalphaR on immune effector cells. Although IgA appears to share common features and protective functions in different species, significant variations exist within the IgA systems of different species. This review will give an overview of the basic concepts underlying mucosal IgA defence which will focus on the variations present among species in structure, antibody repertoire development, pIgR-mediated transport, colostral IgA content, hepatobiliary transport, and function with particular emphasis on the IgA system of the pig and dog. These interspecies variations emphasise the importance of elucidating and analysing the IgA system within the immune system of the species of interest rather than inferring roles from conclusions made in human and mouse studies.