The objective of this study was to investigate relationship between bovine abdominal fat necrosis (BFN), sire, market weight per day and meat productivity of Japanese Black heifers. Two models were used to analyze factors associated with the outbreak of BFN. We analyzed the relationship of sire line and market weight per day with the occurrence of BFN in 208 heifers with sires from three major sire lines (out of 290 normal and emergency slaughtered heifers) (model 1). Additionally, we investigated the association between sire and market weight per day with the incidence of BFN in 150 heifers having either of seven sires, each having at least 10 progeny records (out of 290 normal and emergency slaughtered heifers) (model 2). The results showed that the difference in sires alone was significantly related to the occurrence of BFN. The average daily gain during the fattening period, final weight and carcass traits were compared by difference in the presence and absence of BFN in 147 normal slaughtered heifers (out of 150 heifers in model 2). Heifers with BFN showed a higher marbling score than those without BFN. Our findings emphasize the importance of clarifying genetic variability among sires to reduce the occurrence of this disease, and suggest a probable relationship between the increase in intramuscular fat content and the outbreak of BFN.

We investigated the sequential changes of serum antibody titers against Histophilus somni in Japanese Black calves. Thirty-six unvaccinated calves from three Japanese Black breeding farms in Japan were studied. Blood samples were obtained from all calves at 1, 4, 8, 12, 16 and 20 weeks after birth. As a result, antibody titers against H. somni in calves decreased by 4 weeks of age, followed by a gradual increase during the study period in three groups. The antibody titers against H. somni at 4 weeks of age were significantly lower than those at 12, 16 and 20 weeks of age at Farm A and B, and at 20 weeks of age at Farm C (P＜0.05). These results might provide useful information for designing a vaccination program to prevent H. somni in Japanese Black calves.

An 11-year-old dog received a diagnosis of meningioma by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (Day 0). We used oncothermia, which is a type of hyperthermia, as treatment for the lesion. The patient died on Day 1,065 of treatment. The general condition of the patient was good with the exception of observed seizures. In this case, treatment with oncothermia resulted in a survival period (33.1 months) similar to that obtained with a combination of surgery and radiation therapy. Oncothermia could maintain the quality of life of a dog without severe side effects. Our results indicate that oncothermia may have the effect of suppressing the progression of meningioma.

We isolated Escherichia coli O119:H28 from a Japanese black cow with septicemia diagnosed with an extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC) infection. The genitourinary infection was considered to have spread systemically. The isolate was resistant to tetracycline, streptomycin, kanamycin, and sulfonamides. It included the following virulence-associated genes: adhesion (afa-8 ), siderophore (iutA, irp1, and irp2 ), and toxin (cnf2, cdtIII, and stx1 ). The results indicate that these virulence-associated genes may have interacted and their gene products may have caused a severe systemic hemorrhage. Furthermore, the isolate carrying stx1 implies that it may be highly virulent.