Crowding and winter emergency feeding as predisposing factors for kerato-conjunctivitis in semi-domesticated reindeer in Norway.

Due to the hard environmental and climatic situation in late winter 1999, a herd of about 200 free-ranging, semi-domesticated reindeer was gathered in a paddock in northern Norway for emergency feeding. About the same number of reindeer was not corralled but supplementary fed on their winter pastures. The fodder was of relatively good quality but very dusty and fed in a very dry environment. Six weeks later, an outbreak of eye-infection was diagnosed in one third of the corralled reindeer; mild symptoms were observed in most of them, but 11 animals showed severe signs of disease. No signs of disease were found in the non-corralled animals. Ten reindeer died through emaciation, the eleventh was sacrificed. Histopathological diagnosis of two severely affected eyes revealed a severe purulent kerato-conjunctivitis with bacteria and plant particles embedded in purulent exudates on the cornea and conjunctiva. In one eye from the two most affected animals Actinomyces pyogenes, coagulase-negative Staphylococci and Escherichia coli and in the other one Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli were found. The bacteria encountered in this study are not considered the primary cause of disease. They seem rather to be opportunistic infectious agents of eyes that have been irritated mechanically through exposure to dusty fodder in a dry environment. The stress through unfamiliar corralling of the reindeer, that followed an insufficient fodder supply, could be considered as an additional infection supporting factor. This case-report emphasises on the importance of different factors involved in favouring outbreaks of disease in reindeer, under intensified husbandry conditions. Even though crowding and emergency feeding may be, at certain circumstances, the only means of survival for reindeer, a negative impact of implied crowding diseases on their productivity, must be considered, as well.

Effect of combined acyclovir and ribavirin on experimental herpes simplex virus type 1 keratoconjunctivitis in rabbits.

The combination of acyclovir and ribavirin has been established to be more effective on experimental herpes simplex keratoconjunctivitis in rabbits than the treatment with individual drugs. The better therapeutic effect of the combination is proved by the decreased severity of the ocular infection and the reduction of the virus shedding in tear film, as well as by the diminished duration of the infection.

Role of immunoglobulins in protection against Shigella-induced keratoconjunctives.

Various immunoglobulin preparations were tested for their ability to protect guinea pig eyes from infection by a virulent strain of Shigella flexneri. Secretory immunoglobulin A was effective in delaying or preventing keratoconjunctivitis in eight guinea pigs when it was used to precoat the organism, and was also placed in the eye with the inoculum. Neither immunoglobulin G nor immunoglobulin M gave any protection when used in the same way. Protection by secretory immunoglobulin A appeared to be related to the antishigella antibody content of the immunoglobulin since a low-titered preparation gave less protection than a higher-titered one.

Chemoprophylaxis of Shigella flexneri keratoconjunctivitis in rabbits.

Chloramphenicol, chlortetracycline, streptomycin, and sulfisoxazole prevented keratoconjunctivitis in rabbit eyes infected with Shigella flexneri. The route of administration of the agent and the dose were important variables in controlling the infectious process. This assay system appears to be a useful technique for the in vivo evaluation of chemotherapeutic agents.