A Large‐scale,Rapid Public Health Response to Rabies in an Organ Recipient and the Previously Undiagnosed Organ Donor

This article describes and contrasts the public health response to two human rabies cases: one organ recipient diagnosed within days of symptom onset and the transplant donor who was diagnosed 18 months post‐symptom onset. In response to an organ‐transplant‐related rabies case diagnosed in 2013, organ donor and recipient investigations were conducted by multiple public health agencies. Persons with potential exposure to infectious patient materials were assessed for rabies virus exposure. An exposure investigation was conducted to determine the source of the organ donor's infection. Over 100 persons from more than 20 agencies spent over 2700 h conducting contact investigations in healthcare, military and community settings. The 564 persons assessed include 417 healthcare workers [5.8% recommended for post‐exposure prophylaxis (PEP)], 96 community contacts (15.6% recommended for PEP), 30 autopsy personnel (50% recommended for PEP), and 21 other persons (4.8% recommended for PEP). Donor contacts represented 188 assessed with 20.2% recommended for PEP, compared with 5.6% of 306 recipient contacts recommended for PEP. Human rabies cases result in substantial use of public health and medical resources, especially when diagnosis is delayed. Although rare, clinicians should consider rabies in cases of encephalitis of unexplained aetiology, particularly for cases that may result in organ donation.     

Temperate agroforestry research: considering multifunctional woody polycultures and the design of long-term field trials

The many benefits of agroforestry are well-documented, from ecological functions such as biodiversity conservation and water quality improvement, to cultural functions including aesthetic value. In North American agroforestry, however, little emphasis has been placed on production capacity of the woody plants themselves, taking into account their ability to transform portions of the landscape from annual monoculture systems to diversified perennial systems capable of producing fruits, nuts, and timber products. In this paper, we introduce the concept of multifunctional woody polycultures (MWPs) and consider the design of long-term experimental trials for supporting research on agroforestry emphasizing tree crops. Critical aspects of long-term agroforestry experiments are summarized, and two existing well-documented research sites are presented as case studies. A new long-term agroforestry trial at the University of Illinois, “Agroforestry for Food,” is introduced as an experiment designed to test the performance of increasingly complex woody plant combinations in an alley cropping system with productive tree crops. This trial intends to address important themes of food security, climate change, multifunctionality, and applied solutions. The challenges of establishing, maintaining, and funding long-term agroforestry research trials are discussed.     

Is moisture really the most important influencing factor on the mechanical properties of claw horn? Modulus of elasticity and dry-matter content in flat and contracted claws

The modulus of elasticity (E) and dry matter content (DMC) of horn samples from two types of claw deformity (contracted and flat claws) were determined according to EN-ISO 527 and ASTM D 638-03. The overall E values for all segments combined were 168 +/- 154 MPa (mean +/- SD, n = 79) and 248 +/- 196 (n = 90) for contracted and flat claws, respectively. These values were approximately 60% and 40% less than the E value of sound claw material.The high correlation between E and DMC, as previously found for sound claw horn material was not present in horn obtained from these types of pathologically altered claws.     

EVALUATION OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING TECHNIQUES IN THE EQUINE DIGIT

An anatomic study of the equine digit using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed. Seventeen isolated forelimbs and one hindleg of nine warmblood horses were imaged in transverse, sagittal, and dorsal planes with a 1.5 Tesla magnet using T1-, T2- proton density-weighted spin echo sequences as well as T2 gradient echo sequences. One scan plane in each horse was compared with corresponding anatomic and histologic sections. The best imaging planes to visualize various anatomic structures were determined. Fibrocartilage was visualized in the insertion of the deep digital flexor tendon and the suspensory ligament as well as in the distal sesamoidean ligaments. The correlation of MRI images with anatomic and histologic sections confirmed that all of the anatomic structures in the equine digit could be evaluated in PD and T2 studies.     

Efficacy and Dissipation of Permethrin for the Control of the Northern Fowl Mite in Hens

Laying hens were treated with permethrin at the rate of 20 mg per bird to determine efficacy against northern fowl mites Ornithonyssus sylviarum (Canestrini and Fanzago) and the dissipation of residues over a 42-day period. Permethrin provided greater than 99% control of mites for at least 42 days posttreatment as compared to malathion which did not substantially reduce mite infestations. Carbaryl and coumaphos treatment resulted in limited reductions with mite populations recovering by two to three weeks posttreatment.

Maximum residues of permethrin in breast muscle, body fat and the uropidium occurred on day 1 posttreatment and were still present in fatty tissue in detectable quantities on day 42. Residues in egg yolk appeared on day 3 posttreatment and peaked on day 7 with trace quantities still present on day 21. Permethrin was not found in egg white. Low residues were found in the liver and gizzard from day 1 through to day 7.

     

Myxobolus cerebralis infection in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and brown trout (Salmo trutta) exposed under natural stream conditions.

From early April into mid-June 1977, sequential groups of juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and brown trout (Salmo trutta) were each exposed for 10 days to the parasite Myxobolus cerebralis by immersion in a stream inhabited by infected wild trout. Following incubation in a M. cerebralis-free facility, trout were subsequently killed, and heads and gill arches were examined by routine histologic methods. A grading scale to quantify lesion severity was developed and applied. Percentage infected, lesion severity scores, effects of water temperature and flow rates on percentage infected and lesion severity scores, and resulting pathology were determined for each species at each exposure period. The percentage of rainbow trout infected with M. cerebralis was significantly higher than the percentage of brown trout infected for each exposure period. The percentages of rainbow trout infected in exposure periods later in the calendar year were significantly higher than those in earlier periods. The percentages of brown trout infected were not significantly different among exposure periods. Overall average lesion severity scores were significantly higher in rainbow than in brown trout. Lesion severity scores in rainbow trout increased over time (a positive correlation with exposure period). Lesion severity scores were not significantly different for brown trout among exposure periods. A significant correlation existed between water temperature and percentage of rainbow trout infected; a significant correlation also existed between water temperature and lesion severity scores in rainbow trout. Similar correlations did not exist for percentage of brown trout infected or accompanying lesion severity scores. In rainbow trout, ventral calvarium was the most common site of M. cerebralis replication, followed by gill arches. In brown trout, lesions were virtually confined to gill arches. Early lesions consisted of foci of cartilage necrosis with small numbers of M. cerebralis developmental stages. More advanced lesions consisted of multifocal areas of cartilage necrosis with numerous M. cerebralis developmental stages and/or mature myxospores bordered and/or infiltrated by mono- and multinuclear leukocytes. Lesions in brown trout were smaller and had fewer associated leukocytes and M. cerebralis developmental stages and/or mature myxospores. Higher infection rates, lesion severity scores, and differences in lesion location in rainbow versus brown trout explain in part why numbers of rainbow but not brown trout have fallen in western rivers inhabited with M. cerebralis-infected trout.