Anthrax epizootic in white-tailed deer

Bacillus anthracis caused high mortality among white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) on Beulah Island, Desha County, Arkansas. Sixty-seven carcasses were located and the total loss was estimated between 200 and 300 deer. Range conditions indicated that the deer herd had greatly exceeded carrying capacity. Lesions in deer were similar to those ascribed to anthrax in domestic cattle, sheep, and goats.     

Heat shock does not attenuate low-frequency fatigue.

Whole-body hyperthermia or heat shock confers protection to myocardial contractility against reperfusion-induced injury. The purpose of this study was to determine whether heat shock could provide similar protection to skeletal muscle contractility against low-frequency fatigue. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (6 rats/group) were heat shocked at 41.5 degrees C for 15 min either 24 h or 4 days prior to fatiguing stimulation to compare the contractile responses of the plantaris muscle with those of a nonheated group. Both 24 h and 4 days after heat shock, the 72-kDa heat shock protein (HSP72) was elevated above control levels. There were no differences between the heat-shocked and non-heat-shocked animals in measures of contractility prior to fatiguing contractions or in resistance to fatigue. Heat-shock preconditioning did not lead to improved postfatigue force recovery above control responses and, in fact, delayed the recovery of force. This study does not support the use of heat-shock therapy to improve skeletal muscle contractile performance under fatiguing conditions.