Genetic typing of porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV-2) isolates from Slovakia

Of 120 clinical specimens obtained from pigs bred on 28 PMWS-affected farms in Slovakia, porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV-2) was detected by single PCR in 77 samples. A short 224 bp fragment of ORF2 was used for preliminary grouping of isolates by phylogenetic analysis. Nucleotide sequences of the entire ORF2 region provided more precise genetic typing and segregation of preselected isolates (n = 10) into two known genotypes, PCV-2a (n = 1) and PCV-2b (n = 9). Complete genome sequencing of three selected isolates allowed their definitive grouping into genotype PCV-2b, cluster 1A or genotype PCV-2a, cluster 2D. No correlation between the mutations and the geographic origin of isolates was observed. Results confirmed that many PCV-2 isolates are genetically very stable since similar viruses circulate in Central and Western Europe.     

吉林省部分牛场BVDV、IBRV、BRSV的感染情况调查

为了解吉林省牛病毒性腹泻(BVD)、牛传染性鼻气管炎(IBR)、牛呼吸道合胞体病(BRS)的流行及其病原混合感染情况,在吉林省的9个地区随机采集了325份血清样品,采用ELISA血清抗体检测试剂盒与新型纳米PCR方法检测所采集样品。结果显示,ELISA检测BVDV抗体阳性243份,阳性率为74.77%,IBRV抗体阳性186份,阳性率为57.23%,BRSV抗体阳性90份,阳性率为27.69%,BVDV与IBRV混合感染率为31.69%;BVDV与BRSV混合感染率为9.54%,IBRV与BRSV混合感染率为1.54%,3种病毒混合感染率为17.23%。采用纳米PCR方法检测所有血清显示,BVDV抗原阳性42份,阳性率12.92%,未检出IBRV抗原阳性;BRSV抗原阳性29份,阳性率8.92%。BVDV与BRSV混合感染率为1.85%。     

A survey on biosecurity and management practices in selected Belgian cattle farms

The shift from cure towards prevention in veterinary medicine involves the implementation of biosecurity, which includes all measures preventing pathogens from entering a herd and reducing the spread of pathogens within a herd. In Belgium no studies have considered the implementation of biosecurity measures in the daily management of cattle farms. Therefore the aim of the study was to map the current application of biosecurity measures in Belgian cattle farms in the prevention of disease transmission within and between farms.     

Typing of Mycobacterium bovis isolates from cattle and other animals in the same locality

The effects of high doses of the beta-2 agonists iso-prenaline, salbutamol and fenoterol on the myocardium were studied experimentally in sheep. Each drug was given intravenously in progressively increasing doses to four sedated animals and four controls. The experiments were repeated during hypoxaemia and animals were necropsied 3 days later.     

Seroprevalence of antibodies against bluetongue virus in animals imported to Poland from EU countries

The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of BTV-specific antibodies in animals imported to Poland from EU countries after 15 June 2006. From 1 January 2007 to 22 January 2008, a total of 10719 samples of sera collected from cattle, goats and fallow deer were tested. Sera were screened using the highly sensitive and specific c-ELISA test and positive results were confirmed by the AGID assay. Out of 10719 sera, 30 (0.28% of the total number of samples) were found to be positive in both tests applied. All of 21 seropositive cattle specimens were imported to Poland from Germany whereas 9 seropositive fallow deer were of Dutch origin. In conclusion, it can be stated that because BTV situation in Europe is getting worse, implemented surveillance studies should be continued to monitor the actual BT status in Poland.     

BVDV 1型和2型焦磷酸测序检测方法的建立

为了建立BVDV 1型和2型焦磷酸测序检测方法,用于BVDV的确诊和分型。根据GenBank中发表的BVDV 5'-UTR序列,设计通用扩增引物和分别针对BVDV 1型和2型的两条测序引物。以BVDV 1型BA株和BVDV 2型分离株为模板,用通用引物进行RT-PCR扩增,用测序引物对扩增产物进行焦磷酸测序,建立BVDV 1型和BVDV 2型焦磷酸测序检测方法。结果显示,焦磷酸测序技术检测的序列为30个碱基以上,可用于BVDV的快速鉴定和分型。用该方法对奶牛场86份抗凝血样品进行检测。共检测出2份BVDV 1型,没有检测出BVDV 2型。将检测为阳性的RT-PCR产物测序,测序结果与焦磷酸测序结果一致,符合率为100%。表明本研究建立的BVDV 1型和2型焦磷酸测序检测方法,可用于BVDV的检测和分型,能一次性对待检样品进行确诊,是一种简便、快速的BVDV分型检测方法,对于BVDV的快速确诊具有重要意义。     

A survey of antibodies to arthropod-borne viruses in Japanese cattle

Sera collected from the southern parts of Japan were subjected to serological tests for antibodies to 24 arthropod-borne or suspected arthropod-borne viruses. A high incidence (82%) of hemagglutination-inhibiting (HI) antibodies was found with Japanese encephalitis (JE) virus. HI antibodies to other Flaviviruses, Murray Valley encephalitis, Apoi, Kunjin, Stratford and Kokobera, were also found in some of the sera, but seemed to be due to cross reaction with JE virus. High neutralizing (NT) antibody incidences were obtained with Akabane (60%) and Aino (30%) viruses known to be endemic in Japan. NT antibodies were also found for Bunyaviruses, Batai and Wongla; Reoviridae viruses, D'Aguilar, Warrego, and Mitchell River; and Kowanyama and Belmont viruses. Complement fixing antibodies were found for Reoviridae viruses bluetongue type 1 and Ibaraki; Picornavirus Nodamura and Rhabdovirus bovine ephemeral fever. No antibodies were detected with Reoviridae viruses Corriparta and Eubenangee; Bunyavirus Trubanaman; and Alfavirus Chikungunya.     

Characterization of macrolide-resistant Campylobacter coli isolates from food-producing animals on farms across Japan during 2004

We investigated the susceptibilities against 7 antimicrobial agents in Campylobacter jejuni and C. coli isolates from food-producing animals in 2004. In comparison with the results of past surveillance, no significant difference was observed in resistance rates against all of the antimicrobials tested in Campylobacter isolates. However, slight increase of erythromycin (EM) resistance was found in C. coli isolates from pigs. We examined the mutation of the 23S rRNA gene and their susceptibilities against azithromycin, tylosin, and lincomycin in 44 EM-resistant isolates and 28 susceptible isolates of porcine origin. All the EM-resistant isolates contained A2075G in the 23S rRNA gene and showed cross-resistance to azithromycin, tylosin, and lyncomycin.     

Multiple genetic typing of Salmonella Enteritidis phage-types 4, 6, 7, 8 and 13a isolates from animals and humans in the UK

Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis is a common cause of salmonellosis in people in the UK. This study aimed to assess the degree of genetic diversity among animal and human isolates from UK, Wales and northern Ireland. A total of 250 isolates from humans (n=59) and animals or their environment (n=191), belonging to the most common phage-types, were fingerprinted by a combination of PFGE, PS ribotyping and plasmid profiling. The different techniques identified different degrees of polymorphism (PS ribotyping (52 types)>PFGE (22 types)>plasmid profiling (17 types)). A prevalent genomic clone, as well as a variety of less frequent clones are present for each of the phage-types. In most cases, the prevalent clones appeared within isolates from several animal species and from several geographical locations. The percentage of sporadic clones found in animal and human populations were very similar. There was not clear evidence of a higher degree of diversity for human or animal isolates. Some clones were found to be present in both human and animal.     

Serological survey of leptospiral antibodies in cattle in Zimbabwe

A total of 2,382 sera from 92 herds widely distributed throughout Zimbabwe were screened using the Microscopic Agglutination Test against representatives of 18 serogroups of Leptospira interrogans and one representative of Leptospira biflexa. The prevalence of leptospiral titres at a serum dilution of 1:100 was 27%, the most common titres being to antigens from the Sejroe and Tarassovi serogroups. Significantly different proportions of titres were shown among the three farming systems and among the eight provinces of Zimbabwe.     

Virus neutralizing antibodies against a panel of 18 BVDV isolates in calves vaccinated with Rispoval RS-BVD

Seven of nine colostrum-deprived calves, free from infection with bovine virus diarrhoea virus (BVDV), were vaccinated with Rispoval RS-BVD on two occasions, 21 days apart, while the other two were kept as BVDV infection controls. The virus neutralizing (VN) serum antibodies induced by vaccination were tested for their ability to neutralize 18 European BVDV isolates, including laboratory reference strains and recent field isolates, both cytopathic and non-cytopathic biotypes as well as genotypes I and II. The strains were isolated in Belgium, France, Germany and the United Kingdom. While there were large variations in the vaccine-induced VN titres of the individual calves against all the strains, e.g. the titres against Osloss NCP, the European reference strain ranged from 1.7 to 6.7 (1:log2), serum from each animal was capable of neutralizing between nine and all 18 of the strains tested. Nevertheless, from the results of this study, it can be concluded that in colostrum-deprived BVDV seronegative calves, Rispoval RS-BVD can stimulate the production of VN antibodies capable of neutralizing a wide range of antigenically diverse European isolates of BVDV, including genotypes I and II.