The study of canine vector-borne diseases in the Philippines started in the 1970s but only gained interest in the past decade. Characterization of such diseases in the Philippines remains incomplete, thus, it is necessary to obtain additional information on the prevalence and diversity of canine tick-borne diseases in the country. In this study, blood samples were obtained at two veterinary clinics in Metro Manila, Philippines from 114 dogs suspected of having canine tick-borne pathogens. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed on whole blood DNA extracts followed by sequencing, and the following pathogens were detected: Hepatozoon (H.) canis (5.26%), Babesia (B.) vogeli (5.26%), Ehrlichia (E.) canis (4.39%), and Anaplasma platys (3.51%). Additionally, a set of multiplex PCR primers were developed to detect H. canis, Babesia spp. (B. canis and B. vogeli), and E. canis in canine blood. Multiplex and conventional single-reaction PCR results for the 114 dog blood samples were similar, except for one H. canis sample. Multiplex PCR is, therefore, a useful tool in screening infected dogs in veterinary clinics. This study’s results, together with those of previous studies in the country, show that canine vector-borne pathogens are an emerging veterinary concern in the Philippines.

Objective: This study assessed the applicability of loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) for the detection of leptospirosis among domesticated animals and sewage rats. Specifically, it evaluated the ability of LAMP to amplify Leptospira spp. targeting the 16s rRNA gene in boiled urine samples. Materials and methods: A total of 140 samples from different domestic animals were tested for the presence of the antigen. A nested-polymerase chain reaction (nPCR) protocol was used to compare and determine the sensitivity of LAMP in detecting Leptospira spp. The LAMP was also evaluated by comparing its amplification result using agarose gel electrophoresis and color change using dye. Results: Positivity rate of Leptospira spp. antigen was 29.0% (40/140) for LAMP and 9.3% (13/140) for nPCR. Also, LAMP results for gel electrophoresis and dye color change varied in some samples that may be due to the interpretation of the result in dye color change. Conclusion: Overall, LAMP is a rapid, sensitive, and cost-effective diagnostic method compared with nPCR. Also, LAMP has a potential application as pen-side screening, surveillance, and clinical diagnostic kits of infectious diseases without requiring advance equipment and skilled personnel. [J Adv Vet Anim Res 2018; 5(4.000): 459-465]

The population growth, urbanization, and income growth that fuelled the increase in meat and milk consumption during the last two decades are expected to continue in the future, creating a veritable "Livestock Revolution". This revolution presents new and expanding market opportunities for smallholder livestock producers. Inappropriate policies and misallocation of investment resources could, however, skew the distribution of the benefits and opportunities away from those smallholders who would potentially gain the most from this revolution. In this context, a search for policies designed to enhance the benefits to smallholders seems appropriate. This study provides an empirical basis for identifying options to increase the participation of smallholders in livestock markets in the Philippines. We present a model of household entry into markets where smallholders make decisions about participation (whether to sell quantities of products) and supply (how much of the various quantities to sell). The theory is implemented using probit and Tobit techniques that exploit Gibbs-sampling and data-augmentation. Application to a sample of Philippine smallholders reveals important insights about the competing influences of transactions costs, labour mobility, capital formation and credit use on the market participation and supply decisions. The offsetting impacts of conflicting factors complicate the roles for policy in the context of expanding the density of participation in the study site.