Use of pooled serum samples to assess herd disease status using commercially available ELISAs.

Pooled samples are used in veterinary and human medicine as a cost-effective approach to monitor disease prevalence. Nonetheless, there is limited information on the effect of pooling on test performance, and research is required to determine the appropriate number of samples which can be pooled. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the use of pooled serum samples as a herd-level surveillance tool for infectious production-limiting diseases: bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD), infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR), enzootic bovine leukosis (EBL) and Neospora caninum (NC), by investigating the maximum number of samples one can pool to identify one positive animal, using commercial antibody-detection ELISAs. Four positive field standards (PFS), one for each disease, were prepared by pooling highly positive herd-level samples diagnosed using commercially available ELISA tests. These PFS were used to simulate 18 pooled samples ranging from undiluted PFS to a dilution representing 1 positive in 1,000 animals using phosphate-buffered saline as diluent. A 1:10 dilution of the PFS resulted in positive results for IBR, BVD and EBL. Moreover, for IBR and BVD, results were still positive at 1:100 and 1:30 dilutions, respectively. However, for NC, a lower dilution (8:10) was required for a seropositive result. This study indicates that, at herd-level, the use of pooled serum is a useful strategy for monitoring infectious diseases (BVD, IBR and EBL) but not NC, using readily available diagnostic assays.

Relationship between growth of the preovulatory follicle and its steroidogenic activity on the onset and expression of estrus behavior in CIDR-treated Bos indicus cows: an observational study.

Estrus synchronization induces cows to gather in sexually active groups (SAGs) composed of females displaying mounting activity. Although this technique promotes the enhancement of sexual behavior, there are cows in estrus (CE) that delay estrus expression and also cows not displaying estrus (CNDE) even in the presence of a preovulatory follicle (PF). To elucidate the physiological mechanisms of the delay in the onset of estrus or absence of estrus behavior, an observational study was undertaken in 17 Bos indicus cows treated with exogenous progesterone (CIDR) to synchronize estrus and to monitor follicular growth and its steroidogenic activity. After SAGs formation, cows were ovariectomized at 24, 48, and 72 h post-CIDR. Among ovariectomized groups there were only 9 CE which: 1) showed differences in the onset of estrus; 2) displayed distinctive follicular growth patterns; and 3) at 72 h produced the highest intrafollicular estradiol concentration, and showed a linear trend to increase expression of P450scc and P450arom. Comparison of CE vs. CNDE showed that: 1) both groups had progesterone levels indicative of cyclic activity, and a PF which grew at a similar rate and size; 2) CE showed a stronger association between time and growth; and 3) CE produced more intrafollicular estradiol and progesterone, together with the expression of higher levels of P450arom. Results suggest that pending on the pattern of growth of the PF and its steroidogenic potential to produce estradiol, the onset and expression of estrus behavior may be delayed probably until the establishment of the appropriate conditions to ensure ovulation.