Canine brucellosis--a case report

Brucella (B.) canis was isolated from ejaculate of a 4-year old Korthals-Griffon male dog after occurrence of epididymitis and orchitis. Despite several trials of therapy with different antibiotics relapes occurred, with B. canis being isolated from ejaculate, blood and urine samples, respectively. Bacteriological examinations were added by serological testing over a period of about 1.5 years. During the study SAT serum titre steadily dropped from 1:200 to 1:50. By CFT, B. canis antibodies were detectable at the beginning with a titre of 1:320 and to the end of the study with titres between 1:80 and 1:160.     

Current data on antibiotic resistance of the most important bovine mastitis pathogens in Switzerland

100 strains of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), 100 strains of coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS), 100 strains of Streptococcus spp. and 100 strains of Escherichia coli (E. coli), isolated from bovine mastitis milk samples between November 2002 and April 2003, were tested for their sensitivity to various antibiotics by means of the agar diffusion method. The antibiotics were chosen on the basis of their licenses for intramammary application in Switzerland (www.vetpharm.unizh.ch). 91% of the S. aureus strains were sensitive to all the antibiotics tested. Only 9% of the strains were resistant to Penicillin G and 7% to Ampicillin. 53% of the CNS strains were sensitive to all the antibiotics tested. 31% exhibited resistance to Penicillin G, 26% to Ampicillin, 16% to Cloxacillin and 14% to Lincomycin. 30% of the Streptococcus spp. strains were sensitive to all the antibiotics tested. 4% were resistant to Penicillin G, 4% to Amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, 1% to Cefoperazone, 2% to Cefquinome, 35% to Neomycin, 22% to Gentamicin, 61% to Kanamy-cin and 11% to Lincomycin. 43% of the strains showed multiple resistance. 79% of the E. coli strains were sensitive to all the antibiotics tested. 20% exhibited resistance to Ampicillin, 9% to Neomycin and 10% to Kanamycin. A comparison of the own results with data of other authors in Switzerland shows no important changes in the resistance situation during the last 20 years. With the exception of two strains (Streptococcus spp.), all tested isolates were sensible against Cefquinome.     

Isolation of Listeria spp. and Aspergillus fumigatus--two case reports from mastitis diagnosis

Two rare cases of a bovine listeria mastitis and a mould mastitis are being described and discussed. The L. monocytogenes strains isolated from milk as well as silage samples were further genotyped by means of Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE) and macrorestriction analysis (ApaI). Three strains from the silage and four strains from quarter milking showed an identical PFGE-pattern.     

The apparent ileal and faecal digestibilities of amino acids and carbohydrates of rye, barley and triticum grains in pigs

Six pigs of initial weight 40 +/- 1.7 kg with a T-piece cannula fitted at the terminal ileum were given diets composed of 96.3% of rye, barley or triticum grains ground to pass the 2.6 mm mesh, 3.3% mineral and vitamin mixture and 0.4% Cr2O3. Each diet was given to all pigs in a Latin square design, and faeces and ileal digesta were collected on 7, 8, 9 and 10, 11 and 12 day of feeding each diet, respectively. The grains varied widely in the content of pentosans, polyuroids, beta-glucan and monosaccharides. The antitrypsin activities were 0.84, 2.73 and 1.62 TUI/g in barley, rye and triticum, respectively. Ileal and faecal apparent digestibilities of nitrogen and amino acids were higher (P less than or equal to 0.01) in Triticum than in barley and rye. The digestibility of carbohydrates (pentosans, beta-glucan, polyuroids and non-structural carbohydrates) were lower in pigs fed a rye diet than of those fed a Triticum diet. The results are discussed with respect of the role to non starch polysaccharides, especially pentosans in digestibility of nitrogen and energy in animals receiving a rye diet.