During the fiscal year 1988, USDA-FSIS detected 3,095 antimicrobial violations in bob veal calves, using the calf antibiotic and sulfonamide test. Of the 3,095 carcass submissions involved, 945 were tested further to identify the causative agents. The results of tests on the available kidney, liver, and muscle specimens are reported. Kidney specimens yielded a specific agent most often (71.2%), with neomycin (42.6%) being cited most among agents found in kidneys. Neomycin was found less frequently in liver (4.5%) and muscle (0.2%). Among all tissues, unidentified microbial inhibitors were either the largest or second largest category found (kidney, 10.5%; liver, 27.1%; muscle, 7.8%), and no other agent exceeded 7.0% (streptomycin in kidney). The proportion of liver and muscle specimens that had unidentified microbial inhibitors is particularly important because the next most common classes were streptomycin in liver at 5.5% and sulfamethazine in muscle at 2%. The frequency of unidentified microbial inhibitors may justify the addition of tests to the FSIS battery for identification of agents. Not all tissues were tested for sulfonamides, hence these agents are likely to have been underreported. Less than 10% of the muscle specimens evaluated yielded an agent, suggesting most calf antibiotic and sulfonamide test-positive carcasses may have been safe with regard to residues in meat, although organs might have been adulterated. Specimens for verification were not selected completely randomly from the population of all calf antibiotic and sulfonamide test-positive animals and calves selected for testing were not chosen strictly by random sampling; therefore, extrapolation of the contents of this report to the bob veal calf industry must be done with caution.

The in vitro antimicrobial activities of aditoprim (AP), a new dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) inhibitor, trimethoprim (TMP), sulfadimethoxine (SDM), sulfamethoxazole (SMX), and combinations of these drugs against some porcine respiratory tract pathogens were determined by use of an agar dilution method. The minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of these agents were determined twice against Bordetella bronchiseptica (n = 10), Pasteurella multocida (n = 10), and Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (n = 20) strains isolated from pigs suffering from atrophic rhinitis or pleuropneumonia. All B bronchiseptica strains were resistant to AP and TMP. The MIC50 values of AP and TMP for P multocida were 0.25 and 0.06 microgram/ml, respectively, and for A pleuropneumoniae, 1 and 0.25 microgram/ml, respectively. The MIC50, values of SDM and SDM for B bronchiseptica were 4 and 1 microgram/ml, respectively; for P multocida, 16 and 8 microgram/ml, respectively; and for A pleuropneumoniae, 16 and 8 microgram/ml, respectively. The investigated combinations of the DHFR inhibitors and the selected sulfonamides had synergism for the A pleuropneumoniae strains; the MIC90 values of the combinations were less than or equal to 0.06 microgram/ml. Potentiation was not observed for the B bronchiseptica and the P multocida isolates. The MIC of the combinations against B bronchiseptica and P multocida corresponded respectively to the concentrations of the sulfonamides and the DHFR inhibitors in the combinations. For A pleuropneumoniae, 2 types of strains were used (25% of serotype 2 and 75% of serotype 9). Type-2 strains had lower susceptibility than type-9 strains to AP and TMP as well as to SDM and SMX (at least a fourfold difference in MIC between the 2 types of strains). The MIC of the combinations were similar for the 2 types of strains.

Plasma elimination rates of sulfamethazine (100 mg/kg of body weight, IV), trimethoprim (20 mg/kg, IV), and antipyrine (35 mg/kg, IV) were studied in adult female dwarf goats (n = 5) before and after implantation with trenbolone acetate (5 mg/kg). Pretreatment with trenbolone caused a significant decrease in the elimination rate of the drugs tested: for sulfamethazine, 5 times; for antipyrine, 3 times; and for trimethoprim, 2 times. After treatment with testosterone (1 mg/kg, SC, twice weekly for 2.5 weeks), female goats (n = 5) had a similar decrease in the elimination rate of sulfamethazine. Other induced effects included a change in social behavior, a lower voice, and the development of a typical billy goat-like odor. Plasma creatinine concentrations after androgen administration were significantly higher than those before androgen administration; changes were not observed in plasma urea values. Because of the differences observed, we believe that more attention should be paid to the effects of androgenic agents on drug kinetic properties, with particular reference to studies on clinical efficacy, side effects, and drug residues in food products.

Vaginal aerobic bacterial flora was studied in 5 healthy bitches before, during, and after a 10-day period of treatment with ampicillin and an equally long period of treatment with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. Blood variables and antimicrobial drug susceptibility also were studied. Bacteria were isolated from all bitches before the first treatment period. Bitches from which only a sparse number of bacteria were isolated had flora that varied from day to day. In most instances when bitches were given an antibiotic to which their vaginal bacterial flora was susceptible, these bacteria were eradicated after only 1 day of treatment. This was true for pasteurellae, streptococci, and, in all but one case, Escherichia coli. Staphylococcus intermedius was more difficult to eradicate, and, although susceptible in vitro, it was unaffected by antibiotic treatment in 1 bitch and it took 7 days to eradicate in another. Eradication of aerobic bacteria in the vagina was total only in the bitch that had sparse flora from the beginning. Bacteria colonized within 0 (in 4/5 bitches) to 4 days after termination of treatment with ampicillin and within 0 (in 4/5 bitches) to 3 days for trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. Mycoplasmas emerged during and after both treatment periods, and E coli became apparent during treatment with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. Because mycoplasmas may be genital pathogens in bitches and E coli is a common uropathogen, their appearance should be an argument against widespread use of antibiotics in healthy breeding bitches. Two bitches developed a vaginal discharge during treatment or shortly after. Blood variables did not change during the study, nor did antimicrobial drug resistance of the isolated bacteria.