Diseases and causes of death among alpacas in Sweden: a retrospective study.

Background: Due to increasing popularity in Sweden during the last decade, alpacas are frequently encountered by practising veterinarians and pathologists. Knowledge regarding their health and diseases under Swedish conditions is, however, limited.

Objectives: To improve knowledge about the health of alpacas in Sweden by collecting information on diseases and health status.

Pre-registration efficacy study of a novel marker vaccine against classical swine fever on maternally derived antibody positive (MDA+) target animals.

Maternally Derived Antibodies (MDA) can have a negative effect on the efficacy of live attenuated vaccines against classical swine fever (CSF). For this reason, a marker vaccine candidate CP7_E2alf was tested for its efficacy in the presence of MDA. Pregnant sows were vaccinated four weeks before farrowing with CSF virus (CSFV) strain "Thiverval".

Pre-registration efficacy study of a novel marker vaccine against classical swine fever on Maternally Derived Antibody negative (MDA-) target animals.

Classical swine fever (CSF) marker vaccine candidate CP7_E2alf produced under Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) conditions by Pfizer was tested on 40 six-week-old MDA-piglets according to the European Pharmacopoeia (Ph.Eur.) requirements.

Occurrence of Treponema spp. in porcine skin ulcers and gingiva.

Porcine shoulder ulcers and ear necrosis are a significant animal welfare concern and impair efficient livestock production. Although spirochetes have been detected in both types of lesions the potential role of these bacteria in lesion propagation has received little attention. The objective of this study was to investigate the occurrence of spirochetes of the genus Treponema in shoulder ulcers or ear necrosis in pigs and compare these with treponemes from porcine gingiva.

Classical swine fever: comparison of oronasal immunisation with CP7E2alf marker and C-strain vaccines in domestic pigs.

Effective oronasal vaccination against classical swine fever (CSF) is essential to achieve protection in wild boar. However the currently available live CSF vaccines, e.g.

Comparative studies on the pathogenicity and tissue distribution of three virulence variants of classical swine fever virus, two field isolates and one vaccine strain, with special regard to immunohistochemical investigations.

Background: The aim of this study was to compare the tissue distribution and pathogenicity of three virulence variants of classical swine fever virus (CSFV) and to investigate the applicability of various conventional diagnostic procedures.

Methods: 64 pigs were divided into three groups and infected with the highly virulent isolate ISS/60, the moderately virulent isolate Wingene'93 and the live attenuated vaccine strain Riems, respectively. Clinical signs, gross and histopathological changes were compared in relation to time elapsed post infection.

Post mortem findings in sows and gilts euthanised or found dead in a large Swedish herd.

Background: The aim of this study was to get information on post mortem diagnoses of sows found dead or euthanised and to understand the diagnoses aetiology (causative background). Moreover, the study was to evaluate the association between the clinical symptoms observed on farm and post mortem findings.

Methods: A large Swedish herd was studied from January to September 2006.

Phylogenetic analysis of porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) pre- and post-epizootic postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS).

The porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) genome encodes three major open reading frames (ORFs) encoding the replicase proteins (ORF1), the viral capsid protein (ORF2), and a protein with suggested apoptotic activity (ORF3). Previous phylogenetic analyses of complete genome sequences of PCV2 from GenBank have demonstrated 95-100% intra-group nucleotide sequence identity. However, although these isolates were readily grouped into clusters and clades, there was no correlation between the occurrence of specific PCV2 genotypes and the geographic origin or health status of the pig.

Postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS) in Sweden from an exotic to an endemic disease.

Postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS) is causally associated with porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) infection of pigs. PCV2 was first demonstrated in Swedish pigs in 1993, although the virus was almost certainly present in pigs in the country before that. Despite this, no signs of PMWS were observed in pigs of Sweden until the first outbreak was reported in 2003.

Experimental reproduction of postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS) in pigs in Sweden and Denmark with a Swedish isolate of porcine circovirus type 2.

An experimental model using 3-day-old snatch-farrowed colostrum-deprived piglets co-infected with porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) and porcine parvovirus (PPV) is at present one of the best methods to study factors affecting development of postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS). A Swedish isolate of PCV2 (S-PCV2) retrieved in 1993 from a healthy pig has been used in this model to reproduce PMWS in pigs from Northern Ireland. This virus has been present in the Swedish pig population for at least a decade without causing any known PMWS disease problems, despite its potential pathogenicity.

Postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome--PMWS. the first year with the disease in Sweden.

Postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS) is causally associated with porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) infection of pigs. PCV2 has been present in the Swedish pig population for at least ten years. Despite this, no signs of PMWS were observed in pigs of Sweden until 2003.

Insemination of susceptible heifers with semen from a non-viraemic bull with persistent bovine virus diarrhoea virus infection localized in the testes.

Bulls shedding bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) in semen and simultaneously having a high concentration of circulating antibodies may cause reproductive problems and spread the viral infection within cattle populations. To investigate this in detail, three heifers were inseminated with BVDV-infected semen from a non-viraemic, seropositive Holstein-Friesian bull, named 'Cumulus'. One control heifer was inseminated with semen from a healthy bull that was free of BVDV.

Acute disseminated toxoplasmosis in a captive three-toed sloth (Bradypus tridactylus).

Fatal toxoplasmosis was diagnosed in a captive three-toed sloth (Bradypus tridactylus), an arboreal species of the tropical rainforests of South and Central America. In view of its specialized lifestyle and ecosystem and its low metabolic rate, B. tridactylus would seem to warrant further investigation in respect of its susceptibility to Toxoplasma gondii.

Comparative pathogenesis of acute and latent infections of calves with bovine herpesvirus types 1 and 5.

This study was conducted to compare the pathogenesis of acute and latent infections with closely related bovine herpesvirus types 1 (BHV-1) and 5 (BHV-5) in their natural host. Two groups of eight calves were inoculated intranasally with BHV-1 or BHV-5. Although BHV-1 and BHV-5 similarly replicate in the nasal mucosa after inoculation, both viruses differ markedly in their ability to cause disease, BHV-5 being responsible of some fatal encephalitis while BHV-1 inducing rhinotracheitis.

Pathogenesis of primary respiratory disease induced by isolates from a new genetic cluster of bovine viral diarrhea virus type I.

The pathogenesis of infection induced by cytopathogenic isolates from the newly identified genetic cluster Id of bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) type I was studied in two experimental infections of previously seronegative, immunocompetent calves. Experiment 1 focused on the evaluation of clinical patterns, viremia, and serological responses. All infected calves in this experiment developed respiratory symptoms and seroconverted to BVDV positivity.

Studies on the pathogenicity of bovine herpesvirus type 5 in sheep.

Four Merino lambs were intranasally inoculated with bovine herpesvirus type 5 (BHV-5) reference strain N569. Two lambs were mock-inoculated as negative controls. The virus-inoculated animals developed apathy, inappetence, rhinitis, nasal, ocular and genital discharge, slight diarrhea and neurological disorders, like tremor and salivation.

Detection and identification of mycobacteria in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues by nested PCR and restriction enzyme analysis.

A novel assay based on a nested PCR and restriction enzyme analysis of the PCR products was developed for the rapid detection and identification of Mycobacterium bovis and M. avium-M. intracellulare species in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue (PET) specimens.

Serum concentrations of thyroid hormones in calves with a transient or persistent infection with bovine viral diarrhoea virus.

Calves persistently infected with bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) often appear small for their age and it is possible that the virus interferes with their body metabolism by affecting the production of hormones. In this study, the serum concentrations of thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) were measured in calves with transient or persistent BVDV infections. The mean (SD) concentrations of T3 and T4 were lower (P < 0.

Border disease virus transmitted to sheep and cattle by a persistently infected ewe: epidemiology and control.

In a Swedish sheep flock comprising 202 ewes and 13 rams, a pair of twin lambs born in the spring of 1990 demonstrated signs of border disease (BD) and were persistently infected (PI) with border disease virus (BDV). Investigation showed that BDV had been introduced in the preceding tupping period 5-6 months earlier by a bought-in ewe which, on the basis of immunoperoxidase- and polymerase chain reaction techniques, was shown to be PI with BDV. Only 7 of the ewes, all of which had been in close contact with the PI ewe, seroconverted during the subsequent gestation.

The occurrence of European brown hare syndrome in Finland.

European brown hare syndrome (EBHS) is a viral hepatitis that affects European brown hares and varying hares The disease occurs today in free-living and farmed hares in most European countries ( 1989, 1991). In Sweden and Denmark the EBHS was first observed at the beginning of the eighties, however, in Finland and Norway the disease has not been reported yet.

Bacillary haemoglobinuria diagnosis by the peroxidase-antiperoxidase (PAP) technique.

A peroxidase-antiperoxidase (PAP) technique was used to diagnose bacillary haemoglobinuria in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded liver tissues of cattle. The PAP method revealed Clostridium haemolyticum in the zone of liver necrosis characteristic of the disease and also in culture smears of this microorganism, but C. novyi type B, C.

Pseudorabies (Aujeszky's disease) in Argentina.

Various methods have been employed for the diagnosis of pseudorabies in Argentina. A large serological survey was carried out by means of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (blocking ELISA) and virus neutralisation (VN). An outbreak was studied by virological and immunohistochemical methods and in situ nucleic acid hybridisation.

A bovine viral diarrhoea/mucosal disease-like syndrome in moose (Alces alces): investigations on the central nervous system.

A disease of unknown aetiology has been observed in moose. The animals showed signs of a bovine viral diarrhoea/mucosal disease-like syndrome, and central nervous disturbances. Brains from adult female moose were investigated by means of histology, immunohistochemistry, electron microscopy, virology, and bacteriology.