BURNEm ANTmODIES IN CALVES CONCENTRATED IN A LARGE-CAPACITY CALF HOOSE ' IN AN AREA WITH ENDEMIC INCIDENCE OF Q FEVER t ' LITERAK
Lit erA k A.: C;oxiella bu~tii antibodies in calves concentrated in a large-capacity calf house in an area with endemic incidence of latent Qfever. Acta vet. Bmo.63. 1994:' 6~. A total of 539 calves in a large-capacity calf house in the district of StJakonice (Czech Republic) were examined serologically for Coxiella burnet;; antibodies in 1988-1990 using the complement-fixation test. The antibodies were detected in 6% (3.6 to 8.4%. 95% confidence limits) of calves up to 14 days of age. in 1.5% (0.3' to 2.7%. 95% confidence limits) of calves aged 3 mOnths and in no animals aged 6 months. The calves showing antibodies after arrival at the large-capacity calf house within 14 days of age came from 13 different farms of the district. It is concluded that calves are not responsible for the spread of Q fever in herds even under the open-turnover system. Coxiella burnetii. calves. antibodies. CFT The presence of Coxiella burnetii antibodies in cattle in the South-Bohemian region of the Czech Republic was investigated by Lis At et a1. (1989) during a two-year period. Using the complement-fixation test, they demonstrated C. burnetii antibodies in 16.5% of747 animals. mostly producing cows. coming from 23 farms. a e hAl! e k et a1. (1985) using the microagglutination reaction found C. burnetii antibodies in 10.8% of 370 cattle coming from 17 farms of the southern part of the Sumava region. In spite of a rather large proportion of serum-positive reagents. marked clinical manifestations of Q fever in these areas were not observed. The incidence of C. burnetii antibodies among calves in the South-Bohemian region was mentioned by a e h AI! e k et a1. (1985) only very briefly: 58 calves were examined upon arrival at a large-capacity calf house with negative results and in only one of them C. burnetii antibodies were detected before the animals were put to graze. The present study was designed to assess the serum prevalence of C. burnerii antibodies in calves shifted to a large-capacity calf house from different farms in the South-Bohemian region that; considering the observations reported by Li s At etal. (1989) and a e h AI! e ketal. (1985). can be regarded as one of endemic incidence of latent Q fever. Observations on C. burnetii antibodies among calves in other parts of the world were reported a. o. by Sawyer etal. (1973). Gossler and Burtschell (1973) and Adeseyun eta!. (1984). Materials and Methods' Calves were examined for C. burnetii antibodies on three occasions: upon arrival at a large-capacity calf house. after 3 months of their stay in the calf house upon change from milk feeding to vegetable feeding and before leaving the calf house at 6 months of age. The large-capacity calf house under study was located in the northern part of the district of Strakonice (Map No.1). From its catchment area 40 calves arrived each week, which represented about 60% of all calves born on the farms of this area. The calves were examined from the 21st ofJanuary to the II th ofJuly 1990. The blood samples were withdrawn at 3-month intervals. A total of 539 calves were examined; one examination only was carried out in 208 animals. 2 examinations also in 208 animals and 3 examinations in 123 animals. Upon arrival of the calves at the calf house within 14 days of age 400 examinations were carried out, 328 examinations were carried out on 3-month old animals and 265 examinations were conducted on animals aged 6 months. Thus the total number of examinations was 993. The detection of C. burnetii antibodies was made with the complement-fixation test using the micromethod technique with phase 2 antigen (Bodibion. Bioveta Nitra). The starting titre was 8 or 10. The sera with antibodies were diluted in two-fold steps to find the highest positive titre. Results c. burnetii antibodies were found in 6% (3.6 to 8.4%, 95% confidence limits) of calves up to 14 days of age, in 1.5% (0.3 % to 2.7 %, 95 % confidence limits) of 3-month old calves and were not detected in calves aged 6 months (Table 1).
Rickettsiae in the Sumava region.
Antibodies were detected to C oxiella burnetii, Rickettsia slovaca and Chlamydia psittaci in the blood of small terrestrial mammals, larger wild and domestic animals and humans in the southern part of the Protected Landscape Area of the Sumava region between 1977 and 1982. The data obtained have contributed to the safe development of livestock raising in this region.
Inhibition of Root Growth and Polyamine Metabolism in Sunflower (Helianthus annuus) Seedlings Under Cadmium and Copper Stress
Although sunflower is usually regarded as a highly tolerant crop, impairment of root growth at initial stages of plant development may result in poor crop establishment and higher susceptibility to pathogen attack. In order to evaluate if Cd2+ and Cu2+ may impact on sunflower germination and initial root development, a pot experiment under controlled conditions was carried out. Possible involvement of polyamine metabolism in sunflower response to these stressors was also investigated. Although Cd2+ and Cu2+ treatments affect neither seed germination nor radicle emergence, sunflower seedlings grown in the presence of these heavy metals showed significant inhibition of root growth, being this inhibition greater for Cd2+. Both metals caused significant increases in proline contents at the highest concentrations tested (0.5 and 1 mM), and these increments were more pronounced for Cd2+ treatments, especially between days 3 and 10. Metals also increased putrescine (Put) contents at all concentrations assayed from the seventh day onward, causing no variations on this polyamine time-course pattern. Spermine and spermidine contents, however, were increased only by 1 mM Cd2+. Arginine decarboxylase seems to have been the enzyme responsible for Put increases under both metal treatments. This work demonstrates that initial root growth of sunflower seedlings may be significantly impaired in Cd2+ or Cu2+ contaminated soils. It also shows that polyamines are key biological compounds, which are probably involved in signaling pathways triggered under stress environmental conditions.