Coccidioidomycosis in 48 Cats: A Retrospective Study (1984–1993)

Coccidioidomycosis was diagnosed in 48 cats. Forty-one cases were identified within a period of 3 years. Coccidioides immitis was revealed by cytological or histopathological examinations, or culture in 70% of cats. The remaining 30% of cases were diagnosed by appropriate clinical signs, radiographic lesions, and serological test results. The average age of affected cats was 6.2 years with a median age of 5.0 years. Fifty-four percent (n = 26) were female and 46% (n = 22) were male. Domestic shorthaired and longhaired breeds comprised 89% (n = 41) of affected cats. Sixty-seven percent of cases were diagnosed during the 6-month period of December through May. Cats infected with C immitis were presented for evaluation of dermatologic (56%), respiratory (25%), musculoskeletal (19%), and neurological or ophthalmologic signs (19%). Fever, inappetence, and weight loss were present in 44% of the cats. Duration of clinical signs before diagnosis was less than 4 weeks in 85% (n = 42) of cats, with an average of 3.8 weeks and a median of 2 weeks. Agar gel immunodiffusion tests were positive in all 39 cats tested at sometime during the course of their disease. Hyperproteinemia (greater than 7.9 g/dL) was present in 52% (10/23) of cases. The majority of cats (n = 39) were negative for feline leukemia virus. Antibodies to feline immunodeficiency virus were absent in the 19 cats tested. Ketoconazole was the most common antifungal agent used to treat cats with Coccidioidomycosis. Duration of treatment ranged from less than 1 week to 43 months. Thirty-two cats are currently asymptomatic, with or without treatment. Eleven cats died or were euthanized. Five cats were lost to follow-up. Ketoconazole likely is more suppressive than curative because relapses were common after discontinuing therapy.     

Quantitative study of pulmonary endocrine cells in fetal, postnatal and adult sheep

Using light microscopic immunohistochemistry, neuron-specific enolase (NSE)-positive endocrine cells were quantitatively analyzed in the sheep lung during different stages of development from the canalicular stages to adulthood. In all stages, NSE-positive endocrine cells were usually located in the bronchi and bronchioles as solitary cells, although a few NSE-positive cell clusters, the so-called neuroepithelial bodies, were found in some places. The number of NSE-positive endocrine cells decreased with advanced stages of gestation. In the late alveolar stage, the number of NSE-positive endocrine cells reached its bottom during the fetal period. There was a gradual upturn after birth. The overall pattern of growth and differentiation of the endocrine cells is most likely species-related and depends on the state of airway development; the number of the endocrine cells of almost all animals, excluding the sheep, in relation to the size of the lung reaches a peak in the late fetal and early neonatal periods and decreases shortly thereafter. NSE-positive endocrine cells were also predominantly located in the large airways during the early stage of development (canalicular stage), and were found more frequently in the small peripheral airways towards the term. These results show the number of NSE-positive endocrine cells in the sheep to be different from that seen in other species.     

Effect of sodium bisulfate on skin and hooves of horses

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the safety of sodium bisulfate for use in horse barn environments by determining its irritant effect on skin and hooves. ANIMALS: 6 female mixed-breed ponies. PROCEDURE: Sodium bisulfate was applied to clipped intact skin of 6 ponies to evaluate its irritant effect after single (48 hours) and repetitive (6 h/d for 10 days) applications; similar areas of skin were used as untreated control sites. In addition, sodium bisulfate was applied to the sole of both front hooves of each pony and covered with wet gauze, and the entire hoof was covered with adhesive tape for 48 hours. RESULTS: Contact with moistened sodium bisulfate for 48 hours had no effect on pony skin. Contact with sodium bisulfate for 6 hours on 10 consecutive days did not cause gross changes but did cause mild to moderate microscopic changes including epidermal necrosis, hyperkeratosis, capillary congestion, edema, and diffuse mixed inflammatory cell infiltrate. All changes were limited to the epidermis and superficial dermis. Gross changes in hoof sole, signs of lameness, and increase in digital pulse pressure or pulse intensity were not detected. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Duration of contact with sodium bisulfate in this study was in excess of that expected under typical husbandry conditions. Despite this fact, gross changes in skin and hooves were not detected. Microscopic lesions were confined to the epidermis and superficial dermis. Results suggest that contact with sodium bisulfate under these conditions is safe.     

Secretory patterns and metabolic clearance rate of porcine growth hormone in swine selected for growth

Eleven Landrace pigs (six boars and five gilts, 50 kg) representing lines selected for three generations for maximum weight at 200 d of age were compared to eight pigs (four boars and four gilts, 50 kg) representing contemporary randomly selected Landrace controls to determine the effect of selection for growth on the metabolic clearance rate (MCR) and plasma concentrations of porcine growth hormone (GH). To estimate MCR of GH, the disappearance of a bolus of porcine GH was monitored over 120 min following its i.v. injection. Blood samples also were collected every 15 min over a 6-h period before injecting GH to determine baseline and overall mean GH concentrations, mean peak amplitude and number of GH secretory episodes. Boars exhibited greater overall mean GH concentrations (4.80 vs 3.11 ng/ml; P less than .05) and had greater maximum GH concentrations associated with secretory episodes (16.11 vs 10.80 ng/ml; P less than .05) than did gilts. There were no differences between boars and pigs exhibited greater baseline GH concentrations (2.04 vs 1.25 ng/ml; P less than .01) than did those from the unselected Landrace line. Selected and control pigs exhibited similar (P greater than .15) overall mean concentrations of GH, frequency of secretory episodes, amplitude of GH peaks and MCR. These data demonstrate that pigs selected for heavier weight at 200 d of age had greater basal plasma GH concentrations than did unselected control pigs.     

食品安全的下一个挑战者——弯曲杆菌

沙门氏菌的防控已经是养禽业的首要任务,但是了解和防控弯曲杆菌可能会成为一项更加艰巨的任务。     

Limiting amino acids in an 11% crude protein corn-soybean meal diet for growing pigs

Three experiments were conducted to test the hypothesis that methionine, isoleucine, valine or nitrogen either singly or in combination are limiting in an 11% crude protein, lysine-tryptophan-threonine-supplemented, corn-soybean meal diet for growing pigs. A 16% crude protein diet was used as a positive control in each experiment and all amino acid additions were made, at a minimum, to equal requirements. Average initial weights were 21.3 kg, 23.0 kg and 19.1 kg in Exp. 1, 2 and 3, respectively. The experiments averaged 4 wk in duration. In Exp. 1 and 2, neither the addition of glutamic acid as a source of nitrogen, nor methionine to the 11% diet resulted in any improvement (P greater than .20) in rate or efficiency of growth. Addition of the combination of isoleucine and valine to the 11% diet resulted in an increase (P less than .05) in both growth rate and feed efficiency to a level not different (P greater than .20) from that of the pigs consuming the positive control diet. The addition of valine to the 11% crude protein diet with supplemental lysine, tryptophan and threonine (Exp. 3) caused an improvement in daily gain (P less than .05) but not feed efficiency (P greater than .10). Isoleucine addition tended to reduce pig performance. The results of these experiments suggest that an 11% crude protein, corn-soybean meal diet fortified with lysine, tryptophan and threonine is not limiting in sulfur amino acids or nitrogen. Valine may be the only limiting amino acid.