Since Robert Koch found tubercle bacilli in 1882, the studies on tubercle bacilli of human and animal had been carried out. Being old tuberculin(OT) introduced in 1890, the specificity of the diagnosis of tuberculosis has been improved by continual uses of heat concentrated synthetic medium(HCSM) and purified protein derivatives(PPD) tuberculin. Now, two types of tuberculin test are used worldwidly; the single intradermal test(SIT) using bovine tuberculin and the single intradermal comparative tuberculin test(SICTT) using avian and bovine tuberculins. In the SICTT, each countries have used with different combination of both avain and bovine tuberculins' titers. However, this kinds of studies have not reported in Korea. Therefore, the studies on the combination of their tuberculins' titers were performed through intradermal test of guinea pigs sensitized with either Mycobacterium bovis or M avium and were examined in 10 cattles of SIT positive reactors. Also, IFN-y assay, the latest diagnostic method of bovine tuberculosis, was experimentally applied to SIT positive reactors. For determinint the optimal titers, sensitized guinea pigs with M bovis and M avium were intradermally injected avain and bovine tuverculin. In guinea pigs sensitized with M bovis, bovine tuberculin 50 T.U. showed significant difference from all tested concentrations of avian tuberculin(p0.05). In guinea pigs sensitized with M avium, there is significantly different between bovine tuberculin and avian tuberculin by 25 T.U.(p0.01). Therefore, optimal titers of bovine and avian PPD tuberculins' titers for the SICTT in Korea were 5,000 and 2,500 tuberculin units, respectively, and the swelling differences between bobine and avian site in SIT positive reactors were above 3mm. Also, in IFN-y assay, the 9 SIT positive reactors were showed all the positive reactions.

This study was carried out to develop a newly designed ovum pick-up(OPU) instrument for ultrasound-guided transvaginal follicular aspiration in cows. This new instrument consists of out- & inner-layer stainless pipes and a grip with a trigger(hand ) switch. Some gauge types of disposable needles and tubes can be attached to this inner pipe. With this instrument, while grasping an avary with one hand the other hand can handle in apiration and vacuum on/off with the least assitant's help. with this instrument the mean recovery rate of bovine follicular oocytes was 45.2%. In recovered oocytes, usable oocytes(Grade I & II) were 30.4% and this rate meant 1.4 oocytes per ovary. For 30 days after initial aspiration with this instrument, some adverse effects such as adhesion, hemorrhage, hematoma and other mass formation in/with ovaries were also examined by rectal examination, ultrasonographic and endoscopic images. Adhesion was found in one ovary 1 week after aspiration, and hemorrhagic lesion was found 1-2 days and petechia were found 3-5 days after aspiration and there was no remarkable adverse effects. It was found that this instrument could be applicable and safe for ovum pick-up in cows.

We assessed the seroprevalence of Coxiella burnetii (C. burnetii) in cattle on Ulleung Island, Korea in a population-based follow up study for 4 years and determined the spatial distribution and risk factors associated with C. burnetii. The seroprevalence of C. burnetii was determined to be 1.4-2.0% during 2011-2014. Overall, nine cattle from three farms that tested seropositive showed C. burnetii antibody seroconversions between 2011 and 2014. The number of seropositive cattle was low, suggesting that movement of and contact between animals was possible risk factors for the transmission of C. burnetii.

Akabane and bovine ephemeral fever (BEF) viruses cause vector - borne diseases. In this study, inactivated Akabane virus (AKAV)+Bovine ephemeral fever virus (BEFV) vaccines with or without recombinant vibrio flagellin (revibFlaB) protein were expressed in a baculovirus expression system to measure their safety and immunogenicity. Blood was collected from mice, guinea pigs, sows, and cattle that had been inoculated with the vaccine twice. Inactivated AKAV+BEFV vaccine induced high virus neutralizing antibody (VNA) titer against AKAV and BEFV in mice and guinea pigs. VNA titers against AKAV were higher in mice and guinea pigs immunized with the inactivated AKAV+ BEFV vaccine than in animals inoculated with vaccine containing revibFlaB protein. Inactivated AKAV+BEFV vaccine elicited slightly higher VNA titers against AKAV and BEFV than the live AKAV and live BEFV vaccines in mice and guinea pigs. In addition, the inactivated AKAV+BEFV vaccine was safe, and induced high VNA titers, ranging from 1 : 64 to 1 : 512, against both AKAV and BEFV in sows and cattle. Moreover, there were no side effects observed in any treated animals. These results indicate that the inactivated AKAV+BEFV vaccine could be used in cattle with high immunogenicity and good safety.

Q-fever is a vector-borne (Coxiella [C.] burnetii) zoonotic disease that is an increasing public health concern. To date, some research about Q-fever prevalence in dairy herds and human patients has been reported in Korea, but information about Korean native cattle is scarce. To measure the prevalence rates of C. burnetii in Korean native cattle, a total of 1,095 bovine serum samples collected during 2010~2013 were analyzed with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Sixty-eight heads of cattle were diagnosed as positive and while 19 heads were suspected (positive rate = 6.2%). Interestingly, Jeju province had a seropositivity rate six times greater than that of other provinces (18.9% vs. 3.2%). High seroprevalence might be caused by wide distribution of ticks in Jeju province compared to other regions. Based on these data, extensive monitoring of C. burnetii infection in cattle, tick distribution, and climate changes is required.

In this study, we describe a case of epitheliogenesis imperfecta (EI) observed in the fetus of Korean native cattle. The fetus had multifocal areas of skin defect, especially on the distal portions of the four limbs, and the affected areas were bright-red and glistening. Histopathologically, these areas were characterized by complete absence of squamous epithelium, infiltration of inflammatory cells into the dermis, atrophy of hair follicles, sebaceous and sweat glands. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of epitheliogenesis imperfecta in Korean native cattle.

Comparative studies of histopathologic lesions from 23 purified protein derivative (PPD) positive cattle, 21 slaughter cattle found with tuberculosis, and 11 tuberculosis-positive elk (Cervus elaphus) were performed. PPD positive cattle did not show specific histopathologic lesions in all 23 heads that were no visible lesion reactor. Slaughter cattle found with tuberculosis revealed microscopically classical granulomatous lesion (tubercle) with central caseous necrosis surrounded by mantle of epithelioid cells and Langhan's giant cells capsuled by connective tissue in lung. Elk was noted with some different lesion patterns with classical granulomatous lesion and suppurative abscesses that was composed of fibrin, degenerated cells without having connective tissue. In addition, many Langhan's giant cells infiltration in alveoli at peripheral lesion were observed in some cases of classical granulomatous lesion and suppurative abscesses.

Eosinophilic myositis lesions are characterized by severe eosinophil infiltration along muscles of affected animals. The exact cause of the lesion remains controversial and the carcass is condemned once this lesion is seen during meat inspection. A cow slaughtered in Chonbuk province, Korea was observed to have disseminated pale foci throughout the musculature; meat samples were obtained and macroscopically investigated. Cut ends of neck and thigh muscle tissues showed variably sized, multifocal pale white-grayish nodular lesions. Histopathological examination consistently revealed inflammatory lesions with adjacent infiltration of eosinophilic granulocytes and focal necrotic calcification. However, no parasites, including Sarcocystis sp., could be discerned in the affected carcass. This case was diagnosed as idiopathic eosinophilic myositis in cattle.

An abattoir study on the abdominal fat necrosis in adult cattle was performed pathologically. Grossly, masses of fat necrosis were leekgreen in colour, lobulated on the cut surface, and saponificated in the texture. These necrotic adipose tissues infiltrated usually into neighboring parenchymal organs including intestines and pancreas, leading to fibrosis or atrophy of them. Histopathologically, necrotic fat cells contained acidophilic, opaque, amorphous substance or basophilic fibrillar or granular minerals in their cytoplasms. The lesions of fat necrosis were divided by fibroconnective tissue. With increase of the severity, necrotic fat cells fused each other and then formed fat cysts.

The aim of these experiments was to investigate the effects of bovine oviduct epithelial cells(OEC) derived from different segments to bind sperm binding and maintain their motility in vitro. In experiment 1, the number of sperm attached to OEC derived from isthmus or ampulla, the motility of unattached sperm during co-culture and fertilizing ability were assessed. In experiment 2, heparin treated sperm 9hsp) or no treated sperm (nsp) were used to evaluate OEC binding ability ofcapacitated sperm. In experiment 1, regardless ofthier origin, approximately 65% of the sperm were attached to OEC within 2h. From 6h of co-culture, the numbers of unattached sperm on ampullary OEC were significantly higher than those on isthmic OEC (p0.005). From 12h of co-culture, the motility of unattached sperm on isthmic OEC were significantly higher than those on ampullary OEC(p0.05). The cleavage rate of oocytes inseminated on OEC derived from isthmic segment was also significantly higher than those from ampullary segment (p0.01). In experiment 2, the numbers of unattached hsp on OEC were significantly higher than those of controls(p0.01), between 2~24h examination. From 12h of co-culture, the motility of unattached nsp were sighificantly greater than those of hsp(p0.01). These results show that bovine OEC derived from the isthmus play more important role(s) for sperm binding, maintaining motility and fertilization in vitro than those from the ampulla, and heparin induced capacitation may change sperm binding ability on OEC in vitro.