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Screening of cattle sera: distribution of vesiviruses in terrestrial domestic animals. To broaden the knowledge of vesivirus occurrence and distribution dynamics in domestic livestock, we attempted the first extensive study in cattle to assess the distribution of vesiviruses by examining the seroprevalence. Cattle were chosen to be studied here, because this livestock is well characterized, they are suffering diseases with high percentages of unknown aetiologies and extensive animal data are available. Furthermore, several case reports exist on the isolation of vesiviruses from cattle. The objective was to evaluate the distribution of vesiviruses in cattle, correlate vesivirus infection with disease manifestations and estimate the possible impact on other animals and humans. Roughly seven hundred bovine sera from nine States within the United States were acquired and were tested for antibodies against vesiviruses. The sera tested were drawn from a total population of about 9 million cattle in nine States with a geographical distribution ranging from northern Alaska to tropical Hawaii. Screening of horse sera and tissue: correlation of vesivirus prevalence and mare reproductive loss syndrome (MRLS)? A newly emerged disease in horses was analyzed in the second half of this research project. Since all tests for the common toxic abortogenic agents had failed, a further nationwide investigation was initiated for uncommon and unknown infectious agent(s). Caliciviruses, and vesiviruses in particular, are a well established cause of abortion in swine and seals. Nevertheless, these viruses are not routinely tested for or diagnosed. When the Laboratory for Calicivirus Studies at Oregon State University was asked for specific help in this investigation, pertinent seroepidemiological studies were entrusted to me under the guidance of Professor Dr. Alvin W. Smith. After the first serological examination of equine blood samples from mares that had aborted in 2001 and an equal number of sera from unaffected animals from 2000 were examined, tissue samples from aborted fetuses and two other sets of blood samples from ETC-exposed mares from two experiments were acquired. These have been tested for vesivirus-antibodies and antigen. Furthermore, additional samples of ETC were tested for vesiviruses by RT-PCR.

Screening of cattle sera: distribution of vesiviruses in terrestrial domestic animals. To broaden the knowledge of vesivirus occurrence and distribution dynamics in domestic livestock, we attempted the first extensive study in cattle to assess the distribution of vesiviruses by examining the seroprevalence. Cattle were chosen to be studied here, because this livestock is well characterized, they are suffering diseases with high percentages of unknown aetiologies and extensive animal data are available. Furthermore, several case reports exist on the isolation of vesiviruses from cattle. The objective was to evaluate the distribution of vesiviruses in cattle, correlate vesivirus infection with disease manifestations and estimate the possible impact on other animals and humans. Roughly seven hundred bovine sera from nine States within the United States were acquired and were tested for antibodies against vesiviruses. The sera tested were drawn from a total population of about 9 million cattle in nine States with a geographical distribution ranging from northern Alaska to tropical Hawaii. Screening of horse sera and tissue: correlation of vesivirus prevalence and mare reproductive loss syndrome (MRLS)? A newly emerged disease in horses was analyzed in the second half of this research project. Since all tests for the common toxic abortogenic agents had failed, a further nationwide investigation was initiated for uncommon and unknown infectious agent(s). Caliciviruses, and vesiviruses in particular, are a well established cause of abortion in swine and seals. Nevertheless, these viruses are not routinely tested for or diagnosed. When the Laboratory for Calicivirus Studies at Oregon State University was asked for specific help in this investigation, pertinent seroepidemiological studies were entrusted to me under the guidance of Professor Dr. Alvin W. Smith. After the first serological examination of equine blood samples from mares that had aborted in 2001 and an equal number of sera from unaffected animals from 2000 were examined, tissue samples from aborted fetuses and two other sets of blood samples from ETC-exposed mares from two experiments were acquired. These have been tested for vesivirus-antibodies and antigen. Furthermore, additional samples of ETC were tested for vesiviruses by RT-PCR.