A novel porcine circovirus 3 (PCV3) was first detected in pigs showing porcine dermatitis and nephropathy syndrome, reproductive failure, and multisystemic inflammation in the USA. Herein, we report on PCV3 as a potential etiological agent of clinical signs, reproductive failure and respiratory distress on Korean pig farms, based on in situ hybridization, pathological, and molecular findings. Confirmation of the presence of PCV3 may increase co-infection with other causative agents of disease in Korean pig herds, indicating the need for further systemic investigation of pathogenicity and of multiple infections with PCV2 genotypes and bacteria, and the development of an effective PCV3 vaccine.

Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AdMSCs) augment the ability to contribute to microvascular remodeling in vivo and to modulate vascular stability in fresh fat grafts. Although cryopreserved adipose tissue is frequently used for soft tissue augmentation, the viability of the fat graft is poor. The effects of culture-expanded human adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hAdMSCs) on the survival and quality of the cryopreserved fat graft were determined. hAdMSCs from the same donor were mixed with fat tissues cryopreserved at -70°C for 8 weeks and injected subcutaneously into 6-week-old BALB/c-nu nude mice. Graft volume and weight were measured, and histology was evaluated 4 and 15 weeks post-transplantation. The hAdMSC-treated group showed significantly enhanced graft volume and weight. The histological evaluation demonstrated significantly better fat cell integrity compared with the vehicle-treated control 4 weeks post-transplantation. No significant difference in graft weight, volume, or histological parameters was found among the groups 15 weeks post-transplantation. The hAdMSCs enhanced the survival and quality of transplanted cryopreserved fat tissues. Cultured and expanded hAdMSCs have reconstructive capacity in cryopreserved fat grafting by increasing the number of stem cells.

Streptococcus dysgalactiae subspecies equisimilis (SDSE) is an emerging pathogen in animals and humans. Herein, we describe two clinical swine cases of SDSE infection presenting with lameness, neurological signs, or sudden death. Pathological examination indicated suppurative arthritis, encephalitis, and multifocal abscesses in kidney and heart. The β-hemolytic colonies obtained from joint samples of each case were identified as SDSE. The two isolates had low minimum inhibitory concentrations for β-lactams, and they presented the same virulence gene profile (slo−/sagA+/pSTKP8+). Molecular analysis by multilocus sequence typing identified the SDSE isolates from cases 1 and 2 as sequence types 315 and 252, respectively.

In December 2016, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) infection with systemic pathologic lesions was found in cats in South Korea. Genetic analyses indicated that the feline isolates were similar to HPAI H5N6 viruses isolated in chicken farms nearby. This finding highlights the need for monitoring of domestic mammals during HPAI outbreaks.

A 5-year-old female Yorkshire terrier dog died a few days following hernia and ovariohysterectomy surgeries. Necropsy performed on the dog revealed that the surgeries were not the cause of death; however, degenerative viral hepatitis, showing intranuclear inclusion bodies in hepatic cells, was observed in histopathologic examination. Several diagnostic methods were used to screen for the cause of disease, and minute virus of canines (MVC) was detected in all parenchymal organs, including the liver. Other pathogens that may cause degenerative viral hepatitis were not found. Infection with MVC was confirmed by in situ hybridization, which revealed the presence of MVC nucleic acid in the liver tissue of the dog. Through sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of the nearly complete genome sequence, the strain was found to be distinct from other previously reported MVC strains. These results indicate that this novel MVC strain might be related to degenerative viral hepatitis in dogs.

We compared the clinical signs, histopathological lesions and distribution of viral antigens among infected young (meat-type) and older (breeder) ducks that were naturally infected with the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus during the 2010-2011 Korean outbreak. The meat-type ducks had a high mortality rate (30%) and showed severe neurological signs such as head tremors and paresis. In contrast, HPAI-infected breeder ducks had minimal clinical signs but a decreased egg production rate. The histopathological characteristics of infected meattype ducks included necrotic lesions of heart and brain, which may have primarily contributed to the high mortality rate. In contrast, the breeder ducks only presented necrotic splenitis, and viral antigens were only detected in the trachea, lungs and spleen. Younger ducks had a high viral titre in the organs, high levels of viral shedding and a high mortality rate after experimental HPAI virus infection. Compared to the breeder ducks, the meat-type ducks were raised in smaller farms that had poor quarantine and breeding facilities. It is therefore possible that better biosecurity in the breeder farms could have reduced the infection dose and subsequently the severity of the disease. Thus, age and management may be the influencing factors for HPAI susceptibility in ducks.

No abstract

A 6-year-old Thoroughbred gelding was euthanized after a 2-month period of abnormal neurological signs, such as circling left in his pen and hitting his head and body against the wall. After the horse was euthanized on the farm, a half of the brain and whole blood were submitted for diagnostic tests. Histopathological examination of the brain revealed granulomatous and eosinophilic meningoencephalitis with numerous intralesional nematodes, predominantly affecting the cerebrum. Multifocal malacic foci were scattered in the brain parenchyma. The intralesional parasites were identified as Halicephalobus gingivalis by morphological features and PCR testing. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of meningoencephalitis caused by H. gingivalis in the horse in Korea.