Molecular detection of Nigerian field isolates of subsp. as causative agents of contagious bovine pleuropneumonia.

Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP) is a highly contagious respiratory disease affecting cattle and is widely distributed in the sub-Saharan Africa. The objective of this study was to detect subspecies () the causative agent of CBPP from 90 cattle at slaughter using polymerase chain reaction-Restriction fragment length polymorphism. In this study, 450 samples suggestive of CBPP in Maiduguri, Yola and Gombe township abattoirs were processed according to standard protocols.

Selection of a monoclonal antibody by ELISA, immunoblotting and Quartz Crystal Microbalance technology for immunohistochemical detection of Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides.

An immunohistochemical (IHC) technique was optimised using a monoclonal antibody (MAb) to detect Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides (Mmm), the agent of Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP), in sections of lung tissue. A panel of MAbs was produced and screened for Mmm speci city and for cross-reactivity against other mycoplasmas belonging and not belonging to the Mycoplasma mycoides cluster, using in parallel indirect ELISA (i-ELISA) and Immunoblotting (IB).

Preliminary results on innocuity and immunogenicity of an inactivated vaccine against Peste des petits ruminants.

Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) virus belongs to the family Paramyxoviridae and represents a major threat to small livestock industry. In recent years, outbreaks of PPR have occurred in Turkey and North Africa. In endemic areas, disease prevention is accomplished using live‑attenuated vaccines.

African horse sickness outbreaks in Namibia from 2006 to 2013: clinical, pathological and molecular findings.

African horse sickness (AHS) is a vector‑borne viral disease of equids, endemic in Sub‑Saharan Africa. This article reports the clinic‑pathological and laboratory findings observed in the framework of passive surveillance during the AHS outbreaks which occurred in Namibia between 2006 and 2013. This study was conducted in the framework of the collaboration among the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise (Teramo, Italy), the Namibian Ministry of Agriculture Water and Forestry, and the Namibian National Veterinary Association.

Orbivirus detection from Culicoides collected on African horse sickness outbreaks in Namibia.

African horse sickness (AHS), a non-contagious infectious disease caused by a RNA virus in the Orbivirus genus within the Reoviridae family affecting all equids, is endemic in sub-Saharan Africa. The virus is transmitted by some species of biting midges in the genus Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae). In April 2011, 8 Culicoides collections were performed in 6 districts of 4 regions of the Republic of Namibia (Africa), all within a 400 km radious from the capital Windhoek.

Characterization of the in vitro core surface proteome of Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides, the causative agent of contagious bovine pleuropneumonia.

Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP), caused by Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides (Mmm) is a severe cattle disease, present in many countries in sub-Saharan Africa. The development of improved diagnostic tests and vaccines for CBPP control remains a research priority.

Inactivated and adjuvanted vaccine for the control of the African horse sickness virus serotype 9 infection: evaluation of efficacy in horses and guinea-pig model.

African horse sickness (AHS) is a non-contagious viral disease of solipeds transmitted by Culicoides. The disease is endemic in most African countries. Past experience has shown that Italy is a country exposed to emerging infectious diseases endemic to Africa; an incursion of AHS virus together with the widespread presence of Culicoides vectors could be the cause of a serious epidemic emergency.

Plasma levels of TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-4 and IL-10 during a course of experimental contagious bovine pleuropneumonia.

Background: Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP), caused by Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides, is widespread in sub-Saharan Africa. The current live vaccine T1/44 has limited efficacy and occasionally leads to severe side effects in the animals.

Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia: humoral and pathological events in cattle infected by endotracheal intubation or by exposure to infected animals.

Results of trials in which cattle were infected by endotracheal intubation of Mycoplasma mycoides var. mycoides small colony (MmmSC) cultures or by contact exposure to animals affected by contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP) are numerous. However, an analysis of the effects of the two different routes of infection on disease outcome is lacking.

Determinants of bluetongue virus virulence in murine models of disease.

Bluetongue is a major infectious disease of ruminants that is caused by bluetongue virus (BTV). In this study, we analyzed virulence and genetic differences of (i) three BTV field strains from Italy maintained at either a low (L strains) or high (H strains) passage number in cell culture and (ii) three South African "reference" wild-type strains and their corresponding live attenuated vaccine strains. The Italian BTV L strains, in general, were lethal for both newborn NIH-Swiss mice inoculated intracerebrally and adult type I interferon receptor-deficient (IFNAR(-/-)) mice, while the virulence of the H strains was attenuated significantly in both experimental models.

Effects of immune serum on macrophage cell cultures infected with Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides small colony: morphological analysis by scanning electron microscopy.

Macrophages are pivotal cells of the immune system and play a key role in the host defence mechanism against pathogens. To date, the importance of macrophages and the role of humoral response in eliciting macrophage activity against Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides small colony (Mmm-SC), the causative agent of contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP), have only been marginally elucidated or are almost unknown.

African horse sickness: a description of outbreaks in Namibia.

African horse sickness is a vector-transmitted viral disease that affects equidae. The authors report cases of disease that occurred in Namibia between 2006 and 2008. These were recorded by staff of the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise 'G.

Namibia: an example of international cooperation in the study of emerging diseases.

The Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise 'G. Caporale' (IZS A&M) has been engaged for many years in research and studies designed to increase knowledge and expertise when dealing with 'exotic diseases' namely, those diseases which are not present in a country. To achieve these objectives, it is important to create cooperation networks with laboratories and research organisations at national and international levels.

Production and efficacy of an attenuated live vaccine against contagious ovine ecthyma.

Contagious ecthyma is caused by the orf virus, a member of the family Poxviridae, genus Parapoxvirus. Morbidity in affected sheep flocks is approximately 100%, while mortality varies between 1% and 10%. A live attenuated vaccine was produced by the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise 'G.