The aim of this study was to assess the value of serum iron concentration in the diagnosis of acute inflammation in cattle. The diagnostic value of this approach was compared with that of various other hematological tests, including commonly used techniques that measure the levels of various other acute-phase proteins. The study population comprised 10 cows with acute traumatic reticuloperitonitis (RPT group) and 10 cows with acute mastitis (mastitis group) admitted to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital at Firat University (Elaziğ, Turkey). Ten cows from local barns, kept and fed under same conditions as the diseased animals, were used as controls. After the clinical examination, blood samples were collected for biochemical, hematological, and acute-phase protein (haptoglobin, serum amyloid A, α-1 acid glycoprotein, and fibrinogen) analyses. The mean levels of serum iron in the RPT, mastitis, and control groups were 6.00, 7.82, and 26.78 µmol/L, respectively. Serum iron level was significantly reduced in the RPT and mastitis groups. The results of this study indicate that serum iron analysis, preferably in combination with other markers of inflammation, may be a useful diagnostic tool for acute inflammation in cattle. Because serum iron measurement is individually available and easily applicable, it may be used for clinical cases as well as the determination of herd health.

Schmallenberg virus (SBV) infection emerged in European domestic and wild ruminants in 2011. There is very limited information about the characterization of SBV isolates and the epidemiology of its infections in the rest of world, except for in European countries. We investigated the circulation of SBV in cattle herds in Central Anatolia, Turkey, in 2013. A total of 180 whole-blood samples were analyzed using real-time RT-PCR. The presence of SBV RNA was detected in 6 (3.3%) samples. For phylogenetic analysis and confirmation of real-time RT-PCR results, the S gene segment was amplified, sequenced, and compared to other segments. In addition, SBV-specific antibodies were detected in 87 (24.1%) of 360 sera using a virus neutralization test. In the S gene sequence analysis of four randomly selected samples, 98%-99% nucleotide identity was observed between our strains and SBVs isolated in European countries between 2011 and 2013. The results of this study indicate that SBV was in Turkey in 2013. Furthermore, the sequencing results suggest that it could be the same virus that is in European countries.

The Lactate Scout has high accuracy and precision, with a negligible bias. It is a reliable POC analyzer to assess L-lactate concentration in ovine medicine.

An approximately 2-year old domestic short hair female cat weighting 2.750g was presented to Firat University Veterinary Teaching Hospital with a history of depression, anorexia and weight loss for the last 15 days. Clinical examination revealed incoordination, hyperaesthesia, circling, head tilt, posterior paraparesis, absence of the pupillary reflex in both eyes, opisthotonus and anisocoria. Blood samples were examined for hematological, RT-PCR and biochemical analyses. The cat died without any improvement of clinical findings although symptomatic treatment was made. Necropsy revealed that distinct ocular lesions such as hyphema and thick proteinous exudate accumulation in vitreous in both eyes. Microscopically; there was pyogranulomatous vasculitis in meninges, sclera, corpus ciliare choroid, retina was partially detached in the right eye with retinal epithelial hypertrophy. The kidneys contained focal subcapsular, gray to yellow raised nodules varying from 3 to 10 mm in diameter, and there was discrete fatty degeneration in the liver. The RT-PCR revealed that RNA for FCoV was positive in the blood sample. As a result; the non-effusive form of FIP with distinct ocular involvement was diagnosed through clinical, pathological and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) findings. Keywords: Anisocoria, Cat, Eye, Feline infectious peritonitis, Hyphema Türkiye'de Bir Kedide Göz Lezyonlarıyla Belirgin Feline Enfeksiyöz Peritonitis Olgusu ÖzetFırat Üniversitesi Hayvan Hastanesi'ne onbeş gündür süren depresyon, anoreksi ve canlı ağırlık kaybı şikayetiyle yaklaşık 2 yaşında ve 2.750 g ağırlığında, evcil, kısa tüylü dişi bir kedi getirildi. Klinik muayenede inkoordinasyon, hiperestezi, dönme, başı eğme, posterior paraparesis, her iki gözde pupilla refleksinin olmayışı, opistotonus ve anizokori belirlendi. Hematolojik, biyokimyasal ve RT-PCR analizleri için kan örnekleri alındı. Semptomatik tedaviye rağmen klinik bulgularda hiçbir iyileşme olmaksızın kedi öldü. Nekropside, her iki gözde vitreusta yoğun protein tabiatında eksudat birikimi ve hifem'le belirgin oküler lezyonlar ortaya konuldu. Mikroskobik olarak; meninkslerde, sklerada ve korpus silyar koroidde pyogranulomatoz vaskülitis gözlenirken sağ gözde ise retina, kısmen ayrılmış olarak epitelyal hipertrofili şekilde belirlendi. Böbrekler fokal subkapsular 3-10 mm çapına kadar değişen gri-sarı nodülller içeriyordu ve karaciğerde farklı yerlerde yağ dejenerasyonu vardı. Kan örneğinde RT-PCR ile FCoV nükleik asiti pozitif olarak tespit edildi. Sonuç olarak; klinik, patolojik ve RT-PCR bulgularına göre göz lezyonlarıyla belirgin non-efüzif feline infeksiyöz peritonitis tanısı konuldu.

BackgroundThe diagnosis of previous cases of feline tuberculosis in Turkey has been made based solely on pathological changes without isolation of the causative agent. This case report details the first case of feline tuberculosis in Turkey for which the causative agent (Mycobacterium bovis) was confirmed with microbiological isolation, morphological evaluation, molecular (PCR) characterization and antibiotic sensitivity.Case presentationSystemic tuberculosis was diagnosed via postmortem examination of a 5-year-old stray male cat. Mycobacterium bovis was isolated from the lungs, bronchial and gastrointestinal lymph nodes, kidney and liver. The isolate was defined as M. bovis using the Genotype MTBC assay (Hain Lifescience, Germany), which allows differentiation of species within the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex with an easy-to-perform reverse hybridization assay.Pathological changes were characterized by multifocal to coalescing granulomatous inflammation in the lungs, liver, lymph nodes and kidneys. Further pathological changes included severe, diffuse, hepatocytic atrophy, periportal fibrosis with lymphohistiocytic infiltration, multifocal lymphohistiocytic interstitial nephritis, mild focal pulmonary anthracosis and mild renal and hepatic amyloidosis. Infection by immunosuppressive viral pathogens including feline herpes virus-1, feline immunodeficiency virus and feline parvovirus virus were ruled out by polymerase chain reaction assay (PCR). The isolated mycobacteria were susceptible to isoniazid, ethambutol, rifampicin or streptomycin.ConclusionDisseminated M. bovis is a rare infection in cats. Involvement of submandibular lymph nodes suggested that primary transmission might have been the oral route in the present case.