The occurrence of Cryptococcus neoformans in fecal samples from birds kept in human living areas]

With help of Guizotia creatinine agar (syn. bird seed agar) Cryptococcus (Cr.) neoformans var. neoformans was isolated from 71 (7.7%) of 925 investigated droppings of birds kept within human living area. Cr. neoformans was detected in droppings of 1.2% from 164 psittacines, in droppings of 1.7% from 118 budgerigars and in droppings of 18.4% from (carrier) pigeons. This yeast was not isolated from droppings of 13 small parrots, 10 eclectus parrots, 13 rosellas, 21 cockatiels, 6 Polytelidus sp., 32 Cacatua sp., 13 Carduelis sp., 5 waxbills, 5 starlings, 120 chicken, 9 turkeys, 2 geese, 2 Turdus sp., 1 duck and 1 gull.     

Fatal Gastrointestinal Infection with ‘Flexispira rappini’‐Like Organisms in a Cat

A 4‐month‐old male British Blue cat with catarrhal to haemorrhagic enteritis showed massive colonization of the stomach, small intestine and caecum with spiral‐shaped bacilli. In the stomach, organisms were located in foveolae and gland lumina and within unaltered and degenerate epithelial cells. Inflammatory infiltration was moderate and T cell dominated. In the intestine, bacilli were found in the gut lumen, between villi, in crypt lumina and within epithelial cells. Degeneration of crypt epithelial cells as well as crypt dilation and moderate to massive macrophage‐dominated infiltration of the mucosa and submucosa were observed. Immunohistochemically, bacilli were positive with an antibody against Helicobacter. Ultrastructurally, the organisms strongly resembled ‘Flexispira rappini’, a spiral‐shaped Helicobacter species known as a normal intestinal colonizer in dogs and mice.     

Safety and efficacy of two sustained-release intrareticular selenium supplements and the associated placental and colostral transfer of selenium in beef cattle

One hundred fifty Se-deficient, pregnant, crossbred beef cows were assigned to 1 of 4 treatment groups: group A, Se-deficient control; group B, 1 Se bolus at 0 and 119 days; group C, 1 Se bolus at 0 days; and group D, 2 Se pellets at 0 days. The Se bolus is an osmotic pump designed to release 3 mg of Se/d into the reticulorumen. The Se pellets weight approximately 30 g and contain 10% elemental Se, which is liberated in the reticulorumen. The Se bolus is designed to provide Se supplementation for 120 days and the Se pellets provide supplementation for up to 18 months. Cattle were maintained on Se-deficient pasture or forages prepared from these pastures for the duration of the experiment. Blood samples were collected from cows prior to treatment (time 0) and at 28, 52, 119, and 220 days thereafter and analyzed for blood Se (BSe) concentration. Body weights were recorded at each sampling time. Blood Se concentration of cows from all supplemented groups were significantly (P less than 0.01) higher than control values at all sample dates after treatments began. By the end of the 220-day study, treatment group-B cattle had significantly (P less than 0.01) higher BSe concentrations than any other group. Body weights of treatment groups fluctuated throughout the study, but did not differ (P greater than 0.05) between groups. One cow and 6 calves born to cows during the experimental period died. Necropsy of 5 calves provided no evidence linking these deaths to treatments.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Cyanide toxicosis in Asian small-clawed otters (Amblonyx cinereus) secondary to ingestion of loquat (Eriobotrya japonica).

Two Asian small-clawed otters (Amblonyx cinereus) died acutely in their exhibit within a 4-day period. Neither animal had significant gross lesions at necropsy. Histologic findings were consistent with acute vascular shock and disseminated intravascular coagulation, and a toxic etiology was suspected. The animals' exhibit contained opened, uneaten loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) fruit with the seeds removed and large quantities of undigested loquat seed material in the feces of the remaining animals. Cyanide was detected in the stomach contents collected at necropsy and in fresh loquat seeds from the exhibit. Loquat is related to other cyanide-containing fruit trees, including cherries, peaches, and almonds.     

The pathology of Johne''s disease in sheep

The clinical, gross and histopathological findings in 50 sheep affected with Johne's disease are described. Clinically 90% were emaciated and 20% showed severe diarrhoea. On necropsy there was thickening of the walls of the intestines, particularly of the ileum, caecum and less frequently the jejunum, but in 36% of sheep the changes were only mild. Histologically there was a granulomatous enteritis, typhlitis and colitis, with the most severe changes in the terminal ileum. High numbers of acid-fast organisms were present in the terminal ileum in over 70% of sheep. Mycobacterium paratuberculosis was cultured from only 8% of the sheep examined.     

Susceptibility to sharka (Plum pox virus) in Prunus mandshurica×P. armeniaca seedlings

Prunus mandshurica [(Maxim.) Koehne] from Central Asia is a species related to apricot and grown in China and Mongolia. This species has been used in apricot breeding as a source of frost resistance. In addition, P. mandshurica has been suggested as the possible origin of some North American apricot cultivars resistant to sharka (Plum pox virus, PPV). The aim of this work was to transmit the resistance to PPV from P. mandshurica to the Spanish apricot cultivar ‘Currot’ by traditional crossing. The resistance to a Dideron PPV isolate of the descendants of P. mandshuricaבCurrot’ and their progenitors was evaluated under controlled conditions in a greenhouse. The results showed the susceptibility of both, the progenitors and the offspring to PPV, as being much higher than in other apricot seedlings. The results showed that the P. mandshurica accession studied is not a good progenitor in breeding apricot for PPV resistance, but just the opposite. The possible role of P. mandshurica as a source of resistance in apricot resistant cultivars is questioned.     

Selection in segregating generations of autogamous species. I. Selection response for combined selection

Summary The response to selection is determined by the genetic and nongenetic variance, the selection intensity, and the size of the experiments. If, in pure line breeding, selection starts in segregating generations, the gain depends on the relation of additive to epistatic variance. The gain can be increased if an index is constructed using the information from relatives. From animal breeding this kind of selection is known as combined selection. In this paper the optimal number of families and subfamilies is determined that will maximise the selection response by combined selection for a fixed total size of experiments. The composition of the genetic variance has a imited influence on the optimal size of the progenies. If epistatic variance is important, then the number of F₂ families has to be reduced and the number of F₃ families and F₄ families must be increased. The same is true if the nongenetic variance is increased.