The specificity of serum antibodies for the polypeptides of bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV) was examined, using sera obtained from feedlot and range cattle. Test results in sera from feedlot cattle indicated a 60% rate of seroconversion and 95% seropositivity to BRSV, associated with lack of clinical signs of indicative respiratory tract disease. Exposure to other common respiratory tract viruses also was high (greater than 92% to bovine herpesvirus type 1, bovine viral diarrhea virus, and para-influenza virus type 3). Test results in sera from range cattle indicated BRSV serpositive rates of 28% in calves, 49% in yearling cattle, and 70% in mature cows; clinical signs of respiratory tract disease were not observed in these cattle. Antibodies to BRSV in sera from cattle in both environments reacted predominantly with polypeptides of molecular weight 80,000 through 85,000, 40,000 and 28,000. Reactivity to a glycoprotein of molecular weight between 43,000 and 44,000 and to several glycopolypeptides of smaller molecular weight increased in serum specimens obtained from feedlot cattle between time of entry into the feedlot and slaughter.

In order to study the marked variation of red blood cell sedimentation rate in some species of animals, the packed cell volume, volume percentage of erythrocytes in whole blood, was reshuffled of 20%, 40% and 60% using heteroplasma of chicken and goat, and the red blood cell sedimentation rate was measured in Westergren tubes at 27+-1 deg C and 8+-1 deg C. The values of packed cell volume (PCV) of goat and chicken were 40.7+-4.1% and 30.2+-2.2% respectively. The sedimentation rates of reshuffled red blood cell were settled faster at lower PCV than higher PCV, i.e. there was a reverse relationship between the sedimention rate and PCV. Red blood cells of chicken settled quickly, where as those of goat settled very slowly. Chicken red blood cell sedimented rapidly even in goat plasma, and goat red blood cell sedimented slowly in chicken plasma. These findings indicate that the plasma is not the only factor determining the rapid red blood cell sedimentation rate of chicken. The sedimentation rate of reshuffled red blood cell of chicken and goat were accelerated at higher temperature than lower temperature.