Summary Out of a cow, which was infected with the sheep form of malignant catarrhal fever (MCF), blood and spleen samples were inoculated into rabbits. From the spleen cells of an infected rabbit, which were cocultivated with bovine embryonic gingiva cells, a herpesvirus could be isolated. The isolate showed crossreactions with reference sera against the strain WC 11 (wildebeest form) in the SNT. An immunosuppressed heifer, which was infected with the isolate, contracted typical clinical symptoms of MCF. The isolate was named No. 732.

Summary On the occurrence of antibodies against the causative agens of malignant cararrhal fever in goat‐ and sheepsera An epidemiologic study was undertaken by means of the SNT on three sets of sheepsera and one set of goatsera to evaluate for the occurrence of antibodies against strain WC11. Out of 791 sera of a sheep breeding organisation 57 samples (7.2 %) showed positive titers. The positive samples originated from 24 farms (36.4 %) out of 66 farms under test. Out of 118 sheepsera sent in from different parts of Austria 35 (29.7 %) showed positive titers. 73 sheepsera out of a farm where MCF had clinically occurred were also tested. 20 samples (27.4 %) scored positive. Also 40 goatsera (20.3 %) out of 197 samples showed positive titers. The results are in accordance with publications from other countries. Special reference is made to goats as possible carriers and transmitters of MCF. Zusammenfassung In einer epidemiologischen Studie wurden drei Gruppen Schafseren und eine Gruppe Ziegenseren mittels SNT auf Antikörper gegen den Stamm WC 11 untersucht. Von 791 Seren eines Schafzuchtverbandes zeigten 57 Seren (7,2 %) positiv an. Die Seren stammten von Tieren aus 24 (36,4 %) von insgesamt 66 Betrieben. Von 118 Schafseren aus dem gesamten Bundesgebiet zeigten 35 Seren (29,7 %) positiv an. Von 73 Schafseren aus einem Betrieb, in dem BKF bei Rindern klinisch aufgetreten war, zeigten 20 Proben (27,4 %) positiv an. Auch 40 Ziegenseren (20,3 %) von insgesamt 197 Proben zeigten positive Antikörpertiter. Die erhobenen Daten stehen im großen und ganzen im Einklang mit ausländischen Untersuchungen. Auf die Rolle von Ziegen als eventuelle Träger bzw. Überträger des BKF wird hingewiesen.

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Investigations on Taylorella equigenitalis: cell wall proteins, DNA-fingerprints, plasmids, adhesion and cytotoxicityIn this study 55 strains of Taylorella equigenitalis isolated from horses of four different studs in Austria, and a comparative strain from the Federal Republic of Germany were investigated by different methods. These investigations were carried out with the help of SDS-PAGE, immunoblotting, the analyses of genoms and by proof of plasmids. Furthermore, pathogenic mechanisms such as adhesion or the formation of toxins were investigated in vitro.O n the basis of the results carried out by means of SDS-PAGE and immunoblotting all tested strains of Taylorella equigenitalis were alike, whereas by D N A analyses the strains could be divided into five groups. The comparative strain from the FRG, which clearly differed from the Austrian strains, formed one group all by itself.From three studs, which are related to each other because of an intensive exchange of horses, representatives (n = 5 3 ) of three D N A fingerprint groups were isolated. These three fingerprint patterns were very similar to each other, while the hybridisation patterns from the other two Austrian strains were very different. One of these strains, isolated from a diseased mare, could not he distinguished from the other strain isolated from a clinical healthy stallion from the same stud by this method.Only 47.3 ' %" from the investigated strains showed attachment to HeLa cells, while cell extracts of all of them caused morphological changes of a varying degree of both Yl and Vero cells. There were no connexions between these adhesion-cytotoxicity-properties and the D N A fingerprint groups as well as the studs, respectively.No plasmids were found in the Taylorella equigenitalis strains used in this study. EinleitungContagious equine metritis organism (CEMO), d e r Erreger d e r ,,contagious equine metritis" (CEM), einer Genitalinfektion d e r Pferde, w u r d e erstmals von PLATT u n d U.S.Cupyrighr (:I~.anncc Center Code Statement: 0931 -1793/91/3808-0589$02.50/0