Perceived Susceptibility and Severity of COVID-19 on Prevention Practices, Early in the Pandemic in the State of Florida.

Early in the pandemic and prior to the development of the COVID-19 vaccine, prevention measures were promoted to help inhibit the spread of the virus. To optimize adherence to prevention practices, it's important to understand factors that may influence adherence. A study was conducted in the month of April, 2020, to explore the influence of perceptions of COVID-19 on prevention practices. The sample included members of a public social-media group focused on providing updates and information on COVID-19. A total of 719 individuals completed an online survey that assessed various aspects of COVID-19 which included experience, perceptions, and prevention practices. The perceptions of COVID-19 included perceived susceptibility of contracting the virus, and perceived potential severity if contracted COVID-19. To assess prevention practices, the survey included a 10-item prevention practices questionnaire that included items such as wearing a mask, and social distancing. Results revealed that perceived susceptibility of contracting COVID-19, and potential severity of COVID-19 were significant in predicting prevention practices. Further, results suggest that perceived potential severity predicts a greater proportion of the variance in prevention practices than susceptibility of contracting COVID-19. In addition, a moderation analysis revealed no interaction between perceived susceptibility and severity, which provides evidence that the variables do not influence one another. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Videovaginoscopy of the canine vagina.

Endoscopy enables a rapid and non-traumatic examination of the vaginal cavity of female dogs. Its implementation requires specific equipment as well as knowledge about the species-specific vaginal anatomy and the procedure. Vaginoscopy is the diagnostic tool of choice for several vaginal conditions and diseases such as congenital abnormalities, neoplasia or ectopic ureter. Furthermore, vaginal inspection may provide additional information in cases of vulvar discharge or infertility. Vaginoscopy is a superior tool compared to other methods in assisted reproduction. Changes of the vaginal mucosa during the oestrous cycle can be observed to determine the hormonal actions and the time of ovulations in addition to other routine examinations, such as progesterone assay and vaginal cytology. Finally, intrauterine insemination, which is recommended for insemination with frozen-thawed semen, can be performed endoscopically by transcervical catheterization.

Pharmacological treatment for common prostatic conditions in dogs - benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostatitis: an update.

The two most frequent prostatic diseases in dogs are benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostatitis. Prostatitis requires prolonged antibiotic treatment. In acute prostatitis, the blood-prostate barrier is broken, thus facilitating the penetration of antibiotics, whereas in chronic prostatitis, the barrier prevents the penetration of many drugs into the gland. The selection of antibiotic agents is based on the sensitivity test and the drug's ability to penetrate into the gland. Many protocols for the treatment of BPH are available. In non-breeding dogs, surgical and optionally pharmacological castration by means of GnRH agonists may be performed. In breeding dogs, drugs retaining fertility are used. Recently, androgen receptor antagonistic treatment with osaterone acetate has been applied. Other drugs used for BPH treatment include progestagens, oestrogens, antioestrogens and 5α-reductase inhibitors. Some of these compounds may provoke severe side effects. The efficiency of GnRH antagonists used for the treatment of prostatic diseases, such as neoplasia and BPH, in humans has been recently investigated in dogs. This androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is devoid of an initial exacerbation of androgen-dependent symptoms, which is typical for GnRH agonistic treatment. In many cases, BPH and prostatitis must be treated simultaneously as these conditions may develop in combination.

Diagnosis of common prostatic conditions in dogs: an update.

Prostatic diseases account for 3-10% of intact male dogs presented to veterinary surgeons. Conditions vary according to severity and frequency ranging from the most common, such as prostatic hyperplasia and cysts to the rarer conditions such as prostatic abcesses and neoplasia. Different causes of prostatic disease can often not be distinguished by evaluation of clinical signs, as these are not very distinctive and may be similar for many prostatic conditions. Understanding which additional diagnostic tools to use for each of the possible conditions is essential in making a correct diagnosis leading to the proper treatment. This article will discuss the different etiologies, age groups of dogs and the decision-making process which will help the practitioner to choose the right investigative tools, treatments and prognosis when dealing with prostatic disease.

Induction of parturition with aglepristone in various sized bitches of different breeds.

The objective of this study was to confirm in various breeds of dogs the efficacy and safety of a parturition induction treatment described to be successful in Beagle dogs. Parturition was induced in seven various sized pregnant bitches of different breeds, with 15 mg aglepristone per kg at day 59-61 post-estimated ovulation day, followed 24 h later by 0.15 IU oxytocin per kg subcutaneous injections every 2 h. Two bitches were small-sized bitches (<10 kg), three bitches were large-sized bitches (30-40 kg) and two bitches were giant bitches (>40 kg). The results were compared to a control group (n = 6), in which bitches underwent a natural delivery in the same environmental conditions as the induced group. In the induced group, parturition was successfully induced in 7/7 bitches. The first pup in a litter was born on average 25.9 +/- 3.29 h after aglepristone administration (21-30 h). Two of seven bitches from the small-sized group delivered some of their pups before the first administration of oxytocin. The mean duration of parturition was 9.6 +/- 5.4 h vs 8.0 +/- 4.8 h in the control group. The mean interval between two successive pups being delivered was 115.6 +/- 82.8 min (34-265) vs 68.8 +/- 24.5 min in the control group (p < 0.03). The mean weight at parturition did not differ significantly between the two groups. One litter of four Yorkshire Terrier pups in the induced group were premature at the time of birth and died between 19 and 29 h post-delivery. This study, although on a very limited number of dogs, confirms the efficacy of the aglepristone/oxytocin protocol to induce parturition in dogs.

Elective caesarean operation in the bitch using aglepristone before the pre-partum decline in peripheral progesterone concentration.

The aim of this study was to investigate caesarean operation (CO) undertaken before the pre-partum decrease of progesterone but following administration of a progesterone receptor antagonist and to evaluate the innocuity of this procedure for the dam and pups. Thirty seven bitches of 15 different breeds, received an injection of 15 mg/kg aglepristone 59 or 60 days after the estimated day of ovulation, determined by progesterone quantitative assays, and caesarean section (CS) was performed between 20 and 24 h after administration. Progesterone remained above 6 nmol/l at the time of CS (mean = 15.75, SD = 3.84). No post-operative clinical complications were reported in any of the bitches. All bitches were able to nurse and feed their puppies in the first 24 h following surgery. No pups showed any signs of prematurity and 5 out of 188 pups (2.6) died in the first 2 weeks after delivery. This small study demonstrates that a CS may be safely and successfully performed an average of 2 days before the expected date of parturition following the administration of aglepristone, without any harmful consequence for the dam and her neonates.

Diagnosis of endometritis in the bitch: a new approach.

There are a few investigations into endometritis in the bitch and its relationship with failure to conceive remains unclear. This may be because of the difficulty in collecting uterine samples for further investigations. Recently, transcervical catheterization by vaginal endoscopy has been introduced allowing the evaluation of the endometrium. In this study, uterine cytology and bacteriology were evaluated in 26 infertile bitches. Endometritis was bacterial in origin in most cases (70% of affected bitches), but these results may be underestimated, as some other pathogens (anaerobic bacteria, mycoplasms and fungi) were not investigated. Endometritis, in our opinion, should be investigated in each case of unexplained infertility in bitches. The method used here seems reliable although defining more accurate classification criteria will improve the efficiency of this non-invasive technique.