Intramuscular DNA Vaccination of Juvenile Carp against Spring Viremia of Carp Virus Induces Full Protection and Establishes a Virus-Specific B and T Cell Response.

Although spring viremia of carp virus (SVCV) can cause high mortalities in common carp, a commercial vaccine is not available for worldwide use. Here, we report a DNA vaccine based on the expression of the SVCV glycoprotein (G) which, when injected in the muscle even at a single low dose of 0.1 µg DNA/g of fish, confers up to 100% protection against a subsequent bath challenge with SVCV.

Expression of immunogenic structural proteins of cyprinid herpesvirus 3 in vitro assessed using immunofluorescence.

Cyprinid herpesvirus 3 (CyHV-3), also called koi herpesvirus (KHV), is the aetiological agent of a fatal disease in carp and koi (Cyprinus carpio L.), referred to as koi herpesvirus disease. The virus contains at least 40 structural proteins, of which few have been characterised with respect to their immunogenicity.

Identification of structural proteins of koi herpesvirus.

As a prerequisite for development of improved vaccines and diagnostic tools for control of the fish pathogen koi herpesvirus, or cyprinid herpesvirus 3 (CyHV-3), we have started to identify putative viral envelope and capsid proteins. The complete or partial CyHV-3 open reading frames ORF25, ORF65, ORF92, ORF99, ORF136, ORF138, ORF146, ORF148, and ORF149 were expressed as bacterial fusion proteins, which were then used for preparation of monospecific rabbit antisera. All of the sera that were obtained detected their target proteins in cells transfected with the corresponding eukaryotic expression plasmids.

Investigation into an outbreak of encephalomyelitis caused by a neuroinvasive porcine sapelovirus in the United Kingdom.

An outbreak of neurological disease in grower pigs characterised by ataxia and paraparesis was investigated in this study. The outbreak occurred 3-4 weeks post weaning in grower pigs which displayed signs of spinal cord damage progressing to recumbency. Pathology in the affected spinal cords and to a lesser extent in the brainstem was characterised by pronounced inflammation and neuronophagia in the grey matter.

Generation and application of monoclonal antibodies against Rift Valley fever virus nucleocapsid protein NP and glycoproteins Gn and Gc.

Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is a vector-borne virus that causes high neonatal mortality in livestock and deadly haemorrhagic fever in humans. In this paper, we describe the generation of monoclonal antibodies (mabs) against all three structural proteins of RVFV (glycoproteins Gn and Gc and nucleocapsid protein NP). After immunization of BALB/c mice with individual recombinant proteins, a total of 45 clones secreting ELISA-reactive monoclonal antibodies against NP, Gn and Gc epitopes were obtained.

Characterization of a novel picornavirus isolate from a diseased European eel (Anguilla anguilla).

A novel picornavirus was isolated from specimens of a diseased European eel (Anguilla anguilla). This virus induced a cytopathic effect in eel embryonic kidney cells and high mortality in a controlled transmission study using elvers. Eel picornavirus has a genome of 7,496 nucleotides that encodes a polyprotein of 2,259 amino acids.

Isolation and molecular characterization of a second serotype of the encephalomyocarditis virus.

Encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV) and Theilovirus are the two species of the Cardiovirus genus. Whereas theiloviruses comprise several sero-/genotypes, all known EMCV isolates are serologically very similar and are thought to belong to one serotype, named EMCV-1. Here, a novel EMCV type is described.

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus: interlaboratory ring trial to evaluate real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction detection methods.

To compare the real-time reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) assays used for the diagnosis of Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), a Europe-wide interlaboratory ring trial was conducted. A variety of PRRSV strains including North American (NA) and European (EU) genotype isolates were analyzed by the participants. Great differences regarding qualitative diagnostics as well as analytical sensitivity were observed between the individual RT-qPCR systems, especially when investigating strains from the EU genotype.

Detection and typing of highly pathogenic porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus by multiplex real-time rt-PCR.

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) causes economic losses in the pig industry worldwide, and PRRS viruses (PRRSV) are classified into the two distinct genotypes "North American (NA, type 2)" and "European (EU, type 1)". In 2006, a highly pathogenic NA strain of PRRSV (HP-PRRSV), characterized by high fever as well as high morbidity and mortality, emerged in swine farms in China. Therefore, a real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) assay specific for HP-PRRSV was developed and combined with type 1- and type 2-specific RT-qPCR systems.

Porcine teschovirus polioencephalomyelitis in western Canada.

Beginning in 2002, a small number of pig farms in western Canada began reporting 4-7-week-old pigs with bilateral hind-end paresis or paralysis. Low numbers of pigs were affected, some died, most had to be euthanized, and those that survived had reduced weight gains and neurological deficits. Necropsies revealed no gross lesions, but microscopic lesions consisted of a nonsuppurative polioencephalomyelitis, most severe in the brain stem and spinal cord.

In vivo biotinylated recombinant influenza A virus hemagglutinin for use in subtype-specific serodiagnostic assays.

There is an urgent need for robust subtype-specific serological tests to diagnose influenza A virus infections in poultry and mammals, including humans. Such assays require reliable subtype-specific sources of soluble and authentically folded seroreactive hemagglutinin (HA), one of the integral membrane proteins that determine the serological subtype of influenza viruses. To this purpose, a bigenic pFastBacDual baculovirus transfer vector allowing efficient invivo biotinylation of soluble HA homo-oligomers expressed via the secretory pathway was developed.

Vaccination with Newcastle disease virus vectored vaccine protects chickens against highly pathogenic H7 avian influenza virus.

A recombinant Newcastle disease virus (NDV) was engineered to express the hemagglutinin (HA) gene of avian influenza virus (AIV) subtype H7. The HA gene was inserted between the genes encoding NDV fusion and hemagglutinin-neuraminidase proteins. Within the H7 open reading frame, an NDV gene end-like sequence was eliminated by silent mutation.

Molecular-based reclassification of the bovine enteroviruses.

Bovine enteroviruses are currently classified into two serotypes within the species Bovine enterovirus (BEV). Comparison of the sequences of six American and eleven German BEV isolates with published BEV sequences revealed the necessity to revise the taxonomy of these viruses. Molecular data indicate that the bovine enteroviruses are composed of two clusters (designated BEV-A and -B) each with two and three geno-/serotypes, respectively.

Sequencing of porcine enterovirus groups II and III reveals unique features of both virus groups.

The molecular classification of the porcine enterovirus (PEV) groups II and III was investigated. The sequence of the almost complete PEV-8 (group II) genome reveals that this virus has unique L and 2A gene regions. A reclassification of this group into a new picornavirus genus is suggested.