2010 - 79 (1)

Paper in Dutch

Paper in Dutch

Paper in Dutch

In March 2009 a three-year-old Belgian Blue breeding bull in Western Flanders demonstrated multiplenodules on the withers, shoulders and neck. Some of them were bleeding. The bull had been imported fromthe south of Belgium in the summer of 2008. Serohaemorrhagic exsudate from one of the nodules wasexamined under the light microscope and a larva and embryonated egg of Parafilaria bovicola could beidentified. On histopathology a eosinophilic dermatitis was present and after serial sectioning an adult femalefilarid was found in the superficial dermis. The animal was treated with moxidectin and the skin lesionsdisappeared within a week. This is the first diagnosed case of bovine parafilariasis in Flanders. Nine monthslater, no additional cases were identified neither on the farm nor on the neighbouring farms.

In this article 9 cases of Multiple Feline Epulides (MFE) are discussed. All cats presented with multiplegingival masses covering most of the teeth. Eight cases were diagnosed as reactive hyperplasia and one wasa as peripheral ossifying fibroma. Eight were Domestic Shorthair cats and one a Domestic Longhair. No sexpredilection was found. All cats were young at first presentation. In 8 of the cases, cure was achieved bygingivoplasty and extraction of all premolars and molars and sometimes the incisors. In the 1 case that wastreated more conservatively, without extractions, multiple recurrences were seen.The results of the present study are compared to findings in previously published reports on multiple epulidesin cats.

Both for research and practical purposes, accurate and repeatable methods are required to assess theconcentration of boar semen samples. Since the method which is used may influence the results considerably,the aim of the present study was to compare 5 frequently used techniques to determine boar semenconcentration. Fifty ejaculates were collected from 37 different boars at an artificial insemination centre.Subsequently, each ejaculate was analyzed for sperm concentration by means of 2 different types ofcolorimeters (Colorimeter 1: Model 252, Sherwood Scientific Ltd, Cambridge, UK ; Colorimeter 2: Ciba-Corning, Schippers, Bladel, The Netherlands), the Bürker counting chamber (golden standard), and theHamilton Thorne Analyzer (Ceros 12.1) using 2 types of Leja chambers (the ‘former’ and the ‘recentlydeveloped’). Each ejaculate was assessed 5 times with each of the 5 methods, and the repeatability, expressedby coefficient of variation (CV), was determined for each method. The different methods were compared usingPearson’s correlations and limits of agreement. The colorimeters yielded the lowest CV’s (both 3.7%), whilethe former Leja chamber resulted in the highest CV (12.4%). Moreover, significant (P<0.01) and highcorrelations (r>0.71) were found between the results obtained by the different methods. The limits ofagreement plots showed that none of the methods consistently over- or underestimated the spermconcentrations when compared to the Bürker chamber, although there was a tendency toward higher overorunderestimation in highly concentrated sperm samples. Based on our results, there were no majordifferences in the assessment of sperm concentration between the evalua ted methods. The choice of methodused in a laboratory could therefore be based on factors such as cost, number of samples to be assessed andpractical use, without thereby negatively affecting the validity of the results thus obtained.

A 4-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare suffering from pelvic flexure impaction was diagnosed with ateratoma of the left ovary. The enlarged ovary was identified several days after treatment of the impaction.Surgical removal of the affected ovary was performed and histopathological examination confirmed thepresence of a teratoma. The features of another ovarian teratoma, which was an accidental finding at slaughter,are also described.

Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) is a highly pathogenic flavivirus and the most important arthropodbornevirus in Europe. Considerable increases in human tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) incidence in endemiccountries and the emergence of the disease in several Western and Northern European countries, as well asin the European canine population, have made TBEV an increasing public health risk. Autochthonous TBEhas never been reported in Belgium, despite the presence of suitable climate, environment, vectors and hosts.Though Belgian citizens are increasingly traveling to endemic areas, clinicians do not routinely test for TBEin human meningoencephalitis cases. In Belgium, TBE is not notifiable and surveillance is currently almostnon-existent. If TBE were to emerge in Belgium, it could pose a significant threat to public health. Targetedserological screening of sentinel animals (dogs and wildlife) would contribute in a cost-effective way to acontinuous epidemiosurveillance program for TBEV in Belgium.

Acute pancreatitis is a (usually sterile) inflammation with acute onset and characterized by necrosis andedema; it does not permanently disrupt the pancreatic architecture and is completely reversible. It is thoughtthat, despite the pancreatic defense mechanisms, premature activation of trypsin in the acinar cells starts acascade of reactions that result in autodigestion. Most cases are idiopathic. Dogs are often presented withgastrointestinal signs, whereas lethargy and anorexia are the most commonly observed symptoms in cats.Diagnosing pancreatitis remains a challenge, but the recent development of the pancreatic lipaseimmunoreactivity test is promising.

Paper in Dutch