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Salmonellosis outbreak caused by peanut butter
An unusual source for a salmonellosis outbreak in the USA has been found: As of 27 Feb 2007 at 12 PM EST, 370 persons infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Tennessee have been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from 42 states. And the organism comes from peanut butter!

Vaccinations against bird flu started in Russia
Vaccination against avian flu of domestic birds kept in small farms started in the Moscow region on Monday [19 Feb 2007]. More than a
million vaccines were brought for a massive vaccination [campaign] in the region, acting Governor of the Moscow region Alexei Panteleyev
told Itar-Tass.

Listeria Contamination of Ready-to-Eat Food Products and Household Environments
Every year alarming numbers of Listeria in smoked salmon are published. But not only fish is commonly contaminated with this pathogen. A very interesting online published survey from Vienna gives 3 categories of contamination. A very informative work!

A local anesthetic delivery system after total ear canal ablation in dogs
Postoperative pain control is mandatory after all surgeries in the ear region. There are different protocols to manage this, e.g. oral and/or parenteral application of analgetics. Is a constant rate local anesthetic delivery system as used in human medicine for pain control practicable and more effective than continuous intravenous (IV) morphine infusion for postoperative analgesia? A very interesting study!

Postanesthetic hyperthermia in cats
Postanesthetic hypothermia is not too rare in cats but especially when hydromorphone and buprenorphine are used a postanesthetic hyperthermia [rectal temperature >40°C (104°F)] can occur. The prevalence of this complication and possible differences between both substances are evaluated in a large study.

Echocardiography in the diagnosis of feline dirofilariosis
An interesting question: is a diagnostic imaging technique as reliable or even better than the commercial antigen or antibody serological tests? 43 cats with proven dirofilariosis were included in this survey and the results are really interesting - echocardiography is really recommended in suspicious cases...

West Nile Virus reaches humans in Argentina
Several months ago West Nile virus cases were detected in horses in Argentina, so that the occurrence of human cases was just a matter of time. That is exactly what has happened in Cordoba where four human cases were diagnosed.

Bird flu back in Vietnam
Bird flu has reared its head again in 2 Mekong Delta provinces, Bac Lieu and Ca Mau, after over one year during which Vietnam managed to
keep the epidemic out. No new cases were reported in the last 13 months in Vietnam while some 140 million poultry were vaccinated against H5N1. The current cool weather is an ally for the virus. And the dead birds might not have been vaccinated...

The effect of nitrous oxide on halothane, isoflurane and sevoflurane requirements
Ovariohysterectomy is one of the most common surgical procedures in dogs. Various anesthesia protocols exist. This recently published study evaluates if 64% nitrous oxide (N2O) has an effect on halothane (HAL), isoflurane (ISO) or sevoflurane (SEV) requirements in dogs undergoing this surgery - three of the most popular anesthetics.

Incidence of Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy in Horses
Polysaccharide storage myopathy is commonly seen in some horse breeds and is a very serious incurable disease. This large study including muscle samples of more than 200 horses gives interesting informations about the incidence of this disease, especially in certain horse breeds.

Age-related progressive behavioral changes in dogs
A very interesting question: Can the veterinarian predict if age-related behavioral changes in dogs during a period of 6 to 18 months progress and determine whether signs of dysfunction in any of 4 behavioral categories can be used to predict further impairment? The results of this study are at least very surprising!

Memory enhancers and treatments for age-related memory decline - myst or reality?
As their owners dogs and cats have a longer life span than ever before. But at the same time the cognitive decline in animals is seen much more than in the generations before. A varitey of nutrients and `medications`, often with nonprescription compounds, is offered. Do they really show any benefit? A very important study from Canada.

Improvement of the Biosecurity of Bovine Semen
Semen production and trade is a worldwide industry. A framework, based on international standards is awaiting international and national regulation. In the perspective of biosecurity of the final product, critical notes can be made according to the semen production regulation and product safety. The collegues from the Netherlands have very interesting ideas what should be done...

Chlamydia infections in breeding sows and resulting reproductive failure
33% of the nearly 1.500 evaluated blood samples pigs in Germany were tested Chlamydia-positive. A high number! Does it mean that Chlamydia infections are significant for reproductive disorders? A very interesting study from Gießen.

New developments in European horse breeding
The liberalization of European animal breeding legislation and an increasing diversity of equestrian sports have led to a constant rise in the number of horse breeds and breed registries. Especially the discussion how to deal with cloned horses has led to a lot of controversies in between Europe. This article gives an interesting overview also over the consequences for veterinarians.

Light intensity and beak trimming and aggression in laying hens
Aggression and its prevention is an important topic in laying hens. Is the decrease of light intensity an effective tool to prevent aggression, as it is often said? An interesting new study from Japan gives more options.

Effects of active immunization against leptin in goats
A very interesting study was performed as a cooperation between Germany and Israel: Several active immunization against leptin were performed in young female goats, and after they were mated the effects were studied. Unfortunately, the effects of the immunization were not detectable or only marginal and the approach aimed at therefore not effective to investigate leptin action in detail.

Variations in Serum Chemistry, Vitamins and Thyroid Hormone Concentrations in Sheep
Much is known about thyroid function and their variations during season, reproductive status etc. in dogs. This very interesting study evaluates the possible effects of the reproductive status and seasonal variations on the serum chemistry and vitamin status and their relationships with the thyroid hormones in Sakiz-Awassi crossbreed sheep.

Nutritional evaluation of commercial dry dog foods in Chile
A question many dog and cat owners ask worldwide: Can we be sure that the ingredients of commercial pet food are declared on a correct way? Sometimes not, as this interesting study from Chile shows which predicted the nutritional value of dog foods sold in Chile by using near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS).

Experimental vaccine effective against several strains of H5N1 bird flu virus
An effective marker-vaccine against the H5N1 bird flu virus type `Asia` -everybody dreams of it. But it seems that researchers have come a lot closer to make this dream come true...

Mississippi State University receives $500,000 to euthanize less animals
Marcia Lane, animal welfare enthusiast and philanthropist, made the endowment to decrease the number of animals euthanized in the county. She says it makes her happy to know many animals will be helped by her donation.

4 Additional Deer Test Positive for Chronic Wasting Disease in USA
Preliminary testing has detected the Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) agent in 4 more free-ranging white-tailed deer recently collected in
Hampshire County, West Virginia, as part of an ongoing and intensive CWD surveillance effort. This brings the total of CWD-positive deer
found in Hampshire County since last fall to 9.

Disciplines

H7 influenza virus also in British chicken
Currently it is not clear if it is really `only` a H7 influenza virus or the dangerous H5N1 virus that was found in samples from chickens found dead on a poultry farm near Dereham in Norfolk. All chicken have been killed as a precautionary measure.

Sexed sperm and pregnancy rates of lactating HF cows after artificial insemination
The effects of artificial insemination (AI) using sexed sperm on pregnancy rates have seldom been studied in lactating dairy cows on commercial dairy farms. Is this method already `ready` to be used under field conditions? A very interesting study from Finland.

More horse owners willing to do rabies vaccination in the USA
After a documented case of rabies in a Lea County horse earlier this month, area veterinarians are encouraging horse owners to get their horses vaccinated. So far, officials from the New Mexico Department of Public Health say the horse in Lea County is the only known rabies case in a horse in the area, but it`s best to err on the side of caution.

Pandemic bird flu emergency plans in the USA
Daily, infected birds are found in Europe, and also the first pet animals (cats) have died on H5N1 infection in Germany and Austria. Now also the USA reacts: Fears of a global killer flu, whether likely or not, have forced local, state, and federal officials to create pandemic emergency plans. The I-Team recently obtained internal government documents that detail ... the underground routes the virus is predicted to take to spread into North America.

Three classification protocols for the evaluation of elbow dysplasia in German shepherd dogs
Elbow dysplasia remains a common problem especially in dogs of large breeds, including the German Shepherd Dog. Since this breed is very popluar breeders are extremely interested to develop breeding programs to eradicate the problem as far as possible. Here are three different protocols which have been developed in Hannover and Gießen on more than 2.500 dogs. Which is the best?

Acupuncture in dairy cows
Acupuncture has become a common therapy over the last years. It is known to be effective in men and in dogs, horses etc. Less is written about this technique in food animals, e.g. dairy cows. But as this studies show, it is also worth trying it for various indications like reproductive disorders.

Two different inactivated vaccines for prevention of Rhodococcus equi pneumonia in foals
Not too common but very dramatically: Rhodococcus equi pneumonia in young foals. This interesting study from Hungary evaluates the efficacy of two different vaccines applied to the pregnant mares. One of the results: It seems more promising to vaccinate the foals instead of the mothers.

Drug smuggling via puppies in Colombia
It is well known that there are numerous ways to smuggle drugs. This one seems new: the bellies of (mostly Labrador) puppies were surgically opened and liquid heroin was filled inside. 10 puppies were rescued from a Colombian farm during 2005, 3 of them died due to infections when the heroin was removed.

Possible Aflatoxin Contaminated Dog Food in the USA
1st Deputy Commissioner Ruth A. Moore today alerted dog owners to a statement issued by Diamond Pet Food reporting that it has discovered
aflatoxin in pet food products manufactured at its facility in Gaston, South Carolina. Aflatoxin is cancerogenic in humans but not in dogs. Dog owners should have their pets examined immediately by a veterinarian if their dog has consumed a Diamond Pet Food product and becomes ill.

Thymus vulgaris L. as feed additive in piglets
Various herbs are very popular as feed additives in small and large animal practice. The very interesting question if Thymi herba are not only important for cooking but also developing antibacterial activities if gíven to piglets was evaluated in this new study from Vienna. With surprising results!

Update to bovine salmonellosis in Germany
Bird flu is the very important infectious disease which is discussed a lot currently. But one must not forget that there are other important and already endemic infectious diseases in Germany. This new update regarding bovine salmonellosis focuses on one of these diseases - and gives a lot of new informations.

AAHA dental guidelines will be released soon
Dental Care Guidelines authored by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) are in the final editing process. The AAHA Board of Directors blessed the recommendations at the association`s March meeting. The goal of the seven-page document is to provide guidelines for the practice of companion animal dentistry for the veterinary profession, says Derek Woodbury, AAHA public relations.

Is it possible to diagnose atrial fibrillation by auscultation?
This is a very tricky study: Most veterinarians are convinced to be able to diagnose atrial fibrillation by auscultation. In this study, a variety of persons were tested - board-certified specialists, medicine residents, experienced nurses, surgery residents and students. The results are very surprising: Only 30% of all test subjects provided accurate heart rate estimates!

German farmer is `health manager of the year`
A prize for health management has been awarded at the world congress of pig veterinarians for the first time. The prize at the IPVS congress in Hamburg (June 27th to July 1st) went to Karl Kleinhölting, a farmer from Coesfeld in Westphalia, for meat production `with a high level of responsibility and expertise.`

Vein projector-guided injections
Every clinician knowns: intravenous injections can be very difficult in some patients because the blood vessels are mimicked by fat and other soft tissue. Now a new system is developed that projects the underlying veins onto the patient´s skin so that it is impossible to miss them...

Esophagostomy versus PEG feeding tubes in cats
PEG (Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy) tubes for artificial nutrition are used very frequent in human medicine. In this study, the compliance and the rate of complications were compared in cats with either `classic` esophagostomy or PEG tubes. The result: the less invasive `classic` method is still an excellent alternative...

Digital rectal or infrared thermometer in cats?
Infrared thermometers are frequently used in human medicine, especially in children. They would be much easier to use also in cats, but do the results correlate with the results of the digital rectal method? Unfortunately not!

Veterinary researchers in fight against bioterrorism
Terroristic acts with biological weapons, especially with smallpox viruses, represent a horror scenario. Smallpox vaccine is already routinely used in military personnel but the current vaccine have lots of side effects, like chest pain, shortness of breath and other symptoms. Veterinarians are on the front-line researching ways to create better vaccines and make plans if bio-terrorism does strike the country.

Double gloves in surgical procedures strongly recommended
This is the result of an Indish study which observed the rate of perforation of the surgical gloves in single and double gloving. An alarming additional observation: 83,3% of glove perforations remain unnoticed!

Stricter meat labelling in the EU
Starting on 1 July, the EU will be enforcing its new guidelines for the labelling of meat products. They provide a more specific definition of `meat` and how the contents of meat products should be described. The transition period which had started in January runs out.

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Texas A&M university creates new equine center
According to the Texas A&M University officials a Center for Equine Business Studies is slated to open in June. It will provide equine statistics and data to the government and public to help the equine industry build business. Additionally, it will provide economic and market information, as the center`s Executive Director Dr. Ernie Davis says.

Aflatoxin contaminated pet food also in the EU

Colorado State University receives $2-million grant for Listeria study

Master?s degree in Management and Administration of Veterinary Centres

New Jersey Veterinary Foundation (NJVF) supports needy pet owners

New parasite guidelines released by CAPC

Oncura allows American practitioners to run cancer patients online

Comparison of Home Monitoring Methods for Feline Urine pH Measurement

Four EU Countries Still Failing Over Laying Hens

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