Eosinophils represent the most active cells in mammals that show protective and assistive activity in the host immune defence against helminth parasites. These cells are also responsible for the reduction of allergic and inflammatory reactions. The eosinophils play a key role in allergic reactions by secretion of different chemical molecules leading to swelling, lesions and granuloma onset.

Maedi-visna virus and caprine arthritis encephalitis virus are two closely related lentiviruses which cause multisystemic, progressive and persistent infection in goats and sheep. Because these viruses frequently cross the species barrier, they are considered to be one genetic group called small-ruminant lentiviruses (SRLV). They have in vivo tropism mainly for monocytes and macrophages and organ tropism with unknown mechanisms. Typical clinical signs are pneumonia in sheep, arthritis in goats, and mastitis in both species. Infection with SRLV cannot currently be treated or prevented, and control programmes are the only approaches to avoiding its spread. These programmes rely mainly on annual serological testing and elimination of positive animals. However, the high genetic and antigenic variability of SRLV complicate their early and definitive diagnosis. The objective of this review is to summarise the current knowledge of SRLV genetic variation and its implications for tropism, the development of diagnostic tests and vaccines and the effectiveness of control and eradication programmes.

A urethral stricture disease (USD), which is a restriction of the urethra brought on by scarring, effectively blocks the lower urinary system. By impairing the patient's capacity to pee, harming the entire urinary tract, and interfering with kidney function, this blockage can drastically diminish the patient's quality of life. Because of this, it is essential that urethral strictures, which can affect both men and women, are swiftly diagnosed and appropriately treated. Urethral stricture disease can be caused by iatrogenic injuries, due to idiopathic reasons, traumatic origin or due to inflammation. In this review we would like to throw the light on USD etiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and management.

Bovine anaplasmosis is one of the most important diseases that threaten livestock production worldwide especially in developing countries, in cattle mainly caused by obligate intra-erythrocytic Anaplasma marginale. A. marginale is transmitted biologically by ticks (Hyalomma, Rhipicephalus). Bovine anaplasmosis causes mild to severe clinical signs ranging from anorexia, fever, anemia, and respiratory manifestations to icterus and death. Molecular detection is the best method for Anaplasma diagnosis because of its ability to detect sub-clinical and carrier hosts. This study investigated the occurrence of A. marginale infection among cattle in the Qena governorate utilizing a molecular assay based the msp5 gene. A total of 100 whole blood samples were collected randomly from apparently healthy and diseased cattle. Such cattle were examined clinically, and their samples were included for microscopic examination. PCR screening of the tested cattle showed 23% (23/100) as a positive rate. While 6 samples from 100 (6%) showed A. marginale parasite in the microscopic examination. Several risk factors were analyzed in the current study, higher incidence rates were detected in animals less than 2 years than older than 2 years, Holstein-Friesian breeds than crossbreeds and in animals kept in small farms than in the mass farming system. Clinical and hematological variables were also investigated in several infected and non-infected cattle based on PCR reactivity. Fever, anorexia, respiratory manifestations, enlarged lymph nodes, pale or icteric mucous membranes and digestive disorders were reported in infected cattle (n= 23) but not in non-infected animals (n=77). Consistently, hematological variables in infected cattle (n = 10) revealed significantly lower RBCs count and hemoglobin content than those in the non-infected group (n=20) indicating hemolytic anemia. This study shows the high prevalence of A. marginale in cattle in Qena governorate associated with health hazards and multi-risk factors, so frequent usage of acaricides, regular examination of cattle, and successful chemoprophylaxis are recommended.

Rapid immunochromatography test (RICT) kits are commonly used for the diagnosis of canine parvovirus (CPV) because of their rapid turnaround time, simplicity, and ease of use. However, the potential for cross-reactivity and low sensitivity can yield false-positive or false-negative results. There are 4 genotypes of CPV. Therefore, evaluating the performance and reliability of RICT kits for CPV detection is essential to ensure accurate diagnosis for appropriate treatment. In this study, we evaluated the performance of commercial RICT kits in the diagnosis of all CPV genotypes. The cross-reactivity of 6 commercial RICT kits was evaluated using 8 dog-related viruses and 4 bacterial strains. The limit of detection (LOD) was measured for the 4 genotypes of CPV and feline panleukopenia virus. The tested kits showed no cross-reactivity with the 8 dog-related viruses or 4 bacteria. Most RICT kits showed strong positive results for CPV-2 variants (CPV-2a, CPV-2b, and CPV2c). However, the 2 kits produced negative results for CPV-2 or CPV-2b at a titer of 105 FAID50/mL, which may result in inaccurate diagnoses. Therefore, some kits need to improve their LOD by increasing their binding efficiency to detect all CPV genotypes.

Canine Monocytic Ehrlichiosis (CME) is a tick-borne disease caused by Ehrlichia canis that manifests as acute, chronic, or subclinical forms without specific clinical symptoms. This disease is diagnosed using clinical and laboratory findings (blood smears, molecular techniques, and serology). This study aimed to demonstrate the occurrence of false-positive results for Ehrlichia spp. in veterinary clinical practice. Seventy dogs with positive blood smears before treatment for Ehrlichia spp. subjected to doxycycline and imidazole treatment were analyzed using hematological examination, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and indirect immunofluorescence assay. PCR analysis identified no samples positive for E. canis according to PCR analysis, while serological techniques showed a frequency of 51.4% in dogs with antibodies (IgG) against Ehrlichia spp. There was a correlation between hyperproteinemia and titers > 10,240. Nonspecific changes occurred in 24.3% (17/70) of the patients with CME, such as anemia, leukopenia, and thrombocytopenia. The results indicated that the blood count and blood smear analysis were insufficient for diagnosis and that positive serological results associated with hematological changes suggestive of ehrlichiosis in dogs can be incorrectly assigned by a veterinarian, putting animals at risk.