BackgroundPost-weaning diarrhoea (PWD), due to Escherichia coli, is an important cause of economic losses to the pig industry primarily as a result of mortality and worsened productive performance. In spite of its relevance, recent data about the prevalence of virulence genes and pathotypes among E. coli isolates recovered from cases of PWD in Europe are scarce.ResultsThis study investigates the prevalence of fimbrial and toxin genes of E. coli by PCR among 280 farms with PWD across Europe. A total of 873 samples collected within the first 48 h after the onset of PWD (occurring 7–21 days post weaning) were submitted to the laboratory for diagnostic purposes. Isolation and identification of E. coli were performed following standard bacteriological methods and PCR assays for the detection of genes encoding for fimbriae (F4, F5, F6, F18 and F41) and toxins (LT, STa, STb and Stx2e). The prevalence of fimbriae and toxins among E. coli isolates from cases of PWD was: F4 (45.1 %), F18 (33.9 %), F5 (0.6 %), F6 (0.6 %), F41 (0.3 %), STb (59.1 %), STa (38.1 %), LT (31.9 %) and Stx2e (9.7 %). E. coli isolates carrying both fimbrial and toxin genes were detected in 52.5 % of the cases (178 out of 339 isolates), with 94.9 % of them being classified as enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC). The most common virotype detected was F4, STb, LT.ConclusionsThis study confirms that ETEC is frequently isolated in pig farms with PWD across Europe, with F4- and F18-ETEC variants involved in 36.1 % and 18.2 % of the outbreaks, respectively.

Both mfERG and flicker perimetry show abnormal retinal function, but only in the very central macula, in early AMD. A novel relationship between mfERG and flicker sensitivity should enhance the clinical monitoring of disease progression.

Citation: Gin TJ, Wu Z, Chew SKH, Guymer RH, Luu CD. Quantitative analysis of the ellipsoid zone intensity in phenotypic variations of intermediate age-related macular degeneration. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2017;58:207958: -208658: . DOI:10.1167 PURPOSE. Reduction of the ellipsoid zone (EZ) intensity has been reported in eyes with agerelated macular degeneration (AMD). This study determined whether overall EZ intensity, in retinal locations undisturbed by pathologic features, is associated with the presence of clinical features, which are known important phenotypic risk factors for disease progression, large drusen, reticular pseudodrusen (RPD), and pigmentary abnormalities. METHODS.A horizontal B-scan through the foveola on spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) was performed in both eyes of 75 participants with bilateral intermediate AMD and 10 age-similar control participants. Eyes with AMD were classified as per the presence of large drusen, RPD, and hyperpigmentary changes. The relative EZ intensity profile, up to an eccentricity of 3400 lm, was averaged over seven 1000-lm retinal segments. The association between relative EZ intensity profile over seven retinal segments and AMD pathologic features was analyzed.RESULTS. The average relative EZ intensities were significantly reduced in eyes with intermediate AMD compared to normal eyes (P 0.025) and with increasing age (P 0.020). On multivariate analyses, only the presence of hyperpigmentary changes and increasing age were significantly associated with reduced overall relative intensities (P 0.024), but not the presence of large drusen or RPD (P ‡ 0.115).CONCLUSIONS. The presence of hyperpigmentary change in the macula in association with large drusen, not large drusen alone, nor large drusen with RPD, was significantly associated with a generalised reduction in EZ intensity. Quantitative assessment of the relative EZ intensity may serve as an effective biomarker of disease severity and progression.

Background: Endogenous Klebsiella pneumoniae endophthalmitis (EKPE) is a well-known entity in South-East Asia. We demonstrate a range of differing clinical features and outcomes of EKPE, and highlight the increasing incidence of EKPE in major centres in Sydney and Melbourne, Australia.