Plasma Cell Myeloma in the Horse

Plasma cell myelomas in horses have been reported infrequently. Data from 10 cases, 9 from the literature and 1 new case, are used to characterize the disease in the horse. Hot-blooded horses (7/10), specifically Quarter Horses (4/10), were most often affected. Median age at diagnosis was 11 years (range, 3 mo-22 yr) and both male (5) and female horses (5) were represented equally. Clinical findings included weight loss (6/8), anorexia (4/8), fever (4/8), limb edema (4/8), pneumonia (3/8), rear leg paresis/ataxia (3/8), epistaxis (3/8), palpable lymphadenopathy (2/8), and bone pain (2/8). Anemia (8/8) was present routinely, and in three horses, RBCs were macrocytic. Leukopenia (2/8), thrombocy-topenia (2/8), and circulating plasma cells (3/8) were variable findings. Except for abnormal protein concentrations and hyponatremia (3), abnormal results from serum biochemical analysis including hypo-cholesterolemia (1), hypercalcemia (1), and azotemia (1) were reported infrequently. Hyperproteinemia (8/9), hypoalbuminemia (7/9), and hyperglobulinemia (8/9) were characteristic but not invariable findings. Monoclonal proteins (7/7) were detected in the α₂, β, or γ region by serum electrophoresis. The paraprotein's heavy chain, determined in four horses, was a subclass of IgG. Three horses had decreased concentrations of normal immunoglobulins. Variable proteinuria (trace to 4+) was detected by routine urinalysis in four of six horses. Bence Jones proteinuria was detected in one of five horses (heat precipitation) and monoclonal proteins were detected in two of three electrophoresed urine samples. Three of the horses had lytic bone lesions detected radiographically. Bone marrow aspirates were diagnostic in two of five horses. Atypical plasma cells or increased numbers of plasma cells or both were present in histologic sections of bone marrow in six of eight horses. Common extraosseous sites of plasma cell infiltration included lymph nodes (8/8), kidney (5/8), spleen (5/8), liver (3/8), lung (3/8), brain (2/8), and orbit (2/8). Two horses had intracellular and extracellular crystalline deposits.     

Development of Stem-base Pathogens on Different Cultivars of Winter Wheat Determined by Quantitative PCR

The progress of development of stem-base pathogens in crops of second winter wheat was plotted in nine experiments in three years. The amount of each pathogen present was determined by quantitative PCR. Where Tapesia yallundae was present in quantifiable amounts, it usually developed earlier than the other eyespot pathogen, T. acuformis. Both species were usually present in greater amounts on cultivars which are more susceptible to eyespot. The sharp eyespot pathogen, Rhizoctonia cerealis, developed more erratically than either of the Tapesia spp. and there were no consistent effects on different cultivars. Fusarium spp., the cause of brown foot rot, were rarely present in quantifiable amounts, but Microdochium nivale was usually present as one or both of the varieties nivale and majus. Late-season (after anthesis) decreases in M. nivale suggest that any brown foot rot symptoms attributable to this fungus would have fully developed earlier. Cultivar differences in amounts of M. nivale were most clear in stems during internode extension and when relatively large amounts of DNA were present. Such differences approximately reflected eyespot susceptibility, cv. Soissons containing most and cv. Lynx containing least DNA. The results emphasise the difficulty in relating diagnoses, by quantitative PCR or other means, at early growth stages when decisions to apply fungicides against stem-base disease are made, to later disease severity.     

Use of Powdered Egg Yolk vs Fresh Egg Yolk for the Cryopreservation of Ovine Semen

Egg yolk is a common additive to sperm cryopreservation diluents. Because of its animal origin, however, it also represents a potential risk of microbiological contamination in the diluent. This potential contamination can be avoided by using powdered egg yolk, instead of fresh egg yolk, as it is pasteurized. This study was conducted to determine ram sperm cryosurvival was affected by the type of egg yolk used (powdered egg yolk or fresh egg yolk) and by yolk concentration (10, 15 or 20%) in the diluent. Microbiological analyses were also performed to quantify the microbiological contamination in the diluents containing the two types of egg yolk. Sperm cryosurvival was determined by motility and morphology analyses after thawing. Motility parameters were assessed using a computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA) system, and the percentage of sperm with a normal apical ridge was evaluated using a differential interference contrast microscope. No significant differences were observed between diluents in the percentage of sperm with normal apical ridge. However, higher percentages of total motile cells were observed for samples containing powdered egg yolk (69%) compared to samples containing fresh egg yolk (60%). However, sperm in diluents containing fresh egg yolk, exhibited higher values for average-path velocity, straight-line velocity and beat cross frequency and lower values for amplitude of lateral head displacement (p <0.05), compared to cells in diluents containing powdered egg yolk. Microbiological contamination was similar (<200 CFU/ml) in both diluents, and no bacterial growth was observed in either, when antibiotics were added. Therefore, powdered egg yolk can be effective used in diluents for the freezing of ram semen. However, the in vivo fertility of sperm frozen in diluents containing powdered egg yolk should be tested, as some motility parameters were different for sperm treated with powdered egg yolk compared to fresh egg yolk.     

Effects of weed control practices on surface-dwelling arthropod predators in tomato agroecosystems

Weed control, an important practice in agroecosystems to protect crop production, is usually achieved with herbicides. However, these pesticides are expensive, pose potential risks to the environment, may affect some beneficial organisms indirectly, and decrease overall arthropod biodiversity, including pests and their natural enemies, by removing weeds that might act as hosts or shelters for many organisms. The activity density response of important surface-dwelling arthropod predators (ground beetles [Coleoptera: Carabidae], ants [Hymenoptera: Formicidae] and spiders [Arachnida: Araneae]) to herbicides (trifluralin and paraquat), and to two alternative weed management practices (rye straw mulch and mechanical treatment to maintain weeds below threshold levels, in comparison with an untreated check), was assessed using pitfall traps. The mulch treatment had the greatest effect on activity density, reducing the number of predators trapped significantly (P<0.05). Herbicide use resulted in significant (P<0.05) reductions in the activity density of ground beetles. Most predators were trapped in the check plots — which had the highest weed biomass, followed in turn by numbers trapped in the threshold weed control treatment, the full herbicide application and the mulch treatment plots. http://www.phytoparasitica.org posting July 10, 2002.     

A comparison of three rapid diagnostic methods for the detection of rotavirus infection in calves

Three techniques for the detection of rotavirus in faecal samples from calves with neonatal gastroenteritis were compared. A preliminary study indicated that reverse passive haemagglutination (RPHA) was at least as sensitive as the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). These two immunoassays were compared with the detection of viral RNA by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) on 209 field samples. Of the 77 samples in which at least one test gave a positive result, 69 were positive by both RPHA and PAGE, but only 49 were also positive by ELISA, indicating a lower sensitivity for the latter test. The overall agreement between RPHA and PAGE was 96%. The reasons for the discrepancies between the tests are discussed.     

Death of a neonatal lamb due to Clostridium perfringens type B in New Zealand

ABSTRACT

Case history and clinical findings: A flock of 20 sheep was kept within three paddocks on a single property. None of the animals in the flock had been vaccinated against any disease for at least three years. Abdominal bloating and haemorrhagic diarrhoea were observed in Lamb 1 at 24 hours-of-age. The lamb subsequently died within an hour of the onset of clinical signs. Lamb 2 was 3-days-old when observed to be recumbent with opisthotonus. The lamb was treated with dextrose, vitamins B1 and B12, and penicillin G, but died 4 hours later.

Pathological findings: Examination of Lamb 1 revealed markedly increased gas within the peritoneum and within dilated loops of intestine. The intestines were dark red and contained large quantities of haemorrhagic fluid. Histology of the intestines revealed peracute mucosal necrosis with minimal accompanying inflammation. The intestinal lumen contained cell debris, haemorrhage, and myriad large Gram-positive bacilli. The intestines of Lamb 2 did not appear bloated or reddened. However, multiple fibrin clots were visible within the pericardial sac. Histopathological examination revealed small foci of necrosis within the mucosa of the distal intestine. The necrotic foci were often associated with large numbers of large Gram-positive bacilli.

Immunohistochemsitry and molecular biology: Intestinal samples from Lamb 1 were processed for Clostridium perfringens immunohistochemistry, which revealed large numbers of intralesional, positively immunostained rods. Fragments corresponding to the expected sizes for genes encoding alpha, beta, and epsilon C. perfringens typing toxins were amplified by PCR from DNA extracted from formalin-fixed sections of intestine.

Diagnosis: Lamb dysentery due to C. perfringens type B.

Clinical relevance: C. perfringens bacteria have a worldwide distribution, but disease due to C. perfringens type B has only been diagnosed in a small number of countries and has never been reported in New Zealand or Australia. C. perfringens type B produce both beta toxin and epsilon toxins, therefore both haemorrhagic enteritis and systemic vascular damage can develop. As many animals are exposed to C. perfringens without developing disease, there must be additional unknown factors that resulted in disease in these particular sheep. Vaccines that specifically protect against C. perfringens type B are available and may be recommended for use in smaller non-commercial flocks, as in the present case.