Polymerase chain reaction for the direct detection of Brucella spp. in milk and cheese.

A polymerase chain reaction test was developed to detect Brucella spp. directly in milk and cheese and optimized using primers for the BSCP-31 gene. A total of 46 cheese samples produced with sheep and goats milk were assayed, and Brucella spp. was detected in 46% of them, especially in cheese made from sheep milk. This method is of remarkable epidemiologic interest because it is an indirect test indicating the sanitary quality of milk used in dairy industries. The method showed good sensitivity and specificity. It is faster and less expensive than the conventional bacteriological assays

Glycoprotein C Gene of Caprine Herpesvirus Type 1 Contains Short Sequence Repeats (SSR)

Caprine herpesvirus 1 (CpHV-1) is responsible for vaginal and respiratory disease in goats. Infection by vaginal route is usually restricted to the genital tract whereas by nasal route the virus can spread throughout the body. In order to evaluate genomic diversity, nucleotide sequences of glycoprotein C (gC) of 13 (n.8 vaginal, n.5 nasal) CpHV-1 strains were analyzed. Amino acid (aa) sequences showed a variable number of short sequence repeats (SSR). Nucleotide and amino acid sequences of amplified products showed to contain a variable number of short sequence repeats among the examined strains. These results indicated that CpHV-1 isolates had genetic diversity in the gC gene regarding the number of SSR: 4 SSR of 60 bp in one strain, 2 SSR of 30 bp in seven strains and 1 SSR of 15 bp in three strains. Two strains had no SSR

Clinical protection against caprine herpesvirus 1 genital infection by intranasal administration of a live attenuated glycoprotein E negative bovine herpesvirus 1 vaccine

BACKGROUND: Caprine herpesvirus 1 (CpHV-1) is responsible of systemic diseases in kids and genital diseases leading to abortions in goats. CpHV-1 is widespread and especially in Mediterranean countries as Greece, Italy and Spain. CpHV-1 is antigenically and genetically closely related to bovine herpesvirus 1 (BoHV-1). Taking into account the biological properties shared by these two viruses, we decided in the current study to assess the protection of a live attenuated glycoprotein E (gE) negative BoHV-1 vaccine against a genital CpHV-1 infection in goats. RESULTS: The vaccine was inoculated intranasally twice three weeks apart followed by a subsequent CpHV-1 intravaginal challenge which is the natural route of infection in three goats. To analyse the safety and the efficacy of this marker vaccine, two groups of three goats served as controls: one immunised with a virulent CpHV-1 and one uninoculated until the challenge. Goats were clinically monitored and all sampling procedures were carried out in a blind manner. The vaccine did not induce any undesirable local or systemic reaction and goats did not excrete gE-negative BoHV-1. After challenge, a significant reduction in disease severity was observed in immunised goats. Moreover, goats immunised with either gE-negative BoHV-1 or CpHV-1 exhibited a significant reduction in the length and the peak of viral excretion. Antibodies neutralising both BoHV-1 and CpHV-1 were raised in immunised goats. CONCLUSION: Intranasal application of a live attenuated gE-negative BoHV-1 vaccine is able to afford a clinical protection and a reduction of virus excretion in goats challenged by a CpHV-1 genital infection

Inhibition of voltage-gated sodium channels by sumatriptan bioisosteres

Voltage-gated sodium channels are known to play a pivotal role in perception and transmission of pain sensations. Gain-of-function mutations in the genes encoding the peripheral neuronal sodium channels, hNav1.7-1.9, cause human painful diseases. Thus while treatment of chronic pain remains an unmet clinical need, sodium channel blockers are considered as promising druggable targets. In a previous study, we evaluated the analgesic activity of sumatriptan, an agonist of serotonin 5HT1B/D receptors, and some new chiral bioisosteres, using the hot plate test in the mouse. Interestingly, we observed that the analgesic effectiveness was not necessarily correlated to serotonin agonism. In this study, we evaluated whether sumatriptan and its congeners may inhibit heterologously expressed hNav1.7 sodium channels using the patch-clamp method. We show that sumatriptan blocks hNav1.7 channels only at very high, supratherapeutic concentrations. In contrast, its three analogs, namely 20b, (R)-31b, and (S)-22b, exert a dose and use-dependent sodium channel block. At 0.1 and 10 Hz stimulation frequencies, the most potent compound, (S)-22b, was 4.4 and 1.7 fold more potent than the well-known sodium channel blocker mexiletine. The compound induces a negative shift of voltage dependence of fast inactivation, suggesting higher affinity to the inactivated channel. Accordingly, we show that (S)-22b likely binds the conserved local anesthetic receptor within voltage-gated sodium channels. Combining these results with the previous ones, we hypothesize that use-dependent sodium channel blockade contributes to the analgesic activity of (R)-31b and (S)-22b. These later compounds represent promising lead compounds for the development of efficient analgesics, the mechanism of action of which may include a dual action on sodium channels and 5HT1D receptors

HoBi-Like Pestivirus and Its Impact on Cattle Productivity

The clinical features and economic impact of the infection caused by an emerging group of pestiviruses, namely HoBi-like pestivirus, in a cattle herd of southern Italy are reported. In 2011, the virus was first associated with respiratory disease, causing an abortion storm after 1 year and apparently disappearing for the following 3 years after persistently infected calves were slaughtered. However, in 2014, reproductive failures and acute gastroenteritis were observed in the same herd, leading to a marked decrease of productivity. A HoBi-like strain closely related to that responsible for previous outbreaks was detected in several animals. Application of an intensive eradication programme, based on the detection and slaughtering of HoBi-like pestivirus persistently infected animals, resulted in a marked improvement of the productive performances

Recombinant Canine Coronaviruses in Dogs, Europe

Subtype IIb originates from recombination with porcine transmissible gastroenteritis virus

Molecular Epidemiology of Canine Parvovirus, Europe

Canine parvovirus (CPV), which causes hemorrhagic enteritis in dogs, has 3 antigenic variants: types 2a, 2b, and 2c. Molecular method assessment of the distribution of the CPV variants in Europe showed that the new variant CPV-2c is widespread in Europe and that the viruses are distributed in different countries

Canine Coronavirus Highly Pathogenic for Dogs

Canine coronavirus (CCoV) is usually responsible for mild, self-limiting infections restricted to the enteric tract. We report an outbreak of fatal disease in puppies caused by a pathogenic variant of CCoV that was isolated from organs with severe lesions