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Plaque purification of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) type O viruses isolated from cattle in Saudi Arabia showed the presence of mixed serotype infections. Sixteen out of 31 samples collected between 1985 and 1991 also contained Asia 1 virus, a serotype which had previously only been isolated from a single outbreak in that country in 1980. Nucleotide sequences of the Asia 1 component of all these samples revealed little variation and showed that they were closely related to both a Russian lapinized vaccine virus strain (Asia 1/Tadzhikistan/64), and to a field isolate from Turkey (Asia 1/TUR/15/73). Although mixed FMD infections have been observed previously this is a first report of a serotype, considered to be exotic to a country, co-existing undetected for an extended period of time.

Partial nucleotide sequence of the capsid polypeptide coding gene 1D (VP1) was determined for 68 serotype O foot-and-mouth disease viruses isolated between 1983 and 1995 from outbreaks occurring in Saudi Arabia. The sequences were compared with previously published sequences: 14 viruses of Middle Eastern origin (isolated between 1987 and 1991); and with four vaccine virus strain sequences, three originating from the Middle East (O1/Turkey/Manisa/69, O1/Sharquia/Egypt/72 and O1/Israel/2/85) and one from Europe (O1/BFS 1860/UK/67). The virus isolates from Saudi Arabia and the Middle East vaccine virus strains formed a related genetic group distinct from the European O1 virus. Within this large group 12 distinct genetic sublineages were observed.

Summary Of 84 pregnant cows 15 to 90 days before parturition, 36 had no detectable neutralizing antibodies against BVD virus strain A 1138/69 (group I), while 48 animals exhibited such antibodies (group II). All cows were vaccinated with a commercial BVD live virus vaccine on the day of blood sampling for serological testing as well as for cultural isolation of BVD virus from peripheral blood leucocytes. The latter was unsuccessful in every case. In pre‐colostral blood samples of 31 (86 %) of 36 calves in group I cows neutralizing antibody titres ranged between 1: 80 and 1: 216; of the group II calves 43 (91 %) had no detectable antibodies with only 4 calves having titres between 1: 20 and 1: 180. One cow aborted. The kinetics of neutralizing antibodies were followed up to 12 weeks of life in the calves of both groups. In calves born with pre‐colostral antibodies and vaccinated before ingestion of maternal antibody, the serological response to the vaccine virus did not differ from that of the calves without vaccination, thus indicating that active immunization of the calves in utero most probably occurred following transplacental transmission of the vaccine virus. Calves born without pre‐colostral neutralizing antibodies were immunized actively after pre‐colostral vaccination, while calves which remained unvaccinated showed a decay of maternal antibodies as was to be expected. Death rates of calves in both groups showed no obvious difference. The results are discussed in the light of the diagnostic interpretation in fatal cases of BVD virus infections as well as with respect to the prophylactic value of vaccination. Zusammenfassung Untersuchungen zur transplazentaren Übertragung eines Bovinen Virus Diarrhoe (BVD) Vakzinevirus I. Inokulation tragender Rinder 15 bis 90 Tage vor dem Abkalben (190. bis 265. Trächtigkeitstag) Von 84 Rindern wiesen 15 bis 90 Tage vor dem Abkalben 36 Tiere keine neutralisierenden Antikörper gegen BVD‐Virusstamm A 1138/69 (Gruppe I) auf, während bei 48 Tieren (Gruppe II) solche nachgewiesen werden konnten. Am Tag der Entnahme der Blutproben zur Bestimmung neutralisierender Antikörper gegen BVD‐Virus sowie zur BVD‐Virusisolierung aus peripheren Leukozyten erfolgte die Vakzination aller Kühe mit einer kommerziellen BVD‐Lebendvakzine. Bei keinem der Tiere konnte zuvor eine BVD‐Virämie nachgewiesen werden. In den präkolostralen Seren von 31 (86 %) der insgesamt 36 Kälber in Gruppe I reichten die neutralisierenden Antikörpertiter von 1: 80 bis 1: 216. In Gruppe II besaßen 43 Kälber (91 %) keine präkolostralen neutralisierenden Antikörpertiter, während bei nur vier Kälbern Antikörpertiter zwischen 1: 20 und 1: 80 gefunden wurden. Eine Kuh abortierte. Die Kinetik neutralisierender Antikörper in beiden Kälbergruppen wurde bis zur 12. Lebenswoche verfolgt. Die serologische Antwort der mit präkolostralen Antikörpern geborenen und vor Kolostrumaufnahme vakzinierten Kälber auf die BVD‐Lebendvirus‐vakzine unterschied sich nicht von derjenigen nichtvakzinierter Kälber. Somit hat eine aktive Immunisier...

Precipitating antibodies against bluetongue were detected in sheep and goat serum samples collected from animals slaughtered in Baghdad abattoir. Out of 294 sheep serum samples and 110 goat serum samples examined, 28 and 18 samples respectively showed precipitating activity. In addition, examination of sheep serum samples collected from localities where clinical cases similar to bluetongue were previously reported revealed the presence of bluetongue precipitating antibodies in 101 sera out of 198 samples examined. This is the first report confirming the occurrence of bluetongue in Iraq.