Isolation,characterization, and in vitro differentiation of ovine amniotic stem cells

Challenge tests with Artemia four different development stages (nauplii, metanauplii, pseudoadults and adults) to white spot syndrome virus was carried out by immersion challenge and virus-phytoplankton adhesion route in order to asses the possibility of Artemia acting as a vector of WSSV to penaeid shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei postlarvae. The WSSV succeeded in infecting four stages Artemia, and nested-PCR detection for WSSV revealed positive results to virus-phytoplankton adhesion route. No mass mortalities were observed in penaeid shrimp postlarvae fed with WSSV-positive Artemia which exposed to WSSV by virus-phytoplankton adhesion route, whereas WSSV DNA detected in penaeid shrimp postlarvae by nested-PCR. By contrary, no WSSV-positive was detected in any animal fed with WSSV-negative Artemia. These results indicated that Artemia could serve as a vector in WSSV transmission.     

Chronic monolateral otomycosis in a dog caused by Aspergillus ochraceus

Aspergillus ochraceus, a widely distributed filamentous fungus, was isolated and identified by cytology and culture as the cause of unilateral ceruminous purulent otitis in a 4‐year‐old male mixed‐breed dog. The pathogenic role of the fungal isolate was confirmed by a good response to antifungal therapy and the absence of other pathogens. No underlying diseases were identified and the dog recovered after 3 weeks of therapy with oral itraconazole and topical miconazole.     

Characterization of Anaplasma phagocytophilum and A. ovis infection in a naturally infected sheep flock with poor health condition

Anaplasma species are transmitted by ticks and cause diseases in humans and animals. These pathogens infect sheep, an economically important domestic animal worldwide. The current study was designed to characterize in 200 animals the infection with Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Anaplasma ovis and the genetic diversity of A. ovis strains collected from a naturally infected sheep flock with poor health condition. Sheep had 98% seroprevalence to Anaplasma spp. antibodies. PCR results confirmed the presence of A. phagocytophilum and A. ovis DNA in 11.5% and 37% of the sheep, respectively. Concurrent infections were detected in 6.5% of the sheep. Seventy-one adult ticks were collected from 45 sheep with infestations ranging from one to 15 ticks per animal. The analysis of A. ovis msp4 sequences demonstrated a previously unreported polymorphism for this pathogen with 17 different haplotypes in infected sheep. These results demonstrated that, although A. ovis msp4 haplotypes may be less variable when compared with Anaplasma marginale and A. phagocytophilum strains on a global scale, genetic polymorphisms occur in this locus in strains obtained from an infected sheep flock with poor health condition.     

The mouse model is suitable for the study of viral factors governing transmission and pathogenesis of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses in mammals

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses of the H5 and H7 subtype pose a major public health threat due to their capacity to cross the species barrier and infect mammals, for example dogs, cats and humans. In the present study we tested the capacity of selected H7 and H5 HPAI viruses to infect and to be transmitted from infected BALB/c mice to contact sentinels. Previous experiments have shown that viruses belonging to both H5 and H7 subtypes replicate in the respiratory tract and central nervous system of experimentally infected mice. In this study we show that selected H7N1 and H5N1 HPAI viruses can be transmitted from mouse-to-mouse by direct contact, and that in experimentally infected animals they exhibit a different pattern of replication and transmission. Our results can be considered as a starting point for transmission experiments involving other influenza A viruses with α 2-3 receptor affinity in order to better understand the viral factors influencing transmissibility of these viruses in selected mammalian species.