Prevalence of caseous lymphadenitis and usage of caseous lymphadenitis vaccines in sheep flocks

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of caseous lymphadenitis (CLA), determine the current usage of vaccines against CLA and to measure the effectiveness of these vaccines on sheep farms. DESIGN AND POPULATION: A survey was undertaken on 223 sheep flocks in New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia. METHOD: The prevalence of CLA was measured by conventional inspection techniques at abattoirs in lines of sheep that could be traced back to a farm. Managers of the flocks were sent a questionnaire about their vaccine practices, management practices and knowledge of CLA. RESULTS: The average prevalence of CLA in adult sheep in these flocks was 26% and varied from 20% in Western Australia to 29% in New South Wales. About 43% of sheep producers used CLA vaccines; only 12% used them as recommended. Awareness of CLA was highest in Western Australia. More producers would use CLA vaccine if they knew the prevalence of CLA in their flock and producers obtained most information about CLA from vaccine resellers. CONCLUSIONS: Only 10 to 15% of producers are currently achieving effective CLA control through the use of recommended CLA vaccination programs. In Western Australian flocks more than 25% of effectively vaccinated ewes will be sent to abattoirs in the 2 to 3 years after this study. However, large decreases in the prevalence of CLA can be achieved by about 70% of producers by either making adjustments to their vaccination programs or buying a vaccine with a CLA component. Two or three key facts on effective CLA vaccination could be made available at the point of sale of vaccines and from abattoirs that reported the prevalence of CLA to farmers.     

Pancreatic exocrine secretion in steers infused postruminally with casein and cornstarch

Our objective was to evaluate the effect of postruminal protein infusion on pancreatic exocrine secretions. One Holstein, two crossbred, and five Angus steers (305 +/- 5 kg) with pancreatic pouch-duodenal reentrant cannulas and abomasal infusion catheters were used in a replicated 4 x 4 Latin square. All steers were abomasally infused with 1,050 g/d of raw cornstarch with treatments of 0, 60, 120, or 180 g/d of sodium casein suspended in water to yield 6,000 g/d of infusate daily. Steers were limit-fed (1.5 x NEm; 12 equal portions daily) a 90% corn silage, 10% supplement diet formulated to contain 12.5% CP. Periods consisted of 3 d of adaptation to infusion, 7 d of full infusion, 1 d of collection, and 7 d of rest. Pancreatic juice was collected in 30-min fractions continuously for 6 h. Total juice secreted and the pH of individual fractions were recorded, a 10% subsample was retained to form a composite sample, and remaining fluid was returned to the duodenum. Juice composite samples were stored (-30 degrees C) until analyzed for total protein and activities of alpha-amylase, trypsin, and chymotrypsin. Casein infusion linearly increased alpha-amylase concentration (182 to 271 units/mL; P < 0.02; 17.5 to 24.6 units/mg of protein; P < 0.03) and secretion rate (26,847 to 41,894 units/h; P < 0.01). Total juice secretion (155 g/h), pH of pancreatic juice (8.13), secretion rate of protein (1,536 mg/h), and concentration of protein (10.2 mg/mL) in pancreatic secretions were not affected (P > 0.05) by casein infusion. Similarly, casein infusion did not change 0.05) trypsin and chymotrypsin concentrations (1,379 and 349 units/L or 0.134 and 0.033 units/mg of protein, respectively) or secretion rates (206 and 52 units/h, respectively). Abomasal infusion of protein with starch stimulated a greater pancreatic secretion of alpha-amylase activity into the intestine than infusion of starch alone.     

Genetic typing of classical swine fever virus

Three regions of the classical swine fever virus (CSFV) genome that have been widely sequenced were compared with respect to their ability to discriminate between isolates and to segregate viruses into genetic groups. Sequence data-sets were assembled for 55 CSFVs comprising 150 nucleotides of the 5' non-translated region, 190 nucleotides of the E2 envelope glycoprotein gene and 409 nucleotides of the NS5B polymerase gene. Phylogenetic analysis of each data-set revealed similar groups and subgroups. For closely related viruses, the more variable or larger data-sets gave better discrimination, and the most reliable classification was obtained with sequence data from the NS5B region. No evidence was found for intertypic recombination between CSFVs. A larger data-set was also analysed comprising 190 nucleotides of E2 sequence from 100 CSFVs from different parts of the world, in order to assess the extent and global distribution of CSFV diversity. Additional groups of CSFV are evident from Asia and the nomenclature of Lowings et al. (1996) [Lowings, P., Ibata, G., Needham, J., Paton, D., 1996. J. Gen. Virol. 77, 1311-1321] needs to be updated to accommodate these. A tentative assignment, adapting rather than overturning the previous nomenclature divides CSF viruses into three groups with three or four subgroups: 1.1, 1.2, 1.3; 2.1, 2.2, 2.3; 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4. The expanding data-base of CSFV sequences should improve the prospects of disease tracing in the future, and provide a basis for a standardised approach to ensure that results from different laboratories are comparable.     

Hendra (equine morbillivirus)

Hendra has been recognized in Australia as a new zoonotic disease of horses since 1994/5 and subsequent work has shown that the viral agent is endemic in certain species of fruit bat. The Hendra virus is the type species of a new genus within the sub-family Paramyxovirinae, which also contains another newly identified zoonotic bat virus, namely Nipah. It is assumed that contact with bats has led to the Hendra virus being transferred to horses on each of the three separate incidents that have been reported in the last five years. No evidence has been found for widespread subclinical infection of horses.Infected horses can develop a severe and often fatal respiratory disease characterized by dyspnoea, vascular endothelial damage and pulmonary oedema. Nervous signs may also occur. Fatal respiratory disease has been seen in cats and guinea pigs following experimentally induced infections. Transmission of the virus from horses to other horses or man seems to have taken place, but very close contact was required. Three human cases have been recognized, all in association with equine cases. There have been two human fatalities, one due to respiratory failure and the other from a delayed-onset encephalitis. A number of diagnostic methods have been developed, but great care must be taken in obtaining samples from suspected cases.     

Development and evaluation of an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for detection of foot-and-mouth disease virus nonstructural protein antibody using a chemically synthesized 2B peptide as antigen.

Forty peptides were synthesized corresponding to hydrophilic clusters of amino acids within the sequences of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) nonstructural proteins (NSP). Six peptides were studied in more detail and the most promising, a 2B peptide, was evaluated in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using sera from naive, vaccinated, and vaccinated-and-challenged cattle as well as bovine sera from field outbreaks. The performance of the new NSP peptide ELISA was compared to that of 4 commercial NSP ELISA kits. Antibody to 2B was detectable from the end of the first week to the second week after infection in most of the nonvaccinated animals and by the second to third week in vaccinated-and-challenged animals. The sensitivity of the 2B peptide ELISA was comparable to the 3ABC Ceditest (Ceditest FMDV-NS, Cedi Diagnostics B.V.; Chung et al., 2002). With some modification and further validation, this 2B test could be useful as a screening or conformational NSP test in postvaccination surveillance for FMD.     

Management of inappetant sheep during export by sea

In the first of 2 experiments, a simulated voyage was conducted to examine the effects of various treatments on bodyweight change and feeding frequency of inappetant sheep at the end of lot-feeding (non-feeders). The treatments, applied during simulated shipping, were: normal quantities of feed and length of troughs; extra trough length; extra feed. Adult Merino wethers (n = 108) were used in each treatment. A voyage to the Middle East was then conducted to establish whether shipboard mortality could be reduced by separating non-feeders (n = 305) from feeders (n = 5,620) late in the feedlot hase and housing the groups separately aboard ship. A control group of non-feeders (n = 215) mixed with feeders (n = 5,732) was used for comparison. Bars (marker bars), containing a coloured dye, were attached to feed troughs to mark sheep that fed. Most non-feeders (82%) began eating when placed in shipping pens in both studies. However, there was no significant difference in percentage of sheep that fed between non-feeders given extra trough length or extra feed compared with non-feeders given standard management at any stage of simulated shipping. There was no significant difference in mean bodyweights between treatment groups on days 1, 8 and 15 of simulated shipping. Differences in bodyweight on d 22 were probably associated with different levels of gut fill. Death rates were not significantly different in separated and control groups (1.1%, 0.9%, P = 0.6) in the voyage of 14 d to the Middle East.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)