In the article are presented the results of our research on chlamydophilosis in parrots, free-living and breeding pigeons, and intensive breeding chickens in Bosnia and Herzegovina. For detection of the antigen two immunoenzyme tests for the detection of antibodies against Chlamydophila psittaci and a complement fixation test by a Kolmer and indirect immunofluorescence method (BioMerieux, France) were used. From a total of 275 samples of cloacal swabs the presence of Chlamydophila psittaci antigen was detected by ELISA (DAKO Ltd., United Kingdom) in 34.9% birds: 45.5% in intensive breeding chickens, 12.1% in free-living pigeons and 8.0% in parrots. By the same method the presence of Chlamydophila psittaci antigen in breeding pigeons was not detected. Sixty cloacal swabs from intensive breeding chickens and pigeons were tested by immunoenzyme test (Unipath Limited, England) and the presence of the pathogen was found in 6.7% cases. Fifty-eight sera from free-living pigeons and intensive breeding chickens were tested for the presence of specific antibodies to Chlamydophila psittaci by indirect immunofluorescence method and were found in 42.1% examined sera of pigeons, and in 27.6% pigeons from the total number of examined birds. The presence of specific antibodies was not found in sera of intensive breeding chickens. Using a complement fixation test, antibodies were not detected in the examined sera in pigeons nor in intensive breeding chickens. The results of this study show that the presence of antigens and antibodies for Chlamydophila psittaci is obvious in tested sera samples, but the clinical disease was not found in any of the examined birds
The aim of this study was to investigate the possibility to modification the total lipid and cholesterol level, as well as fatty acid composition of egg yolks, by supplementing diets of laying hens with different fats. The trial was conducted in two six week experiments. Experiment I was conducted on 180 Isa Brown hens assigned to two age categories: 36 months - old (O), and 27 weeks of age - young (Y) hens. Both ago categories were divided into three groups: control groups fed a diet I with no supplemented fat (OC and YC) experimental groups fed a diet II supplemented with 3.2% of palm oil (OP and YP) and experimental groups fed a diet III supplemented with 2.5% of lard (OL and YL). In Experiment II 45 Lohman Brown hens of 56 weeks of age were randomly assigned into three groups of 15 birds each and were fed with three experimental diets supplemented with either 3% fish oil (group FO), 3% palm olein (group PO) or with 3% lard (group L). The results of our trial support the thesis of constant cholesterol content in egg yolk, that was accepted by the majority of researchers, although it was possible to affect the levels only in some conditions, as for example by the age of hens in Experiment I or by feeding Lohman Brown hens with 3% of supplemented lard in Experiment II. However, the experiment proved the possibility of altering egg yolk fatty acid composition, this being a trend in actual investigations of egg yolk cholesterogenic modification
Background: Towards preparation for a possible influenza pandemic, investigation of the molecular characteristics of the circulating avian H5N1 influenza virus strains is of crucial importance. These H5N1 viruses continue to spread, to infect animals and humans and to evolve and diversify providing so an ever-looming pandemic threat. Aim: To identify genetic structure and molecular biological characteristics of BiH's isolates of H5N1 HPAI as well as to assess the level of pathogenicity, phylogenetic origin and host-specificity of the isolates. Material and Methods: SPF embryonated chicken eggs were used for virus isolation. Viral RNA extracted using QIAamp viral RNA kit and manufacturer's protocol (QIAGEN®) was used for PCR amplification. cDNA synthesis and PCR amplification of the coding region, using gene specific primer sets (primer sequences available on request), were carried out for all eight viral RNA segments separately. The Prism Big Dye Terminator v1.1 cycle sequencing kit (Applied Biosystems) was used and products were analyzed on an automatic ABI PRISM 3130 genetic analyzer (Applied Biosystems). Nucleotide sequences were analyzed using Bioedit software (v. 7.0.9.0) with an engine based on the ClustalW 1.4 algorithm. MEGA software (v. 4,0), using the neighbor joining tree inference analysis with the Tamura-Nei γ-model, was used to estimate phylogenies and calculate bootstrap values from the nucleotide sequences. Results: Full-length nucleotide sequences of the A/Cygnus olor/BIH/1/2006 (H5N1) strain were deposited in EMBL Nucleotide Sequence Database under accession nos. FN186008 to FN186014 and FM20943. The pathogenicity and host specificity of this strain, as polygenic traits, are determined in silico by the structure of its proteins, especially surface glycoproteins, HA and NA. Multibasic amino acid stretch PQGERRRKKR/GLF, marker of strains highly pathogenic to poultry, was present at the HA cleavage site of BiH strain. The RBS was typical for avian influenza viruses and contained Gln and Gly at positions 238 and 240 (H5 numbering) that is,226 and 228 according to H3 numbering with seven potential glycosylated sites but with increased binding to alpha2-6 sialoglycans thanks to substitutions, as follows, 110N, 171N, 171N, 172A, 205R and 251P. NA structure assigned this strain to the Z genotype, characterized also by the deletion of the five amino acid residues of the NS1 protein (positions 80-84). Amino acid residues, typical for the avian influenza viruses, were revealed in 40 out of 43 positions of M1, M2, NP, PA, PB2 and HA, determining the host range specificity. Phylogenetic analysis of the HA gene revealed that BiH isolates belonged to genetic clade 2.2., and presence of aspartic acid at the position of 403 of HA locate BiH isolates in 2.2.2. sub-clade. Conclusions: The BiH's isolates were determined as HPAI virus with genes sequences closely related to A/Cygnus olor/Astrakhan/ Ast05-2-10/2005 (H5N1). Three residues (M2 -28V and 78K, NP -33I), typical of human influenza viruses, were found, indi...
In order to determine the actual prevalence of avian influenza viruses (AIVs) in wild birds in Bosnia and Herzegovina, extensive surveillance was carried out between October 2005 and April 2006. A total of 394 samples representing 41 bird species were examined for the presence of influenza A virus using virus isolation in embryonated chicken eggs, PCR, and nucleotide sequencing. AIV subtype H5N1 was detected in two mute swans (Cygnus olor). The isolates were determined to be highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus and the hemagglutinin sequence was closely similar to A/Cygnus olor/Astrakhan/ Ast05-2-10/2005 (H5N1). This is the first report of HPAI subtype H5N1 in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
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