Using remote sensing to predict outbreaks of Oestrus ovis in Namibia

The Directorate of Veterinary Services of the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Rural Development of Namibia issues warnings to farmers in the south of the country about the likelihood of infestation of small-stock by the nasal bot fly, Oestrus ovis. Farmers can then treat their stock at the most appropriate time. The O. ovis puparia develop at shallow depths in the soil and the timing of emergence is directly dependent on climatic conditions, specifically the number of degree-days above a particular threshold soil temperature. Based on temperature measurements from only a few stations scattered throughout the country, the veterinary department warnings lack precision in space and time. This paper presents an attempt to support the programme of warnings with accumulated temperature information from Meteosat satellite images, in order to strengthen predictions of the time of emergence in specific places, and to improve the precision and reliability of warnings given to farmers.     

PCR-based detection of Theileria ovis in Rhipicephalus bursa adult ticks

Tick-borne diseases in ruminants are common in tropical and subtropical regions and lead to meat and milk production losses. In this study, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to assess the presence of Theileria ovis in Rhipicephalus bursa ticks. We have demonstrated that the PCR enabled detection of T. ovis in field isolates of R. bursa collected from naturally infested sheep and goats in eastern Turkey. The sampling was done in spring season (between May and June 2004). A total of 420 R. bursa were collected and randomly selected 192 number of them (97 female and 95 male) were dissected. Primers specific for 520 bp fragments small subunit ribosomal RNA (ssu rRNA) gene of T. ovis amplified products from 37 of the 192 (19.27%) samples. The parasite was detected in 17 (17.52%) female and in 20 (21.05%) male ticks. Two T. ovis amplicons from the tick samples were purified and sequenced. The resulting sequences were identical to the nucleotide sequence of the Turkish sheep strain of T. ovis. These results showed that R. bursa might play an important role in the field as a natural vector of T. ovis.     

Epidemiology of Oestrus ovis in southwest France.

From July 1989 to June 1990, 555 heads of adult sheep obtained from Pamiers slaughterhouse (southwest France) were examined for infestation by Oestrus ovis. Infestation was present in 65% of the heads and the mean larval burden per positive case over the year was 24.8. The monthly prevalence rate varied from 44% in April to 88.2% in November. There are usually three generations of Ovis each year: the first March–April, the second in June–July and the last in September–October. There was no fly activity in winter and during the hottest months of summer. On the other hand, nearly all the larvae overwintered as the firs stage.

This study emphasizes the seriousness of the problem in the region and the authors recommend three strategic treatments per year during periods of high fly activity.     

A study of an enzootic focus of sheep babesiosis (Babesia ovis, Babes, 1892)

Morbidity and mortality due to Babesia ovis in sheep flocks grazing in an enzootic area of Israel occur yearly, about 2 weeks after detection of adult Rhipicephalus bursa ticks on the animals. Disease incidence peaks in May, but lasts throughout the active period of the adult ticks in the spring-summer months of April–July. No clinical cases of babesiosis have been registered during the active period of the preimaginal stages of R. bursa, from October to February. Incidence of parasitaemia during the spring-summer months was variable, ranging between 2 and 25%. However, in the winter months the incidence of parasitaemia in hoggets increased considerably, reaching 4–60% of the animals.

A positive serological response to B. ovis was found in 84.5% of the hoggets and 88.9% of the ewes. In ewes, the prevalence of the serological response showed no marked seasonal variations. Colostral sera of 67.5% and 75% of the ewes and hoggets, respectively, were serologically positive for B. ovis. No antibodies were detected in the sera of lambs less than 3–4 months of age. The epizootiology of sheep babesiosis appears to differ from that of bovine babesiosis.     

Discrimination between sheep antibodies to Brucella melitensis and to Brucella ovis

When preparations containing smooth Brucella abortus lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were used as antigens in an ELISA, strong positive reactions were obtained with sera from sheep infected with Brucella melitensis or with Brucella ovis. Oxidation of the LPS with sodium metaperiodate greatly reduced the extent of the cross-reactions with antisera to B. ovis, with little effect on the reactions with antisera to smooth B. melitensis. Periodate oxidation of hot saline extract (HSX) antigen of B. ovis markedly reduced its reactivity in ELISA with anti-B. ovis sera and eliminated cross-reactivity with anti-B. melitensis sera. The reactivity of HSX was maintained after treatment with proteinase K.

A simple ELISA system, in which replicate samples from a single serum dilution were tested in parallel against both B. ovis HSX antigen and periodate-oxidised smooth phase B. abortus LPS, was evaluated. It was found to discriminate well between antibodies induced by vaccination or virulent infection with B. melitensis strains and those induced by infection with B. ovis.     

Larval salivary gland proteins of the sheep nasal bot fly, (Oestrus ovis L.), are major immunogens in infested sheep

Tissue extracts from larval instars of the sheep nasal bot, Oestrus ovis, were resolved by gel electrophoresis under both native and denaturing conditions. Polypeptides resolved under these conditions were tested by immunoblotting against sera of infested sheep. Of all tissues examined in this study, salivary glands proved to be major immunogens in infested sheep. Salivary gland polypeptides were also detected in the washing solution as larval secretory products (LSP). To a minor extent, a few polypeptides from the larval cuticle were also found to be immunogenic, but they did not contribute to LSP. These results were further corroborated by nasal infestation of rabbits that also developed specific antibodies against larval salivary gland polypeptides from Oestrus ovis.     

Duration of immunity, efficacy and safety in sheep of a recombinant Taenia ovis vaccine formulated with saponin or selected adjuvants.

The efficacy and safety of a recombinant Taenia ovis protein was tested in sheep using 13 different adjuvant formulations, including oil adjuvants, aluminium salts, saponin, Iscoms and DEAE-dextran. The oil adjuvants, saponin and DEAE-dextran gave the highest antibody responses and greatest degree of protection against challenge infection with T. ovis eggs. Duration of immunity studies with a saponin based vaccine showed that highly significant protection (>90% reduction of cyst numbers) was achieved when sheep were challenge infected one month after immunisation. Significant protection (79%) was still present when sheep were challenged 6 months after immunisation. The optimum dose for this batch of saponin was 10 mg, which stimulated a peak antibody titre of 38,400, 4 weeks after immunisation and did not cause injection site reactions. Dialysed saponin was shown to retain its adjuvant properties and allowed an increase in dose to 30 mg without site reaction, resulting in a peak antibody titre of 51,200.     

Epidemiology of Oestrus ovis (Linneo, 1761) infestation in goats in Spain

This survey was conducted to determine the chronobiology and seroprevalence of nasal bot infestation (Oestrus ovis) in Spain and to identify the risk factors associated with this disease in caprine herds.

A total of 1590 sera from adult goats were collected at random on 175 farms in southwestern Spain. Sera were tested by ELISA, using crude protein from second stage larvae as antigen. The mean seroprevalence was 46.04% and mean percentage of optical densities was 41.83. These data indicate a high prevalence of this parasite in the investigated areas. The serological survey revealed that goats managed at higher altitudes, at meridians latitudes and on farms with small herds had a smaller probability of infestation. Eighty goat heads, obtained from abattoirs in the central region of Spain, were collected and examined for nasal botflies from February to October 2002. O. ovis larval stages were recovered from the nasal-sinus cavities of 23 goats, reaching a prevalence of 34.94%. The mean larval burden was 3.9 larvae per infested head. No first instars were found during February and March, when the second instar reached its larger count. The third instar was observed in very small number during the whole period of study, with one peak occurring in July–August. These data show the existence of a favourable period for the development of larval instars of O. ovis in goats that starts in February and finishes in September.     

Further data to the aetiology, pathogenesis and therapy of infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis

Out of a total of 224 bovine eye secretions, 126 Moraxella bovis and 64 Neisseria ovis strains were isolated. The pathogenesis and histological lesions caused by Neisseria ovis have been studied on the eyes of three calves naturally affected with IBK, using electron microscopy.

Neisseria ovis caused in 1–12 weeks old calves acute, transient and mostly benign serous conjunctivitis with only slight affection of the cornea. More rarely erosions and even ulceration of the cornea have been observed.

Moraxella bovis and Neisseria ovis strains proved nearly unanimously sensitive in vitro to chloramphenicol, neomycin, oxytetracyclin, nitrofurantoin, erythromycin and cefoperazone. Other antibiotics and chemotherapeutics inhibited the growth of these agents only partly or were ineffective.

Experimental therapy has been carried out using a single i.m. injection of Terramycin/LA inj. (Pfizer) in a dose of 20 mg/kg body mass, repeated if necessary after 72–96 h. This formulation proved more effective and practical than treatments used earlier.     

羊附红细胞体体外培养最佳条件的探索

近几年,内蒙古自治区锡林郭勒盟多地出现了一种羊病,发病率和死亡率都较高,最终诊断为羊附红细胞体病。为给羊附红细胞体（Mycoplasma ovis,M. ovis）深入研究奠定基础,参考支原体培养基,进行配方改良,对M. ovis的最佳培养条件进行了初步研究。结果表明：应用实验室自制ZP-S-BS培养基,48 h更换半量培养基,37 ℃培养效果最佳。感染M. ovis红细胞用ZP-S-BS培养能维持长时间存活状态,洗脱的M. ovis用ZP-S-BS培养仍可连续培养260 d,且能缓慢增殖。     

Major outer membrane proteins of Brucella spp.: past,present and future

The major outer membrane proteins (OMPs) of Brucella spp. were initially identified in the early 1980s and characterised as potential immunogenic and protective antigens. They were classified according to their apparent molecular mass as 36–38 kDa OMPs or group 2 porin proteins and 31–34 and 25–27 kDa OMPs which belong to the group 3 proteins. The genes encoding the group 2 porin proteins were identified in the late 1980s and consist of two genes, omp2a and omp2b, which are closely linked in the Brucella genome, and which share a great degree of identity (>85%). In the 1990s, two genes were identified coding for the group 3 proteins and were named omp25 and omp31. The predicted amino acid sequences of omp25 and omp31 share 34% identity. The recent release of the genome sequence of B. melitensis 16 M has revealed the presence of five additional gene products homologous to Omp25 and Omp31. The use of recombinant protein technology and monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) has shown that the major OMPs appear to be of little relevance as antigens in smooth (S) B. abortus or B. melitensis infections i.e. low or no protective activity in the mouse model of infection and low or no immunogenicity during host infection. However, group 3 proteins, in particular Omp31, appear as immunodominant antigen in the course of rough (R) B. ovis infection in rams and as important protective antigen in the B. ovis mouse model of infection. The major OMP genes display diversity and specific markers have been identified for Brucella species, biovars, and strains, including the recent marine mammal Brucella isolates for which new species names have been proposed. Recently, Omp25 has been shown to be involved in virulence of B. melitensis, B. abortus and B. ovis. Mutants lacking Omp25 are indeed attenuated in animal models of infection, and moreover provide levels of protection similar or better than currently used attenuated vaccine strain B. melitensis Rev.1. Therefore, these mutant strains appear interesting vaccine candidates for the future. The other group 3 proteins identified in the genome merit also further investigation related to the development of new vaccines.     

绵羊FRZB基因InDel检测及其与生长性状的关联分析

本研究以卷曲相关同源蛋白（FRZB）基因作为候选基因,以同羊、小尾寒羊、兰州大尾羊和湖羊4个品种共计582只绵羊个体为试验材料,利用琼脂糖凝胶电泳结合DNA测序技术对FRZB基因的InDel进行筛查,旨在寻找与4个品种绵羊生长性状相关的InDel位点。结果表明,绵羊FRZB基因第1内含子上检测到一段14 bp的InDel突变;FRZB基因内含子区InDel突变位点在同羊、小尾寒羊、兰州大尾羊和湖羊群体中均存在II、ID、DD 3种基因型;关联分析表明,FRZB基因中检测到的InDel突变对同羊生长性状有显著影响（P<0.05）,其中II基因型的体长、背高、荐高、距骨宽度、尾长和尾宽在同羊群体中显著优于DD基因型,可以作为候选分子标记用于同羊分子标记辅助选择。这些结果提示,绵羊FRZB基因第1内含子上一个14 bp的插入突变可显著影响同羊生长性状,可以作为绵羊育种中生长性状的潜在分子标记。     

藏羊MSTN基因克隆、生物信息学及组织表达分析

【目的】对藏羊肌肉生长抑制素(myostatin, MSTN)基因进行克隆和生物信息学分析,检测其在藏羊不同组织中的表达,为探究MSTN基因在藏羊中的生物学功能提供参考。【方法】以藏羊背最长肌组织cDNA为模板,克隆藏羊MSTN基因完整CDS区序列并测序,用SeqMan程序对测序结果进行拼接,并用BLAST在线程序对组装后的序列进行分析鉴定。用生物信息学软件进行相似性比对、系统进化树构建及生物信息学分析,用实时荧光定量PCR检测MSTN基因在藏羊不同组织中的表达量。【结果】藏羊MSTN基因CDS全长为1 128 bp,编码375个氨基酸。藏羊MSTN基因氨基酸序列与绵羊、牦牛、牛、猪、恒河猴、人、黑猩猩、犬、鸡及斑马的相似性依次为100.0%、93.4%、93.4%、95.2%、94.4%、94.2%、94.4%、93.1%、87.8%和87.5%;系统进化树分析结果表明,藏羊与绵羊的亲缘关系最近,与斑马和鸡的亲缘关系最远。藏羊MSTN蛋白属于亲水性分泌蛋白,且具有不稳定性,不含跨膜结构,含1个信号肽,存在31个潜在的磷酸化位点、2个N-糖基化修饰位点,主要分布在线粒体和细胞质中;MS...     

Brucellae through the food chain: the role of sheep, goats and springbok (Antidorcus marsupialis) as sources of human infections in Namibia

A confirmed case of human brucellosis motivated an investigation into the potential source of infection in Namibia. Since domestic animals are principal sources of Brucella infection in humans, 1692 serum samples were screened from sheep, goats and cattle from 4 presumably at-risk farms and 900 springbok (Antidorcas marsupialis) serum samples from 29 mixed farming units for Brucella antibodies by the Rose-Bengal test (RBT) and positive cases confirmed by complement fixation test (CFT). To assess the prevalence of human brucellosis, 137 abattoir employees were tested for Brucella antibodies using the standard tube agglutination test (STAT) and by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Cattle and sheep from all 4 farms were negative by RBT and CFT but 2 of the 4 farms (Ba and C) had 26/42 and 12/285 seropositive goats, respectively. Post mortem examination of seropositive goats revealed no gross pathological lesions typical of brucellosis except enlarged mesenteric and iliac lymph nodes seen in a single buck. Culture for brucellae from organs of seropositive animals was negative. None of the wildlife sera tested positive by either RBT or CFT. Interviews revealed that besides the case that prompted the investigation, a family and another person from other farms with confirmed brucellosis shared a common history of consumption of unpasteurised goat milk, home-made goat cheese and coffee with raw milk and prior contact with goats, suggesting goats as the likely source of infection. All 137 abattoir employees tested negative by STAT, but 3 were positive by ELISA. The 3 abattoir workers were clinically normal and lacked historical connections with clinical cases. Although goats are often associated with B. melitensis, these studies could not explicitly implicate this species owing to cross-reactivity with B. abortus, which can also infect goats. Nevertheless, these data reinforce the need for a better National Control Programme for brucellosis in Namibia.     

Prevalence of Theileria spp. infection in sheep in South Khorasan province, Iran

The prevalence of Theileria spp. infection was studied in sheep in the South Khorasan province in Iran from 2003 to 2004. A total of 840 sheep from 34 flocks were clinically examined and investigated for the presence of Theileria spp. in the appropriate blood smears and any tick species on the body of the animals. In this study, 11.9% of sheep were infected with Theileria spp., with a parasitemia of 0.02–0.1%. Differences in the infection rates were statistically significant among different areas of the South Khorasan province. The highest prevalence was found in the Ferdows area (31.4%) and the lowest rate in the Nehbandan area (0.7%). The prevalence of Theileria spp. infection in males and females and between different age groups of sheep were not statistically significant. Seasonally, the prevalence of Theileria spp. infection in sheep reached its highest level in June (26.3%), whereas it decreased in July and August. It was found that 50.5% of the animals harbored Rhipicephalus sanguineus, 48.5% harboured Hyalomma anatolicum and 0.89% harboured Hyalomma dromedari.     

绵羊KAP11.1基因克隆、原核表达及皮肤毛囊表达研究

【目的】 对毛囊角蛋白关联蛋白11.1（keratin associated protein 11.1,KAP11.1）基因进行克隆及原核表达,并对KAP11.1基因在不同品种绵羊皮肤毛囊中表达量进行比较,探究KAP11.1基因在南疆地方绵羊品种间表达差异及其对羊毛品质的影响。【方法】 以平原型和田羊、山区型和田羊和卡拉库尔羊体侧皮肤毛囊为研究材料,以GenBank中绵羊KAP11.1基因序列（登录号：HQ595347.1）为参照设计引物,对KAP11.1基因进行PCR扩增,构建pMD19-T-KAP11.1克隆质粒,双酶切鉴定后构建pET-28a （+）-KAP11.1原核重组表达质粒,经PCR和双酶切鉴定后测序并进行序列分析,转化大肠杆菌BL21（DE3）感受态细胞中表达,采用SDS-PAGE和Western blotting检测;利用实时荧光定量PCR技术检测KAP11.1基因在不同绵羊皮肤毛囊中的表达情况。【结果】 3种绵羊KAP11.1基因CDS区序列为480 bp,编码159个氨基酸,为不稳定的疏水蛋白。相似性比对结果发现,与参照基因相比,2种类型和田羊基因序列相似性均为99.79％,均在423 bp处发生突变,由C变为T,卡拉库尔羊基因序列相似性为99.38％,其69 bp处G变为T、93 bp处C变为T、423 bp处C变为T。系统进化树分析发现,3种绵羊和山羊亲缘关系最近,和瘤牛亲缘关系最远。KAP11.1蛋白二级结构主要由无规则卷曲组成。试验成功构建了pET-28a （+）-KAP11.1原核重组表达质粒,并纯化得到19 ku的KAP11.1蛋白。KAP11.1基因在山区型和田羊和卡拉库尔羊皮肤毛囊中的表达量均显著高于平原型和田羊（P<0.05）,在山区型和田羊和卡拉库尔羊中差异不显著（P>0.05）。【结论】 克隆获得480 bp的绵羊KAP11.1基因CDS区序列,成功构建了pET-28a （+）-KAP11.1原核重组表达质粒,并获得19 ku的KAP11.1蛋白,且KAP11.1基因在3个品种绵羊皮肤毛囊中均有表达。     

Salmonella abortus ovis (Etude de 112 souches)

The bacteriological examination of 112 strains of Salmonella abortus ovis shows some particular properties of this serotype, and the existence of two different types according to their geographical source.     

Recovery of Moraxella ovis from the bovine respiratory tract and differentiation of Moraxella species by tDNA-intergenic spacer PCR

The purpose of the present study was to identify Moraxella (M.)—like organisms recovered from calves suffering from respiratory disease down to species level by means of tDNA-intergenic spacer length polymorphism analysis (tDNA-PCR), and to perform antimicrobial susceptibility testing of these isolates using an agar dilution technique. A total of 16 isolates originating from 12 unrelated occasions were identified as Moraxella ovis, and tDNA fingerprinting showed clear delineation from other Moraxella species. The minimal inhibitory concentrations (in μg/mL) for 90% of the investigated isolates were ≤0.03 for ampicillin; 0.25 for ceftiofur; 0.5 for oxytetracycline; 8 for gentamicin; 64 for spectinomycin; 0.5/9.5 for the combination trimethoprim-sulfonamides; 4 for erythromycin; 8 for tilmicosin; 1 for florfenicol and 0.125 for enrofloxacin.     

Differentiation by polymerase chain reaction - restriction fragment length polymorphism of some Oestridae larvae causing myiasis

The cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene of the most wide-spread Italian species of Oestridae larvae causing myiasis (Gasterophilus spp., Hypoderma bovis, Hypoderma lineatum, Oestrus ovis and Przhevalskiana silenus) was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using conserved primers. Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) of amplicons was also carried out and their restriction profiles compared. A clear genetic difference between the Oestridae larvae examined was demonstrated by using Taq I, Hinf I, Rsa I and Hpa II enzymes. No intra-specific variation in RFLPs was detected between the two species of Hypoderma. The results highlight the taxonomic and phylogenetic relationships among larvae belonging to the different subfamilies, and thus offer additional diagnostic and epidemiological instruments.     

A three-year longitudinal study on the effects of a diet containing genetically modified Bt176 maize on the health status and performance of sheep

This study shows that a diet including insect-resistant Bt176 maize, fed to 53 ewes and their progeny for 3 years, did not have adverse effects on their health or performance and that no horizontal gene transfer to ruminal microorganisms or animal tissues was detected. No differences were observed regarding performance, reproductive traits, haematological parameters, antioxidant defences, lymphocyte proliferative capacity, phagocytosis and intracellular killing of macrophages, and ruminal microbial population characteristics between control and genetically modified (GM) maize-fed animals. Immune response to Salmonella abortus ovis vaccination was more efficient in GM maize fed sheep. No modifications of histological features of tissues were found; however, cytochemical analyses of ruminal epithelium by Ki67 staining provided evidence of proliferative activation of basal cells in all GM maize-fed ewes. Preliminary electron microscopy analyses of the liver and pancreas revealed smaller cell nuclei containing increased amounts of heterochromatin and perichromatin granules in GM maize-fed lambs. Meat protein content and water loss by cooking were slightly affected by the dietary treatment. No transgenic DNA was detected in tissues, blood, and ruminal fluid or ruminal bacteria. Longitudinal studies should be included in evaluation of food safety whenever possible and sheep may be a useful animal model for toxicological assessment.