Prevalence of serum antibodies against Bartonella species in the serum of cats with or without uveitis

Bartonella henselae has been implicated as a causative agent of chronic uveitis in people and in some cats. The objective of this study was to determine whether Bartonella species seroprevalence or titer magnitude varies among cats with uveitis, cats without ocular diseases recorded and healthy cats, while controlling for age and risk of flea exposure based on state of residence. There was no difference in seroprevalence rates or titer magnitude between cats with uveitis and cats with non-ocular diseases. Healthy cats were more likely to be seropositive for Bartonella species than cats with uveitis. The median Bartonella species titer was 1:64 for all groups, although healthy cats were more likely to have higher titers than cats with uveitis and cats with non-ocular disease. The results suggest that serum antibody tests alone cannot be used to document clinical uveitis associated with Bartonella species infection.     

The influence of dietary manganese and stage of egg production on the hexosamine and hydroxyproline contents of parts of the oviduct

The total hexosamine, or glucosamine and galactosamine contents and hydroxy‐proline content of secretory tissue of the isthmus and uterus were determined.

A low‐Mn diet depressed the glucosamine content of isthmus and uterus but had no effect on galactosamine nor hydroxyproline.

The contents of hexosamine were similar after 3 months of egg production to those at the start of lay, and hexosamine and hydroxyproline values did not differ whether a non‐calcified egg was in the isthmus or one with an almost fully formed shell was in the uterus.

The glucosamine content of the isthmus was significantly greater than that of the uterus; the reverse was found for hydroxyproline and there was no difference between the galactosamine contents. In tissue from both regions the concentrations of glucosamine was several times greater than that of galactosamine.     

Development and validation of a soil-based geographic information system model of habitat of Fossaria bulimoides, a snail intermediate host of Fasciola hepatica

Soil maps were investigated for their potential to indicate the spatial distribution of habitat of the amphibious snail, Fossaria bulimoides, the intermediate host of Fasciola hepatica in Louisiana. On a 760 ha farm adjacent to the Gulf of Mexico, most snail habitats clustered along interfaces of cheniers (relict beaches with sandy soils) with marsh (heavy, gleyed clays). A few small foci occurred on the cheniers above interfaces. Virtually no habitats occupied marsh away from these interfaces, on this or several other farms previously examined. Habitat and soil map overlays were analyzed in a raster-based geographic information system (GIS) with a 10 m pixel size; a model of habitat was generated as bands 50–90 m wide at chenier-marsh interfaces. The model was extrapolated to a 29 000 ha study area and tested on 12 additional farms not adjacent to the Gulf. On these farms, snail surveys were carried out as transects on three strata: waveface (WF, former beachfront) and backslope (BS) chenier-marsh interfaces, and chenier. The perimeters of all habitats encountered were outlined. The interface of marsh with chenier backslopes occupied 5.25% of the area of the farms, but held 21.69% of snail habitat area. Additionally, chenier soils of the Hackberry-Mermentau complex (HM) occupied 12.32% of farm area, but held 61.39% of habitat. Habitat area was related by regression analysis to the proportion of farm consisting of HM soils (r² = 0.41, P < 0.05).     

Early- and traditionally weaned nursery pigs benefit from phase-feeding pharmacological concentrations of zinc oxide: effect on metallothionein and mineral concentrations.

Benefits of feeding pharmacological concentrations of zinc (Zn) provided by Zn oxide (ZnO) to 21-d conventionally weaned pigs in the nursery have been documented; however, several management questions remain. We conducted two experiments to evaluate the effect on growth from feeding 3,000 ppm Zn as ZnO during different weeks of the nursery period. In Exp. 1 (n = 138, 11.5 d of age, 3.8 kg BW) and Exp. 2 (n = 246, 24.5 d of age, 7.2 kg BW), pigs were fed either basal diets containing 100 ppm supplemental Zn (adequate) or the same diet with an additional 3,000 ppm Zn (high) supplied as ZnO. Pigs were fed four or two dietary phases in Exp. 1 and 2, respectively, that changed in dietary ingredients and nutrient content (lysine and crude protein) to meet the changing physiological needs of the pigs for the 28-d nursery period. Dietary Zn treatments were 1) adequate Zn fed wk 1 to 4, 2) high Zn fed wk 1, 3) high Zn fed wk 2, 4) high Zn fed wk 1 and 2, 5) high Zn fed wk 2 and 3, and 6) high Zn fed wk 1 to 4. In Exp. 1 and 2, pigs fed high Zn for wk 1 and 2 or the entire 28-d nursery period had the greatest (P < .05) ADG. During any week, pigs fed high Zn had greater concentrations of hepatic metallothionein and Zn in plasma, liver, and kidney than those pigs fed adequate Zn (P < .05). In summary, both early- and traditionally weaned pigs need to be fed pharmacological concentrations of Zn provided as ZnO for a minimum of 2 wk immediately after weaning to enhance growth.     

The ACVD task force on canine atopic dermatitis (VI): IgE-induced immediate and late-phase reactions, two inflammatory sequences at sites of intradermal allergen injections.

Intradermal testing is a common diagnostic procedure used in the evaluation of dogs with suspected atopic dermatitis (AD). To do this, most investigators assess the appearance of wheals that develop at the sites of intradermal allergen injections. However, wheals are rarely seen in dogs with naturally occurring AD. Furthermore, infiltration of inflammatory cells into the injection sites can occur 6-24h later, a phenomenon known as the late-phase reaction. The histological appearance of these late-phase reactions closely approximates that seen in the natural disease, suggesting that they might be more relevant than the immediate reactions. In this paper, we review the literature on immediate and late-phase reactions and re-assess the evidence for using current intradermal testing procedures as a diagnostic test in dogs.     

Dermatophagoides farinae-specific IgG subclass responses in atopic dogs undergoing allergen-specific immunotherapy

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is thought to be caused by immunologic abnormalities expressed as a Th1/Th2 cytokine imbalance in both humans and dogs. Several studies have focused on the therapeutic effects of IFNγ in human AD with successful results; however, the mechanism of action of IFNγ is not fully understood. We investigated the effect of recombinant canine interferon gamma (rCaIFNγ) on 10 dogs with AD and evaluated the ratio of IL-4 mRNA to IFNγ mRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells, serum total IgE levels, and histological changes in skin. After six injections of rCaIFNγ over a span of 2 weeks, seven of the 10 dogs showed improvement, and six of these seven dogs exhibited decreased IL-4:IFNγ mRNA ratios. Two of the three cases that did not improve had increased IL-4:IFNγ mRNA ratios. Total serum IgE levels were significantly decreased in nine of 10 cases. The number of IgE-positive cells detected by immunostaining and the number of mast cells in skin biopsy samples were decreased. A reduction of epidermal cell layers was demonstrated by histopathology after treatment. These results demonstrated that rCaIFNγ may be a novel safe and effective therapeutic option for the treatment of canine AD, and the mechanism of action of rCaIFNγ may be related to the modulation of Th2 cytokines to Th1 cytokines with the reduction of serum IgE production.
Funding: Self-funded.     

Circulating cortisol, tumor necrosis factor-alpha interleukin-1beta, and interferon-gamma in pigs infected with Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae

This study evaluated the time course of systemic cytokine concentrations in an acute model of pneumonia in pigs challenged intranasally with Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae. Feed intake and serum cortisol were measured as overt clinical and systemic markers of disease onset, respectively, and serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-1beta, and interferon-gamma as representative systemic inflammatory markers. Crossbred barrows (n = 15), approximately 5 wk of age, were used in the study. Pigs were housed in an environmentally controlled facility at 25 degrees C and under continuous illumination in pens measuring approximately 1.5 m2. Pigs had free access to water and an unmedicated diet. Approximately 1 wk prior to disease challenge, pigs were fitted nonsurgically with venous catheters. At challenge, pigs were given 5 x 10(8) CFU Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae intranasally (n = 8) or a similar volume of sterile growth media intranasally (Control; n = 7). Feed intake was estimated by the change in feeder weight at 12-h intervals from -12 to 72 h relative to the time of disease challenge. Blood sampling began 12 h prior to challenge and continued until 72 h after challenge. Pigs were sampled at -12, -6, and 0 h, then at 90-min intervals until 12-h post-challenge, continuing at 3-h intervals until 24-h post-challenge, then again at 6-h intervals until 72 h after challenge. Serum was harvested and frozen until assayed for cortisol, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-1beta, and interferon-gamma. Feed intake was reduced in Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae pigs during the intervals 0 to 12 h (P < 0.001), 24 to 36 h (P < 0.001), 48 to 60 h (P <0.05), and 60 to 72 h (P < 0.05). TheActnobacillus pleuropneumoniae-challenged pigs had elevated serum cortisol from 180-min to 18-h post-challenge (P < 0.001) and also at 36 (P < 0.05), 42 (P < 0.001), and 60 (P < 0.05) h following infection. Circulating cytokines were not affected by disease challenge. Thus, in this experimental model of pneumonia, weaned pigs demonstrated expected behavioral and endocrine characteristics of disease in the absence of significant changes in circulating inflammatory cytokines.     

Effect of pharmacological concentrations of zinc oxide with or without the inclusion of an antibacterial agent on nursery pig performance

A study involving nine research stations from the NCR-42 Swine Nutrition Committee used a total of 1,978 crossbred pigs to evaluate the effects of dietary ZnO concentrations with or without an antibacterial agent on postweaning pig performance. In Exp. 1, seven stations (IA, MI, MN, MO, NE, ND, and OH) evaluated the efficacy of ZnO when fed to nursery pigs at 0, 500, 1,000, 2,000, or 3,000 mg Zn/kg for a 28-d postweaning period. A randomized complete block experiment was conducted in 24 replicates using a total of 1,060 pigs. Pigs were bled at the 28-d period and plasma was analyzed for Zn and Cu. Because two stations weaned pigs at < 15 d (six replicates) and five stations at > 20 d (18 replicates) of age, the two sets of data were analyzed separately. The early-weaned pig group had greater (P < 0.05) gains, feed intakes, and gain:feed ratios for the 28-d postweaning period as dietary ZnO concentration increased. Later-weaned pigs also had increased (P < 0.01) gains and feed intakes as the dietary ZnO concentration increased. Responses for both weanling pig groups seemed to reach a plateau at 2,000 mg Zn/kg. Plasma Zn concentrations quadratically increased (P < 0.01) and plasma Cu concentrations quadratically decreased (P < 0.01) when ZnO concentrations were > 1,000 mg Zn/kg. Experiment 2 was conducted at seven stations (KY, MI, MO, NE, ND, OH, and OK) and evaluated the efficacy of an antibacterial agent (carbadox) in combination with added ZnO. The experiment was a 2 x 3 factorial arrangement in a randomized complete block design conducted in a total of 20 replicates. Carbadox was added at 0 or 55 mg/kg diet, and ZnO was added at 0, 1,500, or 3,000 mg Zn/ kg. A total of 918 pigs were weaned at an average 19.7 d of age. For the 28-d postweaning period, gains (P < 0.01), feed intakes (P < 0.05), and gain:feed ratios (P < 0.05) increased when dietary ZnO concentrations increased and when carbadox was added. These responses occurred in an additive manner. The results of these studies suggest that supplemental ZnO at 1,500 to 2,000 mg Zn/kg Zn improved postweaning pig performance, and its combination with an antibacterial agent resulted in additional performance improvements.