Search Results
You are looking at 1 - 3 of 3 items for
- Author or Editor: Lee M. Myers x
- Refine by Access: All Content x
SUMMARY
Ten foals of various breeds were deprived of colostrum from birth to 36 hours of age, then were allotted to 2 groups. Foals of group 1 (n = 6) were given 20 g (200 ml) of purified equine IgG iv in a 10% solution, and foals of group 2 (n = 4) were given 30 g (300 ml) of the same preparation. Total administration time for each 10 g of IgG in 100 ml was approximately 10 minutes. Serum IgG concentration in foals was assessed prior to, between 24 and 48 hours, and at 7 and 14 days after IgG administration.
Between 24 and 48 hours after IgG administration, mean serum IgG concentration in group-1 foals was 425 mg/dl (range, 350 to 480 mg/dl). Mean body weight for this group of foals was 50.3 kg (range, 43.3 to 54.7 kg).
For group-2 foals, mean serum IgG concentration was 768 mg/dl (range, 640 to 920 mg/dl) between 24 and 48 hours after administration of IgG. Foals of this group had mean body weight of 43.2 kg (range, 36.5 to 47.5 kg). Serum IgG concentration in group-2 foals at 24 to 48 hours was significantly (P = 0.005) greater than that in group- 1 foals.
Mean total IgG recovery at 24 to 48 hours, calculated on the basis of 94.5 ml of plasma volume/kg of body weight, was approximately 100%.
Values of IgG measured in all foals 1 and 2 weeks after administration of the IgG concentrate were equivalent to values expected after normal decay of passively acquired IgG. Mild, adverse reactions occurred in 3 of the 10 foals treated (1 group-1 foal and 2 group-2 foals).
Abstract
Objective—To determine the seroprevalence of antibodies against Leptospira serovars among veterinarians and identify risk factors for seropositivity in veterinary care settings.
Design—Seroepidemiologic survey.
Study Population—Veterinarians attending the 2006 AVMA Annual Convention.
Procedures—Blood samples were collected from 511 veterinarians, and serum was harvested for a microcapsule agglutination test (MAT) to detect antibodies against 6 serovars of Leptospira. Aggregate data analysis was performed to determine the ratio of the odds of a given exposure (eg, types of animals treated or biosafety practices) in seropositive individuals to the odds in seronegative individuals.
Results—Evidence of previous leptospiral infection was detected in 2.5% of veterinarians. Most veterinarians reported multiple potential exposures to Leptospira spp and other pathogens in the previous 12 months, including unintentional needlestick injuries (379/511 [74.2%]), animal bites (345/511 [67.5%]), and animal scratches (451/511 [88.3%]). Treatment of a dog with an influenza-like illness within the past year was associated with seropositivity for antibodies against Leptospira spp.
Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Veterinarians are at risk for leptospirosis and should take measures to decrease potential exposure to infectious agents in general. Diagnostic tests for leptospirosis should be considered when veterinarians have febrile illnesses of unknown origin.