Carla L. Carleton

Persistence of serum antibodies to Sarcocystis neurona in horses moved from North America to India

BACKGROUND The study reported here was undertaken to assess the presence of antibodies to Sarcocystis neurona in the serum of horses of North American origin that had been relocated for 1 year or more to India (ie, outside of the known endemic areas for S. neurona). HYPOTHESIS The presence or absence of such antibodies should provide information concerning the persistence of such antibodies, or support the presence of chronic infection, or both. ANIMALS A total of 228 Thoroughbred horses were sampled in India, of which 86 were of North American origin that had been in India between 1 and 13 years, 124 were Indian-born horses that had never been out of India, 8 were of Irish origin, 8 were of English origin, and 2 were originally from France. METHODS Sera were tested using established western blot analysis. RESULTS Of the Indian-born horses, 0.8% were test positive, and of the North American horses, 42% were test positive. All of the English and Irish horses were test negative, and the 2 French horses were test positive. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE These data indicate that antibodies against S. neurona can be detected for many years after horses have been removed from an endemic area and that this may be attributable to long half-life of the antibodies or to chronic infection and ongoing antibody production, or both.

Isolation of Gardnerella Vaginalis from the Reproductive Tract of Four Mares

A gram-variable pleomorphic bacillus was isolated from the reproductive tracts of 4 mares during routine prebreeding soundness examinations. Using a commercial bacterial identification system, these organisms were identified as Streptococcus acidominimus. However, colonial and Gram-staining characteristics did not support this identification. Subsequent testing indicated the organism was similar to Gardnerella vaginalis. Additional growth and biochemical analysis performed in our laboratory and at the Michigan Department of Public Health and by the Center for Disease Control, Atlanta, Georgia, confirmed the identification of G. vaginalis.

Prevalence and persistence of Taylorella asinigenitalis in male donkeys

This study was undertaken to investigate the prevalence of Taylorella asinigenitalis in a subset of the donkey population of Michigan and in other equids on farms on which the organism was identified. Other aims were to further characterize the carrier state in terms of persistence and preferred sites of colonization of T. asinigenitalis in the male donkey as well as determine the genotype of any isolates of the organism. Initial testing of 43 donkeys and 1 mule turned up 4 (9.3%) donkeys culture positive for T. asinigenitalis. The 4 culture-positive donkeys resided on 2 farms accommodating a collective total of 89 equids, of which 23 (25.8%) were confirmed positive for T. asinigenitalis. The positive equid population on the 2 farms comprised 14 (67%) of 21 gelded donkeys, 8 (36.4%) of 22 intact male donkeys, and 1 (25%) of 4 gelded horses. T. asinigenitalis was not isolated from 27 female donkeys, 11 female horses, 2 female mules, 1 male horse, or 1 male mule resident on these premises. Isolations of the bacterium were obtained from a number of male donkeys whenever they were sampled over a span of 33 months; preferential sites of isolation were the urethral fossa (fossa glandis), dorsal diverticulum of the urethral sinus, and terminal urethra. Isolates of T. asinigenitalis from the 23 culture-positive equids comprised 2 genotypes, one identical to the type strain isolated in California in 1997, and the other identical to 2 strains isolated from donkey jacks in Kentucky in 1998.

Haemostasis and antithrombin III in the full-term newborn foal

Thirty-three Standardbred foals received a physical examination and had blood drawn for anti-thrombin III (AT III), immunoglobulin G (IgG), and haemostasis evaluation between 24 and 72 h of age. Based on physical examination, a normal haemogram within reference intervals and serum IgG concentration >600 mg/dl, 19 foals remained in the study. AT III values for protein concentration (mg/dl) and activity (mg/dl and percentage thrombin inhibition) were determined by rocket immunoelectrophoresis and chromogenic substrate assay, respectively, and compared to the reference intervals for adults. In 19 healthy, full-term foals, the mean plasma AT III activity for percentage thrombin inhibition (75.9%), mean amount of active AT III (19.2 mg/dl) and the mean plasma AT III concentration (28.7 mg/dl) were significantly (P<0.05) lower than the reference interval of adult values. The mean active AT III concentration for both foals (19.2 mg/dl) and adults (24.6 mg/dl) was significantly (P<0.05) less than their AT III concentration, 28.7 and 44.3 mg/dl, respectively. Fibrinogen degradation products (FDPs) were increased in 100% of the foals, with 12 of 19 (63%) having FDPs >10 <40 μg/dl). Platelet count, prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time and fibrinogen did not differ significantly from those of adult values.These findings support the view that haemostasis in the full term foal is characterised as a hypercoagulable state by the significant decrease in plasma AT III activity and concentration and increase in split products of fibrin and fibrinogen.

Development of a Canine Care and Welfare Knowledge Scale: Implications for Welfare and Preventing Dogfighting

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to develop a Canine Care and Welfare Knowledge (CCWK) Scale for use in educational intervention development and evaluation and validate the instrument. The study population was 504 children, aged 11 to 19 years old, from Detroit, MI. In this cross-sectional study, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were used for scale development. The EFA and CFA of the CCWK Scale revealed a 2nd-order model with 6 factors to be a good fit of the data (chi-square [df = 269] = 433, p < .05, Comparative Fit Index = .94, Tucker-Lewis Index = .93, root mean square error of approximation = .05) with a Cronbach’s alpha of .78. The scale is valid and reliable to assess the study population’s CCWK.

Bacterial and fungal microflora on the external genitalia of male donkeys (Equus asinus)

This study was undertaken to investigate the bacterial and fungal microflora on the external genitalia of a population of healthy male donkeys in the state of Michigan, USA. The aim was to identify and determine the frequency of occurrence of these microorganisms using seven different isolation media and standard microbiological procedures. The sites (urethral fossa [fossa glandis], dorsal diverticulum of the urethral sinus, distal urethra, and penile surface) in the distal reproductive tract were cultured and each isolated microorganism identified. Ten different genera of gram-positive bacteria, eight different genera of gram-negative bacteria, and two genera of fungi were isolated from the external genitalia of the 43 donkeys in this study. All 43 donkeys yielded gram-positive bacteria (2-8 species) from all four sites sampled. Arcanobacterium spp., Corynebacterium spp., and Bacillus spp. were the most frequently isolated gram-positive bacteria. Gram-negative bacteria were cultured from 16 (37.2%) of the 43 donkeys, with Acinetobacterlwoffii (16.3%), Oligella urethralis (11.6%), and Taylorellaasinigenitalis (9.3%), the most frequently isolated. Fungi were cultured from only 5 (11.6%) of the 43 donkeys, with Rhizopus spp. isolated from 3 (7.0%) and Cladosporium spp. from 2 (4.7%) individuals. The testes and epididymides collected from 40 donkeys at time of castration were culture negative. Few differences were found in the bacterial flora between prepubertal and mature intact and castrated donkeys. Of notable interest was the scarcity of known equine pathogens across the population tested and isolation of T. asinigenitalis from normal donkeys, especially prepubertal individuals and previously castrated males.