Review(s)

In this literature review, an overview of the current knowledge of MALT lymphoma in man isprovided. Where appropriate, attention is paid to the presence of the lesion in veterinary medicine.Lymphomas of the mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) may originate from lymphoid tissuethat is induced in the mucosae. The knowledge of these tumors in veterinary medicine is limited tothe relation between gastric MALT lymphoma and infection with Helicobacter species in the cat. Thediagnosis is based on the symptomatology, such as vomiting and anorexia, and histology of gastricbiopsies. In human medicine, immunohistochemical analysis and in situ hybridization have diagnosticvalue. Cats can be treated by eliminating the bacterial infection and by surgery. In humans, chemotherapy,radiation therapy and antibody therapy are additional options. The prognosis is favorable inmost human cases, but is negatively influenced in the cat by complicating factors, such as infectionwith the feline leukemia virus.

The pharmacokinetic processes of drugs, i.e. absorption, distribution, metabolization and elimination,differ between birds and mammals. For instance, the clearance and volume of the distribution ofaminoglycosides are lower in birds than in mammals. These pharmacokinetic differences are caused bydifferences in anatomy, biochemistry and physiology between birds and mammals. The species differencesin pharmacokinetics and differences in the observed and predicted pharmacokinetic parametersof some drugs in birds after extrapolation from mammals (e.g. clearance of enrofloxacin, salicylic acid,meloxicam and flunixin), show that pharmacokinetic data on mammals can hardly be extrapolated tobirds as such. Furthermore, differences in pharmacokinetic behavior between bird species exist as well.Therefore, the selection of an appropriate posology for birds has to be based on pharmacokinetic dataof that specific bird species. In absence of these data, dose selection might be done using allometricscaling. The pharmacokinetic data are scaled in correlation to the body weight of a different bird species.In case these data are also not available, dose selection using allometric scaling with pharmacokineticdata from mammals should preferably only be done for drugs with a low toxicity.

Currently, the importance of zoonoses is increasing as a result of, for example, the internationalizationof trade. Zoonoses may be caused by ingestion (food zoonosis) or after skin contact with infectedmaterial (contact zoonosis). The increase of fish zoonoses is specifically due to the expansion of aquaculture.Fishermen, fish handlers, but also fish hobbyists are at the highest risk of being exposed to fishas a possible zoonotic source of infection. Often, these people are inadequately aware of this situation.Preventive measures are hence crucial.Mycobacterium marinum, Vibrio vulnificus, Edwardsiella tarda and Streptococcus iniae are themost important topically acquired bacterial fish zoonotic germs. Aeromonas hydrophila and Erysipelothrixrhusiopathiae are considered less common. Infection of humans occurs through contact of skinlesions with the bacterium, and for some of the bacteria mentioned via oral route. In most cases, thediagnosis of these infections can be assumed based on the anamnesis, in which previous contact withfish has been demonstrated. The diagnosis of the specific germ can be confirmed via bacterial isolationand subsequent identification, for example via polymerase chain reaction. Treatment of infection ismostly done through antibiotics. In some cases, additional surgical treatment is needed.

Drinkautomaten voor kalveren worden steeds frequenter gebruikt in Vlaanderen, met als hoofddoelarbeidsbesparing. In dit overzichtsartikel wordt een samenvatting gegeven van de huidige kennis omtrentde technische aspecten van de drinkautomaat, de economische voordelen en de gezondheidsrisico’svoor kalveren gehuisvest bij deze automaten. Er is geen overtuigend bewijs dat het gebruik vandrinkautomaten in kleinere bedrijven economisch rendabel is. Hoewel er weinig wetenschappelijkeliteratuur beschikbaar is over de gezondheidsrisico’s die geassocieerd zijn met drinkautomaten, zijn erduidelijke aanwijzingen dat grote groepen kalveren gehuisvest bij een drinkautomaat een hoger risicoop pneumonie (“bovine respiratory disease” (BRD)) hebben. Of de automaat zelf een risicofactor isvoor BRD of dat het eerder komt door de blootstelling van de kalveren aan reeds bekende BRDrisicofactoren(i.e. grote groepen, op jonge leeftijd in groep gehuisvest worden, het niet toepassenvan het all-in/all-out-systeem, in het geval een drinkautomaatsysteem toegepast wordt), is echteronduidelijk. Naast BRD wordt er in de praktijk melding gemaakt van diarree en tongulcera, maar er isgeen bewijs beschikbaar over de link met het gebruik van drinkautomaten. Om problemen op bedrijvenmet een drinkautomaat te beperken, zijn een groepsgrootte van maximum tien kalveren per drinkstation,het toepassen van een all-in/ all-out-systeem per groep en een minimumleeftijd van drie weken alvorensde kalveren bij de automaat te huisvesten de belangrijkste aandachtspunten.

Food allergy is a common problem in both pets and humans. In veterinary medicine, food allergyis frequently diagnosed in dogs. Various food components, such as meat, eggs and milk,are described as allergens in dogs, and cross-reactivity is often seen between different allergens.In humans, peanuts, tree nuts and cow’s milk are known as most common antigens.Symptoms vary in both dogs and humans from skin problems to gastrointestinal symptoms.The best way to diagnose food allergy in dogs is by means of a test diet, consisting of two phases:elimination and provocation. Other tests, such as the intradermal skin test, serology, the basophil degranulationtest and gastroscopic food sensitivity test are also available. However, these tests oftengive unreliable results. The treatment of food allergy is based on the elimination of the allergen in thediet. This may optionally be supplemented by the administration of drugs, such as corticosteroids andantihistamines.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) prevent conversion of arachidonic acid into prostanoidsby inhibiting the cyclo-oxygenase isoenzymes. In humans and animals, NSAIDs are primarilyused as an analgesic and anti-inflammatory agent in diseases of the joints, skeleton and muscles, fortreatment of abdominal pain and, to a lesser extent, for post-operative pain. The pharmacokinetics,pharmacodynamics and toxicity of NSAIDs strongly vary between types of NSAIDs, animal speciesand even within bird species (passerines, psittacines, raptors, waterfowl, galliformes and pigeons).Species-specific differences in pharmacokinetic processes (absorption, distribution, metabolization andexcretion) make it difficult to extrapolate results among the different bird species. Pharmacodynamicstudies demonstrate that effective doses are also species dependent, which in turn illustrates the importanceto perform pharmacodynamic studies in the animal of interest. Most side effects of NSAIDs inbirds are associated with nefrotoxicity, muscle necrosis and gastro-intestinal toxicity. It is important totake these pharmacological and toxicological characteristics into account when using NSAIDs in birds.

Polytetrafluoroethylene is a unique polymer, which is very present in daily life, and is commonlyknown as Teflon®. When thermal degradation takes place, toxic gasses and ultrafine particles appear, andmay cause intoxication both in humans and animals. The composition and toxicity of these degradationproducts depend on the specific conditions at the moment of breakdown. The clinical symptoms andinjuries differ greatly between species. Birds appear to be very sensitive, and intoxication mostlyresults in sudden death. The main source of polytetrafluoroethylene intoxication in pet birds, is theheating of non-stick cookware in the kitchen. As the diagnosis and treatment often come too late, theemphasis must lay on prevention.

Contagious porcine pleuropneumoniae is caused by Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae. The agent isable to adhere to the epithelium of the lower respiratory tract and lung alveoli. Type IV fimbriae play,amongst other virulence factors, an important role in the adhesion phase. Transferrin binding proteinsmediate the uptake of iron by this bacterium, which is necessary for its multiplication. The typicalhemorrhagic to necrotizing lesions in the lungs are primarily caused by the production of Apx toxins.By forming biofilms and producing proteases, Apx toxins and ammonia, A. pleuropneumoniae is ableto circumvent the immune system of the host. Antibodies directed against the lipoprotein PalA mayaggravate the course of infection, and counteract the protective effect of antibodies targeting the Apxtoxins. In-depth knowledge on host-pathogen interactions may lead to the development of efficientvaccines. The protection observed after vaccination with bacterins, such as autologous vaccines, isserotype-specific and variable. This may be attributed to variable levels of PalA in these vaccines. Untilnow, the best results have been obtained using an experimental vaccine containing type IV fimbriae,transferrin binding proteins and Apx toxins.

ABSTRACTDespite the worldwide increase of rhinoceros calf numbers, the growth of the population ofwhite and black rhinoceros is slowing down mainly due to anthropogenic causes, such as poachingand habitat loss. Assisted reproduction is one of the methods of preserving the valuable genomesof these animals from being lost, and assists in breeding them in captivity to maintain the specie(s)numbers and provide an option for possible reintroduction into the wild. Since wild rhinocerosare difficult to handle and examine clinically, most of the current information available on theirreproductive characteristics has been gained from captive rhinoceros populations. Nevertheless,very little is known about rhinoceros reproduction. Since the rhinoceros belongs to the odd-toedungulates (Perissodactyls) group, like the horse and the tapir, the horse has been proposed as asuitable model to study reproduction and artificial reproductive techniques in the rhinoceros. Inthis review, the current knowledge of the reproduction of the rhinoceros is summarized.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is characterized by a hypertrophic, non-dilated left ventricle.With a prevalence of approximately 0.2% in humans and 15% in cats, this is one of the most commonheart diseases. The disorder is often inherited but may also be acquired during life. The clinicalsymptoms may differ. Genotypically affected individuals can exhibit (severe) symptoms of heartfailure or die suddenly, but they can also stay asymptomatic during their entire life.More than 1400 gene polymorphisms have already been detected in thirteen genes that code forsarcomere proteins in the heart in humans. Some of them are, together with modifying genes andenvironmental factors, responsible for the development of HCM. To date, only three mutations havebeen identified in cats. Commercial tests are already available to diagnose them. These mutations areresponsible for only a small fraction of the cases of HCM in cats. It is important to identify as manymutations as possible in order to develop a control strategy.There are a lot of common grounds between the human and feline forms of HCM. There aresimilarities in the mode of inheritance (autosomal), the clinical appearance and the histopathologicalchanges. Still, there is not enough known about sarcomere proteins and their mutations to extrapolateinformation from humans to cats and vice versa.