Molecular cloning of the OMP19 gene from Brucella melitensis strain H38 and its antigenicity compared to that of commercial OMP19

Brucellosis is a worldwide zoonosis, that can still be classified as endemic despite its ancient origins which causes economic losses and public health problems. Although effectively controlled by vaccination in animals, there is currently no vaccine for use in humans. Outer Membrane Proteins (OMP) that play an active immunogenic and protective role in the Brucellae family. OMP19 is present in all Brucella species as a surface antigen and is a potent immunogen responsible for Brucellosis intracellular infection. For this reason, the study was aimed to be used safely as a potential recombinant vaccine candidate against all Brucella infections, especially in humans and pregnant animals. This study evaluated a Brucella lipoprotein antigen, i.e. 19 kilodalton (kDa) outer membrane protein (OMP19), which was amplified and cloned into the pETSUMO vector system. The immunogenic power of the purified recombinant OMP19 antigen against brucellosis was compared with that of OMP19 (Raybiotech Inc, USA) in a mouse model and the obtained rOMP19 antigen was found to be similar to the commercially available recombinant protein.

A one-year descriptive epidemiology of zoonotic abortifacient pathogen bacteria in farm animals in Turkey

This study aimed to investigate the epidemiology of 10 suspicious pathogenic bacteria in 250 stomach contents of aborted calf, lamb, and goat foetuses in 2019. The 155 positive samples obtained from PCR consisted of 53 (58.88 %) bacteria from 90 lamb samples, 10 (43.47 %) bacteria from 23 goat samples, and 92 (67.15 %) bacteria from 137 calf samples. The five most common bacteria associated with abortions were Brucella melitensis, 52 (20.9 %); B. abortus, 13 (5.2 %); Leptospira spp., 34 (13.6 %); Campylobacter fetus, 52 (20.9 %); and Coxiella burnetii, 4 (1.6 %). The highest rate of B. melitensis (65.4 %), B. abortus (69.2 %), Leptospira spp. (67.6 %), and C. fetus (50 %) was detected in the aborted calf samples. The highest individual rate was that of C. fetus (5.2 %). The flock-herd rates of B. melitensis, B. abortus, Leptospira spp., C. fetus, and C. burnetii infections in the 29 farms studied were 34.48 %, 20.69 %, 62.06 %, 82.75 %, and 3.44 %, respectively, with a confidence level and interval of 95 %. The frequency of abortions caused by Leptospira spp. and Campylobacter fetus may be related to increasing in B. melitensis. The rates of aborted calf, lamb, and goat foetuses among the various sampling periods and regions were significantly (P < 0.01) different. In conclusion, precautions should be applied to reduce the spread of these bacterial agents in high-risk areas and to eliminate the risk of harbouring these zoonotic infections in humans. Therefore, these results must be taken into account in the development of control and protection strategies against abortions in animals.

Evaluation of Boron's Adjuvant Activity in Inactive Bacterin Vaccines Using the Mice Model

Vaccination is the most effective, reliable, and economical way of preventing or reducing the effect of infectious diseases. When preparing inactive vaccines, a range of additives called adjuvants are necessary to enhance the magnitude of the immune response. Boron has a wide range of industrial and medical applications, and its positive effects on distinct functions have been described in plants, humans, and animals. However, no studies exist about the possible adjuvant activities of boron compounds in vaccines. Hence, in this study, the potential adjuvant effect of boric acid was explored and compared with common veterinary adjuvants in a mice model. Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) used as vaccine antigen was isolated from dairy cows with bovine mastitis. Vaccines adjuvanted with boric acid, aluminum hydroxide, Montanide ISA 50 and ISA 206, and Montanide + boric acid combinations were prepared. The efficacy of vaccines was evaluated according to local reactions at the injection site, C-reactive protein, total Ig G, total Ig M, and anti-S. aureus antibody levels in mice. Boric acid reduced local inflammatory reactions induced by the Montanide adjuvants. Moreover, mice vaccinated with boric acid-adjuvanted vaccine had higher levels of anti-S. aureus antibody than those in the controls (P < 0.05) and were similar to the levels found in mice sensitized with aluminum hydroxide. Total Ig G and Ig M results were, however, unsuitable for the assessment of adjuvant activity for this study. In conclusion, this study revealed that boric acid has an adjuvant potential in inactive bacterin vaccines, but further target animal studies are needed.

Investigations of Pathological Immunohistochemical and Immunocytochemical Findings in Natural Infection with Mycoplasma gallisepticum in Laying Hens

Background: Mycoplasmosis is an infectious disease caused by Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG), usually seen in the respiratory system of chickens, chick and turkeys, that causing great economic loss. The disease is characterized by respiratory system lesions such as sinusitis, tracheitis, airsacculitis, pneumonia and other symptoms such as loss of yield, arthritis, tenosynovitis.  In this study, it was aimed to investigate diagnose of the disease by pathologic and molecular techniques in hens that naturally infected with MG as well as the usability of immunocytochemical (ICC) method in diagnose of the disease.Materials, Methods & Results: For this purpose, 98 hens were collected from 10 different coops that serologically positive. After necropsy, routine pathological procedures were performed to samples taken from nose, sinus, larynx, trachea, lung and air sacs. Scraping samples taken from lungs and tracheas were evaluated by ICC. Immunohistochemical (IHC) staining was performed to samples taken from nose, sinus, larynx, trachea, lung and air sacs. Indirect immunoperoxidase method was applied in the both IHC and ICC staining.  Rabbit polyclonal anti MG antibody was used as primer antibody in the IHC and ICC staining. Additionally, culture and PCR techniques were applied to tracheas of all hens for MG. The GPO3 and MGSO genes were made for PCR analysis.In the tracheal examinations, 23 cases were positive for PCR, 17 cases ICC positive, 16 cases IHC positive and 10 culture samples found positive. All of culture positive cases were also positive for other three methods. When findings in all organs were evaluated, in 37 cases were detected positive by IHC (38%) and 23 cases were positive by ICC (23.5%). In the IHC positive cases, the first order was trachea in 16 cases followed by in 11 cases in sinus, in 8 cases in lung, in 6 cases air sac and 4 cases in nose, respectively. In 8 cases, IHC positivity was found in at least two organs. IHC positivity was detected in the nose, sinus and tracheal epithelia as well as in the macrophages within subepithelial lymphoid infiltration, vascular walls and endothelium. As the disease became chronic, it was found that the agents were seen more in the lymphoid tissue than the epithelium. In ICC staining positivity was found in 17 cases in the trachea and 11 cases in the lung. There were only 5 cases positive by ICC in both organs.Discussion: Clinical and pathological findings as well as serological, microbiological, molecular techniques and immunohistochemical methods are to be important methods in the diagnosis of the disease. While the culture results are shown as the gold standard in diagnosis of the disease, it is possible to obtain the results in the earliest 7-10 days in cultures and at least 20 days must be passed in order to say a cultural negative. In addition, in the field studies, it mentioned the use of vaccines, antibiotics and protective drugs affected the results of microbiology and serology; the importance of using techniques such as IHC and PCR for the diagnosis of the causative agents. The results of the present study indicate that the most important organ in the diagnosis of the disease is the trachea, and the most effective method is PCR followed by IHC and ICC methods. It was concluded that the results of ICC staining close to IHC staining, and ICC could be used for diagnostic purposes in positive reactions obtained from the tracheas or the other organs.

Impact of bacterial translocation in calves with atresia coli

OBJECTIVE

To identify whether enteric bacteria pass into the mesenteric lymph nodes (MLNs) and peritoneal cavity in calves with atresia coli and to evaluate whether the presence of bacterial translocation (BT) has an impact on the success of surgical treatment.

DESIGN

Prospective clinical study.

ANIMALS

Twenty-six client-owned calves.

INTERVENTIONS

During laparotomy, swab samples were collected from the peritoneal cavity and MLNs using a sterile swab stick and were submitted for microbiological analysis.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Bacterial cultures of swab samples revealed that 65% (n = 17) of the calves experienced BT. Of these, 14 calves experienced BT to the MLNs, 9 to the peritoneal cavity, and 5 to both regions. Of the bacteria isolated from the MLNs, 72% (n = 10) were Escherichia coli. Of the samples isolated from the peritoneal fluid, 33% (n = 3) contained E. coli and 33% (n = 3) contained E. coli + coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (CNS). In calves with BT that were discharged (n = 13) and without BT that were discharged (n = 7), the median survival was 30 days; these data were found to be similar in the 2 groups.

CONCLUSIONS

This study revealed that BT is observed in the majority of atresia coli cases. E. coli is more common in BT, and translocation occurs primarily through the lymphatic route. These results suggest that the presence of BT is closely related to the success of the operation for correction of atresia coli.