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Frontiers in Veterinary Science 2020African swine fever (ASF) is one of the most important emerging transboundary diseases of pigs, causing trade restrictions, and a health impact on susceptible pigs. Nine...
African swine fever (ASF) is one of the most important emerging transboundary diseases of pigs, causing trade restrictions, and a health impact on susceptible pigs. Nine countries in the continental European Union (Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Belgium, Romania, and Hungary) have been affected by ASF from 2014 to 2018 and it keeps spreading despite the efforts to control it. For a number of years, we have witnessed high case-fatality rates in wild boar found dead particularly in new infected areas, which is typical of the peracute and acute forms of the infection at the beginning of an ASF epidemic. Experimental evidence with currently circulating strains indicates that some infected animals can remain asymptomatic and might even survive the infection. An increased presence of virus of moderate virulence can complicate ASF diagnosis as well as the mitigation and control of the disease. We analyze the ASF surveillance data in wild boar in the four EU countries where ASF has been present for longer, comparing the spatial density of antibody positive notifications with the time ASF has been present per region. Results indicate an increasing annual distribution of notifications based on antibodies over nucleic acid detection in hunted wild boar in Estonia, Latvia and Poland. Potentially, Lithuania, and Poland seem to have experienced more acute forms in 2017 and 2018 than Latvia and Estonia. Overall there was a positive statistical correlation between time with infection (TWI) and antibody positive density, with some variations in certain regions, particularly of Lithuania and Estonia. The increasing trend in potential survivors (hunted wild boar with confirmed PCR negative and antibody positive results) enhances the importance of surveillance design to sample and test shot wild boar. In conclusion, surveillance data based on ASFV detection by PCR and serology can be used to assess the status of the epidemic in wild boar.
PubMed: 32296720
DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2020.00155 -
Virology Apr 2013Classical swine fever (CSF), a highly contagious disease of pigs caused by the classical swine fever virus (CSFV), can lead to important economic losses in the pig... (Review)
Review
Classical swine fever (CSF), a highly contagious disease of pigs caused by the classical swine fever virus (CSFV), can lead to important economic losses in the pig industry. Numerous CSFV isolates with various degrees of virulence have been isolated worldwide, ranging from low virulent strains that do not result in any apparent clinical signs to highly virulent strains that cause a severe peracute hemorrhagic fever with nearly 100% mortality. Knowledge of the molecular determinants of CSFV virulence is an important issue for effective disease control and development of safe and effective marker vaccines. In this review, the latest studies in the field of CSFV virulence are discussed. The topic of virulence is addressed from different angles; nonconventional approaches like codon pair usage and quasispecies are considered. Future research approaches in the field of CSFV virulence are proposed.
Topics: Animals; Antibodies, Neutralizing; Antibodies, Viral; Classical Swine Fever; Classical Swine Fever Virus; Glycosylation; Swine; Viral Envelope Proteins; Viral Nonstructural Proteins
PubMed: 23415391
DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2013.01.013 -
Frontiers in Veterinary Science 2020Estimating cetacean interactions with fishery activities is challenging. Bycatch and chronic entanglements are responsible for thousands of cetacean deaths per year...
Estimating cetacean interactions with fishery activities is challenging. Bycatch and chronic entanglements are responsible for thousands of cetacean deaths per year globally. This study represents the first systematic approach to the postmortem investigation of fishery interactions in stranded cetaceans in the Canary Islands. We retrospectively studied 586 cases necropsied between January 2000 and December 2018. Of the cases with a known cause of death, 7.4% (32/453) were due to fishery interactions, and the Atlantic spotted dolphin () was the most affected species [46.9% (15/32)]. Three types of fishery interactions were recognized by gross findings: bycatch [65.6% (21/32)], chronic entanglements [18.8% (6/32)], and fishermen aggression [15.6% (5/32)]. Among the bycaught cases, we differentiated the dolphins that died because of ingestion of longline hooks [23.8% (5/21)] from those that died because of fishing net entrapments [76.2% (16/21)], including dolphins that presumably died at depth due to peracute underwater entrapment (PUE) [37.5% (6/16)], dolphins that were hauled out alive and suffered additional trauma during handling [43.8% (7/16)], and those that were released alive but became stranded and died because of fishery interactions [18.7% (3/16)]. Gross and histologic findings of animals in each group were presented and compared. The histological approach confirmed gross lesions and excluded other possible causes of death. Cetaceans in good-fair body condition and shallow diving species were significantly more affected by fishery interactions, in agreement with the literature. Low rates of fishery interactions have been described, compared with other regions. However, within the last few years, sightings of entangled live whales, especially the minke whale () and Bryde's whale (), have increased. This study contributes to further improvement of the evaluation of different types of fishery interactions and may facilitate the enforcement of future conservation policies to preserve cetacean populations in the Canary Islands.
PubMed: 33195545
DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2020.567258 -
Animals : An Open Access Journal From... Mar 2024This review paper provides an in-depth analysis of three critical metabolic diseases affecting dairy cattle such as subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA), ketosis, and... (Review)
Review
This review paper provides an in-depth analysis of three critical metabolic diseases affecting dairy cattle such as subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA), ketosis, and hypocalcemia. SARA represents a disorder of ruminal fermentation that is characterized by extended periods of depressed ruminal pH below 5.5-5.6. In the long term, dairy herds experiencing SARA usually exhibit secondary signs of the disease, such as episodes of laminitis, weight loss and poor body condition despite adequate energy intake, and unexplained abscesses usually 3-6 months after an episode of SARA. Depressed milk-fat content is commonly used as a diagnostic tool for SARA. A normal milk-fat test in Holstein dairy cows is >4%, so a milk-fat test of <3% can indicate SARA. However, bulk tank testing of milk fat is inappropriate to diagnose SARA at the herd level, so when >4 cows out of 12 and <60 days in milk are suspected to have SARA it can be considered that the herd has a problem. The rapid or abrupt introduction of fresh cows to high-concentrate diets is the most common cause of SARA. Changes in ruminal bacterial populations when exposed to higher concentrate rations require at least about 3 weeks, and it is recommended that concentrate levels increase by no more than 400 g/day during this period to avoid SARA. Ketosis, a prevalent metabolic disorder in dairy cattle, is scrutinized with a focus on its etiological factors and the physiological changes leading to elevated ketone bodies. In total mix ration-fed herds, an increased risk of mastitis and reduced fertility are usually the first clinical signs of ketosis. All dairy cows in early lactation are at risk of ketosis, with most cases occurring in the first 2-4 weeks of lactation. Cows with a body condition score ≥3.75 on a 5-point scale at calving are at a greater risk of ketosis than those with lower body condition scores. The determination of serum or whole blood acetone, acetoacetate, beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) concentration, non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), and liver biopsies is considered the best way to detect and monitor subclinical ketosis, while urine or milk cowside tests can also be used in on-farm monitoring programs. Concentrations >1.0 mmol/L or 1.4 mmol/L blood or serum BHB are considered diagnostic of subclinical ketosis. The standard threshold used for blood is 1.2 mmol/L, which corresponds to thresholds of 100 mcmol/L for milk and 15 mg/dL for urine. Oral administration of propylene glycol (250-400 g, every 24 h for 3-5 days) is the standard and most efficacious treatment, as well as additional therapy with bolus glucose treatment. Hypocalcemia is a disease of adult dairy cows in which acute hypocalcemia causes acute to peracute, afebrile, flaccid paralysis that occurs most commonly at or soon after parturition. Dairy cows are at considerable risk for hypocalcemia at the onset of lactation, when daily calcium excretion suddenly increases from about 10 g to 30 g per day. Cows with hypocalcemia have a more profound decrease in blood calcium concentration-typically below 5.5 mg/dL. The prevention of parturient paresis has been historically approached by feeding cows low-calcium diets during the dry period. Negative calcium balance triggers calcium mobilization before calving and better equips the cow to respond to the massive calcium needs at the onset of lactation. Calcium intake must be limited to <20 g per day for calcium restriction to be effective. The most practical and proven method for monitoring hypocalcemia is by feeding cows an acidogenic diet for ~3 weeks before calving. Throughout the review, emphasis is placed on the importance of early diagnosis and proactive management strategies to mitigate the impact of these metabolic diseases on dairy cattle health and productivity. The comprehensive nature of this paper aims to serve as a valuable resource for veterinarians, researchers, and dairy farmers seeking a deeper understanding of these prevalent metabolic disorders in dairy cattle.
PubMed: 38473200
DOI: 10.3390/ani14050816 -
Schweizer Archiv Fur Tierheilkunde May 2022Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease Virus 2 (RHDV-2) emerged in France in 2010. In Switzerland, RHDV-2 was first identified in 2015 and apparently has almost replaced the...
Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease Virus 2 (RHDV-2) emerged in France in 2010. In Switzerland, RHDV-2 was first identified in 2015 and apparently has almost replaced the classical Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease Virus (RHDV) by now. Like RHDV, RHDV-2 causes a viral hepatitis with a peracute course and an increased mortality rate within the rabbitry. RHDV infection causes consistent gross pathological findings, especially in the liver and respiratory tract. Reports about gross pathology for animals naturally infected with RHDV-2 is scarce. The present study analysed the anamnesis and necropsy reports of 35 rabbits examined during routine diagnostics between March 2015 and May 2017. A reverse transcriptase real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) specific for RHDV-2 and RHDV proved a total of 25 animals to be positive for RHDV-2, while none was positive for RHDV. Additionally, histological examinations were performed on liver, lung, and kidney of 18 rabbits that had tested positive by RHDV-2 RT-qPCR. The anamnestic report more often stated an increased mortality rate in RHDV-2 positive (16/18, 89 %) compared to RHDV-2 negative rabbits (3/9, 33 %). Gross pathology did not reveal any pathognomonic changes in RHDV-2 positive animals. Histologically, the liver showed the most severe lesions followed by lung and kidney. Animals positive for RHDV-2 frequently showed signs of gastro-intestinal disease (n = 5) and/or septicaemia (n = 6) masking possible indicators of an RHDV-2 infection, such as the rather unspecific findings of an enlarged spleen or an enlarged, friable, tan-coloured liver. The authors want to raise awareness among clinicians and pathologists that in case of sudden death in commercial or pet rabbits, RHDV-2 needs to be considered as differential diagnosis and should be confirmed by laboratory diagnosis.
Topics: Animals; Caliciviridae Infections; Hemorrhagic Disease Virus, Rabbit; Liver; Rabbits; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; Switzerland
PubMed: 35506417
DOI: 10.17236/sat00354 -
American Journal of Veterinary Research Jun 2024To assess the efficacy of transmucosal euthanasia solution to induce euthanasia.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the efficacy of transmucosal euthanasia solution to induce euthanasia.
ANIMALS
6 bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps).
METHODS
An initial dose of euthanasia solution containing pentobarbital and phenytoin sodium was administered transmucosally in conscious lizards (100 mg/kg pentobarbital dose), followed by a second dose 20 minutes later (400 mg/kg pentobarbital dose). The presence of movement, leakage of euthanasia solution, behaviors consistent with oral irritation, respiratory rate, heart rate, palpebral and corneal reflex, and response to noxious stimuli were recorded until death, confirmed by the absence of Doppler cardiac flow and cardiac electrical activity. The time to loss of all parameters was calculated. Postmortem evaluation allowed for histopathologic evaluation of the oral cavity and gastrointestinal tract to detect potential mucosal damage from the alkaline euthanasia solution.
RESULTS
The median time to death was 300 minutes (range, 300 to 360 minutes), median time to respiratory arrest was 30 minutes (range, 30 to 50 minutes), and median time to loss of deep pain response was 30 minutes (range, 20 to 50 minutes). Signs consistent with oral irritation occurred in 4 of 6 (66.7%) lizards, including 2 lizards that exhibited whole-body spasms after euthanasia solution administration. Histopathologic changes indicating peracute mucosal ulceration, suspected to be from caustic causes, were identified in 1 (1/6 [16.7%]) lizard.
CLINICAL RELEVANCE
Transmucosal euthanasia solution administration resulted in clinical euthanasia within 6 hours. This method should be utilized only after premedication with analgesic and/or anesthetic medications due to the potential for acute mucosal ulceration and behaviors that may be distressing in client-owned animals.
Topics: Animals; Phenytoin; Lizards; Pentobarbital; Euthanasia, Animal; Male; Female; Administration, Mucosal; Hypnotics and Sedatives
PubMed: 38569538
DOI: 10.2460/ajvr.24.02.0026 -
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 -
The American Journal of Pathology Apr 2019Glucocorticoid-induced secondary osteoporosis is the most predictable side effect of this anti-inflammatory. One of the main mechanisms by which glucocorticoids achieve...
Glucocorticoid-induced secondary osteoporosis is the most predictable side effect of this anti-inflammatory. One of the main mechanisms by which glucocorticoids achieve such deleterious outcome in bone is by antagonizing Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Sclerostin, encoded by Sost gene, is the main negative regulator of the proformative and antiresorptive role of the Wnt signaling pathway in the skeleton. It was hypothesized that the partial inactivation of sclerostin function by genetic manipulation will rescue the osteopenia induced by high endogenous glucocorticoid levels. Sost-deficient mice were crossed with an established mouse model of excess glucocorticoids, and the effects on bone mass and structure were evaluated. Sost haploinsufficiency did not rescue the low bone mass induced by high glucocorticoids. Intriguingly, the critical manifestation of Sost deficiency combined with glucocorticoid excess was sporadic, sudden, unprovoked, and nonconvulsive death. Detailed histopathologic analysis in a wide range of tissues identified peracute hemopericardium and cardiac tamponade to be the cause. These preclinical studies reveal outcomes with direct relevance to ongoing clinical trials that explore the use of antisclerostin antibodies as a treatment for osteoporosis. They particularly highlight a potential for increased cardiovascular risk and may inform improved stratification of patients who might otherwise benefit from antisclerostin antibody treatment.
Topics: Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; Animals; Bone Density; Bone Diseases, Metabolic; Cardiac Tamponade; Disease Models, Animal; Female; Genetic Markers; Glucocorticoids; Haploinsufficiency; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred C3H; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Knockout; Wnt Signaling Pathway
PubMed: 30664862
DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2018.12.007 -
Veterinary Microbiology Mar 2011In late summer 2006 considerable mortality in wild and captive Passeriformes and Strigiformes was observed in Zurich, Switzerland. All animals were found in a range of 2...
Emergence and establishment of Usutu virus infection in wild and captive avian species in and around Zurich, Switzerland--genomic and pathologic comparison to other central European outbreaks.
In late summer 2006 considerable mortality in wild and captive Passeriformes and Strigiformes was observed in Zurich, Switzerland. All animals were found in a range of 2 km(2). Observed clinical signs involved depression, ruffled plumage, incoordination, seizures and peracute death. Nutritional status was generally moderate to poor in wild birds, and variable in captive animals. Necropsy showed marked splenomegaly, a mild hepatomegaly, and pulmonary hyperemia in most animals. Histopathologic lesions were very discrete and consisted mainly of neuronal necrosis, leucocytolysis in and around the brain blood vessels, and miliary liver necrosis. The diagnosis Usutu virus (USUV) infection was established by USUV-specific immunohistochemistry and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Partial nucleotide sequence comparisons revealed>99% identity between the viruses that emerged in Zurich in 2006, in Vienna in 2001, and in Budapest in 2005. Since 2008 a significantly lower mortality was observed in wild Passeriformes, but USUV infection was confirmed for the first time beyond Zurich city limits. Indoor housing and regular treatment against ectoparasites are likely to have prevented acute USUV disease in captive Strigiformes. USUV is a mosquito-borne flavivirus causing fatalities in various avian species. After the initial European outbreaks in Austria in 2001 it appears that the virus has extended its range in Central Europe and has established a transmission cycle between local bird and mosquito species. Further episodes of increased avian mortality in the forthcoming years, with impact on wild and captive bird populations, predominantly Passeriformes and Strigiformes, can be anticipated. Furthermore, the possibility of broader dispersal of USUV in Europe during the next mosquito seasons must be considered and an increased mortality in Passeriformes and Strigiformes must be expected until protective "flock immunity" is established. Collections of valuable and endangered Passeriformes and Strigiformes, especially young of the year, should therefore be housed indoors or treated against ectoparasites at acceptable intervals between July and September each year.
Topics: Animals; Animals, Wild; Austria; Bird Diseases; Culicidae; Disease Outbreaks; Emergencies; Flaviviridae; Flaviviridae Infections; Genome; Immunohistochemistry; Passeriformes; RNA, Viral; Seasons; Strigiformes; Switzerland
PubMed: 20980109
DOI: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2010.09.018 -
Veterinary Medicine and Science May 2023A 10-month-old female domestic shorthaired (DSH) cat was presented with peracute respiratory problems. Physical examination revealed dyspnoea, tachypnoea, cyanosis, weak...
A 10-month-old female domestic shorthaired (DSH) cat was presented with peracute respiratory problems. Physical examination revealed dyspnoea, tachypnoea, cyanosis, weak pulse and bradycardia. Auscultation showed pulmonary crepitation and attenuated heart sounds and a pansystolic grade V/VI murmur. The electrocardiogram showed atrioventricular dissociation identified as third-degree sinoatrial block. X-rays showed increased density in the ventral and middle zones of the thorax and loss of definition of the cardiac silhouette and increased diffuse radiographic density of the entire abdomen. Echocardiography revealed dilatation of the right atrium and concentric biventricular hypertrophy. A type 1 persistent truncus arteriosus was diagnosed at necropsy. This is the first case report of this type of arrhythmia in a cat with persistent truncus arteriosus, and its relationship with the described congenital cardiac anomaly is discussed.
Topics: Female; Cats; Animals; Truncus Arteriosus, Persistent; Echocardiography; Electrocardiography; Diagnosis, Differential; Heart Block; Cat Diseases
PubMed: 37029758
DOI: 10.1002/vms3.1132