Field evaluation of a coproantigen enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for diagnosis of canine echinococcosis in a rural Andean village in Peru

One hundred and six dogs (61 males and 45 females) were examined for Echinococcus granulosus infection in a farming cooperative in the central highlands of Peru during November 1998. Canine echinococcosis was diagnosed using direct microscopic examinations of purged feces following arecoline purging and a coproantigen-detection enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for E. granulosus. Mean age was 2 years with a range of 3 months to 9 years. The overall prevalence of canine echinococcosis using the ELISA test was 79% (84/106). Seventy-four dogs were successfully purged with arecoline. The frequency of canine echinococcosis was 82 (61/74) and 34% (25/74) by the coproantigen ELISA test and arecoline purging, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of the coproantigen ELISA test was 88 and 95%, respectively. We found this assay to be especially advantageous in remote geographical areas. In future control programs against echinococcosis in Peru and other areas where E. granulosus is endemic the coproantigen ELISA should be used for the surveillance of the dog population.     

Occurrence of the temperature-sensitive hemagglutinin among avian Escherichia coli

In this study, we determined the occurrence of the tsh gene among 305 Escherichia coli isolates from chickens by means of the polymerase chain reaction and agglutination of chicken erythrocytes; 200 of those isolates were obtained from chickens with colisepticemia, 52 isolates were from lesions of cellulitis, and 53 were from feces of normal chickens. The tsh gene was found in 79 (39.5%) isolates from colisepticemia, in 10 (19%) cellulitis-derived E. coli isolates, and in two (3.8%) fecal isolates. Among the tsh+ strains, 68 (86%) isolates from colisepticemia and nine (90%) from cellulitis agglutinated chicken erythrocytes in the presence of mannose, after growing the strains on colonization factor antigen agar plates at 26 C, which confirms a correlation between mannose-resistant hemagglutination and expression of hemagglutinin Tsh. These results show, for the first time, the presence of the gene tsh in cellulitis-derived E. coli isolates; the high frequency of this gene among avian pathogenic E. coli isolates in Brazil indicates that its putative role as a virulence factor should be studied more thoroughly.     

Brucellosis in Argentina

Brucellosis has been recognized in Argentina since the 19th century. Several studies demonstrated the presence of the disease in most of the domestic species. Actually, the estimate of prevalence is that between 10 and 13% of the farm animals are infected with bovine brucellosis with an individual rate of 4–5%. The annual economical losses have been estimated at US$ 60,000,000. The control of bovine brucellosis began in 1932 and successive resolutions have been issued since then. The current resolution indicates that B. abortus S19 is mandatory in female calves between 3 and 8 months of age. The vaccine strain B. abortus RB51 was provisionally approved but only for cattle older than 10 months of age. The brucellosis control program consists principally of test and slaughter. This methodology has been successful mainly in the dairy farms that have the incentive due to increased pricing because of obtaining a low prevalence of the disease. Brucellosis has been found in porcine, caprine, ovine and canine species. All Brucella species have been found in the country. Human brucellosis is an important disease and a national coordinated diagnostic net has been formed to better control the disease in man.     

Immune response of BALB/c mouse immunized with recombinant MSPs proteins of Anaplasma marginale binding to immunostimulant complex (ISCOM)

Anaplasmosis, caused by Anaplasma marginale, results in significant economic losses of cattle in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. Six major surface proteins (MSPs) were well characterized and designated as MSP1, MSP2, MSP3, MSP4, and MSP5. The objective of this study was to evaluate the humoral immune response of BALB/c mice against the recombinant MSPs, incorporated into immunostimulating complex (ISCOM). The recombinant proteins purified by Ni-NTA columns were incorporated into ISCOM and ISCOMATRIX by the lipid film hydration method. BALB/c mice immunized with ISCOM/rMSPs and ISCOMATRIX/rMSPs vaccines produced whole IgG, IgG1, and IgG2a, in contrast to the negative groups (PBS and ISCOMATRIX adjuvant). All groups that received antigen responded specifically against the rMSPs by Western blotting, showing the rMSP1a (60-105kDa), rMSP1b (100kDa), rMSP4 (47kDa), and rMSP5 (29kDa). Additional studies will have to be performed in cattle to evaluate the humoral and cellular mechanisms of this subunit vaccine and their possible use as protective vaccines against homologous and heterologous strains of A. marginale.     

RAPD genetic diversity of Albanian olive germplasm and its relationships with other Mediterranean countries

RAPD markers were used for the study of 19Albanian olive cultivars and two wild olives (oleasters). A total of 76polymorphic bands (4.8 polymorphic markers per primer) out of 107 reproducible were obtained using 16 primers. The number of bands per primer ranged from 4 to 10,whereas the number of polymorphic bands ranged from 1 to 9, corresponding to 71%of the total amplification products. All the accessions could be identified by the combination of four primers: OPA-19;OPA-02; OPK-16 and OPP-19. The dendrogram,based on Jaccard's index, included three major groups according to their origin: 1)most of the cultivars from the area of Berat (South of Albania) 2) cultivars from the Centre and Centre-North of Albania and3) cultivars from the Centre and North-West of Albania along with the oleaster from Elbasan. In order to evaluate the origin of Albanian cultivars they were compared to those diffused in other countries like Greece, Italy and Turkey, due to geographical and historical affinity among these countries, by using a one way AMOVA. Although most of the genetic diversity was attributable to differences among cultivars within each country (91.47%) significantφ-values among countries(φ_st = 0.085; p < 0.001)suggested the existence of RAPD phenotypic differentiation. Significant φ-values in all pairs formed by Albania with the other countries were observed. These results are consistent with the autochthonous origin of Albanian cultivars. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Changes in the volatile composition of a semihard ewe milk cheese induced by high-pressure treatment of 300 MPa

The effect of high-pressure (HP) treatment (300 MPa, 10 min) on the volatile profile of semihard ewe milk cheeses was investigated. The HP treatment was applied at two different stages of ripening (1 and 15 days; 3P1 and 3P15) and microbiota, proteolysis indexes (soluble nitrogen and total free amino acid content), and volatile compounds were assayed at 15, 60, 90, and 150 days of ripening. The intensity of odor and aroma of cheeses was also assayed. 3P1 cheeses presented the highest content of free amino acids and were characterized by the lowest amounts of aldehydes, ketones, short-chain free fatty acids, and terpenes and higher levels of ethanol and ethyl esters. 3P15 cheeses were characterized by the highest content of short-chain free fatty acids and pyruvaldehyde and the lowest abundance of secondary alcohols and were more similar to control cheeses than those HP-treated on the first day. Intensities of odor and aroma were not significantly influenced by the HP treatment. However, the panellists found some differences in 3P1 as compared with control and 3P15 cheeses in what they perceived as lower odor and aroma quality.     

Recovery from rocuronium-induced neuromuscular block was longer in the larynx than in the pelvic limb of anesthetized dogs

Objective

To determine if neuromuscular monitoring at the pelvic limb accurately reflects neuromuscular function in the larynx after administration of rocuronium in anesthetized dogs.

Haplotype phasing after joint estimation of recombination and linkage disequilibrium in breeding populations

A novel method for haplotype phasing in families after joint estimation of recombination fraction and linkage disequilibrium is developed. Results from Monte Carlo computer simulations show that the newly developed E.M. algorithm is accurate if true recombination fraction is 0 even for single families of relatively small sizes. Estimates of recombination fraction and linkage disequilibrium were 0.00 （SD 0.00） and 0.19 （SD 0.03） for simulated recombination fraction and linkage disequilibrium of 0.00 and 0.20, respectively. A genome fragmentation phasing strategy was developed and used for phasing haplotypes in a sire and 36 progeny using the 50 k Illumina BeadChip by： a） estimation of the recombination fraction and LD in consecutive SNPs using family information, b） linkage analyses between fragments, c） phasing of haplotypes in parents and progeny and in following generations. Homozygous SNPs in progeny allowed determination of paternal fragment inheritance, and deduction of SNP sequence information of haplotypes from dams. The strategy also allowed detection of genotyping errors. A total of 613 recombination events were detected after linkage analysis was carried out between fragments. Hot and cold spots were identified at the individual （sire level）. SNPs for which the sire and calf were heterozygotes became informative （over 90%） after the phasing of haplotypes. Average of regions of identity between half-sibs when comparing its maternal inherited haplotypes （with at least 20 SNP） in common was 0.11 with a maximum of 0.29 and a minimum of 0.05. A Monte-Carlo simulation of BTA1 with the same linkage disequilibrium structure and genetic linkage as the cattle family yielded a 99.98 and 99.94% of correct phases for informative SNPs in sire and calves, respectively.     

Economies of scale for juvenile production of common snook (Centropomus undecimalis Bloch)

Abstract

Construction and operating costs for three common snook (Centropomus undecimalis) hatcheries in Florida, USA, are illustrated. Hypothetical capacities and targets of the three hatcheries (Scenarios I, II and III respectively) were 615, 000 juveniles (8 ‐ 10 g in weight) for stock enhancement, and 1, 275, 000 and 3, 000, 000 juveniles (1‐g in weight) for commercial grow‐out. Estimated production costs were lower than for many marine finfish species. The 20‐year mean costs per 1, 000 juveniles were estimated to be $324, $215, and $159, for hatcheries I, II, and III respectively, and the initial capital investments were $731, 660, $1, 162, 460, and $1, 896, 030¹, respectively. Major cost items of annual production were labor (22 ‐ 33%), supplies (14 ‐ 20%), fixed costs (15 ‐ 17%), and interest (13 ‐ 15%). The most profitable hatchery was the 3 million 1‐g juvenile hatchery due to the hatchery size effect, with a net present value (NPV) of $1, 760, 000, an internal rate of return (ERR) of 81%, a payback period of 3.6 years, and a profitability index of $2.86 for every dollar invested. Possible cost reductions to increase financial profitability were discussed.