Saliva as an alternative specimen for detection of Schmallenberg virus-specific antibodies in bovines.

Background: Schmallenberg virus (SBV), discovered in continental Europe in late 2011, causes mild clinical signs in adult ruminants, including diarrhoea and reduced milk yield. However, fetal infection can lead to severe malformation in newborn offspring. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) are commercially available for detection of SBV-specific antibodies in bovine sera and milk.

Generation in yeast of recombinant virus-like particles of porcine circovirus type 2 capsid protein and their use for a serologic assay and development of monoclonal antibodies.

Background: Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) is considered to be an important emerging pathogen associated with a number of different syndromes and diseases in pigs known as PCV2-associated diseases. It has been responsible for significant mortality among pigs and remains a serious economic problem to the swine industry worldwide leading to significant negative impacts on profitability of pork production.

Results: In this study we have demonstrated that PCV2 capsid (Cap) protein based virus-like particles (VLPs) were efficiently produced in yeast S.

Generation of recombinant porcine parvovirus virus-like particles in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and development of virus-specific monoclonal antibodies.

Porcine parvovirus (PPV) is a widespread infectious virus that causes serious reproductive diseases of swine and death of piglets. The gene coding for the major capsid protein VP2 of PPV was amplified using viral nucleic acid extract from swine serum and inserted into yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae expression plasmid. Recombinant PPV VP2 protein was efficiently expressed in yeast and purified using density gradient centrifugation.

Generation of recombinant Schmallenberg virus nucleocapsid protein in yeast and development of virus-specific monoclonal antibodies.

Schmallenberg virus (SBV), discovered in continental Europe in late 2011, causes mild clinical signs in adult ruminants, including diarrhoea and reduced milk yield. However, fetal infection can lead to severe malformation in newborn offspring. To develop improved reagents for SBV serology, a high-level yeast expression system was employed to produce recombinant SBV nucleocapsid (N) protein.

Raccoon dog rabies surveillance and post-vaccination monitoring in Lithuania 2006 to 2010.

Background: Oral rabies vaccination (ORV) in rabies infected regions should target the primary rabies vector species, which in Lithuania includes raccoon dogs as well as red foxes. Specific investigations on ORV in raccoon dogs are needed e.g.