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Journal Summary
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Noise in the animal shelter environment:building design and the effecs of daily noise exposure
Coppola CL, Enns RM, Grandin T. (2006). . J Appl Anim Welf Sci. 2006;9(1):1-7.
Sound levels in animal shelters regularly exceed 100 dB. Noise is a physical stressor on animals that can lead to behavioral, physiological, and anatomical responses. There are currently no policies regulating noise levels in dog kennels. The objective of this study was to evaluate the noise levels dogs are exposed to in an animal shelter on a continuous basis and to determine the need, if any, for noise regulations. Noise levels at a newly constructed animal shelter were measured using a noise dosimeter in all indoor dog-holding areas. These holding areas included large dog adoptable, large dog stray, small dog adoptable, small dog stray, and front intake. The noise level was highest in the large adoptable area. Sound from the large adoptable area affected some of the noise measurements for the other rooms. Peak noise levels regularly exceeded the measuring capability of the dosimeter (118.9 dBA). Often, in new facility design, there is little attention paid to noise abatement, despite the evidence that noise causes physical and psychological stress on dogs. To meet their behavioral and physical needs, kennel design should also address optimal sound range. |
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Mere exposure reduces cats neophobia to unfamiliar food
Author: Bradshaw, John W. Volume: 34 Issue: 2 Pages: 613-614 Date: 1986/4 Year: 1986
Abstract:Confirmed the presence of neophobia in 14 adult cats toward an artificial lamb flavor. Feeding in the presence of the vapor of the flavor reduced the Ss' neophobia. Peer Reviewed Journal; In English; Print Notes: TY - JOUR Abstract "Journal of applied animal welfare science : JAAWS." |
Evaluation of zinc sulfate floatation and two enzyme immunoassays for the detection of Giardia Duodenalis in naturally infected kittens
Marks, S. L., A. Melley, et al. (2004). ACVIM Forum, Minneapolis
Giardia duodenalis is a ubiquitous enteric protozoan affecting humans and a range of domestic and wild mammals. Most clinically apparent infections in cats occur in young animals, with the most consistent sign being diarrhea. The disease is usually self-limiting; however, the chronic form may last for years and is more common in immunocompromised cats. Despite the relatively high prevalence of Giardia in cats worldwide, there is a paucity of information evaluating the performance characteristics of commonly utilized diagnostic tests for the detection of Giardia cysts or coproantigens. The goal of this study was to compare the performance characteristics of three diagnostic tests utilized for detection of Giardia duodenalis cysts or antigen in feline fecal specimens; the zinc sulfate fecal flotation, and the ProSpecT Giardia Rapid Immunoassay, and ProSpecT Giardia Microplate Immunoassay (EIA, Alexon-Trend, Inc., Ramsey, MN). All tests were evaluated on freshly collected fecal specimens obtained once daily for four consecutive days from 100 naturally infected domestic shorthair kittens, housed individually. Sensitivities, specificities, positive (PPV) and negative predictive values (NPV) were calculated for the zinc sulfate and EIA tests using the direct immunofluorescence assay as the gold standard (Merifluor Cryptosporidium/Giardia, Meridian Diagnostics, Cincinnati, OH). The cumulative results are documented in the table below. The number of cysts visualized via zinc sulfate flotation varied markedly from day to day in 31/100 cats, and was reflected by the wide range of sensitivities for the zinc sulfate flotation test on each of the four days, respectively (0.56, 0.74, 0.85, and 0.87). In conclusion, the ProSpectT Microplate EIA had the highest sensitivity (86%), whereas the sensitivity of the ProSpecT Rapid EIA was unacceptably low (56%). The number of Giardia cysts shed in feces varies markedly from day to day, underscoring the value of performing more than one zinc sulfate fecal flotation when utilizing this method to diagnose Giardiasis in cats. |
An outbreak of virulent systemic feline calicivirus disease
Journal: J Am Vet Med Assoc
Author: Hurley, K. F.; Pesavento, P. A.; Pedersen, N. C.; Poland, A. M.; Wilson, E.; Foley, J. E.
Volume: 224 Issue: 2 Pages: 241-9. Date: Jan 15 Year: 2004
Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To describe clinical and epidemiologic features of an outbreak of feline calicivirus (FCV) infection caused by a unique strain of FCV and associated with a high mortality rate and systemic signs of disease, including edema of the face or limbs. DESIGN: Observational study. Animals-54 cats naturally infected with a highly virulent strain of FCV. PROCEDURE: Information was collected on outbreak history, clinical signs, and characteristics of infected and exposed cats. RESULTS: A novel strain of FCV (FCV-Kaos) was identified. Transmission occurred readily via fomites. Signs included edema and sores of the face and feet. Mortality rate was 40%, and adults were more likely than kittens to have severe disease (odds ratio, 9.56). Eleven (20%) cats had only mild or no clinical signs. Many affected cats had been vaccinated against FCV. Viral shedding was documented at least 16 weeks after clinical recovery. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Outbreaks of highly virulent FCV disease are increasingly common. Strains causing such outbreaks have been genetically distinct from one another but caused similar disease signs and were resistant to vaccination. All cats with suspicious signs (including upper respiratory tract infection) should be handled with strict hygienic precautions. Sodium hypochlorite solution should be used for disinfection following suspected contamination. All exposed cats should be isolated until negative viral status is confirmed. Chronic viral shedding is possible but may not be clinically important. This and similar outbreaks have been described as being caused by hemorrhagic fever-like caliciviruses, but hemorrhage is uncommonly reported. Virulent systemic FCV infection is suggested as an alternative description.
Author Address: Center for Companion Animal Health, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
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Pathologic, immunohistochemical, and electron microscopic findings in naturally occurring virulent systemic feline calicivirus infection in cats
Journal: Vet Pathol
Author: Pesavento, P. A.; MacLachlan, N. J.; Dillard-Telm, L.; Grant, C. K.; Hurley, K. F.
Volume: 41 Issue: 3 Pages: 257-63. Year: 2004
Abstract: Infection with feline calicivirus (FCV) is a common cause of upper respiratory and oral disease in cats. FCV infection is rarely fatal, however, virulent, systemic strains of FCV (VS-FCV) that cause alopecia, cutaneous ulcers, subcutaneous edema, and high mortality in affected cats have recently been described. Seven cats with natural VS-FCV infection all had subcutaneous edema and ulceration of the oral cavity, with variable ulceration of the pinnae, pawpads, nares, and skin. Other lesions that were present in some affected cats included bronchointerstitial pneumonia, and pancreatic, hepatic, and splenic necrosis. Viral antigen was present within endothelial and epithelial cells in affected tissues as determined by immunohistochemical staining with a monoclonal antibody to FCV. Mature intranuclear and intracytoplasmic virions in necrotic epithelial cells were identified by transmission electron microscopy. VS-FCV infection causes epithelial cell cytolysis and systemic vascular compromise in susceptible cats, leading to cutaneous ulceration, severe edema, and high mortality.
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Update on feline calicivirus: new trends
Journal: Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract
Author: Hurley, K. F.; Sykes, J. E.
Volume: 33 Issue: 4 Pages: 759-72. Date: Jul Year: 2003
Abstract: In addition to being important upper respiratory tract pathogens of cats, FCVs are increasingly reported as a cause of a highly contagious febrile hemorrhagic syndrome. Strains causing this syndrome are genetically different from the vaccine strain and other nonhemorrhagic FCV isolates. They apparently differ from one outbreak to another. The syndrome is characterized variably by fever; cutaneous edema and ulcerative dermatitis; upper respiratory tract signs; anorexia; occasionally icterus, vomiting, and diarrhea; and a mortality that approaches 50%. Adult cats tend to be more severely affected than kittens, and vaccination does not appear to have a significant protective effect. Rapid recognition of the disease through identification of clinical signs and appropriate testing, followed by strict institution of disinfection, isolation, and quarantine measures, are essential to prevent widespread mortality resulting from the infection.
Author Address: Center for Companion Animal Health, 270 Veterinary Medicine 11, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
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Assessment of infectious organisms associated with chronic rhinosinusitis in cats
Journal: J Am Vet Med Assoc
Author: Johnson, L. R.; Foley, J. E.; De Cock, H. E.; Clarke, H. E.; Maggs, D. J.
Volume: 227 Issue: 4 Pages: 579-85. Date: Aug 15 Year: 2005
Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To determine detection rates for feline herpesvirus type 1 (FHV-1), Mycoplasma spp, fungi, and bacteria in flush samples and biopsy specimens from the nasal cavities of cats with and without chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). DESIGN: Prospective study. ANIMALS: 10 CRS-affected cats and 7 cats without signs of respiratory tract disease. PROCEDURES: Nasal flush samples and biopsy specimens were collected from all cats for bacterial (aerobic and anaerobic), fungal, and mycoplasmal cultures; additional biopsy specimens were collected for virus isolation and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay (to detect FHV-1 DNA). RESULTS: Aerobic bacteria were detected in flush samples from 5 of 7 control cats; culture of flush samples from CRS-affected cats yielded aerobic bacteria (9/10 cats), anaerobic bacteria (3/10), and Mycoplasma spp (2/10). No fungal organisms were isolated from any cat. Potential pathogens were isolated significantly more often from CRS-affected cats than from control cats. Bacterial culture of biopsy specimens yielded aerobic bacteria (2/7 control cats and 4/10 CRS-affected cats) and anaerobic bacteria (2/10 CRS-affected cats). Although FHV-1 was not detected in nasal biopsy specimens from control or CRS-affected cats, FHV-1 DNA was detected via PCR assay in specimens from 4 of 7 control cats and 3 of 10 CRS-affected cats. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Compared with findings in control cats, anaerobic bacteria, Mycoplasma spp, and a variety of potentially pathogenic organisms were detected more commonly in samples from cats with CRS. In both groups, FHV-1 was detected via PCR assay as a nonviable organism or in noncultivable amounts.
Notes: 0003-1488 (Print)
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Feline idiopathic chronic rhinosinusitis: A retrospective study of 30 cases
Journal: J. Am. Anim. Hosp. Assoc.
Author: Cape, L.
Volume: 28 Issue: 2 Pages: 149-155 Year: 1992
Abstract:
Thirty cases of idiopathic chronic rhinosinusitis were reviewed retrospectively. No age, sex, or breed predisposition was noted. The most common clinical signs were nasal discharge, sneezing, increased breathing sounds, and ocular discharge. Nasal discharge was frequently unilateral and occasionally blood tinged indicating that these findings are not reliable indicators of disease other than idiopathic chronic rhinosinusitis. Coughing was noted in some cats. Systemic signs infrequently were present, although inflammatory leukograms were common. Contrary to previous reports, viremia due to feline leukemia virus infection was rare. Skull radiographs often revealed loss of turbinate pattern. Sinus involvement was always accompanied by ipsilateral nasal disease supporting the unusual nature of primary sinusitis. Nasal cytology invariably revealed suppurative inflammation that often was septic, supporting a significant role for secondary bacterial infections. As expected, bacterial cultures most often yielded normal flora. A first-generation cephalosporin, trimethoprim/sulfa, or chloramphenicol would be the antibiotic of choice for empiric treatment of secondary bacterial infections. Although antibiotic therapy temporarily palliated clinical signs in some cases, no permanent remissions were seen.
Notes: Department of Clinical Sciences, Coll. Vet. Med./Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
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Detection of feline leukemia virus RNA in saliva from naturally infected cats and correlation of PCR results with those of current diagnostic methods
Journal: J Clin Microbiol
Author: Gomes-Keller, M. A.; Gonczi, E.; Tandon, R.; Riondato, F.; Hofmann-Lehmann, R.; Meli, M. L.; Lutz, H.
Volume: 44 Issue: 3 Pages: 916-22. Date: Mar Year: 2006
Abstract: A novel diagnostic test for feline leukemia virus (FeLV) RNA in saliva from naturally infected cats is described in this study. We evaluated different diagnostic tests and compared them with the widely used enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of p27 in the diagnosis of FeLV. Blood samples from 445 cats were tested for the presence of provirus by real-time PCR and plasma and saliva specimens from those cats were tested for the presence of viral RNA by real-time reverse transcription (RT)-PCR and for the presence of p27 by ELISA. In comparison to conventional ELISA, the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of the detection of salivary FeLV RNA by real-time RT-PCR were found to be 98.1 and 99.2%, respectively. Detection of viral RNA in saliva had a positive predictive value of 94.6% and a negative predictive value of 99.7%. The kappa value was 0.96, demonstrating an almost perfect agreement between both tests. Furthermore, we confirmed previous results showing that a number of cats which tested negative for the presence of p27 in plasma were in fact positive for the presence of DNA provirus in blood specimens (5.4%). However, 96.4% of these latently infected cats did not shed viral RNA in saliva; therefore, we assume that these cats are of relatively low clinical importance at the time of testing. This study shows considerable diagnostic value of the detection of saliva FeLV RNA in naturally infected cats. This new diagnostic method has advantages over the conventional ELISA, such as less invasive sample collection and no requirement for trained personnel.
Notes: 0095-1137 (Print)
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Comparison of serological and sequence-based methods for typing feline calcivirus isolates from vaccine failures
Journal: Vet Rec
Author: Radford, A. D.; Dawson, S.; Wharmby, C.; Ryvar, R.; Gaskell, R. M.
Volume: 146 Issue: 5 Pages: 117-23. Date: Jan 29 Year: 2000
Abstract: Feline calicivirus (FCV) can be typed by exploiting antigenic differences between isolates or, more recently, by the sequence analysis of a hypervariable region of the virus's capsid gene. These two methods were used to characterise FCV isolates from 20 vaccine failures which occurred after the use of a commercial, live-attenuated vaccine. Using virus neutralisation, the isolates showed a spectrum of relatedness to the vaccine; depending on the criterion adopted for identity, 10 to 40 per cent of them appeared to be similar to the vaccine virus. Using sequence analysis, the isolates fell into one of two categories; 20 per cent had a similar sequence to the vaccine (0-67 to 2-67 per cent distant), and the remainder had a dissimilar sequence (21-3 to 36-0 per cent distant). Sequence analysis identified one cat that appeared to be infected with two distinct FCVs. The serological and sequence-based typing methods gave the same result in 80 to 95 per cent of individual cases, depending on the criterion adopted for serological identity. It is suggested that molecular typing is a more definitive method for characterising the relatedness of FCV isolates.
Notes: reference for multiple strains infecting one cat
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Quasispecies evolution of a hypervariable region of the feline calicivirus capsid gene in cell culture and in persistently infected cats
Journal: J Gen Virol
Author: Radford, A. D.; Turner, P. C.; Bennett, M.; McArdle, F.; Dawson, S.; Glenn, M. A.; Williams, R. A.; Gaskell, R. M.
Volume: 79 Issue: Pt 1 Pages: 1-10. Date: Jan Year: 1998
Abstract: Feline calicivirus (FCV) is a respiratory pathogen of cats that is capable of causing persistent infections. This study examined the evolution of a hypervariable region of the FCV capsid gene both during 90 passages in cell culture and during replication in persistently infected cats. This region of the capsid protein is known to contain neutralization epitopes and may be a target for immune evasion during virus persistence in the host. Sequence analysis showed that FCV exists as a quasispecies which evolved both in cell culture and in persistently infected cats. Changes involved both loss of sequence present in the infecting isolate and a gain of both synonymous and non-synonymous nucleotide substitutions to generate sequences not detected within earlier isolates. Overall, these changes led to a reduction in population heterogeneity over time. Where virus populations were highly homogeneous allowing a consensus sequence to be determined, evolution rates for the consensus sequence ranged from 0.10-1.07 substitutions per nucleotide per year. Marked changes in virus neutralization profiles were seen in isolates obtained sequentially from a persistently infected cat. This was not the case with cell culture passaged virus, suggesting that the individual amino acid changes found only in virus from persistently infected cats may significantly alter the antigenic profile of FCV, and may be the result of immune selection.
Notes: 0022-1317 (Print)
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Recent developments in veterinary vaccinology
Journal: Vet J
Author: Shams, H.
Volume: 170 Issue: 3 Pages: 289-99. Date: Nov Year: 2005
Abstract: Advancement in technology and science and our detailed knowledge of immunology, molecular biology, microbiology, and biochemistry among other basic science disciplines have defined new directions for vaccine development strategies. The applicability of genetic engineering and proteomics along with other new technologies have played pivotal roles in introducing novel ideas in vaccinology, and resulted in developing new vaccines and improving the quality of existing ones. Subunit vaccines, recombinant vaccines, DNA vaccines and vectored vaccines are rapidly gaining scientific and public acceptance as the new generation of vaccines and are seriously considered as alternatives to current conventional vaccines. The present review focuses on recent advances in veterinary vaccinology and addresses the effects and impact of modern microbiology, immunology, and molecular biology.
Notes: 1090-0233 (Print)
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Stakeholder position paper: Companion animal veterinarian (Microbial resistance)
Journal: Preventive Veterinary Medicine
Anitmicrobial Use Surveillance in Animal Agriculture
Author: DeVincent, Stephen J.; Reid-Smith, Richard
Volume: 73 Issue: 2-3 Pages: 181-189 Date: 2006/2/24 Year: 2006
Abstract: The total quantity of use in companion animals is generally believed to be relatively small in comparison with antimicrobial use in food animals. Use in companion animals is principally for treatment, whereas the greater proportion of use in food animals is for prophylaxis, metaphylaxis and growth promotion. Therefore, it is important to collect data on end use in companion animals so that overall estimates of use in companion animals can be generated and separated from estimates for food animals. However, data from antimicrobial use in companion animals are extremely limited and no serious attempts to collect such data have ever been made in the United States. The lack of usage data in is concomitant with the dearth of information on antimicrobial resistance in companion animals. Companion animals have been involved in the transmission to humans of, or become infected with, foodborne zoonotic bacteria such as Salmonella and Campylobacter. Companion animals are an integral part of the ecology of antimicrobial resistance through their contact with food animals and exposure to antimicrobials for disease treatment and through contact with humans and the environment. In the practice of companion animal medicine, antimicrobial use data are important for understanding the potential impact on companion animal heath posed by antimicrobial resistance transferred from food animals, humans and the environment, and the threat to humans and other companion animals posed by antimicrobial use in companion animals. Basic information on the patterns and quantities of antimicrobial use in combination with resistance surveillance data, could help companion animal veterinarians understand the potential for development, or evidence of, an antimicrobial resistance problem in their practices, the role of companion animals in the overall epidemiology of antimicrobial resistance, and for comparison with local, regional, or national data. The combination of data from either a sentinel site system of clinics or a use survey with national data from the pharmaceutical industry should provide sufficient data to credibly estimate the total volume and patterns of antimicrobial use in companion animal medicine. The time and effort for use monitoring or to complete a survey would likely become burdensome. Practice management software now utilized at most companion animal clinics could be used to generate antimicrobial use data as well as patient population data as surrogate for the true population at risk for patient encounters in a companion animal practice.
Notes: TY - JOUR
URL: Link Here
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Coronavirus pathogenesis and the emerging pathogen severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus
Journal: Microbiol Mol Biol Rev
Author: Weiss, S. R.; Navas-Martin, S.
Volume: 69 Issue: 4 Pages: 635-64. Date: Dec Year: 2005
Abstract: Coronaviruses are a family of enveloped, single-stranded, positive-strand RNA viruses classified within the Nidovirales order. This coronavirus family consists of pathogens of many animal species and of humans, including the recently isolated severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV). This review is divided into two main parts; the first concerns the animal coronaviruses and their pathogenesis, with an emphasis on the functions of individual viral genes, and the second discusses the newly described human emerging pathogen, SARS-CoV. The coronavirus part covers (i) a description of a group of coronaviruses and the diseases they cause, including the prototype coronavirus, murine hepatitis virus, which is one of the recognized animal models for multiple sclerosis, as well as viruses of veterinary importance that infect the pig, chicken, and cat and a summary of the human viruses; (ii) a short summary of the replication cycle of coronaviruses in cell culture; (iii) the development and application of reverse genetics systems; and (iv) the roles of individual coronavirus proteins in replication and pathogenesis. The SARS-CoV part covers the pathogenesis of SARS, the developing animal models for infection, and the progress in vaccine development and antiviral therapies. The data gathered on the animal coronaviruses continue to be helpful in understanding SARS-CoV.
Notes: 1092-2172 (Print)
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Revised air-exchange efficiency considering occupant distribution in ventilated rooms
Journal: J Air Waste Manag Assoc
Author: Zhao, B.; Li, X.; Li, D.; Yang, J.
Volume: 53 Issue: 6 Pages: 759-63. Date: Jun Year: 2003
Abstract: Air-exchange efficiency is widely used to indicate the ventilation effect and indoor air quality in ventilated rooms. However, it does not take occupant distribution in the room into account and is thus limited. In this paper, a revised air-exchange efficiency (occupant air-exchange efficiency) that differentiates between different zones by considering different occupancy in each zone is developed. Results from studies of a large-space ventilation case, a personalized ventilation case, and a displacement ventilation case show that occupant air-exchange efficiency can better be used to evaluate the ventilation effect of a room.
Notes: 1096-2247 (Print)
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Molecular characterization of a novel coronavirus associated with epizootic catarrhal enteritis (ECE) in ferrets
Author: Wise, A. G.; Kiupel, M.; Maes, R. K.
Year: 2006
Abstract: A novel coronavirus, designated as ferret enteric coronavirus (FECV), was identified in feces of domestic ferrets clinically diagnosed with epizootic catarrhal enteritis (ECE). Initially, partial sequences of the polymerase, spike, membrane protein, and nucleocapsid genes were generated using coronavirus consensus PCR assays. Subsequently, the complete sequences of the nucleocapsid gene and the last two open reading frames at the 3' terminus of the FECV genome were obtained. Phylogenetic analyses based on predicted partial amino acid sequences of the polymerase, spike, and membrane proteins, and full sequence of the nucleocapsid protein showed that FECV is genetically most closely related to group 1 coronaviruses. FECV is more similar to feline coronavirus, porcine transmissible gastroenteritis virus, and canine coronavirus than to porcine epidemic diarrhea virus and human coronavirus 229E. Molecular data presented in this study provide the first genetic evidence for a new coronavirus associated with clinical cases of ECE.
Notes: 0042-6822 (Print)
Journal article
Virology. 2006 Feb 22;.
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Soft surfaces: a factor in feline psychological well-being
Journal: Contemp Top Lab Anim Sci
Author: Crouse, S. J.; Atwill, E. P.; Lagana, M.; Houpt, K. A.
Volume: 34 Issue: 6 Pages: 94-7. Date: Nov Year: 1995
Abstract: longer periods of REM sleep when cats were on soft versus hard surfaces.
Notes: 1060-0558 (Print)
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Canine coronavirus-associated puppy mortality without evidence of concurrent canine parvovirus infection
Journal: J Vet Diagn Invest
Author: Evermann, J. F.; Abbott, J. R.; Han, S.
Volume: 17 Issue: 6 Pages: 610-4. Date: Nov Year: 2005
Abstract: This report presents 2 cases in which puppy fatalities were associated with canine coronavirus (CCV), but no evidence of concurrent canine parvovirus (CPV-2) disease was observed. Case 1 involved a 7-week-old, male short-haired Chihuahua, which had become lethargic 24 hours after purchase from a pet store. Within 72 hours, the puppy began to vomit, had diarrhea, and was admitted to the veterinary clinic, where it was placed on IV fluids. The parvovirus Cite test was negative. The puppy died within 12 hours of admission and was submitted for diagnostic workup. Gross pathology revealed an enteritis suggestive of CPV-2. Histopathology on intestines showed scattered dilated crypts with necrotic cellular debris and neutrophils. There was moderate depletion and necrosis of lymphoid follicles. Electron microscopy (EM) on intestinal contents was positive for coronavirus and negative for parvovirus. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) on gut sections was positive for CCV and negative for CPV-2. Case 2 was an 8-week-old, male Shih Tzu, which was admitted to the veterinary clinic exhibiting symptoms of severe gastroenteritis with abdominal pain. The referring veterinarian euthanized the puppy, and the entire body was submitted for diagnostic evaluation. Necropsy revealed a severe ileo-cecal intussusception and segmental necrotic enteritis of the small intestine. Electron microscopy of the intestinal contents was positive for coronavirus and negative for parvovirus. Immunohistochemistry on sections of affected gut were positive for CCV and negative for CPV-2. These cases emphasize the importance of pursuing a diagnosis of CCV in young puppies when CPV-2 disease has been ruled out by IHC.
Notes: 1040-6387 (Print)
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Returning a recently adopted companion animal: adopters' reasons for and reactions to the failed adoption experience
Journal: J Appl Anim Welf Sci
Author: Shore, E. R.
Volume: 8 Issue: 3 Pages: 187-98. Year: 2005
Abstract: The return of a recently adopted companion animal places the nonhuman animal in jeopardy and may be painful and frustrating to the humans involved. However, if returners learn from the failed adoption experience, future adoptions may be more satisfactory for all concerned. In this study, 78 people who had adopted and returned dogs or cats to an animal shelter in a U.S. Midwestern city were interviewed regarding their reasons for return, reactions to the experience, and plans for future adoptions. Although some returners adjusted their pet ownership plans in potentially beneficial ways, most reacted by counseling greater forethought and planning before adopting. The last, although sound advice, had little to do with reasons for return, which primarily were problems that arose postadoption: pet behavior such as not getting along with other pets or children. Changing expectations about the development of new pet-family relationships and the provision of postadoption services might help adopters tolerate the adjustment period and handle problems without resorting to returning the animal.
Notes: 1088-8705 (Print)
Journal Article
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Persistence of caliciviruses on environmental surfaces and their transfer to food
Journal: International Journal of Food Microbiology
Author: D'Souza, D. H.; Sair, A.; Williams, K.; Papafragkou, E.; Jean, J.; Moore, C.; Jaykus, L.
Year: 2006
Abstract: The noroviruses (NoV) are a common cause of human gastroenteritis whose transmission by foodborne routes is well documented. Fecally contaminated surfaces are likely to contribute to this foodborne transmission and to the propagation of viral disease outbreaks. The purpose of this study was to (i) investigate the stability of NoV on various food preparation surfaces; and (ii) evaluate the degree of virus transfer from these surfaces to a model-ready-to-eat (RTE) food. For the virus persistence experiments, stainless steel, formica and ceramic coupons were artificially contaminated with Norwalk virus (NV), the prototype genogroup I NoV; NV RNA; or feline calicivirus (FCV) F9 (a NoV surrogate), stored at ambient temperature for up to 7 d, and periodically assayed for detection. In the transfer experiments, stainless steel coupons were inoculated with NV or FCV F9 and allowed to dry for 10, 30 and 60 min, after which lettuce leaves were exposed to the surface of the coupons at various contact pressures (10, 100, and 1000 g/9 cm(2)). Virus recovery was evaluated by RT-PCR (for NV and NV RNA) or by plaque assay (for FCV F9) using Crandell Reese Feline Kidney (CRFK) cells. NV and FCV were detected on all three surfaces for up to 7 d post-inoculation; for FCV, there was an approximate 6 to 7-log(10) drop in virus titer over the 7 d evaluation period. By contrast, when stainless steel was inoculated with purified NV RNA, RT-PCR detection was not possible beyond 24 h. Transfer of both NV and FCV from stainless steel surfaces to lettuce occurred with relative ease. This study confirms lengthy NoV persistence on common food preparation surfaces and their ease of transfer, confirming a potential role for environmental contamination in the propagation of viral gastroenteritis.
Notes: 0168-1605 (Print)
Journal article
Int J Food Microbiol. 2006 Feb 10;.
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