Pericardiocentesis and principles of echocardiographic imaging in the patient with cardiac neoplasia

Ultrasonography is a safe, noninvasive, sensitive, and specific tool for evaluation of the heart and pericardium in patients with cardiac neoplasia. In small animals, the incidence of cardiac neoplasia is low. In dogs, hemangiosarcoma and chemocdectoma are the two most common types of cardiac neoplasia. In cats, lymphosarcoma is the most common form of cardiac neoplasia. Pericardial effusion is a common and potentially life-threatening consequence of cardiac neoplasia. Pericardial effusion leads to a rise in the intrapericardial pressure, resulting in varying degrees of hemodynamic compromise. Cardiac tamponade occurs when the intrapericardial pressure equals or exceeds right ventricular diastolic filling pressures, leading to a decreased cardiac output. Pericardiocentesis is used to stabilize animals with life-threatening cardiac tamponade, and to obtain fluid samples for diagnostic evaluation. The fluid should be quantified and characterized. If the etiology of the effusion is not known, then a sample of the fluid should be submitted for fluid analysis and cytology. Serious complications associated with pericardiocentesis are rare. Complications include cardiac puncture, arrhythmias, and laceration of the tumor or coronary artery, resulting in intrapericardial hemorrhage.     

Rapid harvest schedules and fruit removal as non-chemical approaches for managing spotted wing Drosophila

Spotted wing Drosophila, Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) (Diptera: Drosophilidae), has caused significant economic losses to small fruit and berry growers throughout the USA and Europe since its invasion. This pest can lay many eggs over its lifetime within ripening and ripe berries, causing yield loss and the risk of fruit contamination. Zero tolerance for this pest has led to increased use of broad-spectrum insecticides to control it, which are costly and pose many other sustainability and pest management concerns. There is an urgent need to evaluate management strategies that can decrease reliance on chemical controls and mitigate economic losses. Over two growing seasons, we compared harvest schedules for their effect on infestation by D. suzukii, revealing that fruit harvested every 1 or 2 days had significantly fewer D. suzukii larvae than a 3-day harvest schedule. Furthermore, we found that yield per unit effort was highest on a 2-day schedule. Sanitation of the crop is another important component of a successful integrated pest management program, and we found that bagging infested waste berries killed 99% of larvae after 32 h, with higher fruit temperatures in clear bags than white or black bags. In combination, these methods can reduce the effects of this invasive pest on raspberry production. This study will provide guidance to growers on culturally based IPM tactics to decrease reliance on chemical management.     

Impacts of Bolbophorus damnificus (Digenea: Bolbophoridae) on Production Characteristics of Channel Catfish,Ictalurus punctatus,Raised in Experimental Ponds

Bolbophorus damnificus was recognized as a threat to channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, production in Louisiana and Mississippi in 1997 and 1999, respectively. Severe to moderate outbreaks (≥34% prevalence) are correlated to heavy losses, but impact of mild outbreaks with low prevalence (<33%) was unknown. Laboratory and field studies were conducted to evaluate sublethal acute (early stage) and chronic (late stage) trematode infection impacts on catfish production. Fish raised in ponds seeded with ram's horn snails from ponds harboring active B. damnificus outbreaks resulted in infection prevalence ranging from 1.6 to 20.4%. Compared to fish raised in ponds not seeded with infected snails (0% prevalence), fish biomass, number harvested, and total feed fed were significantly lower. These data agree with previous studies where mild infections reduced feed consumption, fish production, and economic returns. Infected fish were collected from ponds and used in a laboratory growth study. Once removed from the infection source, weight gain, growth rate, feed consumption, and feed efficiency were equal to or greater than trematode‐free fish. This suggests that although early B. damnificus infection (premetacercarial development) can severely impact production, infection has little impact on performance once metacercarial cysts are fully developed, and the infection source is removed.