Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have ability to differentiate into multi-lineage cells, which confer a great promise for regenerative medicine to the cells. The aim of this study was to establish a method for isolation and characterization of adipose tissue-derived MSC (pAD-MSC) and bone marrow-derived MSC (pBM-MSC) in pigs. Isolated cells from all tissues were positive for CD29, CD44, CD90 and CD105, but negative for hematopoietic stem cell associated markers, CD45. In addition, the cells expressed the transcription factors, such as Oct4, Sox2, and Nanog by RT-PCR. pAD-MSC and pBM-MSC at early passage successfully differentiated into chondrocytes, osteocytes and adipocytes. Collectively, pig AD-MSC and BM-MSC with multipotency were optimized in our study.

Members of the genus Brucella are facultative intracellular bacteria and cause brucellosis, a chronic disease in humans and abortion in animals. In this study, we tested sera for brucellosis of 15 Hanwoo farms in the western part of Gyeong-buk province, resulting 5 farms were brucellosis positive in 2008. We collected blood from 277 heads in the brucellosis positive 5 farms, and performed serological diagnosis, brucella positive cattle which had shown higher than 200 antibody titer in tube agglutination test were slaughtered, supramammary lymph nodes were collected, and Brucella spp. wild type isolation and identification were performed. From these results, 15 of Brucella spp. wild type strains were isolated and all strains were identified as B. abortus biotype 1 by biological and molecular analysis. In the antimicrobial susceptibility test, all 15 strains had a similar susceptibility and resistance pattern. This study may be useful for bacteriological and epidemiological understanding of cattle brucellosis in Korea.

Akabane disease is caused by an arthropod-borne viral pathogen and leads congenital abnormalities of the central nervous system in infected ruminants. One isolate, KV0505, showed cytopathic effect in Vero cells. The KV0505 isolate was obtained from plasma, which was collected from a cattle raised on Jeju Island in May 2005. Jeju Island is located near the southern part of the Korean peninsula. The isolate was confirmed as Akabane virus (AKAV) by immunofluorescence assay using AKAV specific monoclonal antibodies and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Suckling mice inoculated with the isolate showed signs of paralysis and died within 10 days post-inoculation. Comparisons of the KV0505 N gene sequence with 39 other known AKAV strains revealed nucleotide homologies ranging from 83.6% (MP496 strain) to 99.7% (M171 strain). When compared with the K-9 strain, which was isolated from a cow in Korea in 1994, the nucleotide sequence homology with the N gene was 99.7%. Thus, genes of the KV0505 isolate were closely related to those of the M171 strain, which were clustered into the Ic group of AKAV.

Rabbit hemorrhagic disease (RHD) is caused by RHD virus (RHDV) and is one of the most fatal diseases of rabbits. Acute death of rabbits occurred in a farm located in the Gyeonggi province of South Korea. The virus was isolated and confirmed as RHDV based on reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and hemagglutination assay (HA), and the isolate was designated as KV0801. The nucleotide sequence was deduced. Molecular analysis showed that the KV0801 isolate can be classified as a pandemic antigenic variant strain, RHDVa. The VP60 nucleotide sequence and deduced amino acid homology between KV0801 and other Korean isolate, RHF89, which was isolated in 1988, were 92.1 and 94.3%, respectively. The pathogenicity of the KV0801 isolate at an HA titer ranging from 16,384 to 0.16 HA units was evaluated in five-month-old SFP rabbits. The rabbits inoculated with KV0801 isolate containing more than 1.63 HA units died within six days of inoculation. These results suggest that a highly pathogenic RHDVa is circulating in the rabbit populations of Korea.

A Gram-negative, catalase- and oxidase-positive, coccus-shaped bacterium was isolated from a rabbit with keratoconjunctivitis. Colonies of the isolate were round, smooth, and exhibited hemolytic activity on 5% sheep blood agar. Scanning electron microscopy revealed 0.4 to 0.5 μm diameter oval cocci. Partial 16S rRNA gene (1446 bp) sequence analysis demonstrated the isolate had significant homology with the Moraxella cuniculi CCUG2154 strain isolated from a rabbit in Germany in 1973. Our isolate was designated as APQAB1701. Antibiotic susceptibility tests demonstrated that APQAB1701 was sensitive to 24 antibiotics; 3 of the antibiotics (nalidixic acid, spectinomycin, and colistin) had minimal inhibitory concentrations greater than or equal to 32μg/mL against the isolate.

Four viruses showing cytopathic effects in MDBK cells were isolated from brains of cattle showing downer cattle syndrome in 2012. The isolates were confirmed to belong to the genus Rubulavirus of the subfamily Paramyxovirinae. Isolate QIA-B1201 had the ability to hemagglutinate red blood cells from several species of animals and was capable of adsorbing guinea pig erythrocytes on the surface of infected Vero cells. Nucleotide sequence analysis showed that two isolates (QIA-B1201 and QIA-B1204) had high similarity with other human and animal PIV5 isolates ranging from 98.1 to 99.8%. The highest sequence similarity of the two isolates corresponded to strain KNU-11 (99.8% at the nucleotide and amino acid level) isolated from suckling piglets in Korea in 2012. To evaluate the virulence of strain QIA-B1201, we inoculated bPIV5 into 5 week-old mice via both the intraperitoneal and intracranial route. Body weight was not significantly altered in mice inoculated with QIA-B1201. In this study, we isolated and characterized novel bPIV5s from brain samples showing downer cattle syndrome, but were not able to elucidate the pathogenicity of the bPIV5s in mice.

A total of 593 mastitic pathogens was isolated from the clinical mastitic milk of dairy cattle in Kyonggi area from March 1984 to February 1988. The mastitic pathogens were further studied bacteriologically and examined for susceptibility patterns to 10 antibiotics. 173 pathogens were isolated in the first year of studies, 205 pathogens in the second year, 122 pathogens in the third year and 93 pathogens in the last year. The pathogens isolated from clinical mastitis were more in summer than other seasons. Staphylococcus spp (50%) and Streptococcus spp (18%) were the main pathogens in the first year of studies but coliforms (15%) and other bacteria (40%) were the main pathogens in the last year of studies. Coliform mastitis occurred only in summer and autumn. Antibiotic susceptibility patterns of the same genuses from clinical mastitis infections in different herds and in different years varied greatly. Therefore, treatment should be selected on the basis of susceptibility test results

To investigate the epidemiological trait of intestinal diseases of animals caused by thermophilic Campylobacter spp., isolation of etiological agent was carried out and the profiles of plasmids and the transfer of resistance plasmid in the isolated Camplyobacter spp. were examined. A total of 110 isolates of C jejuni and C coli were subjected to the test for the presence of plasmid DNA. Of the isolates examined, 60 % of the isolates were noted to harbor plasmid DNA. Plasmid occurrence rate from pigs, chickens and cattle were 76.2 %, 61.7 % and 37.7 %, respectively. The plasmids of a large molecular weight, ranging from 36 Md to 86Md, were identified with the strains of tetracycline resistant. Transfer frequency of tetracycline resistant plasmids was higher in the case of the filter mating method than in the broth mating method by the factor of 10-1,000. Tetracycline resistant plasmids of C jejuni were transferarble to C jejuni and C coli by conjugation. In a low frequency, the transfer of tetracycline plasmid was also possible to Vibrio parahemolyticus. However, it was impossible to transfer to Streptococcus fecalis, E. coli and Vibrio cholerae. Tetracycline resistant plasmids of C jejuni were impossible to transfer to Campylobacter spp. and related bacteria by transformation

Serotypes of S hyicus subsp hyicus strains isolated from healthy pigs and piglets with exudative epidermitis were identified with homogeneous factor sera. The serotypes of 489 strains were classified into 5 serotypes as A (16.8 %), C (20.4 %), D (9.4 %), E (7.2 %), F (29.2 %) and untypable (17.0 %). Serotype F was the most predominant strain regardless of health condition, body regions and age of the pigs

The present study was carried out to investigate C. jejuni and C. coli in chicken. Also were examined the pathogenicity of the isolates in chicks by experimental inoculation. Thermophilic Campylobacter were isolated from 34 (45.9%) of the 74 specimens, and classified as 21.6 % C. jejuni, and 24.3 % C. coli. In the biotyping of 16 strains of C. jejuni isolates, 37.5 % of the strains were grouped as biotype I, 62.5 % as biotype II. In the case of 18 strains of C. coli isolates, 49.9 % of isolates were grouped as biotype I, 55.6 % as biotype II. In oral inoculation with 10** (4)cfu of Capmylobacter isolates into infant chicks (1 to 3 days-old), 17 days-old and 34 days-old chicks, 32.5 % of the chicks developed diarrhea on day 1, 52.5 % on day 3, 70.0 % on day 5, and 27.5% on day 7, and the peak incidence of diarrhea was reached on day 5. The organisms were found to be discharged in feces one day afterwards. C. jejuni and C. coli strains were detected from the feces in 87.5 % of the chicks on day 5.