Livestock Diseases

Macedo et al. 2012 describe the serology and isolation of  Toxoplasma gondii strains from blood and tissue of pregnant dairy cows and foetuses in Southern Brazil. [1]

Humblet et al 2012 prioritized 100 animal diseases and zoonoses in Europe using 57 prioritization criteria. The method of disease prioritization has been defined as the “organization of listed diseases into a hierarchy, considering their respective impacts”. Five aspects of a pathogen were considered: epidemiology, prevention/control, effects on economy/trade, zoonotic characteristics, and effect on society. [1]

The German Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut discovered the Schmallenberg virus which caused an undetermined disease in animals  in late 2011. Sheep, cattle and goats presented fever, decreased milk production, and diarrhea, malformed newborn animals and stillborn calves, goats an lambs. A study leaded by Martin Beer used metagenomic analysis to identify the  novel orthobunyavirus. The epidemic spread from Germany to the Netherlands, Belgium, Great Britain, France, Italy, Luxembourg and Spain. [1]

Thelazia callipaeda is a parasitic nematode which causes "thelaziasis" (or "eyeworm" infestation) in humans, dogs and cats and other carnivores. It infects orbital cavities and associated tissues.  Drosophila is the vector host,  Amiota (Phortica) variegata (Diptera: Drosophilidae) in Europe, and Phortica okadai in China. These flies feed on tears and infects individuals residing in poor communities in Asia, particularly in China. [1]

CDC  reports the detection in humans of the virus H3N2v, which is a variant of the HaN2 virus having  genes from avian, swine, and human influenza viruses. The new virus had acquired  acquired the matrix (M) gene from the 2009 H1N1 pandemic virus [1]

Magni et al. 2012 describe a novel serine-endopeptidase activity with cleavage specificity to twin-arginine pairs (-R-R-) in mature dry Lupinus albus seeds. The authors suggest that the activity of the novel endopeptidase is essential for degradation at germination and generates polypeptide fragments with specific biological activity. [1]

Lupinosis is a mycotoxicosis caused by the ingestion of toxins produced by the fungus Diaporthe toxica (Phomopsis leptostromiformis) which grows on lupin plants.  Allen and Randall 1993 found that in addition to being an hepatotoxicity, lupinosis also resulted in injury to muscle, kidney and adrenal cortex. [1]

Diets from lupin protein isolate and whole lupin seed promoted a significant reduction of total cholesterol and non-HDL cholesterol in the plasma of hamsters, as compared to a control group fed with casein. The liver revealed that animals, fed on both lupin diets, present reduced steatosis (abnormal retention of fat within the liver cels) steatosis as compared to the ones fed on casein as protein diet. [1]

A new  virus, the "Schmallenberg" virus (SBV) was reported in Autumn 2011 affecting livestoch in Europe. The virus has been found in sheep, cattle and goats and has to date infected animals in Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. The “Schmallenberg” virus is a part of the Simbu serogroup of viruses  belonging to the the Bunyaviridae family, genus Orthobunyavirus.

Knowles et al. 2012 report that foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreaks recently affected Japan and South Korea in eastern Asia that were free of FMD. The serotype A and O viruses caused these outbreaks. The origin of the viruses was the mainland Southeast Asia. [1]