Active circulation of bluetongue vaccine virus serotype-2 among unvaccinated cattle in central Italy

Several seroconversions occurring in 2002 among sentinel cattle during the bluetongue-vaccination campaign in Lazio and Tuscany (central Italy) led to the suspicion of vaccine-virus circulation. Therefore in 2003, 17 seroconverting sentinel herds were investigated for the characteristics of the virus involved. From these farms, 91 unvaccinated animals and 57 Culicoides pools were tested for the presence of the bluetongue vaccine virus (serotype-2) or other strains. The presence of vaccine virus serotype-2 was confirmed by PCR followed by restriction analysis in the whole blood of 17 unvaccinated sentinel cattle and 12 pools of Culicoides imicola or C. obsoletus. Of the 17 herds, five were positive only for vaccine virus serotype-2, four were positive for other strains and two for both the vaccine and other strains; the remaining premises were virologicaly negative. The vaccine virus serotype-2 also was detected in areas not included in the vaccination campaign.     

Oral cavity evaluation and dental chart registration of coati (Nasua nasua) in captivity

The aims of this study were to develop a dental evaluate any oral cavity disease, develop gypsum models of the dental arches, and to register the occlusions found in coatis (Nasua nasua) in captivity Formulation of the dental chart was assisted by intraoral radiographs from the head of an adult coati cadaver of the same species with the following dental formula.: I 3/3, C 1/1, P 4/3, M 2/2. Seven live coatis of the Nasua nasua species were evaluated. Five of the seven coatis presented with various dental abnormalities as follows: dental plaque (71.4 0%), gingivitis (71.4 %), periodontitis (57.1 %), dental stain (42.9 %), dental abrasion (57.1 %), dental fracture (57.1 %), pulp exposure (42.9 %), malocclusion (57.1 %) and supernumerary teeth (14.2 %).     

Protective effect of the AT137RQ and ARQK176 PrP alleles against classical scrapie in Sarda breed sheep

The susceptibility of sheep to scrapie is under the control of the host’s prion protein (PrP) gene and is also influenced by the strain of the agent. PrP polymorphisms at codons 136 (A/V), 154 (R/H) and 171 (Q/R/H) are the main determinants of susceptibility/resistance of sheep to classical scrapie. They are combined in four main variants of the wild-type ARQ allele: VRQ, AHQ, ARH and ARR. Breeding programmes have been undertaken on this basis in the European Union and the USA to increase the frequency of the resistant ARR allele in sheep populations. Herein, we report the results of a multi-flock study showing the protective effect of polymorphisms other than those at codons 136, 154 and 171 in Sarda breed sheep. All ARQ/ARQ affected sheep (n = 154) and 378 negative ARQ/ARQ controls from four scrapie outbreaks were submitted to sequencing of the PrP gene. The distribution of variations other than those at the standard three codons, between scrapie cases and negative controls, was statistically different in all flocks. In particular, the AT₁₃₇RQ and ARQK₁₇₆ alleles showed a clear protective effect. This is the first study demonstrating a protective influence of alleles other than ARR under field conditions. If further investigations in other sheep breeds and with other scrapie sources confirm these findings, the availability of various protective alleles in breeding programmes of sheep for scrapie resistance could be useful in breeds with a low frequency of the ARR allele and would allow maintaining a wider variability of the PrP gene.     

Investigation on Opisthorchis felineus occurrence and life cycle in Italy

Opisthorchiasis is a fish borne parasitic infection caused by helminths of the genus Opisthorchis (Digenea, Opisthorchiidae), affecting humans and other fish-eating mammals. Despite Opisthorchis felineus was first described in Italy in 1884, no cases of human opisthorchiasis were reported in this country until 2004; from then on, 4 outbreaks due to this species have been recorded in Central Italy. Following the more relevant of these outbreaks, involving 34 people in August 2007, snails, fishes and fecal samples collected from the Bolsena and Bracciano lakes (Central Italy) were analyzed in order to define the cycle of O. felineus in the area and investigate its prevalence in the different hosts. Pools of 20-40 snails each (4983 specimens altogether) of the genus Bithynia were analyzed by PCR for parasite DNA detection. Eight hundred and ninety-four fish belonging to 12 species were collected from the two lakes and tested for metacercariae both by muscle compression and digestion techniques. Eighty-seven fecal samples of 5 putative definitive host species were collected very close to the two lakes and tested for parasite eggs detection by formalin-ethyl acetate concentration technique. Identification at the species level of metacercariae and eggs, respectively, from fish and stool was confirmed by PCR analysis and sequencing. O. felineus DNA was detected in 0.08% (overall minimum infection rate) of snails of the genus Bithynia from the two lakes. The tench, Tinca tinca, was the only fish found infested in both lakes (prevalence 88.5%). O. felineus eggs were found only in cat feces (prevalence 46.4%). The tench represents the only threat for the human consumption in the study area while Coregonus sp., the most economically important species for the local fishery and frequently consumed raw marinated, resulted to be not infected. The high prevalence recorded both in fish and in definitive host suggests a widespread and massive presence of the parasite in the area. Further studies are needed to better investigate the possible role of some cyprinids species as intermediate hosts, in order to check their safety for human consumption.     

Nitrogen and potassium,but not boron,change the morphology,production and nutrient concentration of Tanzania guineagrass roots

Plant shoot production is closely related to root development. To obtain greater grass persistence, nutrient uptake by roots and recovery after defoliation, it is necessary for the plants to have well developed root systems. The study aimed to evaluate the morphological, productive and nutritional characteristics of Panicum maximum cv. Tanzania roots in response to combinations of nitrogen (N), potassium (K), and boron (B) rates in nutrient solution. Root dry mass, total root length, and total root surface increased with the combination of N and K rates. Boron rates did not affect any of the studied parameters. Greater concentrations of ammonium than nitrate were found in the root tissues. Root specific length and root specific surface decreased as rates of N and K increased. The N and K supply caused an increase in the morphological and productive aspects of the root system, thus enhancing the capacity for nutrient absorption.     

Establishment,survivorship, and growth of yellow birch seedlings after site preparation treatments in large gaps

The occurrence of yellow birch (YB) in the northeastern forests of North America is a source of concern. Several guidelines suggest ways to favor the regeneration of this species, including creating openings from small gaps to large clearcuts, coupled or not with a variety of soil preparation treatments. However, it is not clear if soil preparation treatment favors YB establishment by simply increasing the availability of good seedbed types, or by also altering competition pressure exerted by interfering species during the period of seedling establishment. For this study, large gaps (900 m²) were created in a 70-year old YB dominated forest, to which three treatments differing in soil disturbance intensities were applied (i.e., soil scarification (i) using a rake [raking]; or (ii) by dragging slash out to the edges of the gap [slash drag]; and (iii) limited to the passage of the harvesting equipment [control]). The proportion of seedbed types reportedly most favorable for YB establishment (i.e., mineral-dominated) increased as the severity of the site preparation increased. The opposite was observed for organic-dominated seedbeds. As a result, the stocking of YB seedlings increased with the severity of site preparation. However, YB stocking was deemed sufficient in all gaps to ensure future canopy dominance, even in the control treatment. Although YB seedlings generally achieved greater heights as site preparation intensity increased, it was clear that this did not reflect vigorous growth as, on average, greater heights coincided with greater seedling height–diameter ratios. At the seedbed level, height–diameter ratio was associated with an increase in surrounding competition pressure and an increase in the incidence of stem apical death (SAD), which in turn decreased height differences among seedbed types by the end of the study. At the gap level, this blurred the advantages of site preparation over a laisser-faire strategy. The incidence of SAD was greatest in the slash drag and the rake treatments. Consequently, we cannot say that intense soil scarification is worth the expenses, especially in stands where YB seed sources are abundant.     

Dairy calf rearing unit and infectious diseases: diarrhea outbreak by bovine coronavirus as a model for the dispersion of pathogenic microorganisms

Dairy calf rearing unit is a management system that is only recently being implemented by some milk producer’s cooperatives in southern Brazil. However, aspects related to the health profile of the heifer calves that arrive in the rearing unit as well as about biosecurity practices and microbiological challenges have not yet been evaluated in this rearing system in a tropical country. Diarrhea is the main and most frequent consequence of enteric infections in newborn calves. This study, through some etiological and epidemiological characteristics of an outbreak of neonatal diarrhea, has the aim to alert to the possibility of pathogenic microorganism spread in a dairy heifer calf rearing unit. The diarrhea outbreak presented some non-regular characteristics observed in bovine coronavirus (BCoV) enteric infections in dairy calves. The spread of infection was extremely rapid (1 week); the attack rate (>?50%) was much higher than that observed in calves subjected to conventional rearing; and the age range (5 to 90 days) of the affected heifer calves was much broader than that often observed in the BCoV diarrhea worldwide. These unusual epidemiological characteristics observed in this BCoV diarrhea outbreak raise awareness of the health threat present in calf rearing units as well as of the easy and rapid viral spread in a population of young animals from different dairy herds and, therefore, with very distinct immunological status.

     

Selfing and selection in alfalfa breeding programmes

Data from about 7000 alfalfa plants were analyzed, 1) to evaluate the inbreeding depression after selfing and the recovery of vigour following open pollination, 2) to estimate the correlations between sister generations and between sister and maternal generation. Results can be summarized as follows: 1) inbreeding depression, measured on a green matter basis, was very marked in all selfed generations, but most severe in I₂. In I₃ there was a recovery of vigour to the I₁ level due to unavoidable selection for vigour and self-fertility in I₂. Among three varieties the most marked depression of vigour was observed in Lahontan, the variety with narrowest genetic background; 2) the correlation coefficients were higher in 1963 than in 1964 but the lack of uniformity does not allow any conclusion.Director and Assistant, respectively.The work was supported by funds from the Italian Research Council.