Histopathologic and immunocytochemical studies of distemper in seals.

Thousands of harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) died in European seas during 1988. Respiratory distress and oculonasal discharge were common clinical signs. We necropsied 76 affected seals.

Infectious agents in respiratory disease of housed, fattening lambs in Northern Ireland.

A two-year longitudinal, microbiological and pathological survey of respiratory disease in lambs housed for fattening at three-and-a-half to four months of age was undertaken. In the first year samples of nasal mucus and blood were taken from lambs each week for the first nine weeks after entry to a fattening unit and each week one lamb was examined post mortem. In the second year two additional fattening units were included in the survey, when samples of blood and nasal mucus were taken from lambs twice weekly for three weeks after entry and two lambs from each unit were examined post mortem eight to 11 days after entry to the unit.

Subclinical Aujeszky's disease virus infection in a pig herd and the characterisation of the strain of virus isolated.

The spread of antibody to Aujeszky's disease virus through a susceptible pig herd was monitored after the probable introduction of infection by a recently purchased boar. The infection spread slowly through the herd but no clinical signs of Aujeszky's disease were seen. The strain of virus isolated was designated NIA-6.

Catecholamine content of the preovulatory follicles of the domestic hen.

The role of catecholamines in ovarian function of the domestic hen has not been examined extensively. The aim of this study was first to determine the location of catecholamines in the preovulatory follicle of the domestic hen. Second, norepinephrine (NE), epinephrine (EPI) and dopamine (DA) were measured in the isolated theca layer of the five largest preovulatory follicles at specific times during the ovulatory cycle and changes in catecholamine content were correlated with ovarian events.

Survey for antibodies to respiratory viruses in two groups of sheep in Northern Ireland.

Two hundred serum samples from Texel and Texel crossbred sheep (non-indigenous breeds) and 200 from indigenous Northern Ireland breeds (mainly Blackface, Cheviot and Border Leicester crosses) were tested for antibodies to parainfluenza virus types 1, 2 and 3, respiratory syncytial virus, bovine adenovirus (subgroups 1 and 2), influenza type A, maedi-visna virus and bovine virus diarrhoea virus. The percentage of animals with antibodies to parainfluenza virus 3 (50 to 56 per cent) and adenovirus subgroups 1 and 2 (70 to 90 per cent) was comparable in both groups. Infection of sheep with subgroup 2 adenoviruses has not previously been reported.