Septic osteitis of the distal phalanx in foals: 22 cases (1995-2002)

OBJECTIVE: To determine the clinical characteristics and outcome of foals with septic osteitis of the distal phalanx. DESIGN: Retrospective case series. ANIMALS: 22 foals. PROCEDURES: Information obtained from medical records included signalment; clinical, laboratory, and radiographic findings; treatment method; and outcome. Foals included in the study had lameness referable to the foot, radiographic evidence of localized lysis or focal loss of bone density of the distal phalanx, and suppurative discharge or necrosis of the affected bone evident at surgery. Foals with a history or evidence of penetrating wounds or subsolar abscessation were excluded. RESULTS: Mean age of foals at initial evaluation was 40.8 days (range, 3 to 122 days). Twenty-one (95%) foals had lameness as the primary complaint. Lesions consistent with septic osteitis of the distal phalanx localized to specific areas of the bone on the basis of radiographic and surgical findings were located on the solar margin or toe (14/22 [64%]), extensor process (5/22 [23%]), and palmar or plantar process (3/22 [13%]). Hind limbs (18/26 [69%] affected limbs) were more frequently affected. Two foals had > 1 affected limb, 2 had additional sites of osteomyelitis, and 4 had concurrent septic arthritis. Surgical debridement and regional antimicrobial perfusion were performed during general anesthesia. Extensor process lesions were not debrided. Nineteen of 22 (86%) foals survived to be discharged from hospital, and 16 horses reached racing age. Eleven of 16 had race starts, of which 8 had official race starts and 3 had unofficial race starts. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Septic osteitis of the distal phalanx should be considered as a source of lameness in foals with signs referable to the foot and does not necessarily preclude a career in racing. Although infection may occur secondary to bacterial penetration of the hoof or sole, the distal phalanx should also be considered as a potential site for hematogenous septic arthritis or osteomyelitis in foals.     

In vivo characterization of inflammatory biomarkers in swine and the impact of flunixin meglumine administration

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) are a family of chemicals that function to reduce pain, fever, and inflammation, and they are commonly used in people and animals for this purpose. Currently there are no NSAIDs approved for the management of inflammation in swine due to a lack of validated animal models and suitable biomarkers to assess efficacy. A previous in vitro study examining biomarkers of inflammation identified fourteen genes that were significantly altered in response to Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation. In the present study, five of those fourteen genes were tested in vivo to determine if the same effects observed in vitro were also observed in vivo. Plasma levels of prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)), an essential mediator of fever and inflammation, were also determined. Two groups of swine were stimulated with LPS with the second group also treated with flunixin meglumine. Blood was collected at 0, 1, 3, 6, 8, 24, and 48h post LPS-stimulation. The RNA was extracted from the blood and quantitative real-time-PCR (qRT-PCR) was utilized to determine the expression patterns of CD1, CD4, serum amyloid A2 (SAA2), Caspase 1, and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1). The LPS-stimulated animals demonstrated a statistically significant alteration in expression of SAA2 and CD1 at 3h post-stimulation. Flunixin meglumine treated animals' demonstrated reduced expression of CD1 in comparison to the LPS-stimulated swine at 24 and 48h post LPS-stimulation. Flunixin meglumine treated animals exhibited reduced expression of SAA2 at 48h post-stimulation compared to LPS-stimulated swine. Swine treated with LPS demonstrated statistically significant increases in plasma PGE(2) at 1h post-stimulation. Swine treated with flunixin meglumine had no increase in plasma PGE(2) levels at any time. These results demonstrate that PGE(2) production, along with two out of five genes (SAA2 and CD1) have the potential to serve as early biomarkers of inflammation as well as indicators of NSAID efficacy.     

Immunological responses following experimental endobronchial infection of badgers (Meles meles) with different doses of Mycobacterium bovis

The Eurasian badger (Meles meles) is a wildlife reservoir for Mycobacterium bovis infection in Ireland and Great Britain and has been implicated in the transmission of tuberculosis to cattle. Vaccination of badgers is an option that could be used as part of a strategy to control the disease. In this study we used an endobronchial infection procedure to inoculate groups of badgers with three different doses (3x10(3), 2x10(2) and <10 Colony Forming Units (CFUs)) of M. bovis. After 17 weeks the disease status of each animal was determined by post-mortem pathology and culture for M. bovis. Each of the inoculum doses resulted in establishment of infection in the badgers. The cell-mediated immune (CMI) responses were measured by lymphocyte transformation assay (LTA) of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) cultured with bovine tuberculin (PPD-B). In each infected group the CMI responses increased with a kinetic profile corresponding to the delivered dose and the post-mortem pathology. The serological responses were measured by ELISA and a multi-antigen print immunoassay (MAPIA) in order to investigate any changes in the antigenic repertoire associated with different infective doses. In contrast to the CMI responses, the ELISA and MAPIA showed that the recognition of antigens by the badgers was intermittent and not strongly influenced by the dose of M. bovis.     

COMPARISON BETWEEN COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE MIDDLE EAR IN NONBRACHYCEPHALIC AND BRACHYCEPHALIC DOGS WITH OBSTRUCTIVE AIRWAY SYNDROME

Prevalence of subclinical middle ear lesions in dogs that undergo computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging of the head has been reported up to 41%. A predisposition in brachycephalics has been suggested, however evidence‐based studies are lacking. Aims of this retrospective cross‐sectional study were to compare CT characteristics of the middle ear in groups of nonbrachycephalic and brachycephalic dogs that underwent CT of the head for conditions unrelated to ear disease, and test associations between thickness of the soft palate and presence of subclinical middle ear lesions. One observer recorded CT findings for each dog without knowledge of group status. A total of 65 dogs met inclusion criteria (25 brachycephalic, 40 nonbrachycephalic). Brachycephalic dogs had a significantly thicker bulla wall (P = 2.38 × 10^?26) and smaller luminal volume (P = 5.74 × 10^?20), when compared to nonbrachycephalic dogs. Soft palate thickness was significantly greater in the brachycephalic group (P = 2.76 × 10^?9). Nine of 25 brachycephalic dogs had material in the lumen of the tympanic cavity, compared to zero of 45 of nonbrachycephalics. Within the brachycephalic group, a significant difference in mean soft palate thickness was identified for dogs with material in the middle ear (12.2 mm) vs. air‐filled bullae (9 mm; P = 0.016). Findings from the current study supported previous theories that brachycephalic dogs have a greater prevalence of subclinical middle ear effusion and smaller bulla luminal size than nonbrachycephalic dogs. Authors recommend that the bulla lumen volume formula previously developed for mesaticephalic dogs, (?0.612 + 0.757 [lnBW]) be adjusted to 1/3(?0.612 + 0.757 [lnBW]) for brachycephalic breeds.     

北方稻田养殖泥鳅技术

稻田养殖泥鳅是种植业与养殖业有机结合的一种生态生产模式.就稻田养殖泥鳅的田间工程建设、田间管理、养殖管理、越冬及捕捞等技术进行了阐述,以期为我国北方特别是东北地区的广大养殖户提供一些技术参考.     

Farmers' knowledge,perceptions, and management practices of the new invasive pest,fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) in Ethiopia and Kenya

This paper reports for the first time on farmers’ knowledge, perceptions and management practices of the fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) in Ethiopia and Kenya. A survey of 343 smallholder maize farmers was conducted. Most farmers in Ethiopia and Kenya had knowledge about fall armyworm; they could identify it mainly during its larval stage. Furthermore, most farmers in Ethiopia (93%) and Kenya (97%) encountered damage by fall armyworm in their farms. They estimated an average of 32% crop damage in Ethiopia and 47.3% of crop damage in Kenya, with an estimated yield reduction between 0.8 to 1 tonnes/ha. Nearly half of the farmers relied on chemical insecticides to control this pest. The majority (60%) of the farmers in Kenya perceived that insecticides were not effective in controlling fall armyworm as compared to most farmers (46%) in Ethiopia who perceived that chemical spray is effective for the control of fall armyworm. In Ethiopia, 26% of the farmers combined handpicking larvae with insecticide sprays, whilst 15% of the farmers practiced only handpicking. The present study highlights the need to develop management strategies for fall armyworm based on farmers’ needs and priorities.     

吉林省西部重点农业开发区水田发展灰色预测与对策

本文通过该区水田发展中的投资、水田开发面积、水稻单产与总产、化肥用量等主要因分的灰色量化动态关联分析和GM(1,N)协调分析,论证了今后应注重调控的因子——提高亩产与化肥用量。通过GM(1,1)残差模型、非等维新息增长模型、GM(2,1)模型等预测了1992—1995年该区水田开发面积、水稻总产、化肥用量等,为政府决策与管理提供依据。     

Antigen specific immunological responses of badgers (Meles meles) experimentally infected with Mycobacterium bovis

European badgers (Meles meles) are considered to be an important reservoir of infection for Mycobacterium bovis and are implicated in the transmission of tuberculosis to cattle in Ireland and Great Britain. Accurate tests are required for tuberculosis surveillance in badger populations and to provide a basis for the development of strategies, including vaccination, to reduce the incidence of the infection. In this study, we have developed an endobronchial M. bovis infection model in badgers in which we measured cell-mediated immune and serological responses for up to 24 weeks post-infection. Groups of badgers were subjected to necropsy at 6-week intervals and the gross lesion severity status compared with immune responses measured in blood samples taken throughout the course of the study. The panel of antigens included bovine and avian tuberculins (PPD) as well as single antigens, ESAT-6, CFP-10, MPB70, Rv3019c, Rv3873, Rv3878 and Rv3879, all known to be recognised by the immune system in other animal models of tuberculosis infection. Our results demonstrated that M. bovis infected badgers responded to specific antigens as early as 6 weeks post-infection, consistent with the presence of visible lesions. The data also revealed unique patterns of antigen recognition with high levels of PBMC proliferation in the presence of CFP-10 but low proliferation levels with ESAT-6. Using a multi-antigen print immunoassay (MAPIA), we were able to confirm that MPB83 is the dominant antigen recognised by serum antibodies in infected badgers.