Pathogenicity of various isolates of Alcaligenes faecalis for broilers

Day-old broilers or specific-pathogen-free chickens were inoculated intranasally with approximately 1 X 10(8) organisms of eight different field isolates of Alcaligenes faecalis. Major differences in the pathogenicity of isolates and their ability to colonize the trachea were found. Only two isolates (Wilson and Lockamy) produced mild clinical signs of respiratory disease ("snicking," dyspnea). The same two also colonized the respiratory tract, especially the trachea, in large numbers; they persisted for 31 days. Of the remaining six isolates, five were also able to colonize the respiratory tract but did so to a lesser degree and less persistently, without causing clinical signs. Only one isolate (CS) was incapable of becoming established in the respiratory tract of chicks after intranasal inoculation.     

Field trials with a bivalent vaccine (HVT and SB-1) against Marek's disease

White leghorn chickens on five farms were given a bivalent Marek's disease (MD) vaccine consisting of turkey herpesvirus (HVT) and SB-1 (a nononcogenic MD virus); other chickens received only HVT. The farms had histories of "vaccination failures," presumably owing to an exceptionally virulent challenge MD virus. The bivalent vaccine uniformly protected chickens better than HVT alone between 12 and 16-20 weeks of age, when serious MD losses occurred. During that period, total mortality in groups given both viruses ranged from 0.39 to 1.26% (mean 0.86%), whereas that in HVT-vaccinated groups not exposed to SB-1 varied from 1.92 to 7.44% (mean 3.43%). Chickens in pens or rows with close contact to those given bivalent vaccine also had low MD mortality rates (0.46-1.06%, mean 0.77%), probably from the spread of SB-1.     

Depression of polymorphonuclear leukocyte function associated with experimentally induced Escherichia coli mastitis in sows

In a study of susceptibilities of sows from 2 herds to experimentally induced Escherichia coli mastitis, a marked difference was seen. The "susceptible" sows were from a conventional herd and "resistant" sows were from a specific-pathogen-free herd. The purpose of the study was to determine whether deficient neutrophil function was associated with increased susceptibility to E coli-induced mastitis. Four in vitro procedures were used to evaluate polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) function: (i) random migration under agarose, (ii) ingestion of 125I-iododeoxyuridine-labeled Staphylococcus aureus, (iii) quantitative nitroblue tetrazolium reduction, and (iv) iodination. After parturition and intramammary inoculation with E coli, sows from the susceptible herd were neutropenic and the neutrophils which were present in the peripheral blood had reduced function. Specifically, there were depressed random migration under agarose, S aureus ingestion, and iodination when compared with PMN function in resistant sows. These data indicate that susceptibility to E coli mastitis was associated with deficiencies in PMN numbers and function. Potential causes of the neutrophil dysfunction are discussed and include possible systemic hormonal aberrations or the presence of an inapparent viral or bacterial infection.     

Small intestinal carcinoma in cattle

The pathology of carcinoma of the small intestine in six adult cattle is described. The lesions were similar to those of carcinoma of the small intestine of sheep although a slightly less fibrous stroma and a greater tendency to metastasise was observed. Initial findings suggest the disease resembles small-intestinal carcinoma of sheep and cola-rectal carcinomas of man in having a higher prevalence in New Zealand than most other countries. This highlights the need to investigate common environmental factors which may be responsible for the induction and promotion of these tumours in both grazing ruminants and man.     

TRANSLOCATION OF AMINOTRIAZOLE AND DALAPON IN AG ROPY RON REPENS (L.) BEAUV.

Summary. Tracer studies using single drops of solutions containing 3–amino-1,2,4–triazole-5–¹⁴C (aminotriazole-¹⁴C) or 2,2–dichloropropionic acid-2–¹⁴C (datapon-¹⁴C) revealed that in couch plants (Agropyron repens (L.) Beauv.) growing under field conditions in the autumn and at the stage where the aerial shoots were 40–50 cm long, both compounds moved in both symplast and apoplast. Dalapon was less mobile in the symplast than aminotriazole and only negligible amounts of dalapon were translocated to the rhizomes. The nodes of the treated shoots appeared to act as barriers to translocation, a phenomenon more pronounced for dalapon than for aminotriazole.
Application to a basal green leaf led to a more uniform distribution of the compounds within plants and rhizomes than when the application was made to the youngest fully-expanded leaf.
In couch plants with aerial shoots 10–15 cm long treated in the stubble, the distribution of both aminotriazole and dalapon was mainly restricted to the treated shoots. Even 15 days after application only trace amounts of radioactivity could be found in the rhizomes and untreated shoots.