Vaccination of Poultry Workers: Delivery and Uptake of Seasonal Influenza Immunization

Avian influenza is a highly infectious disease in poultry and although the risk of human infection is low, concerns exist that it could evolve into a new human strain of pandemic potential if reassortment with a human influenza virus occurs. In January 2007, the UK government introduced a programme to vaccinate poultry workers to reduce the potential of such an event. This study evaluates the delivery, uptake and costs of the programme in three counties of England. A questionnaire survey was completed by consultants in public health in all the Primary Care Trusts in Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire in May 2007. The delivery of the programme varied between Primary Care Trusts, including being delivered in some cases by clinics in primary care, by general practitioners and occupational health services in others. The uptake of vaccination was low ranging from 7% to 29% at a cost of £29 to £132 per person vaccinated. Vaccination of poultry workers as a public health measure to prevent an influenza pandemic is likely to be ineffective with the level of coverage found in this evaluation in our region.     

An ELISA for porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome: production of antigen of high quality.

A reliable method was developed to produce a viral antigen preparation from porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) infected MARC-145 cells by solubilizing the virus with Triton X-100. This method eliminated problems previously encountered with high background reactions associated with PRRSV antigen or cell control antigen. With this new antigen, an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was adapted to detect swine serum anti-body against PRRSV. In the ELISA, non-specific reactions associated with test serum samples have been eliminated by utilizing an effective blocking serum diluent. The ELISA is more sensitive than an indirect immunofluorescent assay (IFA), particularly with late-infection sera, while maintaining a high diagnostic specificity. In a comparison of IFA and ELISA using sera collected from 250 pigs of various ages from 5 herds that had PRRS histories, IFA revealed 178 positive samples and 72 negative samples. All of the IFA-positive sera were proven to be ELISA reactors. However, nearly one-half (34/72) of the IFA-negative samples were also ELISA reactors. The diagnostic specificity and sensitivity of the ELISA were 100% and 96.6% with 257 serum samples collected from known healthy PRRS-negative swine herds and 57 sera collected from infected swine at 6 to 56 days after infection, respectively. The ELISA is technically superior to IFA, time-efficient and cost-effective, and suitable for testing of a large number of samples over a short period of time.     

Evidence of molecular heterogeneity for generalised glycogenosis between and within breeds of cattle

SUMMARY Northern analyses revealed normal levels of acidic α-glucosidase mRNA in cultured fibroblasts from a Shorthorn calf affected with glycogenosis but a gross deficiency in an affected Brahman calf. Analyses of acidic α-glucosidase activity, relative to that of other lysosomal enzymes, in blood mononuclear cells revealed greater variation within and between Brahman herds than Shorthorn herds. A Msp1 restriction fragment length polymorphism associated with glycogenosis in Brahmans was not found in Shorthorns. These results are considered in relation to molecular heterogeneity for AAG deficiency in cattle and its implications for disease control programs.     

Surgical removing of an ectopic tooth in an Iceland mare

Ectopic teeth occur because of failure of the first branchial cleft to close during development and are found mostly in young horses. Such dentigerous cysts are often located at the base of the ear, forming a notable swelling with a fistula, as it was the case with the two year old Iceland mare ?Runa?. In order to confirm the diagnosis, x-ray images were taken, which is also necessary to locate the ectopic tooth correctly. While operating, the whole cystic membrane should be removed and it is important to prevent adjacent nerves and blood vessels from damage. Prognosis for complete healing after removing an ectopic tooth is excellent.     

Radiosensitivity and capacity for radiation-induced sublethal damage repair of canine transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) cell lines

Understanding the inherent radiosensitivity and repair capacity of canine transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) can aid in optimizing radiation protocols to treat this disease. The objective of this study was to evaluate the parameters surviving fraction at 2 Gy (SF(2) ), α/β ratio and capacity for sublethal damage repair (SLDR) in response to radiation. Dose-response and split-dose studies were performed using the clonogenic assay. The mean SF(2) for three established TCC cell lines was high at 0.61. All the three cell lines exhibited a low to moderate α/β ratio, with the mean being 3.27. Two cell lines exhibited statistically increased survival at 4 and 24 h in the dose-response assay. Overall, our results indicate that the cell lines are moderately radioresistant, have a high repair capacity and behave similarly to a late-responding normal tissue. These findings indicate that the radiation protocols utilizing higher doses with less fractionation may be more effective for treating TCC.     

The strategic use of closantel and albendazole in controlling naturally acquired gastrointestinal nematodes of sheep in the Kenya highlands

The strategic use of closantel, a narrow-spectrum salicylanilide anthelmintic against bloodsucking helminths, and of albendazole, a broad-spectrum benzimidazole anthelmintic, in the control of gastrointestinal nematodes of sheep was investigated on a farm in Nyandarua District in the highlands of Kenya. Thirty Corriedale female lambs aged between 9 and 12 months were assigned to three treatment groups of 10 lambs each. The three groups were set stocked on separate paddocks for 12 months. Lambs in group 1 (strategic treatment group) were treated with closantel and albendazole at the beginning and towards the end of the long rains (April and June, respectively) and towards the end of the short rains (December). During the intervening dry season, the lambs were treated with albendazole. Lambs in group 2 (suppressive treatment group) were kept worm free by regular deworming with albendazole at 3-weekly intervals for 12 months. The third group of lambs remained untreat ed (control group). Gastrointestinal nematode infections and pasture infectivity were well controlled in the case of the strategic treatment group. This resulted in higher weight gains, wool production, packed cell volume, and serum albumin and protein concentrations compared with the untreated control lambs. These parameters were comparable between the strategic treatment and the suppressive treatment groups of lambs. It was concluded that worm control strategies based on the epidemiology of the parasites and the sustained anthelmintic action of closantel in combination with broad-spectrum anthelmintics can provide effective control of gastrointestinal nematodes of sheep in the study area.     

Decreased serum apolipoprotein A-I concentrations in cows infected with Salmonella typhimurium.

Serum apolipoprotein A-I concentrations in cows infected with Salmonella Typhimurium were evaluated to assess its relevance in salmonellosis. Apolipoprotein A-I has been shown in rats to be secreted by the intestine as well as the liver. Clinical symptoms such as diarrhea revealed an outbreak of salmonellosis in 22 cows on a farm, and sera were obtained at 6 (acute phase), 16, 28 (convalescent period) and 42 d (postconvalescent period) after the outbreak. Apolipoprotein A-I concentrations (mean +/- SD, mg/mL), determined by ELISA, were 0.598 +/- 0.497 (day 6), 0.111 +/- 0.060 (day 16), 0.432 +/- 0.311 (day 28) and 0.727 +/- 0.516 (day 42). Compared with the concentration at day 42, those at 16 and 28 d were significantly (P < 0.01, P < 0.05) lower, but that at day 6 was not. The serum concentration of apolipoprotein B-100 (of liver origin in cattle) was unaltered during the course of salmonellosis. The concentration of apolipoprotein A-I was positively correlated with those of serum total cholesterol (r = 0.589, P < 0.01) and phospholipids (r = 0.590, P < 0.01). These results suggest that apolipoprotein A-I in cattle is in part of intestinal origin, and also that its decreased serum concentration in salmonellosis can be attributed to the reduced intestinal synthesis or secretion of this apolipoprotein. Moreover, as a potential carrier for dietary lipids such as cholesterol, determination of serum apolipoprotein A-I concentration is suggested to be useful when assessing the nutritional status of the affected cows.