Somatic cell counts: associated factors and relationship to production.

Factors affecting somatic cell counts and the association between somatic cell counts and milk production were evaluated. Data were collected from 748 Ontario Dairy Herd Improvement Corporation supervised herds that were on production and somatic cell count programs between April 1981 and March 1983. Two data files were created; one, the lactation summary file, contained one record per cow on each of 9406 Holsteins and the other, the test day file, included results of all tests during the complete lactation on each of the above cows. The latter file contained 85,236 records. Multiple curvilinear least squares regression was used to create five separate models. The dependent variables used in the models were natural logarithms (Loge) of the geometric mean of the somatic cell count for the lactation, 305 day milk production and breed class average for milk from the lactation summary file, and loge of the 24 hour somatic cell count and 24 hour milk production from the test day file. The somatic cell count at both the lactation and test day level increased with age up to approximately ten years and thereafter slowly decreased. The variable "days in milk" was not significantly associated with the lactation average somatic cell count. A curvilinear relationship was found between days in lactation at the time of test and the somatic cell count of 24 hour milk production. The somatic cell count increased until approximately 250 days in lactation and thereafter slowly decreased. It was found that the highest cell counts occurred in summer and the lowest in winter.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

A path model of factors influencing morbidity and mortality in Ontario feedlot calves.

The principles of path analysis and causal modelling are discussed. Path analysis was applied to three data sets to assess the relationship between group characteristics (number per group and "mixing" subgroups of cattle, feeding-management of the group and processing factors (vaccination and prophylactic antimicrobials) and subsequent morbidity and mortality in feedlot cattle. The major findings agree with previously reported results but the timing and pathways of the effects are elaborated. In general, morbidity in week 1 was correlated with morbidity in week 2, which was correlated with morbidity in weeks 3-5. The same was generally true for mortality. In general, morbidity was not strongly correlated with mortality. Lots (unmixed groups) did not arrive in better condition, but experienced fewer subsequent health problems than mixed groups. (Silage-fed lots appeared to do poorly, however this was apparently due to the positive association between lots and vaccination, the latter being detrimental to mortality rates.) The more cattle per group, the greater the health problems in weeks 3-5 postarrival. Prophylactic antimicrobials in the water supply on arrival lead to increased health problems in the three to five week postarrival period. Antibiotic containing starter rations had a beneficial effect on health status in this period. This effect appeared to be partly due to delaying making silage the major ration component in silage-fed cattle receiving antimicrobial containing starter rations. Vaccination against respiratory disease in either of the first two weeks postarrival had detrimental direct and indirect effects on subsequent health status. Vaccination during weeks 3-5 postarrival was not significantly related to health status in that period.     

Genomic variations and antigenic relationships among cytopathic rotavirus strains isolated in Quebec dairy herds.

Twelve isolates of bovine rotavirus, originating from eight dairy herds in Quebec known to have frequent epizootics of diarrhea in young calves in the last five years, were successfully propagated in cell cultures. The 12 isolates produced clear-cut plaques in BSC-1 cells and, except for one isolate, agglutinated human group "O" erythrocytes to an higher titer than bovine erythrocytes. Antisera to each isolate were produced in rabbits and used to study their antigenic relationships. All the isolates shared the group-specific immunofluorescent antigen and were antigenically related as demonstrated by the seroneutralization and hemagglutination-inhibition tests. However, the relationships to the Nebraska rotavirus was quite weak in cases of two Quebec isolates. When the genomes of the various isolates were compared by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, at least three different reproducible fractionation patterns could be identified.     

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。     

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.     

玉米小斑病对玉米产量损失影响的进一步研究

1977～1979连续三年在河南省浚县玉米小斑病严重流行地区进行试验。三年来均按相同的田间设计进行。采用中等感病品种洛阳白马牙,在自然发病条件下,间隔不同时期喷施敌菌灵保护叶面,人为地造成不同程度发病,至流行终止期,各处理间有显著不同的病情差別。产量差异亦极显著。将三年试验结果用多元协方差分析,推导出二组经验回归方程:(?)=27.82-0.1368X_1-0.1435X_2……(1)及(?)=23.48-0.1368X_1-0.1435X_2……(2)此处(?)为理论产量,X_1、X_2分别为灌浆期和乳熟期的病情指数,而减产率(L%)则为:L(%)=(1-(?)/a)×100,此处a为回归方程中的常数项。据分析,当玉米生育期(6月下旬至9月中旬)雨量较大,为300～365毫米,灌浆至乳熟期(8月下旬至9月上旬)雨日较少、为3～6时,玉米产量较高,此种情况下,应选用常数值较大的(1)式;当玉米生育期雨量较小、为160毫米左右,灌浆至乳熟期雨日较多、为15日左右时,玉米产量较低,此种情况下,宜选用常数值较小的(2)式。     

江苏麦类禾谷镰刀菌变异性的研究

1980～1981年选取代表江苏不同地区引致麦类赤霉病的禾谷镰刀菌野生型和培养型菌株17个,并人工移植1～3次后,观察培养性状的变化;同时分别接种感病小麦品种“矮秆早”,观察致病性的变化,以分析病菌的变异性。结果证明:江苏极大多数禾谷镰刀菌菌株的野生型经人工移植三次后,无论是培养性状和致病力都发生了改变。一般表现力生长速度减慢,产孢数量变少,产孢速度变慢,分生孢子变小,分生孢子分隔数减少,不易产生分生孢子或不产孢,不易形成子囊壳或不产生子囊壳而产生粘孢团,以及致病力减弱。但是,只有少数菌株的变异特别明显。以上结果说明禾谷镰刀菌菌株中存在有变异现象,但不同菌株并不一致,培养性状变异与致病力强弱变异间的关系也可能因菌株而异。至于禾谷镰刀菌在无性培养中发生变异的原因还有待进一步研究。     

海南油棕果腐病的病原鉴定及发病条件的研究

三年来作者对于幼龄結果油棕的果穗和果实腐烂的症状、分布、蔓延为害,其发生条件和栽培管理的关系进行了詳細的調查和观察,并进行了病原分离、培养、田间人工接种和試探性化学保护等試驗。同时对果实离层組織的形成进行了切片检查。 結果指出海南十二个地区的幼龄结实棕园普遍出現的花、果、穗腐与环境条件和栽培管理有密切关系。果腐是果实离体后从蒂部組織开始的。从腐果組織中經常可以分离到細菌、炭疽菌和鐮刀菌。多次田間接种証明这些菌对健康果实和果穗均无致病能力。大田喷药无效。看来,油棕果腐病是由于环境坏、管理差的条件下,未成熟或接近成熟的果实产生离层而与果柄分离,再由外界杂菌腐食脫果而致腐烂。可見,本病是屬于非侵染性的生理病害。     

南昌近郊辣椒两种炭疽病菌的初步研究

1962年秋,作者等在南昌近郊,从感病长果种辣椒的果上,分离到两种炭疽病菌。一种分生孢子为椭圓形(以下簡称G菌),病斑圆形或椭圓形,凹陷,灰綠色或黄色,以后变棕色。另一种分生孢子为鐮刀形(以下簡称V菌),病斑不定形,暗棕色至黑色。这两种病菌,在馬鈴薯、洋菜培养基上都能形成孢子,且对辣椒都有寄生性。