The genetic and antigenic nature of feline cell-associated herpesvirus (FeCAHV) was characterized by use of DNA restriction endonuclease analysis, and direct and indirect fluorescent antibody (FA) techniques. Serologic responses of 6 conventionally reared cats with induced FeCAHV urinary tract infection were retrospectively evaluated, using an indirect FA test. The EcoRI, HindIII, and Pst I restriction endonuclease cleavage patterns of FeCAHV DNA were similar to those of bovid herpesvirus 4 (BHV-4; DN599 strain) DNA. Specific fluorescence was observed when FeCAHV-inoculated cell monolayers were reacted with fluorescein-conjugated BHV-4 (DN599 strain) antiserum. Conversely, specific fluorescence was also observed when feline anti-FeCAHV serum and fluorescein-conjugated caprine anti-feline IgG was reacted with BHV-4 (DN599 strain)-infected cell monolayers. At postinoculation week 10, serum antibody titer in cats with FeCAHV-induced urinary tract infection ranged from 1:2,560 to 1:10,240, as measured by use of indirect FA testing. It was concluded that FeCAHV is a member of the BHV-4 group. In addition, the FeCAHV indirect FA test provides a sensitive and specific means of evaluating FECAHV antibody concentration in exposed cats.

Visual-evoked potentials (VEP) and electroretinograms (ERG) were recorded from 10 normal light-adapted adult dogs, using a 3 X 5 matrix of light-emitting diodes as a stimulator. Visual-evoked potentials were recorded from 4 scalp electrodes overlying cortical areas, whereas electroretinographic activity was recorded by 2 scalp electrodes placed near the eye and by a conjunctivally placed electrode. The waveform of the VEP consisted of 3 major positive waves (P1 through P3), with peak latencies in the 20- to 70-ms range. Waveform reproducibility was assessed by comparing peak latencies from VEP recorded on 2 separate days approximately 1 week apart. The peak latencies for P1 through P3 did not differ (P greater than or equal to 0 .05) between first and second recording sessions. To substantiate the postretinal origin of VEP, recordings were made before and after unilateral optic nerve transsections in 4 dogs. Electroretinograms were also measured before and after surgery to assess the integrity of the retina. Postsurgically, VEP were absent when the eye on the surgically treated side was stimulated. Stimulation of the contralateral eye induced VEP with the same waveform shape, but latencies were slightly prolonged (P less than or equal to 0.05) compared with presurgical recordings. The only effect of optic nerve transsection on the ipsilateral ERG was a prolongation (P less than or equal to 0.05) of the b-wave. However, when postsurgical ERG values were compared with those from the intact side after surgery, there were no differences.

Heifers were inoculated IV with 1 of 4 modified-live bovine herpesvirus-1 vaccinal strains against infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (2 heifers/strain) on postbreeding day (PBD) 14. The effect of infection on fertility was monitored by plasma progesterone assay at 1- to 3-day intervals from the time of virus exposure until PBD 60. Infertility was detected in 4 of 8 inoculated heifers. In 2 heifers, progestrone concentrations decreased to values indicative of estrus within 10 days after inoculation (PBD 24). The 2 other heifers had evidence of embryonic death on PBD 40 and 42. Two control heifers inoculated with culture medium from noninfected cells maintained their pregnancies.

Concurrent bacteriologic culture of feces and agar gel immunodiffusion (AGID) testing was performed on all cows and bred heifers over 14 months old in 10 dairy herds during a 32-month period to determine the effectiveness of the AGID test for the detection of subclinical paratuberculosis. Herds were sampled 5 times and, when possible, culled animals were tested again at slaughter. During 5 herd-wide samplings, Mycobacterium paratuberculosis was isolated from 139 fecal specimens obtained from 109 cattle. Results of the AGID test were simultaneously positive 40 of 139 times (28.8%). Thirty-six of the 109 cattle (33.0%) determined to be infected had a positive AGID test result at some point during the 5 herd-wide samplings. When results of tests performed at time of slaughter were included, 117 cattle were identified as infected by culture methods; 55 of these (47.0%) were AGID test-positive at some point during the study. The upper limit of the maximal false-positive rate for the AGID test was 2.1%. On the basis of colony counts from cultures, subclinically infected cows shedding higher numbers of M paratuberculosis in the feces were more likely to have positive AGID test results (P less than 0.0001). In known infected cattle, neither the culture nor AGID test results were consistently positive on repeated testing. Of 48 official calfhood paratuberculosis vaccinates tested as adults, 3 had positive AGID test results and in 1 of these, M paratuberculosis was also isolated from the feces, indicating that the rate of false-positive AGID test results in calfhood vaccinates is low.

Hypophosphatemia was induced in 2 cows by reducing phosphorus content in their feed after parturition. Serum inorganic phosphorus (Pi) values decreased to 1 mg/dl within 10 days after parturition; and RBC adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) and reduced glutathione values decreased to 50 and 70% of baseline values, respectively. Methemoglobin concentration was moderately higher than normal. These changes preceded the onset of hemolysis, and anemia progressed with decreases in PCV, hemoglobin concentration, and RBC counts. Serum Pi resumed its normal value when anemia was most severe. This RBC disorder was confirmed to be characteristic of hemolytic anemia in cows resulting from hypophosphatemia. The RBC glycolytic intermediates, totaal trisoe phosphate (combined glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate and dihydroxyacetone phosphate content) and fructose-1, 6-diphosphate, greatly increased in vivo and in vitro with decreases in serum or plasma Pi and RBC ATP. From our results, we concluded that inadequate Pi in the plasma impairs the function and viability of RBC by hindering the production of ATP via disturbance of reactions at the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase step.

A series of coupled differential equations was used to model the temporal dynamics of rabies in raccoons in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. The model takes explicit account of the development of natural immunity to rabies and was used to evaluate culling and vaccination elimination strategies. For habitats typical of the mid-Atlantic states, and given the assumptions of the model, it was estimated that elimination of rabies in raccoons by culling may involve the annual removal of over 32% of the raccoon population or the yearly vaccination of up to 99% of the susceptible fraction. Assuming a constant marginal cost for both culling and vaccination, the model suggests that, whatever the actual cost of each method, the cheapest strategy will always involve either culling or vaccination alone. A combined strategy of culling and vaccination will be cheaper than culling alone only when the per capita cost of vaccination is around one-fifth or less the per capita cost of culling.

A controlled test was performed to titrate the anthelmintic dosage of dienbendazole in 24 mixed-breed ponies naturally infected with Strongylus vulgaris, S edentatus, and small strongyle species, as determined by parasitic egg and larval counts in feces. Comparison of results of treatment was made among 3 dienbendazole dosages--2.5, 5, and 10 mg/kg of body weight-and a gum (excipient) mixture given by nasogastric intubation. All ponies were euthanatized and necropsied at 7 or 8 days after treatment. Trichostrongylus axei, Habronema muscae, S vulgaris, S edentatus, small strongyles, and Oxyuris equi were efficaciously eliminated in response to all doses of dienbendazole; Gasterophilus spp were not affected by any dose. There were not sufficient numbers of Draschia megastoma, Anoplocephala spp, or Parascaris equorum in the ponies to evaluate drug effect. Changes in the appearance of the intestinal lining were dose-dependent; in the ponies treated with 5 and 10 mg of dienbendazole/kg, the mucosa appeared clean and smooth, though in ponies given 2.5 mg/kg, it appeared clean, but was nodular and moderately reactive to embedded immature small strongyles. In the gum mixture-treated ponies, the large intestinal mucosa was inflamed, with edematous areas, in response to infections caused by large and small strongyles. A limited clinical titration was done in 12 ponies that were fecal culture negative for S vulgaris larvae, although other strongyles were detected. Two ponies in each of 6 groups were given the following dosages: 0 (gum mixture only), 0.5, 1, 2.5, and 5 mg of dienbendazole/kg. One group of 2 ponies was given 5 mg of fenbendazole/kg as a standard treatment control. On the basis of pre- and posttreatment fecal examinations (for egg and larval counts), dienbendazole at dosages that ranged from 1 to 5 mg/kg was highly effective and as effective as fenbendazole given at a dosage of 5 mg/kg. Small strongyles were most responsive to fenbendazole and dienbendazole at all dosages. Egg production by S edentatus was eliminated by administration of fenbendazole and dienbendazole (at dosages of 2.5 and 5 mg/kg). Administration of dienbendazole at a dosage of 1 mg/kg resulted in partial elimination of S edentatus egg production. Trichostrongylus axei egg production was eliminated by administration of dienbendazole at dosages of 2.5 and 5 mg/kg, but not by the administration of 1 mg/kg. Parascaris equorum egg production was eliminated from the single infected pony given dienbendazole at a dosage of 5 mg/kg.

Effectiveness of a pentavalent leptospiral vaccine to protect cattle from infection and reproductive problems caused by Leptospira interrogans serovar hardjo type hardjo-bovis was evaluated. Seven cows were vaccinated once and 8 cows were vaccinated twice with a USDA-licensed pentavalent leptospiral vaccine. Five cows were maintained as nonvaccinated controls. Cows were bred 1 to 2 months after the last vaccination. During the 4th to 6th month of gestation, all cows were challenge exposed on 4 occasions by conjunctival instillation of 10(8) serovar hardjo type hardjo-bovis organisms and on 3 occasions by conjunctival instillation of urine from a cow shedding hardjo-bovis. All control cows and 13 of 15 vaccinated cows became inf ected and shed leptospires in the urine. Leptospires were detected in fewer urine samples collected from vaccinated cows, compared with those collected from control cows. Four stillborn calves and 3 weak calves born to control and vaccinated cows. Leptospires were detected in the kidneys of 11 apparently healthy calves born to vaccinated and control cows. Agglutinating antibodies were not detected in the precolostral serum of these calves.

Embryos were harvested at the blastocyst stage from nontreated outbred mice and were grown in vitro for 4 days. Embryos cultured in control medium hatched and grew to the egg cylinder stage. Purified zearalenone (ZEN) added to the culture medium at concentrations of 8.5 to 68 microgram/ml decreased the number of embryos growing, with a 50% decrease in the number growing in 32 micograms of ZEN/ml of medium. Embryos growing in ZEN had decreased numbers of cells derived from the inner cell mass, normal growth of the trophoblast, less cellular differentiation than was seen in control embryos, and increased numbers of phagosomes. Undifferentiated cells of the inner cell mass of control and treated embryos were of the same size, as determined by morphometric analysis. Addition of 25 micrograms of estradiol/ml of culture medium caused no decrease in number of embryos growing or in embryonic size. Saturation of culture medium with ZEN (68 microgram/ml) did not inhibit the growth of a tissue culture line of goat synovial cells. Seemingly, ZEN at concentrations near saturation inhibited the growth of mouse embryos in vitro. This effect was not duplicated with similar concentrations of estradiol and was not manifested in culture-adapted cells.

Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was collected from 12 anesthetized cats by use of an endotracheal tube and syringe adapter. The safety of the technique was evaluated by monitoring mucous membrane color, capillary refill time, pulse rate, respiratory rate, ECG, and arterial blood gas tensions and by necropsy findings. Group A consisted of 3 cats that were administered (by lavage) 4 aliquots of 20 ml of saline solution during anesthesia for placement of femoral artery catheters. Group B consisted of 4 cats that were administered a smaller total volume of saline solution (3 aliquots of 5 ml/kg of body weight) during a separate anesthetic period, other than the one for placement of catheters. Group C consisted of 5 cats administered 3 aliquots (5 ml/kg) of saline solution during a separate anesthetic period and administered supplemental oxygen for 5 to 10 minutes before and for 20 minutes after the lavage procedure. Group-A cats had a prolonged recovery period that was attributed to the lengthy anesthetic period required for placement of femoral catheters. The effect was eliminated in the cats of the other groups in which the lavage procedure itself accounted for only 5 to 10 minutes of anesthetic time. Evaluation of mucous membrane color, capillary refill time, ECG, pulse, and respiratory rate revealed no persistent abnormalities. Transient increase in pulse and respiratory rate was seen in some cats. Blood gas analysis revealed noticeable decrease in arterial oxygen pressures (PaO2) after the lavage procedure. In group-C cats, oxygen supplementation allowed the maintenance of normal or above normal PaO2. When oxygen was discontinued at 20 minutes, PaO2 was maintained at greater than or equal to 60 mm of Hg. The variability in oxygen pressures did not appear to correlate with the volume of fluid remaining in the lungs. Histologic evaluation of the lungs revealed no changes attributable to the lavage procedure. Most cats had minimal to mild inflammatory changes, and 4 cats had moderate to moderately severe bronchopneumonia. These changes were reflected in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, indicating that they were present at the time of lavage.