Serological survey for antibodies to Leptospira in dogs and raccoons in Washington State.

A high number of reported canine leptospirosis cases occurred in Washington State from 2004 to 2006. This prompted a serosurvey of healthy dogs from around the state to determine the distribution of exposure risk and to provide insight into serovar epidemiology in the region. In addition, a convenience sample of sera from injured raccoons was also tested, and clinical serological data from the Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory were examined. The proportion of dogs with an antibody titre (>or=1:100) to any serovar was 27/158 (17.1%, 95% CI 11.6-23.9), and that proportion among raccoons was 22/115 (19.1%, 95% CI 12.4-27.5) suggesting that the potential for exposure in Washington state is not uncommon. The most frequently detected serovars in healthy dogs were Autumnalis, Icterohemorrhagiae and Canicola, in clinical canine samples Autumnalis, Bratislava and Pomona were more frequent and in sick or injured raccoons Autumnalis, and Pomona were most frequently detected. Clinical canine serology demonstrated a late summer-fall seasonality that was consistent with other reports. An outbreak of canine leptospirosis occurred during 2004-2006 and was located primarily in western Washington counties, as were three reported human cases in 2005. Canine leptospirosis surveillance is an important tool for detecting human risk of exposure and may provide insights into which serovars are currently of clinical importance.

Raptor therapeutics.

Developing a therapeutic plan for raptors can be challenging because the veterinarian must take numerous and sometimes conflicting factors into consideration. Successful therapy depends on proper management of the raptor patient, beginning with its initial presentation and continuing throughout its time in captivity. Important considerations concerning medicine and natural history peculiar to raptors are addressed. Guidelines for constructing an effective therapeutic plan for the treatment of common diseases and conditions seen in wild raptors are presented.

Radioisotope techniques in delineation of the environmental behavior of cadmium.

Radioisotope techniques are being developed and utilized at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) for evaluating the environmental behavior of toxic elements such as cadmium in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Tracer techniques using 109Cd in microcosm, field plot, and stream systems are providing information on biogeochemical cycling and distribution of cadmium in the environment. Parameters being measured include adsorption capacity for cadmium in mineral soils and sediments; uptake rates of cadmium in various plant species from both soils and nutrient solutions as affected by pH, competing cations, and chemical form of cadmium; and distribution of cadmium in various components of both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems following application of 109Cd to soil vegetation, or directly to streams. Food chain parameters being estimated with 109Cd include uptake, assimilation, and turnover by both aquatic and terrestrial organisms. Information obtained in these radiotracer studies is providing insight into the behavior of cadmium in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, especially transport rates of cadmium and potential biomagnification or dilution in food chains. The factors which influence the incorporation of cadmium into vegetative material as well as those affecting residence time in ecosystems have been identified. Use of 109Cd also has permitted evaluation of a cadmium specific electrode as a tool for rapid assay of free cadmium ions in soil solutions.