Plasma total protein measurement for prediction of disease and mortality in calves

Plasma concentration of total protein (TP) was measured by refractometer in 76 calves, 1 to 8 days of age, on 3 farms. Three calves died before weaning at 5 weeks; all had plasma TP less than 6 g/dl. The frequency of disease before weaning was 17/29 (59%) in calves that had plasma TP of less than or equal to 6 g/dl, and this was significantly (P less than 0.001) less than the disease frequency of 9/47 (19%) in those with higher values of plasma TP. For 9 calves, plasma TP content was 4.72 +/- 0.22 (mean +/- SD) before ingestion of colostrum. The increment of plasma TP after colostrum feeding was 2.03 +/- 0.61 mg/dl (P less than 0.001). Plasma TP was as useful as serum zinc sulfate turbidity test results or total immunoglobins (as measured by radial immunodiffusion) in predicting disease susceptibility during the first 5 weeks of life, based on determinations made in 32 calves during the first 8 days of life. It was concluded that determination of plasma TP is the most convenient method of evaluating the immune status of calves under field conditions.

Severe measles in Vietnam

The effects of measles epidemic amongst Cambodian refugees who were inadequately housed and fed in a refugee camp on the Cambodian-Vietnam border are described. As the condition of the people deteriorated, kwashiokor became prevalent and from a comparatively low death rate initially, children began to die in quick succession. With the supply of extra high-protein food this trend was soon reversed. However, the mortality figures given are official ones and there is no way of checking them by counting graves, as the Cambodians burn their dead. Therefore, it is more than likely that the real situation is understated.

Antibacterial activity in colostrum and milk associated with protection of piglets against enteric disease caused by K88-positive Escherichia coli

Piglets suckled by dams that had been vaccinated with K88 antigen were significantly more resistant to deaths caused by neonatal diarrhea after challenge with a large dose of a K88-positive enteropathogenic strain of Escherichia coli than piglets suckled by control dams. The factors most likely to be involved in protection of the piglets were investigated by comparing the antibacterial activities of serum and mammary secretions from the two groups of dams. Vaccination stimulated the production of K88 antibodies, which were associated with anti-adhesive activity directed against the adhesive properties of the K88 antigen, and of O8 antibodies; the latter antibodies were attributed to traces of O8 antigen in the vaccine. Neutralizing activity against heat-labile enterotoxin was present in several dams before vaccination but was not stimulated by bacteriostatic activities were similar in serum and mammary secretions from both groups of dams and appeared to play no significant role in the protective after parturition were atrributed to exposure of the dams to the challenge strain excreted by the piglets. It was concluded that neutralization of the adhesive properties of K88 antigen by K88 antibodies in colostrum and in milk contributed significantly to the protection of piglets from vaccinated dams. However, the contribution of antibacterial activities associated with the greater levels of O8 antibodies in colstrum from the vaccinated group cannot be entirely excluded.

Passive immunity in transmissible gastroenteritis of swine: intramuscular injection of pregnant swine with a modified live-virus vaccine

Nine pregnant swine were intramuscularly injected with a modified live-virus transmissible gastroenteritis (TGE) vaccine at approximately 6 and 2 weeks before parturition. The TGE antibody levels in milk whey rapidly decreased within a few days after parturition, and the antibodies were mainly, if not solely, of the immunoglobulin G (IgG) class. Nursing newborn pigs were challenge exposed with virulent TGE virus when 2 to 4 days old. All pigs in 8 of the 9 litters became affected with typical signs of TGE. Of the pigs nursing vaccinated sows, 55% died, and of the 9 vaccinated sows, 8 became affected after challenge exposure of their litters. Subsequently, the antibody titers in serum and milk markedly increased in all 9 sows, with the antibody in milk being predominantly of the immunoglobulin A (IgA) class. Serum samples of prenursing newborn pigs from vaccinated sows did not contain detectable TGE antibodies. The capability of the vaccinated sows to provide only limited passive immunity to their suckling pigs was considered to be due mainly to the low titer and class (IgG) of TGE antibody existing in the milk of the sows at the time the newborn pigs were challenge exposed.

Common causes of death in children at Mulago Hospital, Kampala, Uganda

An honest portrayal, based on observations of deaths from disease, of the nature and magnitude of pediatric problems in an African country.

Unclassified Escherichia coli serogroup OXI isolated from fatal diarrhea of rabbits

An unclassified serogroup of Escherichia coli, OX1, was identified in 151 of 196 isolates from 20 rabbits affected with fatal diarrhea and four with no visible illness. No other known pathogenic bacteria or protozoa were isolated from these rabbits. Six strains of OX1 produced a positive reaction comparable to a known positive-reacting E. coli O26:K60 strain when injected into ligated intestinal loops of young rabbits.