BACKGROUND: Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is an acute and highly contagious viral disease of small ruminants that is characterized by high fever, ocular and nasal discharge, pneumonia, necrosis, ulceration of the mucous membranes and inflammation of the gastro-intestinal tract leading to severe diarrhea. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the seroprevalence of peste des petits ruminants (PPR) virus infection in sheep and cattle in Ahvaz. METHODS: Blood samples were taken from 100 cattle and 100 sheep that were kept together from different parts of Ahvaz. Blood samples were also taken from 16 vaccinated sheep   against PPR for positive control. The sera were separated by centrifuge at 3000 ×g for 10 minutes and 3 mL of serum was harvested and stored at -20 °C until determination of antibody against PPR using VN method. RESULTS: The peste des petits ruminants (PPR) antibody seroprevalence was 23% in cattle and 58% in sheep and all the sheep samples collected for control were positive for PPR antibody. CONCLUSIONS: The present study indicates serological evidence for the natural transmission of PPRV from sheep to cattle under natural conditions and provides baseline information on prevalence of PPRV antibodies in cattle and sheep population in Ahvaz.

BACKGROUND: Bovine Herpes Virus-1 (BHV-1) belongs to the  Alpha herpesviral family. The virus is the cause of Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR) and Bovine Abortion. In the initial infection, the virus proliferates excessively. Moreover, shedding the virus leads to conditions in the latent phase of the disease. Infectious Bovine Vulvovaginit (IPV ) is the genital form of the disease that represents a genital infection and transmits via pustules and mucopurulent secretions. Exposure to the virus in genital mucosa leads to IPV infection through mating or artificial insemination and the diseases that can be transmitted to healthy livestock by frozen sperm during artificial insemination.OBJECTIVES: Viral contamination of the semen is one of the routes to spread the disease among dairy cattle. Therefore, we investigated the presence of the virus in domestic and frozen imported semen consumed in industrial dairy cattle farms.METHODS: In the present study, 140 frozen straws were collected. After melting each straw, 200 µl of obtained semen was used for DNA extraction, which was done directly on the semen samples and via a Genome Extraction Kit. Subsequently, to ensure the accuracy of the extraction, the PCR technique was done using PRM-1 gene primer. Tracking the viral genome was done using the PCR technique and known primers.RESULTS: In total, one out of 140 samples was found to be virally contaminated, and IBR contamination was confirmed by repeating all the steps and determining the gene sequence.CONCLUSIONS: It is necessary to further investigate the possibility that contamination can be transmitted via frozen semen, given that even one out of 140 samples is contaminated, and the importance of the disease.

BACKGROUND: Equine arteritis virus (EAV) causes respiratory disease, abortion and sometimes, neurological signs. Stallions which are permanently infected with the virus, are the constant carriers of the virus in their semen and transmit the virus to other horses through sexual contact. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate EAV infection in horses in four provinces of Iran and its relationship with age, sex, and race. METHODS: Blood samples were taken from 149 horses with different sex, age and race with history or clinical signs associated with equine viral arteritis, including the manifestation of respiratory disease (fever, nasal secretion, coughing), nervous signs (ataxia, dysmetria, recumbency) and abortion. The commercial ELISA kit was used for viral antibody detection. RESULTS: From 149 sampled horses, 11 cases (7.4%) were found to be positive for EAV. Seropositive cases were recorded in Tehran (2.7%), Golestan (4.3%), Khuzestan (6.7%) and West Azerbaijan (23.8%) provinces. CONCLUSIONS: This survey confirmed the presence of EVAV in horses from four provinces of Iran with the sensitive (98.3%) and special (98.9%) test. Therefore, consideration should be given to the control and prevention programs for the spread of this virus.

Seven hybridomas that secreted monoclonal antibodies (MAB) against the peplomer protein and one that secreted MAB against the nucleocapsid protein of Berne virus (proposed family Toroviridae) were isolated. All MAB directed against the peplomer protein neutralized virus infectivity and, with the exception of MAB 6A7, inhibited each other's binding in competition assays. Neutralization of Berne virus infectivity was potentiated when some MAB were used in pairs. The antibodies have been used to localize toroviral proteins in infected cells; use of antipeplomer MAB 6B10 yielded a diffuse intracytoplasmic immunofluorescence, whereas the antinucleocapsid MAB 1F1 detected antigen in the intra- and perinuclear compartments. By use of radioimmune precipitation, protein A of Staphylococcus aureus was found to bind directly to the nucleocapsid polypeptide, without the requirement for specific antibody. Using fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated protein A, the intranuclear accumulation of the nucleoprotein of Berne virus was confirmed by results of immunofluorescence.

Neoplastic cells were isolated from 2 sibling Great Dane/Labrador Retriever mixed-breed dogs in which telangiectatic type osteosarcomas arose concurrently. Cells from various sites in the same osteosarcoma appeared similar in culture, but there were differences between the 2 osteosarcomas in growth characteristics and appearance of cells. Cells from 1 osteosarcoma had a small, but significant (P less than 0.05), cyclic adenosine monophosphate response to parathyroid hormone stimulation, indicating a low order of osteoblastic differentiation. Cells from the other osteosarcoma had no response to parathyroid hormone stimulation. Cells from both osteosarcomas and a concentrated cell-free filtrate from the osteosarcoma with osteoblastic differentiation were injected into nude mice, but osteosarcomas were not induced. Results of ultrastructural examination of osteosarcoma samples for viral particles were negative and supernatant fluids from cultured cells were considered negative for viral reverse transcriptase activity.

The changes in serum total protein and immunoglobulin levels, and BVD, IBR and PI-3 viral neutralizing antibody titers in colostrum-conferred Korean native calves during the first 12 weeks postpartum were studied. The mean concentration of total protein, total immunoglobulin, IgG, IgM and IgA in sera of 9 calves at birth were 3.8 +- 0.5g/dl, 0.27 +- 0.15mg/ml, 0.06 +- 0.08mg/ml, 0.21 +- 0.11mg/ml, and extremely low concentration, respectively. Serum total protein level reached a maximum at 20 hours after birth, total immunoglobulin, IgG and IgM levels at 24 hours, and IgA level at 28 hours, respectively. Serum IgA level reached a minimum at 4 weeks old, IgM level at 5 weeks, total immunoglobulin level at 8 weeks, and IgG level at 10 weeks, respectively. After then those levels had begun to increase, but total protein level was still decreasing at 12 weeks old. The half-lives of IgG, IgM, and IgA were 21.1 days, 4.0 days, and 2.6 days respectively. In 10 Korean native cows immediately after parturition, serum neutralizing antibody titers specific to BVD, IBR and PI-3 virus were 8.7 +- 1.5 log2, 5.7 +-1.2 log2, and 6.8 +- 1.0 log2, respectively. And colostral neutralizing antibody titers against BVD, IBR, and PI-3 virus were 10.1 +- 1.4 log2, 6.8 +- 1.3 log2, and 7.8 +- 1.7 log2, respectively. Before suckling the colostrum, SN antibody titers against BVD, IBR, and PI-3 virus were undetectable from all of 9 Korean native calves. Nevertheless SN antibody titer against BVD virus reached a maximum level (9.2 +- 0.6 log2) at 24 hours after birth, that against IBR virus (6.1 +- 1.0 log2) at 20 hours after birth, and that against PI-3 virus (6.8 +- 0.9 log2) at 32 hours after birth, respectively. In 12 weeks old calves, the SN antibodies against BVD and IBR virus were still decreasing, but that against PI-3 virus reached a minimum at 10 weeks, and increased after 12 weeks of age. The half-lives of SN antibodies against BVD, PI-3 and IBR, virus were 16.0 days, 22.6 days, and 25.5 days, respectively.

FMD virus type A/1/ Egypt 2006 was inactivated with 0.1 M of BEI (Binary ethylene imine) formed by cyclization of 2- Bromoethyl-amine hydrobromide (BEA) in 0.2 N NaoH at 37oC with PH 8.0 for 24 hours. The virus was complete inactivated after 15 hours post inactivation. No residual virus particles were detected when inoculated in tissue culture. The inactivation rates are linear with a regular loss of titer ranged from 0.5- 1.0 log10 / hour. Control sample of virus at 37oC without BEI showed only a loss of 1.0 log from the original infectivity titer after 24 hours. The sample of virus which kept at -20oC, without BEI, showed loss 0.3 log10 from its original infectivity titer after 24 hours. There is no change in the complement fixing antigen before and after inactivation process with BEI inactivator and in the CFT 7 dilution of antigen was stable (fixed) pre and post inactivation of virus. Also it was found that the inactivation rate of BEI was higher than the inactivation with pure Ethylenimine (EI) and formalin.

Monvalent inactivated oil-emulsion, Newcastle disease virus (NDV), infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) and Haemophilus paragallinarum vaccines as well as a trivalent one (NDV + IBV + HP) were prepared. The cellular and humoral immune responses of chicken to these vaccines were evaluated by using lymphocytes blastogenesis assay, haemagglutination-inhibition, serum neutralization, tube agglutination and challenge tests. The results showed that the trivalent vaccine was safe, efficient as monovalent vaccines and protected chicken against Newcastle, Infectious bronchitis and infectious coryza