Longevity of Mycobacterium bovis in brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) carcasses,and contact rates between possums and carcasses

Abstract

AIM: To determine, for a variety of environmental conditions, how long Mycobacterium bovis might remain viable inside the carcass of a brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) that died of bovine tuberculosis (Tb), and to measure the rate of contact between free-ranging possums and possum carcasses.

METHODS: Lesions of M. bovis were simulated by inoculating excised spleens weighing 0.5–1 g with 0.2 mL liquid culture containing approximately 5 x 10⁷ cfu M. bovis/mL. Simulated lesions were inserted into possum carcasses (n=48) at the peripheral lymph nodes. Carcasses were placed in the field at two sites (a tussock grassland and a podocarp-broadleaved forest site) and in two seasons (summer and winter) for up to 62 days. Survival rates of M. bovis were estimated by sampling the simulated lesions over time, and culturing the recovered lesion to determine if any viable M. bovis bacteria were present.

The time taken for a free-ranging possum to first encounter a dead possum in its home range was estimated by live-trapping possums and fitting them with proximity loggers (n=13). A ‘contact’ was recorded if these possums came within 40–50 cm of proximity loggers fitted to possum carcasses.

RESULTS: There were strong seasonal and site effects in the survival rate of M. bovis in possum carcasses. In the grassland habitat, no viable bacilli were cultured from any carcass after 3 days in summer, whereas in winter all samples were culture-positive for the first 20 days, and some were still positive after 27 days. The survival rates for forest habitat were intermediate between the results for grassland, and there were no culture-positive carcasses after 9 days in summer or 27 days in winter.

In summer, infected carcasses (n=6) were first encountered by possums a mean 1.9 (range 0.4–6.7) days after placement.

CONCLUSIONS: Possum carcasses were contacted by free-ranging possums within the period that viable M. bovis were shown to survive in a carcass. The risk of such infection is likely to be most significant in winter or in areas with microhabitats where the survival of M. bovis is high. However, the generally low survival rate of M. bovis in possum carcasses and the low frequency of possum-to-carcass contacts indicate this route of transmission alone could not maintain Tb in a possum population.     

Purification of secretory immunoglobulin A from milk of the brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula)

AIM: To identify and purify secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA), a key effecter molecule in mucosal immune responses, from milk of the brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula).

METHODS: Milk samples were collected from female possums with pouch young, and clarified by centrifugation and precipitation methods. The clarified fraction was purified by gel filtration and affinity chromatography to yield sIgA. Sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and immunoblotting techniques were used to assess the purity of the final product, and to identify the heavy (H) chain, light (L) chain and secretory component (SC) of possum sIgA.

RESULTS: Immunoblotting, using antibodies raised against cloned possum sIgA SC and H-chain, and a synthetic peptide fragment of the H-chain, confirmed the identity of the purified protein. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of purified possum sIgA showed strong homology to reported sequences of H-chain variable regions of marsupial immunoglobulins.

CONCLUSIONS: Milk was shown to be a convenient source of mucosal secretion containing sIgA, and a process involving 2 precipitation and 2 chromatography steps produced purified sIgA. This IgA preparation will prove useful for the generation of sIgA-specific immunological reagents for measurement of immune responses in the development of mucosal-based vaccines for biological control of possums.     

Lung worm (Marsupostrongylus spp.) infection in common brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula)

Marsupostrongylus spp. are the metastrongyloid nematodes most commonly associated with verminous pneumonia in Australian marsupials. Currently, there is a scarcity of information regarding this parasite in the common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula). Thirty-four free-living possums submitted to two wildlife hospitals in Sydney, Australia, between 2008 and 2015 were diagnosed with verminous pneumonia on postmortem examination. The majority of possums presented ill with multiple comorbidities. However, only five cases had clinical signs of respiratory disease. Necropsy and histopathology revealed extensive lung lesions characterised by diffuse, mixed interstitial infiltrates of macrophages, lymphocytes and plasma cells with mild to marked concentrations of eosinophils. Bronchopneumonia, pulmonary oedema, interstitial fibrosis, atelectasis and type II pneumocyte hyperplasia were also present in most cases. Adult nematodes, first-stage larvae and embryonating eggs were present in the large airways and alveolar spaces. The parasites were definitively identified as Marsupostrongylus spp. in eight cases with presumptive diagnoses based on histopathological characteristics reached in a further 26 cases. Twenty-nine of the 34 affected possums were adults with no sex predisposition. A review of the brushtail possum records at Taronga Wildlife Hospital from 1999 to 2015 revealed no lungworm infections were reported in the 45 possums examined before 2008. However, between 2008 and 2015, 30 of 47 possums (63.8%) examined were diagnosed with metastrongyloid lungworms. This case series is the first detailed report of Marsupostrongylus nematodes in common brushtail possums and highlights the clinical and pathological features, along with epidemiological findings.     

Polymeric nanoparticles as an oral delivery system for biocontrol agents for the brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula)

Abstract

AIM: To investigate polymeric nanoparticles as an oral delivery system for protein biocontrol agents for control of the brushtail possum, Trichosurus vulpecula.

METHODS: Insulin-loaded poly(ethyl 2-cyanoacrylate) (PECA) nanoparticles were prepared using interfacial polymerisation, and characterised for size, zeta potential, and efficiency of encapsulation of insulin. In-vitro release of insulin-loaded PECA nanoparticles was quantified using reverse-phase highpressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). The in-vivo pharmacokinetics of insulin in PECA nanoparticles was investigated following I/V administration, and when injected directly into the caecum alone or in conjunction with the permeation enhancer EDTA. Blood samples were collected at intervals from ?5 to 180 minutes, and the concentration of insulin in plasma was quantified using a radioimmunoassay (RIA) validated for possum plasma.

RESULTS: Poly(ethyl 2-cyanoacrylate) nanoparticles were produced with a uniform particle size of 200–300 nm, and the mean entrapment of insulin was 78%. In-vitro release of insulin from the PECA nanoparticles was controlled, although incomplete, and approximately 30% of the insulin remained entrapped. The bioavailability of insulin when administered in a PECA nanoparticulate formulation injected directly into the caecum was <1%, and was not increased by addition of the permeation enhancer.

CONCLUSIONS: The nanoparticulate formulations investigated as part of this study resulted in low bioavailability of the peptide insulin in the brushtail possum.     

猪伪狂犬病毒间接ELISA抗体检测方法的建立

为了满足我国现阶段猪伪狂犬病病毒(PRV)高频突变引发新疫情诊断的需求,本实验通过生物信息学分析比较,设计合成了针对PRV g B糖蛋白高度保守的抗原优势表位区肽段,命名为g B872。以此肽段为包被抗原,经条件优化建立了新型的PRV-g B间接ELISA抗体检测方法。该ELISA方法检测结果显示,其仅对PRV血清检测为阳性,而与猪瘟病毒、猪繁殖与呼吸综合征病毒、口蹄疫病毒(O型)、猪细小病毒、猪圆环病毒2型等主要猪源病毒阳性血清均无交叉反应,表明该方法具有较强的特异性;最低检测下限血清稀释度为1∶128,高于IDEXX PRV/ADV g B抗体检测试剂盒检测下限稀释度(1∶4),表明该方法敏感性高;批内、批间重复性试验结果显示,变异系数均低于10%,重复性良好。利用该方法与Bio Chek PRV-g B抗体检测试剂盒检测90份临床血清样品,对比结果分析显示,两者阳性符合率为100%,阴性符合率为97.67%,总体符合率为97.78%;同时,采用该方法与IDEXX-g I(gE)和IDEXX-g B试剂盒分别对野毒感染血清和疫苗免疫血清同时检测,该方法可以准确识别野毒阳性血清和疫苗免疫阳性血清,与IDEXX两种试剂盒的结果一致。本研究建立的间接ELISA检测方法对PRV疫苗免疫效果评价、流行病学调查及防控提供了可靠的方法。     

猪流行性腹泻病毒间接ELISA抗体检测方法建立与应用

猪流行性腹泻病毒(porcine epidemic diarrhea virus,PEDV)是目前引起我国猪急性肠炎并水样腹泻的重要病原之一,但尚无商品化病毒血清抗体检测试剂盒。本研究以纯化的PEDV为包被抗原,通过优化ELISA反应条件,建立了间接ELISA抗体检测方法,其反应条件为:抗原最佳包被浓度为3μg/mL,血清样品最佳稀释度为1∶100,包被时间为37℃作用2 h,1.5%BSA 37℃封闭3 h,二抗1∶10 000稀释,37℃作用30 min,抗体临界值为OD450nm≥0.306判为阳性,OD450nm≤0.268判为阴性,介于二者之间为可疑。该方法检测6份已知PEDV阳性血清效价为1∶3 200,检测猪繁殖与呼吸综合征病毒、猪圆环病毒2型、猪瘟病毒、伪狂犬病毒和口蹄疫病毒血清抗体均为阴性,批间和批内重复试验变异系数2.5%～8.3%,对江苏、上海、浙江、安徽地区587份猪血清样品进行检测,抗体阳性率达56.76%,证明该方法具有较好敏感性、特异性和重复性,可用于PEDV抗体检测和流行病学调查。     

鸭坦布苏病毒抗体间接ELISA检测方法的建立

为建立快速检测鸭坦布苏病毒(DTV)的血清学方法,本研究利用纯化的DTV奉贤株(FX2010)作为包被抗原,建立了检测DTV血清抗体的间接ELISA方法,并且对各种检测条件进行了优化。优化后确定的抗原最适包被浓度为1.675μg/孔,抗原最佳包被条件为37℃放置2 h后,4℃下过夜,血清的最佳稀释度为1∶200,酶标抗体最适稀释度为1∶2 000。在优化条件下,阴阳性临界值判定标准为0.432。用建立的间接ELISA方法对禽流感病毒、新城疫病毒、网状内皮增生病病毒、I型鸭肝炎病毒、呼肠孤病毒、禽白血病病毒阳性血清进行了检测,均无交叉反应,表明该方法具有良好的特异性。批内和批间重复试验的最大变异系数分别为2.9%和3.9%,显示该方法具有很好的稳定性。用间接ELISA方法对140份疑似鸭坦布苏病血清样品进行检测,有108份样品呈现阳性,而琼扩试验只有32份呈阳性结果,而且用该方法检测的阳性样品包括了琼扩试验的阳性样品,证明该方法具有较高的敏感性和特异性。本研究快速检测DTV抗体间接ELISA的建立为该病的诊断和流行病学调查提供了新的方法。     

兔病毒性出血症病毒抗体间接ELISA检测方法的建立

建立一种检测兔病毒性出血症病毒(RHDV)抗体的间接ELISA方法。对RHDV陕西分离株VP60基因进行原核表达,Western blot分析表达产物的免疫反应性;以纯化的蛋白为包被抗原建立ELISA方法,并对反应条件进行优化。结果表明,VP60蛋白在大肠杆菌中成功表达,产物约为42.34 ku的融合蛋白,具有良好的反应原性;优化的ELISA最佳工作条件为:重组抗原包被浓度2.9μg/mL,37℃2 h后4℃过夜,1%BSA 37℃封闭2 h,待检血清37℃孵育1 h,酶标抗体1∶10 000稀释,37℃作用1 h,37℃显色5 min,临界值为0.340;建立的ELISA方法特异性强、重复性好、敏感性高;临床检测180份样品,与血凝抑制试验的符合率为74.1%,与商品化试剂盒检测结果符合率为94.8%。该方法可用于临床样品的大批量检测。     

牛口蹄疫病毒VP2结构蛋白抗体间接ELISA方法的建立

为建立牛口蹄疫(FMD)抗体的检测方法,本研究将口蹄疫病毒(FMDV)的VP2基因,通过pPROEXTM HTb表达载体在大肠杆菌DH5α中表达,获得大小为35ku的重组VP2蛋白(rVP2),western blot证实rVP2可与FMDV5种血清型的牛阳性血清发生特异性反应。以纯化复性的rVP2为抗原建立了FMDVrVP2间接ELISA方法。重复性试验证实批内、批间变异系数均小于10%。特异性交叉试验表明,该抗原不与常见的其他7种牛病阳性血清发生交叉反应。检测非免疫无口蹄疫国家牛阴性血清的特异性为100%;检测感染血清敏感性为97.3%;检测O-AsiaⅠ的二价苗免疫牛血清,与4种商品化试剂盒比较,其符合率分别为69.0%、95.0%、90.4%和86.8%。实验结果表明建立的ELISA方法可以用于口蹄疫感染和免疫抗体检测。     

The epidemiology of Mycobacterium bovis infection in brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula Kerr) in the Hauhungaroa Ranges, New Zealand

The prevalence of Mycobacterium bovis infection in the wild possum population around the perimeter of the Hauhungaroa Ranges, New Zealand, was determined by a cross-sectional study, and risk factors associated with tuberculosis were identified. Of 6083 possums necropsied, 128 (2.1%) showed gross lesions suggestive of tuberculosis infection, and 76 (1.25%) were subsequently confirmed as tuberculous on histopathological examination. Considering only traplines where tuberculosis was detected, adult possums were 1.9 times as likely to be infected as immature animals, and the total prevalence was 5.4% in males compared with 3.9% in females. Adult females were 3.64 times as likely to be infected as immature females, whereas there was no significant age difference for males (odds ratio = 1.46, p=O.29). Immature males were 3.12 times as likely to be infected as immature females. Possums in poor condition were more likely to be found infected than possums in good condition. Tuberculous possums were found in 27 local clusters of infection. The correlation between the prevalence of tuberculosis in possums in zones and the incidence of tuberculosis in cattle on adjoining properties was 0.4 (p相似文献   

微小隐孢子虫病毒衣壳蛋白抗体检测ELISA方法的建立

为建立快捷的含病毒隐孢子虫的检测方法,本研究利用已构建的微小隐孢子虫病毒衣壳蛋白重组表达质粒表达并纯化重组蛋白,建立以该重组衣壳蛋白为包被抗原检测抗体的间接ELISA检测方法.经优化后间接ELISA的最佳条件为:抗原包被浓度为0.25 μg/孔,被检血清稀释度为1:200,酶标二抗稀释度为1:2000,封闭液为含5％脱脂奶粉的PBST溶液.该方法检测安氏隐孢子虫阳性血清,柔嫩艾美尔球虫阳性血清,蓝氏贾第虫阳性血清,弓形虫阳性血清与微小隐孢子虫阳性结果均为阴性.该方法灵敏度为1:1600,特异性较强且具可重复性,可用于含病毒隐孢子虫的抗体检测及流行病学调查.     

猪脑心肌炎病毒重组抗原间接ELISA诊断方法的建立与应用

以猪脑心肌炎病毒VP1重组蛋白为抗原,建立了检测猪脑心肌炎病毒(EMCV)血清抗体的间接ELISA诊断方法。经优化后抗原最适包被浓度为2μg/mL,血清最适稀释度为1∶50,其作用时间为90 min,酶标抗体最适稀释度为1∶20 000,最适作用时间为30 min。判定标准为OD450≥0.427为阳性,OD450≤0.35为阴性,介于二者之间为可疑。该重组蛋白与PRRSV、猪瘟、PCV2、FMDV抗体反应呈阴性,证明具有良好的特异性。应用该方法检测了来自我国不同地区的26家猪场的156份临床血清,结果证明我国部分规模化猪场已有猪脑心肌炎疾病存在。     

检测猪乙型脑炎病毒抗体间接ELISA方法的建立与应用

以乙型脑炎病毒(JEV)弱毒疫苗株作为诊断抗原,对ELISA反应条件进行优化,初步建立了检测猪乙型脑炎病毒血清抗体的间接ELISA方法。应用该法检测从江苏、安徽、山东、浙江4省部分地区收集到的1089份血样,对华东地区猪乙型脑炎血清流行病学进行初步调查。结果JEV抗体阳性率为68.2%,其中,种猪JEV抗体阳性率为82.1%,商品猪JEV抗体阳性率为62.6%。从中随机抽取135份血样与国产商品化试剂盒进行比较,间接ELISA方法的特异性和敏感性分别为92%和96.4%,2种方法的符合率为95.6%;与NS1蛋白包被建立的ELISA比较,两者的符合率为97.7%;同时,本法的阳性检出率显著高于临床普遍使用的乳胶凝集试验结果。由此表明,本试验建立的间接ELISA方法具有较高的敏感性和特异性,适于大规模猪乙型脑炎血清流行病学调查。     

赤羽病病毒核衣壳蛋白抗体间接ELISA检测方法的建立

以纯化的重组赤羽病病毒核衣壳蛋白作为诊断抗原，建立了检测牛血清特异性核衣壳蛋白抗体的间接ELISA方法，初步组装成便于现地使用的试剂盒。经对试验条件进行优化，确定最佳抗原包被量为每孔1μg（100μL），样品稀释度为1：100，兔抗牛IgG辣根过氧化物酶标记抗体稀释度为1：8000。经特异性试验和重复性试验证明该方法特异性高、重复性好。应用初步研制的间接ELISA试剂盒和微量中和试验法分别对云南省的89份、内蒙古的100份牛血清样本进行了检测，以中和试验为参照，经统计学处理，得出检测临界值分别为0．411和0．303，2种方法的符合率分别为72．7％（56／77）和91．4％（85／93）。试剂盒在37℃保存3d，对敏感性无明显影响。     

基于单克隆抗体的O型口蹄疫病毒抗体固相竞争ELISA检测方法的建立

为建立评价O型口蹄疫病毒(FMDV)疫苗免疫水平的方法,本研究以单克隆抗体(MAb)3D9为捕获抗体,以HRP标记的MAb 8E8作为检测MAb,经过条件优化建立了基于MAb的检测O型FMDV抗体的固相竞争ELISA(SPCE)方法。对该方法进行了特异性、敏感性、重复性试验。结果显示,MAb 3D9的最佳稀释度为1:25 000,灭活O型FMDV抗原的最佳稀释浓度为1:3,HRP标记的MAb 8E8的最佳稀释度为15 000,当血清1:32稀释时,检测的临界值确定为45%。该方法分别检测A型FMDV抗体阳性参考血清以及牛冠状病毒、牛轮状病毒以及猪繁殖与呼吸障碍综合征病毒、猪圆环病毒、猪瘟病毒的标准阳性血清,检测结果均为阴性,未出现交叉反应。经检测,当阳性标准血清的抗体稀释度在1:512时,该方法仍具有较好的敏感性;批内和批间重复性试验的变异系数均小于10%,表明其重复性较好。并将该方法与液相阻断ELISA(LPBE)方法和病毒中和试验(VNT)的相关性进行了比较,结果显示该方法与LPBE和VNT的相关性分别为0.896和0.923。本研究为国内评价O型FMDV疫苗免疫水平建立了一种新的方法。