Equine influenza is highly contagious and spreads rapidly among susceptible horses. The disease occurs globally and is caused by two main strains: H7N7 and H3N8. The H7N7 strain has not been isolated since the 1980s, and H3N8 circulates in equine population throughout most of the world. The H3N8 virus has diverged into two antigenically and genetically different evolutionary lineages since the 1986s: the American and European ones. Equine influenza exists in an endemic form in many countries. Transmission of the influenza virus from one host species to another is a crucial feature of its ecology and epidemiology. Two basic mechanisms of interspecies transmission are possible. One is the direct transfer of an essentially unaltered virus from one species to another. The second mechanism is a consequence of the segmented nature of the influenza genome and genetic reassortment.
Influenza A viruses cause recurrent epidemics and global pandemics. One of the unique features of influenza virus is the ability to overcome interspecies barrier. Reassortment of viral genes and the accumulation of mutations contribute to the emergence of new influenza virus variants. The replication of influenza A virus in a specific host depends on many factors e.g. activity of viral proteins, host response system and environmental conditions. In this review the role of viral proteins as a condition for crossing the species barriers is discussed.
The purpose of the study was to compare two models of multiplication patterns of equine influenza virus H7N7 - subtype A1 and H3N8 — subtype A2, after inoculation into embryonated chicken eggs through the allantoic cavity and the yolk sack. The relationship between the presence of haemagglutinin activity in allanto-amniotic fluid and the presence of Ml protein in chorioallantoic membranes, vitteline membranes, and embryos body was determined. The distribution of equine influenza virus multiplication sites in embryonated chicken eggs has revealed different patterns for A1 and A2 viruses. Virus subtype A1 multiplied better after inoculation into the yolk sack than into the allantoic cavity. Virus subtype A2 multiplied equally well after inoculation into the allantoic cavity as well as after inoculation into the yolk sack. There were cases with negative haemagglutination titers of allanto-amniotic fluid of eggs inoculated into the yolk sack with both influenza virus subtypes, though the M1 protein was detected in the vitteline membranes. Thus, the negative haemagglutination titres of allanto-amniotic fluid cannot be treated as the only indicator of virus multiplication after inoculation into the yolk sack.
Changes in the level of cellular proteins in cells inoculated with equine influenza virus H7N7 and H3N8 were studied with microarray technique. H3N8 induced pro-apoptotic proteins while H7N7 induced both pro- as well as anti-apoptotic factors. The higher level of some cytoskeleton components and proteins involved in the protein quality control was recorded. Relatively high number of proteins involved in the regulation of transcription was down-regulated. The pattern of changes observed for H7N7 and H3N8 may reflect differences in the biological properties of both serotypes.
The immunoreactivity of haemagglutinin (HA) polypeptides of equine influenza virus was compared among the strains isolated in Poland, using H3 monoclonal antibody. A stronger signal in immunoblot reaction was observed for A/equi/Pulawy/2008 HA polypeptides compared to A/equi/Pulawy/2006, despite the fact that both strains are phylogenetically closely related and belong to Florida clade 2 of American lineage. The strongest signal, observed in the case of A/equi/Pulawy/2008, seemed to be connected with the presence of G135, 1213, E379, and/or V530 instead of R135, M213, G379, and 1530 present in A/equi/Pulawy/2006 HA sequence. This implies that point mutations within amino acid sequences of HA polypeptides of equine influenza virus may change their immunoreactivity even when they are not located within five basic antigenic sites.
W pracy oceniono przydatność nasion łubinów wąskolistnych dwóch odmian: niskoalkaloidowej Sur oraz wysokoalkaloidowej Mirela w paszach tuczowych dla karpia. Dietami były diety izobiałkowe (24,5% białka ogólnego) i izokaloryczne (energia brutto: od 16,3 do 16,5 MJ). Czynnikiem doświadczalnym w paszach był zróżnicowany udział nasion łubinów odmiany Sur i Mirela, a także wymienne zastosowanie nasion soi i poekstrakcyjnej śruty sojowej oraz nasion rzepaku i poekstrakcyjnej śruty rzepakowej. Przeprowadzono 60-dniowy test wzrostowy w stawach doświadczalnych. Rodzaj podawanych pasz nie miał istotnego wpływu na średnie masy ciała karpi, dobowe tempo wzrostu ryb (SGR) oraz współczynnik wykorzystania paszy (FCR). Na podstawie wyliczonych wartości współczynników pokarmowych i PER, które świadczą o wartości odżywczej pasz można stwierdzić, że karpie równie efektywnie wykorzystały paszę, w której skład wchodziły nasiona łubinu „słodkiego” lub „słodkiego” i „gorzkiego”.
The purpose of the study was to utilise rabbit kidney cells (RK13) infected with equine influenza virus as an alternative source of viral antigens in ELISA. Peroxidase linked assay confirmed multiplication of equine influenza virus in RK 13 cells. To optimise the equine serum dilutions, one negative and one positive sera (HI titer 1,280 for both antigens) were tested. The sera were examined in serial dilutions and a decrease in OD values in both cases was related to the dilution. Finally, dilution 1:160 was considered to be the optimal as the negative serum showed low level of nonspecific binding, while the positive serum gave a high OD reading. These conditions were applied to test 36 equine sera of the HI titers ranging from 20 to 2,560 and the results of cell based ELISA and HI test were compared. OD values for HI negative sera ranged from 0.025 to 0.074 for H7N7 and from 0.042 to 0.117 for H3N8. OD values for sera positive in HI test ranged between 0.058 and 1.013 for H7N7 antigen and from 0.048 to 1.01 for H3N8 antigen in cell based ELISA. The results of both tests showed correlation r = 0.785 for H7N7 and r = 0.882 for H3N8. These results proved that RK13 cells can be used in cell based ELISA to detect antibodies specific for equine influenza virus. The advantage of the cell based ELISA can also be the fact of detecting antibodies specific to NS viral proteins; however the test needs to be optimised.
The use of BSE-contaminated meat and bone meal for feeding sheep and goats may be the cause of transmitting the BSE agent into small ruminant populations. Experimental studies have shown that sheep which are fed cattle brain homogenates from BSE cases can succumb to a BSE-like disease. The distribution of BSE agents in these sheep is similar to scrapie and a wider range of organs is affected when compared with BSE in cattle. Thus, the possibility of crossing the species barrier between sheep and man cannot be excluded (as has been shown with BSE and its variant - Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in man). The paper describes implementing one of the approved immuno-blot methods used for discriminating between BSE and scrapie in a small ruminant population. The use of two monoclonal antibodies of which only one reacts with scrapie and atypical scrapie samples facilitates differentiation between BSE and scrapie positive samples from sheep and goats.
Influenza virus plays an important role in respiratory diseases in horses. Equine influenza virus is represented by two different serotypes: H7N7 and H3N8. The strain H7N7 has not been isolated since 1980 and H3N8 circulates in the equine population throughout most of the world. For preventive and prophylactic measures inactivated and subunit vaccines are most commonly used. Contrary to natural infections, traditional vaccines induce neither cytotoxic lymphocytes T nor mucosal antibodies and they do not provide enduring immunity. There is also the difference in the immune response as the natural infection induces IgA, IgGa and IgGb antibodies whereas the traditional vaccines induce IgGc and IgG(T) and no IgA. The low efficacy of the traditional vaccines also depends on an antigenic drift of the surface glycoprotein - hemagglutynin.
The purpose of the experiment was to compare apoptosis induced by equine influenza virus (EIV A1 and EIV A2) infection in MDCK, RK13, and NEURO-2A cell lines. Flow cytometry was used to observe two symptoms of apoptosis: phosphatidylserine translocation in plasmalemnia (annexin V assay) and the fragmentation of DNA generated by endonuclease activity (TUNEL assayterminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase biotin-dUTP nick end labelling). The differences in the onset of apoptosis in the studied cells was observed. In MDCK cells infected with EIV A1 and A2, a weak signal of the phosphatidylserine translocation was observed but more cells showed the DNA fragmentation. An opposite effect was observed in case of RK 13 cells. NEURO-2A cells displayed a similar number of annexin V and TUNEL positive cells after the infection with EIV A2, while in case of EIV A1 infection, only the early symptoms of apoptosis were noted. Differences between both viral serotypes could originate from functioning of viral proteins responsible for induction or inhibition of apoptosis. The differences between cell types may result from the activation of cellular pro or anti-apoptotic mechanisms.
The article presents the practical use of dot-blot for the diagnosis of BSE. This method enables obtaining test results in a short period. The practical implementation of this method for the diagnosis of BSE is reinforced by the simple test procedure, low equipment requirements and low volume of waste produced. All samples from twenty eight confirmed Polish cases of BSE had values above negative control samples. Only one positive sample had an optical density close to negative samples. This sample came from an atypical case of BSE, which in active monitoring with the rapid test had values slightly above the cut off. All remaining samples from positive cases had values above the mean for negative samples plus two standard deviations
Influenza virus is the main etiological agent of respiratory diseases in horses. Equine influenza virus is represented by two different serotypes: H7N7 and H3N8. The H7N7 strain has not been isolated since 1980 and H3N8 circulates in equine population throughout most of the world. Inactivated and subunit vaccines are most commonly used in order to prevent infections. These vaccines, in contrast to natural infections, do not induce either cytotoxic lymphocytes T or mucosal antibodies, nor do they provide long-lasting immunity. The introduction of new types of vaccines has become necessary and the first group of new generation vaccines is those containing live viral strains. They may be produced by attenuation in low temperature or by reverse genetics. Viral vector vaccines may be included in this group of vaccines. The next group of new generation of vaccines consists of a DNA vaccine and an inactivated vaccine with new adjuvants.
The kinetics of replication of equine influenza A1 and A2 viruses in different systems e.g. chicken embryos, Vero, MDCK and MDBK cell lines was evaluated. The strains A/Equi/1/Praque 56 and A/Equi/2/Kentucky 81 were used. A dose of 0.2 ml of influenza A1 and A2 viruses with the haemagglutinin titre (HA) 256 diluted to 10⁻³ and 10⁻⁴ respectively, was found out to be optimal for inoculation of chicken embryos. The highest HA titre for viruses A1 and A2 were noticed after a 72 hours of incubation post inoculation. The ID₅₀ and LD₅₀ titres differed by more than 2 log in case of A1 virus. Both equine influenza viruses replicated in Vero, MDCK and MDBK cells; however, MDCK cells have revealed the highest sensitivity to infection. Low haemagglutinin titres found in the medium from infected cell lines have suggested that this is rather poor source of virus antigens for vaccine production.
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