Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is a viral disease which primarily affects small ruminants, causing significant economic losses for the livestock industry in developing countries. It is endemic in Saharan and sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and the Indian sub-continent. The primary hosts for peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV) are goats and sheep; however recent models studying the pathology, disease progression and viremia of PPRV have focused primarily on goat models. This study evaluates the tissue tropism and pathogenesis of PPR following experimental infection of sheep and goats using a quantitative time-course study. Upon infection with a virulent strain of PPRV, both sheep and goats developed clinical signs and lesions typical of PPR, although sheep displayed milder clinical disease compared to goats. Tissue tropism of PPRV was evaluated by real-time RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. Lymph nodes, lymphoid tissue and digestive tract organs were the predominant sites of virus replication. The results presented in this study provide models for the comparative evaluation of PPRV pathogenesis and tissue tropism in both sheep and goats. These models are suitable for the establishment of experimental parameters necessary for the evaluation of vaccines, as well as further studies into PPRV-host interactions.

Although classical techniques for diagnosis of disease-causing pathogens affecting both humans and animals most certainly still have their place, molecular tools, such as next generation sequencing (NGS), are proving invaluable for both disease diagnosis and control. Such is the case for the poxviral pathogen of cattle, lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV). Since its first isolation in South Africa in 1944, an extensive collection of epidemiological, diagnostic, control and genetic data relating to the virus and disease has been assimilated globally. This is largely attributed to the recent and rapid spread of the disease, previously thought to be confined to Africa, the Middle East, Eastern European countries and Asia (Sprygin, Artyuchova,

We report a growth-retarded infant with congenital heart disease and maternal isodisomy for chromosome 16. Non-mosaic trisomy 16 was detected at mid-trimester chorionic villus sampling, performed because biochemical screening indicated an increased Down's syndrome risk. Further karyotyping analysis of the placenta, after delivery, showed a 50 per cent mosaic trisomy 16. The infant had an atrioventricular (A-V) canal defect, scoliosis, and several minor dysmorphic features. Although uniparental disomy for chromosome 16 has been reported previously, to our knowledge this is the first case of uniparental isodisomy for chromosome 16 which has been investigated with multiple DNA probes.

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Lumpy skin disease and Rift Valley fever are two high-priority livestock diseases which have the potential to spread into previously free regions through animal movement and/or vectors, as well as intentional release by bioterrorists. Since the distribution range of both diseases is similar in Africa, it makes sense to use a bivalent vaccine to control them. This may lead to the more consistent and sustainable use of vaccination against Rift Valley fever through a more cost-effective vaccine. In this study, a recombinant lumpy skin disease virus was constructed in which the thymidine kinase gene was used as the insertion site for the Gn and Gc protective glycoprotein genes of Rift Valley fever virus using homologous recombination. Selection markers, the enhanced green fluorescent protein and Escherichia coli guanidine phosphoribosyl transferase (gpt), were used for selection of recombinant virus and in a manner enabling a second recombination event to occur upon removal of the gpt selection-pressure allowing the removal of both marker genes in the final product. This recombinant virus, LSD-RVF.mf, was selected to homogeneity, characterized and evaluated in cattle as a vaccine to show protection against both lumpy skin disease and Rift Valley fever in cattle. The results demonstrate that the LSD-RVF.mf is safe, immunogenic and can protect cattle against both diseases.