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Biomedical subjects

D A Halvorson

Publications and source records attributed to D A Halvorson.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

The effects of stray voltage on turkey poults.

Three successive flocks of turkey poults experienced cumulative mortality of 10% to 26% through the fifth week of brooding. Stray electrical voltage was suspected after no definitive laboratory diagnosis could be made and no evidence of management deficiency was found. Alternating current voltages of 0.2 to 2.5 volts were detected between waterers and the floor and between the water line and gas line. When the water line was equipment-grounded to the electrical service entrance, the subsequent flock had no mortality problem. A series of experiments was conducted to determine the sensitivity of turkey poults to alternating current. Based on these experiments, the voltage levels measured at the farm probably did not cause the mortality experienced in the three flocks. The reason for the farm problem could have been 1) the poults experienced higher voltage than was present when measurements were taken, 2) the voltage may have been intermittent, or 3) there was a difference between the farm environment and the cage battery environment in the experiments.

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Effects of avian infectious bronchitis virus (Arkansas strain) on vaccinated laying chickens.

Twenty-four-week-old white leghorn layers were inoculated subcutaneously with a killed Newcastle-infectious bronchitis (Massachusetts type) virus (MIBV) vaccine. The birds were challenged 194 days later intraocularly with Arkansas strain of infectious bronchitis virus (AIBV). The challenged hens laid significantly (P less than 0.005) fewer eggs than the unchallenged layers, and the eggs laid by the challenged groups weighed significantly less (P less than 0.001) than those laid by the unchallenged groups. Further, the internal quality (Haugh units) and shell quality of eggs laid by the challenged hens were significantly (P less than 0.005) inferior to the quality of eggs from unchallenged hens, and the challenged hens laid more soft-shelled, misshapen, and small-sized eggs than the unchallenged hens. The Arkansas serum hemagglutination-inhibition (AIBV-HI) titers of challenged birds increased continuously through 29 days post-challenge. The MIBV hemagglutination-inhibition (MIBV-HI) titers of killed-MIBV-vaccinated birds decreased during the same period. The study indicates that killed MIBV vaccine offered no protection to birds exposed to AIBV. The same vaccine was quite effective against a homologous (MIBV) virus challenge.

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A dot-immunobinding assay for infectious bronchitis virus.

Common Whatman filter paper grade 1 and nitrocellulose membrane were compared for their sensitivity in a dot-immunobinding assay for detection of serum antibody titers to Arkansas avian infectious bronchitis virus (AIBV). For a blue to purple color detection, serum antibodies were bound to AIBV antigen adsorbed on the filter-paper discs or nitrocellulose membrane. Rabbit anti-chicken IgG horseradish-peroxidase (HRP) conjugate and hydrogen peroxide with 4-chloro-1-naphthol (HRP-color development reagent) were applied. The study indicates that very small amounts of antigen/antisera are needed for the dot-immunobinding assay. The test is sensitive, economical, and easy to run and can be completed within 6-8 hours.

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Venereal pox in breeder turkeys in Minnesota.

Venereal pox was identified in four flocks of breeder turkeys following semen collection and artificial insemination. Proliferative fungate lesions were confined to the vent, cloaca, and, rarely, the oviduct. It was concluded that semen collection and artificial insemination may facilitate mechanical transmission of poxvirus.

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Effects of infectious bronchitis virus (Arkansas strain) on laying chickens.

Seventy-seven-week-old white leghorn layers were inoculated intraocularly with the Arkansas strain of infectious bronchitis virus (AIBV) to study the effects of the virus on egg production and on antibody response of the birds. Infected hens laid fewer eggs than the controls, and those eggs weighed less than eggs laid by controls. Further, the shell quality and internal quality of eggs laid by infected birds were inferior. The serum hemagglutination-inhibition (HI) titers of infected birds increased continuously through 4 weeks postinfection; serum HI titers of the controls were negligible.

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Histopathologic changes induced by serotype II infectious bursal disease virus in specific-pathogen-free chickens.

Specific-pathogen-free (SPF) chickens were infected with infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) serotype II (turkey, Missouri isolate) at 1 day or 4 weeks of age. Chickens infected at 1 day had small bursas 3 weeks postinfection (PI). Bursas were necrotic and inflamed through 1 week PI. Post-necrotic atrophy of the bursas was marked at 3 weeks PI, and plasma cells in the Harderian gland were depleted. Chickens infected at 4 weeks had slightly enlarged spleens with small gray foci on the surface at 1 week PI. The bursas had massive necrosis and hemorrhages on the mucosal surface and had gelatinous yellowish transudate covering the serosal surface; some bursas were gray. Bursas were smaller than normal through the end of the experiment (4 1/2 weeks PI). At 1 week PI, histologic lesions were multifocal lymphoid necrosis of spleens and necrotic inflammation of the bursas. Post-necrotic atrophy of the bursas was found 2 weeks PI through the end of the experiment. Compared with uninfected controls, infected chickens had significantly more pyroninophilic blast cells in the spleen at 1 week PI and the bursas at 4 1/2 weeks PI. Plasma cells in the Harderian glands of this infected group were depleted as well.

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Comparative serological evaluation of avian influenza vaccine in turkeys.

Four- and six-week-old turkeys were vaccinated subcutaneously using avian influenza virus (AIV) A/Duck/613/MN/79 (H4N2) killed oil-emulsion vaccine. Sequential serological tests using agar gel precipitin (AGP), hemagglutination inhibition (HI), and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for measuring antibodies to AIV were performed up to 4 weeks postvaccination, when birds were challenged intranasally using A/Turkey/MN/80 (H4N2) live AIV. The ELISA was 25 to 1600 times more sensitive than the HI test and was able to detect antibody production earlier than the HI test. All turkeys with an ELISA titer of greater than or equal to 800 were protected against homologous challenge, as measured by virus recovery 3 days postchallenge. Four turkeys out of 20 serologically negative by AGP and HI tests but ELISA-positive were protected.

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Evaluation of inactivated influenza vaccines in market turkeys.

The potency and efficacy of an inactivated oil-emulsion influenza vaccine against infection, illness, and virus shed was studied in market turkeys. No undesirable local or systemic reactions occurred following vaccination. The vaccine induced measurable antibody to nucleocapsid and hemagglutinin antigens of the virus. Challenged unvaccinated controls experienced airsacculitis, but none of the vaccinates were affected. The percent of the birds shedding virus following intranasal challenge was lower in the vaccinated groups than in the controls, and the quantity of virus shed was also smaller in vaccinated groups than in the controls.

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Pathogenicity of avian influenza viruses isolated from wild mallard ducks and domestic turkeys.

Groups of turkeys were exposed to different isolates of avian influenza virus from wild mallard ducks and domestic turkeys by the intracerebral, intravenous, intratracheal, and intra-airsac routes, and pathogenicity indices were calculated. For the intracerebral pathogenicity study, body weight was also measured. For intravenous, intratracheal, and intra-airsac pathogenicity studies, necropsy lesions were scored and serological responses were recorded. Only the intracerebral pathogenicity index and body weight gain post intracerebral infection demonstrated any differences between isolates. The other procedures failed to demonstrate any pathogenicity whatsoever. There was a correlation (R = 0.73) between intracerebral pathogenicity index and reduced weight gain postinfection. These studies suggest that growth suppression may be an objective measure of pathogenic potential of influenza viruses found to be nonpathogenic by other methods.

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Efficacy of viable and inactivated Newcastle disease virus vaccines in turkeys.

Market turkeys spray-vaccinated at 20 days of age with viable Newcastle disease virus (NDV) vaccine and challenged 7 weeks postvaccination failed to yield NDV by tracheal swabbing 4 days postchallenge but demonstrated serologic evidence of infection. Birds vaccinated subcutaneously with inactivated oil-emulsion (OE) NDV vaccine had virologic and serologic evidence of infection. Breeder hens vaccinated by spray with commercial La Sota vaccine at 19 weeks of age and revaccinated subcutaneously with OE vaccine at 32 weeks of age had an adequate level of resistance against a drop in egg production but demonstrated serologic evidence of infection when challenged with velogenic NDV at 38 weeks of age.

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Protection and immunity in commercial chicken layers administered Mycoplasma gallisepticum liposomal bacterins.

Six liposomal Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) bacterins, differing in charge and size, and two oil-emulsion vaccines (sonicated and non-sonicated) were given to white leghorns in two doses, at 13 weeks and again 1 month later. At 21 weeks of age, all chickens were challenged with a viable 20-hour culture of MG cells (17,800 colony-forming units) intratracheally and with nonviable MG organisms (0.09 mg protein) injected subcutaneously in the wattle center. The three chicken groups that had the lowest tracheal MG-infection rates postchallenge were those given adjuvants of small multilamellar positively charged liposomes (16.67%), large multilamellar negatively charged liposomes (16.67%), and non-sonicated oil-emulsion bacterin (37.5%). These three groups also had significant levels of antibody in sera 4 weeks after the second dose of vaccine. The group given the small multilamellar positively charged liposome also showed significant delayed-type hypersensitivity (wattle swelling) (P less than or equal to 0.05). The group given the large multilamellar negatively charged liposomes had the highest local antibody response (P less than or equal to 0.01) and was the only group that had no microscopic lesions in the trachea.

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Effect of Mycoplasma gallisepticum bacterin on egg-transmission and egg production.

Groups of white leghorn hens were vaccinated twice with a Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) bacterin, once with bacterin, or left unvaccinated. Four weeks after vaccination, they were challenged with virulent R strain MG. Egg production was significantly higher in challenged vaccinated groups than in the challenged control group. Four challenged control hens went out of production, whereas only one twice-vaccinated hen did. MG was first isolated directly from eggs 5 days postchallenge (PC) in twice-vaccinated hens, 4 days PC in once-vaccinated hens, and 2 days PC in controls, and the hens continued to lay positive eggs till the end of the experiment 7 weeks PC. MG was found in 17.65%, 38.55%, and 45.90% of eggs cultured in twice-vaccinated, once-vaccinated, and control groups, respectively. Nine of 16 twice-vaccinated hens were found to be shedding MG through their eggs, whereas 15 of 17 once-vaccinated hens and 14 of 16 controls were shedding MG through their eggs.

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An evaluation of Newcastle disease virus spray vaccination programs of market turkeys.

Commercial market turkeys that were spray-vaccinated at 2 to 3 weeks of age with viable Newcastle disease virus (NDV) vaccine usually did not develop high or persistent levels of serum antibody as detected by the hemagglutination-inhibition test. Vaccinated turkeys exhibited a satisfactory level of resistance to infection and clinical disease when challenged by the oculonasal or aerosol route at 2 weeks post-vaccination, and they resisted clinical disease when challenged at 6 weeks, but the level of protection diminished by 10 weeks post-vaccination. It is suggested that market turkeys produced in an NDV-enzootic area may require two or more NDV vaccinations by spray during their growing period in order to be adequately protected against natural NDV infection.

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Comparison of culturing Mycoplasma gallisepticum from fresh eggs and 18-day-old embryos.

Twenty-four 70-week-old and sixteen 27-week-old white leghorn hens were challenged with R strain Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) by injection into the caudal thoracic air sac and infraorbital sinus. Eggs were collected daily and cultured within 7 days or incubated for 18 days. Vitelline membranes of eggs were cultured directly; in 18-day-old embryos, cultures were taken from the yolk sac, air sacs, and oral cavity. Culture of vitelline membrane of eggs within 2 days was compared with culture of eggs stored 10 days post oviposition. The first MG-positive egg was laid 2 days postinfection (PI). Hens continued to lay positive eggs to the end of the experiments. There was no significant difference in MG recovery between eggs cultured within 2 days and those cultured 10 days post oviposition. MG was isolated at a significantly higher rate from eggs than from 18-day-old embryos. MG was isolated at a higher rate from the yolk sac of 18-day-old embryos than from the air sacs or oral cavity of the same embryos.

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Bacterin to control the vertical transmission of Mycoplasma gallisepticum in chickens.

A Mycoplasma gallisepticum bacterin was prepared and used in Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG)-positive primary breeders to control vertical transmission of MG. Two generations were vaccinated, but the third generation was not vaccinated and was monitored serologically. Results showed no evidence of MG at 1 day, 6 weeks, 11 weeks, 16 weeks, or 31 weeks of age. This procedure may offer small breeder organizations and showbird fanciers a way to eliminate MG.

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Isolation of avian paramyxoviruses from sentinel ducks and turkeys in Minnesota.

In a 4-year study (1980-1983) involving the use of sentinel ducks that intermingled with wild ducks, a total of 98 paramyxovirus (PMV) isolates (84 Newcastle disease virus, 14 PMV-6) were obtained from 3652 sentinel duck cloacal samples (2.7% isolation rate) collected between June and mid-November each year. PMV infection of sentinel ducks appeared to be seasonal, with the onset of infection occurring between mid-July and mid-August. PMV was not isolated from sentinel turkeys that co-mingled with sentinel ducks during the last 2 years of the study. However, there was serological evidence that the sentinel turkeys were infected with PMV. These findings indicate that wild waterfowl are a natural reservoir of PMV and suggest that interspecies transmission of certain PMV serotypes may occur between waterfowl and turkeys.

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Effect of avian influenza virus infection on the phagocytic function of systemic phagocytes and pulmonary macrophages of turkeys.

The effects of avian influenza virus (AIV) infection on systemic phagocytes and pulmonary macrophages of turkeys were studied. There was a significant increase (P < 0.0001) in oxidative burst in systemic phagocytes of AIV-inoculated turkeys on 2, 4, 6, and 8 days postinoculation (PI), as measured by chemiluminescence. There was also a significant increase (P < 0.02) in oxidative burst in pulmonary macrophages on day 4 PI. The chemiluminescence response was depressed on 6, 8, and 10 days PI in AIV-inoculated turkeys compared with controls. The increase in oxidative response in both systemic phagocytes and pulmonary macrophages correlated with the peak virus titer in the lungs and trachea of AIV-inoculated inoculated turkeys. Bacterial killing by pulmonary macrophages from AIV-inoculated turkeys was reduced on days 6 and 10 PI compared with uninoculated controls. Histopathological changes in trachea were more pronounced on day 6 PI in AIV-inoculated turkeys; no significant changes were detected in the lungs. These data indicate that compromised functional capacity of pulmonary macrophages predisposes turkeys to secondary bacterial infections.

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