Mycoplasma bovis peritonitis and omental bursitis after C-section in two Belgian Blue cows

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How labour intensive is a doctor-based delivery model for antiretroviral treatment (ART)? Evidence from an observational study in Siem Reap, Cambodia

BACKGROUND: Funding for scaling-up antiretroviral treatment (ART) in low-income countries has increased substantially, but the lack of human resources for health (HRH) is increasingly being identified as an important constraint for scaling-up ART. METHODS: In a clinic run by Médecins Sans Frontières in Siem Reap, Cambodia, we documented the use of doctor-time for ART in September 2004 and in August 2005, for different phases in ART (pre-ART, ART initiation, ART follow-up Year 1, & ART follow-up Year 2). Based on these observations and using a variety of assumptions for survival of patients on ART (between 90 and 95% annually) and for further reductions in doctor-time per patient (between 0 and 10% annually), we estimated the need for doctors for the period 2004 till 2013 in the Siem Reap clinic, and in a hypothetical district in sub-Saharan Africa. RESULTS: In the Siem Reap clinic, we found that from 2004 to 2005 the doctor-time needed per patient was reduced by between 14% and 33%, thanks to a reduction in number of visits per patient and shorter consultation times. In 2004, 2.06 full-time equivalent (FTE) doctors were needed for 522 patients on ART, and in 2005 this was slightly reduced to 1.97 FTE doctors for 911 patients on ART. By 2013, Siem Reap clinic will need between 2 and 5 FTE doctors for ART. In a district in sub-Saharan Africa with 200,000 inhabitants and 20% adult HIV prevalence, using a similar doctor-based ART delivery model, between 4 and 11 FTE doctors would be needed to cover 50% of ART needs. CONCLUSION: ART is labour intensive. Important reductions in doctor-time per patient can be realized during scaling-up. The doctor-based ART delivery model analysed seems adequate for Cambodia. However, for many districts in sub-Saharan Africa a doctor-based ART delivery model may be incompatible with their HRH constraints

Sources of individual variation in plasma testosterone levels

The steroid hormone testosterone (T) plays a central role in the regulation of breeding in males, because many physiological, morphological and behavioural traits related to reproduction are T dependent. Moreover, in many seasonally breeding vertebrates, male plasma T levels typically show a pronounced peak during the breeding season. While such population-level patterns are fairly well worked out, the sources and the implications of the large variability in individual T levels within the seasonal cycle remain surprisingly little understood. Understanding the potential sources of individual variation in T levels is important for behavioural and evolutionary ecologists, for at least two reasons. First, in ‘honest signalling’ theory, T is hypothesized to play a critical role as the assumed factor that enforces honesty of the expression of sexually selected quality indicators. Second, T is often considered a key mediator of central life-history trade-offs, such as investment in survival versus reproduction or in mating versus parental care. Here, we discuss the patterns of within- and between-individual variation in male plasma T levels in free-living populations of birds. We argue that it is unclear whether this variability mainly reflects differences in underlying individual quality (intrinsic factors such as genetic or maternal effects) or in the environment (extrinsic factors including time of day, individual territorial status and past experience). Research in avian behavioural endocrinology has mainly focused on the effects of extrinsic factors, while other sources of variance are often ignored. We suggest that studies that use an integrative approach and investigate the relative importance of all potential sources of variation are essential for the interpretation of data on individual plasma T levels

Storage time and temperature affect the isolation rate of Mannheimia haemolytica and Pasteurella multocida from bovine bronchoalveolar lavage samples

Background A microbiological diagnosis is essential to better target antimicrobial treatment, control and prevention of respiratory tract infections in cattle. Under field conditions, non-endoscopic broncho-alveolar lavage (nBAL) samples are increasingly collected. To what extent the highly variable turnaround time and storage temperatures between sampling and cultivation affect the isolation rate of bacterial pathogens is unknown. Therefore, the objective of this experimental study was to determine the effect of different storage temperatures (0 degrees C, 8 degrees C, 23 degrees C and 36 degrees C) and times (0,2,4,6,8,24,48 h) on the isolation rate and concentration ofPasteurellaceaein nBAL samples from clinically affected animals. Results At a storage temperature temperature of 36 degrees C isolation rates ofMannheimia haemolyticaandPasteurella multocidawere significantly reduced 6 h and 48 h after sampling, respectively. At room temperature (23 degrees C), a decrease inM. haemolyticaandP. multocidaisolation rate was noticed, starting at 24 and 48 h after sampling, respectively, but only significant forP. multocidaat 48 h. The presence of microbial contamination negatively affected the isolation ofP. multocidain clinical nBAL samples, but not ofM. haemolytica. Conclusion OptimalM. haemolyticaandP. multocidaisolation rates from clinical nBAL samples are obtained after storage at 0 degrees C or 8 degrees C, provided that the sample is cultivated within 24 h after sampling. The maximum period a sample can be stored without an effect on theM. haemolyticaandP. multocidaisolation success varies and is dependent on the storage temperature and the degree of microbial contamination