Meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus) are permissive to chronic wasting disease (CWD) infection, but their susceptibility to other transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) is poorly characterized. In this initial study, we intracerebrally challenged 6 meadow voles with 2 isolates of sheep scrapie. Three meadow voles acquired a TSE after the scrapie challenge and an extended incubation period. The glycoform profile of proteinase K-resistant prion protein (PrPres) in scrapie-sick voles remained similar to the sheep inocula, but differed from that of voles clinically affected by CWD. Vacuolization patterns and disease-associated prion protein (PrPSc) deposition were generally similar in all scrapie-affected voles, except in the hippocampus, where PrPSc staining varied markedly among the animals. Our results demonstrate that meadow voles can acquire a TSE after intracerebral scrapie challenge and that this species could therefore prove useful for characterizing scrapie isolates.

Paratuberculosis caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) has extended latent periods of infection. Due to this property, difficulties in the detection of fecal shedder have been raised. A newly designed method for DNA extraction from fecal specimens, mGITC/SC was evaluated in terms of diagnostic efficiency. The detection limit of IS900 real-time PCR was about 50 MAP (1.5 cfu) in 250 mg of feces (6 cfu per g). Also, this DNA extraction method was faster and cheaper than that using commercial kit or other methods. Consequently, the mGITC/SC is an economical DNA extraction method that could be a useful tool for detecting MAP from fecal specimens.

The Formosan sika deer (Cervus nippon taiouanus) is an endemic subspecies in Taiwan. The original wild deer has been extinct since the late 1960s. The largest captive population is located at the Taipei Zoo. Except for infectious disease outbreaks, no systemic medical research has been reported for this subspecies. This study was conducted to analyze the medical status of the captive Formosan sika deer population, including the hematological and serum chemistry characteristics. To accomplish this, medical records for 34 Formosan sika deer from January 2003 to January 2014 were acquired and analyzed. The most common illness and cause of death was trauma, followed by gastrointestinal and respiratory disease, respectively. The hematologic and serum chemical values of healthy adults were quite different from those of sika deer (Cervus nippon yesoensis). This study provides a closer medical understanding of this subspecies and the results will facilitate its management.

Proteases play important roles in parasite development and host parasite interactions. The protease of Kudoa spp. has been recognized as a key factor of severe proteolysis of fish muscle post-mortem; however, there is little information available regarding the protease of Kudoa (K.) septempunctata, which was recently identified as a cause of food poisoning in humans. The present study was conducted to isolate and characterize proteases to elucidate the type of protease contained in the parasite and determine the optimal pH for protease activity. We confirmed the cysteine protease and metalloprotease produced by K. septempunctata. While the cysteine protease showed optimal activity at pH 5 that decreased rapidly with increasing pH, the optimal activity of metalloprotease was pH 7, and it remained stable from pH 6 to pH 8. These results indicate that the pH of cysteine protease is not proper for fish muscle postmortem, and that metalloprotease can act in human intestines. Overall, the present study provides important information that improves our understanding of the role of protease physiology and the subsequent food poisoning caused by K. septempunctata.

Bovine parainfluenza virus type 5 (bPIV5) was isolated from cattle with downer cow syndrome in 2012, and included both respiratory and neurotropic pathogens from a variety of animals. In the current study, we conducted serosurveillance using sera obtained from seven Korean farms and optimized a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay to detect bPIV5. The overall seropositive rate for Korean cattle was 21.4% (163/760). A farm located near the city of Milyang in Gyeoungnam province had a markedly elevated seropositive rate for bPIV5 compared to that of the other six farms. The regional seropositive rates were 4.2% (8/192) for Haman, 19.5% (18/ 55) for Hwasung, 73.9% (65/88) for Milyang, 26.0% (50/192) for Namwon, 1.0% (1/96) for Uljin, 13.5% (13/96) for Yeongju, and 32.7% (8/41) for Yongin. The sensitivity and specificity of three RT-PCR primer sets used to amplify the conserved fusion gene of bPIV5 were also evaluated. An RT-PCR assay using the bPIVFR3 primer set was 10- fold more sensitive than the assays using the two other primer sets and did not result in non-specific amplification. These results demonstrated that the bPIFR3 primer set can be used to detect bPIV5.

Escherichia (E.) coli is commensal bacteria found in the intestine; however, some pathogenic strains cause diseases in animals and humans. Although E. coli does not typically produce hydrogen sulfide (H2S), H2S-producing strains of E. coli have been identified worldwide. The relationship between virulence and H2S production has not yet been determined. Therefore, characteristics of H2S-producing isolates obtained from swine feces were evaluated including antibiotic resistance patterns, virulence gene expression, and genetic relatedness. Rates of antibiotic resistance of the H2Sproducing E. coli varied according to antibiotic. Only the EAST1 gene was detected as a virulence gene in five H2S-producing E. coli strains. Genes conferring H2S production were not transmissible although the sseA gene encoding 3-mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase was detected in all H2S-producing E. coli strains. Sequences of the sseA gene motif CGSVTA around Cys238 were also identical in all H2S- producing E. coli strains. Diverse genetic relatedness among the isolates was observed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis analysis. These results suggested that H2S-producing E. coli strains were not derived from a specific clone and H2S production in E. coli is not associated with virulence genes.

Cardiopulmonary depression of long-term constant rate infusion (CRI) administration of multiple analgesic drugs is important, especially in critically ill dogs. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the effects of lidocaine, ketamine or combined lidocaine-ketamine combination CRI treatment on vital signs and left ventricular (LV) function in healthy dogs. Six adult Beagle dogs were administered either ketamine (initial loading dose of 0.5 mg/ kg followed by 10 ¥ìg/kg/min CRI), lidocaine (initial loading dose of 2 mg/kg followed by 0.025 mg/kg/min CRI), or combined lidocaine-ketamine intravenously. Arterial blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR), body temperature (BT) and echocardiographic LV dimensions were measured before administration of medications, immediately after administration of drugs, and then every 10 min for 2 h. There were no significant changes in HR, RR, BT and BP after the administration of either lidocaine CRI, ketamine CRI, or combined lidocaine and ketamine CRI. There were also no significant changes in LV dimensions and stroke volume. The results revealed that treatment with either lidocaine, ketamine or combined lidocaine-ketamine may not cause cardiopulmonary suppression in healthy dogs.

Exercise is one of the most common stressors in horses. Although various physiological parameters such as cortisol respond to exercise, there is no reliable parameter for the measurement of exercise-induced stress in sport horses. This study was performed to discover a new biomarker with high sensitivity for exercise-induced stress. The expression of fos mRNA was increased more than 10-fold in horse blood samples collected after an hour of exercise, as compared with before the exercise. The plasma cortisol levels were also increased after the exercise, but only by about two-fold. The fos mRNA levels were well-correlated with plasma cortisol concentrations. These findings suggest that fos mRNA expression in blood may be useful for the measurement of exercise-induced stress in horses.

The antibacterial effects of a combination of Coptidis rhizoma and Galla rhois extracts (CGE) were evaluated in piglets. The minimum bactericidal concentration of CGE was 2.0 mg/mL. Thirty 5-week-old piglets were challenged with Campylobacter (C.) coli after allocation to three different groups, a control and two treatment groups fed with CGE at 2.0 or 4.0 g/kg feed for 7 days. On day 7, C. coli in the feces of the CGE-treated groups were significantly lower than in the control (p 0.01). These results suggest that CGE can be used to control C. coli in piglets.

A two-year-old spayed female pug presented with symmetrical hyperpigmented alopecic lesions on her axillary and inguinal regions. There were no remarkable findings in dermatologic examinations and hormonal assays. Histological examination of biopsied tissues revealed prominent lymphocytic perifolliculitis along with shrunk hair follicles. Immunohistochemistry for CD3, CD79a, CD4, and CD8 showed a positive stain for CD4 antigen around hair bulbs, suggesting CD4 positive T lymphocyte infiltration. This case suggests the possibility that CD4 T lymphocytemediated inflammatory reaction could be a main mechanism in canine alopecia areata. Additional studies are warranted to investigate the immunological mechanism in canine species.