Veterinary Record: Journal of the British Veterinary Association

Saegerman, C.; Vo, T‐K. O.; De Waele, L.; Gilson, D.; Bastin, A.; Dubray, G.; Flanagan, P.; Limet, J. N.; Letesson, J‐J.; Godfroid, J.

doi: 10.1136/vr.145.8.214pmid: 10499853

Brucellergene OCB (Rhône‐Mérieux) was used as an allergen to define the intrinsic parameters of a skin test and to compare its properties with serology for the diagnosis of bovine brucellosis. The skin test was also evaluated for its capacity to solve problems associated with false positive reactions in serological tests. The optimal reading delay for the skin test was 72 hours. The brucellosis allergic reaction was two to three times less intense than the tuberculosis allergic reaction. An increase of 1.1 mm or more in the skin thickness was therefore considered to be an adequate cut‐off. The specificity calculated for 1192 brucellosis‐free animals (including animals from brucellosis‐free herds in which false positive serological reactions had been reported) was 99.83 per cent (95 per cent confidence interval [CI] 99.40 to 99.98 per cent). The sensitivity determined from 27 experimentally infected heifers ranged from 93 per cent (95 per cent ci 76 to 100 per cent) to 78 per cent (95 per cent cl 58 to 91 per cent) when measured respectively one and six months after the infection. Allergic reactions could be detected in vaccinated animals up to four‐and‐a‐half years after the vaccination. On the other hand, no sensitisation was recorded in naïve animals after up to eight monthly injections of the allergen. The skin test gave valuable information, in combination with the serological tests, in both acute and chronic brucellosis. The skin test discriminated brucellosis clearly from false positive serological reactions due to infections with Yersinia enterocolitica O9.

Warriss, P. D.; Knowles, T. G.; Brown, S. N.; Edwards, J. E.; Kettlewell, P. J.; Mitchell, M. A.; Baxter, C. A.

doi: 10.1136/vr.145.8.218pmid: 10499854

Commercial broiler chickens killed in two processing plants, one in the south of England, the other in Scotland, in two seasons (winter and summer) and on two occasions in each season, were used to investigate the effects of killing the birds immediately on arrival or holding them in lairage for one, two, three or four hours. The two most important consequences of holding the birds in lairage were that their body temperature increased and their liver glycogen was depleted. The body temperature increased with the time they were held in lairage, although most of the increase occurred in the first hour and the increase was greater in summer when ambient temperatures were higher. Liver glycogen depletion became apparent after about one to two hours in lairage. No evidence was obtained that the birds were significantly dehydrated or physically stressed by being kept longer in lairage.

Villiers, E. J.; Dunn, J. K.

doi: 10.1136/vr.145.8.222pmid: 10499855

Seven dogs with non‐regenerative anaemia were diagnosed as having myelofibrosis on the basis of the presence of collagen and increased deposits of reticulin fibre in the haemopoietic spaces of bone marrow core biopsies. A scoring system was used to assess the cellularity of the marrow and the amounts of collagen, reticulin and haemosiderin present. These scores, together with the haematological findings, were compared with the dogs' responses to treatment and their outcome. Treatment consisted of blood transfusions, where required, and anabolic steroids and corticosteriods. Three dogs deteriorated and were euthanased within three months of diagnosis, but the other four recovered fully. There was no correlation between the collagen and reticulin scores, or the degree of anaemia and the outcome, but the four dogs which recovered all had a macrocytosis when first examined. There was no evidence of an underlying lymphoproliferative or myeloproliferative disease in any of the seven cases.

Olkowski, A. A.; Kumor, L.; Johnson, D.; Bielby, M.; Chirino‐Trejo, M.; Classen, H. L.

doi: 10.1136/vr.145.8.228pmid: 10499856

Penny, C. D.

doi: 10.1136/vr.145.8.230pmid: 10499857

Ngichabe, C. K.; Binepal, Y. S.; Njiru, J. W.; Carn, V. M.

doi: 10.1136/vr.145.8.231pmid: 10499858

Davies, I. H.; Munro, R.

doi: 10.1136/vr.145.8.232pmid: 10499859