Tenacity of S. gallinarum in chicken feces]

The survival period of 22 S. gallinarum strains in chicken feces was examined. The suspension of the bacterium was homogenized with a certain feces quantity. The initial ratio was 10(7) to 10(9) colony forming units per gram of feces. The results show that the growth of 5 strains was completely inhibited within 24 hours post homogenization, 7 strains were still positive to S. gallinarum for 24 hours, 5 strains were positive for 48 hours and the last 5 strains were positive for 4 days. Additionally, the effect of tryptose soy (TSB) and Rappaport-Vassiliadis (RV) nutrient broths on the isolation rate of S. gallinarum from feces was examined at 37 degrees C and 43 degrees C. It was shown that the TSB medium was the best at 37 degrees C, in this experiment. The S. gallinarum concentration in RV medium was decreased at 37 degrees C from 9.1 x 10(8) to 1.6 x 10(6) and at 43 degrees C from 9.1 x 10(8) to 4.1 x 10(2).     

In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) in Straws and a Short Gamete Coincubation Time Improves the Efficiency of Porcine IVF

The present study was designed to evaluate three different in vitro fertilization (IVF) systems: a straw‐IVF system with 10 min of coincubation, a straw‐IVF system with 6‐h coincubation and the microdrop‐IVF system with 6‐h coincubation (the traditional IVF system used routinely in most of IVF laboratories) in an attempt to reduce polyspermic penetration ( Experiment 1 ). When the straw‐IVF system was tested in combination with two coincubation times, the use of 10 min of coincubation significantly increased (p < 0.001) the penetration rate and the efficiency of fertilization (67.7 ± 6.4% vs 31.9 ± 6.5% and 41.5 ± 2.5% vs 17.6 ± 2.5% for 10 min and 6 h, respectively), while there were no significant differences in the incidence of monospermy between both systems (64.3 ± 5.1% and 67.7 ± 3.4%, for 10 min and 6 h, respectively). The penetration rate in the 6‐h microdrop‐IVF system was higher (93.8 ± 3.6%; p < 0.001) compared with the 10‐min straw‐IVF system (67.7 ± 6.4%), however, monospermy was severely reduced (25.0 ± 4.3% vs 67.7 ± 3.4%, for the 6‐h microdrop‐IVF system and 10‐min straw‐IVF system, respectively). The efficiency of the IVF showed similar values between microdrop and 6‐h straw‐IVF systems, but efficiency was significantly improved (p < 0.05) when the 10‐min straw‐IVF system was used. Experiment 2 was designed to compare porcine in vitro embryo production in two IVF systems, the 6‐h microdrop‐IVF system (1000 sperm per oocyte) and 10‐min straw‐IVF system (30 000 sperm per oocyte). The blastocyst formation rates tended (p = 0.06) to be higher when the 10‐min straw‐IVF system was used compared with the 6‐h microdrop‐IVF system. In addition, the number of total cells per blastocyst increased significantly (p < 0.05) in the 10‐min straw‐IVF system. These results showed that the 10‐min straw‐IVF system is an effective way to decrease polyspermic penetration, and improve the efficiency of fertilization and the quality of blastocysts in terms of cell number per embryo.     

Tissue reaction to Cysticercus bovis in the lung of artificially infected cattle

The tissue reaction to Cysticercus bovis in the lung of cattle with an experimental infection was an inflammatory rim originating in the immediate vicinity of the cysts. The cysts recovered at days 83 and 102 p.i. contained living cysticerci. The rim was composed either of a layer of high histiocytes organized in palisades (at day 83 p.i.), or a lyer of flat histiocytes (at day 102 p.i.). The outer layer of the rim consisted of fibroblasts, reticular cells and a different number of eosinophil- and neutrophil luekocytes. On the periphery, the rim was formed by granulation tissue infiltrated with lymphoplasmocytes. At the border between the layers of the inflammatory rim there were conspicuous foci of a necrotic appearance typical of a tissue reaction to C. bovis.     

Molecular tracing of the transmission routes of bois noir in Mediterranean vineyards of Montenegro and experimental evidence for the epidemiological role of Vitex agnus‐castus (Lamiaceae) and associated Hyalesthes obsoletus (Cixiidae)

Epidemiological aspects and transmission routes of bois noir (BN), a grapevine yellows disease induced by ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma solani’, have been exhaustively studied in the affected vineyards of continental Europe but not in the Mediterranean coastal zone. Because ‘Ca. Phytoplasma solani’ and its principal vector Hyalesthes obsoletus presumably originate from the Mediterranean, gaining knowledge of the epidemiological peculiarities of the disease in this area is essential for understanding its global spread and diversification, as well as for designing local management strategies. In this study, molecular epidemiology was applied to trace transmission pathways of ‘Ca. Phytoplasma solani’ in the Mediterranean vineyards of Montenegro, using multilocus sequence typing of tuf, vmp1 and stamp genes of the isolates associated with various hosts. Thus, ‘Ca. Phytoplasma solani’ was tracked from a tentative reservoir plant (inoculum source) through an associated vector population to the infected grapevine. Three pathways of transmission were documented, originating from Urtica dioica, Convolvulus arvensis and Vitex agnus‐castus; however, only the route originating from U. dioica was direct, whereas the latter two were overlapping and could be intermixed. Vitex agnus‐castus is a natural source of ‘Ca. Phytoplasma solani’, representing an important link in disease epidemiology in the Mediterranean and a possible origin of several genotypes occurring in central Europe. Experimental confirmation of the role of Vitex‐associated H. obsoletus in BN transmission in Montenegrin vineyards indicates its tentative role as a vector in the wide area of the Mediterranean, where some of the major wine‐producing regions are located.     

Arterial vascularization of the pineal gland in the fetus of Zavot-bred cattle

This study aimed at revealing arterial vascularization of the pineal gland of the Zavot-bred foetus. Twenty foetuses, regardless of their sex, at the age of 2-7 months were used. Coloured-latex was injected by way of both the right and left common carotid arteries. Then, dissection was performed and vessels nourishing the pineal gland were documented. The pineal gland is vascularized by a number of 2-5 central rami. A small vessel arising from each of the central rami in two foetuses (10%) was shown anastomosing with a branch of the cranial cerebral artery, which advances in cranio-caudal direction in the callosal groove. Hence, anastomoses were observed between several sub-branches of each caudal cerebral and cranial cerebellar arteries.     

Cross‐sectional observational survey of serum biochemistry values in a population of 69 adult female alpacas (Vicugna pacos) in South Australia

Blood samples were collected from 69 ‘healthy’ female alpacas aged ≥12 months from 11 properties in South Australia. The 10–90 percentile ranges of the 16/19 analytes measured in this sample population were within the published ranges of four healthy alpaca populations from other geographic locations. Marginal exceptions were glutamate dehydrogenase and bicarbonate. Potassium was notably elevated, probably because of haemolysis of some samples. The sample size was insufficient to provide the appropriate statistical power to define diagnostic references ranges according to international standards. The health status of the sample population of alpacas was presumptive based on a physical examination.     

The use of monoclonal antibodies in an enzyme immunospot assay to detect isotype-specific antibody-secreting cells in pigs and chickens

Monoclonal antibodies directed against porcine immunoglobulin isotypes G, G1, G2, M, and A and against chicken immunoglobulin isotopes G, M, and A were tested in an antigen-specific spot-forming cell (SFC) assay based on the principle of the enzyme immunoassay. The SFC assay was used to quantitate ovalbumin (OA)-specific antibody-secreting cells (ASC) in pigs that had been primed and boosted with OA. The SFC assay was also used to quantitate trinitrophenyl (TNP)-specific ASC in chickens that had been primed with TNP-conjugated keyhole lympet haemocyanin (TNP-KLH). Although, the classical plaque-forming cell (PFC) assay cannot reliably detect isotope-specific ASC in pigs and chickens, it can detect these cells in mice. Therefore, we compared the OA- and TNP-specific SFC assays with PFC assays that were specific for these antigens in mice. The study demonstrated that the SFC assay is superior to the PFC assay in detecting both OA-specific ASC and TNP-specific ASC. The frequencies of OA-specific and TNP-specific SFC detected in mice were of the same order of magnitude as those detected in pigs and chickens. We concluded that the SFC assay is the better method for quantitating ASC in pigs, chickens, and probably all domestic animals for which isotype-specific monoclonal antibodies are available.     

The effects of restricted feeding on adrenal cortical activity in the immature domestic fowl

1. The effect of reducing food intake to 75% of the ad libitum intake was determined from hatching to 8 weeks in young Light Sussex chickens.

2. Restricted birds were lighter throughout the experiment.

3. Relative adrenal weight tended to be greater in restricted birds but the difference decreased with time.

4. There was no depletion of adrenal cholesterol: from week 5 there was a significantly greater amount in the adrenals of restricted birds.

5. After 1 week of restriction plasma corticosterone concentration was 73% greater than in controls. It decreased progressively, falling within the normal range at 5 weeks.

6. Restricted birds were hypoglycaemic from weeks 2 to 7 and hyper‐lipacidaemic throughout. A negative correlation between plasma glucose and free fatty acids was found.     

Detection of Aphanomyces invadans and epizootic ulcerative syndrome in the Murray‐Darling drainage

Epizootic ulcerative syndrome was diagnosed, and the presence of Aphanomyces invadans confirmed, from an outbreak of clinical disease in wild‐caught bony bream (Nematalosa erebi) from the Darling River near Bourke, in New South Wales, Australia, during 2008. This confirms a significant extension of the agent beyond its historical range.