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Henry Staempfli

Publications and source records attributed to Henry Staempfli.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

Molecular analysis of Clostridium difficile isolates recovered from horses with diarrhea.

Clostridium difficile is an important cause of diarrhea in horses, causing sporadic and epidemic disease of varying severity. This study evaluated the molecular characteristics of 48 C. difficile isolates recovered from diarrheic horses admitted to a veterinary hospital by using PCR-ribotyping and toxin gene profile. Additionally, feces were tested for the presence of C. difficile toxin A/B via enzyme immunosorbant assay (EIA) in 38 horses. The toxin genes tcdA, tcdB and cdtB were present in 27 (56.25%), 35 (72.91%) and 2 (4.1%) strains, respectively. Eight isolates (16.6%) were A(-)B(+) variants. Thirteen of forty-eight isolates (27.0%) did not posses any toxin genes (A(-)B(-)CDT(-)). A positive EIA result was reported in 17 (44%) of the cases. There was no association between the presence of different ribotypes or strains and toxin gene(s) profiles and the clinical outcome.

ADP Ribose Transferases↗

Transvascular fluid flux from the pulmonary vasculature at rest and during exercise in horses.

Exercise causes changes in pulmonary haemodynamics through redistribution of blood flow, increase in the pulmonary surface area, and increase in pulmonary vascular pressures. These changes contribute to the increase in fluid exchange across the alveolar-capillary barrier. To determine the extent of the fluid exchange across the alveolar-capillary barrier at rest and during exercise, six horses were exercised on a high-speed treadmill until fatigue. Arterial and mixed venous blood were sampled at rest and during exercise and recovery. Blood volume changes across the lung (DeltaBV; measured in percentage) were calculated from changes in plasma protein and haemoglobin concentration, and haematocrit. Cardiac output (Q) was calculated using the Fick equation. Fluid flux (J(V-A); measured in l min(-1)) across the alveolar-capillary barrier was then quantified based on Q and DeltaBV. At rest, no fluid movement occurred across the pulmonary vasculature (0.6 +/- 0.6 l min(-1)). During exercise, the amount of fluid moved from the pulmonary circulation was 8.3 +/- 1.3 l min(-1) at 1 min, 6.4 +/- 2.9 l min(-)(1) at 2 min, 10.1 +/- 1.0 l min(-1) at 3 min, 12.9 +/- 2.5 l min(-1) at 4 and 9.6 +/- 1.5 l min(-1) at fatigue (all P < 0.0001). Erythrocyte volume decreased by 6% (P < 0.01) across the lungs, which decreased the colloid osmotic gradient in the pulmonary vasculature. Decrease colloid osmotic gradient along with increased hydrostatic forces in the pulmonary vasculature would enhance displacement of fluid into the pulmonary interstitium. In conclusion, exercise caused large increases in transpulmonary fluid fluxes in horses. Here, we present a simple method to calculate transpulmonary fluid fluxes in different species, which can be used to elucidate mechanisms of lung fluid balance in vivo.

Animals↗

Use of a selective enrichment broth to recover Clostridium difficile from stool swabs stored under different conditions.

The recovery of Clostridium difficile from the stools of patients with C. difficile-associated diarrhea was evaluated by use of an enrichment broth (cycloserine-cefoxitin fructose broth supplemented with 0.1% sodium taurocholate [TCCFB]) and was compared to that from selective agar (cycloserine-cefoxitin fructose agar [CCFA]) and alcohol shock followed by inoculation onto blood agar (AS-BA). TCCFB was superior to CCFA and AS-BA, and neither the storage time nor the storage temperature affected the recovery rate.

Bacteriological Techniques↗

Rhodococcus equi pleuropneumonia in an adult horse.

A 10-year-old warmblood gelding was evaluated for intermittent pyrexia, dullness, weight loss, and progressive respiratory disease. Multifocal necrotic pneumonia and pleuritis due to Rhodococcus equi infection was diagnosed. Case management is discussed, as well as factors that may have led to this rare cause of pleuropneumonia in an adult horse.

Actinomycetales Infections↗