Presently neither the specification of rumen cannula for small ruminants is reported nor is it commercially available in Egyptian market. Therefore, fabrication of ruminal cannula for sheep and surgical procedure for its implantation are described in this paper. The device was adapted to allow sampling of entire ruminal contents via cannulas with different diameters, which tightly sealed within ruminal fistula to ensure cleaner, achieve easier nursing of operated animals, and maintain more normal ruminal environment. The ruminal cannula was applied into the sheep by one-stage operation. It has been successfully used in 11 ram (3-5 year-old) for 16 months without problems and caused no complications.

Canine babesiosis and ehrlichiosis are important tick-borne infections in South Africa. Many South African general veterinary practitioners perceive co-infection with Ehrlichia spp. as a common occurrence in dogs with babesiosis. Studies about the prevalence of co-infection in South African dogs are lacking. This retrospective study aimed to determine the prevalence of Ehrlichia co-infection in dogs with babesiosis. Additionally, the predicative value of specific haematological variables for co-infection was evaluated. The study population consisted of 205 dogs diagnosed with canine babesiosis presented to the Onderstepoort Veterinary Academic Hospital (OVAH) in 2006 and between 2011 and 2013. The Babesia-infected dogs were grouped based on presence or absence of an Ehrlichia spp. co-infection. Ehrlichia spp. co-infection was confirmed using polymerase chain reaction. Positive and negative predictive values (PPVs and NPVs) of leukopenia or thrombocytopenia for co-infection were also calculated. The prevalence of Babesiaspp. and Ehrlichia spp. co-infection in this cohort of dogs was 2%. In the babesiosis dogs, the PPV of leukopenia for co-infection with Ehrlichia spp. was 1.3%, and the NPV 97.4%. Similarly, the PPV and NPVs of thrombocytopenia for co-infection were 2.1% and 100%, respectively. Co-infection with Ehrlichia spp. was a rare occurrence in dogs with babesiosis presented to the OVAH. Normal leukocyte or platelet counts confidently ruled out the presence of concurrent ehrlichiosis in this cohort of dogs. However, the diagnosis of Ehrlichia co-infection based on the presence of thrombocytopenia or leukopenia would have been associated with false positive results in more than 97.4% of cases.

The aims of this study were twofold: to assess the welfare of two hybrids of laying hens in conventional cages and to investigate the effects of tier’s level on the integument condition and fearfulness. Two commercial hybrids, white Lohmann Selected Leghorn (LSL) and brown Lohmann Traditional (LT) at about 18 weeks of age were used in the current study and were housed at three hens / cage. No birds were beak-trimmed. External appearance of the body (scoring of plumage condition and skin injuries at body parts and comb), heterophil-lymphocyte (H-L) ratios and duration of tonic immobility (TI) were used as indicators of well-being. LSL birds showed better plumage condition and low H-L ratios than LT birds while no significant difference was recorded in TI test between the two hybrids. Hens housed in the top tier showed worse feather condition and more wounds than birds in middle and bottom tiers whereas for fear levels, no significant difference was revealed for hens from different tiers of cages. These results suggest that the welfare of LSL birds was relatively good compared to LT. Therefore, conventional cages can be used by the hens to a large extent if birds are properly selected to be specifically adapted to cages.

This study was carried out to investigate the prevalence, molecular characterization and pathogenicity of field infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) isolates. Nine isolates of IBDV were isolated from 13 naturally infected broiler flocks. Detection of IBDV antigen was carried out by agar gel precipitation test (AGPT), followed by virus isolation in specific pathogen free (SPF) embryonated chicken eggs (ECE) and finally molecularly characterized and identified using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The obtained nine strains of IBDV by RT-PCR were further classified by using restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) technique into (4) classical, (3) variant and (2) very virulent (vv) IBDV serotype (I). The pathogenicity of the isolated IBDV strains was detected by three passages in SPF ECEs and by experimental infection of one hundred 14 days old maternally immune layer chicks. The results showed that the mortality rate of the embryos was increased by increase the number of passages till the third passage where it reached 100% for all IBDV strains and the embryos showed typical lesions of IBDV. Chicks inoculated with variant IBDV strains showed morbidity rates of 60-80 %, without mortalities. Sacrificed birds showed atrophied bursae and thymus glands and enlarged thickened proventriculus. Groups infected with classical IBDV strains showed morbidity rates 40- 60,% with mortality 0-20%. The detectable lesions were muscular hemorrhages with variable bursal lesions. Inoculated chicks with vvIBDV strains showed 50-70% morbidity and mortality of rate was 30% with lesions of muscular hemorrhages, severe nephrosis with ureates in the ureters, hemorrhagic bursitis and pin point hemorrhages on the proventricular glands. Control negative non-infected group showed neither clinical signs nor mortalities along the observation period. The histopathological effect (lesion score) of IBDV strains on the bursa, spleen and thymus glands confirmed the previously mentioned results and revealed that the highest severity (score) for these organs were induced by vv IBDV strains.

No abstract available.

Fungal diseases of poultry have become problematic as bacterial and viral diseases. This study was designed to investigate the prevalence of fungal agents in broiler chickens and their environment. The prevalence of fungal isolation from broiler chickens was 21.6% including 12.8% moulds and 8.8% yeast while the prevalence of fungal isolation from the environment was 46.8% including 25.5% moulds and 21.3% yeast. Aspergillus species was the most prevalent moulds while C. albicans was the most prevalent yeast recovered from broiler chickens and their environment.

Avian paramyxovirus type-1 (APMV-1) viruses of the lentogenic pathotypes are often isolated from wild aquatic birds and may mutate to high pathogenicity when they cross into poultry and cause debilitating Newcastle disease. This study characterised AMPV-1 isolated from fresh faecal droppings from wild aquatic birds roosting sites in Uganda. Fresh faecal samples from wild aquatic birds at several waterbodies in Uganda were collected and inoculated into 9–10-day-old embryonated chicken eggs. After isolation, the viruses were confirmed as APMV-1 by APMV-1-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The cleavage site of the fusion protein gene for 24 representative isolates was sequenced and phylogenetically analysed and compared with representative isolates of the different APMV-1 genotypes in the GenBank database. In total, 711 samples were collected from different regions in the country from which 72 isolates were recovered, giving a prevalence of 10.1%. Sequence analysis of 24 isolates revealed that the isolates were all lentogenic, with the typical 111GGRQGR’L117 avirulent motif. Twenty-two isolates had similar amino acid sequences at the cleavage site, which were different from the LaSota vaccine strain by a silent nucleotide substitution T357C. Two isolates, NDV/waterfowl/Uganda/MU150/2011 and NDV/waterfowl/Uganda/MU186/2011, were different from the rest of the isolates in a single amino acid, with aspartate and alanine at positions 124 and 129, respectively. The results of this study revealed that Ugandan aquatic birds indeed harbour APMV-1 that clustered with class II genotype II strains and had limited genetic diversity.

A number of 50 Ardeola ibis ibis birds were found harboring six nematodes species; Tetrameres species, Microtteramere species, Synhimantus invaginatus, Synhimantus equispeculatus, Ascaridia species, Paracamallanus species,and five species of trematodes; Euclinostomum heterostomum, Nephrostomum ramosum, Apharyngostrigea ibis, Apatemon gracilis and Centrocestus armatus. The most common infection by nematodes was (46%) in which highest infection rate Synhimantus invaginatus recorded (30 %) while the trematode infection was (24 %) and Apatemon gracilis was the most prevalent (16 %). Experimental infection of buff backed heron by encysted metacercaria (EMC) and exysted metacercaria (ExMC) of Clinostomum complanatum from freshwater fish Tilapia nilotica, resulted in adult worms formed after 6 days. Where the infection by EMC recorded higher worm burden (14-18 worm) and hatching percent (78%) while the infection by ExMC gave lower worm burden (7-10 worm / bird ) and hatching (48 %). In the present study, it is worthy to mention that buff backed heron act as final host model for Clinostomum complanatum and this will be helpful in further biological and immunological studies for this trematode to decrease its economic losses in fish intermediate host.

This study was carried out to evaluate the efficacy of water soluble formulation of diclazuril (1%) in the prevention and control of mixed Eimeria infection in two experimental (semifield) trials and testing efficacy of this medicament in controlling of natural field case of mixed Eimeria infection. The experimental (semifield) trials carried out each on 150-day-old broiler chicks, as they were divided into 3 equal separate subgroups. Infected groups were orally received 1ml of an inoculum containing 50.000 sporulated oocysts of Eimeria tenella, E. acervulina and E. necatrix/ chick at 14 days of age. Diclazuril (1%) liquid at dose of 1 ml / 4 liter of drinking water for 2 successive days just after appearance of bloody dropping (at the 5th day post infection). Birds were given prophylactic diclazuril dose (1 ml / 8 liter) at the 7th day before the experimental inoculation. In both trials were oocyst count (shedding) in the dropping, dropping score, lesion score, body weight gain % and mortality rate were evaluated. Groups treated with diclazuril either in the prophylactic and curative studies gave significant and satisfactory improvement in the assessment criteria when compared with infected non medicated groups. A field trial was conducted 2 commercial broiler chicken farm consisted of 2 flocks aged 33 days; 6000 birds each. Flock (1) was kept as control positive infected non medicated group, whereas flock (2) was medicated with diclazuril (1%) at dose of 1 ml / 4 liter of the drinking water for 2 successive days. The results revealed more reduction in total oocyst count, lesion score and the mortality rate in the medicated than the infected non-treated group. The results proved that diclazuril (1%) liquid is effective in prevention and control of both experimental and field infection field circulating Eimeria species still sensitive to the drug.