Aagaardvick6970

Infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) causes substantial loss to the poultry industry despite extensive vaccination. Assessing the antibody response is important for the development and evaluation of effective vaccines. We have developed an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of IBV-specific antibodies, using a synthetic peptide based on a conserved sequence in the IBV spike protein. This peptide-based ELISA (pELISA) specifically detects antibodies to different genotypes of IBV but not antibodies against other common chicken viruses. This assay could detect IBV-specific antibody response on as early as day 7 postinfection. In the testing with field serum samples collected from chickens administered with IBV vaccines, the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of pELISA were 98.30, 94.12, and 98.8%, respectively, relative to indirect immunofluorescence assay. Our data demonstrate that the pELISA is of value for the detection of IBV antibody and the evaluation of IBV vaccines.Picobirnaviruses (PBVs) are bisegmented double-stranded RNA viruses that have been detected in a wide variety of animal species including invertebrates and in environmental samples. Since PBVs are ubiquitous in feces/gut contents of humans and other animals with or without diarrhea, they were considered as opportunistic enteric pathogens of mammals and avian species. However, the virus remains to be propagated in animal cell cultures, or in gnotobiotic animals. Recently, the classically defined prokaryotic motif, the ribosomal binding site sequence, has been identified upstream of putative open reading frame/s in PBV and PBV-like sequences from humans, various animals, and environmental samples, suggesting that PBVs might be prokaryotic viruses. On the other hand, based on the detection of some novel PBV-like RNA-dependent RNA polymerase sequences that use the alternative mitochondrial genetic code (that of mold or invertebrates) for translation, and principal component analysis of codon usage bias for these sequences, it has been proposed that PBVs might be fungal viruses with a lifestyle reminiscent of mitoviruses. These contradicting observations warrant further studies to ascertain the true host/s of PBVs, which still remains controversial. In this minireview, we have focused on the various findings that have raised a debate on the true host/s of PBVs.In the mountains, autochthonous and robust breeds are often used to valorize biodiverse grasslands. Along with their lower nutrient requirements, compared to specialized dairy breeds, they are expected to be better adapted to complex environments and valorize grasslands into dairy products of high quality. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the grazing selection of three contrasting dairy breeds on a biodiverse mountain pasture, and its consequences on milk fatty acid (FA) profile and prevalence of individual terpenes. A dual-purpose breed from the Italian Alps, the Valdostana Red Pied (Va), was compared to Montbéliardes (Mo), more specialized in milk production, and the highly specialized Holsteins (Ho). Diet selection was measured by scan-sampling, calculating selectivity indexes, and collecting simulated bites during two consecutive days in June (end of first grazing cycle) and July (second grazing cycle). Milk samples were collected at each milking during these experimental periodsg to higher proportions of unsaturated FA in July than June milks. Our study suggests that under mountain grazing conditions (biodiverse pasture and cows in late lactation), milk quality depends more on herbage composition than on cow breed.While the effects of cleaning and disinfection practices on the reduction of environmental nosocomial bacteria are well-established in human and large animal veterinary hospitals, how animal movements within animal health care facilities influence environmental bacterial recovery is poorly understood. During three consecutive weeks, 155 electrostatic wipes were collected from the environment pre- and post-cleaning only or following disinfection from seven target locations within an animal shelter. All samples were cultured, and isolates were identified using a matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry. Social network analysis of animal movements during the sampling period was performed to estimate the level of connectivity of the seven target locations. The relationship between bacterial levels and connectivity estimates of the target locations were investigated using a negative binomial regression model with a random effect of sampling areas. Overall, our results indicate a significant reduction in the total bacterial contamination with disinfection when compared to cleaning only [Coefficient (Coef.) = -1.72, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) = -3.09, -0.34, P = 0.015]. Higher total bacterial contamination was significantly more likely in sampled areas with less animal movement connectivity (Coef. = -0.32, 95% CI = -0.49, -0.15, P ≤ 0.001). Pseudomonas aeruginosa and ampicillin resistant Enterobacteriaceae (Escherichia coli, Enterobacter spp. and Klebsiella spp.) were present in the animal holdings and in the shelters' veterinary clinic environment at all sampling times. Our findings demonstrate that cleaning followed by disinfection practices are effective at reducing environmental bacterial levels. Areas with less animal connectivity are more likely to have a higher bacterial contamination. These areas could represent environmental reservoirs for bacterial infection and should be targeted with effective cleaning and disinfection protocols.African swine fever, caused by African swine fever virus (ASFV), is a highly contagious hemorrhagic disease of domestic pigs. The current continent-wide pandemic has persisted for over 10 years, and its economy-devastating effect was highlighted after spreading to China, which possesses half of the world pig industry. So far, development of an effective and safe vaccine has not been finished largely due to the knowledge gaps in pathogenesis and immunology, particularly the role of cytokines in the host's immune response. Therefore, we performed experiments in domestic pigs to analyze the kinetics of representative circulating interferons (IFNs), interleukins (ILs), growth factors, tumor necrosis factors (TNFs), and chemokines induced by infection of type II virulent ASFV SY18. Pigs infected with this Chinese prototypical isolate developed severe clinical manifestations mostly from 3 days post inoculation (dpi) and died from 7 to 8 dpi. Serum analysis revealed a trend of robust and sustained elevation of pro-inflammatory cytokines including TNF-α, IFN-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-12, IL-18, RANTES (regulated upon activation, normal T cell expressed and secreted), and IFN-γ-induced protein 10 (IP-10) from 3 dpi, but not the anti-inflammatory cytokines IL-10 and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β). Moreover, secondary drastic increase of the levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-8, as well as elevated IL-10, was observed at the terminal phase of infection. This pattern of cytokine secretion clearly drew an image of a typical cytokine storm characterized by delayed and dysregulated initiation of the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokine and imbalanced pro- and anti-inflammatory response, which paved a way for further understanding of the molecular basis of ASFV pathogenesis.The sea bass, Lateolabrax maculatus is commercially farmed in Zhuhai, located in the Guangdong Province of China. L. maculatus in aquaculture have suffered acute death, characterized by ulcerations on the body surface, congestion, and hemorrhage in internal organs such as liver, kidney, and spleen. The dominant infecting strain of bacteria isolated from the kidneys of diseased fish was identified as Aeromonas veronii (strain 18BJ181). This identification was based on analysis of morphological, physiological, and biochemical features, as well as 16S rRNA and gyrB gene sequences. Drug sensitivity testing showed that the strain 18BJ181 isolate was resistant to four antibacterial drugs, including amoxicillin, madinomycin, penicillin and sulfamethoxazole, while moderately sensitive to erythromycin and rifampicin. The detection of growth characteristics showed that the strain 18BJ181 exhibited adaptability to the environment. In addition, some virulence genes, such as aer, act, gcaT, tapA and fla, were detected in the strain 18BJ181. The median lethal dosage of the strain 18BJ181 isolate in L. maculatus was 8.5 × 105 and 4.2 × 105 cfu/g under the conditions of intraperitoneal injection and intramuscular injection, respectively. The experimentally induced infection showed that the 18BJ181 isolate caused considerable histological lesions in L. maculatus, including tissue degeneration, necrosis, and different degrees of hemorrhage. These results provided evidence for a more comprehensive understanding of A. veronii strain 18BJ181 infection in L. maculatus.The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of intensive fattening with total mixed rations (TMR) on carcass characteristics, meat quality, and chemical composition of the yak meat. Theoretical data has been provided for evaluating the quality of yak meat during natural grazing and short-term fattening. Based on the analysis, we found that in fattening yak, the carcass weight (CWT) was increased by 106.43%, whereas the cooking loss, tenderness, and drop loss were significantly improved due to higher intramuscular fat content and lower moisture (P less then 0.05). Protein, fat, calcium, and amino acids were also much higher (P less then 0.01) in fattening yak compared with the grazing yak. The levels of albumin (ALB), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), triglyceride (TRIG), and amylase (AMYL) in serum indicated better nutritional status for fattening yaks. The transcriptomics analysis showed that the high expression of ACSL1 and ACACB genes improved the synthesis and deposition of fat in fattening yak, whereas the regulation of SLC7A8, ATP1A4, ATP1A1, SLC3A2, and CPA3 gene expression weakened the proteolysis. These results indicated that fattening with TMR improves the yield and quality of the yak meat.Whole-prey diets for exotic feline species are common, and this practice has also increased in popularity for domestic cats. However, prior analyses of prey indicate possible essential amino acid inadequacy, and dilated cardiomyopathy from taurine deficiency was reported in cats fed whole ground rabbit. Crude protein, body water, and amino acid concentrations were evaluated in fresh and frozen ground rabbits with (n=10) or without (n = 10) gastrointestinal tracts. Amino acids were greater in fresh samples without gastrointestinal tracts (p less then 0.05) except taurine, glycine, and cysteine. When normalized for protein content, only glutamate, alanine, methionine, isoleucine, tyrosine, lysine, histidine, and arginine were greater in fresh rabbits without gastrointestinal tracts (g/16 g N basis; p less then 0.05). Freezing at -18°C for 30 days had no effect on crude protein or body water content. After freezing, only methionine was lower and only proline was higher when gastrointestinal tracts were omitted (g/16 g N basis; p less then 0.