(PARVOVIRUSES) AT THE DOMESTIC-WILD CARNIVORE INTERFACE IN INDIA.

(CP1, earlier called ) variants such as canine parvovirus (CPV) and feline parvovirus (FPV) are significant, emerging, multihost pathogens of domestic and wild carnivores. The diversity of CP1 variants was studied between 2008 and 2014 in Wayanad, India, where flagship wildlife species such as tigers () and leopards () coexist alongside domestic carnivores, including dogs () and cats (). Using polymerase chain reaction, FPV and CPV sequences were obtained from the heart blood of a necropsied leopard individual for the first time in the world and from rectal swabs of three sympatric and clinically ill domestic dogs.

Prevalence and Potential Risk Factors for Bartonella Infection in Tunisian Stray Dogs.

Bartonellae are blood-borne and vector-transmitted pathogens, some are zoonotic, which have been reported in several Mediterranean countries. Transmission from dogs to humans is suspected, but has not been clearly demonstrated. Our objectives were to determine the seroprevalence of Bartonella henselae, Bartonella vinsonii subsp.

Assessing the impacts of temperature and storage on Escherichia coli, Salmonella, and L. monocytogenes decay in dairy manure.

Elevated levels of animal waste-borne pathogen in ambient water is a serious human health issue. Mitigating influx of pathogens from animal waste such as dairy manure to soil and water requires improving our existing knowledge of pathogen reductions in dairy manure treatment methods. This study was conducted to enhance the  understanding of human pathogen decay in liquid dairy manure in anaerobic (AN) and limited aerobic (LA) storage conditions.

Sensitivity and specificity of on-farm scoring systems and nasal culture to detect bovine respiratory disease complex in preweaned dairy calves.

The California (CA) and Wisconsin (WI) clinical scoring systems have been proposed for bovine respiratory disease complex (BRDC) detection in preweaned dairy calves. The screening sensitivity (SSe), for estimating BRDC prevalence in a cohort of calves, diagnostic sensitivity (DSe), for confirming BRDC in ill calves, and specificity (Sp) were estimated for each of the scoring systems, as well as for nasal swab cultures for aerobic bacteria and mycoplasma species. Thoracic ultrasound and auscultation were used as the reference standard tests interpreted in parallel.

Survey of management practices related to bovine respiratory disease in preweaned calves on California dairies.

In the spring of 2013, a survey of California (CA) dairies was performed to characterize management practices related to bovine respiratory disease in preweaned calves, compare these practices across geographic regions of the state, and determine the principal components that explain the variability in management between herds. The questionnaire consisted of 53 questions divided into 6 sections to assess management practices affecting dairy calves from precalving to weaning. The questionnaire was mailed to 1,523 grade A licensed dairies in CA and 224 responses (14.

Incidence rates and risk factors for owner-reported adverse events following vaccination of dogs that did or did not receive a Leptospira vaccine.

Objective: To determine incidence rates (IRs) and potential risk factors for owner-reported adverse events (AEs) following vaccination of dogs that did or did not receive a Leptospira vaccine.

Design: Observational, retrospective cohort study.

Animals: 130,557 dogs.

Agreement between bovine respiratory disease scoring systems for pre-weaned dairy calves.

Clinical scoring systems have been proposed for respiratory disease diagnosis in calves, including the Wisconsin (WI) system (McGuirk in 2008) which uses five clinical signs, each partitioned into four levels of severity. Recently, we developed the California (CA) bovine respiratory disease (BRD) scoring system requiring less calf handling and consisting of six clinical signs, each classified as normal or abnormal. The objective of this study was to estimate the on-farm agreement between the WI and the CA scoring systems.

Protective immunity of a modified-live cyprinid herpesvirus 3 vaccine in koi (Cyprinus carpio koi) 13 months after vaccination.

Objective: To evaluate the long-term protective immunity of a cyprinid herpesvirus 3 (CyHV3) vaccine in naïve koi (Cyprinus carpio koi).

Animals: 72 koi. Procedures-Vaccinated koi (n = 36) and unvaccinated control koi (36) were challenge exposed to a wild-type CyHV3 strain (KHVp8 F98-50) 13 months after vaccination.

Specific-pathogen-free status is associated with lower infant mortality rate in rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) colonies at the California National Primate Research Center.

Background: Specific-pathogen-free (SPF) rhesus macaques, Macaca mulatta, are a valuable resource in biomedical research, and demographic analysis plays a significant role in colony management.

Methods: Data collection included SPF levels, gender, birth year, season of birth, birth location, rearing condition, maternal pregnancy history, and maternal age. Infant mortality in SPF rhesus macaques was compared with that in non-SPF rhesus macaques at the California National Primate Research Center over a six-year period, using Cox proportional regression analysis.

Neutering dogs: effects on joint disorders and cancers in golden retrievers.

In contrast to European countries, the overwhelming majority of dogs in the U.S. are neutered (including spaying), usually done before one year of age.

Effects of meloxicam on hematologic and plasma biochemical analysis variables and results of histologic examination of tissue specimens of Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica).

Objective: To determine the effects of meloxicam on values of hematologic and plasma biochemical analysis variables and results of histologic examination of tissue specimens of Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica).

Animals: 30 adult Japanese quail.

Procedures: 15 quail underwent laparoscopic examination of the left kidneys, and 15 quail underwent laparoscopic examination and biopsy of the left kidneys.

Comparative vaccine-specific and other injectable-specific risks of injection-site sarcomas in cats.

Objective: To compare associations between vaccine types and other injectable drugs with development of injection-site sarcomas in cats.

Design: Case-control study.

Animals: 181 cats with soft tissue sarcomas (cases), 96 cats with tumors at non-vaccine regions (control group I), and 159 cats with basal cell tumors (control group II).

Prevalence of selected bacterial and parasitic agents in feces from diarrheic and healthy control cats from Northern California.

Background: Bacterial and parasitic agents are commonly implicated as causes of diarrhea in cats, but there is a paucity of information evaluating epidemiological and prevalence factors associated with most of these organisms in cats.

Objectives: Determine the prevalence of selected enteropathogens in diarrheic and nondiarrheic cats.

Animals: A total of 219 diarrheic and 54 nondiarrheic cats.

Immunohistochemical localization of fibroblast growth factor 18 in hair follicles of healthy beagle dogs.

Increasing emphasis is being placed on the role of fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) in hair follicle cycling. In mice, expression of FGF18 mRNA peaks during the late telogen phase, leading to the hypothesis that FGF plays a role in anagen induction. There are no data on the presence of FGF18 in dogs.

Natural factors to consider when using acetylcholinesterase activity as neurotoxicity biomarker in Young-Of-Year striped bass (Morone saxatilis).

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity is one of the most common biomarkers of neurotoxicity used in aquatic organisms. However, compared to its extensive use as biomarker, the effects of natural factors on AChE activity remain unclear especially in estuarine fishes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of natural factors on AChE activity of striped bass (Morone saxatilis) juveniles.

Biological markers of neonatal calf performance: the relationship of insulin-like growth factor-I, zinc, and copper to poor neonatal growth.

Raising a heifer calf to reproductive age represents an enormous cost to the producer. Poor neonatal growth exacerbates the costs incurred for rearing, and use of blood variables that may be associated with poorly growing calves may offer predictive value for growth and performance. Thus, the principal objective of the present study was to describe changes in serum IGF-I, zinc, and copper from birth to 90 d in Holstein calves, while accounting for sex and twin status, in poorly growing calves and calves growing well.

Predictors of matrilineal overthrows in large captive breeding groups of rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta).

The purpose of this retrospective case-control study was to identify and assess biologically plausible variables that may predispose a captive rhesus macaque breeding colony to a matrilineal overthrow. Matrilineal overthrows are the result of members of multiple matrilines jointly attacking the highest-ranking matriline. Matrilineal overthrows in captive rhesus macaque colonies result in significant morbidity, mortality, and loss of genetic diversity.

An evaluation of transmission routes for low pathogenicity avian influenza virus among chickens sold in live bird markets.

Many theories about the modes of avian influenza virus (AIV) transmission have been proposed, but few have been quantified, and none within a flock or live bird market (LBM) setting where birds are often kept in stacked cages. We describe a novel experimental design and the results collected for the purpose of estimating transmission rates specific to the potential modes of AIV transmission within an LBM. Chickens of the strains and ages found in California LBMs were inoculated with low pathogenicity AIV H6N2.

Evaluation of atrial fibrillation induced during anesthesia with fentanyl and pentobarbital in German Shepherd Dogs with inherited arrhythmias.

Objective: To determine the type of atrial fibrillation induced by use of 2 pacing protocols during fentanyl and pentobarbital anesthesia before and after administration of atropine and to determine the organization of electrical activity in the left and right atria during atrial fibrillation in German Shepherd Dogs.

Animals: 7 German Shepherd Dogs.

Procedures: Extrastimulus and pacedown protocols were performed before and after atropine administration.

Lidocaine converts acute vagally associated atrial fibrillation to sinus rhythm in German Shepherd dogs with inherited arrhythmias.

Background: Lidocaine is most frequently used to treat ventricular arrhythmias. However, lidocaine may have an antiarrhythmic effect for certain supraventricular arrhythmias.

Hypothesis: We hypothesized that lidocaine would be effective in converting experimentally induced atrial fibrillation (AF) to sinus rhythm and that a decrease in the dominant frequency (DF) and an increase in the organization as judged by the spectral entropy (SE) would occur over the course of the conversion.

Prevalence and histopathologic characteristics of pancreatitis in cats.

Despite the high prevalence of feline pancreatic disease, no detailed description on the histopathologic nature of this disease is currently available in the literature. In this study we characterize the distribution and histopathologic changes commonly found in feline pancreases, correlate the lesions with age and gastrointestinal GI and extra-gastrointestinal disease, and compare the pancreatic lesions in cats with those in humans. The entire pancreas was removed and examined from 115 cats presented for necropsy irrespective of the cause of death.

Comparison of high (5%) and low (1%) concentrations of micellar microemulsion propofol formulations with a standard (1%) lipid emulsion in horses.

Objective: To compare anesthesia-related events associated with IV administration of 2 novel micellar microemulsion preparations (1% and 5%) and a commercially available formulation (1%) of propofol in horses. Animals-9 healthy horses.

Procedures: On 3 occasions, each horse was anesthetized with 1 of the 3 propofol formulations (1% or 5% microemulsion or 1% commercial preparation).

Measurement of skin desmosine as an indicator of altered cutaneous elastin in draft horses with chronic progressive lymphedema.

Background: Chronic progressive lymphedema in Clydesdale and Shire draft horses causes severe disability of the limbs which leads to premature death of these horses. Since appropriate function of lymph vessels is dependent on the presence of viable elastin fibers, the goal of this study was to document differences in skin elastin fibers in affected horse breeds, compared to a nonaffected draft horse breed.

Methods And Results: Biochemical analysis of cutaneous desmosine, a cross-linking amino acid found only in elastin, was used to measure elastin in the skin from 110 draft horses.

Use of age and milk production data to improve the ability of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay test results to predict Mycobacterium avium ssp. paratuberculosis fecal culture status.

Cows from 2 California dairies were tested for paratuberculosis at the end of lactation by using fecal culture and a commercially available serum enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test kit. Individual cow characteristics and production variables were evaluated along with ELISA testing results as predictors of fecal culture status. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, age and a herd-standardized version of 305-day mature equivalent (305 ME) milk production were significant predictors of fecal culture status after adjusting for herd, quarter of the study year, and ELISA sample-to-positive (S/P) ratio.