• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.30 no.11
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• pp.1651-1659
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• 2017

Objective: Lao PDR's recent accession to the World Trade Organization necessitates a greater understanding of the patterns and risk of livestock production in order to better align national policy with the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures. This eco-health study was conducted to improve understanding of the interrelations between market chains and zoonotic infection risks at two strategic cross border points between Lao PDR, Thailand and Viet Nam. Methods: Information gained from smallholder farmer/trader interviews was integrated with serological surveys for pig-associated zoonoses-including hepatitis E virus (HEV), Taenia solium (T. solium) and trichinella-to identify potential linkages between disease risk and pig production and slaughter in low input systems common across the country. Results: Trichinella and HEV exposure was high in both humans and pigs in both study areas, significantly associated with pig slaughter and the subsequent consumption and handling of raw pork products. T. solium demonstrated a strong geographical and ethnic association with the northern study area bordering Vietnam. With the right knowledge and accessible, affordable inputs, the majority of smallholder farmers indicated a willingness to invest more in pig production, which could simultaneously improve livelihoods and decrease exposure to HEV, Trichinella, and T. solium through increased access to formal markets and an improved slaughter processes. Conclusion: The linkages identified when assessing disease risk in the context of potential economic and cultural drivers of transmission highlight the importance of a systems-based approach for the detection and control of zoonotic disease, and contributes to an improved understanding of the Lao PDR livestock sector.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.138-148
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• 2018

Objective: Fusarium mycotoxins deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenone (ZEN), common contaminants in the feed of farm animals, cause immune function impairment and organ inflammation. Consequently, the main objective of this study was to elucidate DON and ZEN effects on the mRNA expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and other immune related genes in the kidneys of piglets. Methods: Fifteen 6-week-old piglets were randomly assigned to three dietary treatments for 4 weeks: control diet, and diets contaminated with either 8 mg DON/kg feed or 0.8 mg ZEN/kg feed. Kidney samples were collected after treatment, and RNA-seq was used to investigate the effects on immune-related genes and gene networks. Results: A total of 186 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened (120 upregulated and 66 downregulated). Gene ontology analysis revealed that the immune response, and cellular and metabolic processes were significantly controlled by these DEGs. The inflammatory stimulation might be an effect of the following enriched Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes pathway analysis found related to immune and disease responses: cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, chemokine signaling pathway, toll-like receptor signaling pathway, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), tuberculosis, Epstein-Barr virus infection, and chemical carcinogenesis. The effects of DON and ZEN on genome-wide expression were assessed, and it was found that the DEGs associated with inflammatory cytokines (interleukin 10 receptor, beta, chemokine [C-X-C motif] ligand 9, CXCL10, chemokine [C-C motif] ligand 4), proliferation (insulin like growth factor binding protein 4, IgG heavy chain, receptor-type tyrosine-protein phosphatase C, cytochrome P450 1A1, ATP-binding cassette sub-family 8), and other immune response networks (lysozyme, complement component 4 binding protein alpha, oligoadenylate synthetase 2, signaling lymphocytic activation molecule-9, ${\alpha}$-aminoadipic semialdehyde dehydrogenase, Ig lambda chain c region, pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase, isozyme 4, carboxylesterase 1), were suppressed by DON and ZEN. Conclusion: In summary, our results indicate that high concentrations of DON and ZEN suppress the inflammatory response in kidneys, leading to potential effects on immune homeostasis.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.268-272
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• 2010

South Korea is susceptible to foreign diseases due to its high rate of livestock importation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the infectious conditions of contagious disease of horses imported into South Korea from other countries. The horses were tested for contagious equine metritis (CEM), equine infectious anemia (EIA), equine piroplasmosis (EP), equine viral arteritis (EVA), vesicular stomatitis (VS), dourine, and glanders. The prevalence of these infectious diseases in 6,650 horses imported from 24 countries between 2003 and 2008 was reviewed by the National Veterinary Research and Quarantine Service. Seropositive results were found for EIA, EP, EVA, dourine and glanders: 3/6,189 serum samples tested were EIA-positive, 37/6,005 samples tested by complement fixation (CF) were EP-positive, 28/6,043 samples tested by virus neutralization (VN) were EVA-positive, 4/2,071 serum samples tested by CF were positive for dourine, and 4/1,950 samples tested by CF were positive for glanders. No contagious equine metritis or vesicular stomatitis was detected. In total, 76/6,650 imported horses tested positive for an infectious disease. Notably, 4/6 sera (66.6%), all taken from horses imported from Tanzania, were positive for glanders. This is the first report of glanders infection in horses from Tanzania since 1996.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.258-263
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• 2013

The primary goal of this study was to compute sample sizes required to achieve the each aim of a variety of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) surveillance programs, using a statistically valid technique that takes the following factors into account: sensitivity (Se) and specificity (Sp) of diagnostic test system, desired minimum detectable prevalence, precision, population size, and desired power of the survey. In addition, sample sizes to detect FMD if the disease is present and also as proof of freedom were computed. The current FMD active surveillance programs consist of clinical, virological, and serological surveillance. For the 2012 serological surveillance, annual sample sizes (n = 265,065) are planned at four separate levels: statistical (n = 60,884) and targeted (n = 115,232) at breeding pig farms and slaughter house, in together with the detection of structural proteins (SP) antibodies against FMD (n = 88,949). Overall, the sample size was not designed taking the specific aims of each surveillance stream into account. The sample sizes for statistical surveillance, assuming stratified two-stage sampling technique, was based to detect at least one FMD-infected case in the general population. The resulting sample size can be used to obtain evidence of freedom from FMD infection, not for detecting animals that have antibodies against FMD virus non-structural proteins (NSP). Additionally, sample sizes for targeted surveillance were not aimed for the population at risk, and also without consideration of statistical point of view. To at least the author's knowledge, sampling plan for targeted, breeding pig farms and slaughter house is not necessary and need to be included in the part of statistical surveillance. Assuming design prevalence of 10% in an infinite population, a total of 29 animals are required to detect at least one positive with probability of 95%, using perfect diagnostic test system (Se = Sp = 100%). A total of 57,211 animals needed to be sampled to give 95% confidence of estimating SP prevalence of 80% at the individual animal-level with a precision of ${\pm}5%$, assuming 800 herds with an average 200 heads per farm, within-farm variance of 0.2, between-farm variance of 0.05, cost ratio of 100:1 of farm against animals. Furthermore, 779,736 animals were required to demonstrate FMD freedom, and the sample size can further be reduced depending on the parameters assumed.

• The Journal of Korean Society of Virology
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.11-22
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• 1999

Sero-epidemiologic survey has been carried out to establish serologically the presence of hantavirus in areas of South Africa. The survey was oriented to search natural infection in both of humans and wild rodents and involvement of human disease. The normal human sera were collected from the residents in urban and rural areas of Western Cape, and rural area of Eastern Cape province. The rodent sera came from various species of rodents trapped in Northern Cape and Western Free provinces. The patient sera were selected from the patients of renal failure, pulmonary syndrome and pyrexia of unknown origin (PUQ) according to diagnostic chart among the patients hospitalized in major hospitals of Cape Town area. The sera were screened and titrated by IFA test using antigens of Hantaan (HTN), Seoul (SEO), Puumala (PUU), and Prospect Hill (PH) viruses primarily. Positive cases were subjected to differential IFA test using HTN, PUU and PH antigens and plaque reduction neutralization test for further confirmation. Anti-hantavirus antibodies were detected from 2 of 352 rural, 1 of 172 urban residents of E. Cape, and 5 of 118 rural, 5 of 368 urban residents of W. Cape. The antibody was also demonstrated from 5 of 221 wild rodents, and it was appeared that 2 different species, Aethomys namaquensis and Tatem leucogaster, are involved. Among 318 patients tested, 3 who were diagnosed as chronic renal failure, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and glomerulonephritis were proved to be positive. The reaction patterns obtained from all of these positive sera were distinct from hantaviral sero-patterns ever established. This result suggests that new viruses may exist in this area and play an possible etiologic role in human disease. The feature of serologic survey on anti-hantavirus antibody demonstrable newly from African wild rodents which are different from reservoir species in other continents elicits a conjecture that the virus may be different from known hantaviruses ever found. This fact also suggests that an expanded role in etiologic involvement with other unknown human diseases by newly emerging hantaviruses may be possible in this areas.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.209-215
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• 2005

Lactoferrin is an iron-binding glycoprotein with many biological roles, including the protection against microbial and virus infection, stimulation of the immune system. We developed the transgenic Siberian ginseng (Acanthopanax senticosus) cell cultures producing the human lactoferrin (hLf) protein following Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation. A construct containing a targeting signal peptide from tobacco endoplasmic reticulum fused to hLf cDNA under the control of an oxidative stress-inducible SWPA2 promoter was engineered. Transgenic Siberian ginseng cultured cells to produce a recombinant hLf protein were successfully generated and confirmed by PCR and Southern blot analysis. ELISA and western blot analysis showed that full length-hLf protein was synthesized in the transgenic cells. The production of hLf increased proportionally to cell growth and reached a maximal (up to 3% of total soluble proteins) at the stationary phase. These results suggest that the transgenic Siberian ginseng cultured cells in this study will be biotechnologically useful for the commercial production of medicinal plant cell cultures to produce hLf protein.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.111-116
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• 2003

Turnip mosaic Potyvirus (TuMV) and Ribgrass mosaic Tobamovirus (RMV) are major viruses infecting crucifer crops in Korea. RMV-FG22 was isolated from oriental cabbage. TuMV isolates were TuMV-CA7 from oriental cabbage, TuMV-TU and TuMV-TU2 from turnip, TuMV-RA from rape, TuMV-ST from stock, and TuMV-R9 from radish. The six isolates of TuMV were classified by symptom expression in inbred lines of crucifers. TuMV-CA7 and TuMV-TU isolates infected mostly oriental cabbages; TuMV-ST, TuMV-TU2, and TuMV-R9 infected radishes; and TuMV-RA infected both oriental cabbages and radishes. Crops used in six combinations of mixed infections were 'Tambok' cultivar resistant to TuMV,'SSD63' susceptible inbred line of oriental cabbage, pure line of leaf mustard, and‘Daeburyungyeorum’cultivar of radish. External symptoms in 'Tambok' and radish by each of the six single infections of TuMV showed similar results by bioassay. Synergistic response of necrotic death occurred within 1 week after inoculation in all combinations mixed with TuMV and RMV-FG22 on leaf mustard. In oriental cabbage 'SSD63' , synergism of necrosis occurred in four TuMV isolates, but not in TuMV-ST and TuMV-R9. In oriental cabbage 'Tambok' , synergism was expressed only in two combinations of RMV-FG22+TuMV-CA7 and RMV-FG22+TuV-TU, but other combinations had the same symptoms produced by RM-FG22. In radish‘Daeburyungyeorum’, only mild mosaic symptoms were induced by combinations of RMV-FG22+TuMV-CA7, RMV-FG22+TuMV-TU, RMV-FG22+TuMV-RA, and RMV-FG22+TuMV-R9. Mosaic and severe mosaic were induced in combinations of RMV-FG22 +TuMV-TU2 and RMV-FG22+TuMV-ST, respectively.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.175-185
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• 2007

This study was carried out to investigate the pathogenesis and pathogenicity of the porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) Korean isolate from weaned pigs. Twenty four weaned pigs, PCV2, porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) and porcine parvovirus (PPV) antibodies free, were allocated to 4 groups (n = 6). Six pigs were inoculated intranasally with PCV2 alone, 6 with PCV2 and PRRSV, 6 with the combined PCV2/PRRSV/PPV inoculum, and 6 were remained as a uninoculated negative control. Pigs were killed 3 and 6 weeks after inoculation and tissue samples examined for gross and microscopic lesions and for the presence of PCV2 antigens and nucleic acids. Experimentally inoculated pigs were evaluated for 3 considerations: 1. development of postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS), 2. distribution of viral antigens by immunohistochemistry and polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and 3. cytokine mRNA levels in lymph nodes. Pigs inoculated with PCV2/PRRSV/PPV showed typical clinical signs, gross findings, and histopathologic characteristics of PMWS. In the PCV2/PRRSV/PPV inoculated group, the PCV2 antigen was widely distributed in various parenchymal organs such as brain, spinal cord, tonsil, lymph nodes, lung, heart, liver, kidney, spleen, and peyer's patch. Lymph node mRNA expression of IL-$1{\alpha}$, IL-2R and IL-8 was determined by real-time PCR. The pigs of PCV2/PRRSV and PCV2/PRRSV/PPV inoculation group, the mRNA expression was characterized by a decrease of IL-$1{\alpha}$, IL-2R and IL-8. The decrease of cytokine mRNA represent the state of T cell immuno-suppression in pig, and nicely support the evidence for the impairment of immune system in pigs with PMWS. In conclusion, PCV2 infection and some additional infectious causes such as PRRSV and/or PPV are warranted for the presence of PMWS in weaned pigs in Korea.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.804-813
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• 2008

Cordyceps militaris, the Chinese medicinal fungal genus Cordyceps, is reported to possess many pharmacological activities including immunological stimulating, anti-cancer, anti-virus and anti-infection activities. However, the molecular mechanisms of C. militaris on biochemical actions in cancer have not been clearly elucidated yet. In the present study, we investigated the anti-proliferative activity of the water extract of C. militaris (WECM) in human hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cells. It was found that WECM could inhibit the cell growth in a dose-dependent manner, which was associated with morphological changes and apoptotic cell death such as formation of apoptotic bodies and increased populations of apoptotic sub-G1 phase. Apoptotic cell death of HepG2 cells by WECM was connected with a up-regulation of pro-apoptotic Bax expression, tumor suppressor p53 and cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21 (WAF1/CIP1). In addition, WECM treatment induced the proteolytic activation of caspase-3 and a concomitant degradation and/or inhibition of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), ${\beta}-catenin$ and phospholipase $(PLC)-{\gamma}1$ protein. Furthermore, caspase-3 inhibitor, z-DEVD-fmk, significantly inhibited WECM-induced apoptosis demonstrating the important role of caspase-3 in the observed cytotoxic effect. Taken together, these findings provide important new insights into the possible molecular mechanisms of the anti-cancer activity of C. militaris.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2002

Climate in the year of 2001 could be summarized as severe drought from March to May, unusually high temperature in whole plant growth periods and clear weather condition especially in harvesting time of September and October without any typoons. In rice, major diseases such as leaf and panicle blast, bacterial blight, sheath blight and bacterial grain rot developed little due to unfavorable weather conditions, however, brown spot occurred severely due partly to the reduced use of N-fertilizer, Rice stripe virus infection was unusually high mainly in the west coast areas with four times more diseaseD area campared to the previous year, In pepper phytophthora blight was extremely severe in Cheonnam and Cheonbuk provinces, where had frequent rainfalls during growing period. Incidence of major diseases of tomato and cucumber in 2001 was relatively mild. In watermelon, penicillium fruit rot, one of the peculiar disease, spread over major production areas, whereas CGMMV, usually severe in every years was much reduced. Watermelon plants growing in open-fields were more severely diseased than those in plastic houses. Major diseases of chinese melon and strawberry occurred slightly and in particular, sudden wilt syndrome of chinese melon which was severe in 2000 showed mild infections in 2001. Incidence of white rot of garlic and onion was much lower unlike other years due mainly to spring drought and high temperature in the growing period. Infected area of potato bacterial wilt tended to increase in 2001 while fusarium wilt of sweetpotato was decreased. Apple diseases were generally mild, but powdery mildew of pear increased sharply. Barley scab was not severe as seen in other years.