Serological profile of incidentally detected asymptomatic HBsAg positive subjects (IDAHS)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khokhar, N.; Gill, M.L.

2004-01-01

Objective: To evaluate the serological profile of patients with incidentally detected positive hepatitis-B surface antigen (HBsAg) and to asses the risk factors. Design: An observational study. Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted at Shifa International Hospital, Islamabad from 1999 to 2003. Patients and Methods: All patients who presented to gastroenterology clinic of Shifa Intentional Hospital, Islamabad with positive HBsAg, detected incidentally, were tested for alamine transaminase (ALT), hepatitis Beantigen (HBeAg) and in certain cases hepatitis-B virus DNA (HBV DNA) by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Their risk factors for acquisition of infection were assessed with specific questions. Results: A total of 224 patients were examined. One hundred sixty-four (73.2%) were male and 60 (26.8%) female. Mean age of all the subjects was 32.45 plus minus 11.85 years. Out of 224 patients, 48 (21.4%) were positive for HBeAg and 176 (78.6%) were negative. Out of 48 subjects who were positive for HBeAg, 36 underwent HBV DNA determination and 32 (88.8%) were positive for HBV DNA. Out of 176 subjects who had negative HBeAg, 46 had elevated ALT and in those HBV DNA was performed and 14 had positive HBV DNA. Most common risk factors detected in these patients were intramuscular injections and surgery, however, in a large number, risk factors were unknown. Conclusion: Twenty-one percent asymptomatic subjects with positive HBsAg were found to be HBeAg positive. A large number of subjects with negative HBeAg had HBV DNA positive suggesting presence of precore mutants. Intramuscular injections and surgery were noted to be frequent risk factors in these subjects. (author)

Late diagnosis of positive HIV serology in pregnancy incidentally discovered by the widespread appearance of Kaposi's sarcoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Mian, D B; Itoua, C; Angoi, V; Gbary, E; Nguessan, K L P; Iloki, H; Boni, S

2015-01-01

The authors report a case of Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) found in a pregnant woman. On discovery, the condition had spread throughout her body as is characteristic in some cases of individuals with HIV-positive serology. She was unaware of her HIV positive status. Her HIV infection had been diagnosed at the same time as KS at her last prenatal consultation. The newborn was delivered by an uncomplicated cesarean section. Appropriate treatment and multidisciplinary management after childbirth resulted in complete remission.

Early Disseminated Lyme Disease Causing False-Positive Serology for Primary Epstein-Barr Virus Infection: Report of 2 Cases.

Science.gov (United States)

Pavletic, Adriana J; Marques, Adriana R

2017-07-15

False-positive serology for Lyme disease was reported in patients with acute infectious mononucleosis. Here we describe 2 patients with early disseminated Lyme disease who were misdiagnosed with infectious mononucleosis based on false-positive tests for primary Epstein-Barr virus infection. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America 2017. This work is written by (a) US Government employee(s) and is in the public domain in the US.

Retrospective Review of Treponema pallidum PCR and Serology Results: Are Both Tests Necessary?

Science.gov (United States)

Brischetto, Anna; Gassiep, Ian; Whiley, David; Norton, Robert

2018-05-01

There has been a resurgence of syphilis diagnoses in Australia. We investigated whether our Treponema pallidum PCR test provides any additional diagnostic information over syphilis serology (chemiluminescence immunoassay [CMIA], Treponema pallidum particle agglutination [TPPA] assay, and the rapid plasma reagin [RPR] flocculation test). A retrospective audit of all T. pallidum PCR requests that came through our laboratory from January 2010 to June 2017 was conducted; data collected included age, gender, site of swab, and results from T. pallidum PCR, syphilis serology, and herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) and HSV-2 PCRs. A total of 441 T. pallidum PCR tests were performed; on average, 3 T. pallidum PCRs per month were requested in 2011, and this rate increased to 17.2 requests per month in 2017. A total of 323 patients had both T. pallidum PCR and syphilis serology performed, with 67% of swabs taken from the genitals. T. pallidum PCR gave positive results for 61/323 (19%) patients; of these 61 patients, 59 (97%) also had positive syphilis serology results ( T. pallidum PCR sensitivity, 68%; specificity, 99%; positive predictive value, 97%; negative predictive value, 89%). Syphilis serology was positive for 91/323 patients (28%); of these 91 patients, 61 (66%) were also T. pallidum PCR positive (syphilis serology sensitivity, 97%; specificity, 88%; positive predictive value, 60%; negative predictive value, 99%). The Cohen's kappa value was 0.74, indicating substantial agreement between the two tests. Our results show that most patients with positive T. pallidum PCR results also had positive syphilis serology. Therefore, T. pallidum PCR adds little clinical value over serology for the diagnosis of syphilis in certain clinical settings. Copyright © 2018 American Society for Microbiology.

Microbiological evaluation of milk samples positive to California Mastitis Test in dairy buffalo cows (Buballus bubalis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D.J. Sturion

2010-02-01

Full Text Available In order to observe the microbiological status of CMT positive samples, 734 apparently health mammary quarters from buffalo cows were submitted to physical evaluation, strip cup test and CMT. After milk samples inoculation in 10% ovine blood agar base media and in MacConkey agar and incubation under aerobic condition for 72 hours at 37oC, identification was proceeded. According to CMT, 227 quarters (30,93% were positive, among them 73 (32,16% presented 1+ reaction, 53 (23,35% were 2+ and 101 (44,49% were 3+. Microbiological exams of such samples were positive in 147 (64,76% out of 227 CMT positive samples and among the remaining 72 (31,72% were negative and 8 (3,52 were contaminated. In the 147 microbiological positive samples 204 bacteria were found in pure or associated growth and the most frequent agents were: Corynebacterium sp (59,25%; Staphylococcus sp (17,65% among which 86,11% were coagulase negative and 13,89% were coagulase positive; and Micrococcus sp (6,37%. The results revealed that, excluding the eight contaminated samples, 147 (67,12% quarters out of 219 CMT positive could be considered as bacteria-carrier and that even in a smaller percentage false-positive results can cause problems in a sanitary program for mastitis control in dairy buffalo cows.

Butter Tolerance in Children Allergic to Cow's Milk

OpenAIRE

Yanagida, Noriyuki; Minoura, Takanori; Kitaoka, Setsuko

2014-01-01

We performed an oral food challenge (OFC) with 10 g of butter (equivalent of 2.9 mL cow's milk) and 25-mL heated cow's milk for 68 children with cow's milk-allergy. Thirty-eight children reacted only to heated cow's milk. Twenty-four children reacted to neither heated milk nor butter. Thirty-eight (86.4%) of 44 patients with positive results to the OFC for heated milk could safely tolerate butter. It is highly likely that even children with cow's milk-allergy who show positive results to an O...

Blood count and number of somatic cells in milk of cows infected with Coxiella burnetii

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Radinović Miodrag

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The objective of the work was to examine the intensity of the local immune response of the mammary gland and the changes in the differential blood count of chronically infected cows. An experiment was performed on a group of cows with Q fever serologically proven using the ELISA test (IDEXX. Based on the ELISA test results, an experimental group of ten infected cows was formed. Blood was sampled from the experimental cows, and cumulative milk samples were taken. The number of erythrocytes was determined spectrophotometrically, and the number of leucocytes using the method according to Bürker - Türk. The blood analysis established an increased number of erythrocytes, while the number of leucocytes was within the limits of physiological values. The milk samples were used for the determination of the number of somatic cells using flow cytometric measurements. The processing of the milk samples established an average number of somatic cells of 853.000 /mL milk.

Factors associated with Coxiella burnetii antibody positivity in Danish dairy cows

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Paul, Suman; Agger, Jens Frederik Gramstrup; Markussen, Bo

2012-01-01

The aim of the study was to identify associations between the level of Coxiella burnetii (C. burnetii) antibodies in individual milk samples and cow and herd level factors in Danish dairy cows. The study, designed as a prospective cross sectional study with follow up, included 24 herds identified...

Leishmania serology in the diagnosis of cutaneous leishmaniasis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mashood, A.H.; Malik, N.; Abbasi, S.

2013-01-01

Background: The gold standard to diagnose cutaneous leishmaniasis is histopathology, but there has always been a need of a rapid, reliable, cheap and convenient laboratory investigation. Serological tests fulfill the above criteria. Objective: The objective of the study was to determine the sensitivity and specificity of enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in detection of leishmania antibodies, in comparison with the histopathology. Place and duration of study: The study was conducted in Military Hospital Rawalpindi from 1st November 2010 to 30th June 2011. Patients and methods: The study population included the patients who were clinically diagnosed with cutaneous leishmaniasis. All of them were biopsied and serum was sent for leishmania serology. Results: A total of 47 patients were included. They were all adult males. The histopathology was positive in 31/47 patients (65.95%), while the leishmania serology was positive in 36/47 cases (76.59%). The sensitiuites was 74.19%, specificity was 18.75%, positive predictive value has 63.88%, negative predicative value was 27% and accuracy was 55%. Conclusion: In the light of sensitivity analysis, it may be concluded that leishmania serology has moderate sensitivity and low specificity; hence it is not a reliable test for cutaneous leishmaniasis. (author)

Detection of Brucella spp. in milk from seronegative cows by real-time polymerase chain reaction in the region of Batna, Algeria

Science.gov (United States)

Sabrina, Rabehi; Mossadak, Hamdi Taha; Bakir, Mamache; Asma, Meghezzi; Khaoula, Boushaba

2018-01-01

Aim: The aim of this study was to detect Brucella spp. DNA in milk samples collected from seronegative cows using the real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for diagnosis of brucellosis in seronegative dairy cows to prevent transmission of disease to humans and to reduce economic losses in animal production. Materials and Methods: In this study, 65 milk samples were investigated for the detection of Brucella spp. The detection of the IS711 gene in all samples was done by real-time PCR assay by comparative cycle threshold method. Results: The results show that of the 65 DNA samples tested, 2 (3.08%) were positive for Brucella infection. The mean cyclic threshold values of IS711 real-time PCR test were 37.97 and 40.48, indicating a positive reaction. Conclusion: The results of the present study indicated that the real-time PCR appears to offer several advantages over serological tests. For this reason, the real-time PCR should be validated on representative numbers of Brucella-infected and free samples before being implemented in routine diagnosis in human and animal brucellosis for controlling this disease. PMID:29657430

Detection of Yersinia enterocolitica serotype O:9 in the faeces of cattle with false positive reactions in serological tests for brucellosis in Ireland.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Grady, Don; Kenny, Kevin; Power, Seamus; Egan, John; Ryan, Fergus

2016-10-01

Intestinal infection by Yersinia enterocolitica serotype O:9 (YeO9) in cattle has been linked to false positive serological reactivity (FPSR) in diagnostic tests for brucellosis. Although eradicated in Ireland, brucellosis monitoring still identifies seropositive animals, usually one or two (termed singletons) per herd, which are classed as FPSR. To investigate a link between FPSR and YeO9, faeces and blood were collected from singleton FPSR cattle, and from companion animals, in eight selected herds with more than one FPSR animal, for YeO9 culture and Brucella serology. YeO9 was isolated from 76/474 (16%) FPSR singletons in 309 herds, but not from any of 621 animals in 122 control non-FPSR herds. In the FPSR herds 52/187 (27.8%) animals were culture positive, and 17% of the isolates were from seronegative animals. Seropositive animals were more likely to have a rising antibody titre when culture positive. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Serologic survey in animals of 'Q' fever in Nuevo Leon.

Science.gov (United States)

Salinas-Melédez, J A; Avalos-Ramírez, R; Riojas-Valdez, V; Kawas-Garza, J; Fimbres-Durazo, H; Hernández-Vidal, G

2002-01-01

The serological prevalence of Q fever in Mexico is unknown. A serological survey for Coxiella burnetii was undertaken on a randomly selected population of dairy cattle, beef cattle, goats and sheep flocks. Serological examination of animal sera for antibodies against Coxiella burnetii was carried out by the ELISA technique. The 28% of the dairy cattle and 10% of beef cattle examinated were antibody positive. Sera from goats and sheep also had antibodies against this rickettsia, 35% and 40% respectively.

Using standard serology blood tests to diagnose latent syphilis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. L. Katunin

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Goal. To conduct a comparative assessment of the results of regulated serological tests obtained as a result of blood tests in patients suffering from latent syphilis. Materials and methods. The authors examined 187 patient medical records with newly diagnosed latent syphilis in FGBU GNTsDK (State Research Center for Dermatology, Venereology and Cosmetology, Health Ministry of the Russian Federation, in 2006-2015. The results of patient blood tests were analyzed with the use of non-treponemal (microprecipitation test/RPR and treponemal (passive hemagglutination test, immune-enzyme assay (IgA, IgM, IgG, IFabs, immunofluorescence test and Treponema pallidum immobilization test serology tests. Results. According to the results of blood tests of latent syphilis patients, the largest number of positive results was obtained as a result of treponemal serology tests such as immune-enzyme assay (100%, passive hemagglutination test (100% and IFabs (100%. The greatest number of negative results was observed in non-treponemal (microprecipitation test/RPR serology tests: in 136 (72.7% patients; evidently positive results (4+ test results were obtained in 8 (4.3% patients only. According to the results of a comparative analysis of blood tests in patients suffering from latent syphilis obtained with the use of treponemal serology tests, the greatest number of evidently positive results (4+ was noted for the passive hemagglutination test (67.9%. Negative treponemal test results were obtained with the use of the immunofluorescence test and Treponema pallidum immobilization test (21.9% and 11.8% of cases, respectively. Moreover, weakly positive results prevailed for the immunofluorescence test: in 65 (34.7% patients. Conclusion. These data confirm that the following treponemal tests belong to the most reliable ones for revealing patients suffering from latent syphilis: immune-enzyme assay, passive hemagglutination test and IFabs.

Agreement Between Serology and Histology for Detection of Helicobacter pylori Infection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iqbal, S.; Fatima, S.; Raheem, A.; Khan, A. H.

2013-01-01

Objective: To determine the percentage agreement between serology and histology for detection of Helicobacter (H.) pylori infection. Study Design: Cross-sectional analytical study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Pathology and Microbiology, The Aga Khan University and Hospital, Karachi, from January to December 2009. Methodology: Fifty subjects were selected by non-probability purposive sampling from laboratory data who had serological testing of H. pylori IgG antibody, prior to histological evaluation of endoscopic gastric or/and duodenal biopsies. Serological Quantification of H. pylori IgG was carried out with HpG screen ELISA kit (Genesis Diagnostics, UK), using an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay for detection of IgG antibodies against H. pylori. Manufacturer's recommended cutoff value was used and results were considered positive when greater than 7 U/ml. For histological diagnosis, an expert histopathologist characterized the presence of spiral bacteria in the mucosal layer or the surface of epithelial cells on microscopic examination, as a positive test. Results: An agreement of 0.72 was found by Kappa statistics between serology and histopathology results and a good diagnostic accuracy (86%) of serological testing was observed for the diagnosis of H. pylori infection. Conclusion: A substantial agreement was found between serology and histopathology results to detect the H. pylori infection. Laboratory-based serologic testing using ELISA technology to detect IgG antibodies is inexpensive, noninvasive and convenient method to detect the H. pylori infection in primary care setting. (author)

Development of a virus neutralisation test to detect antibodies against Schmallenberg virus and serological results in suspect and infected herds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Loeffen Willie

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background At the end of 2011, a new orthobunyavirus, tentatively named Schmallenberg virus (SBV, was discovered in Germany. This virus has since been associated with clinical signs of decreased milk production, watery diarrhoea and fever in dairy cows, and subsequently also with congenital malformations in calves, lambs and goat kids. In affected countries, initial surveillance for the infection was based on examination of malformed progeny. These suspicions were followed up by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR on brain tissue. For epidemiological purposes, a serological assay was, however, needed. Results A virus neutralisation test (VNT was developed and optimized, and subsequently evaluated. This VNT has a specificity of >99% and the sensitivity is likely also very close to 100%. The assay is highly repeatable and reproducible. The final assay was used to test for antibodies in cows, ewes and does from herds known to be infected or suspected to be so. Targets for sampling in these herds were the mothers of malformed offspring. In herds with an RT-PCR confirmed SBV infection, more than 94% (190 out of 201 of the ewes and 99% (145 out of 146 of the cows were seropositive. In herds with suspicion of SBV infection based on birth of malformed offspring only (no or negative RT-PCR, more than 90% (231 out of 255 of the ewes and 95% (795 out of 834 of the cows were seropositive. In goats, on the other hand, only a low number of seropositives was found: overall 36.4%, being 16 out of 44 goats tested. Conclusions Given the characteristics of this VNT, it can be used at a relative high throughput for testing of animals for export, surveillance, screening and research purposes, but can also be used as a confirmation test for commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA’s and for (relative quantification of antibodies. Suspicions of SBV infections that were confirmed by RT-PCR were almost

Associations of udder-health indicators with cow factors and with intramammary infection in dairy cows.

Science.gov (United States)

Nyman, A-K; Persson Waller, K; Bennedsgaard, T W; Larsen, T; Emanuelson, U

2014-09-01

The objective of this study was to investigate if and how cow factors and intramammary infection (IMI) are associated with 4 different udder-health indicators in dairy cows as a first step in investigating whether the diagnostic performance of these indicators can be improved. The investigated indicators were somatic cell count (SCC), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), N-acetyl-β-d-glucosaminidase (NAGase), and alkaline phosphatase (AP) measured in milk. In this cross-sectional study, approximately 1,000 cows from 25 dairy herds were sampled for bacteriology (quarter milk samples) during 3 consecutive days: the day before test milking, at the day of test milking, and at the day after test milking. The whole-udder test milking sample was analyzed for milk composition, SCC, LDH, NAGase, and AP. Cow data (parity, breed, milk yield, percentage of milk fat and protein, milk urea concentration, and days in milk from the sampled test milking) were collected from the Swedish milk-recording scheme. Of the sampled cows 485 were considered IMI negative and were used in multivariable mixed-effect linear regression models to investigate associations between cow factors and the udder-health indicators. A second modeling including all cows, both IMI negative and IMI positive (256 cows), was also performed. The results showed that all udder-health indicators were affected by cow factors but that different cow factors were associated with different indicators. Intramammary-infection status was significantly associated with all udder-health indicators except AP. Parity and milk urea concentration were the only cow factors associated with all indicators in all models. The significant cow factors explained 23% of the variation in SCC and >30% of the variation in LDH, NAGase, and AP in IMI-negative cows, showing that LDH, NAGase, and AP are more affected than SCC by cow factors. The IMI status explained 23% of the variation in SCC in the model with all cows but only 7% of the variation in

Diagnosis of Lyme-associated uveitis: value of serological testing in a tertiary centre.

Science.gov (United States)

Bernard, Alexia; Kodjikian, Laurent; Abukhashabh, Amro; Roure-Sobas, Chantal; Boibieux, Andre; Denis, Philippe; Broussolle, Christiane; Seve, Pascal

2018-03-01

To determine the frequency and clinical presentation of Lyme disease in patients with uveitis and to assess the value of Borrelia burgdorferi serological testing. Retrospective study on all patients with uveitis who were referred to our tertiary hospital were serologically tested for Lyme in our laboratory between 2003 and 2016. Screening consisted of determining B. burgdorferi serum IgG and IgM by ELISA method. The patient's serology was considered as positive if the ELISA-positive result in IgM and/or IgG was confirmed by an immunoblot positive in IgM and/or IgG. Lyme-associated uveitis was diagnosed based on serological results as well as response to antibiotics and exclusion of other diagnosis. Of the 430 patients with uveitis (60% women, mean age 49 years) fulfilling inclusion criteria, 63 (14.7%) had an ELISA-positive serology, confirmed by immunoblot for 34 patients (7.9%). The diagnosis of Lyme-associated uveitis was finally retained in seven patients (1.6%). These patients reported either a previous exposure including tick bite or forest walks (n=5), symptoms suggestive of Lyme disease (n=5) and resistance to local and/or systemic steroids (n=7). Among the remaining 27 positive patients, 22 had other established aetiologies and 5 other were unclassified. The seroprevalence of B. burgdorferi among our patients with uveitis was 7.9% compared with 6 to 8.5% in the general French population which leads to a low predictive value of serological testing. Its use should be reserved for patients with unexplained uveitis, an exposure history, systemic findings suggestive of Lyme disease and steroids resistance. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Serological Survey of Toxoplasmosis Transvaal

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Serological Survey of Toxoplasmosis. Transvaal. P. R. MASON, M. R. JACOBS, P. J. FRIPP. •. In the. SUMMARY. Thirty-seven per cent of 605 samples of human sera col- lected from four ethnic groups in South Africa gave a positive Toxoplasma indir~ct fluorescent antibody test at a dilution 01 1/16 or higher. The incidences ...

Comparison of Rose Bengal Plate Agglutination, Standard tube agglutination and Indirect ELISA tests for detection of Brucella antibodies in Cows and Buffaloes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. N. Ghodasara

2010-04-01

Full Text Available A total of 180 serum samples (107 cows, 73 buffaloes from cases of abortion and various reproductive disorders were collected for detection of Brucella antibody by Rose Bengal Plate Agglutination Test (RBPT, Serum Tube Agglutination Test (STAT and indirect- ELISA (i-ELISA. The overall prevalence of brucellosis by RBPT, STAT and i-ELISA were 11.21%, 16.00% and 24.30% in cows 9.59%, 12.33% and 26.03% in buffaloes respectively. Overall seroprevalence of Brucellosis in cases of abortion, R.O.P. by RBPT, STAT and i-ELISA were 11.32%, 16.04% and 32.08% respectively. When three serological tests were compared, seropositivity was found highest by i-ELISA (25%, followed by STAT (14.45% and RBPT (10.56%. The results shows higher prevalence of brucellosis in cases of abortion and R.O.P., while at lower level from various reproductive disorders as detected serologically indicating endemicity of the infection in villages around Anand city, Gujarat. [Vet. World 2010; 3(2.000: 61-64

Positive Celiac Disease Serology and Reduced Bone Mineral Density in Adult Women

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Donald R Duerksen

2010-01-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Low bone density and osteoporosis have been demonstrated in celiac disease populations in Europe, South America and the United States. Serological testing with tissue transglutaminase (TTG and immunoglobulin A endomysial (EMA antibodies is highly specific for celiac disease, while antigliadin antibody (AGA testing is less specific.

Diagnostic assessment without cut-offs: application of serology for the modelling of bovine digital dermatitis infection.

Science.gov (United States)

Vink, W D; Jones, G; Johnson, W O; Brown, J; Demirkan, I; Carter, S D; French, N P

2009-11-15

Bovine digital dermatitis (BDD) is an epidermitis which is a leading cause of infectious lameness. The only recognized diagnostic test is foot inspection, which is a labour-intensive procedure. There is no universally recognized, standardized lesion scoring system. As small lesions are easily missed, foot inspection has limited diagnostic sensitivity. Furthermore, interpretation is subjective, and prone to observer bias. Serology is more convenient to carry out and is potentially a more sensitive indicator of infection. By carrying out 20 serological assays using lesion-associated Treponema spp. isolates, three serogroups were identified. The reliability of the tests was established by assessing the level of agreement and the concordance correlation coefficient. Subsequently, an ELISA suitable for routine use was developed. The benchmark of diagnostic test validation is conventionally the determination of the key test parameters, sensitivity and specificity. This requires the imposition of a cut-off point. For serological assays with outcomes on a continuous scale, the degree by which the test result differs from this cut-off is disregarded. Bayesian statistical methodology has been developed which enables the assay result also to be interpreted on a continuous scale, thereby optimizing the information inherent in the test. Using a cross-sectional study dataset carried out on 8 representative dairy farms in the UK, the probability of infection, P(I), of each individual animal was estimated in the absence of a 'Gold Standard' by modelling I as a latent variable which was determined by lesion status, L as well as serology, S. Covariate data (foot hygiene score and age) were utilized to estimate P(L) when no lesion inspection was performed. Informative prior distributions were elicited where possible. The model was utilized for predictive inference, by computing estimates of P(I) and P(L) independently of the data. A more detailed and informative analysis of the farm

Decreased serum protein associated with Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis shedding in German Holstein cows.

Science.gov (United States)

Donat, K; Erhardt, G; Soschinka, A; Brandt, H R

2014-04-19

Using well established metabolic parameters, this study aimed to substantiate differences in protein and energy metabolism between Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) positive and negative dairy cows tested by faecal culture. A total of 227 MAP-positive and 239 MAP-negative German Holstein cows kept in 13 MAP-positive dairy herds were selected for metabolic testing. The serum concentrations of total protein (TP), bilirubin, cholesterol and betahydroxybutyrate were measured as well as the activities of Glutamate-Dehydrogenase (GLDH) and Aspartate-Aminotransferase. MAP-positive cows were characterised by a decreased mean TP (66.5 g/l) compared to the MAP-negative controls (73.2 g/l). Mean log10 GLDH activities tended to be higher in MAP-positive than MAP-negative cows. Concerning TP, there was a significant interaction between MAP status and farm. Within four farms, the difference between MAP-positive and MAP-negative animals differed significantly, while in the other farms this difference was not significant. It is concluded that a decreased TP and an increased GLDH indicate alterations in protein metabolism. These findings suggest an enhanced liver cell turnover in MAP-positive cows. The results contribute to an understanding of the metabolic alterations in MAP-positive dairy cows.

Influence of environmental health in the cow-calf dyad system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thayná Barcelos Fernandes

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Health factors influence the cow-calf dyad system in the postpartum period until the first suckling. The use of maternity paddock is a recommended management to facilitate the monitoring of parturient cows and calves. However, side effects occur due to environmental health conditions of maternity paddock that can affect the behaviour of the cow and result in the separation of calf from the mother, undermining sucking and the formation of the cow-calf dyad. To improve the understanding of this complex and dynamic system we built a conceptual model using the technique of causal loop diagram, Figure 1. By hypothesis, the environmental variables that act in maternity paddock influence the variable "Sources of pathogens in maternity". Those sources present a positive effect (in the same direction in the infection process of the calf and cow. Thus, a recommended practice is exposing the parturient cow to pathogens in maternity for sufficient period to stimulate their immune system and build disease resistance. That process contributes to improve the quality of colostrum that will be consumed by the calf during the first hours postpartum which has the function of increasing calf immunity, minimizing the occurrence of infections. In the model, sanitary environmental factors work in two Balance feedback loops (B1 and B2. The B1 cycle refers to the production of a healthy cow with a low level of infection by means of the variables: “Vaccine”, "Stimulation of cow immune system" and "Health resistance" with delay. The variable "Cow infection" has a negative influence (in the opposite direction in the "Maternal behaviour", thus the more infected the cow, the less investment will occur in maternal behaviour. The B2 cycle refers to the calf’s health condition, which is positively influenced by “Calf infection” which, in turn, has positive influence, contributing to the increase of "Calf diseases". The increase in “Calf diseases” generates an

Detection of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis in Milk from Clinically Affected Cows by PCR and culture

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Giese, Steen Bjørck; Ahrens, Peter

1999-01-01

Milk and faecal samples from cows with clinical symptoms of paratuberculosis were examined for the presence of Mycobacterium avium subsp.paratuberculosis (M. a. paratuberculosis) by culture and PCR. M. a. paratuberculosis was isolated in varied numbers from faeces or intestinal mucosa in 8 of 11...... animals. In milk from 5 cows (all faecal culture-positive) we cultivated a few colonies of M. a. paratuberculosis (less than 100 CFU per mi). Milk samples from 2 cows were PCR-positive (both animals were faecal culture-positive, and 1 cow was milk culture positive). One cow was culture......-negative on intestinal mucosa, but culture-positive in milk, and both faeces and milk were negative in culture and PCR from 2 cows. In conclusion the presence of M. a. paratuberculosis could be detected in raw milk by PCR but cultivation of milk was more sensitive in detecting the organism....

USE OF CALIFORNIA MASTITIS TEST IN DIAGNOSIS OF SUBCLINICAL MASTITIS IN COWS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nazif Varatanović

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Udder health control has been conducted in three different cow breeds by comparing the California Mastitis Test results in order to justify its use in detecting subclinical mastitis. The test examined 75 cows, or 228 quarters in total. In 76% of the cows of different breeds, the results of California Mastitis Test were positive. The tests were positive in one or two quarters with the intensity level of one, two and three. The test showed much higher percentage of positive reaction in the rear quarters. According to the results of our research, the continuous application of this test enables the early detection of subclinical mastitis resulting in its prevention and also improvement in quantity and milk quality.Key words: mastitis, California Mastitis Test, cow

Milk amyloid A and selected serum proteins in cows suffering from mastitis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gabriel Kováč

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this work was to evaluate the influence of clinical and sub-clinical mastitis on the concentrations of mammary associated isotype of serum amyloid A (M-SAA in milk samples, as well as on the concentrations of haptoglobin (Hp and serum amyloid A (SAA, and some other biochemical variables in blood serum of dairy cows (n = 41. The concentrations of aforementioned variables were measured in 4 groups of cows divided according to the results of the clinical examination of the udder and to the results of California Mastitis Test (CMT: group 1 – cows without clinical changes on the mammary gland and with negative CMT, group 2 – cows without clinical changes on the mammary gland and with weakly positive CMT, group 3 – cows without clinical changes on the mammary gland and with strongly positive CMT and group 4 – cows with clinical changes on the mammary gland and changes in milk appearance. The concentrations of M-SAA were analyzed also in 145 quarter’s milk samples which were categorized according to the same criteria as cows used in the study. By the evaluation of M-SAA concentrations in composite milk samples we found significantly the highest mean value in cows with clinical signs of mastitis. Similar findings were recorded in the M-SAA concentrations in quarter’s milk samples. Moreover, higher concentrations of M-SAA were found also in samples from mammary quarters without clinical changes and positive CMT. The analyses of Hp and SAA concentrations showed a trend of higher values in cows with clinical mastitis. The lowest mean concentration of albumin we found in cows with clinical signs of mastitis. Our results indicate elevated production of M-SAA in cows with clinical changes on mammary gland, and suggest the usefulness of this indicator also in the diagnosing of sub-clinical mastitis.

The Dutch Brucella abortus monitoring programme for cattle: the impact of false-positive serological reactions and comparison of serological tests.

Science.gov (United States)

Emmerzaal, A; de Wit, J J; Dijkstra, Th; Bakker, D; van Zijderveld, F G

2002-02-01

The Dutch national Brucella abortus eradication programme for cattle started in 1959. Sporadic cases occurred yearly until 1995; the last infected herd was culled in 1996. In August 1999 the Netherlands was declared officially free of bovine brucellosis by the European Union. Before 1999, the programme to monitor the official Brucella-free status of bovine herds was primarily based on periodical testing of dairy herds with the milk ring test (MRT) and serological testing of all animals older than 1 year of age from non-dairy herds, using the micro-agglutination test (MAT) as screening test. In addition, serum samples of cattle that aborted were tested with the MAT. The high number of false positive reactions in both tests and the serum agglutination test (SAT) and complement fixation test (CFT) used for confirmation seemed to result in unnecessary blockade of herds, subsequent testing and slaughter of animals. For this reason, a validation study was performed in which three indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs), the CFT and the SAT were compared using a panel of sera from brucellosis-free cattle, sera from experimentally infected cattle, and sera from cattle experimentally infected with bacteria which are known to induce cross-reactive antibodies (Pasteurella, Salmonella, Yersinia, and Escherichia). Moreover, four ELISAs and the MRT were compared using a panel of 1000 bulk milk samples from Brucella-free herds and 12 milk samples from Brucella abortus- infected cattle. It is concluded that the ELISA obtained from ID-Lelystad is the most suitable test to monitor the brucelosis free status of herds because it gives rise to fewer false-positive reactions than the SAT.

Health screening of migrant workers- serological investigations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mustafa, M.

2009-01-01

The paper review the serological investigations for parasitic infection among migrant workers. The tests were performed on serum samples for parasitic infection. The serum samples were found to be positive for antibody for Ameobiasis [28%], Malaria [27 percentage], Echonococcus [18 percentage] and Schistosomiasis [12 percentage]. Female samples were positive for Ameobiasis [39 percentage], and Filariasis [W.b] 33.3 percentage. Foreign workers from Bangladesh showed the highest percentage on seropositive for most parasitic diseases. (author)

Serological diagnosis of bovine brucellosis using B. melitensis strain B115.

Science.gov (United States)

Corrente, Marialaura; Desario, Costantina; Parisi, Antonio; Grandolfo, Erika; Scaltrito, Domenico; Vesco, Gesualdo; Colao, Valeriana; Buonavoglia, Domenico

2015-12-01

Bovine brucellosis is diagnosed by official tests, such as Rose Bengal plate test (RBPT) and Complement Fixation test (CFT). Both tests detect antibodies directed against the lipolysaccharide (LPS) of Brucella cell wall. Despite their good sensitivity, those tests do not discriminate between true positive and false positive serological reactions (FPSR), the latter being generated by animals infected with other Gram negative microorganisms that share components of Brucella LPS. In this study, an antigenic extract from whole Brucella melitensis B115 strain was used to set up an ELISA assay for the serological diagnosis of bovine brucellosis. A total of 148 serum samples from five different groups of animals were tested: Group A: 28 samples from two calves experimentally infected with Yersinia enterocolitica O:9; Group B: 30 samples from bovines infected with Brucella abortus; Group C: 50 samples from brucellosis-free herds; Group D: 20 samples RBPT positive and CFT negative; Group E: 20 samples both RBPT and CFT positive. Group D and Group E serum samples were from brucellosis-free herds. Positive reactions were detected only by RBPT and CFT in calves immunized with Y. enterocolitica O:9. Sera from Group B animals tested positive also in the ELISA assay, whereas sera from the remaining groups were all negative. The results obtained encourage the use of the ELISA assay to implement the serological diagnosis of brucellosis. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Detection of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis in milk from clinically affected cows by PCR and culture

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Giese, Steen Bjørck; Ahrens, Peter

2000-01-01

Milk and faeces samples from cows with clinical symptoms of paratuberculosis were examined for the presence of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (M. paratuberculosis) by culture and PCR. M. paratuberculosis was cultivated in variable numbers from faeces or intestinal mucosa in eight of 11...... animals. In milk from five cows (all faeces culture positive), we cultivated a few colonies of M. paratuberculosis (culture positive, and one cow was milk culture positive). One cow was culture negative on intestinal...... mucosa, but culture positive in milk, and two cows were negative in culture and PCR from both faeces and milk. In conclusion, the presence of M. paratuberculosis could be detected in raw milk by PCR, but cultivation of milk was more sensitive. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved....

Evolution of hepatitis B serological markers in HIV coinfected patients: a case study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana Luiza de Castro Conde Toscano

Full Text Available ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To describe the evolution of serological markers among HIV and hepatitis B coinfected patients, with emphasis on evaluating the reactivation or seroreversion of these markers. METHODS The study population consisted of patients met in an AIDS Outpatient Clinic in São Paulo State, Brazil. We included in the analysis all HIV-infected and who underwent at least two positive hepatitis B surface antigen serological testing during clinical follow up, with tests taken six months apart. Patients were tested with commercial kits available for hepatitis B serological markers by microparticle enzyme immunoassay. Clinical variables were collected: age, sex, CD4+ T-cell count, HIV viral load, alanine aminotransferase level, exposure to antiretroviral drugs including lamivudine and/or tenofovir. RESULTS Among 2,242 HIV positive patients, we identified 105 (4.7% patients with chronic hepatitis B. Follow up time for these patients varied from six months to 20.5 years. All patients underwent antiretroviral therapy during follow-up. Among patients with chronic hepatitis B, 58% were hepatitis B “e” antigen positive at the first assessment. Clearance of hepatitis B surface antigen occurred in 15% (16/105 of patients with chronic hepatitis B, and 50% (8/16 of these patients presented subsequent reactivation or seroreversion of hepatitis B surface antigen. Among hepatitis B “e” antigen positive patients, 57% (35/61 presented clearance of this serologic marker. During clinical follow up, 28.5% (10/35 of those who initially cleared hepatitis B “e” antigen presented seroreversion or reactivation of this marker. CONCLUSIONS Among HIV coinfected patients under antiretroviral therapy, changes of HBV serological markers were frequently observed. These results suggest that frequent monitoring of these serum markers should be recommended.

Empiric treatment based on Helicobacter Pylori serology cannont ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: Evidence that chronic gastric Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection is an aetiological factor in dyspepsia, peptic ulcer disease, gastric carcinoma and lymphoma has led to the suggestion that all serologically positive dyspeptic patients should be treated empirically with antibiotics to eradicate the infection, without ...

Euthanasia of Danish dairy cows evaluated in two questionnaire surveys

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sørensen Jan

2008-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Mortality risk in Danish dairy cows has more than doubled since 1990 (from 2% in 1990 to 5% in 2005. Until now, registrations about dead cows in the Danish Cattle Database have not included information about whether the cow died unassisted or was euthanized. Methods We interviewed a random sample of 196 Danish dairy farmers that had reported a dead cow to the Danish Cattle Database in 2002 and 196 dairy farmers that had reported a dead cow in 2006. Our objectives were to evaluate the proportion of euthanized cows, changes in the behaviour of farmers regarding euthanasia of cows over the years and possible reasons for these changes. Results It seems that the threshold for euthanasia of cows among farmers has changed. Farmers generally reported a lower threshold for euthanasia compared to 5–10 years ago. Conclusion The threshold for euthanasia of cows has, according to the dairy farmers, become lower. This might have positive impacts on animal welfare as more seriously ill cows are euthanized in the herds and not put through a period of suffering associated with disease and treatment or transported to a slaughterhouse in poor condition.

Serological screening for cysticercosis in mentally altered individuals.

Science.gov (United States)

Sanzón, Fernando; Osorio, Ana M; Morales, José P; Isaza, Rodrigo; Cardona, Edgar; Moncayo, Luis C; Villota, Guido E; Zapata, Olga T; Palacio, Carlos A; Arbeláez, María P; Restrepo, Blanca I

2002-06-01

The parasitic infection neurocysticercosis may give rise to a variety of psychiatric manifestations that resemble, but are different from, primary psychiatric disorders. The aim of this study was to determine if among individuals from a neurocysticercosis-endemic area of Colombia who apparently had a psychiatric manifestation with associated neurological finding ('cases'), some could have been infected with Taenia solium cysticerci. This case-control study was done in individuals hospitalized in two mental institutions. The control-1 individuals were those classified with primary psychiatric disease, and the control-2 group consisted of healthy, non-hospitalized individuals. A serological test for cysticercosis was positive in 5/96 (5.1%) cases, 4/153 (2.6%) psychiatric controls, and 5/246 (2%) healthy controls. The data analysis indicated a weak association between the cases and a positive serology for neurocysticercosis (odds ratio > 2; P > 0.05). The lower education level of the cases influenced this association.

Serologic detection of coccidioidomycosis antibodies in northeast Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

Cordeiro, Rossana de Aguiar; Fechine, Maria Auxiliadora Bezerra; Brilhante, Raimunda Sâmia Nogueira; Rocha, Marcos Fábio Gadelha; da Costa, Ana Karoline Freire; Nagao, Maria Aparecida Tiemi Dias; de Camargo, Zoilo Pires; Sidrim, José Júlio Costa

2009-04-01

Coccidioidomycosis is a systemic infection caused by Coccidioides spp. The disease is endemic in Brazil but its incidence is underreported as it is not a notifiable disease. This article presents the results of a serologic survey carried out with 229 volunteers in northeast Brazil by the immunodiffusion (ID) test with commercial Coccidioides spp. antigens. The commercial ID test detected 15 individuals without clinical diagnosis of the disease and two individuals in treatment for coccidioidomycosis. Regarding the epidemiological data, most of the positive individuals were male, between 18 and 65 years of age and were engaged in armadillo hunting. Three women who had never participated in armadillo hunts also displayed positive results for coccidioidal antibodies. Besides armadillo hunts, exposure to environmental dust in endemic areas may account for the serologic response detected in the study. The data from this study suggest the importance of performing epidemiological surveys for coccidioidomycosis in order to understand the prevalence of this disease in Brazil.

Allergic reactions to raw, pasteurized, and homogenized/pasteurized cow milk

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Høst, A; Samuelsson, E G

1988-01-01

Five children aged 12-40 months with IgE-mediated adverse reactions to cow milk (immediate onset clinical pattern of cow milk allergy) were orally challenged double-blind in random order with three different milk preparations processed from the same batch of milk 1) raw untreated cow milk, 2......) pasteurized cow milk, 3) homogenized and pasteurized cow milk, and 4) Nutramigen (a commercial hypoallergenic infant formula based on hydrolysed casein) as placebo. Skin prick tests with the same preparations were also performed. On oral challenge the three different processed milk types provoked significant...... and similar allergic reactions in each child, and no adverse reactions followed the challenge with placebo (Nutramigen). Skin prick test with the same milk products were positive in all children and comparable to the results with an extract of purified raw cow milk protein (Soluprick), whereas Nutramigen did...

Mad Cow Disease

Science.gov (United States)

... Safe Videos for Educators Search English Español Mad Cow Disease KidsHealth / For Teens / Mad Cow Disease What's ... are people to get it? What Is Mad Cow Disease? Mad cow disease is an incurable, fatal ...

Comparison of 2 molecular assays and a serologic test in diagnosing Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection in paediatrics patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Blanco, Silvia; Fuenzalida, Loreto; Bas, Albert; Prat, Cristina; Ramírez, Aida; Matas, Lurdes; Rodrigo, Carlos; Ausina, Vicente

2011-12-01

Two commercial polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays (a real-time PCR [Cepheid] and an oligochromatographic test [Speed-oligo]) and 1 serology test (Serodia-Myco II) for detecting Mycoplasma pneumoniae in nasopharyngeal aspirates and serum samples were studied. Among the 145 samples, 32 serum pairs were serologically positive for M. pneumoniae. Of these, in 30 nasopharyngeal aspirates, M. pneumoniae was detected using the real-time PCR assay and 25 using Speed-oligo, corresponding to a sensitivity of 93.7% and 78.1%, respectively. Among the 94 samples with negative serology, we only obtained 1 positive result by real-time PCR assay. In the group of samples from healthy children, no positive results were obtained. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

21 CFR 866.3500 - Rickettsia serological reagents.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Rickettsia serological reagents. 866.3500 Section... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES IMMUNOLOGY AND MICROBIOLOGY DEVICES Serological Reagents § 866.3500 Rickettsia serological reagents. (a) Identification. Rickettsia serological reagents are devices that consist of antigens...

21 CFR 866.3405 - Poliovirus serological reagents.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Poliovirus serological reagents. 866.3405 Section... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES IMMUNOLOGY AND MICROBIOLOGY DEVICES Serological Reagents § 866.3405 Poliovirus serological reagents. (a) Identification. Poliovirus serological reagents are devices that consist of antigens...

Anaphylactic reaction to probiotics. Cow's milk and hen's egg allergens in probiotic compounds.

Science.gov (United States)

Martín-Muñoz, María Flora; Fortuni, Monserrat; Caminoa, Magdalena; Belver, Teresa; Quirce, Santiago; Caballero, Teresa

2012-12-01

Probiotics are used in the treatment of allergic diseases. We investigated the safety of probiotics for subjects with food allergy. Labels of probiotics commercially available in Spain were examined to assess their content of cow's milk or hen's egg. Skin prick tests with these compounds (20 mg/ml) were performed in five children allergic to cow's milk, five children allergic to hen's white egg, and five control subjects non-allergic to food. Three serum pools: I (positive-specific IgE to cow's milk and hen's egg white proteins), II (positive-specific IgE to cow's milk and negative to hen's egg white proteins), and III (negative-specific IgE to cow's milk and positive to hen's egg white proteins) were used to detect cow's milk and hen's egg white allergens in probiotics. ImmunoCAP(®) (Phadia), in-house ELISA, SDS-PAGE immunoblotting, and inhibition studies of these assays were performed. Proteins were quantified by enzyme-immunoassay. Eleven probiotics were studied. No label advertised about egg content, eight labels warned about lactose, lactic acid or cow's milk, one label claimed to be milk-free, and two gave no information. Cow's milk proteins were detected, by at least one lab technique, in 10/11 probiotics, three over 2.5 mg/kg (21, 52, 112 mg/kg). Hen's egg white proteins were detected in 3/11 probiotics, only one had more than 2.5 mg/kg (47 mg/kg). Probiotic compounds may contain hidden allergens of food and may not be safe for subjects with allergy to cow's milk or hen's egg. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Meat juice serology for Toxoplasma gondii infection in chickens

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alice Vismarra

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Toxoplasma gondii is an important foodborne zoonosis. Free-range chickens are at particularly high risk of infection and are also excellent indicators of soil contamination by oocysts. In the present study, hearts of 77 freerange chickens were collected at slaughter. T. gondii meat juice enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was performed with a commercial kit, following validation with positive controls, from experimentally infected chickens, and negative ones. Out of 77 samples, only 66 gave sufficient meat juice for serology. Of these, 24 (36.4% were positive for T. gondii considering the 5*standard deviation values (calculated on the optical density of negative controls, while all the samples were negative considering sample/positive% values. Parasite-specific polymerase chain reaction was carried out on all samples obtained from heart tissue and none were positive for the presence of T. gondii DNA. Results would suggest that further study on the use of meat juice with a validated serological test to detect T. gondii in chickens could lead to widespread epidemiological studies in this important intermediate host. However, sample collection and test specificity require further evaluation.

Serological Tests for Acquired Syphilis in Immuno-competent Patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Golušin Zoran

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Serological tests represent a valuable tool for the diagnosis and monitoring the syphilis treatment. Non-treponemal antibodies are nonspecific to detect the infection, but antibody titers are used to monitor the effects of syphilis treatment. A definitive diagnosis of syphilis is made using treponemal tests, because they detect specific antibodies to the treponemal strains or treponemal fragments, which cause syphilis. These tests may remain reactive for years, sometimes for life, regardless of the therapy outcome. Even after successful treatment, approximately 85% of patients remain positive for treponemal antibodies for the rest of their lives. However, treponemal tests cannot differentiate past infections from a current infection. Therefore, we use a combination of specific and non-specific tests, the two most frequently used diagnostic algorithms. The traditional algorithm begins with a non-treponemal assay, and if it is positive, the treponemal test is done. A positive treponemal test indicates syphilis. The reverse serology algorithm detects early, primary, and treated syphilis that may be missed with traditional screening. However, non-treponemal test is necessary to detect patients with active syphilis.

42 CFR 493.923 - Syphilis serology.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Syphilis serology. 493.923 Section 493.923 Public... Proficiency Testing Programs by Specialty and Subspecialty § 493.923 Syphilis serology. (a) Program content and frequency of challenge. To be approved for proficiency testing in syphilis serology, a program...

Panchgavya and cow products: A trail for the holy grail

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ashwinikumar A. Raut

2018-01-01

Full Text Available For millennia, cow has been central to Indian economy, life and culture. There are innumerable references-Vedic and subsequent to the sacred significance of cow. The benefits of cow have been described at length in relation to agriculture, environment, health, economy and spiritual progress. However, the socio-political issues surrounding cow as a sacred animal have raised acrimonious debates. In Ayurveda also, there is a long tradition of using cow products for positive health, pharmaceutical processes and in therapeutics. There have been quite a few studies on the activity, efficacy, safety and acceptability of Panchagavya and other cow products. Paradoxically, many cow products available in the market for human consumption require improved standardization and proper regulation.Integration of cowpathy (Govaidyak in traditional Indian systems of medicine has been natural, based on their common dravyagunavigyan. But if its integration with conventional medicine is contemplated, we will need better understanding of the ingredients of cow products, their pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and therapeutic ratio. A rational beginning can be made by data collection of experiential and anecdotal responses. A meticulous analysis of database of panchgavya and other cow products should look for temporal relationships, biological plausibility and translational potential before embarking on state-of-the-art experimental and clinical studies for selected indications. Keywords: Panchgavya, Cow products, Cowpathy, Govaidyak

Selective dry cow treatment in dairy cows

OpenAIRE

Scherpenzeel, C.G.M.

2017-01-01

In the dairy industry, udder health is associated with mastitis management, of which blanket dry cow treatment has been an important part for decades. To prevent the udder from new intramammary infections during the dry period, the use of blanket dry cow treatment has been advocated for more than 50 years as part of the five-point mastitis prevention program. The goal of dry cow treatment is to reduce the prevalence of intramammary infections by eliminating infections already present at dryin...

Comparison of ultrasonographic and radiographic findings in cows with traumatic reticuloperitonitis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Braun, U.; Fluckiger, M.; Gotz, M.

1994-01-01

The radiographic and ultrasonographic findings in 26 cows with traumatic reticuloperitonitis were compared. The cows were divided into three groups based on the radiographic findings; the first group consisted of 12 cows in which the principal radiographic finding was a foreign body penetrating the reticulum; the second group contained four cows in which the principal radiographic finding was gas shadows or a gas-fluid interface, the third group consisted of 10 cows that had no reliable radiographic evidence of traumatic reticuloperitonitis, such as an abnormal contour, position or shape of the reticulum. In no case could the foreign bodies be visualised by ultrasonography. In all the cows except one with radiographic evidence of abnormal gas inclusions and gas-fluid interfaces, ultrasonography revealed echogenic, partitioned and capsulated structures with central hypoechogenic cavities. In addition, in some of the cows with no radiographic evidence of the condition, severe changes indicative of inflammatory processes were visible by ultrasonography

How reliable are the sup 14 C-urea breath test and specific serology for the detection of gastric campylobacter

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Husebye, E; O' Leary, D; Skar, V; Melby, K [Ullevaal Sykehus, Oslo (Norway)

1990-01-01

Detection of gastric campylobacter by the {sup 14}C-urea breath test and serology were correlated to biopsy culture in 25 unselected outpatients referred for gastroscopy. All the 17 culture-positive patients had positive {sup 14}C-urea breath test, and 16 had positive serology. Of eight culture-negative patients, six patients had negative breath test and seven negative serology. A high degree of reproducibility was found when two subsequent breath tests were performed in 11 healthy volunteers. The breath test values obtained at 10 min showed a strong correlation to the accumulated values within 30 min. Breath sampling once, 10 min after intake of 2.5 {mu}Ci {sup 14}C-urea, seems sufficient for the detection of gastric campylobacter. The {sup 14}C-urea breath test correlates well with biopsy culture and provides a sensitive tool for the detection of gastric campylobacter. Serology also corresponds well with biopsy culture and should provide a useful tool for epidemiologic studies. 22 refs., 4 figs., 1 tab.

Relationship between presence of cows with milk positive for Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis-specific antibody by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and viable M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis in dust in cattle barns.

Science.gov (United States)

Eisenberg, Susanne W F; Chuchaisangrat, Ruj; Nielen, Mirjam; Koets, Ad P

2013-09-01

Paratuberculosis, or Johne's disease, in cattle is caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis, which has recently been suspected to be transmitted through dust. This longitudinal study on eight commercial M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis-positive dairy farms studied the relationship between the number of cows with M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis antibody-positive milk and the presence of viable M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis in settled-dust samples, including their temporal relationship. Milk and dust samples were collected in parallel monthly for 2 years. M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis antibodies in milk were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and used as a proxy for M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis shedding. Settled-dust samples were collected by using electrostatic dust collectors (EDCs) at six locations in housing for dairy cattle and young stock. The presence of viable M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis was identified by liquid culture and PCR. The results showed a positive relationship (odds ratio [OR], 1.2) between the number of cows with ELISA-positive milk and the odds of having positive EDCs in the same airspace as the adult dairy cattle. Moreover, the total number of lactating cows also showed an OR slightly above 1. This relationship remained the same for settled-dust samples collected up to 2 months before or after the time of milk sampling. The results suggest that removal of adult cows with milk positive for M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis-specific antibody by ELISA might result in a decrease in the presence of viable M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis in dust and therefore in the environment. However, this decrease is likely delayed by several weeks at least. In addition, the data support the notion that M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis exposure of young stock is reduced by separate housing.

Effect of sand and rubber surface on the lying behavior of lame dairy cows in hospital pens

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bak, Anne Sandgrav; Herskin, Mette S.; Jensen, Margit Bak

2016-01-01

Housing lame cows in designated hospital pens with a soft surface may lessen the pain the animals feel when lying and changing position. This study investigated the effect of the lying surface on the behavior of lame cows in hospital pens. Thirty-two lame dairy cows were kept in individual hospital...... pens, provided with either 30-cm deep-bedded sand or 24-mm rubber mats during 24 h in a crossover design. On each surface, the lying behavior of each cow was recorded during 18 h. On deep-bedded sand, cows lay down more and changed position more often than when housed on the rubber surface. Furthermore......, a shorter duration of lying down and getting up movements and a shorter duration of lying intention movements were observed. These results suggest that lame dairy cows are more reluctant to change position on rubber compared with sand, and that sand is more comfortable to lie on. Thus, deep bedding...

Detection of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis of dairy cows in Bogor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Widagdo Sri Nugroho

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Johne’s disease (JD or partuberculosis is a chronic granulomatous enteritis in ruminants caused by infection of Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis subspecies (MAP. The disease has been detected serologically in Indonesia. It’s potential to spread to other herds and could create great economic losses. The objectives of current study were to detect MAP in milk and faeces of dairy cows as well as to evaluate the association between farm management factors and presence of the bacteria in dairy cows in Bogor. The sample size was calculated using the formula to detect disease with the prevalence assumed to be 5% using 95% significant level. Milk and faeces samples were taken from 62 dairy cows which were suspected as suffering from MAP infection. Detection of MAP was done by isolation in Herrold’ egg yolk medium with mycobactin J (HEYMj, acid-fast bacilli Ziehl-Neelsen staining, PCR IS900 and F57. Biochemical test to confirm M. tuberculosis presence was also conducted. Fifteen isolates of Mycobacterium sp. were found from the faeces samples but not from the corresponding milk samples. However, conventional PCR conducted on the isolate as well as the milk samples, gave negative results. Biochemical test proved that all Mycobacterium sp. isolates were not M. tuberculosis. This study indicated the prevalence of MAP in Bogor was less than 5%. These findings should be continued by observational study to achieve the comprehensive information at the cattle and herd level. Bovine Tuberculosis monitoring should be done also to protect dairy herd and food safety for the community.

Short communication: A reproductive tract scoring system to manage fertility in lactating dairy cows.

Science.gov (United States)

Young, C D; Schrick, F N; Pohler, K G; Saxton, A M; Di Croce, F A; Roper, D A; Wilkerson, J B; Edwards, J L

2017-07-01

We developed a reproductive tract size and position score (SPS) system as a reproductive management tool to identify lactating dairy cows with decreased fertility. This system, relying solely on transrectal palpation, considers the size (cervical and uterine) and position of the reproductive tract relative to the pelvis. Cows undergoing pre-breeding exams were identified as having reproductive tracts that were small (SPS1), medium (SPS2), or large (SPS3). Cows designated SPS1 had small and compact uterine horns that rested within the pelvic cavity; SPS2 cows had reproductive tracts that were intermediate in cervical and uterine horn diameter, with longer uterine horns resting partially outside the pelvic cavity; and SPS3 cows had reproductive tracts that were larger and rested mostly outside the pelvic cavity. Cows that were SPS1 had a higher rate of pregnancy per artificial insemination (43.3 ± 3.7%) than cows that were SPS2 (36.9 ± 3.6%) or SPS3 (27.7 ± 4.3%). The percentage of cows with an SPS2 score differed in pregnancies per artificial insemination compared with SPS3 cows. The average days in milk was similar for SPS1, SPS2, and SPS3 cows (104.3 ± 3.5, 98.4 ± 3.4, and 94.7 ± 7.7, respectively). Ultrasound measurements of the uterine horn and cervical diameter, and length measurements of the uterine horns, cervix, and vagina confirmed differences among the SPS groups derived by transrectal palpation. The ease with which transrectal palpation can be used to determine the size and position of the reproductive tract attests to the relevance and usefulness of this scoring system to identify less fertile lactating dairy cows. The ability to do so with ease provides an opportunity to make economically relevant management decisions and maximize reproductive efficiency in a given herd. Copyright © 2017 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

21 CFR 866.3350 - Leptospira spp. serological reagents.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Leptospira spp. serological reagents. 866.3350... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES IMMUNOLOGY AND MICROBIOLOGY DEVICES Serological Reagents § 866.3350 Leptospira spp. serological reagents. (a) Identification. Leptospira spp. serological reagents are devices that...

21 CFR 866.3200 - Echinococcus spp. serological reagents.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Echinococcus spp. serological reagents. 866.3200... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES IMMUNOLOGY AND MICROBIOLOGY DEVICES Serological Reagents § 866.3200 Echinococcus spp. serological reagents. (a) Identification. Echinococcus spp. serological reagents are devices that...

21 CFR 866.3415 - Pseudomonas spp. serological reagents.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Pseudomonas spp. serological reagents. 866.3415... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES IMMUNOLOGY AND MICROBIOLOGY DEVICES Serological Reagents § 866.3415 Pseudomonas spp. serological reagents. (a) Identification. Pseudomonas spp. serological reagents are devices that...

Evaluation of a serological Salmonella Mix-ELISA for poultry used in a national surveillance programme

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Feld, Niels Christian; Ekeroth, Lars; Gradel, K.O.

2000-01-01

by Mix-ELISA and by faecal culture, and in case of a positive result in either of these a repeated, serological testing was performed, and 60 animals were organ-cultured. If one of these samplings was positive, the flock was declared salmonella infected. In a period of 3 months, 35 flocks were found......A Mix-ELISA using lipopolysaccharide antigens from Salmonella enterica serotype Enteritidis and Typhimurium? was evaluated using samples collected over time in the Danish salmonella surveillance programme for poultry. Serological samples (n = 42813) taken from broiler-breeder flocks after a year...

21 CFR 866.3255 - Escherichia coli serological reagents.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Escherichia coli serological reagents. 866.3255... coli serological reagents. (a) Identification. Escherichia coli serological reagents are devices that consist of antigens and antisera used in serological tests to identify Escherichia coli from cultured...

Biliary clearance of bromosulfophthalein in healthy and ketotic Holstein cows

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Danijela Kirovski

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Ketosis is a metabolic disorder closely associated with liver lipidosis. Numerous tests have been developed to detect hepatic dysfunction in dairy cows. Bromosulfophthalein (BSP clearance is established as a sensitive index of hepatic function. The objective of this study was to examine the difference of biliary excretion of BSP between ketotic and healthy Holstein cows and to correlate this excretion with other indicators of liver dysfunction. Twenty puerperal Holstein cows divided in two groups (10 cows each were involved in the study. The first group included healthy and the second group ketotic cows. Blood samples were taken 10 days after parturition. Concentrations of total protein, albumin, total bilirubin, Ca, P, total lipids, urea and glucose were determined. Immediately after blood sampling, BSP test was performed. Blood samples were taken 5 and 45 minutes after injection, and the percentage of retained pigment in the sample obtained at minute 45 was calculated. Blood albumin and glucose concentrations were significantly higher in healthy then ketotic cows. Total bilirubin concentration was significantly higher in ketotic than healthy cows. BSP excretion was significantly higher in ketotic compared to healthy cows. There was a significant positive correlation between BSP values and total bilirubin concentrartions in both healthy and ketotic cows and a significant negative correlation between BSP values and glucose concentrartions in both healthy and ketotic cows. In conclusion, biliary clearance of BSP may be used as a reliable method for the detection of hepatic dysfunction associated with clinical symptoms of ketosis in dairy cows.

The economic benefit of treating subclinical Streptococcus agalactiae mastitis in lactating cows.

Science.gov (United States)

Yamagata, M; Goodger, W J; Weaver, L; Franti, C

1987-12-15

The economic benefits of treating lactating cows for Streptococcus agalactiae mastitis were studied at a large (689 milking cows) central California dairy. Postcure milk production of case cows (infected, treated, and cured) was compared with production of paired control cows (uninfected) and was matched for yield, days in milk, days in gestation, and parity. A simulation was used to plot expected lactation curves for mastitic cows (infected, not treated) with characteristics similar to those of each control cow, and these curves were compared with actual case-cow lactation curves. The difference in actual and expected production was used to calculate net economic benefits of treatment. Comparison of expected with actual production indicated a net benefit from treatment of $396/cow for cows treated in early lactation and $237 for cows treated in midlactation, but a net loss of $55 for cows treated in late lactation. Lactation number did not have a significant impact on economic benefits of treatment. In contrast to other studies indicating no economic benefit from treating mastitis during lactation, this study's positive results may have been attributable to the high cure rate (98%) and the subclinical form of mastitis being treated. Streptococcus agalactiae mastitis treatment during early and midlactation would appear to be an economically justifiable option for dairy managers.

Impact of Vaccination History on Serological Testing in Pregnant Women.

Science.gov (United States)

Desjardins, Michaël; Boucoiran, Isabelle; Paquet, Caroline; Laferrière, Céline; Gosselin-Brisson, Anne; Labbé, Annie-Claude; Martel-Laferrière, Valérie

2018-04-01

Serological testing guidelines for vaccine-preventable infectious diseases in pregnant women are heterogeneous. It is unclear how vaccination history influences health care workers' (HCWs) attitudes about testing. The aim of this study was to describe current practices in screening for rubella, hepatitis B, and varicella-zoster virus (VZV) in pregnant women in the province of Québec. In 2015, an electronic survey was distributed to HCWs who followed the case of at least one pregnant woman in the previous year and who could be contacted by email by their professional association. A total of 363 of 1084 (33%) participants were included in the analysis: general practitioners (57%), obstetrician-gynaecologists (20%), midwives (41%), and nurse practitioners (31%). For rubella, 48% of participants inquired about vaccination status, and of these, 98% offered serological testing for unvaccinated women versus 44% for vaccinated women. Similarly, of the 48% of participants who asked about hepatitis B vaccination status before offering testing, 96% ordered testing for hepatitis B surface antigen, 28% ordered testing for hepatitis B surface antibody, and 1% ordered no serological testing to unvaccinated women versus 72%, 46%, and 8%, respectively, for vaccinated women. Among the 81% of respondents who discussed VZV during prenatal care, 13% ordered serological testing if patients had a history of VZV infection, 87% if the VZV history was uncertain, and 19% if patients had a positive history of vaccination. Asking about vaccination status influences HCWs' attitudes about serological testing for rubella, hepatitis B, and VZV. In the context of increasing vaccination coverage in women of child-bearing age, it is important to clarify the impact of vaccination status in serological screening guidelines in pregnant women. Copyright © 2018 Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Considerations on Cattle Stock and Cow Fresh Milk Production in the EU Countries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Agatha Popescu

2011-10-01

Full Text Available The paper aimed to analyze the evolution of cattle stock and cow milk production in order to point out the main trends and differences between the EU-27 member states in the period 2004-2008. The data collected from FAO Stat, 2010 have been processed calculating the fixed basis index, average annual rhythm index and also the share of each EU state in cow milk production at the EU and world level.The main trends in the EU concerning cow milk sector are the continuous decrease in cattle stock, the increase of cow milk yield under the conditions of keeping a constant milk production and also milk production per capita. In 2008, the EU-27 was raising 90,478 thou cattle, and produced 149,388 thou tons cow fresh milk. The EU -27 is placed on the 5th position for number of cattle and on the 1st position for cow milk production, producing 25.8 % of world production. The largest milk producers in the EU-27 are Germany, France, United Kingdom, Poland, Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Ireland, Romania and Denmark, whose contribution to the EU productions is 82.82 %.

Acute phase protein concentrations in serum and milk from healthy cows, cows with clinical mastitis and cows with extramammary inflammatory conditions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, B.H.; Jacobsen, S.; Andersen, P.H.

2004-01-01

The concentrations of the two acute phase proteins, serum amyloid A and haptoglobin, in serum and milk were compared in 10 cows with clinical mastitis, 11 cows with extramammary inflammatory conditions and 10 clinically healthy control cows. The concentrations of both acute phase proteins were...... higher in the serum and milk of the cows with mastitis than in the cows in the other two groups. Four of the cows with extramammary inflammatory conditions had serum amyloid A concentrations in serum above 100 mug/ml, but negligible concentrations in milk, indicating that a pathogen must be present...

Recent Trends in the Serologic Diagnosis of Syphilis

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Ameeta E.

2014-01-01

Complexities in the diagnosis of syphilis continue to challenge clinicians. While direct tests (e.g., microscopy or PCR) are helpful in early syphilis, the mainstay of diagnosis remains serologic tests. The traditional algorithm using a nontreponemal test (NTT) followed by a treponemal test (TT) remains the standard in many parts of the world. More recently, the ability to automate the TT has led to the increasingly widespread use of reverse algorithms using treponemal enzyme immunoassays (EIAs). Rapid, point-of-care TTs are in widespread use in developing countries because of low cost, ease of use, and reasonable performance. However, none of the current diagnostic algorithms are able to distinguish current from previously treated infections. In addition, the reversal of traditional syphilis algorithms has led to uncertainty in the clinical management of patients. The interpretation of syphilis tests is further complicated by the lack of a reliable gold standard for syphilis diagnostics, and the newer tests can result in false-positive reactions similar to those seen with older tests. Little progress has been made in the area of serologic diagnostics for congenital syphilis, which requires assessment of maternal treatment and serologic response as well as clinical and laboratory investigation of the neonate for appropriate management. The diagnosis of neurosyphilis continues to require the collection of cerebrospinal fluid for a combination of NTT and TT, and, while newer treponemal EIAs look promising, more studies are needed to confirm their utility. This article reviews current tests and discusses current controversies in syphilis diagnosis, with a focus on serologic tests. PMID:25428245

Screening for celiac disease in a North American population: sequential serology and gastrointestinal symptoms.

Science.gov (United States)

Katz, Kent D; Rashtak, Shahrooz; Lahr, Brian D; Melton, L Joseph; Krause, Patricia K; Maggi, Kristine; Talley, Nicholas J; Murray, Joseph A

2011-07-01

The prevalence of diagnosed celiac disease is celiac disease and the utility of screening in the general adult population of a geographically isolated area. Serum tissue transglutaminase antibodies (tTG-IgA) were measured in volunteer health-care participants aged ≥ 18 years at the annual Casper, Wyoming, Blue Envelope Health Fair blood draw. Subjects with positive tTG-IgA tests had their endomysial IgA antibodies checked. Double positives were offered endoscopy with small bowel biopsy. All subjects completed a short gastrointestinal (GI) symptom questionnaire. A total of 3,850 residents of the Natrona County had serologic evaluation for celiac disease, 34 of whom tested positive for both tTG and endomysial antibody (EMA) IgA. Excluding three individuals with previous diagnosis of celiac disease, the overall prevalence of positive celiac serology in this community sample was 0.8%. All 31 subjects were offered a small bowel biopsy. Of the 18 biopsied subjects, 17 (94%) had at least partial villous atrophy. Symptoms that were reported by the fair attendees did not predict positivity. Screening for celiac disease was widely accepted in this preventative health-care setting. Undiagnosed celiac disease affects 1 in 126 individuals in this Wyoming community. Most were asymptomatic or had atypical presentations. Serologic testing can readily detect this disease in a general population.

Challenges for molecular and serological ZIKV infection confirmation.

Science.gov (United States)

de Vasconcelos, Zilton Farias Meira; Azevedo, Renata Campos; Thompson, Nathália; Gomes, Leonardo; Guida, Letícia; Moreira, Maria Elisabeth Lopes

2018-01-01

Zika Virus (ZIKV), member of Flaviviridae family and Flavivirus genus, has recently emerged as international public health emergency after its association with neonatal microcephaly cases. Clinical diagnosis hindrance involves symptom similarities produced by other arbovirus infections, therefore laboratory confirmation is of paramount importance. The most reliable test available is based on ZIKV RNA detection from body fluid samples. However, short viremia window periods and asymptomatic infections diminish the success rate for RT-PCR positivity. Beyond molecular detection, all serology tests in areas where other Flavivirus circulates proved to be a difficult task due to the broad range of cross-reactivity, especially with dengue pre-exposed individuals. Altogether, lack of serological diagnostic tools brings limitations to any retrospective evaluation. Those studies are central in the context of congenital infection that could occur asymptomatically and mask prevalence and risk rates.

Prevalence of coagulase-positive staphylococci, other than Staphylococcus aureus, in bovine mastitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Roberson, J R; Fox, L K; Hancock, D D; Gay, J M; Besser, T E

1996-01-01

To determine prevalence and relevance of coagulase-positive Staphylococcus hyicus and S intermedius intramammary infections (IMI) in dairy cows and determine the ability of the 4-hour tube coagulase (TC) test to differentiate the coagulase-positive staphylococci (CPS). Prevalence of CPS was determined for primiparous cows (point prevalence and prevalence at first parturition) and multiparous cows (point prevalence) of 2 herd groups: 10% CPS IMI prevalence = high prevalence (HP). For prevalence, cows of 22 dairy herds. For TC, 1,038 CPS strains isolated from cow milk. Speciation of CPS from aseptically collected composite milk samples was performed. Coagulase-positive isolates from 4 cow groups were tested for their ability to coagulate rabbit plasma by 4 hours: LP and HP primiparous cows at parturition, and LP and HP cows any time after first parturition. Of 487 CPS in the prevalence study, 82.1% were S aureus, 17.7% were coagulase-positive S hyicus, and 0.2% were S intermedius. Of all CPS IMI in LP herds, 34% were coagulase-positive S hyicus; of all CPS IMI in HP herds, 9% were coagulase-positive S hyicus. Coagulase-positive S hyicus appeared to persist to the end of lactation in 4 cows (mean linear somatic cell count = 3.7). The TC test was > or = 97% sensitive, < or = 33% specific, and had a predictive value positive range of 60 to 97% for S aureus isolates. Coagulase-positive S hyicus appears capable of inducing chronic, low-grade IMI. Staphylococcus intermedius does not appear to be an important mastitis pathogen. The TC test is not valid to use as the sole method to differentiate CPS species.

Influenza serological studies to inform public health action: best practices to optimise timing, quality and reporting.

Science.gov (United States)

Laurie, Karen L; Huston, Patricia; Riley, Steven; Katz, Jacqueline M; Willison, Donald J; Tam, John S; Mounts, Anthony W; Hoschler, Katja; Miller, Elizabeth; Vandemaele, Kaat; Broberg, Eeva; Van Kerkhove, Maria D; Nicoll, Angus

2013-03-01

Serological studies can detect infection with a novel influenza virus in the absence of symptoms or positive virology, providing useful information on infection that goes beyond the estimates from epidemiological, clinical and virological data. During the 2009 A(H1N1) pandemic, an impressive number of detailed serological studies were performed, yet the majority of serological data were available only after the first wave of infection. This limited the ability to estimate the transmissibility and severity of this novel infection, and the variability in methodology and reporting limited the ability to compare and combine the serological data.   To identify best practices for conduct and standardisation of serological studies on outbreak and pandemic influenza to inform public policy. An international meeting was held in February 2011 in Ottawa, Canada, to foster the consensus for greater standardisation of influenza serological studies. Best practices for serological investigations of influenza epidemiology include the following: classification of studies as pre-pandemic, outbreak, pandemic or inter-pandemic with a clearly identified objective; use of international serum standards for laboratory assays; cohort and cross-sectional study designs with common standards for data collection; use of serum banks to improve sampling capacity; and potential for linkage of serological, clinical and epidemiological data. Advance planning for outbreak studies would enable a rapid and coordinated response; inclusion of serological studies in pandemic plans should be considered. Optimising the quality, comparability and combinability of influenza serological studies will provide important data upon emergence of a novel or variant influenza virus to inform public health action. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Selective dry cow treatment in dairy cows

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Scherpenzeel, C.G.M.

2017-01-01

In the dairy industry, udder health is associated with mastitis management, of which blanket dry cow treatment has been an important part for decades. To prevent the udder from new intramammary infections during the dry period, the use of blanket dry cow treatment has been advocated for more than 50

Normal bacterial flora from vaginas of Criollo Limonero cows.

Science.gov (United States)

Zambrano-Nava, Sunny; Boscán-Ocando, Julio; Nava, Jexenia

2011-02-01

In order to describe the normal bacterial flora in vaginas of Criollo Limonero cows, 51 healthy multiparous cows, at least 90-day postpartum, were selected. Duplicated swabs (N = 102) were taken from the vaginal fornix of cows to perform aerobic and anaerobic cultures as well as conventional biochemical tests. Out of 102 swabs, bacterial growth was obtained in 55 (53.9%) while the remaining 47 (46.1%) did not exhibited any bacterial growth. Of the 55 bacterial growths, 23 (41.8%) were aerobic whereas 32 (58.1%) were anaerobic. Likewise, 29 (52.72%) of bacterial growths were pure and 26 (47.27%) were mixed. Under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions, Gram positive bacteria were predominant (81.82% and 73.08%, respectively) over Gram negative bacteria (18.18% and 26.92%, respectively). Isolated bacteria were Arcanobacterium pyogenes (22.92%), Staphylococcus aureus (15.63%), Staphylococcus coagulase negative (17.71%), Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae (6.25%), Bacteroides spp. (13.54%), and Peptostreptococcus spp. (7.29%). In conclusion, normal vaginal bacterial flora of Criollo Limonero cows was predominantly Gram positive and included A. pyogenes, S. aureus, coagulase negative Staphylococcus, E. rhusiopathiae, Bacteroides spp., and Peptostreptococcus spp. In Criollo Limonero cattle, adaptive aspects such as development of humoral and physical mechanisms for defense, and bacterial adaptation to host deserve research attention.

Dissecting the COW

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Linstadt, E.

1985-04-01

The COW, or Console On Wheels, is the primary operator interface to the SLC accelerator control system. A hardware and software description of the COW, a microcomputer based system with a color graphics display output and touch-panel and knob inputs, is given. The ease of development and expandability, due to both the modular nature of the hardware and the multitasking, interrupt driven software running in the COW, are described. Integration of the COW into the SLCNET communications network and SLC Control system is detailed

Dissecting the COW

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Linstadt, E.

1985-01-01

The COW, or Console On Wheels, is the primary operator interface to the SLC accelerator control system. A hardware and software description of the COW, a microcomputer based system with a color graphics display output and touchpanel and knob inputs, is given. The ease of development and expandability, due to both the modular nature of the hardware and the multitasking, interrupt driven software running in the COW, are described. Integration of the COW into the SLCNET communications network and SLC Control system is detailed

Serological diagnosis of brucellosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Nielsen, K; Yu, W L

2010-01-01

To present a review and to describe the most widely used laboratory tests for serology diagnosis of brucellosis along with their pros and cons. Review the recent literature on brucellosis serology diagnostic tests. The choice of the testing strategy depends on the prevailing brucellosis epidemiological situation and the goal of testing. The 'gold standard' for the diagnosis of brucellosis is isolation and identification of the causative bacterium, a member of Brucella sp. Isolation of Brucella sp. requires high security laboratory facilities (biological containment level 3), highly skilled personnel, an extended turnaround time for results and it is considered a hazardous procedure. Hence brucellosis is generally diagnosed by detection of an elevated level of antibody in serum or other body fluid. This is a presumptive diagnosis as other microorganisms and perhaps environmental factors can also cause increased antibody levels. A large number of serological tests for brucellosis have been devised over the 100+ years since its initial isolation, starting with a simple agglutination test and progressing to sophisticated primary binding assays available today. However, no test devised to date is 100% accurate so generally serological diagnosis consists of testing sera by several tests, usually a screening test of high sensitivity, followed by a confirmatory test of high specificity.

Short communication: Ability of dogs to detect cows in estrus from sniffing saliva samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Fischer-Tenhagen, C; Tenhagen, B-A; Heuwieser, W

2013-02-01

Efficient estrus detection in high-producing dairy cows is a permanent challenge for successful reproductive performance. In former studies, dogs have been trained to identify estrus-specific odor in vaginal fluid, milk, urine, and blood samples under laboratory conditions with an accuracy of more than 80%. For on-farm utilization of estrus-detection dogs it would be beneficial in terms of hygiene and safety if dogs could identify cows from the feed alley. The objective of this proof of concept study was to test if dogs can be trained to detect estrus-specific scent in saliva of cows. Saliva samples were collected from cows in estrus and diestrus. Thirteen dogs of various breeds and both sexes were trained in this study. Five dogs had no experience in scent detection, whereas 8 dogs had been formerly trained for detection of narcotics or cancer. In the training and test situation, dogs had to detect 1 positive out of 4 samples. Dog training was based on positive reinforcement and dogs were rewarded with a clicker and food for indicating saliva samples of cows in estrus. A false indication was ignored and documented in the test situation. Dogs with and without prior training were trained for 1 and 5 d, respectively. For determining the accuracy of detection, the position of the positive sample was unknown to the dog handler, to avoid hidden cues to the dog. The overall percentage of correct positive indications was 57.6% (175/304), with a range from 40 (1 dog) to 75% (3 dogs). To our knowledge, this is the first indication that dogs are able to detect estrus-specific scent in saliva of cows. Copyright © 2013 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Serological cross-reactivity of Trypanosoma cruzi, Ehrlichia canis, Toxoplasma gondii, Neospora caninum and Babesia canis to Leishmania infantum chagasi tests in dogs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maurício Franco Zanette

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: The aim of this study was to evaluate the serological cross-reactivity between Leishmania sp. and other canine pathogens. Methods: Positive serum samples for Ehrlichia canis, Babesia canis, Toxoplasma gondii, Neospora caninum and Trypanosoma cruzi were tested using three serological methods enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA, indirect immunofluorescent antibody test (IFAT and Kalazar Detect™, for canine visceral leishmaniasis. Results: Of the 57 dog samples tested, 24 (42.1% tested positive using one of the three serological methods: 10/57 (17.5% for ELISA, 11/57 (19.3% for IFAT and 3/57 (5.3% for Kalazar Detect™. Conclusions: Our results demonstrated that the presence of other infectious agents may lead to cross-reactivity on leishmaniasis serological tests.

Diagnostic Value of Culture and Serological Tests in the Diagnosis of Histoplasmosis in HIV and non-HIV Colombian Patients

Science.gov (United States)

Arango-Bustamante, Karen; Restrepo, Angela; Cano, Luz Elena; de Bedout, Catalina; Tobón, Angela Maria; González, Angel

2013-01-01

We determined the value of culture and serological tests used to diagnose histoplasmosis. The medical records of 391 histoplasmosis patients were analyzed. Diagnosis of the mycosis was assessed by culture, complement fixation, and immunodiffusion tests; 310 patients (79.5%) were male, and 184 patients (47.1%) were infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Positivity value for cultures was 35.7% (74/207), reactivity of serological tests was 95.2% (160/168), and a combination of both methodologies was 16.9% (35/207) for non-HIV patients. Positivity value for cultures was 75.0% (138/184), reactivity of serological tests was 92.4% (85/92), and a combination of both methodologies was 26.0% (48/184) for HIV/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients; 48.1% (102/212) of extrapulmonary samples from HIV/AIDS patients yielded positive cultures compared with 23.1% (49/212) in non-HIV patients. Lymphocyte counts made for 33.1% (61/184) of HIV/AIDS patients showed a trend to low CD4+ numbers and higher proportion of positive cultures. These results indicate that culture is the most reliable fungal diagnostic method for HIV/AIDS patients, and contrary to what is generally believed, serological assays are useful for diagnosing histoplasmosis in these patients. PMID:24043688

Recent trends in the serologic diagnosis of syphilis.

Science.gov (United States)

Morshed, Muhammad G; Singh, Ameeta E

2015-02-01

Complexities in the diagnosis of syphilis continue to challenge clinicians. While direct tests (e.g., microscopy or PCR) are helpful in early syphilis, the mainstay of diagnosis remains serologic tests. The traditional algorithm using a nontreponemal test (NTT) followed by a treponemal test (TT) remains the standard in many parts of the world. More recently, the ability to automate the TT has led to the increasingly widespread use of reverse algorithms using treponemal enzyme immunoassays (EIAs). Rapid, point-of-care TTs are in widespread use in developing countries because of low cost, ease of use, and reasonable performance. However, none of the current diagnostic algorithms are able to distinguish current from previously treated infections. In addition, the reversal of traditional syphilis algorithms has led to uncertainty in the clinical management of patients. The interpretation of syphilis tests is further complicated by the lack of a reliable gold standard for syphilis diagnostics, and the newer tests can result in false-positive reactions similar to those seen with older tests. Little progress has been made in the area of serologic diagnostics for congenital syphilis, which requires assessment of maternal treatment and serologic response as well as clinical and laboratory investigation of the neonate for appropriate management. The diagnosis of neurosyphilis continues to require the collection of cerebrospinal fluid for a combination of NTT and TT, and, while newer treponemal EIAs look promising, more studies are needed to confirm their utility. This article reviews current tests and discusses current controversies in syphilis diagnosis, with a focus on serologic tests. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Evaluating the utility of serological testing in laryngotracheal stenosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Hall, S Ryan; Allen, Clint T; Merati, Albert L; Mayerhoff, Ross M

2017-06-01

Whereas mechanical (traumatic) causes of laryngotracheal stenosis (LTS) are identified based on history, autoimmune laryngotracheal stenosis (aLTS) and idiopathic laryngotracheal stenosis (iLTS) are often more difficult to differentiate. The objective of this study was to evaluate serologic testing in a large cohort of nonmechanical LTS patients to determine which tests, if any, lead clinicians to the etiology of the LTS. Retrospective chart review. This study reviewed nonmechanical LTS patients seen at a tertiary medical center from 2007 to 2014. Data were obtained on patient demographics, associated preexisting autoimmune conditions, comorbidities, intubation history, and serologic testing. Ninety-two records were reviewed. Twenty-three (25%) patients were found to have autoimmune disease; 69 (75%) met criteria for iLTS. A history of cigarette smoking was more significant in the aLTS group than the iLTS group (P testing was equivocal between the two cohorts. Differentiating iLTS from aLTS has proven difficult. The lack of information about the two entities has resulted in variability in the diagnostic workup to distinguish them. This study's finding of a more significant smoking history in the aLTS group correlates with the literature, which suggests an inflammatory effect of smoking cigarettes and an association with autoimmune disease. The only significant cohort of patients in this study found to have positive serological testing correlated with a diagnosable condition responsible for LTS was GPA patients with positive ANCA. 4. Laryngoscope, 127:1408-1412, 2017. © 2016 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

21 CFR 866.3305 - Herpes simplex virus serological assays.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Herpes simplex virus serological assays. 866.3305... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES IMMUNOLOGY AND MICROBIOLOGY DEVICES Serological Reagents § 866.3305 Herpes simplex virus serological assays. (a) Identification. Herpes simplex virus serological assays are devices...

Associations of herd- and cow-level factors, cow lying behavior, and risk of elevated somatic cell count in free-stall housed lactating dairy cows.

Science.gov (United States)

Watters, M E Alexandrea; Meijer, Karin M A; Barkema, Herman W; Leslie, Kenneth E; von Keyserlingk, Marina A G; Devries, Trevor J

2013-09-01

Recent evidence suggests that the risk of intramammary infection in dairy cows is related to lying patterns. The objectives of this study were to quantify the standing and lying behavior of dairy cows milked 3×/d, determine the cow- and herd-level factors associated with these behaviors, and relate these findings to the risk of an elevated somatic cell count (SCC). Five commercial free-stall dairy herds in Eastern Ontario, milking 3×/d, were enrolled in a longitudinal study. Forty Holstein-Friesian cows/herd were randomly selected as focal animals based on days in milk (cow SCC was recorded at the beginning of each period and end of the final period. Elevated SCC (eSCC) was used as an indicator of subclinical mastitis. A new incident eSCC was defined as an individual cow that started the period with a SCC cows for hygiene and lameness. Throughout the course of the study, cows averaged 11.2h/d of lying time, split into 8.6 lying bouts/d that were on average 84.6 min in length. Later lactation cows had longer daily lying times that were split into fewer lying bouts of longer duration than cows earlier in lactation. Lame cows had longer daily lying times and lying bout durations than non-lame cows. Cows with greater milk yield had lower lying times than lower producing cows. Average post-milking standing time across the study herds was 103 min. Manipulation of feed (feed delivery or push-up) by the stockperson, in the hour before milking or shortly thereafter, resulted in the longest post-milking standing times. Over the study period, 48 new eSCC were detected, resulting in a mean herd incidence rate of 0.91 eSCC/cow-year at risk for all study herds. A non-linear relationship between post-milking standing time and eSCC incidence was found; compared to those cows that lie down cows that lie down for the first time >90 min after milking had a lower risk of acquiring a new eSCC. The risk of experiencing an eSCC was also increased in multiparous cows, and in those cows

Barriers impeding serologic screening for celiac disease in clinically high-prevalence populations

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Background Celiac disease is present in ~1% of the general population in the United States and Europe. Despite the availability of inexpensive serologic screening tests, ~85% of individuals with celiac disease remain undiagnosed and there is an average delay in diagnosis of symptomatic individuals with celiac disease that ranges from ~5.8-11 years. This delay is often attributed to the use of a case-based approach for detection rather than general population screening for celiac disease, and deficiencies at the level of health care professionals. This study aimed to assess if patient-centered barriers have a role in impeding serologic screening for celiac disease in individuals from populations that are clinically at an increased risk for celiac disease. Methods 119 adults meeting study inclusion criteria for being at a higher risk for celiac disease were recruited from the general population. Participants completed a survey/questionnaire at the William K. Warren Medical Research Center for Celiac Disease that addressed demographic information, celiac disease related symptoms (gastrointestinal and extraintestinal), family history, co-morbid diseases and conditions associated with celiac disease, and patient-centered barriers to screening for celiac disease. All participants underwent serologic screening for celiac disease using the IgA tissue transglutaminase antibody (IgA tTG) and, if positive, testing for IgA anti-endomysial antibody (IgA EMA) as a confirmatory test. Results Two barriers to serologic testing were significant across the participant pool. These were participants not knowing they were at risk for celiac disease before learning of the study, and participants not knowing where to get tested for celiac disease. Among participants with incomes less than $25,000/year and those less than the median age, not having a doctor to order the test was a significant barrier, and this strongly correlated with not having health insurance. Symptoms and co

A study using an isotope probe comparing immunoassay with serology in detection of Brucella Abortus antibody

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Devlin, J.G.; Redington, F.; Stephenson, M.

1986-01-01

We report a comparison of radio-immunoassay with conventional serology in the detection of brucella abortus antibody from three laboratories. Overall agreement by Chi squared analysis is 5%. There are significant differences between laboratories and a significant number of sero negative suspect sera (from 20% - 60%) were positive by ratio-immunoassay test. We suspect that conventional serology under-reports the incidence of antibody to brucella abortus. (author)

Occurrence of oxidative stress in dairy cows seropositives for Brucella abortus.

Science.gov (United States)

Perin, Géssica; Fávero, Juscivete F; Severo, Diego R T; Silva, Anielen D; Machado, Gustavo; Araújo, Hugo L; Lilenbaum, Walter; Morsch, Vera M; Schetinger, Maria Rosa C; Jordão, Ricardo S; Stefani, Lenita M; Bottari, Nathieli B; Da Silva, Aleksandro S

2017-09-01

Bovine brucellosis is an important zoonotic disease caused by the bacterium Brucella abortus that leads to economic losses due to animal discard and commercial restrictions. Since positive animals for brucellosis are culled, little is known about the pathogenesis of this disease. Therefore, the aims of this study were to evaluate possible changes in the activity of deaminase adenosine (ADA) and the oxidative stress in cows seropositives for brucellosis (Experiment I), and to evaluate the seroprevalence of B. abortus in dairy cows from the Western state of Santa Catarina, Southern Brazil (Experiment II). The Experiment I evaluated 20 pregnant cows: ten seropositives for B. abortus and ten seronegatives that were used as controls. The ADA activity and markers of oxidative stress (TBARS, catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD)) were evaluated in these animals. A reduction in the activity of ADA and catalase enzymes in seropositive animals was observed (p cows infected by B. abortus (p cows of 69 herds. The serodiagnosis was performed using two tests: buffered acidified antigen and 2-mercaptoethanol. However, none of the serum samples were positive for B. abortus. Although we did not find seropositive animals for brucellosis in our study, the disease still requires continued surveillance, due to its economic impact, and to the oxidative stress caused by it, which may have contributed to cases of abortion in three seropositive cows (Experiment I) in the final third of the gestation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Gastrointestinal parasites presence during the peripartum decreases total milk production in grazing dairy Holstein cows.

Science.gov (United States)

Perri, A F; Mejía, M E; Licoff, N; Lazaro, L; Miglierina, M; Ornstein, A; Becu-Villalobos, D; Lacau-Mengido, I M

2011-06-10

Parasitism in cattle is known to impair growth and development. Recent findings suggest that productivity of adult animals is also affected, but little is known about the physiological mechanisms involved. Furthermore, development of nematode resistance to drugs makes imperative the search of management practices that avoid whole herd treatment. We undertook an epidemiological and endocrine study in a grass based dairy farm in Argentina to study the effect of parasites on milk production and the underlying mechanisms involved, and identify individual animals that would benefit from antiparasitic treatment. All the cows in the dairy were followed monthly for egg parasite output in feces. Samples were cultured for genera determination. Milk production and reproductive results were recorded and periodical bleedings for hormone determination were performed. Nematode egg output (EPG) was maximal in late Summer and Autumn and minimal in Spring in coincidence with the Ostertagia inhibition-disinhibition cycle as this genus had the highest prevalence in all the study. The highest proportion of positive samples was found in the high producing herd and maximal counts were found in the peripartal period. Milk production did not correlate with EPG mean values but, when cows were grouped by EPG positivity around parturition, a significant difference in total milk production between EPG null and positive cows was observed. Positive cows produced 7%, 12% or 15% less milk than null EPG cows, depending on the sampling month/s chosen for classification. The highest difference was seen when both prepartum and postpartum samples were taken into account. No difference in lactation length and a marginal effect on partum to first service interval were encountered. Endocrine studies revealed a decrease in serum growth hormone (GH), type I insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I) and prolactin during lactation in cows with positive EPG in the first postpartum sample with respect to null EPG cows

Mad Cow Disease (For Parents)

Science.gov (United States)

... Safe Videos for Educators Search English Español Mad Cow Disease KidsHealth / For Parents / Mad Cow Disease What's ... Is Being Done About It Print About Mad Cow Disease Mad cow disease has been in the ...

Serological Susceptibility to Varicella Among U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Detainees.

Science.gov (United States)

Varan, Aiden K; Lederman, Edith R; Stous, Shanon S; Elson, Diana; Freiman, Jennifer L; Marin, Mona; Lopez, Adriana S; Stauffer, William M; Joseph, Rachael H; Waterman, Stephen H

2018-01-01

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is responsible for detaining unauthorized aliens during immigration proceedings. During 2014 to 2015, adult ICE detainees at a California facility were invited to complete a survey concerning self-reported varicella history and risk factors. Participants underwent serological testing for varicella-zoster virus (VZV) IgG; susceptible individuals were offered varicella vaccination. Among 400 detainees with available serology results, 48 (12%) were susceptible to varicella. Self-reported varicella history was negatively associated with susceptibility (adjusted odds ratio = 0.16; 95% confidence interval [0.07, 0.35]). Among 196 detainees reporting a positive history, 95% had VZV IgG levels suggestive of varicella immunity. Among 44 susceptible detainees offered vaccination, 86% accepted. Given relatively high varicella susceptibility, targeted screening and vaccination among ICE detainees lacking a positive history might reduce varicella transmission risks.

Application of Mycobacterium Leprae-specific cellular and serological tests for the differential diagnosis of leprosy from confounding dermatoses.

Science.gov (United States)

Freitas, Aline Araújo; Hungria, Emerith Mayra; Costa, Maurício Barcelos; Sousa, Ana Lúcia Osório Maroccolo; Castilho, Mirian Lane Oliveira; Gonçalves, Heitor Sá; Pontes, Maria Araci Andrade; Duthie, Malcolm S; Stefani, Mariane Martins Araújo

2016-10-01

Mycobacterium leprae-specific serological and cell-mediated-immunity/CMI test were evaluated for the differential diagnosis of multibacillary/MB, and paucibacillary/PB leprosy from other dermatoses. Whole-blood assay/WBA/IFNγ stimulated with LID-1 antigen and ELISA tests for IgG to LID-1 and IgM to PGL-I were performed. WBA/LID-1/IFNγ production was observed in 72% PB, 11% MB leprosy, 38% dermatoses, 40% healthy endemic controls/EC. The receiver operating curve/ROC for WBA/LID-1 in PB versus other dermatoses showed 72.5% sensitivity, 61.5% specificity and an area-under-the-curve/AUC=0.75; 74% positive predictive value/PPV, 59% negative predictive value/NPV. Anti PGL-I serology was positive in 67% MB, 8% PB leprosy, 6% of other dermatoses; its sensitivity for MB=66%, specificity=93%, AUC=0.89; PPV=91%, NPV=72%. Anti-LID-1 serology was positive in 87% MB, 7% PB leprosy, all other participants were seronegative; 87.5% sensitivity for MB, 100% specificity, AUC=0.97; PPV=100%, NPV=88%. In highly endemic areas anti-LID-1/PGL-I serology and WBA/LID-1-represent useful tools for the differential diagnosis of leprosy from other confounding dermatoses. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

(PHF) cows

African Journals Online (AJOL)

ANZ

2012-09-20

Sep 20, 2012 ... terms of longevity and culling reasons were investigated. For the group of PHF cows, ... breeding work, there has been a considerable increase in productivity .... day of cow's life, it was found that as far as the pro- ductive life ...

Cow's milk and children

Science.gov (United States)

Milk and children; Cow's milk allergy - children; Lactose intolerance - children ... You may have heard that cow's milk should not be given to babies younger than 1 year old. This is because cow's milk doesn't provide enough ...

Comparative studies on bone structure in dairy cows with different feeding conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Pilmane, M; Zitare, I; Jemeljanovs, A

2010-01-01

The bone belongs to the dynamic tissues and its structure in domestic cows is still not completely understood in correlation to the impact of different food components. The aim of our work was a histomorphometrical and immunohistochemical research on bone morphology and factors influencing it in healthy dairy cows fed with self-produced grain and with rapeseed cakes. The bone of self-produced grain-fed cows demonstrated statistically significant difference in the number of osteocytes from the bone of rapeseed cakes-fed cows. The rapeseed cakes-fed cows didn't show any bone cell positive for BMP2/4, while FGFR1 increased significantly in their supportive tissues. The number of bFGF- and apoptosis-containing structures varied in cows of both groups. MMP2 expression showed statistically significant difference between both animals' groups with domination in bone of cows fed with self-produced grain. Defensin-, osteopontin- and osteocalcin-containing cells showed tendency to increase in bone of cows on rapeseed cakes diet. Conclusions. The rapeseed-fed cow's long bones demonstrate significant decrease of osteocytes per mm2 and selective increase of FGFR1, suggesting the (compensatory) growth stimulation in supportive tissue. The statistically significant selective absence of MMP2 with a slight tendency of increase in osteopontin and osteocalcin in rapeseed-fed cow's long bones indicates the persistence of seemingly still compensated qualitative changes in bone (beginning of disturbances in mineralization, metabolism etc.) proved also by a slight increase of the bone antimicrobial peptide.

The Psychology of Cows

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lori Marino

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Domestic cows (Bos taurus are consumed worldwide as beef and veal, kept as dairy product producers, employed as draft animals in labor, and are used for a long list of other products, including leather and manure. But despite global reliance on cows for thousands of years, most people’s perception of them is as plodding herd animals with little individual personality and very simple social relationships or preferences. Yet, a review of the scientific literature on cow behavior points to more complex cognitive, emotional and social characteristics. Moreover, when cow behavior is addressed, it is almost entirely done within the framework of and applied to their use as food commodities. Therefore, there is relatively little attention to the study of cow intelligence, personality and sociality at a basic comparative level. In this review, we examine the current state of scientific knowledge about cows within an objective comparative framework, describing their cognitive, emotional, and social characteristics. Our aim is to provide a more veridical and objective current summary of cow psychology on its own terms and in ways which will facilitate better-informed comparisons with other animals. Moreover, an understanding of the capabilities and characteristics of domestic cows will, it is hoped, advance our understanding of who they are as individuals.

Change of liver echogenicity in chronic renal failure: Correlation with serologic test and pathologic findings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eun, Hyo Won; Cho, Kyoung Sik; Kim, Jeong Kon; Kim, Jung Hoon

2002-01-01

To correlate serologic test and pathologic findings with change of hepatic parenchymal echogenicity on ultrasound (US) in patients with chronic renal failure. From January 1995 to April 2000, among eight hundred eighty four patients with kidney transplantation due to chronic renal failure, sixty seven patients who underwent US-guided liver biopsy were selected. Change of liver echogenicity on US was analyzed, and this change was compared with serologic test and pathologic findings. Among sixty seven patients, pathologic findings of thirty four patients with the normal liver echogenicity on US revealed normal in 15 patients (44%), viral hepatitis in 18 (53%), and liver cirrhosis in one patient (3%). Meanwhile, twenty seven patients with chronic liver disease on US were pathologically confirmed as normal in 13 patients (48%), viral hepatitis in 11 (40%), liver cirrhosis in four patients (11%); six patients with cirrhotic change on US, liver cirrhosis in four patients (67%) and viral hepatitis on two patients (33%). Serologic test of thirty four patients with the normal liver echogenicity on US showed positive HBs Ag in 17 patients (50%), positive anti-HCV Ab in 11 (32%), positive in both HBs Ag and anti-HCV Ab in one (3%), and normal result in five patients (15%). In patients with chronic renal failure, it is nor enough to determine the presence of liver disease only based on change of echogenicity on US. A careful correlation with serologic test and, if needed, pathologic confirmation are recommended for the accurate preoperative evaluation of the liver.

Acute phase protein concentrations in serum and milk from healthy cows, cows with clinical mastitis and cows with extramammary inflammatory conditions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nielsen, B.H.; Jacobsen, S.; Andersen, P.H.; Niewold, T.A.; Heegaard, P.M.H.

2004-01-01

The concentrations of the two acute phase proteins, serum amyloid A and haptoglobin, in serum and milk were compared in 10 cows with clinical mastitis, 11 cows with extramammary inflammatory conditions and 10 clinically healthy control cows. The concentrations of both acute phase proteins were

21 CFR 866.3120 - Chlamydia serological reagents.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES IMMUNOLOGY AND MICROBIOLOGY DEVICES Serological Reagents § 866.3120 Chlamydia... and antisera used in serological tests to identify antibodies to chlamydia in serum. Additionally...

21 CFR 866.3490 - Rhinovirus serological reagents.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES IMMUNOLOGY AND MICROBIOLOGY DEVICES Serological Reagents § 866.3490 Rhinovirus... and antisera used in serological tests to identify antibodies to rhinovirus in serum. The...

Prevalence of the pathogen microorganisms in raw cow milk

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Angelovski Ljupco

2009-11-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to study the prevalence of Salmonella spp., Listeria spp., Staphylococcus spp. and E. coli in the raw cow milk. In this study 133 milk-tank samples from several milk collecting points were analysed. After the tests the following prevalence was detected: for Listeria spp. 13 positive samples (9.77%, with 9 Listeria monocytogenes samples confirmed (6.76%. Salmonella spp. was not detected in any of the the samples. The biggest presence was detected for Staphylococcus spp. with 113 positive samples (85.0%. Further testes has shown prevalence of coagulase-positive staphylococci of 73% (97 positive samples. Escherichia coli was confirmed in 57 samples (46.0%. The results from this study clearly indicate that pathogen microorganisms which are important for the human health can be found in the raw cow milk and their presence can be potential hazard for contamination of the milk-processing establishments.

Serological diagnosis of toxoplasmosis and standardization.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Kuo; Lin, Guigao; Han, Yanxi; Li, Jinming

2016-10-01

Humans can be infected by the intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii, which causes toxoplasmosis, a common parasitic disease. Although the infection is generally asymptomatic for most adults, severe complications may occur in some individuals, especially women in early pregnancy. Serologic diagnosis is used as a routine practice to determine the immune status for infection by T. gondii. In this review, we attempt to provide an overview of the serological diagnosis of toxoplasmosis, including diagnostic strategy, current problems in detection with specific antibodies, and the standardization of T. gondii serological detection. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

21 CFR 866.3470 - Reovirus serological reagents.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES IMMUNOLOGY AND MICROBIOLOGY DEVICES Serological Reagents § 866.3470 Reovirus... and antisera used in serological tests to identify antibodies to reovirus in serum. The identification...

[Automated detection of estrus and mastitis in dairy cows].

Science.gov (United States)

de Mol, R M

2001-02-15

The development and test of detection models for oestrus and mastitis in dairy cows is described in a PhD thesis that was defended in Wageningen on June 5, 2000. These models were based on sensors for milk yield, milk temperature, electrical conductivity of milk, and cow activity and concentrate intake, and on combined processing of the sensor data. The models alert farmers to cows that need attention, because of possible oestrus or mastitis. A first detection model for cows, milked twice a day, was based on time series models for the sensor variables. A time series model describes the dependence between successive observations. The parameters of the time series models were fitted on-line for each cow after each milking by means of a Kalman filter, a mathematical method to estimate the state of a system on-line. The Kalman filter gives the best estimate of the current state of a system based on all preceding observations. This model was tested for 2 years on two experimental farms, and under field conditions on four farms over several years. A second detection model, for cow milked in an automatic milking system (AMS), was based on a generalization of the first model. Two data sets (one small, one large) were used for testing. The results for oestrus detection were good for both models. The results for mastitis detection were varying (in some cases good, in other cases moderate). Fuzzy logic was used to classify mastitis and oestrus alerts with both detection models, to reduce the number of false positive alerts. Fuzzy logic makes approximate reasoning possible, where statements can be partly true or false. Input for the fuzzy logic model were alerts from the detection models and additional information. The number of false positive alerts decreased considerably, while the number of detected cases remained at the same level. These models make automated detection possible in practice.

[Cow's milk protein allergy through human milk].

Science.gov (United States)

Denis, M; Loras-Duclaux, I; Lachaux, A

2012-03-01

Cow's milk protein allergy (CMPA) is the first allergy that affects infants. In this population, the incidence rate reaches 7.5%. The multiplicity and aspecificity of the symptoms makes its diagnosis sometimes complicated, especially in the delayed type (gastrointestinal, dermatological, and cutaneous). CMPA symptoms can develop in exclusively breastfed infants with an incidence rate of 0.5%. It, therefore, raises questions about sensitization to cow's milk proteins through breast milk. Transfer of native bovine proteins such as β-lactoglobulin into the breast milk is controversial: some authors have found bovine proteins in human milk but others point to cross-reactivity between human milk proteins and cow's milk proteins. However, it seems that a small percentage of dietary proteins can resist digestion and become potentially allergenic. Moreover, some authors suspect the transfer of some of these dietary proteins from the maternal bloodstream to breast milk, but the mechanisms governing sensitization are still being studied. Theoretically, CMPA diagnosis is based on clinical observations, prick-test or patch-test results, and cow's milk-specific IgE antibody concentration. A positive food challenge test usually confirms the diagnosis. No laboratory test is available to make a certain diagnosis, but the detection of eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) in the mother's milk, for example, seems to be advantageous since it is linked to CMA. Excluding cow's milk from the mother's diet is the only cure when she still wants to breastfeed. Usually, cow's milk proteins are reintroduced after 6 months of exclusion. Indeed, the prognosis for infants is very good: 80% acquire a tolerance before the age of 3 or 4 years. Mothers should not avoid dairy products during pregnancy and breastfeeding as preventive measures against allergy. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Influence of cow breed type, age and previous lactation status on cow height, calf growth, and patterns of body weight, condition, and blood metabolites for cows grazing bahiagrass pastures.

Science.gov (United States)

Coleman, S W; Chase, C C; Riley, D G; Williams, M J

2017-01-01

This study was initiated to evaluate performance and patterns of cow traits and blood metabolites of 3 breeds of cows grazing bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Flügge) pastures in central Florida. Purebred cows (n = 411) of either Angus (Bos taurus), Brahman (Bos indicus), or Romosinuano (Bos taurus) breeding, rotationally grazed (moved twice weekly) bahiagrass pastures year-round, and received bahiagrass hay supplemented with molasses and soyhulls or legume hay supplemented with unfortified molasses from October to June each production year. At monthly intervals, all cows were weighed, measured at the hip (HH), scored for BCS, and blood samples collected by jugular puncture from 10 cows per cow breed/block group for plasma urea N (PUN), glucose and non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA). Data were analyzed on cows that calved with a statistical model that included fixed effects of year, cowage, cow breed, month, block, supplement group (n = 2, but not presented), and whether the cow weaned a calf the previous year. Cow was a repeated observation over mo. Three-way interactions involving monthly patterns for cowage x year, year x lactation status the previous year, cowage × cow breed, year × cow breed, and cow breed × lactation status the previous year were significant (P cow breed × month was important (P cows compared to 3-yr old cows; 2) greater BW and BCS before calving for cows that did not lactate the previous year; 3) PUN levels were above 11 mg/dl except for February, August and September, and was generally greater in tropically adapted breeds; 4) GLU was greatest in Brahman, lowest in Angus, and intermediate in Romosinuano cows; and 5) plasma levels of NEFA escalated at calving and then declined, but Brahman cows maintained greater (P Cows that lactated the previous year had less NEFA than those that did not lactate. Brahman cows were less fertile than Bos taurus breeds, and weaned heavier calves.

Elevated Apoptosis in the Liver of Dairy Cows with Ketosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Du, Xiliang; Chen, Liang; Huang, Dan; Peng, Zhicheng; Zhao, Chenxu; Zhang, Yuming; Zhu, Yiwei; Wang, Zhe; Li, Xinwei; Liu, Guowen

2017-01-01

Dairy cows with ketosis are characterized by oxidative stress and hepatic damage. The aim of this study was to investigate hepatic oxidative stress and the apoptotic status of ketotic cows, as well as the underlying apoptosis pathway. The blood aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), glutamate dehydrogenase (GLDH) and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) activities and the haptoglobin (HP), serum amyloid A (SAA) and serum apoptotic cytokeratin 18 neo-epitope M30 (CK18 M30) concentrations were determined by commercially available kits and ELISA kits, respectively. Liver histology, TUNEL and Oil red O staining were performed in liver tissue samples. TG contents were measured using an enzymatic kit; Caspase 3 assays were carried out using the Caspase 3 activity assay kit; oxidation and antioxidant markers were measured using biochemical kits; apoptosis pathway were determined by qRT-PCR and western blot. Ketotic cows displayed hepatic fat accumulation. The hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA) content was significantly increased, but the activities of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) were markedly decreased in ketotic cows compared with control cows, indicating that ketotic cows displayed severe oxidative stress. Significantly higher serum levels of the hepatic damage markers AST, ALT, GGT and GLDH were observed in ketotic cows than in control cows. The blood concentration of the apoptotic marker CK18 M30 and the number of TUNEL-positive cells in the liver of ketotic cows were 1.19- and 2.61-fold, respectively, higher than the values observed in control cows. Besides, Caspase 3 activity was significantly increased in the liver of ketosis cows. Importantly, the levels of phosphorylated c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38MAPK) were significantly increased but the level of phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase1/2 (ERK1/2) was markedly decreased, which

Elevated Apoptosis in the Liver of Dairy Cows with Ketosis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiliang Du

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Background/Aims: Dairy cows with ketosis are characterized by oxidative stress and hepatic damage. The aim of this study was to investigate hepatic oxidative stress and the apoptotic status of ketotic cows, as well as the underlying apoptosis pathway. Methods: The blood aspartate aminotransferase (AST, alanine aminotransferase (ALT, glutamate dehydrogenase (GLDH and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT activities and the haptoglobin (HP, serum amyloid A (SAA and serum apoptotic cytokeratin 18 neo-epitope M30 (CK18 M30 concentrations were determined by commercially available kits and ELISA kits, respectively. Liver histology, TUNEL and Oil red O staining were performed in liver tissue samples. TG contents were measured using an enzymatic kit; Caspase 3 assays were carried out using the Caspase 3 activity assay kit; oxidation and antioxidant markers were measured using biochemical kits; apoptosis pathway were determined by qRT-PCR and western blot. Results: Ketotic cows displayed hepatic fat accumulation. The hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA content was significantly increased, but the activities of catalase (CAT, superoxide dismutase (SOD and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px were markedly decreased in ketotic cows compared with control cows, indicating that ketotic cows displayed severe oxidative stress. Significantly higher serum levels of the hepatic damage markers AST, ALT, GGT and GLDH were observed in ketotic cows than in control cows. The blood concentration of the apoptotic marker CK18 M30 and the number of TUNEL-positive cells in the liver of ketotic cows were 1.19- and 2.61-fold, respectively, higher than the values observed in control cows. Besides, Caspase 3 activity was significantly increased in the liver of ketosis cows. Importantly, the levels of phosphorylated c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38MAPK were significantly increased but the level of phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase1

Old and new diagnostic approaches for Q fever diagnosis: correlation among serological (CFT, ELISA) and molecular analyses.

Science.gov (United States)

Natale, A; Bucci, G; Capello, K; Barberio, A; Tavella, A; Nardelli, S; Marangon, S; Ceglie, L

2012-07-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of the complement fixation test (CFT) with respect to ELISA for the serological diagnosis of Q fever and to assess the role of serology as a tool for the identification of the shedder status. During 2009-2010, sera from 9635 bovines and 3872 small ruminants (3057 goats and 815 sheep) were collected and analyzed with CFT and ELISA. In addition, 2256 bovine, 139 caprine and 72 ovine samples (individual and bulk tank milk samples, fetuses, vaginal swabs and placentae) were analyzed with a real-time PCR kit. The relative sensitivity (Se) and specificity (Sp) of CFT with respect to ELISA were Se 26.56% and Sp 99.71% for cattle and Se 9.96% and Sp 99.94% for small ruminants. To evaluate the correlation between serum-positive status and shedder status, the ELISA, CFT and real-time PCR results were compared. Due to the sampling method and the data storage system, the analysis of individual associations between the serological and molecular tests was possible only for some of the bovine samples. From a statistical point of view, no agreement was observed between the serological and molecular results obtained for fetus and vaginal swab samples. Slightly better agreement was observed between the serological and molecular results obtained for the individual milk samples and between the serological (at least one positive in the examined group) and molecular results for the bulk tank milk (BTM) samples. The CFT results exhibited a better correlation with the shedder status than did the ELISA results. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Serological tests in venereal syphilis

OpenAIRE

Notowicz, Alfred

1981-01-01

textabstractApart from identification of the causative microorganism, serological blood testing is still the principal aid in the diagnosis of venereal syphilis. In latent syphilis it is in fact the only diagnostic aid. In the diagnosis of late symptomatic syphilis, additional organ-specific diagnostic procedures are indispensable. Interpretation of the results of serological syphilis tests often poses problems in actual practice. Apart from possibly inadequate knowledge of the natural histor...

Molecular and Serological Survey of Selected Viruses in Free-Ranging Wild Ruminants in Iran.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Farhid Hemmatzadeh

Full Text Available A molecular and serological survey of selected viruses in free-ranging wild ruminants was conducted in 13 different districts in Iran. Samples were collected from 64 small wild ruminants belonging to four different species including 25 Mouflon (Ovis orientalis, 22 wild goat (Capra aegagrus, nine Indian gazelle (Gazella bennettii and eight Goitered gazelle (Gazella subgutturosa during the national survey for wildlife diseases in Iran. Serum samples were evaluated using serologic antibody tests for Peste de petits ruminants virus (PPRV, Pestiviruses [Border Disease virus (BVD and Bovine Viral Diarrhoea virus (BVDV], Bluetongue virus (BTV, Bovine herpesvirus type 1 (BHV-1, and Parainfluenza type 3 (PI3. Sera were also ELISA tested for Pestivirus antigen. Tissue samples including spleen, liver, lung, tonsils, mesenteric and mediastinal lymph nodes and white blood cells (WBCs were tested using polymerase chain reaction (PCR for PPRV, Foot and Mouth Disease virus (FMDV, Pestivirus, BTV, Ovine herpesvirus type 2 (OvHV-2 and BHV-1. Serologic tests were positive for antibodies against PPRV (17%, Pestiviruses (2% and BTV (2%. No antibodies were detected for BHV-1 or PI3, and no Pestivirus antigen was detected. PCR results were positive for PPRV (7.8%, FMDV (11%, BTV (3%, OvHV-2 (31% and BHV-1 (1.5%. None of the samples were positive for Pestiviruses.

Serologic Evaluation of Cornea Donors and Microbiologic Evaluation of Cornea Storage Media in an Eye Bank from Izmir, Turkey.

Science.gov (United States)

Palamar, Melis; Degirmenci, Cumali; Sertoz, Ruchan; Aydemir, Sohret; Egrilmez, Sait; Yagci, Ayse

2017-12-01

Our objective was to evaluate the serologic positivity of cornea donors and microbiologic positivity of cornea storage media at the Ege University Tissue and Cornea Bank, Izmir, Turkey. We retrospectively investigated the serologic blood sample and microbiological culture media analysis results of all cornea donors at Ege University Tissue and Cornea Bank between 2007 and 2015 with reference to age, sex, and cause of death of each donor. Mean age of the 955 deceased donors was 43.19 ± 15.89 years (range, 2-65 y). The mean postmortem time to blood sample removal and excision of the cornea tissue was 8.4 hours (range, 4-12 h). Serologic analyses showed that 855 donors (89.5%) were seronegative. The remaining donors were seropositive for hepatitis B (54 donors; 5.7%), human immunodeficiency (27 donors; 2.8%), hepatitis C (14 donors; 1.5%), and syphilis (5 donors; 0.5%) virus infections. Microbiologic analyses of the storage media were negative, with no microorganisms shown in 855 samples (89.5%). Candida species (32 donors; 3.4%), Escherichia coli (14 donors; 1.5%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (11 donors; 1.2%), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (11 donors; 1.2%), Enterobacter species (11 donors; 1.2%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (7 donors; 0.7%), Acinetobacter baumannii (6 donors; 0.6%), Proteus species (5 donors; 0.5%), and Corynebacterium species (3 donors; 0.3%) were the detected microorganisms in the infected storage media. False-positive serologic results among cornea donors were high. The incidence of false-positive results might be decreased by earlier blood removal from deceased donors and testing of all potential donors in intensive care units. Although rare, endophthalmitis after keratoplasty might be a devastating problem. In addition to serologic testing, microbiologic analyses of cornea storage media before transplant may be an effective way to prevent postoperative infectious complications.

Serological and molecular evidence of hepadnavirus infection in swine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yasmine R Vieira

2015-02-01

Full Text Available [b]Introduction and objective[/b]. Recently, investigations in a swine herd identified evidence of the existence of a novel member of the Hepadnavirus family endemic in swine. The aim of this study was to investigate the serological and molecular markers of Hepadnavirus circulation in Brazilian domestic swine and wild boar herds, and to evaluate the identity with HBV and other Hepadnaviruses reported previously. [b]Materials and methods[/b]. For the study, 376 swine were screened for hepatitis B virus serological markers. Analyses were performed in serum samples using commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA kits (DiaSorin® for anti-HBc, HBsAg and anti-HBs. Reactive and undetermined swine serum samples were selected to perform DNA viral extraction (QIAamp DNA Mini Kit, Qiagen®, partial genome amplification and genome sequencing. [b]Results[/b]. From 376 swine samples analysed, 28 (7.45% were reactive to anti-HBc, 3 (0.80% to HBsAg and 6 (1.6% to anti-HBs. Besides, more 17 (4.52% swine samples analyzed were classified in the grey zone of the EIA test to anti-HBc and 2 (0.53% to HBsAg. From 49 samples molecularly analyzed after serological trial, 4 samples showed a positive result for the qualitative PCR for Hepadnavirus. Phylogenetic reconstruction using partial genome sequencing (360 bp of 3 samples showed similarity with HBV with 90.8–96.3% of identity. [b]Conclusions.[/b] Serological and molecular data showed evidence of the circulation of a virus similar to hepatitis B virus in swine.

Cow's milk - infants

Science.gov (United States)

... this page: //medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002448.htm Cow's milk - infants To use the sharing features on ... year old, you should not feed your baby cow's milk, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics ( ...

Factors affecting the serological testing of cadaveric donor cornea.

Science.gov (United States)

Raj, Anuradha; Mittal, Garima; Bahadur, Harsh

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the serological profile of the eye donors and to study the influence of various factors on serological test results. A cross-sectional, observational study was conducted, and data of 509 donors were reviewed from the records of eye bank from December 2012 to June 2017. Various details of donors analyzed included the age, sex of the donor, cause of death, source of tissue, time since blood collection after death, macroscopic appearance of blood sample, and details of discarded tissues. Serological examination of blood was performed for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus (HCV), venereal disease research laboratory (VDRL), and serology reports reactive or nonreactive were analyzed. Among the 509 donors, 295 (58%) were male, and 420 (82.50%) belonged to age group ≥60 years. Most donors (354, 69.5%) died due to cardiac arrest. Macroscopically, sera were normal in the majority of 488 (95.9%) cases. Among 509 donors, 475 (93.3%) were nonreactive, 12 (2.4%) donors were found to be reactive to hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), and 1 (0.2%) was reactive to HCV, but no donor serology was reactive to HIV or VDRL. Twenty-one (4.12%) donors' sera were not fit for serological testing. Among all donors, 475 (93.32%) donors were accepted and 34 (6.67%) were rejected or discarded on the basis of serological testing. Cause of death and macroscopic aspect of sera influenced the serological results in a highly significant manner (P = 0.00). Acceptance or rejection of the donor was significantly influenced by the serological results of the donor (P = 0.00). The seroprevalence among eye donor for HBsAg and HCV was 12 (2.4%) and 1 (0.2%), respectively. Factors such as cause of death and macroscopic aspect of sera influence the serological results. Time since blood collection or sampling will not show any impact on viral serological results if postmortem sampling will be done in donor cornea.

Periparturient dairy cows do not exhibit hepatic insulin resistance, yet adipose-specific insulin resistance occurs in cows prone to high weight loss.

Science.gov (United States)

Zachut, M; Honig, H; Striem, S; Zick, Y; Boura-Halfon, S; Moallem, U

2013-09-01

The periparturient period in dairy cows is associated with alterations in insulin action in peripheral tissues; however, the molecular mechanism underlying this process is not completely understood. The objective was to examine the response to a glucose tolerance test (GTT) and to analyze insulin signaling in liver and adipose tissues in pre- and postpartum dairy cows. Liver and adipose tissue biopsies were taken before and after GTT, at 17d prepartum and again at 3 to 5d postpartum from 8 high-yielding Israeli Holstein dairy cows. Glucose clearance rate after GTT was similar pre- and postpartum. Basal insulin concentrations and the insulin response to GTT were approximately 4-fold higher prepartum than postpartum. In accordance, phosphorylation of the hepatic insulin receptor after GTT was higher prepartum than postpartum. Across periods, a positive correlation was observed between the basal and peak plasma insulin and phosphorylated insulin receptor after GTT in the liver. Hepatic phosphorylation of protein kinase B after GTT was elevated pre- and postpartum. Conversely, in adipose tissue, phosphorylation of protein kinase B after GTT pre- and postpartum was increased only in 4 out of 8 cows that lost less body weight postpartum. Our results demonstrate that hepatic insulin signaling is regulated by plasma insulin concentrations as part of the homeorhetic adjustments toward calving, and do not support a model of hepatic insulin resistance in periparturient cows. Nevertheless, we suggest that specific insulin resistance in adipose tissue occurs pre- and postpartum only in cows prone to high weight loss. The different responses among these cows imply that genetic background may affect insulin responsiveness in adipose tissue pre- and postpartum. Copyright © 2013 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Association between cow reproduction and calf growth traits and ELISA scores for paratuberculosis in a multibreed herd of beef cattle.

Science.gov (United States)

Elzo, M A; Rae, D O; Lanhart, S E; Hembry, F G; Wasdin, J G; Driver, J D

2009-08-01

The objective of this research was to assess the association between 4 cow reproductive and weight traits, and 2 preweaning calf traits and ELISA scores for paratuberculosis (0 = negative, 1 = suspect, 2 = weak-positive, and 3 = positive) in a multibreed herd of cows ranging from 100% Angus (A) to 100% Brahman (B). Cow data were 624 gestation lengths (GL), 358 records of time open (TO), 605 calving intervals (CI), and 1240 weight changes from November to weaning in September (WC) from 502 purebred and crossbred cows. Calf data consisted of 956 birth weights (BWT), and 923 weaning weights adjusted to 205 d of age (WW205) from 956 purebred and crossbred calves. Traits were analyzed individually using multibreed mixed models that assumed homogeneity of variances across breed groups. Covariances among random effects were assumed to be zero. Fixed effects were year, age of cow, sex of calf, year x age of cow interaction (except WC), age of cow x sex of calf interaction (only for WC), and covariates for B fraction of sire and cow, heterosis of cow and calf, and ELISA score. Random effects were sire (except for TO and CI), dam, and residual. Regression estimates of cow and calf traits on ELISA scores indicated that lower cow fertility (longer TO), lower ability of cows to maintain weight (negative WC), lower calf BWT, and lower calf WW205 were associated with higher cow ELISA scores. Further research on the effects of subclinical paratuberculosis in beef cattle at regional and national levels seems advisable considering the large potential economic cost of this disease.

Leishmaniosis due to Leishmania infantum in a FIV and FeIV positive cat with a squamous cell carcinoma diagnosed with histological, serological and isoenzymatic methods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Grevot A.

2005-09-01

Full Text Available Leishmaniosis caused by Leishmania infantum is an endemic zoonosis present in the Mediterranean area. Canidae (dog and fox constitute the main reservoir hosts for the parasite, whilst wild rodents or the cat can be carriers of the protozoan and are considered as secondary potential reservoirs. This paper describes a case of disseminated feline leishmaniosis with cutaneous (ulcerative, visceral (spleen and lymph nodes and blood involvement in a FIV-FelV positive cat. The microscopic identification of the Leishmania infection was initially made on a skin biopsy of the temporal area, where a squamous cell carcinoma was diagnosed. The diagnosis of the disease was achieved by several serological techniques (ELISA, IFAT and Western-blot. The strain was obtained by blood culture, characterized by electrophoresis of isoenzymes and identified as Leishmania infantum zymodeme MON-1. Since the infection due to L. infantum is a zoonosis, the potential feline reservoir should be more investigated. Serological analysis by Western blot on domestic cats provides a useful tool. In veterinary practice, feline leishmaniosis should be systematically included in the differential diagnosis when compatible cutaneous lesions are present, especially in the endemic areas of canine leishmaniosis.

Importance of the first meal on the development of cow's milk allergy and intolerance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Høst, A

1991-01-01

A cohort of 1749 newborns from the municipality of Odense born during 1985 in the University Hospital of Odense were followed prospectively for the development of cow's milk allergy (CMA)/cow's milk protein intolerance (CMI) during their first year. The diagnosis of CMA/CMI was based on elimination....../open milk challenge procedures according to generally accepted criteria. Thirty nine infants (2.2%) developed CMA/CMI. Infants with CMA/CMI were fed cow's milk formula daily during the first month of life significantly more often than infants in the study population (p less than .001). All 39 infants...... with CMA/CMI had ingested cow's milk formula (40-830 mL) neonatally, whereas none of the 210 neonates without supplements of cow's milk formula developed CMA/CMI (p less than .05). Based on a positive skin-prick test (2+ or more) and/or specific serum IgE antibody to cow's milk (AL-RAST class 2 or more) 16...

21 CFR 866.3520 - Rubeola (measles) virus serological reagents.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Rubeola (measles) virus serological reagents. 866... Rubeola (measles) virus serological reagents. (a) Identification. Rubeola (measles) virus serological... to rubeola virus in serum. The identification aids in the diagnosis of measles and provides...

Herbage intake of dairy cows in mixed sequential grazing with breeding ewes as followers.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiménez-Rosales, Juan Daniel; Améndola-Massiotti, Ricardo Daniel; Burgueño-Ferreira, Juan Andrés; Ramírez-Valverde, Rodolfo; Topete-Pelayo, Pedro; Huerta-Bravo, Maximino

2018-03-01

This study aimed to evaluate the hypothesis that mixed sequential grazing of dairy cows and breeding ewes is beneficial. During the seasons of spring-summer 2013 and autumn-winter 2013-2014, 12 (spring-summer) and 16 (autumn-winter) Holstein Friesian cows and 24 gestating (spring-summer) and lactating (autumn-winter) Pelibuey ewes grazed on six (spring-summer) and nine (autumn-winter) paddocks of alfalfa and orchard grass mixed pastures. The treatments "single species cow grazing" (CowG) and "mixed sequential grazing with ewes as followers of cows" (MixG) were evaluated, under a completely randomized design with two replicates per paddock. Herbage mass on offer (HO) and residual herbage mass (RH) were estimated by cutting samples. The estimate of herbage intake (HI) of cows was based on the use of internal and external markers; the apparent HI of ewes was calculated as the difference between HO (RH of cows) and RH. Even though HO was higher in CowG, the HI of cows was higher in MixG during spring-summer and similar in both treatments during autumn-winter, implying that in MixG the effects on the cows HI of higher alfalfa proportion and herbage accumulation rate evolving from lower residual herbage mass in the previous cycle counteracted that of a higher HO in CowG. The HI of ewes was sufficient to enable satisfactory performance as breeding ewes. Thus, the benefits of mixed sequential grazing arose from higher herbage accumulation, positive changes in botanical composition, and the achievement of sheep production without negative effects on the herbage intake of cows.

Diagnostic approach and management of cow's milk protein allergy in infants and children

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Koletzko, S; Niggemann, B; Arato, A

2012-01-01

OBJECTIVES:: This position paper provides recommendations for the diagnosis and management of suspected cow's milk protein allergy (CMPA) in Europe. It presents a practical approach with a diagnostic algorithm and is based on recently published evidence based guidelines on CMPA. DIAGNOSIS:: If CMPA...... is suspected by history and examination, strict allergen avoidance is initiated. In certain circumstances (e.g. a clear history of immediate symptoms or a life threatening reaction with a positive test for cow's milk protein (CMP) specific IgE) the diagnosis can be made without a milk challenge. In all other...

Effects of administration of gonadotropin-releasing hormone at artificial insemination on conception rates in dairy cows.

Science.gov (United States)

Shephard, R W; Morton, J M; Norman, S T

2014-01-10

A controlled trial investigating the effect on conception of administration of 250 μg of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) at artificial insemination (AI) in dairy cows in seasonal or split calving herds was conducted. Time of detection of estrus, body condition, extent of estrous expression, treatment, breed, age and milk production from the most recent herd test of the current lactation was recorded. Cows were tested for pregnancy with fetal aging between 35 and 135 days after AI. Sixteen herds provided 2344 spring-calved cows and 3007 inseminations. Logistic regression adjusting for clustering at herd level was used to examine the effect of treatment for first (2344) and second (579) inseminations separately. For first AI, treatment significantly improved conception rate in cows with milk protein concentrations of 3.75% or greater and for cows with milk protein concentrations between 3.00% and 3.50% and less than 40 days calved; increased conception rate from 41.2% to 53.4%. Treatment reduced conception rates in cows with milk protein concentrations of 2.75% or less. Treating only cows identified as responding positively to treatment (11% of all study cows) was estimated to increase first service conception rate in herds from 48.1% to 49.4%. There was no significant effect of treatment on conception to second AI, nor any significant interactions. These findings indicate that GnRH at AI should be limited to the sub-group cows most likely to respond. The positive effect of GnRH at AI may be mediated through improved oocyte maturation and/or improved luteal function, rather than by reducing AI-to-ovulation intervals. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Serological diagnosis of syphilis: a comparison of different diagnostic methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Simčič, Saša; Potočnik, Marko

2015-01-01

Serological tests' limitations in syphilis diagnosis as well as numerous test interpretations mean that patients with discordant serology results can present diagnostic and treatment challenges for clinicians. We analyzed three common diagnostic algorithms for detecting suspected syphilis in high-prevalence populations in Slovenia. The prospective study included a total of 437 clinical serum samples from adults throughout Slovenia tested with Rapid Plasma Reagin (RPR), Treponema pallidum hemagglutination (TPHA), and an automated chemiluminescence immunoassay (CIA) according to the manufacturer's instructions. In addition to percent agreement, kappa coefficients were calculated as a secondary measure of agreement between the three algorithms. Overall, of 183 subjects that had seroreactive results, 180 were seroreactive in both the reverse sequence and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) algorithm. The traditional algorithm had a missed serodiagnosis rate of 30.0%, the overall percent agreement between the traditional and the reverse algorithm (or the ECDC algorithm) was 87.6%, and the kappa value was 0.733. However, the reverse and ECDC algorithm failed to detect three subjects with positive serodiagnosis determined by additional confirmative treponemal assays. Our results supported the ECDC algorithm in the serodiagnosis of syphilis in high-prevalence populations and the use of nontreponemal serology to monitor the response to treatment.

Microbiological and serological monitoring in hooded crow (Corvus corone cornix in the Region Lombardia, Italy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guido Grilli

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The health status of 276 hooded crows (Corvus corone cornix from various provinces of Lombardy was monitored for three years. Bacteriological examination detected E. coli (76%, Campylobacter jejuni (17%, Salmonella typhimurium (11.6%, Yersinia spp. (6.5%, Clamydophila abortus and C. psittaci (2.6%; from six birds showing severe prostration Pasteurella multocida was isolated. Virological and serological tests were negative for Avian Influenza virus (AIV, West Nile virus (WNV and only three samples were positive for Newcastle disease virus (NDV but only at serology (titre 1:16.

Associations of dairy cow behavior, barn hygiene, cow hygiene, and risk of elevated somatic cell count.

Science.gov (United States)

Devries, T J; Aarnoudse, M G; Barkema, H W; Leslie, K E; von Keyserlingk, M A G

2012-10-01

Poor dairy cow hygiene has been consistently associated with elevated somatic cell count (SCC) and the risk of subclinical mastitis. The objective of this study was to determine the associations between dairy cow standing and lying behavior, barn hygiene, cow hygiene, and the risk of experiencing elevated SCC. Lactating Holstein dairy cows (n=69; 86 ± 51 DIM; parity: 2.0 ± 1.2; means ± SD), kept in 1 of 2 groups, were monitored over a 4-mo period. Each group contained 61 ± 1 (mean ± SD) cows over the study period; complete data were obtained from 37 and 32 animals within each respective group. Cows were housed in a sand-bedded, freestall barn with 2 symmetrical pens, each with a free cow traffic automatic milking system. To vary barn hygiene, in 4 consecutive 28-d periods, alley manure scrapers in each of the 2 pens were randomly assigned to frequencies of operation of 3, 6, 12, and 24 times per day. During the last 7 d of each period, cow hygiene (upper leg/flank, lower legs, and udder; scale of 1 = very clean to 4 = very dirty) and stall hygiene (number of 0.15×0.15-m squares contaminated with manure in a 1.20×1.65-m grid) were recorded. Standing and lying behavior of the cows were collected during those days using data loggers. Individual-cow SCC was recorded at the beginning and end of each 28-d period. Elevated SCC was used as an indicator of subclinical mastitis; incidence of elevated SCC was defined as having a SCC >200,000 cells/mL at the end of each 28-d period, when SCC was <100,000 cells/mL at the beginning of the period. Less frequent scraping of the barn alleys was associated with cows having poorer hygiene. Poor udder hygiene was associated with poor stall hygiene. Longer lying duration was associated with poor hygiene of the upper legs/flank and udder. Greater premilking standing duration was associated with poor udder hygiene and decreased frequency of lying bouts was associated with poor hygiene of the lower legs. Higher milk yield was

Milk yield and reproductive performance of dairy heifers and cows supplemented with polyunsaturated fatty acids

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Félix Gonzalez

2015-04-01

Full Text Available The objective of this work was to determine productive and fertility responses of Holstein-Friesian heifers and cows to supplementation with extruded linseed and soybean as sources of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs. Supplementation had a positive effect on profitability, with significant increases in milk yield in supplemented cows, but not in heifers. Treatments had no effect on milk fat content, but higher milk protein contents were observed with supplementation. A higher conception rate was found for supplemented heifers, but not for cows. Fat sources containing PUFAs are recommended for dairy cattle supplementation, since they improve fertility in heifers and milk yield in cows.

Factors affecting the serological testing of cadaveric donor cornea

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anuradha Raj

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the serological profile of the eye donors and to study the influence of various factors on serological test results. Methods: A cross-sectional, observational study was conducted, and data of 509 donors were reviewed from the records of eye bank from December 2012 to June 2017. Various details of donors analyzed included the age, sex of the donor, cause of death, source of tissue, time since blood collection after death, macroscopic appearance of blood sample, and details of discarded tissues. Serological examination of blood was performed for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV, hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus (HCV, venereal disease research laboratory (VDRL, and serology reports reactive or nonreactive were analyzed. Results: Among the 509 donors, 295 (58% were male, and 420 (82.50% belonged to age group ≥60 years. Most donors (354, 69.5% died due to cardiac arrest. Macroscopically, sera were normal in the majority of 488 (95.9% cases. Among 509 donors, 475 (93.3% were nonreactive, 12 (2.4% donors were found to be reactive to hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg, and 1 (0.2% was reactive to HCV, but no donor serology was reactive to HIV or VDRL. Twenty-one (4.12% donors' sera were not fit for serological testing. Among all donors, 475 (93.32% donors were accepted and 34 (6.67% were rejected or discarded on the basis of serological testing. Cause of death and macroscopic aspect of sera influenced the serological results in a highly significant manner (P = 0.00. Acceptance or rejection of the donor was significantly influenced by the serological results of the donor (P = 0.00. Conclusion: The seroprevalence among eye donor for HBsAg and HCV was 12 (2.4% and 1 (0.2%, respectively. Factors such as cause of death and macroscopic aspect of sera influence the serological results. Time since blood collection or sampling will not show any impact on viral serological results if postmortem sampling

21 CFR 866.3850 - Trichinella spiralis serological reagents.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES IMMUNOLOGY AND MICROBIOLOGY DEVICES Serological Reagents § 866.3850... devices that consist of antigens and antisera used in serological tests to identify antibodies to...

21 CFR 866.3680 - Sporothrix schenckii serological reagents.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES IMMUNOLOGY AND MICROBIOLOGY DEVICES Serological Reagents § 866.3680... devices that consist of antigens and antisera used in serological tests to identify antibodies to...

21 CFR 866.3400 - Parainfluenza virus serological reagents.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES IMMUNOLOGY AND MICROBIOLOGY DEVICES Serological Reagents § 866.3400 Parainfluenza... that consist of antigens and antisera used in serological tests to identify antibodies to parainfluenza...

21 CFR 866.3040 - Aspergillus spp. serological reagents.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES IMMUNOLOGY AND MICROBIOLOGY DEVICES Serological Reagents § 866.3040 Aspergillus... consist of antigens and antisera used in various serological tests to identify antibodies to Aspergillus...

21 CFR 866.3065 - Bordetella spp. serological reagents.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES IMMUNOLOGY AND MICROBIOLOGY DEVICES Serological Reagents § 866.3065 Bordetella... serological tests to identify Bordetella spp. from cultured isolates or directly from clinical specimens. The...

Brucellosis in Yellowstone National Park bison: Quantitative serology and infection

Science.gov (United States)

Roffe, T.J.; Rhyan, Jack C.; Aune, K.; Philo, L.M.; Ewalt, D.R.; Gidlewski, T.; Hennager, S.G.

1999-01-01

We collected complete sets of tissues, fluids, and swabs (approx 30) from 37 Yellowstone National Park (YNP) female bison (Bison bison) killed as a result of management actions by the Montana Department of Livestock and YNP personnel. Our goal was to establish the relation between blood tests demonstrating an animal has antibody to Brucella and the potential of that animal to be infected during the second trimester of pregnancy, the time when most management actions are taken. Twenty-eight of the 37 bison were seropositive adults (27) or a seropositive calf (1). We cultured samples using macerated whole tissues plated onto 4 Brucella-selective media and incubated with added CO2 for 1 week. Specimens from 2 adult seropositive females were contaminated, thus eliminating them from our data. Twelve of the remaining 26 seropositive adult and calf female bison (46%) were culture positive for Brucella abortus from 1 or more tissues. Culture positive adult females had high serologic titers. All 11 adults measured 3+ at 1:40 for 10 of 11 (91%) animals. All culture positive female adults had either a PCFIA ???0.080 or a CF reaction ???4+ at 1:80. However 5 (36%) bison with high titers were culture negative for B. abortus. Our findings on the relation between Brucella serology and culture are similar to those reported from studies of chronically infected cattle herds.

Environmental and cow-related factors affect cow locomotion and can cause misclassification in lameness detection systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Van Nuffel, A; Van De Gucht, T; Saeys, W; Sonck, B; Opsomer, G; Vangeyte, J; Mertens, K C; De Ketelaere, B; Van Weyenberg, S

2016-09-01

To tackle the high prevalence of lameness, techniques to monitor cow locomotion are being developed in order to detect changes in cows' locomotion due to lameness. Obviously, in such lameness detection systems, alerts should only respond to locomotion changes that are related to lameness. However, other environmental or cow factors can contribute to locomotion changes not related to lameness and hence, might cause false alerts. In this study the effects of wet surfaces, dark environment, age, production level, lactation and gestation stage on cow locomotion were investigated. Data was collected at Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research research farm (Melle, Belgium) during a 5-month period. The gait variables of 30 non-lame and healthy Holstein cows were automatically measured every day. In dark environments and on wet walking surfaces cows took shorter, more asymmetrical strides with less step overlap. In general, older cows had a more asymmetrical gait and they walked slower with more abduction. Lactation stage or gestation stage also showed significant association with asymmetrical and shorter gait and less step overlap probably due to the heavy calf in the uterus. Next, two lameness detection algorithms were developed to investigate the added value of environmental and cow data into detection models. One algorithm solely used locomotion variables and a second algorithm used the same locomotion variables and additional environmental and cow data. In the latter algorithm only age and lactation stage together with the locomotion variables were withheld during model building. When comparing the sensitivity for the detection of non-lame cows, sensitivity increased by 10% when the cow data was added in the algorithm (sensitivity was 70% and 80% for the first and second algorithm, respectively). Hence, the number of false alerts for lame cows that were actually non-lame, decreased. This pilot study shows that using knowledge on influencing factors on cow

21 CFR 866.3870 - Trypanosoma spp. serological reagents.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES IMMUNOLOGY AND MICROBIOLOGY DEVICES Serological Reagents § 866.3870 Trypanosoma... consist of antigens and antisera used in serological tests to identify antibodies to Trypanosoma spp. in...

21 CFR 866.3630 - Serratia spp. serological reagents.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES IMMUNOLOGY AND MICROBIOLOGY DEVICES Serological Reagents § 866.3630 Serratia spp... antigens and antisera used in serological tests to identify Serratia spp. from cultured isolates. The...

21 CFR 866.3660 - Shigella spp. serological reagents.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES IMMUNOLOGY AND MICROBIOLOGY DEVICES Serological Reagents § 866.3660 Shigella spp...), used in serological tests to identify Shigella spp. from cultured isolates. The identification aids in...

21 CFR 866.3330 - Influenza virus serological reagents.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES IMMUNOLOGY AND MICROBIOLOGY DEVICES Serological Reagents § 866.3330 Influenza... consist of antigens and antisera used in serological tests to identify antibodies to influenza in serum...

21 CFR 866.3380 - Mumps virus serological reagents.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES IMMUNOLOGY AND MICROBIOLOGY DEVICES Serological Reagents § 866.3380 Mumps virus... serological tests to identify mumps viruses from tissue culture isolates derived from clinical specimens. The...

Short Communication: Immunohistochemical localization of the immune cell marker CD68 in bovine adipose tissue: impact of tissue alterations and excessive fat accumulation in dairy cows.

Science.gov (United States)

Häussler, S; Germeroth, D; Laubenthal, L; Ruda, L F; Rehage, J; Dänicke, S; Sauerwein, H

2017-01-01

With the onset of lactation energy from feed intake is mostly insufficient to meet the requirements of dairy cows. Lipid mobilization from adipose tissue (AT) could lead to a compromised inflammatory response enhancing the incidence for diseases. In addition, tissue alterations can occur, displaying areas of necrosis and inflammation. Furthermore, over-conditioned cows mobilizing more lipids from AT than thin cows are prone to develop metabolic disorders. This might lead to an increased infiltration of phagocytic immune cells into AT. In the present study, CD68 positive cells were localized in AT from 10 early lactating Holstein cows displaying different grades of AT alterations. Biopsies were sampled from visceral and subcutaneous AT and the number of CD68 positive cells was immunohistochemically determined. In addition, AT biopsies from over-conditioned, non-pregnant, non-lactating cows (n=8) were immunohistochemically analyzed for CD68 positive cells. The percentage of CD68 positive cells was less than 2% in AT biopsies with tissue alterations and in AT from over-conditioned cows. Therefore, immune cell infiltration demonstrated via the localization of CD68 positive cells seems to play only a minor role in AT from over-conditioned cows as well as in different bovine AT depots with tissue alterations. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

42 CFR 493.1207 - Condition: Syphilis serology.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Condition: Syphilis serology. 493.1207 Section 493.1207 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES....1207 Condition: Syphilis serology. If the laboratory provides services in the subspecialty of Syphilis...

Prenatal diagnosis of congenital toxoplasmosis: comparative value of fetal blood and amniotic fluid using serological techniques and cultures.

Science.gov (United States)

Fricker-Hidalgo, H; Pelloux, H; Muet, F; Racinet, C; Bost, M; Goullier-Fleuret, A; Ambroise-Thomas, P

1997-09-01

The prenatal diagnosis of congenital toxoplasmosis is mainly based on biological tests performed on fetal blood and amniotic fluid. We studied the performance of neonatal diagnosis procedures and the results of fetal blood and amniotic fluid analysis. Of 127 women who contracted toxoplasmosis and underwent prenatal diagnosis, the postnatal serological follow-up was long enough to definitively diagnose congenital toxoplasmosis in 19 cases and to exclude it in 27 cases. Prenatal diagnosis allowed the detection of 94.7 per cent (18/19) of the infected fetuses. The sensitivities of tests in amniotic fluid and fetal blood were equivalent, 88.2 per cent (15/17) and 87.5 per cent (14/16), respectively. In fetal blood, biological techniques were positive in 12/16 cases and in 2/16 cases, serological tests were the only positive sign. The specificities of tests in amniotic fluid and fetal blood were respectively 100 per cent (23/23) and 86.3 per cent (19/22) (three false-positive serological results). These results, added to the lower morbidity of amniocentesis compared with cordocentesis, might lead to cordocentesis being abandoned in the prenatal diagnosis of congenital toxoplasmosis.

42 CFR 493.835 - Standard; Syphilis serology.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Standard; Syphilis serology. 493.835 Section 493.835 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES... These Tests § 493.835 Standard; Syphilis serology. (a) Failure to attain an overall testing event score...

Diagnostic impact of routine Lyme serology in recent-onset arthritis: results from the ESPOIR cohort

Science.gov (United States)

Guellec, Dewi; Narbonne, Valérie; Cornec, Divi; Marhadour, Thierry; Varache, Sophie; Dougados, Maxime; Daurès, Jean Pierre; Jousse-Joulin, Sandrine; Devauchelle-Pensec, Valérie; Saraux, Alain

2016-01-01

Objectives Lyme disease may be considered by rheumatologists in patients with recent-onset arthritis, even in the absence of suggestive symptoms. The aim of this study was to determine the diagnostic impact of routine Lyme serology in a French cohort of patients with recent-onset arthritis affecting at least 2 joints. Methods We performed an ancillary study of a French prospective multicentre cohort established to monitor clinical, biological and radiographic data in patients with inflammatory arthritis in at least 2 joints, lasting for 6 weeks to 6 months. Borrelia IgM and IgG antibodies were sought routinely at baseline, using ELISA tests, independently from the physician's strategy for detecting a spirochetal infection. We recorded the proportion of patients with a final diagnosis of Lyme arthritis and evaluated the diagnostic performance of Lyme serology in this particular context. The clinical and biological characteristics of patients according to the Lyme serology results were analysed. Results Of 810 patients, 657 (81.1%) were negative for IgM and IgG antibodies, 91 (11.2%) had only IgM antibodies, 49 (6%) had only IgG antibodies, and 13 (1.6%) had IgG and IgM antibodies. Thus, 7.6% had IgG positivity, consistent with exposure to Borrelia infection. IgG positivity was significantly more prevalent in the North and North-East regions of France (χ2=14.6, pLyme arthritis. Conclusions This study does not support routine Lyme serological testing in patients with recent-onset inflammatory arthritis affecting more than 1 joint. PMID:26819751

Effect of grazing on the cow welfare of dairy herds evaluated by a multidimensional welfare index

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Burow, E.; Rousing, T.; Thomsen, P. T.

2013-01-01

Structural development in the prime sector has led to increasing herd sizes and new barn systems, followed by less summer grazing for dairy cows in Denmark. Effects of grazing on single welfare measures in dairy cows - for example, the presence of integument alterations or mortality - have been......) inspired multidimensional dairy cow welfare assessment protocol, the within-herd effect of summer grazing compared with winter barn housing in Danish dairy herds with cubicle free-stall systems for the lactating cows. Our hypothesis was that cow welfare in dairy herds was better during summer grazing than...... out to be more beneficial than few daily grazing hours (range average above 9 to 21 h) for the welfare of the dairy herds. In conclusion, this study reports a positive within-herd effect of summer grazing on dairy cow welfare, where many daily grazing hours were more beneficial than few daily grazing...

33 CFR 157.170 - COW equipment: Removal.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false COW equipment: Removal. 157.170... Crude Oil Washing (COW) System on Tank Vessels Cow Operations § 157.170 COW equipment: Removal. (a) Whenever a deck mounted COW machine is removed from the tank, the master shall ensure that: (1) The supply...

Serological evidence for human cystic echinococcosis in Slovenia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kotar Tadeja

2008-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Cystic echinococcosis (CE is caused by the larva of tapeworm Echinococcus granulosus. Dogs and other canids are the primary definitive hosts for this parasite. CE may develop after accidental ingestion of tapeworm eggs, excreted with the feces of these animals. In the intestine, the larvae released from the eggs are nested in the liver, lungs or other organs of livestock as intermediate hosts and humans as aberrant hosts. The aim of this study was to examine serologically whether some of the patients in Slovenia, suspected of CE by imaging findings in the liver or lungs had been infected with the larva of Echinococcus granulosus. Methods Between January 1, 2002 and the end of December 2006, 1323 patients suspected of having echinococcosis were screened serologically by indirect haemagglutination assay (IHA. For confirmation and differentiation of Echinococcus spp. infection, the sera of IHA-positive patients were then retested by western blot (WB. Results Out of 127 IHA-positive sera, 34 sera were confirmed by WB and considered specific for CE. Of 34 sera of CE-positive patients sera, 32 corresponded to the characteristic imaging findings of a liver cysts and 2 to those of lung cysts. The mean age of CE-positive patients was 58.3 years. No significant differences were found between the CE-positive patients in regard to their sex. Conclusion In the study, it was found out that CE was mostly spread in the same area of Slovenia as in the past, but its prevalence decreased from 4.8 per 105 inhabitants in the period 1956–1968 to 1.7 per 105 inhabitants in the period 2002–2006. In spite of the decreased prevalence of CE in the last years, it is suggested that clinicians and public health authorities, especially in the eastern parts of Slovenia where the most CE patients come from, should pay greater attention to this disease in the future.

Free ferulic acid uptake in lactating cows.

Science.gov (United States)

Soberon, M A; Cherney, J H; Liu, R H; Ross, D A; Cherney, D J R

2012-11-01

Ferulic acid (FRA), a phenolic compound with antioxidant and anticancer activities, naturally occurs in plants as a lignin precursor. Many veins of research have been devoted to releasing FRA from the lignin complex to improve digestibility of ruminant feeds. Thus, the objective of this research was to investigate the transfer of a given dosage of the free form of FRA into the milk of dairy cattle. Six mid- to late-lactation Holstein cows at the Cornell Research Farm (Harford, NY) were given 14-d adaptation to diet and stall position. Ad libitum access to a total mixed ration based on haylage and maize silage (31.1% neutral detergent fiber containing 5.52 mg of FRA/g) was provided during the study. A crossover design was implemented so that each cow alternated weekly between FRA-dosed and control. On d 1, jugular cannulas and urine catheters were placed in all cows. On d 2, FRA-dosed cows received a single dosage of 150 g of pure FRA powder at 0830 h via their fistula (n=4) or a balling gun for nonfistulated cows (n=2). Plasma, urine, feces, feed, orts, milk, and rumen fluid were sampled intensively for the next 36 h and analyzed for FRA concentration. On d 8, the cows crossed over and the experiment was repeated. When compared with the control, FRA administration did not have an effect on dry matter intake, milk yield, milk fat yield, milk protein yield, somatic cell count, or neutral detergent fiber content of orts and feces. The concentration of FRA in the feces did not change as a result of FRA dosage. As expected, FRA concentration increased dramatically upon FRA dosage and decreased over time until returning to basal levels in rumen fluid (4 h after dosage), plasma (5.5 h after dosage), urine (10 h after dosage), and milk (14 h after dosage). Baseline values for FRA in urine and rumen fluid were variable among cows and had an effect on FRA concentration in FRA-dosed cows. From this study, it is observed that orally ingested FRA can be transported into the

A serological survey for brucellosis in reindeer in Finnmark county, northern Norway

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kjetil Åsbakk

1999-04-01

Full Text Available During September-December, 1990 to 1994, serum samples from a total of 5792 semi-domesticated reindeer (Rangifer tarandm tarandm from Finnmark county, northern Norway, were screened for brucellosis on an indirect ELISA. There were no serologically positive animals. Twenty six of the animals had levels of antibodies detectable on the ELISA and were classed as suspicious, but the ELISA optical density readings were low compared to the readings for reindeer that were both culture positive and seropositive for Brucella suis biovar 4. When assayed on the standard tube agglutination test (STAT, all the 26 animals were seronegative. When absorbed with cells of Yersinia enterocolitica 0-9, the antibody detectable on the ELISA could be removed to a great extent from most of the sera, indicating previous or ongoing exposure to bacteria serologically cross-reacting with Brucella in these animals. We concluded that brucellosis was not present among reindeer in Finnmark during this study. This is supported by the absence of any reports of brucellosis among reindeer in Norway.

Mastitogenic bacteria isolated from dairy cows in Kenya and their antimicrobial sensitivity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

George K. Gitau

2014-02-01

Full Text Available There is limited epidemiological knowledge on udder health in Kenyan dairy cattle that would aid in a pro-active approach towards mastitis prevention. The study objectives were: (1 to investigate the prevalence and distribution of clinical and subclinical mastitis in dairy cattle in Mukurwe-ini and Nakuru Districts, Kenya, and (2 to determine the antibacterial sensitivity of the organisms causing bovine mastitis in these districts. The study involved field-screening of milk samples from 241 dairy cows on 128 farms by use of the California Mastitis Test (CMT and, if CMT-positive, followed by bacteriological culture of the major causative agents and their respective antibiotic sensitivity to eight commonly used antibiotics. All participating farms were visited twice during the study period. The results obtained during the first and second visits showed the prevalence of clinical mastitis to be very low: 0.9% and 0.5%, respectively; 56.0% and 65.0% of cows were CMT-positive on at least one quarter and 49.6% and 58.7% of cows were culture-positive, respectively. There was no significant difference in mastitis prevalence between Nakuru and Mukurwe-ini districts (p > 0.10. Staphylococcus aureus was isolated in 68.0% and 77.0% of samples during the first and second visits, respectively. Other frequently isolated agents included Streptococcus agalactiae, and other Streptococcus spp., S. aureus and S. agalactiae were most sensitive to gentamycin and norfloxacin, and least sensitive to cotrimazole and ampicillin. Knowing the prevalence of mastitogenic organisms and their antibiotic sensitivities could improve treatment efficacy and cow longevity.

33 CFR 157.155 - COW operations: General.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false COW operations: General. 157.155... Crude Oil Washing (COW) System on Tank Vessels Cow Operations § 157.155 COW operations: General. (a) The master of a tank vessel having a COW system under § 157.10(e), § 157.10a(a)(2), or 157.10c(b)(2) shall...

Beef cow-calf production.

Science.gov (United States)

Feuz, Dillon M; Umberger, Wendy J

2003-07-01

Cow-calf production occurs in all 50 states over varied resource bases and under vastly different environmental conditions. Multiple breeds exist and management styles and objectives are as numerous as the number of cow-calf producers. There is not one area of the country, one breed of cattle, or one management style that is most profitable for producing cows and calves. There are, however, some common strategies that can be employed by cow-calf producers to enhance profitability. Costs need to be controlled without jeopardizing cow herd productivity or net returns. It appears that the cost associated with purchased and harvested feeds varies considerably across operations. Understanding cyclic and seasonal price patterns, weight-price slides, cattle shrink, and other marketing costs can help producers enhance their profit by marketing (and not by just selling) their cattle. Producers with superior cattle genetics can become part of a specific alliance or, at a minimum, document the performance of their cattle so that they can get paid for the superior genetics. The beef industry is changing and will likely continue to change. Cow-calf producers will need to examine their own management practices to determine whether they are optimal for the current industry. Those producers who are most adept at matching their management abilities to their cattle type, their resource base, and the appropriate market outlet will be the most successful in the future.

Swine cysticercosis in the Karangasem district of Bali, Indonesia: An evaluation of serological screening methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Swastika, Kadek; Dharmawan, Nyoman Sadra; Suardita, I Ketut; Kepeng, I Nengah; Wandra, Toni; Sako, Yasuhito; Okamoto, Munehiro; Yanagida, Tetsuya; Sasaki, Mizuki; Giraudoux, Patrick; Nakao, Minoru; Yoshida, Takahiko; Eka Diarthini, Luh Putu; Sudarmaja, I Made; Purba, Ivan Elisabeth; Budke, Christine M; Ito, Akira

2016-11-01

A serological assessment was undertaken on pigs from the Kubu and Abang sub-districts of Karangasem on the island of Bali, Indonesia, where earlier studies had detected patients with cysticercosis. Antigens purified from Taenia solium cyst fluid by cation-exchange chromatography were used to evaluate antibody responses in the pigs and the serological tests were also evaluated using sera from pigs experimentally infected with T. solium eggs. A total of 392 serum samples from naturally exposed pigs were tested using an ELISA that could be read based on both a colour change perceptible by the naked eye and an ELISA based on absorbance values. Twenty six (6.6%) pigs were found seropositive by the naked-eye ELISA and were categorized into three groups: strongly positive (absorbance values >0.8, n=6), moderately positive (absorbance values between 0.2 and 0.8, n=7), and weakly positive (absorbance values Bali were tested using the same ELISA. All 60 pigs were seronegative with no evidence of Taenia infection at necropsy. The results confirm the presence of porcine cysticercosis on Bali and, while the serological responses seen in T. solium infected animals were much stronger than those infected with T. hydatigena, the diagnostic antigens are clearly not species specific. Further studies are necessary to confirm if it is possible to draw a cut off line for differentiation of pig infected with T. solium from those infected with T. hydatigena. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cow's milk and goat's milk.

Science.gov (United States)

Turck, Dominique

2013-01-01

Cow's milk is increasingly suggested to play a role in the development of chronic degenerative, non-communicable disorders whereas goat's milk is advocated as having several health benefits. Cow's milk is a rich and cheap source of protein and calcium, and a valuable food for bone health. Despite their high content in saturated fats, consumption of full-fat dairy products does not seem to cause significant changes in cardiovascular disease risk variables. Early introduction of cow's milk is a strong negative determinant of iron status. Unmodified cow's milk does not meet nutritional requirements of infants although it is acceptable to add small volumes of cow's milk to complementary foods. Cow's milk protein allergy has a prevalence ranging from 2 to 7%, and the age of recovery is usually around 2-3 years. The evidence linking cow's milk intake to a later risk of type 1 diabetes or chronic degenerative, non-communicable disorders (obesity, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, hypertension) is not convincing. Milk probably protects against colorectal cancer, diets high in calcium are a probable cause of prostate cancer, and there is limited evidence suggesting that high consumption of milk and dairy products increases the risk for prostate cancer. There is no evidence to support the use of a cow's milk-free diet as a primary treatment for individuals with autistic spectrum disorders. Unmodified goat's milk is not suitable for infants because of the high protein and minerals content and of a low folate content. Goat's milk has no clear nutritional advantage over cow's milk and is not less allergenic. The European Food Safety Authority recently stated that proteins from goat's milk can be suitable as a protein source for infant and follow-on formula, provided the final product complies with the compositional criteria laid down in Directive 2006/141/EC. Copyright © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Influences of supplemental feeding on winter elk calf:cow ratios in the southern Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem

Science.gov (United States)

M. Foley, Aaron; Cross, Paul C.; Christianson, David A; Scurlock, Brandon M.; Creely, Scott

2015-01-01

Several elk herds in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem are fed during winter to alleviate interactions with livestock, reduce damage to stored crops, and to manage for high elk numbers. The effects of supplemental feeding on ungulate population dynamics has rarely been examined, despite the fact that supplemental feeding is partially justified as necessary for maintaining or enhancing population growth rates. We used linear regression to assess how the presence of feedgrounds, snowpack, summer rainfall, indices of grizzly bear density and wolves per elk, elk population trend counts, brucellosis seroprevalence, and survey date were correlated with midwinter calf:cow ratios, a metric correlated with population growth, from 1983–2010 from 12 ecologically similar elk herd units (7 fed and 5 unfed) in Wyoming, USA. Our statistical approach allowed for rigorous tests of the hypotheses that supplemental feeding had positive effects on calf:cow ratios and reduced sensitivity of calf:cow ratios to bottom-up limitation relative to top-down limitation from native predators. Calf:cow ratios generally declined across all herd units over the study period and varied widely among units with feedgrounds. We found no evidence that the presence of feedgrounds had positive effects on midwinter calf:cow ratios in Wyoming. Further, fed elk showed stronger correlations with environmental factors, whereas calf:cow ratios for unfed elk showed stronger correlations with predator indices. Although we found no consistent association between winter feeding and higher calf:cow ratios, we did not assess late winter mortality and differences in human offtake between fed and unfed regions, which remain a priority for future research. 

Detection of serologic responses to GB virus C/hepatitis G virus infection.

Science.gov (United States)

Lo, Shih-Yen; Ku, Chia-Wen; Ma, Hsin-Chieh; Li, Yi-Hwei; Yu, Jui-Hung; Lin, Hsien-Hong; Lua, Ahai C; Lee, Ming-Liang

2002-09-01

To investigate the prevalence of GB virus C/hepatitis G virus (GBV-C/HGV) and compare the serologic responses to various GBV-C/HGV markers in eastern Taiwan aborigines. We used RT-PCR and anti-HGenv u-plate to investigate the prevalence of GBV-C/HGV in eastern Taiwan aborigines. We also used ELISA, dot blot assay, and Western blot to detect the serologic responses to various GBV-C/HGV markers. The prevalence of GBV-C/HGV RNA in the general population of eastern Taiwan aborigines is about 5% (17/317), while 14% (43/317) have anti-E2 antibodies. There were no significant differences in antibody titer against one consensus core peptide (PPSSAAACSRGSPR) between GBV-C/HGV RNA-positive and -negative sera. Only 23 of 42 serum samples positive in the anti-HGenv u-plate EIA assay were positive (55%) in the dot blot assay. No positive signal was detected by Western blot using either recombinant NS3 or commercial E2 proteins. Antibodies against one consensus core peptide (PPSSAAACSRGSPR) may not constitute a good marker for the detection of GBV-C/HGV viremia. For the detection of anti-E2 antibodies, the anti-HGenv u-plate assay is more sensitive than the dot blot assay. Western blot assay is not a sensitive method for detecting GBV-C/HGV infection.

Serological and molecular tools to diagnose visceral leishmaniasis: 2-years' experience of a single center in Northern Italy.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stefania Varani

Full Text Available The diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis (VL remains challenging, due to the limited sensitivity of microscopy, the poor performance of serological methods in immunocompromised patients and the lack of standardization of molecular tests. The aim of this study was to implement a combined diagnostic workflow by integrating serological and molecular tests with standardized clinical criteria. Between July 2013 and June 2015, the proposed workflow was applied to specimens obtained from 94 in-patients with clinical suspicion of VL in the Emilia-Romagna region, Northern Italy. Serological tests and molecular techniques were employed. Twenty-one adult patients (22% had a confirmed diagnosis of VL by clinical criteria, serology and/or real-time polymerase chain reaction; 4 of these patients were HIV-positive. Molecular tests exhibited higher sensitivity than serological tests for the diagnosis of VL. In our experience, the rK39 immunochromatographic test was insufficiently sensitive for use as a screening test for the diagnosis of VL caused by L. infantum in Italy. However, as molecular tests are yet not standardized, further studies are required to identify an optimal screening test for Mediterranean VL.

Serological and molecular tools to diagnose visceral leishmaniasis: 2-years’ experience of a single center in Northern Italy

Science.gov (United States)

Ortalli, Margherita; Attard, Luciano; Vanino, Elisa; Gaibani, Paolo; Vocale, Caterina; Rossini, Giada; Cagarelli, Roberto; Pierro, Anna; Billi, Patrizia; Mastroianni, Antonio; Di Cesare, Simona; Codeluppi, Mauro; Franceschini, Erica; Melchionda, Fraia; Gramiccia, Marina; Scalone, Aldo; Gentilomi, Giovanna A.; Landini, Maria P.

2017-01-01

The diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) remains challenging, due to the limited sensitivity of microscopy, the poor performance of serological methods in immunocompromised patients and the lack of standardization of molecular tests. The aim of this study was to implement a combined diagnostic workflow by integrating serological and molecular tests with standardized clinical criteria. Between July 2013 and June 2015, the proposed workflow was applied to specimens obtained from 94 in-patients with clinical suspicion of VL in the Emilia-Romagna region, Northern Italy. Serological tests and molecular techniques were employed. Twenty-one adult patients (22%) had a confirmed diagnosis of VL by clinical criteria, serology and/or real-time polymerase chain reaction; 4 of these patients were HIV-positive. Molecular tests exhibited higher sensitivity than serological tests for the diagnosis of VL. In our experience, the rK39 immunochromatographic test was insufficiently sensitive for use as a screening test for the diagnosis of VL caused by L. infantum in Italy. However, as molecular tests are yet not standardized, further studies are required to identify an optimal screening test for Mediterranean VL. PMID:28832646

Herd factors associated with dairy cow mortality.

Science.gov (United States)

McConnel, C; Lombard, J; Wagner, B; Kopral, C; Garry, F

2015-08-01

Summary studies of dairy cow removal indicate increasing levels of mortality over the past several decades. This poses a serious problem for the US dairy industry. The objective of this project was to evaluate associations between facilities, herd management practices, disease occurrence and death rates on US dairy operations through an analysis of the National Animal Health Monitoring System's Dairy 2007 survey. The survey included farms in 17 states that represented 79.5% of US dairy operations and 82.5% of the US dairy cow population. During the first phase of the study operations were randomly selected from a sampling list maintained by the National Agricultural Statistics Service. Only farms that participated in phase I and had 30 or more dairy cows were eligible to participate in phase II. In total, 459 farms had complete data for all selected variables and were included in this analysis. Univariable associations between dairy cow mortality and 162 a priori identified operation-level management practices or characteristics were evaluated. Sixty of the 162 management factors explored in the univariate analysis met initial screening criteria and were further evaluated in a multivariable model exploring more complex relationships. The final weighted, negative binomial regression model included six variables. Based on the incidence rate ratio, this model predicted 32.0% less mortality for operations that vaccinated heifers for at least one of the following: bovine viral diarrhea, infectious bovine rhinotracheitis, parainfluenza 3, bovine respiratory syncytial virus, Haemophilus somnus, leptospirosis, Salmonella, Escherichia coli or clostridia. The final multivariable model also predicted a 27.0% increase in mortality for operations from which a bulk tank milk sample tested ELISA positive for bovine leukosis virus. Additionally, an 18.0% higher mortality was predicted for operations that used necropsies to determine the cause of death for some proportion of dead

The Psychology of Cows

OpenAIRE

Lori Marino; Kristin Allen

2017-01-01

Domestic cows (Bos taurus) are consumed worldwide as beef and veal, kept as dairy product producers, employed as draft animals in labor, and are used for a long list of other products, including leather and manure. But despite global reliance on cows for thousands of years, most people’s perception of them is as plodding herd animals with little individual personality and very simple social relationships or preferences. Yet, a review of the scientific literature on cow behavior points to more...

An automatic system for the detection of dairy cows lying behaviour in free-stall barns

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Simona M.C. Porto

2013-09-01

Full Text Available In this paper, a method for the automatic detection of dairy cow lying behaviour in free-stall barns is proposed. A computer visionbased system (CVBS composed of a video-recording system and a cow lying behaviour detector based on the Viola Jones algorithm was developed. The CVBS performance was tested in a head-to-head free stall barn. Two classifiers were implemented in the software component of the CVBS to obtain the cow lying behaviour detector. The CVBS was validated by comparing its detection results with those generated from visual recognition. This comparison allowed the following accuracy indices to be calculated: the branching factor (BF, the miss factor (MF, the sensitivity, and the quality percentage (QP. The MF value of approximately 0.09 showed that the CVBS missed one cow every 11 well detected cows. Conversely, the BF value of approximately 0.08 indicated that one false positive was detected every 13 well detected cows. The high value of approximately 0.92 obtained for the sensitivity index and that obtained for QP of about 0.85 revealed the ability of the proposed system to detect cows lying in the stalls.

Serological diagnosis of Taenia solium in pigs: No measurable circulating antigens and antibody response following exposure to Taenia saginata oncospheres.

Science.gov (United States)

Dorny, P; Dermauw, V; Van Hul, A; Trevisan, C; Gabriël, S

2017-10-15

Taenia solium taeniasis/cysticercosis is a zoonosis included in the WHO's list of neglected tropical diseases. Accurate diagnostic tools for humans and pigs are needed to monitor intervention outcomes. Currently used diagnostic tools for porcine cysticercosis all have drawbacks. Serological tests are mainly confronted with problems of specificity. More specifically, circulating antigen detecting tests cross-react with Taenia hydatigena and the possibility of transient antigens as a result of aborted infections is suspected. Furthermore, the hypothesis has been raised that hatched ingested eggs of other Taenia species may lead to a transient antibody response or to the presence of circulating antigen detectable by serological tests used for porcine cysticercosis. Here we describe the results of a study that consisted of oral administration of Taenia saginata eggs to five piglets followed by serological testing during five weeks and necropsy aiming at studying possible cross reactions in serological tests used for porcine cysticercosis. The infectivity of the eggs was verified by in vitro hatching and by experimental infection of a calf. One piglet developed acute respiratory disease and died on day 6 post infection. The remaining four piglets did not show any clinical signs until euthanasia. None of the serum samples from four piglets collected between days 0 and 35 post infection gave a positive reaction in the B158/B60 Ag-ELISA and in a commercial Western blot for antibody detection. In conclusion, this study showed that experimental exposure of four pigs to T. saginata eggs did not result in positive serologies for T. solium. These results may help interpreting serological results in monitoring of T. solium control programmes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Delaying postpartum supplementation in cows consuming low-quality forage does not alter cow and calf productivity

Science.gov (United States)

Reducing the amount of supplemental feed postpartum without affecting productivity may enhance profitability of cow-calf operations. Therefore, sixteen 2-yr-old fall calving cows were used to evaluate effects of delaying postpartum supplementation on milk production, serum metabolites, cow and calf ...

Hypersensitivity reactions to the Sabin vaccine in children with cow's milk allergy.

Science.gov (United States)

Parisi, C A S; Smaldini, P L; Gervasoni, M E; Maspero, J F; Docena, G H

2013-02-01

The Sabin vaccine is used world-wide, and most children with food allergies receive it without incident. However, in the 2009 vaccination campaign conducted in Argentina, four children experienced immediate-type hypersensitivity reactions following vaccination. We aimed to review the medical history of the affected children, study their allergic condition after the episodes and analyse the presence of allergenic vaccine components. Patients were selected based on their immediate allergic reactions following vaccination. They were assessed for allergies to cow's milk and hen's egg. The presence of cow's milk proteins in the vaccine was tested by various immunoassays involving cow's milk- or α-lactalbumin-specific polyclonal rabbit antiserum and patient sera. All of the patients had a history of milk allergy, and no history or current evidence of egg hypersensitivity was found. Levels of cow's milk- and Sabin vaccine-specific IgE were increased, and the result of a skin prick test with cow's milk proteins or the Sabin vaccine was positive in each patient. In addition, an ELISA using specific rabbit antiserum detected α-lactalbumin in the Sabin vaccine. When α-lactalbumin was employed as a soluble inhibitor in a competitive ELISA, binding to vaccine-coated plates by cow's milk- or α-lactalbumin-specific rabbit antiserum or by patient serum containing IgE was inhibited. We have demonstrated that these patients were allergic to cow's milk, and had circulating and mast cell-bound IgE antibodies specific to cow's milk proteins. We found that the Sabin vaccine contained α-lactalbumin, which may have been responsible for the reactions elicited following vaccination with the Sabin and dual viral vaccines in combination. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

'Candidatus Mycoplasma haemobos': Transplacental transmission in dairy cows (Bos taurus).

Science.gov (United States)

Girotto-Soares, Aline; Soares, João Fabio; Bogado, Alexey Leon Gomel; de Macedo, César Augusto Barbosa; Sandeski, Lígia Mara; Garcia, João Luis; Vidotto, Odilon

2016-11-15

'Candidatus Mycoplasma haemobos' is a haemotropic mycoplasma that can produce various clinical signs in cattle, but abortive potential of the parasite is unknown, as well as the frequency of transplacental transmission in cattle. Thus, the objective of this work was to evaluate the frequency of detection of 'C. M. haemobos' in aborted fetuses and the blood of dairy cows. Blood samples of 22 dairy cows that aborted and pool tissues (brain, lung, heart and liver) of their respective aborted fetuses were tested by conventional PCR. The occurrence of 'C. M. haemobos' DNA in adult animals was 40.9% (9/22) and in the fetuses was 18.2% (4/22). Two fetuses that contained 'C. M. haemobos' DNA were derived from cows which were PCR negative. When stratifying by breed, it was observed that Jersey cows had a higher proportion of positive animals (8/11; 72.7%) as compared to Holstein (1/9; 11.1% P<0.01). The results of this study suggest that this parasite can be transferred via the placenta, but it is not certain if the abortions were due to 'C. M. haemobos'. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Continuous lactation in dairy cows

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsen, Torben Gosvig; Nielsen, Mette Benedicte Olaf; Andersen, Jens Bech

2008-01-01

Reports over the past decade have indicated that normal lactational performance can be achieved in genetically superior and high-producing dairy cows, even when the dry period between 2 lactations is omitted. The hypothesis tested in this experiment was that normal lactogenesis I and metabolic...... function may be achievable in continuously milked high-yielding dairy cows as a result of the genetic selection for lactation performance and hence longevity of mammary epithelial cells. The milk production and mammary nutrient uptake in response to omission of the dry period for cows with an expected peak...... milk yield higher than 45 kg/d were studied in 28 Holstein dairy cows managed without bovine somatotropin. Performance and metabolic parameters were followed in late gestation and in the following early lactation. Fourteen cows were milked continuously throughout late gestation, and another 14 dairy...

Variations in the milk yield and milk composition of dairy cows during lactation.

Science.gov (United States)

Bedö, S; Nikodémusz, E; Percsich, K; Bárdos, L

1995-01-01

Variations in the milk yield and milk composition of a dairy cow colony (n = 23) were analyzed during 11 months of lactation. Milk yield followed a characteristic decreasing pattern in negative correlations with solid components (milk protein, lactose, total solids, milk fat). Titrable acidity (degree SH) was significantly (p < 0.1) higher in the milk of fresh-milking cows and it correlated negatively with lactose and positively with milk protein, milk fat and total solids. The concentrations of Zn, Fe and Cu tended to decrease, while Mn showed insignificant variation during lactation. Milk vitamin A showed a significant positive whilst milk vitamin E had a negative correlation with milk fat.

21 CFR 866.3310 - Hepatitis A virus (HAV) serological assays.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Hepatitis A virus (HAV) serological assays. 866... Hepatitis A virus (HAV) serological assays. (a) Identification. HAV serological assays are devices that consist of antigens and antisera for the detection of hepatitis A virus-specific IgM, IgG, or total...

Comparison of two treatment strategies for cows with metritis in high-risk lactating dairy cows.

Science.gov (United States)

Armengol, Ramon; Fraile, Lorenzo

2015-05-01

Acute puerperal metritis (APM) and clinical metritis (CM) are uterine diseases frequently diagnosed in dairy cows. These diseases are responsible for important economic loss because of their effect not only on reproductive performance but also on milk production. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of two different treatments for metritis on dairy cows by measuring their reproductive performance in the next gestation. The end points to measure the reproductive performance included the conception rate at the first artificial insemination, the number of days at conception, and the proportion of nonpregnant cows at over 150 days after beginning milk production. The study was carried out in a high production dairy cow farm located in Lleida (northeast Spain). Recordings of 1044 parturitions of 747 Holstein cows were controlled in this farm from 2009 to 2014. Cows were diagnosed as suffering from metritis (APM or CM) if the following parameters were observed: an abnormally enlarged uterus; a fetid, watery, reddish brown uterine discharge with (APM) or without (CM) fever (>39.5 °C); and presence (APM) or absence (CM) of signs of systemic illness (decreased milk production, dullness, or other signs of toxemia) within 21 days postpartum. Afterwards, cows suffering from metritis (APM or CM) were randomly assigned and balanced to two groups: (1) animals receiving parenteral amoxicillin intramuscularly plus intrauterine infusion with oxytetracycline (P + I group) and (2) animals receiving only parenteral amoxicillin intramuscularly (P group). Furthermore, reproductive performance of cows without metritis was used as reference (control group). Metritis was diagnosed in 27.5% of the total parturitions included in the study (288 of 1044). In particular, metritis was diagnosed in 30.5% (118 of 387) and 25.9% (170 of 657) of parturitions from heifers and multiparous cows, respectively. Reproductive performance was not significantly affected by the parity, the

Monitoring feeding behaviour of dairy cows using accelerometers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gabriele Mattachini

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Monitoring cow behaviour has become increasingly important in understanding the nutrition, production, management of the well being, and overall health of dairy cows. Methods of assessing behavioural activity have changed in recent years, favouring automatic recording techniques. Traditional methods to measure behaviour, such as direct observation or time-lapse video, are labour-intensive and time-consuming. Automated recording devices have become increasingly common to measure behaviour accurately. Thus, the development of automated monitoring systems that can continuously and accurately quantify feeding behaviour are required for efficient monitoring and control of modern and automated dairy farms. The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible use of a 3D accelerometer to record feeding behaviour of dairy cows. Feeding behaviour (feeding time and number of visits to the manger of 12 lactating dairy cows was recorded for approximately 3 h with 3D-accelerometer data loggers (HOBO Pendant G logger. The sensors were positioned in the high part of the neck to monitor head movements. Behaviour was simultaneously recorded using visual observation as a reference. Linear regression analysis between the measurement methods showed that the recorded feeding time (R2=0.90, n=12, P<0.001 was closely related to visual observations. In contrast, the number of visits was inadequately recorded by the 3D-accelerometer, showing a poor relationship with visual observations (R2=0.31, n=12, P<0.06. Results suggest that the use of accelerometer sensors can be a reliable and suitable technology for monitoring feeding behaviour of individual dairy cows in free stall housing. However, further research is necessary to develop an appropriate device able to detect and recognise the movements connected with the head movement during feeding. Such a device could be part of an automatic livestock management tool for the efficient monitoring and control of comfort and

PRELIMINARY STUDY FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OFAN IMAGE ANALYSIS ALGORITHM TO DETECT DAIRY COW PRESENCE AT THE FEED BARRIER

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Simona M.C. Porto

2012-06-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to investigate the applicability of the Viola-Jones algorithm for continuous detection of the feeding behaviour of dairy cows housed in an open free-stall barn. A methodology was proposed in order to train, test and validate the classifier. A lower number of positive and negative images than those used by Viola and Jones were required during the training. The testing produced the following results: hit rate of about 97.85%, missed rate of about 2.15%, and false positive rate of about 0.67%. The validation was carried out by an accuracy assessment procedure which required the time-consuming work of an operator who labelled the true position of the cows within the barn and their behaviours. The accuracy assessment revealed that among the 715 frames about 90.63% contained only true positives, whereas about 9.37% were affected by underestimation, i.e., contained also one or two false negatives. False positives occurred only in 2.93% of the analyzed frames. Though a moderate mismatch between the testing and the validation performances was registered, the results obtained revealed the adequacy of the Viola-Jones algorithm for detecting the feeding behaviour of dairy cows housed in open free-stall barns. This, in turn, opens up opportunities for an automatic analysis of cow behaviour.

[Use of semisynthetic penicillin in the treatment of infectious mastitis in cows during the dry period].

Science.gov (United States)

Vasil', M; Federic, F

1990-03-01

During two years in a herd of dairy cows with an average number of 94 cows the effects on infection level were investigated of single nonselective antibiotics treatment of cow's udder in the dry period. The treatment influenced favourably the results of complex periodic three-months examinations: --level of infection with infectious mastitis was reduced from 38.3% to 9.8%; --occurrence of clinical forms of mastitis dropped from 17.4% to 5.9%;--occurrence of NK-test positive reactions decreased from 55.8% to 21.8%. An investigation into therapeutic efficiency of three intramammary preparations revealed the highest total therapeutic effect of Stapenor retard (Bayer, FRG)--93.2%; Syntarpene 500 (Polfa, Poland) had the total therapeutic efficiency of 92.6% and the efficiency of Oxaclene foam (Spofa, CSSR) made 86.5%. The results demonstrate good efficiency of the method because the levels of mastitis infection in the herd were positively influenced, and excellent therapeutic efficiency of semisynthetic penicillins containing intramammary preparations used for mastitis treatment of dairy cows in the dry period.

21 CFR 866.3235 - Epstein-Barr virus serological reagents.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES IMMUNOLOGY AND MICROBIOLOGY DEVICES Serological Reagents § 866.3235 Epstein-Barr... consist of antigens and antisera used in serological tests to identify antibodies to Epstein-Barr virus in...

Milk production, grazing behavior and nutritional status of dairy cows grazing two herbage allowances during winter

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Miguel Ruiz-Albarran

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Winter grazing provides a useful means for increasing the proportion of grazed herbage in the annual diet of dairy cows. This season is characterized by low herbage growth rate, low herbage allowance, and low herbage intake and hence greater needs for supplements to supply the requirements of lactating dairy cows. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of herbage allowance (HA offered to autumn calving dairy cows grazing winter herbage on milk production, nutritional status, and grazing behavior. The study took 63 d using 32 multiparous Holstein-Friesian dairy cows. Prior to experimental treatment, milk production averaged 20.2 ± 1.7 kg d-1, body weight was 503 ± 19 kg, and days in milking were 103 ± 6. Experimental animals were randomly assigned to two treatments according to HA offered above ground level: low (17 kg DM cow-1 d-1 vs. high HA (25 kg DM cow¹ d¹. All cows were supplemented with grass silage supplying daily 6.25 and 4.6 kg DM of concentrate (concentrate commercial plus high corn moisture. Decreasing HA influenced positively milk production (+25%, milk protein (+20 kg, and milk fat (+17 kg per hectare; however no effects on milk production per cow or energy metabolic status were observed in the cows. In conclusion, a low HA showed to be the most significant influencing factor on milk and milk solids production per hectare in dairy cows grazing restricted winter and supplemented with grass silage and concentrate; but no effect on the milk production per cow was found.

33 CFR 157.158 - COW operations: Changed characteristics.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false COW operations: Changed... CARRYING OIL IN BULK Crude Oil Washing (COW) System on Tank Vessels Cow Operations § 157.158 COW operations: Changed characteristics. The COW system may be operated with characteristics that do not meet those...

Mycobacterium paratuberculosis detection in cow's milk in Argentina by immunomagnetic separation-PCR.

Science.gov (United States)

Gilardoni, Liliana Rosa; Fernández, Bárbara; Morsella, Claudia; Mendez, Laura; Jar, Ana María; Paolicchi, Fernando Alberto; Mundo, Silvia Leonor

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to standardize a diagnosis procedure to detect Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (Map) DNA in raw cow milk samples under field conditions. A procedure that combines both immunomagnetic separation and IS900-PCR detection (IMS-IS1 PCR) was employed on milk samples from 265 lactating Holstein cows from Map infected and uninfected herds in Argentina. IMS-IS1 PCR results were analyzed and compared with those obtained from milk and fecal culture and serum ELISA. The extent of agreement between both tests was determined by the Kappa test. IMS-IS1 PCR showed a detection limit of 10(1) CFU of Map/mL of milk, when 50:50 mix of monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies were used to coat magnetic beads. All of the 118 samples from the Map uninfected herds were negative for the set of the tests. In Map infected herds, 80 out of 147 cows tested positive by milk IMS-IS1 PCR (55%), of which 2 (1.4%) were also positive by milk culture, 15 (10%) by fecal culture, and 20 (14%) by serum ELISA. Kappa statistics (95% CI) showed a slight agreement between the different tests (<0.20), and the proportions of agreement were ≤0.55. The IMS-IS1 PCR method detected Map in milk of the cows that were not positive in other techniques. This is the first report dealing with the application of IMS-IS1 PCR in the detection of Map in raw milk samples under field conditions in Argentina. Copyright © 2016 Sociedade Brasileira de Microbiologia. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

Faecal bacterial composition in dairy cows shedding Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis in faeces in comparison with nonshedding cows.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaevska, Marija; Videnska, Petra; Sedlar, Karel; Bartejsova, Iva; Kralova, Alena; Slana, Iva

2016-06-01

The aim of this study was to determine possible differences in the faecal microbiota of dairy cows infected with Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (Johne's disease) in comparison with noninfected cows from the same herds. Faecal samples from cows in 4 herds were tested for M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis by real-time PCR, and faecal bacterial populations were analysed by 454 pyrosequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. The most notable differences between shedding and nonshedding cows were an increase in the genus Psychrobacter and a decrease in the genera Oscillospira, Ruminococcus, and Bifidobacterium in cows infected with M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis. The present study is the first to report the faecal microbial composition in dairy cows infected with M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis.

Serological diagnosis of Besnoitia bennetti infection in donkeys

Science.gov (United States)

Besnoitiosis is an emerging infectious disease of donkeys in the United States for which there are currently no serologic methods of diagnosis. A study was performed to evaluate physical examination findings and three serologic assays for the detection of B. bennetti infection in donkeys. A prospect...

Serology for human papillomavirus Serología para el virus del papiloma humano

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pierre Coursaget

2003-01-01

Full Text Available Difficulties with serology for papillomavirus are associated with the large number of human papillomavirus, cross-reactions between papillomavirus, and to the diversity of lesions and target sites for infection. In addition, the expression of the papillomavirus in the superficial layers of the epithelium gives rise to the weak presentation to immunocompetent cells of viral antigens, which in turn gives rise to a weak serological response. Distinct efforts have been made in previous decades to develop more specific and sensitive serological assays. These former studies use fusion proteins and synthetic peptides, although they remain on the whole uninteresting, due to their lack of sensitivity and specificity. Only in the last few years, and principally due to the advent of various virus-like particles (VLP, have more sensitive and specific assays become available.Las limitaciones para la utilización de la serología para el estudio del virus del papiloma humano con fines clínicos están asociadas con la gran variedad de subtipos humanos, con las reacciones cruzadas que existen entre diversos genotipos, la diversidad de lesiones precursoras de cáncer y con los sitios blancos de infección. Asimismo, la expresión del virus del papiloma humano en las capas superficiales del epitelio dan origen a una débil presentación de células inmunocompetentes de antígenos virales, lo cual origina una elevación de la respuesta serológica. Distintos esfuerzos se han realizado en décadas previas para desarrollar ensayos serológicos más específicos y sensibles. En muchas investigaciones se ha utilizado una fusión de proteínas y péptidos sintéticos que tienen como principal limitación su escasa sensibilidad y especificidad. Sólo en los últimos años, y principalmente debido al arribo de partículas parecidas a este virus, tenemos disponibles ensayos más sensibles y específicos, ampliamente descritos en este artículo.

Anatomical characteristics of teats and premilking bacterial counts of teat skin swabs of primiparous cows exposed to different types of bedding.

Science.gov (United States)

Guarín, J F; Baumberger, C; Ruegg, P L

2017-02-01

Bacterial populations of teat skin are associated with risk of intramammary infection and may be influenced by anatomical characteristics of teats. The objective of this study was to evaluate associations of selected anatomical characteristics of teats with bacterial counts of teat skin of cows exposed to different types of bedding. Primarily primiparous Holstein cows (n = 128) were randomly allocated to 4 pens within a single barn. Each pen contained 1 type of bedding [new sand (NES), recycled sand (RS), deep-bedded manure solids (DBMS), and shallow-bedded manure solids over foam core mattresses (SBMS)]. During a single farm visit udders (n = 112) were scored for hygiene and 1 front (n = 112) and 1 rear teat (n = 111) of each enrolled cow were scored for hyperkeratosis (HK). Teat length, teat barrel diameter, and teat apex diameter were measured and teat skin swabs were systematically collected for microbiological analysis. Linear type evaluation data for udders of each cow were retrieved for each cow. Teat position (front or rear) was associated with occurrence of clinical mastitis during the 12 mo before the farm visit and more cases occurred in front quarters. The proportion of udders that were classified as clean (score 1 or 2) was 68, 82, 54, and 95% for cows housed in pens containing NES, RS, SBMS, and DBMS, respectively. No association was found between HK score and teat position and no association was found between HK score and teat skin bacterial count. Bacterial counts of teat skin swabs from front teats of cows in pens containing RS and SBMS were significantly less than those of rear teats of cows in pens containing DBMS or NES. Teat skin bacterial counts were significantly greater for swabs obtained from teats of cows with udder hygiene scores of 3 and 4 as compared with swabs obtained from cows with cleaner udders. Of all udder conformation traits evaluated, only narrower rear teat placement was positively associated with bacterial counts on teat skin

Relationship between antimicrobial susceptibility of clinical mastitis pathogens and treatment outcome in cows.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoe, Fernanda G H; Ruegg, Pamela L

2005-11-01

To determine whether there was any association between results of in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility testing of pathogens isolated from cows with mild or moderate clinical mastitis and outcome of treatment. Observational study. 133 cows with mild or moderate mastitis in a single quarter. Cows were treated by means of intramammary infusion of pirlimycin (50 mg) in the affected quarter once daily for 2 days; additional intramammary treatments with the same product were administered if the milk continued to appear abnormal. Duration of treatment and days until clinical cure were recorded. Bacterial isolates were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility by means of a broth micro-dilution technique. Environmental streptococci, coliforms, and coagulase-negative Staphylococcus spp were the most commonly isolated pathogens. Duration of treatment and days until clinical cure were not significantly different for cows from which pathogens that were susceptible or resistant to pirlimycin were isolated. Bacteriologic cure rates 14 and 21 days after treatment were not significantly different for cows with mastitis caused by susceptible or resistant bacteria. Similar results were found when data only from cows with mastitis caused by gram-positive isolates were analyzed. In the present study, differences in clinical outcome for cows with mild or moderate mastitis that could be attributed to differences in results of in vitro susceptibility testing were not identified. The use of in vitro susceptibility testing to guide intramammary mastitis treatment cannot be recommended on the basis of results of this study.

Bovine besnoitiosis in Switzerland: imported cases and local transmission.

Science.gov (United States)

Basso, Walter; Lesser, Maren; Grimm, Felix; Hilbe, Monika; Sydler, Titus; Trösch, Luzia; Ochs, Hansueli; Braun, Ueli; Deplazes, Peter

2013-12-06

Bovine besnoitiosis is an economically important disease of cattle, caused by Besnoitia besnoiti (Protozoa, Apicomplexa). A considerable spreading of this parasitic infection has been observed in Europe in the last ten years, mainly related to animal trade. In order to investigate the possibility of B. besnoiti being unnoticed introduced and getting established in Switzerland through the import of breeding cattle from France, a total of 767 animals (650 cattle imported from France and 117 cattle that had contact with B. besnoiti positive cattle in Swiss farms) were screened for antibodies against B. besnoiti by both a commercial ELISA and by the indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT). A total of 101 (13.17%) samples showed a positive reaction in ELISA (cut-off: percent of positivity [PP] ≥ 15) and 16 (2.09%) samples had IFAT titers ≥ 1:100. Eight of those samples reacted positive in Western blot (WB), corresponding to five imported Limousin cattle (two cows and one bull from France and two cows from Germany) and to three cattle born in Switzerland (one Limousin heifer born from one of the positive German cows, and two adult Braunvieh cows, that had been in contact with one of the French cows at a Swiss farm). Seven of those animals were subclinically infected and one animal showed only very mild signs. They were subsequently slaughtered, and the serological diagnosis could be confirmed by real-time PCR and/or histopathology in seven animals. The most frequent parasite localizations were the tendons and surrounding connective tissue of the distal limbs and the skin of the head region. Furthermore, B. besnoiti could be successfully isolated in vitro from one French, one German and one Swiss cattle (isolates Bb-IPZ-1-CH, Bb-IPZ-2-CH and Bb-IPZ-3-CH). In the current situation in Switzerland, prophylactic and control measures should include a serological examination of cattle to be imported from endemic areas and the culling of all confirmed positive animals from

Does the diurnal pattern of enteric methane emissions from dairy cows change over time?

Science.gov (United States)

Bell, M J; Craigon, J; Saunders, N; Goodman, J R; Garnsworthy, P C

2018-02-22

Diet manipulation and genetic selection are two important mitigation strategies for reducing enteric methane (CH4) emissions from ruminant livestock. The aim of this study was to assess whether the diurnal pattern of CH4 emissions from individual dairy cows changes over time when cows are fed on diets varying in forage composition. Emissions of CH4 from 36 cows were measured during milking in an automatic (robotic) milking station in three consecutive feeding periods, for a total of 84 days. In Periods 1 and 2, the 36 cows were fed a high-forage partial mixed ration (PMR) containing 75% forage, with either a high grass silage or high maize silage content. In Period 3, cows were fed a commercial PMR containing 69% forage. Cows were offered PMR ad libitum plus concentrates during milking and CH4 emitted by individual cows was sampled during 8662 milkings. A linear mixed model was used to assess differences among cows, feeding periods and time of day. Considerable variation was observed among cows in daily mean and diurnal patterns of CH4 emissions. On average, cows produced less CH4 when fed on the commercial PMR in feeding Period 3 than when the same cows were fed on high-forage diets in feeding Periods 1 and 2. The average diurnal pattern for CH4 emissions did not significantly change between feeding periods and as lactation progressed. Emissions of CH4 were positively associated with dry matter (DM) intake and forage DM intake. It is concluded that if the management of feed allocation remains constant then the diurnal pattern of CH4 emissions from dairy cows will not necessarily alter over time. A change in diet composition may bring about an increase or decrease in absolute emissions over a 24-h period without significantly changing the diurnal pattern unless management of feed allocation changes. These findings are important for CH4 monitoring techniques that involve taking measurements over short periods within a day rather than complete 24-h observations.

The use of Na+ and K+ ion concentrations as potential diagnostic indicators of subclinical mastitis in dairy cows

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abdul Wahid Haron

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Aim: This study was conducted to evaluate the concentrations of sodium (Na+ and potassium (K+ ions in milk of lactating dairy cows with and without subclinical mastitis as putative indicators for detecting subclinical mastitis in dairy cows. Materials and Methods: Thirty seven lactating dairy cows were screened for the evidence of subclinical mastitis using California mastitis test (CMT. The lactating dairy cows were categorized as CMT-Positive (CMT-P; n=20 and CMT-Negative (CMT-N; n=17 based on whether they were positive or negative for CMT using a standard kit. The CMT-P lactating dairy cows were further sub divided into subclinical 1+ (S1+; n=6, subclinical 2+ (S2+; n=9, and subclinical 3+(S3+; n=5. Direct microscopy somatic cell count (SCC was used to determine the SCC using Wright’s stain. The samples were filtered and diluted at 1:100 dilutions before being measured for the concentrations of Na+ and K+ using atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Results: There was a significant increase (p<0.05 in SCCs and Na+ concentration in the milk of CMT-P dairy cows, with a mean Log10 SCC score of 5.35±0.06 cells/ml and mean Na+ concentration of 232±19.1 mg/dL. However, there was a significant reduction (p<0.05 in the concentration of K+ (123±7.6 mg/dL in the milk samples of the CMT-P cows. There were significant differences (p<0.05 in SCC, Na+ and K+ concentrations between milk samples from the CMT-N dairy cows and CMT-P subgroups; S1+, S2+, and S3+ respectively. Potassium (K+ concentration had a significant strong negative correlation with sodium (Na+ concentration (r=−0.688; p<0.01 and weak positive correlation with SCC (r=−0.436; p<0.01. The sensitivity of using Na+ and K+ concentrations as detection indices for sub-clinical mastitis is 40% and 90%, respectively, while the specificity of each was 100%. Conclusion: This study thus shows that evaluation of Na+ and K+ concentrations from milk samples of dairy cows with sub clinical mastitis

Serologic response of SPF chickens to live vaccines and other strains of Mycoplasma gallisepticum

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

ER do Nascimento

2006-03-01

Full Text Available False positive serologic reactions and difficulties in the diagnosis of Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG in chickens have increased lately as a result of infection by low virulent MG strains and the use of live MG vaccines in poultry. The objective of this study was to evaluate the serologic responses of SPF chickens exposed to the three commercially available live MG vaccines, and one low virulent MG strain (MG-70, contributing to the diagnosis and monitoring of MG infection in birds. Six groups of SPF chickens were used. The control group was not infected nor challenged; one group was infected with the low virulent strain MG-70 (MG-70; three groups were immunized and named after the MG vaccine used, i.e., MG-6/85, MG-ts11, and MG-F; and finally one group was infected with the virulent MG standard strain, MGR. Random Amplification of Polymorphic DNA (RAPDPCR was used to compare the strains to each other, to the standard MG-A5969, and to MGR. All strains were found to be genetically distinguishable from each other. Birds in the control group showed negative results throughout the experiment and showed no cross-reaction with M. synoviae in any serologic test. ELISA tests at 21 days post first exposure (P1E and seven days after the second exposure (P2E, evidenced that 25% of the MG70 birds were positive, whereas vaccine groups yielded higher positivity rate, i.e., 57%, 43% and 29% for MG-6/85, MG-ts11 and MG-F, respectively. Serum plate agglutination (SPA evidenced the first positive results at 35 days P1E on birds in the MG-F group at the rate of 100%; followed by 40% of birds in the MG-70 group at 63 days P1E. Chickens in MG-ts11 and MG 6/85 groups had identical behavior and yielded 100% positive SPA at 77 days P1E. In regard to hemagglutination inhibition (HI, 14 % of the birds in MG-F and MG-ts11 reacted at 42 days P1E, while MG-70 and MG-6/85 groups yielded positive results only after challenge; MG-70 birds reacted at 56 days P1E at the rate of

Serological survey of Rhodococcus equi infection in horses in Hokkaido.

Science.gov (United States)

Sanada, Y; Noda, H; Nagahata, H

1992-08-01

Serological survey of Rhodococcus equi infection in horses in Hokkaido was performed using ELISA. Of 2,879 horse sera, 318 (11.0%) gave antibody-positive (OD greater than or equal to 0.3) reactions. The antibody-positive rate of female was significantly higher (p less than 0.01) than that of male, and no statistical difference between Anglo-Arab and thoroughbred was detected in the antibody-positive rate. The maximum antibody-positive rate (27.1%) was shown at 14 years of age. The antibody-positive rates on the 160 farms were found to vary widely from 0 to 78.9%. A significant difference (p less than 0.01) in the antibody-positive rate was detected among horse farms. It was elucidated that 100 (62.5%) out of 160 horse farms had an antibody-positive horse. These results indicate that R. equi was widespread on horse farms, and the level of environmental contamination with R. equi differed among horse farms.

Prevalence of mastitis in dairy cows from smallholder farms in Zimbabwe.

Science.gov (United States)

Katsande, Simbarashe; Matope, Gift; Ndengu, Masimba; Pfukenyi, Davies M

2013-03-28

A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the prevalence of sub-clinical and clinical mastitis and the associated factors in cows from selected smallholder dairy farms in Zimbabwe. Physical examinations were conducted on all lactating cows for evidence of signs of clinical mastitis. Composite milk samples were collected from all lactating cows for bacterial culture and somatic cell counting. Cows were categorised as clinical if they exhibited clinical features of mastitis, or sub-clinical if no apparent signs were present but they had a positive bacterial isolation and a somatic cell count of at least 300 x 103 cells/mL. Farm-level factors were obtained through a structured questionnaire. The association of mastitis and animal- and herd-level factors were analysed using logistic regression. A total of 584 animals from 73 farms were tested. Overall, 21.1%(123/584) had mastitis, 16.3%(95/584) had sub-clinical mastitis and 4.8% (28/584) had clinical mastitis. Herd-level prevalence was 49.3%. Coagulase-negative staphylococci (27.6%),  Escherichia coli (25.2%),  Staphylococcus aureus(16.3%), Klebsiella spp. (15.5%) and Streptococcus spp. (1.6%) were the most common isolates. In individual cows, pure dairy herds (OR = 6.3) and dairy crosses (OR = 3.1) were more likely to have mastitis compared to Mashona cows. Farms that used pre-milking teat dipping were associated with reduced mastitis prevalence. Further research is needed on the prevalence of mastitis and a comparison of data for both smallholder and commercial dairy farms in all regions of Zimbabwe should be undertaken.

Thin and fat cows, and the nonlinear genetic relationship between body condition score and fertility.

Science.gov (United States)

Tiezzi, F; Maltecca, C; Cecchinato, A; Penasa, M; Bittante, G

2013-10-01

Thin and fat cows are often credited for low fertility, but body condition score (BCS) has been traditionally treated as a linear trait when genetic correlations with reproductive performance have been estimated. The aims of this study were to assess genetic parameters for fertility, production, and body condition traits in the Brown Swiss population reared in the Alps (Bolzano-Bozen Province, Italy), and to investigate the possible nonlinearity among BCS and other traits by analyzing fat and thin cows. Records of BCS measured on a 5-point scale were preadjusted for year-season and days in milk at scoring, and were considered positive (1) for fat cows if they exceeded the value of 1 residual standard deviation or null (0) otherwise, whereas positive values for thin cows were imputed to records below -1 residual standard deviation. Fertility indicators measured on first- and second-parity cows were interval from parturition to first service, interval from first service to conception, interval from parturition to conception, number of inseminations to conception, conception at first service, and nonreturn rate at 56 d after first service. Production traits were peak milk yield, lactation milk yield, and lactation length. Data were from 1,413 herds and included 16,324 records of BCS, fertility, and production for first-parity, and 10,086 fertility records for second-parity cows. Animals calved from 2002 to 2007 and were progeny of 420 artificial insemination bulls. Genetic parameters for the aforementioned traits were obtained under univariate and bivariate threshold and censored linear sire models implemented in a Bayesian framework. Posterior means of heritabilities for BCS, fat cows, and thin cows were 0.141, 0.122, and 0.115, respectively. Genetic correlations of body condition traits with contemporary production were moderate to high and were between -0.556 and 0.623. Body condition score was moderately related to fertility in first (-0.280 to 0.497) and second

Dairy cows welfare quality in tie-stall housing system with or without access to exercise

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Background Tie-stall housing of dairy cows is used extensively worldwide, despite of the welfare concerns regarding the restriction of voluntary movement and limitation of expression of the cows’ natural behaviour. The aim of this study was to compare the welfare quality of dairy cows kept in two types of tie-stall housing systems: with regular outdoor exercise and without access to exercise. In addition, the study investigated the relationship between different welfare measures of dairy cows kept in tie-stalls. Methods 3,192 lactating cows were assessed using the Welfare Quality® assessment protocol for cattle in 80 commercial dairy farms, half of the farms providing outdoor access for the animals to exercise. The descriptive statistical indicators were determined for the assessed measures and for the welfare criteria and principle scores. The data obtained in the two housing types were compared and the correlation coefficients were calculated between the different welfare measures. Results The significant differences found between the two housing systems for the majority of the animal based measures indicate the positive effect of exercise on the welfare of tethered cows. Many of the animal welfare parameters correlated with each other. For the farms allowing the cows’ turnout in a paddock, pasture or both, the mean scores for the welfare criteria and principles were higher than for the farms with permanent tethering of the cows, except the criteria absence of prolonged hunger and expression of social behaviours. The lowest scores were obtained for the criterion positive emotional state, in both housing systems. With regard to the overall classification, none of the farms were considered excellent. In the not classified category were only farms with all-year-round tethering of the animals and in the enhanced category only farms where the cows had outdoor access. Conclusions The welfare quality of the investigated dairy cows was significantly better in the

Casein infusion rate influences feed intake differently depending on metabolizable protein balance in dairy cows: A multilevel meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Martineau, R; Ouellet, D R; Kebreab, E; Lapierre, H

2016-04-01

The effects of casein infusion have been investigated extensively in ruminant species. Its effect on responses in dry matter intake (DMI) has been reviewed and indicated no significant effect. The literature reviewed in the current meta-analysis is more extensive and limited to dairy cows fed ad libitum. A total of 51 studies were included in the meta-analysis and data were fitted to a multilevel model adjusting for the correlated nature of some studies. The effect size was the mean difference calculated by subtracting the means for the control from the casein-infused group. Overall, casein infusion [average of 333 g of dry matter (DM)/d; range: 91 to 1,092 g of DM/d] tended to increase responses in DMI by 0.18 kg/d (n=48 studies; 3 outliers). However, an interaction was observed between the casein infusion rate (IR) and the initial metabolizable protein (MP) balance [i.e., supply minus requirements (NRC, 2001)]. When control cows were in negative MP balance (n=27 studies), responses in DMI averaged 0.28 kg/d at mean MP balance (-264 g/d) and casein IR (336 g/d), and a 100g/d increment in the casein IR from its mean increased further responses by 0.14 kg/d (MP balance being constant), compared with cows not infused with casein. In contrast, when control cows were in positive MP balance (n=22 studies; 2 outliers), responses in DMI averaged -0.20 kg/d at mean casein IR (339 g/d), and a 100g/d increment in the casein IR from its mean further decreased responses by 0.33 kg/d, compared with cows not infused with casein. Responses in milk true protein yield at mean casein IR were greater (109 vs. 65 g/d) for cows in negative vs. positive MP balance, respectively, and the influence of the casein IR on responses was significant only for cows in negative MP balance. A 100g/d increment in the casein IR from its mean increased further responses in milk true protein yield by 25 g/d, compared with cows not infused with casein. Responses in blood urea concentration increased in

Influence of subclinical endometritis on the reproductive performance of dairy cows

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barrio, M.; Vigo, M.; Quintela, L.A.; Becerra, J.J.; García-Herradón, P.J.; Martínez-Bello, D.; Fernandez-Sanchez, F.I.; Prieto, A.; Cainzos, J.; Peña, A.I.

2015-07-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of subclinical endometritis (SE) on the reproductive performance of dairy cows. Ninety-four dairy cows of parity 1 to 8, distributed in 25 herds, were examined once between 30 and 45 days in milk using transrectal palpation, vaginoscopy and ultrasonography. A cytological sample of the endometrium was taken only from cows with an apparent healthy uterus (n=65). Serum glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, non-esterified fatty acids, β-hydroxybutyrate, total proteins, albumin, urea and hepatic enzymes were analyzed. Reproductive indexes were recorded during the next 11 months. Endometrial cytology was considered indicative of SE if percentage of polymorphonuclear neutrophils was superior to 5% of all cells present in the smear, except erythrocytes. Results indicated that 14.9% of the cows sampled for uterine cytology had SE, and that healthy cows become pregnant significantly before than those with SE (hazard ratio=2.35; 95% confidece interval: 1.05-5.3). From all the metabolic and productive variables analyzed, only triglycerides affected negatively to reproduction; serum albumin concentration, body condition score and milk production had positive effects on the reproductive performance. In conclusion, our results indicate that SE has a negative impact on reproductive performance and uterine cytology is necessary to diagnose it since almost 15% of the affected animals were not detected by other diagnosis methods. (Author)

VIRAL TESTING USING BIOLOGICAL AND SEROLOGICAL ASSAY FOR MOST IMPORTANT VIRUSES TO PLUM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Catita Plopa

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Establishing an accurate diagnosis in terms of viral for propagation of fruit tree is very important, it represents the most effective method of protection against viruses. Based on these considerations the primary objective of this study is to detect viruses with the highest incidence in plum by biological and ELISA serological methods, to a number of 85 samples taken from 17 varieties. Serologic testing on DAS-ELISA diagnosed 3 positive samples to Plum pox virus (PPV, 2 positives sample to Prunus necrotic ring spot virus (PNRSV and one positive sample to Prune dwarf virus (PDV. There were not positive samples to Apple chlorotic leaf spot virus (ACLSV. The tests conducted on woody indicator plants by grafting on protect conditions and after 3-24 months assured of diagnosis for PPV, PDV, PNRSV and ACLSV viruses. The biological indicators: ‘GF 305’, ‘Tuleu dulce’ and ‘Vânăt de Italia’, have shown symptoms for PNRSV for two samples.On biological indicator ‘Vânăt de Italia’ and ‘Tuleu dulce’ not appeared symptoms for ‘Centenar’variety tested for PPV, although the symptoms were obvious on ‘GF 305’ indicator, but viral infection was confirmed by ELISA test. Symptoms that indicate the presence of PDV occurred by ‘Vânăt de Italia’ biological indicator.

Studies on the sulfur metabolism of cows on protein-free and low-protein feed

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eino Matikkala

1977-09-01

Full Text Available The influence of purified, protein-free feed with urea and ammonium salts as nitrogen sources (0-feed and of non-purified, urea-rich, low-protein feeds (ULP-feed on the sulfur metabolism of cows has been studied by determining the contents of sulfur fractions in faeces, urine, milk, blood and rumen fluid. The sulfur of 0-feed was composed entirely of inorganic sulfate. During balance trials the N:S ratio in the feed varied from 6.1 to 9.5, and the sulfur content from 0.22 to 0.31 % of the dry matter. In every trial (seven with 0-feed and two with ULP-feed, of five or seven days duration, the cows were in high-positive sulfur balance. The 0-cows excreted a greater proportion of their total sulfur output via urine than the ULP-cows. The excretion of inorganic sulfate sulfur, as a proportion of the urinary and faecal sulfur, was greater for 0-cows than for ULP- or NorP-cows (cows on normal, protein-rich feed; the opposite was the case with regard to the excretion of ester sulfate sulfur and neutral sulfur. The sulfur contents of milk and blood showed only minor inter-feed differences. The sulfate content in the rumen fluid of the 0-cow rose rapidly after the commencement of feeding and then fell quite rapidly. We conclude tentatively that in the rumen of the 0-cow hydrogen sulfide is generated so quickly that the whole of it cannot be used for the synthesis of sulfur-containing compounds, a considerable proportion of it being lost in eructations or excreted as inorganic sulfates in the urine.

Microstructural changes of cows’ uterus in an infection caused by Haemophilus somnus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Danka Šťastná

2015-09-01

Full Text Available The reproductive form of Haemophilic infection caused by a microorganism Histophilus somni (Haemophilus somnus is in our conditions practically unknown and undiscovered disease of cow reproductive organs. The aim of this work was based on experimental work to provide a comprehensive view on the patho-histological and submicroscopic changes in the uterus of 60 cows, serological positive, crossbreeds Slovenske strakate x Holstein, aged 3.5 . 4.5 years, serological positive, which were up to 90 days after the parturition sterile. After the hormonal control of the oestrus cycle (PGF2ƒż-Oestrophan SPOFA the cows were inseminated and the non-gravid cows later killed. The reproductive organs of killed animals were pathologically . anatomically dissected with following histological and sub-microscopic study of uterus and cervix tissue. At the beginning of the experiment no clinical changes of the reproductive organs of group 1 animals with the titer of antibodies 1:25-100 were diagnosed and in group 3 with the titer 1:25. At an examination before killing were examined endometritis (EM of grade II. and vaginitis with vestibulitis in these groups. At the rest of animals appeared in every level of the titer of antibodies of EM II. and EM III. EM I. were not clinically diagnosed. Dissecting examination determined EM catarrhalis and cervicis catarrhalis in all groups. The histological examination pointed to EM catarrhalis chronica, EM interstitialis chronica, EM fibrousis and cervicis catarrhalis chronica. The leucocytes gained from a uterus lavage were in a comparison with stroma leucocytes mostly polynuclear (neutrophils and in smaller amount small forms of lymfocytes. At long-term sterility of cows, because of possible H. somnus infection, we regard as priority the serodiagnostics at which is taken into consideration any level of the titer of antibodies.

Lateralized behaviour as indicator of affective state in dairy cows.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sarah Kappel

Full Text Available In humans, there is evidence that sensory processing of novel or threatening stimuli is right hemisphere dominated, especially in people experiencing negative affective states. There is also evidence for similar lateralization in a number of non-human animal species. Here we investigate whether this is also the case in domestic cattle that may experience long-term negative states due to commonly occurring conditions such as lameness. Health and welfare implications associated with pain in lame cows are a major concern in dairy farming. Behavioural tests combining animal behaviour and cognition could make a meaningful contribution to our understanding of disease-related changes in sensory processing in animals, and consequently enhance their welfare. We presented 216 lactating Holstein-Friesian cows with three different unfamiliar objects which were placed either bilaterally (e.g. two yellow party balloons, two black/white checkerboards or hung centrally (a Kong™ within a familiar area. Cows were individually exposed to the objects on three consecutive days, and their viewing preference/eye use, exploration behaviour/nostril use, and stop position during approach was assessed. Mobility (lameness was repeatedly scored during the testing period. Overall, a bias to view the right rather than the left object was found at initial presentation of the bilateral objects. More cows also explored the right object rather than the left object with their nose. There was a trend for cows appearing hesitant in approaching the objects by stopping at a distance to them, to then explore the left object rather than the right. In contrast, cows that approached the objects directly had a greater tendency to contact the right object. No significant preference in right or left eye/nostril use was found when cows explored the centrally-located object. We found no relationship between lameness and lateralized behaviour. Nevertheless, observed trends suggesting that

Lateralized behaviour as indicator of affective state in dairy cows.

Science.gov (United States)

Kappel, Sarah; Mendl, Michael T; Barrett, David C; Murrell, Joanna C; Whay, Helen R

2017-01-01

In humans, there is evidence that sensory processing of novel or threatening stimuli is right hemisphere dominated, especially in people experiencing negative affective states. There is also evidence for similar lateralization in a number of non-human animal species. Here we investigate whether this is also the case in domestic cattle that may experience long-term negative states due to commonly occurring conditions such as lameness. Health and welfare implications associated with pain in lame cows are a major concern in dairy farming. Behavioural tests combining animal behaviour and cognition could make a meaningful contribution to our understanding of disease-related changes in sensory processing in animals, and consequently enhance their welfare. We presented 216 lactating Holstein-Friesian cows with three different unfamiliar objects which were placed either bilaterally (e.g. two yellow party balloons, two black/white checkerboards) or hung centrally (a Kong™) within a familiar area. Cows were individually exposed to the objects on three consecutive days, and their viewing preference/eye use, exploration behaviour/nostril use, and stop position during approach was assessed. Mobility (lameness) was repeatedly scored during the testing period. Overall, a bias to view the right rather than the left object was found at initial presentation of the bilateral objects. More cows also explored the right object rather than the left object with their nose. There was a trend for cows appearing hesitant in approaching the objects by stopping at a distance to them, to then explore the left object rather than the right. In contrast, cows that approached the objects directly had a greater tendency to contact the right object. No significant preference in right or left eye/nostril use was found when cows explored the centrally-located object. We found no relationship between lameness and lateralized behaviour. Nevertheless, observed trends suggesting that lateralized

Uterine disease and its effect on subsequent reproductive performance of dairy cattle: a comparison of two cow-side diagnostic methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Šavc, Miha; Duane, Mary; O'Grady, Luke E; Somers, Joris R; Beltman, Marijke E

2016-11-01

The aim of this study was to compare vaginal mucus scoring and ultrasonographic assessment of uterine content as predictors of future reproductive performance of dairy cows. Holstein-Friesian cows (n = 493) from seven commercial dairy farms were enrolled in this study. All cows received one prebreeding examination (PBE) between 21 and 38 days after parturition. During the PBE, vaginal mucus was scored (MS) and the transrectal ultrasonographic examination of the uterus to assess content (UTS) took place. The MS was scored on a scale of 0 to 3 using a Metricheck device and appearance of the uterus on transrectal ultrasound was scored on a scale of 0 to 4 based on the presence and consistency of intraluminal fluid. Other data collected from each cow included the farm ID (F_ID), conception rate to first service, length of breeding window, lactation number, calving month, body condition score (BCS) at calving, BCS loss after calving, BCS at PBE, days in milk at PBE, 305 day milk yield, economic breeding index (EBI), EBI fertility subindex and EBI health subindex. For each cow these parameters were analyzed using univariate Cox proportional hazard model to evaluate the effect of variables on the reproductive performance, measured as positive pregnancy status (PS) at the end of the breeding season. Receiver-operating characteristic analysis of the diagnostic tests compared with each other took place as well. Cows with positive UTS were 7.75 times more likely to have a positive MS as well (P milk at PBE in relation to the subsequent PS (P = 0.04). Cows in lactation number 5 or more were less likely (r = 0.69) to get in calf before the end of the breeding season than cows in their first lactation. Cows that calved later in the season were less likely to become pregnant before the end of the breeding season (P mucus evaluation with the Metricheck device and an ultrasound scan of the uterus serve as a good predictor of the subsequent PS. There is overlap between the

[Identification and drug susceptibility testing of Mycobacterium thermoresistibile and Mycobacterium elephantis isolated from a cow with mastitis].

Science.gov (United States)

Li, W B; Ji, L Y; Xu, D L; Liu, H C; Zhao, X Q; Wu, Y M; Wan, K L

2018-05-10

Objective: To understand the etiological characteristics and drug susceptibility of Mycobacterium thermoresistibile and Mycobacterium elephantis isolated from a cow with mastitis and provide evidence for the prevention and control of infectious mastitis in cows. Methods: The milk sample was collected from a cow with mastitis, which was pretreated with 4 % NaOH and inoculated with L-J medium for Mycobacterium isolation. The positive cultures were initially identified by acid-fast staining and multi-loci PCR, then Mycobacterium species was identified by the multiple loci sequence analysis (MLSA) with 16S rRNA , hsp65 , ITS and SodA genes. The drug sensitivity of the isolates to 27 antibiotics was tested by alamar blue assay. Results: Two anti-acid stain positive strains were isolated from the milk of a cow with mastitis, which were identified as non- tuberculosis mycobacterium by multi-loci PCR, and multi-loci nucleic acid sequence analysis indicated that one strain was Mycobacterium thermoresistibile and another one was Mycobacterium elephantis . The results of the drug susceptibility test showed that the two strains were resistant to most antibiotics, including rifampicin and isoniazid, but they were sensitive to amikacin, moxifloxacin, levofloxacin, ethambutol, streptomycin, tobramycin, ciprofloxacin and linezolid. Conclusions: Mycobacterium thermoresistibile and Mycobacterium elephantis were isolated in a cow with mastitis and the drug susceptibility spectrum of the pathogens were unique. The results of the study can be used as reference for the prevention and control the infection in cows.

Development and performance of prototype serologic and molecular tests for hepatitis delta infection.

Science.gov (United States)

Coller, Kelly E; Butler, Emily K; Luk, Ka-Cheung; Rodgers, Mary A; Cassidy, Michael; Gersch, Jeffrey; McNamara, Anne L; Kuhns, Mary C; Dawson, George J; Kaptue, Lazare; Bremer, Birgit; Wedemeyer, Heiner; Cloherty, Gavin A

2018-02-01

Worldwide, an estimated 5% of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infected people are coinfected with hepatitis delta virus (HDV). HDV infection leads to increased mortality over HBV mono-infection, yet HDV diagnostics are not widely available. Prototype molecular (RNA) and serologic (IgG) assays were developed for high-throughput testing on the Abbott m2000 and ARCHITECT systems, respectively. RNA detection was achieved through amplification of a ribozyme region target, with a limit of detection of 5 IU/ml. The prototype serology assay (IgG) was developed using peptides derived from HDV large antigen (HDAg), and linear epitopes were further identified by peptide scan. Specificity of an HBV negative population was 100% for both assays. A panel of 145 HBsAg positive samples from Cameroon with unknown HDV status was tested using both assays: 16 (11.0%) had detectable HDV RNA, and 23 (15.7%) were sero-positive including the 16 HDV RNA positive samples. Additionally, an archival serial bleed panel from an HDV superinfected chimpanzee was tested with both prototypes; data was consistent with historic testing data using a commercial total anti-Delta test. Overall, the two prototype assays provide sensitive and specific methods for HDV detection using high throughput automated platforms, allowing opportunity for improved diagnosis of HDV infected patients.

Nutrient Restriction Increases Circulating and Hepatic Ceramide in Dairy Cows Displaying Impaired Insulin Tolerance.

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, Amanda N; Clegg, J L; Perry, C A; McFadden, J W

2017-09-01

The progression of insulin resistance in dairy cows represents a maternal adaptation to support milk production during heightened energy demand; however, excessive adipose tissue lipolysis can develop. In diabetic non-ruminants, the mechanisms that mediate insulin resistance involve the sphingolipid ceramide. We tested the hypothesis that ceramide accumulates in dairy cows experiencing lipolysis and insulin resistance. Nine dairy cows were utilized in a replicated 3 × 3 Latin square design. Cows were ad libitum fed, nutrient-restricted (NR), or NR with nicotinic acid (NA; 5 mg of NA/h per kg BW; delivered i.v.) for 34 h. When provided access, cows were ad libitum fed a mixed ration of grass hay and ground corn to meet requirements. Intake for NR cows was limited to vitamins and minerals. Nicotinic acid was administered to suppress lipolysis. Saline was infused in cows not provided NA. At 32 and 33 h of treatment, a liver biopsy and insulin tolerance test were performed, respectively. Samples were analyzed using colorimetry, immunoassay, and mass spectrometry. Nutrient restriction increased serum fatty acids and ceramide levels, and impaired insulin sensitivity; however, NA infusion was unable to prevent these responses. We also show that NR increases hepatic ceramide accumulation, a response that was positively associated with serum ceramide supply. Our data demonstrate that circulating and hepatic 24:0-Cer are inversely associated with systemic insulin tolerance, an effect not observed for the 16:0 moiety. In conclusion, our results suggest that ceramide accrual represents a metabolic adaptation to nutrient restriction and impaired insulin action in dairy cows.

Effect of mature body weight and stocking rate on cow and calf performance, cow herd efficiency, and economics in the southeastern United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Beck, P A; Stewart, C B; Gadberry, M S; Haque, M; Biermacher, J

2016-04-01

Eight 4-ha mixed warm-season grass pastures in southwestern Arkansas (33°40'4″ N, 93°35'24″ W, and elevation 107 m) were stocked with either large mature size (571 kg [SD 55.2] BW) or small mature size (463 kg [SD 58.2] BW) spring-calving cows at 4 stocking rates (SR; 1, 1.5, 2, or 2.5 cow-calf pairs/ha) over 4 yr to test the effects of SR and mature body size on cow and calf performance and system economics. Each pasture received 112 kg/ha N as ammonium nitrate in May and was broadcast seeded to annual ryegrass ( Lam.) in mid October each fall along with 112 kg/ha N as ammonium nitrate. Data were analyzed by regression to determine the effects of cow size and SR on calf performance, cow BW change, calf gain, weaning weight per hectare, hay feeding requirements, and net returns. As SR increased, cow BW and BCS at weaning decreased ( cow stocked per hectare ( = 0.44). Calf BW at weaning in October increased ( cow BW but was not affected ( = 0.66) by SR. As cow BW increased, calf BW at weaning per 100 kg cow BW decreased ( cow BW but was not affected ( = 0.44) by SR. Neither cow BW nor SR affected ( ≥ 0.53) pregnancy percentage, which averaged 88% over the 4-yr experiment. Calf BW weaned per hectare was not affected ( = 0.75) by cow BW but linearly increased ( cow per hectare SR. Hay feeding days and cost of hay per cow increased ( ≤ 0.05) and kilograms of hay offered per cow tended ( = 0.09) to linearly increase with increasing SR, yet cow BW had no effects ( > 0.22). Although there were no effects ( ≥ 0.38) of cow BW on carrying cost or net returns, increasing SR decreased ( cow and increased net returns by $70/cow and $438/ha for each cow per hectare increase in SR. These data indicate that increasing cow size can increase weaning BW of calves but does not affect total production per hectare or profitability, even though weaning weight efficiency ratios were reduced. Increasing SR reduced cow BW and BCS at weaning and increased feeding of conserved

Serological study of Helicobacter pylori infection in patients with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Farnaz Sohrabvand

2014-01-01

Conclusion: This study showed no significant difference in serologic examination re-sults in PCOS versus non PCOS patients. The finding of high prevalence of H.Pylori IgG and IgA positive levels in both PCOS and non PCOS patients can be probably re-lated to the high prevalence of H.Pylori infection or exposure in Iranian population and therefore suggest an issue for further investigation.

Prevalence of subclinical mastitis and associated risk factors at cow and herd level in dairy farms in North-West Ethiopia.

Science.gov (United States)

Mekonnen, S A; Koop, G; Melkie, S T; Getahun, C D; Hogeveen, H; Lam, T J G M

2017-09-15

Knowledge of mastitis pathogens and their predominance as well as understanding of risk factors are prerequisites to improve udder health in a herd, region or country. In Ethiopia, such information is scarce, despite the fact that mastitis is an important cattle disease in the country. A cross-sectional study that describes prevalence and causative agents of subclinical mastitis (SCM) as well as risk factors at cow and herd level was conducted on 167 dairy farms in North-West Ethiopia. On average, 33% of the quarters and 62% of the cows were California Mastitis Test (CMT) positive, but the within herd quarter level prevalence ranged between 0 and 100%. A total of 1543 milk samples, being 27 quarters that showed signs of CM, 606 CMT positive quarters and 910 CMT negative quarters were cultured, respectively 40%, 67% and 47% was positive on bacteriological culture. Coagulase negative staphylococci (CNS) (31%) followed by Staphylococcus aureus (9%) were the pathogens most frequently isolated. Based on face-to-face questionnaire data, 35 herd level and 13 cow level factors were evaluated for their association with SCM (based on CMT) and with a positive culture for any bacteria, CNS or S. aureus. Cows with a history of CM, of higher parity, >150days in milk (DIM) and herds with owners that have >10th grade level of education had higher odds of SCM. The odds of being culture positive for any bacteria was higher in cows with ≥25% Holstein Friesian blood level (HBL), >150 DIM, housed on cemented floors, and milked by squeezing rather than stripping. Similarly, the odds of culturing CNS was higher in cows with 25-50% HBL, >150 DIM, and milked by squeezing. Staphylococcus aureus was more often found in cows with a history of CM and in larger herds. Checking the udder for mastitis, feeding cows according to their requirements and allowing calves to suckle the cows were negatively associated with SCM, with culturing any bacteria and with culturing CNS, respectively. Higher

Assessment of serology and spirometry and the combination of both to complement microbiological isolation for earlier detection of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in children with cystic fibrosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Kotnik Pirš, Ana; Krivec, Uroš; Simčič, Saša; Seme, Katja

2016-11-25

The aim of this study was to assess whether serology and spirometry and the combination of both can complement culture-based detection for earlier recognition of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in children with cystic fibrosis. A 4 year longitudinal prospective study that included 67 Slovenian children with cystic fibrosis with a mean age of 10.5 years was conducted. Serology, spirometry and a scoring system combining serology and spirometry were assessed and compared. Infection was confirmed with isolation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa from respiratory samples. There was a significantly positive correlation between serology and the combination of serology and spirometry and Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolation (P spirometry and Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolation (P spirometry the highest sensitivity (0.90). Both had a high negative predictive value (0.93 and 0.79 respectively). Using serology and the combination of serology and lung function measurement can be beneficial for earlier detection of infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa in children with cystic fibrosis when done simultaneously with standard culture-based detection from respiratory samples.

Serological testing versus other strategies for diagnosis of active tuberculosis in India: a cost-effectiveness analysis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David W Dowdy

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Undiagnosed and misdiagnosed tuberculosis (TB drives the epidemic in India. Serological (antibody detection TB tests are not recommended by any agency, but widely used in many countries, including the Indian private sector. The cost and impact of using serology compared with other diagnostic techniques is unknown.Taking a patient cohort conservatively equal to the annual number of serological tests done in India (1.5 million adults suspected of having active TB, we used decision analysis to estimate costs and effectiveness of sputum smear microscopy (US$3.62 for two smears, microscopy plus automated liquid culture (mycobacterium growth indicator tube [MGIT], US$20/test, and serological testing (anda-tb ELISA, US$20/test. Data on test accuracy and costs were obtained from published literature. We adopted the perspective of the Indian TB control sector and an analysis frame of 1 year. Our primary outcome was the incremental cost per disability-adjusted life year (DALY averted. We performed one-way sensitivity analysis on all model parameters, with multiway sensitivity analysis on variables to which the model was most sensitive. If used instead of sputum microscopy, serology generated an estimated 14,000 more TB diagnoses, but also 121,000 more false-positive diagnoses, 102,000 fewer DALYs averted, and 32,000 more secondary TB cases than microscopy, at approximately four times the incremental cost (US$47.5 million versus US$11.9 million. When added to high-quality sputum smears, MGIT culture was estimated to avert 130,000 incremental DALYs at an incremental cost of US$213 per DALY averted. Serology was dominated by (i.e., more costly and less effective than MGIT culture and remained less economically favorable than sputum smear or TB culture in one-way and multiway sensitivity analyses.In India, sputum smear microscopy remains the most cost-effective diagnostic test available for active TB; efforts to increase access to quality-assured microscopy

Behaviour of dairy cows under free or forced cow traffic in a simulated automatic milking system environment.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lauwere, de C.C.K.; Hendriks, M.M.B.; Metz, J.H.M.; Schouten, W.G.P.

1998-01-01

The introduction of fully automatic milking systems (AMS) on dairy farms can only succeed if cows visit the system more or less voluntarily, at regular intervals. This can be arranged by either forced or free cow traffic. In the case of forced cow traffic, the AMS is the only route from the lying

A Cow- and Herd-specific Bio-Economic Model of Intramammary Infections in Dairy Cows

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kirkeby, Carsten Thure; Gussmann, Maya Katrin; Græsbøll, Kaare

Introduction. Mastitis, or intramammary infection (IMI), is one of the most significant diseases in dairy herds worldwide. It is caused by environmental and contagious bacteria. Simulation models have proven useful for evaluating the effect of different control strategies. However, previous...... published models are not cow-specific and therefore not so detailed in the simulation of host-pathogen interactions. If a simulation model is to be used by dairy farmers as a decision-making tool, it needs to be cow-specific because daily management decisions are made on cow level. Furthermore, as IMI......, contagious or mixed), the model should be able to reflect this diversity. Our objective was thus to create a pathogen-, cow- and herd-specific bio-economic simulation model that could simulate multiple pathogens and strains at the same time within a dairy herd. This model should be able to simulate realistic...

Eating and rumination activities two weeks prepartum to one month postpartum in 100 healthy cows and cows with peripartum diseases.

Science.gov (United States)

Braun, U; Buchli, H; Hässig, M

2017-10-01

Eating and rumination activities were investigated in 100 cows from 14 days prepartum to 30 days postpartum. All cows were clinically healthy at the start of the study. A pressure sensor incorporated into the noseband of a halter was used to record jaw movements, which allowed the quantification of the daily duration of eating and rumination, number of regurgitated cuds and number of chewing cycles per cud. The cows were retrospectively divided into 2 main groups healthy (n = 24) and ill cows (n = 76), and the latter were further divided into the following subgroups: cows with periparturient paresis (n = 12), retained placenta (n = 13), metritis (n = 17), primary ketosis (n = 19) and lameness (n = 6). Healthy cows had the shortest eating and rumination times on the day of calving; duration of eating decreased continually before and increased steadily after calving. In contrast, duration of rumination varied little except for a significant drop on the days of calving. Compared with healthy cows, eating times of ill cows were significantly shorter before and after calving and rumination time was reduced on days 2 to 4 postpartum. The duration of eating differed between healthy and ill cows before calving, and therefore the usefulness of eating and rumination variables for early recognition of periparturient diseases in cows requires further investigation.

Cow's Milk Allergy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Høst, Arne; Halken, Susanne

2014-01-01

Since the 1930's the scientific literature on cow's milk protein allergy (CMPA) has accumulated. Over the last decade new diagnostic tools and treatment approaches have been developed. The diagnosis of reproducible adverse reactions to cow's milk proteins (CMP), i.e. CMPA, still has to be confirmed...... by controlled elimination and challenge procedures. Advanced diagnostic testing using epitope and microarray technology may in the future improve the diagnostic accuracy of CMPA by determination of specific IgE against specific allergen components of cow's milk protein. The incidence of CMPA in early childhood...... is approximately 2-3% in developed countries. Symptoms suggestive of CMPA may be encountered in 5-15% of infants emphasizing the importance of controlled elimination/milk challenge procedures. Reproducible clinical reactions to CMP in human milk have been reported in 0.5% of breastfed infants. Most infants...

Effect of Cow Urine on the Growth Characteristics of Fusarium lateritium, an Important Coffee Fungus in Zimbabwe

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Timothy Gotora

2014-01-01

Full Text Available An in vitro assay was carried out to establish if cow urine at different concentrations (500 µL/mL, 300 µL/mL, 200 µL/mL, and 100 µL/mL can be used to control the growth of F. lateritium, the fungal agent causing Fusarium bark disease in coffee. The growth characteristics selected were conidial germination, germ tube length, mycelial growth rate, and sporulation. Copper oxychloride 50% W.P. was the standard, distilled water was the negative control, and undiluted cow urine was the positive control. The undiluted cow urine was most effective in inhibiting fungal growth with the rest of the cow urine concentrations showing dose dependent efficacy compared to the negative control (P < 0.01. Copper oxychloride had the highest efficacy of all treatments with the exception of the inhibition of mycelial growth where undiluted cow urine had higher efficacy and sporulation where efficacy was comparable to undiluted cow urine. There is potential for the use of cow urine as a means of controlling Fusarium bark disease with other advantages being availability, low cost, and limited environmental damage.

[Detection of Weissella spp. in milk samples of two dairy cows with clinical mastitis. A case report].

Science.gov (United States)

Wald, Regina; Baumgartner, Martina; Urbantke, Verena; Wittek, Thomas; Stessl, Beatrix

2016-10-12

This case report describes the isolation and differentiation of Weissella (W.) spp. from the milk of two cows (A and B) with clinical mastitis (milk changes, asymmetry of the udder and increased somatic cell counts). Quarter milk samples obtained from two dairy cows of different farms had been submitted to the diagnostic laboratory of the Clinic for Ruminants in Vienna for bacteriological examination. Alpha-hemolytic catalase-negative gram-positive cocci in pure culture on Columbia blood agar were isolated and could not be assigned to a Lancefield group. The isolates were biochemically characterized as Leuconostoc spp. (API ® 20 Strep, bioMérieux). A control examination of cow B within 7 weeks confirmed these findings. 16S rDNA sequencing indicated W. paramesenteroides (cow A) and W. cibaria (cow B). The analysis by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) showed identical SmaI/ApaI profiles for both W. cibaria isolates (cow B), which differed from the W. paramesenteroides fingerprint of cow A (67% similarity). This study indicates a possible relationship between the detection of Weissella spp. and the occurrence of bovine intramammary infections.

Heterosis and direct effects for Charolais-sired calf weight and growth, cow weight and weight change, and ratios of cow and calf weights and weight changes across warm season lactation in Romosinuano, Angus, and F cows in Arkansas.

Science.gov (United States)

Riley, D G; Burke, J M; Chase, C C; Coleman, S W

2016-01-01

The use of Brahman in cow-calf production offers some adaptation to the harsh characteristics of endophyte-infected tall fescue. Criollo breeds, such as the Romosinuano, may have similar adaptation. The objectives were to estimate genetic effects in Romosinuano, Angus, and crossbred cows for their weights, weights of their calves, and ratios (calf weight:cow weight and cow weight change:calf weight gain) across lactation and to assess the influence of forage on traits and estimates. Cows ( = 91) were bred to Charolais bulls after their second parity. Calves ( = 214) were born from 2006 to 2009. Cows and calves were weighed in early (April and June), mid- (July), and late lactation (August and October). Animal was a random effect in analyses of calf data; sire was random in analyses of cow records and ratios. Fixed effects investigated included calf age, calf sex, cow age-year combinations, sire breed of cow, dam breed of cow, and interactions. Subsequent analyses evaluated the effect of forage grazed: endophyte-free or endophyte-infected tall fescue. Estimates of maternal heterosis for calf weight ranged from 9.3 ± 4.3 to 15.4 ± 5.7 kg from mid-lactation through weaning ( cow) were -6.8 ± 3.0 and -8.9 ± 4.2 kg for weights recorded in April and June. Calf weights and weight gains from birth were greater ( cows grazing endophyte-free tall fescue except in mid-summer. Cow weight change from April to each time was negative for Angus cows and lower ( Cows grazing endophyte-free tall fescue were heavier ( cows had the lowest ( cow weight change:calf weight gain, indicating an energy-deficit condition. Cows grazing endophyte-free tall fescue had more negative ( cow weight, 7.9 ± 3.0 to 15.8 ± 5.0 kg for cow weight change, and 0.07 ± 0.03 to 0.27 ± 0.1 for cow weight change:calf weight gain. Direct Romosinuano effects ranged from 14.8 ± 4.2 to 49.8 ± 7.7 kg for cow weight change and 0.2 ± 0.04 to 0.51 ± 0.14 for cow weight change:calf weight gain. The adaptive

Internal quality control in serological tests for syphilis.

OpenAIRE

Wasley, G D

1985-01-01

The importance of syphilis serological tests demands that laboratory reports are reliable. Internal quality control applied to the organisation of a syphilis serology service improves laboratory bench performance and reporting. Described here are internal quality control procedures of a department that serves a genitourinary medicine clinic and conducts 70 000 tests a year to investigate for syphilis.

The importance of serological tests implementation in disseminated candidiasis diagnose.

Science.gov (United States)

Gegić, Merima; Numanović, Fatima; Delibegović, Zineta; Tihić, Nijaz; Nurkić, Mahmut; Hukić, Mirsada

2013-03-01

Candidiasis is defined as an infection or disease caused by a fungus of the genus Candida. Rate of disseminated candidiasis increases with the growth of the number of immunocompromised patients. In the the last few decades the incidence of disseminated candidiasis is in growth as well as the mortality rate. The aim of this survey is to show the importance of serological tests implementation in disseminated candidiasis diagnose. This is a prospective study involving 60 patients with malign diseases with and without clinical signs of disseminated candidiasis and 30 healthy people who represent the control group. Apart from hemoculture, detection of circulating mannan antigen and adequate antibodies of Candida species applying comercial ELISA test was determined in each patient. This survey deals with relevant factors causing disseminated candidiasis. This survey showed that the group of patients with clinical signs of disseminated candidiasis had more patients with positive hemoculture to Candida species, then the group of patients without clinical signs of disseminated candidiasis. The number of patients being examined and positive to antigens and antibodies was higher (p candidiasis (7/30; 23.3%), then in the group of patients without clinical signs of disseminated candidiasis (0/30; 0%): Average value of titra antigen was statistically higher (p candidiasis 6/30 (20%) of patients had Candida spp.positive hemocultures while in the group of patients without clinical signs of disseminated candidiasis 1/30 (3.3%) of patients had Candida spp. positive hemocultures, which was considerably higher (p candidiasis were statistically significant, while correlation of results of hemoculture and antibodies was insignificant. Because of low sensitivity of hemoculture and time needed for isolation of Candida spp., introducing serological tests in regular procedures would speed disseminated candidiasis diagnose.

The use of yeast culture in feeding of dairy cows

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Petr Doležal

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to determine the effect of a yeast culture (Saccharomyces cerevisiae CNCM I – 1077 addition in the diet of dairy cows on their rumen fermentation. Animals received a diet consisting of good maize silage with a higher dry matter content (18 kg, 6 kg of lucerne haylage, 5 kg of pea – silage, 3 kg of ensiled high moisture crimped corn, 1 kg of meadow hay, rape-cake 1 kg, ­brewer’s grain silage 4 kg, and 8.0 kg feed mixture. The yeast culture was added to the mixture in the dose 2.8*1010 cfu / day and cow. The supplement of yeast culture showed a positive effect on ruminal VFA production by experimental group cows in comparison with control, higher production (P < 0.01 of acetic acid (58.50 ± 1.2583b vs. 51.833 ± 2.409a %, and lower production of propionic and butyric acid (24.667 ± 1.3744a vs. 28.833 ± 1.863b %. The average utilisation of ammonia was higher by cows in treated group (12.267 ± 0.754 mmol / L, but difference was not significant. The difference in number of protozoa of cows in the control and experimental groups was significant (P < 0.05 different (308.333 ± 24.390a vs. 342.333 ± 10.9341b ths /1 ml of rumen fluid.

Predisposition of cows to mastitis in non-infected mammary glands: effects of dietary-induced negative energy balance during mid-lactation on immune-related genes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Moyes, Kasey; Drackley, James K; Morin, Dawn E

2011-01-01

Cows experiencing severe postpartal negative energy balance (NEB) are at greater risk of developing mastitis than cows in positive energy balance (PEB). Our objectives were to compare mammary tissue gene expression profiles between lactating cows (n = 5/treatment) subjected to feed restriction...... to induce NEB and cows fed ad libitum to maintain PEB in order to identify genes involved in immune response and cellular metabolism that may predispose cows to an intramammary infection in non-infected mammary gland. The NEB cows were feed-restricted to 60% of calculated net energy for lactation...... requirements, and cows fed PEB cows were fed the same diet ad libitum. At 5 days after feed restriction, one rear mammary gland from all cows was biopsied for RNA extraction and transcript profiling using microarray and quantitative PCR. Energy balance (NEB vs. PEB) resulted in 278 differentially expressed...

Use of rumination and activity monitoring for the identification of dairy cows with health disorders: Part III. Metritis.

Science.gov (United States)

Stangaferro, M L; Wijma, R; Caixeta, L S; Al-Abri, M A; Giordano, J O

2016-09-01

The objectives of this study were to evaluate (1) the performance of an automated health-monitoring system (AHMS) to identify cows with metritis based on an alert system (health index score, HIS) that combines rumination time and physical activity; (2) the number of days between the first HIS alert and clinical diagnosis (CD) of metritis by farm personnel; and (3) the daily rumination time, physical activity, and HIS patterns around CD. In this manuscript, the overall performance of HIS to detect cows with all disorders of interest in this study [ketosis, displaced abomasum, indigestion (companion paper, part I), mastitis (companion paper, part II), and metritis] is also reported. Holstein cattle (n=1,121; 451 nulliparous and 670 multiparous) were fitted with a neck-mounted electronic rumination and activity monitoring tag (HR Tags, SCR Dairy, Netanya, Israel) from at least -21 to 80 d in milk (DIM). Raw data collected in 2-h periods were summarized per 24 h as daily rumination and activity. An HIS (0 to 100 arbitrary units) was calculated daily for individual cows with an algorithm that used rumination and activity. A positive HIS outcome was defined as an HIS of cows (n=459) at -11±3, -4±3, 0, 3±1, 7±1, 14±1, and 28±1 DIM. The overall sensitivity of HIS was 55% for all cases of metritis (n=349), but it was greater for cows with metritis and another disorder (78%) than for cows with metritis only (53%). Cows diagnosed with metritis and flagged based on HIS had substantial alterations in their rumination, activity, and HIS patterns around CD, alterations of blood markers of metabolic and health status around calving, reduced milk production, and were more likely to exit the herd than cows not flagged based on the HIS and cows without disease, suggesting that cows flagged based on the HIS had a more severe episode of metritis. Including all disorders of interest for this study, the overall sensitivity was 59%, specificity was 98%, positive predictive value was

Elevating serotonin pre-partum alters the Holstein dairy cow hepatic adaptation to lactation

Science.gov (United States)

Weaver, Samantha R.; Prichard, Allan S.; Maerz, Noah L.; Prichard, Austin P.; Endres, Elizabeth L.; Hernández-Castellano, Lorenzo E.; Akins, Matthew S.; Bruckmaier, Rupert M.

2017-01-01

Serotonin is known to regulate energy and calcium homeostasis in several mammalian species. The objective of this study was to determine if pre-partum infusions of 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), the immediate precursor to serotonin synthesis, could modulate energy homeostasis at the level of the hepatocyte in post-partum Holstein and Jersey dairy cows. Twelve multiparous Holstein cows and twelve multiparous Jersey cows were intravenously infused daily for approximately 7 d pre-partum with either saline or 1 mg/kg bodyweight of 5-HTP. Blood was collected for 14 d post-partum and on d30 post-partum. Liver biopsies were taken on d1 and d7 post-partum. There were no changes in the circulating concentrations of glucose, insulin, glucagon, non-esterified fatty acids, or urea nitrogen in response to treatment, although there were decreased beta-hydroxybutyrate concentrations with 5-HTP treatment around d6 to d10 post-partum, particularly in Jersey cows. Cows infused with 5-HTP had increased hepatic serotonin content and increased mRNA expression of the serotonin 2B receptor on d1 and d7 post-partum. Minimal changes were seen in the hepatic mRNA expression of various gluconeogenic enzymes. There were no changes in the mRNA expression profile of cell-cycle progression marker cyclin-dependent kinase 4 or apoptotic marker caspase 3, although proliferating cell nuclear antigen expression tended to be increased in Holstein cows infused with 5-HTP on d1 post-partum. Immunofluorescence assays showed an increased number of CASP3- and Ki67-positive cells in Holstein cows infused with 5-HTP on d1 post-partum. Given the elevated hepatic serotonin content and increased mRNA abundance of 5HTR2B, 5-HTP infusions may be stimulating an autocrine-paracrine adaptation to lactation in the Holstein cow liver. PMID:28922379

Elevating serotonin pre-partum alters the Holstein dairy cow hepatic adaptation to lactation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Samantha R Weaver

Full Text Available Serotonin is known to regulate energy and calcium homeostasis in several mammalian species. The objective of this study was to determine if pre-partum infusions of 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP, the immediate precursor to serotonin synthesis, could modulate energy homeostasis at the level of the hepatocyte in post-partum Holstein and Jersey dairy cows. Twelve multiparous Holstein cows and twelve multiparous Jersey cows were intravenously infused daily for approximately 7 d pre-partum with either saline or 1 mg/kg bodyweight of 5-HTP. Blood was collected for 14 d post-partum and on d30 post-partum. Liver biopsies were taken on d1 and d7 post-partum. There were no changes in the circulating concentrations of glucose, insulin, glucagon, non-esterified fatty acids, or urea nitrogen in response to treatment, although there were decreased beta-hydroxybutyrate concentrations with 5-HTP treatment around d6 to d10 post-partum, particularly in Jersey cows. Cows infused with 5-HTP had increased hepatic serotonin content and increased mRNA expression of the serotonin 2B receptor on d1 and d7 post-partum. Minimal changes were seen in the hepatic mRNA expression of various gluconeogenic enzymes. There were no changes in the mRNA expression profile of cell-cycle progression marker cyclin-dependent kinase 4 or apoptotic marker caspase 3, although proliferating cell nuclear antigen expression tended to be increased in Holstein cows infused with 5-HTP on d1 post-partum. Immunofluorescence assays showed an increased number of CASP3- and Ki67-positive cells in Holstein cows infused with 5-HTP on d1 post-partum. Given the elevated hepatic serotonin content and increased mRNA abundance of 5HTR2B, 5-HTP infusions may be stimulating an autocrine-paracrine adaptation to lactation in the Holstein cow liver.

Patent gastrointestinal nematode infections in organically and conventionally pastured dairy cows and their impact on individual milk and fertility parameters.

Science.gov (United States)

May, Katharina; Brügemann, Kerstin; König, Sven; Strube, Christina

2017-10-15

Infections with gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) can lead to production losses and impacts on product quality in affected cows, which has mainly been demonstrated during deworming experiments or via herd-level measurements. Here, a field study was carried out to explore the association between GIN infection status and milk production as well as fertility parameters in individual dairy cows. Different selection lines of Black and White cows were included in the study, which were distributed among 17 small and medium-sized organic and conventional German grassland farms. Faecal samples of 1166 dairy cows were examined twice, in July and September 2015. Nematode eggs were found in the faeces of 473 (40.6%) cows. As expected, strongylid eggs (Trichostrongylidae or Oesophagostomum and Bunostomum spp., respectively) were the predominant morphotype, followed by Strongyloides papillosus and Capillaria spp. eggs. In July, cows kept under organic conditions had a significantly lower GIN prevalence in comparison to cows kept on conventional farms. Faecal egg counts were generally low, with the highest value in September and an arithmetic mean of 11.3 eggs per gram faeces (EPG) for all observations. The relationships between GIN infection status and milk yield (kg milk/cow/day), milk protein content (%) and milk fat content (%) for each first test-day record after parasitological assessment were estimated by using linear mixed models. Milk protein content was estimated 0.05% lower in GIN positive compared to GIN negative cows, whereas no significant effect on milk yield or milk fat content was observed. The impact of GIN infection status on success in first insemination (SFI) was estimated by using a threshold model. No significant association was demonstrated between GIN infection status and SFI. Unexpectedly, the fertility parameter days from calving-to-first-service (CTFS) showed a significantly shorter average interval in GIN positive cows. However, these data on

The role of cow urine in the oviposition site preference of culicine and Anopheles mosquitoes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kweka Eliningaya J

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Chemical and behavioural ecology of mosquitoes plays an important role in the development of chemical cue based vector control. To date, studies available have focused on evaluating mosquito attractants and repellents of synthetic and human origins. This study, however, was aimed at seasonal evaluation of the efficiency of cow urine in producing oviposition cues to Anopheles gambiae s.l. and Culex quinquefasciatus in both laboratory and field conditions. Methods Oviposition response evaluation in laboratory conditions was carried out in mosquito rearing cages. The oviposition substrates were located in parallel or in diagonal positions inside the cage. Urine evaluation against gravid females of An. arabiensis and Cx. quinquefasciatus was carried out at Day 1, Day 3 and Day 7. Five millilitres (mls of cow urine was added to oviposition substrate while de-chlorinated water was used as a control. In field experiments, 500 mls of cow urine was added in artificial habitats with 2500 mls of de-chlorinated water and 2 kgs of soil. The experiment was monitored for thirty consecutive days, eggs were collected daily from the habitats at 7.00 hrs. Data analysis was performed using parametric and non-parametric tests for treatments and controls while attraction of the oviposition substrate in each species was presented using Oviposition Activity Index (OAI. Results The OAI was positive with ageing of cattle urine in culicine species in both laboratory and field experiments. The OAI for anopheline species was positive with fresh urine. The OAI during the rainy season was positive for all species tested while in the dry season the OAI for culicine spp and Anopheles gambiae s.l., changed with time from positive to negative values. Based on linear model analysis, seasons and treatments had a significant effect on the number of eggs laid in habitats, even though the number of days had no effect. Conclusion Oviposition substrates treated with

Effects of different dosages of propylene glycol in dry cows and cows in early lactation.

Science.gov (United States)

Maurer, Michaela; Peinhopf, Walter; Gottschalk, Jutta; Einspanier, Almut; Koeller, Gabor; Wittek, Thomas

2017-11-01

In this Research Paper we hypothesised that the temporary insulin resistance seen during the transition period in dairy cows may cause significant differences in the efficacy of PG at different sampling periods and that in some cases this effect will be dose dependent. Eighty four sampling sets were generated by studying 7 multiparous Holstein cows repeatedly at 4 sampling periods of 3 d length (dry cows: days 40, 39 and 38 antepartum; close up cows: days 10, 9 and 8 antepartum; fresh cows: days 3, 4 and 5 post-partum; lactating cows: days 38, 39 and 40 post-partum). On each of these days 3 h after morning feeding propylene glycol was drenched in different dosages of 100, 300 or 500 ml once per day (cross over study). The different doses were applied in an alternating order (Latin square). Blood samples were taken before, every 30 min up to 4 h, after 6 and 12 h after PG application. Following parameters have been measured: insulin, non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), betahydroxybutyrate (BHB), bilirubin, cholesterol, potassium, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and glutamate dehydrogenase (GLDH). Revised Quantitative Insulin Sensitivity Check Index (RQUICKI) was calculated. It was found that glucose, insulin, NEFA, BHB, bilirubin and potassium concentrations were influenced differently by the three defined dosages of propylene glycol at four different sampling periods. Whereas RQUICKI, cholesterol, AST and GLDH did not differ between the sampling periods and treatments. The major results of the study are that the effect of PG is dose-dependent and that the effect of PG is depending on the time of application according to calving. It can be concluded that in fresh cows higher dosages are necessary to provoke similar effects in comparison to dry, close up and lactating cows. Although the study did not compare to topdressing of PG from the results it is reasonable to believe that bolus application of a specific PG volume is necessary to provoke the effect.

Cytological endometritis and its agreement with ultrasound examination in postpartum beef cows

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. Salah

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Background: Endometritis, which is one of the most common diseases in dairy cows postpartum, causes severe economic losses, including increased open days, calving intervals, and numbers of services to achieve conception. Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the ultrasound method and its agreement with the endometrium cytology method, which is used to diagnose cytological endometritis in beef cows. Moreover, we determined which method has higher sensitivity and specificity at 4 and 5 weeks postpartum. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted 20-35 days postpartum. A total of 53 clinically healthy beef cows (28 Brangus and 25 Kedah-Kelantan breeds from three beef farms were obtained. All cows were evaluated at 4 and 5 weeks postpartum, using ultrasound and cytobrush endometrial examination methods to diagnose cytological endometritis. Results: Endometrial cytology result showed that 11.3% (6/53 and 9.4% (5/53 of the cows exhibited cytological endometritis 4 and 5 weeks postpartum, respectively. A weak-to-moderate agreement found between the diagnostic methods (k=0.29 - 0.50; p<0.01 and k=0.38 - 0.49 at 4 and 5 weeks postpartum respectively. Conclusion: The percentage of beef cows that were positive to cytological endometritis was low (polymorphonuclear cells, =8% at 4 and 5 weeks postpartum. Results showed that the ultrasound method is useful and practical for diagnosing endometritis 4 and 5 weeks postpartum. This method exhibited 60% sensitivity, 93.8% specificity, and a 0.50 kappa value, especially when presence of intrauterine fluids and measurement of cervix diameter used in combination.

Cow's milk allergy in children

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Cow's milk allergy is more common in children than in adults. CaSSim ... adverse reactions to cow's milk protein such as lactose intolerance. .... possible hormonal effects on the reproductive ... formula in humans – such studies are much.

Maintenance energy requirements of beef cows and relationship with cow and calf performance, metabolic hormones, and functional proteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Cooper-Prado, M J; Long, N M; Davis, M P; Wright, E C; Madden, R D; Dilwith, J W; Bailey, C L; Spicer, L J; Wettemann, R P

2014-08-01

Gestating Angus, nonlactating, spring-calving cows were used to determine variation in maintenance energy requirements (MR); to evaluate the relationship among MR and cow and calf performance, plasma concentrations of IGF-I, T4, glucose, insulin, and ruminal temperature; and to describe the LM proteome and evaluate protein abundance in cows with different MR. Cows (4 to 7 yr of age) with a BCS of 5.0 ± 0.2 and BW of 582 ± 37 kg in the second to third trimester of gestation were studied in 3 trials (trial 1, n = 23; trial 2, n = 32; trial 3, n = 38). Cows were individually fed a complete diet in amounts to meet predicted MR (Level 1 Model of NRC), and feed intake was adjusted weekly until constant BW was achieved for at least 21 d (maintenance). Cows were classified on the basis of MR as low (>0.5 SD less than mean, LMR), moderate (±0.5 SD of mean, MMR), or high (>0.5 SD more than mean, HMR) MR. Blood samples were taken at maintenance and at 2 mo postpartum in trial 2. Muscle biopsies were taken from LMR and HMR after cows consumed actual MR for 28 d (trial 2) or 21 d (trial 3). Proteins from LM were separated by 2-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis and were identified, and abundance was quantified and compared. The greatest differences in MR between cows were 29%, 24%, and 25% in trials 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Daily MR (NEm, kcal·BW(-0.75)·d(-1)) averaged 89.2 ± 6.3, 93.0 ± 4.9, and 90.4 ± 4.6 in trials 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Postpartum BW and BCS, calf birth and weaning weights, postpartum luteal activity, and ruminal temperature were not influenced by MR of the cows. Concentrations of IGF-I were greater (P = 0.001) in plasma of MMR compared with LMR cows consuming predicted MR diets, and MR was negatively correlated with concentrations of IGF-I in plasma (r = -0.38; P = 0.05) at 2 mo postpartum. A total of 103 proteins were isolated from LM; 52 gene products were identified. Abundance of specific proteins in the LM was not influenced (P > 0

Mycoplasma infection in the uterus of early postpartum dairy cows and its relation to dystocia and endometritis.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghanem, Mohamed Elshabrawy; Higuchi, Hidetoshi; Tezuka, Erisa; Ito, Hideki; Devkota, Bhuminand; Izaike, Yoshiaki; Osawa, Takeshi

2013-01-01

This study investigated the incidence of mycoplasma infection in the uterus of postpartum Holstein dairy cows and its relationship to the occurrence of endometritis. The genital tracts of 209 cows from three dairy farms in the Iwate Prefecture, Japan, were examined at Weeks 5 and 7 postpartum. The condition of the cervicovaginal mucus was assessed using a Metricheck device and assigned a score from 0 (clear mucus) to 4 (purulent material with fetid odor). Intrauterine samples (N = 418) were collected at Weeks 5 and 7 postpartum using a cytobrush. After its withdrawal, swab samples were placed in mycoplasma culture broth at 37 °C for 72 hours. A novel and rapid polymerase chain reaction was used to detect seven mycoplasma species (Mycoplasma bovis, M. arginini, M. bovigenitalium, M. californicum, M. bovirhinis, M. alkalescens, and M. canadense). The cytobrush was also rolled gently along the length of a glass slide for subsequent polymorphonuclear neutrophil count. The diagnostic criteria for cytological endometritis were 6% or more and 4% or more polymorphonuclear neutrophils at Weeks 5 and 7, respectively. From a subset of cows, additional swabs were rolled against the cytobrush and then placed in transport medium. These samples were then plated on specific agar plates and cultured under aerobic and anaerobic conditions to identify other bacteria present. The incidence of dystocia at the last calving was compared in mycoplasma positive and negative cows. Of the seven mycoplasma species, only M. bovigenitalium was detected; it was detected in 31 of the 418 uterine swabs (7.4%). Twenty-four cows were positive for M. bovigenitalium (eight cows at Week 5, nine cows at Week 7, and seven cows at both Weeks 5 and 7). The incidence of dystocia was higher (P dystocia at last calving and subsequent uterine infection with other bacteria. In addition, the incidence of cytologic endometritis was higher (P dystocia and with cytologic endometritis in postpartum dairy cows

Specific oral desensitization in children with IgE-mediated cow's milk allergy. Evolution in one year.

Science.gov (United States)

Alvaro, Montserrat; Giner, Ma Teresa; Vázquez, Marta; Lozano, Jaime; Domínguez, Olga; Piquer, Mónica; Días, Marcia; Jiménez, Rosa; Martín, Ma Anunciación; Alsina, Laia; Plaza, Ana Ma

2012-09-01

Cow's milk allergy is the most frequent childhood food allergy. Children older than 5 who have not become tolerant have less probabilities of natural tolerance. Specific oral desensitization methods are being investigated in reference centres. The aims of our study were to assess the efficacy of our guideline of specific oral desensitization to cow's milk in children and to know its suitability for anaphylactic children. Both clinical and specific IgE outcomes were evaluated. Eighty-seven children aged 5 to 16 years with a history of cow's milk allergy were included. Prior to desensitization, skin prick test, specific IgE to cow's milk proteins and a double-blind placebo control food challenge were performed in all. Of the 87 patients, 21 had a negative challenge; they were considered tolerant, and they were told to follow a free diet. Of the positive, 44 were anaphylactic and 22 non-anaphylactic. All of them were included. In non-anaphylactic patients, 6 achieved partial and 16 maximum desensitization after 23.1 weeks. In the anaphylactic group, 7 achieved partial and 35 maximum desensitization after 26.4 weeks. Cow's milk-specific IgE levels and casein-specific IgE levels were significantly lower in the tolerant patients at baseline. One year after desensitization, the medium specific cow's milk levels and casein IgE levels had dropped significantly. Our guideline for specific oral desensitization to cow's milk is efficacious even in patients with anaphylactic reactions to cow's milk and represents a significant life change. Immunological changes in 1 year show a drop in cow's milk protein-specific IgE.

Accuracy of serological testing for the diagnosis of prevalent neurocysticercosis in outpatients with epilepsy, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Humberto Foyaca-Sibat

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Few studies have estimated prevalence of neurocysticercosis (NCC among persons with epilepsy in sub-Saharan Africa. While the limitations of serological testing in identification of NCC are well known, the characteristics of persons who are misdiagnosed based on serology have not been explored. The first objective of this pilot study was to estimate the prevalence of NCC in epilepsy outpatients from an area of South Africa endemic for cysticercosis. The second objective was to estimate the accuracy of serological testing in detecting NCC in these outpatients and characterize sources of disagreement between serology and neuroimaging.All out-patients aged 5 or older attending the epilepsy clinic of St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Lusikisiki, Eastern Cape Province, between July 2004 and April 2005 were invited to participate. Epidemiological data were collected by local study staff using a standardized questionnaire. Blood samples were tested by ELISA for antibody and antigen for Taenia solium. Four randomly chosen, consenting participants were transported each week to Mthatha for brain CT scan. The proportion of persons with epilepsy attending St. Elizabeth clinic with CT-confirmed NCC was 37% (95% CI: 27%-48%. Using CT as the gold standard, the sensitivity and specificity of antibody testing for identifying NCC were 54.5% (36.4%-71.9% and 69.2% (52.4%-83.0%, respectively. Sensitivity improved to 78.6% (49.2%-95.3% for those with active lesions. Sensitivity and specificity of antigen testing were considerably poorer. Compared to false negatives, true positives more often had active lesions. False positives were more likely to keep pigs and to have seizure onset within the past year than were true negatives.The prevalence of NCC in South African outpatients with epilepsy is similar to that observed in other countries where cysticercosis is prevalent. Errors in classification of NCC using serology alone may reflect the natural history of NCC.

33 CFR 157.124 - COW tank washing machines.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false COW tank washing machines. 157... OIL IN BULK Crude Oil Washing (COW) System on Tank Vessels Design, Equipment, and Installation § 157.124 COW tank washing machines. (a) COW machines must be permanently mounted in each cargo tank. (b...

Eddy covariance methane flux measurements over a grazed pasture: effect of cows as moving point sources

Science.gov (United States)

Felber, R.; Münger, A.; Neftel, A.; Ammann, C.

2015-06-01

Methane (CH4) from ruminants contributes one-third of global agricultural greenhouse gas emissions. Eddy covariance (EC) technique has been extensively used at various flux sites to investigate carbon dioxide exchange of ecosystems. Since the development of fast CH4 analyzers, the instrumentation at many flux sites has been amended for these gases. However, the application of EC over pastures is challenging due to the spatially and temporally uneven distribution of CH4 point sources induced by the grazing animals. We applied EC measurements during one grazing season over a pasture with 20 dairy cows (mean milk yield: 22.7 kg d-1) managed in a rotational grazing system. Individual cow positions were recorded by GPS trackers to attribute fluxes to animal emissions using a footprint model. Methane fluxes with cows in the footprint were up to 2 orders of magnitude higher than ecosystem fluxes without cows. Mean cow emissions of 423 ± 24 g CH4 head-1 d-1 (best estimate from this study) correspond well to animal respiration chamber measurements reported in the literature. However, a systematic effect of the distance between source and EC tower on cow emissions was found, which is attributed to the analytical footprint model used. We show that the EC method allows one to determine CH4 emissions of cows on a pasture if the data evaluation is adjusted for this purpose and if some cow distribution information is available.

Factors affecting reproductive performance of dairy cows.

Science.gov (United States)

Coleman, D A; Thayne, W V; Dailey, R A

1985-07-01

We conducted two studies to determine how herd management practices and traits of individual cows affect performance of the herd and of the cow within a herd. Management practices, reproductive performance of the herd, and relationships between management and reproductive performance were characterized on 83 dairy farms with 7596 cows. Data included 21 management variables (e.g., facilities, herd health program, estrous detection program) and 8 performance variables obtained from Dairy Herd Improvement or unofficial records (e.g., size of herd, production, days open). Although varying among herds, annual average herd incidences of reproductive disorders and reproductive performance were similar to those reported. Managerial practices influenced incidences of retained placenta and uterine infection, days open of cows not bred and of all cows, services per conception, and percentages of herd open more than 100 days and culled for low production. Veterinarian was the most consistent variable influencing herd reproductive performance. Data also were collected from production and lifetime records of 2532 cows in 19 herds. Reproductive performance was affected by season of calving, production, maturity, and reproductive disorders. Several cows with extremely poor reproductive records were maintained.

Importance of secondary damage in downer cows.

Science.gov (United States)

Poulton, P J; Vizard, A L; Anderson, G A; Pyman, M F

2016-05-01

To investigate the relative importance in downer cows of the primary cause of recumbency in comparison with secondary complications. Downer dairy cows were monitored during their recumbency under field conditions in South Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. The cause of the original recumbency of the 218 cows was determined and secondary damage, status on day 7 and final outcome were recorded. Some type of secondary damage was found in 183/218 (84%) cows, of which 173/218 (79%) had damage deemed to be clinically important. By day 7, 52 (24%) had recovered and 69 (32%) eventually recovered. Of the 149 (68%) cows that were euthanased or died, 23 (15%) were deemed to have been lost solely from the primary cause, 107 (72%) from secondary damage and 19 (13%) from a combination of both. There was no difference in recovery among the five broad groups of causes of primary recumbency. Secondary damage was very common and presented in a large variety of ways, with many cows having multiple types of secondary damage concurrently. For most cows the secondary damage was more important than the initial primary damage in determining their fate. © 2016 Australian Veterinary Association.

The effects of building design on hazard of first service in Norwegian dairy cows.

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, A D; Kielland, C; Nelson, S T; Østerås, O

2015-12-01

Reproductive inefficiency is one of the major production and economic constraints on modern dairy farms. The environment affects onset of ovarian activity in a cow postcalving and influences estrus behavior, which in turn affects a stockperson's ability to inseminate her at the correct time. This study used survival analysis to investigate effects of building design and animal factors on the postpartum hazard of first service (HFS) in freestall-housed Norwegian Red cows. The study was performed on 232 Norwegian dairy farms between 2004 and 2007. Data were obtained through on farm measurements and by accessing the Norwegian Dairy Herd Recording System. The final data set contained data on 38,436 calvings and 27,127 services. Univariate Cox proportional hazard analyses showed that herd size and milk yield were positively associated with HFS. Total free accessible area and free accessible area available per cow year were positively associated with the HFS, as was the number of freestalls available per cow. Cows housed on slatted floors had a lower HFS than those housed on solid floors. Conversely, cows housed on rubber floors had a higher HFS than cows on concrete floors. Dead-ending alleyways reduced the hazard of AI after calving. A multivariable Cox proportional hazards model, accounting for herd management by including a frailty term for herd, showed relationships between hazard of postpartum service and explanatory variables. Animals in herds with more than 50 cows had a higher HFS [hazard ratio (HR)=3.0] compared with those in smaller herds. The HFS was also higher (HR=4.3) if more than 8.8 m(2) of space was available per cow year compared with herds in which animals had less space. The HFS after calving increased with parity (parity 2 HR=0.5, parity ≥3 HR=1.7), and was reduced if a lactation began with dystocia (HR=0.82) or was a breed other than Norwegian Red (HR=0.2). The frailty term, herd, was large and highly significant indicating a significant

Isolation and identification of Mycobacterium bovis in milk from cows in northeastern Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joelson Marcolino Ramos

Full Text Available ABSTRACT: Milk samples from 16 cows that tested positive on the tuberculin test in the state of Paraíba, northeastern Brazil, were used for mycobacteria isolation and identification. Mycobacteria were isolated from five (31.25% of the 16 milk samples; three samples were classified as M. bovis, and two as belonging to the Mycobacterium genus. This is probably the first study of isolation and identification of M. bovis in milk from cows in Northeastern Brazil, which suggests that humans are at risk of contamination by ingestion.

Evaluation of between-cow variation in milk urea and rumen ammonia nitrogen concentrations and the association with nitrogen utilization and diet digestibility in lactating cows.

Science.gov (United States)

Huhtanen, P; Cabezas-Garcia, E H; Krizsan, S J; Shingfield, K J

2015-05-01

the flow data set, between-cow variation in MUN and rumen ammonia N concentrations was positively associated with total-tract organic matter digestibility. In conclusion, evaluation of phenotypic variation in MUN indicated that between-cow variation in MUN had a smaller effect on MNE compared with published responses of MUN to dietary crude protein concentration, suggesting that a closer control over diet composition relative to requirements has greater potential to improve MNE and lower UN on farm than genetic selection. Copyright © 2015 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Development of in-house serological methods for diagnosis and surveillance of chikungunya.

Science.gov (United States)

Galo, Saira Saborío; González, Karla; Téllez, Yolanda; García, Nadezna; Pérez, Leonel; Gresh, Lionel; Harris, Eva; Balmaseda, Ángel

2017-08-21

To develop and evaluate serological methods for chikungunya diagnosis and research in Nicaragua. Two IgM ELISA capture systems (MAC-ELISA) for diagnosis of acute chikungunya virus (CHIKV) infections, and two Inhibition ELISA Methods (IEM) to measure total antibodies against CHIKV were developed using monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and hyperimmune serum at the National Virology Laboratory of Nicaragua in 2014-2015. The sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, and agreement of the MAC-ELISAs were obtained by comparing the results of 198 samples (116 positive; 82 negative) with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's IgM ELISA (Atlanta, Georgia, United States; CDC-MAC-ELISA). For clinical evaluation of the four serological techniques, 260 paired acute and convalescent phase serum samples of suspected chikungunya cases were used. All four assays were standardized by determining the optimal concentrations of the different reagents. Processing times were substantially reduced compared to the CDC-MAC-ELISA. For the MAC-ELISA systems, a sensitivity of 96.6% and 97.4%, and a specificity of 98.8% and 91.5% were obtained using mAb and hyperimmune serum, respectively, compared with the CDC method. Clinical evaluation of the four serological techniques versus the CDC real-time RT-PCR assay resulted in a sensitivity of 95.7% and a specificity of 88.8%-95.9%. Two MAC-ELISA and two IEM systems were standardized, demonstrating very good quality for chikungunya diagnosis and research demands. This will achieve more efficient epidemiological surveillance in Nicaragua, the first country in Central America to produce its own reagents for serological diagnosis of CHIKV. The methods evaluated here can be applied in other countries and will contribute to sustainable diagnostic systems to combat the disease.

Development of in-house serological methods for diagnosis and surveillance of chikungunya

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saira Saborío Galo

2017-08-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Objective To develop and evaluate serological methods for chikungunya diagnosis and research in Nicaragua. Methods Two IgM ELISA capture systems (MAC-ELISA for diagnosis of acute chikungunya virus (CHIKV infections, and two Inhibition ELISA Methods (IEM to measure total antibodies against CHIKV were developed using monoclonal antibodies (mAbs and hyperimmune serum at the National Virology Laboratory of Nicaragua in 2014–2015. The sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, and agreement of the MAC-ELISAs were obtained by comparing the results of 198 samples (116 positive; 82 negative with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s IgM ELISA (Atlanta, Georgia, United States; CDC-MAC-ELISA. For clinical evaluation of the four serological techniques, 260 paired acute and convalescent phase serum samples of suspected chikungunya cases were used. Results All four assays were standardized by determining the optimal concentrations of the different reagents. Processing times were substantially reduced compared to the CDC-MAC-ELISA. For the MAC-ELISA systems, a sensitivity of 96.6% and 97.4%, and a specificity of 98.8% and 91.5% were obtained using mAb and hyperimmune serum, respectively, compared with the CDC method. Clinical evaluation of the four serological techniques versus the CDC real-time RT-PCR assay resulted in a sensitivity of 95.7% and a specificity of 88.8%–95.9%. Conclusion Two MAC-ELISA and two IEM systems were standardized, demonstrating very good quality for chikungunya diagnosis and research demands. This will achieve more efficient epidemiological surveillance in Nicaragua, the first country in Central America to produce its own reagents for serological diagnosis of CHIKV. The methods evaluated here can be applied in other countries and will contribute to sustainable diagnostic systems to combat the disease.

Effect of feed restriction on reproductive and metabolic hormones in dairy cows.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferraretto, L F; Gencoglu, H; Hackbart, K S; Nascimento, A B; Dalla Costa, F; Bender, R W; Guenther, J N; Shaver, R D; Wiltbank, M C

2014-02-01

The objective of this trial was to evaluate the effects of feed restriction (FR) on serum glucose, nonesterified fatty acids, progesterone (P4), insulin, and milk production in dairy cows. Eight multiparous Holstein cows, 114 ± 14 d pregnant and 685 ± 39 kg of body weight, were randomly assigned to a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square design with 14-d periods. During the first 8 d of each period, cows in all treatments were fed for ad libitum feed intake. Beginning on d 9 of each period, cows received 1 of 4 treatments: ad libitum (AL), 25% feed restriction (25 FR), 50% feed restriction (50 FR), and 50% of TMR replaced with wheat straw (50 ST). Daily feed allowance was divided into 3 equal portions allocated every 8h with jugular blood samples collected immediately before each feeding through d 14. In addition, on d 12 of each period, blood samples were collected before and at 60, 120, 180, 240, 300, 360, 420, and 480 min after morning feeding. The conventional total mixed ration and total mixed ration with straw averaged 15.1 and 10.8%, 32.1 and 50.5%, and 26.8 and 17.0% for concentrations of crude protein, neutral detergent fiber, and starch, respectively. Cows that were feed and energy restricted had reduced dry matter intake, net energy for lactation intake, circulating glucose concentrations, and milk production, but greater body weight and body condition score losses than AL cows. Circulating concentrations of insulin were lower for cows fed 50 FR (8.27 μIU/mL) and 50 ST (6.24 μIU/mL) compared with cows fed AL (16.65 μIU/mL) and 25 FR (11.16 μIU/mL). Furthermore, the greatest plasma nonesterified fatty acids concentration was observed for 50 ST (647.7 μ Eq/L), followed by 50 FR (357.5 μEq/L), 25 FR (225.3 μEq/L), and AL (156.3 μEq/L). In addition, serum P4 concentration was lower for cows fed AL than cows fed 50 ST and 25 FR. Thus, FR reduced circulating glucose and insulin but increased P4 concentration, changes that may be positive in reproductive

33 CFR 157.156 - COW operations: Meeting manual requirements.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false COW operations: Meeting manual... CARRYING OIL IN BULK Crude Oil Washing (COW) System on Tank Vessels Cow Operations § 157.156 COW operations... COW system under §§ 157.10(e), 157.10a(a)(2), or 157.10c(b)(2) that has the Crude Oil Washing...

Cow?s milk allergy: evidence-based diagnosis and management for the practitioner

OpenAIRE

Lifschitz, Carlos; Szajewska, Hania

2014-01-01

This review summarizes current evidence and recommendations regarding cow?s milk allergy (CMA), the most common food allergy in young children, for the primary and secondary care providers. The diagnostic approach includes performing a medical history, physical examination, diagnostic elimination diets, skin prick tests, specific IgE measurements, and oral food challenges. Strict avoidance of the offending allergen is the only therapeutic option. Oral immunotherapy is being studied, but it is...

Cow-specific risk factors for clinical mastitis in Brazilian dairy cattle.

Science.gov (United States)

Oliveira, C S F; Hogeveen, H; Botelho, A M; Maia, P V; Coelho, S G; Haddad, J P A

2015-10-01

Information related to mastitis risk factors is useful for the design and implementation of clinical mastitis (CM) control programs. The first objective of our study was to model the risk of CM under Brazilian conditions, using cow-specific risk factors. Our second objective was to explore which risk factors were associated with the occurrence of the most common pathogens involved in Brazilian CM infections. The analyses were based on 65 months of data from 9,789 dairy cows and 12,464 CM cases. Cow-specific risk factors that could easily be measured in standard Brazilian dairy farms were used in the statistical analyses, which included logistic regression and multinomial logistic regression. The first month of lactation, high somatic cell count, rainy season and history of clinical mastitis cases were factors associated with CM for both primiparous and multiparous cows. In addition, parity and breed were also associated risk factors for multiparous cows. Of all CM cases, 54% showed positive bacteriological culturing results from which 57% were classified as environmental pathogens, with a large percentage of coliforms (35%). Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (16%), Streptococcus uberis (9%), Streptococcus agalactiae (7%) and other Streptococci (9%) were also common pathogens. Among the pathogens analyzed, the association of cow-specific risk factors, such as Zebu breed (OR=5.84, 95%CI 3.77-10.77) and accumulated history of SCC (1.76, 95%CI 1.37-2.27), was different for CM caused by Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus and S. agalactiae in comparison to CM caused by coliforms. Our results suggest that CM control programs in Brazil should specially consider the recent history of clinical mastitis cases and the beginning of the lactations, mainly during the rainy season as important risk factor for mastitis. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Metabolic stress and inflammatory response in high-yielding, periparturient dairy cows.

Science.gov (United States)

Trevisi, E; Amadori, M; Cogrossi, S; Razzuoli, E; Bertoni, G

2012-10-01

Increased disease rates are commonly reported among high-yielding dairy cows in the transition period, extending from 3 weeks before to 3 weeks after calving, and characterized by the occurrence of an inflammatory response in terms of both positive and negative acute phase proteins (APP+ and APP-). To determine the above inflammatory response, the authors had developed the Liver Functionality Index (LFI), which defines the above condition on the basis of some APP- responses (albumin, cholesterol sensu stricto+bilirubin) during the first month of lactation. In this respect, low LFI values are associated to a high inflammatory response and vice versa. The relationship between LFI and inflammatory cytokine response was investigated from day -28 to day +28 with respect to calving in 12 periparturient dairy cows showing the six highest and six lowest LFI values within a cohort of 54 high-yielding dairy cows. The hypothesis being tested was that LFI and APP- on the whole could be used as readout of successful vs. non-successful adaptation to the transition period, with a strong association to disease occurrence. In fact, low LFI cows experienced many more disease cases (13 vs. 3 in high LFI Group) and related drug treatments till day +28. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) serum concentrations were always higher in low LFI cows (Pcows at risk in the transition period toward an improved farm management. Also, our study indicates that disease cases in periparturient, high-yielding dairy cows are correlated with signs of accentuated IL-6 response and other markers of inflammatory phenomena. These likely start in the late lactation period or around dry-off, as suggested by our prepartal data, and proceed at much greater levels after calving. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Detection of Brucella sp. infection through serological, microbiological, and molecular methods applied to buffaloes in Maranhão State, Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

Dos Santos, Larissa Sarmento; Sá, Joicy Cortez; Dos Santos Ribeiro, Diego Luiz; Chaves, Nancyleni Pinto; da Silva Mol, Juliana Pinto; Santos, Renato Lima; da Paixão, Tatiane Alves; de Carvalho Neta, Alcina Vieira

2017-04-01

The aim of the current study is to diagnose Brucella spp. infection using methods such as serology, bacterial isolation, and molecular analysis in buffaloes bred in Maranhão State. In order to do so, 390 samples of buffalo serum were subjected to serological tests, to Rose Bengal Plate Test (RBPT) and to 2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME) combined with slow agglutination test (SAT). Vaginal swabs were collected from seropositive animals and subjected to bacterial isolation and to generic PCR. According to the serological test, 16 animals had a positive reaction to the confirmatory test (2-ME/SAT). As for bacterial isolation, three samples resulted in the isolation of Brucella spp.-characteristic colonies, which were confirmed through PCR. These results confirmed Brucella spp. infection in the buffalo herd from Maranhão State.

The management of isolated positive syphilis enzyme immunoassay results in HIV-negative patients attending a sexual health clinic.

Science.gov (United States)

Thorley, Nicola; Adebayo, Michael; Smit, Erasmus; Radcliffe, Keith

2016-08-01

An unconfirmed positive treponemal enzyme immunoassay (enzyme immunoassay positive, Treponema pallidum particle agglutination negative and rapid plasma reagin negative) presents a clinical challenge to distinguish early syphilis infection from false-positive results. These cases are referred for syphilis line assay (INNO-LIA) and recalled for repeat syphilis serology. We performed a retrospective audit to establish the proportion of HIV-negative cases with unconfirmed positive enzyme immunoassay results, the proportion of these cases that received an INNO-LIA test and repeat syphilis serology testing and reviewed the clinical outcomes; 0.35% (80/22687) cases had an unconfirmed positive treponemal enzyme immunoassay result. Repeat syphilis serology was performed in 80% (64/80) cases, but no additional cases of syphilis were identified. Eighty-eight per cent (70/80) received an INNO-LIA test; 14% (5/37) unconfirmed enzyme immunoassay-positive cases with no prior history of syphilis were confirmed on INNO-LIA assay, supporting a diagnosis of latent syphilis. As a confirmatory treponemal test, the INNO-LIA assay may be more useful than repeat syphilis serological testing. © The Author(s) 2016.

Cow cleanliness and digital dermatitis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Bodil Højlund

2012-01-01

and therefore has a major impact on economics and cow welfare. Moist and unhygienic conditions in the cows’ surroundings are considered as important risk factors for DD partly because this can disturb the skin barrier and make the animals more susceptible to infection and partly because the environment might...... act as an infection reservoir. Measures of cow leg cleanliness can be used as a proxy of the hygienic conditions on the floors. Nonetheless, only few studies have used direct measures of cleanliness in association with the risk of DD. Also, little is known about what factors can influence the cow leg...... cleanliness. More knowledge on these aspects will increase our understanding of the disease epidemiology and is essential to improve the success of controlling DD at the herd level. Therefore, the objectives of the present PhD thesis were 1) To investigate the relationship between cow leg cleanliness and DD...

Oxidative stress and antioxidant status in dairy cows during prepartal and postpartal periods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jana Konvičná

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of the present study was to evaluate the indicators of oxidative stress (malondialdehyde [MDA] and antioxidant status (ferric reducing ability of plasma [FRAP]; superoxide dismutase [SOD]; glutathione peroxidase [GSH-Px]; selenium [Se]; vitamin E in dairy cows of the Slovak Pied cattle from 3 weeks before parturition to 9 weeks after parturition. The mean MDA concentration was significantly (P P P P < 0.05 were recorded between Se and vitamin E (r = 0.897, SOD and GSH-Px (r = 0.903, while Se and GSH-Px had no significantly positive correlation (r = 0.520. Significant changes between MDA and indicators of oxidative stress (SOD, GSH-Px, vitamin E confirm that during parturition and onset of lactation, oxidative stress occurs in dairy cows. Exposure of peripartal cows to oxidative stress may cause an increased incidence of metabolic diseases.

Factors affecting the reproductive potential of dairy cows

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Folman, Y.; Rosenberg, M.; Kaim, M.

1990-01-01

Various factors that affect fertility were examined in high yielding dairy cows. In cows treated for the synchronization of oestrous cycles, manifestation of oestrus following synchronization treatment was affected by the body condition score in the winter; 74% of the cows had a low score. Primiparous cows that were thin or fat had a low conception rate. The conception rate of multiparous cows with different body condition scores did not differ in the winter. However, in the summer, thin, medium-low, medium-high and fat cows had a conception rate of 15, 36, 48 and 27%, respectively (P 4 ) levels five days before the first post-partum AI affected conception rates. Primiparous cows with low (≤2 ng/mL), medium (2.1-4.0 ng/mL) and high (≥4.1 ng/mL) P 4 levels had a conception rate of 28, 17 and 61%, respectively (P 4 had a conception rate of 25, 46 and 52%, respectively (P<0.02). Cows in their fifth or later lactation that were fed straw as their sole roughage had a conception rate of 23% and a 120 day pregnancy rate of 23%. Cows of the same parities that were fed hay had a conception rate of 50% (P<0.05) and a pregnancy rate of 80% (P<0.005). (author). 15 refs, 5 tabs

Serological diagnosis of paracoccidioidomycosis: high rate of inter-laboratorial variability among medical mycology reference centers.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Monica Scarpelli Martinelli Vidal

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Serological tests have long been established as rapid, simple and inexpensive tools for the diagnosis and follow-up of PCM. However, different protocols and antigen preparations are used and the few attempts to standardize the routine serological methods have not succeeded.We compared the performance of six Brazilian reference centers for serological diagnosis of PCM. Each center provided 30 sera of PCM patients, with positive high, intermediate and low titers, which were defined as the "reference" titers. Each center then applied its own antigen preparation and serological routine test, either semiquantitative double immunodifusion or counterimmmunoelectrophoresis, in the 150 sera from the other five centers blindly as regard to the "reference" titers. Titers were transformed into scores: 0 (negative, 1 (healing titers, 2 (active disease, low titers and 3 (active disease, high titers according to each center's criteria. Major discordances were considered between scores indicating active disease and scores indicating negative or healing titers; such discordance when associated with proper clinical and other laboratorial data, may correspond to different approaches to the patient's treatment. Surprisingly, all centers exhibited a high rate of "major" discordances with a mean of 31 (20% discordant scores. Alternatively, when the scores given by one center to their own sera were compared with the scores given to their sera by the remaining five other centers, a high rate of major discordances was also found, with a mean number of 14.8 sera in 30 presenting a discordance with at least one other center. The data also suggest that centers that used CIE and pool of isolates for antigen preparation performed better.There are inconsistencies among the laboratories that are strong enough to result in conflicting information regarding the patients' treatment. Renewed efforts should be promoted to improve standardization of the serological diagnosis of PCM.

Clinical ketosis and standing behavior in transition cows.

Science.gov (United States)

Itle, A J; Huzzey, J M; Weary, D M; von Keyserlingk, M A G

2015-01-01

Ketosis is a common disease in dairy cattle, especially in the days after calving, and it is often undiagnosed. The objective of this study was to compare the standing behavior of dairy cows with and without ketosis during the days around calving to determine if changes in this behavior could be useful in the early identification of sick cows. Serum β-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA) was measured in 184 cows on a commercial dairy farm twice weekly from 2 to 21d after calving. Standing behavior was measured from 7d before calving to 21d after calving using data loggers. Retrospectively, 15 cows with clinical ketosis (3 consecutive BHBA samples >1.2mmol/L and at least one sample of BHBA >2.9mmol/L) were matched with 15 nonketotic cows (BHBA ketosis occurred 4.5±2.1d after calving. Total daily standing time was longer for clinically ketotic cows compared with nonketotic cows during wk -1 (14.3±0.6 vs. 12.0±0.7h/d) and on d 0 (17.2±0.9 vs. 12.7±0.9h/d) but did not differ during the other periods. Clinically ketotic cows exhibited fewer standing bouts compared with nonketotic cows on d 0 only (14.6±1.9 vs. 20.9±1.8bouts/d). Average standing bout duration was also longer for clinically ketotic cows on d 0 compared with nonketotic cows [71.3min/bout (CI: 59.3 to 85.5) vs. 35.8min/bout (CI: 29.8 to 42.9)] but was not different during the other periods. Differences in standing behavior in the week before and on the day of calving may be useful for the early detection of clinical ketosis in dairy cows. Copyright © 2015 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The significance of allergic contact urticaria to milk in children with cow's milk allergy.

Science.gov (United States)

Schichter-Konfino, Vered; Almog, Meital; Bamberger, Ellen; Berkowitz, Drora; Kessel, Aharon

2015-05-01

Cow's milk allergy (CMA) is the most common food allergy in infancy. Food allergy is generally triggered through ingestion, but can also be triggered through skin contact. We investigated the incidence and the clinical significance of cow's milk protein (CMP)-induced contact urticaria in individuals with CMA with and without atopic dermatitis (AD). A total of 157 children of whom 133 were diagnosed with CMA were participated. The study was based on observational data gathered in the course of patient care, including a skin prick test and a 'finger test', in which cow's milk is applied on the cheek by a physician's finger to detect contact urticaria. Eighty nine of 133 patients (66.9%) had IgE-mediated CMA. Forty of these 89 (44.9%) tested positive in the finger test. Family atopy was higher in those with positive contact urticaria [21/40 (52.5%) vs. 14/49 (28.5%), p = 0.029]. Patients with positive vs. negative CMP contact urticaria had higher incidence of multiple food allergies [20 of 40 (50%) vs. 7/49 (14.3%), p milk allergy and healthy control group did not have contact urticaria to CMP. CMP contact urticaria exists only in patients with IgE-mediated CMA. A 'finger test' to CMP should be part of the evaluation of CMA patients, and positivity suggests the potential for multiple food allergies, especially to sesame and egg. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A nested-PCR strategy for molecular diagnosis of mollicutes in uncultured biological samples from cows with vulvovaginitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Voltarelli, Daniele Cristina; de Alcântara, Brígida Kussumoto; Lunardi, Michele; Alfieri, Alice Fernandes; de Arruda Leme, Raquel; Alfieri, Amauri Alcindo

2018-01-01

Bacteria classified in Mycoplasma (M. bovis and M. bovigenitalium) and Ureaplasma (U. diversum) genera are associated with granular vulvovaginitis that affect heifers and cows at reproductive age. The traditional means for detection and speciation of mollicutes from clinical samples have been culture and serology. However, challenges experienced with these laboratory methods have hampered assessment of their impact in pathogenesis and epidemiology in cattle worldwide. The aim of this study was to develop a PCR strategy to detect and primarily discriminate between the main species of mollicutes associated with reproductive disorders of cattle in uncultured clinical samples. In order to amplify the 16S-23S rRNA internal transcribed spacer region of the genome, a consensual and species-specific nested-PCR assay was developed to identify and discriminate between main species of mollicutes. In addition, 31 vaginal swab samples from dairy and beef affected cows were investigated. This nested-PCR strategy was successfully employed in the diagnosis of single and mixed mollicute infections of diseased cows from cattle herds from Brazil. The developed system enabled the rapid and unambiguous identification of the main mollicute species known to be associated with this cattle reproductive disorder through differential amplification of partial fragments of the ITS region of mollicute genomes. The development of rapid and sensitive tools for mollicute detection and discrimination without the need for previous cultures or sequencing of PCR products is a high priority for accurate diagnosis in animal health. Therefore, the PCR strategy described herein may be helpful for diagnosis of this class of bacteria in genital swabs submitted to veterinary diagnostic laboratories, not demanding expertise in mycoplasma culture and identification. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of intrauterine infusion of Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide on uterine health, resolution of purulent vaginal discharge, and reproductive performance of lactating dairy cows.

Science.gov (United States)

Moraes, João G N; Silva, Paula R B; Mendonça, Luís G D; Scanavez, Alexandre A; Silva, Joseane C C; Chebel, Ricardo C

2017-06-01

The objectives of the current experiment were to evaluate the effects of intrauterine infusion of Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in cows diagnosed with purulent vaginal discharge (PVD) on intrauterine cell population, resolution of PVD, uterine health, and reproductive performance. Jersey cows (n = 3,084) were examined using the Metricheck device to diagnose PVD at 35 ± 6 d postpartum. Purulent vaginal discharge was defined as the presence of purulent (≥50% pus) discharge detectable in the vagina. Of the 310 cows positive for PVD, 267 cows were enrolled in the current experiment. To ensure proper timing of treatment and collection of samples, only 9 PVD-positive cows were treated per day. Selected cows were balanced at 35 ± 6 d postpartum for lactation number, body condition score, and milk yield and were randomly assigned to receive an intrauterine infusion of 20 mL of phosphate-buffered saline (PBS; control, n = 87), 20 mL of PBS with 150 µg LPS (LPS150, n = 91), or 20 mL of PBS with 300 µg of LPS (LPS300, n = 89). Uterine cytology was performed immediately before treatment and 1, 2, and 7 d after treatment to evaluate the effect of LPS treatment on intrauterine cell population. Cows were examined with the Metricheck device at 7 and 28 d after treatment to evaluate the effects of treatment on resolution of PVD. Reproductive status was recorded up to 200 d postpartum. Cows diagnosed with PVD had greater incidence of twinning, dystocia, retained placenta, and metritis after calving than cows without PVD. Count of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNL) in uterine cytology 1, 2, and 7 d after intrauterine infusion was not statistically different among treatments. From d 0 to 1, however, PMNL count in uterine cytology of PBS cows increased by 5%, whereas the PMNL count in uterine cytology of LPS150 and LPS300 cows increased by 54 and 48%, respectively. Treatment did not affect the likelihood of cows being diagnosed with PVD 7 and 28 d after intrauterine

Cow Effects and Estimation of Success of First and Following Inseminations in Dutch Dairy Cows

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Inchaisri, C.; Jorritsma, R.; Vernooij, J.C.M.; Vos, P.L.A.M.; Weijden, van der G.C.; Hogeveen, H.

2011-01-01

The objective of this research was to determine the contribution of cow factors to the probability of successful insemination accounting for the serial number of inseminations in analysis. The investigation was performed with 101 297 insemination records in 51 525 lactations of different cows from

Prevalence of Giardia duodenalis assemblages in weaned cattle on cow-calf operations in the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Santin, Monica; Dargatz, David; Fayer, Ronald

2012-02-10

To determine the prevalence of Giardia duodenalis in weaned beef calves on cow-calf operations in the United States, fecal specimens were collected from 819 calves (6-18 months of age) from 49 operations. After cleaning and concentration procedures to maximize recovery of cysts from feces, DNA was extracted from each of the 819 specimens. The presence of G. duodenalis was determined by nested PCR of a fragment of the SSU rRNA gene. All positive PCR products were subjected to sequence analysis. The overall sample level prevalence of Giardia was 33.5% with prevalence ranging from 0 to 100% among operations. The highest within herd prevalence of infected beef calves was found in one cow-calf operation from the South region (100%), followed by a cow-calf operation from the West region (90%), and three cow-calf operations from the Midwest region (87.5, 85, and 85%). Giardia was not detected in samples from 7 operations including 5 cow-calf operations from the South region, and 1 cow-calf operation each from the Midwest and West regions. Molecular analysis of the Giardia-positive samples identified assemblage E (or E-like) in 31.7% of all samples (260/819) and assemblage A in 1.2% (10/819). A mixed infection with assemblages A and E was observed in four calves from an operation in Midwest region. The potentially zoonotic assemblage A was detected in specimens from four operations in Midwest region. These findings indicate that most G. duodenalis found in weaned beef calves was assemblage E which represents no known zoonotic threat. However, the presence of assemblage A in a small number of animals poses a potential risk of infection to humans. Published by Elsevier B.V.

PRODUKSI ANTISERUM DAN KAJIAN SEROLOGI CHRYSANTHEMUM B CARLAVIRUS (CVB

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I G.R.M. Temaja, G. Suastika S.H. Hidayat & U. Kartosuwondo .

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Antiserum production and serological assay of Chrysanthemum B Carlavirus (CVB. Virus identification based on spesific reaction between antigen and antibody  in serological assay has been widely applied as a tool for plant virus detection. The aims of this research is  to produce  antiserum of the CVB by  guinea pig immunization using  purified CVB of Cianjur isolate. The antiserum   was used further  for  the  serological test. Serological methods for detection of CVB were I-ELISA, TBIA, western blot and ISEM. The result showed that  guinea pig immunization  using 150 µg of purified virus was able to produce 10.75 ml of antiserum. The antiserum produced had high sensitivity for detection of CVB when examined by I-ELISA and TBIA. Besides its low cost, TBIA allows the samples to be blotted on the nitrocellulose membranes in the field and storage of the membranes for later processing in the laboratory. This feature makes it the metode of  choice for large-scale CVB surveying.

Production performance of lactating dairy cows at pasture fed concentrate supplemented with licuri oil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luciano dos Santos Lima

2011-12-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to determine the optimal level of licuri oil to use in the concentrate of lactating dairy cows on pasture, through growth performance, feed conversion and cost of the supplementation. A total of 16 dairy cows, Holstein × Zebu crossbreed, were kept on Tanzania grass pasture. Cows were divided into four Latin squares, 4 × 4, formed by four experimental periods of 21 days, divided into 17 days for adaptation and four days for data collection. Cows received three kg of concentrate per day at the time of milking, and the treatments consisted of four diets containing licuri oil at levels of 0.0, 1.5, 3.0, and 4.5% of the concentrated dry matter. There was a linear increase in the daily milk yield, corrected to 3.5% fat, and an improvement in the feed conversion of the dry matter and neutral detergent fiber with the inclusion of the licuri oil. The optimal level of licuri oil was 1.5% of the concentrated DM for dairy cows on pasture, whose level has the best profit sale of milk, with positive results in the corrected daily milk production and conversion of the feed nutrients.

Relevance of and New Developments in Serology for Toxoplasmosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Dard, Céline; Fricker-Hidalgo, Hélène; Brenier-Pinchart, Marie-Pierre; Pelloux, Hervé

2016-06-01

Toxoplasmosis is a widespread parasitic disease caused by the intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii with a wide spectrum of clinical outcomes. The biological diagnosis of toxoplasmosis is often difficult and of paramount importance because clinical features are not sufficient to discriminate between toxoplasmosis and other illnesses. Serological tests are the most widely used biological tools for the diagnosis of toxoplasmosis worldwide. This review focuses on the crucial role of serology in providing answers to the most important questions related to the epidemiology and diagnosis of toxoplasmosis in human pathology. Notwithstanding their undeniable importance, serological tools need to be continuously improved and the interpretation of the ensuing results remains complex in many circumstances. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Supplementation of organic and inorganic selenium to late gestation and early lactation beef cows effect on cow and preweaning calf performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Muegge, C R; Brennan, K M; Schoonmaker, J P

2016-08-01

Angus × Simmental cows ( = 48; BW = 595 ± 17.4 kg, BCS = 5.26 ± 0.05, and age = 2.3 ± 0.07 yr), pregnant with male fetuses, were used to determine the effect of Se source during the last 80 d of gestation and first 108 d of lactation on cow and calf performance. At 203 d in gestation, cows were blocked by BW, breed composition, age, and calf sire and randomly allotted to organic Se, inorganic Se, or no Se treatments. Diets contained corn silage, corn stover, haylage, dried distillers' grains with solubles, and minerals and were formulated to contain 10.4% CP and 0.90 Mcal/kg NEg during gestation and 12.1% CP and 1.01 Mcal/kg NEg during lactation. Diets were fed daily as a total mixed ration and none, 3 mg/d Se as sodium selenite, or 3 mg/d Se as Sel-Plex were top-dressed daily. At 68 d postpartum (DPP), milk production was calculated using the weigh-suckle-weigh procedure and a milk sample was collected to determine composition. At 108 DPP, cow-calf pairs were commingled until weaning at 210 DPP. Cow BW and BCS ( ≥ 0.56) did not differ between treatments at any time point during the study. Milk production, milk fat, and total solids ( ≥ 0.38) did not differ among treatments. Milk protein tended to increase in cows fed inorganic Se compared with cows fed organic Se ( = 0.07) and milk lactose tended to be greatest in cows fed organic Se ( = 0.10). Conception to AI and overall pregnancy rates did not differ between treatments ( ≥ 0.39). Calf weights and ADG did not differ through 108 DPP ( ≥ 0.77) or for the preweaning period ( ≥ 0.33). Plasma Se concentration was adequate for all cows and did not differ among treatments for cows ( ≥ 0.37) or calves ( ≥ 0.90). Liver Se concentrations in cows fed inorganic or organic Se were greater than in control cows ( < 0.01). Longissimus muscles biopsies taken from progeny at 108 DPP also did not differ between treatments ( = 0.45). In conclusion, dietary Se source did not affect cow performance, milk production

Comparison of cephalonium alone and in combination with an internal teat sealant for dry cow therapy in seasonally calving dairy cows.

Science.gov (United States)

Bates, A J; Chambers, G; Laven, R A

2016-03-01

To assess the effect of combining an internal teat sealant (ITS) and a long-acting cephalonium-based dry cow therapy (DCT) on the prevalence of cows with a somatic cell count (SCC) >150,000 cells/mL 60-80 days after calving, and the incidence of clinical mastitis diagnosed by farm staff in the first 100 days after calving. Cows from a spring-calving, pasture-based, dairy farm in the South Canterbury region of New Zealand were randomly allocated to receive cephalonium DCT (n=289) or cephalonium and internal teat sealant (n=304) at the end of lactation. Cows were inspected twice daily by farm staff during the dry period and following calving for signs of mastitis. Individual SCC were determined from herd tests conducted in the previous lactation and following calving. Logistic regression models were used to determine relationships with the prevalence of cows with a SCC >150,000 cells/mL after calving, and survival analysis was used to model time to the first case of clinical mastitis following calving at the cow and quarter level. The OR for a cow with a SCC >150,000 cells/mL after calving, including age and individual SCC in the preceding lactation in the model, was 0.53 (95% CI=0.32-0.89) for cows treated with combination therapy compared to cows receiving cephalonium (p=0.017). At the cow level, including age and preceding SCC in the model, the hazard ratio for diagnosis of clinical mastitis by farm staff in the first 100 days of lactation was 0.60 (95% CI=0.39-0.98) for cows treated with combination therapy compared to cows receiving cephalonium (p=0.04). At the quarter level, the hazard ratio for diagnosis of clinical mastitis, with age included in the model, was 0.41 (95% CI=0.23-0.74) for the combination therapy compared to cephalonium alone (pmastitis diagnosed by farm staff in the 100 days after calving, and the prevalence of cows with a SCC >150,000 cells/mL 60-80 days after calving. This study adds to the evidence that the prevention of intra mammary

The impact of body condition after calving on metabolism and milk progesterone profiles in two breeds of dairy cows.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Hara, Lisa A; Båge, Renée; Holtenius, Kjell

2016-10-20

Optimal body condition in early lactation is generally accepted as a prerequisite for good reproductive performance. Examination of milk progesterone profiles offers an objective method for characterization of postpartum ovarian activity in dairy cows. The present study investigated the relationship between body condition after calving, some metabolic parameters in blood plasma, and fertility, as reflected by milk progesterone profiles in the two dairy breeds Swedish Red (SR) and Swedish Holstein (SH). Multiparous dairy cows (n = 73) of SR and SH breeds were selected and divided into three groups based on their body condition score (BCS) after parturition. Selected plasma metabolites were determined, milk progesterone profiles were identified and body condition was scored. Over-conditioned cows and atypical progesterone profiles were more common among SR cows. Insulin sensitivity was lower and IGF 1 higher among SR cows. Insulin was positively related to body condition, but not related to breed. Atypical progesterone profiles were more common and insulin sensitivity lower in SR than in SH cows, but the SR breed had a higher proportion of over-conditioned SR cows. It is reasonable to assume that breed differences in body condition contributed to these results.

Detection of relevant amounts of cow's milk protein in non-pre-packed bakery products sold as cow's milk-free.

Science.gov (United States)

Trendelenburg, V; Enzian, N; Bellach, J; Schnadt, S; Niggemann, B; Beyer, K

2015-05-01

Currently, there is no mandatory labelling of allergens for non-pre-packed foods in the EU. Therefore, consumers with food allergy rely on voluntary information provided by the staff. The aim of this study was to characterize allergic reactions to non-pre-packed foods and to investigate whether staff in bakery shops were able to give advice regarding a safe product choice. Questionnaires were sent to 200 parents of children with a food allergy. Staff of 50 bakery shops were interviewed regarding selling non-pre-packed foods to food-allergic customers. Bakery products being recommended as 'cow's milk-free' were bought, and cow's milk protein levels were measured using ELISA. A total of 104 of 200 questionnaires were returned. 25% of the children experienced an allergic reaction due to a non-pre-packed food from bakery shops and 20% from ice cream parlours. Sixty percent of the bakery staff reported serving food-allergic customers at least once a month, 24% once a week. Eighty four percent of the staff felt able to advise food-allergic consumers regarding a safe product choice. Seventy three 'cow's milk-free' products were sold in 44 bakery shops. Cow's milk could be detected in 43% of the bakery products, 21% contained >3 mg cow's milk protein per serving. Staff in bakery shops felt confident about advising customers with food allergy. However, cow's milk was detectable in almost half of bakery products being sold as 'cow's milk-free'. Every fifth product contained quantities of cow's milk exceeding an amount where approximately 10% of cow's milk-allergic children will show clinical relevant symptoms. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Behaviour around the time of calving in dairy cows

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Margit Bak

2012-01-01

. Within minutes after calving cows stood up and licked their calves; second parity cows had a longer latency to stand than later parity cows. Sniffing and licking the calf peaked during the first hour after calving and decreased during the five successive hours, while calves’ sniffing the cow peaked...

Baja frecuencia de positividad serológica en pacientes con biopsias histológicamente compatibles con enfermedad celiaca en Perú Low serological positivy in patients with histology compatible with celiac disease in Perú

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F. Arévalo

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Objetivo: estudiar la frecuencia de positividad de las pruebas serológicas en pacientes con biopsias compatible con enfermedad celiaca. Material y métodos: estudio transversal. Se incluyeron pacientes con biopsia duodenal histológicamente compatible con enfermedad celiaca y determinación de anticuerpos antigliadina, antiendomisio y antitransglutaminasa IgA. Definimos como caso de enfermedad celiaca a quienes tuvieran biopsia positiva y anticuerpos antiendomisio y/o antitransglutaminasa positivos. Resultados: 31 pacientes fueron incluidos de los cuales 6 fueron antiendomisio positivo, 5 fueron antitransglutaminasa positivo y antigliadina fue positivo en 14. Por lo tanto de 31 pacientes con cambios histológicos compatibles con enfermedad celiaca sólo 10 tuvieron serología diagnóstica. Sólo uno de los pacientes tuvo positividad tanto para antitransglutaminasa como para antiendomisio. Conclusiones: a encontramos que la mayoría de biopsias de duodeno con un cuadro histológico sugerente de enfermedad celiaca no se corresponden con serología diagnóstica de esta enfermedad; b encontramos baja coincidencia en la positividad serológica entre antiendomisio y antitransglutaminasa.Objective: to study the frequency of positive serology for celiac disease (CD in patients with duodenal biopsies suggestive of this disease. Material and methods: cross sectional study. We included patients with duodenal biopsies histologically compatible with CD and antigliadin, antiendomysial and IgA antitransglutaminase antibodies. We defined a "case" of CD if there was a positive biopsy and either antiendomisial or antitransglutaminase positive antibodies. Results: thirty one patients were included in our study. Six were antiendomysial positive and 5 antitransglutaminase positive while the antigliadin was positive in 14 cases. Therefore, out of 31 patients only 10 had a serology compatible with CD and only one had positive both antibodies, antiendomysial and

Prevalence of hepatitis A, B and C serological markers in children from western Mexico.

Science.gov (United States)

Escobedo-Meléndez, Griselda; Fierro, Nora A; Roman, Sonia; Maldonado-González, Monserrat; Zepeda-Carrillo, Eloy; Panduro, Arturo

2012-01-01

Viral hepatitis in children is a major public health problem worldwide. To evaluate the prevalence of serological markers for hepatitis A, B and C infections in Mexican children diagnosed with hepatitis during a five-year period. A total of 31,818 children admitted to a tertiary level hospital in Mexico from 2005 to 2009 were evaluated for hepatitis. Hepatitis was found in 215 (0.7%) of the children. Serum samples from hepatitis-positive children were screened for anti-HAV IgM, HBsAg, total anti-HBc and anti-HCV. HAV was the leading cause of viral hepatitis (81%), followed by HBV and HCV (3.1 and 2%, respectively), whereas no serological marker was observed in 13.9% of the analyzed samples. Furthermore, when children were categorized by age, a significant increase in anti-HAV detection was observed in school-aged children (7-11 years old) (p hepatitis A is the most prevalent viral hepatitis infection detected in children, followed by HBV and HCV. In addition, the high percentage of hepatitis infections without a known etiological agent and the serological test limitations require the detection of occult HBV, HCV and hepatitis E infections. The age-dependent vulnerability of groups with HAV infections emphasizes the importance of HAV vaccination in young children in Mexico.

Lameness Detection in Dairy Cows: Part 1. How to Distinguish between Non-Lame and Lame Cows Based on Differences in Locomotion or Behavior

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Annelies Van Nuffel

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Due to its detrimental effect on cow welfare, health and production, lameness in dairy cows has received quite a lot of attention in the last few decades—not only in terms of prevention and treatment of lameness but also in terms of detection, as early treatment might decrease the number of severely lame cows in the herds as well as decrease the direct and indirect costs associated with lameness cases. Generally, lame cows are detected by the herdsman, hoof trimmer or veterinarian based on abnormal locomotion, abnormal behavior or the presence of hoof lesions during routine trimming. In the scientific literature, several guidelines are proposed to detect lame cows based on visual interpretation of the locomotion of individual cows (i.e., locomotion scoring systems. Researchers and the industry have focused on automating such observations to support the farmer in finding the lame cows in their herds, but until now, such automated systems have rarely been used in commercial herds. This review starts with the description of normal locomotion of cows in order to define ‘abnormal’ locomotion caused by lameness. Cow locomotion (gait and posture and behavioral features that change when a cow becomes lame are described and linked to the existing visual scoring systems. In addition, the lack of information of normal cow gait and a clear description of ‘abnormal’ gait are discussed. Finally, the different set-ups used during locomotion scoring and their influence on the resulting locomotion scores are evaluated.

Effect of core body temperature, time of day, and climate conditions on behavioral patterns of lactating dairy cows experiencing mild to moderate heat stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Allen, J D; Hall, L W; Collier, R J; Smith, J F

2015-01-01

Cattle show several responses to heat load, including spending more time standing. Little is known about what benefit this may provide for the animals. Data from 3 separate cooling management trials were analyzed to investigate the relationship between behavioral patterns in lactating dairy cows experiencing mild to moderate heat stress and their body temperature. Cows (n=157) were each fitted with a leg data logger that measured position and an intravaginal data logger that measures core body temperature (CBT). Ambient conditions were also collected. All data were standardized to 5-min intervals, and information was divided into several categories: when standing and lying bouts were initiated and the continuance of each bout (7,963 lying and 6,276 standing bouts). In one location, cows were continuously subjected to heat-stress levels according to temperature-humidity index (THI) range (THI≥72). The THI range for the other 2 locations was below and above a heat-stress threshold of 72 THI. Overall and regardless of period of day, cows stood up at greater CBT compared with continuing to stand or switching to a lying position. In contrast, cows lay down at lower CBT compared with continuing to lie or switching to a standing position, and lying bouts lasted longer when cows had lower CBT. Standing bouts also lasted longer when cattle had greater CBT, and they were less likely to lie down (less than 50% of lying bouts initiated) when their body temperature was over 38.8°C. Also, cow standing behavior was affected once THI reached 68. Increasing CBT decreased lying duration and increased standing duration. A CBT of 38.93°C marked a 50% likelihood a cow would be standing. This is the first physiological evidence that standing may help cool cows and provides insight into a communally observed behavioral response to heat. Copyright © 2015 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Modelling Cow Behaviour Using Stochastic Automata

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jónsson, Ragnar Ingi

This report covers an initial study on the modelling of cow behaviour using stochastic automata with the aim of detecting lameness. Lameness in cows is a serious problem that needs to be dealt with because it results in less profitable production units and in reduced quality of life...... for the affected livestock. By featuring training data consisting of measurements of cow activity, three different models are obtained, namely an autonomous stochastic automaton, a stochastic automaton with coinciding state and output and an autonomous stochastic automaton with coinciding state and output, all...... of which describe the cows' activity in the two regarded behavioural scenarios, non-lame and lame. Using the experimental measurement data the different behavioural relations for the two regarded behavioural scenarios are assessed. The three models comprise activity within last hour, activity within last...

[Serological diagnosis of congenital infections and algorithms to improve diagnostic efficacy].

Science.gov (United States)

García-Bermejo, Isabel; de Ory-Manchón, Fernando

2015-07-01

Congenital infection is those transmitted by the mother to the fetus before delivery. It can occur transplacentally or by direct contact with the pathogen during birth or in the immediate postnatal period. Congenital infection can be due to viruses (rubella, cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex, varicella-zoster, hepatitis B and C virus, human inunodeficiencia, erythrovirus B19) as bacteria (Treponema pallidum) and parasites (Toxoplasma gondii and Trypanosoma cruzi). Serological diagnosis of congenital infection is based on both the knowledge of infectious serology in the mother, including the systematic serological screening and diagnostic aspects of the determination of IgM and confirmatory methods, IgG avidity tests, establishment of antibody profiles, and in the diagnosis the neonate. Serological diagnosis of congenital infection in the newborn is mainly based on the detection of specific IgM usually by immunoenzymatic assays or immunochemiluminescence techniques. In some instances it is important to perform the serological follow up of the newborn to confirm the congenital infection. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Methods and Software Architecture for Activity Recognition from Position Data

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Godsk, Torben

This thesis describes my studies on the subject of recognizing cow activities from satellite based position data. The studies comprise methods and software architecture for activity recognition from position data, applied to cow activity recognition. The development of methods and software....... The results of these calculations are applied to a given standard machine learning algorithm, and the activity, performed by the cow as the measurements were recorded, is recognized. The software architecture integrates these methods and ensures flexible activity recognition. For instance, it is flexible...... in relation to the use of different sensors modalities and/or within different domains. In addition, the methods and their integration with the software architecture ensures both robust and accurate activity recognition. Utilized, it enables me to classify the five activities robustly and with high success...

33 CFR 157.148 - COW system: Evidence for inspections.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false COW system: Evidence for... CARRYING OIL IN BULK Crude Oil Washing (COW) System on Tank Vessels Inspections § 157.148 COW system... inspector evidence that the COW system has been installed in accordance with the plans accepted under § 157...

Prevalence of cervicitis in dairy cows and its effect on reproduction.

Science.gov (United States)

Hartmann, D; Rohkohl, J; Merbach, S; Heilkenbrinker, T; Klindworth, H P; Schoon, H A; Hoedemaker, M

2016-01-15

The objective of this study was to determine whether cervicitis in dairy cows is an independent disease or occurs concomitantly with inflammation of the uterus, and to clarify possible effects of cervicitis on reproductive performance. Dairy cows (n = 416) from 33 dairy farms were examined by rectal palpation and vaginoscopy between 42 and 50 days postpartum. Inclusion criteria for this study were absence of abnormal vaginal discharge and abnormalities of the uterus (fluctuation) at rectal palpation. Cervicitis was diagnosed when the second cervical fold was swollen and prolapsed with (C2) or without (C1) reddening. Cytobrush samples from the uterus (n = 370) and the cervix (n = 402) were collected, and the percentage of neutrophils in the uterus (PMNU) and the cervix as indicators of inflammation (threshold: ≥5%) was determined. In addition, endometrial biopsies for histology were collected, 300 of which were suitable for evaluation. Cervicitis (C1/C2) was diagnosed in 253 of 416 (60.8%) of cows. Of these, the prolapsed cervical mucosa was hyperemic (C2) in 29.1% of cases. Of 370 available uterine cytology samples, 221 cows had a clinical cervicitis; however, 170 (76.9%) had PMNU less than 5%. Of 300 uterine histologic examinations, 82 (27.3%) did not reveal any abnormalities; the remaining cows either had uterine inflammation and/or degenerative uterine changes such as endometriosis and angiosclerosis. Furthermore, of 300 biopsied animals, 184 revealed a cervicitis (C1/C2); however, 30.4% of these animals had no histopathologic uterine findings. For further analysis, only animals either without histopathologic findings and normal uterine cytology or with solely endometritis (defined as PMNU ≥ 5% and/or positive histopathology of the uterine tissue) were evaluated (n = 157). Of these, 95 cows had cervicitis. Unexpectedly, 63 of 95 (66.3%) cows had cervicitis without endometritis. With regard to reproductive performance, days to first service were

Effects of different starch sources on metabolic profile, production and fertility parameters in dairy cows.

Science.gov (United States)

Mikuła, R; Nowak, W; Jaśkowski, J M; Maćkowiak, P; Oszmałek, E Pruszyńska

2011-01-01

The objective of the study was to determine the effect of replacing triticale (high rumen degradable starch) with maize grain (low rumen degradable starch) during the transition period and the first 120 days of lactation on metabolic and hormonal profile indices, milk production and fertility performance in cows. Forty-eight Holstein-Friesian dairy cows were divided into 4 groups: TT (2.5 kg triticale grain/cow per day supplemented from 14 days prepartum to day 120 postpartum), TM (2.5 kg triticale grain/cow per day supplemented from day 14 before parturition to calving, and then 2.5 kg maize grain to 120 days of lactation), MT (2.5 kg maize grain/cow per day supplemented from day 14 before parturition to calving, and then 2.5 kg triticale grain to 120 days of lactation), MM (2.5 kg maize grain/cow per day supplemented from 14 days prepartum to day 120 postpartum). Blood samples were collected 3 weeks and 1 week before calving and on days 14, 56 and 70 of lactation, and they were analyzed in terms of concentrations of glucose, insulin, leptin, insulin-like growth factor I, nonesterified fatty acids, triglycerides, cholesterol, blood urea nitrogen and activities of aspartate aminotransferase and gamma glutamyl transpeptidase. Milk samples were collected twice a day at weekly intervals and analyzed for fat, protein and lactose. Milk yield and individual dry mater intake were recorded at weekly intervals. Body condition was estimated 3 weeks before calving, on parturition day and on days 14, 56 and 120 of lactation. Replacing triticale grain with maize grain in the transition period and during lactation positively affected fertility of lactating cows. An increased first service conception rate and shortening of the days open period was observed in MM and TM groups in comparison to those found in group MT (P cows than triticale grain.

Serological tests in venereal syphilis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

A. Notowicz (Alfred)

1981-01-01

textabstractApart from identification of the causative microorganism, serological blood testing is still the principal aid in the diagnosis of venereal syphilis. In latent syphilis it is in fact the only diagnostic aid. In the diagnosis of late symptomatic syphilis, additional organ-specific

Effects of Feeding Garlic and Juniper Berry Essential Oils on Milk Fatty Acid Composition of Dairy Cows

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wen Zhu Yang

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Essential oils (EOs from plant extracts have been reported to have an antibacterial activity against gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. Several of the gram-positive bacteria are involved in ruminal biohydrogenation of fatty acids (FAs, thus suggesting that feeding EOs could lower biohydrogenation of FA because of a decrease in the number of bacteria involved in that process. As a result, milk FA profiles are expected to be modified. In addition, monensin was approved as an antibiotic to be fed in dairy cattle, and it was reported that dairy cows supplemented with monensin produced milk containing higher concentration of 18:1 t10 and 18:1 t11. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of two EOs (garlic and juniper berry oils and monensin on FA profiles of milk fat. Four ruminally fistulated Holstein dairy cows were used in a 4 x 4 Latin square experiment. Cows were fed for ad libitum intake a total mixed ration without supplementation (control, or supplemented with monensin (330 mg/head per day, garlic oil (5 g/head per day, or juniper berry oil (2 g/head per day. The FA composition of saturated, monounsaturated, or polyunsaturated was not affected by supplementation of EO and monensin. However, proportion of conjugated linoleic acid trans 10, cis 12 (CLA t10, c12 was higher ( P < 0.05 for cows fed EO or monensin than for control cows. Supplementation of monensin increased ( P < 0.05 the proportion of total trans FA compared with the control. These results indicate that supplementation of the dairy cow diet with garlic or juniper berry EO or monensin had the potential to increase the proportion of CLA t10, c12 in milk fat with minimal overall effects on FA of milk fat. The results also confirm the increase of 18:1 t10 in milk fat by feeding monensin to dairy cows.

Cow's milk proteins in human milk.

Science.gov (United States)

Coscia, A; Orrù, S; Di Nicola, P; Giuliani, F; Rovelli, I; Peila, C; Martano, C; Chiale, F; Bertino, E

2012-01-01

Cow's milk proteins (CMPs) are among the best characterized food allergens. Cow's milk contains more than twenty five different proteins, but only whey proteins alpha-lactalbumin, beta-lactoglobulin, bovine serum albumin (BSA), and lactoferrin, as well as the four caseins, have been identified as allergens. Aim of this study was to investigate by proteomics techniques cow's milk allergens in human colostrum of term and preterm newborns' mothers, not previously detected, in order to understand if such allergens could be cause of sensitization during lactation. Term colostrum samples from 62 healthy mothers and preterm colostrum samples from 11 healthy mothers were collected for this purpose. The most relevant finding was the detection of the intact bovine alpha-S1-casein in both term and preterm colostrum. Using this method, which allows direct proteins identification, beta-lactoglobulin was not detected in any of colostrum samples. According to our results bovine alpha 1 casein that is considered a major cow's milk allergen is readily secreted in human milk: further investigations are needed in order to clarify if alpha-1-casein has a major role in sensitization or tolerance to cow's milk of exclusively breastfed predisposed infants.

Utilization of serology for the diagnosis of suspected Lyme borreliosis in Denmark: Survey of patients seen in general practice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Skarphedinsson Sigurdur

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Serological testing for Lyme borreliosis (LB is frequently requested by general practitioners for patients with a wide variety of symptoms. Methods A survey was performed in order to characterize test utilization and clinical features of patients investigated for serum antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato. During one calendar year a questionnaire was sent to the general practitioners who had ordered LB serology from patients in three Danish counties (population 1.5 million inhabitants. Testing was done with a commercial ELISA assay with purified flagella antigen from a Danish strain of B. afzelii. Results A total of 4,664 patients were tested. The IgM and IgG seropositivity rates were 9.2% and 3.3%, respectively. Questionnaires from 2,643 (57% patients were available for analysis. Erythema migrans (EM was suspected in 38% of patients, Lyme arthritis/disseminated disease in 23% and early neuroborreliosis in 13%. Age 0-15 years and suspected EM were significant predictors of IgM seropositivity, whereas suspected acrodermatitis was a predictor of IgG seropositivity. LB was suspected in 646 patients with arthritis, but only 2.3% were IgG seropositive. This is comparable to the level of seropositivity in the background population indicating that Lyme arthritis is a rare entity in Denmark, and the low pretest probability should alert general practitioners to the possibility of false positive LB serology. Significant predictors for treating the patient were a reported tick bite and suspected EM. Conclusions A detailed description of the utilization of serology for Lyme borreliosis with rates of seropositivity according to clinical symptoms is presented. Low rates of seropositivity in certain patient groups indicate a low pretest probability and there is a notable risk of false positive results. 38% of all patients tested were suspected of EM, although this is not a recommended indication due to a low sensitivity of

Validation of HAV biomarker 2A for differential diagnostic of hepatitis A infected and vaccinated individuals using multiplex serology.

Science.gov (United States)

Bohm, Katrin; Filomena, Angela; Schneiderhan-Marra, Nicole; Krause, Gérard; Sievers, Claudia

2017-10-13

Worldwide about 1.5 million clinical cases of hepatitis A virus (HAV) infections occur every year and increasingly countries are introducing HAV vaccination into the childhood immunization schedule with a single dose instead of the originally licenced two dose regimen. Diagnosis of acute HAV infection is determined serologically by anti-HAV-IgM detection using ELISA. Additionally anti-HAV-IgG can become positive during the early phase of symptoms, but remains detectable after infection and also after vaccination against HAV. Currently no serological marker allows the differentiation of HAV vaccinated individuals and those with a past infection with HAV. Such differentiation would greatly improve evaluation of vaccination campaigns and risk assessment of HAV outbreaks. Here we tested the HAV non-structural protein 2A, important for the capsid assembly, as a biomarker for the differentiation of the immune status in previously infected and vaccinated individuals. HAV antigens were recombinantly expressed as glutathione-S-transferase (GST) fusion proteins. Using glutathione tagged, magnetic fluorescent beads (Luminex®), the proteins were affinity purified and used in a multiplex serological assay. The multiplex HAV assay was validated using 381 reference sera in which the immune status HAV negative, vaccinated or infected was established using the Abbott ARCHITECT® HAVAb-IgM or IgG, the commercial HAV ELISA from Abnova and documentation in vaccination cards. HAV multiplex serology showed a sensitivity of 99% and specificity of 95% to detect anti-HAV IgG/IgM positive individuals. HAV biomarker 2A allowed the differentiation between previously infected and vaccinated individuals. HAV vaccinated individuals and previously infected individuals could be identified with 92% accuracy. HAV biomarker 2A can be used to differentiate between previously HAV-vaccinated and naturally infected individuals. Within a multiplex serological approach this assay can provide valuable

Serologic response in bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus infected with Brucella sp. using a dolphin-specific indirect ELISA.

Science.gov (United States)

Meegan, Jenny; Dunn, J Lawrence; Venn-Watson, Stephanie K; Smith, Cynthia R; Sidor, Inga; Jensen, Eric D; Van Bonn, William G; Pugh, Roberta; Ficht, Thomas; Adams, L Garry; Nielsen, Klaus; Romano, Tracy A

2012-12-03

Marine-origin Brucella infections and serologic evidence of exposure have been documented in multiple cetacean species. A dolphin-specific indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed to screen bottlenose dolphin sera for anti-Brucella antibodies. A total of 131 serum samples collected over a 2 to 18 yr period from 6 bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus with confirmed Brucella infections were analyzed for the presence and magnitude of antibody titers against marine-origin Brucella to compare individual antibody responses to various disease manifestations. Additionally, an epidemiologic serologic survey of a managed population of 64 bottlenose dolphins was performed to evaluate for the presence of antibodies and to determine whether there were any clinical pathology predictors for exposure or infection. The serologic results revealed that the dolphins with Brucella-associated abortions were seronegative for 7 to 18 yr until after the abortion and maintained positive titers for several years, with 2 of 3 animals returning to seronegative status. In contrast, the dolphins with Brucella-associated pulmonary or bone lesions maintained persistent positive titers for 2 to 18 yr. The population serosurvey revealed no significant differences in antibody levels among males and females, and dolphins between the ages of 17 and 25 yr were 6.8 times more likely to be Brucella antibody positive compared to those that were younger or older. Seropositive dolphins did not have significant inflammation compared to seronegative dolphins but were more likely to have higher levels of aspartate aminotransferase and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase. Among 16 dolphins that tested seropositive, 13 (81.3%) had previously been seropositive for at least 3 to 5 yr.

Serological response to an indirect and a competitive elisa in heifers vaccinated with Brucella abortus strain 19

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carrasco, E.A.; Uzal, F.A.; Echaide, S.

1998-01-01

The different serologic techniques for bovine brucellosis diagnosis have different abilities to detect antibodies after vaccination with Brucella abortus strain 19. The humoral response in heifers vaccinated with Brucella abortus strain 19 was evaluated by using several serologic techniques. In the experimental field of INTA, Pilcaniyeu, Rio Negro province, sixteen 5 months old heifers were vaccinated subcutaneously with a standard dose (2ml, containing 20x10 9 to 10x10 9 living organisms) of Brucella abortus strain 19. Sera from all the heifers were obtained on 18 occasions (one 87 days before vaccination, one immediately before vaccination and on 16 occasions after vaccination, during 488 days) and analyzed by buffered plate antigen test, rose bengal test, standard tube agglutination test, 2-mercaptoetanol test, complement fixation test, indirect ELISA, and competitive ELISA. Prior vaccination, 100% of the heifers gave negative results in all the techniques used, while 100% of them gave positive reaction in the first sampling after vaccination to all the techniques, with the exception of standard tube agglutination test that showed agglutinating titters of 1/100 or higher (positive threshold) in only 71.4% of the heifers. The indirect ELISA technique showed a reducing percentage of positive animals up until 316 days after vaccination, after which positive results were obtained. The competitive ELISA gave positive results in a variable number of heifers up to 253 days after vaccination when 100% of the sera were negative to this technique. Buffered plate antigen test was the technique that gave positive results for a longest period, being 100% of the animals negative to this technique at 450 days after vaccination. The other serological techniques assayed gave positive results during variable periods of time, intermediate between standard tube agglutination test and buffered plate antigen test. Although the present results were obtained from a limited number of

Prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of bacteria from milkmen and cows with clinical mastitis in and around Kampala, Uganda.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David Patrick Kateete

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Identification of pathogens associated with bovine mastitis is helpful in treatment and management decisions. However, such data from sub-Saharan Africa is scarce. Here we describe the distribution and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of bacteria from cows with clinical mastitis in Kampala, Uganda. Due to high concern of zoonotic infections, isolates from milkmen are also described. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Ninety seven milk samples from cows with clinical mastitis and 31 nasal swabs from milkmen were collected (one sample per cow/human. Fifty eight (60% Gram-positive isolates namely Staphylococci (21, Enterococci (16, Streptococci (13, Lactococci (5, Micrococci (2 and Arcanobacteria (1 were detected in cows; only one grew Staphylococcus aureus. Furthermore, 24 (25% coliforms namely Escherichia coli (12, Klebsiella oxytoca (5, Proteus vulgaris (2, Serratia (2, Citrobacter (1, Cedecea (1 and Leclercia (1 were identified. From humans, 24 Gram-positive bacteria grew, of which 11 were Staphylococci (35% including four Staphylococcus aureus. Upon susceptibility testing, methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS were prevalent; 57%, 12/21 in cows and 64%, 7/11 in humans. However, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus was not detected. Furthermore, methicillin and vancomycin resistant CoNS were detected in cows (Staphylococcus hominis, Staphylococcus lugdunensis and humans (Staphylococcus scuiri. Also, vancomycin and daptomycin resistant Enterococci (Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium, respectively were detected in cows. Coliforms were less resistant with three pan-susceptible isolates. However, multidrug resistant Klebsiella, Proteus, Serratia, Cedecea, and Citrobacter were detected. Lastly, similar species grew from human and bovine samples but on genotyping, the isolates were found to be different. Interestingly, human and bovine Staphylococcus aureus were genetically similar (spa-CC435

Predicting daily eating activity of dairy cows from 3D accelerometer data and RFID signals by use of a random forests model

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Foldager, Leslie; Munksgaard, Lene; Trénel, Philipp

2015-01-01

/logger combinations and synchronised with video recordings at the Danish Cattle Research Centre (DKC). The sensor recorded 3D accelerometer data and radio frequency identification (RFID) signals for positioning of the cow at the feed bunk. Video observations from 21 to 48 hours per cow/logger combination were...

Quality Evaluation of Yoghurt from Cowmilk, Soymilk amd Cow ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Proximate analyses carried out on samples of cow milk, soymilk and cow/soymilk Yoghurts showed significant difference (P<0.05) in the % crude protein, crude fat and carbohydrate contents. For crude protein they were 3.49 ± 0.04, 2.78 ± 0.13 and 2.02 ± 0.4 for cow yoghurt, cow/soy yoghurt and soy yoghurt respectively.

Investigating locomotion of dairy cows by use of high speed cinematography.

Science.gov (United States)

Herlin, A H; Drevemo, S

1997-05-01

The longterm influence of management systems on the locomotion of 17 dairy cows was investigated by high speed cinematography (100 frames/s) and kinematic analysis. Angular patterns and hoof trajectories of the left fore- and hindlimbs are presented and statistics made of occurring minimum and maximum angles. At the recording, 3 cows had been kept in tie-stalls (TI) and 6 cows in cubicles (CI) for a consecutive time of about 2.5 years while 8 cows had been kept on grass for about 3 months. Four of the grazing cows had earlier been kept in cubicles (CG) and 4 in tie-stalls (TG) during earlier off grazing seasons together with TI and CI cows. The CI cows had a smaller maximum angle of the elbow joint compared to TI, TG and CG cows. The hock joint angle of the CI cows was less flexed during the stance phase than in TI and CG cows while the minimum angle during the swing phase was greater in the TI and CI cows compared to TG and CG cows. Pastured cows (TG and CG) had a less pronounced flexion of the fetlock joint angle during the stance compared to cows kept indoors (TI and CI). The results suggest that slatted floor and lack of exercise during summer grazing may affect locomotion. This is indicated by restrictions in the movements of the elbow and hock joints and in less fetlock joint flexion at full support.

Marine worms (genus Osedax) colonize cow bones.

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, William J; Johnson, Shannon B; Rouse, Greg W; Vrijenhoek, Robert C

2008-02-22

Bone-eating worms of the genus Osedax colonized and grew on cow bones deployed at depths ranging from 385 to 2893m in Monterey Bay, California. Colonization occurred as rapidly as two months following deployment of the cow bones, similar to the time it takes to colonize exposed whalebones. Some Osedax females found on the cow bones were producing eggs and some hosted dwarf males in their tubes. Morphological and molecular examinations of these worms confirmed the presence of six Osedax species, out of the eight species presently known from Monterey Bay. The ability of Osedax species to colonize, grow and reproduce on cow bones challenges previous notions that these worms are 'whale-fall specialists.'

Accuracy of noninvasive breath methane measurements using Fourier transform infrared methods on individual cows.

Science.gov (United States)

Lassen, J; Løvendahl, P; Madsen, J

2012-02-01

Individual methane (CH(4)) production was recorded repeatedly on 93 dairy cows during milking in an automatic milking system (AMS), with the aim of estimating individual cow differences in CH(4) production. Methane and CO(2) were measured with a portable air sampler and analyzer unit based on Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) detection. The cows were 50 Holsteins and 43 Jerseys from mixed parities and at all stages of lactation (mean=156 d in milk). Breath was captured by the FTIR unit inlet nozzle, which was placed in front of the cow's head in each of the 2 AMS as an admixture to normal barn air. The FTIR unit was running continuously for 3 d in each of 2 AMS units, 1 with Holstein and another with Jersey cows. Air was analyzed every 20 s. From each visit of a cow to the AMS, CH(4) and CO(2) records were summarized into the mean, median, 75, and 90% quantiles. Furthermore, the ratio between CH(4) and CO(2) was used as a derived measure with the idea of using CO(2) in breath as a tracer gas to quantify the production of methane. Methane production records were analyzed with a mixed model, containing cow as random effect. Fixed effects of milk yield and daily intake of the total mixed ration and concentrates were also estimated. The repeatability of the CH(4)-to-CO(2) ratio was 0.39 for Holsteins and 0.34 for Jerseys. Both concentrate intake and total mixed ration intake were positively related to CH(4) production, whereas milk production level was not correlated with CH(4) production. In conclusion, the results from this study suggest that the CH(4)-to-CO(2) ratio measured using the noninvasive method is an asset of the individual cow and may be useful in both management and genetic evaluations. Copyright © 2012 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Evaluation of a new electronic handheld meter for measurement of β-hydroxybutyric acid in dairy cows].

Science.gov (United States)

Mahrt, A; Burfeind, O; Voigtsberger, R; Müller, A; Heuwieser, W

2014-01-01

Subclinical ketosis (SCK), an important disease in lactating dairy cows, is defined as the presence of elevated concentrations of circulating ketone bodies without the development of clinical signs. Therefore, diagnostic methods are limited to the detection of the concentrations of ketone bodies in different body fluids. The objective of this study was to evaluate a recently developed electronic hand- held meter (NovaVet) for the determination of β-hydroxybutyric acid (BHB) in the blood of dairy cows. A total of 155 lactating dairy cows were included in the trial. Blood samples were taken from each cow and analyzed using the BHB meter. The obtained concentrations were compared to the results determined by a commercial laboratory. The Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was determined between the two methods. A Wilcoxon test was performed and a Bland-Altman plot was generated. Test characteristics (sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value) for established BHB cut points for the diagnosis of SCK were calculated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. The two methods were highly correlated (rs = 0.87; p meter (median 1.0 mmol/l; IQR 0.7-1.3 mmol/l) and by the laboratory (median 0.9 mmol/l; IQR 0.7-1.1 mmol/l). Using a cut point of 1.2 mmol/l, sensitivity and specificity of the BHB meter were 97% and 82%, respectively. There was a good agreement between BHB concentrations determined using the BHB meter and the laboratory. Furthermore, the BHB meter displayed good test characteristics. The specificity of 82% results in a number of false-positive results. However, this new device can be recommended for the detection of SCK in cows under practical conditions.

Impact of cow strain and concentrate supplementation on grazing behaviour, milk yield and metabolic state of dairy cows in an organic pasture-based feeding system.

Science.gov (United States)

Heublein, C; Dohme-Meier, F; Südekum, K-H; Bruckmaier, R M; Thanner, S; Schori, F

2017-07-01

As ruminants are able to digest fibre efficiently and assuming that competition for feed v. food use would intensify in the future, cereals and other field crops should primarily be destined to cover the dietary needs of humans and monogastric animals such as poultry and pigs. Farming systems with a reduced or absent concentrate supplementation, as postulated by organic agriculture associations, require adapted dairy cows. The aim of this experiment was to examine the impact of concentrate supplementation on milk production, grazing and rumination behaviour, feed intake, physical activity and blood traits with two Holstein-Friesian cow strains and to conclude the consequences for sustainable and organic farming. The experiment was a cross-over study and took place on an organic farm in Switzerland. In all, 12 Swiss Holstein-Friesian (HCH) cows and 12 New Zealand Holstein-Friesian (HNZ) cows, which were paired according to lactation number, days in milk and age for primiparous cows, were used. All cows grazed full time and were supplemented either with 6 kg/day of a commercial, organic cereal-grain mix or received no supplement. After an adaptation period of 21 days, a measurement period of 7 days followed, where milk yield and composition, pasture dry matter intake estimated with the n-alkane double-indicator technique, physical activity based on pedometer measurements, grazing behaviour recorded by automatic jaw movement recorder and blood samples were investigated. Non-supplemented cows had a lower milk yield and supplemented HCH cows produced more milk than supplemented HNZ cows. Grazing time and physical activity were greater for non-supplemented cows. Supplementation had no effect on rumination behaviour, but HNZ cows spent longer ruminating compared with HCH cows. Pasture dry matter intake decreased with the concentrate supplementation. Results of blood analysis did not indicate a strong negative energy balance for either non-supplemented or supplemented cows

Separate housing for one month after calving improves production and health in primiparous cows but not in multiparous cows

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Østergaard, Søren; Thomsen, Peter; Burow, Elke

2010-01-01

no effect on mortality or reproductive efficiency. In primiparous cows, the number of medical treatments for ketosis was reduced by separate housing [hazard ratio 0.33, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.13-0.83]. Clinical evaluations showed that separate housing decreased the scores for hock lesions in cows....... The hypothesis about fewer health problems could only be confirmed with regard to fewer primiparous cows being treated for ketosis....

Euthanasia of Danish dairy cows evaluated in two questionnaire surveys

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thomsen, Peter; Sørensen, Jan Tind

2008-01-01

a random sample of 196 Danish dairy farmers that had reported a dead cow to the Danish Cattle Database in 2002 and 196 dairy farmers that had reported a dead cow in 2006. Our objectives were to evaluate the proportion of euthanized cows, changes in the behaviour of farmers regarding euthanasia of cows over...... the years and possible reasons for these changes. Results It seems that the threshold for euthanasia of cows among farmers has changed. Farmers generally reported a lower threshold for euthanasia compared to 5-10 years ago. Conclusions The threshold for euthanasia of cows has, according to the dairy farmers...

Effects of dietary betaine supplementation subjected to heat stress on milk performances and physiology indices in dairy cow.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, L; Ying, S J; An, W J; Lian, H; Zhou, G B; Han, Z Y

2014-09-12

This study aimed to determine whether feeding betaine to cows elevates their production performance during summer heat stress. Thirty-two lactating Holstein cows were randomly divided into 4 groups: the control group, which received a total mixed ration (TMR), and 3 experimental groups that received TMR blended with 10 g/day (group I), 15 g/day (group II), and 20 g/day (group III) betaine for 8 weeks. Milk and blood were sampled throughout the experimental period. The average maximum and minimum air temperatures were 28.3 and 24.1°C, respectively. The average temperature-humidity index was 78.6 units. The results showed that feeding betaine to cows increased feed intake, milk yield, milk lactose, milk protein, plasma cortisol, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and malondialdehyde levels (Pcows increases their milk performance and improves their antioxidant capacity; these processes help relieve the cow from heat stress. In conclusion, supplementing dairy cows with 15 g/day betaine generated the most positive influence on performance and productivity, and hence caused the greatest reduction in heat stress.

Possibilities of implementing progesterone EIA test in the control of reproduction in dairy cows

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Barna S. Tomislav,

2013-09-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to implement the progesterone EIA test, developed in our laboratory by using an anti-progesterone antibody (Yamaguchi University, Japan, in order to determine the optimal moment for artificial insemination (AI and to detect pregnancy in Holstein-Friesian cows according to the progesterone concentration in the whole milk. Also, the influence of β-carotene, applied at the day of insemination and human chorionic gonadotrophin applied on day 7 after AI on the progesterone level and the pregnancy rate were evaluated.For the accuracy of oestrus detection, the milk samples from 70 cows were collected on the day of insemination. Milk samples from 148 cows were collected 19-22 days following insemination for pregnancy check.After detection of naturally occurring oestrus (day 0 and AI, cows were divided into the following groups: group A (n = 19 was treated with 200 mg β-carotene (20 ml Carofertin® i.m. Alvetra u. Werfft Gmbh, Austria, group B (n = 17 was treated with 1 500 IU hCG i.m. (Schering-Plough, the Netherlands and control (non treated group C (n = 18. The milk samples for EIA progesterone concentration analysis were collected on the day of AI, the 14th and the 20th day of the oestrus cycle. Oestrus detection errors and inappropriate moments of insemination according to the progesterone concentration were detected in 22.86% animals (16/70. The test accuracy for non-pregnant cows was 90.48% (76/84. The accuracy of the progesterone test in pregnant cows was 75% (48/64. False positive results (high progesterone level, but the cows were not pregnant was detected in 25% of cows (16/64 as a result of a prolonged oestrus cycles, embrional mortality and endomethritis (10/16 cases. The treatment of cows with 1500 IU of hCG, on the day 7 of the oestrus cycle, resulted in statistically significant increase of progesterone concentration in the dioestrus (P 0.05.The EIA test developed in our laboratory could be used for accurate

Prevalence of ketosis in dairy cows in milk shed areas of Odisha state, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sangram Biswal

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Aim: The present study was conducted to ascertain the prevalence of ketosis in dairy cows in dairy herds, milksheds, and mixed population of milk cows selected randomly in milkshed areas of Odisha state, India. Materials and Methods: The investigation was conducted in 280 private dairy herds with variable herd size of 10-15 cows comprising crossbred Jersey cows (CBJ, crossbred Holstein Friesian (CHF cows, and indigenous local breeds. The analysis of urine (Rothera’s test, milk (Ross test, and blood samples of 2760 test cows were conducted through qualitative assessment by Rothera’s test and Ross test, respectively, for the presence of ketone bodies to screen the ketotic animals. Cut-points have been decided based on β-hydroxybutyric acid level (≥1.2-1.4 mmol/L in milk. Results: We noted positive cases of ketosis with a prevalence rate of 36.7% (1014/2760 entailing 27.2% in clinical ketosis and 9.6% in subclinical ketosis. The breed wise incident rate was recorded to be the highest (38.0% in CBJs. The age-wise prevalence rate was found to be the highest (40.8% in the age group of 5.5-6.5 years. The season wise prevalence rate in 5th calver was recorded to be the highest (38.6% in summer season as compared to other seasons. The prevalence of ketosis was observed to be the highest at 56.7% on the first stage of lactation at the 1st month after 2 weeks. The incidence rates for clinical and subclinical ketosis were found to be 25.2%; 12.2%, 26.6%; 11.2% and 30.3%; 2.9% in CBJ, CHF and indigenous cows, respectively. The breed wise overall prevalence rate was recorded to be 38.0% in CBJ, 37.8% in CHF, and 33.2% in indigenous cows. Conclusion: Ketosis and subclinical ketosis is highly prevalent metabolic disorder and has severe effect on the production status of affected animal and needs to be prevented, rather than treated, by maintaining cows in good and healthy conditions. We have attempted to give great attention for diagnosis, management

Prevalence of ketosis in dairy cows in milk shed areas of Odisha state, India

Science.gov (United States)

Biswal, Sangram; Nayak, Dhruba Charan; Sardar, Kautuk Kumar

2016-01-01

Aim: The present study was conducted to ascertain the prevalence of ketosis in dairy cows in dairy herds, milksheds, and mixed population of milk cows selected randomly in milkshed areas of Odisha state, India. Materials and Methods: The investigation was conducted in 280 private dairy herds with variable herd size of 10-15 cows comprising crossbred Jersey cows (CBJ), crossbred Holstein Friesian (CHF) cows, and indigenous local breeds. The analysis of urine (Rothera’s test), milk (Ross test), and blood samples of 2760 test cows were conducted through qualitative assessment by Rothera’s test and Ross test, respectively, for the presence of ketone bodies to screen the ketotic animals. Cut-points have been decided based on β-hydroxybutyric acid level (≥1.2-1.4 mmol/L) in milk. Results: We noted positive cases of ketosis with a prevalence rate of 36.7% (1014/2760) entailing 27.2% in clinical ketosis and 9.6% in subclinical ketosis. The breed wise incident rate was recorded to be the highest (38.0%) in CBJs. The age-wise prevalence rate was found to be the highest (40.8%) in the age group of 5.5-6.5 years. The season wise prevalence rate in 5th calver was recorded to be the highest (38.6%) in summer season as compared to other seasons. The prevalence of ketosis was observed to be the highest at 56.7% on the first stage of lactation at the 1st month after 2 weeks. The incidence rates for clinical and subclinical ketosis were found to be 25.2%; 12.2%, 26.6%; 11.2% and 30.3%; 2.9% in CBJ, CHF and indigenous cows, respectively. The breed wise overall prevalence rate was recorded to be 38.0% in CBJ, 37.8% in CHF, and 33.2% in indigenous cows. Conclusion: Ketosis and subclinical ketosis is highly prevalent metabolic disorder and has severe effect on the production status of affected animal and needs to be prevented, rather than treated, by maintaining cows in good and healthy conditions. We have attempted to give great attention for diagnosis, management, and control

Evaluation of serological and molecular tests used to identify Toxoplasma gondii infection in pregnant women attended in a public health service in São Paulo state, Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

Murata, Fernando Henrique Antunes; Ferreira, Marina Neves; Pereira-Chioccola, Vera Lucia; Spegiorin, Lígia Cosentino Junqueira Franco; Meira-Strejevitch, Cristina da Silva; Gava, Ricardo; Silveira-Carvalho, Aparecida Perpétuo; de Mattos, Luiz Carlos; Brandão de Mattos, Cinara Cássia

2017-09-01

Toxoplasmosis during pregnancy can have severe consequences. The use of sensitive and specific serological and molecular methods is extremely important for the correct diagnosis of the disease. We compared the ELISA and ELFA serological methods, conventional PCR (cPCR), Nested PCR and quantitative PCR (qPCR) in the diagnosis of Toxoplasma gondii infection in pregnant women without clinical suspicion of toxoplasmosis (G1=94) and with clinical suspicion of toxoplasmosis (G2=53). The results were compared using the Kappa index, and the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value were calculated. The results of the serological methods showed concordance between the ELISA and ELFA methods even though ELFA identified more positive cases than ELISA. Molecular methods were discrepant with cPCR using B22/23 primers having greater sensitivity and lower specificity compared to the other molecular methods. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Lameness Detection in Dairy Cows: Part 1. How to Distinguish between Non-Lame and Lame Cows Based on Differences in Locomotion or Behavior

Science.gov (United States)

Van Nuffel, Annelies; Zwertvaegher, Ingrid; Pluym, Liesbet; Van Weyenberg, Stephanie; Thorup, Vivi M.; Pastell, Matti; Sonck, Bart; Saeys, Wouter

2015-01-01

Simple Summary Scoring cattle for lameness based on changes in locomotion or behavior is essential for farmers to find and treat their lame animals. This review discusses the normal locomotion of cows in order to define abnormal locomotion due to lameness. It furthermore provides an overview of various relevant visual locomotion scoring systems that are currently being used as well as practical considerations when assessing lameness on a commercial farm. Abstract Due to its detrimental effect on cow welfare, health and production, lameness in dairy cows has received quite a lot of attention in the last few decades—not only in terms of prevention and treatment of lameness but also in terms of detection, as early treatment might decrease the number of severely lame cows in the herds as well as decrease the direct and indirect costs associated with lameness cases. Generally, lame cows are detected by the herdsman, hoof trimmer or veterinarian based on abnormal locomotion, abnormal behavior or the presence of hoof lesions during routine trimming. In the scientific literature, several guidelines are proposed to detect lame cows based on visual interpretation of the locomotion of individual cows (i.e., locomotion scoring systems). Researchers and the industry have focused on automating such observations to support the farmer in finding the lame cows in their herds, but until now, such automated systems have rarely been used in commercial herds. This review starts with the description of normal locomotion of cows in order to define ‘abnormal’ locomotion caused by lameness. Cow locomotion (gait and posture) and behavioral features that change when a cow becomes lame are described and linked to the existing visual scoring systems. In addition, the lack of information of normal cow gait and a clear description of ‘abnormal’ gait are discussed. Finally, the different set-ups used during locomotion scoring and their influence on the resulting locomotion scores are

Effect of feeding Rumen-protected capsule containing niacin, K2SO4, vitamin C, and gamma-aminobutyric acid on heat stress and performance of dairy cows.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, W J; Zhen, L; Zhang, J X; Lian, S; Si, H F; Guo, J R; Yang, H M

2017-10-01

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of supplemental rumen-protected capsule (RPC) on animal performance, serological indicators, and serum heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) of lactating Holstein cows under heat stress (HS). During summer months, 30 healthy multiparous lactating Holstein cows with a parity number of 3.1 ± 0.44, 70 ± 15 d in milk, an average body weight of 622 ± 62kg, and an average milk yield of 32.28 ± 0.96kg/d, were used. The cows were randomly allocated to two groups: a control group and an RPC-supplemented group (0.13373kg K 2 SO 4 , 0.02488kg vitamin C, 0.021148kg niacin, and 0.044784kggamma-aminobutyric acid per cow). During the 42-d experiment, ambient air temperature and relative humidity inside and outside the barn were recorded hourly every day for the determination of temperature-humidity index (THI). Milk and blood samples were collected every week, and body weight and body condition scoring were measured on day 0. Based on the THI values, the animals had moderate HS. On day 42, the RPC group had lower HSP70, adrenocorticotropic hormone (P = 0.0001), lactate dehydrogenase (P = 0.0338), and IL-6 (P = 0.0724) levels than the control group, with no significant differences in creatine kinase, glucocorticoid, or IL-2 levels. Milk yield, energy-corrected milk, and dry matter intake were higher in RPC than in the control group (P = 0.0196). There were no significant differences in milk fat or daily protein levels between the two groups; however, daily protein and milk fat levels were higher in the RPC group than in the control group (P = 0.0114 and P = 0.0665, respectively). Somatic cell counts were no different between the two groups. In conclusion, RPC may alleviate HS and improve dairy cow performance. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Design and evaluation of multi-indicator profiles for targeted-selective treatment against gastrointestinal nematodes at housing in adult dairy cows.

Science.gov (United States)

Ravinet, Nadine; Lehebel, Anne; Bareille, Nathalie; Lopez, Carlos; Chartier, Christophe; Chauvin, Alain; Madouasse, Aurélien

2017-04-15

Targeted-selective treatments against gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) in adult dairy cows require the identification of "cows to treat", i.e. cows whose milk production (MP) would increase after treatment. This study aimed at quantifying the ability of multi-indicator profiles to identify such cows. A randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted at housing in 25 French pasturing dairy herds. In each herd, treated cows received fenbendazole orally, control cows remained untreated. Daily MP was recorded and the MP variation between the pre- and post-visit periods was calculated (ΔMP) for each cow. ΔMP was modelled with control cows data (n=412) (piecewise linear mixed model). Estimated parameters were applied to treated cows data (n=414) to predict the expected ΔMP in treated cows if they had not been treated. Treated cows with an observed ΔMP (with treatment) higher than the expected ΔMP (without treatment) were labelled as "cows to treat". Herds where at least 50% of the young cows were "cows to treat" were qualified as "herds to target". To characterize such cows and herds, the available candidate indicators were (i) at the cow-level: parity, stage of lactation and production level, faecal egg count (FEC), serum pepsinogen level and anti-Ostertagia antibody level (expressed as ODR); (ii) at the herd-level: bulk tank milk (BTM) Ostertagia ODR, Time of Effective Contact (TEC, in months) with GIN infective larvae before the first calving, and percentage of positive FEC. These indicators were tested one-by-one or in combination to assess their ability to characterize "herds to target" and "cows to treat" (Chi-square tests). 115 out of 414 treated cows (27.8%) were considered as "cows to treat", and 9 out of 22 herds were qualified as "herds to target". The indicators retained to profile such cows and herds were the parity, the production level, the BTM Ostertagia ODR and the TEC. Multi-indicator profiles were much more specific than single indicator

Precalving and early lactation factors that predict milk casein and fertility in the transition dairy cow.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodney, Rachael M; Hall, Jenianne K; Westwood, Charlotte T; Celi, Pietro; Lean, Ian J

2016-09-01

Multiparous Holstein cows (n=82) of either high or low genetic merit (GM) (for milk fat + protein yield) were allocated to 1 of 2 diets in a 2×2 factorial design. Diets differed in the ratio of rumen-undegradable protein (RUP) to rumen-degradable protein (37% RUP vs. 15% RUP) and were fed from 21 d precalving to 150 days in milk. This study evaluated the effects of these diets and GM on concentrations of milk casein (CN) variants and aimed to identify precalving and early lactation variables that predict milk CN and protein yield and composition and fertility of dairy cows. It explored the hypothesis that low milk protein content is associated with lower fertility and extended this hypothesis to also evaluate the association of CN contents with fertility. Yields (kg/d) for CN variants were 0.49 and 0.45 of α-CN, 0.38 and 0.34 of β-CN, 0.07 and 0.06 for κ-CN, and 0.10 and 0.09 of γ-CN for high- and low-RUP diets, respectively. Increased RUP increased milk, CN, and milk protein yields. Increased GM increased milk protein and γ-CN yields and tended to increase milk CN yield. The effects of indicator variables on CN variant yields and concentrations were largely consistent, with higher body weight and α-amino nitrogen resulting in higher yields, but lower concentrations. An increase in cholesterol was associated with decreased CN variant concentrations, and disease lowered CN variant yield. A diet high in RUP increased proportion of first services that resulted in pregnancy from 41 to 58%. Increased precalving metabolizable protein (MP) balance decreased the proportion of first services that resulted in pregnancy when evaluated in a model containing CN percentage, milk protein yield, diet, and GM. This finding suggests that the positive effects of increasing dietary RUP on fertility may be curvilinear because cows with a very positive MP balance before calving were less fertile than those with a lower, but positive, MP balance. Prepartum MP balance was important

A model to estimate insulin sensitivity in dairy cows

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Holtenius Kjell

2007-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Impairment of the insulin regulation of energy metabolism is considered to be an etiologic key component for metabolic disturbances. Methods for studies of insulin sensitivity thus are highly topical. There are clear indications that reduced insulin sensitivity contributes to the metabolic disturbances that occurs especially among obese lactating cows. Direct measurements of insulin sensitivity are laborious and not suitable for epidemiological studies. We have therefore adopted an indirect method originally developed for humans to estimate insulin sensitivity in dairy cows. The method, "Revised Quantitative Insulin Sensitivity Check Index" (RQUICKI is based on plasma concentrations of glucose, insulin and free fatty acids (FFA and it generates good and linear correlations with different estimates of insulin sensitivity in human populations. We hypothesized that the RQUICKI method could be used as an index of insulin function in lactating dairy cows. We calculated RQUICKI in 237 apparently healthy dairy cows from 20 commercial herds. All cows included were in their first 15 weeks of lactation. RQUICKI was not affected by the homeorhetic adaptations in energy metabolism that occurred during the first 15 weeks of lactation. In a cohort of 24 experimental cows fed in order to obtain different body condition at parturition RQUICKI was lower in early lactation in cows with a high body condition score suggesting disturbed insulin function in obese cows. The results indicate that RQUICKI might be used to identify lactating cows with disturbed insulin function.

21 CFR 1210.12 - Physical examination of cows.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Physical examination of cows. 1210.12 Section 1210... FEDERAL IMPORT MILK ACT Inspection and Testing § 1210.12 Physical examination of cows. (a) Physical examination of any and all cows in herds producing milk or cream which is to be shipped or transported into...

Course of Chronic Trypanosoma cruzi Infection after Treatment Based on Parasitological and Serological Tests: A Systematic Review of Follow-Up Studies.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yanina Sguassero

Full Text Available Chagas disease is caused by the flagellate protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi. It is endemic in Latin American countries outside the Caribbean. The current criterion for cure in the chronic phase of the disease is the negativization of at least two serological tests such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA, indirect immunofluorescence assay (IIF and indirect hemagglutination assay (IHA. The serological evolution of treated subjects with chronic T. cruzi infection is variable. Treatment failure is indicated by a positive parasitological and/or molecular test (persistence of parasitemia.To summarize the pattern of response to treatment of parasitological, molecular and serological tests performed during the follow-up of subjects with chronic T. cruzi infection.Electronic searches in relevant databases and screening of citations of potentially eligible articles were accomplished. Organizations focusing on neglected infectious diseases were asked for help in identifying relevant studies. Included studies were randomized controlled trials (RCTs, quasi-RCTs, and cohort studies involving adults and children with chronic infection who received trypanocidal treatment (benznidazole or nifurtimox and were followed over time. The assessment of risk of bias was performed separately for each study design. The Cochrane Collaboration's tool and the guidelines developed by Hayden et al. were used. Two reviewers extracted all data independently. A third review author was consulted in case of discordant opinion. Additional analyses were defined in ad-hoc basis. Scatter plots for percentage of positive parasitological and molecular tests and for negative serological tests were developed by using the lowess curve technique. Heterogeneity was measured by I2. The protocol was registered in PROSPERO, an international prospective register of systematic review protocols (Registration Number CRD42012002162.Out of 2,136 citations screened, 54 studies (six RCTs

Comparison of Chamcham manufactured from cow milk and buffalo milk

OpenAIRE

Haque, M.A.; Rashid, M.H.; Kajal, M.F.I.; Istiak, M.S.

2012-01-01

This experiment was conducted to study quality of Chamcham manufactured from cow milk and to compare it with Chamcham manufactured from buffalo milk and mixture of cow and buffalo milk. Three types of Chamcham were prepared from cow milk(A), buffalo milk(B) and 50% cow +50% buffalo milk(C).In this experiment the quality of prepared Chamcham were evaluated with the help of chemical test. The moisture, total solids, protein, fat, ash and carbohydrate contents of cow milk and buffalo milk Chamch...

Dairy cow preference for different types of outdoor access.

Science.gov (United States)

Smid, Anne-Marieke C; Weary, Daniel M; Costa, Joao H C; von Keyserlingk, Marina A G

2018-02-01

Dairy cows display a partial preference for being outside, but little is known about what aspects of the outdoor environment are important to cows. The primary aim of this study was to test the preference of lactating dairy cattle for pasture versus an outdoor sand pack during the night. A secondary aim was to determine whether feeding and perching behavior changed when cows were provided outdoor access. A third objective was to investigate how the lying behavior of cows changed when given access to different outdoor areas. Ninety-six lactating pregnant cows were assigned to 8 groups of 12 animals each. After a baseline phase of 2 d in which cows were kept inside the freestall barn, cows were habituated to the outdoor areas by providing them access to each of the 2 options for 24 h. Cows were then given access, in random order by group, to either the pasture (pasture phase) or the sand pack (sand phase). As we tested the 2 outdoor options using space allowances consistent with what would be practical on commercial dairy farms, the space provided on pasture was larger (21,000 m 2 ) than that provided on the sand pack (144 m 2 ). Cows were tested at night (for 2 nights in each condition), from 2000 h until morning milking at approximately 0800 h, as preference to be outdoors is strongest at this time. During the next 3 nights cows were given access to both outside options simultaneously (choice phase). Feeding and perching behaviors were recorded when cows were indoors during the day and night periods. Lying behavior was automatically recorded by HOBO data loggers (Onset, Bourne, MA). Cows spent more time outside in the pasture phase (90.0 ± 5.9%) compared with the sand phase (44.4 ± 6.3%). When provided simultaneous access to both options, cows spent more time on pasture than on the sand pack (90.5 ± 2.6% vs. 0.8 ± 0.5%, respectively). Time spent feeding indoors during the day did not change regardless of what type of outdoor access was provided, but there was a

33 CFR 117.965 - Cow Bayou.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Cow Bayou. 117.965 Section 117.965 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY BRIDGES DRAWBRIDGE OPERATION REGULATIONS Specific Requirements Texas § 117.965 Cow Bayou. The draws of the Orange County...

Cows, clicks, ciphers, and satire

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tom Tyler

2015-04-01

Full Text Available The social network game Farmville, which allows players to grow crops, raise animals, and produce a variety of goods, proved enormously successful within a year of its launch in 2009, attracting 110 million Facebook users. However, the game has been criticised for its mindless mechanics, which require little more than repeated clicking on its colourful icons. By way of parody, Ian Bogost’s Cow Clicker permits its players to simply click on a picture of a cow once every six hours. In this essay I extend Bogost’s critique and suggest that Cow Clicker highlights not just the soulless inanity of Farmville gameplay but also the paucity of that game’s portrayal of the painful reality of a dairy cow’s punishing daily existence and untimely end.

Association of standing and lying behavior patterns and incidence of intramammary infection in dairy cows milked with an automatic milking system.

Science.gov (United States)

Devries, T J; Deming, J A; Rodenburg, J; Seguin, G; Leslie, K E; Barkema, H W

2011-08-01

The standing and lying behavior patterns of dairy cows, particularly the length of time cows spend standing after milking, have the potential to influence the incidence of intramammary infection (IMI). The objectives were to describe the standing and lying behavior patterns of cows milked with an automatic milking system (AMS) and to determine how these patterns relate to the incidence of IMI. One hundred and eleven lactating Holstein dairy cows were monitored over a 4-mo period. These cows were kept in a sand-bedded freestall barn with 2 pens, each with a free cow traffic AMS. Feed was delivered once daily, and pushed up 2 to 3 times daily. Quarter milk samples were collected for bacteriological culture from each cow once every 4 wk. A new IMI was defined as a positive culture sample following a negative culture. For 7 d before each of the last 3 milk samplings, standing and lying behavior, and times of milking and feed manipulation (feed delivery and push up) were recorded. Daily lying time and lying bout length were negatively related with milk yield (r=-0.23 and -0.20, respectively) and milking frequency (r=-0.32 and -0.20, respectively); milk yield was positively related to milking frequency (r=0.58). Feed manipulation near the time cows were milked (1h before 2h after) resulted in the longest post-milking standing times (mean=86 min; 95% confidence interval=78, 94 min), whereas feed manipulation occurring outside that time frame resulted in shorter post-milking standing times. Over the study period, 171 new IMI were detected. Of these new IMI detected, those caused by coagulase-negative staphylococci were the only ones associated with post-milking standing time; as post-milking standing time increased past 2.5h after milking, the odds of acquiring a new IMI tended to also increase. In summary, standing and lying behavior patterns of cows milked with an AMS were affected by both feed manipulation and their milking activity. Further, the post-milking standing

Risk factors associated with detailed reproductive phenotypes in dairy and beef cows.

Science.gov (United States)

Carthy, T R; Berry, D P; Fitzgerald, A; McParland, S; Williams, E J; Butler, S T; Cromie, A R; Ryan, D

2014-05-01

The objective of this study was to identify detailed fertility traits in dairy and beef cattle from transrectal ultrasonography records and quantify the associated risk factors. Data were available on 148 947 ultrasound observations of the reproductive tract from 75 949 cows in 843 Irish dairy and beef herds between March 2008 and October 2012. Traits generated included (1) cycling at time of examination, (2) cystic structures, (3) early ovulation, (4) embryo death and (5) uterine score; the latter was measured on a scale of 1 (good) to 4 (poor) characterising the tone of the uterine wall and fluid present in the uterus. After editing, 72,773 records from 44,415 dairy and beef cows in 643 herds remained. Factors associated with the logit of the probability of a positive outcome for each of the binary fertility traits were determined using generalised estimating equations; linear mixed model analysis was used for the analysis of uterine score. The prevalence of cycling, cystic structures, early ovulation and embryo death was 84.75%, 3.87%, 7.47% and 3.84%, respectively. The occurrence of the uterine heath score of 1, 2, 3 and 4 was 70.63%, 19.75%, 8.36% and 1.26%, respectively. Cows in beef herds had a 0.51 odds (95% CI=0.41 to 0.63, Pscore (indicating poorer tone and a greater quantity of uterine fluid present) compared with cows in beef herds. The likelihood of cycling at the time of examination increased with parity and stage of lactation, but was reduced in cows that had experienced dystocia in the previous calving. The presence of cystic structures on the ovaries increased with parity and stage of lactation. The likelihood of embryo/foetal death increased with parity and stage of lactation. Dystocia was not associated with the presence of cystic structures or embryo death. Uterine score improved with parity and stage of lactation, while cows that experienced dystocia in the previous calving had an inferior uterine score. Heterosis was the only factor associated

Survey of ketolactia, determining the main predisposing management factors and consequences in Hungarian dairy herds by using a cow-side milk test

Science.gov (United States)

Zechner, Gerhard; Csorba, Csaba; Könyves, László

2018-01-01

The aims of the survey were to determine the prevalence of ketosis in dairy herds by measuring the concentration of beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA) in milk by Keto-Test (Sanwa Kagaku Kenkyusho, Nagoya, Japan); risk factors and the relationship with postpartum diseases were investigated. 1667 early lactating (days in milk 0–75) cows were tested in 52 dairy herds in 2013 and 2014 years. In total, 29.3 per cent of samples were positive (BHBAMILK ≥100 µmol/l), including 3.7 per cent high positives (BHBAMILK ≥500 µmol/l). The prevalence was similar in herds with less than or more than 9000 kg milk yield (0.34 and 0.38, respectively, P=0.4); however, it was higher in the herds with more than 1000 cows than in smaller herds (ketosis (P<0.001). The results confirm the high prevalence of ketolactia in Hungarian dairy herds and its links to herd-related and cow-related risk factors and diseases occurring commonly in fresh cows. PMID:29868171

PREOVULATORY FOLLICLE DEVELOPMENT IN HIGH YIELDING COWS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Radovan Tomášek

2013-06-01

Full Text Available The aim of the study was to examine the development of preovulatory follicles in pregnant and non-pregnant high yielding cows. The treatment by supergestran and oestrophan was used to synchronize the estrous cycle. Ovaries were monitored by transrectal ultrasonography. The linear increase of preovulatory follicles was observed in pregnant (P < 0,001 and non-pregnant (P < 0,001 cows during 8 days before ovulation. In conclusion, preovulatory follicles in pregnant and non-pregnant high yielding cows developed similarly.

Marine worms (genus Osedax) colonize cow bones

OpenAIRE

Jones, William J; Johnson, Shannon B; Rouse, Greg W; Vrijenhoek, Robert C

2007-01-01

Bone-eating worms of the genus Osedax colonized and grew on cow bones deployed at depths ranging from 385 to 2893 m in Monterey Bay, California. Colonization occurred as rapidly as two months following deployment of the cow bones, similar to the time it takes to colonize exposed whalebones. Some Osedax females found on the cow bones were producing eggs and some hosted dwarf males in their tubes. Morphological and molecular examinations of these worms confirmed the presence of six Osedax speci...

World production and quality of cow's milk

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Petar Bosnić

2003-01-01

Full Text Available World milk production has a great economical effect being in the function of human food production and nutrition. Milk is obtained from cows, buffalos, sheeps, goats, camels and donkey with cow's milk production dominating. The world milk production in 2000 was 568.480 thousands of tons of all types of milk of which 484.895 thousands tons are cow's milk with a total of 85.30 % of the world milk production. Buffalo's milk production is on the second place with 61.913 thousands of tonnes (10.89 % production capacity. On the three continents (Europe, North America and Asia 81.82 % of total cow's milk production is located. Developed countries produce 50 % of total milk production, while higher milk production is forecast for the developing countries. The EU countries participate with 23.72 % in the world milk production and with 55.60 % on the European area. High annual lactation production, under selected cow's milk production, of above 6000 kg is located in developed countries, where annual participation of Israel accounts for over 10000 kg of milk per cow. Commercial milk production of genetics cattle accounts from 80 % to 85 %. Milk quality, with regard to milk fat and proteincontent, in developed countries is above an average value. With the annual milk production of 7000 kg of cow's milk, up to 294 kg of milk fat and 238 kg of protein are produced. Due to milk characteristics as agro-food product, milk and dairy products manufacture and transportation are in details regulated with existing quality standards. 95 % of the EU milk producers fulfil international hygienic rules on milk safety standards (somatic cells, microorganisms. With regard to long term development, until 2030, changes on herd management (outdoor and indoor exposure, between continents, will occur. In 2030, the world milk production is forecast to increase by 64%, with cow's milk production of 765.9 million tonnes.

33 CFR 157.152 - Person in charge of COW operations.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Person in charge of COW... CARRYING OIL IN BULK Crude Oil Washing (COW) System on Tank Vessels Personnel § 157.152 Person in charge of COW operations. The owner, operator, and master of a tank vessel having a COW system under § 157.10(e...

Patterns of stillbirth and dystocia in Ontario cow-calf herds.

Science.gov (United States)

McDermott, J J; Allen, O B; Martin, S W; Alves, D M

1992-01-01

The association between a number of individual animal and herd level factors and calving problems in beef cows and heifers were examined. Data were from the 1987 calving season for a subset of 123 herds which maintained individual-animal records, from a sample of 180 randomly selected Ontario cow-calf herds. The median herd dystocia rate was 5.8% and 24.4% of herds had no dystocias. The median herd stillbirth rate was 2.8%, and 33.3% of herds had no stillbirths. Dystocias and stillbirths were much more common in heifers than in cows. Separate statistical models of dystocia and stillbirth for cows and heifers were created. Dystocia in cows was associated with calf sex, previous calving assistance and large breed type and birth weight. Variations in 1987 cow herd dystocia rates were associated with calving season, location and density, and the herd dystocia rate in 1986. Dystocia in heifers was associated with large breed type and calf birth weight. Herd-level management practices associated with increased heifer dystocia rates included breeding heifers to calve earlier than cows and rearing heifers together with the cow herd. Stillbirths for both cows and heifers were associated with calving assistance, particularly hard assistance. Herd-level management and other factors were unassociated with stillbirths. PMID:1586893

Association between antral follicle count and reproductive measures in New Zealand lactating dairy cows maintained in a pasture-based production system.

Science.gov (United States)

Martinez, Marcelo F; Sanderson, Neil; Quirke, Laurel D; Lawrence, Stephen B; Juengel, Jennifer L

2016-02-01

The antral follicle count (AFC) in cattle is consistent throughout the estrous cycle of individual cows, and cows with a lower AFC have lower fertility. We assessed the AFC at random stages of the estrous cycle, examined the correlation between AFC classifications, and determined the relationship between the most rapid and practical laboratory-based AFC classification (AFC of follicles of ≥ 2 mm in diameter) and fertility measures in New Zealand lactating dairy cows. Cows detected in estrus (n = 202) or not (n = 239) during the first 4 weeks of the breeding season were subjected to ultrasonography and classified as having a high, medium, or low AFC at the time of scanning (on-site classification). Images from ultrasound scanning were recorded onto video for accurate follicle counting in an imaging laboratory. A strong association (P Cows with a high AFC had a shorter (P cows with a low AFC. The AFC was positively associated (P cows (7.6 ± 0.3 ng/mL) than in low-AFC cows (6.5 ± 0.3 ng/mL), whether these were pregnant (7.7 ± 0.3 ng/mL) or not (6.3 ± 0.2 ng/mL). A rapid on-site scoring system determined that cows classified as having a high AFC had a shorter (P cows with a low on-site AFC. Collectively, we have confirmed an association between AFC2 and fertility, and these results support the hypothesis that cows with a greater number of antral follicles are more fertile than cows with a lesser number of follicles. Although the on-site classification was related to resumption of estrous cycles after calving, associations with other fertility measurements could not be observed, highlighting a need for further refinement of the on-site classification system for rapid phenotyping of the AFC. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Clinical practice. Diagnosis and treatment of cow's milk allergy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kneepkens, C. M. Frank; Meijer, Yolanda

Introduction Cow's milk allergy (CMA) is thought to affect 2-3% of infants. The signs and symptoms are nonspecific and may be difficult to objectify, and as the diagnosis requires cow's milk elimination followed by challenge, often, children are considered cow's milk allergic without proven

Oestrus Detection in Dairy Cows Using Likelihood Ratio Tests

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jónsson, Ragnar Ingi; Björgvinssin, Trausti; Blanke, Mogens

2008-01-01

This paper addresses detection of oestrus in dairy cows using methods from statistical change detection. The activity of the cows was measured by a necklace attached sensor. Statistical properties of the activity measure were investigated. Using data sets from 17 cows, diurnal activity variations...

Automated detection of oestrus and mastitis in dairy cows

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mol, de R.M.

2000-01-01

Detection models for oestrus and mastitis in dairy cows were developed, based on sensors for milk yield, milk temperature, electrical conductivity of milk, cow's activity and concentrate intake, and on combined processing of the sensor data. The detection model generated alerts for cows,

Behaviour of dairy cows under modern housing and management

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wierenga, H.K.

1991-01-01

The results of behavioural studies of dairy cows' behaviour under some modern housing and management conditions are presented. Social dominance in dairy cows is studied and methods to describe social dominance are discussed. The lying behaviour of dairy cows is studied under various