Objective-To investigate differences in CSF concentrations of excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters in dogs with and without T2-weighted (T2W) MRI hyperintense areas in the limbic system. Sample-Archived CSF samples and stored brain MRI images of 5 healthy research dogs (group 1), 8 dogs with idiopathic epilepsy (IE) with no abnormal MRI findings (group 2), and 4 dogs with IE with hyperintense areas in the limbic system detected by means of T2W MRI (group 3). Procedures-Archived CSF samples and stored MRI images obtained from all dogs were evaluated. Dogs in groups 2 and 3 were matched on the basis of age and breed. High-performance liquid chromatography was used to evaluate glutamate and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) concentrations in CSF samples. Results-Glutamate concentrations were higher in CSF of both groups of dogs with IE than in healthy dogs. However, glutamate concentrations in CSF were not significantly higher in dogs with IE and with hyperintense areas than in dogs with IE but no abnormal MRI findings. Concentrations of GABA in CSF were higher in group 3 than in group 2 and in group 2 than in group 1. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance-No significant difference was evident between glutamate concentrations in CSF of dogs with IE and with and without hyperintense areas detected by means of T2W MRI. However, glutamate concentrations typically were higher in CSF of dogs with IE and MRI hyperintense areas. Future studies with larger sample sizes should be conducted to confirm this finding and to determine the clinical importance of high glutamate concentrations in CSF of dogs with IE.

Objective-To quantify peripheral blood neutrophil apoptosis in equine patients with acute abdominal disease (ie, colic) caused by strangulating or nonstrangulating intestinal lesions and compare these values with values for horses undergoing elective arthroscopic surgery. Animals-20 client-owned adult horses. Procedures-Peripheral blood was collected from horses immediately prior to and 24 hours after surgery for treatment of colic (n = 10) or elective arthroscopic surgery (10), and neutrophils were counted. Following isolation by means of a bilayer colloidal silica particle gradient and culture for 24 hours, the proportion of neutrophils in apoptosis was detected by flow cytometric evaluation of cells stained with annexin V and 7-aminoactinomycin D. Values were compared between the colic and arthroscopy groups; among horses with colic, values were further compared between horses with and without strangulating intestinal lesions. Results-Percentage recovery of neutrophils was significantly smaller in preoperative samples (median, 32.5%) and in all samples combined (35.5%) for the colic group, compared with the arthroscopy group (median, 66.5% and 58.0%, respectively). No significant differences in the percentages of apoptotic neutrophils were detected between these groups. Among horses with colic, those with strangulating intestinal lesions had a significantly lower proportion of circulating apoptotic neutrophils in postoperative samples (median, 18.0%) than did those with nonstrangulating lesions (66.3%). Conclusions and Clinical Relevance-The smaller proportion of apoptotic neutrophils in horses with intestinal strangulation suggested that the inflammatory response could be greater or prolonged, compared with that of horses with nonstrangulating intestinal lesions. Further investigations are needed to better understand the relationship between neutrophil apoptosis and inflammation during intestinal injury.

A study of the prevalence of African horse sickness in horses was conducted, using records from two private equine practices in Harare for the period 1998–2004. Results indicated a higher prevalence of the disease in horses in Zimbabwe in the late rainy season (March – May). Age of the horse was found to be a significant risk factor, with foals or yearlings appearing to be 1.80 times more likely to contract the disease compared with horses older than two years. The case fatality rate in foals or yearlings was also higher than in older age groups, but this difference was not significant. The vaccination status was an important risk factor, with vaccinated horses 0.12 times less likely to die from the disease compared with unvaccinated horses. Young, unvaccinated horses therefore seem to be the most susceptible to the disease and have greater chances of fatality. This study highlights the importance of adequately protecting horses against African horse sickness by providing immunisation through vaccination and discusses the need to review current vaccination strategies being practiced in Zimbabwe.

Three each of 3-year-old Angus and Simmental heifers, surgically modified to collect bile, were used to measure the effects of pregnancy and breed on bile flow, biliary copper and zinc excretion and plasma copper and zinc concentrations. Bile copper excretion was significantly higher at 7-mo of pregnancy when samples from both breeds were pooled. From then onwards it declined to its lowest, one week post-partum. During pregnancy, plasma copper concentration increased slightly, reaching its highest level at 7-mo of pregnancy and then decreased slightly until full term. In pooled samples from both breeds, the correlation between increase in bile copper excretion and plasma copper concentration from 0 to 7-mo of pregnancy was high (r = 0.85) and significant (p < 0.05). Plasma zinc concentration decreased to the lowest level around 6-mo of pregnancy but increased thereafter until full term. In cows that were dried off one week after parturition, major shifts in bile and plasma copper and zinc parameters occurred at one week following and these coincided with a marked decline of bile flow and bile copper and zinc excretion. By 3-mo post-partum, biliary copper and zinc excretion and plasma copper and zinc concentrations had reached levels observed prior to pregnancy. When the data from all samples were pooled, the bile flow and bile copper excretion were significantly (p < 0.05) higher in Simmental, and plasma copper and zinc concentration higher in the Angus.

This study was done to investigate the prevalence of the Enterobacteriaceae in chickens and eggs. Isolation of forty four different bacterial isolates belonging to Enterobacteriaceae from chicken egg samples, cloacal swabs and swabs from Hatcheries’s floor, the isolates from commercial flock swabs were biochemically identified as E coli, P. mirabilis E Sakazakii and E .cloacae by incidence 22%, 55 %, 11% and 11 % respectively. The isolates from Layers and broilers breeder cloacal swabs were biochemically identified to be E. coli, P. mirabilis E. fergusonii and E .cloacae by incidence 20 %, 20 %, 20% and 40 % respectively. The isolates from commercial eggs were biochemically identified to be Pantoea Sp. , Kluyvera sp., E Sakazakii , E.aerogenes and E.harmanii by incidence 33.3% , 16.6% , 16.6% , 16.6% and 16.6 % respectively. The isolates from fertilized egg samples were biochemically identified as E Sakazakii , E. fergusonii , E.coli , E. Cloacae , Aeromonas ,S. Anatum and Prov. Alcolifaciens with a number of 1 ,1, 3, 3, 2, 2 and 1 , incidence 8% , 8% , 23% , 23% , 15% , 15% and 8 % respectively. The incidence of Enterobacteriaceae isolates from floor swabs of both primitive and automatic hatcheries was 20.8 % and these isolates were biochemically identified to be Pantoea spp., Citrokoserilama, k.pneumo. Ozaenae and E .cloacae with number 2, 1, 1 and 1 also its incidence were 40%, 20%, 20% and 20 % respectively. We found that the most common isolated bacterium from eggs either fertilized or commercial table eggs in our study was E.coli although we could isolate other bacterial species as Enterobacter, Proteus species , Escherichia fergusonii; E. Sakazakii, Klebsiella sp., S. anatum, and Pseudomonas sp..In-vitro sensitivity test of the isolated strains to various chemotherapeutic agents revealed that all isolates were sensitive to Ciprofloxacin, Enrofloxacin, and Amoxicillin.

The development of safe, novel adjuvant is necessary to maximize the efficacy of new and/or available vaccines. In this study, three different molecular weights of chitosan (low, medium, high) were evaluated as immunopotentiators/adjuvants of inactivated rabies vaccine in white Norway rats as an experimental model. Two concentrations (1.5% & 3% w/v) of each chitosan type were used in final concentration 5 mg/ml and 10 mg/ml. Results showed that lymphocyte proliferation were significantly elevated (P < 0.05) in all chitosan vaccinated rats compared to aluminum hydroxide gel vaccinated one. All three type of chitosan produced accelerated and enhanced effects on rabies-neutralizing antibody responses in vaccinated groups. Increases in antibody titers together with lymphocytes proliferation responses revealed that chitosan induced both humoral and cell-mediated immune responses. When compared with aluminum hydroxide vaccine adjuvant, chitosan was superior to aluminum hydroxide. The conclusion of these results suggested that chitosan with different MW had a strong potential to increase both cellular and humoral immune responses and that chitosan may be a promising and efficacious adjuvant candidate suitable for inactivated rabies vaccine.

The present study was conducted to assess the prevalence of Giardia species infection in cattle and human. One hundred of animal fecal samples and 139 human stool samples were collected from different veterinary clinics and its related hospitals respectively. All samples were undergone to microscopically examination by; direct smears in 0.90% Na Cl solution, Lugol's iodine stain for cyst detection and formol-ether concentration. 9 (28.1%) calves from 32 were positive in microscopic examination by the used techniques. 25% of the examined fecal samples of cattle (17/68) were containing cysts of Giardia species by microscope. 39 of 139 (28.1%) of human stool samples were found infected by this protozoon. Regarding the sex of human cases, 26.30% of examined males were positive while 30.20% of females were positive. The age factor in human infection was clear; the age group of 11 to 20 years were the more infected than the other group (1- 10ys). There is no relation between form of human stool and infection rate. ELISA kits confirmed that 6 % of animal cases and 15.8% of human were positive. The epidemiological aspects were discussed in the study.

Buxtonella sulcata (Jameson, 1926) is an intestinal protozoan of large ruminants, with scanty information and contradictious reports about its pathogenesity. This work aimed to investigate the prevalence rate of B. sulcata in Egypt. Forty eight cases collected from cattle (n= 29) and buffaloes (n= 19) from El-Mahalla El-Kubra area, Al-Gharbiya province. Samples were examined for the presence B. sulcata. The overall infection rate was 41.6% (20/48), in cattle 48.2% (14/29) and in buffalo 31.5% (6/19). This is the first study on B. sulcata in Egyptian ruminants also highlights the situation of intestinal ciliates of ruminant animals and provides basic information for the future work of intestinal ciliates of animals and man