ABSTRACT
A procedure was developed to type California serogroup viruses by an antibody-capture, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Seven California serogroup members from North America were distinguished, including snowshoe hare, La Crosse, California encephalitis, San Angelo, Jamestown Canyon, Keystone, and trivittatus. Extensive cross-reactions were observed between Jamestown Canyon and the closely related South River strain. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method was successfully applied to the typing of 77 California serogroup viruses isolated in Canada, including 61 snowshoe hare, 13 Jamestown Canyon, and 3 trivittatus topotypes.
Subject(s)
Bunyaviridae/classification , Encephalitis Virus, California/classification , Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay , Immunoenzyme Techniques , Serotyping/methods , Animals , Canada , Cross Reactions , Culicidae/microbiology , Encephalitis Virus, California/isolation & purification , Rabbits/microbiologyABSTRACT
The recent recognition that Q fever is endemic in Ontario and the known occupational risk of Q fever to research personnel working with sheep prompted a study to determine the prevalence of antibodies to the causative organism, Coxiella burnetti, in animals and staff at a Toronto animal research institute. Of 37 sheep 34 (92%) were found to be seropositive--that is, to have a titre of complement-fixing antibody to the phase II antigen of 1:8 or greater. Of 331 staff members tested, 18% were found to be seropositive, compared with 0.6% of a random sample of Toronto blood donors. The highest rate of seropositivity, 68%, was in the 28 animal attendants tested. Seropositivity was associated with working with sheep or fetal lamb tissue (p less than 0.0001) and with visiting the animal facility (p less than 0.001). Of the 59 seropositive staff members 63% had had no direct contact with sheep. There were 12 clinically apparent cases of Q fever, 2 of which required admission to hospital. Q fever remains a serious occupational hazard to staff working in research laboratories using sheep, even to those with indirect exposure to infected animals.
Subject(s)
Disease Outbreaks/epidemiology , Occupational Diseases/epidemiology , Q Fever/transmission , Research Personnel , Sheep , Adult , Animals , Antibodies, Bacterial/analysis , Coxiella/immunology , Female , Humans , Male , Medical Staff, Hospital , Middle Aged , Ontario , Pregnancy , Q Fever/epidemiology , Q Fever/immunology , Retrospective Studies , Sheep/immunology , Sheep Diseases/transmission , ZoonosesSubject(s)
Respiratory Tract Infections/microbiology , Virus Diseases/microbiology , Adenoviridae/isolation & purification , Age Factors , Child, Preschool , Enterovirus/isolation & purification , Humans , Infant , Infant, Newborn , Orthomyxoviridae/isolation & purification , Quebec , Respiratory Syncytial Viruses/isolation & purification , Respiratory Tract Infections/epidemiology , Respirovirus/isolation & purification , Rhinovirus/isolation & purification , Simplexvirus/isolation & purification , Virus Diseases/epidemiologyABSTRACT
Seventy-seven hospitalized children from whom respiratory syncytial virus was subsequently isolated were studied in retrospect. This demonstrated the association of host invasion by this agent with an acute respiratory disease requiring hospitalization for approximately one week.Boys considerably outnumbered girls, the average age was 7.5 months, and in 56% the admission diagnosis was "bronchiolitis". Cough and difficulty in breathing were the most common presenting complaints and "pneumonia" the most common radiological diagnosis. Nearly half the patients also harboured accepted disease-causing bacterial pathogens. All the patients recovered and have remained well.The appearance of the virus in Montreal was seasonal, beginning in late autumn and terminating in early spring.
