The optimisation of Salmonella surveillance programmes for pullet and layer farms using local farm density as a risk factor.

Human salmonellosis cases are often caused by Salmonella serovars Enteritidis and Typhimurium and associated with the consumption of eggs and egg products. Many countries therefore implemented general surveillance programmes on pullet and layer farms. The identification of risk factors for Salmonella infection may be used to improve the performance of these surveillance programmes.

Leishmania infection in cats and dogs housed together in an animal shelter reveals a higher parasite load in infected dogs despite a greater seroprevalence among cats.

Background: An outbreak of leishmaniosis was studied in cats and dogs housed together with no separation in an animal shelter in Israel.

Methods: The study included recording of clinical signs, serology for Leishmania infection by ELISA, PCR of blood for Leishmania DNA by ITS1 HRM and kDNA PCR, parasite quantification, and trapping of sand flies around the shelter.

Results: Thirty-seven % (22/60) of the dogs and 75% (50/67) of the cats were seropositive to L.

Whole Blood Cholinesterase Activity in 20 Species of Wild Birds.

Clinical signs of organophosphate and carbamate intoxication in wild birds can be mistaken for those of other diseases, thus potentially delaying diagnosis and implementation of life-saving treatment. The objective of this study was to determine the reference interval for blood cholinesterase activity in 20 different wild avian species from 7 different orders, thereby compiling a reference database for wildlife veterinarians. Blood was collected from birds not suspected of having organophosphate or carbamate toxicosis, and the modified Michel method, which determines the change in blood pH that directly correlates with cholinesterase activity, was used to measure blood cholinesterase levels.

Acute maduramicin toxicosis in pregnant gilts.

Ionophores are used as feed additives for the control of coccidiosis and growth promotion in farm animals. Reports of maduramicin toxicosis in farm animals are scarce. The present work describes an acute maduramicin toxicosis affecting 22 pregnant gilts, 2 pregnant sows and 2 boars, resulting in a total mortality of 65% within 2days.

Correction: Evidence for the Circulation of Equine Encephalosis Virus in Israel since 2001.

[This corrects the article on p. e70532 in vol. 8.

Evidence for the circulation of equine encephalosis virus in Israel since 2001.

Equine encephalosis virus (EEV) distribution was thought to be limited to southern Africa until 2008 when we reported EEV in Israel. It was then assumed that the clinical presentation resembled the initial incursion in Israel. To investigate further we conducted a retrospective analysis of equine sera, which had been collected for diagnosis of other suspected diseases, via serum neutralisation test.

Isolation and identification of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus subtype H5N1 from emus from the Ein Gedi oasis by the Dead Sea.

An avian influenza virus (AIV), A/Emu/Israel/552/2010/(H5N1), was isolated from a dead emu that was found in the Ein Gedi oasis near the Dead Sea. The virus molecular characterization was performed by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and real-time RT-PCR using AIV subtype-specific primers. The virus was of high pathogenicity, according to its intravenous pathogenicity index of 2.

Genetic characterization of H5N1 influenza virus that caused new outbreak in Israel at the beginning of 2008.

Our aim was to characterize the A/ck/Israeli/1055/2008 (H5N1) avian influenza virus that was isolated at the beginning of 2008, and to establish the phylogenetic relationship of this isolate to other H5N1 viruses that were recently isolated in adjacent countries. In light of a study of complete nucleotide sequences of all the genes we found that the isolate (year 2008) was closely related to the H5N1 viruses isolated in Egypt, Israel and Gaza in 2006. The Israeli isolate had the hemagglutinin-connecting peptide with a polybasic amino acid insertion.