Detection of DNA of the finch polyomavirus in diseases of various types of birds in the order Passeriformes

Between 2000 and 2004 a disease occurred in an aviary in Germany affecting various bird species belonging to the order Passeriformes including Collared Grosbeaks (Mycerobas affinis), Eurasian Bullfinches (Pyrrhula pyrrhula griseiventris), Brown Bullfinches (Pyrrhula nipalensis), Grey-headed bullfinches (Pyrrhula erythaca) and Yellow-bellied Tits (Periparus venustulus).The major clinical signs included increased mortality of fledglings and young birds, as well as feather disorders and feather loss in adult birds. In addition, adult Eurasian Bullfinches showed in one year a disease course, in which the major symptom was inflammation of the skin beginning on the basis of the beak and spreading over the head occurring a few days before death. Bacteriological and parasitological investigations did not reveal any consistent findings. Using a newly developed polymerase chain reaction protocol, DNA of the recently discovered finch polyomavirus (FPyV) was demonstrated in several affected birds. Because of the consistent detection of FPyV-DNA and the similarity of the symptoms with those observed during infection with the closely related avian polyomavirus in other bird species, an etiological role of FPyV in the observed disease is assumed.     

Runoff estimation in southern Brazil based on Smith's modified model and the Curve Number method

The objective of this work was to measure and model the runoff for different soils classes at different rainfall intensities (30, 60 and 120 mm h⁻¹) in Southern Brazil. A portable rainfall simulator with multiple nozzles was used to simulate these rainfall intensities. For each soil, the initial time and runoff rate, rainfall characteristics (total, duration and intensities), surface slope, crop residue amount and cover percentage, soil densities (bulk and particle), soil porosity (bulk, macro and micro), textural fractions (clay, silt and sand), and the initial and saturated soil water content were measured. The runoff measured was compared to Smith's modified and Curve Number (USDA-SCS) models. The cumulative runoff losses were 67, 45 and 27% of the total rainfall, for a Rhodic Paleudalf, Typic Quartzipsamment and Rhodic Hapludox, respectively. An inverse relationship was observed between initial runoff and the runoff rate, independently of the soil surface and rainfall conditions. Increasing rainfall intensity decreased the time to runoff and increased runoff rate. The Smith's modified model overestimated the cumulative runoff by about 4%. The Smith's modified model presented a better estimate for both higher and lower rainfall intensities (120 and 30 mm h⁻¹). The SCS Curve Number model overestimated the cumulative runoff by about 34%. This large overestimate is probably due to that the model did not take into account the soil tillage system used in the field by farmers, particularly for irrigated conditions. The combination of high porosity, low bulk density and presence of crop residue on soil surface decreased runoff losses, independently of the soil texture class. Smith's modified model better estimated the surface runoff for soil with a high soil water content, and it was considered satisfactory for Southern Brazil runoff estimations. The SCS Curve Number model overestimated the cumulative runoff and its use needs adjustments particularly for no-tillage management system.     

Experimental infection of domestic pigeons with pigeon circovirus

Pigeon circovirus (PiCV) infection and young pigeon disease syndrome (YPDS), associated with high morbidity and mortality, have been recognized in young racing pigeons from large portions of Central Europe. There exist a number of data indicating that YPDS is a consequence of PiCV infection and subsequent immunosuppression. In order to prove PiCV to be one of the crucial factors of YPDS, an experimental infection with PiCV was performed under controlled conditions. Twenty-four domestic pigeons (Columba livia forma domestica) were divided into two groups with 12 pigeons each; an infection group and a control group. All birds were between their fourth to eighth week of life. Pigeons in the infection group were infected both intramuscularly and orally with PiCV purified from naturally infected birds, while pigeons in the control group received a placebo. To test a possible influence of the PiCV infection on the immune system, the animals in both groups were vaccinated simultaneously, on the same day, against PMV-1 (Lasovac plus, IDT, Dessau-Tornau, Germany). Weekly virologic testing showed a viraemic period, and excretion of the infection virus, in pigeons in the infection group. Replication of PiCV could be proved on the basis of histologic findings of multiglobular inclusion bodies, mainly observed in macrophages of the bursa of Fabricius. A PiCV, genetically distinct from the experimental virus, was detected in the control group by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing, but any histologic findings comparable to the infection group were absent. None of the pigeons revealed clinical signs of illness, or hints that immunosuppression had occurred, regardless of their group. The absence of stressful conditions, considered as a trigger for the development of YPDS, may be responsible for the failure of disease reproduction in our infection model.     

Rotaviruses: diversity and zoonotic potential--a brief review

Rotaviruses, a genus within the family Reoviridae, are among the most important etiological agents of severe diarrhoeal illness in humans and animals worldwide. Their genome, consisting of 11 segments of double-stranded RNA, is characterized by genetic variability including (i) point mutations, (ii) genomic reassortment, and (iii) genome rearrangements, thus leading to the considerable diversity of rotaviruses. Animal rotaviruses are regarded as a potential reservoir for genetic exchange with human rotaviruses.There is now increasing evidence that animal rotaviruses can infect humans, either by direct transmission of the virus or by contributing one or several genes to reassortants with essentially a human strain genetic background. As mixed infections are a prerequisite for reassortment events, cosurveillance of animal and human rotavirus strains will be vital to gain a better understanding of the relationships between cocirculating viruses, as well as assessing any relevant vaccination programs.     

Detection of hepatitis E virus in archived German wild boar serum samples

Hepatitis E is a rare human disease in Central Europe commonly imported from endemic regions. For autochthonous infections a zoonotic transmission from pigs, deer and wild boar is assumed. Using three different RT-PCR protocols, hepatitis E virus (HEV) RNA was detected in 10 out of 189 (5.3%) serum samples collected in 1995/1996 from wild boars in Germany. Sequence analysis indicates a close relationship with genotype 3 isolates of pigs and humans from the Netherlands and Japan. The results indicate that HEV is present in Germany since more than 10 years and that wild boar may function as a reservoir for HEV.