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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 -
ESC Heart Failure Aug 2021Myocarditis may lead to malignant arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. As of today, there are no reliable predictors to identify individuals at risk for these... (Observational Study)
Observational Study
AIMS
Myocarditis may lead to malignant arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. As of today, there are no reliable predictors to identify individuals at risk for these catastrophic events. The aim of this study was to evaluate if a wearable cardioverter defibrillator (WCD) may detect and treat such arrhythmias adequately in the peracute setting of myocarditis.
METHODS AND RESULTS
In this observational, retrospective, single centre study, we reviewed patients presenting to the Charité Hospital from 2009 to 2017, who were provided with a WCD for the diagnosis of myocarditis with reduced ejection fraction (<50%) and/or arrhythmias. Amongst 259 patients receiving a WCD, 59 patients (23%) were diagnosed with myocarditis by histology. The mean age was 46 ± 14 years, and 11 patients were women (19%). The mean WCD wearing time was 86 ± 63 days, and the mean daily use was 20 ± 5 h. During that time, two patients (3%) had episodes of sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT; four total) corresponding to a rate of 28 sustained VT episodes per 100 patient-years. Consequently, one of these patients underwent rhythm stabilization through intravenous amiodarone, while the other patient received an implantable cardioverter defibrillator. Two patients (3.4%) were found to have non-sustained VT.
CONCLUSIONS
Using a WCD after acute myocarditis led to the detection of sustained VT in 2/59 patients (3%). While a WCD may prevent sudden cardiac death after myocarditis, our data suggest that WCD may have impact on clinical management through monitoring and arrhythmia detection.
Topics: Adult; Arrhythmias, Cardiac; Defibrillators, Implantable; Female; Humans; Middle Aged; Myocarditis; Retrospective Studies; Wearable Electronic Devices
PubMed: 33887109
DOI: 10.1002/ehf2.13353 -
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 -
Frontiers in Veterinary Science 2023Ehlers-Danlos syndrome is a rare, heritable connective tissue disorder characterized by soft, hyperextensible skin, joint hypermobility, and tissue fragility, the...
Ehlers-Danlos syndrome is a rare, heritable connective tissue disorder characterized by soft, hyperextensible skin, joint hypermobility, and tissue fragility, the severity of which can range from mild to severe. A 9-month-old male entire miniature Dachshund was presented following peracute tetraparesis. Neurological examination was suggestive of intracranial vestibular disease or high cervical myelopathy. MRI revealed atlantoaxial instability and subluxation, resulting in marked spinal cord compression at C1-C2, which was surgically stabilized. On discharge from the hospital, skin fragility was noted as the result of skin tearing during tape removal. A piece of full-thickness antebrachial skin was submitted for histopathology which showed changes consistent with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. This case report describes the first case of atlantoaxial instability and subluxation in a dog as the result of a confirmed underlying collagenopathy.
PubMed: 37601761
DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1234995 -
The Canadian Veterinary Journal = La... May 2008The aim of this study was to describe the microbiologic agents and pathologic processes in fatal bovine respiratory disease (BRD) of feedlot cattle and to investigate...
The aim of this study was to describe the microbiologic agents and pathologic processes in fatal bovine respiratory disease (BRD) of feedlot cattle and to investigate associations between agents and pathologic processes. Ninety feedlot calves diagnosed at necropsy with BRD and 9 control calves without BRD were examined, using immunohistochemical (IHC) staining and histopathologic studies. Mannheimia haemolytica (MH) (peracute, acute, and subacute cases) and Mycoplasma bovis (MB) (subacute, bronchiolar, and chronic cases) were the most common agents identified in fatal BRD cases. Significant associations (P < 0.10) were detected between microbiologic agents and between agents and pathologic processes. When IHC staining was used, 25/26 (96%) of animals that were positive for bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) were also positive for MH; 12/15 (80 %) of animals that were positive for Histophilus somni (HS) were also positive for MB; and all of the animals that were positive for HS were negative for MH and BVDV. This quantitative pathological study demonstrates that several etiologic agents and pathologic processes are involved in fatal BRD of feedlot cattle.
Topics: Animals; Bovine Respiratory Disease Complex; Canada; Cattle; Diarrhea Viruses, Bovine Viral; Female; Immunohistochemistry; Male; Mannheimia haemolytica; Mycoplasma bovis; Pasteurellaceae
PubMed: 18512458
DOI: No ID Found -
PloS One 2024In various biological systems, analyzing how cell behaviors are coordinated over time would enable a deeper understanding of tissue-scale response to physiologic or...
In various biological systems, analyzing how cell behaviors are coordinated over time would enable a deeper understanding of tissue-scale response to physiologic or superphysiologic stimuli. Such data is necessary for establishing both normal tissue function and the sequence of events after injury that lead to chronic disease. However, collecting and analyzing these large datasets presents a challenge-such systems are time-consuming to process, and the overwhelming scale of data makes it difficult to parse overall behaviors. This problem calls for an analysis technique that can quickly provide an overview of the groups present in the entire system and also produce meaningful categorization of cell behaviors. Here, we demonstrate the application of an unsupervised method-the Variational Autoencoder (VAE)-to learn the features of cells in cartilage tissue after impact-induced injury and identify meaningful clusters of chondrocyte behavior. This technique quickly generated new insights into the spatial distribution of specific cell behavior phenotypes and connected specific peracute calcium signaling timeseries with long term cellular outcomes, demonstrating the value of the VAE technique.
Topics: Cartilage, Articular; Chondrocytes; Animals; Cluster Analysis; Calcium Signaling
PubMed: 38768116
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0297947 -
Journal of Clinical Microbiology May 2011Porcine circovirus-associated disease (PCVAD) encompasses a group of wasting syndromes linked to porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2). This paper describes a new PCV2...
Porcine circovirus-associated disease (PCVAD) encompasses a group of wasting syndromes linked to porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2). This paper describes a new PCV2 disease syndrome, called acute pulmonary edema (APE), which, unlike other PCVAD syndromes, has a peracute onset and is associated with herds vaccinated for PCV2.
Topics: Animals; Circoviridae Infections; Circovirus; Pulmonary Edema; Swine Diseases; Viral Vaccines
PubMed: 21346043
DOI: 10.1128/JCM.02543-10 -
Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica Jun 2016In dogs with ischaemic stroke, a very common site of infarction is the cerebellum. The aim of this study was to characterise neurological signs in relation to infarct...
BACKGROUND
In dogs with ischaemic stroke, a very common site of infarction is the cerebellum. The aim of this study was to characterise neurological signs in relation to infarct topography in dogs with suspected cerebellar ischaemic stroke and to report short-term outcome confined to the hospitalisation period. A retrospective multicentre study of dogs with suspected cerebellar ischaemic stroke examined from 2010-2015 at five veterinary referral hospitals was performed. Findings from clinical, neurological, and paraclinical investigations including magnetic resonance imaging were assessed.
RESULTS
Twenty-three dogs, 13 females and 10 males with a median age of 8 years and 8 months, were included in the study. The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (n = 9) was a commonly represented breed. All ischaemic strokes were located to the vascular territory of the rostral cerebellar artery including four extensive and 19 limited occlusions. The most prominent neurological deficits were gait abnormalities (ataxia with hypermetria n = 11, ataxia without hypermetria n = 4, non-ambulatory n = 6), head tilt (n = 13), nystagmus (n = 8), decreased menace response (n = 7), postural reaction deficits (n = 7), and proprioceptive deficits (n = 5). Neurological signs appeared irrespective of the infarct being classified as extensive or limited. All dogs survived and were discharged within 1-10 days of hospitalisation.
CONCLUSIONS
Dogs affected by rostral cerebellar ischaemic stroke typically present with a collection of neurological deficits characterised by ataxia, head tilt, and nystagmus irrespective of the specific cerebellar infarct topography. In dogs with peracute to acute onset of these neurological deficits, cerebellar ischaemic stroke should be considered an important differential diagnosis, and neuroimaging investigations are indicated. Although dogs are often severely compromised at presentation, short-term prognosis is excellent and rapid clinical improvement may be observed within the first week following the ischaemic stroke.
Topics: Animals; Ataxia; Cerebellum; Diagnosis, Differential; Dog Diseases; Dogs; Female; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Nervous System Diseases; Prognosis; Retrospective Studies; Stroke
PubMed: 27267355
DOI: 10.1186/s13028-016-0219-2 -
Veterinary Medicine and Science May 2019Blackleg (BL) is an acute to peracute highly fatal infectious disease of mainly large ruminants characterised by lesions of myonecrosis caused by Clostridium chauvoei,...
Blackleg (BL) is an acute to peracute highly fatal infectious disease of mainly large ruminants characterised by lesions of myonecrosis caused by Clostridium chauvoei, usually presenting as a sudden onset of sporadic mortalities. In Southeast Asia, 'BL' is considered a cause of occasional outbreaks of a subacute febrile illness, although there are few published reports available. Investigation of a major outbreak of clinically diagnosed BL occurring in large ruminants (cattle and buffalo) in three neighbouring villages in central Laos in mid-2017, was conducted to determine the financial impacts of BL on smallholder livelihoods. Owners of BL-infected large ruminants in the three affected villages were interviewed (n = 27) and financial losses including losses due to mortality, morbidity and costs of treatments, were determined. The reports of clinical signs of subcutaneous swelling with palpable crepitus in febrile animals were considered consistent with a diagnosis of BL. The outbreak occurred in 47 of a total 449 households with large ruminants across the three villages, affecting 147 of a total population of 3505 'at risk' large ruminants with 71 deaths reported. At the household level, the mean morbidity and mortality rates were 5 ± 4(95% CI: 3-6) and 3 ± 2(95% CI: 1-4) heads per household, respectively. The estimated financial losses due to BL per affected household was USD 822 ± 692(95% CI: 518-1125), being 122% of their annual household income from large ruminant sales. The comparison between the estimated losses due to BL per village and cost of annual BL vaccination programmes, indicated a potential economic benefit of USD3.09 and USD12.37 for every dollar invested in the vaccination programme, if BL outbreaks occur every 20 and 5 years, respectively. This study indicates that clinically diagnosed BL can cause significant losses to smallholder households, and requires Lao animal health authorities to consider vaccination interventions to prevent losses from re-emergence of BL in the known endemically affected areas.
Topics: Animals; Buffaloes; Cattle; Cattle Diseases; Clostridium Infections; Clostridium chauvoei; Disease Outbreaks; Farmers; Laos; Vaccination
PubMed: 30779313
DOI: 10.1002/vms3.152 -
The Journal of Experimental Medicine Jan 1958The pathogenesis of acute respiratory melioidosis mice and hamsters is described. Inhaled organisms giving rise to lesions seemed to be first engulfed by the mononuclear...
The pathogenesis of acute respiratory melioidosis mice and hamsters is described. Inhaled organisms giving rise to lesions seemed to be first engulfed by the mononuclear alveolar phagocytes, but in less than 1 day polymorphonuclear cells made their appearance. In spite of this defense reaction, the bacteria continued to multiply and their products caused focal necrosis. These foci enlarged and gave rise to septicemia, toxemia, and eventually death, which usually occurred in 3 to 10 days depending on the dose. Melioidosis, is, therefore, an acute septicotoxemic disease resembling plague and anthrax in this respect. In hamsters the disease process developed more rapidly than in mice and death occurred sooner. The course of the disease in hamsters was sometimes complicated by intraglomerular deposits resembling "fibrinoid," which were similar to those of the generalized Shwartzman phenomenon. This phenomenon may have been an indirect cause of both the perifocal hemorrhage and the extremely large number of bacteria in some of the hamster lesions. When low infecting doses of organisms were employed, mice, but not hamsters, developed a chronic type of disease, lasting 2 to 8 weeks. This was characterized by large abscesses in the spleen or lung, marked proliferation of mononuclear phagocytes and plasma cells, and increased immunity against reinfection (about 40-fold against respiratory challenge). When mice and hamsters inhaled high infecting doses of organisms, a peracute disease resulted with death in 1 to 3 days. Increased numbers of bacteria were observed in the lesions, and the histological changes in the spleen resembled those following the intravenous injection of Malleomyces pseudomallei toxin or the intramuscular injection of large doses of cortisone. These changes were characterized by a swelling of the phagocytes of the white pulp with nuclear debris. The peracute, the acute, and the chronic forms of melioidosis in mice are similar to analogous clinical forms found in man.
Topics: Acute Disease; Animals; Burkholderia pseudomallei; Cricetinae; Humans; Injections, Intravenous; Lung; Male; Melioidosis; Mice; Spleen
PubMed: 13481262
DOI: 10.1084/jem.107.1.153