BackgroundCaprine herpesvirus 2 (CpHV-2) infection usually induces chronic malignant catarrhal fever (MCF) in sika deer (Cervus nippon), with the primary signs of weight loss, dermatitis and alopecia.Case presentationHere, we report a case of CpHV-2-associated acute MCF in a sika deer herd raised in an intensive management system distant to the reservoir goats. Affected deer developed clinical signs of high fever (41 °C) followed by nasal discharge and lameness. Severe lesions of hemorrhage, necrosis and infiltration of lymphoid cells could readily be observed in the lung, kidney, heart valves and subcutaneous tissue surrounding a tendon. Etiologically, identical CpHV-2 specific DNA sequences were detected in peripheral blood lymphocyte (PBL) from the affected deer and reservoir goats.ConclusionIn summary, domestic goats were the reservoir of the CpHV-2, which is the causative agent of the outbreak of MCF in the three hinds. The disease was probably transmitted via aerosol infection. In addition, necrosis and inflammation in subcutaneous tissue surrounding a tendon was the reason for lameness. Therefore, MCF should be put into a differential diagnostic list when similar disease occurs in sika deer herds.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s12917-018-1365-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Utilization of the biological macromolecule Dendrobium officinale polysaccharide (DOP) as a functional ingredient is limited by its high intrinsic viscosity and molecular weight. The goal of the present study was to improve rheological properties of DOP by ultrasonic treatment. Such a treatment resulted in the degradation of DOP and consequent reduction of rheological properties. Among DOP samples treated with ultrasonication at low (L), medium (M), and high (H) power intensities (25, 50, 75 w/cm 2 ), M‐DOP displayed the highest reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) radical scavenging activity in vitro. In a mouse D‐galactose (D‐Gal)‐induced aging model, M‐DOP significantly increased activities of antioxidant enzymes and reduced levels of pro‐inflammatory cytokines in liver. Real‐time polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) analysis indicated that M‐DOP upregulated messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of anti‐inflammatory/antioxidant proteins such as Nrf2 (nuclear factor erythroid 2‐related factor), hemeoxygenase‐1 (HO‐1), and NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase (NQO1) in liver. In summary, M‐DOP displayed a strong radical scavenging activity in vitro, and ameliorated liver injury in the mouse aging model through the promotion of Nrf2/HO‐1/NQO1 signaling pathway.

In recent years, Klebsiella pneumoniae (KP) has caused disease outbreaks in different animals, resulting in serious economic losses and biosafety concerns. Considering the broad antibiotic resistance of KP, vaccines are the most effective tools against infection. However, there is still no KP vaccine available in the veterinary field. Our results indicate that the highly conserved outer membrane phosphoporin (PhoE) of KP is immunogenic in mice and elicits high titers of antibodies that were shown to be specific for PhoE by immunoblotting. Immunization with PhoE also induced robust cell-mediated immunity and elicited the secretion of high levels of IFN-γ and IL-4, suggesting the induction of mixed Th1 and Th2 responses. Sera from PhoE-immunized mice induced significantly higher complement-mediated lysis of KP cells than did sera from the PBS control mice. Finally, mice immunized with PhoE were significantly protected against KP challenge, with better survival and a reduced visceral bacterial load. Our data underscore the great potential of PhoE as a novel candidate antigen for a vaccine against KP infection.

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