Two 4-day-old Thoroughbred foals with acute clinical signs of depression, elevated pulse and respiratory rates, anemia, and jaundice were referred to the equine hospital of Korea Racing Authority. The foals were seemingly normal at birth, but showed clinical signs such as abnormal behavior, jaundice and anemia suddenly after ingestion of the mare's colostrum, followed by death at 4 days after birth. According to the results of the hematology, serum chemistry analysis, jaundice foal agglutination test, and blood groups test, the foals were diagnosed as neonatal isoerythrolysis (NI) caused by the mare's antibodies. These results suggested that the pregnant mares have a potential for NI.

The prevalence of Toxoplasma (T.) gondii was surveyed using a latex agglutination test (LAT) in native Korean cattle. A blood sample was collected from female 105 cattle in the Daejeon area of Korea. All cattle were asymptomatic and had not received any prophylactic treatment for T. gondii. Blood samples were collected via the caudal vein. The cattle ranged in age from 2~6 years (mean 3.7 years). LAT detected antibody to T. gondii in four of 105 (3.8%) cattle. However, the hazard analysis and critical control point protocol has been applied to cattle farms and beef traceability has been strengthen.

This study surveyed the prevalence of traumatic reticular diseases (TRD) of slaughter cattle in Korea, the typology of the causative foreign bodies and the effects on beef quality and carcass weight. The overall prevalence of TRD in 3,121 slaughter cattle was 5.5%. However, the prevalence was significantly higher in Korea indigenous cattle Hanwoo (5.8%, p less than 0.05) and female cattle (20.75%, p less than 0.001). The prevalence significantly increased in aged cattle (p less than 0.001). Major lesions related to foreign bodies were reticulitis (96%) and peritonitis (86%). Most causative foreign bodies were made of iron including nails, wires, steel rods, screw nails, and syringe needles. Cattle affected with TRD produced significantly lower grade quality of beef compared to normal cattle (p less than 0.0001), but TRD did not affect carcass weight. The data will be useful in the management of TRD, with the aim of increasing beef productivity in Korea.

We investigate the resistance of Cryptosporidium (C.) parvum oocysts to commercial bleach treatment. The viability and infectivity of C. parvum oocysts suspended in 100, 50, 25, 12.5, 6.3 or 3.2% aqueous commercial bleach for 10, 30, 60, 120 or 180 min at room temperature were assessed by nucleic acid Syto-9 staining, histologic examination of ileum and infectivity to immunosuppressed neonatal C57BL/6N mice. Although the viability was decreased compared with normal oocysts, all oocysts in contact with serially diluted commercial bleach for 180 min were alive by nucleic acid dye Syto-9 staining. And, microscopic examination of ileum sections revealed developmental stages of C. parvum in all mice. The oocyst shedding patterns between mice infected with oocysts contacted with commercial bleach and normal control mice were not significantly different each other. Although commercial bleach is widely used as a bacterial and viral disinfectant, the present findings indicate that it is not an effective disinfectant for C. parvum oocysts under practical conditions. Authors conclude that, therefore, it is undesirable to recommend commercial bleach as a disinfectant for C. parvum oocysts.

Theileria (T.) buffeli (formerly T. sergenti/T. orientalis) is the major hemo-protozoan distributed in the Far East Asian countries such as Korea, China and Japan. It is responsible for the clinical symptoms of anorexia, ateliosis, anemia, fever and icterus. It also causes abortion and sudden death under severe cases, resulting in economic losses for many livestock farms. The objective of this study was to analyze the genetic diversity of the major surface protein (Msp) gene in T. buffeli in Holstein in Korea, and we characterized the association of the diversification of the Msp gene and its relationship with the pathogenicity of Theileria. For this, complete blood counts and Theileria PCR sequence analysis were performed from 57 Holstein in Jeju Island. A total of 26 PCR positive Holstein (16 anemic and 10 non-anemic) were then randomly selected based on 18s rRNA sequence typing of the Theileria Msp gene. The DNA sequence of the T. buffeli Msp gene in Holstein showed 99.0%, 99.2%, 99.9%, 99.5%, 98.7%, 98.4% and 98.4% homology with T. sergenti, Theileria spp., T. sergenti, Theileria spp., Theileria spp., Theileria spp. and Theileria spp., respectively. The result showed a genetic variation of 57.7% (type Ⅰ), 3.8% (type Ⅱ), 15.4% (type Ⅲ), 7.7% (type Ⅳ), 13.5% (type Ⅴ) and 1.9% (type Ⅵ). Type Ⅰ is the most frequent type in both anemic and non-anemic Holstein while type Ⅱ was found in only non-anemic Holstein. This results of our study help confirm the diversity of Msp gene types and demonstrate that the gene type distribution of Msp genes varies among Theileria-infected Holstein in Jeju Island.

Bovine tuberculosis (bTB), caused primarily by Mycobacterium bovis, continues to exert an economic loss, even in countries with active control measures, and is one of zoonotic diseases enable to be transmitted to human. The control and eradication of bTB are mainly based on a test and slaughter policy and/or abattoir surveillance. Various factors including limitation of diagnostic tests have been considered as major constraints to eradication. Single intradermal test (SIT) is the official diagnostic test. New diagnostic methods are needed to be developed, because of limitations of the test. In the present study SIT was compared with single intradermal comparative cervical test (SICCT) and interferon (IFN)-γ assay. There was very low correlation between SIT and SICCT. However, high correlation was shown between SIT and IFN-γ assay while no correlation was observed between SICCT and IFN-γ assay. Therefore, our results suggest the possibility of replacement of SIT with IFN-γ assay for the diagnosis of bovine tuberculosis.

Salmonella spp. is an important pathogen to both public and swine industry. The aim of this study was to investigate the distribution of Salmonella serovar and antibiotics susceptibility of the isolates from Korean swine producing systems. A total of 63 (5.28%) Salmonella spp. was isolated from 1,194 samples (977 fecal materials and 67 organ samples). The predominant Salmonella (S.) enterica serotype and serovar was group B (69.8%) and S. Typhimurium (47.6%), S. Derby (20.6%) and S. Heidelberg (1.6%). But S. Cholerasuis which is characterized host specific by septicemia and enteritis to pigs was not isolated. Antimicrobial susceptibility of the isolates varies as follows: Norfloxacine (75%), Ciprofloxacin (67.5%), Amikacin (60%), Colistin (60%), Enrofloxacin (55%). All of isolates were resistant to Erythromycin, Penicillin, Tetracycline and Lincomycin. The results of this study provided useful information regarding antimicrobial susceptibility and resistance patterns to treat salmonellosis and to prevent emergence of multidrug resistance Salmonella.

Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is an inflammatory disease in the murine central nervous system (CNS) and has long been used as an animal model for human multiple sclerosis. Development of EAE requires coordinated expression of a number of genes that are involved in the activation and effector functions of inflammatory cells. Galectin-3 (Gal-3) is a member of the beta-galactoside-binding lectin family and plays an important role in inflammatory responses through its functions on cell activation, cell migration or inhibition of apoptosis. We investigated the functional role of Gal-3 in EAE mice following immunization with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG)∧35-55 peptide. During the peak stage of EAE, the localization of Gal-3 in inflammatory cells markedly increased in subarachnoid membranes and perivascular regions of CNS. In contrast, Gal-3 was weakly detected in cerebrum and spinal of the recovery stage of EAE. Consistent with this finding, western blot analysis revealed that Gal-3 expression was significantly increased at the peak stage while it was slightly decreased at the recovery stage in the CNS. In addition, the population of CD11b+ macrophage expressing Gal-3 in spleen of EAE mice was markedly increased compared with control mice. In fact, most of activated macrophages isolated from spleen of EAE mice expressed Gal-3. Taken together, our results demonstrate that the over-expression of Gal-3 in activated macrophages may play a key role in promoting inflammatory cells in the CNS during EAE.

The study evaluated whether a transgenic carrot vaccine could induce a K88-specific immune response in sows and whether the resultant maternal antibody could protect piglets against enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) K88ac infection. Sows (n = 15) selected randomly from a farm in Korea were assigned to three groups (n = 5 per group: control [untreated]), group A (orally inoculated with a non-transgenic and transgenic carrot vaccines at 2 and 4 weeks ante partum, respectively), and group B (conventionally vaccinated according to the manufacturer’s instructions). After 7 days of lactation, 5 piglets selected randomly from each group were challenged with 1 × 10∨10 colony forming units/mL ETEC K88ac. Group C had the lowest mean fecal consistency score on post-challenge days 1 and 7. Histiologically, On post-challenge day 7, group C showed an increased duodenum and ileum villus:crypt ratio, compared to group A in the duodenum, with group B displaying the highest ratio. Groups B and C had more increased villus width than group A in the jejunum. Group C displayed the greatest increase in villus width in the ileum. The colostrums and serum from groups B and C displayed higher concentrations of IgA and IgG against ETEC K88, compared to group A. Based on the results, it was concluded that the transgenic carrot vaccine in sow per oral may have an effect on preventing piglet diarrhea as good as commercial recombinant vaccine.

Malignant Sertoli cell tumor was diagnosed in a 5-year-old male Shih Tzu dog. Clinical features of the dog were anorexia, urinary incontinence, constipation, anemia, alopecia, and epistaxis. The dog also had unilateral cryptorchid testis in the abdomen. Several abdominal and thoracic masses were identified on radiography. Grossly, the cryptorchid testicular mass was markedly enlarged to 8 cm in diameter. On cut surface, firm and well demarcated milk-white neoplastic areas were irregularly separated by white fibrous bands. Histologically, the testicular mass was diagnosed as tubular pattern Sertoli cell tumor. In addition, abdominal and mediastinal lymph nodes metastasis were found. Immunohistochemically, the tumor cells were strongly positive for vimentin and neuron specific enolase, but negative for S-100 and cytokeratin.