Functional electrical stimulation of the left recurrent laryngeal nerve using a vagus nerve stimulator in a normal horse

The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of implanting an existing vagus nerve stimulating (VNS) electrode around the recurrent laryngeal nerve. The stimulus response characteristics required to achieve abduction of the ipsilateral arytenoid by the VNS electrode in the normal horse could then be determined. The electrode was wound around the left recurrent laryngeal nerve at the cervical level and connected to a pulse generator. Stimulus response characteristics were obtained by measuring stimulated arytenoid displacement endoscopically in the standing, non-sedated horse. A full and sustained abduction of the arytenoid was obtained with a stimulation frequency of 25 Hz and intensity of 1 mA with a pulse width of 250 μs.     

Non-pharmacological treatment options for refractory epilepsy: An overview of human treatment modalities and their potential utility in dogs

Refractory epilepsy is a common disorder both in humans and dogs and treatment protocols are difficult to optimise. In humans, different non-pharmacological treatment modalities currently available include surgery, the ketogenic diet and neurostimulation. Surgery leads to freedom from seizures in 50–75% of patients, but requires strict patient selection. The ketogenic diet is indicated in severe childhood epilepsies, but efficacy is limited and long-term compliance can be problematic. In the past decade, various types of neurostimulation have emerged as promising treatment modalities for humans with refractory epilepsy. Currently, none of these treatment options are used in routine daily clinical practice to treat dogs with the condition. Since many dogs with poorly controlled seizures do not survive, the search for alternative treatment options for canine refractory epilepsy should be prioritised. This review provides an overview of non-pharmacological treatment options for human refractory epilepsy. The current knowledge and limitations of these treatments in canine refractory epilepsy is also discussed.     

Efficacy of enrofloxacin, florfenicol and amoxicillin against Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale and Escherichia coli O2:K1 dual infection in turkeys following APV priming

Experimental groups of 15 susceptible 3-week-old turkeys were inoculated oculonasally with avian metapneumovirus (APV) subtype A and susceptible Escherichia coli O2:K1 and Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale (ORT) bacteria, with a 3 days interval between viral and bacterial inoculation and approximately 8h between the two bacterial inoculations. The aims of the present study were to assess the efficacy of drinking-water administration of enrofloxacin for 3 and 5 days, amoxicillin for 5 days and florfenicol for 5 days for the treatment of the resulting respiratory disease, based on clinical and bacteriological examinations. Antimicrobial treatment started 1 day after dual bacterial inoculation. After infection, the birds were examined and scored for clinical signs daily, weighed at different times, and their tracheae swabbed daily. Five birds were euthanised and examined for macroscopic lesions at necropsy at 5 days post-bacterial inoculation (dpbi) and the remainder at 15dpbi. Samples of the turbinates, trachea, lungs, sinuses, air sacs, heart, pericardium and liver were collected for bacteriological examination. Recovery from respiratory disease caused by an APV/E. coli/ORT triple infection in 3-week-old turkey poults was overall most successful after enrofloxacin treatment, irrespective of treatment duration, followed by florfenicol treatment. Compared with the untreated group, clinical signs as well as ORT and E. coli multiplication in the respiratory tract were significantly reduced by both enrofloxacin treatments and the florfenicol treatment, with the enrofloxacin treatments showing significantly better reductions than the florfenicol treatment. Five-day treatment with amoxicillin, compared with the untreated group, did not cause a significant reduction in any of the aforementioned parameters.     

Virulence factors associated with Escherichia coli present in a commercially produced competitive exclusion product

In this study, we assessed the pathogenic potential of Escherichia coli associated with a commercial competitive exclusion (CE) product by examining the phenotypic characteristics associated with E. coli virulent for humans and domestic animals. Most E. coli isolates were capable of proliferating in iron-deplete chicken sera. Interestingly, none of the E. coli isolates from the commercial CE product contained the bacterial adhesin Tsh characteristic of avian pathogenic E. coli associated with airsacculitis and colisepticemia. In terms of virulence potential for humans, most E. coli isolates (78%) were sensitive to killing by 12.5% human sera. Because of their sensitivity to human sera, the E. coli in the CE product are not likely to cause a serious systemic infection in humans and, therefore, do not present a risk of causing septicemia in humans. Because these isolates also lack the gene tsh, they are also less likely to cause systemic disease or airsacculitis in poultry than pathogenic strains commonly isolated from diseased birds.     

Effect of a commercial competitive exclusion culture on reduction of colonization of an antibiotic-resistant pathogenic Escherichia coli in day-old broiler chickens

One-day-of-age broiler chickens were administered a commercial competitive exclusion (CE) product and then challenged by three different methods with an Escherichia coli O78:K80 that was pathogenic for poultry and resistant to six antibiotics. Three challenge methods were used on 2-day-old broilers: direct challenge, precolonized seeder, and instant seeder. Direct challenge was accomplished by administering the challenge E. coli per os. The precolonized seeder challenge had two chicks that had received the challenge E. coli 24 hr previously, whereas the instant seeder challenge had two chicks given the challenge E. coli per os with immediate placement with the experimental birds. One oral dose of the commercial CE product significantly reduced the colonization of the small intestine, large intestine, and ceca by the highly antimicrobial resistant poultry pathogenic E. coli O78:K80 at 7 and 14 days postchallenge by all three challenge methods. The overall mean reductions in colonization were 3.0 log10 for the large intestine, 3.0 log10 for the small intestine, and 4.0 log10 for the cecum. The most severe challenge method, on the basis of the least amount of reduction of colonization of the challenge E. coli by the CE, was by the direct oral gavage at 2 days of age.