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Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery Jul 2015Cytauxzoon species are apicomplexan haemoparasites, which may cause severe disease in domestic cats, as well as lions and tigers. For many years, cytauxzoonosis in...
OVERVIEW
Cytauxzoon species are apicomplexan haemoparasites, which may cause severe disease in domestic cats, as well as lions and tigers. For many years, cytauxzoonosis in domestic cats was only reported in North and South America, but in recent years the infection has also been seen in Europe (Spain, France and Italy).
INFECTION
Cytauxzoon felis is the main species; it occurs as numerous different strains or genotypes and is transmitted via ticks. Therefore, the disease shows a seasonal incidence from spring to early autumn and affects primarily cats with outdoor access in areas where tick vectors are prevalent. Domestic cats may experience subclinical infection and may also act as reservoirs.
CLINICAL SIGNS
Cytauxzoonosis caused by C felis in the USA is an acute or peracute severe febrile disease with non-specific signs. Haemolytic anaemia occurs frequently; in some cats neurological signs may occur in late stages. The Cytauxzoon species identified in Europe differ from C felis that causes disease in the USA and are probably less virulent. The majority of infected cats have been healthy; in some cases anaemia was found, but disease as it occurs in the USA has not been reported to date.
DIAGNOSIS
Diagnosis is usually obtained by Cytauxzoon detection in blood smears and/or fine-needle aspirates from the liver, spleen and lymph nodes. PCR assays are able to detect low levels of parasitaemia and may be used for confirmation.
TREATMENT
Currently a combination of the antiprotozoal drugs atovaquone and azithromycin is the treatment of choice. Concurrent supportive and critical care treatment is extremely important to improve the prognosis. Cats that survive the infection may become chronic carriers for life.
PREVENTION
Cats with outdoor access in endemic areas should receive effective tick treatment.
Topics: Animal Welfare; Animals; Animals, Domestic; Antiprotozoal Agents; Cat Diseases; Cats; Disease Reservoirs; Europe; France; Piroplasmida; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Practice Guidelines as Topic; Protozoan Infections, Animal; Seasons; Veterinary Medicine
PubMed: 26101317
DOI: 10.1177/1098612X15589878 -
Journal of the American Veterinary... Jun 2015136 pregnant beef cows were purchased in the fall of 2003. The following spring, 128 cows calved as expected; 8 cows were believed to have aborted with the fetuses...
CASE DESCRIPTION
136 pregnant beef cows were purchased in the fall of 2003. The following spring, 128 cows calved as expected; 8 cows were believed to have aborted with the fetuses unavailable for evaluation. Of the 128 calves born, 8 died within 2 weeks after birth and 9 were born with congenital abnormalities.
CLINICAL FINDINGS
Cows and their calves were evaluated for bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) infection. Forty-four of 120 calves, but 0 cows, tested positive for BVDV antigen by immunohistochemical staining of ear notch specimens.
TREATMENT AND OUTCOME
Five BVDV test-positive calves died shortly after weaning, and the remaining 39 BVDV test-positive calves were moved to an isolated feedlot and retested for BVDV at 5 to 6 months of age; 36 had positive results, which indicated that they were persistently infected (PI) with BVDV, whereas 3 had negative results, which indicated that they were transiently infected with BVDV at the time of the first test. All PI calves were infected with the same BVDV type 2a strain. As yearlings, 17 of the 36 PI calves died peracutely with lesions consistent with mucosal disease, 6 died without gross lesions, and 2 were euthanized because of chronic ill thrift. The remaining 11 PI calves appeared healthy and were sold for slaughter. Screening of the following year's calf crop for BVDV by use of immunohistochemical staining of ear-notch specimens yielded negative results for all calves.
CLINICAL RELEVANCE
Introduction of BVDV into a naïve cow herd resulted in a loss of 44% of the calf crop subsequent to reproductive loss, poor thrift, and mucosal disease.
Topics: Animals; Bovine Virus Diarrhea-Mucosal Disease; Cattle; Diarrhea Viruses, Bovine Viral; Disease Outbreaks; Female; Pregnancy; South Dakota
PubMed: 26043135
DOI: 10.2460/javma.246.12.1358 -
Journal of Neurotrauma Sep 2015Persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) are in need of effective therapeutics. Estrogen (E2), as a steroid hormone, is a highly pleiotropic agent; with anti-inflammatory,...
Persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) are in need of effective therapeutics. Estrogen (E2), as a steroid hormone, is a highly pleiotropic agent; with anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, and neurotrophic properties, it is ideal for use in treatment of patients with SCI. Safety concerns around the use of high doses of E2 have limited clinical application, however. To address these concerns, low doses of E2 (25 μg and 2.5 μg) were focally delivered to the injured spinal cord using nanoparticles. A per-acute model (6 h after injury) was used to assess nanoparticle release of E2 into damaged spinal cord tissue; in addition, E2 was evaluated as a rapid anti-inflammatory. To assess inflammation, 27-plex cytokine/chemokine arrays were conducted in plasma, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and spinal cord tissue. A particular focus was placed on IL-6, GRO-KC, and MCP-1 as these have been identified from CSF in human studies as potential biomarkers in SCI. S100β, an additional proposed biomarker, was also assessed in spinal cord tissue only. Tissue concentrations of E2 were double those found in the plasma, indicating focal release. E2 showed rapid anti-inflammatory effects, significantly reducing interleukin (IL)-6, GRO-KC, MCP-1, and S100β in one or all compartments. Numerous additional targets of rapid E2 modulation were identified including: leptin, MIP-1α, IL-4, IL-2, IL-10, IFNγ, tumor necrosis factor-α, etc. These data further elucidate the rapid anti-inflammatory effects E2 exerts in an acute rat SCI model, have identified additional targets of estrogen efficacy, and suggest nanoparticle delivered estrogen may provide a safe and efficacious treatment option in persons with acute SCI.
Topics: Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Biomarkers; Chemokines; Cytokines; Drug Delivery Systems; Estradiol; Inflammation; Male; Nanoparticles; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; S100 Calcium Binding Protein beta Subunit; Spinal Cord; Spinal Cord Injuries
PubMed: 25845398
DOI: 10.1089/neu.2014.3730 -
Virus Genes Jun 2015Guinea fowl coronavirus (GfCoV), a recently characterized avian coronavirus, was identified from outbreaks of fulminating disease (peracute enteritis) in guinea fowl in...
Guinea fowl coronavirus (GfCoV), a recently characterized avian coronavirus, was identified from outbreaks of fulminating disease (peracute enteritis) in guinea fowl in France. The full-length genomic sequence was determined to better understand its genetic relationship with avian coronaviruses. The full-length coding genome sequence was 26,985 nucleotides long with 11 open reading frames and no hemagglutinin-esterase gene: a genome organization identical to that of turkey coronavirus [5' untranslated region (UTR)-replicase (ORFs 1a, 1ab)-spike (S) protein-ORF3 (ORFs 3a, 3b)-small envelop (E or 3c) protein-membrane (M) protein-ORF5 (ORFs 4b, 4c, 5a, 5b)-nucleocapsid (N) protein (ORFs N and 6b)-3' UTR]. This is the first complete genome sequence of a GfCoV and confirms that the new virus belongs to group gammacoronaviruses.
Topics: Animals; Bird Diseases; Birds; Cluster Analysis; Coronavirus; Coronavirus Infections; France; Gene Order; Genome, Viral; Molecular Sequence Data; Open Reading Frames; Phylogeny; RNA, Viral; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Sequence Homology; Synteny
PubMed: 25712772
DOI: 10.1007/s11262-015-1183-z -
Revue Scientifique Et Technique... Aug 2014Anthrax is a peracute, acute or subacute multispecies bacterial infection that occurs on many continents. It is one of the oldest infectious diseases known; the biblical...
Anthrax is a peracute, acute or subacute multispecies bacterial infection that occurs on many continents. It is one of the oldest infectious diseases known; the biblical fifth and sixth plagues (Exodus chapters 7 to 9) that affected first livestock and then humans were probably anthrax. From the earliest historical records until development of an effective vaccine midway through the 20th Century, anthrax was one of the foremost causes of uncontrolled mortality in cattle, sheep, goats, horses and pigs, with 'spill over' into humans, worldwide. With the development of the Sterne spore vaccine, a sharp decline in anthrax outbreaks in livestock occurred during the 1930-1980 era. There were successful national vaccination programmes in many countries during this period, complemented by the liberal use of antibiotics and the implementation of quarantine regulations and carcass disposal. However, a resurgence of this disease in livestock has been reported recently in some regions, where complacency and a false sense of security have hindered vaccination programmes. The epidemiology of anthrax involves an environmental component, as well as livestock, wildlife and human components. This makes anthrax an ideal example for discussion in the One Health context. Many outbreaks of anthrax in wildlife are undetected or unreported, owing to surveillance inadequacies and difficulties. Human disease is generally acquired accidentally during outbreaks of anthrax in domestic livestock and wildlife. The exception is deliberate targeting of humans with anthrax in the course of biowarfare or bioterrorism.
Topics: Africa; Animals; Animals, Wild; Anthrax; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Bacterial Vaccines; Global Health; Humans; Internationality; Zoonoses
PubMed: 25707186
DOI: 10.20506/rst.33.2.2309 -
PloS One 2015Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is a formidable pathogen that causes severe disease and abortion in a variety of livestock species and a range of disease in humans that...
Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is a formidable pathogen that causes severe disease and abortion in a variety of livestock species and a range of disease in humans that includes hemorrhagic fever, fulminant hepatitis, encephalitis and blindness. The natural transmission cycle involves mosquito vectors, but exposure can also occur through contact with infected fluids and tissues. The lack of approved antiviral therapies and vaccines for human use underlies the importance of small animal models for proof-of-concept efficacy studies. Several mouse and rat models of RVFV infection have been well characterized and provide useful systems for the study of certain aspects of pathogenesis, as well as antiviral drug and vaccine development. However, certain host-directed therapeutics may not act on mouse or rat pathways. Here, we describe the natural history of disease in golden Syrian hamsters challenged subcutaneously with the pathogenic ZH501 strain of RVFV. Peracute disease resulted in rapid lethality within 2 to 3 days of RVFV challenge. High titer viremia and substantial viral loads were observed in most tissues examined; however, histopathology and immunostaining for RVFV antigen were largely restricted to the liver. Acute hepatocellular necrosis associated with a strong presence of viral antigen in the hepatocytes indicates that fulminant hepatitis is the likely cause of mortality. Further studies to assess the susceptibility and disease progression following respiratory route exposure are warranted. The use of the hamsters to model RVFV infection is suitable for early stage antiviral drug and vaccine development studies.
Topics: Animals; Antigens, Viral; Cells, Cultured; Female; Hepatitis, Animal; Liver; Mesocricetus; Rift Valley Fever; Rift Valley fever virus; Rodent Diseases; Viral Load; Viremia
PubMed: 25607955
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0116722 -
International Journal of Surgery Case... 2014Femoral hernias may - in some rare cases - contain the appendix, a phenomenon called de Garengeot hernia. It is usually an incidental finding in hernia repair. We found...
INTRODUCTION
Femoral hernias may - in some rare cases - contain the appendix, a phenomenon called de Garengeot hernia. It is usually an incidental finding in hernia repair. We found our case to be of interest because of the long standing femoral swelling before peracute appendicitis led to its removal.
PRESENTATION OF CASE
We present the case of a 71-year-old woman with a swelling of the right medial thigh for over more than 30 years. When the swelling suddenly grew in size and became tender, she was referred to our emergency department. Sonographically as well as clinically a femoral hernia was diagnosed. Intraoperatively, the appendix was found and open appendectomy as well as a hernioplasty was performed.
DISCUSSION
Open appendectomy is an elegant and safe procedure to repair a long standing de Garengeot hernia. Most case reports call for extensive diagnostics such as CT scan etc. We found a sonography of the femoral region to be conclusive.
CONCLUSION
Apart from the inherent risk of sudden incarceration in hernias, De Garengeot hernias can also develop peracute appendicitis years after their formation. This differential diagnosis needs to be taken into consideration in patients presenting with the clinical signs of a femoral hernia.
PubMed: 25437653
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijscr.2014.11.010 -
BMC Veterinary Research Jul 2014In this study, four lung lesion scoring methods (Slaughterhouse Pleurisy Evaluation System [SPES], Consolidation Lung Lesion Score [LLS], Image analyses [IA] and Ratio...
BACKGROUND
In this study, four lung lesion scoring methods (Slaughterhouse Pleurisy Evaluation System [SPES], Consolidation Lung Lesion Score [LLS], Image analyses [IA] and Ratio of lung weight/body weight [LW/BW]) were compared for the assessment of the different pathological outcomes derived from an Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (App) experimental infection model. Moreover, pathological data was coupled with clinical (fever, inappetence and clinical score), production (average daily weigh gain [ADWG]) and diagnostic (PCR, ELISA and bacterial isolation) parameters within the four infection outcomes (peracute, acute, subclinically infected and non-infected).
RESULTS
From the 61 inoculated animals, 9 were classified as peracute (presence of severe App-like clinical signs and lesions and sudden death or euthanasia shortly after inoculation), 31 as acutely affected (presence of App-like clinical signs and lesions and survival until the end of the experiment), 12 as subclinically infected (very mild or no clinical signs but App infection confirmed) and 9 as non-infected animals (lack of App-like clinical signs and lack of evidence of App infection). A significant correlation between all lung lesion scoring systems was found with the exception of SPES score versus LW/BW. SPES showed a statistically significant association with all clinical, production and diagnostic (with the exception of PCR detection of App in the tonsil) variables assessed. LLS and IA showed similar statistically significant associations as SPES, with the exception of seroconversion against App at necropsy. In contrast, LW/BW was statistically associated only with App isolation in lungs, presence of App-like lesions and ELISA OD values at necropsy.
CONCLUSIONS
In conclusion, SPES, LLS and IA are economic, fast and easy-to-perform lung scoring methods that, in combination with different clinical and diagnostic parameters, allow the characterization of different outcomes after App infection.
Topics: Abattoirs; Actinobacillus Infections; Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae; Animals; Body Weight; Lung; Male; Organ Size; Pleuropneumonia; Swine
PubMed: 25038822
DOI: 10.1186/1746-6148-10-165 -
Avian Pathology : Journal of the W.V.P.A 2014This study is the first report on the genetic and pathogenic characterization of beak and feather disease virus (BFDV) occurring in Italy. Twenty BFDV strains isolated...
Molecular analysis and associated pathology of beak and feather disease virus isolated in Italy from young Congo African grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus) with an "atypical peracute form" of the disease.
This study is the first report on the genetic and pathogenic characterization of beak and feather disease virus (BFDV) occurring in Italy. Twenty BFDV strains isolated in Italy from juvenile Congo African grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus) were investigated. Seventeen strains showed an "atypical peracute form" (aPF) of the disease, and three a chronic form (CF). The birds with aPF had been weaned, were independent as far as food and protection were concerned and apparently were without lesions. The gene coding for the putative coat protein was amplified in all isolates while the BFDV genome was sequenced completely in 10 samples, eight of them belonging to aPF affected birds and two from CF of the disease. All full genomes clustered into the J strain of BFDV, where two new subtypes were identified. Recombination analyses showed evidence of genetic exchanges in two BFDV genomes. In addition, a correlation between viral isolate and origin of the breeding material was shown, while an association between the genetic features of the virus and the clinical form was not observed. Histologically, apoptosis was detected frequently in aPF samples and sporadically in CF samples. Interestingly, BFDV antigens were detected in the nuclei and cytoplasm of such apoptotic cells. The data presented here support the hypothesis that, in the absence of a defined BFDV genetic variant accountable for a specific clinical form of psittacine beak and feather disease, differences in the apoptotic rate between aPF and CF are strictly host related.
Topics: Animals; Base Sequence; Beak; Bird Diseases; Bone Marrow; Circoviridae Infections; Circovirus; Feathers; Genetic Variation; Genome, Viral; Italy; Molecular Sequence Data; Parrots; Phylogeny; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Spleen; Thymus Gland
PubMed: 24968067
DOI: 10.1080/03079457.2014.934660 -
Antiviral Research Apr 2014Rift Valley fever is a zoonotic, arthropod-borne disease that affects livestock and humans. The etiologic agent, Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV; Bunyaviridae,...
Rift Valley fever is a zoonotic, arthropod-borne disease that affects livestock and humans. The etiologic agent, Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV; Bunyaviridae, Phlebovirus) is primarily transmitted through mosquito bites, but can also be transmitted by exposure to infectious aerosols. There are presently no licensed vaccines or therapeutics to prevent or treat severe RVFV infection in humans. We have previously reported on the activity of favipiravir (T-705) against the MP-12 vaccine strain of RVFV and other bunyaviruses in cell culture. In addition, efficacy has also been documented in mouse and hamster models of infection with the related Punta Toro virus. Here, hamsters challenged with the highly pathogenic ZH501 strain of RVFV were used to evaluate the activity of favipiravir against lethal infection. Subcutaneous RVFV challenge resulted in substantial serum and tissue viral loads and caused severe disease and mortality within 2-3 days of infection. Oral favipiravir (200 mg/kg/day) prevented mortality in 60% or greater of hamsters challenged with RVFV when administered within 1 or 6h post-exposure and reduced RVFV titers in serum and tissues relative to the time of treatment initiation. In contrast, although ribavirin (75 mg/kg/day) was effective at protecting animals from the peracute RVFV disease, most ultimately succumbed from a delayed-onset neurologic disease associated with high RVFV burden observed in the brain in moribund animals. When combined, T-705 and ribavirin treatment started 24 h post-infection significantly improved survival outcome and reduced serum and tissue virus titers compared to monotherapy. Our findings demonstrate significant post-RVFV exposure efficacy with favipiravir against both peracute disease and delayed-onset neuroinvasion, and suggest added benefit when combined with ribavirin.
Topics: Amides; Animals; Antiviral Agents; Cell Line; Central Nervous System Viral Diseases; Cricetinae; Disease Models, Animal; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Female; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Pyrazines; Rift Valley Fever; Rift Valley fever virus; Viral Load
PubMed: 24486952
DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2014.01.016