Homeopathic treatment as an alternative prophylactic to minimize bacterial infection and prevent neonatal diarrhea in calves.

Bovine neonatal diarrhea is common due low immunity in newborn calves, poor management (or absence) of sanitary barriers, and other factors. Newborn calves with diarrhea in the first days of life suffer failure to thrive and may die if left untreated. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether prophylactic administration of a homeopathic product (Dia 100®) can control bovine neonatal diarrhea in calves born on a farm with substantial sanitary challenges. We counted total bacteria and protozoan parasites in fecal samples. We measured serum glucose, total protein, globulin, albumin, cholesterol and triglycerides on days 1, 7 and 14 of life. Twenty newborn calves were maintained in individual stalls, and were divided in two groups: ten untreated animals (control) and ten animals treated with Dia 100®. Fecal consistency was evaluated daily. We diagnosed diarrhea in five animals in the treated group, and in all animals from the control group. Infections with Escherichia coli and Giardia duodenalis were identified as the responsible organisms. The E. coli count was low in the treatment group on day 7 of life compared with the control group. Antibiotics were given to eight animals in the control group, and to two animals in the treatment group. On day of life 7, serum levels of total protein and globulins were higher in the control group, but were lower on day 14. Serum levels of glucose and triglycerides were greater in treated animals on days 7 and 14, suggesting that the homeopathic product contributes to improvement of intestinal health and absorption and nutrients. We conclude that Dia 100® controls diarrhea with 50% of efficacy, and reduces antibiotic utilization.

Evaluation of the BacT/Alert microbial detection system with FAN aerobic and FAN anaerobic bottles for culturing normally sterile body fluids other than blood.

We evaluated the BacT/Alert Microbial Detection System (Organon Teknika Corporation, Durham, NC, USA) by using FAN bottles compared to conventional culture methods for the recovery of microorganisms from normally sterile body fluids other than blood and dialysates. Clinically significant pathogens were isolated from 116 (11%) of 1, 099 consecutive specimens (80 from both conventional media and FAN bottles; 23 from FAN bottles only; 13 from conventional media only). Gram-positive cocci were more likely to be recovered from FAN bottles than from conventional media (p = 0.04). Contaminants were also more likely to have grown in FAN bottles (3%) than on conventional media (1%) (p = 0.04). The mean time to detection of significant pathogens was 20.9 h using FAN bottles as compared to 30. 9 h using conventional media (p = 0.0001). These results indicate that the BacT/Alert Microbial Detection System using FAN blood culture bottles improves the yield of clinically significant Gram-positive isolates from normally sterile body fluids with a reduced time to detection.

Management of mastitis on organic and conventional dairy farms.

This paper compares management of mastitis on organic dairy farms with that on conventional dairy farms. National standards for organic production vary by country. In the United States, usage of antimicrobials to treat dairy cattle results in permanent loss of organic status of the animal, effectively limiting treatment choices for animals experiencing bacterial diseases. There are no products approved by the US Food and Drug Administration that can be used for treatment of mastitis on organic dairy farms, and usage of unapproved products is contrary to Food and Drug Administration guidelines. In general, organic dairy farms tend to be smaller, produce less, and more likely to be housed and milked in traditional barns as compared with conventionally managed herds. It is difficult to compare disease rates between herds managed conventionally or organically because perception and detection of disease is influenced by management system. To date, no studies have been published with the defined objective of comparing animal health on organic dairy herds with that on conventional dairy herds in the United States. European studies have not documented significant differences in animal health based on adoption of organic management. Few differences in bulk tank somatic cell counts have been identified between organic and conventional herds. Farmers that have adopted organic management consistently report fewer cases of clinical mastitis, but organic farmers do not use the same criteria to detect clinical mastitis. European dairy farmers that adopt organic management report use of a variety of conventional and alternative therapies for treatment and control of mastitis. In the United States, organic farmers treat clinical mastitis using a variety of alternative therapies including whey-based products, botanicals, vitamin supplements, and homeopathy. Organic farmers in the United States use a variety of alternative products to treat cows at dry-off. Virtually no data are available that support the clinical efficacy of any of the alternative veterinary products used for treatment or prevention of mastitis. Some associations between organic management and antimicrobial susceptibility of gram-positive mastitis pathogens have been noted, but overall, few mastitis pathogens from both conventional and organic dairy herds demonstrate resistance to antibiotics commonly used for mastitis control.

Clinical comparison of two commercial blood culture systems.

A prospective, volume-controlled comparison of the BacT/Alert FAN (Organon Teknika, USA) and Vital (bioMérieux, France) blood culture systems was performed in a university hospital during a period of 11 months. Twenty to 40 ml of blood drawn from an adult patient was distributed equally between a BacT/Alert FAN and a Vital blood culture set, both consisting of an aerobic and an anaerobic bottle. Bottles were weighed prior to use and after incubation to calculate the blood volume. A compliant pair of aerobic, or anaerobic, bottles of a blood culture was defined as follows: blood volumes were 4-11 ml and the blood volumes in the two bottles differed by < or =20%. From 120 compliant pairs of aerobic bottles, 135 organisms were recovered, of which 78 were isolated in both bottles, 44 in the BacT/Alert FAN bottle only and 13 in the Vital bottle only (P<0.0005). In particular, aerobic BacT/Alert FAN bottles yielded more members of the family Enterobacteriaceae (P<0.01). The BacT/Alert FAN system also performed significantly better when comparing anaerobic bottles, and the yield was greater during septic episodes. Both culture systems were similar regarding detection time, recovery during antimicrobial therapy, and the occurrence of false-positive and false-negative bottles. The overall performance of the BacT/Alert FAN system was better than that of the Vital system.

Comparison of the BacT/Alert PF pediatric FAN blood culture bottle with the standard pediatric blood culture bottle, the Pedi-BacT.

The performance of the BacT/Alert PF (Organon-Teknika Corp., Durham, N.C.), a new nonvented pediatric FAN blood culture bottle, was compared to that of the original pediatric bottle, the Pedi-BacT, with matched aerobic cultures obtained from two separate facilities. A total of 244 clinically significant isolates were recovered from 4,015 compliant pairs. Among the positive cultures, 170 (70%) isolates were detected in both the BacT/Alert PF and the Pedi-BacT bottles, while 47 (19%) isolates were recovered in the BacT/Alert PF bottle only and 27 (11%) isolates were recovered in the Pedi-BacT bottle only. Although isolation of specific microorganisms was comparable for the two bottles, the total number of organisms recovered by the BacT/Alert PF was greater than that by the Pedi-BacT (P = 0.0272). In addition, more organisms were recovered by the BacT/Alert PF bottle from the blood of patients receiving antimicrobial therapy (P = 0.0180). Overall time to detection was similar for the two bottles; however, a significantly decreased mean time to detection was recorded for yeast from the BacT/Alert PF bottle (22.9 h; P = 0.0001) and staphylococci from the Pedi-BacT bottle (22.5 h; P = 0.0056). One false-negative culture and five false-positive cultures occurred with the Pedi-BacT bottle, compared to one false-positive culture with the BacT/Alert PF bottle. The BacT/Alert PF bottle is a reliable blood culture bottle for pediatric blood culture specimens and may offer improved recovery of microbes from patients on antimicrobial therapy. The use of the nonvented bottle will both facilitate bottle processing and decrease expenditures for materials due to the elimination of the venting needles required for the original vented bottles.

Controle laboratorial da atividade de autonosodios em diferentes casos de infeccao / Laboratorial control of autonosodies activity in infections diseases

It was made the laboratory control of autonosodies activity, prepared with alive germs and applied in D30. Through the control of diverse biological material provenient from the patients treated with autonosodies, the authors concluded that the use of this medicine is viable in different infections. Nevertheless, its aplication must be done under a regular laboratory control, even if the patients do not present any symptom