Microorganisms associated with pneumonia in slaughter weight swine.

The lungs of 334 pigs were obtained from two slaughter plants in Minnesota and examined in detail. Macroscopic and microscopic evaluation, direct fluorescence for Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae and bacterial culture were done on all of them and a subsample of 50 were selected for virus culture. Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae, Pasteurella multocida and Haemophilus spp. were detected in 24.0%, 34.1% and 27.0% of the lungs, commonly in conjunction with each other. One isolate of Haemophilus pleuropneumoniae serotype 2 was detected and this represents the first report of its presence in the United States. No virus was detected in any of the lungs. Lungs with both M. hyopneumoniae and Pasteurella multocida had the greatest amount of macroscopic pneumonia (9.8% of the lung). Lungs with M. hyopneumoniae or P. multocida alone had 4.9% and 5.2% of the lung involved with pneumonia respectively. Lungs with Haemophilus sp. Taxon "minor group" had 3.8% of the lung involved which was not significantly different from lungs with none of these organisms being detected (1.6%). There was a positive correlation between the extent of M. hyopneumoniae infection, as scored by FAT and the amount of macroscopic pneumonia present (r = 0.46; P less than 0.001). Likewise, there was a positive correlation between the estimated concentration of P. multocida present, as scored by the relative number of colonies on blood agar and the amount of macroscopic pneumonia present (r = 0.60; P less than 0.001). Microscopically, the amount of lymphoreticular proliferation, polymorphonuclear cells and alveolar macrophages were evaluated.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

山西省蚜虫消长与玉米矮花叶病流行关系

玉米矮花叶病是非持久性病毒——MDMV 引起。病毒介体是蚜虫,在山西省主要是麦二叉蚜(Schizaphis graminum Rond)、禾缢管蚜(Rhopalo-siphum padi Linnaeus)、玉米蚜(Rhopalosiphum maidis Fitch)、桃蚜(Myzus persicae Sulzer)和棉蚜(Aphis gossypii Glover),麦无网长管蚜[Acythosiphum dirhodum(Walker)]的传毒能力未定。实验表明,传毒蚜虫饲毒最适时间5～30分钟,接毒最适时间30～60分钟,持毒期限6～7小时,有效传毒蚜数3～5头。气温20℃麦二叉蚜的传毒效能最高,是春播玉米的主要传毒蚜虫。传毒蚜的高峰期后16～30天是发病高峰,以玉米拔节至孕穗间发病最快,抽雄后渐缓。病害的发生流行取决于毒源量、传毒蚜的虫口密度及其自然带毒率的提高,这过程进展的快慢是受时间和空间的影响。     

Gore proposes genetic engineering commission

Briefly noted is Rep. Albert Gore's introduction of legislation to create a commission to review developments in genetic engineering with potential human application. The proposed commission would consider medical, legal, ethical, and social implications of this research. It would be a purely advisory commission composed of six scientists; six experts in law, theology, ethics, or the social sciences; and three laymen.     

Experimental transmission of intestinal coccidiosis to piglets: clinical, parasitological and pathological findings.

Twenty-eight piglets coming from a "specific pathogen free" herd were inoculated at three days of age with 50 000 or 100 000 sporulated oocysts of Isospora suis. Fecal samples were examined for oocyst shedding daily and several clinical parameters were recorded. Ten piglets were used as normal controls. Groups of piglets were euthanized from three days to 12 days postinoculation and routine necropsies were performed. Bacteriological, virological, parasitological and histopathological examinations were made on the intestinal tracts. The incubation period was four to five days. Clinical signs and microscopic intestinal lesions observed in the experimentally infected animals were similar to those reported in spontaneous cases of porcine neonatal coccidiosis. Lesions of villous atrophy in the small intestine seemed to result from the destruction of villous epithelial cells mainly during the peak of asexual reproduction which occurred around four to five days postinoculation. Intracellular coccidial organisms were difficult to find during the late atrophic and villous regrowth stages of the intestinal lesions. The prepatent period varied from four to seven days and the most common was five days. Eighty percent of the piglets kept alive more than four days postinoculation have shed oocysts. Piglets dosed with old sporulated oocysts (ten months old) shed many more oocysts than those infected with a fresh inoculum (less than two months old). The patent period was not determined precisely with the design of the experiment but some of the infected piglets shed oocysts for at least five days.