A total of 289 cloacal swabs from pigeons from 29 different breeders in Germany were collected. In addition, samples from pigeons exhibited at shows were collected. The detailed health status of the ...pigeon flocks was recorded. Samples were analysed for the presence of the recently discovered pigeon rotavirus and pigeon circovirus. Pigeon rotavirus was found in 10.3% and pigeon circoviruses was found in 65.5% of sampled pigeon lofts. The study revealed a strong relationship between the attendance of shows and the occurrence of different clinical signs. The higher prevalence of pigeon rotavirus in exhibited animals indicates that exhibitions are a risk factor for the transmission of this pathogen.
Skin infections by keratinophilic fungi are commonly referred to as dermatophytosis and represent a major health burden worldwide. Although patient numbers are on the rise, data on virulence factors, ...their function and kinetics are scarce. We employed an ex vivo infection model based on guinea pig skin explants (GPSE) for the zoonotic dermatophyte
to investigate kinetics of the virulence factors subtilisin
,
,
and
at gene level for ten days. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) were used to detect and quantify the transcripts, respectively. Kingdom-spanning, species-specific and virulence factor-specific probes were successfully applied to isolated fungal elements showing inhomogeneous fluorescence signals along hyphae. Staining results for inoculated GPSE remained inconsistent despite thorough optimization. qPCR revealed a significant increase of
- and
-transcripts toward the end of culture,
and
remained at a low level throughout the entire culture period. Sub 3 is tightly connected to the de novo formation of conidia during culture. Since
is considered an in vivo disease marker. However, the presented findings urgently call for further research on the role of certain virulence factors during infection and disease.
Feedgrain contamination with mycotoxins, including deoxynivalenol (DON, "vomitoxin") is relatively frequently encountered. Pigs are particularly sensitive to the toxicity of DON. To assess the ...interplay between DON and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), we performed an experimental DON exposure-PRRSV vaccination-challenge infection trial. Three-week-old piglets were divided into four groups. Groups I, II and III (10 animals/group) were vaccinated with a PRRSV modified live vaccine and 2 weeks later challenged with a heterologous field strain. While group I was not supplemented with DON, animals in groups II and III received DON for 4 weeks prior to challenge infection at levels that can be encountered in pig feed, employing a low-dose or high-dose regime (group II: 40 µg DON/kg body weight per day; group III: 80 µg DON/kg body weight per day, corresponding to approx. 1 or 2 mg DON/kg feed, respectively). Eight animals (group IV; unvaccinated, not DON exposed) served as control animals for the challenge infection.
We assessed clinical signs, virus load in serum and various organs as well as antibody titres in the animals. All vaccinated animals mounted an efficient PRRSV-specific antibody response within 2 weeks, except for 20% of the animals receiving the higher DON dose. Upon virus challenge, the vaccinated animals in group I were protected from clinical signs. Vaccinated DON-exposed animals in group II and III were protected from clinical signs to a lesser extent. Clinical signs in group III receiving the higher dose of DON were as severe as in the (unvaccinated, not DON exposed) control group IV. The animals of group III also displayed lower antibody titres compared with the animals in group I and II.
The experimental vaccination/challenge study therefore revealed that exposure of pigs to DON for a period of 4 weeks deteriorates the efficacy of vaccination against clinical signs of PRRS.
Species A rotaviruses (RVAs) are a major cause of gastroenteritis in animals and humans. Their genome consists of 11 segments of dsRNA, and reassortment events between animal and human strains can ...contribute to the high genetic diversity of RVAs. We used a plasmid-based reverse genetics system to investigate the reassortment potential of the genome segment encoding the viral outer capsid protein VP4, which is a major antigenic determinant, mediates viral entry and plays an important role in host cell tropism. We rescued reassortant viruses containing VP4 from porcine, bovine, bat, pheasant or chicken RVA strains in the backbone of simian strain SA11. The VP4 reassortants could be stably passaged in MA-104 cells and induced cytopathic effects. However, analysis of growth kinetics revealed marked differences in replication efficiency. Our results show that the VP4-encoding genome segment has a high reassortment potential, even between virus strains from highly divergent species. This can result in replication-competent reassortants with new genomic, growth and antigenic features.
•Rotavirus typing in German pig population provides epidemiologic data.•Porcine rotavirus types show regional but also supraregional patterns.•Possible starting points for porcine rotavirus vaccine ...development.•Pig populations are promoting emergence of genotypes and their combinations.
Group A porcine rotaviruses are a global threat to animal health in stock breeding. While certain genotypes have shown predominance in other countries, data from Europe's second largest swine population is still scarce. Therefore, porcine rotaviruses taken from different areas of Germany were genotyped to create a basis for comparison with data from neighboring countries. In addition, the potential predominance and regionality based on regions (federal states) have been investigated by examining 101 samples.
The study revealed the dominance of the VP7 genotypes G9, G4, G5 as well as VP4 genotypes P23, P6, P32. The most common genotype combinations were G9P23, G4P6, and G9P32. Analysis focusing on the regionality aspect revealed that areas with high pig populations promote the emergence of dominant genotype combinations. However, pig populations in Germany cannot be considered individually and therefore results were put into international context, taken from already published genotyping data. In consequence, our data contributes to the fundamental understanding of regional and supraregional rotavirus epidemiology. The detected genotypes provide a basis for prospective porcine rotavirus surveillance, that first of all helps to identify interspecies transmission. Furthermore it may provide supporting data for the selection of particular genotypes, suitable for the production of porcine rotavirus A vaccine candidates.
The mosquito-borne flavivirus Usutu virus (USUV) is responsible for countless deaths in both resident populations and birds kept in outdoor aviaries. Since 2001, USUV outbreaks have attracted ...increased attention due to the rapid geographical spread of the virus and its close relationship to West Nile virus (WNV), an emerging pathogen in humans and animals. Similar to WNV, the USUV enzootic transmission cycle predominantly involves Culex spp. as vectors, whereas birds serve as amplifying reservoir hosts. In Europe, USUV-associated disease outbreaks in birds are almost exclusively described during late spring and early autumn (early April to late October). Contagiousness of virus particles excreted by infected birds has not yet been proven, so that the role of non-vector-borne transmission, as it is known for the closely related WNV, remains unclear. Here we report the diagnosis of USUV infection in 15 of 24 birds from mortality outbreaks that occurred during the cold season between late October 2018 and early April 2019, in eight different aviaries located in Germany. Detection of USUV was performed using standardized molecular biological methods and immunohistochemistry for verification of the infection. USUV infection in a parrot species, a tropical finch and two estrildid finches are reported for the first time. Further research on the occurrence of USUV infection during the cold season is key to understanding the dynamics of viral transmission as well as for a profound health risk assessment for aviary birds as well as humans.
Paramyxoviruses constitute a large family of enveloped RNA viruses including important pathogens in veterinary and human medicine. Recently, feline paramyxoviruses, genus morbillivirus, were detected ...in cats from Hong Kong and Japan. Here we describe the discovery of several new feline paramyxoviruses. Infections with these diverse viruses were detected in urine samples from cats suffering from chronic kidney disease (CKD). No viral RNA was found in cats without clinical signs of uropathy highlighting an association between feline paramyxovirus (FPaV) infections and CKD. Phylogenetic analyses of the detected viruses showed that they represent at least two different species, one of them representing the feline morbilliviruses detected previously in Hong Kong and Japan. In addition, a new FPaV was detected sharing only 73 % homology on the nucleotide level of the viral L-gene to currently known paramyxoviral species.
Pigeon rotavirus A (RVA) isolates of genotype G18P17 are causing disease outbreaks and fatalities in pigeon lofts in Australia, Germany, Belgium, Denmark and USA since 2016. Most disease outbreaks ...have been reported from juvenile pigeons (
forma domestica). However, reports on RVA-associated disease outbreaks in fancy pigeons in connection with fancy pigeon shows in Germany are rare.
Overall 18 pigeons (16 fancy pigeons and one racing pigeon from 9 pigeon fanciers, as well as one feral pigeon from a rescue center) were sent in for routine diagnostic necropsy including histopathologic, parasitologic and microbiologic examinations. Molecular biologic examinations for detection of RVA, circovirus, Usutu virus, West Nile virus and
were also carried out on all pigeons. An accompanying questionnaire filled in by the senders was used to generate basic information on the affected pigeon lofts.
Disease outbreaks in juvenile and adult pigeons were reported 7-14 days after fancy pigeon shows. One fancier who had previously vaccinated his pigeons with an autogenous pigeon RVA vaccine, noted no morbidity and mortality among his pigeons and thus sent in a healthy pigeon for diagnostic purposes. Reported clinical signs in the other pigeons were regurgitation, green slimy diarrhea, anorexia, apathy and death after 24 hours. Hepatic necrosis and detection of pigeon RVA isolates of genotype G18P17 confirmed disease outbreaks caused by pigeon RVA in all pigeons, except for the vaccinated pigeon. Besides pigeon circovirus, which was detected in 15 of 18 pigeons, all other pathogens were singular findings.
In disease outbreaks following fancy pigeon shows in juvenile and adult pigeons diagnostics should include pigeon RVA of genotype G18P17.
Usutu virus (USUV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus accounting for large-scale deaths in resident bird populations. In this study, we show the introduction of USUV to Eastern Germany resulting in ...massive death of birds, particularly blackbirds (Turdus merula). We found that three diverse USUV lineages ("Europe 3," "Africa 2," and "Africa 3-like") circulated simultaneously. Moreover, we detected USUV in Culex pipiens in a region where no dead birds were reported, strengthening the need for mosquito monitoring to uncover the spread of arboviruses. Furthermore, phylogenetic analyses revealed that mutations accumulated, in particular, in the NS3 region within short time periods. In addition, comparison of whole-genome sequences showed that diverse isolates of the cluster "Africa 3-like" are cocirculating in Germany due to independent introduction events.
Neonatal calf diarrhoea can have important economic consequences. Scour vaccines are available against some of the most frequent pathogens responsible for this disease: Bovine Rotavirus (BoRV), ...Bovine Coronavirus (BoCV) and E. coli K99. In this multi-centre, randomised, blinded study, adult cows vaccinated with a trivalent vaccine marketed for years (Rotavec™ Corona, MSD Animal Health - RC) prior to last parturition were revaccinated 12–15 months later, prior to the upcoming parturition, with either a single injection of a recently marketed vaccine (Bovigen™ Scour, Virbac - BS), or RC. The aim of this trial was to verify whether BS is not inferior to RC for the stimulation of the immune response and the passive transfer to calves in these conditions.
A total of 136 multiparous dairy cows, from 5 different herds and located in 3 countries (France, UK and Germany) were enrolled in the study. Sixty-five cows were vaccinated with BS and 71 with RC. Antibody levels, measured by competitive ELISA and represented as percentage of inhibition (PI), were assessed in the cow's serum (on the day of vaccination: D0 and on days 21, 42 and at calving), in the colostrum and in the serum of calves in the first week of life. Differences in means of PI between groups and the 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated. The non-inferiority threshold was set at −10%. The relationships between antibody levels in the colostrum and the vaccination-calving interval (VCI) or the inter-booster vaccination interval (IBVI) were also analysed.
All the lower margins of the 95% CI of the difference in means of PI, in all samples and for the 3 pathogens assessed, were above −10%. This result shows that BS is not inferior to RC for the stimulation of the immune response against BoRV, BoCV and E. coli K99 and the passive transfer of immunity to calves when this vaccine is administered to their dams previously vaccinated with RC. Furthermore, no correlation was found between PI values in the colostrum and the VCI or IBVI. The ratio of animals with a PI ≥ 95% in the colostrum, among cows with similar intervals, was not significantly different between groups, for all antigens tested.
Therefore, this study shows that a single injection of the heterologous vaccine BS can be used as a booster in cattle previously vaccinated with RC.
•Vaccinating adult cows against NCD results in high antibody levels in the serum and in the colostrum.•Vaccination between 9 to 4 weeks prior to the expected due date results in highest antibody levels.•Time elapsed between two annual single injections does not have consequences on antibody levels.•Two differently adjuvanted BoRV, BoCv and F5 vaccines, was not found statistically inferior.
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