Background: Salmonellosis is increasingly recognized as a worldwide public health concern. Salmonella Infantis can infect both humans and animals, including poultry. It has been one of the most reported isolated serovars from different parts of the world. Although some research has been carried out on the pathogenesis of S. Infantis, little scientific understanding of its pathogenesis is available.Objectives: This study aimed to analyze the virulence genes of S. Infantis recovered from different sources of poultry in Iran.Methods: Six virulence genes of 54 S. Infantis strains originated from broiler feces, poultry processing, and broiler carcasses were examined. Gene-specific polymerase chain reactions were designed and employed to detect the presence or absence of 6 important virulence genes (sopB, sopE, sitC, pefA, sipA, and spvC) in 54 S. Infantis isolates.Results: In this study, sopE, sitC, pefA, sipA, and sopB virulence genes were detected in 51(94.4%), 49(90.7%), 26(48.1%), 15(27.7%), and 5(9.2%) isolates, respectively. The spvC gene was not detected in any of the isolates. Conclusion: In the present study, a remarkably identical profile was found on virulence genes’ presence in isolates recovered from broiler feces and poultry processing plant sources, that is a public health concern. However, more S. Infantis isolates from various poultry sources, and human origin should be examined and analyzed. The findings of this survey can help the health researchers better understand the pathogenesis and epidemiology of S. Infantis in Iran.

Background: Brucellosis is one of the most important and common diseases among humans and animals, with great health and economic significance.Objectives: This study aimed to investigate some risk factors of brucellosis infection in Iranian dairy farms.Methods: This study is a herd-level case-control study on dairy farms. Case dairy farms (95 dairy farms) included all registered cases of disease during 14 months of studying with at least one positive serum cow (Rose Bengal, Wright, and 2-mercaptoethanol tests consecutively) and control dairy farms (95 dairy farms) in the condition of at least two disease-free years were selected and matched due to the capacity, and geographical area with case dairy farms. The obtained data were analyzed by the multivariate conditional logistic regression test and SPSS software, version 20.Results: According to the statistical relationship between studying independent variables and brucellosis infection in herd, the hygiene and disinfection of watering points (washing at least three times a week and using detergent or disinfectant) reduce the risk of brucellosis infection (OR=0.04, 95% CI, 0.003%-0.499%) and factors such as the history of abortion (OR=7.01, 95% CI, 1.51%-32.59%), the replacement of livestock from outside (OR=7.87, 95% CI, 1.07%-58.07%) and introducing new livestock during last 12 months (OR=7.27, 95% CI, 1.20%-43.90%) increase the risk of brucellosis infection.Conclusion: More serious attention to rancher training, the observance of hygienic principles, and legal restriction of livestock displacement are among the recommended strategies to prevent brucellosis infection on the farm.

Background: Oxidative stress and inflammation are strictly connected, and both perform an important role in the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus (DM).Objectives: This research aimed to investigate the potential protective effect of kudzu root against oxidative stress and inflammation in a streptozotocin (STZ)-induced DM animal model.Methods: DM was induced in male Wistar rats by intraperitoneal injection of STZ (50 mg/kg body weight). The kudzu root (100 mg/kg BW) was administered orally after 1 week of STZ administration in diabetic animals (for 6 weeks).Results: The diabetic animals exhibited a significant increase in fasting blood glucose, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and malondialdehyde levels. However, they exhibited a significant decrease in plasma insulin level, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase activity. Administration of kudzu root to diabetic animals reversed these effects.Conclusion: The current study indicated that kudzu root has potent antidiabetic properties, likely through its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties in the STZ-diabetic rat model.

Budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus) is a tiny colorful parrot and one of the most popular pets worldwide. This study was performed on a 5-year-old male budgerigar with a large and fluid-filled mass in the anterior part of the neck. Fine needle aspiration was accomplished to determine tumor origin, and the tumor content was cultured on blood and MacConkey agars (aerobic and anaerobic conditions). Besides, tumor ultrasonography and whole-body radiographs were done in the lateral and ventrodorsal positions. Finally, the tumor was removed, fixed in 10% neutral buffered formalin, and stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H & E). The radiology and ultrasonography results showed that the tumor (5.2×4×3.7 cm) had a homogenous structure filled with echogenic fluid content. The tumor content culture revealed no bacterial growth. Histopathologically, the mass was composed of cystic spaces with invagination of the lining epithelial cells, forming intraluminal papillae. The tumor was diagnosed as a papillary cystadenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have indicated negative association of anogenital distance (AGD) with fertility in dairy cows; however, the mechanism of inverse relationship is not completely understood. In this regard, post-partum uterine infections and their corresponding risk factors could diminish fertility of cows, yet there has been no research exploring the relationship between AGD and postpartum disorders. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between AGD and postpartum reproduc-tive performance in dairy cows. METHODS: AGD of Holstein dairy cows of a commercial dairy herd (n = 290) was measured in millimeter at the first postpartum examination (days 28 to 32 postpartum). The cows were classified into three categories based on the AGD length, including short (20% of cows with lowest values), intermediate (60% of cows with moderate values) and long (20% of cows with highest values) AGDs. Additionally, data of postpartum reproductive variables were retrieved form the herd database. Data was analyzed using SAS software version 9.4. RESULTS: The rate of dystocia, twinning, retention of fetal membranes, puerperal metritis and clinical endome-tritis, calf birth weight, and days to first service did not differ among the various AGD categories (P>0.05). However, proportion of male offspring was lower in the short AGD cows than intermediate and long AGD cows (P<0.05). Furthermore, the first service conception rate was greater in the intermediate anogenital distance group than short and long anogenital distance groups (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, the present study showed suboptimal first postpartum conception rate in the cows with minimal and maximal length of anogenital distance and indicated that this inferior fertility was not mediated through alteration in the rate of postpartum reproductive disorders

BACKGROUND: Kefir is a fermented milk product containing some anticarcinogenic organic compounds with nutritional benefits, which made it one of the natural dairy beverages extensively consumed. OBJECTIVES: The present study was conducted to assess the effect of two selective probiotics on the values of acidic criteria and probiotic survival in the kefir produced in this study. METHODS: In the first step, the cow milk, preheated at 90oC for 5 min, was inoculated with the commercial starter and divided into two groups. They were complemented with L. acidophilus LA-5 and L. paracasei 431 and incu-bated at 30oC for 6 h. They were then preserved at refrigerated temperature up to 14 days and then sampling was carried out to evaluate the changes of values of organic acids (lactic acid and acetic acid), pH, titratable acidity and survival of probiotic complemented bacteria on the 1st, 7th, and 14th days. RESULTS: The pH values of L. acidophilus LA-5 and L. paracasei 431 were 4.34 and 4.36 at the beginning of the cold storage and reached 4.27 and 4.31 at day 14. The acidity of L. acidophilus LA-5-complemented kefir on the 1st day was 0.80 gr/100 gr higher than L. paracasei 431-complemented kefir which showed 0.72 gr/100 gr. Lactic acid was ranging from 1.57 to 2.40 gr/100 mL or 2.17 to 2.42 gr/100 mL (from the 1st to the 14th day) in the kefirs complemented with L. acidophilus LA-5 and L. paracasei 431, respectively. In the kefirs complemented with L. acidophilus LA-5 and L. paracasei 431, the acetic acid was stable (from 0.11 to 0.13 gr/100 mL) during 14 days but increased in the later (from 0.11 to 0.23 gr/100 mL) .The survival of both bacteria was higher than 7 logs CFU/gr in the kefir. CONCLUSIONS: Adding L. acidophilus LA-5 and L. paracacei 431 can moderate the acidity of the kefir and extend the survival of complementary probiotics at a standard level during two weeks of cold preservation.

BACKGROUND: Newcastle disease virus (NDV) is an avian pathogen that infects various birds worldwide. Recurrent outbreaks of ND consistently occurring in Iran cause substantial economic losses each year. The Northeast region of Iran has an extensive commercial poultry industry and is also a big exporter of poultry products to other countries. Therefore, consistent and dynamic surveillance of the NDV's prevalence in this geographic region is essential in controlling the disease. OBJECTIVES: The virulence of the virus is determined based on the sequence of Fusion (F) protein. However, though the Phosphoprotein (P) and Matrix (M) proteins of NDV are also involved in the evolution and pathogenicity of the virus, molecular evaluation of their genomic loci in the NDVs prevalent in Iran is limited. Here, we present data for the sequences of full-length P and M genes belonging to an NDV that caused the ND outbreak of 2011 in the Northeast of Iran. METHODS: The genomic sequences encoding full-length P and M proteins as well as that of F protein were amplified using PCR and sequenced by the Sanger sequencing. The obtained sequences, plus their translated proteins, were evalu-ated using various bioinformatics approaches, such as homology and phylogenetic analyses. RESULTS: Phylogenetic analyses based on P, M, and F genes clustered our isolate together with VII.I.I GenBank se-quences from Iranian sources reported from 2011 to 2019, as well as with those reported from China. But our isolate showed less homology to vaccine strains commonly used in Iran. CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that, in addition to the newly evolving sub-genotypes, VII.1.1 variants are still circulating in the region. The weak homology in determinant regions between this strain and those used for vaccine pro-duction must be considered in vaccination programs. Further, the persistent presence of NDV genotypes already prevalent in the Far East in Iran highlights the importance of biosecurity management and dynamic surveillance in controlling ND.

The accessory hepatic lobe is an extremely rare anomaly reported in humans and animals. A large domed solid mass and two smaller masses were noticed during thorax dissection in a six-year-old mixed breed male dog with no previous history of the disease, which was fixed to be used in the anatomy hall. The masses were placed adjacent to the diaphragm, between the lung's right and left caudal lobs. The masses with a common thick vascular pedicle had pierced the diaphragm and run to the falciform ligament of the liver. Histological findings showed liver tissue and hepatocytes were arranged radially around the central vein. There were sinusoids between the hepatocyte plates, dilated as telangiectasia in some areas. The study of the pedicle revealed a normal elastic artery, normal vein, and normal biliary duct crossed to the falciform ligament in the abdomen. The macroscopic and microscopic findings revealed type I intrathoracic ectopic liver.

Due to the threat of vaccination problems and antibiotic resistance, more appropriate approaches are desired to breed disease resistance animals that are now practiced in cattle, sheep, chicken, and fish farming. Over the recent century, breeding programs based on the productive characteristics have increased animals' overall growth rate and produc-tivity. Despite the benefits, livestock breeding with this method has caused many physiological disorders as well as a reduction in overall immunocompetence. This issue highlights the importance of genetic considerations during the process of breeding. One of the most crucial gene clusters identified in animals is the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), which plays a crucial role in the immune system to distinguishing self from non-self. Recent studies have demonstrated that some MHC regions are highly polymorphic. Also, a significant association between different MHC alleles and susceptibility/ resistance to various diseases has been found. This review summarizes the recent research on MHC polymorphism and its association with immune responses in domestic animals

BACKGROUND: Pain is an unpleasant experience that serves as a survival mechanism and is mediated via the central and peripheral nervous systems. Manna of hedysarum, also called Persian Manna or Taranjebin, is known to have medical properties in Persian traditional medicine. OBJECTIVES: The main purpose of the current paper is to determine the possible antinociceptive effect of Manna of hedysarum as well as the neurotransmitter systems involved, in mice. METHODS: The first experiment was designed to reveal the effective dose of Manna of hedysarum. Adult male albino mice were injected with Manna of Hedysarum (100, 200, and 400 mg/kg) Ethanolic Extract (MHEE) or morphine (5 mg/kg). In experiment 2, MHEE (400 mg/kg), naloxone (2 mg/kg), and MHEE (400 mg/kg) plus naloxone (2 mg/kg) were injected. Experiments 3-5 were similar to experiment 2, except that naloxone was replaced with L-NG-Nitro Arginine Methyl Ester (10 mg/kg), cimetidine (12.5 mg/kg), and cyproheptadine (4 mg/kg). Then the formalin test was performed, and the paw licking time was measured. RESULTS: Based on the findings, MHEE reduced the pain response in a dose-dependent manner (P<0.05). The co-injections of MHEE with mentioned antagonists significantly decreased the antinociceptive effect of MHEE on the licking and biting time of the injected paw (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that MHEE has an antinociceptive effect in mice and possibly acts on opioidergic, nitrergic, histaminergic and serotonergic systems