Elevated serum cardiac troponin I in cattle with theileriosis.

BACKGROUND: Theileria annulata is a blood parasite affecting ruminants. Hemolytic anemia, secondary hypoxia, and vasculitis are the most important features of tropical theileriosis. OBJECTIVES: Evaluation of electrocardiographic findings and changes in cardiovascular biochemical markers including cTnI concentrations in cattle naturally infected with theileriosis in the absence of acute cardiac failure. ANIMALS: Ninety adult Holstein cattle (>1 year) with clinical and laboratory evidence of theileriosis and 30 healthy cattle served as controls. METHODS: Case-control study in which blood samples were collected and randomized after clinical, hematologic, parasitologic examination and laboratory confirmation and electrocardiographic recording on all animals, serum cardiac troponin I (cTnI), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB) were evaluated. RESULTS: Serum concentration of cTnI was significantly higher in cattle with theileriosis (mean: 0.028 ng/mL; range: 0.005-0.21 ng/mL; control mean: 0.011; range: <0.005-0.09 ng/mL; P = .003). There was significant correlation between serum level of cTnI and PCV (r = -0.257; P < .001) and also between cTnI and parasitemia (r = 0.515; P < .001). Mean serum activities of AST and CK-MB were 107 ± 46 and 301 ± 103 U/L in sick animals, which were significantly higher than healthy cattle (P = .002 and P = .041, respectively). There were no pathologic arrhythmias detected in sick animals. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Theileriosis is a risk factor for elevation of cardiac biomarkers in naturally infected Holstein cattle. Severity of anemia and parasitemia might contribute to the pathophysiology of myocardial damage. The prognostic significance of increased serum cardiac troponin I concentrations in cattle with hemolytic anemia merits further investigation.

Virulence gene profiles and intimin subtypes of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli isolated from healthy and diarrhoeic calves.

The virulence properties of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains isolated from diarrhoeic and non-diarrhoeic calves were compared. The strains were also tested for O157:H7, O111 and O26 serotypes, using PCR and conventional serotyping methods. E coli strains isolated from 297 faecal samples, from 200 diarrhoeic and 97 non-diarrhoeic calves, were screened by multiplex PCR assay for the stx1, stx2, eae and Ehly virulence genes. STECs were recovered from 8 per cent of diarrhoeic calves and 10.3 per cent of non-diarrhoeic calves. The predominant virulence gene profile was stx1/eae/Ehly (47.3 per cent) among isolates from diarrhoeic calves and eae/Ehly (36.8 per cent) among isolates from non-diarrhoeic calves. Among three tested serogroups, the predominant serogroup was O26 (18.4 per cent), and O157:H7 was not detected. Intimin subtyping by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis revealed only three intimin subtypes (ß, γ and ). A significant difference was observed in the distribution of Int- between two groups. Int- was present in 50 per cent of the isolates from diarrhoeic calves and in 11.1 per cent of the isolates from non-diarrhoeic calves; this difference was statistically significant (P=0.01).

Detection and identification of Salmonella Typhimurium in bovine diarrhoeic fecal samples by immunomagnetic separation and multiplex PCR assay.

The aim of this study was to use the immunomagnetic separation (IMS) test plus a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (m-PCR) assay to detect Salmonella at genus level and also for the identification of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium in bovine diarrhoeic fecal samples. In all, 400 bovine diarrhoeic fecal specimens were examined by conventional bacterial culture, IMS, and m-PCR. For m-PCR assay, four set primers were selected: 139-141, specific for inv-A gene of Salmonella spp and the RfbJ, FliC and FljB, specific for the rfbJ, FliC and fljB genes of Salmonella Typhimurium or other Salmonella serovars with similar antigenic properties. Thirty-three (8.25%) out of the 400 fecal samples were culture positive for Salmonella serovars. Of these, 66.7% (22 of 33) were Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, and 9.1% (three of 33) were serovar Dublin. In the IMS + m-PCR, four amplified product (663, 526, 284 and 183 bp) were found in all specimens that had serovar Typhimurium (4,5,12:i:1,2), they corresponded, respectively, to the rfbJ, fljB, inv-A and Flic genes of this serovar. In serovar Dublin (1,9,12:g,p:-), Georgia (6,7:b:e,n,z(15)) and, Enteritidis (1,9,12;g,m:-) only one PCR product (284 bp) was amplified from the inv-A gene. In serovars Augustenborg (6,7:i:1,2) and Lindenburg (6,8:i:1,2) three positive bands (526, 284 and 183 bp) were amplified corresponding to the fljB, inv-A and Flic genes, respectively. In serovar Virchow (6,7:r:1,2) two amplified products (284 and 526 bp) from the inv-A and FliC genes were observed. In serovar Gloucster (1,4,12(27):i:1,w) three fragments (183, 284 and 663) from the FliC, inv-A and, rfbJ genes respectively, were observed. In the positive control as expected, four PCR products were amplified corresponding to the FliC, inv-A, fljB and rfbJ genes, respectively. In conclusion, the results of this study showed that detection of Salmonella at genus level with universal ST139-141 primers and identification of Salmonella Typhimurium by using specific primers of O4, H(2):1, 2 and H(1) antigens can potentially permit to more readily evaluate fecal and other types of samples for the presence of these organisms. Compared to bacteriological culture the combination of IMS and m-PCR resulted a faster method for the detection and identification of Salmonella at genus and serovar level by using of universal and specific primers.

A preliminary study on normal electrocardiographic parameters of ostriches (Struthio camelus).

Electrocardiograms were taken from 100 normal healthy male and female ostriches which were 1 to 15 months old using a base apex lead. The heart rate of those less than 3 months old ranged from 107 to 250 beats per minute with a mean of 171.47 +/- 9.03 and that of ostriches of more than 3 months old ranged from 43 to 167 with a mean of 90.52 +/- 2.64 beats/minute. The P-waves were positive in all cases except in 1 ostrich which it was isoelectric. The ORS complexes were mainly negative and either monophasic (QS) or biphasic (rS or RS). The T-wave showed more variation than other waves. The durations of P P-R, QRS, Q-T and T-waves of chicks and of those more than 3 months of age (4-15-month-old) were 0.04 +/- 0.00, 0.06 +/- 0.00; 0.14 +/- 0.04, 0.16 +/- 0.00; 0.04 +/- 0.00, 0.06 +/- 0.00; 0.18 +/- 0.00, 0.27 +/- 0.00 and 0.06 +/- 0.00, 0.09 +/- 0.01 s, respectively, and amplitudes of the main direction of P-, QRS and T- waves of 2 groups were 0.29 +/- 0.02, 0.26 +/- 0.01; 1.87 +/- 0.17, 2.21 +/- 0.08; and 0.34 +/- 0.06, 0.37 +/- 0.02 mV, respectively. Ten cases showed cardiac dysrhythmias of which 9 showed sinus arrhythmia and 1 showed premature atrial contractions (PAC). This study showed that the base apex lead can be a suitable monitoring lead for electrocardiographic examination of ostriches.

Factors associated with rectovaginal injuries in Holstein dairy cows in a herd in Tehran, Iran.

Rectovaginal injuries can result in subsequent infertility in cows. In a retrospective study, records of 147 Holstein cows with evidence of rectovaginal injuries were reviewed to determine the odds ratio (OR) of these injuries and their related risk factors. The study was conducted in a large dairy (typical herd size 1420 cows) in Tehran between the years 1993 and 1996. Period prevalences were 0.4% fistula, 1.9% laceration (third degree), 5.7% pneumovagina, 1.5% urovagina and 0.8% mixed injuries. The highest risk occurred among first-calf heifers. Animals with dystocia, first-calf heifers and male calves were at higher risk for rectovaginal injuries. We concluded that (1) handling dystocia with care might have a substantial role in reducing rectovaginal injuries, (2) first-calf heifers are to be under close observation and care during calving, and (3) because rectovaginal injuries reoccur in the next calving, cows with the history of these injuries should be monitored at the next labor.