Veterinary Record: Journal of the British Veterinary Association

Curnow, R. N.; Hau, C. M.

doi: 10.1136/vr.138.17.407pmid: 8733177

Case control study techniques were used to compare the incidence of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in the progeny of two affected sires and 110 affected dams with the incidence of BSE in the progeny of animals known to be unaffected at the last record. All the progeny were born before the ban on ruminant‐derived protein in feedstuffs issued in July 1988. The results provide little, if any, evidence of differences between the incidence in the progeny of the affected animals and the incidence in the progeny of the presumed unaffected animals. Data from five herds were used in a logistic regression analysis to study the effects of the disease status of the dam and the age of the dam at the birth of the calf on the incidence of BSE. The disease status of the dam did not significantly affect the disease status of its progeny, after allowance had been made for the effects of herd, year and the age at last record of the progeny. The difficulty of establishing maternal transmission if a high proportion of the dams are incubating the disease and transmission can occur early in the incubation period is discussed.

Marin, C. M.; Jiménez de Bagüés, M. P.; Barberán, M.; Blasco, J. M.

doi: 10.1136/vr.138.17.409pmid: 8733178

The efficacy of two selective media for the isolation of Brucella melitensis from naturally infected sheep and goats was compared. Two hundred and eighty sheep and 60 goats belonging to B melitensis ‐infected flocks were slaughtered and samples of milk (when available) and seven tissues were taken from each animal for bacteriological analyses. A modified Thayer‐ Martin's medium was more sensitive than Farrell's medium; by the combined use of both media 142 infected sheep and 40 infected goats were detected, and 486 of the samples from the sheep and 179 of the samples from the goats were found to be infected.

Woodward, M. J.; Kirwan, S. E. S.

doi: 10.1136/vr.138.17.411pmid: 8733179

A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the specific detection of the gene sequence, sefA, encoded by all isolates of Salmonella enteritidis, was developed. The PCR could detect as few as four S enteritidis washed bacterial cells but egg contents inhibited the PCR. Eggs spiked with 50 S enteritidis bacterial cells were homogenised, inoculated into buffered peptone water and grown at 37°C for 16 hours, when the PCR was successful. A positive internal control was developed to differentiate between true and false negative PCR results for the detection of S enteritidis. In a limited trial of the egg handling procedures and the PCR, one of 250 chickens' eggs from retail outlets was found to be contaminated with S enteritidis.

doi: 10.1136/vr.138.17.413pmid: N/A

Malassezia pachydermatis and pruritic skin disease in dogs; Bond, R., Ferguson, E. A., Curtis, C. F., Craig, J. M. & Lloyd, D. H. (1996) Journal ofSmall Animal Practice 37, 103

Bloch, N.; Breen, M.; Irvin, Z. V.; Spradbrow, P. B.

doi: 10.1136/vr.138.17.414pmid: 8733180

A lesion on the head of a steer, defined histologically as an epithelial papilloma, yielded DNA which did not hybridise with any of the bovine papillomavirus DNAS usually associated with the formation of skin lesions. DNA from the lesion did hybridise with DNA from bovine papillomavirus 4, even under stringent conditions, and contained a sequence that could be amplified by polymerase chain reaction with primers specific for that virus. Bovine papillomavirus 4 had previously been isolated only from lesions of the upper alimentary canal.

Graham, D. A.; Connor, T. J.; McCullough, S. J.; McKillop, E. R.; Alexander, D. J.; Manvell, R. J.; Renström, L. H. M.

doi: 10.1136/vr.138.17.416pmid: 8733181

doi: 10.1136/vr.138.17.417pmid: N/A

Treatment of bronchopneumonia in calves; Sustronck, B., Deprez, P., Muylle, E., Vermeersch, H., Vandenbossche, G. & Remon, J. P. (1995) Research in Veterinary Science 59, 267

Wormser, U.; Weisman, Y.; Ashash, E.; Nyska, A.

doi: 10.1136/vr.138.17.418pmid: 8733182

McNamee, P. T.; Trees, A. J.; Guy, F.; Moffett, D.; Kilpatrick, D.

doi: 10.1136/vr.138.17.419pmid: 8733183

doi: 10.1136/vr.138.17.420pmid: N/A

Treatment of osteoarthritis in dogs; Read, R. A., Cullis‐Hill, D. & Jones, M. P. (1996) Journal of Small Animal Practice 37, 108