Contents page of the issue November 2007



EQUINE
A. Stewart: Diagnosis and treatment of fungal infections in horses / 643

PORCINE
R. Židek, D. Jakabová-Šátková, J. Trandžík, F. Jakab, J. Buleca jr., P. Massányi, L. Zöldág: Genetic variability data of Slovak Large White Improved swine breed / 656
R. Steinheuer, A. Bubikat, T. Harde, C. Keller: Examinations on the incidence of Lawsonia intracellularis and about the factors influencing the infection / 661

SMALL ANIMALS
H. Potschka, W. Bäumer: Current treatment of diabetes mellitus in dogs and cats / 667

PET ANIMALS
J. Gál: Clinicopathology of diseases of the serous membrane in reptiles / 672

ZOONOSES
A. Weber: Risks of diseases transmissible from dogs and cats to humans, according to current knowledge / 677

LABORATORY DIAGNOSTICS
G. Szita, M. Gyenes, G. Faludi, T. Rétfalvi, L. Békési, Gy. Csikó, S. Bernáth: Detection of Pseudomonas aeruginosa from water samples by impedimetry, using a novel culture medium and impedimetric technology. Secondary communication / 684

PRACTICE MANAGEMENT
L. Ózsvári, L. Reinitz: Cost efficiency of the operation of laboratory devices in the Hungarian small animal practice / 689

STATEMENT
Statement of the Veterinary Science Committee of the HAS on the maintenance and control of tuberculosis free status of cattle herds (J. Varga, L. Tekes) / 699

COMMEMORATION
Salute to the memory of a veterinary student, Zoltán Tatay (1936–1956) (F. Kutas) / 701

BOOK REVIEW
P. Markovits: Aus meinem Forscherleben (From my research activity) (L. Visnyei) / 676

A. Stewart:
DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF FUNGAL INFECTIONS IN HORSES

Systemic and respiratory fungal infections in horses are relatively uncommon, but they are often life threatening and can be difficult to diagnose and treat. Horses may present with nasal discharge, facial distortion, respiratory noise, or airway obstruction with upper respiratory tract granulomas, epistaxis with guttural pouch mycosis or nasal discharge, coughing, respiratory distress, weight loss, or sudden death from fungal pneumonia.
Diagnosis of upper respiratory tract granulomas is based on clinical signs, identification of mass lesions during endoscopic examination and collection of tissue samples by biopsy or mucosal scraping. For pulmonary infections, thoracic radiographs and collection of fluid samples by tracheal wash or bronchoalveolar lavage are useful. Cytologic or histologic examination of lesions may identify characteristic morphological features of fungal organisms. Definitive identification of the etiologic agent can be made by microbiologic culture, immunohistochemistry, PCR or serology.
Treatment is often expensive and must be administered long term. There is often a high risk of recurrence. Systemic therapy with amphotericin B, ketoconazole, itraconazole, fluconazole, and iodides, and topical/intra-lesional therapy with amphotericin B, fluconazole, enilconazole and miconazole have been used successfully. Overall prognosis is fair to guarded depending on the etiology, location and extensiveness of lesions.

R. Židek – D. Jakabová-Šátková – J. Trandžík – F. Jakab – J. Buleca jr. – P. Massányi – L. Zöldág:
GENETIC VARIABILITY DATA OF THE SLOVAK WHITE IMPROVED SWINE BREED

Genetic variability at 10 loci of microsatellites (SW24, SO107, SO068, SW936, SW353, SO386, SO355, SW72, TNFB, SO070) was analyzed in 63 lines of Slovak White Improved swine breed in the Slovak Republic. Multiplex microsatellite genotyping was performed using automatic capillary sequencer ABI 310. Allele frequencies, number of alleles per locus, heterozygosities, PIC value (polymorphism information content), FST (population differentiation), FIS (excess of heterozygotes), and FIT (heterozygote decrease) were calculated (Table). The number of alleles varied from 7 to 17 with an average number of 11.4. The highest observed heterozygosity was detected at TNFB (0.836), whereas SO386 showed the lowest heterozygosity (0.651). The mean expected heterozygosity was 0.724. Polymorphism information content was estimated from 0.478 (SW353) to 0.823 (SO107) and the mean PIC value was 0.688. The FIT statistic calculated for the population as a whole (n=180), indicated an overall decrease of 4% in heterozygote phenotypes (FIT=0.04) compared to homozygotes. The average excess of heterozygotes was 43.3% (FIS=–0.433). Population differentiation (FST) was 0.331, which shows a high variability level between analyzed breeding lines of Slovakian White Improved swine breed (Figure 1. and 2.).

J. Gál:
CLINICOPATHOLOGY OF DISEASES OF THE SEROUS MEMBRANE IN REPTILES

The author sums up the diseases of the seral membrane in the body cavity of reptiles. Melanosis can be observed as a physiological abnormality. Of infective disorders septicaemia, follicle degeneration, inflammation of spiculum, diphteroid enteritis, etc. can cause bleeding, dilation of veins and serous-fibrinous inflammation on the seral membrane. Some diseases of the kidney can result in the accumulation of fluid or the deposition of urea on the seral membrane in the body cavity of reptiles. Occasionally, nematodes may be present under the seral membrane of wild-caught reptiles without causing apparent symptoms.

L. Ózsvári – L. Reinitz:
COST EFFICIENCY OF THE OPERATION OF LABORATORY DEVICES IN THE HUNGARIAN SMALL ANIMAL PRACTICE

The authors first surveyed and analysed the number, type and monthly tendencies of laboratory examinations of three Hungarian small animal practices in 2006, requested from outer service laboratories. Afterwards, on the basis of collected data, price of laboratory examinations and commercial price of different laboratory devices and reagents they carried out laboratory examinations and calculated their return. The practices required mostly full quantitative and qualitative hemogram but Babesia, creatinine, carbamide, ALT, AST, ALKP and phosphorous examination were also frequent. The rarest examinations were the determination of erythrocyte sedimentation rate, iron-binding capacity, iron, cholic acid, magnesium, CRP and chloride level. There were significant differences in the three totally different small animal practices concerning the yearly number of laboratory request and examinations required by the veterinarians. In the monthly number of laboratory examinations, there was a spring (March–May) and autumn (September–November) peak and a bottom at the end of summer (August). A minimal number of examinations is essential for the operation of any laboratory devices, which is necessary to make the buying of reagents rentable. On this basis, neither haematological nor biochemical examinations are worthy to carry out in the smallest practice. The laboratory examinations carried out in the other two practices showed that in case of practice of the highest turnover the operation of one of the biochemical devices is rentable and the expenditures are recovered already in the first year. Naturally, before someone decide to operate a laboratory device many factors should be taken into account, considering the financial and other advantages, burdens and risks that derives from it.