Poultry, pig and the risk of BSE following the feed ban in France--a spatial analysis

A spatial analysis was carried out in order to analyse the reason why the risk of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) was spatially heterogeneous in France, during the period following the feed ban of Meat and Bone Meal to cattle. The hypothesis of cross-contamination between cattle feedstuff and monogastric feedstuff, which was strongly suggested from previous investigations, was assessed, with the assumption that the higher the pig or poultry density is in a given area, the higher the risk of cross-contamination and cattle infection might be. The data concerned the 467 BSE cases born in France after the ban of meat and bone meal (July 1990) and detected between July 1st, 2001 and December 31, 2003, when the surveillance system was optimal and not spatially biased. The disease mapping models were elaborated with the Bayesian graphical modelling methods and based on a Poisson distribution with spatial smoothing (hierarchical approach) and covariates. The parameters were estimated by a Markov Chain Monte Carlo simulation method. The main result was that the poultry density did not significantly influence the risk of BSE whereas the pig density was significantly associated with an increase in the risk of 2.4% per 10 000 pigs. The areas with a significant pig effect were located in regions with a high pig density as well as a high ratio of pigs to cattle. Despite the absence of a global effect of poultry density on the BSE risk, some areas had a significant poultry effect and the risk was better explained in some others when considering both pig and poultry densities. These findings were in agreement with the hypothesis of cross-contamination, which could take place at the feedstuff factory, during the shipment of food or on the farm. Further studies are needed to more precisely explore how the cross-contamination happened.     

Use of an animal model in situations of limited subclass numbers and high degrees of relationships

Breeding value estimation procedures for two traits with moderate and high heritability were evaluated by using a single-trait animal model and computer-simulated data designs. Of interest were the effects of differing numbers of animals and degrees of relationships among animals within and across contemporary groups (tests). Test effects were assumed fixed and animal effects were assumed random. Family size, number of families per contemporary group, and degree of genetic relationships within and across contemporary groups were varied to determine interrelationships among the factors. Results were compared on the basis of accuracy by using both the correlation of true and estimated breeding values and the prediction error variance obtained from the inverse of the coefficient matrix of the mixed-model equations. Small contemporary groups in conjunction with evaluation of closely related families caused average accuracy to decrease relative to that obtained with the same number of unrelated animals because genetically related animals were less accurately evaluated relative to one another. Connecting contemporary groups with a genetic relationship matrix formed a large set of interdependent equations and improved the average accuracy of predicted breeding values. The slight decrease in accuracy for genetically related animals was more than offset by the increase in accuracy of evaluation for their unrelated test mates because the proportion of fixed effects to random effects was smaller. Care must be exercised in designing evaluation schemes involving small populations, and the decision of which fixed effects to include in the model is critical.     

Electromyographic activity of the longissimus dorsi muscles in horses during trotting on a treadmill

OBJECTIVE: To use electromyography (EMG) to measure physiologic activity of the longissimus dorsi muscles of horses during trotting on a treadmill. ANIMALS: 15 adult horses (5 to 20 years old that weighed 450 to 700 kg) that did not have clinical signs of back pain. PROCEDURE: Data were recorded for each horse during trotting on a treadmill at speeds of 2.6 to 4.4 m/s. Surface electromyography was recorded bilaterally from the longissimus dorsi muscles at the levels of T12, T16, and L3. RESULTS: In each motion cycle, 2 EMG maxima were found at the end of the diagonal stance phases. The EMG activity peaked slightly later at L3 than at T12 and T16. Maximum EMG amplitudes were highest at T12 and decreased caudally, with mean +/- SD values of 4.51 +/- 1.20 mV at T12, 3.00 +/- 0.83 mV at T16, and 1.78 +/- 0.67 mV at L3. Mean minimum EMG activity was 1.30 +/- 0.63 mV at T12, 0.83 +/- 0.35 mV at T16, and 0.80 +/- 0.39 mV at L3. The relative amplitudes (ie, [maximum - minimum]/maximum) were 67 +/- 11% at T12, 66 +/- 8% at T16, and 71 +/- 8% at L3. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Activity of the longissimus dorsi muscles is mainly responsible for stabilization of the vertebral column against dynamic forces. The difference between minimum and maximum activity may allow application of this method as a clinical tool. Data reported here can serve as reference values for comparison with values from clinically affected horses.     

Pharmacokinetics of ketoprofen in the green iguana (Iguana iguana) following single intravenous and intramuscular injections.

The nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug ketoprofen (KTP) is a commonly used antiinflammatory and analgesic agent in reptile medicine, but no studies documenting its pharmacokinetics in this species have been published. Ketoprofen was administered as a racemic mixture to green iguanas (Iguana iguana) intravenously (i.v.) and intramuscularly (i.m.) at 2 mg/kg. Pharmacokinetic analyses were performed and indicated that ketoprofen in iguanas administered by the intravenous route has a classical two-compartmental distribution pattern, a slow clearance (67 ml/ kg/hr) and a long terminal half-life (31 hr) compared to ketoprofen studies reported in mammals. When delivered by the intramuscular route, bioavailability was 78%. These data indicate the daily dosing that is generally recommended for reptile patients, as an extrapolation from mammalian data, may be more frequent than necessary.     

Effect of sample volume size and sampling method on feline longitudinal myocardial velocity profiles from color tissue Doppler imaging

ObjectivesThe aims of this study were to compare the effect of sample volume (SV) size settings and sampling method on measurement variability and peak systolic (s′), and early (e′) and late (a′) diastolic longitudinal myocardial velocities using color tissue Doppler imaging (cTDI) in cats.AnimalsTwenty cats with normal echocardiograms and 20 cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.MethodsWe quantified and compared empirical variance and average absolute values of s′, e′ and a′ for three cardiac cycles using eight different SV settings (length 1,2,3 and 5 mm; width 1 and 2 mm) and three methods of sampling (end-diastolic sampling with manual tracking of the SV, end-systolic sampling without tracking, and random-frame sampling without tracking).ResultsNo significant difference in empirical variance could be demonstrated between most of the tested SVs. However, the two settings with a length of 1 mm resulted in a significantly higher variance compared with all settings where the SV length exceeded 2 mm (p < 0.001). There was an overall significant effect of sampling method on the variability of measurements (p = 0.003) and manual tracking obtained the lowest variance. No difference in average values of s′, e′ or a′ could be found between any of the SV settings or sampling methods.ConclusionWithin the tested range of SV settings, an SV length of 1 mm resulted in higher measurement variability compared with an SV length of 3 and 5 mm, and should therefore be avoided. Manual tracking of the sample volume is recommended.     

Experimental infection with low and high pathogenicity H7N3 Chilean avian influenza viruses in Chiloe wigeon (Anas sibilatrix) and cinnamon teal (Anas cyanoptera)

Two different wild duck species common in Chile and neighboring countries, Chiloe wigeon (Anas sibilatrix) and cinnamon teal (Anas cyanoptera), were intranasally inoculated with 10(6) mean embryo infective dose (EID50) of the H7N3 low pathogenicity (LP) avian influenza virus (AIV) (A/chicken/Chile/176822/02) or high pathogenicity (HP) AIV (A/chicken/Chile/ 184240-1/02), in order to study the infectivity and pathobiology of these viruses. None of the virus-inoculated ducks had clinical signs or died, but most seroconverted by 14 days postinoculation (DPI), indicating a productive virus infection. Both LPAIV and HPAIV were isolated from oral swabs from two of six Chiloe wigeons and from oral and/or cloacal swabs from all five of the cinnamon teal at 2 DPI. Both LPAIV and HPAIV were efficiently transmitted to cinnamon teal contacts but not to Chiloe wigeon contacts. This study demonstrates that the cinnamon teal and Chiloe wigeons were susceptible to infection with both Chilean H7N3 LPAIV and HPAIV, but only the cinnamon teal showed contact transmission of the virus between birds, suggesting that the cinnamon teal has the potential to be a reservoir for these viruses, especially the LPAIV, as was demonstrated in 2001 with isolation of a genetically related H7N3 LPAIV strain in a cinnamon teal in Bolivia. However, the definitive source of the H7N3 Chilean LPAIV still remains unknown.     

Comparative short-term efficacy of Oridermyl? auricular ointment and Revolution? selamectin spot-on against feline Otodectes cynotis and its associated secondary otitis externa

The efficacy of Oridermyl^® (acaricidal/antibiotic/antifungal/anti-inflammatory ointment) and Revolution^® (selamectin spot-on) was compared in a blinded randomized study on 24 adult cats with otoacariasis. Twelve cats were treated once daily for 10 d with Oridermyl^® and 12 cats were treated on Day 0 with Revolution^®. Otitis was assessed with cytological counts of mean number of bacteria and yeast on Days 0 and 10, and scored clinically every other day. All auricular secretions were removed for mite count on Day 10. On Day 0, cytological examination confirmed the presence of secondary bacterial (24/24) and fungal (21/24) infections. No live mites were observed otoscopically after Day 4 and in auricular secretions at Day 10 in both groups. On Day 10, secondary infections were resolved for all cats treated with Oridermyl^® but were present in all cats treated with Revolution^®. Improvement in clinical signs of otitis over time was superior in the Oridermyl^® group (P < 0.001).     

URETEROLITHIASIS AND PAPILLOMA FORMATION IN THE URETER OF A GUINEA PIG

A 5-year-old guinea pig with suspected urolithiasis was presented for radiology and ultrasound examinations of the abdomen. Radiographically, an irregular-shaped mineral opacity was detected in the area of the urinary bladder. Ultrasonographically, pyelectasia of the right kidney, hydroureter with an ureterolith cranial to a thickened ureter wall close to the ureterovesical junction, and a thickened urinary bladder wall were detected. Histopathologically, the thickened ureter wall was found to be a papilloma. The ureter calculus consisted of 100% calcite.     

Isolation and identification of Mycobacterium kansasii from pleural fluid of a dog with persistent pleural effusion

A 3-year-old spayed female Whippet was examined for cough and respiratory distress. Lung lobe torsion with pleural effusion was diagnosed, and lung lobectomy was performed. Pleural effusion recurred during the following 27 months; conventional bacteriologic cultures of pleural effusion did not result in bacterial growth. A second lung lobectomy, pleuroperitoneal shunt placement. and pericardectomy were subsequently performed. Mycobacterium kansasii was eventually isolated from pleural fluid and identified by polymerase chain reaction amplification and DNA sequencing. The dog was euthanatized before therapeutic response could be evaluated. To our knowledge, this is the first report of M. kansasii infection in a dog. Additionally, this is the first report of mycobacterial isolation from pleural fluid, and one of few reports of antemortem mycobacterial isolation from a body fluid, as opposed to identification in specimens during histologic examination. Routine bacteriologic culture methods are insufficient to isolate mycobacterial agents, and special methods are indicated in dogs with persistent pleural effusion.