Journal of Veterinary Medical Science最新文献

The size of the aortic root (ARS) is of clinical relevance particularly in cats with suspected systemic hypertension and in the echocardiographic diagnosis of left atrial (LA) enlargement using the LA dimension to aortic annulus ratio. There are no prospective data on ARS in healthy cats. The study objective was to determine reference values and 95% prediction intervals for two-dimensional (2D) echocardiographic variables of ARS in cats. We hypothesized that ARS in healthy cats is primarily dependent on body weight (BW) and age. Study type was retrospective, cross-sectional, observational, and clinical cohort. Two hundred and twenty apparently healthy client-owned adult cats were enrolled and 2D echocardiograms analyzed. Systolic and diastolic dimensions of the aortic valve, the sinus of Valsalva, the sinotubular junction, the ascending aorta, and sinus height were evaluated. Reference values and 95% prediction intervals were determined using raw data and values after allometric transformation (Y=a x M^b). The effect of BW, sex, breed, and age was determined. Proportionality constants (α) and allometric scaling exponents (b) were computed for all variables and reference values and 95% prediction intervals for the study sample determined. BW and age, but not sex and breed, were independent predictors of ARS. Cats >12 years old had significantly (adjusted P<0.05) larger ARS compared to cats 1-2, >2-6, and >6-12 years old. The effects of BW and age must be considered for decision-making when using echocardiographic ARS variables in clinical practice.

Coxiella-like endosymbionts (CLEs) are obligate nutritional mutualists of ticks that are thought to supplement B vitamins and other essential metabolites that are deficient in the tick's blood meal. Extensive colonization of CLEs has been observed in the ovaries and Malpighian tubules of several tick species, including Haemaphysalis longicornis. Despite experimental evidence linking symbionts to host fitness, their roles in blood feeding remain poorly understood. Here, we conducted a comparative transcriptomic analysis of CLE genes in adult female H. longicornis ticks before and two days after feeding. CLE genes were identified by mapping RNA-seq data onto the putative CLE genomes derived from the draft genome assembly of H. longicornis. Our analysis explored the potential function of CLEs during the early stage of blood feeding. The results revealed abundant expression of genes involved in B vitamin biosynthesis and enrichment of Gene Ontology terms associated with biotin and ubiquinone biosynthesis. Although most expressed CLE genes were shared between the two organs, gene expression patterns in response to blood feeding differed between the Malpighian tubules and ovaries. These findings suggest that CLEs in the Malpighian tubules and ovaries exhibit distinct functions during the early stage of blood feeding. Overall, this study provides a fundamental basis for identifying potential targets in anti-tick control strategies and enhances our understanding of how blood feeding impacts tick physiology.

Male Sulawesi babirusas (Babyrousa celebensis) are known for their distinctive backward-curving canine tusks. Previous research on the anomalies of canines in male babirusa skulls has demonstrated a high prevalence of growth abnormalities due to failure in the rotation of the alveolar process and the curvature of the canines, while the numerical abnormalities were found to be rare. This study focused on supernumerary maxillary canines as observed in a wild-caught babirusa in an ex situ conservation program. This report represents the first publication of photographic evidence of a living babirusa with three right maxillary canines, one left maxillary canine growing toward the right side of the snout, and two overgrown mandibular canines threatening to erode the forehead.

Canine obesity-related metabolic disorder (ORMD) is a condition derived from human metabolic syndrome. Although there are several indicators shared between both species, such as obesity, hypertension, hyperglycemia, hypertriglyceridemia and hypercholesterolemia, the repercussions of canine ORMD are not clearly established. This study aimed to evaluate the suitability of canine ORMD indicators and their association with other paraclinical parameters. Obese dogs (body condition score 7-9, n=39) were included in this study and classified according to the literature in ORMD-positive or negative. Subsequently, they were evaluated for blood pressure, hematological, biochemical, hormonal and urine analysis. Discriminant capacity and cut-off values were determined for systolic blood pressure, glycemia, serum triglycerides and cholesterol. All ORMD-positive dogs showed hyperinsulinemia and hyperglycemia, with a homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance mean value above the reference interval, which could reflect a certain insulin resistance status. Total cholesterol did not differ between groups, but serum triglycerides, as well as systolic blood pressure, tended to be higher in ORMD-positive dogs. Leukocyte count, lymphocyte count, total proteins and globulins were higher in ORMD-positive dogs, which could suggest an immune-inflammatory disorder in this group of patients. In conclusion, ORMD positive dogs developed insulin resistance and alterations in their hematological and protein profile towards a pro-inflammatory state. Total cholesterol concentration should be revised as a marker for ORMD.

In Japan, sustainable national antimicrobial resistance (AMR) monitoring has been established in both human and veterinary fields. However, AMR monitoring in the environment, including wildlife, remains limited. This study aimed to assess the possibility of sustainable monitoring using wild deer transported to slaughterhouses and wild foxes surveyed for Echinococcus multilocularis. Escherichia coli, a common AMR indicator bacterium, was isolated from rectal swabs of deer and foxes using Chromagar ECC, with and without antimicrobials (cefotaxime (CTX) or nalidixic acid (NA). Antimicrobial susceptibility was determined, and β-lactamase genes were detected using polymerase chain reaction. Plasmids carrying β-lactamase genes were analyzed by whole-genome sequencing. A total of 104 E. coli strains were isolated from (103/120, 85.8%) deer and 61 strains from (56/99, 56.6%) foxes using medium without antimicrobials. Using a medium containing CTX and NA, two and three strains were isolated, respectively, exclusively from foxes. All deer strains were susceptible to the tested antimicrobials. However, 0-11.5% of fox strains from medium without antimicrobials (n=61) demonstrated resistance. Three strains from foxes had β-lactamase genes in plasmid. Finally, this study demonstrates the feasibility of sustainable AMR monitoring using wild deer transported to a slaughterhouse and wild foxes surveyed for E. multilocularis.

A two-year-old female leopard gecko presented with a mass in the oral cavity with apparent exophthalmos. Despite medical management, the animal died. Grossly, the firm and tan to white mass extended from the oropharyngeal region to the external surface overlying the cornea of the left eye. Histologically, the mass was a poorly-demarcated, densely cellular, invasive neoplasm. The neoplasm was composed of solid sheets and interlacing bundles of round, polygonal, and short spindle-shaped cells. Immunohistochemically, the neoplastic cells were positive for Iba-1 and CD204. These findings were consistent with a localized histiocytic sarcoma. This is the first documentation of the gross, histopathological, and immunohistochemical features of localized histiocytic sarcoma in a leopard gecko.

A 6-year-old intact male French Bulldog presented with a 5-day history of vomiting. Radiographs revealed a round soft tissue mass in the right caudal thoracic cavity with tubular structures suggestive of small intestinal herniation through the diaphragm. Ultrasonography confirmed herniation of fluid-filled small intestinal loops and hepatic lobes positioned cranial to the diaphragm. Computed tomography (CT) revealed herniation of the involved organs through a dilated caval foramen and secondary caudal vena cava compression, consistent with Budd-Chiari-like syndrome resulting from venous outflow obstruction. Laparotomy confirmed strangulation of herniated organs, necessitating partial hepatectomy and segmental enterectomy. This case highlights the potential for small intestinal involvement in caval foramen hernia and underscores the diagnostic value of CT in assessing associated vascular compromise.

In Japan, avian nephritis virus (ANV) isolates associated with the 1989 outbreak of baby chick nephropathy (BCN) were previously reported as pathologically and serologically distinct from known ANV strains. However, genetic analysis conducted in this study revealed that these viruses were actually chicken astrovirus (CAstV), first described in 2004, and genetically distinct from ANV. Phylogenetic analysis based on the open reading frame 2 (ORF2) gene, which encodes the viral capsid protein, classified this virus within the subgroup Bi, along with isolates from Saga Prefecture in 2020 which were the only CAstV reported in Japan to date. These findings suggest that CAstV was already present in Japan in the 1980s, predating its first global report in 2004 and its first domestic report.

A female Holstein calf presented with clinical respiratory signs induced by a laryngeal mass, with an antemortem diagnosis of coronary artery fistula based on echocardiography and computed tomography. After surgical treatment, pathological examination of the mass revealed positive staining for Glut1 consistent with infantile hemangioma in humans. This was a rare case of an infantile hemangioma developing concurrently with a coronary artery fistula. To comprehensively investigate the genetic mutations involved in this concurrent occurrence, whole-genome DNA sequencing using next-generation sequencers was performed. Genetic analysis identified mutations in the VEGFA, NOTCH2, IHH, and PDGFβ genes, which might have contributed to the concurrent occurrence of infantile hemangioma and coronary artery fistula in this case.

Escherichia albertii and Escherichia fergusonii have recently been recognized as emerging pathogens in humans and animals. E. albertii is a causative agent of foodborne infections in humans, but many aspects of its transmission routes and its prevalence in farm animals remain unclear. E. fergusonii has been isolated mainly from extraintestinal infections in humans and various animal species, but no large-scale surveys of its prevalence in farm animals have been reported. In this study, we isolated E. albertii and E. fergusonii from 3,975 fecal samples collected from farm animals throughout Japan. The prevalence of E. albertii was 3.1% (57/1,838) in swine, 2.2% (12/548) in poultry, and 0.4% (7/1,589) in cattle, while that of E. fergusonii was 37.4% (688/1,838) in swine, 46.2% (253/548) in poultry, and 17.1% (272/1,589) in cattle. We also isolated E. coli from fecal samples from which E. albertii or E. fergusonii was isolated and compared the antimicrobial resistance profiles of the E. albertii/E. fergusonii strains with those of the E. coli strains that were presumed to have experienced the same antimicrobial selection pressure in the farm animals. The antimicrobial resistance profiles of the E. fergusonii and E. coli strains isolated from the same swine fecal samples were similar, but those of the E. albertii and E. coli strains differed significantly (the former strains were highly susceptible). This suggests that E. albertii has not coexisted with E. coli for as long as E. fergusonii.