Prevalence of antibodies to Encephalitozoon cuniculi in horses in the Israel.

Infection with the intracellular microsporidium Encephalitozoon cuniculi can cause a serious disease--encephalitozoonosis in various animals and people. Several species of mammals, including the horse, were seem to be potential sources of encephalitozoonosis for animal as well as human hosts. The disease diagnosis is based on clinical signs, pathological findings, and the detection of E. cuniculi or circulating antibodies directed against the parasite. This study investigates the seroconversion to E. cuniculi in horses admitted to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and 3 different private horse-riding farms across Israel. Antibodies to E. cuniculi were determined using the IFA test in the sera from 102 horses. Of 72 asymptomatic horses, 60% were seropositive and 19% of the positive samples showed a titter of 1:512. Of 30 horses with various clinical signs, 80% were seropositive and 68% of the positive samples showed a titer of 1:512. High titers were associated with colic and neurological signs. This could prove to be interesting if the high percentages of prevalence of antibodies level in horses are an indication of health risk in humans.

Effect of ovariohysterectomy on canine postsurgical leukocyte function.

The effect of surgery on phagocytic activity of blood leukocytes and mitogen-induced blastogenesis of lymphocytes was studied in fourteen dogs. Simple ovariohysterectomy with anaesthesia induced by ketamine and xylazine or by ketamine, xylazine and halothane caused a short nonsignificant depression of phagocytic activity that persisted for four hours after surgery. Ingestion capacity of leukocytes decreased significantly immediately after surgery. Mitogen-induced blastogenesis of lymphocytes was depressed significantly in the first 48 hours and despite partial recovery this parameter did not reach the value of the control groups until the end of observation (7 days). A more conspicuous decrease of blastogenic response of blood lymphocytes to mitogens was found after the use of ketamine and xylazine in a dose maintaining anaesthesia. Anaesthesia with ketamine and xylazine in the lower dose and maintained with halothane resulted in a later improvement of the blastogenic response of lymphocytes.

A survey for BVDV antibodies in cattle farms in Slovakia and genetic typing of BVDV isolates from imported animals.

A serological survey for bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) antibodies on a collection of 1295 serum samples obtained from 6-12 months old cattle originating from 45 farms in Slovakia was carried out. On 13 farms more than 90% of the examined animals were seropositive, on 14 farms 71-90% seroprevalence was observed, on 13 farms only 50-70% animals were found to be positive for BVDV antibodies, while the remaining 5 farms showed fewer than 50% seropositive animals. The average incidence of BVDV antibodies (around 70%) was similar as determined 30 years ago. Of 84 serum samples from seronegative animals originating from 14 farms in which 70-98% seropositivity was observed, six were positive in Ag-BVDV ELISA indicating persistently infected (PI) cattle. On a farm to which animals were imported from abroad, a BVD outbreak was observed. Of 110 animals tested, four were positive in Ag-ELISA indicating the presence of PI cattle on this farm. Genetic typing of two isolates from imported animals performed by RT-PCR (324/326 primers from 5'-UTR), sequencing of PCR products and computer-assisted phylogenetic analysis revealed that they belong to BVDV-1 h group.