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.

Mast cell tumours (MCTs) arise in the dermis and subcutaneous tissues in animals and humans and are one of the most common neoplasms of the skin in dogs. Cannabinoid type 2 receptor (CB2R), cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor (p21) and matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MMP-1) are potential targets for novel anti-tumour therapeutic strategies. This study evaluated by immunohistochemical means the reactivity of p21, MMP-1 and CB2R proteins in association with a three-tier grading system in cutaneous canine MCTs.

This article provides an overview of the current knowledge on chlamydiae, which are intracellular bacteria belonging to the Chlamydiaceae family. Whole-genome sequencing leads to great increases in the available data about Chlamydia spp. Recently, novel chlamydial taxons in various hosts living in different environments have been recognised. New species and taxons with Candidatus status have been recorded mainly in birds and reptiles. Chlamydia gallinacea is an emerging infectious agent in poultry with indirectly confirmed zoonotic potential. Recently, a new group of avian C. abortus strains with worldwide distribution in various wild bird families has been described. The definition of C. abortus species became outdated with the discovery of these strains and has been amended. It now includes two subgroups, mammalian and avian, the latter including all isolates hitherto referred to as atypical C. psittaci or C. psittaci/C. abortus intermediates.

Listeria monocytogenes is one of the most dangerous food-borne pathogens and is responsible for human listeriosis, a severe disease with a high mortality rate, especially among the elderly, pregnant women and newborns. Therefore, this bacterium has an important impact on food safety and public health. It is able to survive and even grow in a temperature range from -0.4°C to 45°C, a broad pH range from 4.6 to 9.5 and at a relatively low water activity (aW < 0.90), and tolerates salt content up to 20%. It is also resistant to ultraviolet light, biocides and heavy metals and forms biofilm structures on a variety of surfaces in food-production environments. These features make it difficult to remove and allow it to persist for a long time, increasing the risk of contamination of food-production facilities and ultimately of food. In the present review, the key mechanisms of the pathogen’s survival and stress adaptation have been presented. This information may grant better understanding of bacterial adaptation to food environmental conditions.

Enterovirus E (EV-E) is a common viral pathogen endemic in cattle worldwide. Little is known, however, about its potential interactions with bovine immune cells.

Since the syndesmochorial placental structure of sheep does not allow the passage of large molecules from mother to offspring in intrauterine life, lambs are born hypogammaglobulinemic. The aim of this study is to compare passive transfer of immunity, neonatal morbidity and mortality, and live weight gains at day 120 between lambs receiving colostrum by suckling naturally and lambs given colostrum by bottle. 61 (n=61) lambs born to 43 sheep were randomly divided into two groups. One of the groups (NL group) received the desired amount of colostrum from the mother as they desired after birth. For the other group (BL group), access to the mothers' udder was restricted by a pouch after the lambs were born. BL group lambs were given colostrum roughly 8% of their birth weight by bottle as soon as possible after birth. Afterwards, colostrum freshly obtained from the mother was given to these lambs ad libitum every 4-6 hours during the first 24 hours. Approximately 50 ml of colostrum was taken into sterile containers from all sheep included in the study within the first 30 minutes after birth. Blood samples were taken from lambs for IgG analysis 36-48 hours after the first colostrum intake. Both serum and colostrum IgG analyses were performed by Radial Immunodiffusion (RID) method.  Serum IgG concentrations of lambs in the BL group (3155.41±1245.25 mg/dl) were found to be higher than serum IgG concentrations of lambs in the NL group (2097.02±1213.07 mg/dl). When the results were compared using Independent Samples T test, the difference between the two groups was very statistically significant (p&lt;0.001). Neonatal morbidity and mortality were higher in lambs in the NL group (46.6%, 23.2%, respectively) than in lambs in the BL group (22.6%, 12.9%, respectively). Failure of Passive Transfer of Immunity (FPT) in lambs in the NL group (30%) was much higher than in lambs in the BL group (6.45%). Although the average Live Weight (LW) of lambs in the BL group (40.70 +7.84 kg) was higher than the average of lambs in the NL group (36.47+10.46 kg), this difference was statistically insignificant. In conclusion, giving lambs colostrum by bottle as soon as possible after birth without waiting for lambs to naturally receive colostrum from the mother results in better Passive Transfer and, accordingly, lower neonatal morbidity and mortality, and thus can help reduce economic loss in sheep breeding enterprises.

Lead is one of the most important pollutants in the environment and food chain. This heavy metal causes serious health risks, especially cancer, in humans and animals. Taurine is an amino acid that can be synthesized mainly from methionine and cysteine and is used especially in the food industry. This study investigated the possible protective role of taurine on reproductive performance and DNA damage in Drosophila melanogaster exposed to lead. Lead and taurine were added to the broth of D. melanogaster at 100 µM and 3 mM, respectively, for 15 days. The Comet method was used for the determination of DNA damage. It was found that there was raise in DNA damage in the lead-administered groups, whereas taurine reduced the DNA damage induced by lead. In addition, it was determined that lead caused a decrease, whereas taurine had a positive effect on reproductive performance. As a result, it was determined that taurine prevented the negative effects of lead on D. melanogaster and showed protective properties.

The purpose of this study is to investigate relationship between milk somatic cell count (SCC), total bacteria count (TBC), milk glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and serum paraoxonase (PON) levels, to identify the role of these parameters in subclinical mastitis at cows in the first 100 days of lactation. Animal material of this study consists of 100 Holstein dairy cows which were raised in a farm in Ankara province. Selected animals were hosted under same conditions and had suitable feeding regimen for appropriate period and were in the first 100 days of lactation. Cows which have less than 200x103 somatic cell counts in two different analysis which performed 7-10 days apart considered as healthy (n=50), and which had 200x103 somatic cell counts in two different counts performed 7-10 days apart considered as subclinical mastitis (n=50). Serum paraoxonase (PON) activity was lower in cows with subclinical mastitis than healthy ones (p&lt;0.001), and GSH-Px activity was higher in cows with subclinical mastitis (p&lt;0.001). It was concluded that the changes in milk SOD and GSH-Px levels are affected by the antioxidant system of the udder in subclinical mastitis, that formed oxidative stress and because of that serum PON and milk somatic cell and total bacteria have negative correlation. In conclusion, it was pointed out that serum PON activity can be used as a marker in the diagnosis of subclinical mastitis and evaluation of the antioxidant status of the udder. Also, it was stood out to importance of udder antioxidant mechanisms to understand pathogenesis of subclinical mastitis especially occurs in first 100 days of lactation.