Molecular and in vitro characterisation of hepatitis E virus from UK pigs.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection is widespread in the global pig population. Although clinically inapparent in pigs, HEV infection is the cause of Hepatitis E in humans and transmission via the food chain has been established. Following a 2013 study that investigated prevalence of HEV infection in UK slaughter-age pigs samples indicating highest viral load were selected for further characterisation.

Characterisation of porcine circovirus type 2 in porcine circovirus disease cases in England and Wales.

Confirmed cases of porcine circovirus disease (PCVD) in Great Britain have shown a steady decline since the availability of porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) vaccines. However, PCVD is still occasionally diagnosed. The authors carried out a genotyping study to characterise PCV2 associated with confirmed PCVD cases in England and Wales from 2011 to January 2016 (n=65).

Lack of genetic diversity in newly sequenced porcine circovirus type 1 strains isolated 20 years apart.

The complete genome sequences of a porcine circovirus type 1 (PCV1) strain isolated in 1990 and one isolated in 2011 were obtained and compared to the sequences of other available PCV1 isolates. Phylogenetic analyses revealed very low genetic diversity among these viruses, indicating an advanced state in the evolution of PCV1.

Ljungan virus and an adenovirus in Italian squirrel populations.

We report Ljungan virus infection in Eurasian red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) for the first time, and extend the known distribution of adenoviruses in both native red squirrels and alien gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) to southern Europe.

Correction: Evidence for the Circulation of Equine Encephalosis Virus in Israel since 2001.

[This corrects the article on p. e70532 in vol. 8.

Evidence for the circulation of equine encephalosis virus in Israel since 2001.

Equine encephalosis virus (EEV) distribution was thought to be limited to southern Africa until 2008 when we reported EEV in Israel. It was then assumed that the clinical presentation resembled the initial incursion in Israel. To investigate further we conducted a retrospective analysis of equine sera, which had been collected for diagnosis of other suspected diseases, via serum neutralisation test.

Enteritis in an alpaca (Vicugna pacos) associated with a potentially novel adenovirus.

Adenovirus-associated enteritis was diagnosed by histopathology of small intestine in a 2-year-old alpaca (Vicugna pacos). Electron microscopy confirmed intracytoplasmic and intranuclear adenoviral particles within enterocytes. Nucleic acid was extracted from paraffin-embedded tissue sections, and a pan-adenovirus nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was employed to target a partial sequence of the polymerase gene.

Ontogeny of systemic cellular immunity in the neonatal pig: correlation with the development of post-weaning multisystemic wasting syndrome.

The aetiology of porcine post-weaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS) is poorly understood. Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV-2) is an essential component of the experimental disease model for PMWS: however, evidence from experimental and field studies indicates that additional factors play a critical role in the aetiopathogenesis of PMWS. Current candidates include (1) immune stimulation (for example, via co-infection or vaccination), and (2) a novel infectious agent.

Evaluation of automated RT-PCR to accelerate the laboratory diagnosis of foot-and-mouth disease virus.

Automated fluorogenic (5' nuclease probe-based) reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) procedures were evaluated for the diagnosis of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) using suspensions of vesicular epithelium, heparinised or clotted blood, milk and oesophageal-pharyngeal fluid ('probang') samples from the United Kingdom (UK) 2001 epidemic and on sera from animals experimentally infected with the outbreak serotype O FMD virus strain. A MagNA Pure LC was initially programmed to automate the nucleic acid extraction and RT procedures with the PCR amplification carried out manually by fluorogenic assay in a GeneAmp 5700 Sequence Detection System. This allowed 32 samples to be tested by one person in a typical working day or 64 samples by two people within 10-12 h.

Development of a TaqMan PCR assay with internal amplification control for the detection of African swine fever virus.

A closed-tube polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was developed to allow the rapid detection of African swine fever virus (ASFV) DNA. This assay targets the VP72 gene of ASFV and uses the 5'-nuclease assay (TaqMan) system to detect PCR amplicons, avoiding tube opening and potential cross-contamination of post-PCR products. An artificial mimic was engineered with the TaqMan probe site replaced by a larger irrelevant DNA fragment allowing discrimination from ASFV by using two-colour TaqMan probe reporters.