Diagnostic cytology of fish.

Cytology is an essential part of a diagnostic workup in cases of aquatic animal diseases. It is simple to perform, inexpensive, and can yield quick and valuable results. External parasites, bacterial and fungal diseases, and gastrointestinal infestations are easily determined with wet mount cytology. Because of the relatively small number of nonlethal diagnostic techniques available for aquatic species, cytologic testing should be considered in every case. Early diagnosis can lead to more effective treatment plans, ensuring a better prognostic outcome in our patients.     

Acute tracheal obstruction associated with anticoagulant rodenticide intoxication in a dog

An adult female neutered crossbred dog was referred in respiratory distress. Thoracic radiographs revealed tracheal narrowing with a soft tissue opacity dorsal to the trachea, near the thoracic inlet, and a patchy interstitial pulmonary infiltrate. The tracheal narrowing was thought to be due to a combination of intraluminal haemorrhage and mediastinal haemorrhage resulting from a coagulopathy caused by anticoagulant rodenticide intoxication. Treatment included supportive care and administration of vitamin K1, and the dog showed a complete resolution of the clinical signs.     

Intraocular melanoma in an alpaca

A case of primary intraocular melanoma in an alpaca is reported. This patient also presented with a mild normocytic, normochromic anemia and hypoproteinemia. These can be markers of an immunodeficiency syndrome associated with llamas. Although this patient did not appear to have clinical signs of this syndrome, its presence needed to be ruled out as animals affected with this syndrome are subject to recurrent severe debilitating diseases and death. To our knowledge, intraocular melanoma has not been previously reported in an alpaca.     

Evaluation of a point-of-care immunodot assay for predicting results of allergen-specific intradermal and immunoglobulin E serological tests

Immunotherapy to prevent recurrence of clinical signs of atopic dermatitis (AD) is based on intradermal or serological tests that assist in identifying allergen-specific immunoglobulin E hypersensitivities. Unfortunately, the results of such tests can be negatively influenced by several factors, which include the age of the patients, the season of testing and the administration of anti-allergic drugs. Screening to predict when these expensive tests will be useful would benefit owners of dogs with AD. The objectives of this study were to determine whether a point-of-care allergen-specific immunodot assay (Allercept E-Screen, Heska Corp., Ft Collins, CO, USA) could predict results of either intradermal or Allercept full panel serological tests in atopic dogs. Thirty dogs living in the south-eastern USA were diagnosed with AD in accordance with current standards. Allergen-specific intradermal, serological and E-Screen tests were performed in all subjects. For flea, house dust mite and pollen allergens altogether, results of the E-Screen assay agreed with those of intradermal and serological tests in 26/30 dogs (87%) and 25/30 dogs (83%), respectively. In this group of dogs, the probabilities of obtaining intradermal or serological tests positive for these allergens were 70 and 67%, respectively. If either skin or serum tests were performed only in dogs with positive E-Screen tests, the probability of obtaining positive results would be increased from 70 to 95% and from 67 to 90%, respectively. In this population of dogs with AD, results of the E-Screen point-of-care immunodot assay was found to often agree with those of allergen-specific intradermal or Allercept tests for selected allergen groups.     

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.     

The Schmallenberg virus epidemic in Europe—2011–2013

During the Schmallenberg virus (SBV) epidemic, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) collected data on SBV occurrence across Europe in order to provide an assessment of spread and impact. By May 2013, twenty-nine countries were reporting to EFSA and twenty-two countries had reported cases of SBV. The total number of SBV herds reported was 13,846 and the number of SBV laboratory confirmed herds was 8730. The surveillance activities were based on the detection of SBV clinical cases (either adults or newborns). Malformation in newborns was the most commonly reported clinical sign of SBV-infection. All countries were able to provide the date when the first suspicion of SBV in the herd was reported and nineteen could report the location of the herd at a regional level. This allowed the spread of SBV in Europe to be measured both temporally and spatially. The number of SBV confirmed herds started to increase in December 2011 and two peaks were observed in 2012 (February and May). Confirmed herds continued to be reported in 2012 and into 2013. An increase during winter 2012 and spring 2013 was again observed, but the number of confirmed herds was lower than in the previous year. SBV spread rapidly throughout Europe from the initial area of detection. SBV was detected above the latitude of 60° North, which exceeds the northern expansion observed during the bluetongue virus serotype 8 epidemic in 2006–2009. The impact of SBV was calculated as ratio of the number of herds with at least one malformed SBV positive foetus and the total number of herds in this region. The 75th percentile of the malformations ratio in the various affected countries for the whole reporting period was below 1% and 3% for cattle and sheep herds, respectively. International data collection on emerging diseases represents a challenge as the nature of available data, data quality and the proportion of reported cases may vary widely between affected countries. Surveillance activities on emerging animal diseases are often structured only for case detection making the estimation of infection/diseases prevalence and the investigation of risk factors difficult. The impact of the disease must be determined to allow risk managers to take appropriate decisions. Simple within-herd impact indicators suitable for emerging disease outbreaks should be defined that could be measured as part of routine animal health surveillance programmes and allow for rapid and reliable impact assessment of emerging animal health diseases.     

Microchip-associated leiomyosarcoma in an Egyptian fruit bat (Rousettus aegyptiacus).

Microchips are commonly used in companion, research, and zoo animal medicine for easy, reliable, and cost-effective identification with relatively low risk of side effects. This report describes development of a metastatic leiomyosarcoma associated with a microchip in an Egyptian fruit bat (Rousettus aegyptiacus).     

Prenatal stress effects on pig development and response to weaning

Exposing a pregnant sow to stress has been shown to affect the resulting offspring. Our objective was to determine if rough handling of pregnant sows altered the physiology of her offspring and if these alterations were different from an experimentally induced model of prenatal stress. Sow treatments consisted of i.v. injections of ACTH (1 IU/kg of BW), exposure to rough handling for 10 min (Rough), or no treatment (Control) once a week during d 42 to 77 of gestation. To determine the plasma cortisol response to treatments, blood (5 mL) was collected from 30 sows after treatment administration. To conduct the prenatal stress study, a separate group of 56 sows was used in 1 of 4 replicates. At birth, production data were collected for each litter, including birth weight, number born, anogenital distance, and pig viability. At weaning, pigs were blocked by BW and sex, and placed in a nursery pen of 6 pigs, with 2 pigs from each treatment group. To assess the effect of treatments on cortisol, corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG), and hematological cell profiles, blood was collected every other day for 10 d after weaning. Application of treatments caused plasma cortisol concentrations to be greatest in ACTH sows compared with Control sows (P < 0.001), with Rough sows having intermediate values (P = 0.07). Treatments did not affect the number of pigs born, number of stillborn, or pig viability (P > 0.40). The ratio of cortisol to CBG did not differ between treatments (P = 0.09). Hematological variables did not differ between treatments (P > 0.19). Pigs born to ACTH sows had a smaller anogenital distance compared with controls (P < 0.03), with pigs from Rough sows being intermediate. Our data indicate that swine exposed to prenatal stress (ACTH injection) can have alterations in sexual morphology without effects on growth or the immune cell populations measured in this study.