Prevalence, Distribution, and Host Range of Peste des petits ruminants virus, Turkey

Peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV, genus Morbillivirus), which causes a severe disease in sheep and goats, has only recently been officially declared to be present in Turkey. We carried out a study to determine the prevalence, distribution, and host range of PPRV in Turkey. A total of 1,607 animals, reared in 18 different locations, were monitored for the presence of antibodies to PPRV and the related virus of large ruminants, Rinderpest virus (RPV). Only two farms had animals that were free of antibody responses to either disease. Prevalence for PPRV infection varied (range 0.87%–82.6%) and was higher in sheep (29.2%) than in goats (20%). The overall antibody responses to PPRV and RPV were 22.4% and 6.28%, respectively. Two PPRVs of lineage 4, which comprises many other PPRVs whose origins are in the Middle East, the Arabian Peninsula, and southern Asia, were isolated from Turkish sheep

Effects of hospital facilities on patient outcomes after cancer surgery: an international, prospective, observational study

Background Early death after cancer surgery is higher in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) compared with in high-income countries, yet the impact of facility characteristics on early postoperative outcomes is unknown. The aim of this study was to examine the association between hospital infrastructure, resource availability, and processes on early outcomes after cancer surgery worldwide.Methods A multimethods analysis was performed as part of the GlobalSurg 3 study-a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study of patients who had surgery for breast, colorectal, or gastric cancer. The primary outcomes were 30-day mortality and 30-day major complication rates. Potentially beneficial hospital facilities were identified by variable selection to select those associated with 30-day mortality. Adjusted outcomes were determined using generalised estimating equations to account for patient characteristics and country-income group, with population stratification by hospital.Findings Between April 1, 2018, and April 23, 2019, facility-level data were collected for 9685 patients across 238 hospitals in 66 countries (91 hospitals in 20 high-income countries; 57 hospitals in 19 upper-middle-income countries; and 90 hospitals in 27 low-income to lower-middle-income countries). The availability of five hospital facilities was inversely associated with mortality: ultrasound, CT scanner, critical care unit, opioid analgesia, and oncologist. After adjustment for case-mix and country income group, hospitals with three or fewer of these facilities (62 hospitals, 1294 patients) had higher mortality compared with those with four or five (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 3.85 [95% CI 2.58-5.75]; p<0.0001), with excess mortality predominantly explained by a limited capacity to rescue following the development of major complications (63.0% vs 82.7%; OR 0.35 [0.23-0.53]; p<0.0001). Across LMICs, improvements in hospital facilities would prevent one to three deaths for every 100 patients undergoing surgery for cancer.Interpretation Hospitals with higher levels of infrastructure and resources have better outcomes after cancer surgery, independent of country income. Without urgent strengthening of hospital infrastructure and resources, the reductions in cancer-associated mortality associated with improved access will not be realised

Epitopic characterisation of Turkish bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) isolates using monoclonal antibodies

In this study, 15 bovine viral diarrhoea viruses (BVDV) isolated from the field in Turkey were characterised for their biotype, cloned and eventually analysed for their epitopic composition in terms of glycoprotein E2. Immunoplaque assay, plaque assay, limiting dilution and streptavidin-biotin-peroxidase techniques were used for biotype characterisation, cloning of cytopathic (cp) and noncytopathic (ncp) biotypes and epitope analysis, respectively. While 14 out of 15 BVDV isolates were distinguished as ncp biotype, I isolate was found to be containing both biotypes (cp + ncp). According to the reactivity patterns of isolates with 15 monoclonal antibodies, 4 different antigenic groups could be formed. There were no antigenic differences between the isolates derived from the same animal with various time intervals. On the other hand, biotype clones isolated from the same animal exhibited difference in one epitope. This is the first study describing antigenic characterisation of BVDV field isolates in Turkey

Türkiye’de izole edilen Bovine Viral Diarrhoea Virus (BVDV) izolatlarında antijenik farklılıklar

Sixty BVDV field strains isolated from different regions of Turkey were antigenically characterised with a panel of 16 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) specific to viral proteins E2 and NS2-3. MAb recognition patterns were detected by an indirect peroxidase-linked antibody assay and data were subjected to computer analysis for discussing herd specificity of viral strains isolated from immunotolerant, persistently infected (IPI) cattle. For that purpose, phylogenic and statistical analyses were performed. A high level of antigenic diversity was detected among the isolates. Diversity was also exhibited in IPI strains originating from the same herd. In some herds, viruses were divided into 2 viral subpopulations that were antigenically distinct from each other. The viruses in the subpopulations were significantly different from the viruses in the twin-subpopulation, as well as from viruses in other herds. This study demonstrated epitopic properties of Turkish BVDV field strains; yet, the results of this study do not support the concept of herd specificity of the virus

Control and eradication programme of Enzootic Bovine Leucosis (EBL) from selected dairy herds in Turkey

Serum samples of 15 909 cattle from 31 dairy herds located in various regions of Turkey were tested for the presence of antibodies against bovine leucosis virus (BLV) using Agar Gel Immuno-diffusion technique (AGID). 48.3% (15/31) of the herds had seropositive animals and positivity rates were detected from 0.5-34.4% in these herds. In an EBL control/eradication programme all seropositive animals were culled in the infected herds. Thereafter, a total of 74 347 sera were tested for the presence of BLV specific antibodies. The serological results and detail of EBL control/eradication programme were shown in this paper

First molecular characterization of visna/maedi viruses from naturally infected sheep in Turkey

Recent worldwide serological and genetic studies of small ruminant lentiviruses (SRLV) have led to the description of new genotypes and the development of new diagnostic tests. This study investigated the detection and molecular characterization of visna/maedi virus (VMV) infection in serum and blood samples from pure and mixed sheep breeds acquired from different regions in Turkey using ELISA and PCR techniques. The prevalence of VMV was 67.8 % by ELISA and/or LTR-PCR with both assays showing a medium level of agreement (kappa: 0.26; ± 0.038 CI). Positivity of VMV in sheep increased according to the age of the animal, although PCR positivity was higher than ELISA in young individuals. Phylogenetic analysis of 33 LTR sequences identified two distinct clades that were closely related to American and Greek LTR sequences. Phylogenetic analysis of 10 partial gag gene sequences identified A2, A3, A5, A9, A11 subtypes of genotype A SRLVs. In vitro culture of all isolates in fetal sheep lung cells (FSLC) showed a slow/low phenotype causing less or no lytic infection compared with infection with the WLC-1 American strain characterized by a rapid/highly lytic phenotype. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that Turkish VMV sequences preceded the establishment of American or Greek strains that were associated with the migration of sheep from the Middle East to Western Europe several centuries ago. This is the first study that describes Turkish VMV sequences with the molecular characterization of LTR and gag genes, and it strongly suggests that SRLV-genotype A originated in Turkey. © 2012 Springer-Verlag Wien.Peer Reviewe

Maturation of immunoglobulin G avidity after inactive gE deleted bovine herpesvirus type 1 (BHV-1) marker vaccination

Particularly for countries in which the prevalence of infection is high, prevention and control of infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR) can be done by vaccination programs. Recently, marker vaccines have been used in the control and eradication of bovine herpesvirus type 1 (BHV-1) infection. Vaccine protection and virus circulation were estimated by individual serological testing using both gB- and gE-ELISA blocking tests. However, the efficacy of vaccines in terms of avidity maturation for BHV-1 infection has not yet been clarified. A total of 40 animals divided into two groups were vaccinated twice at 6-mo intervals with either commercial or in-house killed gE-deleted marker BHV-1 vaccines, respectively. Immunoglobulin G avidity maturation for BHV-1 was monitored in serum samples collected 1 mo postvaccination and compared between groups. The avidity index (AI) was expressed as a percentage and results were presented as mean AI +/- SD. The overall data showed that optical density (OD) values in wells with or without urea treatment had obviously increased. In relation to this, geometric means of AIs increased from 71% to 96% after primary and booster vaccinations, respectively. Based on group-specific data, mean AI was calculated to be 68.99 +/- 24.6 after the primary vaccination, and 96.74 +/- 8.3 after the booster vaccination in group I. For group II, the mean AI for primary vaccination was 57.40 +/- 23.9, and it increased to 97 +/- 8.9 after the booster vaccination. The increase in AI for both groups after the second vaccinations was found to be significant (p < 0.001)