Ciguatera Fish Poisoning: Treatment,Prevention and Management

Ciguatera Fish Poisoning (CFP) is the most frequently reported seafood-toxin illness in the world, and it causes substantial physical and functional impact. It produces a myriad of gastrointestinal, neurologic and/or cardiovascular symptoms which last days to weeks, or even months. Although there are reports of symptom amelioration with some interventions (e.g. IV mannitol), the appropriate treatment for CFP remains unclear to many physicians. We review the literature on the treatments for CFP, including randomized controlled studies and anecdotal reports. The article is intended to clarify treatment options, and provide information about management and prevention of CFP, for emergency room physicians, poison control information providers, other health care providers, and patients.     

Conservation of the jackass penguin (Spheniscus demersus (L.))

The jackass penguin Spheniscus demersus (L.) is confined to the coastal waters of southern Africa, and breeds on 18 islands predominantly within the region of the cold, nutrient rich Benguella current. Since the early 1900s the species' population has declined in numbers of unknown magnitude. The decline appears to be continuing, although the absence of reliable census data precludes an accurate measurement of the rate of change. The initial fall in numbers was undoubtedly due to severe disturbance of nesting birds and excessive commercial exploitation of eggs. The average annual egg crop for the period 1900-30 exceeded 450,000 eggs from Dassen Island alone. Egg collection has been suspended temporarily, but the species now appears to be threatened by oil pollution, and by competition with a pelagic shoal fish industry. Threats to breeding colonies are posed by harbour developments. These factors are discussed and evaluated. South African marine organisms are considered officially to be an economic resource and are heavily exploited. Legislation governing the control of this resource is the concern of the Ministry for Economic Affairs. There is no provision for any government body to investigate the status and biology of economically insignificant, but yet integral, components of the marine ecosystem. The major priority of conservations is to safeguard the jackass penguin population at its present level. This includes proclamation of several offshore islands and their surroundings as national nature reserves. We consider current efforts to rescue, clean and rehabilitate oiled seabirds as contributing little to conservation in real terms, even though the activity has an important humanitarian and educational function. Research priorities include a comprehensive census of the jackass penguin and other seabird populations in southern Africa; a study of mortality and recruitment, with particular attention to factors affecting the rates of these processes; a study of the dynamics of the penguin/prey interaction, with special reference to the possible effects of competition with the pelagic fishing industry; an evaluation of the degree of disturbance that nesting penguins can tolerate; an investigation into the temporal and spatial patterns of oil pollution incidents, oil slick occurrence and movement, and the development of methods of keeping birds away from oil slicks; and, lastly, an evaluation of the efficacy of rehabilitating oiled penguins as a contribution to maintaining or increasing the current jackass penguin population. The responsibility for these projects rests with the South African government.     

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.     

Feline dental disease

Periodontal disease and chronic gingivitis/stomatitis are the most common feline dental diseases. With routine dental care and increased emphasis on home oral hygiene, these diseases can be controlled. Cats can be seen with a number of other dental disorders, and improved treatment methods such as restorations of early subgingival resorptive lesions, endodontic therapy, and orthodontic therapy can be performed successfully. More study and research are necessary about the gingivitis/stomatitis syndrome and subgingival resorptive lesions so that improved prevention and treatment recommendations can be made.     

Survey of intramammary infections in ewes on the New England Tableland of New South Wales

Samples of mammary secretion were collected aseptically from 1093 ewes in 8 separate flocks. Most of the ewes were suckling lambs 4 to 6 weeks old. Standard bacteriological tests were carried out on the samples to identify the organisms involved in intramammary infections. Data on age, breed, lactational status and clinical status of the gland and its secretion were recorded at the time of sampling. The prevalence of intramammary infection was 14% of ewes (8% of glands). There was a tendency for prevalence of intramammary infection to be positively correlated with age of the ewe (two-year-old and six-year-old ewes had, respectively, 4.4% and 14.0% of glands infected). This relationship was highly significant for Border Leicester x Merino ewes. There were also significant differences in infection prevalence between breeds. infected glands had a higher prevalence of clinical abnormalities of udder, teat and secretion than did non-infected glands. Staphylococcus aureus was overwhelmingly the most frequently isolated bacterium being responsible for 40% of all intramammary infections.     

Evaluation of permethrin for the protection of cattle against mosquitoes (diptera: Culicidae), applied as electrostatic and low pressure sprays

Permethrin was tested for the protection of cattle against field populations of mosquitoes. Permethrin (500 ml of a permethrin 4·0 g liter^?1 aqueous emulsion) applied with a ‘Dual-Cloud’ electrostatic sprayer was effective in providing coverage of the cattle body surface of a group of four animals; 100 ml of a permethrin 5·0 g liter^?1 aqueous emulsion applied with a ‘Dual-Cloud'’ electrostatic sprayer as a total body spray to a yearling heifer provided 70% or better protection from field populations of mosquitoes for at least 72 h; 500 ml of a permethrin 1·0 g liter^?1 aqueous emulsion applied as a low-pressure spray to the body of a yearling heifer provided 70% or better protection from mosquitoes for at least 140 h. Permethrin applied as a total body-spray thus provides adequate protection to cattle from field populations of mosquitoes.     

Inference by exclusion in the red‐tailed black cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus banksii)

Inference by exclusion is the ability to select a given option by excluding the others. When designed appropriately, tests of this ability can reveal choices that cannot be explained by associative processes. Over the past decade, exclusion reasoning has been explored in several non‐human taxonomic groups, including birds, mainly in Corvids and Parrots. To increase our understanding of the taxonomic distribution of exclusion reasoning and, therefore, its evolution, we investigated exclusion performances in red‐tailed black cockatoos (Calyptorhynchus banksii), an Australian relative of the Goffin cockatoo (Cacatua goffini), using a food‐finding task. Cockatoos were required to find a food item hidden in 1 of the 2 experimenter's hands. Following training sessions in which they reliably selected the closed baited hand they had just been shown open, each individual was tested on 4 different conditions. Critical to demonstrating exclusion reasoning was the condition in which they were shown the empty hand and then offered a choice of both closed hands. The performance of all birds was above chance on all experimental conditions but not on an olfactory and/or cuing control condition. The results suggest that the birds might be able to infer by exclusion, although an explanation based on rule learning cannot be excluded. This first experiment in red‐tailed black cockatoo highlights the potential of this species as a model to study avian cognition and paves the pathway for future investigations.     

Age, geographic, and temporal distribution of fecal shedding of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts in cow-calf herds

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate fecal shedding of Cryptosporidium parvum from California cow-calf herds with respect to age, geographic region, temporal effects, and association with watery feces. ANIMALS: Cows and calves from 38 beef cow-calf operations. PROCEDURE: Fecal specimens were collected and examined for C parvum oocysts, using immunofluorescent microscopy. Associations between age, geographic region, month of collection, watery feces, and likelihood of shedding C parvum were evaluated. RESULTS: 3.9% of cattle were shedding C parvum oocysts. Prevalence of shedding among calves ranged from 0 to 13%, and was 0.6% among cattle > or = 12 months old. The odds of shedding C parvum among 2-month-old calves were 41 times greater than among cattle > 4 months old. The odds of shedding C parvum among cattle tested in May were 8.7 times greater than among cattle tested during June, July, or August. The odds of infected individuals having watery feces were 3 to 4 times greater than for noninfected individuals, but the etiologic fraction was only 8 to 9%. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Substantial fecal shedding of C parvum by cow-calf herds was limited to calves 1 to 4 months old, with low prevalence detected in older animals. Risk of contamination of watersheds with C parvum was limited to those periods when young calves were in the herd. Although the odds of having watery feces were greater for animals infected with C parvum than for noninfected animals, the low etiologic fraction suggests that most calves with watery feces were not infected with C parvum.