Contents page of the issue June 2007




BOVINE
V. Pálfi, L. Ózsvári, J. Földi, E. Hankó-Faragó: Field experiences on the eradication with a live IBR marker vaccine in large-scale herds in Hungary / 323
Sz. Jánosi: Laboratory diagnostics of bovine tuberculosis / 332
A. Pécsi, J. Földi, P. Nagy, T. Kégl, T. Pécsi, M. Kulcsár, Gy. Huszenicza: Connection between ketonuria and the course of puerperal metritis in dairy cows / 337

EQUINE
A. Fürst: Arthrosis of the cervical vertebral column in equine – an overview / 345

PORCINE
A. Palzer, M. Ritzmann, A. Hafner, K. Heinritzi: Vitamin D toxicosis in sows. Case report / 350

SMALL ANIMALS
K. Fodor, A. Bánfi, Á. Maróti-Agóts, Z. Diószegi, S. Gy. Fekete: Canine hip dysplasia. 1. Role of genetic and enviromental factors / 354

PHARMACOLOGY
D. Szécsényi, P. Vajdovich, T. Gaál: Role of pump proteins causing therapy resistance in different diseases Literature review. Part 2 / 361

ANIMAL WELFARE
J. Gál, J. Bagyura, A. Beregi, M. Marosán, Zs. Irházi, K. Kardos, Sz. Radványi: Examination of eggs recovered from Hungarian saker falcon (Falco cherrug) nests / 371

FOOD HYGIENE
V. Ducková, M. Čanigová, M. Kročko, A. Hegedüsová: Microbiological quality of beef before and after ripening / 376

HONOURS
Professor József Marek is posthumous Hungarian heritage prize winner (F. Kovács) / 381

VETERINARY HISTORY
Caricatures from the past (I. Kótai, P. Sótonyi) / 382

EVENT
3rd International Equine Medicine Conference (Marosvásárhely, 24 february 2007) (S. Sikó Barabási) / 375

V. Pálfi – L. Ózsvári – J. Földi – E. Hankó-Faragó:
FIELD EXPERIENCES ON THE ERADICATION WITH A LIVE IBR MARKER VACCINE IN LARGE-SCALE HERDS IN HUNGARY

The efficacy of a live IBR-marker vaccine (Bovilis® IBR marker, Intervet) was studied under field conditions in Hungary with different farm management circumstances and production level. A major scale serological survey (n=8759) involving 155 (mostly dairy) large-scale farms was performed to follow up the progress in eradication of the bovine herpesvirus type 1 (BHV-1). Screening examinations were performed in 2002–2004 (n=6130) including at least samples from the cow (>24 months of age) and the maiden heifer (9–18 months of age) population of the tested herds. BHV-1 antibodies were determined at screening mostly from sera by using indirect ELISA or virusneutralization (VN) or gB ELISA, however, in a few cases individual milk samples were tested by indirect ELISA. Within a herd the sample size was calculated to determine whether the prevalence is below or above a 25% limit with 99% confidence. Based on the initial serological results, herd vaccination was performed according to the following vaccination protocols: (a) intramuscular priming at around 5–6 month of age, followed by whole herd vaccination at every 6 months in the herds with very low prevalence in the young stock or (b) intranasal priming from 2 weeks of age onwards, followed by an intramuscular booster at 4 months of age and then herd re-vaccination at every 6 months. The latter schedule was used in the herds with high seroprevalence in each tested age groups. As an additional preventive measure, isolation of different age groups, first of all the drying off cows and pregnant heifers was also suggested.
Monitoring examinations were performed in 2004–2006, usually at least 24 months after the start of vaccination by using gE test from serum samples (n=2629). At the monitoring examinations sample size was calculated to set the detection limit to 10%, targeting mainly the exposed age groups, i.e. the animals in closer contact with the groups proved to be infected previously.
The seroprevalence for BHV-1 gE decreased progressively and significantly in general and in every age groups (calves, heifers, pregnant heifers and cows) examined in all the surveyed herds. Therefore, it can be concluded that the live IBR-marker vaccine proved to be a very efficacious tool in the eradication of BHV-1 under field condition in large-scale herds in Hungary. Two case studies are also presented in order to show the progress of a successful eradication on herd-level.

Sz. Jánosi:
LABORATORY DIAGNOSTICS OF BOVINE TUBERCULOSIS

The author analyses the sensitivity and specificity of intradermal tuberculin tests used for the detection of tuberculosis infection with bovine tuberculin and two antigens and of the laboratory examinations (gamma-interferon test and bacterium culture). He calls the attention to the importance of the circumstances and ways of sample taking, transport and processing. He presents the method of identification of the species and subspecies of the cultured bacterium.

A. Pécsi – J. Földi – P. Nagy – T. Kégl – T. Pécsi – M. Kulcsár – Gy. Huszenicza:
CONNECTION BETWEEN KETONURIA AND THE COURSE OF PUERPERAL METRITIS DAIRY COWS

Presence and degree of ketonuria is a simple, practical parameter for the evaluation of post partum (pp) negative energy balance (NEB) in dairy cows. A field trial was carried out on two large-scale dairy farms in Hungary to assess the effect of treated and non-treated ketonuria on the course and clinical cure of puerperal metritis (PM), as well as on the reproduction performance afterwards. Cows with PM up to 10 days pp, calved at term (>270 days of gestation) without complication, were included in the trial (n=131). PM was characterized (i) by large amount of foul smelling, reddish-brown, watery (e.g. putrid) exsudate with some necrotic debris in the uterus and a thin uterine wall or (ii) by a limited amount of malodorous, purulent uterus exsudate and thick (oedematous) uterine wall with or without systemic signs of disease. The first intrauterine (IU) antimicrobial treatment for PM was applied at inclusion, while antiketogenic treatment was given for a randomly selected proportion of the animals at the same time. Urine acetic-acetate (AcAc) level of each cows was determined by a semi-quantitative quick stick test (level of ≥1.5 mmol/l was considered to be positive reaction i.e. ketonuria), and part of the cows with ketonuria received further antiketogenic treatment until urine AcAc level was below the cut-off limit on two consecutive days. Consequently, for data evaluation, cows were allocated to four groups: with ketonuria, no treatment (n=37); with ketonuria, treated (n=38); without ketonuria, no treatment (n=27); without ketonuria, treated (n=29). Urine AcAc level was above the cut-off for 1–4 weeks (mean±SD: 17.3±1.6 days) in the non-treated cows treated with ketonuria, while it took 2–8 days (4.5±0.4 days) in the cows with ketonuria (significant difference: two sample t-test p<0.001). Anatomic involution of the uterus became complete approximately 1 week later (38±1 days) in the group with non-treated ketonuria, as compared to the groups with treated ketonuria or without ketonuria (31±1 days, 29±1 days, 31±1 days, respectively; LSD(P=0.05)=3.1). Moreover, cows within this group required more repeated IU antimicrobial treatment to get completely cured than those of within the other three groups (9.6±0.7 vs 4.7±0.6, 3.8±0.4, 4.1±0.5; LSD(P=0.05)=1.64). Calving to re-conception period took longer in this group (open days: 113±9 days vs 94±6 days, 90±7 days, 89±8 days; non significant difference by ANOVA: p=0.12), and the overall pregnancy rate was significantly lower (38% vs 61, 59, 62 %; chi2 test pairwise comparisons p1-2=0.05, p1-3=0.09, p1-4=0.05). Therefore, it can be concluded, that in the cows with PM having substantial NEB characterized by ketonuria and received no antiketogenic treatment, the course of uterine involution was slower, resulting in more prolonged recovery period of PM. These cows required more IU antimicrobial treatment, their pregnancy rate was lower, and their calving to re-conception period was longer, as compared to the PM-affected cows without ketonuria, or to those having ketonuria, but received proper antiketogenic treatment. However, no difference was observed between the latter groups. It means, that if NEB is compensated by using an antiketogenic treatment, the efficacy of IU treatment of PM is increased, and consequently the economic losses caused by the poorer reproduction performance of the cows with PM can be reduced.

K. Fodor – A. Bánfi – Á. Maróti-Agóts – Z. Diószegi – S. Gy. Fekete:
CANINE HIP DYSPLASIA. 1. ROLE OF GENETIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS

Hip dysplasia is a relatively frequent and life quality decreasing orthopedic illnesses of large and giant dog breeds. Both genetic and environmental factors play a significant role in its ethiology, pathogenesis and clinical appereance. Hip dysplasia has warranty consequences, as well. It is a permanent problem in dog breeding and small animal clinical practice. That’s why, its diagnosis, clinical signs, monitoring and its prevention are essential for the veterinary surgeons in practice. In the first part of their article the authors rewiev the genetic background, effects of enviromental factors and way of rearing dog breeds the mostly affected by hip dysplasia.

D. Szécsényi:
ROLE OF PUMP PROTEINS CAUSING THERAPY RESISTANCE IN DIFFERENT DISEASES LITERATURE REVIEW. PART 2

In the first part of our study, the authors gave an overview of the concept of therapy-resistance and of the mechanism of bacterial antibiotic resistance, and described the function and structure of „efflux-pumps”.
In the beginning of the second part, the discuss the role of P glycoprotein, (one of the most important efflux-pumps) in the therapy-resistance of canine neoplastic diseases. They give an overview of some diseases (epilepsy, autoimmune diseases), in which the role of efflux pumps in therapy resistance had already been proven. After summarising other factors of therapy-resistance, they describe some methods for in vivo and in vitro detection of efflux-pumps, and in connection with this, the mention different pump function inhibitors. The clinical use of these drugs in the future lead to a break-through in the treatment of cancer and some non-neoplastic diseases.

J. Gál – J. Bagyura – A. Beregi – M. Marosán – Zs. Irházi – K. Kardos – Sz. Radványi:
EXAMINATION OF EGGS RECOVERED FROM HUNGARIAN SAKER (FALCO CHERRUG) NESTS

As part of a comprehensive scientific program in 2001, the authors examined eggs recovered from Hungarian saker (Falco cherrug) nests. The nests studied contained 3.26 eggs and nestlings on average. According to the taken biometric data, mean egg mass was 41.18 g, mean egg length 53.06 mm and mean egg width 41.35 mm. Of the 32 saker eggs evaluated, the frequency of eggshell contamination was 9.37%, and of a pervasive hiatus amounted 12.5%. In the study period, fecundity was 69.35%, hatching percentage 48.38%, and primary mortality 20.96% in sakers. Primary mortality most commonly occurred in the last third of incubation. In a single case twin chicks died during the second third of the incubation period were observed by the authors.
A bacteriology study of the egg contents was also performed by the authors, but no Salmonella sp. infestation was found. However, Escherichia coli (ten eggs) and Enterococcus sp. (six eggs) were frequently found, and in some cases also the bacteria Flavobacterium sp., Klebsiella sp., Serratia sp. and Staphylococcus sp. were isolated from the samples. The authors speculate that pathogens have probably entered the eggs after death via the intestinal contents or the faeces of prey animals brought to the nest and smeared onto the eggshell.

V. Ducková – M. Čanigová – M. Kročko – A. Hegedűsová:
MICROBIOLOGICAL QUALITY OF BEEF BEFORE AND AFTER THE RIPENING

Microbiological quality of beef was evaulated 24 hour after slaughter and 7 days after the ripening process (2–4 oC, 95% humidity). The average value of total viable count (TVC) of beef (musculus longissimus dorsi) reached 2.66 log cfu.cm–2 24 hours after slaughter. The rate of psychrotrophic microorganisms was 39.13% of TVC. The correlation coefficient determined between total bacterial count (x) and psychrotrophic bacterial count (y) was r=0.94 and dependence was expressed by regression equation in form y=1.101x–0.6636. Statistically insignificant increase (P>0.05) of both selected bacterial groups was found during the 7 days of meat ripening and average value of TVC reached 4.33 log cfu.cm–2. The psychrotrophic bacterial count (PBC) after beef ripening was higher than TVC (determined as mesophilic).Gram-negative psychrotrophic bacteria became dominant microflora in beef during its ripening. The Pseudomonas genus (83.34%) was the most frequently isolated psychrotrophic bacteria on the beef surface. Pseudomonas fragi had the highest prevalence 66.67% from all isolates of the Pseudomonas genera.