Vetch toxicosis in cattle grazing Vicia villosa ssp dasycarpa and V benghalensis

SUMMARY The epidemiological, clinical and pathological features of a disease syndrome in adult cattle grazing woolly-pod vetch (Vicia villosa ssp dasycarpa) or popany vetch (V benghalensis) are reported. Outbreaks of toxlcosis occurred between midwinter and midsummer in 3 dairy and 6 beef herds on the north coast of New South Wales, between 1982 and 1992. Friesian, Angus, Murray Grey, Guernsey and Hereford breeds were affected. Mean morbidity and case fatality rates in affected herds were 7% (65 of 889) and 69%, respectively. Signs of pruritic dermatitis, illthrift and death were associated with an eosinophilic granulomatous inflammation of many organs, particularly involving the renal cortex, dermis, myocardium, adrenal glands, lymph nodes and hepatic portal triads.     

Seroprevalence of equine herpesvirus 1 in Thoroughbred foals before and after weaning

Objective To investigate the seroprevalence of equine herpesvirus 1 in foals around weaning and after weaning on two large Thoroughbred farms using a type-specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to determine exposure to infection.
Design A longitudinal population study in groups of Thoroughbred weanling foals.
Study population Two hundred weanling Thoroughbred foals from a population of about 380 foals were enrolled on two adjacent stud farms in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales. Foals on both farms were weaned from February to May 1995 into randomly selected groups of 10 to 15 foals. Farms were selected because of their willingness to cooperate in the survey and because their detailed records of foals and their movements. They were representative of well-managed large Thoroughbred stud farms in New South Wales. Both studs had upper respiratory tract disease among weanling foals around weaning each year although the sero-prevalence of viral respiratory disease on either farm was not known before the study.
Procedure Serum was collected from foals within each group at fortnightly intervals from 9th February until 1st June 1995, and at a single follow-up period in August 1995. Each sample was tested in triplicate using an antibody-detection ELISA which is type-specific for EHV-1 and EHV-4 antibodies.
Results and conclusions There was serological evidence of EHV-1 infection both before and after weaning. The prevalence of EHV-1 antibody in the sample population increased during the study and individual cases of EHV-1 infection were identified. The increase was caused both by the seroconversion of foals within the groups and by the recruitment into the study of foals with pre-existing EHV-1 antibody. Evidence of EHV-1 infection in Thoroughbred foals after weaning has not been reported previously in Australia and this has implications for vaccination regimens.     

Effect of ibuprofen on coccidiosis in broiler chickens

Ibuprofen (IBU)-a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug-inhibits the biosynthesis of prostaglandins with pro-inflammatory and immunosuppressive properties and is therefore proposed as a candidate molecule for the treatment of coccidiosis in broiler chickens. In all experiments, IBU was administered via drinking water. In a first experiment, chickens were infected at 10 or 21 days of age with oocysts of Eimeria acervulina (5 X 10(4)), Eimeria maxima (3 X 10(4)), and Eimeria tenella (7.5 X 10(3)) and medicated with IBU at a dose of 15 mg/kg body weight (BW). In a second experiment, chickens were infected at 6 days of age with 10(4) oocysts of E. acervulina and medicated with IBU at a dose of 100 mg/kg BW. In the third experiment, an inoculum consisting of 5 x 10(4) or 10(5) E. acervulina oocysts was administered at 6 days of age to chickens medicated with IBU at a dose of 100 mg/kg BW. In a fourth experiment, the effect of IBU on sporulation and infectivity of E. acervulina oocysts was studied. Coccidial lesion scores (CLSs), oocyst shedding, and weight gain were used as evaluation parameters in all experiments except the fourth, where weight gain was not taken into account. In addition, the sporulation percentage was determined in the last experiment. No influence of IBU on the indicated parameters was observed after providing the drug at a dose of 15 mg/kg BW, whereas CLSs and oocyst shedding were reduced when IBU was provided at a dose of 100 mg/kg BW. However, IBU did not significantly show any effect on the degree of sporulation and infectivity of E. acervulina oocysts at a dose of 100 mg/kg BW.