Mass Decontamination of Companion Dogs in Disaster: Planning for Personnel, Water, and Time Requirements.

Objective: The importance of companion animals in the daily lives of people, and the increasing incidence and severity of natural disasters impacting people and their animals, is very well documented. However, despite the advancement of companion animal response capabilities, decontamination remains an inconsistently implemented component of disaster response. The challenge for local authorities is their need for planning factors and protocols specific to companion animal decontamination which are generally lacking.

Allelic diversity within the high frequency Mamu-A2*05/Mane-A2*05 (Mane-A*06)/Mafa-A2*05 family of macaque MHC-A loci.

Macaque species serve as important animal models of human infection and immunity. To more fully scrutinize their potential in both the analysis of disease pathogenesis and vaccine development, it is necessary to characterize the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I loci of Macaca mulatta (Mamu), Macaca nemestrina (Mane), and Macaca fascicularis (Mafa) at the genomic level. The oligomorphic Mamu-A2*05/Mane-A2*05 (previously known as Mane-A*06) family of macaque MHC-A alleles has recently been shown to be present at high frequency in both Indian rhesus and pig-tailed macaque populations.

A nonsense mutation in exon 3 results in the HLA-B null allele B*5127N.

A new HLA-B null allele has been identified within the B*51 group by combined serological and molecular typing of an Italian Caucasoid family. Serological data indicated that the proband typed homozygous for A2 and B60. Confirmatory typing using sequence specific oligonucleotide hybridization (SSPOH) detected a second B allele within the B*51 group.

New HLA-B alleles identified and sequences extended in potential bone marrow donors: B*5804, B*4418, B*1558, and B*4805.

Nucleic acid-based methods for allele identification have revealed more than 470 polymorphic variants at the HLA-B locus. Screening of potential bone marrow donors with sequence specific primer polymerase chain reactions and sequence specific oligonucleotide probe hybridization assays revealed apparent variants within the B*58, *44, *15, and *48 allele groups. DNA sequencing of cloned DNA identified the new alleles B*5804, B*4418, and B*1558 within these groups and observed new sequence information for the previously reported allele B*4805.

Identification and sequencing of HLA-B*0714 and B*2718 alleles and novel exon 1 sequences of B*0709 and B*2714 alleles in potential bone marrow donors.

Sequence specific oligonucleotide probe hybridization and sequence specific primer PCR typing of volunteer bone marrow donors suggested the presence of variants of known HLA-B alleles in two individuals. PCR products encompassing HLA-B locus exons 1, 2, and 3 were prepared, subcloned and sequenced. A Hispanic individual had a novel B*07 allele (B*0714) and a Chinese individual had a novel B*27 allele (B*2718).