Equine herpesvirus abortion in Australia 1977 to 1982

Until 1977 no case of abortion caused by equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV1) had been recorded in Australia although the virus, called equine rhinopneumonitis virus, had been known to have been present at least since 1962. Outbreaks of EHV1 abortion occurred in New South Wales in 1977 and in 1981. Sporadic cases of EHV1 abortion had been confirmed in some parts of Australia each year since 1975. It was concluded that an abortigenic subtype of EHV1 had been introduced to Australia in 1977 and that the previously endemic respiratory subtype occasionally caused abortion. Virus isolation in a variety of cell cultures and histopathological examination of tissue were shown to be satisfactory methods of diagnosis of EHV1 abortion. Lung proved to be the specimen of choice. Slight serological differences between "abortigenic" and "respiratory" subtypes of EHV1 were found in cross neutralisation tests. A serological survey of 219 Sydney horses of various ages revealed that most yearlings had already acquired neutralising antibody to both subtypes.     

Effects of transportation on the tonic immobility fear reactions of broilers

1. The fear levels of broilers arriving from slaughter at 4 commercial processing plants were assessed using tonic immobility (TI) tests. The relative effects of selected variables were also examined.

2. Neither the position of the birds on the lorry, nor their sex, nor the ambient temperature nor the identity of the experimeter exerted any significant effects on tonic immobility reactions.

3. Although the longest and shortest immobility responses followed transportation in the fixed crates and metal modules respectively, system comparisons may be confounded by variations in the birds’ genetic and/or experiential backgrounds.

4. Both journey duration and waiting time before transport bore an unambiguous and positive linear relationship with mean TI duration. The duration of transit was the major factor determining fear levels following both commercial and simulated journeys.     

Some coat protein constituents from strawberry latent ringspot virus expressed in transgenic tobacco protect plants against systematic invasion following root inoculation by nematode vectors

The coding sequences in RNA2 for the coat proteins (CP) of strawberry latent ringspot virus (SLRSV) were modified and amplified using polymerase chain amplification reactions (PCR) to facilitate their expression inAgrobacterium tumefaciens-transformedNicotiana tabacum Xanthi-nc. The coding sequences for the smaller capsid protein (S, 29kDa) and that for the theoretical precursor of L and S (P, 73kDa) had ATG initiation codon sequences added at the 5-proximal Ser/Gly (S/G) cleavage site in the unmodified sequence. The sequence coding for the larger of the two proteins of mature SLRSV capsids (L, 44kDa) had an ATG codon added at its 5 S/G site and a TAG stop codon sequence added at the 3-proximal S/G site. The P, L and S proteins were expressedin planta to a maximum concentration of 0.01 % of total extractable proteins but did not assemble into virus-like particles. When challenged by mechanical inoculation with virus particles or viral RNA, and compared with control plants, tobacco plants (primary transgenic clones or S1 and S2, kanamycin-resistant seedlings) expressing the virus capsid subunits separately, or their precursor, decreased the accumulation of SLRSV particles in inoculated leaves and fewer plants became invaded systemically. In experiments in which the roots of seedlings were exposed to SLRSV-carrying vector nematodes (Xiphinema diversicaudatum), SLRSV was detected in the roots of non-transformed control tobacco plants (6/20) and in transgenic tobacco expressing the L protein (7/40), but not in any of 25 tobacco plants expressing the S protein or in 35 expressing the P protein. This is the second example of CP-mediated resistance to virus inoculation by nematode vectors.     

Observations on hypoglycaemia associated with a hepatoma in a cat

Disorientation, muscle fasciculations and weakness seen in a 12-year-old neutered female domestic shorthaired cat were attributed to hypoglycaemia associated with a large hepatoma. Glucagon tolerance tests on this cat and a healthy cat showed that their plasma glucose concentrations increased and decreased at about the same rate. Plasma insulin concentrations in the healthy cat increased and decreased in parallel with the plasma glucose concentration. In the affected cat, plasma insulin concentrations increased initially but decreased more rapidly. Reflecting these observations, the amended insulin to glucose ratios in the affected cat were much lower than those of the healthy cat, until the 4-hour sample. Serum somatostatin, somatomedin and gastrin concentrations were measured but no conclusions as to pathogenesis of the hypoglycaemia could be made. The alterations in insulin secretion in the affected cat suggested that altered hormonal control of glucose homeostasis may have occurred with this tumour.     

Effect of age and sex on the eviscerated yield,muscle and edible offal of a commercial broiler strain

1. Comparisons of the effects of age (up to 364 d) and sex on the rate of growth, eviscerated yield, blood loss and yield of skin, breast, thigh and drumstick muscles, heart, liver and gizzard have been made on a commercial British broiler strain.

2. Male broilers grew linearly up to 76 d whereas the females grew more slowly after 35 d. At 364 d the difference in live body weight was small.

3. Up to 56 d, males had a slightly higher eviscerated yield. There was no significant difference between the sexes beyond this age.

4. The proportional yield of breast muscle was variable with age, whereas that of thigh and drumstick increased with age in the male, particularly at 175 and 364 d.

5. After 35 d the proportion of skin was larger in females, whereas the gizzard as a proportion of live body weight in both sexes decreased rapidly between 21 and 76 d. Blood loss during killing was always higher in male broilers after 21 d.