CASE HISTORY AND CLINICAL FINDINGS: During April and May 2014 four horses aged between 5 months and 9 years, located in the Canterbury, Marlborough and Southland regions, presented with a variety of clinical signs including recumbency, stiffness, lethargy, dehydration, depression, and myoglobinuria suggestive of acute muscle damage. Two horses were subjected to euthanasia and two recovered. In all cases seeds of sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus) or box elder (A. negundo) were present in the area where the horse had been grazing.
LABORATORY INVESTIGATION: The samaras (seeds) of some Acer spp. may contain hypoglycin A, that has been associated with cases of atypical myopathy in Europe and North America. To determine if hypoglycin A is present in the samaras of Acer spp. in New Zealand, samples were collected from trees throughout the country that were associated with historical and/or current cases of atypical myopathy, and analysed for hypoglycin A. Serum samples from the four cases and four unaffected horses were analysed for the presence of hypoglycin A, profiles of acylcarnitines (the definitive diagnosis for atypical myopathy) and activities of creatine kinase and aspartate aminotransferase.Markedly elevated serum activities of creatine kinase and aspartate aminotransferase, and increased concentrations of selected acylcarnitines were found in the case horses. Hypoglycin A was detected in the serum of those horses but not in the healthy controls. Hypoglycin A was detected in 10/15 samples of samaras from sycamore maple and box elder from throughout New Zealand.
DIAGNOSIS: Cases of atypical myopathy were diagnosed on properties where samaras containing hypoglycin A were also found.
CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Sycamore and box elder trees in New Zealand are a source of hypoglycin A associated with the development of atypical myopathy. If pastured horses present with clinical and biochemical signs of severe muscle damage then the environment should be checked for the presence of these trees. Horses should be prevented from grazing samaras from Acer spp. in the autumn. 相似文献
AIM: To determine the period prevalence of needlestick injury (NSI) at the Massey University Veterinary Teaching Hospital (VTH) and to identify handling and disposal practices that may contribute to the risk of NSI.
METHODS: Observations of personnel were conducted in the equine (EVH) and companion animal (CAH) clinics of the VTH during scheduled clinical activities over 9- and 10-day periods, respectively. The number and type of NSI incidents, needle uncapping, capping and disposal events were recorded for veterinarians, nurses and other personnel (visitors and students). The number of needle-related practices, as a proportion of observations, were compared between CAH and EVH, and veterinarians, nurses and others using χ2 tests.
RESULTS: Needlestick injury was not observed during 190 and 163 needle handling and disposal observations in the CAH and EVH, respectively. Uncapping of needles by mouth was observed and was practised more by veterinarians (15/119; 13%) than nurses (2/42; 5%) and others (6/193; 3%) (p=0.001). Two-handed needle recapping after use was observed 265/354 times, and the one handed scooping technique was rarely observed (8/352). In the case of needle disposal, EVH workers used a container that was not purpose built for disposal more than CAH staff (p=0.02), or placed them in a pocket more frequently (p=0.003). Needle disposal containers were available on adjacent bench tops for 65/190 (34%) CAH observations, but no EVH observations. For 51/163 (31%) EVH observations the needle disposal containers were located on the ground, whereas none were observed there in the CAH. No approved sharps containers were observed in the immediate EVH and CAH work areas for 47/163 (28.8%) and 1/191 (0.5%) needle-handling activities, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS: Unsafe needle-handling practices must be reduced by policies and training programmes to encourage safe needle-related practices, and ensuring that approved sharps containers are available in close proximity to where needles are used. 相似文献
Action thresholds as decision tools for insecticide application were developed and tested against the major insect pests of rice at four sites in the Philippines over a 13-year period. Action threshold treatments were compared to the farmers' practice, prophylactic insecticide usage, and an untreated check. Yield loss data using the insecticide check method partitioned yield losses over three crop growth stages in the same test fields. Chronic pests that exceeded action thresholds in 79% of fields were whorl maggot Hydrellia philippina Ferino (Diptera: Ephydridae), defoliators Naranga aenescens Moore and Rivula atimeta (Swinhoe) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), leaffolders Cnaphalocrocis medinalis (Guenée) and Marasmia patnalis Bradley (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), and stemborers Scirpophaga incertulas (Walker) and S. innotata (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). Minor chronic pests reached threshold levels in only one site each: rice bug Leptocorisa oratorius (F.) (Koronadal), whitebacked planthopper Sogatella furcifera (Horvath) (Zaragoza) and green leafhopper Nephotettix virescens (Distant) (Guimba); brown planthopper Nilaparvata lugens (Stål) did not exceed a threshold in any field. Stemborers were the most important pest group in terms of yield loss. Despite the insecticide check method underestimating losses, a mean crop loss of 0.62 t/ha was measured which showed ample scope for corrective action. But loss was evenly distributed across crop growth stages (0.15?–?0.24 t/ha) reducing the impact of insecticides. Action threshold treatments overall outyielded the untreated check, more so in the two sites with highest pest density. The benefit of thresholds was to reduce insecticide usage, as a cost saving. However all the practices showed poor economic returns including the farmers' practice. Farmers' practice employed low insecticide dosages and timing was not consistent with pest damage, but yields were often similar to threshold treatments. Farmers appear to use insecticide more for risk aversion than for profit. The best threshold characters when evaluated against resulting pest density and yield loss criteria showed accuracies >?90% correct decisions. Future work is needed to improve the insecticide response rather than monitoring tools. Thresholds need to be incorporated into improved crop management, which was often found suboptimal by farmers, to take advantage of the high levels of tolerance in modern high tillering cultivars. Crop husbandry practices which improve yield potential such as selection of longer maturing varieties and nitrogen fertilizer may be a more effective pest management strategy than insecticides. 相似文献
The aims of this study were (i) to describe the changes in the volume of large ovarian follicles (diameter >3 cm) during the 48 h egg laying cycle in farmed ostriches, and (ii) to quantify factors affecting the volume of the largest measured follicle and the plasma concentrations of progesterone (P4) and estradiol‐17β (E2β). In eight egg‐producing birds, which all ovulated during the study period, transcutaneous ultrasound scanning and blood sampling was performed at 3 h intervals. The average volume of the total number of visualized large follicles (Vtotal), the largest measured follicle (VF1), the second largest follicle (VF2) and of all follicles smaller than F2 (VF3–Fn) were each higher before than after oviposition. Vtotal, VF2 and VF3–Fn nearly doubled in the 24‐h period before oviposition, while VF1 remained at an equal, rather high level until oviposition. Immediately after oviposition Vtotal, as well as the volume of the other follicle categories, decreased within 6 h, i.e. around the moment of ovulation. By performing statistical analysis on the basis of linear mixed‐effects modelling, we quantified that: (i) VF1 was 13.2% higher before than after oviposition and increased with 6.5% when LH increased with 1 ng/ml; (ii) P4 levels were 93.2% higher before than after oviposition and increased with 43.1% for every 3 h closer to oviposition; when LH and E2β levels and VF1 increased with 1 ng/ml, 10 pg/ml and 10 ml, respectively, P4 increased with 116.6%, 50% and 6.1%; and (iii) E2β levels were 35.6% higher before than after oviposition, increased with 2.7% for every 3 h closer to oviposition and increased with 14.6% when LH increased with 1 ng/ml. It is concluded that during the egg‐laying cycle in ostriches: (i) follicular mass, as estimated by the volume of visualized follicles larger than 3 cm, increases before and decreases after ovulation, and (ii) follicular dynamics and its accompanying endocrine plasma hormone profiles during the egg‐laying cycle in ostriches follow a pattern similar to that in chickens. 相似文献
While, for a long time, the role of mitochondria in sperm physiology and pathology has been largely ignored, recent research points out the mitochondria as a major organelle with key roles in sperm function both under physiological and biotechnological conditions. This paper briefly reviews these novel findings regarding the role of mitochondria in sperm, paying special attention to the most practical, readily applicable, aspects of the topic such as their role as a major source of the sublethal damage that sperm experiments after cryopreservation. 相似文献
Polioencephalomalacia was diagnosed histologically in cattle from two herds on the Darling Downs, Queensland, during July–August 2007. In the first incident, 8 of 20 18-month-old Aberdeen Angus steers died while grazing pastures comprising 60% Sisymbrium irio (London rocket) and 40% Capsella bursapastoris (shepherd's purse). In the second incident, 2 of 150 mixed-breed adult cattle died, and another was successfully treated with thiamine, while grazing a pasture comprising almost 100% Raphanus raphanistrum (wild radish). Affected cattle were either found dead or comatose or were seen apparently blind and head-pressing in some cases. For both incidents, plant and water assays were used to calculate the total dietary sulfur content in dry matter as 0.62% and 1.01% respectively, both exceeding the recommended 0.5% for cattle eating more than 40% forage. Blood and tissue assays for lead were negative in both cases. No access to thiaminase, concentrated sodium ion or extrinsic hydrogen sulfide sources were identified in either incident. Below-median late summer and autumn rainfall followed by above-median unseasonal winter rainfall promoted weed growth at the expense of wholesome pasture species before these incidents. 相似文献
Objective To determine the frequency of the mutant pyruvate kinase (PK) allele, haematological parameters and AB blood types of Abyssinian and Somali cats in Australia. Design Complete blood cell and reticulocyte counts, DNA PK mutation testing and blood typing were performed in all cats. Results A total of 60 cats (36 Abyssinians, 24 Somalis) were included (37 females, 23 males). For the mutant PK allele, three female Somalis were homozygous (affected, 5%), 17 cats were heterozygous (carrier, 28%) and 40 cats tested negative (normal, 67%). Pedigree analysis revealed common ancestry of affected and many carrier cats. Of affected cats, two had regenerative anaemias and all had reticulocytosis (range 64–390 × 109/L; P < 0.001 compared with normal or carrier cats). The only consistent historical sign was lethargy. One affected cat was euthanased 18 months after testing, because of anaemia, neutropenia, anorexia and weight loss. The mutant allele frequency was 0.19 overall (0.29 in Somalis, 0.13 in Abyssinians). All cats had blood type A. The commercial blood typing card method incorrectly identified 12 cats as having type AB blood. Conclusions The frequency of the mutant PK allele is high in Australia. Screening for PK deficiency is indicated before mating and in individual cats of these breeds, even in the absence of anaemia and especially when there is reticulocytosis. Although all cats in the present study had blood type A, blood type B is common in these breeds worldwide. Retyping of any AB typed cats by a laboratory technique is recommended. 相似文献
A 10 week old kitten with an intussusception was treated by intestinal resection and enteroplication. Several months later it developed peritonitis which responded to open peritoneal drainage and antibiotics. 相似文献
