Increased humoral antibody response of foot-and-mouth disease virus vaccine in growing pigs pre-treated with poly-γ-glutamic acid

This study was conducted to determine if humoral antibody response of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccine improved in 8-week-old growing pigs born to well-vaccinated sows pre-treated with 60 mg of poly-γ-glutamic acid (γ-PGA) three days before vaccination. Antibody against FMD virus serotype O was measured 0, 2, 4 and 6 weeks post-vaccination, using a PrioCHECK FMDV type O ELISA kit. The results showed that positive antibody reactions against FMDV serotype O antigen among a component of the vaccine significantly increased in response to pre-injection with γ-PGA.     

Hepatitis E virus as an emerging zoonotic pathogen

Hepatitis E outbreaks are a serious public health concern in developing countries. The disease causes acute infections, primarily in young adults. The mortality rate is approximately 2%; however, it can exceed 20% in pregnant women in some regions in India. The causative agent, hepatitis E virus (HEV), has been isolated from several animal species, including pigs. HEV genotypes 3 and 4 have been isolated from both humans and animals, and are recognized as zoonotic pathogens. Seroprevalence studies in animals and humans indirectly suggest that HEV infections occur worldwide. The virus is primarily transmitted to humans via undercooked animal meats in developed countries. Moreover, transfusion- and transplantation-mediated HEV infections have recently been reported. This review summarizes the general characteristics of hepatitis E, HEV infection status in animals and humans, the zoonotic transmission modes of HEV, and HEV vaccine development status.     

Diagnosing feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) infection in FIV-vaccinated and FIV-unvaccinated cats using saliva

We recently showed that two immunochromatography point-of-care FIV antibody test kits (Witness FeLV/FIV and Anigen Rapid FIV/FeLV) were able to correctly assign FIV infection status, irrespective of FIV vaccination history, using whole blood as the diagnostic specimen. A third FIV antibody test kit, SNAP FIV/FeLV Combo (an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA]), was unable to differentiate antibodies produced in response to FIV vaccination from those incited by FIV infection. The aim of this study was to determine if saliva is a suitable diagnostic specimen using the same well characterized feline cohort. FIV infection status of these cats had been determined previously using a combination of serology, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing and virus isolation. This final assignment was then compared to results obtained using saliva as the diagnostic specimen utilizing the same three point-of-care FIV antibody test kits and commercially available PCR assay (FIV RealPCR). In a population of cats where one third (117/356; 33%) were FIV-vaccinated, both immunochromatography test kits accurately diagnosed FIV infection using saliva via a centrifugation method, irrespective of FIV vaccination history. For FIV diagnosis using saliva, the specificity of Anigen Rapid FIV/FeLV and Witness FeLV/FIV was 100%, while the sensitivity of these kits was 96% and 92% respectively. SNAP FIV/FeLV Combo had a specificity of 98% and sensitivity of 44%, while FIV RealPCR testing had a specificity of 100% and sensitivity of 72% using saliva. A revised direct method of saliva testing was trialed on a subset of FIV-infected cats (n = 14), resulting in 14, 7 and 0 FIV positive results using Anigen Rapid FIV/FeLV, Witness FeLV/FIV and SNAP FIV/FeLV Combo, respectively. These results demonstrate that saliva can be used to diagnose FIV infection, irrespective of FIV vaccination history, using either a centrifugation method (Anigen Rapid FIV/FeLV and Witness FeLV/FIV) or a direct method (Anigen Rapid FIV/FeLV). Collection of a saliva specimen therefore provides an acceptable alternative to venipuncture (i) in fractious cats where saliva may be easier to obtain than whole blood, (ii) in settings when a veterinarian or trained technician is unavailable to collect blood and (iii) in shelters where FIV testing is undertaken prior to adoption but additional blood testing is not required.     

TeMV与PWV侵染对西番莲代谢生理及组织微结构的影响

以西番莲品种‘台农1号’为实验材料,通过电镜扫描技术比较观测TeMV和PWV侵染与健康西番莲的叶片、幼嫩果实外果皮组织形态结构,分析测定其叶片生理生化变化,研究西番莲病毒侵染对西番莲叶片和幼嫩果实外果皮组织结构和生理生化的影响。结果表明：TeMV与PWV侵染后,西番莲植株叶片的海绵组织细胞间隙缩小,发生成团堆积状排列,栅栏组织细胞萎缩,呈不规则长条形;幼嫩果实外表皮组织中石细胞层发生严重断裂,排列松散,海绵层细胞变得松散,且发生较严重的木质化现象;叶片与幼嫩果实外表皮表面纹理粗糙、褶皱,气孔保卫细胞萎缩,气孔周围组织皱缩、粗燥;感病果实外果皮表面上的腺毛凸起无序。病毒侵染后,感病植株第1～3叶的蔗糖含量较第4～6叶的高23.11%;健康叶片则相对平衡,降低了淀粉积累、PG酶、纤维素酶与PPO酶活性,提高了感病植株第1～3叶的α-淀粉酶、GS酶与POD酶活性。西番莲受TeMV与PWV侵染后,植株叶片第1～6叶营养物质分配不平衡,相关物质的合成分解与抗氧化防御酶系统受伤害,叶片与果实组织形态结构受到不同程度的损坏,植株正常吸收功能遭到破坏。     

华南三省(自治区)部分西番莲种植区花叶病病原检测及EAPV多聚蛋白基因序列分析

<正>西番莲(Passiflora edulis Sims.)是热带亚热带地区重要经济作物,我国福建、广东、广西、海南等地广泛种植[1]。调查发现,我国南方多地西番莲花叶病为害严重,症状表现为叶片花叶、黄化、斑驳、畸形,甚至整株褪绿,严重影响西番莲的产量和品质。已报道能引起西番莲花叶症状的病毒有：黄瓜花叶病毒属(Cucumovirus)的黄瓜花叶病毒(cucumber mosaic virus, CMV),     

玉米黄花叶病毒运动蛋白的原核表达纯化与抗血清制备

为实现对玉米黄花叶病毒（maize yellow mosaic virus,MaYMV）的血清学检测,丰富该病毒的检测方法,将编码MaYMV运动蛋白（movement protein,MP）的基因连接到原核表达载体pDBHis-MBP上,将构建成功的原核表达质粒转化到大肠杆菌Escherichia coli中诱导表达融合蛋白,将纯化后的融合蛋白对新西兰大白兔Oryctolagus cuniculus进行免疫并制备MaYMV MP多克隆抗血清,并采用Western blot对抗血清的效价、灵敏度和特异性进行检测。结果显示,利用成功构建的原核表达载体经诱导表达获得分子量大小约为62 kD的融合蛋白,纯化后对新西兰大白兔进行免疫获得MaYMV MP抗血清,该抗血清的效价为1∶128 000,灵敏度为1∶32,且该抗血清能够特异性地检测到本氏烟Nicotiana benthamiana中瞬时表达的MaYMV MP,而不与马铃薯卷叶病毒属Polerovirus及黄症病毒属Luteovirus的其他病毒发生血清学交叉反应,证明该抗血清具有良好的特异性。表明本研究制备的MaYMV MP抗血清能特异性...     

福建三明地区柑橘病毒类病原种类的鉴定及检测

为了明确福建省三明地区柑橘病毒类病原(病毒和类病毒)种类,利用RT-PCR技术对其进行了鉴定和检测,并对其检出率进行了分析。结果表明,从207份柑橘叶片样品中检出柑橘衰退病毒(citrus tristeza virus, CTV)、柑橘黄化脉明病毒(citrus yellow vein clearing virus, CYVCV)、柑橘叶斑驳病毒(citrus leaf blotch virus, CLBV)和蚜虫致死麻痹病毒(aphid lethal paralysis virus, ALPV)等4种病毒以及柑橘曲叶类病毒(citrus bent leaf viroid, CBLVd)、啤酒花矮化类病毒(hop stunt viroid, HSVd)、柑橘矮化类病毒(citrus dwarfing viroid, CDVd)、柑橘类病毒Ⅴ(citrus viroidⅤ, CVdⅤ)和柑橘类病毒Ⅵ(citrus viroidⅥ, CVdⅥ)等5种类病毒。其中,CTV、CYVCV、CLBV和ALPV的检出率分别是71.01%、66.67%、0.97%和6.28%,CBLVd、HSVd、C...     

Hepatitis E virus in Cuba: A cross-sectional serological and virological study in pigs and people occupationally exposed to pigs

Surveillance of hepatitis E virus (HEV) in risk groups is an important strategy to monitor its circulation pattern and to timely detect changes thereof. The aims of this cross-sectional study were to estimate the prevalence of HEV infections in pigs and humans from different regions of the country, to identify risk factors for increasing anti-HEV IgG prevalence and to characterize HEV strains. The presence of anti-HEV antibodies was assessed by commercial ELISA in serum samples from the general population, farm and slaughterhouse employees, as well as pigs sampled in the three regions of Cuba from February to September 2016. Overall, individuals with occupational exposure to swine or swine products (70/248, 28.2%) were 4 times more likely to be seropositive compared to the general population (25/285, 8.7%; OR: 4.18; p < .001). Within the risk group, risk factors included age, number of years working in a professional activity with direct exposure to swine, geographic region and distance between residence and closest professional swine setting, while wearing gloves had a protective effect. Prevalence of total anti-HEV antibodies in swine was 88.2% (165/187) and HEV RNA was detected by real-time RT-PCR in 9.2% (16/173) swine stools. All HEV strains sequenced clustered within genotype 3. Some strains clearly belonged to subtype 3a, while another group of strains was related with subtypes 3b and 3 k but partial HEV sequences did not allow unequivocal subtype assignment. These findings suggest that the high HEV exposure in Cuban individuals with swine-related occupations could be due to enzootic HEV in certain regions, direct contact with infectious animals or their products as well as environmental contamination.     

Tick-borne encephalitis epidemic in Hungary 1951–2021: The story and lessons learned

The authors analysed epidemiological data of the Hungarian tick-borne encephalitis epidemic from the past seven decades. A total of 911 meningitis serosa cases were described from 1930-1950 s by local hospital physicians, indicating that the virus had been present in the country decades before its official identification in 1952. The virus spread freely in the 1950s–1960s, occupying almost all habitats where ticks occurred in large numbers. The increasing number of cases drove authorities to classify this illness as a notifiable disease in 1977 and to organize the first measures to stop the epidemic. Statistical analysis revealed that the large-scale vaccination launched from the 1990s was responsible for the sharp decrease in the number of human cases from 1997. A significant negative correlation was found between the number of vaccine doses sold and human cases 6 years later. The TBEV endemic area covers 16.57% of the territory and 16.65% of the population of the country. In the last 10 years, 186,000 vaccine doses/year in average were enough to keep the incidence of human TBEV infections between 0.45 and 0.06/100,000 persons. A 20-year-long study found evidence for easing clinical signs in TBEV-infected hospitalized patients. Statistics found a sharp decrease in the number of samples sent for TBEV diagnosis after 1989. Male dominance of patients was characteristic of the epidemics since the 1940s, but now analysis of detailed data from the 1981–2021 period (60.5%–87.5%) proved the statistical significance of this dominance. Obviously, the voluntary vaccination programme was the tool which broke the spread of the epidemic. Widespread public awareness of the disease and the tick vector, probable evolutionary spread of less pathogenic virus strains supplemented with the vaccination campaign led to a negligible level of human TBE cases in Hungary in the last years.