Oligoclonal bands predict multiple sclerosis in children with optic neuritis

We retrospectively evaluated predictors of conversion to multiple sclerosis (MS) in 357 children with isolated optic neuritis (ON) as a first demyelinating event who had a median follow-up of 4.0 years. Multiple Cox proportional-hazards regressions revealed abnormal cranial magnet resonance imaging (cMRI; hazard ratio [HR] = 5.94, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 3.39-10.39, p < 0.001), presence of cerebrospinal fluid immunoglobulin G oligoclonal bands (OCB; HR = 3.69, 95% CI = 2.32-5.86, p < 0.001), and age (HR = 1.08 per year of age, 95% CI = 1.02-1.13, p = 0.003) as independent predictors of conversion, whereas sex and laterality (unilateral vs bilateral) had no influence. Combined cMRI and OCB positivity indicated a 26.84-fold higher HR for developing MS compared to double negativity (95% CI = 12.26-58.74, p < 0.001). Accordingly, cerebrospinal fluid analysis may supplement cMRI to determine the risk of MS in children with isolated ON.

Pacheco's parrot disease in macaws of the Lisbon's Zoological Garden. Description of an outbreak, diagnosis and management, including vaccination

The Lisbon's Zoological Garden, Portugal, has maintained for many years a large collection of psittacine birds without any serious health problems. Unexpectedly, in April 1999, a total of nine macaws died after a short period of illness. Clinical signs consisted mainly of anorexia, ruffled feathers and yellowish droppings. A herpesvirus was isolated from brain, trachea, lung, liver, spleen, kidney and intestine of each of the examined dead birds, confirming that all animals succumbed during viraemia. Serotyping of the isolate in cross neutralization tests with reference sera prove that the outbreak was caused by serotype 3 of Pacheco's parrot disease herpesviruses. An autogenous, formalin-inactivated vaccine with adjuvant (aluminium hydroxid gel) was prepared from one of the isolates and injected intramuscularly 14 days and six weeks after the onset of mortality in an attempt to protect the remaining psittacine birds in the zoo from the disease. The autogenous vaccine was well tolerated and was able to rapidly stop virus spread and morbidity and mortality among the psittacine birds. Follow-up studies demonstrate that all nine blood samples from vaccinated birds obtained nine month' after the second vaccination contain neutralizing antibodies. Twenty five month' after vaccination two out of four serum samples were still antibody positive. No herpesvirus was isolated from faecal samples nine and twenty five months after the onset of the outbreak. These data prove that the autogenous vaccine played a major role in containing a severe outbreak of Pacheco's parrot disease in a large collection of psittacine birds.