Susceptibility of cats to equine morbillivirus

Objective To assess the susceptibility of cats to equine morbillivirus (EMV) by direct administration of the virus by subcutaneous, intra-nasal or oral routes, and following exposure to infected cats.
Design A disease transmission study, with controls, using ten cats.
Procedure Groups of cats were given the virus by the designated methods and assessed for evidence of infection by clinical examination, plus pathological and virological tests.
Results All cats administered the virus by subcutaneous, intra-nasal or oral routes became infected and developed the disease within 4 to 8 days. One of two cats in contact with affected cats also developed the disease, but two cats kept near to affected cats did not become infected. The virus was isolated from a range of tissues collected from the infected cats, and the lesions observed in affected cats were similar to those previously observed in horses naturally and experimentally infected with the virus.
Conclusion This is the first demonstration that animals can be infected with EMV by non-parenteral means, that the virus can transmit naturally between animals and confirms other reports of the similarity of EMV disease in horses and cats.     

Settling of insecticide from dip wash mixed with dam water and zinc sulphate and used to control sheep lice (Bovicola ovis)

SUMMARY Insecticidal dipping fluid emulsions, mixed in vitro in dam water containing suspended clay particles and 1% w/v zinc sulphate, were analysed to determine rates of settling of diazinon, cyhalothrin and cypermethrin. Fifteen minutes after mixing, the concentration of the insecticides 5 cm below the surface had declined by 72.5%, 72.8% and 89.4%, respectively. On remixing, the concentration of insecticide in suspension was close to or greater than the initial concentration. In 2 trials, lice were eradicated from sheep showered with dip wash mixed in cloudy dam water to which 1% w/v of zinc sulphate was added. In 12 flock treatments in which 1000 to 2000 sheep were dipped with added zinc sulphate, the concentration of insecticide remained above the minimum lethal for susceptible strains of lice. However, lice were still present 6 months later in 8 of these flocks. When zinc sulphate is added to dip wash, agitation is needed to maintain the insecticide in suspension.     

Mycoplasmal mastitis in a dairy herd

In October 1985, mycoplasmas were isolated from bulk tank milk samples in a large Florida dairy (greater than 1,400 lactating cows). At that time, measures to isolate and control the spread of infection were instituted. In an initial screening test, Mycoplasma bovis was isolated from 21 of 153 milking string samples (milk from all quarters of 10 cows/string). Composite quarter milk samples from all quarters of every individual lactating cow in the herd were obtained for culture in November 1985 and December 1985. In October, 88 of 1,535 (5.7%) cows were identified as Mycoplasma-positive. An additional 31 Mycoplasma-infected cows were identified in December. The dairy elected to maintain the infected cows in a separate Mycoplasma-positive subherd, which would be milked at the end of each milking session. Seven additional Mycoplasma-positive cows were identified at initiation of lactation. All newly identified infected cows were transferred to the Mycoplasma-positive subherd. After segregation of Mycoplasma-positive cows, bulk tank milk samples obtained routinely from the main herd remained culture negative throughout the study. From February 1986 to October 1986, quarter milk samples were obtained monthly from cows in the Mycoplasma-positive subherd. Any cow that developed clinical mastitis or substantial decrease in milk production was, at the discretion of the herdsman, culled. Of the 126 cows in the subherd, 22 (17.5%) were culled for mastitis, 35 (27.8%) were culled for low production, and 9 (7.1%) were culled for other reasons. Of the remaining 60 cows, 16 (12.7% of the 126 cows) were Mycoplasma-positive on the basis of results from one or more samples obtained after February 1986.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Pathological findings in the bulbourethral glands of bulls

The bulbourethral glands of 323 Bos indicus or B. indicus crossbred bulls more than 1 1/2 years old were examined in an abattoir study. Bulbourethral adenitis was diagnosed grossly and confirmed by histological examination in 4 (1.2%). Unilateral chronic interstitial inflammation was seen in 2 cases; one of these was associated with a degenerative-type seminal vesiculitis. In the others adenitis was bilateral; in one case it was associated with a concretion and foreign (plant) material in the principal duct of the left bulbourethral gland; in the other bilateral case, numerous calculi were present and microscopically, a chronic active and diffuse inflammation was observed. Chemical analysis of the calculi showed calcium oxalate and tricalcium phosphate to be the most important components. Corynebacterium spp was isolated from the lesion with multiple calculi but attempts to isolate Chlamydia spp, Mycoplasma spp and Brucella abortus from the 4 adenitis cases were unsuccessful. Congenital abnormalities such as glandular fusion (2.2%) or unilateral aplasia (0.6%) were also observed. Cysts were the most common finding (19.2%), and duct dilation was frequent (7.1%). The significance of these findings in relation to fertility is considered.     

The latent period of Septoria nodorum in wheat. 2. The effect of temperature and moisture under field conditions

The effects of temperature and moisture (duration of leaf wetness) on the latent period ofSeptoria nodorum (Berk.) Berk. in seedlings of Felix wheat were studied in the field. Throughout the autumn 1969 plants were inoculated at regular intervals. For each inoculation day the subsequent latent period was determined. Variation in temperature was caused by the seasonal decrease of temperature. Variation in the duration of leaf wetness was caused by the variability of the weather in general, and by covering and irrigation in special. Within the range of the experiment, an increase of temperature and an increase of the duration of leaf wetness both caused a decrease of the latent period. The magnitude of the effect (up to about 7 days) was approximately the same as in growth chamber experiments. Relations between variables were tested by means of multiple regression equations; the effects of temperature, duration of leaf wetness, and sometimes of their interaction were significant. For the prediction of the latent period, duration of leaf wetness combined with minimum temperature provided the best results.Samenvatting Klimaatkamerstudies met kiemplanten van Felix tarwe enSeptoria nodorum onder constante of constant wisselende omstandigheden toonden aan dat de latente periode vanS. nodorum afhing van de temperatuur en de duur van de bladnatperiode. In een veldproef werd nagegaan of deze relaties ook onder wisselende omstandigheden aantoonbaar waren. Gedurende de herfst 1969 werden in de klimaatkamer opgekweekte kiemplanten geïnoculeerd en buiten uitgepoot. Voor iedere inoculatiedag werd de latente periode bepaald voor elk van drie bladnat-behandelingen. Variatie in de temperatuur werd bereikt door de seizoensmatige daling van de temperatuur gedurende de herfst. Variatie in de duur van de bladnatperiode werd bereikt door de natuurlijke variaties van het weer in het algemeen, en door drie behandelingen in het bijzonder, onbehandeld (normaal), afgeschermd (droog) en beregend (nat).Voor de statistische berekeningen werd gebruik gemaakt van multipele regressie-vergelijkingen met twee onafhankelijke variabelen, hun lineaire en kwadratische effecten en hun lineaire interactie. De multipele correlatiecoëfficienten zijn gegeven in Tabel 2, de partiële regressiecoëfficienten in Tabel 3. Voor een aantal vergelijkingen zijn in Fig. 1 de puntenzwermen gegeven, waarbij per punt een berekende latente periode is vergeleken met de corresponderende waargenomen latente periode. In driedimensionale figuren worden de vergelijkingen weergegeven door gekromde responsie-oppervlakken (Fig. 3 t/m 6). De berekende latente periode is afhankelijk van de bladnatperiode, de temperatuur, en soms van hun interactie. De combinatie van bladnatperiode met minimum-temperatuur geeft het beste resultaat voor de berekening (voorspelling) van de latente periode, binnen de grenzen van de in deze proef gemeten variatiebreedte.Enkele voorbeelden van resultaten zijn als volgt. Een afname van de bladnatperiode van 12 h (van 17 tot 5 h) doet de berekende latente periode toenemen met 4 dagen bij een minimumtemperatuur van 12°C en met 9,5 dagen bij een minimum temperatuur van 5°C. Een afname van de minimum temperatuur van 7°C (van 12 naar 5°C) doet de berekende latente periode toenemen met 2 dagen bij een bladnatperiode van 17 h en met 8,5 dagen bij een bladnatperiode van 5 h. Deze effecten zijn van dezelfde orde van grootte als de effecten waargenomen in klimaatkamerproeven onder constante of constant wisselende omstandigheden.     

Elimination of false-positive polymerase chain reaction results resulting from hole punch carryover contamination.

The collection of biological material (e.g., blood) directly onto filter paper for subsequent use in laboratory assays such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR), has become a common practice. Dried cells or fluid on the paper can be readily rehydrated and retrieved into a standard volume of an appropriate elution buffer but introduces a dilution factor to the sample. The use of a common cutting instrument for excising a standard-sized piece of paper that contains the material also introduces the potential for transferring biological material from one sample to subsequent samples, causing false-positive results by PCR. In the present study, filter-paper-collected blood that contained beak and feather disease virus was used to determine if viral DNA could be transferred between samples by a hole punch used to excise sequential filter papers. It was determined that false-positive results could be obtained at least 13 times after a positive sample. Subsequently, the efficacy of 4 methods of hole punch disinfection, flaming, VirkonS, bleach, and a bleach-ethanol combination, was assessed. The only effective and practical method to destroy DNA was a method where the hole punch was agitated in commercial bleach, rinsed in water, the water was displaced with 100% ethanol and air-dried. This method was simple, cheap, and relatively rapid, and allowed for the use of a single hole punch for a series of samples, without carryover contamination and consequent false-positive results.