Residues of an anthelmintic veterinary drug (closantel) detected in red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in Scotland

The contamination of the environment by some veterinary medicines and their impact on wild animals is of increasing concern. However, there is a lack of information about their residues in wildlife. The sentinel animals most commonly used for monitoring the level of environmental contamination are birds of prey, and information on other carnivores and scavengers scarce. This study examined the livers from 118 foxes for residues of a range of 18 veterinary medicines (16 anthelmintic agents and 2 metabolites) used on farm livestock. The samples were collected from foxes, primarily in Scotland, shot during legal pest control activities conducted between 2014 and 2019. Closantel residues were detected in 18 samples, and the concentrations found ranged from 6.5 µgkg−1 to 1383 µgkg−1. No other compounds were found in significant quantities. The results show a surprising frequency and level of closantel contamination, raising concerns about both the route of contamination and the potential impacts on wild animals and the environment, such as the potential for significant wildlife contamination to contribute to the development of closantel-resistant parasites. The results also suggest that red fox (Vulpes vulpes) could be a useful sentinel species for detecting and monitoring some veterinary medicine residues in the environment

The Usefulness of MS3 to Confirm Poisoning on the Example of Dog Poisoning with Strychnine

Strychnine is an alkaloid with strong toxic properties. Poisoning results in muscular contractions and death through asphyxiation. Intentional or accidental poisonings with strychnine occur mainly in small animals, especially dogs and occasionally cats. Strychnine can be detected in the liver or stomach contents. Unfortunately, the determination of strychnine in these matrices, especially in postmortem examination, is subject to a significant matrix effect that makes it difficult to confirm the presence of the substance being determined. Therefore, we developed a new liquid chromatography method combined with mass spectrometry. One-gram homogenized samples were extracted and partitioned after adding acetonitrile and 5-mol solution of ammonium acetate. After extraction, the samples were analyzed using high-pressure liquid chromatography-MS/MS/MS. The results of validation fulfil the requirement of the confirmatory criteria according to SANTE/11945/2015 regarding apparent recoveries (98.97% to 104.0%), repeatability (2.9%–4.1%), and within-laboratory reproducibility (3.3%–4.6%). The method can be successfully applied to confirm strychnine poisoning cases

Development of a method for the determination of sedatives in bovine and porcine urine and kidneys by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry

Sedatives have been used for a long time as animal tranquillisers to prevent stress and weight loss during their transportation. The proper determination of these substances in food of animal origin is essential for consumer safety

New method of analysis of nitrofurans and nitrofuran metabolites in different biological matrices using UHPLC-MS/MS

The major difficulty in analysis of nitrofurans in feed, feed water, and food of animal origin is that nitrofurans have low molecular weights and fast metabolism. The principal goal of this study was to prepare a procedure for the determination of nitrofurans and their metabolites by a single method in different types of feed, feed water, and food of animal origin

White-Tailed Eagles’ (<i>Haliaeetus albicilla</i>) Exposure to Anticoagulant Rodenticides and Causes of Poisoning in Poland (2018–2020)

The white-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) is strictly protected in Poland due to its threat of extinction. This study’s main goal was to assess their exposure to indirect poisoning by anticoagulant rodenticides (AR). This study presents the investigation results of 40 white-tailed eagles’ suspected poisoning cases in the years 2018–2020 in Poland. In all tested liver samples, using a liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry method, at least one of the AR (bromadiolone, brodifacoum, difenacoum, flocoumafen) was detected and confirmed. The other tested AR compounds (chlorophacinone, coumachlor, coumatetralyl, difethialone, diphacinone, warfarin) were not detected. The mean concentration of the sum of rodenticides was 174.4 µg/kg (from 2.5 to 1225.0 µg/kg). In 20 cases, the sum concentration was above 100 µg/kg and in 10 cases it was above 200 µg/kg. Interpretation of cases of AR poisonings should take into account their concentration in the liver, anatomopathological lesions, circumstances of death/finding of the animal, and elimination of other possible causes of poisoning. Based on this study, AR was the direct cause of death in 10% of incidents. Extensive use of rodenticides generates a high risk of poisonings of white-tailed eagles in Poland

QuEChERS and HPLC-MS/MS Combination for the Determination of Chloramphenicol in Twenty Two Different Matrices

A simple method for the determination of chloramphenicol in 22 matrices was prepared based on the QuEChERS and HPLC-MS/MS combination. Following a hydrolysis step, the homogenized samples were extracted and partitioned after adding sodium chloride with acetonitrile. Chloramphenicol was analysed by HPLC-MS/MS in negative electrospray mode by monitoring the daughter ions m/z: 321→194 and 321→152. The limit of decision (CCα) was calculated at the range of 0.10 μg kg−1 to 0.15 μg kg−1 and detection capability (CCβ) from 0.12 μg kg−1 to 0.18 μg kg−1. Validation results showed that this method is suitable for the determination and confirmation of chloramphenicol in various matrices

An Outbred Calf Model for Determining Innate Immune Sensing and Evolutionary Trajectories of a Cell Culture-Adapted Bovine Foamy Virus Variant

Bovine foamy virus (BFVbta) displays a very high degree of cell-associated replication which is unprecedented even among the other known foamy viruses. Interestingly, recent studies have shown that it can in fact adapt in vitro to high-titer (HT) cell-free transmission due to genetic changes acquired during repeated rounds of cell-free BFVbta passages in immortalized bovine MDBK cells. Molecular clones obtained from the HT BFVbta Riems cell-free variant (HT BFVbta Riems) have been thoroughly characterized in MDBK cell cultures However, during recent years, it has become increasingly clear that the source of the host cells used for virus growth and functional studies of virus replication and virus–cell interactions plays a paramount role. Established cell lines, mostly derived from tumors, but occasionally experimentally immortalized and transformed, frequently display aberrant features relating, for example. to growth, metabolism, and genetics. Even state-of-the-art organoid cultures of primary cells cannot replicate the conditions in an authentic host, especially those concerning cell diversity and the role of innate and adaptive immunity. Therefore, to determine the overall replication characteristics of the cloned wt and HT BFVbta Riems variant, we conducted a small-scale animal pilot study. The replication of the original wt BFVbta Riems isolate, as well as that of its HT variant, were analyzed. Both BFVbta variants established infection in calves, with proviruses in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and induced Gag-specific antibodies. In addition, a related pattern in the host innate immune reaction was detected in the peripheral blood leukocytes of the BFV-infected calves. Surprisingly, an analysis of the Gag sequence two weeks post-inoculation revealed that the HT BFVbta variant showed a very high level of genetic reversion to the wild type (parental BFVbta genotype)

Wild boar offal as a probable source of Aujeszky’s disease virus for hunting dogs in Poland

Introduction: Aujeszky’s disease (AD), most often related to infection of domestic and feral swine, may also concern other mammals, including dogs. The disease in carnivores, related to consumption of raw meat or offal contaminated with AD virus, is manifested by severe neurological disorders and inevitably leads to animal’s death