Neurotoxicity in calves induced by the plant, Nierembergia hippomanica Miers var. violacea Millán in South Africa

The plant Nierembergia hippomanica var. violacea has been incriminated in field outbreaks of neurotoxicity in calves in the Free State Province. Hepatotoxicity and electrocardiogram (ECG) deviations were induced in a sheep dosed with 5 g/kg dried plant material on four consecutive days. A calf dosed with 2.5 g/kg dried plant material, on two consecutive days, did not show overt clinical changes. Voluntary ingestion of approximately 30 g/kg fresh flowering plants by a second calf resulted in nervous signs characterized by chewing motions, protrusion of the tongue, dysphagia, hypermetria, ataxia, paresis and lateral recumbency. Salivation, dehydration and cardiac irregularities completed the clinical picture. Clinical chemistry changes revealed muscle damage and increased serum urea and creatinine concentrations indicative of kidney involvement. This is the first confirmed outbreak of Nierembergia hippomanica var. violacea intoxication of stock in South Africa.     

The weakest link: medroxyprogesterone acetate in pig feed

Medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA)-contaminated feed arrested the onset of farrowing, and induced post-lactational anoestrus in sows. Sixty percent of the sows developed cystic ovaries after weaning following exposure to pharmaceutical waste of MPA in glucose syrup. This waste ended up in acidified feed of by-products of a sow farm, and proved to be the cause of the disorders. Analysis by thin layer chromatography and Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry of renal fat from 10 slaughter sows demonstrated residues of 2.5-8 ppb of MPA. Within the European Union use of MPA is illegal as growth promoter in production animals, and therefore MPA-exposed farms were placed under official control by the general inspection service. Clinical signs and diagnostic procedures of the initial case are presented and the role of the veterinary practitioner in detecting potential food safety hazards is discussed.     

Top 20 environmental weeds for classical biological control in Europe: a review of opportunities, regulations and other barriers to adoption

Classical biological control remains the only tool available for permanent ecological and economic management of invasive alien species that flourish through absence of their co‐evolved natural enemies. As such, this approach is recognized as a key tool for alien species management by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization (EPPO) and the European Strategy on Invasive Alien Species (ESIAS). Successful classical biological control programmes abound around the world, despite disproportionate attention being given to occasional and predictable non‐target impacts. Despite more than 130 case histories in Europe against insect pests, no exotic classical biological control agent has been released in the EU against an alien invasive weed. This dearth has occurred in the face of increasing numbers of exotic invasive plants being imported and taking over National Parks, forests and amenity areas in this region, as well as a global increase in the use of classical biological control around the world. This paper reviews potential European weed targets for classical biological control from ecological and socioeconomic perspectives using the criteria of historical biological control success, taxonomic isolation from European native flora, likely availability of biological control agents, invasiveness outside Europe and value to primary industry and horticulture (potential for conflicts of interest). We also review why classical biological control of European exotic plants remains untested, considering problems of funding and public perception. Finally, we consider the regulatory framework that surrounds such biological control activities within constituent countries of the EU to suggest how this approach may be adopted in the future for managing invasive exotic weeds in Europe.     

Conception rates in European fallow does (Dama dama dama) following intrauterine insemination with frozen-thawed semen from Mesopotamian fallow (Dama dama mesopotamica) and crossbred (Dama dama dama x Dama dama mesopotamica) bucks

Ninety eight parous fallow does received laparoscopic intrauterine insemination of frozen-thawed semen at one of 2 fixed intervals following oestrus synchronisation treatment. Semen was collected from a Mesopotamian (Dama dama mesopotamica) and a crossbred (F1) (Dama dama dama x Dama dama mesopotamica) fallow buck. Does were inseminated at either 56 or 66 hours after the removal of an intravaginal controlled internal drug releasing device. Eighty eight does received a single straw of frozen-thawed semen containing a total of 50 x 10(6) spermatozoa, while the remaining 10 received split straws containing 25 x 10(6) spermatozoa. Overall, the use of F1 semen containing 50 x 10(6) spermatozoa resulted in a 68% (17/25) conception rate compared with the Mesopotamian semen, which resulted in a 41% (26/63) conception rate. Conceptions were also achieved using 25 x 10(6) spermatozoa of either Mesopotamian or F1 semen (3/8 versus 2/2, respectively). Overall, the conception rate was higher for F1 than Mesopotamian semen (P less than 0.025) and there was a significant interaction with time of insemination (P less than 0.05); for F1 semen there was no difference in conception rate at the 2 insemination times, but for Mesopotamian semen conception was significantly higher (P less than 0.005) following insemination at 66 hours than at 56 hours.     

Leukoencephalomalacia in a horse induced by fumonisin B1 isolated from Fusarium moniliforme

Each of two horses was dosed by stomach tube with culture material on maize of Fusarium moniliforme MRC 826. One horse developed severe hepatosis and mild oedema of the brain after 6 doses of 2.5 g of culture material/kg body mass/day in 7 days. The second horse, in a similar experiment but at a dosage rate of 1.25 g/kg/day, developed mild hepatosis and moderate oedema of the brain. In both animals the brain oedema was particularly noticeable in the medulla oblongata. The mycotoxin fumonisin B1 was extracted and purified from the culture material of F. moniliforme MRC, 826 which contained approximately 1 g/kg of this compound. A horse was injected intravenously 7 times from Day 0-Day 9 with 0.125 mg of fumonisin B1/kg body mass/day. Clinical signs of neurotoxicosis, which appeared on Day 8, included nervousness followed by apathy, a wide-based stance, trembling, ataxia, reluctance to move, paresis of the lower lip and tongue, and an inability to eat or drink. Euthanasia was performed on the horse on Day 10 while the animal was in a tetanic convulsion. The principal lesions were severe oedema of the brain and early, bilaterally symmetrical, focal necrosis in the medulla oblongata. This report provides experimental evidence that fumonisin B1, produced by F. moniliforme, causes equine leukoencephalomalacia.     

Vertebral osteomyelitis caused by Rhodococcus equi in a three-and-half-month-old Dutch Warmblood foal

Rhodococcus equi infection occurs worldwide and is especially a problem in foals, where it often causes colitis or pneumonia. Other organs are seldom affected, and their involvement is regarded as a complication of pneumonia and/or colitis. Vertebral osteomyelitis is one such rare complication and is probably caused by haematogenous spread from inflammatory lesions in the lungs and/or intestine. In rare cases, osteomyelitis can be caused by contamination of a wound. This case study describes a foal with vertebral osteomyelitis due to R. equi in which there were only minor inflammatory changes in a mesenteric lymph node.     

Estriolum Treatment in the Bitch: A Risk for Uterine Infection?

Purulent vaginal discharge in a bitch in which ovariohysterectomy has been performed is often caused by inflammation of the uterine stump. The inflammation is due to either cystic endometrial hyperplasia (CEH) induced primarily by progesterone from remnant ovarian tissue or exogenous progestagens, or it is due to the presence of unabsorbed suture material. This report describes a 9-year-old Irish setter with hemopurulent vaginal discharge and non-pruritic symmetrical alopecia, which had undergone ovariohysterectomy 3.5 years ago and which had been treated with estriolum daily for the past 2.5 years because of urinary incontinence. Vaginoscopy revealed hemopurulent discharge throughout the vagina and vestibule. Cytological examination of ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsies of a large mass in the hypogastricum, which appeared to be the uterine cervical stump, revealed septic purulent inflammation. The concentration of plasma progesterone was low and the concentration of plasma 17-ß oestradiol did not increase after gonadotrophin-releasing hormone administration. No remnant ovarian tissue was found by abdominal ultrasonography, laparotomy, or histological examination of mesovarian pedicles. Laparotomy revealed uterine stump empyema. Histological examination of the surgically removed mass excluded both CEH and unabsorbed suture material as the cause of the stump empyema. Instead, it is hypothesized that the long-term treatment with estriolum was a causative factor. This suggests that bitches treated with estriolum should be examined regularly.