A study of the anatomy and injection techniques of the ovine stifle by positive contrast arthrography, computed tomography arthrography and gross anatomical dissection

in Veterinary Journal (in press)

Procollagen type III amino terminal propeptide concentrations in dogs with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis compared with chronic bronchitis and eosinophilic bronchopneumopathy

in Veterinary Journal (2012)

Apparent prevalence of antibodies to Coxiella burnetii (Q fever) in bulk tank milk from dairy herds in southern Belgium

in Veterinary Journal (2012), 192(3), 529-531

Bayesian estimation of the true prevalence, sensitivity and specificity of the Rose Bengal and indirect ELISA tests in the diagnosis of bovine brucellosis.

in Veterinary Journal (2012)

Serology is the most convenient method for detecting brucellosis but the efficient use of such tests in disease control requires evaluation of diagnostic performance and discriminative ability. The ... [more ▼]

Serology is the most convenient method for detecting brucellosis but the efficient use of such tests in disease control requires evaluation of diagnostic performance and discriminative ability. The objective of this study was to assess the performance of the Rose Bengal test (RBT) and an indirect ELISA (iELISA) in diagnosing brucellosis in 995 serum samples collected from cattle in the Ivory Coast between 2005 and 2009. A Bayesian approach was used to evaluate the two tests by estimating their sensitivities and specificities. The correlation-adjusted sensitivity of the iELISA was estimated to be 96.1% (credibility interval [CrI], 92.7-99.8), whereas that of the RBT was 54.9% (CrI, 23.5-95.1). High correlation-adjusted specificities were found for both tests (95.0%; [CrI, 91.1-99.6] for the iELISA and 97.7%; [CrI, 95.3-99.4] for the RBT, respectively). The true prevalence of brucellosis was estimated from the serum samples to be 4.6% (95%; [CrI, 0.6-9.5]). The level of agreement between the two tests was evaluated using indices of agreement (n=995). Good agreement was found for negative results (96.6%; confidence interval [CI], 95.7-97.4), a finding supported by an estimated significant correlation of 0.37 (95%; CI, 0.01-0.73) within the sera testing negative. Agreement was lower for sera testing positive (52.2% CI: 41.9-62.5). The findings highlight the importance of using these two tests in combination as part of any brucellosis control programme. [less ▲]

Is evidence-based medicine so evident in veterinary research and practice? History, obstacles and perspectives.

in Veterinary Journal (2012), 191(1), 28-34

Evidence-based medicine (EBM) refers to the conscientious, explicit and judicious use of current best evidence from research for the care of an individual patient. The concept of EBM was first described ... [more ▼]

Evidence-based medicine (EBM) refers to the conscientious, explicit and judicious use of current best evidence from research for the care of an individual patient. The concept of EBM was first described in human medicine in the early 1990s and was introduced to veterinary medicine 10 years later. However, it is not clear that the EBM approach promulgated in human medicine can be applied to the same extent to veterinary medicine. EBM has the potential to help veterinarians to make more informed decisions, but obstacles to the implementation of EBM include a lack of high quality patient-centred research, the need for basic understanding of clinical epidemiology by veterinarians, the absence of adequate searching techniques and accessibility to scientific data bases and the inadequacy of EBM tools that can be applied to the busy daily practise of veterinarians. This review describes the development of EBM in the veterinary profession, identifies its advantages and disadvantages and discusses whether and how veterinary surgeons should further adopt the EBM approach of human medicine. [less ▲]

Pyrosequencing of epizootic rabbit enteropathy inocula and rabbit caecal samples.

in Veterinary Journal (2012)

The aetiological agent of epizootic rabbit enteropathy (ERE) is still unknown although a bacterial infection seems the most likely hypothesis. In this study, amplification of the V5 and V6 regions of ... [more ▼]

The aetiological agent of epizootic rabbit enteropathy (ERE) is still unknown although a bacterial infection seems the most likely hypothesis. In this study, amplification of the V5 and V6 regions of 16SrDNA from four virulent and two non-virulent caecal samples was performed using a pyrosequencing platform. The virulent samples did not group in the same cluster. The bacterial flora identified was both different and richer than the cultivable bacterial flora. These findings highlight the need for biomolecular techniques to identify the aetiological agent of ERE. [less ▲]

Salmeterol or doxycycline do not inhibit acute bronchospasm and airway inflammation in cats with experimentally-induced asthma

in Veterinary Journal (2011)

The objective of this study was to determine if inhaled salmeterol, a long-acting β2-adrenergic agonist, and oral doxycycline, a tetracycline antibiotic displaying matrix metalloproteinase (MMP ... [more ▼]

The objective of this study was to determine if inhaled salmeterol, a long-acting β2-adrenergic agonist, and oral doxycycline, a tetracycline antibiotic displaying matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) inhibitory activity, reduce airway inflammation and obstruction in cats with experimentally-induced asthma. Eight Ascaris suum (AS)-sensitised cats were enrolled in a prospective study in which they underwent four AS-challenges at 1 month intervals. The challenged animals were given no treatment or were treated on 4 consecutive days with either: (1) oral prednisolone (1 mg/kg twice daily), (2) inhaled salmeterol (50 μg twice daily), or (3) oral doxycycline (5 mg/kg twice daily), according to a randomised cross-over design. Inhibition of allergen-induced early (EAR) and late (LAR) asthmatic reactions were assessed by barometric whole-body plethysmography. Cytology and measurement of MMP-2 and -9 activities were carried out on bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). Although none of the treatments prevented the EAR, prednisolone treatment inhibited the LAR. Relative to untreated cats, the eosinophil percentage and MMP-2 activity in BALF were significantly reduced following prednisolone treatment (P < 0.05). Short-term therapy with either salmeterol or doxycycline had no effect on the EAR or LAR or on airway inflammation. Given the chronic nature of this disease in cats, long-term therapy may be required to produce more favourable functional and clinical outcomes. [less ▲]

Effect of short-term oral and inhaled corticosteroids on airway inflammation and responsiveness in a feline acute asthma model

in Veterinary Journal (2011)

The objective of this study was to investigate whether high-dose inhaled fluticasone propionate (FP), alone or in combination with salmeterol (SAL), is as effective as oral prednisolone in reducing airway ... [more ▼]

The objective of this study was to investigate whether high-dose inhaled fluticasone propionate (FP), alone or in combination with salmeterol (SAL), is as effective as oral prednisolone in reducing airway inflammation and obstruction in cats with experimentally-induced acute asthma. Six cats sensitised to Ascaris suum (AS) were enrolled in a prospective controlled therapeutic trial and underwent four aerosol challenges, at 1-month intervals with AS allergen. The allergen - stimulated animals received four consecutive days treatment with either oral prednisolone at 1mg/kg twice daily, 500μg of FP inhaled twice daily, or a combination of FP/SAL at 500μg/50μg inhaled twice daily, respectively, according to a randomised cross-over design. Treatment-related changes in lung function, airway responsiveness (AR) and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) cytology were assessed. Barometric whole-body plethysmography (BWBP) was used for the assessment of respiratory variables and AR. No significant differences in respiratory rate or Penh (an estimate of airflow limitation measured by BWBP) were detected among treatment groups. Allergen-induced airway hyper-responsiveness was significantly inhibited by all three steroid treatments (P<0.05). The mean BALF eosinophil percentage (±SEM) was lower after oral and inhaled corticosteroid treatment and these changes were significant for groups receiving prednisolone and the FP/SAL combination. Findings suggest high-dose FP, particularly in combination with SAL, is effective in ameliorating airway inflammation and hyper-responsiveness in this model of acute feline asthma, and highlight the potential use of these drugs in cats experiencing acute exacerbations of the naturally occurring disease. [less ▲]

LUPA: a European initiative taking advantage of the canine genome architecture for unravelling complex disorders in both human and dogs.

in Veterinary Journal (2011), 189(2), 155-9

The domestic dog offers a unique opportunity to explore the genetic basis of disease, morphology and behaviour. Humans share many diseases with our canine companions, making dogs an ideal model organism ... [more ▼]

The domestic dog offers a unique opportunity to explore the genetic basis of disease, morphology and behaviour. Humans share many diseases with our canine companions, making dogs an ideal model organism for comparative disease genetics. Using newly developed resources, genome-wide association studies in dog breeds are proving to be exceptionally powerful. Towards this aim, veterinarians and geneticists from 12 European countries are collaborating to collect and analyse the DNA from large cohorts of dogs suffering from a range of carefully defined diseases of relevance to human health. This project, named LUPA, has already delivered considerable results. The consortium has collaborated to develop a new high density single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array. Mutations for four monogenic diseases have been identified and the information has been utilised to find mutations in human patients. Several complex diseases have been mapped and fine mapping is underway. These findings should ultimately lead to a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying complex diseases in both humans and their best friend. [less ▲]

Surgical hand antisepsis in veterinary practice: evaluation of soap scrubs and alcohol based rub techniques

in Veterinary Journal (2011), 190(3), 372-377

Recent evidence shows hydro-alcoholic solutions are more efficient than traditional medicinated soaps in the presurgical hand antisepsis of human surgeons. However, little veterinary literature is ... [more ▼]

Recent evidence shows hydro-alcoholic solutions are more efficient than traditional medicinated soaps in the presurgical hand antisepsis of human surgeons. However, little veterinary literature is available on the subject. The aims of this study were to compare the efficiency of medicinated soaps and a hydro-alcoholic solution prior to surgery using an in use testing method in a veterinary setting. A preliminary trial was performed that compared the mean Log10 number of bacterial colony forming units (CFU) and the reduction factors (RF) between 2 five-minute hand-scrubbing sessions using different soaps (povidone iodine (PVP) and chlorhexidine gluconate (CHX)) and the 1.5-min application of a hydro-alcoholic rub (Sterillium). A clinical in use trial comparing mean log10 number of bacterial CFU’s and RF for Sterillium and CHX soap was performed in a surgical set-up. Sampling was performed using finger printing on agar plates. Sterillium and CHX had a similar immediate effect, although the sustained effect was significantly better for Sterillium. PVP showed a significantly lower immediate and sustained effect. Sterillium showed good efficiency in the clinical trial. This study shows that, as previously reported for human medicine, Sterillium can safely be considered as an attractive alternative method for surgical hand antisepsis in a veterinary surgical setting. [less ▲]