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Acute phase proteins (APPs) have been demonstrated to be useful in evaluating general health stress and diseases in cattle. Serum amyloid A (SAA) and haptoglobin (Hp) are APPs that are produced during inflammation, and likely play a role in host immunological defence against Eimeria infection and the associated intestinal tissue damage. We investigated the involvement of SAA and HP in an experimental study, including three groups of calves: a control group (group 0, n=11), and two groups infected with either 150,000 or 250,000 Eimeria zuernii oocysts (group 1 (n=11) and group 2 (n=12), respectively). The calves were monitored for 28 days and data was collected on oocyst excretion, faecal score, animal weight, and SAA and Hp serum concentrations. Generalized linear mixed models showed that the clinical symptoms, indicated by an increase in the number of oocysts in the faeces and severe diarrhoea, manifested at patency for group 1 and 2. Serum Hp and SAA levels also increased during this period. Hp appeared to be a more sensitive marker than SAA, and differences between groups 1 and 2 were observed only for Hp. Linear regression models showed a negative association between weight gain and Hp concentrations, calculated as the area under the curve (AUC) during the overall experimental period and the patency period. A similar result was seen for SAA only during the patency period. This result supports the assumption that reduced weight gain due to E. zuernii infection is an immunologically driven process that involves an increase in APPs. A random intercept regression model of oocyst shedding groups showed that calves shedding 1-500 oocysts had reduced concentrations of Hp, indicating that a different immunological reaction occurs during mild shedding of E. zuernii oocysts than during more intensive shedding. A similar model was used to examine associations between faecal scores and Hp concentrations for each group. Group 2 calves with haemorrhagic diarrhoea displayed higher Hp levels than calves in that group with lower faecal scores, which may be in response to an increased demand for Hp in the repair process as a result of haemolysis. APPs seem to play an important role in determining the course of E. zuernii infection in calves, which may enhance our understanding of the immunological reaction and development of this disease., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Though Eimeria is an important parasite of cattle, research is lacking on how the parasite persist in the pasture soils. In this study, feces samples were collected from three pastures in June and October 2010 and soil samples in April 2011. Coordinates of sampling locations were recorded with Global Positioning System together with information about grass cover, shade, and elevation. All soil samples were collected from the same locations as the fecal samples and used in model evaluating the possible factors influencing the concentration of oocysts in the soil. Feces and soil samples were investigated using a quantitative flotation technique. Eimeria oocysts were found in 95.6% of fecal samples collected in summer and 84.5% of samples in fall. In contrast, the same locations soil samples were positive for Eimeria oocysts in 37.3% (summer) and 44.3% (fall). Despite larger numbers of oocysts in fecal samples shed during summer compared to fall, there was no difference in the concentration of oocysts in soil samples the following spring. The odds of higher numbers of oocysts in soil samples in spring were higher if fecal samples collected in summer were in shade or if containing Eimeria alabamensis during the fall. Factors other than the concentrations of oocysts shed in feces appear to affect whether oocysts persist between grazing seasons.

Eimeriosis is a disease that occurs globally and often affects cattle grazing on pastures contaminated with oocysts of the pathogenic species Eimeria bovis, Eimeria zuernii or Eimeria alabamensis, respectively. Nonetheless, little is understood regarding oocyst persistence on the pasture. The study was performed in the temperate climate zone. Soil samples were spiked with 100,000 E. bovis oocysts in July 2010 or with 50,000 oocysts in October 2010, respectively, both either with our without addition of cattle faeces. The soil samples were exposed to natural environmental conditions until April 2011. A subset of the samples was analysed immediately after spiking as positive control. The oocysts were recovered by a flotation method and counted in a reading chamber. On average, 23 % of the oocysts could be recovered from the positive control. The recovery of oocysts dropped to 0.30 % of the original level in the samples prepared in July independent of the addition of faeces, whereas the oocyst count was higher in the samples prepared in October, both without (2.05 %) and with (2.64 %) faecal material. No differences were observed between presence of oocysts or oocyst counts recovered in the presence or absence of faeces. Presence of faeces had a positive influence on oocyst integrity. During the winter season, the number of oocysts in the soil was lowered under the detection limit in most samples. On the other hand, the comparatively short 3-month summer period had a significant influence on the number of persisting oocysts too.

Background: Emotional disorders and decrease in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) are well-documented sequelae of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of emotional disorders on HRQoL in survivors of SAH., Methods: This was a retrospective study enrolling 114 SAH-survivors at 1-10 years (mean 4,5 years) after the disease. Emotional State Questionnaire (EST-Q) was used to measure emotional health and the Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) was used to assess HRQoL of the patients., Results: Most of the patients reported good recovery, but EST-Q results revealed high prevalence of emotional disorders after SAH. Almost half of the patients had higher than cut-off values indicating fatigue (47 %) and insomnia (46 %). About one third of SAH-patients had higher than cut-off scores demonstrating depression (30 %) and anxiety (31 %). The patients scored significantly lower in all scales of SF-36 as compared to age-matched general population. All EST-Q subscale results were significantly and negatively correlated with SF-36 scores. Fatigue was independently related to all SF-36 subscales and depression to most of the mental health component scores. Emotional symptoms alone were demonstrated to explain 23-47 % of the SF-36 subscale values, and more than half of the variance of mental health component score values were found to be explained by emotional disorders (53 %)., Conclusions: Emotional disorders are frequent after SAH and significantly associated with impairment of HRQOL. Proper and timely screening tests are important to reveal development of emotional problems and improve QoL for the SAH-patients.

The current study evaluated the diagnostic standards of MND and epidemiological markers of MND in Estonia. A total of 108 patients were referred to the University Hospital from 1986 to 1995 with the first suggested diagnosis or final diagnosis of amyotrophic syndrome, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), progressive bulbar paralysis (PBP) or progressive muscular atrophy (PMA). In addition neurologists of the region and the National Society of Neuromuscular disorders were contacted. Some 94 patients satisfied the diagnostic criteria. The annual incidence rate in South Estonia and in the city of Tartu ranged from 0.5 to 2.8 per 100,000. The mean annual incidence rate in Tartu is 1.98 and in South Estonia in general 1.3. The highest incidence rate was 8.3 for men in the age group 60 to 64 years and 7.49 in the age group 70-74; among female patients the highest incidence rate -4.6 was in the age group from 65 to 69.