Evaluation of fetal heart serum amyloid a concentrations in infectious cattle abortion cases.

Serum amyloid A (SAA) concentrations have been investigated in diseases of human and domestic animals and increased SAA levels have been reported in infectious diseases. In the present study, we determined the fetal heart blood SAA concentrations in aborted bovine fetuses and investigated the relationship between the level of SAA and causative infectious agents. A total of 46 heart blood samples were collected from aborted bovine fetuses between July 2018 and July 2019 and were assigned to two groups according to microbiological, pathological and molecular results. Group 1: An infectious disease was diagnosed by detecting a microorganism (21 cases); Group 2: An infectious or inflammatory disease was not detected (25 cases). The fetal heart blood SAA concentrations were measured by commercial ELISA test. Serum amyloid A concentrations in aborted bovine fetuses were elevated from 6.1 to ≥40 mg/L in 17 of 21 cases in group 1. In group 2, SAA concentrations were less than 2.5 mg/L in 23 of 25 cases. This difference was statistically significant between group 1 and group 2. These findings suggest that SAA concentrations in fetal heart blood from bovine fetuses is potentially a novel marker for distinguishing between infectious and non-infectious bovine abortion cases.

Evaluation of Boron's Adjuvant Activity in Inactive Bacterin Vaccines Using the Mice Model.

Vaccination is the most effective, reliable, and economical way of preventing or reducing the effect of infectious diseases. When preparing inactive vaccines, a range of additives called adjuvants are necessary to enhance the magnitude of the immune response. Boron has a wide range of industrial and medical applications, and its positive effects on distinct functions have been described in plants, humans, and animals. However, no studies exist about the possible adjuvant activities of boron compounds in vaccines. Hence, in this study, the potential adjuvant effect of boric acid was explored and compared with common veterinary adjuvants in a mice model. Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) used as vaccine antigen was isolated from dairy cows with bovine mastitis. Vaccines adjuvanted with boric acid, aluminum hydroxide, Montanide ISA 50 and ISA 206, and Montanide + boric acid combinations were prepared. The efficacy of vaccines was evaluated according to local reactions at the injection site, C-reactive protein, total Ig G, total Ig M, and anti-S. aureus antibody levels in mice. Boric acid reduced local inflammatory reactions induced by the Montanide adjuvants. Moreover, mice vaccinated with boric acid-adjuvanted vaccine had higher levels of anti-S. aureus antibody than those in the controls (P < 0.05) and were similar to the levels found in mice sensitized with aluminum hydroxide. Total Ig G and Ig M results were, however, unsuitable for the assessment of adjuvant activity for this study. In conclusion, this study revealed that boric acid has an adjuvant potential in inactive bacterin vaccines, but further target animal studies are needed.

Occurrence of infectious laryngotracheitis outbreaks in commercial layer hens detected by ELISA.

Infectious laryngotracheitis (ILT) is an acute respiratory disease of chickens and a cause of great economic loss in commercial layers. The aims of this study were to investigate the prevalence of ILT in the field outbreaks and to compare the characteristics of ILT-infected and free flocks of commercial layers. A total of 625 blood serum samples were collected from 25 different layer flocks. The presence of antibodies against infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV) in each sample was determined by ELISA. Of the 625 serum samples, 266 (42.56%) were found to be positive for ILTV antibodies. A total of 16 (64%) flocks were detected ILT positive by ELISA method. The mortality of infected flocks was statistically higher (P < 0.05) than uninfected flocks. The egg production of positive flocks was lower than that of the free flocks, but this difference was not statistically significant. The average live weight of hens in infected flocks was lower (P > 0.05) than hens in free flocks. In conclusion, the results of this study indicated a high prevalence of ILT infection in the commercial layer flocks in Konya region, Turkey. In outbreaks, ILT significantly increased the mortality rate and decreased the average live weight in layer hens.

Occurrence and Antibiotic Susceptibility of Listeria Species in Turkey Meats.

The aims of this study were to investigate the occurrence of Listeria species in turkey meats and to check the antimicrobial susceptibility of the isolated strains. Hundred and fifteen raw turkey meat samples were randomly collected from the supermarkets, butchers and restaurants. Strain isolation and identification were made according to the ISO11290-1 method. Antimicrobial susceptibility was determined by the standard disc diffusion method. A total of 47 Listeria spp. were isolated from 115 (40.9%) raw turkey meat samples. The isolates were distributed between L. monocytogenes (25.53%), L. innocua (34.04%), L. grayi (31.91%) and L. welshimeri (8.51%). A total of 55.3 % of Listeria spp. isolates were multi-resistant to at least 3 of the antimicrobial agent tested. The level of multi-resistance was higher in L. monocytogenes strains (66.7%) than in L. innocua (62.5%) and L. grayi (53.3%). Listeria spp. isolates were highly resistant to ampicillin, cephalothin, penicillin, meticillin, oxacillin, and trimethoprime-sulfamethoxazole. The isolates particularly L. monocytogenes are increasingly resistant to one or more antibiotics and may represent a potential risk for public health because these antibiotics are common used in treatment of listeriosis. The correct and controlled use of antibiotics in veterinary medicine is important to the emergence of resistant strains.

Detection and molecular typing of Clostridium perfringens isolates from beef, chicken and turkey meats.

Here we describe a study investigating the presence of Clostridium perfringens strains in meat samples and the toxin genes in the isolates by PCR. This study, for the first time, demonstrated the presence of C. perfringens type E in turkey meats, while C. perfringens type C strains isolated from chicken meats.

[Investigation of Brucella canis Seroprevalence in Brucellosis Suspected Cases]. / Bruselloz Süpheli Olgularda Brucella canis Seroprevalansinin Arastirilmasi

Brucella canis which is the main etiologic agent of brucellosis in dogs, can be transmitted to man. It causes mild or asymptomatic infection in human compared with other Brucella species. B.canis can be transmitted to man either by laboratory accidents or contact with infected dogs. Since B.canis infections in humans are not routinely investigated in hospitals in Turkey, the data are limited to reveal the current status of B.canis infections in people in our country. The purpose of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of B.canis infection in brucellosis-suspected cases. The study was conducted at Konya Education and Research Hospital, (located at Central Anatolia of Turkey) during March-August 2010 period. Serum samples were obtained from 1000 patients (age range: 15-65 years; 652 of them were women) presented with brucellosis-like symptoms, including fever, headache, night sweats, appetite loss, weakness, arthralgia and myalgia. Rose Bengal Plate Tests (Seromed, Turkey) for smooth Brucella species were negative in all serum samples. Rough type B.canis antigen was prepared with B.canis NCTC 10854 strain for serodiagnosis. Antibody responses to B.canis in the serum samples were investigated by rapid slide agglutination test (SAT) and modified plate agglutination test (MPAT). Of the 1000 sera tested, 34 (0.34%) were found to be positive with SAT while the remaining were found negative. MPAT was used for the detection of antibody titer and 22 (0.22%) out of 1000 sera were found positive with MPAT (one had 1/48, five had 1/96, six had 1/192, six had 1/384, four had 1/768 titers). Among 22 positive patients, 17 were female and five were male, and the difference between the genders was found statistically significant (p< 0.05). It was concluded the use of both S and R antigens in the serological tests applied for the diagnosis of brucellosis in our country will supplement both diagnosis and seroepidemiological data related to brucellosis.

Oxidant and antioxidant parameters in patients with Brucella canis.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the oxidative status in patient with Brucella canis (B. canis) and healthy controls by measurement of total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and total oxidant capacity (TOS), and calculation of oxidative stress index (OSI). DESIGN AND METHODS: Six patients with B. canis and 6 healthy control subjects were included in this study. Diagnosis of B. canis was made by rapid slide agglutination test (RSAT) and Modified Plate Agglutination Test (MPAT). The serum samples of B. canis positive patients and controls were used for measurement of TAC and TOS levels. RESULTS: The TOS and OSI index were significantly higher in brucellosis positive patients than control group (p<0.001 and p<0.0001, respectively), while TAC level was found similar in patient and control groups. CONCLUSION: Findings of this study have shown that B. canis generate low TOS and OSI index in man compared with smooth Brucella species infection. This difference may help to provide understanding about the pathogenesis of B. canis infection in man.