Prevalence of mycoplasmas in the respiratory tracts of pneumonic calves.

The prevalence of mycoplasmas in the respiratory tracts of 148 pneumonic calves originating from 25 herds in the Netherlands is reported. Four types of culture media were used to isolate mycoplasmas: solid modified Edward medium, 2 types of Friis media, and A7B differential agar medium. Mycoplasmas were isolated both from nasal swab specimens and lung lavage fluids collected from live calves and from nasal mucosa and lung tissue specimens collected post mortem. All of the mycoplasma strains isolated could be identified as either Ureaplasma diversum (isolated from 80% of 25 herds), Mycoplasma dispar (92%), M. bovirhinis (88%), M. bovis (20%), M. bovigenitalium (4%), M. arginini (16%), or M. canis (12%). Isolation rates of M. dispar and U. diversum were considerably higher from lung lavage fluids than from nasal swab specimens. M. bovis was detected only in fattening herds and not in dairy herds. The respiratory tracts of 75% of the calves examined contained at least 2 mycoplasma species. In total, 25 different combinations of mycoplasma species were detected in specimens collected from noses and lungs. The pathogenic species U. diversum and M. dispar had not been isolated before in the Netherlands.     

Dinoseb toxicosis in two dogs

Two male English Setters were noticed to be breathing rapidly, hyperexcitable, and atactic after roaming a rural area for 2 hours. Both dogs' cost were stained with yellow liquid. One dog died while en route to the veterinarian. Treatment was begun for the surviving dog for what was initially diagnosed to be organophosphorus or carbamate insecticide toxicosis. Before the diagnosis could be confirmed, the second dog died. The yellow liquid on the dogs' skin was identified as dinoseb in high concentrations. Dinoseb is an acutely toxic, substituted dinitrophenolic herbicide believed to act as an uncoupler of electron transport from oxidative phosphorylation.     

Infection of Cherax quadricarinatus (Decapoda: Parastacidae) by the microsporidium Thelohania sp. (Microsporida: Nosematidae)

Abstract The microsporidian parasite Thelohania sp. was present in a population of Cherax quadriearinatus in the Mitchell River, north Queensland. An infection rate of 7--8% was recorded for the population sampled. Cohabitation, passage of spores through fish, ingestion of spores and injection of blood from an infected individual failed to elicit infection in laboratory held animals. Injection of spores elicited a host responseconsisting of encapsulation and melanization of spores. Further studies are necessary to clarify the taxonomic position and mode of transmission of this parasite.     

Spring Barley Responses to Row Spacing and Fungicide Triadimefon in Regions with a Short Crop-growing Season

Aspects of intensive management practices such as high-yielding cultivars, narrow-row spacings and fungicide treatments could potentially increase cereal yields in regions with a short crop-growing season and occasionally dry and hot weather. A field experiment was carried out at McGill University, Canada for three years (1987 to 1989) to test the effects of triadimefon (1-[4-chlorophenoxy]-3,3-dimethyl-1-[1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl]-2-butanone, or Bayleton, a trade name) fungicide (0 vs. 140 g a.i. ha⁻¹) and row spacing (10 vs. 20 cm) on the yield components, yield and other agronomic traits (spike emergence, days to maturity, leaf disease and plant height) of spring barley ( Hordeum vulgare L.) cv. Cadette, Laurier and Leger. A cultivar by row spacing interaction resulted in a 11 to 13.5 % increase in grain yield due to narrow rows for Laurier in two out of the three years and up to 16 % for Leger in one year. Over the three years grain yields were on average increased 6 to 12 % due to use of the narrower row spacing. Fungicide application to barley at the early heading stage effectively controlled leaf diseases without influence on yield components or grain yield. Our results indicate that some components of intensive management such as narrow row spacing can be applicable in regions with a short crop-growing season.     

Genomic variability among globally distributed isolates of equine arteritis virus.

Equine arteritis virus (EAV), a non-arthropod borne togavirus, has been shown to have a global distribution. To date, no major antigenic variation has been demonstrated between EAV isolates from different geographic origins. In this study, the genomic RNA of EAV isolates obtained from horses of different breeds in various countries around the world was oligonucleotide fingerprinted. Comparisons of these fingerprints were used to determine the extent of genomic variation among such isolates. Comparisons among isolates from North American horses revealed, for the most part, oligonucleotide homologies of less than 60%. Only 29 of the 98 comparisons revealed greater than 60% oligonucleotide homology. Nonetheless, several comparisons indicated a close epidemiologic relationship between isolates from horses of different breeds located in different states. Though all European isolates were of Standardbred origin and were from horses located in northern European countries, the majority had oligonucleotide homologies of less than 60%. Where oligonucleotide homology was apparent, it was, with one exception, greater than 70%. The two isolates from New Zealand had 93.2% oligonucleotide homology. This is indicative of an extremely close epidemiologic relationship. Comparisons between EAV isolates from around the world revealed oligonucleotide homologies between viruses from North America, Europe and New Zealand. In several instances, this homology was greater than 70% and in one case greater than 80%. No oligonucleotide homology was evident in comparisons involving the virus from South Africa. The high level of genomic conservation between certain EAV isolates of disparate geographic origins may reflect dissemination of the virus associated with the international movement of horses. The extent of genomic variation demonstrated between most of the EAV isolates used in this study confirms the need for further investigation of genomic heterogeneity among strains of this virus before techniques that rely upon nucleic acid hybridization can be effectively applied as diagnostic procedures.     

Toxic peripheral neuropathy with demyelination in Sprague-Dawley rats given CGS 21595--a 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor.

Male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were given CGS 21595, a pro-drug that is almost immediately metabolized to CGS 19213, a naphthoquinone that acts as a 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor. The compound was administered by gavage to five groups of Sprague-Dawley rats (group Nos. 1, 5, n = 30; group Nos. 2-4, n = 20) at daily doses of 0, 50, 150, 500, or 1,000 mg/kg for 13 weeks. Rats in the higher dose groups had a reduced weight gain, but significant neurologic signs were not observed. A peripheral neuropathy consisting predominantly of myelin destruction in the spinal nerve roots and sciatic nerves in male rats treated with greater than or equal to 150 mg/kg CGS 21595 and in female rats treated with greater than or equal to 50 mg/kg CGS 21595 for 13 weeks. This lesion was not fully reversible after a recovery period of 4 weeks. Lesions consisted of ballooning of myelin sheaths, infiltration by macrophages, demyelination, and occasional areas of remyelination. Axons were generally preserved, and the brain and spinal cord were not affected. Male and female rats in all treatment groups had cytoplasmic hyaline droplets in the proximal renal tubules. This change was reversible after 4 weeks and was not associated with any other adverse effects on the kidney.     

Cytology of the cerebrospinal fluid in dogs with brain tumors and spinal cord compression. Part 4]

The results of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cytology of 9 dogs with brain tumors and 50 dogs with spinal cord compression are discussed. Of the 50 dogs with spinal cord compression, disc protrusion was diagnosed in 31, myelomalacia in 7, discospondylitis in 3 and spinal cord tumors in 9 dogs. In 4 of 9 dogs with brain tumors, tumor cells could be found by the sedimentation apparatus of K?lmel. Pleocytosis existed in 6 patients. In about 70% (29 of 41) of cases with disc protrusion, more than 200 cells could be evaluated in the CSF sediment, consisting mostly of transformed lymphocytes and activated monocytes. As the neurologic deficits increased, the amount of cells and especially cell complexes increased. This was especially evident in cases with myelomalacia of the spinal cord. Only in cases with discospondylitis or spinal cord neoplasia was the CSF cytology unchanged.     

Validation of the accuracy of household reporting of subsistence fishing catch and effort: a Fijian case study

Abstract  The accuracy of household reporting of subsistence fishing catch and effort and seafood consumption on the Fijian island of Ono-i-Lau was studied. A creel survey was carried out concurrently to validate the household survey data. Reported estimates of fishing participation, effort, and fish consumption were not significantly different to the creel survey estimates. Householder's appeared to overestimate the number of fish from the most abundant family Lethrinidae, and underestimate rarer fish. However, there was no significant difference between the reported and observed contribution of the majority of finfish families and invertebrate taxa. The reported and observed catch rate estimates were not significantly different, indicating that Ono-i-Lau villagers are relatively accurate in their estimation of the number and size of fish from recalled catches.     

Verification by polymerase chain reaction of vertical transmission of Theileria sergenti in cows

To evaluate the transplacental transfer of Theileria sergenti infection in cattle, we used DNA probes to detect T. sergenti in 6 pregnant cows and their calves. All the animals were monitored by parasitologic, serologic, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays for a predicted 875-base-pair (bp) DNA product and a 684-bp amplicon detected by nested PCR in the blood and spleens of aborted fetuses. An open reading frame (ORF) starting at nucleotide 170 and terminating at position 1021 was shown to code for a polypeptide of 283 amino acid residues. All 6 dams and 5 calves were positive for T. sergenti in all tests. One calf was positive only with nested PCR. We conclude that transplacental transmission of T. sergenti is a significant problem. The relevance of the data in the programmed introduction of new (especially pregnant) animals into established clean herds needs serious consideration with regard to control of theileriosis and other tickborne diseases.