The critical threshold of Lawsonia intracellularis in pig faeces that causes reduced average daily weight gains in experimentally challenged pigs

Serology indicates that Lawsonia intracellularis infection is widespread in many countries, with most pigs seroconverting before 22 weeks of age. However, the majority of animals appear to be sub-clinically affected, demonstrated by the low reported prevalence of diarrhoea. Production losses caused by sub-clinical proliferative enteropathy (PE) are more difficult to diagnose, indicating the need for a quantitative L. intracellularis assay that correlates well with disease severity. In previous studies, increasing numbers of L. intracellularis in pig faeces, quantified with a real time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), showed a strong negative correlation with average daily gain (ADG).In this study, the association between faecal L. intracellularis numbers and PE severity was examined in two L. intracellularis experimental challenge trials (n₁ = 32 and n₂ = 95). The number of L. intracellularis shed in individual faeces was determined by qPCR on days 0, 7, 14, 17 and 21 days post challenge, and average daily gain was recorded over the same period. The severity of histopathological lesions of PE was scored at 21 days post challenge. L. intracellularis numbers correlated well with histopathology severity and faecal consistency scores (r = 0.72 and 0.68, respectively), and negatively with ADG (r = ?0.44). Large reductions in ADG (131 g/day) occurred when the number of L. intracellularis shed by experimentally challenged pigs increased from 10⁷ to 10⁸ L. intracellularis, although smaller ADG reductions were also observed (15 g/day) when the number of L. intracellularis increased from 10⁶ to 10⁷ L. intracellularis.     

Two Newly Described Begomoviruses of Macroptilium lathyroides and Common Bean

ABSTRACT Macroptilium lathyroides, a perennial weed in the Caribbean region and Central America, is a host of Macroptilium yellow mosaic Florida virus (MaYMFV) and Macroptilium mosaic Puerto Rico virus (MaMPRV). The genomes of MaYMFV and MaMPRV were cloned from M. lathyroides and/or field-infected bean and the DNA sequences were determined. Cloned A and B components for both viruses were infectious when inoculated to M. lathyroides and common bean. Comparison of the DNA sequences for cloned A and B components with well-studied begomovirus indicated that MaMPRV (bean and M. lathyroides) and MaYMFV (M. lathyroides) are unique, previously undescribed begomo-viruses from the Western Hemisphere. Phylogenetic analysis of viral A components indicated that the closest relative of MaYMFV are members of the Bean golden yellow mosaic virus (BGYMV) group, at 76 to 78% nucleotide identity, whereas the closest relative for the A component of MaMPRV was Rhynchosia golden mosaic virus at 78% nucleotide identity. In contrast, BGYMV is the closest relative for the B component of both MaYMFV and MaMPRV, with which they share approximately 68.0 and approximately 72% identity, respectively. The incongruent taxonomic placement for the bipartite components for MaMPRV indicates that they did not evolve entirely along a common path. MaYMFV and MaMPRV caused distinctive symptoms in bean and M. lathyroides and were transmissible by the whitefly vector and by grafting; however, only MaYMFV was mechanically transmissible. The experimental host range for the two viruses was similar and included species within the families Fabaceae and Malvaceae, but only MaYMFV infected Malva parviflora and soybean. These results collectively indicate that MaMPRV and MaYMFV are new, previously undescribed species of the BGYMV group, a clade previously known to contain only strains and isolates of BGYMV from the Caribbean region that infect Phaseolus spp. Both MaYMFV and MaMPRV may pose an economic threat to bean production in the region.     

Sequence analysis and classification of apparent recombinant begomoviruses infecting tomato in the nile and mediterranean basins

ABSTRACT Numerous whitefly-transmitted viral diseases of tomato have emerged in countries around the Nile and Mediterranean Basins the last 20 years. These diseases are caused by monopartite geminiviruses (family Gemini viridae) belonging to the genus Begomovirus that probably resulted from numerous recombination events. The molecular biodiversity of these viruses was investigated to better appreciate the role and importance of recombination and to better clarify the phylogenetic relationships and classification of these viruses. The analysis partitioned the tomato-infecting begomoviruses from this region into two major clades, Tomato yellow leaf curl virus and Tomato yellow leaf curl Sardinia virus. Phylogenetic and pairwise analyses together with an evaluation for gene conversion were performed from which taxonomic classification and virus biodiversity conclusions were drawn. Six recombination hotspots and three homogeneous zones within the genome were identified among the tomatoinfecting isolates and species examined here, suggesting that the recombination events identified were not random occurrences.     

Brucella antibodies in sudanese camels

Summary Sera of 740 camels of both sexes from three regions of Sudan were tested for antibodies toBrucella abortus. The overall incidence of antibodies was 4.9%. The highest positive number of samples (7.5%) was from the Eastern Region followed by Darfur Region (3.1%) and the Central Region (2.0%).Brucella antibodies were as frequent in males (5.6%) as females (4.5%).

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Anticuerpos De Brucela En Camellos Sudadeses

Resumen Se analizaron 740 sueros de camellos de ambos sexos, provenientes de tres regiones de Sudán, para detectar anticuerpos deBrucella abortus. La incidencia general de anticuerpos fué de 4.9%. El más alto número de pruebas positivas (7.5%) correspondió a la Regió Oriental, seguida de la Región de Darfur (3.1%) y la Región Central (2.0%). Los anticuerpos fueron tan frecuentes en machos (4.5%), como en hembras (5.6%).

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Anticorps Brucelliques Chez Les Chameaux Du Soudan

Résumé Les anticorps anti-brucelliques (Brucella abortus) ont été recherchés dans les sérums de 740 chameaux des deux sexes originaires de trois régions du Soudan. L'incidence globale des anticorps étant de 4,9 p. 100. Le nombre d'échantillons positifs le plus élevé (7,5 p. 100) provenait de la région Est suivi par le Darfour (3,1 p. 100) et le Centre (2,0 p. 100). Les anticorps brucelliques étaient aussi fréquents chez les mâles (4,5 p. 100) que chez les femelles (5,6 p. 100).

     

Effects of altitude, distance and waves of movement on the dispersal in Australia of the arbovirus vector, Culicoides brevitarsis Kieffer (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae)

The dispersal of the biting midge and arbovirus vector Culicoides brevitarsis in the Bellinger, Macleay and Hastings river valleys and up the escarpment of the great dividing range (GDR) of mid-northern coastal New South Wales, Australia, from 1995 to 2003 was studied. The midge moved up these valleys from the endemic coastal plain in at least two waves between October and May, and both waves were modelled. Dispersal time can be explained by direct distance from the coast and the altitude of the sites. Dispersal times due to distance were similar at 18.2 ± 2.2 (S.D.) and 15.9 ± 2.6 weeks per 100 km for first- and second-occurrences at fixed altitude. Time of the first wave was extended 0.48 ± 0.22 weeks for every 100-m rise in altitude and the second by 1.14 ± 0.24 weeks for every 100-m rise for a set distance. Although C. brevitarsis can move up the escarpment of the GDR (and possibly transmit virus), vector dispersal, survival and establishment at and beyond the top of the range are limited. A third model showed that previously described slower movement of C. brevitarsis up the more-southerly Hunter valley relative to movements down the coastal plain also was related to increasing altitude.     

Molecular characterization and experimental host range of Euphorbia mosaic virus-Yucatan Peninsula, a begomovirus species in the Squash leaf curl virus clade

Euphorbia mosaic virus (EuMV), a tentative species within the genus Begomovirus, was isolated from Euphorbia heterophylla plants growing in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. The complete bipartite genome was cloned from total DNA extracts and the nucleotide (nt) sequence was determined. The DNA-A sequence of the EuMV-Yucatan Peninsula (EuMV-YP) isolate shared 95% nt identity with the partially characterized type EuMV isolate from Puerto Rico. The EuMV-YP genome organization was like that of other New World, bipartite begomoviruses. The DNA-A component was 2613 nt in size, while the DNA-B component was 2602 nt long. The 165-nt common region (CR) sequence for the DNA-A and DNA-B components shared a lower than expected nt identity of 86%. The organization and iterons of the putative AC1 binding site of EuMV-YP were similar to those of begomoviruses in the Squash leaf curl virus (SLCV) clade. Characteristic disease symptoms were reproduced in E. heterophylla plants inoculated at the seedling stage using the cloned viral DNA-A and DNA-B components, confirming disease aetiology. Results of an experimental host-range study for EuMV-YP indicated that it infected at least five species in three plant families, including the Euphorbiaceae ( E. heterophylla ), Solanaceae ( Datura stramonium , pepper, tomato) and Fabaceae (bean). Phylogenetic analysis of the DNA-A and DNA-B components indicated that EuMV-YP is a New World begomovirus and that it is a new member of the SLCV clade.     

Chino del tomate virus:Relationships to Other Begomoviruses and Identification of A-Component Variants that Affect Symptom Expression

Phylogenetic and distance analyses place Chino del tomate virus (CdTV) in the New World clade of begomoviruses and indicate that CdTV and Tomato leaf crumple virus (TLCrV) are closely related strains of the same virus. One cloned CdTV A component (pCdTV-H6), when inoculated to tomato with the B component (pCdTV-B52), produced mild symptoms and low DNA titers. Another cloned CdTV A component (pCdTV-H8), when coinoculated to tomato with the B component, produced moderate leaf curling and veinal chlorosis similar to that of TLCrV. Coinoculation of both CdTV A components and the B component to tomato produced wild-type chino del tomate (CdT) disease symptoms consisting of severe leaf curling, veinal and interveinal chlorosis, and stunting. The two CdTV A components were nearly identical, except at nucleotide positions 1,722 and 2,324. The polymorphism at nucleotide 1,722 resulted in a change at Rep amino acid 261. The second polymorphism at nucleotide 2,324 resulted in changes at Rep amino acid 60 and AC4 amino acid 10. Two chimeric A components constructed by reciprocal exchange of a fragment bearing the polymorphic site at nucleotide 1,722 were evaluated for symptom phenotype. One chimeric A component (pCdTV-H86) produced wild-type CdT symptoms when coinoculated to tomato with the B component. The reciprocal chimeric A component (pCdTV-H68), when coin-oculated to tomato with the B component, also produced severe leaf curling, veinal chlorosis, and stunting. However, pCdTV-H68 induced less obvious interveinal chlorosis than wild-type or pCdTV-H86. Examination of A component genotypes recovered from tomato coinoculated with pCdTV-H6 and pCdTV-H8 indicated that recombination occurred to produce a genotype identical to pCdTV-H86. These results indicate that subtle genotypic variation has significant effects on symptom expression and may explain phenotypic differences observed among isolates and cloned DNAs of CdTV and TLCrV.