Brucellosis in the European Union and Norway at the turn of the twenty-first century

Control and eradication programs of brucellosis in cattle, sheep, goats and pigs have been more or less successfully implemented within the Member States (MS) of the European Union (EU) and Norway after Word War II. As a result, the epidemiological situation of animal brucellosis is extremely diverse among different MS or regions within a MS and among the different animal species. Some MS, mainly North European countries, and Norway are declared “officially bovine brucellosis free” and/or “officially ovine and caprine (Brucella melitensis) free”. The situation is less favorable in Southern European countries, particularly as far as sheep and goat brucellosis are concerned. This situation has important zoonotic consequences as reflected in the number of human brucellosis cases due to B. melitensis that are still encountered in those countries. Brucellosis in swine has re-emerged as a result of spillover from the wild boar brucellosis (Brucella suis biovar 2) reservoir, particularly in outdoor reared pigs. Besides the actual challenge to eradicate brucellosis, further issues have to be addressed: (1) the management of false positive serological results that occur in the course of brucellosis testing, particularly in cattle; (2) the impact of wildlife brucellosis, particularly wild boar brucellosis in domestic animals; and (3) the importance of B. melitensis infection in cattle that are in contact with infected sheep.     

Prevention of intramammary infections in dairy cows by the use of a premilking teat dip method with a foaming iodophor dip agent

In this study we investigated the efficacy of premilking teat dipping with a foaming iodophor teat dip in a negative controlled field study. Incidence of new intramammary infections (IMI), incidence of clinical mastitis, influence on somatic cell count (SCC) and the characteristics of udder tissue and teats were used as parameters to evaluate clinical efficacy. Predipping was compared with a negative control using a split-udder experimental design. Right teats were predipped with a foaming disinfectant containing 0.27% iodine while left teats served as controls. The latter were conventionally cleaned with damp cloth towels and dried manually with disposable paper towels ("best cleaning practice"). All teats were dipped after milking with the same dip. There were no differences between treated and control quarters with respect to incidence of new IMI during the study period (treated quarters: 6.6% vs. untreated: 6.95%), incidence of clinical mastitis (30 cases in the treatment group vs. 39 cases in the control group) and geometric mean of SCC of quarter milk samples. Spectrum of detected pathogens was also comparable. Condition of udder tissue and teat ducts did not differ between treated and control quarters.     

Epidemiology of Fusarium Infection and Deoxynivalenol Content in Winter Wheat in the Rhineland, Germany

Details of our long-term research programme concerning the epidemiology of Fusarium spp. and mycotoxin production are summarized. Evaluation of the occurrence of Fusarium spp., mainly on winter wheat (Triticum aestivum), was carried out by investigating Fusarium infection and mycotoxin contamination. Two to 15% of grains were infested during 1995–1998 at three climatologically differing localities of the Rhineland, Germany. Disease progress was accelerated by rainfall during the flowering season. The species most frequently isolated were Fusarium avenaceum, F. poae, F. culmorum and F. graminearum. The mean deoxynivalenol (DON) content varied from 19gkg^–1 (1995) to 310gkg^–1 (1998) and was not always correlated with disease severity. Organic farming systems showed lower rates of infection with ear blight and lower mycotoxin contamination than conventional farming systems.     

Effect of dietary glycine and benzoate level on benzoate metabolism in mink (Mustela vision), blue fox (Alopex lagopus), and raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides)

Three 2 x 4 factorial experiments were carried out from August to September with 30 juvenile male mink, 24 raccoon dogs, and 24 blue foxes to investigate the effect of dietary glycine supply (low or high) on the efficiency of these species to excrete hippuric acid with incremental benzoate intake (0, 1, 2, or 4 mmol/kg BW). For mink, two additional treatments with 1 or 2 mmol/kg BW of ethyl benzoate were included. A basal low-glycine diet was formulated to meet the minimum protein requirements of fur animals (30% of ME). This diet was supplemented with 0 or 3 g/kg of glycine, or with 0, 1.0, 2.07, or 4.15 g/kg of sodium benzoate for mink and blue foxes, and with 0 or 4.5 g/kg of glycine and 0, 1.58, 3.17, or 6.34 g/kg of sodium benzoate for raccoon dogs, respectively. Two additional diets with .76 or 1.53 g/kg of ethyl benzoate were made for mink. Fecal and urinary benzoic and hippuric acid excretion were measured for 3 d. The 24-h recovery of [14C]benzoic acid injected intraperitoneally was measured from urine, the liver, and the kidneys. All animals appeared healthy and no clinical signs of benzoate overdose were observed. Dietary benzoate level did not affect ADFI or ADG in any species. Glycine supplementation lowered ADFI in mink. The majority of ingested benzoates were absorbed from the gut (over 95%), except in blue foxes, which excreted 6 to 15% of ingested benzoates in feces with incremental increases in benzoate intake. Urinary free benzoic acid excretion accounted for 10% of the ingested benzoates in blue foxes but less than 5% in mink and raccoon dogs. When benzoate intake was 1 mmol/kg BW, mink, blue foxes, and raccoon dogs excreted 71, 77, and 34% of ingested benzoates as hippuric acid in urine, respectively. With higher benzoate intakes, urinary hippuric acid excretion decreased quadratically with mink to 20%, and linearly with blue foxes and raccoon dogs to 45 and 16%, respectively. The hippuric acid pathway appears to be the principal route of benzoate elimination in the mink and blue fox, whereas, in the raccoon dog, other pathways appear to be more important. In mink, the elimination of ethyl benzoate did not differ from that of sodium benzoate. Because glycine conjugation is the primary route of benzoate elimination, it is recommended that benzoate content in fur animal feeds should not exceed 1 g/kg feed on an as-fed basis.     

Comparison of the performance of linear resistance and ultrasonic pneumotachometers at rest and during lobeline-induced hyperpnoea

The performance of a Fleisch No. 5 pneumotachometer (F), and two commercial ultrasonic pneumotachometers, the BRDL (B) and the Spiroson (S) systems were compared in respect to their use for determination of ventilatory parameters at rest and during lobeline-induced hyperpnoea. Five clinically healthy Thoroughbred horses were tested with the three pneumotachometers in random order. Respiratory airflow, respired gas concentrations, oesophageal pressures, pressures within the mask systems and arterial blood gases were determined before and during lobeline-induced hyperpnoea. Because measured peak expiratory airflow rates exceeded the stated linear range of the Fleisch pneumotachometer ( approximately +/- 25 l s(-1)) differential pressure-flow curves were determined in vitro over the range of flows recorded in vivo. Expired flows greater than the linear range were corrected according to the derived regression equation. No differences in any of the measured variables among the three systems were present at rest. At peak ventilation of lobeline-induced hyperpnoea mask pressures [Delta P(mask)(mean (SEM)): F: 9.6 (2.8) cm H(2)O, B: 0.8 (0.4) cm H(2)O, S: 1.4 (0.8) cm H(2)O] and end tidal carbon dioxide [ ET CO(2)(mean (SEM)): F: 2. 6 (0.1)%, B: 2.1 (0.2)%, S: 2.1 (0.1)%] were significantly higher in system F. Despite a tendency for respiratory frequency and peak inspired and expired flows, to be lower with system F, no significant differences in the measurements of ventilatory mechanics were detected. In conclusion, the ultrasonic flowmeters pose significantly lower resistive loads onto the respiratory system during ventilation above resting levels than Fleisch No 5 pneumotachometers. However, at the flowrates achieved during lobeline-induced hyperpnoea an in vitro calibration of the differential pressure-flow relationship allows correction for expiratory alinearity in system F. In addition, the performance of the Spiroson flowmeter is accurate in determining ventilatory mechanics at rest and during lobeline-induced hyperpnoea.     

Within-farm spread of classical swine fever virus--a blueprint for a stochastic simulation model

A stochastic simulation model to investigate the transmission of classical swine fever (CSF) virus within an infected farm is described. The model is structured according to the processes that occur within and between management groups (pig units or houses). It uses the individual pig as the unit of interest and estimates the number of animals in the states 'susceptible', 'infected', 'infectious', and 'removed' for each day of the disease incident. Probabilities are assigned to the transitions between states. The probability of a pig becoming infected is made dependent on the probability of contact between a susceptible and an infectious pig as well as the probability of transmission. The more pigs become infected in one unit, the more likely is subsequent spread to another management group on the farm. Ultimately, the probability that a shipment of pigs from the farm will include at least one infected pig can be estimated in order to identify high-risk movements during a CSF epidemic. The model results were compared with experimental data on CSF transmission within one pig unit (management group). It could be shown that the model was capable of reproducing the experimentally observed infection and mortality rates. To improve the input parameters and for further model validation, more experimental data and field data from CSF outbreaks are needed.     

Phenotypical characterization of T and B cell areas in lymphoid tissues of dogs with spontaneous distemper

CD3, CD4, CD5, and CD8 antigen expression of T cells and IgG expression of B cells and canine distemper virus (CDV) antigen distribution were immunohistochemically examined in lymphoid tissues (lymph node, spleen, thymus, and tonsil) of control dogs and animals with spontaneous canine distemper. In addition, CNS tissue of all animals was studied for neuropathological changes and CDV antigen distribution. Based on the degree of depletion distemper dogs were classified into two groups. Group I represented animals with moderate to marked lymphoid depletion, while group II dogs displayed mild or no depletion. CDV antigen was mainly found in lymphocytes and macrophages of group I dogs, whereas CDV expression was most prominent in dendritic cells of group II animals. In group I dogs, a marked loss of CD3, CD4, CD5, CD8, and IgG expression was noticed, hereby loss of CD4+ cells was more prominent than depletion of CD8+ cells. In the lymphoid tissues of group II animals, a significant increase in the number of T and B cells was observed compared to group I dogs. The number of CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ cells in group II dogs was similar to the findings in controls, however, CD5 and IgG expression was mildly reduced in T and B cell areas, respectively. Additionally, in groups I and II dogs, CD3+ and CD5- T cells were detected in T cell areas. Whether this cell population represents a cell type with autoimmune reactive potential remains to be determined. Surprisingly in group II animals, viral antigen was found predominantly in dendritic cells indicating a change in the cell tropism of CDV during chronic infection and a possible mechanism of viral persistence. The two patterns of lymphoid depletions correlated to two different types of canine distemper encephalitis (CDE). Group I dogs displayed acute non-inflammatory CDE, whereas group II dogs suffered from chronic inflammatory demyelinating CDE, indicating a pathogenic relationship between lymphocytic depletion and inflammatory brain lesions in distemper.     

Attitudes of Finnish dog-owners about programs to control canine genetic diseases

A mailed questionnaire survey was done to study dog-owners' knowledge of canine inherited diseases and the present screening and control programs in Finland, as well as to study the importance of health-related matters and well-being to dog-owners. The purpose was also to study the owners' role in programs and the influence of health and well-being in their decision-making process and choices when purchasing a puppy. This study showed that dog-owners highly valued health-related matters and well-being. The present programs were considered to have a positive effect on the prevention of canine inherited diseases. Dog-owners estimated that their own knowledge could be better but they believed in veterinarians' and dog-breeders' ability to inform them. Inherited skeletal and ocular diseases were thought to be important to canine well-being; the importance of other diseases or behaviour problems was assessed to be lower. In choosing a suitable breed, behaviour and temperament were the most-important factors but health-related matters were essential in actually choosing a puppy's breeder and the litter. Well-being and health were also considered very important to the image of the dog hobby.