Salmonella typhimurium DT104 septicaemia with meningitis in neonatal piglets.

Clinical salmonellosis in pigs in the Netherlands usually manifests itself as diarrhoea. In finishing pigs this is sometimes accompanied by peracute mortality, mainly in the last month of the finishing period. This is the first report describing Salmonella Typhimurium DT104 infection of 1-week-old suckling piglets in the Netherlands. The piglets showed nervous symptoms and died. The clinical symptoms, gross pathology, histopathological, bacteriological and phagetyping results are presented as well as the antimicrobial resistance pattern. This case is not only important as an extension of the clinical syndrome of salmonellosis in pigs in the Netherlands, but also because of the risk of human infection after consumption of pork or pork products contaminated with this pathogenic and multiple resistant Salmonella clone.

[Veterinarians:'Watch your affairs!']. / Dierenarts: 'let op uw saeck!'

The most relevant results of a written questionnaire among veterinarians in the Netherlands are presented and discussed. The inquiry was performed by MarketResponse Nederland BV. The objective was to get an overview of the current perception and the future view of the profession. The response was 37%. Most respondents (66%) were practitioners, 7% were active in research or teaching institutions, 5% were governmental employees, 5% were employed in industry, and 17% did not belong to any of these categories (retired, unemployed etc.). Forty-seven per cent of the veterinarians practised mainly small animal medicine, 24% large animal medicine (cattle 15%, swine 8%, and poultry 1%), and 4% equine medicine; 24% worked in mixed practices. This division reflects the real-life situation. The percentage of female respondents was considerably higher in the group of recent graduates than in the other groups of graduates (increasing from 27% in the graduation period 1980-1989 to 56% in the period 1990-1999). Sixty per cent of the veterinarians worked more than 40 hours a week. Veterinarians considered themselves reliable, honest, professional, client-minded, and animal-friendly. According to them, the public perceived veterinarians as being animal-friendly, professional, and reliable. Veterinarians were less satisfied in their current position than other professional groups, particularly with regard to their income. Their current market position was considered indifferent or good. This position was influenced negatively by the decrease in the number of animals and competition from non-veterinarians and others. The situation could be improved by collaboration and practice fusions, specialization, and differentiation. More demanding and price-conscious clients and governmental regulations were considered important trends. Social, management, and marketing skills, increased knowledge and cooperation, and a vision of future developments were considered essential in order to be able react to developments on the market. About 60% of the practitioners and 50% of the other veterinarians felt that they lacked the right skills, and especially management and marketing skills, to react to these developments adequately. Most veterinarians (77%) considered that their training did not provide them with the skills needed for their current position. During training, more time should be spent on management, communication, marketing, and social skills. Based on the results, veterinary medicine in the Netherlands seems to be an introspective but good profession; however, the interesting aspects of the profession appear to be over-shadowed by less appreciated aspects and the income is moderate. Entrepreneuship is poorly developed, in part because this is considered taboo. The importance of skills that are not an integral part of veterinary medicine, such as management, marketing, and communication, is recognized, as is the lack of these skills. Despite this, emphasis is put on continuing professional education, species specialization, modernization, accreditation, and expansion of facilities and treatment possibilities as ways to respond to the market situation.

Incidence of paratuberculosis after vaccination against M. paratuberculosis in two infected dairy herds.

Vaccination against paratuberculosis of all newborn animals has been performed since April 1984 in two dairy herds with a high incidence of clinical cases of paratuberculosis, using a vaccine containing heat-inactivated M. paratuberculosis in a water/mineral oil emulsion. Animals slaughtered between April 1984 and January 1991 were included in the study. Histology, bacterioscopy and culture on Smith and modified Löwenstein-Jensen media were performed using jejunum, ileum and draining lymph nodes. The animals present on the farm in April 1984 constituted a retrospective non-vaccinated group, giving an indication of the initial infection rate. After vaccination, the percentage of animals culled for clinical paratuberculosis decreased significantly (7.8 to 1.8%; P < 0.005), as did the percentage of animals with positive histology (11.8% to 5%). The incidence of infected animals, defined by positive results in histology and or bacterioscopy and/or culture, however, increased from 21.8% to 25.9%.

[Doxycycline poisoning in veal calves]. / Doxycycline-vergiftiging bij witvleeskalveren.

Several veal calves that had received doxycycline died suddenly. Post mortem examination revealed pulmonary oedema, myocardial degeneration, and myocarditis. It is possible that hitherto unknown interactions between doxycycline and other compounds may have played a role.

Relationship between negative skin test with Johnin after vaccination and post mortem findings.

One hundred and seventy-six cattle, vaccinated against paratuberculosis in the first month of life with a whole-cell inactivated vaccine, containing Mycobacterium paratuberculosis suspended in a water/oil emulsion, were tested with intradermal Johnin between the ages of five and 14 months. Negative results in the skin test occurred more frequently in animals found positive in post mortem examinations (P = 0.008) using histological, microscopical and cultural techniques.

Effect of glucocorticoids on cows suspected of subclinical infection with M. paratuberculosis.

Glucocorticoids were administered to 10 heifers suspected of subclinical infection with Mycobacterium paratuberculosis. Three animals remained untreated. M. paratuberculosis was isolated from the internal organs of 2 animals after this treatment but not from any of the control group. Delayed type hypersensitivity and lymphocyte reactivity towards Johnin and purified protein derivates of M. avium and M. bovis were depressed. A sharp increase in total leucocyte count, due to an increase in neutrophil numbers, occurred. In the three untreated animals these parameters did not change during the experiment. A decrease of specific immunological reactivity towards M. paratuberculosis occurred, but not to such an extent that clinical disease developed.

[Mycoplasma bovis arthritis in a herd of dairy cattle]. / Mycoplasma bovis arthritis in een koppel melkvee.

Cases of severe arthritis due to M. bovis in a herd of dairy cattle are reported. M. bovis was also isolated from the mammary tissues and lungs of one of the lame animals at autopsy; this animal did not show any symptoms of respiratory disease or mastitis. M. bovis was detected in milk samples of eight animals in which mastitis was present or absent, though not in any of the animals affected with arthritis. Antibiotic therapy failed to produce permanent results in the lame animals. Ultimately, spontaneous recovery occurred in these cases. M. bovis was no longer isolated following the short period during which lameness was present.

[Diagnosis of paratuberculosis in the preclinical stage]. / Diagnostiek van paratuberculose in een preklinisch stadium.

Those tests which are common practice in the diagnosis of Johne's disease in the Netherlands, namely the intradermal johnin hypersensitivity test, the complement fixation test and microscopic examination as well as examination of the faeces by culture, were carried out in twenty-one cattle from four herds infected with Johne's disease. In addition, the johnin lymphocytic stimulation test was performed. A number of animals of various ages, which were tested, showed positive johnin hypersensitivity tests prior to the beginning of the 1982 grazing period (Table 1). M. paratuberculosis was isolated from five of these twenty-one animals after death. Six animals showed a positive complement fixation test one or several times; M. paratuberculosis was isolated from four of these animals after death. On the other hand, M. paratuberculosis was isolated from an animal in which this hypersensitivity test had been constantly negative. The other animals from which M. paratuberculosis was isolated, showed positive johnin hypersensitivity tests in some and negative tests in other cases. Not a single shedder of M. paratuberculosis was identified using microscopic examination of the faeces. When the faeces were examined by culture, one of the three animals found to be positive after death was identified. The animals from the suspected herds showed a higher average johnin stimulation index (SI) than did those from herds free from Johne's disease. However, when the LST was used, all carriers of M. paratuberculosis also were not detectable. In conclusion, it has to be stated that none of the tests studied in these cases removed all doubt as to whether the animals were or were not subclinically infected with M. paratuberculosis.

[Drug residues in poultry (author's transl)]. / Residuen van geneesmiddelen bij pluimvee

The following microbiological tests: the Bacillus subtilis BGA (Bundes-Gesundheitsamt) test and Sarcina lutea test as well as the test bacteria Bacillus stearothermophilus var. calidolactis and E. coli were used to examine whether drug residues were detectable in broiler chickens during and after treatment with various drugs. With the exception of the occidiostat Esb3, residues were not found to be present using the two above tests. On the other hand, residues of a number of drugs were detected in some interior organs and faeces during treatment when the other test bacteria were used. Residues were no longer detected in the faeces, however, within twelve hours after treatment had been discontinued.