Prevalence of feline herpesvirus-1, feline calicivirus, Chlamydia felis, and Bordetella bronchiseptica in a population of shelter cats on Prince Edward Island.

The prevalence of the causative agents of feline upper respiratory tract disease (URTD) has been previously documented in many regions worldwide, but has yet to be reported in eastern Canada. The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of feline herpesvirus-1 (FHV-1), feline calicivirus (FCV), Chlamydia felis (C. felis), and Bordetella bronchiseptica (B. bronchiseptica) in a population of shelter cats with clinical signs related to URTD on Prince Edward Island, Canada; to compare the prevalence of FHV-1 and FCV as detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and virus isolation (VI) in this population; and lastly, to determine whether factors, such as co-infections, time of year, concurrent feline leukemia virus (FeLV)- or feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV)-positive status, or clinical signs, were associated with prevalence of particular pathogens. Conjunctival, nasal mucosal, and oropharyngeal swabs were collected from 82 cats with clinical signs consistent with URTD. Samples were pooled in transport medium and PCR was used to detect FHV-1, FCV, and C. felis and VI was also used to detect FHV-1 and FCV. A separate swab was submitted for aerobic bacterial culture to detect B. bronchiseptica. Feline herpesvirus-1 (FHV-1) was the most prevalent in this population, followed by C. felis, B. bronchiseptica, and FCV. Of the 4 cats that were positive for B. bronchiseptica, 3 were concurrently positive for FHV-1. All positive B. bronchiseptica cultures were resistant to cefovecin. The prevalence for FHV-1 was lowest in autumn (seasons P < 0.001) and was positively associated with the presence of nasal discharge (P = 0.018) and coughing (P = 0.043).

La prévalence des agents causals de maladies du tractus respiratoire supérieur félin (URTD) a été préalablement documentée dans plusieurs régions du monde mais n'a pas encore été rapportée dans l'est du Canada. Les objectifs de la présente étude étaient de déterminer la prévalence d'herpès virus félin-1 (FHV-1), du calicivirus félin (FCV), de Chlamydia felis et de Bordetella bronchiseptica dans une population de chats de refuge de l'Île-du-Prince-Édouard, Canada avec des signes cliniques reliés au URTD; de comparer la prévalence de FHV-1 et FCV telle que détecter par réaction d'amplification en chaîne par la polymérase (PCR) et l'isolement viral (VI) dans ces populations; et finalement, déterminer si des facteurs, tels que les co-infections, la période de l'année, le statut concomitant positif pour le virus de la leucémie féline (FeLV) ou le virus de l'immunodéficience féline (FIV) ou les signes cliniques étaient associés avec la prévalence d'un agent pathogène en particulier. Des écouvillons de la conjonctive, de la muqueuse nasale et de l'oropharynx furent obtenus de 82 chats avec des signes cliniques compatibles avec URTD. Les échantillons étaient regroupés dans un milieu de transport et la PCR utilisée pour détecter FHV-1, FCV et C. felis et l'isolement viral fut également utilisé pour détecter FHV-1 et FCV. Un écouvillon séparé fut soumis pour culture bactérienne aérobie afin de détecter B. bronchiseptica. Le FHV-1 était le plus prévalent dans cette population, suivi par C. felis, B. bronchiseptica et FCV. Des quatre chats qui étaient positifs pour B. bronchiseptica, trois étaient positifs également pour FHV-1. Tous les isolats de B. bronchiseptica obtenus étaient résistants au céfovecin. La prévalence de FHV-1 était à son plus bas en automne (P < 0,001 pour les saisons) et était associée positivement avec la présence d'écoulement nasal (P = 0,018) et de la toux (P = 0,043).(Traduit par Docteur Serge Messier).

Impact of co-infection with Lepeophtheirus salmonis and Moritella viscosa on inflammatory and immune responses of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar).

This study was conducted to determine the effects of a co-infection with Moritella viscosa at different exposure levels of sea lice Lepeophtheirus salmonis in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). M. viscosa (1.14 × 106  cfu/ml) was introduced to all experimental tanks at 10 days post-lice infection (dpLs). Mean lice counts decreased over time in both the medium lice co-infection (31.5 ± 19.0 at 7 dpLs; 16.9 ± 9.3 at 46 dpLs) and high lice co-infection (62.0 ± 10.8 at 7 dpLs; 37.6 ± 11.3 at 46 dpLs). There were significantly higher mortalities and more severe skin lesions in the high lice co-infected group compared to medium lice co-infected group or M. viscosa-only infection. Quantitative gene expression analysis detected a significant upregulation of genes in skin from the high lice co-infection group consistent with severe inflammation (il-8, mmp-9, hep, saa). Skin lesions retrieved throughout the study were positive for M. viscosa growth, but these were rarely located in regions associated with lice. These results suggest that while M. viscosa infection itself may induce skin lesion development in salmon, co-infection with high numbers of lice can enhance this impact and significantly reduce the ability of these lesions to resolve, resulting in increased mortality.

Dermatophytosis in farmed mink (Mustela vison) caused by Trichophyton equinum.

This report details 2 outbreaks of dermatophytosis in 2 different mink ranches. On the first farm, only kits were affected, while on the second farm, small numbers of adults were infected. Affected mink were otherwise clinically healthy and in good body condition. Three animals were euthanized and submitted for autopsy. Grossly, mink exhibited locally extensive to coalescing areas of crusting alopecia but no other significant gross lesions in internal organs. Microscopically, skin lesions were characterized by chronic hyperplastic dermatitis with folliculitis, furunculosis, occasional intracorneal pustules, and large numbers of intrafollicular fungal arthrospores and hyphae. The dermatophyte was cultured and identified as Trichophyton equinum based on molecular barcoding of the internal transcribed spacer region of the ribosomal DNA gene.

Cutaneous Phaeohyphomycosis Caused by Exophiala attenuata in a Domestic Cat.

A 7-year-old female-spayed, domestic short-haired cat was presented to her veterinarian with a mass on the hind paw. Histopathologic examination of a tissue biopsy revealed nodular pyogranulomatous panniculitis with intralesional pigmented fungal hyphae. A dematiaceous fungal isolate was isolated with a micromorphological phenotype consistent with the anamorphic genus Exophiala: budding cells, torulose mycelium and annellidic conidiogenesis from simple conidiophores consisting of terminal and lateral cells that tapered to a short beak at the apex. Sequence homology of the internal transcribed spacer region of the rDNA gene confirmed the identification of the isolate as Exophiala attenuata. Reported here is the first confirmed case of feline phaeohyphomycosis caused by E. attenuata in North America. Similar to historical cases of feline phaeohyphomycosis caused by Exophiala spp., there was no history or postmortem evidence to suggest the patient was in an immunocompromised state (e.g., suffering from FeLV or FIV). Although aggressive surgical excision of local lesions is recommended prior to drug treatment when dealing with subcutaneous phaeohyphomycosis, surgery followed by itraconazole treatment did not resolve the E. attenuata infection in this cat.

Isolation of Streptococcus suis from 2 lambs with a history of lameness.

Streptococcus suis was isolated postmortem from 2 lambs with a history of lameness. Identity of S. suis was confirmed by species-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. One isolate was untypable by serotyping and non-encapsulated, while the other isolate was serotype 33. The lambs had come from the same farm, and there was no evidence of contact between the lambs and pigs. Although the natural niche for S. suis is considered to be the pig, a wide range of host species may be affected by this pathogen.

Isolement deStreptococcus suischez 2 agneaux avec une anamnèse de boiterie.Streptococcus suis a été isolé post-mortem chez 2 agneaux avec une anamnèse de boiterie. L'identité de S. suis a été confirmée par une amplification en chaîne par la polymérase (ACP) et par le séquençage génétique de l'ARNr 16S. Un isolat n'a pas pu être typé par sérotypage et était non encapsulé, tandis que l'autre isolat était de sérotype 33. Les agneaux provenaient de la même ferme et il n'y avait aucune preuve de contact entre les agneaux et les porcs. Même si le créneau naturel de S. suis est considéré comme étant le porc, un vaste éventail d'espèces hôtes peuvent être affectées par cet agent pathogène.(Traduit par Isabelle Vallières).

Candida osteomyelitis in a gelding.

A 2-year-old gelding was referred for evaluation of severe right forelimb lameness. The horse was grade 4/5 lame on the right forelimb. Clinical, laboratory, and radiographic findings were consistent with septic arthritis and osteomyelitis. Due to poor prognosis the owner elected euthanasia. Histopathology confirmed chronic arthritis and osteomyelitis with intralesional yeast (Candida species).

Ostéomyélite àCandidachez un hongre. Un hongre âgé de 2 ans a été référé pour l'évaluation d'une boiterie grave du membre antérieur droit. Le cheval avait une boiterie de stade 4/5 du membre antérieur droit. Les constatations cliniques ainsi que les résultats de laboratoire et des radiographies étaient conformes à l'arthrite septique et à l'ostéomyélite. En raison d'un pronostic sombre, le propriétaire a choisi l'euthanasie. L'histopathologie a confirmé l'arthrite chronique et l'ostéomyélite avec des levures intralésionnelles (espèce Candida).(Traduit par Isabelle Vallières).

Comparison of bacterial culture, polymerase chain reaction, and a mix-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the detection of Salmonella status in grow-to-finish pigs in western Canada with a Bayesian approach.

Among grow-to-finish pigs from 10 herds in Alberta and Saskatchewan, 23 (16%) of 144 fecal samples were culture-positive and 40 (28%) of 144 pigs were seropositive for Salmonella. With a Bayesian model specifying dependence between the 2 tests, the sensitivity (Se) of culture and real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was 79% to 86%, depending on the cut-off value for the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Culture specificity (Sp) was assumed to be 100%; RT-PCR Sp was found to be 94%. The ELISA Se was 76% and 51% at optical density cut-off values ≥ 20% and ≥ 40%, respectively; the Sp was 94% at each cut-off value. The model showed some sensitivity to ELISA prior information, the ELISA Se being approximately 8% lower when informative prior information was specified in the model. When there was no adjustment for dependence between culture and RT-PCR, the posterior estimates for both culture and RT-PCR Se were 11% higher than with the conditional-dependence model and had considerably narrower probability intervals, which suggests that correlation between culture and PCR is important and should be adjusted for in future studies.

Distribution of Salmonella serovars in breeding, nursery, and grow-to-finish pigs, and risk factors for shedding in ten farrow-to-finish swine farms in Alberta and Saskatchewan.

The study objectives were to investigate Salmonella prevalence, serovar distribution, and risk factors for shedding in 10 purposively selected farrow-to-finish farms in Saskatchewan and Alberta. Pooled fecal samples from the breeding and grow-finish phases and individual fecal samples from breeding, nursery, and grow-finish pigs were cultured for Salmonella; serotyping of isolates was performed. Pig and pen characteristics were recorded for each pig and pen sampled.Overall, 407/1143 (36%) of samples were Salmonella positive; within-farm prevalence ranged from 1% to 79%. Sows, nursery, and grow-finish pigs accounted for 43%, 29%, and 28% of positive samples, respectively. More Salmonella were detected in pooled pen than individual pig samples (P < 0.001). Among 418 Salmonella isolates, there were 19 distinct serovars; the most common were S. Derby (28.5%), S. Typhimurium, var. Copenhagen (19.1%), S. Putten (11.8%), S. Infantis (6.8%), and S. Mbandaka (6.1%). Sows were more likely to shed Salmonella than nursery or grow-finisher (OR 2.9, P < 0.001) pigs. Pelleted feed (OR 8.2, P < 0.001) and nose-to-nose pig contact through pens (OR 2.2, P = 0.005) were associated with increased Salmonella prevalence. Significant differences in serovar distribution were detected among production phases. The use of pooled pen samples is recommended as a more efficient means for accurate evaluation of Salmonella status in different phases of pig production. The breeding herd might be an important source of Salmonella persistence within farrow-to-finish farms and should be targeted in control efforts. The latter might also apply to the use of pelleted feed, which remains the most consistently reported significant risk factor for Salmonella shedding in pigs.

Distribution of Salmonella serovars and phage types on 80 Ontario swine farms in 2004.

The objective of this study was to describe the distribution of Salmonella spp. on Ontario grower-finisher pig farms. Eighty swine farms were visited from January through July 2004. On each farm, fecal samples were collected from 5 pens, 2 rectal samples and 1 pooled sample from fresh manure on the floor per pen. Salmonella was isolated from 91 (11%) of the 800 rectal samples and 73 (18%) of the 397 pooled samples. Overall, Salmonella was recovered from 37 (46%) of the 80 farms. On each positive farm, Salmonella was cultured from 1 to 7 pigs or 1 to 5 pens. Of the 37 farms, 18, 13, 5, and 1 yielded 1, 2, 3, and 4 serovars, respectively. The most common serovars were S. Typhimurium var. Copenhagen, S. Infantis, S. Typhimurium, S. Derby, S. Agona, S. Havana, and S. enterica subsp. I:Rough-O. The 3 most frequent phage types were PT 104, PT 104a, and PT 104b. There was a statistically fair agreement between samples collected directly from pigs and pooled pen samples in determining the Salmonella status at the pen and farm level (kappa = 0.6, P < 0.0001). However, in 62 pens, Salmonella status, serovars, or phage types differed between the pig and pooled pen samples. The distribution of Salmonella on the swine farms in this study indicates that, in developing an intervention strategy, priority should be given to farms positive for S. Typhimurium var. Copenhagen. Also, the variation in Salmonella status between pig and pooled pen samples deserves consideration in a sampling strategy.

Characterization of antimicrobial resistance of Salmonella Newport isolated from animals, the environment, and animal food products in Canada.

Multi-drug-resistant (MDR) Salmonella enterica serovar Newport strains are increasingly isolated from animals and food products of animal origin and have caused septicemic illness in animals and humans. The purpose of this study was to determine the occurrence and the epidemiologic, phenotypic, and genotypic characteristics of S. Newport of animal origin that may infect humans, either via the food chain or directly. During the 1993-2002 period, the Office International des Epizooties Reference Laboratory for Salmonellosis in Guelph, Ontario, received 36 841 Salmonella strains for serotyping that had been isolated from animals, environmental sources, and food of animal origin in Canada. Of these, 119 (0.3%) were S. Newport. Before 2000, none of 49 S. Newport strains was resistant to more than 3 antimicrobials. In contrast, between January 2000 and December 2002, 35 of 70 isolates, primarily of bovine origin, were resistant to at least 11 antimicrobials, including the extended-spectrum cephalosporins. The blaCMY-2', flo(st'), strA, strB, sulII, and tetA resistance genes were located on plasmids of 80 to 90 MDa that were self-transmissible in 25% of the strains. Conserved segments of the integron 1 gene were found on the large MDR-encoding plasmids in 3 of 35 strains additionally resistant to gentamicin and spectinomycin or to spectinomycin, sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim, and trimethoprim. Resistance to kanamycin and neomycin was encoded by the aphA-1 gene, located on small plasmids (2.3 to 6 MDa). The increase in bovine-associated MDR S. Newport infections is cause for concern since it indicates an increased risk of human acquisition of the infection via the food chain.

Longitudinal study of Salmonella species in 90 Alberta swine finishing farms.

The aim of this study was to determine the farm prevalence of Salmonella in 90 Alberta finishing swine farms over a 5-month period, to evaluate Salmonella distribution in the farm environment and to describe Salmonella serovar diversity on these farms. Ten veterinary practitioners selected 90 Alberta swine farms based on an annual production of > or =2000 market pigs per farm and the willingness of the producers to participate in the study. Between May and September 2000, twenty samples were collected from finishing swine and the environment of each farm. The annual production of selected farms represented approximately 25% of the market swine production in Alberta. Participating farms were geographically representative of major swine production areas in Alberta. Sixty (66.7%) farms had at least one Salmonella-positive sample, with confidence interval (CI) of 57.1-77.2%. Salmonella were detected in 14.3% of fecal and 20.1% of environmental samples. The number of Salmonella-positive samples per farm ranged from 1 to 19. Among environmental samples, Salmonella were most frequently recovered from boots (38.6%) and the main drain (31.8%). Twenty-two serovars were detected on the 60 Salmonella-positive farms. Serovars Typhimurium (78 isolates), Derby (71 isolates) and Infantis (47 isolates) were the most common. A single serovar was detected on 58 farms, while 2, 3 and >3 serovars were detected on 15, 10 and 7 farms, respectively. The Salmonella farm status changed frequently over the 5-month period indicating the dynamic nature of Salmonella infections on these farms.