Eastern equine encephalitis in a flock of emus (Dromaius novaehollandiae).

Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) was diagnosed in a flock of emus in southeastern Louisiana. The outbreak involved juvenile and adult breeders ranging in age from 20 to 36 months, with an attack rate of 76% and a case fatality rate of 87%. The diagnosis was confirmed by isolation and characterization of the viral agent, and by detection of EEE antibody in two recovered emus. High mortality was preceded by marked depression, hemorrhagic diarrhea, and emesis of blood-stained ingesta. On postmortem examination, hemorrhagic enteritis and multiple petechia of viscera were observed. Microscopic changes included severe necrosis of hepatocytes, intestinal mucosa, and necrotizing vasculitis of the spleen and lamina propria of the intestine. No nervous system lesions were observed. This outbreak occurred concurrently with EEE in horses and was attributed to unseasonably heavy rainfall with an abundance of arthropod vectors and proximity to free-living reservoir host species.     

Chronic diarrhea associated with intestinal anomalies in a six-year-old dog.

A 6-year-old mixed-breed dog was referred because of chronic diarrhea, which had begun after antibiotic treatment for pulmonary disease. Intestinal bacterial overgrowth was presumptively diagnosed on the basis of intestinal mucosal cytologic examination and low serum cobalamin concentration. When the diarrhea did not respond to treatment, contrast radiography was performed and a short small intestine was found. The diarrhea could not be managed by medical treatment, and the dog was euthanatized. Necropsy revealed 2 blind intestinal pouches attached to a 46-cm length of small intestine connecting the stomach and colon. The dog's deteriorating condition was attributable to necrosis and rupture of 1 of the pouches.     

Potential of a recombinant antigen as a prophylactic vaccine for day-old broiler chickens against Eimeria acervulina and Eimeria tenella infections.

A genetically engineered Eimeria tenella antigen (GX3262), produced as a fusion protein with beta-galactosidase and identified with a monoclonal antibody, induced partial but significant protection in young broiler chickens against experimental E. tenella and Eimeria acervulina infections. The antigen appears to share a T-helper cell epitope with the parasite as evidenced by (a) booster inoculation with either the recombinant antigen or with a small number of live oocysts enhanced the protective immunity in GX3262 primed chickens, and (b) ability of the antigen to induce in vitro stimulation of T-cells from chickens immunized with antigen or parasite. These observations suggest the feasibility of a single vaccination of 1 or 2-day-old broilers with GX3262 to induce an acceptable degree of protective immunity. The implications of the observations reported here are far reaching in terms of a practical coccidiosis vaccine for poultry, and show for the first time that 1-day-old broiler chickens can be efficiently vaccinated with a recombinant antigen against one or more species of Eimeria.     

Plasma triglyceride concentration during intravenous infusions of propofol and Intralipid in sheep

Plasma triglyceride concentrations were measured in sheep given Intralipid or propofol, which is carried in a vehicle very similar to 10% Intralipid. A bolus dose was administered followed immediately by an infusion of the same agent for 2 h. In the animals that received propofol, the measured concentration increased by a mean amount of 3.39 mmol/l when the infusion rate was l ml/min (Group Pl) and by 7.13 mmol/l when it was 2 ml/min (Group P2). When 10% Intralipid was administered and infused at 1 ml/min (Group I10), the measured concentration increased only by 0.95 mmol/l. One hour after stopping the infusion, the excess of measured concentration over baseline had decreased in the Pl and I 10 groups to 0.52 and 0.13, respectively, of the corresponding maximum excess. The method adopted for measuring plasma triglycerides is widely used in hospitals; however, an incidental observation revealed that it is inappropriate in the presence of injections of propofol or Intralipid. Despite this, evidence and argument are presented to support the conclusion that, with propofol, plasma triglyceride concentrations increased more rapidly during the infusions and returned to baseline more slowly than with a corresponding amount of Intralipid.     

Anesthesia for patients with severe systemic debilitation.

Any patient presenting for anesthesia and surgery who has a severe debilitating problem is at great risk for a prolonged recovery, renal failure, or hypotension. A stable hemodynamic state should be maintained. Fluid homeostasis should be ensured. Anesthetic induction techniques using narcotics and benzodiazepines are my preferred approach, with maintenance of anesthesia incorporating isoflurane, narcotics, or both or the use of regional anesthesia.     

Studies on efficacy and stability of a vaccine bait containing ERA strain of rabies virus propagated in a BHK-21 cell line.

In a dose response study in foxes, the median protective dose of ERA BHK21 vaccine in a blister pack bait was 10(6.0) tissue culture infective doses (TCID)/mL, while artificially aged baits with titers of 10(6.3) TCID/mL induced seroconversion in 78% of foxes. There was no significant difference in the development of antibodies in foxes receiving 1, 2 or 3 mL volumes of vaccine in the bait. When baits were exposed to the elements and fed to foxes over a 21 day period, 85% of the animals seroconverted. Age, sex and the way in which the vaccine container was contacted did not appear to be factors in the responses of these animals. Juvenile foxes, approximately six months of age, were marked more readily with the tetracycline bait marker than older animals. Approximately 25% of foxes did not appear to respond well to vaccination and the titer of the vaccine was a critical factor in producing seroconversion in these animals.     

Behavioral and physiological effects of freeze or hot-iron branding on crossbred cattle.

Twenty-seven crossbred calves (1/2 Simmental, 1/4 Hereford, 1/4 Brahman) averaging 257 +/- 11 d of age were either hot-iron-branded (H), freeze-branded (F), or sham-branded (S). Calves were blocked for temperament, weight, and sex and were randomly assigned to day and order in which treatments were applied. To reduce stress from handling at treatment time, each calf was herded through the squeeze chute daily for 5 d before the experiment. Jugular cannulas were inserted in each calf 1 d before application of treatment. Blood samples and heart rate measures were obtained at -5, -3, 0, .5, 1, 3, 5, 10, 15, and 20 min after application of the treatments. Mean concentrations of plasma epinephrine (EPI) were higher for H calves at time .5 min than for either S or F calves (P = .10). To account for individual differences, prebranding heart rates and hormone concentrations were subtracted from subsequent samples and were also used to calculate a proportion for each subsequent sample. Analyses of subtracted values found that EPI concentrations were greater for H calves than for either S or F calves (P = .007) at .5 min postbranding. No other differences were found for the subtracted analyses. Analyses of proportion data also revealed that H calves had greater EPI than did either S or F calves (P = .027) at .5 min postbranding. Only three animals vocalized during branding, one H calf and two F calves. Despite the 5-d acclimation period, handling and restraint elevated plasma cortisol concentrations and heart rate.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Effect of initial restraint, weaning, and transport stress on baseline and ACTH-stimulated cortisol responses in beef calves of different genotypes.

The productivity and well-being of animals can be substantially affected by stress. This is particularly true in the case of beef calves that are subjected to a multitude of stressors over a short period during the first year of life. Perhaps the most often studied stress-responsive variable has been blood corticosteroid concentrations. Factors such as age, gender, genetics, and degree of prior experience, can influence how an animal perceives and responds to a given stressor. Few studies have tried to control these variables, and accordingly, many conflicting results have been published regarding the impact of various stressors on cortisol response. We measured baseline plasma cortisol concentration over a 44-day study in Bos indicus and Bos taurus calves. Plasma cortisol values in Bos indicus calves were higher (32.60 +/- 0.66 ng/ml) than values in calves of Bos taurus (25.81 +/- 0.76) breeding. A precipitous decrease in cortisol concentration was observed 7 days after transport stress in all calves. Baseline cortisol concentration did not provide any indication of the intensity of the various stressors. However, significant differences were readily observed after ACTH administration. On the basis of cortisol secretion, stresses of transport and weaning were similar and were the most stressful to calves, regardless of genotype.