Contamination of edible animal products with veterinary drug residues is a potential health hazard for consumers. A method for extracting rafoxanide anthelmintic drug from sheep muscle was adopted based on a QuEChERS approach followed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC-UV). The developed method has been fully validated according to the requirements of Eurachem-2014 by separating the standard anthelmintic drugs on a fast liquid chromatographic (FLC) reversed-phase column under the optimum separation condition. The mobile phase consists of solvents A and B, degassed with an ultrasonic bath to remove bubbles. The standard calibration curves (R²≥0.9961) were constructed with spiked certified reference materials (CRM) and blank tissues. The optimized approach was validated, yielding satisfactory results for all performance criteria in the tested matrix and obtaining relevant results for all performance parameters in the evaluated matrix. A multi-level calibration curve (1 to 1000 µg/kg) was used to establish instrument linearity for rafoxanide. The recoveries were 83%, the limit of quantification was 10 μg/kg, and the detection limit was 0.22 μg/kg. The results of the validation allowed for high sample throughput. The method is suitable for analysing selected anthelmintic drug residue, and repeatability and reproducibility expressed in relative standard deviation (RSD%) were obtained at values lower than 20%. None of the testers were greater than Maximum Residual Limits (MRLs) legally established by the European Union (EU). 13 (26%) (n=50) samples were below MRLs, and 37 (74%) (n=50) samples were below the LOD.

      Goats play a significant role in the economy of Iraq through livestock production, income generation, employment opportunities, and the conservation of valuable genetic resources. Genetic diversity of three Iraqi local goat breeds were studied by using two molecular markers, fifteen microsatellite (SSR) and fifteen RAP DNA markers. Individual blood samples were collected and individual genomic DNA were extracted from 30 Black, 10 Hybrid, and 20 Meriz goat breeds. PCR amplification was conducted. The results revealed that out of 15 SSR primers, 11 were amplified and showed 847 total bands, 53 were polymorphic with 6.58 percentage of polymorphic bands. All the fifteen RAPD primers amplified 6085 total bands, in which 273 were polymorphic bands with 4.33 percentage of polymorphic bands. Different unique bands were detected for each breed. Both SSR and RAPD gave moderate polymorphism 66.67% and 61.52%, respectively. Besides, this value was consistent with the moderate value of the mean of polymorphism information content 0.19 and 0.28, respectively. Meriz and Hybrid breeds revealed the longest genetic distance (0.114 and 0.316). While, Black and Meriz breeds revealed the highest closeness (0.956 and 0.831) for SSR and RAPD markers, respectively. Furthermore, the UPGMA dendrogram for both of SSR and RAPD markers classified the three goat breeds into two main clusters. The first one contained Black and Hybrid breeds. While, the second one contained only Meriz breed. The results of the current study will be helpful for future researchers as a key guide to better understanding the genetic relationships and breed differences in Iraqi goat breeds for planning strategies for the future genetic improvement program.

In the context of health monitoring of a group of cattle and buffalo farms in marsh and swamp areas, these animals displayed evident clinical signs of nutritional deficiency in addition to symptoms that included high temperature (41 °C or higher), swollen lymph nodes, diarrhea, anemia, weakness, and decreased appetite. And, in some cases, cough. The presence of ticks in various areas of the body, especially the edges of the ear, the neck area and the area beneath the tail, indicated the possible presence of Theileriosis, a parasitic infection. Random blood samples were collected from sixteen individuals. Subsequently, DNA was extracted from these samples and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) was utilized to amplify the small subunit of the 18S rRNA gene, which is highly specific for the detection of Babesia/Theileria species. The PCR procedure employed the GF (5'-G(C/T) (C/T) TTGT AAT TGG AAT GAT GG-3') and GR (5'-CCA AAG ACT TTG ATT TCT CTC-3') primers. The results were then compared to international isolates via an analysis of genetic nucleotide sequences using the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLASTn) algorithm, available at the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). This analysis unveiled a significant genetic resemblance between the 18S rRNA gene sequences and T. annulata species, suggesting the presence of this parasite. As a consequential outcome of this study, it has been established that Bos taurus and Bubalus bubalis, can be a new host for T. annulata, particularly in the southern regions of Iraq. 

 Newcastle disease (ND) is an endemic viral illness in Iraq and has four types: viscerotropic velogenic, neurotropic velogenic, mesogenic, and lentogenic. The virulence of the virus continuously increases, and it is widely spread in wild and domestic birds. Backyard and poultry farm chickens are mainly affected, causing significant economic losses, as the disease is famous for high morbidity and mortality, which may reach 100%. An outbreak of velogenic ND spread in poultry farms in Sulaymaniyah/Iraq in early 2023, causing high mortality rates. Hence, this study was conducted to isolate and identify the virus and determine its median embryo lethal dose (ELD50) in embryonated chicken eggs (ECEs). Samples were taken from chickens suspected of ND, and NDV identification was made by molecular techniques by amplifying part of the 535-base pair-F gene. The virus was passaged three times in ECEs, and the collected allantoic fluid was used to determine the ELD50. After that, fifty ECEs were used to calculate the ELD50. Allantoic fluid dilutions of 10–107 resulted in the death of all embryos after 2-3 days, with distinctive signs of bleeding and hemorrhage. Dilutions of 108, 109, and 1010 resulted in the death of four, two, and one embryo, respectively, and the PCR test revealed NDV infection. The ELD50 was 6.3 ×108 times the allantoic fluid dilution, showing that the virus was very velogenic and necessitated a strict control plan to prevent the disease's further spread.

Commercial turkey production can experience an economic loss due to exposure of birds to stress. Turkeys can undergo various levels of stress, including, but not limited to, hatching, brooding/growing, and transport. Temperature, climate, heat, and cold stress are major livestock stressors associated with economic losses. Exposure to stress also causes an increased probability of infections and diseases that have a negative financial impact on production. In this study, Large White commercial turkey hens were reared for 12 weeks (wk) to evaluate their stress responses and performance alterations due to induced stress through a mimic of brooder house to grow-out transition. Parameters for performance, blood, and meat yield were recorded. Spray-dried bovine plasma (SDBP) was formulated iso-nutritionally into the diets. SDBP has been shown to be an ingredient in animal diets that may help support immune health and positively affect performance. This ingredient was used for a total of 6 wk in the starter and grower-1 diets at different inclusion percentages. Treatments included a control diet (0% SDBP), 1.0% (SDBP1), and 2.0% (SDBP2) inclusion. At 6 wk, common diets were fed (grower-2 and finisher-1). At 5 wk management-based stressors were applied for 24 hours (h): feed and water restriction and reduced house temperature. Previously used pine shavings were used for bedding. No significant variances were noted in body weight, weight gain, or feed consumption as a result of the different feed treatments. However, during the sixth week, the feed conversion ratio (FCR) was improved due to SDBP inclusion. The FCR for SDBP1 (1.90) and SDBP2 (1.97) birds was lower than that of the control diet-fed birds (2.04). No difference in FCR was observed at 12 wk. A significant difference was observed for corticosterone levels post-stress: SDBP1 (23.81 ng/mL) and SDBP2 (19.17 ng/mL) were higher than that of the control birds (16.40 ng/mL). Further research is needed to ascertain the impact of SDBP on the immune function and production of turkeys.

Camels have great potential as a safety valve for current and future food security for pastoralists, agropastoralists, and urban populations. Enteric protozoal diseases are important causes of economic losses in camels; however, they are poorly concerned globally. The most common members of enteric protozoa are Balantidium, Eimeria, Giardia, and Cryptosporidium. Some of them threaten human health as humans can be infected by consuming food or water contaminated with camel feces, particularly in poor communities with inadequate sanitation and low-quality healthcare facilities. For these reasons, a comprehensive and careful investigation was conducted on some enteric protozoal diseases of camels to present an updated insight into the etiology, epidemiology, and future trends in diagnosing and controlling camel enteric protozoa. Future studies on the camel enteric protozoa should be carried out to develop advanced diagnostic approaches in diverse farm animal species. Moreover, the protozoan zoonotic potential should be considered to secure human health

Clinical signs suggestive of peste des petits ruminants (PPR) involved herds of small ruminants, which were described elsewhere in Sudan. Peste des petits ruminants was confirmed using an Immunocapture ELISA (IC-ELISA) assay in samples of infected and dead animals in areas of outbreaks. Therefore, to update information regarding the current situation and for assessment of the serological prevalence of PPR in small ruminants mingled at Central and Western Sudan during 2018-2019, 368 sera were collected from sheep (325 sera) and goats (43 sera) with different ages and breeds. These sera included 186 sera (173 sheep and 13 goats) from White Nile State and 182 sera (152 sheep and 30 goats) from Kordofan States. Competitive ELISA demonstrated higher prevalence of PPRV antibodies of 88.9%, 90.7% and 88.6% in both sheep and goats, goats, and sheep sera, respectively. Moreover, 100%, 94.7% and 78.5% seroprevalence values were demonstrated in South Kordofan, North Kordofan and White Nile States. The higher seroprevalence values detected in sera of unvaccinated sheep and goats indicated the wide exposure of these animals to PPRV and presence of protection following PPR viral infection. The findings of the study indicated that PPR is endemic in the surveyed areas of Sudan. CONTRIBUTION: The study will contribute effectively to the global eradication programme of PPR organised by the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH, formerly OIE) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). To completely eliminate PPR from Sudan by 2030, local efforts should be directed towards effectively and wholly vaccinating small ruminants using PPRV vaccine especially in routes of seasonal animal's movement and shared grazing areas.

Cowdria polymorphic gene 1 (cpg1, Erum2510, ERUM_RS01380) has been shown to induce 30% and 100% protection in sheep immunised by deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) prime combined with DNA boost and DNA prime combined with protein boost, respectively, against heartwater infection via needle challenge. To localise its antigenic regions for inclusion in a multi-epitope DNA vaccine against heartwater, Erum2510 was cleaved into five overlapping subfragments. These subfragments were expressed individually in an Escherichia coli host expression system and evaluated for their ability to induce proliferative responses, Th1 and Th2 cytokines (interferon gamma [IFN-γ] and interleukin 4 [IL-4]) via enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISpot), quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and flow cytometry. Recombinant (r)proteins 3 and 4 were shown to induce immunodominant Th1 and Th2 immune responses characterised by the secretion of effector cytokines IFN-γ and IL-4 in addition to differential messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) expression of tumour necrosis factor (TNF), IL-2, IL-1, IL-18, IL-10, transforming growth factor (TGF), granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). Thirty-seven overlapping synthetic peptides (16 mer) spanning the lengths of these immunodominant rproteins were synthesised and assayed. A peptide pool comprising p9 and p10 derived from rprotein 3 induced a Th1-biased immune response. A peptide pool comprising p28 and p29 derived from rprotein 4 induced a mixed Th1 and Th2 immune response characterised by secretion of IFN-γ and differential mRNA expression of IL-1, IL-2, IL-10, IL-12, iNOS, TGF, TNF and GM-CSF. Only one of the peptides (p29) induced secretion of IL-4. Phenotypic analysis showed significant activation of cluster of differentiation 8+ (CD8+), cluster of differentiation 4+ (CD4+) and B+ lymphocyte populations. Findings suggest that Erum2510 rproteins and synthetic peptides can induce both cellular and humoral immune responses, thereby implicating their importance in protection against heartwater. CONTRIBUTION: This study will facilitate the design of an effective multi-epitope DNA vaccine against heartwater that will contribute to control this economically important disease in sub-Saharan Africa and beyond.

To date, there is limited data about the genetic relationship of Escherichia coli between wild birds and cattle because these birds act as silent vectors for many zoonotic bacteria. This study aimed to elucidate the role of rooming wild birds in the vicinity of cattle farm in transmission of the same pathogenic E. coli variants, identifying their virulence, resistance traits and genetic similarities of fimH virulence gene. About 240 faecal/cloacal swabs were collected from both species and examined bacteriologically. Escherichia coli was yielded in 45.8% and 32.5%, respectively, of examined cattle and wild birds. The most prevalent detected E. coli serovar was O26. High tetracycline and chloramphenicol resistance were recorded; however, gentamycin and ciprofloxacin exhibited the highest sensitivity rates. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) conserved genotypic resistance (tetA and blaCTX-M) and virulence attributes (fimH, stx1, eaeA and ompA) of E. coli isolates were discussed in detail. The fimH gene revealed 100% sequence similarity when comparing with different E. coli isolates globally and locally. Finally, a close genetic association of E. coli with both wild birds and cattle was detected, thus strengthening its role in the dissemination of the infection via environment. Prevention and conservative policy should be carried as E. coli constitute enormous significant zoonotic risks to livestock and animal workers. Also, further studies to the whole genome sequencing of fimH, other virulence and resistance genes of E. coli are recommended trying to limit the possibilities of co-infection and transfer among different species. CONTRIBUTION: The current study recorded updated data about the critical infectious role of wild birds to livestock, including cattle farms in Egypt. It also delivered some recommendations for good hygienic practices in cattle farms which must be implemented for handling animal manure.

Brucellosis is an important bacterial zoonosis responsible for considerable economic losses in livestock and health-related burden worldwide. The objective of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of brucellosis in communal and smallholder cattle farming in four districts of the North West province of South Africa (Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati, Ngaka Modiri Molema, Bojanala platinum and Dr Kenneth Kaunda districts). Seven hundred and seventy blood samples from farmed animals (n = 378) and abattoir-slaughtered animals (n = 392) were collected. In addition, milk samples (n = 22) were collected from lactating farmed cows. Rose Bengal test (RBT), complement fixation test (CFT) and milk ring test (MRT) were used to detect antibodies against Brucella species. The RBT showed a seroprevalence of 2% at 95% confidence interval (CI: 1.35-3.35), CFT confirmed an overall seroprevalence of 1.95% (95% CI: 1.14-3.12) for all four districts sampled. Although the seroprevalence of brucellosis was found to be low, the possibility of undetected cases of the disease could not be ruled out. Overall, the findings of this study confirmed that brucellosis is endemic in the surveyed areas of the North West province of South Africa. CONTRIBUTION: The outcome of this study will contribute to the National Brucellosis Project organised by the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (2016-2026) to assist in the effective implementation of the disease control measures with a view to prevent further outbreaks in the country's cattle population