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J Verhoeff

Publications and source records attributed to J Verhoeff.

48 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Bovine respiratory syncytial virus infections in young dairy cattle: clinical and haematological findings.

Clinical signs and haematological findings during the acute and convalescent phases of an infection with bovine respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) were studied under field conditions. The study was carried out in 139 cattle less than 16 months of age in 16 herds with serologically proven bovine RSV infections. Blood was collected for serological and haematological examination. Repeated clinical examinations were carried out until 35 days after appearance of disease. Signs of general disease such as reduced appetite and a body temperature of 40 degrees C or higher lasted less than three days in most cases. Signs of upper respiratory disease, such as coughing, nasal discharge and conjunctivitis were predominant and persisted in 10 to 30 per cent of the animals till the end of the observation period. Signs of lower respiratory disease such as abdominal breathing, bronchial and bronchovesicular sounds on auscultation and a high respiration rate were valuable in diagnosing the disease. These symptoms were present in about 50 per cent of the animals in the early stages of the disease. They lasted for about six days and disappeared in most animals after about 10 days. On haematological examination statistically significant blood changes were observed. A rise in zinc and iron between day 0 and day 10 and a reduction in copper content between day 10 and day 21 were found.

Animals↗

Epidemiology of BHV 1 virus infections in dairy herds.

The epidemiology of bovine herpesvirus 1 (BHV 1) infections was studied in 20 dairy herds. Periodic serological surveillance of these herds during three consecutive years (1980-82) was combined with clinical studies. In 19 herds seropositive cows were found indicating previous exposure to BHV 1. One herd had its first experience with BHV 1 during the study. No indication of virus circulation for at least three years was found in eight herds. In five herds an interval of 2 years without an indication of virus circulation was followed by infections in yearlings, first- and second-calf cows during the third year. One or two cycles of virus circulation in calves and/or yearlings during the 3 year survey were detected in six herds. Most BHV 1 infections passed unnoticed. Signs of respiratory disease in association with BHV 1 infection were observed in three herds: young animals were most seriously affected. Clinical manifestations of BHV 1 infections were less pronounced than a few years ago when infections in cows caused frank signs and diagnosis was frequently possible on the basis of a typical clinical picture. BHV 1 was the cause of abortions in the herd that experienced its first infections during this survey. A survey of the age-specific BHV 1 neutralizing antibody pattern may be helpful for tracing animals and herds at risk of an outbreak of infectious bovine rhinotracheitis.

Animals↗

Use of blood from arterialised capillaries in the ears of calves for the analysis of pO2, pCO2, pH and bicarbonate.

Ears of calves were made hyperaemic by using a rubefacient. Blood from the hyperaemic ear was sampled in capillary tubes and analysed for pO2, pCO2, pH and bicarbonate. The results were compared with those obtained for blood taken from the brachial artery of the same animals. For pO2 and bicarbonate values a highly significant correlation was found between the two sets of results (P less than 0.001); for pH and pCO2 close correlations were found (P less than 0.01). The results indicate that blood samples from arterialised capillaries can be used as a substitute for blood obtained by arterial puncture.

Animals↗

Serology for diagnosis and epizootiological studies of bovine respiratory syncytial virus infections.

The complement fixation test (CFT) and the virus neutralisation test (VNT), performed as a plaque reduction test, were employed to measure antibodies to bovine respiratory syncytial virus. The CFT with bovine sera was performed with supplementation of the complement factors in fresh guinea pig serum by an adequate amount of Clq-factor of the bovine species. Kinetics of maternally derived antibodies and the antibody response after spontaneous and experimental infections and after intramuscular vaccination were studied by both tests. Patterns of development of complement fixing and virus neutralising antibodies were generally similar and titres equalled each other in the test systems that are described. However a VNT detected antibodies a few days earlier after an infection than a CFT and peak-levels reached after a naturally acquired infection decreased faster in a CFT than in a VNT: a mean decrease of 3.1 and 1.4 log2 units was found in 13 weeks respectively. Mean half-life of passive antibodies was 25 days in a VNT. An infection with bovine respiratory syncytial virus could be diagnosed by serology, using a CFT on acute and convalescent serum samples of a number of animals in a group. Serology is preferable to virus isolation for routine diagnosis of bovine respiratory syncytial virus infections. Paired sera, collected at 14-day intervals and examined by CFT, are recommended for the diagnosis of the cause of respiratory disease. A VNT is preferable if low antibody levels are to be detected because non-specific reactions occur in a CFT at low serum dilutions.

Animals↗

Clinical and pathological observations on spontaneous bovine respiratory syncytial virus infections in calves.

A clinical, pathological and microbiological study was made of acute spontaneous bovine respiratory syncytial virus infection in calves. Characteristic features were atelectatic areas, which had an exudative and, or, necrotising bronchiolitis with syncytial giant cells in the epithelial lining and in the lumina of these bronchioles. Restricted to these areas both bronchiolar and alveolar immunofluorescence for bovine respiratory syncytial virus were seen. Complications were severe interstitial oedema, interstitial emphysema and a catarrhal or fibrinous pneumonia due to secondary bacterial invasion.

Animals↗

Bovine serum albumin and cell counts in the diagnosis of subclinical udder infections.

Puncture of the milk cisterns was performed in 120 bacteriologically positive quarters of the forty-seven lactating dairy cows on three farms. This method was used to determine whether the existing infection was an infection of the teat canal or one of the udder. The results were related to the concentration of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and the cell count in the milk. Of the bacteriologically negative quarters, both BSA levels (91 per cent of the quarters the BSA concentration was 0.20 mg. per ml. of milk or less) and cell counts (in 92 per cent contained less than 500,000 cells per ml. of milk) were low. In cases of udder infection with primary pathogenic bacteria there was a marked increase in cell count (90 per cent more than 500,000 cells per ml. of milk), whereas the increase in BSA was rather small (51 per cent still contained 0.20 mg. BSA per ml. of milk or less). While the difference in cell counts of milk from quarters with udder infections and teat canal infections with primary pathogenic bacteria was significant, the difference between the BSA levels of these two groups was not. Therefore, the cell count supplies more reliable information than does the BSA level of the milk. Of all infections, 23 per cent were found to be infections of the teat canal.

Animals↗

An inactivated gE-negative marker vaccine and an experimental gD-subunit vaccine reduce the incidence of bovine herpesvirus 1 infections in the field.

An inactivated glycoprotein E-negative vaccine and an experimental glycoprotein D-subunit vaccine against bovine herpesvirus 1 (V1) were examined for their effectiveness in a randomized, double-bline, placebo-controlled field trial comprising 130 dairy farms. The use of these marker vaccines enabled us to monitor the incidence of infections in vaccinated populations. The aims of this trial were to evaluate whether these vaccines: (1) reduce the proportion of outbreaks in dairy herds; and (2) reduced virus transmission within dairy herds and to what extent. Vaccination with either of the two vaccines significantly reduced the proportion of herds wherein an outbreak occurred as well as the virus transmission within herds, as compared to placebo-treated herds. The estimated number of secondary cases caused by one infectious animal, expressed as the reproduction ratio R, was for both vaccines significantly > 1. This indicates that when BHV1 is introduced into vaccinated herds, major outbreaks may still occur.

Animals↗

Assessing the repeatability and reproducibility of the Leg Score: a Dutch Claw Health Scoring System for dairy cattle.

The optimal moment for trimming the claws of all dairy cows in a herd was investigated by assessing the external rotation of the hind claws of individual cows relative to the spinal column. This leg score consisted of three independent descriptors: 1 (good/normal), 2 (moderately deviant), and 3 (severely deviant). This study assessed the repeatability and the reproducibility of the leg score system, and the consistency of the advice given subsequently about trimming of the hind claws of all cows in the herd. Repeatability was assessed for 52 cows that were scored twice on the same day by 11 observers; the kappa value ranged from 0.17 to 0.66 (mean: 0.36). The probability of the same result for both assessments ranged from 0.49 to 0.80 (mean: 0.61). Claw trimming was advised if at least 20% of the cows had a leg score of 3. On the basis of the scores, 3 observers consistently advised trimming of the hind claws of all the cows in the herd, and 6 observers consistently advised against the need for trimming in the short term; 2 observers had an inconsistent advice. The reproducibility of the scoring system was assessed in two dairy herds (62 and 50 cows). Eight observers evaluated the leg score of the cows of both herds on the same day. The mean kappa value of the leg score for all pairs of different observers (A-B, A-C etcetera) was 0.24 [-0.08-0.49]. In conclusion, the leg score is not a reliable method for determining the optimal moment for claw trimming in dairy cattle. The reasons for the inconsistent observations require further investigation.

Animal Husbandry↗