Isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase (IARS) deficiency is an autosomal recessive hereditary disease in Japanese Black cattle. Eleven Japanese Black cattle (seven females and four males/steers) exhibiting weakness and slow growth due to IARS deficiency were evaluated to determine changes in growth and serum components, each for a variable period between 8 and 37 months, and the pathological findings and carcass characteristics were examined. Diarrhea and pneumonia were noted in all animals from birth to 10 months of age, with irregular appetite. The diet was designed to comply with the nutrient requirements aiming for a daily gain (DG) of 0.8‐1.2 kg in females and 1.0‐1.2 kg in males/steers. The affected cattle consumed almost all of the forage feed after 12 months of age. The mean DG was 0.47 kg in females and 0.46 kg in males/steers. The levels of serum albumin, total cholesterol, and insulin-like growth factor 1 in these cattle were extremely low until 10 months of age, and increased gradually, closer to the mean values observed during normal fattening of cattle after 15 months of age. The carcass judging of two affected cattle was B2 and B3. These results suggest that IARS deficiency in cattle leads to huge economic losses because of low feed efficiency and poor carcass characteristics despite sufficient forage feed.

A disease characterized by vomiting and diarrhea was observed in a farrow-to-finish farm in Yamagata Prefecture in January 2015. Sows and boars developed severe vomiting, diarrhea, and anorexia, while suckling piglets only developed diarrhea. No piglets died during this occurrence. Using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), the porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) genome was detected in all 13 fecal samples tested. However, the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus and transmissible gastroenteritis virus were not detected. PDCoV was isolated from the RT-PCR-positive samples inoculated onto LLC-PK1 cells originated from a pig kidney. The isolated virus has a high nucleotide identity at the spike (greater than 97%) and nucleocapsid (greater than 99%) regions with the U.S. and South Korean isolates available in GenBank. Serological surveillance using an immunofluorescent assay indicated that the infected sows had antibodies against the isolated virus for eight months following the occurrence. These data suggested that the diarrhea was associated with PDCoV infection. This is the first report in Japan describing the isolation of PDCoV from clinical diarrheal cases and its genetic characterization.

Humans have an attachment to their pets, such as dogs and cats. The owners give affection to their pets and keep them as family members. Therefore, the eating habits of pets changed, and it likely causes them to become overweight and sick. The influence of owners' attachment to their pets on the health of the pets was surveyed using a questionnaire completed by the owners. As a result, two types of owners' attachment (overly-affectionate attachment and stable attachment) were identified by factor analysis. In addition, it was found that overly-affectionate attachment influenced the improper feeding tendency and low mixed-vaccine inoculation rate for pets. Additionally, pets inappropriately fed by owners had a high degree of BCS, acute pancreatitis morbidity rate, and a low rate of mixed-vaccine inoculation. Also, the owners of these pets had a significantly higher overly-affectionate attachment score. Therefore, it appears that the owners' overly-affectionate attachment to pets has a negative influence on the pets' health due to inappropriate feeding. Veterinary practitioners must consider the quality of the owners' attachment for concerns about pets' health management and appropriate human-animal bonds.

Thirty-two cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) under import quarantine at the Animal Quarantine Service in Japan were examined for tuberculosis by tuberculin skin test. Nine of the 32 showed positive and/or suspicious reactions. Although they had no apparent symptoms suggestive of tuberculosis, pulmonary multifocal nodular lesions were present with acid-fast positive bacilli on some tissue samples, such as the lungs and lymph nodes. Mycobacterium tuberculosis was isolated from some tissue samples. The results of the tuberculin skin test and histopathological findings indicated that Mycobacterium tuberculosis might have infected some monkeys more than a few months prior to the test, and expanded in the same colony. The genotype of the isolated Mycobacterium tuberculosis was determined as EAI2_MANILLA by spoligotyping.