Failure of Passive Immunity Transfer Is Not a Risk Factor for Omphalitis in Beef Calves.

Omphalitis is the third most frequent disease in newborn calves after neonatal diarrhea and bovine respiratory disease (BRD), but limited data on the prevalence and risk factors are available in the literature. Failure of passive immunity transfer (FPIT) is recognized as a major risk factor for diseases and mortality in calves. However, the association between omphalitis and FPIT remains poorly described. To assess this association, 964 suckler beef calves from 22 farms were included in a longitudinal cohort study for 5 months. Each calf was examined twice (mean ages: 4.4 and 11.1 days old) to diagnose omphalitis through clinical examination and ultrasonographic evaluation (USE) if necessary. Measurements of the total solids percentage (TS-%Brix) and total protein (TP) were performed on the serum during the first visit to evaluate the calves' passive immunity status. FPIT (fair and poor) was defined as serum %Brix < 8.1 or TP < 5.1 g/dL; among calves with omphalitis, 14% had FPIT and among calves without omphalitis 12% had FPIT. The omphalitis prevalence was 32.3% in calves without any other disease (overall prevalence of 30.9%). No statistical association between the prevalence of omphalitis and FPIT was observed. Further research is needed to identify the risk factors and promote the prevention measures for omphalitis in cow-calf systems, such as calving difficulty, hygiene of housing, and navel disinfection.

Euthanasia of honey-bee colonies: Proposal of a standard method.

Honey bees are most often kept for production purposes. Sanitary, regulatory, or zootechnical circumstances may lead the beekeeper or the veterinarian to dispose of a honey-bee colony. Unfortunately and at present, no standard method of euthanasia exists, leaving the door open to many more or less acceptable practices. Based on a short survey of current practices in 8 countries, we list and rank these methods. Although imperfect, the sulfur dioxide technique appears to be the most efficient. We suggest that it should become the reference method to be taught and incorporated into veterinary and regulatory guidelines.

Euthanasie des colonies d'abeilles mellifères: proposition d'une méthode standard. Les abeilles mellifères sont le plus souvent gardées à des fins de production. Des circonstances sanitaires, réglementaires ou zootechniques peuvent conduire l'apiculteur ou le vétérinaire à se débarrasser d'une colonie d'abeilles. Malheureusement, et à l'heure actuelle, aucune méthode standard d'euthanasie n'existe, laissant la porte ouverte à de nombreuses pratiques plus ou moins acceptables. Sur la base d'une courte enquête sur les pratiques actuelles dans huit pays, nous listons et classons ces méthodes. Bien qu'imparfaite, la technique du dioxyde de soufre semble être la plus efficace. Nous suggérons qu'elle devienne la méthode de référence à enseigner et à intégrer dans les directives vétérinaires et réglementaires.(Traduit par Dr Serge Messier).

Long-term outcomes of a dual-mobility cup and cementless triple-taper femoral stem combination in total hip replacement: a multicenter retrospective analysis.

BACKGROUND: The separate design concepts of dual-mobility cups and triple-taper femoral stems were developed to improve survivorship following total hip replacement (THR) by reducing instability/dislocation and enabling enhanced fixation. Successful outcomes at over two decades have been reported with earlier-generation devices based on these concepts. The current study aimed to provide the first long-term results with a unique pairing of later-generation dual-mobility cup and triple-taper cementless femoral stem after a decade of use in patients undergoing THR. METHODS: In this retrospective analysis, records were reviewed for all subjects implanted with this dual-mobility cup/cementless femoral stem combination at three centers between 2002 and 2005. Any subject who had not already had follow-up visit beyond 10 years, was not previously revised, and still living were invited for a single follow-up visit consisting of Merle d'Aubgine Scores, the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis (WOMAC) index, and standard radiographs. RESULTS: There were 244 THRs available for analysis. At a mean follow-up of 11.9 years, the Kaplan-Meier survivorship (endpoint: revision for any reason) was 99.1% (95% CI, 97.6-99.7) for the stem and 95.9% (95% CI, 93.1-97.6) for the cup. Merle d'Aubigne Scores were significantly improved from baseline and WOMAC scores were in the satisfactory range at the final follow-up. Radiographic analysis revealed no cases of stem subsidence, no cases of bone hypertrophy, 1 (0.4%) case of bone atrophy, and 3 (1.2%) cases of osteolysis around the stem. No subjects had radiolucent lines greater than 1 mm in any femoral Gruen zone. Evidence of cup migration was seen in 1 (0.4%) subject and 1 (0.4%) subject had evidence of osteolysis that was seen in Gruen zones I, II, IV, and V. CONCLUSIONS: This combination of a later-generation dual-mobility cup and cementless triple-taper stem was associated with excellent survivorship and satisfactory functional outcomes at over 10 years follow-up. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02648152. Date of registration: January 6, 2016. Retrospectively registered.

Investigation of the aetiology of udder-thigh dermatitis in French dairy cattle.

Udder-thigh dermatitis (UTD) is a common disease in dairy cattle. The aim of this study was to define UTD incidence, its risk factors and the involved pathogens. Of 74 respondents, 72 (97%) reported having had the disease. On those farms the incidence was 5.3 cases per 100 cow years. The odds ratio (OR) of UTD in primiparous compared to multiparous cows was 23.4 (95% CI 17.3-33.8). Compared to tied stalls, the ORs of UTD were 0.65 (95% CI 0.45-0.92) and 0.43 (95% CI 0.24-0.71) for free stalls and straw yards, respectively. Udder oedema was reported in 98.3% of cows with UTD. The most common bacteria isolated from affected skin were Fusobacterium spp. (12/14 cases). This study suggests that UTD management should focus on local treatment, reducing udder oedema and increasing exercise.