Publications (7)16.09 Total impact
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Article: Lights and shades on an historical vaccine canine distemper virus, the Rockborn strain.
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ABSTRACT: Both egg- and cell-adapted canine distemper virus (CDV) vaccines are suspected to retain residual virulence, especially if administered to immuno-suppressed animals, very young pups or to highly susceptible animal species. In the early 1980s, post-vaccine encephalitis was reported in dogs from various parts of Britain after administration of a particular batch of combined CDV Rockborn strain/canine adenovirus type-1 vaccine, although incrimination of the Rockborn strain was subsequently retracted. Notwithstanding, this, and other reports, led to the view that the Rockborn strain is less attenuated and less safe than other CDV vaccines, and the Rockborn strain was officially withdrawn from the markets in the mid 1990s. By sequencing the H gene of the strain Rockborn from the 46th laboratory passage, and a commercial vaccine (Candur(®) SH+P, Hoechst Rousell Vet GmbH), the virus was found to differ from the commonly used vaccine strain, Onderstepoort (93.0% nt and 91.7% aa), and to resemble more closely (99.6% nt and 99.3% aa) a CDV strain detected in China from a Lesser Panda (Ailurus fulgens). An additional four CDV strains matching (>99% nt identity) the Rockborn virus were identified in the sequence databases. Also, Rockborn-like strains were identified in two vaccines currently in the market. These findings indicate that Rockborn-like viruses may be recovered from dogs or other carnivores with distemper, suggesting cases of residual virulence of vaccines, or circulation of vaccine-derived Rockborn-like viruses in the field.Vaccine 02/2011; 29(6):1222-7. · 3.77 Impact Factor -
Article: Genetic analysis of feline panleukopenia viruses from cats with gastroenteritis.
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ABSTRACT: Thirty-nine parvovirus strains contained in faecal samples collected in Italy (n=34) and UK (n=5) from cats with feline panleukopenia were characterized at the molecular level. All viruses were proven to be true feline panleukopenia virus (FPLV) strains by a minor groove binder probe assay, which is able to discriminate between FPLV and the closely related canine parvovirus type 2. By using sequence analysis of the VP2 gene, it was found that the FPLV strains detected in Italy and UK were highly related to each other, with a nucleotide identity of 99.1-100 and 99.4-99.8% among Italian and British strains, respectively, whereas the similarities between all the sequences analysed were 98.6-100%. Eighty-eight variable positions were detected in the VP2 gene of the field and reference FPLV strains, most of which were singletons. Synonymous substitutions (n=57) predominated over non-synonymous substitutions (n=31), and the ratio between synonymous and non-synonymous substitutions (dN/dS) was 0.10, thus confirming that evolution of FPLV is driven by random genetic drift rather than by positive selection pressure. Some amino acid mutations in the VP2 protein affected sites that are thought to be responsible for antigenic and biological properties of the virus, but no clear patterns of segregation and genetic markers, were identified, confirming that FPLV is in evolutionary stasis.Journal of General Virology 10/2008; 89(Pt 9):2290-8. · 3.36 Impact Factor -
Article: Identification of group A porcine rotavirus strains bearing a novel VP4 (P) Genotype in Italian swine herds.
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ABSTRACT: The VP4 gene of a G5 Italian porcine rotavirus strain, 344/04-1, was nontypeable by PCR genotyping. The amino acid sequence of the full-length VP4 protein had low identity (<or=76.6%) with the homologous sequences of representative strains of the remaining P genotypes, providing evidence for a novel P genotype.Journal of Clinical Microbiology 02/2007; 45(2):577-80. · 4.15 Impact Factor -
Article: Heterogeneity within the hemagglutinin genes of canine distemper virus (CDV) strains detected in Italy.
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ABSTRACT: Canine distemper virus (CDV) is a highly contagious viral pathogen causing lethal disease in dogs and other mammalians. A high degree of genetic variation is found between recent CDV strains and the old CDV isolates used in the vaccines and such genetic variation is regarded as a possible cause of the increasing number of CDV-related diseases in dogs. The H gene shows the greatest extent of genetic variation that allows for distinction of various lineages, according to a geographical pattern of distribution and irrespective of the species of identification. In the present study, hemagglutinin (H) genes obtained from field strains detected from clinical specimens of Italian dogs were analyzed genetically. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that a homogeneous group of CDV strains is widespread in Italian dogs, all which are included into the European lineage. Unexpectedly, strains 179/04 and 48/05 clustered along with CDVs of the Arctic lineage, the highest identity being to strain GR88 (98.0 and 98.4%aa, respectively). The full-length sequence of a red fox CDV strain, 207/00 was also determined and analyzed. The H protein of the fox CDV strain was unrelated to strains within the major European lineage. These results suggest that at least three different CDV lineages are present in Italy.Veterinary Microbiology 10/2006; 116(4):301-9. · 3.33 Impact Factor -
Article: New approaches for the molecular characterization of canine parvovirus type 2 strains.
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ABSTRACT: Characterization of the canine parvovirus type 2 (CPV-2) is sometimes ambiguous, frequently requiring more than one technique for definitive prediction of the viral type. Taking into account the single-nucleotide polymorphisms encountered in the VP2-protein gene between types 2a and 2b and between type 2b and Glu-426 mutant (type 2c), two different minor groove binder (MGB) probe assays were developed for rapid identification of the CPV-2 variants. A total of 315 samples collected from dogs with diarrhoea were screened for CPV-2 by a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay capable of detecting all CPV-2 types. In order to compare the type-specific assays with the traditional techniques [haemagglutination inhibition with monoclonal antibodies, PCR-restriction fragment-length polymorphism (RFLP), sequence analysis] for prediction of CPV-2 antigen specificity, the 203 samples tested CPV-2 positive were analysed using the different methods. The results showed a 100% concordance between the MGB probe assays and the combined conventional methods, with 116 samples characterized as type 2a, 32 as type 2b and 55 as type 2c. Therefore, the MGB probe assays represent a quick, reliable tool for prediction of CPV-2 antigen specificity, with regard to the more time-consuming assays currently used.Journal of Veterinary Medicine Series B 52(7-8):316-9. · 1.48 Impact Factor -
Article: Lights and shades on an historical vaccine canine distemper virus, the Rockborn strain
[show abstract] [hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Both egg- and cell-adapted canine distemper virus (CDV) vaccines are suspected to retain residual virulence, especially if administered to immuno-suppressed animals, very young pups or to highly susceptible animal species. In the early 1980s, post-vaccine encephalitis was reported in dogs from various parts of Britain after administration of a particular batch of combined CDV Rockborn strain/canine adenovirus type-1 vaccine, although incrimination of the Rockborn strain was subsequently retracted. Notwithstanding, this, and other reports, led to the view that the Rockborn strain is less attenuated and less safe than other CDV vaccines, and the Rockborn strain was officially withdrawn from the markets in the mid 1990s. By sequencing the H gene of the strain Rockborn from the 46th laboratory passage, and a commercial vaccine (Candur® SH+P, Hoechst Rousell Vet GmbH), the virus was found to differ from the commonly used vaccine strain, Onderstepoort (93.0% nt and 91.7% aa), and to resemble more closely (99.6% nt and 99.3% aa) a CDV strain detected in China from a Lesser Panda (Ailurus fulgens). An additional four CDV strains matching (>99% nt identity) the Rockborn virus were identified in the sequence databases. Also, Rockborn-like strains were identified in two vaccines currently in the market. These findings indicate that Rockborn-like viruses may be recovered from dogs or other carnivores with distemper, suggesting cases of residual virulence of vaccines, or circulation of vaccine-derived Rockborn-like viruses in the field.Vaccine. -
Article: Heterogeneity within the hemagglutinin genes of canine distemper virus (CDV) strains detected in Italy
[show abstract] [hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Canine distemper virus (CDV) is a highly contagious viral pathogen causing lethal disease in dogs and other mammalians. A high degree of genetic variation is found between recent CDV strains and the old CDV isolates used in the vaccines and such genetic variation is regarded as a possible cause of the increasing number of CDV-related diseases in dogs. The H gene shows the greatest extent of genetic variation that allows for distinction of various lineages, according to a geographical pattern of distribution and irrespective of the species of identification. In the present study, hemagglutinin (H) genes obtained from field strains detected from clinical specimens of Italian dogs were analyzed genetically. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that a homogeneous group of CDV strains is widespread in Italian dogs, all which are included into the European lineage. Unexpectedly, strains 179/04 and 48/05 clustered along with CDVs of the Arctic lineage, the highest identity being to strain GR88 (98.0 and 98.4% aa, respectively). The full-length sequence of a red fox CDV strain, 207/00 was also determined and analyzed. The H protein of the fox CDV strain was unrelated to strains within the major European lineage. These results suggest that at least three different CDV lineages are present in Italy.Veterinary Microbiology.
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Institutions
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2006–2011
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Università degli Studi di Bari Aldo Moro
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria
Bari, Apulia, Italy
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