Large Domestic Ruminants Research Articles

A serosurvey for bovine respirovirus 3 in Turkish domestic ruminants: The first comparison study of A and C genotypes.

Bovine parainfluenza virus‐3 (BPIV‐3), also known as bovine respirovirus 3, causes serious respiratory infection in ungulates, often involving other pathogens, such as viruses, bacteria and mycoplasmas. In this study, we evaluated antibody titers against virus genotypes A (BPIV‐3a) and C (BPIV‐3c). We conducted a serological survey and comparison analysis of archived serum samples from small and large ruminants reared in four Turkish provinces. A total of 1,307 samples, consisting of sheep (n = 444), cattle (n = 402), water buffalo (n = 261) and goat (n = 200) sera, were randomly selected from stock samples collected between 2015 and 2019 and screened by standard virus neutralisation assay. We found that 49.9% (653/1307) of all samples were positive for neutralising antibody titers. Goats had the highest titer, with total seropositivity of 63% (126/200), followed in descending order by cattle, sheep and water buffalo at 56.2% (226/402), 32.2% (143/444) and 26% (68/261) total seropositivity, respectively. BPIV‐3c had the highest neutralising antibody rate at 34.3% (448/1307), whereas BPIV‐3a had a 24.3% (317/1307) seropositivity rate. Neutralising antibody titers for positive samples ranged between 1/4 and 1/512 per the SN50 test. Seropositivity rates ranged from a low of 8.9% to a high of 18.3%. Our study was the first to compare antibody seroprevalence for two BPIV‐3 genotypes in small and large domestic ruminants, which were shown to be more commonly exposed to BPIV‐3c than BPIV‐3a. This finding could have significant implications as current vaccines mainly use the BPIV‐3a genotype. Further research can determine if current vaccines protect against different BPIV‐3 virus genotypes.

The Status of Vultures Neophron Percnopterus, Gypaetus Barbatus, Gyps Fulvus, Aegypius Monachus (Accipitriformes) in Azerbaijan

The inventory of vultures was conducted in 2004–2016. Modern areal and nesting places of Griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus), Black vulture (Aegypius monachus), Egyptian vulture, (Neophron percnopterus) and Bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) in Azerbaijan was determined. Our results reveals that 60.6% (n=20) of nesting locations were found in Lesser Caucasus, 36.3% (n=12) in Great Caucasus, 3.0% (n=1) in Talysh mountains. Over the last 13 years the total known population of these species decreased by 15.3%. Primary reason of this decline is the abandonment of livestock farms and graze lands, accompanied by the expansion of cultivated areas (P = 0.0001) since large domestic ruminants are important source of food for Griffon vultures,. The other important threats to these species were identified as nestling removal, capture and trade of wild birds for exhibiting them in zoological gardens and roadside restaurants, destructing the nests of Black vultures, ecotourism and recreation has impacted on the decrease in the number of Griffon vultures (P =0.0001). In 2016, 61 pairs of Griffon vulture, 59 pairs of Egyptian vulture, 16 pairs of Black vulture, 9 pairs of Bearded vulture were recorded in the territories of Azerbaijan.

A multi-species indirect ELISA for detection group-specific antibodies against VP7 protein of bluetongue virus

Abstract In the present study, a multispecies indirect ELISA for the detection of serogroup-specific antibodies against the VP7 protein of bluetongue virus (BTV) has been developed. The assay was optimized using a peroxidase-conjugated protein G secondary antibody that can detect antibodies from multiple species. Serum samples (n = 515) from small and large domestic ruminants were used to optimize the assay. The percent positivity (PP) values were used for the estimation of cut-off values. On receiver operator characteristic (ROC) analysis, different cut-off values along with their diagnostic sensitivity (DSn) and diagnostic specificity (DSp) were obtained. Among these, >20.24% PP value was accepted as the cut-off at which DSn was 96.05% with 92.9–98.1 (95%) confidence interval and DSp was 98.47 with 96.1–99.6 (95%) confidence interval. The above results indicate that the multispecies i-ELISA assay is sensitive, specific and minimize the dependence of species-specific conjugated antibodies for serological investigation of bluetongue in small and large ruminants.

Hemotropic mycoplasmas infection in water buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) from northeastern Brazil.

Two species of hemotropic mycoplasmas (HM) are known to infect large domestic ruminants, Mycoplasma wenyonii and 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haemobos'. Although HM has been described in cattle worldwide, data in water buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) remain scarce. Accordingly, the aim was to determine the occurrence of HM in water buffaloes from northeastern Brazil. A total of 101/290 (34.83%) buffaloes were positive for HM (16 M. wenyonii alone, 6 'Ca. M. haemobos' alone and 79 both). This was the first report of M. wenyonii infection in ruminants from Brazil. Clinical signs of hemoplasmosis in buffaloes remain unknown.

Morphometric and immunohistochemical study of the rumen of red deer during prenatal development.

Abstract A detailed study of the ontogenesis of deer stomach has not been undertaken to date, and our aim was to sequence several histological phenomena that occur during the ontogenesis of one of the gastric compartments, the rumen. Histomorphometric and immunohistochemical analyses were carried out on 50 embryos and fetuses of deer from the initial stages of prenatal life until birth. For the purposes of testing, the animals were divided into five experimental groups: group I, 1.4-3.6 cm crown-rump length, 30-60 days, 1-25% of gestation; group II, 4.5-7.2 cm crown-rump length, 67-90 days, 25-35% of gestation; group III, 8-19 cm crown-rump length, 97-135 days, 35-50% of gestation; group IV, 21-33 cm crown-rump length, 142-191 days, 45-70% of gestation; and group V, 36-40 cm crown-rump length, 205-235 days, 75-100% of gestation. The rumen of the primitive gastric tube was observed at approximately 60 days. At 67 days the rumen consisted of three layers: internal or mucosal, middle or muscular, and external or serosal layer. The stratification of the epithelial layer was accompanied by changes in its structure with the appearance of ruminal pillars and papillae. The outline of the ruminal papillae began to appear at 142 days of prenatal development as evaginations of the basal zone toward the ruminal lumen, pulling with it in its configuration the stratum basale, the lamina propria and the submucosa. From the pluripotential blastemic tissue at 60 days we witnessed the histodifferentiation of the primitive tunica muscularis, composed of two layers of myoblasts with a defined arrangement. It was also from the pluripotential blastemic tissue, at 97 days, that the lamina propria and the submucosa were differentiated. The serosa showed continuity in growth as well as differentiation, already detected in the undifferentiated outline phase. The tegumentary mucosa of deer rumen was shown without secretory capacity in the initial embryonic phases; neutral mucopolysaccharides appeared from 67 days. The presence of neuroendocrine cells (non-neuronal enolase) in the ruminal wall of deer during development was not detected until 97 days. The glial cells were detected at 142 days for glial fibrillary acidic protein and at 67 days for vimentin. The immunodetection of neuropeptides vasointestinal peptide and neuropeptide Y progressively increased with gestation period, starting from 97 days. In terms of the structure of the rumen of the primitive gastric tube, our observations revealed that the deer is less precocious than small and large domestic ruminants. Thus its secretory capacity, detected by the presence of neutral mucopolysaccharides, and its neuroendocrine nature, determined by the presence of positive non-neuronal enolase cells, were evident in more advanced stages of prenatal development than those detected in the sheep, goat and cow.

Ovine scrapie: priorities and importance.

Ovine and caprine scrapie occupies a unique place among animal transmissive spongiform encephalopathies (TSE). It is an object of intensive biomedicinal, ecological and economical studies. Its causative agents are demonstrably associated with the development of TSE in farmed minks, goats and moufflons. Ovine strains of scrapie occurring in North America (particularly in the USA) differ from strains which occur in Europe and were present at the onset of development of TSE in three species of deer living in free nature and in captivity in the USA. The studies dealing with the development of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) of the English type have indicated justifiably that its origin is associated with one (or more) heretofore unidentified ovine strain. The development of a variant form, the Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease in humans, and transmission of the BSE agent to several families of bovidae, felidae and primates, puts stress on its zoonotic potential. All this leads to the conclusion that domesticated sheep are the decisive reservoir species of animal TSE. They have been infected to an unknown extent with the causative agent of BSE probably through contaminated meat-bone meal. The occurrence of natural ovine prion isolates with properties similar to those of the BSE agent requires that scrapie should be included in the surveillance of human and animal TSE. At present, scrapie is a noticeable disease also in other than European Communities Member States. It is on the list B of the International Epizootics Office. Many countries have initiated control of ovine scrapie. It should therefore become a topical question also in Central and Eastern European countries. Elimination or even eradication of ovine scrapie (or its causative agents) from populations of small and large domestic ruminants is the prerequisite for prevention of penetration of ovine pathogenic prions into the human feed chain. Moreover, it should be ensured that these species will be able to produce foods of a new type (immunotrition and similar) or proteins with therapeutic effects in the near future. Our study established that the PrP genotype of Valachian rams, the Slovak autochthonous breed, contains also VRQ and ARQ alleles encoding the susceptibility to scrapie. Their selection is part of the improvement of Slovak Valachian sheep towards resistance to scrapie.

Development of a specific radioimmunoassay to measure physiological changes of circulating leptin in cattle and sheep.

Studies of leptin in large domestic ruminants have been limited to measurements of gene expression because methods to measure circulating levels are not available. To develop a bovine leptin radioimmunoassay, we produced recombinant bovine leptin and used it to immunize rabbits, and to prepare bovine leptin tracer and standards. A single antiserum with sufficient affinity and titer was identified. Using this antiserum, logit-transformed binding of (125)I-labeled bovine leptin was linearly related (R(2)= 0.99) to the log of added bovine or ovine leptin between 0.1 to 2.0 ng. Serial dilution of bovine and ovine plasma, chicken serum and bovine milk gave displacement curves that were parallel to those of bovine or ovine leptin. Recoveries of external addition of bovine leptin in ewe and cow plasma ranged between 94 and 104%. Plasma leptin concentration measured by this assay was directly related to the plane of! nutrition in growing calves and lambs. At 11-14 weeks of age, ewe lambs had a higher circulating leptin concentration than ram lambs. Finally, plasma leptin concentration was linearly related to the fat content of the empty carcass in growing cattle and to body condition score in lactating dairy cows. We conclude that circulating leptin in sheep and cattle is increased by fatness and plane of nutrition, consistent with results in humans and rodents. This assay provides an important tool to investigate mechanisms that regulate plasma leptin in cattle and sheep.

The Nature of Nasolabial Gland Secretion (NLGS) in Large Domestic Ruminants

Although present in all the 67 large domestic ruminants used in the present study, the amount of nasolabial gland secretion (NLGS) collected by Pasteur pipette was extremely variable. The secretion was colourless, odourless and easily frothing with a pH range between 8.0 and 9.0. Its specific gravity was 0.9799 and 0.9895 in the buffaloes and cattle respectively. Proteins and traces of inorganic radicles including ammonium, calcium, chloride and bicarbonate ions were also present. Amylase was detected in all the 25 fresh samples (10 cattle and 15 buffaloes) of the secretion tested. Average amylase levels in buffalo and cattle were 24.13 and 16.10 units per 100 ml. respectively. In buffaloes the amylase levels in NLGS and serum showed no correlation. Amylase from this secretion of the large domestic ruminants, which can and does gain direct or indirect access to the mouth, perhaps explains the source of this digestive enzyme as previously recorded from ox saliva.