Dtw. Deutsche Tierärztliche Wochenschrift最新文献

A 13 year-old female Red Panda (Ailurus fulgens fulgens) kept in a zoological garden was euthanatized due to poor general condition. Pathological examination revealed a chronic bacterial ulcerative to necrotizing dermatitis and osteomyelitis at the lower jaw with subsequent pyogranulomatous pneumonia and diffuse hydropic degeneration of the liver. Additionally, in the kidney a papillary renal adenoma was found. Immunohistochemistry revealed an expression of cytokeratins 8 and/or 19 indicating an origin from the renal tubular epithelium.

Four hundred and twenty intestinal content samples (not including intestinal tissues) of freshwater fishes (60 silver carps, 100 carps, 100 crucian carps, 60 catfishes and 100 zaieuws) caught from one water reservoir were examined bacteriologically for the occurrence of C. perfringens. Isolates were examined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for genes encoding the four lethal toxins (alpha, beta, epsilon and iota) for classification into toxin types and for genes encoding enterotoxin and the novel beta2 toxin for further subclassification. C. perfringens could be isolated in 75 intestinal contents samples (17.9%) from freshwater fish including: 13 silver carps, 2 carps, 12 crucian carps, 40 zaieuws, and 8 catfishes. In 75 isolates, 58 strains (77.3%) were C. perfringens toxin type C (alpha and beta toxin positive), 13 strains (17.3%) were toxin type A (alpha toxin positive) and 4 strains (5.3%) were toxin type B (alpha, beta and epsilon toxin positive). In addition, the gene encoding for beta2 toxin was found in 47 strains (62.7%) of all the isolates, seven from type A, two from type B, and 38 from type C. The gene encoding for enterotoxin was not found in any isolate. These amplified toxin gene fragment were cloned and sequenced and compared with reference strains, the identity varied from 98.15% to 99.29%. This is the first report of C. perfringens alpha, beta, epsilon, beta2 toxins in freshwater fish and of beta, epsilon toxins in fish in general, and is the first discovery that the beta2 toxin could be detected in strains of type B. The origin of this bacterium and its importance to human food poisoning in freshwater fish is discussed.

The most prevalent method of application of drugs under veterinary prescription including antimicrobials is the oral administration. This paper describes the three possible and legal ways of applying veterinary drugs to animals: --as feed medication in a specialized feed mill which must be registered according to Section 13 of our national medicinal act; --as powder for oral application and medication with the feed on the premises of the farm; --dissolved in the drinking water for the relevant flock. Drinking water application is by far the most relevant method of applying antimicrobials to poultry flocks, if medication is needed. The most prevalent systems for drinking water application in poultry flocks are technically described: header tanks or dose pumps. As far as dose pumps are concerned both systems: proportional dose pumps as well as electronic dose pumps are in use. With poultry the use of antimicrobials is based on clinical judgement of the flock, laboratory diagnosis, including bacterial isolation and sensitivity testing (wherever possible), medical knowledge and experience of the involved veterinarian, economic considerations, epidemiological background and information at the flock level. Responsible use of antimicrobials is a major topic which discriminates German poultry meat producers (e.g. Wiesenhof) from third world meat producers. One reason for the uncritical use of Antimicrobials can be the so called "vet hopping" which is practised with some other meat delivering animals. This is ruled out by the guidelines of the major German Poultry Meat producers. These companies organise regular meetings with their caretaking vets to find out if there is still use of antimicrobials with some of their contractors as alternative to good Hygiene and Biosecurity. Some Poultry Integrations have additional restrictions on the use of some critical antimicrobials like Fluorquinolones and Tetracyclines.

Oral medication of animal stocks can be administered via oral ready-to-use veterinary medicinal products or by using medicated feedingstuffs. The regulations contained in the German Drug Act (Arzneimittelgesetz - AMG) and the ordinances derived from the AMG are applicable to both types of medicinal product. The legal requirements relating to the manufacture, authorisation, marketing, dispensing and proper use of these medicinal products in respect of oral medication are dealt with in detail. Pursuant to Section 13 AMG, companies that manufacture medicated feedingstuffs require a manufacturing licence. To take into account the special features of these medicinal products, specific stipulations have been laid down regarding the manufacture and dispensing of medicated feedingstuffs by these companies. The use of medicated feedingstuffs is for various reasons in steep decline, while oral ready-to-use medicinal products are, according to reports on practice in the relevant sector, increasingly being used to treat animal stocks as well. When dispensing veterinary medicinal products, the veterinarian must comply with the state of the art and make sure that the animal keeper is able to use the drugs properly. In order to react to doubts regarding compliance with these legal requirements, recommendations for use of oral medication should be developed which provide veterinarians with an aid to assist them in deciding which type of drugs are most suited for the respective case, and what is to be complied with in their use. The recommendations for use are intended to facilitate the correct application of oral medication in respect of both types of veterinary medicinal product.

The oral medication of sick animals is very common and a very preserve therapy. This method of therapy demands a high level of know-how for the veterinarians and also for meet-producers relating to food safety and bacterial resistance. In the new ordinance on veterinary medicine in 2004 many aspects of production and application of medicated feed are regulated in the legislation. This ordinance pretends to control all technical equipments used for production, transport and application of medicated feed by a qualified person (QP) on farms. Important criteria are defined in the ordinance on veterinary medicines.

Congenital brain malformations such as hydranencephaly as well as internal and external hydrocephalus combined with porencephaly were diagnosed in two calves which were born in spring 2008. In both calves bluetongue virus was detected by real-time PCR. Teratogenic pestiviruses were not found by serological, molecular or immunohistological methods. A causal relationship between the malformations and the bluetongue serotype 8 epidemic in 2007 has to be considered.

Recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) is a multifactorial and polygenic disease. Affected horses are typically 7 years of age or older and show exercise intolerance, increased breathing effort, coughing, airway neutrophilia, mucus accumulation and hyperreactivity as well as cholinergic bronchospasm. The environmental factors responsible are predominantly allergens and irritants in haydust, but the immunological mechanisms underlying RAO are still unclear. Several studies have demonstrated a familiar predisposition for RAO and it is now proven that the disease has a genetic basis. In offspring, the risk of developing RAO is 3-fold increased when one parent is affected and increases to almost 5-fold when both parents have RAO. Segregation analysis in two high-prevalence families demonstrated a high heritability and a complex inheritance with several major genes. A whole genomescan showed chromosome-wide significant linkage of seven chromosomal regions with RAO. Of the microsatellites, which were located near atopy candidate genes, those in a region of chromosome 13 harboring the IL4R gene were strongly associated with the RAO phenotype in the offspring of one RAO-affected stallion. Furthermore, IgE-levels are influenced by hereditary factors in the horse, and we have evidence that RAO-affected offspring of the same stallion have increased levels of specific IgE against moldspore allergens. The identification of genetic markers and ultimately of the responsible genes will not only allow for an improved prophylaxis, i.e. early identification of susceptible individuals and avoidance of high-risk matings, but also improve our ability to find new therapeutic targets and to optimize existing treatments.

Here we present the work of the multidisciplinary consortium IRAS (Development of Genetic Markers for Immune Defence and Resistance in the Porcine Respiratory Tract) which includes different commercial and research institutions and was formed as a response to the call "Functional Genome Analysis in the Animal Organism (FUGATO)" by the German Ministry of Education and Research. IRAS started work in the fall of 2005 and--using the experimental infection of pigs with Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae as model pathogen--aims at i) characterizing the course of infection by clinical as well as advanced laboratory tools (phenotypic-genetic approach) and ii) defining the diversity and distribution of allels known to be associated with immune defence in mouse and man (homolog-genetic approach). The intention is to identify genetic markers for increased resistance to infection thereby providing additional tools for the estimation of breeding values to the pig industry.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the fourth leading cause of death worldwide and an accelerating decline of lung function is the earliest and a major indicator of the onset of COPD. Therefore it has become necessary to understand the genetic basis of this complex physiological trait in order to determine the potential susceptibility factors of this disease. REINHARD et al (2005) performed the genome wide linkage analysis study with inbred mice having extremely divergent lung function (C3H/HeJ versus JF1/Msf) and identified multiple Quantitative Trait Loci (QTLs) on mouse chromosomes (mCh) 5, 15, 17, and 19 with Logarithm of odd (LOD) scores > or = 4. Significant linkages to total lung capacity (TLC) were detected on mCh 15 and 17, to dead space volume (VD) and lung compliance (C(L)) on mCh 5 and 15, to C(L) on mCh 19, and to diffusing capacity for CO (D(co)) on mCh 15 and 17. Several of the mouse chromosomal regions identified were syntenic to human chromosomal regions identified with linkage to FEV1 (forced expiratory volume-1 second), FVC (forced vital capacity), or FEV1/FVC in separate studies. Using a systematic approach of expression QTL (e-QTL) strategy and exon-wise sequencing of suggested candidate genes followed by predicted protein structure and property, GANGULY et al (2007) recently proposed four candidate genes for lung function in mice. They are superoxide dismutase 3, extracellular [SOD3; mCh 5: V(D)], trefoil factor 2 (TFF2; mCh 17: TLC and D(co)), ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase 2 (ENPP2; mCh 15:TLC and C(L)), and relaxin 1 (RLN1; mCh 19; CL and CL/TLC). As a part of functional validation, gene-targeted Sod3-/- mice were detected with increased conducting airway volume (V(D)/TLC) compared with strain-matched control Sod3+/+ mice, consistent with the QTL on mCh 5. Findings with gene-targeted mice suggested that SOD3 is a contributing factor defining the complex trait of conducting airway volume. The human variation in these genes needs further study both in lung development and in the development of lung disease as a part of translational approach.