Detection of bovine torovirus in fecal specimens from calves with diarrhea in Turkey.

Bovine torovirus (BToV), a member of the family Coronaviridae, is an established gastrointestinal infectious agent in cattle. In this study, we performed a survey to detect BToV in Turkey between 2009 and 2011 using 235 fecal samples from neonatal calves with diarrhea that were analyzed by the nested reverse transcription (RT) PCR method using primers located in the consensus sequences of the BToV membrane (M) gene. The BToV M gene was detected in 4.7 % (11/235) of the samples using the nested RT-PCR method. The nucleotide sequences of partial M fragments from the BToV isolates, including the newly identified Turkish isolates, showed more than 96 % identity. The result indicates that BToV is one of the pathogens that contribute to neonatal calf diarrhea cases in Turkey.

Hemorrhagic syndrome-like disease in calves with bovine viral diarrhea and mucosal disease complex.

BACKGROUND: Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) infection is one of the causes of hemorrhagic diathesis in cattle but there have been limited field studies about that condition. HYPOTHESIS: To identify the cause of hemorrhagic diathesis in calves and describe its clinical findings. ANIMALS: Five calves from a farm with 150 dairy cows. METHODS: Clinical examination of the calves was performed. After blood samples were obtained from 2 calves, whole blood, sera, and leukocyte samples were used for hematologic and hemostatic examinations, neutralization tests, virus isolation, and viral genome sequencing. RESULTS: The calves had moderate pyrexia, dullness, serous or mucous nasal discharge, and petechial and ecchymotic hemorrhages on mucosal surfaces. Severe thrombocytopenia and anemia were identified on hematologic examinations. All calves died within 10 days of the onset of clinical signs. Virologic examinations identified BVDV as the causative agent of the disease. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: This paper identifies a hemorrhagic syndrome-like disease in calves with bovine viral diarrhea and mucosal disease complex in Turkey.

A study of ovarian autotransplantation without vascular a pedicle in rats.

PURPOSE: The study aimed to determine effects of FSH applications on follicle survival, development and hormone output and antigenicity of rat ovarian tissue autografts placed at subcutaneous or subperitoneal sites. METHODS: A total of sixteen female rats were used in the study. The animals were divided into three groups. Ovaries were dissected and then transplanted under the peritoneum in the first group animals (n = 5) or under the skin in the second group animals (n = 6). And the animals in the third group (n = 5) were sham operated. Following operations, intramuscular injection of 8 IU of rhFSH were made daily to the animals in first and second groups from the first day of operation through thirty days. Vaginal irrigation samples were prepared daily from the animals for 30 days. The concentrations of serum estradiol and antiovarian antibodies in the blood were determined using ELISA on the last day of vaginal irrigations. Histopathological examination of the ovaries that were transplanted was made. RESULTS: Results showed that cyclic variations were noticed in the samples of vaginal irrigation by day 30 in the animals of first and second groups. However, no significant differences were seen between groups. The concentration of blood serum estradiol was higher in the animals of first group. Decrease in numbers of primary follicles were found in the animals of second group and lesser corpus luteum were found in the animals of control group on the histopathological examinations of transplanted ovaries. All rats in the first and second groups were defined as seropositive for antiovarian antibodies. When the OD values were compared between first and second groups, it was identified that the OD values of rats in the first group was higher than it was seen in the second group. CONCLUSION: The ovarian transplantation without vascular pedicle in rats is characterized by follicular hyperplasia endocrinologically functional. Being seropositive of all rats in first and second groups in terms of antiovarian antibodies is an indicator to these antibodies does not affect the functions of transplanted ovaries. It is believed that the highness of OD values in the group which is transplanted beneath the peritoneum is based on the highness of estradiol concentrations in these animals.

Isolation and characterization of verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli O157 from Turkish cattle.

The objective of this study was to collect rectal swabs from the cattle in a slaughterhouse located in Hatay (Turkey) immediately after slaughter for the isolation and characterization of verotoxin-producing Escherichia coli O157 in each month during a 1-year period. The rectal swab samples were analyzed for the isolation of E. coli O157 through pre-enrichment, immunomagnetic separation and selective plating on CT-SMAC agar. E. coli O157 was isolated from 77 (13.6%) of the samples. The presence of E. coli O157 changed during a 1-year period, in that the occurrence of E. coli O157 was the highest in July and November and lowest in February. A total of 66 isolates out of 77 were serotype O157:H7 and 11 were serotype O157:NM. PCR analysis of E. coli O157 virulence genes revealed that all O157:H7/NM were positive for rbf(O157), 74 positive for EhlyA, 72 positive for eaeA, 62 positive for vtx2, and 3 positive for both vtx1 and vtx2. It was presented by cytotoxicity tests that many of E. coli O157 isolates showed high cytotoxicity on Vero cells. All of the isolates containing EhlyA showed enterohaemolysin production.