Ocular and cardiac malformations associated with maternal hypovitaminosis A in cattle

Congenital Diseases in Harbor Seals (Phoca vitulina richardsii) from the Salish Sea

Postmortem data for harbor seals (Phoca vitulina richardsii) in the Salish Sea were analyzed for epidemiologic trends in congenital diseases. Cleft palate, cleft lips, or both (n=8) and cardiac defects (n=5) were the most common congenital abnormalities, followed by cases with multiple defects (n=4). No temporal trends or spatial clusters of cases were seen from 2003 to 2019, during which time monitoring effort was consistent. Cases could not be linked to specific causes such as environmental contamination or maternal malnutrition. Our study suggests that a yearly prevalence of 2.9%±2.2 is the endemic level of congenital disease in this stable harbor seal population. Continued monitoring of birth defects and overall harbor seal population status could help to identify emerging teratogens.

Congenital Microphthalmic Syndrome in a Swine

A 17-week-old crossbred finishing pig was presented for lameness of approximately one week. Clinical evaluation, including ophthalmologic examination, revealed ataxia, partial flaccid paresis of the pelvic limbs, skin lesions at feet and claws, and severely reduced vision/blindness. Both eyes had multiple persistent pupillary membranes (iris-to-iris and iris-to-lens) and hypermature cataracts. Histopathological examination of the eyes revealed microphthalmia, microphakia with cataract formation, myovascularised membrane in the vitreous, retinal detachment, and retinal dysplasia. Microscopic examination of tissues collected postmortem demonstrated nonsuppurative polioencephalomyelitis with the most prominent inflammatory lesions in the lumbar spinal cord. Subsequently, presumed Teschen/Talfan disease was confirmed by porcine teschovirus identification in the spinal cord using the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). To the authors' knowledge, this is the first case report describing in detail histopathological changes in the porcine congenital microphthalmic syndrome.

Ocular abnormalities associated with hypovitaminosis A in Hanwoo calves: a report of two cases

This study reports on two Hanwoo (a native Korean breed of cattle) calves, a 3- and 6-month-old presenting with diarrhea, anorexia and blindness. Ophthalmoscopic examination revealed bilateral papilledema in both calves. Reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction tests for bovine viral diarrhea virus, rotavirus and coronavirus were all negative. The levels of serum vitamin A in the two affected calves were 0.317 µg/dl and 0.481 µg/dl, respectively. These values are much lower than the normal vitamin A levels; therefore, the calves were diagnosed with hypovitaminosis A.

Hypovitaminosis A coupled to secondary bacterial infection in beef cattle

Background

Vitamin A is essential for normal growth, development, reproduction, cell proliferation, cell differentiation, immune function and vision. Hypovitaminosis A can lead to a series of pathological damage in animals. This report describes the case of hypovitaminosis A associated with secondary complications in calves.

Case presentation

From February to March in 2011, 2-and 3-month old beef calves presented with decreased eyesight, apparent blindness and persistent diarrhea occurred in a cattle farm of Hubei province, China. Based on history inspection and clinical observation, we made a tentative diagnosis of hypovitaminosis A. The disease was confirmed as a congenital vitamin A deficiency by determination of the concentrations of vitamin A in serum and feed samples. Furthermore, pathological and microbiological examination showed that the disease was associated with pathogenic Escherichia coli (E. coli) infection and mucosal barriers damage in intestines. The corresponding treatments were taken immediately, and the disease was finally under control for a month.

Conclusions

To our knowledge, this is the first report of hypovitaminosis A coupled to secondary infection of E. coli in beef cattle, advancing our knowledge of how vitamin A affects infection and immunity in animals. This study could also be contributed to scientific diagnosis and treatments of complex hypovitaminosis A in cattle.