Veterinární medicína, 2007 (vol. 52), issue 6
Bulk tank milk somatic cell count and sources of raw milk contamination with mastitis pathogens
D. Rysanek, V. Babak, M. Zouharova
Vet Med - Czech, 2007, 52(6):223-230 | DOI: 10.17221/1878-VETMED 
The objective of this study was to probe the relationship between prevalence of selected principal mastitis pathogens and somatic cell counts in bulk tank milk samples. The sources of milk contamination were evaluated. The samples were collected from 298 dairy herds (with approximately 32 000 dairy cows). Only 48.3% of the bulk tank milk samples were free of contamination of pathogens of interest. Approximately 38.9% of the milk samples were contaminated with only one, 12.4% with two and 0.3% with three pathogens. The arithmetic mean of logarithmically transformed data of bulk tank milk somatic cell count rise in order: pathogen free, Pseudomonas...
Dose-dependent immune response in milk cells and mammary tissue after intramammary administration of lipopolysaccharide in dairy cows
C. Werner-Misof, M.W. Pfaffl, R.M. Bruckmaier
Vet Med - Czech, 2007, 52(6):231-244 | DOI: 10.17221/1877-VETMED
The immune response in milk cells and the status of mammary tight junctions (TJ) in response to intramammary (IM) infusion of different doses of Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was investigated. Experiment I: Seven German Braunvieh cows were IM infused into one quarter with 1 μg (LPS-1) and 3 μg (LPS-3) of LPS, respectively, and the contralateral control quarter with saline (9 g/l; C). Milk samples were taken immediately before and 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, 84 and 108 h after infusion and analysed for somatic cell counts (SCC), lactose, sodium (Na) and chloride (Cl) ions, and electrical conductivity (EC). Milk cell mRNA expression...
Haptoglobin and lactate dehydrogenase measurements in milk for the identification of subclinically diseased udder quarters
S. Hiss, U. Mueller, A. Neu-Zahren, H. Sauerwein
Vet Med - Czech, 2007, 52(6):245-252 | DOI: 10.17221/1879-VETMED
Diagnosis of subclinical mastitis is of increasing importance and appropriate detection methods are needed. Both haptoglobin (Hp), an acute phase protein in cattle, as well as lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), an ubiquitous enzyme, can be successfully used to detect clinical mastitis. The present paper describes quantification of Hp and LDH in milk samples from healthy and subclinically diseased udder quarters. Hp was analysed in the laboratory using an ELISA. The activity of LDH was measured in raw milk directly in the milking parlor. Both parameters were suitable to distinguish between sterile samples and bacteriologically positive samples. The ability...
Real-time PCR for quantitation of bovine viral diarrhea virus RNA using SYBR Green I fluorimetry
E. Kosinova, I. Psikal, B. Robesova, K. Kovarcik
Vet Med - Czech, 2007, 52(6):253-261 | DOI: 10.17221/1882-VETMED
Quantitative real-time RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) assay was developed for the detection and quantification of bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) in clinical samples from persistently infected cattle. qRT-PCR was optimized to quantify the number of BVD virus copies using Light Cycler® detection system and intercalation fluorogenic dye SYBR Green I. A universal set of primers was selected from a highly conserved 5' untranslated region (5'UTR) to detect BVDV type I and II simultaneously. Quantification of BVDV cDNA was accomplished using a calibration curve generated from 10-fold serial dilutions of standard plasmid DNA in the range 1-108...
Effects of transport distance and the season of the year on death rates among hens and roosters in transport to poultry processing plants in the Czech Republic in the period from 1997 to 2004
E. Voslarova, B. Janackova, F. Vitula, A. Kozak, V. Vecerek
Vet Med - Czech, 2007, 52(6):262-266 | DOI: 10.17221/1881-VETMED
Poor welfare is the cause of high mortality among hens and roosters transported to poultry processing plants. In the Czech Republic, death rates among hens and roosters in transport to poultry slaughter plants were monitored between 1997 and 2004, and their total mortality rate was in the 0.925% ± 0.479% range. Death rates among hens and roosters were influenced by the transport distance to poultry processing plants. The percentage of dead birds increased from 0.592% ± 0.575% at transport distances up to 50 km to 1.638% ± 0.952% at transport distances up to 300 km. The bird mortality was also influenced by the season of the year....
Nutritional myodegeneration as a cause of dysphagia in adult horses: three case reports
E. Ludvikova, P. Jahn, Z. Lukas
Vet Med - Czech, 2007, 52(6):267-272 | DOI: 10.17221/1880-VETMED
Three cases of nutritional myodegeneration caused by selenium deficiency in adult horses are described. Difficulty in eating and drinking was a common clinical sign in all horses. Blood biochemistry revealed a marked elevation of muscle enzymes and low glutathione peroxidase activity or low selenium concentration in whole blood in all cases. The treatment with sodium selenite and vitamin E was instituted in all horses. Two of them were euthanized because of continuing muscle injuries, one patient was cured. The post-mortem examination of euthanized horses revealed pale muscles that were distributed with bilateral symmetry on hind and thoracic limbs,...