A sero-epidemiological study was made of detection of toxoplasmosis between slaughter workers in Basrah abattoir city, southern Iraq. A total of (100) blood sample was collected with different ages between (20-50) years. The prevalence of toxoplasmosis was found between (45-48%).

Many clinical studies have reported that fish oil supplementation has beneficial effects supporting the idea that n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in fish oil are anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory. Sixty one-day old broiler chicks were used in this study to determine the effect of fish oil on humoral immunity. They were divided into 3 equal groups (A, B &C) and raised under the same conditions until the end of the study at 49 day of age. The birds were vaccinated 3 times against Newcastle disease, at the 7th day they were vaccinated with Hitchner B1 and at 21st day and 35th day with LaSota type vaccine. Group A was fed fish oil supplemented diet for 14 days before the 3rd vaccination, whereas group B was fed after vaccination. Group C was served as control. Serum samples have been collected at 49th day from all groups. Antibody titer was detected by HI test; 2-mercaptoethanol-sensitive IgM and 2-mercaptoethanol-resistant IgG were also measured. Serum total protein, albumin and globulins were also estimated. Differential white blood cell count was performed to detect the number of heterophils and lymphocytes and their ratio. The results indicated that HI antibody titer was significantly ( p < 0.05 ) increased in both group A and B. Two-mercaptoethanol-sensitive IgM and 2-mercaptoethanol-resistant IgG were also showed significant ( p< 0.05 ) increase of IgG in both groups. The present study was also revealed a significant (p< 0.05) increase of serum globulins of group A and B in comparison to that of control group. Heterophils and lymphocytes percentage of both treated groups (A and B) significantly higher than that of untreated control group. These results showed that 50 gm/kg of diet fish oil accelerates antibody production and maintain proper immune function in chickens fed after vaccination against Newcastle disease with LaSota type vaccine at 35th day of age.

Combination therapy of antibiotics can be used against multi drug resistant bacteria. In vitro investigation of two antibiotics combinations regimens were used against multi drug resistant local isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa that isolated from chronic otitis media patients to determine the usability of combination therapy for the treatment. The first attempt of combination therapy regimen was tested for synergy between MIC of Rifampicin 4µg/ml with MICs of Tri-methoprim 50µg/ml, Cephlexin 50µg/ml, Tetracyclin 45µg/ml, Gentamicin 4µg/ml, and Erythromycin 40µg/ml, respectively in nutrient broth medium, the results yielded synergistic action in the combination therapy of Rifampicin and Erythromycin, confirmed spectrophotometrically. The second attempt of combination therapy examined against the same isolates on nutrient agar medium between MIC of Ciprofloxacin 20µg/ml and MICs of Rifampicin 4µg/ml, Gentamicin 4µg/ml, Streptomicin 4µg/ml, Tobramicin 3µg/ml respectively, the results were exhibited full synergistic bactericidal activity that took place for four combinations therapy with MIC of Ciprofloxacin in combination with the MICs of other antibiotics.

The prefect example for microorganisms which resist heavy metals is Pseudomonas aeruginosa, it has a good ability to resist and accumulate different metal ions, This article studied the resistance ability of P. aeruginosa against different concentrations of the following metals compounds : (HgCl,MgSo4,Zn2O3,MgCO3,Na2SO4,C10H20O,EDTA,NiSO4,CuCl2 and CdCl2), and describing the role of these metals to influence the production of bacterial pigments .

Private practice became the major vocation of local veterinarians from about 1945. Soga was probably the first qualified South African veterinarian to practice privately on a limited scale in the 1800s. Jack Boswell was the first locally qualified (in 1934) veterinarian to go directly into practice without first working for the government and is regarded as the father of private practice in South Africa. Boet Bekker worked for the government before setting up a successful practice in 1935.

Although a number of brief, fragmented descriptions have been provided on the gross morphology of the ratite tongue, very few studies have documented the histological structure of this organ. This paper presents the first definitive histological description of the emu tongue and reviews, consolidates and compares the scattered information on the histology of the ratite tongue available in the literature. Five tongues were removed from heads obtained from birds at slaughter and fixed in 10 % neutral buffered formalin. Appropriate longitudinal and transverse segments were removed, routinely processed for light microscopy, and sections examined after staining with H & E and PAS. The entire tongue (body and root) is invested by a non-keratinized stratified squamous epithelium. The supporting connective tissue of the tongue dorsum displays only large, simple branched tubular mucussecreting glands, whereas the caudal tongue body ventrum and tongue root, in addition to these glands, also exhibits small, simple tubular mucus-secreting glands. Herbst corpuscles are associated with the large, simple branched glands. Lymphoid tissue is restricted to the tongue ventrum and is particularly obvious at the junction of the ventral tongue body and frenulum where a large aggregation of diffuse lymphoid tissue, with nodular tissue proximally, was consistently observed. A structure resembling a taste bud was located in the epithelium on the caudal extremity of the tongue root of one bird. This is the first reported observation of taste buds in ratites. Forming the core of the tongue body is the cartilaginous paraglossum lying dorsal to the partially ossified rostral projection of the basihyale. The histological features of the emu tongue are generally similar to those described for the greater rhea and ostrich, except that taste buds were not identified in these species. The results would suggest that the emu tongue functions as a sensory organ, both for taste and touch (by virtue of taste receptors and Herbst corpuscles, respectively), as well as fulfilling an immunological function.

A retrospective study was employed to investigate the effect of dry period length on reproduction, incidence of reproductive and metabolic disorders and milk production in Holstein cows belonging to a commercial dairy. Over a 5 year period (2000- 2005), data about reproductive performance, postpartum and metabolic disorders were collected on 1914 multiparous Holstein cows. Out of the obtained data production performance were available only for 793 cows. According to the obtained data the dry period was categorized into 10 groups of different lengths. Reproductive performances including the interval to 1st service, service period, number of inseminations per conception, day’s open, calving interval and percentage of pregnant cows within 100 days in milking (DIM) were recorded as a function of dry period length. The incidence of postpartum reproductive and metabolic disorders included retained fetal membranes (RFM), endometritis, cystic ovarian disease (COD), mastitis, milk fever (MF), ketosis and abomasal displacement were recorded as a function of dry period length. Milk production was also studied in relation to dry period length. Statistical analysis of the obtained data was performed. The most important notifiable results were: cows with dry period less than 28 days showed the best reproductive performance and the highest incidence of abomasal displacement among all groups. In general, the incidence of MF and RFM were higher in short dry period cows, while the incidence of ketosis was higher in cows with long dry period length. A highly significant difference was recorded between daily milk yield of cows with dry period less than 64 days (27.23 kg) and those of cows with dry period > 64 days (25.20 kg). Finally, it is recommended to keep the dry period of 40-60 day lengths to obtain optimum reproduction, health and production of Holstein cows.

Heartwater is an economically serious tick-borne disease of ruminants caused by the intracellular bacterium Ehrlichia ruminantium. The disease has traditionally been controlled by four different approaches : controlling the tick vector by dipping, establishing endemic stability, performing immunisation by infection and treatment, and preventing the disease by regular administration of prophylactic antibiotics. The first three of these methods are subject to failure for various epidemiological reasons, and serious disease outbreaks can occur. Prophylaxis is effective, but very expensive, and the logistics are daunting when large herds of animals are involved. The development of a safe, cheap and effective vaccine is the only likely way in which heartwater can be economically controlled, and over the past 15 years three new types of experimental vaccine have been developed: inactivated, attenuated, and recombinant vaccines. These new vaccines have shown varying degrees of promise, but none is as yet sufficiently successful to be marketable. We describe the experimental products, and the various technical and biological difficulties which are being encountered, and report on ways in which new technologies are being used to improve vaccine effectiveness.

Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP) or lung sickness, is an insidious pneumonic disease of cattle caused by Mycoplasma mycoides subspecies mycoides small colony variant (MmmSC) and it is one of the major diseases affecting cattle in Africa. With the imminent eradication of rinderpest from Africa (Somali ecosystem) CBPP has become the disease of prime concern in terms of epizootics that affect cattle on the continent. The control and/or eradication of the disease have suffered from unsustained control actions due to lack of operational funds to support such actions and deterioration in the quality of veterinary services in many countries affected by the disease. Stamping out procedures which were adopted by Botswana to control the disease (1995-1997) cannot be carried out by many countries currently affected by CBPP due to the high financial cost, the widespread nature of disease, animal welfare considerations and the potential loss of a valuable genetic resource base. The current scenario of CBPP disease epidemiology in sub-Saharan Africa requires that proactive measures are taken to safeguard countries in southern Africa which are currently free from CBPP from being contaminated by the disease thus affecting the beef industry and people's livelihoods ; and to progressively control the disease in endemic zones of Western and Central Africa.

The studies were carried out on 32 rams of the ossimi breed (270 days of age). Sixteen rams (group 1) received a ration containing 0.2 ppm. Se , and 30 mg vit.E, the other 16 rams (group 2) received 0.5 ppm. Se, and 50 mg vit.E/kg feed mixture .The feeding test was conducted from 270 days until 360 days of age. During the experiment the rams were subjected to live evaluations, i.e. testes circumference, libido level, semen characteristics, as well as selenium concentration and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity in blood serum and seminal plasma. Routine macroscopic and microscopic analyses of semen quality were accompanied by measurement of Se content and GSH-Px activity in blood and semen. The Se concentration in blood plasma, seminal fluid and spermatozoa was measured by fluorometric method, while the GSH-Px activity by method based on NADPH - coupled reaction .Comparing the results in animals of both groups , it was clear that the all were in good health conditions as ascertained by clinical examination. No significant variation was detected in body weight of animals of both groups. Significant elevation (p<0.05) in the values of semen conc., semen conc./ ejac , semen motion , sperm motility / ejac.as well as total sperms count were observed in animals of group 2 as compared to those of group 1 .