scholarly journals Rotavirus C: prevalence in suckling piglets and development of virus-like particles to assess the influence of maternal immunity on the disease development

2019 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Juliet Chepngeno ◽  
Annika Diaz ◽  
Francine C. Paim ◽  
Linda J. Saif ◽  
Anastasia N. Vlasova
Keyword(s):  
Cell Culture ◽  
Diarrheal Disease ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Disease Development ◽  
Fecal Samples ◽  
Virus Like Particles ◽  
Maternal Immunity ◽  
The Us ◽  
Suckling Piglets ◽  
Major Impediment

Abstract Rotavirus C (RVC) has been detected increasingly in humans and swine in different countries, including the US. It is associated with significant economic losses due to diarrheal disease in nursing piglets. In this study we aimed: (1) to determine the prevalence of RVC in healthy and diarrheic suckling piglets on US farms; and (2) to evaluate if maternal antibody (Ab) levels were associated with protection of newborn suckling piglets against RVC. There was a significantly higher prevalence (p = 0.0002) of litters with diarrhea born to gilts compared with those born to multiparous sows. Of 113 nursing piglet fecal samples tested, 76.1% were RVC RNA positive. Fecal RVC RNA was detected in significantly (p = 0.0419) higher quantities and more frequently in piglets with diarrhea compared with healthy ones (82.5 vs. 69.9%). With the exception of the historic strain Cowden (G1 genotype), field RVC strains do not replicate in cell culture, which is a major impediment for studying RVC pathogenesis and immunity. To circumvent this, we generated RVC virus-like particles (VLPs) for Cowden (G1), RV0104 (G3) and RV0143 (G6) and used them as antigens in ELISA to detect swine RVC Abs in serum and milk from the sows. Using RVC-VLP Ab ELISA we demonstrated that sows with diarrheic litters had significantly lower RVC IgA and IgG Ab titers in milk compared to those with healthy litters. Thus, our data suggest that insufficient lactogenic protection provided by gilts plays a key role in the development of and the increased prevalence of clinical RVC disease.

scholarly journals Current status of porcine epidemic diarrhoea (PED) in European pigs

2019 ◽  
Vol 63 (4) ◽  
pp. 465-470
Author(s):  
Marta Antas ◽  
Grzegorz Woźniakowski
Keyword(s):  
Rna Virus ◽  
Acute Diarrhoea ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Porcine Epidemic Diarrhoea Virus ◽  
Diarrhoea Virus ◽  
The Us ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Suckling Piglets ◽  
Farming Industry

Abstract Porcine epidemic diarrhoea (PED) is a highly contagious and devastating enteric disease of pigs caused by porcine epidemic diarrhoea virus (PEDV), an enveloped, single-stranded RNA virus belonging to the Alphacoronavirus genus of the Coronaviridae family. The disease is clinically similar to other forms of porcine gastroenteritis. Pigs are the only known host of the disease, and the occurrence of PED in wild boars is unknown. The virus causes acute diarrhoea, vomiting, dehydration, and high mortality in suckling piglets reaching 100%. Heavy economic losses in the pig-farming industry were sustained in the USA between 2013 and 2015 when PEDV spread very quickly and resulted in epidemics. The loss in the US pig industry has been estimated at almost seven million pigs. The purpose of this review is a description of the current status of porcine epidemic diarrhoea in European pigs and the risk presented by the introduction of PEDV to Poland in comparison to the epidemics in the USA.

Porcine teschovirus, sapelovirus, and enterovirus in Swiss pigs: multiplex RT-PCR investigation of viral frequencies and disease association

2021 ◽  
pp. 104063872110258
Author(s):  
Tamara Stäubli ◽  
Charlotte I. Rickli ◽  
Paul R. Torgerson ◽  
Cornel Fraefel ◽  
Julia Lechmann
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Signs ◽  
Virus Detection ◽  
Common Finding ◽  
Fecal Samples ◽  
High Frequencies ◽  
Reverse Transcription Pcr ◽  
Suckling Piglets ◽  
Porcine Teschovirus ◽  
Fattening Pigs ◽  
Pathology Data

Porcine teschovirus (PTV), sapelovirus (PSV-A), and enterovirus (EV-G) are enteric viruses that can infect pigs and wild boars worldwide. The viruses have been associated with several diseases, primarily gastrointestinal, neurologic, reproductive, and respiratory disorders, but also with subclinical infections. However, for most serotypes, proof of a causal relationship between viral infection and clinical signs is still lacking. In Switzerland, there has been limited investigation of the occurrence of the 3 viruses. We used a modified multiplex reverse-transcription PCR protocol to study the distribution of the viruses in Swiss pigs by testing 363 fecal, brain, and placental or abortion samples from 282 healthy and diseased animals. We did not detect the 3 viruses in 94 placental or abortion samples or in 31 brain samples from healthy pigs. In brain tissue of 81 diseased pigs, we detected 5 PSV-A and 4 EV-G positive samples. In contrast, all 3 viruses were detected at high frequencies in fecal samples of both healthy and diseased pigs. In healthy animals, PTV was detected in 47%, PSV-A in 51%, and EV-G in 70% of the 76 samples; in diseased animals, frequencies in the 81 samples were 54%, 64%, and 68%, respectively. The viruses were detected more frequently in fecal samples from weaned and fattening pigs compared to suckling piglets and sows. Co-detections of all 3 viruses were the most common finding. Based on clinical and pathology data, statistical analysis yielded no evidence for an association of virus detection and disease. Further research is required to determine if pathogenicity is linked to specific serotypes of these viruses.

scholarly journals Experimental infection of broiler chicks with Salmonella Typhimurium from pigeon (Columba livia)

2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 1919
Author(s):  
Átilla Holanda de Albuquerque ◽  
Régis Siqueira de Castro Teixeira ◽  
Débora Nishi Machado ◽  
Elisângela De Souza Lopes ◽  
Ruben Horn Vasconcelos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Salmonella Typhimurium ◽  
Clinical Signs ◽  
Columba Livia ◽  
Poultry Feed ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Broiler Chicks ◽  
Post Inoculation ◽  
Microbiological Analysis ◽  
Fecal Samples

Several cases of animal and human salmonellosis caused by the Salmonella serotype Typhimurium have been reported. In animals, subclinical infection favors pathogen dissemination through feces. In this context, the domestic pigeon (Columba livia) with an asymptomatic condition may play an important role in the transmission of salmonellosis, through the elimination of contaminated feces in commercial aviaries or in poultry feed facilities, causing economic losses to the poultry industry and presenting a risk to public health. This study aimed to evaluate the mortality, clinical signs and the presence of Salmonella Typhimurium in the feces and organs of chicks previously inoculated with bacteria isolated from a pigeon. One-day-old chicks were distributed in two experimental groups (G1 and G2) of 32 birds each, and a control group of six birds. Two inocula of 0.4 and 0.7 mL with 105 and 106 colony forming units were used in G1 and G2 birds, respectively. At 1, 4, 7 and 14 days post-inoculation (dpi) fecal samples were pooled from each cage and individual cloacal swabs were collected. At 14 dpi, all chicks were euthanized and samples were collected from the liver, spleen, lung, cecum and intestine for microbiological analysis. Mortality was only observed among G2 birds (6.25%). Most birds presented clinical signs of diarrhea at 4 dpi and no symptom as observed at 14 dpi. The results from cloacal swabs demonstrated bacterial elimination in 68.8% and 53.1% of G2 and G1 birds, respectively at 1 dpi. Additionally, fecal samples had elevated bacterial shedding in all four periods of observation , with a higher excretion at 4 dpi (62.5%) for both groups. Among G2 birds, 74.2% were positive for the pathogen in the intestine; G1 birds presented the lowest rate of lung infection (29%), and both groups had more than 50% positivity for liver and caeca. The results revealed that infected chicks with a Salmonella Typhimurium strains isolated from pigeons may host the pathogen in several organs, and simultaneously present diarrheic disorders with significant levels of bacterial excretion in feces.

Atrocity victimization and the costs of economic conflict crimes in the battle for Baghdad and Iraq

2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 481-498 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Hagan ◽  
Joshua Kaiser ◽  
Daniel Rothenberg ◽  
Anna Hanson ◽  
Patricia Parker
Keyword(s):  
Political Violence ◽  
Political Conflict ◽  
Crimes Against Humanity ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Humanitarian Law ◽  
The Us ◽  
Economic Conflict ◽  
The City ◽  
Domestic Law ◽  
Invasion Of Iraq

Economic conflict crimes are defined in this paper as violations of international human rights and humanitarian law, as well as domestic law, associated with military and political conflict and producing significant monetary as well as other forms of suffering for civilians. Criminologists are well positioned by disciplinary emphasis to document and explain military and political violence resulting in economic conflict crimes. Criminal victimization associated with the US-led invasion of Iraq imposed an enormous toll on civilians. Yet there is little attention by criminologists or others to the profound economic costs to Iraqis, whether through lost property, life, or opportunities. We cautiously estimate that the economic losses for households in the city of Baghdad alone were almost US$100 billion, and more than three times this amount for the entire country, with Sunni groups experiencing significantly greater losses than others. So far as we know, our article presents the first estimates of civilian losses from economic conflict crimes that followed the US-led invasion of Iraq. These losses were widespread and systematic, the hallmarks of crimes against humanity.

scholarly journals Risk of African swine fever virus introduction into the United States through smuggling of pork in air passenger luggage

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina Jurado ◽  
Lina Mur ◽  
María Sol Pérez Aguirreburualde ◽  
Estefanía Cadenas-Fernández ◽  
Beatriz Martínez-López ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Western Europe ◽  
African Swine Fever Virus ◽  
African Swine Fever ◽  
The United States ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Swine Industry ◽  
Virus Surveillance ◽  
Global Epidemiology ◽  
The Us ◽  
Mean Risk

Abstract African swine fever causes substantial economic losses in the swine industry in affected countries. Traditionally confined to Africa with only occasional incursions into other regions, ASF began spreading into Caucasian countries and Eastern Europe in 2007, followed by Western Europe and Asia in 2018. Such a dramatic change in the global epidemiology of ASF has resulted in concerns that the disease may continue to spread into disease-free regions such as the US. In this study, we estimated the risk of introduction of ASF virus into the US through smuggling of pork in air passenger luggage. Results suggest that the mean risk of ASFV introduction into the US via this route has increased by 183.33% from the risk estimated before the disease had spread into Western Europe or Asia. Most of the risk (67.68%) was associated with flights originating from China and Hong Kong, followed by the Russian Federation (26.92%). Five US airports accounted for >90% of the risk. Results here will help to inform decisions related to the design of ASF virus surveillance strategies in the US.

scholarly journals Present Status and Perspective on the Future Use of Aflatoxin Biocontrol Products

Agronomy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 491 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Moral ◽  
Maria Teresa Garcia-Lopez ◽  
Boris X. Camiletti ◽  
Ramon Jaime ◽  
Themis J. Michailides ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Aflatoxin Contamination ◽  
Review Article ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Future Perspectives ◽  
Important Food ◽  
Active Ingredients ◽  
Practical Strategy ◽  
The Us ◽  
Food And Feed ◽  
Agricultural Industries

Aflatoxin contamination of important food and feed crops occurs frequently in warm tropical and subtropical regions. The contamination is caused mainly by Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus. Aflatoxin contamination negatively affects health and trade sectors and causes economic losses to agricultural industries. Many pre- and post-harvest technologies can limit aflatoxin contamination but may not always reduce aflatoxin concentrations below tolerance thresholds. However, the use of atoxigenic (non-toxin producing) isolates of A. flavus to competitively displace aflatoxin producers is a practical strategy that effectively limits aflatoxin contamination in crops from field to plate. Biocontrol products formulated with atoxigenic isolates as active ingredients have been registered for use in the US, several African nations, and one such product is in final stages of registration in Italy. Many other nations are seeking to develop biocontrol products to protect their crops. In this review article we present an overview of the biocontrol technology, explain the basis to select atoxigenic isolates as active ingredients, describe how formulations are developed and tested, and describe how a biocontrol product is used commercially. Future perspectives on formulations of aflatoxin biocontrol products, along with other important topics related to the aflatoxin biocontrol technology are also discussed.

scholarly journals Keeping up with new technology: new approaches to diagnosis of Chlamydia infection

1996 ◽  
Vol 42 (5) ◽  
pp. 809-812 ◽  
Author(s):  
W D LeBar
Keyword(s):  
Cell Culture ◽  
Nucleic Acid ◽  
Clinical Utility ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Nucleic Acid Amplification ◽  
Chlamydia Infection ◽  
Chain Reaction ◽  
Sexually Transmitted ◽  
The Us ◽  
Infected Sample

Abstract Chlamydia trachomatis infections are among the most common sexually transmitted infections in the US today. One of the keys to the prevention of C. trachomatis infection rests on the ability to make this diagnosis on the basis of accurate laboratory testing. For many years the standard for diagnosis of C. trachomatis infections has been isolation in tissue culture. Numerous nonculture methods, including enzyme immunoassay, have been used as an alternative to cell culture. The performance characteristics of these tests have all been compared with a standard, cell culture, which at best will detect 90% of positive specimens. Nucleic acid amplification techniques, including PCR and ligase chain reaction, have been recently introduced. The advantage of these tests is their ability to detect 10-20% more positive specimens when compared with culture or confirmed nonculture methods performed with a single specimen. The sensitivity of amplified tests also allows us to test specimens from multiple sites (endocervix, urethra, urine), which expands our standard from an infected sample to detection of an infected patient. Tests based on amplified nucleic acid technology have greatly improved our ability to diagnose urogenital C. trachomatis infection. The use of an expanded standard will help us accurately define the true performance and clinical utility of nonculture Chlamydia diagnostic tests.

scholarly journals Potential economic losses to the US corn industry from aflatoxin contamination

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 540-550 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole J. Mitchell ◽  
Erin Bowers ◽  
Charles Hurburgh ◽  
Felicia Wu
Keyword(s):  
Aflatoxin Contamination ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
The Us

Blind trials evaluating in vitro infectivity ofCryptosporidiumoocysts using cell culture immunofluorescence

2007 ◽  
Vol 53 (5) ◽  
pp. 656-663 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zia Bukhari ◽  
David M. Holt ◽  
Michael W. Ware ◽  
Frank W. Schaefer
Keyword(s):  
Cell Culture ◽  
Environmental Protection ◽  
Environmental Protection Agency ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Protection Agency ◽  
The Us ◽  
Cryptosporidium Parvum Oocysts ◽  
High Degree ◽  
Blind Trials

An optimized cell culture immunofluorescence (IFA) procedure, using the HCT-8 cell line, was evaluated in blind trials to determine the sensitivity and reproducibility of measuring the infectivity of flow-cytometry-prepared inocula of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts. In separate trials, suspensions consisting of between 0% and 100% viable oocysts were prepared at the US Environmental Protection Agency, shipped to the American Water Laboratory, and analyzed blindly by cell culture IFA. Data indicated the control (100% live) oocyst suspensions yielded statistically similar results to cell culture dose–response curve data developed previously at the American Water Laboratory. For test samples containing oocyst suspensions of unknown infectivity, cell culture IFA analyses indicated a high degree of correlation (r2= 0.89; n = 26) with the values expected by the US Environmental Protection Agency. Cell culture infectivity correlates well with neonatal mouse infectivity assays, and these blind validation trials provide credibility for the cell culture IFA procedure as a cost-effective and expedient alternative to mouse infectivity assays for determining in vitro infectivity of C. parvum oocysts.

scholarly journals Immunogenicity of an Autogenous Streptococcus suis Bacterin in Preparturient Sows and Their Piglets in Relation to Protection after Weaning

2010 ◽  
Vol 17 (10) ◽  
pp. 1589-1597 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christoph Georg Baums ◽  
Christian Brüggemann ◽  
Christoph Kock ◽  
Andreas Beineke ◽  
Karl-Heinz Waldmann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Streptococcus Suis ◽  
Inhibitory Effect ◽  
Active Immunization ◽  
Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay ◽  
Maternal Immunity ◽  
Humoral Immune ◽  
Specific Pathogen ◽  
Suckling Piglets ◽  
Specific Igg ◽  
Weaning Piglets

ABSTRACT Streptococcus suis is an important porcine pathogen causing meningitis and other invasive diseases in piglets of different ages. Application of S. suis serotype 2 bacterins to specific-pathogen-free (SPF) weaning piglets has been demonstrated to protect against the homologous serotype. However, autogenous S. suis bacterins are also applied to sows and suckling piglets in the field. Therefore, comparative evaluation of different bacterin immunization regimes, including sow vaccination, was performed in this study. The main objectives were to determine the immunogenicity of an S. suis bacterin in sows prepartum and its influence on active immunization of piglets. Experimental infection of 6- and 8-week-old weaning piglets was performed to elucidate protective efficacies. Humoral immune responses were investigated by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) measuring muramidase-released protein (MRP)-specific IgG titers and by opsonophagocytosis assays. Bacterin application elicited high MRP-specific IgG titers in the serum and colostrum of sows, as well as opsonizing antibodies. Piglets from vaccinated sows had significantly higher MRP-specific titers than respective piglets from nonvaccinated sows until 6 weeks postpartum. Vaccination of suckling piglets did not result in high MRP-specific titers nor in induction of opsonizing antibodies. Furthermore, neither vaccination of suckling nor of weaning piglets from immunized sows was associated with a prominent active immune response and protection at 8 weeks postpartum. However, protection was observed in respective 6-week-old weaning piglets, most likely because of protective maternal immunity. In conclusion, this study provides the first results suggesting protective passive maternal immunity for S. suis serotype 2 after bacterin vaccination of sows and a strong inhibitory effect on active immunization of suckling and weaning piglets, leading to highly susceptible growers.

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