Pathogenicity of Mycoplasma agalactiae subsp. bovis in goat mammary gland

Clinical mastitis was produced in three goats following inoculation into the mammary glands with 10⁵ colony-forming units (cfu)/ml of a local strain of Mycoplasma agalactiae subsp. bovis. The infection was characterized by pyrexia, reduction in milk yield and acute purulent inflammation of the lactiferous sinus and ducts, necrosis of the duct epithelium and by the 5th day, early proliferation of chronic inflammatory cells in the parenchyma.     

Preparation and evaluation of inactivated avian Metapneumovirus vaccine from recently isolated Egyptian strain

Inactivated avian Metapneumovirus (aMPV) or turkey rhinotracheitis (TRT) virus vaccine was prepared from an Egyptian strain (Giza TRT-4). The virus was propagated in Vero cells and inactivated by binary ethyleneimine. The inactivated virus solution was tested for its sterility, purity, and safety. Then, it was mixed withNigella sativa oil as nonspecific immune-stimulant adjuvant. Physical characterization of oil prepared vaccine like viscosity and emulsion stability was investigated. An experiment was designed to evaluate the locally prepared aMPV vaccine in a comparison to commercial vaccines either inactivated or live attenuated. The obtained results showed that the locally prepared aMPV vaccine gave significantly higher humoral immune response when measured by ELISA and significantly higher cell mediated immunity by evaluating phagocytic activity of inoculated turkey poults with higher protection rate reached up to 100% after challenge with wild-type virus.     

Experimental infection with a Leptospira hardjo strain isolated from cattle of the eastern plains of Colombia

The infectivity and pathogenicity of a strain of Leptospira hardjo isolated from the eastern plains of Colombia were evaluated. Ten pregnant heifers were artificially inoculated and monitored during 10 months. During the trial, isolation of leptospires was attempted and antibodies were detected by the microscopic agglutination test. Leptospires were recovered from the urine of six of the inoculated animals up to 6 months after infection. Eight of ten calves born from the inoculated heifers were born weak, and one of them died 12 h after parturition. Three of the weak calves had generalized jaundice of the internal surfaces. Half of the cows developed metritis and had a retained placenta. Serological reactions were seen against serotypes other than L. hardjo. A chronic infection was apparently established in the inoculated heifers with leptospiruria resulting in reinfection of the animals and a secondary rise in antibody levels.     

猪源隐孢子虫对仔猪致病性研究

为确定我国猪源隐孢子虫的危害性，采用光镜、扫描电镜和透射电镜等技术研究了猪源隐孢子虫sucp株对5日龄仔猪的致病性。结果：感染仔猪出现水样腹泻和脱水，粪便中混有肠黏膜碎片，潜伏期为3～5d，排卵囊持续期33-43d，虫体寄生于盲肠、结肠和直肠，并且盲肠和结肠杯状细胞增生，有炎性细胞浸润，结肠和直肠黏膜微绒毛萎缩、倒伏和脱落。结果表明sucp株对新生仔猪有一定致病性。     

Pathogenicity for chickens of a reovirus isolated from turkeys

A viral agent that was isolated from livers of commercial turkey poults that died at approximately two weeks of age was characterized as a reovirus. Experimental infection of day-old chickens with this reovirus isolate resulted in the development of tenosynovitis, hepatitis, and myocarditis. In vitro neutralization of the turkey reovirus isolate by antiserum against chicken reovirus correlated with in vivo protection of maternally immune chickens from day-old oral challenge with the turkey reovirus isolate.     

猪圆环病毒2型SD/2008株对仔猪的致病性

为了明确PCV2-SD/2008株对猪的致病性,将12头5周龄健康断奶仔猪随机分为PCV2组和对照组,每组6头.PCV2组经口鼻途径接种PCV2 SD/2008株第3代细胞毒(105.61 TCID50/0.1 mL),3 mL/头,对照组经相同途径接种3 mL细胞维持液.PCV2组中的1头猪从感染后14 d开始出现间断腹泻,一直到持续到试验结束.感染后第4、5周,感染组的周平均增重显著低于对照组(P＜0.05).病理组织学检查可见PCV2感染猪的淋巴结和脾脏内淋巴细胞缺失、单核/巨噬细胞和嗜酸性粒细胞浸润;间质性肺炎、坏死性肝炎和肾炎、小血管炎症等变化,并且感染后35 d比感染后14 d的病理变化更加严重.应用免疫组化方法在感染猪的肺、肝、脾、肾、淋巴结、小肠等多种组织中检测到了PCV2抗原,其中颌下淋巴结、肺、小肠中的阳性信号数与检出率最高.结果表明,PCV2 SD/2008株对仔猪具有明显的致病性.     

Pathogenicity of Beauveria bassiana in mice.

The potential pathogenicity of Beauveria bassiana was examined by intramuscular injection of high (2 x 10(8)) or low (2 x 10(5)) concentrations of conidia spores, into the left or right quadriceps muscles of CD-1 mice, respectively. The injection sites were monitored over a period of 28 days by both microbiological and histopathological methods. Focal muscle necrosis, edema and inflammation occurred rapidly (within 12 hours) at the high dose application (2 x 10(8)) site, but such lesions were far less severe with the low dose spore application (2 x 10(5)). Fungal spores in the high dose site persisted in normal shape for 2 weeks, after which time they began to degenerate. Almost all spores were cleared from the injection site within the 28-day observation period. Spread to other organs of the body was not observed, except by macrophage transport to regional lymph nodes. At the low dose rate, most spores were cleared within 12 h to 2 d, leaving only mild focal edema and inflammation. Viable fungal colonies could be recovered up to 3 d after injection from the high dose site, but only up to 12 h from the low dose site. It was concluded that B. bassiana does not cause infection, nor multiply, nor survive for more than 3 days when injected intramuscularly into healthy mice.     

Some characteristics of a laboratory produced strain of Oesophagostomum dentatum

The isolation of Oesophagostomum dentatum from pig is described, and several morphological characteristics of the parasite and some special features about its life-cycle are illustrated and discussed.Ninety-eight female worms with a tail-length of about 350 μm were isolated from one sow. The eggs were separated from the uterus and transferred to a culture medium. The infective larvae obtained were fed to a Vietnamese miniature pig. As a control for the species isolation, a Belgian landrace pig was infected with 2000 L₃, which had originated from the Vietnamese pig. Eight weeks later the control animal was slaughtered; the tail-length of 200 female worms isolated was measured. The measurements showed a symmetric and normal distribution with a mean of 313.23 μm.Five three-month-old sows were each infected orally with 50 000 O. dentatum larvae. The prepatent period was found to be between 26 and 28 days. The egg-counts fluctuated widely and after killing the pigs only a small number of mature worms were found to be present. Histological examination of the mucosa of the intestines did not show a prolonged histotropic phase. Two hundred worms from each pig were measured, and the lengths were 8.72 to 10.83 mm for females, 7.70 to 8.74 mm for males. The length of the spicules ranged from 1004 to 1043 μm, and the tail-length of the females from 299 to 18.75 μm. Only the measurements of the tail-length belonged to a symmetric population. The adult worms had a buccal capsule with parallel sides and a club-shaped oesophagus.     

Cytopathic effects of Tritrichomonas foetus on bovine oviduct cells

Tritrichomonas foetus is an extracellular parasite of the reproductive tract in cattle. To investigate the cytopathic effects of T. foetus in deeper parts of the reproductive tract, a bovine primary oviduct epithelial cell system (BOECs) was developed. Reproductive tracts were obtained from cows and the effect of co-incubating T. foetus with BOECs was analyzed by scanning electron, transmission electron and fluorescence microscopy. Viability tests were performed using colorimetric methods, TUNEL (Terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling), fluorescein diacetate, propidium iodide, JC-1 and annexin-V. The results demonstrate that: (1) the in vitro oviduct epithelium is useful for interaction experiments with T. foetus; (2) T. foetus adheres to the BOECs as single separate cells, and later on the cells aggregate as large clusters; (3) the posterior region of the cell initiates the process of adhesion and forms filopodia and digitopodia; (4) T. foetus severely damages BOECs leaving imprints in the epithelial cells, wide intercellular spaces, and large lesions in the epithelium; and (5) T. foetus provokes bovine oviduct cell death by apoptosis and secondary necrosis. Our observations indicate the possibility that T. foetus can move through the reproductive tract to the oviduct and that infertility in cows can be mediated by an attack on the oviduct cells by T. foetus.     

MDV Meq基因簇miRNAs基因缺失株的致病性

为了探讨Meq基因簇microRNAs(Meq-clustered miRNAs)对马立克氏病病毒(Mareks disease virus,MDV)致病性的影响,本研究将MDV Meq-clustered miRNAs基因缺失株GX0101ΔMeq-miRNAs感染1日龄SPF鸡,并于感染后90d内进行毒株致死率、致肿瘤率、鸡体质量、免疫器官指数和鸡血液中病毒含量等方面的检测。结果显示:1日龄SPF鸡在接种GX0101ΔMeq-miRNAs后90d内累计死亡率和眼观肿瘤发生率分别为4%和8%,与亲本株GX0101BAC相比分别下降了23.5倍和2.5倍;与鸡胚成纤维细胞(chicken fibroblast cells,CEF)阴性对照相比,GX0101△Meq-miRNAs感染鸡在整个试验期间体质量差异均不显著(P0.05);在感染后14~21d,GX0101△Meq-miRNAs组的法氏囊指数和胸腺指数均显著降低(P0.05);与亲本株相比,GX0101△Meq-miRNAs在血液中的含量及导致的显微肿瘤发生率均下降。结果表明:MDV Meq-clustered miRNAs基因的缺失降低了MDV的致病性,Meq-clustered miRNAs具有调控MDV致病性的功能。     

Pathogenicity of border disease virus FNK2012-1 strain isolated from a pig in the natural host,sheep

A first isolation of border disease virus (BDV) in Japan was from a pig on a farm without keeping any ruminants. Our previous study showed that this BDV, termed the FNK2012-1 strain, replicated inefficiently in swine-derived cells compared with those of ruminant origin. Pigs inoculated with this virus showed neither clinical symptoms nor viremia. In this study, we evaluated the pathogenicity of the FNK2012-1 strain in sheep, its natural host. The inoculated sheep showed clinical symptoms and transient viremia. Seroconversion was observed in the inoculated sheep. These results suggest that the FNK2012-1 strain was introduced from sheep and has not yet adapted to swine. Therefore, surveillance of border disease in Japan is necessary among both the swine and ruminant populations.     

Pathogenicity in quails and mice of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses isolated from ducks

In our study, the pathogenicity of H5N1 influenza A viruses circulating in waterfowls in Southern China was investigated. Three H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses isolated from ducks, A/Duck/Guangdong/383/2008(DK383), A/Duck/Guangdong/378/2008(DK378) and A/Duck/Guangdong/212/2004(DK212) were inoculated at 10(6) fifty-percent egg infectious doses (EID(50)) into ducks, quails and mice and showed varying levels of pathogenicity. In ducks, the mortality rates ranged from 0 to 60% and the mean death time (MDT) was 0-6.7 days post-inoculation (DPI). While the viruses were highly pathogenic in quails, resulting in 83.3-100% mortality and the MDT of 2.3-3 DPI, they were completely lethal in mice (100% mortality). The viruses replicated in many organs of ducks and quails and were found in the brain, and kidney, lung and spleen of the mice. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that DK383 and DK378 viruses of clade 2.3.2 belonged to genotype 11, while DK212 virus of clade 9 was genotype 3. Our study illustrated H5N1 influenza viruses within Clade 2.3.2 and 9 from duck in Southern China had very highly pathogenicity to Japanese quails and BALB/c mice, but viruses within Clade 2.3.2 had more highly lethality than those of clade 9 to Muscovy ducks. Therefore, they had posed a continued challenge for disease control and public health.     

Pathogenicity of a bovine viral diarrhoea virus strain in pregnant sows: short communication

The biological properties of bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) strain Oregon C24V were studied after intranasal and subcutaneous infection of pregnant sows. This virus strain is widely used in Hungary for immunising cattle against bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD). Based upon the results of the clinical, gross pathological, histopathological and virological examinations it can be established that the given strain caused asymptomatic infection and serological conversion in sows that were in the second third of gestation. The virus caused clinically apparent disease in some of the piglets born at term, which indicates that it had crossed the placenta. More than half (57%) of the live-born piglets died within 60 days of birth. The sows and their progeny did not shed the virus. BVDV infection has great differential diagnostic importance in pigs, as classical swine fever (CSF) virus strains of reduced virulence cause similar clinical symptoms and gross and histopathological changes.     

羊口疮病毒内蒙株的生物学特性

为增强羊口疮病毒(ORFV)的基础理论研究及羊口疮的防控等工作,本研究通过将毒株接种羊睾丸细胞进行增殖培养、病毒粒子的形态学观察、超薄切片观察、动物回归、B2L和VIR基因序列的测定与分析等试验,对待检毒株(内蒙古分离株ORFV/nm-W)进行了病毒学和分子生物学的特性研究。结果表明,本分离株能够引起羊睾丸细胞产生明显病变,病变开始出现和出现80%CPE的时间分别为接种后24和72h,病毒滴度TCID50为10-6.5。病毒粒子为椭圆形,在细胞质内增殖,接种毒株的羊只出现典型的CE症状。扩增后的产物经序列分析表明,ORFV/nm-W分离株的B2L基因和VIR基因与GenBank已发布毒株的该序列之间核苷酸同源性分别为96.7%~98.8%,96.2~99.3%,且该分离株与中国陕西株和新疆株同源关系最近。     

猪伪狂犬病毒变异株(Fujian-LY)对免疫仔猪的致病性研究

本实验室2014年从福建省龙岩市某规模化猪场疑似猪伪狂犬病发病仔猪的脑组织中分离到1株猪伪狂犬病毒变异株,命名为PRV Fujian-LY株。为了研究Fujian-LY株对免疫仔猪的致病性,将8头20龄的PRV抗原、gE抗体均为阴性,gB抗体均为阳性仔猪随机分为3组,其中2组(每组3头猪)分别通过肌肉注射和滴鼻接种Fujian-LY株,第3组2头仔猪做阴性对照。试验仔猪接种病毒24h后体温均开始升高,随着病程发展,呼吸系统症状明显,滴鼻接种组仔猪发病明显快于肌肉注射组,所有攻毒仔猪虽均有发病但未出现死亡。通过病理剖检、PCR鉴定、病毒分离培养、易感动物感染试验及gE抗体ELISA检测证实Fujian-LY株人工攻毒试验成功。gE抗体检测结果表明所有攻毒仔猪攻毒后7dPRV gE抗体开始阳转。对发病仔猪剖检可见,脑积液明显增多,脑膜血管充血,并伴有出血等典型的伪狂犬病病理变化。病理切片观察结果显示发病仔猪脑实质中小血管扩张充血,血管周围有淋巴细胞包围"血管套"现象,其他主要脏器也均有明显的病理变化。试验结果表明PRV Fujian-LY株为伪狂犬病毒强毒株。     

Prevalence and risk factors for Trichomonas foetus infection in cattle in northeastern Costa Rica

Two studies (one pilot and one cross-sectional) were conducted in the two main livestock-rearing areas of Costa Rica using an improved method (In-Pouch TF) for the detection of Trichomonas foetus infection in bulls. Herd prevalence rates of 6.7% (6/98) and 15.9% (10/63), and bull prevalence rates of 3.9% (6/153) and 6.2% (14/225) were found in the pilot and cross-sectional studies, respectively. Adjusted prevalences in the cross-sectional study were 18.4% and 7.2% for aarms and bulls, respectively. Breed (Bos taurus) and age (over 4 years) were the main risk factors identified using random-effects logistics regression. The nature of the disease and the high prevalence indicated that trichomoniasis could have a serious economic impact on cattle production in Costa Rica.