Unusual Yersinia enterocolitica strains recovered from domestic animals and people in New Zealand.

Twenty five isolates of Yersinia recovered from the faeces of cattle, sheep, goats and people in New Zealand were characterised biochemically and serologically and were found to be unrelated to any known Yersinia species. Two phenotypes were identified biochemically. Testing against all known O-factors of Yersinia showed that the isolates were serologically unique and two new serotypes were proposed, O:77 and O:78. Deoxyribonucleic acid relatedness studies indicated that the strains formed a homogeneous group, closely related to Yersinia enterocolitica. The definitive status of the isolates has not yet been decided.

[Precancerous states of the larynx: analysis of mono- and polyclonality of the cells with high proliferative index (p53, PCNA)]. / Stany przedrakowe krtani--analiza mono- i poliklonalnosci komórek o wysokim indeksie proliferacyjnym (p53, PCNA).

The aim of the study was analysis of relationship between proliferation index (PCNA) and protein p53 content in dysplastic laryngeal epithelium and the degree of dysplasia, age of patients and smoking. The study population consisted of 45 patients (mean age 57.7 +/- 6.2) with chronic laryngitis. It was revealed epithelial dysplasia varying in intensity in 36 patients and epithelial hyperplasia without dysplasia (acanthosis) in 9 patients--control group. Mean value of p53 protein index was 8.91 +/- 7.43% in dysplastic epithelium and 3.67 +/- 3.4 in hyperplastic epithelium without dysplasia. The difference was statistically significant (p = 0.007). P53 content significantly differed between groups with grade I and grade II dysplasia (p = 0.03) and between groups with grade I and grade III dysplasia (p = 0.03). The difference was found between groups with grade II and III dysplasia and group with hyperplasia without dysplasia. The analysis of the correlation between degree of dysplasia and value of PCNA index showed absence of differences. There was no relationship between smoking, age of patients and Value of p53 and PCNA index.

Observations on the efficacy of mass treatment by subconjunctival penicillin injection for the control of an outbreak of infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis.

Infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis was diagnosed on a Manawatu beef cattle farm, with inflammation of 85% of eyes in a group of 150 6-month-old-calves. Comeal inflammation was recorded in 23% of eyes. All active lesions healed over a 3-week period following whole group subconjunctival penicillin injection. Morarellu bovis was cultured from two of seven conjunctival swabs at the time oftreatment and from four of six conjunctival swabs 9 days after treatment. Concurrently, pink-eye was noted in older cattle, with inflammation in 50% of eyes. For practical handling reasons, these older cattle were not treated. Despite nontreatment, their clinical signs regressed over a 3-week period. The rationale of whole group treatment for the control of infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis is discussed.

Prevalence of Bordetella bronchiseptica in cats attended by a veterinary practice in the Manawatu region.

AIMS: To determine the prevalence by isolation of Bordetella bronchiseptica infection in healthy cats and in cats showing signs of upper respiratory tract (URT) disease attended by a veterinary practice in the Manawatu region. METHODS: The nasal cavity and oropharynx of 100 cats of mixed sex and age were swabbed and the swabs cultured for B. bronchiseptica. The population of cats surveyed was that attended by the Massey University Veterinary Teaching Hospital, and included healthy cats, cats with clinical signs of URT disease, cats with a recent history of URT disease, cats from single cat households, cats from multiple-cat households, and cats from a colony. RESULTS: Bordetella bronchiseptica was recovered from 7 cats (5 from pharyngeal samples and 2 from nasal samples). Five of the 7 cats appeared to be healthy at the time of sampling, whilst 2 showed clinical signs of URT disease. Six of the 7 culture-positive cats were from a cat colony. The prevalence of B. bronchiseptica in healthy cats sampled was 7% and in cats with URT disease was 8%. CONCLUSION: This study confirms that B. bronchiseptica infection is present, but the prevalence of infection is low, in both healthy cats and in cats with URT disease attended by the Massey University Veterinary Teaching Hospital. It is unlikely that B. bronchiseptica infection is a frequent cause of feline URT disease of cats in this region.