Infectious Diseases & Epidemiology

Historically, cats have been considered to be resistant to influenza virus infections.

Fort Collins, Colo. - A study led by Colorado State University (CSU) researcher Ken Olson shows that mosquitoes can be genetically engineered to be weapons against infectious diseases.

Madison, Wis.- A bill that would allow certified veterinary technicians to administer rabies vaccinations under the direct supervision of licensed veterinarians awaits the blessing from Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle.

In patients with clinical signs of one tick-borne disease, it is important to consider that they may be infected with multiple tick-borne pathogens. Coinfections may account for the diverse clinical signs some patients exhibit.

Gastrointestinal parasites are insidious causes of disease in cats. Protozoan parasitic infections in particular can be difficult to detect because there are often no signs of disease, or the signs, such as diarrhea, are nonspecific. But these infections must be uncovered and cured before they cause serious disease or spread to housemates or even owners.

A 3-year-old castrated male German shepherd was referred to the Foster Hospital for Small Animals at Tufts University for evaluation of polyuria, polydipsia, and decreasing appetite.

A routine physical examination of a 1.5-year-old spayed female German shepherd that had been presented for vaccinations revealed generalized lymph node adenopathy and a slight fever (102.8 F).

Gainesville, Fla. — Media exposure and Internet rumors surrounding canine influenza have scientists and practitioners scrambling to clarify a sea of misinformation.

ATHENS, GA.- 10/18/05 - University of Georgia (UGA) veterinary researchers say blocking a protein that helps transport viruses from a cell could prevent the infection from reproducing and contaminating other cells.

Common infectious causes of diarrhea in kittens include viruses, bacteria, protozoa, helminths, and fungi.

Dogs, like cats, have generally been resistant to influenza infections. However, equine influenza virus was implicated in an outbreak of respiratory disease in racing greyhounds from Jacksonville, Fla., in early 2004.

Many researchers and health officials are concerned about the potential for an influenza pandemic caused by avian influenza virus.

To reduce the potential for developing bacterial resistance, it is important to follow treatment guidelines that help ensure elimination of the microbial population.

Portland, Ore. — Banfield reports an increase in leptospirosis cases through its national network of hospitals.

TALLAHASSEE - 7/13/05 - Florida now requires its county governments to recognize a three-year rabies vaccine protocol.

The recommended treatment is doxycycline and some sort of penicillin.

The media buzz may have quieted considerably, but West Nile virus continues to cause illness and death nationwide and is here to stay. Within six years of the initial detection of this exotic mosquito-borne virus in New York, it has spread to all continental states, through Canada and Mexico, and into Central America.

Illness in young puppies usually commences between the 5th and 18th days after birth.

An owner showed up at a general practice in Florida with a 4-week-old kitten in a box that she had found in a golf cart. She took the kitten home and let her children play with it. Her primary complaint was that the kitten violently bit her and her children. How would you handle this case? At the clinic, the veterinarian did not let her take the kitten out of the box. Instead, he advised her to call animal control immediately. Days later, it turned out that the kitten was positive for rabies. In this case, the veterinarian saved his staff from exposure to rabies.

Cats with FIP show multifocal or localized neurologic signs, and they are often younger than 2 years of age.

Although best known for helping to stop the spread of an Ebola virus outbreak in a laboratory in Reston, Va., as recounted in The Hot Zone by Richard Preston, retired U.S. Army colonels Jerry and Nancy Jaax have returned to Kansas State University, where they met, married, and earned their veterinary degrees. Both are internationally recognized experts on infectious diseases and high-hazard chemical and biological agents.

Visit the new Central Veterinary Conference Web site . . . www.TheCVC.com

Ithaca, N.Y. — Canine parvovirus has undergone epidemic-like growth since its emergence in the late 1970s, effectively doubling its population size every few years.

Fakieh paid nearly $900,000 for 8,000 bottles, all mislabeled on USDA shipping forms.

ST. PAUL MINN.-A better way of understanding how rabies affects infected animals is being researched in the Serengeti.