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In pediatric Crohn's disease (CD), resection of gut lesions is necessary to remove stenoses and when frequent relapses occur despite nutritional support and medical treatment. After surgery, improved nutritional status and accelerated growth usually follow increased nutritional intake and lower doses of steroids. The aim of this study was to compare energy balance before and after surgery while nutritional intake and steroid therapy were unchanged. Eleven patients, aged 14.5 +/- 2.5 years and with mildly active CD, were explored 1 week before and 1 month after gut resection for stenosis (n = 7) and medical treatment failure (n = 4). Eleven matched children participated in the study as controls. Disease activity was assessed by the Pediatric Crohn's Disease Activity Index and serum orosomucoid concentration. Resting energy expenditure (REE) was measured by indirect calorimetry, and fat-free body mass (FFM) was measured by anthropometry. The patients' mean REE decreased from 46.6 +/- 10.5 kcal/kg FFM/day before surgery to 42.6 +/- 10.3 kcal/kg FFM/day after surgery, while the controls' mean REE was 39 +/- 7 kcal/kg FFM/day (analysis of variance, p = 0.02). After surgery, body weights were not significantly different, but the mean protein oxidation rate was reduced and arm muscle area was increased. Changes in REE per kilogram of FFM per day were not correlated with changes in orosomucoid serum concentrations (r2 = 0.35; p = 0.4). In conclusion, in children with mildly active CD, while nutritional intake and steroid therapy were maintained at preoperative levels, a significant decrease in REE and improved nitrogen utilisation were observed 1 month after resection of the CD gut lesion. This finding suggests better use of energy substrates when CD lesions are removed.

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We wish to draw your attention to an outbreak of equine encephalosis virus (EEV) in Israel. Between October 2008 and January 2009, a febrile horse disease was observed in more than 60 equine premises across the country. Clinical signs included: raised body temperatures, unrest, decreased appetite, edema of the neck, legs, lips and eyelids, accelerated pulse and breathing rates, and congested mucosae. The morbidity ranged from 2% to 100% but there were no fatalities. In the affected stables, the disease infected all breeds, ages and sexes and the duration of illness lasted from between 7 and 30 days.The initial diagnostic investigation was performed by the Kimron Veterinary Institute (KVI), Israel, on nasal swabs, blood and serum samples from affected animals. The tests for WNV and EHV-1 were negative. Initial serological results indicated that the disease was equine viral arteritis (EAV), but no EAV virus could be isolated and PCR tests were also negative. The virus isolates and original sample material were passed on to the Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA) in the UK for further investigation.Based on the clinical signs and possible suspect diagnosis, the VLA performed PCR tests for EAV, Togaviruses (Getah, WEE, EEE, VEE, Ross River), and Flaviviruses (Tick Borne Encephalitis, WN, Usutu, Louping ill, Dengue, Japanese encephalitis), with all tests being negative. Using a novel DNA array technique, with subsequent RT-PCR and sequence analysis, the virus was finally identified as EEV.While further characterization of the virus is underway and an extended description of the investigation will be

A hypothesis that the relative hematocrit value of broilers is inherited and can serve as an indicator of partial resistance to the ascites syndrome in cold-stressed broilers was shown to be valid in a field trial. Hematocrits were determined for male and female grandparent breeding stocks. Matings were then made between low (LL), low-medium (LM), medium-high (MH), and high (HH) hematocrit parents: LL x LL, LM x LM, MH x MH, and HH x HH. The progeny of HH parents had higher hematocrit values than the progeny of lower hematocrit parents (P < 0.0001). Exposure of the progeny from all the parental groups to an ascites-predisposing cold environment caused higher losses from ascites in the progeny of the HH parents (P < 0.0001). The progeny of LH parents had an increased mortality from causes other than ascites (P < 0.0001). This work suggests that elimination of birds with HH in broiler breeding programs may be desirable where cold-induced ascites is an important problem.

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Background: An outbreak of leishmaniosis was studied in cats and dogs housed together with no separation in an animal shelter in Israel. Methods:The study included recording of clinical signs, serology for Leishmania infection by ELISA, PCR of blood for Leishmania DNA by ITS1 HRM and kDNA PCR, parasite quantification, and trapping of sand flies around the shelter.Results: Thirty-seven % (22/60) of the dogs and 75% (50/67) of the cats were seropositive to L. infantum with a significantly higher seropositivity rate in the cat population (χ 2 = 42.160, P < 0.0001). Twenty-five percent (15/60) of the dogs were positive for Leishmania by blood PCR, 12% by the Leishmania ITS1 HRM PCR and 22% by kDNA PCR. Of the cats, 16% (11/67) were positive by kDNA PCR and none by ITS1 HRM PCR. All the PCR-positive animals were infected by L. infantum verified by DNA sequencing and there was no significant difference between the PCR-positivity in the dog and cat populations. Altogether, 43% (26/60) of the dogs and 79% (53/67) of the cats were positive by serology or PCR for L. infantum. The average Leishmania parasite load in the blood of PCR-positive dogs (42,967 parasites/ml) was significantly higher than in PCR-positive cats (1259 parasites/ml) (t (12) = 2.33, P = 0.037). Dogs that were positive by the Leishmania ITS1 HRM PCR and kDNA PCR had significantly higher parasite loads than dogs positive only by the kDNA PCR (t (11) = − 3.186580, P < 0.009). No significant effect was found for FIV seropositivity on Leishmania infection in the cats (χ 2 = 0.506, P = 0.777). A higher percentage of Leishmania-positive dogs showed clinical signs compatible with leishmaniosis compared to Leishmania-positive cats (100 vs 52.8%, χ 2 =15.242, P < 0.0001). Phlebotomus perfiliewi, a proven vector of L. infantum, comprised 92% of trapped sand flies. Conclusions:Comparisons of populations of cats and dogs exposed to sand flies and L. infantum under the same conditions indicated that although a high rate of exposure was detected in cats as manifested by a significantly greater degree of seropositivity, dogs had significantly higher blood parasite loads, and were likely to be more infectious to sand flies than cats.

A herd of 277 beef-breed calves in three age groups was mistakenly given the poultry coccidiostat maduramicin in a total mixed ration. It caused an acute toxicosis in which sudden death was the sole clinical finding in most cases. One group of 212 calves aged five to eight months suffered a mortality of 51 per cent in eight days and a total mortality of 56 per cent during the 40 days in which mortality was recorded. Mortality of only 3 per cent was recorded in two other groups of calves aged nine to 16 months in eight days and a total mortality of 11 per cent over the 40-day period.