Since 2012, efforts toward the eradication of bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) have been undertaken in Tottori Prefecture because many persistently infected (PI) cows have been detected. In 2016, six PI cows had been detected on three farms in Tottori Prefecture between January and October. An epidemiological survey revealed that the inseminated dams of the six PI cows had been moved to the same ranch outside Tottori Prefecture during approximately the same period. Using phylogenetic analysis of the 1122-base pair E2 gene sequence of BVDV isolated from five of the six PI cows, all five isolates were classified as BVDV-1c, with high nucleotide sequence homology (99.6‐99.9%). These results suggest that the dams of the six PI cows were infected with BVDV-1c during the insemination period and then gave birth to PI cows after returning to Tottori Prefecture. As the route of invasion for PI offspring through inseminated cows moved to another prefecture demonstrated, BVDV eradication will require both local and interregional efforts.

An outbreak of lameness and paralysis with a rise in the mortality rate occurred at a broiler farm in Iwate Prefecture, Japan, in July 2015. Twenty-six 55-day-old broiler chickens were collected from a broiler farm and examined pathologically and bacteriologically. All chickens showed poor growth, and 13 showed lameness and paralysis. Macroscopically, 16 cases (64%) had vertebral abscesses at the sixth thoracic vertebrae. Histopathologically, necrotizing purulent granulomatous osteomyelitis and arthritis with gram-negative bacilli or gram-positive cocci were observed in the affected vertebra. Salmonella Infantis，Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus spp. were isolated from vertebral lesions.

In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the vaccination program for the prevention of Akabane disease, the three commercially available vaccines including genogroup I (GI) or genogroup II (GII) Akabane virus antigen were injected in heifers, and a neutralization test was carried out against JaGAr39 strain (GII) and KM-2/Br/06 strain (GI). The three vaccines were live vaccine “L” (TS-C2 strain), inactivated vaccine “NK” (KN-06 strain) and inactivated vaccine “K” (OBE-1 strain). Twenty heifers were divided into four groups (A, B, C and unvaccinated control : 5 per group). Group A was injected with NK vaccine three times after one injection of L vaccine. Group B was injected with NK vaccine three times. Group C was injected with K vaccine three times. After the vaccination, the antibody titer against KM-2/Br/06 strain in Group A and B was significantly higher than that in group C. After a second injection with NK vaccine, the neutralizing antibody titer remained for six months or more, not only against KM-2/Br/06 strain, but also against JaGAr39 strain. It was concluded that NK vaccine had more practical benefit than K vaccine for the prevention of Akabane disease in the field, because of its ability to neutralize both GI and GII strains.

Recently, a canine interferon-α preparation had been demonstrated to alleviate gingivitis in dogs when applied to the gums, but the durability of the treatment effect was unknown. In this study, the efficacy and durability of the preparation's effect was examined in animals with clinical gingivitis. The canine interferon-α preparation was applied to the gums once every 3 days for 30 days and gingival inflammation was evaluated using the gingival index in each dog for 12 months after the start of treatment. Gingivitis was alleviated in dogs receiving canine interferon-α and aggravated in dogs not receiving canine interferon-α. The symptomatic benefit of canine interferon-α persisted for nine months when used alone and for one year or more when used in combination with oral care by tooth brushing.