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Bluetongue virus and Culicoides in the UK: the impact of research on policy

Bluetongue virus (BTV) is an arbovirus (arthropod-borne virus) that is spread between its ruminant hosts by vector species of Culicoides biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae). Culicoides are among the smallest of haematophagous flies, with a wingspan that rarely exceeds…

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Culicoides and the emergence of bluetongue virus in northern Europe

In June 2006, bluetongue virus, an arboviral pathogen of ruminants, appeared in northern Europe for the first time, successfully overwintered and subsequently caused substantial losses to the farming sector in 2007 and 2008. This emergence served as a test of how the…

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Induction of antibody responses to African horse sickness virus (AHSV) in ponies after vaccination with recombinant modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA)

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African swine fever: how can global spread be prevented?

African swine fever (ASF) is a devastating haemorrhagic fever of pigs with mortality rates approaching 100 per cent. It causes major economic losses, threatens food security and limits pig production in affected countries. ASF is caused by a large DNA virus, African swine…

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Chimeric calicivirus-like particles elicit protective anti-viral cytotoxic responses without adjuvant

We have analyzed the potential of virus-like particles (VLPs) from rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) as a delivery system for foreign T cell epitopes. To accomplish this goal, we generated chimeric RHDV-VLPs incorporating a CD8(+) T cell epitope (SIINFEKL) derived from…

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Transplacental transmission of bluetongue virus 8 in cattle, UK

To determine whether transplacental transmission could explain overwintering of bluetongue virus in the United Kingdom, we studied calves born to dams naturally infected during pregnancy in 200708. Approximately 33% were infected transplacentally; some had compromised…

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Toward the discovery of vaccine adjuvants: coupling in silico screening and in vitro analysis of antagonist binding to human and mouse CCR4 Receptors

Background: Adjuvants enhance or modify an immune response that is made to an antigen. An antagonist of the chemokine CCR4 receptor can display adjuvant-like properties by diminishing the ability of CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) to down-regulate immune responses…

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Emergence of bluetongue serotypes in Europe, part 2: the occurrence of a BTV-11 strain in Belgium

An EDTA-blood sample from a cow without clinical signs, which gave early birth to a newborn calf that died soon after delivery, was shown to be positive for bluetongue virus (BTV)-RNA using a group-specific real-time RT-PCR (RT-qPCR). In-house serotype-specific RT-qPCR…

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Cattle Ly49 is polymorphic

Patr-AL is an expressed, non-polymorphic MHC class I gene carried by ?50% of chimpanzee MHC haplotypes. Comparing Patr-AL+ and Patr-AL? haplotypes showed Patr-AL defines a unique 125-kb genomic block flanked by blocks containing classical Patr-A and pseudogene Patr-H…

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Role of lipopolysaccharide in the induction of type I interferon-dependent cross-priming and IL-10 production in mice by meningococcal outer membrane vesicles

We investigated the contribution of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to adjuvant properties of native outer membrane vesicles (NOMV), a vaccine candidate for meningococcal B disease. NOMV induce the maturation of and cytokine production by murine bone marrow-derived dendritic cells…