The Global Plan of Action for Animal Genetic Resources — The road to common understanding and agreement

The first International Technical Conference on Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, took place from 3 to 7 September, 2007, in Interlaken, Switzerland. The main achievement of the Conference was the adoption of the Global Plan of Action for Animal Genetic Resources, the first ever international framework for the promotion of the wise management of animal genetic resources for food and agriculture, endorsed by governments. The article describes the technical and intergovernmental processes developing the Global Plan of Action. The adoption of the Global Plan of Action has created unprecedented momentum for promoting the sustainable use, development and conservation of the world's livestock diversity. The international community is now facing the challenge to ensure that the Global Plan of Action is effectively implemented.     

Efficacy of Omeprazole versus High‐Dose Famotidine for Prevention of Exercise‐Induced Gastritis in Racing Alaskan Sled Dogs

Background: Omeprazole and famotidine both reduce severity of exercise‐induced gastritis, but administering famotidine is easier than administering omeprazole during racing competition. Hypothesis: Famotidine is more efficacious than no treatment in reducing severity of exercise‐induced gastritis; and high‐dose famotidine is more efficacious than omeprazole in reducing severity of exercise‐induced gastritis. Animals: Experiment 1: Randomized placebo‐controlled study, 36 sled dogs (3–8 years); Experiment 2: Randomized positive‐control study, 52 sled dogs (2–8 years). Methods: Experiment 1: Equal numbers of dogs randomly assigned to famotidine (20 mg q24h) or no treatment groups. Gastroscopy was performed 24 hours after the dogs ran 330 miles. Mucosal appearance was blindly scored by previously described scoring system. Experiment 2: Equal numbers of dogs randomly assigned to omeprazole (20 mg q24h) or high‐dose famotidine (40 mg q12h) groups. Gastroscopy was performed 48 hours before and 24 hours after the dogs ran 300 miles. Mucosal appearance was blindly scored by previously described scoring system. Results: Famotidine reduced the prevalence of clinically relevant, exercise‐induced gastric lesions compared with no treatment (7/16 versus 11/16, P= .031). Compared with high‐dose famotidine, omeprazole significantly decreased the severity (0.4 versus 1.2, P= .0002) and prevalence (2/23 versus 7/21, P= .049) of gastric lesions. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance: Although famotidine provides some benefit in the prevention of exercise‐induced gastric lesions, omeprazole is superior to famotidine in preventing gastritis in dogs running 300 miles. Routine administration of omeprazole is recommended to prevent stress‐associated gastric disease in exercising and racing Alaskan sled dogs.     

A comparison between the effect of an avian reovirus and infectious bursal disease virus on selected aspects of the immune system of the chicken

Reovirus 81-176 was inoculated subcutaneously into day-old specific-pathogen-free leghorns and evaluated for its effects on the immune system over a 3-week period. Structural criteria included organ weights of the bursa of Fabricius (BF) and spleen (SP), scoring of histological lesions in the BF, SP, and thymus, and hematological analyses of the circulating leukocytes. Alterations in the functional capacity of the immune system were measured using the graft-versus-host reaction, the response of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) to mitogens, the ability of circulating monocytes to phagocytize latex beads, and the serological responses to Newcastle disease virus, sheep red blood cells, and Brucella abortus antigens. For comparison, infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) was similarly evaluated by most of the same tests. Structurally, reovirus 81-176 altered BF and SP organ weights, the total numbers of white blood cells in circulation, and the degree of follicular atrophy in the BF. Functionally, reovirus inoculation reduced both the response of PBLs to the phytohemagglutinin-P stimulation and monocyte uptake of latex beads. According to the protocols used here, no significant alteration in B-cell function could be detected in reovirus-infected chicks. With the exception of leukocyte hematology, IBDV-infected chicks had significantly altered responses in all tests used. By way of comparison, the effects of IBDV were more persistent and pronounced than were those seen with reovirus. The graft-versus-host reaction indicated an elevated and/or uninhibited response of T-cells in the blood of IBDV-infected chicks.     

Cardiovascular changes in dogs given diazepam and diazepam-ketamine

The cardiopulmonary consequences of diazepam (0.5 mg/kg, IV) followed by ketamine (10 mg/kg, IV) were evaluated in 11 dogs. Diazepam did not exhibit a tranquilizing effect and was frequently associated with excessive excitement. It produced minimal cardiopulmonary effects, except for a significant increase in heart rate. Ketamine administration was associated with less cardiovascular stimulation when administered after diazepam than it did when administered alone; the respiratory depression was greater. Compared with ketamine alone, the diazepam-ketamine combination was associated with more vomition, less muscle hypertonus, less seizure activity, and less salivation.     

Possible immunoenhancement of persistent viremia by feline leukemia virus envelope glycoprotein vaccines in challenge-exposure situations where whole inactivated virus vaccines were protective

Kittens immunized with purified native FeLV-gp70 or -gp85 envelope proteins developed ELISA, but not virus neutralizing, antibodies in their serum to both whole FeLV and FeLV-gp70. Kittens vaccinated with envelope proteins and infected with feline sarcoma virus (FeSV) developed smaller tumors than nonvaccinates, but a greater incidence of persistent retroviremia. Similarly, FeLV-gp70 and -gp85 vaccinated kittens were more apt to become persistently retroviremic following virulent FeLV challenge exposure than nonvaccinates. Kittens vaccinated with inactivated whole FeLV developed smaller tumors after FeSV inoculation and had a lower incidence of persistent retroviremia than nonvaccinates. The protective effect of inactivated whole FeLV vaccine against persistent retroviremia was also seen with FeLV challenge-exposed cats. Protection afforded by inactivated whole FeLV vaccine was not associated with virus neutralizing antibodies, although ELISA antibodies to both whole FeLV and FeLV-gp70 were induced by vaccination.     

Coccidiosis in swine

It is clear that although the clinical history, pathologic lesions, and endogenous stage life cycle of I. suis are well understood, the epidemiology of this parasite is not understood or is misunderstood. Consequently, treatment of individual piglets and prophylactic use of coccidiostats in sows have not been consistently rewarding. The best control at present is achieved through use of extensive sanitation, particularly steam cleaning. The incidence of clinical coccidiosis in piglets continues to be a major component (approximately 20 per cent) in the differential etiology of scours in baby pigs.     

Left abomasal displacement and ulceration in an eight-week-old calf

Left displacement of the abomasum was diagnosed radiographically in an 8-week-old female Friesian calf. At surgery, a 4 cm ulcer was repaired and an abomasopexy performed during closure of the abdomen. Recovery from surgery was slow, and regurgitation of rumen contents occurred. Despite medical treatment, the calf died 4 days later. Left abomasal displacement is a well documented disease of dairy cattle (Robertson 1968; Coppock 1974; Martin et al 1978a; Poulsen 1976), but in young calves the condition is rare (Dirksen 1981). This report describes a case of left abomasal displacement with ulceration in an 8-week-old female Friesian calf.     

The effects of two shipping treatments on the carcass characteristics of bulls implanted with zeranol and unimplanted steers

A total of 144 male crossbred calves were allocated to four management treatments (bulls; steers; bulls implanted with zeranol at 100 d of age and re-implanted at 69, 93 and 56 d thereafter; bulls implanted with zeranol at 168 d of age and re-implanted at 93 and 56 d thereafter), and two pre-slaughter shipping treatments (minimum pre-slaughter stress with cattle shipped and slaughtered within 4 h of leaving the feedlot pen; moderate pre-slaughter stress with cattle mixed, trucked 160 km and slaughtered up to 24 h of leaving the feedlot pen) in a 4 X 2 factorial arrangement. Management treatment had no significant effect on carcass pH (45 min), carcass muscle temperature (45 min), or peak shear-force of cooked longissimus muscle. Steers had significantly lower dressing percentage, warm-carcass weight, hide weight and carcass-lean content, but higher marbling score, fat thickness and intramuscular-fat content than all treatments with bulls. Minimum pre-slaughter stress resulted in significantly lower dressing percentage, warm-carcass weight, and carcass pH (45 min), but generally had no effect on carcass tissue-yield measurements compared with the moderate stress treatment. Implanted bulls produced carcasses with significantly darker meat, higher 24-h pH and lower meat expressible juice than bulls and castrates for the moderate pre-slaughter stress treatment. These results provide evidence that zeranol implantation in bulls had a minor influence on carcass characteristics, and did not reduce the incidence of dark-cutting carcasses in young bulls subjected to moderate pre-slaughter shipping stress.     

Experience with Cyclosporin-A After Renal Allografting in Two Dogs Research Note

After renal allografting, cyclosporin-A was administered to one partially nonmatched dog that was followed for 79 days. Cyclosporin-A and prednisolone were administered to one nonmatched dog that was followed for 805 days. Side effects encountered with cyclosporin-A included lymphocytic dermatitis, papillomatosis, bacterial and fungal infections, and B lymphocyte hyperplasia.