Objective: This study aimed to make an inventory of animal diseases that affect milk production and the plants locally used against these diseases.Materials and methods: A survey was carried out from April to August 2013 in 41 farms in department of Collines, 40 in Alibori, 40 in Borgou and 21 in Mono using questionnaires. SAS software was used with Chi-square test and bilateral Z test.Results: The study revealed twelve main pathologies that limit milk production. Among these pathologies, foot-and-mouth disease and trypanosomiasis were the most mentioned pathologies. To fight these pathologies, 60 medicinal plants of 32 families were recorded. The most cited families were Leguminosae (31.67%), Combretaceae (6.67%), Meliaceae (5%) and Rubiaceae (5%), whereas the predominant species used by animal keepers were Khaya senagalensis, Vitellaria paradoxa, Parkia biglobosa and Securidaca longipedunculata. The 60 listed species were used in 85 recipes which varied from one department and farmer to another. The most used organs were plant barks (41.06%) and roots (31.13%), while the most common methods of preparation were decoction (37.5%), maceration (32.5%) and powders (22.5%). Oral route was the main route of administration.Conclusion: The inventory has shown that the important pathologies are foot-and-mouth disease and trypanosomiasis. This needs immediate actions. Barks and roots were the commonly employed plant organs used as infusion (decoction and maceration) and powder that farmers administer orally to animals. The harvest did not require a special season or time. Furthermore, farmers inherited most of these recipes from their parents and they use them because of their effectiveness.http://doi.org/10.5455/javar.2017.d183

Objective: This study aimed to make an inventory of animal diseases that affect milk production and the plants locally used against these diseases. Materials and methods: A survey was carried out from April to August 2013 in 41 farms in department of Collines, 40 in Alibori, 40 in Borgou and 21 in Mono using questionnaires. SAS software was used with Chi-square test and bilateral Z test. Results: The study revealed twelve main pathologies that limit milk production. Among these pathologies, foot-and-mouth disease and trypanosomiasis were the most mentioned pathologies. To fight these pathologies, 60 medicinal plants of 32 families were recorded. The most cited families were Leguminosae (31.67%), Combretaceae (6.67%), Meliaceae (5%) and Rubiaceae (5%), whereas the predominant species used by animal keepers were Khaya senagalensis, Vitellaria paradoxa, Parkia biglobosa and Securidaca longipedunculata. The 60 listed species were used in 85 recipes which varied from one department and farmer to another. The most used organs were plant barks (41.06%) and roots (31.13%), while the most common methods of preparation were decoction (37.5%), maceration (32.5%) and powders (22.5%). Oral route was the main route of administration. Conclusion: The inventory has shown that the important pathologies are foot-and-mouth disease and trypanosomiasis. This needs immediate actions. Barks and roots were the commonly employed plant organs used as infusion (decoction and maceration) and powder that farmers administer orally to animals. The harvest did not require a special season or time. Furthermore, farmers inherited most of these recipes from their parents and they use them because of their effectiveness. [J Adv Vet Anim Res 2017; 4(1.000): 1-14]

Objective: This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of Salmonella in milk (farm bulk milk, raw market milk) and cheese (kareish, white soft cheese) samples that were collected randomly from farms, supermarkets, small vendors and shops in different districts of Mansoura city, Egypt.Materials and methods: A total of 100 farm bulk milk, raw market milk, kareish cheese and white soft cheese samples (25 of each) were screened for the prevalence of Salmonella spp. The Salmonella isolates were isolated and identified by conventional bacteriological techniques, which were further confirmed genetically by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based on the presence of invA gene. Finally, the isolates were serotyped.Results: Salmonella could be detected in 15%(n=15/100) samples with a prevalence of 12%(n=3/25), 24%(n=6/25), 20%(n=5/25) and 4%(n=1/25) in raw market milk, raw farm bulk milk, kareish cheese and white soft cheese, respectively. The Salmonella isolates were serotyped into S. enteritidis 33.3%(n=9/27) which was the most frequent, followed by S. typhimurium 25.9%(n=7/27), S. heidelberg 14.8%(n=4/27), S. infantis 11.11%(n=3/27), S. tsevie 11.11%(n=3/27) and S. haifa 3.7%(n=1/27).Conclusion: The present study confirms the presence of Salmonella in milk and cheese samples in Mansoura, Egypt, indicating that the dairy products can act as potential sources of Salmonella infection. Thus, appropriate hygienic measures are suggestive for combating Salmonellosis in Egypt. http://doi.org/10.5455/javar.2017.d189

Objective: This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of Salmonella in milk (farm bulk milk, raw market milk) and cheese (kareish, white soft cheese) samples that were collected randomly from farms, supermarkets, small vendors and shops in different districts of Mansoura city, Egypt. Materials and methods: A total of 100 farm bulk milk, raw market milk, kareish cheese and white soft cheese samples (25 of each) were screened for the prevalence of Salmonella spp. The Salmonella isolates were isolated and identified by conventional bacteriological techniques, which were further confirmed genetically by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based on the presence of invA gene. Finally, the isolates were serotyped. Results: Salmonella could be detected in 15%(n=15/100) samples with a prevalence of 12%(n=3/25), 24%(n=6/25), 20%(n=5/25) and 4%(n=1/25) in raw market milk, raw farm bulk milk, kareish cheese and white soft cheese, respectively. The Salmonella isolates were serotyped into S. enteritidis 33.3%(n=9/27) which was the most frequent, followed by S. typhimurium 25.9%(n=7/27), S. heidelberg 14.8%(n=4/27), S. infantis 11.11%(n=3/27), S. tsevie 11.11%(n=3/27) and S. haifa 3.7%(n=1/27). Conclusion: The present study confirms the presence of Salmonella in milk and cheese samples in Mansoura, Egypt, indicating that the dairy products can act as potential sources of Salmonella infection. Thus, appropriate hygienic measures are suggestive for combating Salmonellosis in Egypt. [J Adv Vet Anim Res 2017; 4(1.000): 45-51]

Objective: This study was aimed at clinical evaluation of surgical wound healing in goats treated with ethanolic extract of turmeric (Curcuma longa) rhizomes through topical route.Materials and methods: Eighteen surgical wounds were made in nine goats. The goats were divided into three groups; Group 1 (test group) was treated with ethanolic extract of turmeric, Group 2 (standard group) was treated with Povidone iodine, and the Group 3 was kept as untreated control. Follow up information was recorded from day 0 to day 21 postoperatively. Some morphological characters such as swelling area of wound, elevation of suture line from the skin surface, width of the suture area and contraction length per week were considered to determine the healing process. Bacteriological evaluation was done by conventional bacteriological techniques, and the tissue biopsies were stained by hematoxylin and eosin stains for histopathological studies.Results: Swelling of suturing area (11.51±0.36 mm) and elevation of suture line (2.65±0.41 mm) were lowest in wounds treated with ethanolic extract of turmeric. In histopathological studies, it was seen that tissue debris and hemorrhages disappeared and a thin line of keratin layer reappeared on the epidermal surface of the wound treated with ethanolic extract of turmeric.Conclusion: Ethanol treated turmeric enhances wound healing process in goats. This result could help the veterinarian and the researchers to consider herbal product especially ethanolic extract of turmeric for the treatment and better healing of surgical wounds with minimal complications.http://doi.org/10.5455/javar.2017.d209XML    PubReader

Objective: This study was aimed at clinical evaluation of surgical wound healing in goats treated with ethanolic extract of turmeric (Curcuma longa) rhizomes through topical route. Materials and methods: Eighteen surgical wounds were made in nine goats. The goats were divided into three groups; Group 1 (test group) was treated with ethanolic extract of turmeric, Group 2 (standard group) was treated with Povidone iodine, and the Group 3 was kept as untreated control. Follow up information was recorded from day 0 to day 21 postoperatively. Some morphological characters such as swelling area of wound, elevation of suture line from the skin surface, width of the suture area and contraction length per week were considered to determine the healing process. Bacteriological evaluation was done by conventional bacteriological techniques, and the tissue biopsies were stained by hematoxylin and eosin stains for histopathological studies. Results: Swelling of suturing area (11.51±0.36 mm) and elevation of suture line (2.65±0.41 mm) were lowest in wounds treated with ethanolic extract of turmeric. In histopathological studies, it was seen that tissue debris and hemorrhages disappeared and a thin line of keratin layer reappeared on the epidermal surface of the wound treated with ethanolic extract of turmeric. Conclusion: Ethanol treated turmeric enhances wound healing process in goats. This result could help the veterinarian and the researchers to consider herbal product especially ethanolic extract of turmeric for the treatment and better healing of surgical wounds with minimal complications. [J Adv Vet Anim Res 2017; 4(2.000): 181-186]

Since 1982, farmers in the North West province and other parts of South Africa have noticed an increase in the incidence of lameness in cattle. Macro- and microscopical lesions of joints resembled osteochondrosis. Pre-trial data indicated that cattle with osteochondrotic lesions recovered almost completely when fed a supplement containing bio-available micro- and macrominerals of high quality. In the present trial, 43 clinically affected cattle of varying ages (1–5 years) and sexes were randomly divided into three groups. Each group was fed the same commercial supplement base with differing micro- and macromineral concentrations to determine the effect of mineral concentrations on the recovery from osteochondrosis. Both supplements 1 and 2 contained 25% of the recommended National Research Council (NRC) mineral values. Additional phosphate was added to supplement 2. Supplement 3, containing 80% of the NRC mineral values, was used as the control. Results from all three groups indicated no recovery from osteochondrosis. Urine pH of a small sample of the test cattle showed aciduria (pH 6). Supplement analysis revealed addition of ammonium sulphate that contributed sulphate and nitrogen to the supplement. Supplementary dietary cation anion difference (DCAD) values were negative at -411 mEq/kg, -466 mEq/kg and -467 mEq/kg for supplements 1, 2 and 3, respectively, whereas the pre-trial supplement was calculated at +19.87 mEq/kg. It was hypothesised that feeding a low (negative) DCAD diet will predispose growing cattle to the development of osteochondrosis or exacerbate subclinical or clinical osteochondrosis in cattle.

Since 1982, farmers in the North West province and other parts of South Africa have noticed an increase in the incidence of lameness in cattle. Macro- and microscopical lesions of joints resembled osteochondrosis. Pre-trial data indicated that cattle with osteochondrotic lesions recovered almost completely when fed a supplement containing bio-available micro- and macrominerals of high quality. In the present trial, 43 clinically affected cattle of varying ages (1–5 years) and sexes were randomly divided into three groups. Each group was fed the same commercial supplement base with differing micro- and macromineral concentrations to determine the effect of mineral concentrations on the recovery from osteochondrosis. Both supplements 1 and 2 contained 25% of the recommended National Research Council (NRC) mineral values. Additional phosphate was added to supplement 2. Supplement 3, containing 80% of the NRC mineral values, was used as the control. Results from all three groups indicated no recovery from osteochondrosis. Urine pH of a small sample of the test cattle showed aciduria (pH < 6). Supplement analysis revealed addition of ammonium sulphate that contributed sulphate and nitrogen to the supplement. Supplementary dietary cation anion difference (DCAD) values were negative at -411 mEq/kg, -466 mEq/kg and -467 mEq/kg for supplements 1, 2 and 3, respectively, whereas the pre-trial supplement was calculated at +19.87 mEq/kg. It was hypothesised that feeding a low (negative) DCAD diet will predispose growing cattle to the development of osteochondrosis or exacerbate subclinical or clinical osteochondrosis in cattle.

Identifying antigenic proteins and mapping their epitopes is important for the development of diagnostic reagents and recombinant vaccines. B-cell epitopes of African horse sickness virus (AHSV) have previously been mapped on VP2, VP5, VP7 and NS1, using mouse, rabbit and chicken monoclonal antibodies. A comprehensive study of the humoral immune response of five vaccinated horses to AHSV-4 antigenic peptides was undertaken. A fragmented-genome phage display library expressing a repertoire of AHSV-4 peptides spanning the entire genome was constructed. The library was affinity selected for binders on immobilised polyclonal immunoglobulin G (IgG) isolated from horse sera collected pre- and post-immunisation with an attenuated AHSV-4 monovalent vaccine. The DNA inserts of binding phages were sequenced with Illumina high-throughput sequencing. The data were normalised using preimmune IgG-selected sequences. More sequences mapped to the genes coding for NS3, VP6 and VP5 than to the other genes. However, VP2 and VP5 each had more antigenic regions than each of the other proteins. This study identified a number of epitopes to which the horse’s humoral immune system responds during immunisation with AHSV-4.

Identifying antigenic proteins and mapping their epitopes is important for the development of diagnostic reagents and recombinant vaccines. B-cell epitopes of African horse sickness virus (AHSV) have previously been mapped on VP2, VP5, VP7 and NS1, using mouse, rabbit and chicken monoclonal antibodies. A comprehensive study of the humoral immune response of five vaccinated horses to AHSV-4 antigenic peptides was undertaken. A fragmented-genome phage display library expressing a repertoire of AHSV-4 peptides spanning the entire genome was constructed. The library was affinity selected for binders on immobilised polyclonal immunoglobulin G (IgG) isolated from horse sera collected pre- and post-immunisation with an attenuated AHSV-4 monovalent vaccine. The DNA inserts of binding phages were sequenced with Illumina high-throughput sequencing. The data were normalised using preimmune IgG-selected sequences. More sequences mapped to the genes coding for NS3, VP6 and VP5 than to the other genes. However, VP2 and VP5 each had more antigenic regions than each of the other proteins. This study identified a number of epitopes to which the horse’s humoral immune system responds during immunisation with AHSV-4.

Several nucleic acid-based assays have been developed for detecting Anaplasma marginale and Anaplasma centrale in vectors and hosts, making the choice of method to use in endemic areas difficult. We evaluated the ability of the reverse line blot (RLB) hybridisation assay, two nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR) assays and a duplex real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay to detect A. marginale and A. centrale infections in cattle (n = 66) in South Africa. The lowest detection limits for A. marginale plasmid DNA were 2500 copies by the RLB assay, 250 copies by the nPCR and qPCR assays and 2500, 250 and 25 copies of A. centrale plasmid DNA by the RLB, nPCR and qPCR assays respectively. The qPCR assay detected more A. marginale- and A. centrale-positive samples than the other assays, either as single or mixed infections. Although the results of the qPCR and nPCR tests were in agreement for the majority (38) of A. marginale-positive samples, 13 samples tested negative for A. marginale using nPCR but positive using qPCR. To explain this discrepancy, the target sequence region of the nPCR assay was evaluated by cloning and sequencing the msp1β gene from selected field samples. The results indicated sequence variation in the internal forward primer (AM100) area amongst the South African A. marginale msp1β sequences, resulting in false negatives. We propose the use of the duplex qPCR assay in future studies as it is more sensitive and offers the benefits of quantification and multiplex detection of both Anaplasma spp.

Several nucleic acid-based assays have been developed for detecting Anaplasma marginale and Anaplasma centrale in vectors and hosts, making the choice of method to use in endemic areas difficult. We evaluated the ability of the reverse line blot (RLB) hybridisation assay, two nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR) assays and a duplex real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay to detect A. marginale and A. centrale infections in cattle (n = 66) in South Africa. The lowest detection limits for A. marginale plasmid DNA were 2500 copies by the RLB assay, 250 copies by the nPCR and qPCR assays and 2500, 250 and 25 copies of A. centrale plasmid DNA by the RLB, nPCR and qPCR assays respectively. The qPCR assay detected more A. marginale- and A. centrale-positive samples than the other assays, either as single or mixed infections. Although the results of the qPCR and nPCR tests were in agreement for the majority (38) of A. marginale-positive samples, 13 samples tested negative for A. marginale using nPCR but positive using qPCR. To explain this discrepancy, the target sequence region of the nPCR assay was evaluated by cloning and sequencing the msp1β gene from selected field samples. The results indicated sequence variation in the internal forward primer (AM100) area amongst the South African A. marginale msp1β sequences, resulting in false negatives. We propose the use of the duplex qPCR assay in future studies as it is more sensitive and offers the benefits of quantification and multiplex detection of both Anaplasma spp.

A convenience sample of sheep and cattle herds around the cities of Harare, Kwekwe and Bulawayo, located in the Highveld region of Zimbabwe, was used to estimate the seroprevalence and sero-incidence of bluetongue virus (BTV) and epizootic haemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV) antibodies. A competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to identify serum antibodies against BTV and EHDV across three rainy seasons. The median sero-prevalence of BTV and EHDV antibodies in cattle was 62% (interquartile range [IQR]: 30–89) and 56% (IQR: 5–77), respectively. In sheep, the median sero-prevalence of BTV and EHDV was 41% (IQR: 19–63) and 0% (IQR: 0–21), respectively. Median sero-incidences of BTV and EHDV antibodies in cattle of 43% (IQR: 22–67) and 27% (IQR: 9–57) respectively were recorded. The median sero-incidence of BTV in sheep was 14% (IQR: 6–23). Based on these preliminary findings, animal health workers in Zimbabwe should continue to monitor the exposure rates of cattle and sheep to BTV and consider the possibility of strains emerging with increased pathogenicity. There are no previous published reports of antibodies against EHDV in Zimbabwe so the possibility of epizootic haemorrhagic disease existing in domestic livestock should now be considered by Zimbabwean animal health officials. Seroconversions to BTV and EHDV occurred predominantly at the end of each rainy season (March and April), which generally corresponds to high numbers of the Culicoides vectors. BTV isolations were made from three individual cows in two of the sentinel herds and all three were identified as serotype 3. This is the first time BTV serotype 3 has been recorded in Zimbabwe, although its presence in neighbouring South Africa is well documented.

A convenience sample of sheep and cattle herds around the cities of Harare, Kwekwe and Bulawayo, located in the Highveld region of Zimbabwe, was used to estimate the seroprevalence and sero-incidence of bluetongue virus (BTV) and epizootic haemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV) antibodies. A competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to identify serum antibodies against BTV and EHDV across three rainy seasons. The median sero-prevalence of BTV and EHDV antibodies in cattle was 62% (interquartile range [IQR]: 30–89) and 56% (IQR: 5–77), respectively. In sheep, the median sero-prevalence of BTV and EHDV was 41% (IQR: 19–63) and 0% (IQR: 0–21), respectively. Median sero-incidences of BTV and EHDV antibodies in cattle of 43% (IQR: 22–67) and 27% (IQR: 9–57) respectively were recorded. The median sero-incidence of BTV in sheep was 14% (IQR: 6–23). Based on these preliminary findings, animal health workers in Zimbabwe should continue to monitor the exposure rates of cattle and sheep to BTV and consider the possibility of strains emerging with increased pathogenicity. There are no previous published reports of antibodies against EHDV in Zimbabwe so the possibility of epizootic haemorrhagic disease existing in domestic livestock should now be considered by Zimbabwean animal health officials. Seroconversions to BTV and EHDV occurred predominantly at the end of each rainy season (March and April), which generally corresponds to high numbers of the Culicoides vectors. BTV isolations were made from three individual cows in two of the sentinel herds and all three were identified as serotype 3. This is the first time BTV serotype 3 has been recorded in Zimbabwe, although its presence in neighbouring South Africa is well documented.