Bluetongue in Europe and the Mediterranean Basin: history of occurrence prior to 2006

Bluetongue virus (BTV) exists around the world in a broad band covering much of the Americas, Africa, southern Asia and northern Australia. Historically, it also occasionally occurred in the southern fringes of Europe. It is considered to be one of the most important diseases of domestic livestock. Recently BTV has extended its range northwards into areas of Europe never before affected and has persisted in many of these locations causing the greatest epizootic of bluetongue (BT), the disease caused by BTV, on record. Indeed, the most recent outbreaks of BT in Europe are further north than this virus has ever previously occurred anywhere in the world. The reasons for this dramatic change in BT epidemiology are complex but are linked to recent extensions in the distribution of its major vector, Culicoides imicola, to the involvement of novel Culicoides vector(s) and to on-going climate-change. This paper investigates these recent outbreaks in the European theatre, up to the beginning of 2006, highlights prospects for the future and sets the scene for the following papers in this special issue.     

Improved oxygen reduction activity on Pt3Ni(111) via increased surface site availability

The slow rate of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in the polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is the main limitation for automotive applications. We demonstrated that the Pt3Ni(111) surface is 10-fold more active for the ORR than the corresponding Pt(111) surface and 90-fold more active than the current state-of-the-art Pt/C catalysts for PEMFC. The Pt3Ni(111) surface has an unusual electronic structure (d-band center position) and arrangement of surface atoms in the near-surface region. Under operating conditions relevant to fuel cells, its near-surface layer exhibits a highly structured compositional oscillation in the outermost and third layers, which are Pt-rich, and in the second atomic layer, which is Ni-rich. The weak interaction between the Pt surface atoms and nonreactive oxygenated species increases the number of active sites for O2 adsorption.     

Efficacy of oral supplementation with L-lysine in cats latently infected with feline herpesvirus

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effects of orally administered L-lysine on clinical signs of feline herpesvirus type 1 (FHV-1) infection and ocular shedding of FHV-1 in latently infected cats. ANIMALS: 14 young adult, FHV-1-naive cats. PROCEDURE: Five months after primary conjunctival inoculation with FHV-1, cats were rehoused and assigned to receive 400 mg of L-lysine in food once daily for 30 days or food only. On day 15, all cats received methylprednisolone to induce viral reactivation. Clinical signs of infection were graded, and viral shedding was assessed by a polymerase chain reaction assay throughout our study. Peak and trough plasma amino acid concentrations were assessed on day 30. RESULTS: Fewer cats and eyes were affected by conjunctivitis, and onset of clinical signs of infection was delayed on average by 7 days in cats receiving L-lysine, compared with cats in the control group; however, significant differences between groups were not demonstrated. Significantly fewer viral shedding episodes were identified in the treatment group cats, compared with the control group cats, after rehousing but not following corticosteroid-induced viral reactivation. Mean plasma L-lysine concentration was significantly increased at 3 hours but not at 24 hours after L-lysine administration. Plasma arginine concentration was not significantly altered. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Once daily oral administration of 400 mg of L-lysine to cats latently infected with FHV-1 was associated with reduced viral shedding following changes in housing and husbandry but not following corticosteroid administration. This dose caused a significant but short-term increase in plasma L-lysine concentration without altering plasma arginine concentration or inducing adverse clinical effects.     

The Effect of MSW Compost and Fertilizer on Extractable Soil Elements, Tuber Yield, and Elemental Concentrations in the Plant Tissue of Potato

Municipal solid waste (MSW) compost is readily available in eastern Canada and may be a good source of fertility. A 3-year experiment evaluated the effects of MSW compost and fertilizer on soil fertility, elemental composition and yield of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) grown in a sandy loam soil. Three rates of compost (MSW1, MSW2, and MSW3), one rate of fertilizer (NPK), and one mixture of 1/2 MSW1 compost and 1/2 NPK fertilizer were applied annually to plots in a three-crop rotation; each year the MSW1 rate attempted to match the rate of P applied in the NPK treatment. Mehlich-3 extracts were evaluated for 11 elements at two soil depths (0?C15 and 15?C30 cm). Potato shoots and roots or whole plants were assessed for 16 elements. Treatments had no consistent significant influence on marketable tuber yields although the NPK treatment produced mathematically the highest yields. After 3 years, treatments had influenced soil concentrations of K, Ca, S, Cu, Zn, and Na in Mehlich-3 extracts at the 0?C15 cm depth, but only the concentration of Na at the 15?C30 cm depth. The concentration of Mg in the plant tissue was consistently highest in plants fertilized with NPK; this treatment also produced higher Mn concentrations in the last 2 years. Shoot Cu concentrations were highest in the MSW3 plots. The compost did not increase heavy metal concentrations in shoot, root or whole-plant tissue and would be safe to use at agronomic rates of application.     

An international inter-laboratory ring trial to evaluate a real-time PCR assay for the detection of bovine herpesvirus 1 in extended bovine semen

Six laboratories participated in a ring trial to evaluate the reliability of a real-time PCR assay for the detection of bovine herpesvirus 1 (BoHV-1) from extended bovine semen. Sets of coded samples were prepared and distributed to each of the laboratories. The sample panel contained semen from naturally and artificially infected bulls, serial dilutions of positive semen with negative semen, semen from uninfected seronegative bulls, negative semen spiked with virus, as well as serial dilutions of reference virus. The samples were tested using a previously validated real-time PCR assay for the detection of BoHV-1 in each participating laboratory. The PCR tests were conducted with four different real-time PCR amplification platforms, including RotorGene 3000, Stratagene MX 3000/4000, ABI 7900, and Roche LightCycler 2.0. Virus isolation using one set of samples was performed in one laboratory. The results of the laboratories were compared with one another, and with those of virus isolation. It was found that the sensitivity and specificity of the real-time PCR test was greater than those of virus isolation (82.7% versus 53.6% and 93.6% versus 84.6%, respectively). A high level of agreement on PCR testing results between the laboratories was achieved (kappa value 0.59-0.95). The results of this study indicate that the real-time PCR assay is suitable for the detection of BoHV-1 in extended semen, and would be a good substitute for the slow and laborious virus isolation, for the screening testing at artificial insemination centres and for international trade.     

Evidence-based management of feline lower urinary tract disease.

Many treatments have been recommended for managing cats with feline urinary tract disease (FLUTD). Veterinarians making therapeutic decisions should consider the quality of evidence supporting a recommendation to use (or not use) a particular treatment for cats with FLUTD. Whenever possible, recommendations should be based on results of randomized and well-controlled scientific studies performed in clinical patients with the spontaneously occurring disease of interest. In the absence of such studies, one is left to make the best recommendation possible with consideration of all information, including the quality of the evidence. At this time, additional studies are needed to evaluate evidence for many currently recommended treatments for cats with FLUTD.     

Comparison of deposition patterns in two programs for applying protectant fungicides to potato stems and leaves for the control of late blight (Phytophthora infestans)

Fungicides are applied by air, chemigation, and ground in the Columbia Basin of Oregon and Washington. These methods of fungicide application differ in deposition of fungicide to the canopy and cost. This study compared the alternate use of air and chemigation application of fungicides (AIRCHEM) with chemigation alone (CHEM), by either measuring chlorothalonil or manganese (mancozeb) amounts in three canopy levels (upper, middle, lower), both on leaflets and stems, after multiple fungicide applications on a 7-day schedule. Greater amounts of chlorothalonil or mancozeb were usually found on the leaflets in the upper and middle canopy locations from AIRCHEM compared to CHEM, the day of fungicide application and 7 days later. Deposition of fungicides on stems generally follow the same pattern as leaflets, but the amount deposited and maintained on stems was significantly less than leaflets. Mancozeb deposition in the three canopy levels followed the same pattern as was found for chlorothalonil. The greater the amounts of chlorothalonil on leaflets and stems resulted in better disease reduction during inoculation assays. Reduced fungicide amounts on stems compared to leaflets may be the reason for increased stems infections in recent years by more aggressive strains of late blight. This is the first report quantifying chlorothalonil or mancozeb amounts on potato stems and the first to report amounts of mancozeb on potato foliage after fungicide application.     

Management and treatment of staphylococcal mastitis.

This article deals with two kinds of staphylococci that cause mastitis: Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase-negative staphylococci. The source of infection, the ease of laboratory identification, and the practices used to manage clinical and subclinical mastitis for these two staphylococcal categories makes this a convenient separation.     

The current state of veterinary vaccines: is there hope for the future?

This article is an overview and assessment of available veterinary vaccines, placed in a historical context. A more complete presentation of the main tenets of the symposium talk at Agenda for Action: Veterinary Medicine's Role in Biodefense and Public Health is published elsewhere.' The symposium presentation contained a critical evaluation of the current state of the field of veterinary vaccines for both food and companion animals and of promises for future vaccine development. There is considerable variability in safety and sustained efficacy among veterinary vaccines, especially those developed for companion animals. Standardization of vaccines and vaccinal strains and detailed knowledge of their safety, efficacy, and potency and of the duration of immunity are needed before rational recommendations can truly be made. It is proposed that the establishment of an international vaccine advisory committee be supported, which would function to apprise the veterinary profession of the current status of vaccines and their use, and that a system for reporting vaccine adverse events, similar to that for humans, should be established.