Diagnosis of Menopause in a Captive Sumatran Orangutan (Pongo abelii).

Humans were long thought to be the only mammal to experience menopause, the permanent cessation of reproduction followed by a long post-reproductive lifespan. More recently, evidence has been found for the existence of menopause in other long-lived mammals, including chimpanzees and gorillas. However, orangutans, which have the longest interbirth interval of any primate, have rarely been studied in this period of their lives.

Diagnostic applications of molecular and serological assays for bluetongue and African horse sickness.

The availability of rapid, highly sensitive and specific molecular and serologic diagnostic assays, such as competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (cELISA), has expedited the diagnosis of emerging transboundary animal diseases, including bluetongue (BT) and African horse sickness (AHS), and facilitated more thorough characterisation of their epidemiology. The development of assays based on real-time, reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to detect and identify the numerous serotypes of BT virus (BTV) and AHS virus (AHSV) has aided in-depth studies of the epidemiology of BTV infection in California and AHSV infection in South Africa. The subsequent evaluation of pan-serotype, real-time, RT-PCR-positive samples through the use of serotype-specific RT-PCR assays allows the rapid identification of virus serotypes, reducing the need for expensive and time-consuming conventional methods, such as virus isolation and serotype-specific virus neutralisation assays.

Experimental Infection of Mid-Gestation Pregnant Female and Intact Male Sheep with Zika Virus.

Zika virus (ZIKV) is an arbovirus that causes birth defects, persistent male infection, and sexual transmission in humans. The purpose of this study was to continue the development of an ovine ZIKV infection model; thus, two experiments were undertaken. In the first experiment, we built on previous pregnant sheep experiments by developing a mid-gestation model of ZIKV infection.

Experimental Infection of Pregnant Female Sheep with Zika Virus During Early Gestation.

Zika virus (ZIKV) is a vertically and sexually transmissible virus resulting in severe congenital malformation. The goal of this study was to develop an ovine model of ZIKV infection. Between 28-35 days gestation (DG), four pregnant animals were infected with two doses of 6 × 10 PFU of ZIKV; four control animals received PBS.

Bluetongue and epizootic hemorrhagic disease viruses: recent developments with these globally re-emerging arboviral infections of ruminants.

Bluetongue (BT) and epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) are globally re-emerging diseases of domestic and wild ruminants, respectively caused by BT virus (BTV) and EHD virus. Both viruses are transmitted by hematophagous midges; however, newly recognized BTV serotypes may be transmitted horizontally without requirement for any biological vector. The global range of these viruses and/or their associated diseases have changed remarkably in recent years, most notably with the invasion of Europe by multiple serotypes of BTV since 1998.

Teratogenic bluetongue and related orbivirus infections in pregnant ruminant livestock: timing and pathogen genetics are critical.

Congenital infections of domestic animals with viruses in several families, including Bunyaviridae, Flaviridae, Parvoviridae, and Reoviridae, are the cause of naturally occurring teratogenic central nervous system and/or musculoskeletal defects (arthrogryposis) in domestic animals. Congenital infections of ruminant livestock with bluetongue virus (BTV) and some related members of the genus Orbivirus (family Reoviridae) have clearly shown the critical role of gestational age at infection in determining outcome. Specifically, fetuses infected prior to mid-gestation that survive congenital BTV infection are born with cavitating central nervous system defects that range from severe hydranencephaly to cerebral cysts (porencephaly).

Successful treatment of infertility in a female Sumatran orangutan Pongo abelii.

In 2011, a female Sumatran orangutan housed at Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust became infertile following a massive antepartum hemorrhage in labor and the delivery of a stillborn infant. The placenta was infected with Pantoea sp. Hysterosalpingography (HSG) revealed blocked fallopian tubes, and pressurized fallopian tube perfusion was used to reverse the tubal occlusion.

A review of potential bluetongue virus vaccine strategies.

Bluetongue (BT) is an economically important, non-zoonotic arboviral disease of certain wild and domestic species of cloven-hooved ungulates. Bluetongue virus (BTV) is the causative agent and the occurrence of BTV infection is distinctly seasonal in temperate regions of the world, and dependent on the presence of vector biting midges (e.g.

Dynamics of African horse sickness virus nucleic acid and antibody in horses following immunization with a commercial polyvalent live attenuated vaccine.

African horse sickness (AHS) is a fatal disease of equids relevant to the global equine industry. Detection of AHS virus (AHSV) during outbreaks has become more rapid and efficient with the advent of group specific reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction (GS RT-qPCR) assays to detect AHSV nucleic acid. Use of GS RT-qPCR together with recently described type specific (TS RT-qPCR) assays cannot only expedite diagnosis of AHS but also facilitate further evaluation of the dynamics of AHSV infection in the equine host.

A Deterministic Model to Quantify Risk and Guide Mitigation Strategies to Reduce Bluetongue Virus Transmission in California Dairy Cattle.

The global distribution of bluetongue virus (BTV) has been changing recently, perhaps as a result of climate change. To evaluate the risk of BTV infection and transmission in a BTV-endemic region of California, sentinel dairy cows were evaluated for BTV infection, and populations of Culicoides vectors were collected at different sites using carbon dioxide. A deterministic model was developed to quantify risk and guide future mitigation strategies to reduce BTV infection in California dairy cattle.

Overwintering of Bluetongue virus in temperate zones.

Within Northern California, Culicoides sonorensis is the major vector of Bluetongue virus (BTV) and annual infection of livestock is distinctly seasonal (typically July‑November). Our recent studies compare the population dynamics of C. sonorensis midges with occurrence of BTV infection of C.

OIEBTLABNET: the web-based network of the OIE Bluetongue Reference Laboratories.

Bluetongue (BT) is a mild to severe disease of domestic and wild ruminants caused by the Bluetongue virus (BTV) and generally transmitted by Culicoides biting midges. Its occurrence also determines a livestock trade ban in affected countries with severe economic consequences on national and international trade. For this reason, in May 2011, the OIE encouraged the OIE Reference Laboratories to establish and maintain a BT network to provide expertise and training to the OIE and OIE Member Countries for BT diagnosis, surveillance and control.

African Horse Sickness Caused by Genome Reassortment and Reversion to Virulence of Live, Attenuated Vaccine Viruses, South Africa, 2004-2014.

African horse sickness (AHS) is a hemorrhagic viral fever of horses. It is the only equine disease for which the World Organization for Animal Health has introduced specific guidelines for member countries seeking official recognition of disease-free status. Since 1997, South Africa has maintained an AHS controlled area; however, sporadic outbreaks of AHS have occurred in this area.

Complete Genome Sequences of Four African Horse Sickness Virus Strains from a Commercial Tetravalent Live Attenuated Vaccine.

This is a report of the complete genome sequences of plaque-selected isolates of each of the four virus strains included in a South African commercial tetravalent African horse sickness attenuated live virus vaccine.

Epizootic haemorrhagic disease.

Summary Epizootic haemorrhagic disease (EHD) is an arthropod-transmitted viral disease of certain wild ungulates, notably North American white-tailed deer and, more rarely, cattle. The disease in white-tailed deer results from vascular injury analogous to that caused by bluetongue virus (BTV), to which EHD virus (EHDV) is closely related. There are seven serotypes of EHDV recognised, and Ibaraki virus, which is the cause of sporadic disease outbreaks in cattle in Asia, is included in EHDV serotype 2.

Bluetongue.

Summary Bluetongue (BT) is an arthropod-transmitted viral disease of non-African ungulates, principally sheep. The disease results from vascular injury analogous to that of human haemorrhagic viral fevers, with characteristic tissue infarction, haemorrhage, vascular leakage, oedema, and hypovolaemic shock. Importantly, BT is not zoonotic.

Bluetongue virus infection creates light averse Culicoides vectors and serious errors in transmission risk estimates.

Background: Pathogen manipulation of host behavior can greatly impact vector-borne disease transmission, but almost no attention has been paid to how it affects disease surveillance. Bluetongue virus (BTV), transmitted by Culicoides biting midges, is a serious disease of ruminant livestock that can cause high morbidity and mortality and significant economic losses. Worldwide, the majority of surveillance for Culicoides to assess BTV transmission risk is done using UV-light traps.

Lack of Evidence for Laboratory and Natural Vertical Transmission of Bluetongue Virus in Culicoides sonorensis (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae).

Culicoides sonorensis (Wirth & Jones) is the principal North American vector of bluetongue virus (BTV). BTV infection of livestock is distinctly seasonal (late summer and fall) in temperate regions of the world such as California, which has led to speculation regarding vertical transmission of the virus within the midge vector as a potential mechanism for interseasonal maintenance ("overwintering") of the virus. To evaluate potential vertical transmission of BTV in its midge vector, we fed adult midges BTV-spiked blood and used a BTV-specific quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction assay to evaluate parent, egg, and progeny stages of laboratory-reared C.

Complete Genome Sequences of the Three African Horse Sickness Virus Strains from a Commercial Trivalent Live Attenuated Vaccine.

This is a report of the complete genome sequences of plaque-selected isolates of each of the three virus strains included in a South African commercial trivalent African horse sickness attenuated live virus vaccine.

Development of three triplex real-time reverse transcription PCR assays for the qualitative molecular typing of the nine serotypes of African horse sickness virus.

Blood samples collected as part of routine diagnostic investigations from South African horses with clinical signs suggestive of African horse sickness (AHS) were subjected to analysis with an AHS virus (AHSV) group specific reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (AHSV RT-qPCR) assay and virus isolation (VI) with subsequent serotyping by plaque inhibition (PI) assays using AHSV serotype-specific antisera. Blood samples that tested positive by AHSV RT-qPCR were then selected for analysis using AHSV type specific RT-qPCR (AHSV TS RT-qPCR) assays. The TS RT-qPCR assays were evaluated using both historic stocks of the South African reference strains of each of the 9 AHSV serotypes, as well as recently derived stocks of these same viruses.

The changing global face of Bluetongue: from the beginning.

Bluetongue (BT) was first recognized and described in Southern Africa, and only later elsewhere. It is now known that the causative agent of BT [BT virus (BTV)] occurs throughout temperate and tropical regions of the world. Previous OIE symposia in 1984, 1991 and 2003 clarified the global distribution of BTV and its epidemiology, pathogenesis, and diagnosis.

Vaccines for Prevention of Bluetongue and Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease in Livestock: A North American Perspective.

Bluetongue (BT) and epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) are noncontagious, insect-transmitted diseases of domestic and wild ruminants caused by related but distinct viruses. There are significant gaps in our scientific knowledge and available countermeasures to control an outbreak of orbivirus-induced disease, whether BT or EHD. Both BT virus (BTV) and EHD virus (EHDV) cause hemorrhagic fevers in susceptible ruminants; however, BT is principally a disease of domestic livestock whereas EHD is principally a disease of certain species of wild, non-African ungulates, notably white-tailed deer.

Orbiviruses: A North American Perspective.

Orbiviruses are members of the Reoviridae family and include bluetongue virus (BTV) and epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV). These viruses are the cause of significant regional disease outbreaks among livestock and wildlife in the United States, some of which have been characterized by significant morbidity and mortality. Competent vectors are clearly present in most regions of the globe; therefore, all segments of production livestock are at risk for serious disease outbreaks.

Seasonal and interseasonal dynamics of bluetongue virus infection of dairy cattle and Culicoides sonorensis midges in northern California--implications for virus overwintering in temperate zones.

Bluetongue virus (BTV) is the cause of an economically important arboviral disease of domestic and wild ruminants. The occurrence of BTV infection of livestock is distinctly seasonal in temperate regions of the world, thus we determined the dynamics of BTV infection (using BTV-specific real time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction) among sentinel cattle and vector Culicoides sonorensis (C. sonorensis) midges on a dairy farm in northern California throughout both the seasonal and interseasonal (overwintering) periods of BTV activity from August 2012 until March 2014.