Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae colonization of pigs sired by different boars

Differences in Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae colonization were evaluated in experimentally inoculated pigs sired by 3 different boars of the same genetic line. Forty-six pigs were used, including a treatment group and positive and negative control groups. The pigs were intratracheally inoculated with an M. hyopneumoniae suspension or with Friis media as a placebo. To evaluate differences in the magnitude of colonization during a 35-day period, nasal and tracheal swabs were collected weekly and tested by nested polymerase chain reaction (N-PCR). Temperature, weight and circulating antibodies were measured for 35 days. At 11 and 35 d postinoculation the pigs were necropsied and macroscopic and microscopic lesions were determined. A section of bronchus was tested by the indirect immunofluorescence test (IFAT), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and N-PCR. The N-PCR results from the nasal and tracheal swabs showed that the pigs sired by one boar (B3) had a distinctive colonization pattern, different from that of the pigs from the other 2 boars and from the positive controls. SEM studies demonstrated that at 35 d postinoculation a higher proportion of B3 pigs had lower numbers of mycoplasmas attached to the cilia compared with B1 and B2 offspring. No significant differences were observed in temperature and weight gain among groups by ANOVA; however, with use of a 2 × 2 table, temperature differences were observed between pigs sired by boars B1 and B2 at 4 d postinoculation. No pigs seroconverted, showed gross or microscopic lesions, or had positive IFAT results. These results provide evidence of differences in patterns of colonization between pigs sired by different boars, suggesting a possible genetic effect.     

The organophosphorous insecticide chlorpyrifos affects the neuroepithelial junction, the bioelectric parameters of the skin of the frog Caudiverbera caudiverbera, and the structure of model cell membranes

The current study examines the acute effects of the organophosphorus pesticide chlorpyrifos on a sympathetic synapse of the frog Caudiverbera caudiverbera. Nerve stimulation was followed immediately by a transient increase in the short-circuit current (SCC) and in the potential difference (PD), which consisted of a rapid and then a slow component. Chlorpyrifos concentrations from 5 μM to 1.0 mM caused a dose-dependent block of both components to a 10% of their control values, which was reversed by washout. The pesticide blockade did not affect the skin response to noradrenaline. X-ray diffraction and fluorescence spectroscopy studies on membrane models showed marked phospholipid perturbation, which favors changes in ion channel conformation and interferes with receptor proteins, thus altering noradrenergic transmission and Cl⁻ secretion in the mucous glands. The foregoing results may be interpreted as a reversible inhibition of the neuroepithelial synapse to nerve stimulation, possibly due to non-specific lip μd-protein perturbation, interference with synaptic transmission, and transient Cl⁻ channel inactivation.     

Diagnosis and treatment of presumptive pyelonephritis in an Asian elephant (Elephas maximus).

A 37-yr-old female Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) presented with anorexia, restlessness, and dark-colored urine. Urinalyses showed hematuria, leukocyturia, isosthenuria, proteinuria, granular casts, and no calcium oxalate crystals. Bloodwork revealed azotemia. Urine culture revealed a pure growth of Streptococcus zooepidemicus resistant to sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim but susceptible to cephalosporins. A presumptive diagnosis of pyelonephritis was made based on bloodwork, urinalysis, and urine culture. The animal was treated with intravenous ceftiofur, and intravenous and per rectum fluids were given for hydration. The elephant's attitude and appetite returned to normal, the abnormal blood parameters resolved, and urinary calcium oxalate crystals reappeared after treatment, supporting presumptive diagnosis. Follow-up ultrasonography revealed an abnormal outline of both kidneys with parenchymal hyperechogenicity and multiple uterine leiomyomas.     

Use of computer tomography for imaging of Crassicauda grampicola in a Risso's dolphin (Grampus griseus).

A mature male Risso's dolphin (Grampus griseus) stranded along the coasts of Friuli Venezia Giulia, northeast Italy, in May 2001. Parasitic infection with Crassicauda grampicola is often found in the tympanic bullae and pterygoid sinuses in many of the Risso's dolphins examined from the same area. For this reason, it was decided to perform computed tomography of the head to assess this imaging technique for the diagnosis of crassicaudosis in dolphins. A full postmortem examination confirmed the pathologic findings of the computed tomography scan. This technique can be considered a useful adjunct in the diagnosis of cranial crassicaudosis in live dolphins.     

Candidate genes underlying QTL for flowering time and their interactions in a wide spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) cross

Response to vernalization and photoperiod are the main determinants controlling the time to flowering in temperate cereals. While the individual genes that dete...     

Isolation and pathogenicity of Colletotrichum spp. causing anthracnose of strawberry in south west Spain

Anthracnose, caused by Colletotrichum spp., is a major disease of cultivated strawberry, Fragaria × ananassa. This study identifies the Colletotrichum spp. which causes strawberry anthracnose in the southwest of Spain. A survey of the region was carried out, and the strains isolated were identified as C. acutatum by using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with genus and species-specific primers, demonstrating that this species is currently the causal agent of strawberry anthracnose in the studied region. The pathogenicity of C. acutatum and C. gloeosporioides strains was evaluated on two principal strawberry cultivars (cvs Camarosa and Ventana) under field conditions, the latter being more pathogenic than the former.     

Tissue distribution of Red Spotted Grouper Nervous Necrosis Virus (RGNNV) genome in experimentally infected juvenile European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax)

The distribution of viral genome in the tissues of juvenile European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) during the course of a Red Spotted Grouper Nervous Necrosis Virus (RGNNV) infection has not yet been described. The present study addresses this and indicates which target organs may be involved in viral replication. This information should enable more accurate detection of virus in asymptomatic carriers, and in turn help to control the spread of the disease. The aim of this study was to examine the pattern of expression of viral genomic segments RNA1 and RNA2, using two absolute real-time PCRs (RT-qPCR), over the course of a RGNNV infection after administering the virus by intramuscular injection. In situ hybridization was also used to locate the RNA2 viral segment in different organs throughout the infection. The experimental challenge provoked an acute form of viral nervous necrosis (VNN), with a resulting cumulative mortality of 37%. The RT-qPCRs designed allowed the detection of both genomic segments in all the organs tested (nervous and non-nervous tissues) at all sampling times examined. The highest viral RNA copy number was found in eyes, although viral replication appeared to begin in the brain. Viral replication was also recorded in pooled internal organs and in caudal fin. However, the increase in the viral RNA copy number in these organs did not result in an increased viral titre, which may indicate that a productive infection does not take place in non-nervous tissues, possibly due to a failure in a viral post-replication step.     

Management of feral domestic cats in the urban environment of Rome (Italy)

In Italy, which is rabies-free, the national Law No. 281 [Legge Nazionale 14 agosto 1991. No. 281: Legge Quadro in materia di animali di affezione e prevenzione del randagismo. Gazz. Uff. Rep. Ital. no 203 del 30 agosto 1991: p. 3] on the management of pets and on the control of feral cats has introduced the no-kill policy for this species. Thus, “trap-neuter-release” (TNR) programs have been carried out for >10 years. In this paper we present data on registered colonies and censused cats in Rome from 1991 to 2000; the results of the neutering campaign from 1991 to 2000; and a survey, on 103 cat colonies, on the effects of demographic control of urban feral-cat colonies in the city of Rome, carried out by the local Veterinary Public Services (VPS) in collaboration with the associations of cat care-takers. In 10 years almost 8000 were neutered and reintroduced in their original colony. The spay/neuter campaigns brought about a general decrease in cat number but the percentage of cat immigration (due to abandonment and spontaneous arrival) is around 21%. This suggests that all these efforts without an effective education of people to control the reproduction of house cats (as a prevention for abandonment) are a waste of money, time and energy.