Some characteristics of a natural infection by parainfluenza-3 virus in a group of calves.

Parainfluenza-3 (Pi3) virus infection in a group of 25 calves is described. The virus was isolated from the lungs of four calve at days 6, 7, 13 and 55 after they were housed together at birth. Intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies were seen by light microscopy in bronchial and bronchiolar epithelial cells of two of these calves. Virus infected cells were detected by electron microscopy in three of the four calves. Haemagglutination inhibition antibodies to Pi3 virus were found in the sera of the calves. Despite the virus being present in the group from one week, a significant increase in antibody titre was found in only two animals although all the calves were in contact with each other during the study period. The pulmonary lesions in the four infected calves consisted of a bronchitis and bronchiolitis with infiltration of the walls and lumena of these structures by neutrophils and an adjacent neutrophil infiltration of alveoli some of which were collapsed.     

highway stormwater runoff quality: development of surrogate parameter relationships

The development of relationships for predicting the impact of highway stormwater runoff is described. The predictive relationships are regression-based equations reflecting variations in the magnitude of the constituents of interest. The objective is to identify a subset of constituents that can be used as surrogates for the remaining constituents as a means of decreasing the costs of collection and measurement of highway stormwater runoff quality data. The Minnesota highway stormwater quality database complied in the late 1970's and early 1980's is employed in identifying the set of surrogate parameters. The findings indicate that total suspended solids, total dissolved solids, total volatile solids, and total organic carbon are effective surrogate parameters for numerous metals, ionic species, and nutrients. The findings also indicated that the developed ionic species constituent relationships are portable, while the metal and nutrient constituent relationships were limited to urban sites with similar environmental conditions. The development of these relationships represents a step towards remediating and preventing the problem of nonpoint source highway pollution.     

the effect of phosphate on the transformation of ferrihydrite into crystalline products in alkaline media

The presence of phosphate retards the transformation of ferrihydrite into crystalline products. Increasing phosphate from 0 to 1 mole % results in an order of magnitude decrease in the rate of transformation of ferrihydrite at pH 12. Levels of phosphate of ～1 mol % suppress the formation of goethite (α-FeO(OH)) and result in the formation of a product consisting ofη-Fe₂O₃. Higher levels of phosphate result in the ferrihydrite remaining amorphous, even after several hundred hours. Phosphate prevents formation of goethite by hindering the dissolution of ferrihydrite rather than by interfering with nucleation and growth of goethite in solution. The transformation rate of pure ferrihydrite is also strongly inhibited in the presence of dissolved phosphate. This is due to surface complexation. The transformation rate was measured at temperatures of 60 °C and 70 °C. The rate of transformation was found to be described by either (i) a solid-state reaction equation for powdered compacts or (ii) a zero-order reaction controlled by desorption. The transformation of the ferrihydrite matrix was accompanied by the loss of the phosphate trace component. X-ray diffraction indicates that no solid solution involving phosphate substitution intoη-Fe₂O₃ is formed. Transmission electron microphotographs of the original precipitates containing phosphate confirm the presence of the phosphate and demonstrate its involvement in linking together extremely small particles of ferrihydrite.     

Antibody titres to lamb rotavirus in colostrum and milk of vaccinated ewes.

Ewes were vaccinated two to three weeks prior to mating with a formalin-treated preparation of lamb rotavirus. The colostrum and milk produced by vaccinated ewes after the subsequent pregnancy were shown to contain significantly higher titres of antibody to the virus than did mammary secretions from non-vaccinates. The virus neutralising antibody activity was associated with IgG in both colostrum and milk. However, IgG concentrations in the mammary secretions of vaccinates and non-vaccinates did not differ. It is suggested that vaccination of the dam may be of value in protecting the suckled neonatal lamb against rotavirus infection.     

A rotavirus in lambs with diarrhoea.

A reovirus-like agent was identified from an outbreak of enteritis in young lambs. From its morphology and immunological relationship with calf rotavirus, it was concluded that it was a rotavirus which infects lambs.     

Virus infections in cattle and sheep in Scotland 1975-1978

Over the four-year period 1975-78 attempts were made to identify virus in samples from 1231 outbreaks of disease in cattle, and 682 outbreaks of disease in sheep. A virus identification was possible in 26 per cent of these disease outbreaks. The nature and significance of these virus infections is discussed.     

Diarrhoea in dairy calves reduced by feeding colostrum from cows vaccinated with rotavirus

Forty-two dairy calves remained with their dams for two days after birth, and then were removed to a calf rearing shed. Calves were allocated to three groups for the next 14 days, and received twice daily either whole milk, whole milk with a 10 per cent supplement of pooled normal bovine colostrum or whole milk with 10 per cent supplement of colostrum from cows vaccinated with rotavirus. A natural outbreak of diarrhoea occurred, affecting 28 of the 42 calves. Feeding immune colostrum delayed the onset of diarrhoea, and reduced its incidence, duration and severity. Live weight gains were consequently improved. The group fed normal colostrum had diarrhoea intermediate in severity between that of control calves and those fed immune colostrum. The aetiology of the diarrhoea was complex, with calves excreting rotavirus, enteropathogenic Escherichia coli and cryptosporidia.