Coronaviruses are etiologic agents of respiratory and enteric diseases in humans and in animals. In this study, a one-step real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay based on SYBR Green chemistry and degenerate primers was developed for the generic detection of coronaviruses. The primers, designed in the open reading frame 1b, enabled the detection of 32 animal coronaviruses including strains of canine coronavirus, feline coronavirus, transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV), bovine coronavirus (BCoV), murine hepatitis virus (MHV) and infectious bronchitis virus (IBV). A specific amplification was also observed with the human coronaviruses (HCoV) HCoV-NL63, HCoV-OC43, HCoV-229E and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV). The real-time RT-PCR detected down to 10 cRNA copies from TGEV, BCoV, SARS-CoV and IBV. In addition, the assay exhibited a high sensitivity and specificity on clinical samples from different animal species. The developed assay represents a potential tool for laboratory diagnostics and for detecting still uncharacterized coronaviruses.

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During October of 1984 an influenza epidemic occurred on mink farms in the coastal region of South Sweden. Six strains of an influenza A virus were isolated. All six isolates were of the H 10 subtype in combination with N4. The H 10 subtype in combination with various N subtypes was hitherto only known to occur in avian strains, the prototype being the A/chicken/Germany/N/49 (H 10N7) virus.

Equine arteritis viruses (EAV) from Europe and

BackgroundUnited Kingdom, Ireland, Malta and Sweden maintain their national provisions for a transitional period regarding rules concerning rabies vaccination and individual serological test for rabies neutralizing antibodies. The purpose of vaccinating dogs against rabies is to establish pre-exposure immunity and protect individual animals from contracting rabies.The aim of the study was to investigate factors associated with reaching the internationally accepted threshold antibody titre of 0.5 IU/mL after rabies vaccination of dogs.MethodsThe study was a prospective single cohort study including 6,789 samples from Swedish dogs vaccinated with commercially available vaccines in Sweden, and the dog's antibody responses were determined by the OIE approved FAVN test. Information on potential risk factors; breed, age, gender, date of vaccination, vaccine label and the number of vaccinations, was collected for each dog. Associations between the dependent variable, serological response ≥ 0.5 IU/mL or < 0.5 IU/mL and each of the potential risk factors were investigated using logistic regression analysis.ResultsOf 6,789 vaccinated dogs, 6,241 (91.9%) had an approved test result of ≥ 0.5 IU/mL. The results of the multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that vaccinating with vaccine B reduced the risk of having antibody titres of < 0.5 IU/mL by 0.2 times compared with vaccination using vaccine A. Breed size was found significant as an interaction with number of vaccinations and age at vaccination as an interaction with day of antibody testing after last vaccination. In summary, larger breeds were at higher risk of having antibody titres of < 0.5 IU/mL but if vaccinated twice this risk was reduced. Moreover, there were a increased risk for dogs < 6 months of age and > 5 years of age to have antibody titres of < 0.5 IU/mL, but this was affected by number of days from vaccination till testing.ConclusionsThe probability of success of rabies vaccinations of dogs depends on type of vaccine used, number of rabies vaccinations, the breed size of the dog, age at vaccination, and number of days after vaccination when the antibody titres are tested. The need for a booster vaccination regimen is recommended for larger breeds of dog.

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Abstract. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) had never been detected in Sweden until 2006, when the active surveillance identified a case in a 12-year-old cow. The case was an unusual form, because several molecular features of the protease-resistant prion protein (PrP res ) were different from classical BSE. The differences included higher susceptibility for proteinase K, higher molecular weight of the PrP res bands, affinity to the N-terminus-specific antibodies 12B2 and P4, and peculiar banding pattern with antibody SAF84 showing an additional band at the 14 kDa position. The molecular characteristics were in accordance to previous descriptions of H-type BSE. This report shows that a range of Western blot techniques and antibodies can be applied to confirm H-type BSE and further describes that the ratio of the amounts of PrPres#1 and PrPres#2, after deglycosylation, depends on the antibody used during processing. Immunohistochemistry on sections of medulla at the level of the obex applying antibodies with epitopes covering a broad range of the PrP sequence showed accumulation of disease-specific PrP (PrP d ) in the gray matter. Fine punctate deposition in the neuropil was the most predominant type and was more severe in BSE target nuclei. The types of PrP d deposition are described in comparison with classical BSE. PrP-gene sequencing showed 6 copy octarepeat alleles and no abnormalities. It is postulated that the disease had a spontaneous origin, rather than having had been acquired in the BSE epidemic.

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