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A relatively noninvasive method consisting of a face mask sampling device, solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fibers, and a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) for the identification of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in bovine breath was developed. Breath of three morbid steers with respiratory tract infections and three healthy steers were sampled seven times in 19 days for 15 min at each sampling. The breath VOCs adsorbed on the divinylbenzene (DVB)-Carboxen-polydimethyl siloxane (PDMS) 50/30 microm SPME fibers were transported to a laboratory GC-MS system for separation and identification with an in-house spectral library of standard chemicals. A total of 21 VOCs were detected, many of them for the first time in cattle breath. Statistical analyses using Chi-square test on the frequency of detection of each VOC in each group was performed. The presence of acetaldehyde (P < or = 0.05) and decanal (P < or = 0.10) were associated more with clinically morbid steers while methyl acetate, heptane, octanal, 2,3-butadione, hexanoic acid, and phenol were associated with healthy steers at P < or = 0.10. The results suggest that noninvasive heath screening using breath analyses could become a useful diagnostic tool for animals and humans.

Objective—To determine the clinical, clinicopathologic, and histologic effects of aerosolized feedyard dust that contains natural endotoxins on adult sheep. Animals—Eighteen 3-year-old Saint Croix sheep. Procedure—A prospective randomized controlled study was conducted. There were 2 treatment groups (dust-endotoxin group, n = 9; control group, 9). Aerosolized feedyard dust was provided continuously during a 4-hour period for each application (once in week 1, 3 times in week 2, and 7 times in week 3) to sheep in a semiairtight tent. All sheep were euthanatized and necropsied 8 hours after the treatment group received the last dust treatment. Variables measured before and after each dust treatment were rectal temperature, total WBC count, and concentrations of fibrinogen and haptoglobin. Results—Mean amount of dust administered during each treatment was 451 g/4 h. Filter collection indicated 51 mg of dust/m3 and 7,423 ng of endotoxin. Mean rectal temperature at 8 hours (40.4 C) and mean WBC counts 12 and 24 hours after dust treatment were significantly higher for the treated group than the means of the respective variables for the control group. Similar responses were observed with repeated dust-endotoxin treatments; however, with each subsequent treatment, there was a diminished response. Sheep in the treatment group had generalized alveolar septal thickening and hypercellularity. Conclusion and Clinical Relevance—Feedyard dust induced a temporary febrile response and leukocytosis in sheep in the treatment group. Exposure to dust that contains endotoxins may be a stressor preceding acute infectious respiratory tract disease of marketed sheep. (Am J Vet Res 2002;63:28–35)

Objective—To determine the effect of transportation stress on serum concentrations of oxidative stress biomarkers of calves.Animals—105 crossbred beef steer calves (mean [± SD] body weight, 207 ± 21.2 kg).Procedure—Calves were assembled at 1 location in Tennessee, and pretransit (day –3) blood samples were collected. Calves were allotted randomly by body weight into 2 groups. Calves were transported 1,930 miles to a feedlot in Texas, and 1 group received tilmicosin phosphate (33 µg/kg, SC) upon arrival. Calves were weighed and blood samples collected on the day of arrival (day 1) and on days 15, 22, and 28. Calves were scored daily for signs of bovine respiratory disease (BRD). Serum total antioxidant capacity (TACA) and serum malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations were determined.Results—Transportation stress significantly decreased mean serum TACA concentrations (from 147 ± 31.2 U/mL to 133 ± 20.1 U/mL) and significantly increased serum MDA concentrations (from 10.9 ± 18.3 µg/mL to 30.2 ± 50.5 µg/mL). Calves that died had a 43% increase in serum MDA concentration on day 1, compared with calves that lived (42.2 ± 67.0 µg/mL vs 29.4 ± 49.4 µg/mL, respectively). Calves that had ≥ 3 episodes of BRD had 2-fold higher serum MDA concentrations on day 1 than healthy calves. Tilmicosintreated calves had a 20.8% significantly greater average daily gain and significantly greater serum TACA concentration than nontreated calves on day 28.Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Transportation stress increases serum concentrations of oxidative stress biomarkers that are related to episodes of BRD and mortality in calves. (Am J Vet Res2004;65:860–864)

The objective was to determine whether the inhalation of large quantities of feedyard dust predisposed the animals to pulmonary bacterial proliferation. Two control groups, C1 and C2, did not receive dust treatments, and two principal groups (P1 and P2) received a total of 14 dust treatments each. The C1 and P1 groups of goats each received a transthoracic challenge of live Mannheimia haemolytica (4 x 10(6) colony forming units, CFU) The C2 and P2 groups of goats each received a transthoracic challenge of live Pasteurella multocida (1.0 x 10(6) CFU/goat). The results showed that dusted animals had fever when compared with non-dusted controls. In addition, dusted animals demonstrated a leukocytosis with neutrophilia after the first dust treatment that was not sustainable. Finally, dusted animals demonstrated pulmonary clearance of two potential bacterial pathogens that was not significantly different from that shown by control (not dusted) animals.