Serological survey of bovine enterovirus type 1 in different mammalian species in Turkey

The bovine enterovirus type 1 (BEV-1) infection has a wide range of host spectrum including humans. In this study, seroprevalence of BEV-1 was investigated in eight mammalian species. Blood serum samples were collected from 244 humans, 1520 cattle, 272 horse, 126 dog, 281 sheep, 477 goat, 18 camel (Camelus dromedarius) and 82 gazelle (Gazella subgutturosa subgutturosa) in different regions of Turkey. Microneutralization tests showed that gazelle and camel did not have any seropositivities, but seropositivities were detected in humans (30.3%), cattle (64.8%), horse (12.8%), dog (3.2%), sheep (32.8%) and goat (27.6%).     

The pharmacokinetics of xylazine hydrochloride: an interspecific study

The pharmacokinetic disposition of xylazine hydrochloride is described after both intravenous and intramuscular injection of a single dose, in four domestic species: horse, cattle, sheep and dog, by an original high performance liquid chromatographic technique. Remarkably small interspecific differences are reported. After intravenous administration, systemic half-life ( t _{1/2 β}) ranged between 22 min (sheep) and 50 min (horse) while the distribution phase is transient with half-life ( t _{1/2 α}) ranging from 1.2 min (cattle) to 5.9 min (horse). The peak level of drug concentration in the plasma is reached after 12–14 min in all the species studied following intramuscular administration. Xylazine bioavailability, as measured by the ratios of the areas under the intravenous and intramuscular plasma concentration versus time curves, ranged from 52% to 90% in dog, 17% to 73% in sheep and 40% to 48% in horse. The low dosage in cattle did not permit calculation. Kinetic data are correlated with clinical data and the origins of interspecific differences are discussed.     

Complement "specificity" and interchangeability: measurement of hemolytic complement levels and use of the complement-fixation test with sera from common domesticated animals.

The results from studies to measure lytic complement (C') in sera of different animal species were reviewed. The traditional system, using sheep red blood cells (RBC) and rabbit antibody, was confirmed as the most sensitive to measure C' levels in man, monkey, dog, guinea pig, and rat serums. Sera C' from horse, cow, and sheep were found to be best assayed using rabbit RBC, whereas C' from goat, cat, and rabbit were best assayed with human RBC. Antibodies and C' from the same species usually mediated lysis of foreign RBC, but this lysis occurred more readily with some RBC targets than with others and may be associated with the presence of natural antibodies in the test sera. The effects of the species origin of a C' source in immunologic reactions in vitro and in vivo are discussed.     

上海地区多种动物莱姆病的血清学调查

为探讨猪、牛、羊、马、犬、鸡、鸭和野鸟等与人类关系密切的多种动物莱姆病的血清流行病学状况,从上海地区采集血清870份,应用酶联荧光测定技术(ELFA)检测莱姆病抗体。猪、牛、羊、鸡、鸭和野鸟中均未检测到莱姆病抗体,马血清中莱姆病抗体阳性率为18.5%,犬血清中莱姆病抗体阳性率为12.3%。结果表明,上海地区动物群中莱姆病的感染率相对较低,马和犬在莱姆病传播中的重要性应引起重视。     

Heat stability of serum lactate dehydrogenase and its isoenzymes in young and adult cattle and sheep. Evaluation of a relative heat stability test and serum determination of alpha-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase in diagnostic work

The heat stability of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) has been investigated in serum from young and adult cattle and sheep. The thermoresistance of the isoenzymes was determined by electrophoresis of serum samples preincubated at different temperatures. Marked differences were found in the percentage distribution of isoenzymes in serum from the two species as well as in the heat stability. LDH in serum from sheep was inactivated at a lower temperature than that in serum from cattle, and inactivation occurred at a lower temperature in young than in adult animals. The enzyme was in both species less tolerant to elevated temperatures than what is reported for human serum. Procedures worked out for a so-called relative heat stability test of LDH in human clinical diagnosis may therefore give misleading results if they were applied uncritically to sera from these animals.The LDH isoenzyme pattern of some main organs in calves and sheep indicates that a serum heat stability test may be useful in the diagnosis of skeletal muscle injuries in sheep. In cattle the tissue isoenzyme distribution is assumed to be too uniform to give information about specific organ lesions either by serum electrophoresis or by a heating technique.In contrast to what has been reported in man, serum levels of α-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase (HBD) in cattle and sheep, as earlier reported in swine, are found to be far better correlated to total LDH than to the most thermostable isoenzyme, LDH₁.     

Isolation and culture of preantral follicles for retrieving oocytes for the embryo production: present status in domestic animals

The development of efficient ovarian preantral follicle (PF) isolation and culture systems provide a large number of oocytes for the manipulation and embryo production. It also helps for understanding the mechanisms of follicle and oocyte development. Isolation and culture protocols for PFs were developed for many domestic species like cattle, buffalo, sheep, goat, pig, horse, camel, dog and cats; however, embryo production from oocytes derived from in vitro grown PFs was reported only in pigs, buffalo, sheep and goat. The rate of oocyte maturation from PFs grown in vitro is low and requires considerable research. This paper presents an overview of isolation and culture systems of PFs that have been developed for domestic species (cattle, buffalo, sheep, goat, pigs, horse, camel, dog and cat) along with the current status of progress achieved in the direction of producing embryos using PFs as the source of oocyte in these species.     

Comparison of binding and effects of Escherichia coli Shiga toxin 1 on bovine and ovine granulocytes

Granulocytes play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of Shiga toxin (Stx)-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) related diseases in humans. Granulocytes are attracted and activated by Stxs in the enteric mucosa and are believed to thereby contribute to the intestinal inflammation. Mature ruminants, the main reservoir hosts of STEC, do not develop pathological changes that can be attributed to the Stxs. To prove whether the latter phenomenon correlates with the inability of the Stxs to affect granulocytes of ruminants, we investigated the ability of Stx1 to bind to granulocytes of cattle and sheep and analysed the effects of Stx1 on viability, phagocytosis, and oxidative burst activity. Bovine granulocytes from blood and milk did not express Stx1-binding sites even after activation of the cells and also were resistant to Stx1. In contrast to bovine granulocytes, granulocytes of sheep constitutively expressed Stx1-receptors of the Gb(3)/CD77 type ex vivo and bound the recombinant B-subunit of Stx1 (rStxB1). Stx1 holotoxin induced apoptosis in ovine granulocytes after prolonged incubation (18h) but Stx1 only slightly altered the phagocytosis and oxidative burst activities. The rStxB1 had no effect on granulocytes of either species. While arguing in favour of our initial hypothesis, that granulocytes of both, cattle and sheep are not activated by Stxs, the results of our study are the first evidences for differences in the cellular distribution of Stx-receptors in species equally regarded as STEC carriers.     

Antibodies to Berne virus in horses and other animals

After inoculation into 2 foals, Berne virus induced neutralizing antibody, but did not cause clinical symptoms. In a horizontal study of seropositive mares and their offspring, a decline of maternal antibodies and a sudden synchronous seroconversion in all foals were observed, again without clinical symptoms. The virus is widespread in the Swiss horse population and has been so during the last decade; rises in antibody titers were noted in 9% of paired sera sampled at random. Positive reactions were also obtained in serum neutralization tests and ELISA using small numbers of horse sera from Germany, France and the U.S.A. The results of neutralization tests and ELISA were correlated in 83% of random samples tested; 13% were neutralization-positive and ELISA-negative and in 4% the inverse was observed. Neutralizing activity was found in the sera of other ungulates (cattle, goat, sheep and pig), laboratory rabbits and 2 species of wild mice (Clethrionomys glareolus and Apodemus sylvaticus). Inconclusive results were obtained with feline and human sera; those from dogs and foxes (Vulpes vulpes) were consistently negative. The probable occurrence of antigenic variants in Berne-type viruses is discussed.     

胶乳凝集抑制试验快速鉴定肉种类研究

以羧化聚苯乙烯胶乳作载体,将动物血清分别共价交联到载体微球表面,制成免疫微球。将此微球同相应抗血清配对,进行胶乳凝集抑制试验以鉴定牛肉、马肉、羊肉、狗肉和猪肉。通过对162份牛肉、43份马肉、100份猪肉、34份羊肉、30份狗肉、10份骡肉、4份驴肉和7份山羊肉的鉴定,制备的5种胶乳试剂敏感性均为100％。除马肉胶乳试剂和羊肉胶乳试剂有种属内交叉反应外,其它胶乳试剂特异性为100％。实验具有良好的重复性,试剂稳定性强,易于保存。5分钟内出结果,操作简便,适于基层单位应用。     

Molecular cloning and expression of bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) interleukin-8

The bottlenose dolphin interleukin (IL)-8 cDNA was molecularly cloned. The dolphin IL-8 has an open reading frame of 303-bp encoding 101 amino acids. The homology of the amino acid sequence with that of other species was: sheep, 89.1%; cattle, 88.1%; pig, 85.1%; dog, 85.1%; horse, 79.2%; human, 74.5%; and macaque, 72.3%. The amino acid sequence suggested that dolphin IL-8 was a CXC chemokine. The recombinant dolphin IL-8 protein was recognized with anti-ovine IL-8 monoclonal antibody.     

Antibodies to Akabane virus in horses,sheep and goats in Japan

High prevalences of neutralizing (NT) antibody to Akabane virus were obtained with horse (72%), sheep (38%) and goat (67%) serum samples collected in Chiba Prefecture, where outbreaks of abortion and congenital deformities caused by Akabane virus occurred among cattle. In these animal sera, titers of hemagglutination-inhibiting (HI) antibody to Akabane virus and of NT antibody were closely correlated.     

Evaluation of serological tests for detecting tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) antibodies in animals

Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) in animals is not well understood yet. TBE virus (TBEV) serology in several host species could be valuable for epidemiological analyses in the field as well as for the detection of clinical cases. However, performance and suitability of the available test systems are not well assessed. Therefore, we evaluated two commercial TBEV-ELISA kits in a pilot study and compared them for their suitability in veterinary applications. For this purpose, we tested 163 field collected goat sera and evaluated the results by serum neutralization test (SNT) as "gold standard". Twenty-eight SNT positive sera (17.2%) were detected. The best suited ELISA kit was used for determination of a species-specific cutoff for horses, cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, mice, dogs, rabbits and monkeys with defined sera from animals without known or with improbable contact to TBEV. The level of non-specific ELISA results does not only differ between animal species but may also be influenced by the age of the tested animals. The number of sera which tested false positive by ELISA was higher in older than in young sheep. In order to obtain defined polyclonal sera as references, two dogs, cattle, goats, sheep, rabbits and pigs each, as well as one horse and 90 mice were immunized four times with a commercially available TBEV vaccine. In conclusion, our results demonstrated that commercial TBEV-ELISA kits are suitable for application in veterinary medicine for both, verification of clinical TBE cases and epidemiological screening. However, positive ELISA results should be verified by SNT. Only a very low number of false negative ELISA-results were found.     

Peste des petits ruminants infection in domestic ruminants in Sudan

The existence of peste des petits ruminants (PPR) in domestic ruminants and camels in Sudan during 2008–2012 was investigated. Lung tissues and serum samples were randomly collected from sheep, goats, cattle, and camels at different areas of Sudan. A total of 12,384 serum samples were collected from clinically healthy 7413 sheep, 1988 camels, 1501 cattle, 1459 goats, and 23 gazelles at different areas in the Sudan. They were examined for PPR antibodies using competitive ELISA (cELISA). The overall detected seroprevalence of PPR in tested sera was 49.4%; seroprevalence values within species were 67.1, 48.2, 25.8, 2.1, and 21.7% in sheep, goat, cattle, camels, and gazelles, respectively. The highest seroprevalence (68.1%) was observed in sera collected from Darfur states, then the central states (54.3%). A total of 1276 lung tissue samples (623 sheep, 324 cattle, 220 camels, and 109 goats) were collected. The majority of lung samples were collected from clinically healthy animals that showed lesions on PM in slaughterhouses (95%) and during PPR outbreaks; samples were tested for PPR antigen using immunocapture ELISA (IcELISA). PPR antigen was detected in 233 out of the 1276 tested samples (18.3%). Positive results were observed in samples collected from clinically healthy and diseased animals. The observed prevalence values in each species were 33.6, 21.1, 15.4, and 12.3% in camel, goat, sheep, and cattle, respectively. PPR antigen was detected in samples from different areas; however, the highest prevalence (63.9%) was found in samples collected from the eastern states, then Khartoum state (28%). Trials for virus isolation were done in different cell cultures. Out of 30 IcELISA-positive samples inoculated in primary bovine and ovine kidney cells, Vero cells, the PPR virus was successfully isolated from 15 (eight sheep, five camels, and two goats) samples in the three cell culture types. Using RT-PCR, PPRV nucleic acid was detected in all 25 IcELISA-positive tested samples.     

Observed prevalence of tick-borne pathogens in domestic animals in Sicily, Italy during 2003-2005

The objective of this study was to characterize the observed prevalence of tick-borne pathogens (TBP) in domestic animals in Sicily, Italy during 2003-2005. Serological (competitive ELISA and indirect immunofluorescence antibody, n = 3299) and DNA tests (polymerase chain reaction and reverse line blot, n = 2565) were conducted on horse, donkey, cattle, sheep, goat, pig and dog samples. Pathogens analysed included Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, Rickettsia, Babesia and Theileria species, and Coxiella burnetii. The most prevalent TBP were Anaplasma and Babesia species. The results reported herein suggested that cattle could serve as the major reservoir for Babesia and Theileria spp. while for Anaplasma spp. cattle, dogs, sheep and goats may be the most important reservoir species. These results expanded our knowledge about the prevalence of TBP in Sicily and provided information to understand the epidemiology of tick-borne diseases and may help to implement measures to diagnose, treat and control transmission to humans and animals in this region.     

A Phylogenetic Analysis of Behavioral Neuro-ontogeny in Precocial and Nonprecocial Mammals

Studies of the postnatal development of two groups of mammals are discussed in relation to behavioral change correlated with neurophysiological and anatomical data. The precocial mammals include especially the ruminants (sheep, cow; also horse and guineapig) while the nonprecocial mammals, which require a long period of nursing, include man and the primates, carnivores and rodents. Common features of certain neurological aspects of development are closely compared in this latter group to emphasize the importance of selected age studies to give correlative data from a wide variety of altricious species. For example, the relative age of a 1-2 week old mouse is equivalent to a 3-4 week old dog or 3 months in man in some behavioral features. The postnatal development of these several species is closely paralleled, but common features of the mother-offspring relationship, especially in dog and man, are not seen in the precocial mammals which are physiologically more independent at birth. These observations indicate that in the field of comparative medicine there is much to contribute by interpolating and extrapolating correlative data from different species. Some of this data in the neurologic field has been brought together in this paper, for especially in developmental and pediatric studies it is desirable to have cross-species data on relative postnatal ages in relation to the degree of maturity of the organism.     

Saponin adjuvants. V. Precipitation of serum components by non-purified saponin adjuvants in agar gel diffusion.

The immunologically active adjuvant Quil A does not induce precipitating antibodies in rabbits. This was tested by immunodiffusion of serum samples taken after repeated injections of Quil A. Quil A does not react non-specifically with any of 6 different animal sera tested (rabbit, guinea pig, horse, sheep, cattle, and pig). Two commercially available saponins with known adjuvant activity (Saponin MT, E. Merck, and Saponin P 3, Food Industries) produced non-specific precipitation in double gel diffusion tests with all the sera, as did crude extracts of the South-American tree Quillaja saponaria Molina.}This phenomenon in relation to the local tissue damage caused by non-purified saponin preparations is discussed.     

Serological survey of adenovirus antibodies in domestic animals in Nigeria

Serum samples collected from 1,197 goats, 586 sheep, 254, cattle, 55 dogs and 44 horses were examined for antibodies to adenovirus by the agar-gel precipitation test. Results show that 17.7% of the goats, 18.4% of the sheep, 4.3% of the cattle, and 4.5% of the horses had precipitating antibodies. None of the dog sera examined was positive. The results seem to indicate a moderate level of previous exposure to adenovirus infection especially among goats and sheep in Nigeria.     

Change of Ferritin-binding Activity in the Serum of Foal after Birth

In mammal circulation, various ferritin-binding proteins (FBPs) are thought to be involved in the clearance of circulating ferritin after complex formation with it. However, horse FBPs are known to cause inhibitory effects on ferritin immunoassay due to the concealment of the ferritin molecule to anti-ferritin antibodies used in the ferritin immunoassay. These inhibitory effects are eliminated by heat treatment of horse serum at 75°C for 15 min. The inhibitory effects on ferritin immunoassay in the sera of ten foal sera (5 females and 5 males) from 1 to 18 months were detected during all periods, and ferritin concentrations of the foal sera increased 20–100% as compared with those of untreated sera by same heat treatment. Ferritin concentrations of heat-treated foal sera increased after birth, reaching to ferritin levels of adult horse at 9 months of age. Thereafter, although serum ferritin concentrations fell down at 12 months of age, these concentrations increased to adult levels at 15 months of age again. The ratio of ferritin concentration of heat-treated serum to that of the untreated serum was regarded as an apparent ferritin-binding activity. Ferritin-binding activities in the sera of foals showed peak at 2 and 4 months of age in females and males, respectively. These results suggested that horse FBPs were heat unstable, and FBPs may play an important role in iron metabolism at early developmental stage.     

Reactivity of eleven anti-human leucocyte monoclonal antibodies with lymphocytes from several domestic animals

Nine commercially available monoclonal antibodies and two monoclonal antibodies from The American Type Culture Collection, raised against various human leucocyte surface antigens, were tested on lymphocytes from cow, sheep, goat, swine, horse, cat, dog, mink, and rabbit as well as man. Four antibodies bound to lymphocytes from some of the animals. These were the antibodies against CD8 and CD4 antigen, the antibody to C3b-receptor, and the antibody to the HLA-DR antigen. The CD8 antigen-reactive antibody reacted with lymphocytes from mink, cat, dog, and sheep, while the CD4 antigen-reactive antibody reacted with lymphocytes from mink. The anti-C3b-R antibody reacted with lymphocytes from horse, swine, dog, and cat, and the anti-HLA-DR reacted with lymphocytes from cow, goat, sheep, horse, dog, cat, and mink.     

Experience with simple ELISA test systems for Brucella serology in cattle, sheep and goats

The objective of this work was to use the ELISA technique for the serological surveillance for freedom of brucellosis of cattle, sheep and goats. By comparing 28 cattle sera taken after a brucellosis outbreak, 15 bovine sera supplied by the Federal Institute for Health Protection of Consumers and Veterinary Medicine (BgVV) and 497 serum slow agglutination test (SSAT) and complement fixation test (CFT) negative bovine sera from herds officially declared free of brucellosis, the ELISA technique not only shows higher sensitivity as compared to SSAT and CFT but also distinguishes clearly between positive and negative reactions. The serological comparison by SSAT, CFT and ELISA of 615 cattle, 624 sheep and 630 goat sera from herds acknowledged as brucellosis free showed equivalent specificities for both CFT and ELISA. The specificity of the SSAT was much lower, 81.1% in cattle and 96.2% in goat sera. The examination of 5796 cattle, 1337 calf, 5031 sheep and 1796 goat sera demonstrates the advantage of the ELISA technique as routine method. The possible application of the ELISA technique as a screening method for serological brucellosis tests in sheep, goats and possibly also in pigs is discussed.