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Biomedical subjects

P K Uppal

Publications and source records attributed to P K Uppal.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Emergence of Nipah virus in Malaysia.

A pig-borne virus causing viral encephalitis amongst human beings in Malaysia was detected in 1997 by the Ministry of Health. Initially, the disease was considered to be Japanese encephalitis. Subsequently, it was thought to be a Hendra-like viral encephalitis, but on 10th April, 1999 the Minister of Health announced this mysterious and deadly virus to be a new virus named Nipah virus. The virus was characterized at CDC, Atlanta, Georgia. The gene sequencing of the enveloped virus revealed that one of the genes had 21% difference in the nucleotide sequence with about 8% difference in the amino acid sequence from Hendra virus isolated from horses in Australia in 1994. The virus was named after the village Nipah. In all, the Ministry of Health declared 101 human casualties, and 900,000 pigs were culled by April, 1999. The worst affected area in Malaysia was Negri Sembilan. The symptoms, incubation period in human being and pigs, animal to human transmission, threat of disease to other livestock, and control program adopted in Malaysia is described.

Animals↗

Burning sensation in the throat--should it be named caloripharyngeus?

A burning sensation in the throat is often complained of by patients, but this symptom has been neglected in the literature. To emphasize its importance, should we give the name 'caloripharyngeus' to the symptom of burning in the throat? A preliminary study of 30 patients with the sensation of burning in the throat is presented in this study. Of the patients studied 73.33 per cent had hyperacidity detected for the first time. Reflux was presented in only one patient; four patients showed oesophagitis in the lower one-third of the oesophagus; 90 per cent of the patients responded to antacids. We suggest that one of the causes of burning in the throat is a referred sensation due to hyperacidity.

Adolescent↗

Characterisation of equine influenza isolates from the 1987 epizootic in India by nucleotide sequencing of the HA1 gene.

Two A/Equi-2 (H3N8) isolates were obtained during the 1987 Indian equine influenza epizootic. The sequence of the Ludhiana/87 HA1 gene revealed that this isolate was very similar to recent European and North American isolates of equine influenza. In contrast, the Bhiwani/87 HA1 gene was nearly identical to the Miami/63 prototype H3 sequence. These results support the antigenic analysis previously carried out on these isolates using monoclonal antibodies. However, the finding that Bhiwani/87 is so similar to Miami/63, coupled with the finding that equine H3N8 influenza viruses have previously been shown to evolve along a single lineage, suggests that Miami/63 virus from either a vaccine or laboratory source may be the origin of the Bhiwani/87 isolate.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Single radial immunodiffusion potency test for standardization of indigenous equine influenza vaccine.

Single radial immunodiffusion (SRD) assays were used for measuring the haemagglutinin antigen contents of equine influenza vaccine prepared from an Indian virus isolate. A/Equine-2/Ludhiana/1/87 (H3N8). Five different preparations of the vaccine were standardized by SRD to prepare 913 doses, each containing 20 micrograms HA/ml-1 dose-1. This test also showed influenza virus subtype specificity as no cross reaction was observed between subtype 1 (H7N7) and subtype 2 (H3N8) viruses.

Animals↗

Production of monoclonal antibodies against equine influenza A/Equi-2 (H3N8) Indian isolate.

Seven hybrid cell lines of mouse myeloma cell line NSO and spleen cells of BALB/c mice producing monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against equine influenza A/Equi-2/Ludhiana/87 (H3N8) virus were developed. These MAbs were purified, isotyped and characterised by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), fluorescent antibody test (FAT), haemagglutination inhibition (HI) and virus neutralization (VN) tests. The titres of ascitic fluids induced by hybridomas as estimated by ELISA ranged from 1:25,600 to 1:51,200. Monoclonality of these clones was confirmed using a panel of 5 viral antigens, each belonging to a single isotype. MAbs (5) belonged to IgM and one each to IgG1 and IgG2a. Two epitopes appeared to be closely resembling by HI and VN tests but other two epitopes appeared to be different.

Animals↗

Equine coital exanthema (EHV-3 virus) infection in India.

A progenital disease encountered at one equine stud farm at Bangalore in Southern India during 1987 was investigated and confirmed as equine coital exanthema on the basis of characteristic lesions and clinical symptoms, isolation of equine herpes virus-3 (EHV-3) from the scabs collected from animals having active lesions and demonstration of neutralizing antibodies in the sera of recovered mares and stallion. This is the first authenticated report of the occurrence of equine coital exanthema in India due to EHV-3.

Animals↗

Isolation of A/Equi-2 virus during 1987 equine influenza epidemic in India.

Processing of nasal materials from clinical cases during the 1987 influenza epidemic in Northern and Central India resulted in the isolation of two haemagglutinating agents; one each from donkeys and horses at Bhiwani in Haryana State and Ludhiana in Punjab State, respectively. These were typed as Influenza A/Equi-2 viruses by haemagglutination inhibition test. The two isolates were designated as A/Equi-2/Bhiwani/1/87 and A/Equi-2/Ludhiana/1/87. The Bhiwani/87 isolate was confirmed to have H3N8 antigenic structure and was indistinguishable from the Miami/63 strain of A/Equi-2 virus. However, the A/Equi-2 Ludhiana/87 isolate was closely related to the Fontainebleau/79 strain of A/equi-2 virus.

Animals↗

A combination of unusual abnormalities of the lachrymal apparatus and nostrils in a case of bilateral cleft with choanal atresia.

An unusual congenital anomaly of a bilateral complete cleft of the primary palate, a complete cleft of the left secondary palate with abnormal nostrils without external openings and right choanal atresia is presented. The child also has a lachrymal fistula below the right lower eyelid and a coloboma of the same eyelid medially. Neither lachrymal system drained into the nose.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗

Attachment of Mycoplasma gallisepticum to the tracheal epithelium of fowls.

An electron microscopical study of fowl trachea infected with Mycoplasma gallisepticum showed slight to moderate changes at the cellular level. Mycoplasmas were demonstrated extra-cellularly and showed triple membranes, intracytoplasmic spaces, fibrillar nuclear areas and blebs. Blebs were seen attached to the plasma membrane of the epithelial cells.

Animals↗

Single and mixed infections of avian infectious bronchitis virus and Mycoplasma gallisepticum.

Comparative studies of the clinical signs, pathological changes, multiplication of the pathogens and serological responses were made of groups of chickens infected with either or both avian infectious bronchitis virus and Mycoplasma gallisepticum. Electron microscopic examination of thin sections of infected tracheas showed that the multiplication of M. gallisepticum was greatly enhanced in the tracheas of chickens which had been previously or simultaneously infected with avian infectious bronchitis virus. The enhanced multiplication of mycoplasmas resulted in more severe clinical signs, pathological effects and serological responses. These findings confirm the general belief that avian infectious bronchitis infection may precipitate latent mycoplasma infection. Similar experiments were made in the allantoic sacs of 10-day embryonated hens' eggs. The results again show that there was at least a one hundred-fold increase in the multiplication of M. gallisepticum in eggs simultaneously or previously infected with avian infectious bronchitis virus. These findings emphasize the importance of using mycoplasma-free eggs for the production of virus vaccines.

Animals↗