LEGÁTH, J., LEŠNÍK, F.:
Problems of dioxins in the environment.
At present, dioxins are one of the most toxic anthropogenic chemical compounds in the environment. After acute or chronic exposure, dioxins show toxic, mutagenic, teratogenic, carcinogenic or genotoxic activity almost in all the organ systems. As chemical constant matter in nature, including animal organism, they accumulate, may secrete by mother milk and integrate into the food chain of man and so endanger his health. They degrade approximately at the temperature of 1000 oC. Their detection resides in the principle of chromatography (gas or liquid) or mass spectrometry.
Key words: dioxins; bioaccumlation; sources; exposure; experimental animals; human organism; cancer; detection; degradation
Respiratory diseases in horses, like in other animals, belong to the group of serious diseases, in which viruses, bacteria and fungi participate. The horse influenza, viral rhinopneumonitis and viral arteritis belong among prevalent and economically significant viral infections of the respiratory tract of horses.
Recently, the possibility of fast and precise diagnostics of all the significant viral pathogens of respiratory diseases in horses has extended, above all by introducing the ELISA methods for detection of specific antibodies, tissue cultures for the virus isolation as well as using new techniques for detection of viral antigen in blood, secretions and tissues.
Prevention of the respiratory diseases of viral origin remains the primary methods for their control in horses, because up to now known antiviral medicaments cannot be applied in these diseases.
Pathogenesis, clinical symptoms, patho-anatomical finding, diagnostics and prevention of respiratory diseases in horses caused by the influenza virus and equine arteritis virus are described.
Key words: horses; respiratory diseases; equine influenza; equine arteritis
A review on adenoviral infections in pigeons is presented. Both the clinical types of adenovirosis - classical adenovirosis and necrotizing hepatitis - are a new disease entities. At present, it is not known whether these types of adenovirus infection are caused by identical or different types of adenoviruses. However, the clinical course and lesions of the two conditions are completely different. Isolation of the adenoviruses from pigeons in susceptible cells is quite difficult and the diagnosis using virus isolation is not routinely performed. The definitive diagnosis can be made using both the histologic and cytologic examinations, eventually adenovirus is demonstrated by the electron microscopy. At this moment, there are no preventive or curative measures available for the control of adenovirosis in pigeons.
Key words: adenovirus infections in pigeons; classical adenovirosis; adenovirus necrotizing hepatitis
The work is aimed at the problem of the antibiotics utilization in the therapy of the respiratory apparatus infectious diseases. The individual antibiotics according to their systematic classification, supplemented with the preparations available in our market, are briefly characterized. The work is a part of a more extensive study, which in its first part dealt with the general principles of the therapy with antimicrobics in the treatment of respiratory diseases and with utilization of quinolones in this indication. This part is aimed at the antibiotics utilization, and in the last part of the work, the possibilities of the utilization of sulphonamides and symptomatically acting drugs in the therapy of the respiratory system infectious diseases in animals will be presented.
Key words: respiratory diseases; antibiotics; resistance; penicillin; cephalosporins; chloramphenicol; tetracyclines; streptomycin; neomycin; spectinomycin; erythromycin; tylozin; spiramycin; tiamulin
The right understanding of the sex cycle regularities is inevitable for directed reproduction in bitches. Therefore, the analysis of selected parameters of the sex cycle in bitches is presented for veterinary practice. The puberty onset is characterized and the factors influencing the onset of sexual maturation are presented enumeratively. In the part dealing with both the follicular and luteal phases of the sex cycle, we aimed at the systematic classification of selected endocrine parameters of the sex cycle. In the part dealing with the sex cycle stages, the dynamics of clinical symptoms in bitches is evaluated. The moment of ovulation and subsequent fertilization is analyzed in detail. We believe that the presented material will make the diagnostic orientation of a practical veterinarian easier at the determination of the optimal time for mating or determination of the suitable time for artificial insemination of bitches.
Key words: sex cycle; ovulation; bitch
The solid fraction of pig slurry obtained by mechanical separation in the first stage of its treatment is frequently applied to agricultural land without proper treatment and presents hygiene and ecological risk. The addition of zeolite to this fraction can contribute to better utilization of nutrients and decrease the load on the environment.
In a 12-week experiment we investigated the effect of two different doses (1 % and 2 % of weight) of natural zeolite (clinoptilolite) on changes in some chemical parameters (pH in water extract, dry matter content at 105 oC, residue of ignition at 550 oC/4 h, total nitrogen Ac, total phosphorus Pc) and development of temperature in the substrates obtained. Solid fraction unamended with zeolite was used as a control.
The values of pH indicated differences in the process of stabilization of the substrates investigated. Lower pH was detected in zeolite amended substrates after 6 and 12-week storage for the 1 % addition and after 6 weeks for the 2 % addition. The substrate amended with 2 % zeolite showed significantly higher pH after 12 weeks of storage in comparison with the control. This can be ascribed to more intensive decomposition processes resulting in production of acids in the zeolite-amended substrates in the first half of the experiment and effect on mineralization of N-substances and adsorption of NH3-N in the substrate with 2 % zeolite in the second half of the experiment. The changes in total nitrogen coincided with this assumption. A marked dose-dependent effect of zeolite on dry matter content and residue after ignition was observed. Important was the observation of considerable accumulation of phosphorus in ash, however only in the substrate amended with 2 % zeolite.
Temperatures recorded in the substrates did not exceed 31,5 oC (control) which is not sufficient to ensure sanitation of the substrates if it is applied to agricultural soil without further treatment.
The solid fraction of pig slurry obtained by mechanical separation in a wastewater treatment plant is frequently disposed of without proper treatment and presents a risk to the environment.
A 12-week experiment was carried out to record the temperature development and changes in some chemical parameters (pH in water extract, dry matter, ash, total N and total P) in the collected pig slurry solids (substrate 1- control) and in the solid fraction amended with 1 % (substrate 2) and 2 % (substrate 3) of natural zeolite (clinoptilolite) after storing under anaerobic conditions.
The results obtained point to the fact that the temperatures reached in the centre of substrates were insufficient to ensure sanitation of the substrates. Zeolite amendment affected all the parameters investigated to a different degree in dependence on the zeolite dose. A considerable influence of 2 % zeolite amendment on retaining of phosphorus in the ash was observed.
Key words: pig slurry; solids; zeolite (clinoptilolite); anaerobic stabilization
The specific activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, Se-independent and Se-depentent glutathione peroxidase were observed in the mitochondrial, microsomal and cytoplasmic fractions of the sheep liver. Of the total activity of superoxide dismutase, 56.88 % occurred in the mitochondrial fraction, 38.58 % in the microsomal and 9.52 % in the cytoplasmic fraction. The activity of catalase was the highest in the cytoplasmic fraction, where there were 66.04 % of the total activity; 24.43 % activity occurred in the mitochondrial fraction and 9.53 % in the microsomal fraction. Distribution of Se-independent and Se-dependent glutathione peroxidase in the individual cellular fractions was equal. Their highest activity was observed in the microsomal fraction (51.68 % and 40 %, respectively), and the lowest one in the mitochondrial fraction (23.94 % and 27.26 %, respectively).
Key words: sheep; liver; superoxide dismutase; catalase; glutathione peroxidase
Presently, paratuberculosis is considered as the most serious chronic bacterial disease of cattle in our country. After its full development it causes great, multimillion-economical losses; therefore it is necessary to pay a great attention to its inhibition. Prevention of healthy breedings from infection due to transport of breeding animals among breeders within Slovakia as well as their import from various countries of Europe and all the world appears to be the basic precaution in the fight with this infection. The presented examples have shown that presently valid veterinary preconditions for the import of breeding animals do not guarantee that breedings would not be infected; so their amendment is required in a short time. A targer monitoring for paratuberculosis in all the breedings within Slovakia, where cattle import was realized during last 15-20 years, is recommended. In this way we could obtain a survey of spreading this infection in Slovakia, which will enable us to introduce effective anti-infectious precautions and to prevent from further spreading of this dangerous infection.
Key words: paratuberculosis; cattle; monitoring; breeding prevention