A 474-base pair segment covering the hypervaible region of VP2 gene from six Korean infectious bursal disease virus(K-IBDV) isolates(K1, K2, SH/92, 225, 269, 310) and one attenuated IBDV(DAE) were amplified using RT-PCR, sequenced, and compared with published sequences for IBDV. K-IBDV isolates(K1, K2, SH/92, 225, 269) and foreigh very virulent(vv) IBDV strains had 94.93-100% amino cid sequence similarity. K-IBDV isolate 310 and other K-IBDV isolates had 84.31%-86.07% amino acid sequence similarity. Attenuated strain(DAE), like other attenuated strain, has substitution at positions 279(D to N) and 284(A to T) as well as in the serine-rich heptapeptide region. Five K-IBDV isolates except 310 isolate share unique amino acid residues at positions 222(A), 256(I), 294(I) which are not present in other standard and attenuated strains. At the two hydrophilic region, K-IBDV isolates except 310 isolate had identical amino cids comparing with Belgium vv IVDV 894VB but had four amino acid substitutions comparing with Chinese vv IBDV F9502. The SWSASGS heptapeptide is conserved in all KIBDV isolates. The sequence of K-IBDV isolate 310 was markedly different from other IBDV strains, evolving from a separate lineage than the others. By phylogenetic analysis, Five K-IBDV isolates except 310 isolate were categorized in one group with foreign vv IBDV isolates but K-IBDV isolate 310 was categorized ina separate group which was differentiated form other compared IBDV strains.

The present study was carried out to investigate the pathogenicity and pathogenesis of wild rats(Rattus norvegicus), trapped in nature, intranasally infected Aujeszky's disease virus(ADV/NYJ-1-87) by histopathology, immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization(ISH). Fifteen rats inoculated intranasally were roughened haircoat, anorexia, listlessness, and depression second day after inoculation, and three rats died in 66-72 hours. Eight rats showed severe pruritus at the fact that was accompanied by frequent face-washing movements of the forelegs, and then became violent and spasmodic for and hour or until they died. Four rats slowly recovered after showing mild clinical signs of the disease. Microscopic lesions in infected rats were characterized by meningitis, perivascular round cell infiltration, focal gliosis, and neuronal degeneration and necrosis. And intranuclear inclusion bodies were frequently detected in the cerebral cortex and medulla. Positive reaction to ADV by immunohistochemistry and ISH were detected in the following areas:trigemimal ganglion, brain, tonsil, nasal mucosa, spleen, lung and liver. The result has suggested that ADV intranasally infected in wild rats is followed by replication in epithelial cells of nasal mucosa and tonsil, then invade local lymph nodes by way of the lymphatics. It is also believed that the virus invades bipolar olfactory cells and trigerminal ganglion, and then spread into central nervous system.

A species-specific 760 base pair(bp) BamHI to EcoRI DNA fragment(fMG-2) of lipoprotein gene was isolated from a Mycoplasma gallisepticum (M gallisepticum) genomic library. Based on the DNA sequence data of fMG-2, a pair of 25bp primers was synthesized. When used in the polymerase chain reaction(PCR), 732bp DNA products were amplified from 6 standard strains and 10 field isolates of M gallisepticum, but not from 2 Mycoplasma synoviae and 7 other Mycoplasma species. The lower detection limit was 100fg of the genomic DNA. Identity of the PCR products was confirmed by comparison of patterns of restriction endonuclease analysis with AseI, DraI, EcoRV and SspI.

A 474-base pair segment covering the hypervaible region of VP2 gene from six Korean infectious bursal disease virus(K-IBDV) isolates(K1, K2, SH/92, 225, 269, 310) and one attenuated IBDV(DAE) were amplified using RT-PCR, sequenced, and compared with published sequences for IBDV. K-IBDV isolates(K1, K2, SH/92, 225, 269) and foreigh very virulent(vv) IBDV strains had 94.93-100% amino cid sequence similarity. K-IBDV isolate 310 and other K-IBDV isolates had 84.31%-86.07% amino acid sequence similarity. Attenuated strain(DAE), like other attenuated strain, has substitution at positions 279(D to N) and 284(A to T) as well as in the serine-rich heptapeptide region. Five K-IBDV isolates except 310 isolate share unique amino acid residues at positions 222(A), 256(I), 294(I) which are not present in other standard and attenuated strains. At the two hydrophilic region, K-IBDV isolates except 310 isolate had identical amino cids comparing with Belgium vv IVDV 894VB but had four amino acid substitutions comparing with Chinese vv IBDV F9502. The SWSASGS heptapeptide is conserved in all KIBDV isolates. The sequence of K-IBDV isolate 310 was markedly different from other IBDV strains, evolving from a separate lineage than the others. By phylogenetic analysis, Five K-IBDV isolates except 310 isolate were categorized in one group with foreign vv IBDV isolates but K-IBDV isolate 310 was categorized ina separate group which was differentiated form other compared IBDV strains

This study was conducted to detect the toxoplasma-specific DNA in peripheral blood collected from cats experimentally infected with Toxoplasma gondii (RH strain) and from domiciled cats by B1 gene-base polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The sensitivity of oligonucleotide primer, T-1 & T-2, designed from toxoplasma B1 gene amplification method was compared with parasite detection by mouse inoculation(MI). And also, latex agglutination test(LAT) and indirect fluorescent antibody test(IFAT) were conducted to detect the fluctuation of serum antibodies compared with the detection of toxoplasma by PCR and MI. Toxoplasma B1 gene PCR was shown consistently high sensitivity and the results obtained by PCR agreed completely with those from MI. All blood samples collected before infection with T gondii gave negative results by PCR and MI. Also, toxoplasma B1 gene PCR was not cross reaction with Neospora caninum DNA and normal cat leucocyte as cnotrols. The toxoplasma-specific DNA was detected by PCR in blood of 5 cats experimentally infected with T gondii 6 days after infection and the detection of this specific-DNA was long lastedin blood for 64 days after infeciton. The detection of toxoplasma-specific DNA by PCR could be identified as few as 10 tachyzoites and the isolation of T gondii by MI could be isolated as few as 1 tachyzoite from tenfold serial dilution of T gondii with normal cat blood, respectively. In healthy domiciled cats, the toxoplasma-specific DNA and the parasite were detected and isolated in blood from 3 of 56(5.3%) cats by both PCR and MI, respectively. In the results of antibody test from the total 56 heads of healthy domiciled cats, the positive rates are 15(26.7%) by LAT and 19(33.9%) by IFAT. These results suggest that PCR detection of toxoplasma can be applied as a sensitive and specific diagnostic and research tool.

Staphylococcus aureus is one of most prevalent intramammary pathogens and have characteristics which are not easily eradicated. Recently, to understand the sources and transmission of S aureus, many studies have focused on the subtyping of field isolate. This study was preformed to investigate the distribution pattern and characteristics of the isolates using phenotyping and genotyping. Samples were collected from milk of each udder, cow bodies (perianal region, vagina, tail, udder skin, sole) and environment (floor, liner, milker's hand, water, towel, insect) from 6 herds located in Kyung-gi province. Forty five strains of S aureus were isolated from 3 dairy herds (A, B, C) and were typed by hemolytic pattern, antibiotic resistant pattern, enterotoxin typing and PCR-based DNA fingerprinting. Slime productivity was also compared by each subtype to examine potential infectiousness. Of 45 strains, 41 were isolated from milk samples and 4 were isolated from liners. No strains isolated in the bodies and environment. Forty five strains isolated were classified as 18 subtypes by phenotyping and genotyping. There was common subtype between A and B herd, but the subtype of C herd showed different pattern. Among predominant subtypes, 60% of S aureus strain isolated from A and B herd showed subtype I and 50% of S aureus strain isolated from C herd belong to subtype VI and XII. Neither somatic cell count (SCC) nor slime production was significantly different between predominant and minor subtypes. In summary, the study revealed that liners play more important roles in the mode of transmission than enmironmental sources. Several subtypes can be found in a herd, only a few subtype, however, was largely associated with the majority of infection.

We have developed in situ hybridization(ISH) technique for rapid diagnosis of canine distemper(CD) which is the major infectious disease in dogs. In our experiment, we rapidly detected distribution of the specific canine distemper viral genome without disrupting morphology of tissues of cells. Two oligonucleotide probes for ISH were synthesized chemically and labelled 5' end with nonisotopic biotin by DNA synthesizer. The whole procedures of ISH was completed within 1~2 hours using the Microcapillary action system. On histological study, typical cytoplasmic or intranuclear inclusion bodies wer observed in the trachea, bronchiole, brain, and urinary bladder with the presence of prominent red positive signals on ISH, indicating specific CDV genome from the paraffin-embedded tissues of infected 13 cases. The results showed ISH can be used as a rapid and effective diagnostic method for diagnosis of CD.

The visceral dissemination of Borrelia burgdorferi in New Zealand White rabbits was evaluated following intradermal inoculation of 1*10 8 spirochetes. We inoculated Borrelia burgdorferi B31, B garinii KW1 and B afzelii S13, respectively, and monitored the dissemination in the experimentally infected rabbits for 28 days. In the B burgdorferi B31-challenged group, the spirochetes were com;oetely cleared in rabbits at day 1 and visceral dissemination was not demonstrated. However, B garinii KW1 and B afzelii S13 were found to successfully disseminate in visceral organs of rabbits during the experiment period of 28 days. And experimentally infection-derived immunological responses in rabbits were identified with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunoblot analysis. Based on these results, the differences in the virulence of Lymeborrelial strains were proved in rabbit model.