Practicing veterinarians play an important role in detecting the initial outbreak of disease in animal populations. A pilot study was conducted to determine the feasibility of a veterinary-based surveillance system for the Ontario swine industry. A total of 7 practitioners from 5 clinics agreed to submit information from July 1, 2007 to June 30, 2008. The surveillance program was evaluated in terms of timeliness, compliance, geographic coverage, and data quality. Our study showed that the veterinary-based surveillance system was acceptable to practitioners and produced useful data. The program obtained information from 25% of pig farms in Ontario during this time period. However, better communication with practitioners, more user-friendly recording systems that can be adapted to each clinic’s management system, active involvement of the clinics’ technical personnel, and the use of financial incentives may help to improve compliance and timeliness.

Feline serum samples (n = 434) were classified as hypercalcemic, normocalcemic, or hypocalcemic based on both total calcium (tCa) and ionized calcium (iCa) concentrations. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), positive diagnostic likelihood ratio (PDLR), and negative diagnostic likelihood ratio (NDLR) were calculated for prediction of hypercalcemia and hypocalcemia in all samples, in hypoalbuminemic cats, and in those with chronic renal failure (CRF) as compared with cats that had other conditions. Diagnostic discordance in prediction of iCa using tCa was 40%. Sensitivity of tCa in prediction of ionized hypercalcemia was low and specificity was high. The PDLR for prediction of ionized hypercalcemia or hypocalcemia was low in all cats, especially in those with CRF. Due to the high level of diagnostic discordance, tCa should not be used to predict iCa concentration. Concentration of iCa should be measured directly when accurate assessment of calcium status is needed.

Ticks collected from domestic cats (Felis catus), cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus),caracals (Caracal caracal), African wild cats (Felis lybica), black-footed cats (Felis nigripes), a serval (Leptailurus serval), lions(Panthera leo), and leopards (Panthera pardus) were identified and counted. Thirteen species of ixodid ticks and one argasid tick were identified from domestic cats and 17 species of ixodid ticks from wild felids. The domestic cats and wild felids harboured 11 ixodid species in common. The adults of Haemaphysalis elliptica, the most abundant tick species infesting cats and wild felids, were most numerous on a domestic cat in late winter and in mid-summer, during 2 consecutive years. The recorded geographic distribution of the recently described Haemaphysalis colesbergensis, a parasite of cats and caracals, was extended by 2 new locality records in the Northern Cape Province,South Africa.

This study was conducted on 1178 lamed animals of equine species. Cases were classified according to the species, affected part of the foot, and nature of the affection. Hoof affections represented in about 722 animals with 61.3 % of total lame animals. The percentages of hoof affections were higher in forefeet than hind feet. The present study revealed that sandy cracks, toe- in and long toe were the predominant hoof wall affections. The corn was the highest sole affections followed by white line disease and the lowest percentages were flat foot and bruised sole. The highest affection percentage in frog was thrush followed by picked up nail and the lowest was in under run heel.

A study was performed on fifty normal goats for radiographic (only 20 animals), and sonographic (the all 50 animals) investigations. Radiographic results revealed that, both kidneys had bean shaped and smooth contour. The right kidney position was constant due to its relation with the liver, while, the left kidney was mobile and its position varied according to the degree of fullness of the rumen due to its long mesentery. The sonographic results revealed the position, shape, dimensions and echogenicity of kidneys, by using 3.5/5.0 MHz curved transducer and 6.0/8.0 MHz linear transducer. The renal capsule was represented by a very fine echogenic lines around the kidney that couldn’t be distinguished from the peri-renal fat. The cortex was more echogenic than the medulla and had uniform finely granular hypoehoic pattern. The corticomedullary junction was slightly more echogenic than the cortex due to the presence of the arcuate arteries. The medulla was observed as hypoechoic area interrupted by bright echogenic lines representing the recesses and interlobular arteries that gave the appearance of typical medullary pyramids. The dimensions of the right kidney were 5.32 ± 0.12, 2.79 ± 0.07, 0.64 ± 0.01, 1.52 ± 0.03, 2.74 ± 0.09, 1.27 ± 0.06, 1.25 ± 0.05, and 1.72 ± 0.09; and the dimensions of the left kidney were 5.34 ± 0.12, 2.80 ± 0.07, 0.65 ± 0.01, 1.55 ± 0.03, 2.76 ± 0.09, 1.26 ± 0.06, 1.28 ± 0.05, and 1.73 ± 0.1, for the length, width, cortical thickness, medullary thickness, depth, diameter of renal sinus, diameter of renal parenchyma, and circumference of renal pyramids respectively.

A total of 1 076 sera from breeding goats were randomly collected from 24 different farms and tested with CHEKIT®-ELISA (IDEXX Laboratories B.V., 1 119 NE Schiphol-Rijk, Nederland) for antibodies against Chlamydophila abortus. The farms were divided into two categories of twelve farms each,based on their previous history of observed abortions over the previous 12 months: those with low (< 5%) levels of abortion and those with high (≥ 5%) levels of abortion. The farmers were also interviewed on their level of awareness about chlamydophilosis, its zoonotic importance and vaccination measures against the disease. The study detected overall seroprevalence levels of 25% for the farms and 8% for the individual animals (at 95% confidence). A total of six out of twentyfour farms (25%) had at least one positive breeding animal. Only five out of the twenty-four (20.8%)farmers interviewed were aware of chlamydophilosis and its zoonotic dangers. None of the 24 farmers interviewed practised any vaccination against chlamydophilosis. There was a significantly higher number of seropositive animals from farms with high levels of abortion, compared to those animals from farms with low levels of abortion (p = 0.0001). This study underscores the need for a higher level of farmer awareness and training on chlamydophilosis and its zoonotic dangers.

Ninety chicks were experimentally, orally received different doses of estradiol-17β and diethylstilbestrol with ration. Samples were collected from tissues (wings, breast muscles, thigh muscles, skin and fat) and giblets (liver and gizzard) for detection of hormonal residues after 4 and 21 days from the last dose, which proved the presence of such residues in all samples. Effect of temperatures (boiling, roasting and freezing) on hormonal residues of positive samples was evaluated. It was proved that There is no significant variations in reduction of hormonal residues in each of breast and thigh muscles of chickens at (p < 0.05) after boiling, roasting and freezing at - 20˚ C as well as a significant differences was detected in skin and fat samples at (p < 0.05) after boiling and roasting. Public health importance of hormonal residues was discussed.

The physical, chemical and bacteriological parameters of water in fish ponds were investigated with a view to optimize the conditions for fish productivity by using three private fish farms with different water supplies. Water and fish samples were collected equally from each pond over a period of 17 months. Water temp., Dissolved oxygen (DO), pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, and bacterial count were determined. The average values of bacterial, parasitic, survival and growth rates of fish were also assessed. Results revealed that pond water in farm (III) had the highest averages of temperature nitrite, nitrate 31.8±1.5, 8.18± 0.9, 0.41 ± 0.06 , 3.79 ± 0.6 resp., with the least content of DO 3.6 ± 0.7 followed by farm (II),which had also the highest mean values of NH3 - N, total coliform and fecal coliforms were 3.15±0.65, 59.0 & 18.5 followed by ponds of farm (III), while, the lowest averages of estimated parameters were recorded in farm (I).Correspondingly, fish samples of farm (III) showed the highest level of total bacterial, coliform, fecal coliform count and parasitic infestation; were 42.5±5.4, 29.6±3.6 , 11.3±3.1 and 31.15% respectively, followed by fish of farm(II) 29.75±3.5, 11.5±3.3, 7.4±1.1 and 10.8 % respectively, Meanwhile, fish in farm (I) showed the lowest value of both bacterial contents with no parasitic infestation which explain the highest percentages of daily weight gain & survival rates 35.2±4.4 gm. & 97.0 ±1.6 % respectively. Throughout study period compared with those in farms (III & II) respectively, resulting from poor water quality & parasitic infestation which acts as stressors affecting fish health and productivity. Therefore, fish productivity can be enhanced if the water quality in the ponds were maintained at optimum levels.

Freshwater snails collected from ditch like ponds near the River Nile in Beni-Suef Governorate during three climatically differed periods. Lymnaea cailliaudi, Biomphalaria alexandarina, Bulinus truncatus, Lanistes carinatus, Cleopatra bulimoids,Physa acuta, Viviparus viviparus, Melania tuberclata and Bivalves species were included. The total number of collected snails in December 2008, March 2009 and July 2009 were 1321, 1370 and 1211 respectively, with larger number in March than in July or December due to optimal climatic conditions in Marsh for most of collected snails. The recorded survival longevity in the laboratory was more than 90 days for Lymnaea cailliaudi, two months for Lanistes carinatus, while in Melania tuberclata, was about three weeks but only two to three days for Bivalves. Cercariae shedding observed from Lymnaea, Lanistes and Biomphalaria species beside stylet cecariae from Lymnaea and Lanistes snails, also rediae and sporocysts were found in crushed snails in all periods of collections with little difference between these periods, about 14% of crushed Lymnaea were containing rediae. Aquatic insects and their larvae were found especially water bug Sphaerodema sp. found predating snails or their eggs, also the mature insect still alive in the breeding container all over the period of the experiment more than three months. Culex larvae attacked egg masses of the snails, estacosa predated the snails while Telapia nilotica fishes showed low affinity to predate such snails. The oleo-gum resin Myrrh (Commiphora molmol) in the concentration of 0. 5gm/1 litre water killed 90 % of the exposed snails after 72 hours.

This study was carried out in El-Dakahilia governorate on six flocks at different areas 2448 sheep located with varied ages and with history of nervous manifestation. The Prevalence of nervous manifestations was 4.9% (105 /2448). The case fatality rate and mortality rate were 77.14 % and 3.3 % respectively. The percent of Listeria monocytogenes was 26.66% (8/30). Examination of CSF of diseased and control healthy sheep revealed significance elevation of total cell count, total protein and creatinine cytokinase of diseased than control sheep.