New outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) occurred in cattle herds in Nigeria during [2007][2008][2009]. The objectives of the study reported here were (i) to identify current FMD virus strains circulating in cattle herds and (ii) to identify exposure factors associated with a seropositive diagnosis of FMD in cattle herds. This study provides evidence that FMD virus serotypes O, A and SAT-2 were co-circulating in cattle herds in Nigeria during 2007-2009. Cattle herds in a neighborhood affected with FMD had higher odds of being classified as seropositive to FMD, compared to herds that were in a neighborhood not affected with FMD (OR = 16.27; 95% CI = 3.61, 18.74; P < 0.01). Cattle herds that share water points along the trek 2 routes with other cattle herds had higher odds of being classified as seropositive to FMD (adjusted OR = 4.15; 95% CI = 0.92, 18.74; P < 0.06). Results from this study can be used by veterinary services in Nigeria and neighboring countries to evaluate current or future FMD control and eradication programs.

A medulloblastoma was surgically debulked from a 6 year old American Staffordshire Terrier, who then received a modified lomustine (CCNU), vincristine, procarbazine, and prednisolone (LOPP) protocol. The dog improved significantly and continued to do well until deterioration and euthanasia 5 months following surgery. This is the first known published case report of surgical cytoreductive surgery of a medulloblastoma in a dog with documented response to surgery and chemotherapy. Medulloblastoma is a primitive neuroectodermal tumor that is the most common malignant central nervous system (CNS) tumor in children, though it is less common in adults. This case illustrates the value of considering human literature when creating treatment plans for uncommon brain tumors in veterinary patients. Medulloblastoma should be a differential for cerebellar tumors in young to middle aged dogs, and surgery and chemotherapy should be considered.

There are few published reports of canine rhabdomyosarcomas. In human paediatrics, rhabdomyosarcomas account for 5%-10% of all tumours and >50% of soft tissue sarcomas. They have an aggressive biologic behaviour; most patients develop diffuse metastatic disease. Ezrin, a cytoskeleton linker protein, has been correlated with metastasis in a number of tumours, including rhabdomyosarcomas. The goal of this study was to describe dogs with non-urinary rhabdomyosarcomas including clinical findings, ezrin expression and outcome. Twenty-five dogs with rhabdomyosarcomas were identified from two institutions' databases. Signalment, primary tumour location, cytologic and histologic findings, metastatic sites, treatments, survival time and necropsy results were recorded. Immunohistochemical staining for ezrin expression was performed on archived samples; cellular localization of ezrin was characterized. The mean and median age of all patients was 4.3 and 2 years, respectively. Subcutaneous and retrobulbar/orbital were the most common primary tumour locations. Sixteen dogs had metastatic disease at diagnosis. Three dogs presented with diffuse disease where a primary tumour could not be identified. A round cell tumour was the initial diagnosis in 32% of cases, and 76% of cases required immunohistochemistry to establish the diagnosis. The median survival was 10 days. Twenty-one cases had archived samples available for ezrin staining; all but one was positive and exhibited both membranous and cytoplasmic localization. Rhabdomyosarcomas occur in young dogs, may have a round cell appearance, and exhibit aggressive biologic behaviour. Given ezrin's defined role in metastasis, its observed expression in the tumours in this study suggest its possible role in canine rhabdomyosarcoma's aggressive biologic behaviour.