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The incidence of paramphistomosis, caused by the rumen fluke, Calicophoron daubneyi , has greatly increased within Europe in the last 15–20 years. However, the production impacts of this disease are poorly understood. This study firstly aimed to investigate the prevalence of rumen fluke in England and Northern Ireland (NI) by conducting an abattoir survey of dairy and beef cattle which also allowed the impact of rumen fluke on carcass weight, conformation and fat classification to be assessed. Secondly, an experiment aimed to assess the impact of C. daubneyi infection on diarrhea score, production loss and welfare in dairy heifers, while also evaluating the impacts of treating infected heifers with oxyclozanide. Rumen fluke prevalence was greater in NI than in England, with 53.8% (95% CI 51.9 - 55.9%) of the NI cattle carcases sampled being infected compared to 16.3% (95% CI 15.8 - 16.8%) and 17.9% (95% CI 17.4 - 18.4%) detected at the two abattoirs in England. However, there was no significant difference ( P > 0.05) in the cold carcass weight between infected and non-infected cattle. Similarly, carcass conformation and fat classification were unaffected ( P > 0.05) by the presence of rumen fluke. In the second experiment, daily live weight gain (DLWG), diarrhea score and welfare score were also unaffected ( P > 0.05) by rumen fluke infection and by oxyclozanide treatment against rumen fluke. The farms in this experiment were managed to a high standard and animals had no intercurrent disease. Therefore, these findings suggest that on well–managed farms, production losses (growth rates) should not be compromised as a result of sub-clinical rumen fluke infection.

Seventy-two Holstein-Friesian dairy cows were offered the same amount of concentrates over the first 140 days of lactation, by either a ‘total-mixed-ration’ or a ‘feed-to-yield’ strategy. The effects on blood profiles and cow health were examined. Cows on total-mixed-ration were offered a mixed ration comprising grass silage and concentrates (50:50 dry matter basis). Cows on feed-to-yield were offered a basal mixed ration (grass silage plus 6 kg concentrates/cow/day) plus additional concentrates via an out-of-parlour feeding system, calculated according to each individual cow’s milk yield during the previous week. Cows on total-mixed-ration had a higher mean haemoglobin, packed cell volume and lymphocyte percentage. Concentrate allocation strategy had no effect on serum haptoglobin concentrations, interferon-gamma production of pokeweed mitogen-stimulated whole blood culture, the incidence of clinical or subclinical mastitis, lameness, respiratory or digestive problems and no strong relationships were identified between production parameters with serum metabolites, inflammatory and immune measures. This study demonstrates small physiological differences in metabolic parameters, and no differences in inflammatory or immune parameters, when allocating concentrates by total-mixed-ration or feed-to-yield.

Background To address a lack of information on the control of ovine helminth parasites in Northern Ireland (NI), a number of research projects have been undertaken, dealing with gastrointestinal nematodes, tapeworms and liver fluke. This investigation concerns Nematodirus and concentrates on three aspects of disease: farm management strategies for its control, derived from the results of a Questionnaire; the efficacy of treatment used by farmers, as determined by a coprological survey; and the hatching requirements of Nematodirus eggs, that is, whether prolonged chilling is a pre-requisite for hatching. Results A Questionnaire was sent to 252 sheep farmers in NI in March 2012 (covering the years 2009–2012) and replies were received from 228 farmers. Under-dosing, inaccurate calibration of equipment and inappropriate product choice were poor practices identified. Following this survey, the efficacy of treatment of Nematodirus spp. in sheep flocks was evaluated in April and May 2012. Sampling kits were sent to 51 flock owners, all of whom returned pre- and post-anthelmintic dosing faecal samples to the laboratory for analysis. At the time of treatment, 41 flocks were positive for Nematodirus (as diagnosed by the presence of eggs). Reduced benzimidazole efficacy was detected in 35.7% of flocks tested ( n  = 28). Although only involving a small number of flocks, reduced efficacy of levamisole treatment was detected in 50%, of avermectins in 33% and of moxidectin in 75% of flocks tested (n = 2, 6 and 4, respectively). In the egg hatch experiment, carried out under “chilled” and “non-chilled” conditions, 43% of the eggs in the “non-chilled” group were able to hatch, compared to 100% in the “chilled” group. Conclusions The identification of inefficient control strategies argues for continued education of stockholders, in order to improve their management programmes. This is particularly important where the practices might impact on the development of anthelmintic resistance, which has been shown to exist on NI farms. The appropriate choice of anthelmintic is a vital part of this plan. The ability of eggs to hatch under non-chilled conditions demonstrates a flexibility in hatching behaviour. This may represent an adaptation to climate change and account for the recent emergence of a second, autumnal peak of infection.

Neisseria animaloris is considered to be a commensal of the canine and feline oral cavities. It is able to cause systemic infections in animals as well as humans, usually after a biting trauma has occurred. We recovered N . animaloris from chronically inflamed bite wounds on pectoral fins and tailstocks, from lungs and other internal organs of eight harbour porpoises. Gross and histopathological evidence suggest that fatal disseminated N . animaloris infections had occurred due to traumatic injury from grey seals. We therefore conclude that these porpoises survived a grey seal predatory attack, with the bite lesions representing the subsequent portal of entry for bacteria to infect the animals causing abscesses in multiple tissues, and eventually death. We demonstrate that forensic microbiology provides a useful tool for linking a perpetrator to its victim. Moreover, N . animaloris should be added to the list of potential zoonotic bacteria following interactions with seals, as the finding of systemic transfer to the lungs and other tissues of the harbour porpoises may suggest a potential to do likewise in humans.

Like Rich and colleagues, we have found that S schleiferi subspecies coagulans has been recovered from ears and skin in a roughly 4:1 ratio, and it has not been recovered from any other site in dogs to date. sac vs also carries out identification of coagulase-positive Staphylococcus species from a range of animal species, both domestic and wild, including those on the land, in the sea and in the air, but we have never isolated S schleiferi subspecies coagulans from any of these other sources, suggesting that this species is adapted to the canine host.

In the first seven months of 2008, eighteen Cuvier's beaked whales (Ziphius cavirostris), four Sowerby's beaked whales (Mesoplodon bidens), five unidentified beaked whales and twenty-nine long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas) were reported stranded in the UK and Ireland. Decomposition of those animals investigated puts the predicted time of death at mid-January. Concerns that an unusual mortality event had taken place prompted further investigations. Most carcasses were too decomposed for necropsy. A summary of findings is presented here. Although the initial stranding of five Cuvier's beaked whales in Scotland shared some similarities with atypical mass stranding events linked in time and space to mid-frequency naval sonars, there were two important differences with the remaining strandings during this period. First, the geographical range of the event was very wide and second, the strandings occurred over a prolonged period of several months. Both of these factors could be related to the fact that the mortalities occurred offshore and the carcasses drifted ashore. The cause(s) of this high number of strandings of mixed offshore cetacean species during this period remain undetermined.

The present study is the first record of twinning in Lagenorhynchus acutus and indeed any Lagenorhynchus sp. Both foetuses were male and located in the left uterine horn, had distinct grossly normal placentas and amniotic sacs, and were therefore likely dizygotic twins. The twins were an incidental finding in an animal that died of a systemic Brucella ceti infection.

Between June 2008 and December 2010, 76 dead pinnipeds were found on the coast of the United Kingdom with peculiar injuries consisting of a single continuous curvilinear skin laceration spiralling down the body. The skin and blubber had been sheared from the underlying fascia and, in many cases, the scapula also had been avulsed from the thoracic wall. Although previously unreported in the UK, similar distinctive lesions had been described in Canadian pinnipeds where they were referred to as corkscrew injuries. The injuries were consistent with the animals being drawn through the ducted propellers of marine vessels and, in some cases, there was a direct correlation with the presence of work boats operating in the vicinity. This challenges the conclusions of a previous study in Canada that suggested natural predation by Greenland sharks (Somniosus microcephalus) was likely to be responsible for these injuries.

SIR - We wish to report a case of fungal encephalitis due to Aspergillus fumigatus infection in a juvenile male northern bottlenose whale (Hyperoodon ampullatus) that stranded on the north-east coast of Scotland at North Kessock, Highland, in October 2006.