Canine infectious respiratory disease complex (CIRDC) is caused by different viruses and bacteria. Viruses associated with CIRDC include canine adenovirus type 2 (CAV-2), canine distemper virus (CDV), canine influenza virus (CIV), canine herpesvirus type 1 (CHV-1), canine respiratory coronavirus (CRCoV), and canine parainfluenza virus (CPIV). Bacteria associated with CIRDC include Bordetella bronchiseptica, Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus (S. zooepidemicus), and Mycoplasma spp. The present study examined the prevalence of CIRDC pathogens in specimens received by a Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in Georgia, USA., from 2018 to 2022. Out of 459 cases, viral agents were detected in 34% of cases and bacterial agents were detected in 58% of cases. A single pathogen was detected in 31% of cases, while two or more pathogens were identified in 24% of cases. The percentages of viral agents identified were CAV-2 (4%), CDV (3%), CPIV (16%), CRCoV (7%), and CIV (2%). The percentages of bacterial agents were B. bronchiseptica (10%), Mycoplasma canis (24%), Mycoplasma cynos (21%), and S. zooepidemicus (2%). Over the five-year period, the positive cases ranged from 2–4% for CAV-2, 1–7% for CDV, 1–4% for CHV-1, 9–22% for CPIV, 4–13% for CRCoV, and 1–4% for CIV. Overall, the most prevalent pathogens associated with CIRDC were CPIV, M. canis, and M. cynos.

An outbreak of 92 abortions out of 1,700 pregnant cows (5.41%) in a period of 3 weeks (19 May to 05 June 2019) occurred in a Georgia Dairy, USA, in cattle that were between 3 and 7 months of gestation. Two sets of samples (aborted fetuses’ organs, placental tissues, aborted cows blood) were submitted for laboratory investigations at the Tifton Veterinary Diagnostic and Investigational Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia (TVDIL, Tifton, GA, USA). An abortion panel testing for the major abortion‐causing agents [e.g. Bovine Viral Diarrhoea Virus (BVDV), Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis Virus/ Bovine Herpes Virus‐I (IBR/ BHV‐I), Brucella spp., Leptospira spp.] was conducted on several of the samples. On the first set of samples, microbial cultures, serology and PCR tests for the common abortifacient agents revealed the presence of Neospora caninum (N. caninum) DNA, which was positive by PCR on the placenta and fetal tissues. The second set of diagnostic investigations also identified two out of three submitted freshly aborted fetuses to be positive for N. caninum by PCR and immunohistochemistry. Moreover, all three dams were also sero‐positive for N. caninum. The entire herd was being fed on grass silage harvested from a pasture where feral pigs were hunted previously and carcasses were left behind. As a consequence of this action a large population of wild coyotes were attracted to these carcasses, and likely contaminated the pasture with potential N. caninum‐infected feces. After the abortion outbreak was resolved, it was recommended that the farmers should avoid disposal of cadavers of hunted animals in the wild, as it could attract carnivorous and omnivorous animals that may potentially spread the disease to the cattle and other wildlife.

Coronaviruses cause infections in humans and diverse species of animals and birds with a global distribution. Bovine coronavirus (BCoV) produces predominantly two forms of disease in cattle: a respiratory form and a gastrointestinal form. All age groups of cattle are affected by the respiratory form of coronavirus, whereas the gastroenteric form causes neonatal diarrhea or calf scours in young cattle and winter dysentery in adult cattle. The tremendous impacts of bovine respiratory disease and the associated losses are well-documented and underscore the importance of this pathogen. Beyond this, studies have demonstrated significant impacts on milk production associated with outbreaks of winter dysentery, with up to a 30% decrease in milk yield. In North America, BCoV was identified for the first time in 1972, and it continues to be a significant economic concern for the cattle industry. A number of conventional and molecular diagnostic assays are available for the detection of BCoV from clinical samples. Conventional assays for BCoV detection include virus isolation, which is challenging from clinical samples, electron microscopy, fluorescent antibody assays, and various immunoassays. Molecular tests are mainly based on nucleic acid detection and predominantly include conventional and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays. Isothermal amplification assays and genome sequencing have gained increased interest in recent years for the detection, characterization, and identification of BCoV. It is believed that isothermal amplification assays, such as loop-mediated isothermal amplification and recombinase polymerase amplification, among others, could aid the development of barn-side point-of-care tests for BCoV. The present study reviewed the literature on coronavirus infections in cattle from the last three and a half decades and presents information mainly on the current and advancing diagnostics in addition to epidemiology, clinical presentations, and the impact of the disease on the cattle industry.

Canine infectious respiratory disease complex (CIRDC) is caused by different viruses and bacteria. Viruses associated with CIRDC include canine adenovirus-2 (CAV-2), canine distemper virus (CDV), canine influenza virus (CIV), canine herpesvirus (CHV), canine coronavirus (CCoV) and canine parainfluenza virus (CPIV). Bacteria associated with CIRDC include Bordetella bronchiseptica, Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus, and Mycoplasma spp. The present study examined the prevalence of pathogens associated with CIRDC in specimens received by a Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in Georgia from 2018 to 2022. Out of 459 cases, viral agents were detected in 34% cases and bacterial agents were detected in 58% cases. A single pathogen was detected in 31% cases, while two or more pathogens were identified in 24% cases. The percentages of viral agents identified were CAV-2 (4%), CDV (3%), CPIV (16%), CCoV (7%), and CIV (2%). The percentages of bacterial agents were Bordetella bronchiseptica (10%), Mycoplasma canis (24%), Mycoplasma cynos (21%), and S treptococcus zooepidemicus (2%). Positive viral cases ranged from 2-4% for CAV-2, 1-7% for CDV, 1-4% for CHV, 9-22% for CPIV, 4-13% for CCoV, and 1-4% for CIV. Overall, the study showed that the most prevalent pathogens associated with CIRDC during the study period were CPIV, M. canis, and M. cynos.

Coronaviruses cause infections in humans and diverse species of animals and birds with a global distribution. Bovine coronavirus (BCoV) produces predominantly two forms of disease in cattle, a respiratory form, and a gastrointestinal form. All age groups of cattle are affected by the respiratory form of coronavirus whereas the gastroenteric form causes neonatal diarrhea or calf scour in young cattle and winter dysentery in adult cattle. The tremendous impacts of bovine respiratory disease and the associated losses are well-documented and underscores the importance of this pathogen. Beyond this, studies have demonstrated significant impacts on milk production associated with outbreaks of winter dysentery, with up to a 30% decrease in milk yield. Research data so far have shown that the viral structure or strain is not a determinant of tissue tropism and clinical form of the disease. In North America, BCoV was identified for the first time in 1972, and it continues to be a significant economic concern for the cattle industry. The virus is classified under Coronaviridae family, Betacoronavirus genus and Betacorovirus 1 species. A number of conventional and molecular diagnostic assays are available for the detection of BCoV from clinical samples. Conventional assays for BCoV detection include virus isolation, which is challenging from clinical samples, electron microscopy, fluorescent antibody assays, and various immunoassays. Molecular tests are mainly based on nucleic acid detection and predominantly include conventional and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays. Isothermal amplification assays and genome sequencing have also been used increasingly in recent years for the detection and identification of BCoV. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification, helicase-dependent amplification, recombinase polymerase amplification, and multienzyme isothermal rapid amplification are some examples of the isothermal amplification assays for used BCoV. Point-of-care testing has gained some popularity recently as they can offer user-friendly testing on the farm (barn-side). The present study reviewed literature on coronavirus infections in cattle from the last three and a half decades and presents information mainly on the current and advancing diagnostics in addition to epidemiology, clinical presentations, and the impact of the disease on the cattle industry.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to retrospectively assess the pathogens associated with feline ocular and respiratory diseases in routine diagnostic samples submitted to Georgia Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratories. Furthermore, pathogens detected by the respiratory PCR panel in the upper vs lower respiratory tract were compared (specimen separation at pharynx). Methods: Test records from feline ocular and respiratory PCR panels were collected from 2012 to 2022. While the ocular panel targets feline herpesvirus-1 (FHV), feline calicivirus (FCV) and Chlamydia felis , the respiratory panel covers FHV, FCV, C felis , Mycoplasma species, Bordetella bronchiseptica and influenza A virus. Results: In total, 120 and 453 submissions were made for the ocular and respiratory panels, with positivity rates of 49.2% (59/120) and 69.3% (314/453), respectively. Based on the available signalment, cats aged younger than 3 years made up 59.3% (32/54) and 47.3% (130/275) of positive cases, respectively. The top two findings by ocular and respiratory panels were single detection of FCV (28.8%, 17/59), FHV (25.4%, 15/59) and Mycoplasma species (36.9%, 116/314), co-detection of FCV + Mycoplasma species (20.4%, 64/314), respectively. The most common detection from samples of upper vs lower respiratory tract was Mycoplasma species (39.6%, 97/245) and FCV + Mycoplasma species (25%, 10/40). Relevance and novel information: FCV and FHV were the most frequent detections by the ocular panel, with Mycoplasma species and FCV + Mycoplasma species being the most frequent detections by the respiratory panel. Incorporating FCV and FHV in the vaccination regimen could help reduce the cases of feline ocular and respiratory diseases, especially for cats aged younger than 3 years. Veterinarians should consider Mycoplasma species when dealing with feline respiratory infections.