Analysis of immune responses to attenuated alcelaphine herpesvirus 1 formulated with and without adjuvant

The experimental vaccine for bovine malignant catarrhal fever consists of viable attenuated alcelaphine herpesvirus 1 (AlHV-1) derived by extensive culture passage, combined with an oil-in-water adjuvant, delivered intramuscularly. This immunisation strategy was over 80% effective in previous experimental and field trials and protection appeared to be associated with induction of virus-neutralising antibodies. Whether the vaccine virus is required to be viable at the point of immunisation and whether adjuvant is required to induce the appropriate immune responses remains unclear. To address these issues two studies were performed, firstly to analyse immune responses in the presence and absence of adjuvant and secondly, to investigate immune responses to vaccines containing adjuvant plus viable or inactivated AlHV-1.The first study showed that viable attenuated AlHV-1 in the absence of adjuvant induced virus-specific antibodies but the titres of virus-neutralising antibodies were significantly lower than those induced by vaccine containing viable virus and adjuvant, suggesting adjuvant was required for optimal responses. In contrast, the second study found that the vaccine containing inactivated (>99.9%) AlHV-1 induced similar levels of virus-neutralising antibody to the equivalent formulation containing viable AlHV-1.Together these studies suggest that the MCF vaccine acts as an antigen depot for induction of immune responses, requiring adjuvant and a suitable antigen source, which need not be viable virus. These observations may help in directing the development of alternative MCF vaccine formulations for distribution in the absence of an extensive cold chain

Phenotypic characterisation of the cellular immune infiltrate in placentas of cattle following experimental inoculation with Neospora caninum in late gestation

Abstract Despite Neospora caninum being a major cause of bovine abortion worldwide, its pathogenesis is not completely understood. Neospora infection stimulates host cell-mediated immune responses, which may be responsible for the placental damage leading to abortion. The aim of the current study was to characterize the placental immune response following an experimental inoculation of pregnant cattle with N. caninum tachyzoites at day 210 of gestation. Cows were culled at 14, 28, 42 and 56 days post inoculation (dpi). Placentomes were examined by immunohistochemistry using antibodies against macrophages, T-cell subsets (CD4, CD8 and γδ), NK cells and B cells. Macrophages were detected mainly at 14 days post inoculation. Inflammation was generally mild and mainly characterized by CD3+, CD4+ and γδ T-cells; whereas CD8+ and NK cells were less numerous. The immune cell repertoire observed in this study was similar to those seen in pregnant cattle challenged with N. caninum at early gestation. However, cellular infiltrates were less severe than those seen during first trimester Neospora infections. This may explain the milder clinical outcome observed when animals are infected late in gestation.The authors acknowledge the Scottish Government’s Rural and Environment Science and Analytical Services Division (RESAS), UK, and Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Argentina, for funding this study and Dr Alex Schock from Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency and Prof. Gary Entrican from Moredun Research Institute for useful and constructive discussion.Peer Reviewe

Causes of Mortality and Disease in Rabbits and Hares: A Retrospective Study

P. 1-17In this study we determined the causes of mortality and disease in a total of 325 lagomorphs (rabbits and hares) in northern Spain between 2000 and 2018. Risk factors such as the species, age, sex,time of year and origin were also considered. Clinical signs, gross and histopathological findings and ancillary test results were the basis for the final diagnoses that were reviewed to classify and identify the di erent disorders. A total of 26 di erent conditions were identified. A single cause of death or illness was detected in 267 animals. They were grouped into parasitic conditions (n= 65; 24.34%) represented by encephalitozoonosis, hepatic coccidiosis, hepatoperitoneal cysticercosis, intestinal coccidiosis, parasitic gastritis and cutaneous ectoparasitosis; bacterial diseases (n = 56; 20.97%) including pseudotuberculosis, blue breast, skin abscesses, tularemia, pneumonic pasteurellosis and staphylococcal infections; nutritional and metabolic diseases (n = 48; 17.97%) with epizootic rabbit enteropathy, hepatic steatosis and pregnancy toxemia as prominent diseases; viral infections (n=31; 11.61%) comprising rabbit hemorrhagic disease and myxomatosis and miscellaneous causes (n= 31; 11.61%) where rabbit enteritis complex, renal conditions (nephrosis), heat stroke, and arterial bone metaplasia were included; neoplasms (n = 12; 4.49%) represented by uterine adenocarcinoma, mammary adenocarcinoma, cutaneous fibroma, intestinal lymphoma and hepatic cholangiocarcinoma; toxicoses (n = 11; 4.11%); trauma-related injuries (n = 9; 3.37%) and finally congenital diseases (n = 4; 1.49%). In 58 animals of the study, some of these conditions were presented jointly. We discuss the detection frequency, possible causes or associated factors of the di erent pathologies as well as the importance of the diferent variables considered.S

Placental thrombosis in acute phase abortions during experimental Toxoplasma gondii infection in sheep

43 p.After oral administration of ewes during mid gestation with 2000 freshly prepared sporulated oocysts of T. gondii isolate M4, abortions occurred between days 7 and 11 in 91.6% of pregnant and infected ewes. Afterwards, a further infection was carried out at late gestation in another group of sheep with 500 sporulated oocysts. Abortions happened again between days 9 and 11 post infection (pi) in 58.3% of the infected ewes. Classically, abortions in natural and experimental ovine toxoplasmosis usually occur one month after infection. Few experimental studies have reported the so-called acute phase abortions as early as 7 to 14 days after oral inoculation of oocysts, and pyrexia was proposed to be responsible for abortion, although the underline mechanism was not elucidated. In the present study, all placentas analysed from ewes suffering acute phase abortions showed infarcts and thrombosis in the caruncullar villi of the placentomes and ischemic lesions (periventricular leukomalacia) in the brain of some foetuses. The parasite was identified by PCR in samples from some placentomes of only one sheep, and no antigen was detected by immunohistochemical labelling. These findings suggest that the vascular lesions found in the placenta, and the consequent hypoxic damage to the foetus, could be associated to the occurrence of acute phase abortions. Although the pathogenesis of these lesions remains to be determined, the infectious dose or virulence of the isolate may play a role in their developmentS

Trombosis pulmonar y amiloidosis visceral en un perro

Un perro de aguas de 8 años de edad fue atendido en una clínica veterinaria debido a la pérdida de peso que había mostrado en un corto espacio de tiempo. El examen clínico demostró una nefropatía asociada a proteinuria, hipoalbuminemia, azotemia, creatinemia y fosfatemia. Debido a que el animal no respondió a los tratamientos instaurados se decidió su sacrificio humanitario. En la necropsia el bazo mostraba esplenomegalia y un aspecto seco al corte

Cuadro clínico y lesional asociado a intoxicación por bicarbonato sódico en pollos broiler

El 22 de noviembre de 2015, en una granja (Granja 1) de pollos broiler de 13 semanas de edad, se observaron signos de diarrea, con empeoramiento progresivo de los animales en días sucesivos. En la necropsia realizada a 3 animales se observaron restos de deposiciones blandas en la región pericloacal, nefromegalia, color aclarado en ambos riñones y depósitos blanquecinos de aspecto cretáceo en sacos aéreos, pericardio y cápsula hepática. El bicarbonato sódico al 0,05% se emplea como aditivo en avicultura.En casos de intoxicación provoca graves lesiones renales y favorece la precipitación de uratos en los tejido

Caracterización lesional y etiológica de neumonías en vacuno de cebo sacrificado en matadero

El Complejo Respiratorio Bovino constituye una importante enfermedad en bovinos de cebo. Los agentes etiológicos principalmente implicados en este síndrome incluyen virus (BoHv1,PI-3, BVDv, bRSV), bacterias (Mannheimia haemolytica, Pasteurella multocida, Histophilussomni, Trueperella pyogenes) y Mycoplasma bovis. Dentro de este síndrome, la neumonía es la lesión más relevante. Este estudio se ha realizado en animales de cebo sacrificados en matader

Lesiones en el aparato genital femenino en pequeños rumiantes: revisión de casos de diagnóstico

Entre 2006 y 2015, en el Servicio de Diagnóstico Anatomopatológico de la Facultad de Veterinaria de la Universidad de León se estudió un total de 1516 ovejas y cabras mayores de un año de edad, que fueron remitidas por diferentes causas. El objetivo de este trabajo es dar a conocer cuáles son las principales lesiones macroscópicas encontradas en el aparato genital femenino en los animales necropsiados, que en un buen número de los casos no fueron el motivo principal que ocasionaba la remisión para su estudio

Methodology for the acquisition of generic and specific competences in pathology within the Clinical Rotatory of the Degree in Veterinary Medicine

Resúmenes IV Congreso VetDoc de Docencia Veterinaria, León 2017 (6-7 de Julio)[ES] Con la implantación del Grado en Veterinaria (2010-2011), la docencia de la Anatomía Patológica Veterinaria se lleva a cabo en las asignaturas de Anatomía Patológica General (2º curso) y Especial (4º curso), como era tradicional, y además en la asignatura “Rotatorio Clínico” (5º curso). En esta última se pretende que los estudiantes aprendan esta materia desde un enfoque completamente aplicado, con énfasis en la relación de la Anatomía Patológica con las disciplinas clínicas, para que les ayude a comprender la etiopatogenia de los procesos morbosos que sufrían los animales, que explicarían sus signos clínicos y así poder decidir las opciones terapéuticas más apropiadas

Carcinoma nasal de células acinares en una gata

En octubre de 2015 se remite al Hospital Clínico Veterinario una gata de 14 años de edad y 2,15 Kg. de peso, que presenta, desde hace varios meses, secreción mucosa nasal y lagrimeo. Mediante rinoscopia se observan zonas ulceradas en la mucosa nasal. Además del tumor se observó una rinitis purulenta con presencia de abundantes colonias bacterianas