A clinical case of presumed cerebellar medulloblastoma in a Japanese Black calf with increased neuron-specific enolase in cerebrospinal fluid.

A 2-day-old Japanese Black male calf that presented with opisthotonos with spastic extension of all four limbs and nystagmus was presented. Evaluation of cranial neurology revealed a horizontal slow nystagmus and absence of menace response in the left eye. Necropsy revealed a mass located between the posterior margin of the cerebrum and anterior margin of the cerebellum, and continuously with the cerebellar lesion. The brainstem was severely compressed by those lesions. Original structures of the cerebellum were mostly replaced by grayish-white and brownish tissues. Those lesions were diagnosed as presumed cerebellar medulloblastoma by histopathological and immunohistochemical examination. As neuron-specific enolase in the cerebrospinal fluid which is a biomarker for neuronal damage was increased compared with healthy calves.

A clinical case of neosporosis in a 4-week-old holstein friesian calf which developed hindlimb paresis postnatally.

A 4-week-old female Holstein Friesian calf presented with hindlimb paresis. Neurologic examination of spinal reflexes revealed depressed or absent reflexes of the hindlimbs. Menace responses on both sides disappeared on examination of cranial nerves. The calf was finally diagnosed with Neospora caninum infection by pathological findings including nonsuppurative inflammation associated with cysts in the cerebrum and spinal cord. High levels of antibody against recombinant surface antigen 1 of N. caninum (NcSAG1) were detected by ELISA from both serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples. This result suggests that detection of antibodies against N. caninum by NcSAG1-ELISA in serum and CSF could be useful for the clinical diagnosis of neosporosis in calves with acquired neurological signs.

Serological survey of Borrelia infection of dogs in Sapporo, Japan, where Borrelia garinii infection was previously detected.

A serological survey of Borrelia infection of dogs was performed in Sapporo, Japan, where Borrelia garinii infection in dogs was detected in 2011. A total of 314 serum samples were collected from dogs that visited three animal hospitals in Sapporo from 2012 to 2014. The two-step evaluation method, involving screening ELISA followed by Western blot analysis, was used to detect antibodies against Borrelia species. A total of 34 samples were positive by ELISA. Among those 34 samples, 32 were positive for Borrelia spp. by Western blot. These findings suggest that the 32 dogs (10.2%) generated antibodies against Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, such as B. garinii or B. afzelii. Antibody positivity was 7.6% and 13.3% for dogs living in urban and rural areas, respectively. Dogs with a history of tick infestation showed a positive rate of 16.7%, which was higher, although not significantly, than the 6.7% among dogs without a history.