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Biomedical subjects

W H McCollum

Publications and source records attributed to W H McCollum.

34 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Status of equine viral arteritis in Kentucky, 1985.

Clinical cases of equine arteritis virus infection have not been diagnosed in Kentucky since 1984, and there has been no indication that any of the horses involved in the 1984 epizootic have since been responsible for spread of the disease to horses in other states or other countries. Cases of abortion caused by naturally acquired infection with this virus have not been confirmed in 1984 or 1985. Neither field nor vaccine strains of equine arteritis virus have been shown to induce teratologic abnormalities or the carrier state in foals born to infected or vaccinated mares. The carrier stallion appears to have played a major epidemiologic role in the dissemination and perpetuation of the virus. A commercial modified live equine viral arteritis vaccine was found to be safe and efficacious for stallions and mares. The disease can be controlled by immunizing the stallion population and by restricting the breeding of equine arteritis virus-shedding stallions to vaccinated or seropositive mares, followed by an appropriate period of isolation from other nonvaccinated Equidae.

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The carrier state in equine arteritis virus infection in the stallion with specific emphasis on the venereal mode of virus transmission.

The carrier state has been confirmed virologically in Thoroughbred and non-Thoroughbred stallions naturally infected with equine arteritis virus (EAV). Short-term or convalescent and long-term carriers occur. The frequency rate of the long-term carrier state in Thoroughbreds was high, averaging 33.9% among the three groups of stallions under study. While the convalescent carrier state only lasted a few weeks after clinical recovery, the long-term carrier state could persist for years. There was evidence, however, that not all such carriers might remain persistently infected for life. Carrier stallions appeared to shed EAV constantly in the semen but not in the respiratory secretions or urine. It also could not be demonstrated in the buffy coat of the blood. All of the carrier stallions have continued to maintain moderate to high neutralizing antibody titres to EAV in serum. Virus was associated with the sperm-rich and not the pre-sperm fraction of semen. There was relatively little variation in virus concentration between sequential ejaculates from the same stallion. Transmission of EAV infection by long-term carrier stallions would appear to occur solely by the venereal route. Such carriers are thought to play an important epidemiological role in the dissemination and perpetuation of the virus.

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Responses of horses vaccinated with avirulent modified-live equine arteritis virus propagated in the E. Derm (NBL-6) cell line to nasal inoculation with virulent virus.

Nineteen horses with no prior experience with equine arteritis virus (EAV) were inoculated IM with an avirulent live-virus vaccine against equine viral arteritis; the vaccinal virus had been passaged serially 131 times in primary cell cultures of equine kidney, 111 times in primary cell cultures of rabbit kidney, and 16 times in an equine dermis cell line (EAV HK-131/RK-111/ED-16). Three or 4 of the vaccinated horses each, along with appropriate nonvaccinated controls, were inoculated nasally with virulent EAV at each of months 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, and 24 after they were vaccinated. The following was concluded: Vaccination did not induce clinical signs of disease in any horse and, thus, seemed safe for use in the field. All vaccinated horses (n = 19) developed serum-neutralizing antibodies to EAV. Fourteen of the vaccinated horses were completely protected from clinical arteritis when exposed to large doses of virulent EAV. Four were partially protected, and one had little or no protection. Six of 13 nonvaccinated horses died of acute arteritis, and the remaining 7 horses experienced severe signs of disease, but survived the infection. All horses (n = 32), whether vaccinated or not, became infected when inoculated nasally with virulent EAV. Virus was recovered from 17 of the 19 vaccinated horses, and all 19 had a secondary humoral immune response. The duration and severity of thermal reaction and persistence of virus were more transitory in vaccinated horses than in the nonvaccinated controls. Protection afforded by this vaccine can persist for at least 24 months, the maximal time after horses were vaccinated that immunity was challenged in the present study.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

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Demonstration of the carrier state in naturally acquired equine arteritis virus infection in the stallion.

The chronic carrier state was virologically confirmed in 15 thoroughbred stallions naturally infected with equine arteritis virus based on the results of test matings and, or, isolations of the virus from semen. Carrier stallions were shown to shed equine arteritis virus in the semen for at least one to two years. Existence of a short-term or convalescent carrier state was also demonstrated in five additional stallions. The frequency of the long-term carrier state in stallions naturally infected with equine arteritis virus was 35 per cent; it varied considerably between groups of stallions on different farms. The carrier stallion would appear to play an important epidemiological role in the dissemination and perpetuation of equine arteritis virus.

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Pathologic features of horses given avirulent equine arteritis virus intramuscularly.

Twenty horses that were seronegative for equine arteritis virus antibodies were inoculated IM with live equine arteritis virus vaccine. The inoculation did not cause clinical signs of disease. A mild, transient febrile reaction developed in 6 horses, 3 of which were in poor condition before inoculation. Six horses, 2 of which were in poor condition before inoculation, experienced mild lymphopenia. Necropsy revealed mild lesions in the lymph nodes of 6 horses (3 of which were in poor condition before inoculation). Maximum concentrations of virus were detected in the lymph nodes and were consistently present from postvaccination day 3 through 8. Lesser concentrations of virus were detected in the spleen of 5 horses, liver and kidney of 4, abdominal fluid of 3, pleural fluid of 2, and lungs and urine of 1, between postvaccination days 3 and 7. Virus was not detected in the brain, nasal tract, or serum of any of the horses.

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Stability of viability and immunizing potency of lyophilized, modified equine arteritis live-virus vaccine.

The Bucyrus strain of equine arteritis virus, previously modified to avirulence and vaccinal virus by 131 serial passages in primary cell cultures of horse kidney followed by 111 passages in primary cell cultures of rabbit kidney, was further passaged in cultures of the E. Derm (NBL-6) cell line, a continuous diploid cell line. Pools of the 16th and 25th passages of the virus in this last equine dermal cell line were lyophilized and stored in lots at 37 C, 23 to 28 C, 4C, and -20 C. The viability of the vaccinal virus deteriorated rapidly during storage at 37 C and at 23 to 28 C, but was relatively stable at 4 C and at -20 C for at least 1 year. The vaccine stored at 4 C for 9 months protected 2 horses, subsequently inoculated with avirulent virus, from arteritis, whereas the 2 nonvaccinated control horses inoculated simultaneously developed severe signs of the disease and died of acute arteritis.

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