Ovarian and uterine changes during the oestrous cycle in female dogs.

Context: An accurate staging of sexual cycle is essential for the optimum timing of medical interventions.

Aims: Here, an updated insight into clinical, endocrinological and vagino-cytological parameters, and their correlation with histomorphology of ovarian and uterine tissue samples is presented.

Methods: Samples from 39 dogs were collected at various stages of the oestrous cycle: pro-oestrus (n =8), oestrus (n =12), dioestrus (n =9) (luteal phase) and anoestrus (n =10), according to clinical observations.

Somatic cell count in bovine quarter milk samples culture positive for various Staphylococcus species.

Background: Non-aureus staphylococci (NAS) are the most prevalent group of bacteria isolated in bovine mastitis milk in Finland and many other countries. They usually cause subclinical or mild clinical mastitis. The increase in milk somatic cell count (SCC) during NAS intramammary infection varies from slight to marked, reflecting the severity of infection in the quarter.

Determination of the intramammary dose of benzylpenicillin required to maintain an adequate concentration in the milk to inhibit Gram-positive bacteria in the clinically normal udder for 24 hr.

The aim of this study was to determine the intramammary dose of benzylpenicillin required to maintain a concentration in the milk above the MIC for the Gram-positive bacteria that cause mastitis. The product used in this study was a commercially available procaine benzylpenicillin in an oily suspension with micronized particles. Three dose levels were used: 200,000, 300,000, and 600,000 IU.

Seroprevalence of canine herpesvirus-1 and Brucella canis in Finnish breeding kennels with and without reproductive problems.

We compared the serological status of Brucella canis and canine herpesvirus-1 (CHV-1) in Finnish breeding kennels with and without reproductive problems. Dogs from kennels with reproductive problems had significantly higher CHV-1 titres than dogs from kennels having no reproductive problems (p < 0.001).

Simultaneous real-time PCR detection of Bacillus anthracis, Francisella tularensis and Yersinia pestis.

This report describes the development of in-house real-time PCR assays using minor groove binding probes for simultaneous detection of the Bacillus anthracis pag and cap genes, the Francisella tularensis 23 KDa gene, as well as the Yersinia pestis pla gene. The sensitivities of these assays were at least 1 fg, except for the assay targeting the Bacillus anthracis cap gene, which showed a sensitivity of 10 fg when total DNA was used as a template in a serial dilution. The clinical value of the Bacillus anthracis- and Francisella tularensis-specific assays was demonstrated by successful amplification of DNA from cases of cow anthrax and hare tularemia, respectively.

A study of bovine mastitis, milking procedures and management practices on 25 Estonian dairy herds.

Background: Mastitis prevalence, milking procedures and management practices were investigated in 25 big dairy herds supplying milk to an Estonian dairy company. The aim of the study was to provide information for the company to be used in their new udder health improvement program to be set up after the completion of this study.

Methods: Quarter milk samples were collected from 3,166 cows for bacterial analysis and SCC (somatic cell counting).

The effect of antimicrobial growth promoter withdrawal on the health of weaned pigs in Finland.

The use of the antimicrobial growth promoters (AGPs) carbadox and olaquindox has been banned in the European Union (EU) since September 1999. We studied the effects of the withdrawal on the health of weaned piglets on two types of piglet-producing farms (farrowing herds and farrow-to-finish herds) from the different regions of Finland. Farms with no major problems with post-weaning diarrhoea were selected for the study to better evaluate the effect of AGPs alone.

Bovine mastitis in Finland 2001--prevalence, distribution of bacteria, and antimicrobial resistance.

A nationwide survey was conducted in Finland to estimate prevalence of bovine mastitis, distribution of mastitis pathogens, and in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility of different mastitis pathogens. In total, 12,661 quarter milk samples were collected from 3282 dairy cows at 216 farms. These were randomly selected from a database covering all Finnish dairy farms.

Diversity and stability of the Staphylococcus intermedius flora in three bitches and their puppies.

The study investigated the transfer and the stability of the S. intermedius flora in three bitches and their puppies. A total of 240 cutaneous and mucosal isolates of S.

An adenovirus associated with intestinal impaction and mortality of male common eiders (Somateria mollissima) in the Baltic Sea.

We examined 10 common eider (Somateria mollissima) males found dead in 1998 during a die-off in the northern Baltic Sea off the southwestern coast of Finland. We diagnosed impaction of the posterior small intestine with mucosal necrosis as the cause of death in all 10 and isolated adenoviruses from cloacal samples of six birds. The adenovirus isolates were not neutralized by reference antisera to group I, II, or III avian adenoviruses.

Bovine mastitis in Finland in 1988 and 1995--changes in prevalence and antimicrobial resistance.

Two surveys were carried out (during 1988 and 1995) to estimate the prevalence of bovine mastitis in Finland. In 1988, 17,111 quarter milk samples were obtained from 4495 cows, and in 1995 the corresponding figures were 10,410 and 2648. Antimicrobial susceptibility of mastitis pathogens was studied.

Persistence in bovine mastitis of Staphylococcus aureus clones as assessed by random amplified polymorphic DNA analysis, ribotyping and biotyping.

Staphylococcus aureus isolates (N = 40) from bovine mastitis were characterized by random amplified polymorphic DNA-PCR (RAPD-PCR), ribotyping and biotyping. The isolates were collected in the veterinary surveillance area of the Ambulatory Clinic, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki from 20 quarters during the acute phase of infection and from the same quarters 3 weeks after cessation of therapy. The aim of the study was to compare the S.

Resazurin reduction as a function of respiratory burst in bovine neutrophils.

Objective: To determine whether the respiratory burst of neutrophils from bovine blood and milk can be analyzed by use of a fluorometric resazurin reduction assay.

Sample Population: Neutrophils were obtained from EDTA-anticoagulated blood of 7 dairy cows. Neutrophils also were isolated from milk samples of a cow intramammarily challenge exposed with Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide.

Binding of Staphylococcus aureus to milk fat globules increases resistance to penicillin-G.

The susceptibility to penicillin-G of Staphylococcus aureus strains that cause mastitis was tested in milk and in Iso-sensitest broth (ISB): The minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of beta-lactamase-positive strains in milk were 10-100-fold those in ISB, whereas the MIC of beta-lactamase-negative strains in milk were some 10-fold those in ISB; beta-lactamase production was induced by milk in beta-lactamase-positive strains. Much of the increase in resistance to penicillin-G caused by milk can be attributed to milk fat globules; the increase in resistance was related to the binding capacity of the bacteria to milk fat globules as well as to capsule formation by the bacteria. It appears that the binding of the staphylococci to the fat globules and bacterial capsule formation resulted in a biofilm type of growth.

A study of phage- and ribotype patterns of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from bovine mastitis in the Nordic countries.

This study was conducted to investigate the geographical distribution of phage and ribotypes of Staphylococcus aureus causing bovine mastitis in the 5 Nordic countries. A total of 403 isolates of S. aureus was isolated from 403 different dairy herds.

Comparisons of selenite and selenium yeast feed supplements on Se-incorporation, mastitis and leucocyte function in Se-deficient dairy cows.

The dairy cows at the Estonian Agricultural University appeared to have an extremely low selenium status. The selenium level was 5.6 micrograms/l in whole blood and 3.

Characterization of clinical mastitis in primiparous heifers.

Using data from health records for cows in Finland from between 1983 and 1991, we investigated the general trend for frequency of mastitis in heifers, seasonal variation, breed differences, and etiology of the disease. The performance of the heifers was monitored during first lactation. Treatment of heifer mastitis, defined as mastitis treatment 1 wk before and 1 wk after calving, increased from 1.

Staphylococci in heifer mastitis before and after parturition.

Aseptic udder quarter secretion samples (n = 1112) from 200 mastitic and 65 non-mastitic control heifers from 160 different farms were collected for bacteriological examination and in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) were the most frequently isolated bacteria (57.8%).

Bovine clinical mastitis due to coagulase-negative staphylococci and their susceptibility to antimicrobials.

A total of 168 coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) strains were isolated from milk samples taken from cows with clinical mastitis. The samples were collected between January 1990 and August 1992 from cows in the veterinary surveillance area of the Ambulatory Clinic, College of Veterinary Medicine, Hautjärvi, Finland. In 100 cases the effect of antibiotic treatment was evaluated 3-4 weeks after initial sampling.

Antibacterial susceptibility of bovine-mastitis pathogens tested directly in milk from infected quarters.

Antibacterial susceptibilities of bovine-mastitis pathogens were analysed directly in 57 mastitic milk samples without inoculation with exogenous organisms. Aseptically collected milk was mixed with serial dilutions of antibacterials and the growth was observed using 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) reduction the following day. The results were compared with those obtained by using calibrated bacterial inocula in turbidimetric minimum-inhibitory-concentration (MIC) determination in broth cultures, and in TTC-broth culture-test and TTC-normal milk-test.

Effect of abrasion of teat orifice epithelium on development of bovine staphylococcal mastitis.

The predisposing effect of teat damage on mastitis caused by staphylococci and the pathogenicity of Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus hyicus, and Staphylococcus epidermidis were investigated with an experimental model. The study included three experiments in which the teat canal orifice of 5 cows was slightly abraded. Experimental and control quarters were challenged with a staphylococcal suspension, and the status of the quarters was monitored.

Association af changes in the bacterial ecology of bovine mastitis with changes in the use of milking machines and antibacterial drugs.

The results of mastitis bacteriology made by the National Veterinary and Food Research Institute in Finland during the past 50 years (1.15 million samples) are viewed in relation to simultaneous changes in dairy cow management. Although intensive preventive measures have been applied for decades, the prevalence of bovine mastitis has not decreased.

Effect of treatment on the jejunal and colonic bacterial flora of dogs with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency.

The bacterial flora from the jejunum and colon of 19 dogs with naturally occurring exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) was examined. In six dogs with EPI that did not receive any treatment the bacterial count in the small intestine was > 10(6) colony-forming units (CFU)/g. This was consistent with bacterial overgrowth (BOG) (control dogs: < 10(5) CFU/g).

Comparison of penicillin-G susceptibility testing methods of staphylococci isolated from bovine mastitis.

Penicillin-G susceptibility was analyzed on forty staphylococcal strains isolated from mastitic bovine quarters (29 coagulase positive and 11 coagulase negative) by the standard Kirby-Bauer agar diffusion method, the epsilon-Test, the Vetmic, turbidimetric MIC analysis in Iso-Sensitest Broth (ISB) and whey. Penicillinase production was tested. Parallel susceptibility tests were carried out in whole milk, whey and ISB using resazurin and triphenyltetrazolium as the indicators of bacterial activity.

Relevance of sensitivity testings (MIC) of S. aureus to predict the antibacterial action in milk.

Bacterial susceptibility testings were carried out in parallel Iso-sensitest broth (ISB) and bovine milk cultures using 16 antibacterials and 4 sensitive strains of mastitic isolates of Staphylococcus aureus. Bacterial activities were analyzed by continuous turbidity monitoring (broth cultures), continuous fluorometric monitoring of the resazurin-reducing redox activity, and by analyzing the triphenyltetrazolium (TTC)-reducing capacity at the end of the incubation period. To obtain an equipotent bacteria-suppressing activity, milk cultures required in general several times more antibiotic than the respective ISB cultures.