The cervix which changes with the reproductive cycle, history and age of the females, provides a natural communication between the uterus and the outside environment. This study investigated the chronological and morphological changes of the cervix of the West African Dwarf (WAD) goat during postnatal development. Forty-five female WAD goats ranging from birth, Weeks 2, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24 and 28 of five goats each were used. The cervices were exteriorised, examined and morphometric parameters obtained and then prepared for histological examinations. The cervix is a firm body in all the age groups and internally bore thick muscular cervical rings which increased with age. The straight cervical canal is straight and can be easily penetrated by an artificial insemination pipette. The gross morphometry of the cervix increased significantly (p < 0.05) with age. The lamina propria-submucosa lacked cervical glands. The tunica muscularis showed histological evidence of postnatal development with increase in age of WAD goat. The epithelium of the cervix was initially pseudostratified columnar at birth but became simple columnar by week 12. Periodic Acid Schiff (PAS) stain showed some mucus secretory activities at week 4. In conclusion, the study revealed that the cervix of WAD goat is not fully developed at birth but undergoes a postnatal development. The onset of secretory activities is associated with adenogenesis of uterine glands. Thus, the WAD goat probably attains puberty at week 16, earlier than previously reported.

In the poultry industry, using antibiotics as growth promoters has been found to significantly increase feed conversion efficiency and growth performance. Nevertheless, excessive use of antibiotics in the poultry production cycle may also lead to antimicrobial resistance in both poultry and humans. With regard to food safety reasons, most developed countries have banned the use of antibiotics in all animal feeds. Consequently, it may be necessary to explore other preventive alternatives for disease prevention and to stimulate fast growth rate in poultry. The interest in using phytobiotics as an alternative feed additive in poultry diets has increased following its natural, residue-free, and less toxic properties in contrast to synthetic antibiotics. Therefore, this review shed the light on the influences of using phytobiotics as a feed additive in commercial poultry diets and the results on the production performances and health status. Phytobiotics like cinnamon, cumin, oregano, clove, thyme, rosemary, sage, green tea, garlic, fenugreek, pepper, ginger, and other plant mixtures were found to consist of growth-promoting properties that enhance digestibility, stimulate feed intake, and improve growth in poultry. The carry-over effect leads to improved carcass characteristics and meat quality as value-added products. Additionally, various studies have also reported that some plant extracts from thyme, turmeric, lemon, green tea, cinnamon, cumin, wild mushroom, and garlic have antimicrobial effects as well as immunomodulatory function when they are complemented in poultry diets. In summary, phytobiotics can be used effectively to replace antibiotics as feed additives in enhancing production and health performances of poultry for food security while preventing antibiotic resistance.

Synthetic dye is produced by chemical compound that can be harmful to living microorganisms and human. Textile dye industry is inadequate dye effluent to the environment that can lead to water pollution. Therefore, the  releasing dye effluent should be minimized. Eggshell and peanut shell adsorbent are recycled from solid agro-waste and household food waste. They are wildly used in adsorption process to dye effluent before releasing into natural water bodies. However, the toxic reduction of dye after dye removal is unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the toxicity of eosin dye and its removal by adsorbent. Moreover, the cytotoxicity of dye is evaluated by brine shrimp lethality bioassay. The results showed that the dye after removal by eggshell had the lower mortality rate when compared to those of eosin dye and penut shell adsorption. The histopathological lesions such as abnormal appearance of enterocyte, blebing cell and coagulation necrosis were found. Therefore, these bio-natural adsorbents might be the alternative substances for the adsorption process in wastewater treatment and they might decrease the toxicity of dye pollution.

This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of probiotic supplementation in mitigating stress and improving performance, carcass yield, carcass quality parameters, sensory acceptability, microbiological quality and economic profitability of broilers reared at different stocking densities. Two hundred and forty chicks were divided into four groups; two groups were reared at a low stocking density (LSD, 10 bird/m2), including one group that was provided with Protexin® probiotic (Enterococcus faecium) supplemented in water (LSDP). Similarly, the other two groups were reared at a high stocking density (HSD, 15 bird/m2), including one group that was provided with the same probiotic supplementation (HSDP). Throughout the growing cycle, bird performance was monitored. At the end of the growing cycle, stress indicators were measured in blood. Besides, carcass and giblet weights, dressing yield, carcass quality parameters, sensory acceptability, microbiological quality and economic profitability were assessed. As a result, HSD mostly impaired broiler performance, increased stress indicators, reduced carcass yields, carcass quality parameters and sensory acceptability, while boosted profitability and slightly lowered microbiological quality. On the other hand, probiotic supplementation reversed the negative effects of HSD. As probiotic supplementation boosted broiler performance, reduced blood stress indicators, increased carcass and giblet yields, carcass quality parameters and sensory scores, besides, it improved the microbiological status of broiler meat in terms of fecal coliforms and E. coli MPN. To conclude, rearing broilers at high stocking density induced stress, compromised performance and reduced carcass quality. These negative impacts could be successfully faced by using probiotic supplementation in drinking water.

This study assessed the impact of mahogany bark extract in the diets of catfish (Clarias gariepinus) fingerlings. The effects of four diets supplemented with mahogany bark extracts on growth performance, feed utilization and proximate composition was evaluated. Four diets were prepared using mahogany bark extract as a supplement at 0ml (Trt 0), 10ml (Trt 1), 20ml (Trt 2) and 30ml (Trt 3) per 100g of feed. One hundred fingerlings of Clarias gariepinus with initial weight of 1.25g were stocked in four treatments with a replicate each in 60 litre bowls at 20 fingerlings per bowl. The results showed a significant difference amongst the four treatments with respect to final weight, weight gain, daily weight gain, condition factor, feed conversion ratio and specific growth rate (P<0.05). It was observed that the least value for feed intake occurred in fish fed diet Trt 3. Group fed diet supplemented with 20 ml mahogany bark extract (Trt 2) was significantly higher in final weight (26.10±0.88), weight gain (24.77±0.88), daily weight gain (1855±66.20) and specific growth rate (3.26±0.03) and also lower at feed conversion ratio (1.26±0.04). This study therefore recommends 20ml mahogany bark extract (Trt 2) per 100g of feed as appropriate supplement for Clarias gariepinus diets.

Dourine, a venereal transmitted trypanosomosis is endemic in Ethiopia and it is the major health problem threatening equines. Until recently only few studies were conducted on pathological tissue changes associated with T. equiperdum infection in horses. A cross-sectional study design and purposive sampling were used from November 2014 to June 2015 to identify and select dourine infected horses. Out of 480 (201 mares and 279 stallions) totally examined horses, only twelve mares were positive. Despite attempts made to isolate the parasite using Woo test, no trypanosomes were detected in all of examined blood samples. From the twelve positive mares, two severely affected mares (M1 and M2) with history of sexual infection and suggestive clinical signs as well as serologically positive by CATT/RoTat 1.2 test were purchased and euthanized for postmortem examination. Gross lesions observed in the two euthanized infected mares include, swollen vulva with visible areas of depigmentation, congestion of the mucosa of vagina, thickened and congested mucosa of uterus, ovarian follicular cysts, slightly enlarged and congested spleen, enlarged and swollen liver with multiple necrotic foci. Microscopically, mononuclear cell infiltration mainly of lymphocytes and plasma cells and periglandular inflammation were observed in the vulva, vagina, cervix and uterus. In addition, interstitial mastitis, haemosidrin deposition in the spleen and liver and lymphocytes depletion in the spleen were observed. The gross and histological findings indicated the presence of various organs involvement with severe degree of lesions. Therefore, experimental infections of natural hosts, and unnatural hosts with trypanosome obtained direct from the natural host is recommended in order to study the pathology of dourine in detail in the future.

African swine fever virus (ASFV) causes a lethal and contagious disease of domestic pigs. In South Africa, the virus historically circulated in warthogs and ornithodorid ticks that were only found in warthog burrows in the north of the country. Regulations implemented in 1935 to prevent transfer of infected animals or products to the south initially proved effective but from 2016 there have been outbreaks of disease in the south that cannot be traced to transfer of infection from the north. From 1963 there were widespread translocations of warthogs to the south, initially from a source considered to be free of ornithodorid ticks. We undertook to determine whether sylvatic circulation of ASFV occurs in the south, including identification of potential new vectors, through testing extralimital warthogs for antibody and ticks for virus. Results of testing warthogs for antibody and other species of ticks for virus will be presented separately. Here we report finding Ornithodoros (Pavlovskyella) zumpti ticks in warthog burrows for the first time. This occurred in the Eastern Cape Province (ECP) in 2019. Since African swine fever was recognised in the ECP for the first time in 2020 and outbreaks of the disease in domestic pigs continue to occur there, priority should be given to determining the distribution range and vector potential of O. (P.) zumpti for ASFV.

Protective effects of herbal feed additive Silymarin against the deleterious toxic effects of ochratoxin A (OTA) on internal organs and blood biochemistry was seen. The observed histopathological and biochemical changes were well expressed in OTA-exposed chicks without Silymarin supplementation, followed by chicks treated supplementary with Silymarin in addition to OTA treatment, whereas no pathological changes were seen in the control chicks or the chicks treated with Silymarin only. The observed increase in the serum levels of uric acid, glucose and the enzyme activity of AST and ALT in OTA treated chicks and the found decrease of the same biochemical indices in the chicks protected by Silymarin in addition to OTA treatment also supported the protective effects of this herbal additive on the kidneys and liver. The same herbal substance Silymarin could be used as a practical approach for safely utilizing of OTA-contaminated feed.Key words: ochratoxin A, protection, herbal additive, Silymarin, blood biochemistry, pathomorphology

A cross-sectional study was carried out from November 2016 to May 2017 in Bishoftu town, Ethiopia to study total bacterial count (TBC) and detection of Staphylococcus aureus from critical control points (CCPs) at dairy farm (water, milker’s hands, milking bucket, udder milk, milk storage, pooled milk, pasteurized milk and yoghurt). A total of 60 samples were subjected for plate count agar (to estimate the colony forming units (cfu) per ml), and bacteriological culture and biochemical tests for the detection of S. aureus and other gram-positive cocci. Descriptive statistics and analytic statistics such as one way ANOVA test was used to calculate the mean difference in cfu/ml among sample sources. The log10 cfu/ml of mean value of bacterial load were 6.10, 5.78, 5.35, 5.15, 4.75, 4.52, 4.42, and 4.32 for pooled milk, water, milker’s hands, udder milk, milk storage, yoghurt, milking bucket, and pasteurized milk, respectively. Comparison of TBC from different sampling points indicated that pooled milk samples had significantly higher (p<0.05) bacterial load than other sampling points. Generally, raw milk had significantly higher (p<0.05) bacterial load (5.63x105 cfu/ml) as compared to the processed milk and contact materials. Out of the total 60 bacterial growth, Staphylococcus species accounts 73.3% (44/60) of the total growth, with coagulase negative staphylococci (CNS) and Staphylococcus aureus accounting for 36 (60.0%), and 8 (13.33%) of the isolates, respectively. S. aureus was isolated mainly from milker’s hand, udder milk, and pooled milk samples. We found that the total bacterial count from contact surfaces, raw milk and dairy products was below the recommended standard and the presence of Staphylococcus isolates at different CCPs indicates poor milk production practices. The high level of contamination and presence of potentially pathogenic bacteria could pose public health risk due to infection and intoxications. Hence, the dairy farm should design a strategy to improve the hygienic practice on milk production, handling, and processing.

Trafficking in wild animals represents one of the main illicit activities in the world. In Brazil, among the main trafficked species the songbirds of the Passeriform Order stand out. The distress to which these birds are exposed, especially the newly caught ones, and the unhealthy conditions to which they are subjected, cause, in addition to the damage to well-being, an important drop in resistance, which exacerbates infectious and parasitic conditions. Clinical assessments and coproparasitological examinations were carried out using the Willis-Mollay method on 102 passerines from apprehension in western Paraná. Of the total number of animals evaluated, 76% (78/102) had hyperkeratosis in the pelvic limbs, 55% (56/102) were infested with mites on remiges and 54% (52/102) had changes in warping. The results indicated 94% (96/102) of positivity for endoparasites, of which 96% (92/96) were for coccidian oocysts, 1% (1/96) for tenia eggs and 3% (3/96) for mixed infection (coccid oocysts and tenia eggs). These findings corroborate that the poor conditions of hygiene, nutrition and the high stocking density observed in illegal housing can predispose birds to more severe clinical manifestations.