Objectives: This study was designed to isolate, identify, and determine the prevalence of Aspergilli in commercial chicken in selected areas of Bangladesh. Materials and Methods: A total of 50 lung samples from suspected dead chickens, comprising broilers (n = 32) and layers (n = 18), aged between 5 days and 45 weeks, were collected from poultry farms located in the Gazipur district in Bangladesh. Fungi were primarily identified based on the colony morphology using potato dextrose agar (PDA). DNA was extracted from the suspected colonies. Aspegillus spp. was detected by genus-specific ASAP-1 and ASAP-2. Aspergillus spp. were then screened by polymerase chain reaction targeting Aspergillus flavus (FLA-1 and FLA-2), Aspergillus fumigatus (ASPU and Af3r), and Aspergillus niger (ASPU and Nilr). Results: The overall prevalence of Aspergillus spp. was 44% (n = 22/50; p < 0.05). Among the Aspergilli, A. flavus was detected in 10% (n = 5/50) of the samples. Similarly, A. fumigatus and A. niger were detected at 26% (n = 13/50) and 8% (n = 4/50) respectively. Three samples were associated with more than one fungus; two fungi (A. flavus and A. niger) were in two samples, and three fungi (A. flavus, A. fumigatus, and A. niger) were in one sample. Conclusion: Isolation and prevalence of Aspergillus spp. in commercial chicken were studied for the first time in Bangladesh. [J Adv Vet Anim Res 2022; 9(2.000): 184-190]

Objective: Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) is one of the most important causative agents of swine diseases that pose a global economic threat. Presently, there is little or no information on the perception and awareness of PCV2 and its associated effects among pig farmers in Nigeria. Therefore, this research was carried out to describe pig farmers' views, awareness, and likely impact of PCV2 and its associated postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS) on pig production in the southwestern region of Nigeria. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey of pig farmers in Oyo and Ogun states, Southwest Nigeria, was carried out with the help of a self-administered questionnaire. Results: A total of 111 farms out of the 385 required took part in the study, resulting in a total response rate of 28.8%. 89 (79.2%, 95% CI = 70.8–85.8) pig farmers who participated were unaware of PCV2, while 46 (41.4%, 95% CI = 32.7–50.7) had heard about PMWS. The level of awareness was generally poor, with an average score of 1.43 (SD ± 1.25; 23.9%). Only 23% (25/111) of the participants had a high level of awareness. To promote awareness about PCV2/PMWS, participants' most preferred sources of information were seminars, extension services (especially by veterinary and agricultural extension officers), social media (WhatsApp and YouTube), and mobile telephone (through calls or text messages). Conclusions: The present study showed a gap in the level of farmers' awareness about PCV2/ PMWS, and to bridge the gap, more scientific-based evidence is needed to promote targeted educational programs and policy formulations. Also, with the dearth of information about PCV2, it is necessary to determine its prevalence and the characteristics of the virus possibly circulating within the swine herds in Nigeria. [J Adv Vet Anim Res 2022; 9(2.000): 203-210]

Objective: The research was conducted to determine β-carotene and antioxidant activities and screening of phytochemical substances of Moringa oleifera extraction using organic solution. Materials and Methods: 550 gm of M. oliefera leaf flour was macerated. This research was conducted by laboratory experiments using the maceration method. The extraction was performed using three kinds of solvents, which are n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and methanol; for 3 x 24 h, they were concentrated with a rotary evaporator. Then, the flavonoid, phenolic, β-carotene isolation, and antioxidant tests were conducted using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl on each fraction (n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and methanol). Results: The results of weighing each concentrated extract from the maceration process of each fraction (n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and methanol) were 12.67, 35.67, and 49.29 gm, with the total phenolic content (1.4595 ± 0.361, 46.5489 ± 1.832, and 39.74574 ± 0.786) and total flavonoid content of each fraction (3.3056 ± 0.039, 58.6389 ± 2.051, and 48.9056 ± 0.0809), respectively. The antioxidant activity test on the crude extract from the ethyl acetate fractionation showed that the IC50 value was 30.309 mg/ml. The ethyl acetate fraction has a high total phenolic and flavonoid content. The results of the isolation of β-carotene from M. oleifera leaf flour were 0.4798 gm, or equivalent to 0.956% carotenoids. Conclusions: Based on the results of the research, M. oleifera leaves are identified to have a fairly high antioxidant activity, which is 30.309 mg/ml, resulting from the potential compounds in M. oleifera leaves that function as inhibitors of antioxidant activity, which are the groups of phenolic and flavonoid compounds. [J Adv Vet Anim Res 2022; 9(2.000): 246-254]

Objective: This short study describes the occurrence of pathogenic Leptospira spp. in two major wet markets in Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia. Materials and Methods: 30 rodents (20 rats and 10 shrews) were caught in 2 wet markets, and a postmortem was performed to extract both kidneys. Molecular diagnosis via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was conducted to detect leptospiral DNA using universal and pathogenic Leptospira primers, respectively. Results: The results showed that 20/28 (72%) rat samples were detected positive for Leptospira spp, and all shrews were negative. Further sequencing analysis identified L. interrogans and L. borgpetersenii as the most frequently Leptospirosis species from kidney samples. Conclusions: The presented study here sheds light on the presence of pathogenic leptospires har¬boring the rat population in both wet markets in Kelantan, which presents a great public health risk to wet market workers and visitors. [J Adv Vet Anim Res 2022; 9(2.000): 275-281]

Objective: To study the impact of early metabolic profiling and intervention measures in the peri¬parturient period on the occurrence of postparturient metabolic diseases in cows. Materials and Methods: Using a cohort of dairy cows from two selected areas of Bangladesh, we routinely tested the serum calcium level and ketone bodies in the urine at periparturient periods. In addition, milk samples were tested for the presence of mastitis at different stages of lactation. Animals showing reduced serum calcium levels, high ketone bodies in the urine or the presence of clinical and subclinical mastitis received appropriate therapeutic intervention immediately after detection. After the intervention, the number of animals that got sick with diseases or conditions like milk fever, ketosis, mastitis, and dystocia, which are caused by metabolic problems, was recorded. Results: In the periparturient period, most of the animals had lower serum calcium levels (8.13 ± 1.2 mg/dl), which were significantly increased by the following intervention (10.05 ± 1.4 mg/dl). On the other hand, there was a higher number of ketosis-affected animals (33.9%, 20/59) during the periparturient period, which decreased (18.6%, 11/59) during the postparturient period. Similarly, the number of mastitis-affected cows was also decreased in postparturient cows (30.9%, 13/42) than in periparturient cows (59.5%, 25/42), following improved hygienic measures. After early intervention, the number of study animals with metabolic diseases decreased from 51.7% before intervention to 15.3% after intervention. Conclusions: Early metabolic profiling significantly reduced the occurrence of metabolic diseases in cows. Therefore, we recommend regular metabolic profiling of dairy cows and receiving early intervention measures to reduce the occurrence of metabolic diseases on the farm. [J Adv Vet Anim Res 2022; 9(2.000): 295-300]

Objective: A 35-day-long trial was conducted to compare the consequences of supplementing citric acid (CA), Spirulina platensis, and their combination as natural substitutes for antibiotic growth promoters (AGP) on the productive performance, dressing percentage, and blood serum metabolites of broilers. Materials and Methods: A total of 150-day-old Cobb-500 broiler chicks were randomly assigned to 5 dietary treatment groups, each having 30 chicks in it (10 chicks per replicate cage). The dietary groups were as follows: 1- Control (corn–soybean-based), 2- Control + antibiotic (Enrofloxacin, 10 mg/kg bodyweight), 3- Control + 1% S. platensis, 4- Control + 0.5% CA, and 5- Control + 1% spirulina + 0.5% CA. Starting from day 7 up to day 21, antibiotics were administered via water; spirulina and CA were offered via feed. Results: When compared to the control, all dietary supplements significantly (p < 0.05) improved broiler growth performance. However, dressing characteristics and serum metabolites (serum creatinine, albumin, and uric acid) were not influenced (p > 0.05) by dietary changes, except cholesterol level (p < 0.05). Supplementation with antibiotics, CA, and spirulina produced com-parable results. Among them, the CA-fed group recorded the highest live weight, weight gain, feed intake, improved feed conversion ratio, and the lowest serum cholesterol level (106.5 mg/ dl). The combination group performed better than the control, but not as well as their single supplementations. Conclusions: CA and S. platensis might both be good candidates as natural alternatives to AGP (Enrofloxacin). But, among them, CA performed better in terms of production performance. [J Adv Vet Anim Res 2022; 9(1.000): 1-7]

Objective: The information about risk factors for a high stillbirth rate in piglets is inadequate. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine important risk factors for an extremely high stillbirth rate in a commercial pig farm in Vietnam. Materials and Methods: This study included 628 piglets and 45 Landrace × Yorkshire sows. Data including parity number, gestation length (GL), litter size (LS), piglet's gender, stillbirth, birth order, birth interval (BI), cumulative farrowing duration (CFD), birth weight (BW), crown-rump length (CRL), body mass index, and ponderal index (PI) were collected. To deal with hierarchical data where several piglets might be born from a sow, Generalized Linear Mixed Models (GLMMs) were used to examine the association between stillbirth and investigated risk factors. Results: The stillbirth rate was 14.3%, and the incidence of stillbirth at the litter level was 68.9%. The final multivariate GLMM selected eight factors, including CFD, BI, CRL, BW, PI, GL, LS, and parity, as significant risk factors for stillbirth in the piglet. CFD >90 min, BI > 30 min, CRL [J Adv Vet Anim Res 2022; 9(1.000): 13-18]

Objective: This study aimed to determine acaricide resistance in Rhipicephalus decoloratus ticks collected from grazing cattle between November 2018 and May 2019 in Elundini, Senqu, and Walter Sisulu Local Municipalities in the northeastern region of the Eastern Cape Province. Materials and Methods: A sample of 20–30 adult engorged female R. decoloratus ticks were collected from at least 10 randomly selected cattle (highly tick-infested) at each dip tank and placed into the labelled plastic collection bottles containing absorbent paper and with a perforated lid at a constant room temperature of ±28&#xb0;C and >70% relative humidity until resistance testing commenced. The Shaw larval immersion test method was used to determine R. decoloratus larvae resistance to various acaricide concentration levels [amidines, organophosphate (OP), and synthetic pyrethroids (SPs)]. Results: This study found that most ticks were susceptible to exposure to different acaricide field concentrations of amidines (49% at 250 ppm), OPs (33% and 47% at 300 ppm and 500 ppm, respectively), and SPs (44% and 23% at 150 ppm and 300 ppm, respectively). The resistance test¬ing results showed no resistance to amidines at any localities and no resistance to OP in the Senqu region. However, resistance development of the larvae to amines, OPs, and SPs was extensively observed in Senqu (18%, 6%, and 7%), Elundini (15%, 15%, and 17%), and Walter Sisulu (13%, 19%, and 9%) regions, respectively. Conclusions: The larvae's resistance is a cause for worry. Hence, the continuous monitoring of tick resistance to commonly used acaricides will help mitigate widespread acaricidal resistance and sustain livestock productivity. [J Adv Vet Anim Res 2022; 9(1.000): 33-41]

Objective: This work investigated the impact of acidified turmeric on growth, blood profile, and gut bacterial counts of broiler chickens stocked in an overcrowding stress condition. Materials and Methods: A total of 285 14-day-old Lohmann broiler strains were distributed to T0 (chicks receiving basal feed raised at a density of 9 chicks/m2), T1 (chicks receiving basal feed raised at 16 chicks/m2), T2 (chicks receiving 1% turmeric powder raised at 16 chicks/m2), and T3 (chicks receiving 1% acidified turmeric powder raised at 16 chicks/m2). Body weight and feed intake were determined weekly. On day 37, blood and intestinal content were collected and analyzed. Results: Body weight was higher while feed conversion ratio was lower in T0 than in other groups. Compared to T0, T1 had a lower thymus weight. Erythrocytes and hematocrits were greater in T0 than in T2 and T3. Hemoglobin was higher in T0 than in T3. Serum superoxide dismutase differed as T0 < T1 < T2. Ileal coliform was higher in T0 than in T1 and T3. Lactic acid bacteria counts were higher in T0 and T1 than in T2 and T3. Conclusions: Acidified turmeric was capable of maintaining the relative weight of the immune organ and ameliorating the oxidative stress of the broiler during overcrowding stress. [J Adv Vet Anim Res 2022; 9(1.000): 87-94]

Objectives: Streptococcus agalactiae is a zoonotic human and animal pathogen that causes global economic losses in aquaculture and fatal outcomes in Tilapia. This study aimed to identify S. agalactiae isolated from different fish sources intended for human consumption phenotypically and genotypically and to characterize the virulence-associated genes fbsA (fibrinogen-binding protein FbsA), cfb (CAMP factor), and pbp1A/ponA (penicillin-binding protein 1A). Materials and Methods: Three hundred Nile Tilapia fish (Oreochromis niloticus) were collected from different farms and retail shops in Dakahlia and Damietta, Egypt, during the summer of 2020. The samples were examined using routine phenotypic methods, then characterized using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting S. agalactiae-specific dltS gene. All S. agalactiae isolates were examined for the susceptibility to ten antimicrobial agents by the disc diffusion method. The virulence-associated genes (fbsA, cfb, and pbp1A/ponA) were characterized using multiplex-PCR. Results: Streptococcus agalactiae was detected in 7% (n = 21/300) samples. The isolates showed high resistance against ampicillin and erythromycin (20/21; 95%) for each. The most predominant antibiotypes through isolates were P, CN, SXT, CRO, TE, CTX, E, AMP, at 10.5% for each antibiotype. A total of 19 (90.5%) of S. agalactiae isolates showed multi-drug resistance (MDR), and those were recovered from market Tilapia fish. The virulence-associated genes (fbsA, cfb, and pbp1A/ ponA) were identified in the S. agalactiae as 100%, 76%, and 52%, respectively. Conclusions: The MDR S. agalactiae detected in raw Tilapia fish pose a significant health hazard to consumers due to their zoonotic characteristics. [J Adv Vet Anim Res 2022; 9(1.000): 95-103]