L'amenaça d'un nou virus: La Malaltia de la Frontera

L'elevada mortalitat d'isards a la Reserva Nacional de Caça de la Cerdanya-Alt Urgell al 2005 i, posteriorment, a la Reserva Nacional de Caça del Cadí, podria ser resultat del brot d'una nova malaltia: La Malaltia de la Frontera. Una infecció vírica immunosupressora amb símptomes molt visibles, com són l'aprimament extrem i l'alopècia, i lesions broncopulmonars molt greus. El Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFAS) de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona ha estudiat diversos casos d'ungulats afectats, i sembla ser que les xifres d'animals morts a la Cerdanya representen un punt d'inflexió des de l'aparició d'aquesta nova malaltia, l'any 2001. Ara per ara, se sap que les afeccions respiratòries han estat clau en l'alta mortalitat, però, tot i que sembla molt evident que aquest nou virus del gènere Pestivirus és l'origen de la malaltia, els investigadors reclamen més estudis experimentals abans de confirmar-ho.La elevada mortalidad de rebecos en la Reserva Nacional de Caza de la Cerdanya-Alt Urgell en 2005 y, posteriormente, en la Reserva Nacional de Caza del Cadí, podría ser el resultado del brote de una nueva enfermedad: La Enfermedad de la Frontera. Una infección vírica inmunosupresora con síntomas muy visibles, como son el adelgazamiento extremo y la alopecia, y lesiones broncopulmonares muy graves. El Servicio de Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvaje (SEFAS) de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona ha estudiado varios casos de ungulados afectados, y parece ser que la cifra de animales muertos en la Cerdanya representan un punto de inflexión desde la aparición de esta nueva enfermedad, en el año 2001. Por ahora, se sabe que las afecciones respiratorias han sido clave para la alta mortalidad, pero aunque parece muy evidente que este nuevo virus del género Pestiviru

Comparative analysis of tunisian sheep-like virus, bungowannah virus and border disease virus infection in the porcine host

Apart from the established pestivirus species Pestivirus A to Pestivirus K novel species emerged. Pigs represent not only hosts for porcine pestiviruses, but are also susceptible to bovine viral diarrhea virus, border disease virus (BDV) and other ruminant pestiviruses. The present study focused on the characterization of the ovine Tunisian sheep-like virus (TSV) as well as Bungowannah virus (BuPV) and BDV strain Frijters, which were isolated from pigs. For this purpose, we performed genetic characterization based on complete coding sequences, studies on virus replication in cell culture and in domestic pigs, and cross-neutralization assays using experimentally derived sera. TSV forms a distinct phylogenetic group more closely related to Pestivirus C (classical swine fever virus, CSFV) than to Pestivirus D (BDV). In contrast to BDV and BuPV, TSV replicates by far more efficiently on ovine than on porcine cells. Nevertheless, pigs were susceptible to TSV. As a consequence of close antigenic relatedness of TSV to CSFV, cross-reactivity was detected in CSFV-specific antibody assays. In conclusion, TSV is genetically closely related to CSFV and can replicate in domestic pigs. Due to close antigenic relatedness, field infections of pigs with TSV and other ruminant pestiviruses can interfere with serological diagnosis of classical swine fever

Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: 2001 Annual Report

Twenty Departmental students completed their Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Science degrees in 2001, nineteen in the Veterinary Science Major and one in the Veterinary Technologist Major. Twenty-five Nebraska residents were admitted into the College of Veterinary Medicine at Kansas State University, twelve of them having completed all or part of their pre-veterinary studies at UNL. Seven students completed their Master of Science degree in Veterinary Science. Enrollment in the Distance Education MS in Veterinary Science Master of Science, Distance Education Program increased to seven students, with several applications still being processed or expected. Three new Distance Education courses were approved, as follows: VBMS 847: Interdisciplinary Concepts in Beef ~ roduction (ASCI 847) (3 cr, max 6) VBMS 848: Introduction to Veterinary Technology (1-2 cr), and VBMS 925: Critial Reading of the Epidemiology Literature (1 cr, max 4). The seventh class began the GPYEC Beef Cattle Production Management Series in June 2001 with fifteen participants, several of who also enrolled for academic credit as a part of the Distance Ed MS program. A proposal for establishing a new PhD degree program in Comparative Biomedical Sciences (CBMS) was submitted to the Dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, in October 2001, with a goal of gaining approval for the program by Fall 2002. If approved, the CBMS will be an interdepartmental program based in the VBMS Department, which will provide administrative support for the program. Two faculty members in the School of Biological Sciences and one in the Department of Plant Pathology, along with the VBMS faculty members who are Graduate Faculty Fellows make up the initial faculty of the proposed CBMS degree program. Data compiled by the Dean/Director of the Agricultural Research Division demonstrated that the VBMS Department ranked third among twenty IANR Administrative Units in extramural grant and contract income for the calendar year 2000, generating $274,453 per research FTE. Over the four-year period 1997- 2000, the Department ranked fourth among the IANR units, with an average of$207,699 per research FTE. Departmental grant income for fiscal year 2001 totaled $2,028,189. The immunohistochemstry test on bovine skin biopsies developed by Veterinary Diagnostic Center became an extremely popular test for detecting cattle that are persistently infected with BVD virus. This test attracted large numbers of samples, submitted from throughout the US. Fee income generated by the Nebraska Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory System totaled$853,284 for fiscal year 2001. The pre-harvest beef quality assurance program (BQA) and pre-harvest hazard analysis critical control point programs continued to be major veterinary extension initiatives. Over 70% of the Nebraska feedlot cattle production and 30% of the Nebraska cow-calf production is conducted under a certified BQA program. Recognition of the importance of the on-going animal disease biosecurity veterinary extension programs was heightened by the continuing problem of bovine spongiform encephalopathy and the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in England, followed by the September 11,2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. Drs. Dale Grotelueschen and Gary Sherman resigned their faculty positions at the Panhandle Research and Extension Center and the Great Plains Veterinary Educational Center, respectively. Due to University budget reductions, the faculty position occupied by Dr. Sherman was permanently deleted

Studies on neurological disorders of neonatal calves associated with spongy changes in the central nervous system : neuroaxial oedema and the inborn errors of amino acid metabolism

Investigations of neurological disease in neonatal calves were conducted over a four and a half year period. The studies commenced with so called Hereditary Neuraxial Oedema of Poll Hereford calves. It was determined that two distinct disease entities in this breed had led to confusion regarding the diagnosis of this disorder

Insemination of cattle with semen from a bull transiently infected with pestivirus

When 73 heifers (60 of which were seronegative to pestivirus) were inseminated with pestivirus-contaminated semen from a transiently infected bull, the conception rate to a single insemination was found to be normal (65 per cent). Only three animals became systemically infected, as determined by viraemia and seroconversion. Pestiviru was isolated from the reproductive tracts of two of these heifers when they were slaughtered 42 or 43 days after insemination. Although the initial incidence of infection was low, a cycle of secondary transmission occurred approximately 29 days after insemination, with a further eight heifers (all seronegative) becoming infected from one group of 11 seronegative and four seropositive animals