Tuberculosis vaccination sequence effect on protection in wild boar

The Eurasian wild boar (Sus scrofa) is a reservoir for tuberculosis (TB) in which vaccination is a valuable tool for control. We evaluated the protection and immune response achieved by homologous and heterologous regimes administering BCG and heat-inactivated Mycobacterium bovis (IV). Twenty-one wild boar piglets were randomly allocated in five groups: Control, homologous BCG, homologous IV, heterologous IV-BCG, heterologous BCG-IV. Significant 67% and 66% total lesion score reductions were detected in homologous IV (IVx2) and heterologous IV-BCG groups when compared with Control group (F_4,16 = 6.393, p = 0.003; Bonferroni _{Control vs IVx2} p = 0.026, Tukey _{Control vs IV-BCG} p = 0.021). No significant differences were found for homologous BCG (although a 48% reduction in total lesion score was recorded) and BCG-IV (3% reduction). Heterologous regimes did not improve protection over homologous regimes in the wild boar model and showed variable results from no protection to similar protection as homologous regimes. Therefore, homologous regimes remain the best option to vaccinate wild boar against TB. Moreover, vaccine sequence dramatically influenced the outcome underlining the relevance of studying the effects of prior sensitization in the outcome of vaccination.     

Establishing bacterial infectivity models in striped Catfish Pangasianodon hypophthalmus (Sauvage) with Edwardsiella ictaluri

A bacterial infectivity challenge model of Edwardsiella ictaluri in striped catfish was developed. All experiments were conducted using a bacterial isolate of E. ictaluri that had been recovered during a natural outbreak of bacillary necrosis of Pangasianodon (BNP) in farmed striped catfish Pangasianodon hypophthalmus in Vietnam. Time of immersion in 10⁷ CFU.ml⁻¹ had a significant effect on mortality. The immersion bacterial dose of 10⁷ CFU/ml for 30 s resulted in a cumulative percentage mortality of 63%. Three to four days post-bacterial challenge, fish showed gross clinical signs of natural BNP and E. ictaluri was recovered and identified from these fish. Moreover, a cohabitation challenge was evaluated as an alternative challenge method, although the mortalities among the infected fish were lower at around 15%–40%. This study confirmed the horizontal transmission of E. ictaluri in striped catfish and elucidated that cohabitation challenge could be used in reproducing the disease under controlled conditions.     

Evaluating the use of garlic (Allium sativum) for the remedy of Cryptocaryon irritans in guppies (Poecilia reticulata)

Garlic (Allium sativum) has been shown to possess antimicrobial properties against a range of disease‐causing agents, including fish parasites. Our study aimed to investigate the potential use of garlic as a treatment against Cryptocaryon irritans infection, using guppies (Poecilia reticulata) as the fish model. Garlic was freeze‐dried, powdered, and used as it is or as an aqueous extract. The content of allicin, its main active ingredient, was 1.25 mg/g in garlic powder and 0.82 mg/ml in the aqueous extract, as determined by HPLC analysis. Aqueous garlic extract fully immobilized C. irritans theronts and protomonts within 20 and 40 min, respectively, following exposure to 5 µl/ml. Treatment trials were performed, in which infected fish were fed with garlic powder‐supplemented feeds (5%, 10%, or 20% supplementation), bathed in garlic aqueous extract (250 or 500 µl/L) and subjected to a combined treatment which included both feeding and bathing. Results revealed that the tested treatments failed to cure the infection, though reduction in infection intensity on the caudal fin, but not on the gills, was evident following dietary supplementation with 20% of powdered garlic in one of the trials.     

Tulathromycin enhances humoral but not cellular immune response in pigs vaccinated against swine influenza

The effect of a standard, single dose therapy with tulathromycin was investigated on the postvaccinal humoral and cellular immune response in pigs vaccinated against swine influenza. Forty‐five pigs, divided into 3 groups, were used (control not vaccinated (C, n = 15), control vaccinated (CV, n = 15), and experimentally received tulathromycin (TUL, n = 15)). For vaccination of pigs, an inactivated, commercial vaccine was used. Pigs from TUL group received single dose of tulathromycin intramuscularly, at the recommended dose (2.5 mg/kg body weight). Pigs from TUL and CV groups were vaccinated at 8 and 10 weeks of age. The specific humoral and cellular immune response against swine influenza virus (SIV) was evaluated. The results of present study showed that humoral postvaccinal response after vaccination against SIV can be modulated by treatment with tulathromycin. In pigs from TUL group, the significantly higher titers of anti‐SIV‐specific antibodies were observed 4 and 6 weeks after booster dose of vaccine. Simultaneously, T‐cell‐mediated immune response against SIV was not affected by tulathromycin. Our recent study confirmed the importance of defining the modulatory activity of tulathromycin because of its influence on the immune response to vaccines. Since the antibodies against hemagglutinin are crucial for the protection against SIV, the present observations should prompt further studies on the practical significance of recent results in terms of clinical implications (postvaccinal protection) in the field conditions.     

单壁碳纳米管载嗜水气单胞菌外膜蛋白亚单位疫苗的研制及免疫效果评价

为了筛选细菌的疫苗候选蛋白,本实验根据课题组前期的研究,挑选了2个嗜水气单胞菌外膜蛋白(A0KLQ6和A0KH89),以A0KHR9(OmpAII)为对照,通过比较外膜蛋白与碳纳米管载外膜蛋白通过腹腔注射与浸泡免疫模式,比较和评价斑马鱼的免疫反应与免疫保护效果。结果显示,腹腔注射组和浸泡组与普通蛋白组对比,碳纳米管载蛋白能够显著提高斑马鱼免疫相关基因表达量。腹腔注射组在5μg剂量下免疫A0KHR9、A0KLQ6和A0KH89蛋白分别获得61.60%、 65.39%和84.96%相对免疫保护率(relative immune protection rate,RPS),在5μg剂量下免疫碳纳米管载蛋白SWCNTs-A0KHR9、SWCNTsA0KLQ6和SWCNTs-A0KH89分别获得68.10%、77.50%和90.43%的RPSs。浸泡组在40 mg/L剂量下免疫A0KHR9、A0KLQ6和A0KH89蛋白分别获得30.80%、25.85%和37.80%的RPSs,在40 mg/L最高剂量下免疫碳纳米管载蛋白疫苗SWCNTs-A0KHR9、SWCNTsA0KLQ6和SWCNTs-A0KH89分别获得63.60%、73.74%和68.49%的RPSs。研究表明,铁离子限制下嗜水气单胞菌外膜蛋白A0KLQ6和A0KH89等能够作为抗嗜水气单胞菌的亚单位疫苗候选蛋白,而单壁碳纳米管载蛋白通过注射免疫与浸泡免疫均能显著提升免疫疗效,是一种疫苗的适宜纳米载体。以上研究为寻找高效的嗜水气单胞菌亚单位疫苗候选蛋白及佐剂提供了理论依据。     

Effect of the route of administration on the mucosal and systemic immune responses to Lawsonia intracellularis vaccine in pigs

In an on‐farm study, 40 weaned piglets aged 3 weeks were vaccinated with Lawsonia intracellularis vaccine orally, IM or IP while a fourth group remained unvaccinated. All vaccinated animals showed increased serum levels of L. intracellularis‐specific IgG antibodies, but significantly elevated concentrations of specific IgG, IgA and cytokines were generated in ileal mucosal secretions from the orally and IP vaccinated pigs when examined at 17 days after vaccination.     

Tick-borne encephalitis epidemic in Hungary 1951–2021: The story and lessons learned

The authors analysed epidemiological data of the Hungarian tick-borne encephalitis epidemic from the past seven decades. A total of 911 meningitis serosa cases were described from 1930-1950 s by local hospital physicians, indicating that the virus had been present in the country decades before its official identification in 1952. The virus spread freely in the 1950s–1960s, occupying almost all habitats where ticks occurred in large numbers. The increasing number of cases drove authorities to classify this illness as a notifiable disease in 1977 and to organize the first measures to stop the epidemic. Statistical analysis revealed that the large-scale vaccination launched from the 1990s was responsible for the sharp decrease in the number of human cases from 1997. A significant negative correlation was found between the number of vaccine doses sold and human cases 6 years later. The TBEV endemic area covers 16.57% of the territory and 16.65% of the population of the country. In the last 10 years, 186,000 vaccine doses/year in average were enough to keep the incidence of human TBEV infections between 0.45 and 0.06/100,000 persons. A 20-year-long study found evidence for easing clinical signs in TBEV-infected hospitalized patients. Statistics found a sharp decrease in the number of samples sent for TBEV diagnosis after 1989. Male dominance of patients was characteristic of the epidemics since the 1940s, but now analysis of detailed data from the 1981–2021 period (60.5%–87.5%) proved the statistical significance of this dominance. Obviously, the voluntary vaccination programme was the tool which broke the spread of the epidemic. Widespread public awareness of the disease and the tick vector, probable evolutionary spread of less pathogenic virus strains supplemented with the vaccination campaign led to a negligible level of human TBE cases in Hungary in the last years.     

纳米疫苗在禽流感防控中的研究进展

禽流感病毒(Avian influenza virus,AIV)因其具有变异性强、亚型种类多、感染宿主多样性等特点,对畜牧业发展及公共卫生安全具有巨大的影响。目前,传统灭活疫苗在预防禽流感中虽起着重要作用,但仍存在免疫失败、多次接种及易出现不良反应等弊端,因此,研制新型疫苗来弥补传统疫苗的不足非常有必要。纳米颗粒疫苗具有包裹性好、结构稳定、靶向性高和免疫原性强等优点,可作为新型流感病毒疫苗的候选。笔者首先介绍了禽流感难以防控的原因及纳米疫苗的特点,然后对病毒样颗粒疫苗、自组装蛋白疫苗、聚合物纳米颗粒疫苗、无机纳米颗粒疫苗及纳米颗粒的毒性机制方面进行综述,概述了近年来AIV纳米颗粒疫苗的研究进展,并简述了采用不同抗原、不同纳米材料及不同给药方式对免疫效果的影响,结合目前纳米疫苗的研究,预测了未来纳米颗粒疫苗可作为AIV防控的一种新途径,对禽流感纳米疫苗在兽医临床的应用前景进行了分析和展望。     

广西不同年龄猪群中2型猪链球菌抗体水平调查分析

为调查规模化猪场不同年龄猪群中2型猪链球菌(S.suis 2)抗体水平,本研究采用以荚膜多糖为抗原的间接ELISA对来自广西地区母猪群、肥猪群、生长猪群共1 908份血清样品进行了S.suis 2抗体检测和分析。结果显示:成年猪群中抗S.suis 2的抗体水平普遍较高,种猪场母猪血清抗体阳性率可高达95%以上,不同地区屠宰场的育肥猪血清抗体阳性率在39.2%~97.5%。对不同日龄仔猪群抗体水平检测分析显示:14日龄~42日龄期间,抗体水平随仔猪日龄的增长而呈逐渐下降的趋势;而42日龄~130日龄期间,抗体水平随日龄的增长而呈逐渐上升的趋势。此外,经产母猪群抗体水平略高于后备母猪群,并且随胎次的增加,抗体的离散度缩小。以上结果表明S.suis 2抗体在仔猪生长阶段的空白期即42日龄时,仔猪群抗体水平最低。因此,在这个阶段和之前做好S.suis的预防和免疫工作对猪群链球菌病的防控至关重要。     

鸡传染性支气管炎病毒肾致病株的致弱及免疫研究

用已鉴定的广西鸡传染性支气管炎病毒(IBV)分离株G,C,Z和Q分别通过鸡胚传代进行致弱,在一定代次时分别接种敏感鸡作毒力测定试验.然后用已致弱的毒株在实验室进行攻击保护试验,最后取已致弱而且抗原性良好的毒株在广西各地鸡场进行田间应用试验。结果表明,C株在传至40代时,G,Z和Q株分别传至20代时对鸡的毒性均已大大降低;免疫鸡用标准强毒株(M_(41))攻击,然后用病毒回收的技术来衡量其免疫力,结果各株经免疫两次后均有很好的保护率(60％～100％),均显著优于对照组(P<0.01);致弱株分别在南宁、柳州、容县、岑溪和博自5县市的11个鸡场进行田间试验,试验的鸡有30群共103761羽,试验时分别对疫苗免疫对鸡生产性能的影响、安全性和育成率进行观察和测算,结果表明,作者培育的IBV弱毒苗对鸡是安全的,使用C_(60)或C_(80)和G_(20)株先后两次免疫鸡,对IB有较好预防效果,这些弱毒株有希望成为供生产使用的疫苗。