Aeromonas hydrophila and Campylobacter jejuni are bacteria of emerging importance in public health. However, little has been published about fish contaminated by these pathogens. The present study aimed to verify the presence of Aeromonas hydrophila and Campylobacter jejuni in fresh tuna samples (Thunnus spp.) caught off the coast of Santa Catarina State and distributed in the wholesale market of São Paulo/SP. A total of 85 tuna fillet samples were collected and examined by PCR and bacteriological analyses. Aeromonas spp. was detected in 11/85 (13%) samples, with 10/11 (90.9 %) being confirmed as Aeromonas hydrophila by PCR. Campylobacter spp. was found in 10/85 (11.7%) samples, 10/10 (100%) identified as Campylobacter jejuni by PCR and conventional biochemical analyses. Both pathogens were found in 2/85 (2.3%) samples. This is the first report on the contamination of fresh tuna by Campylobacter jejuni and Aeromonas hydrophila in Brazil. In addition to show that tuna can be a vehicle for transmission of pathogens when consumed raw, it emphasizes the importance of further studies to support the control these pathogens in fish.

Omphalitis is a major cause of increased first week-chick mortality. Omphalitis, navel-yolk sac infection, is a hatchery-born disease, and also known as ‘mushy chick disease’ or ‘navel ill’. It is a common disease of chicks and poults, often artificially hatched chicks, causing high losses in the brooding period, as a bacterium penetrates the porous egg shell. As incubation conditions are suitable for bacterial growth and incubating eggs as well, various bacteria, such as E. coli, staphylococci, Proteus, Clostridium fecali and Pseudomonas may be involved in the yolk sac infection. The present study aimed to determine bacterial causes of omphalitis through isolation and identification of such pathogens. Therefore, samples from 216 yolk sacs were collected from chicks with unabsorbed yolk materials that could even smell putrid. Among those, 196 (90.7%) were positive; 135 (62.5%) harboured single bacterial strains and 61 (28.2%) had mixed infections. The most prevalent single bacterial isolates were E. coli (110 isolates) and P. aeruginosa (11 isolates). Meanwhile, the most predominant mixed bacterial strains were E. coli with Salmonella spp. (16 isolates; 7.4%) and E. coli with P. aeruginosa (13 isolates; 6%). Other mixed infections were found in low percentages. Most E. coli strains were Congo red-positive and non-haemolytic. Different E. coli serogroups were serologically identified including O27 (4 isolates; 20%), O157 (3isolates; 15%), O26 (3 isolates; 15%) and one isolate of each of the following; O78, O6, O125, O44, O15, O115, O25, O168, O112 and O63 (each of 5%). Different Salmonella serogroups were identified including S. cremieu (2 isolates) and one isolate of each of the following S.enteritidis, S. blegdam, S. senftenberg, S. kingston and S. emek.

Preventing the transmission of disease into and between poultry farms, hatcheries, and from wildlife, or their droppings, is essential to maintain healthy productive poultry flocks. This study was designed to assess the current situation of biosecurity measures in 3 types of poultry operations; 125 small-scale commercial broiler farms (sector III), hobby poultry premises (backyards; sector IV) and hatcheries selected from Giza, Fayoum and Beni-Suef province, Egypt. A structured questionnaire survey, interviews and observation were used to collect data on farm characterization, bio-security practices and disease preventive measures in sectors and hatcheries. The respondents were farm owners, farm managers, veterinarians, and workers. It has been found that the distance between small commercial broiler farms were 48.4% [2- 5 km] while for hobby poultry keepers 66.5% [≤100 m], and hatcheries 41.6% [1-3 km] and 30.6% [7-11 km]. In small-scale broiler farms practiced all in/ all out system (89 %) as compared to hatcheries and backyards (83.3 and 46.1 %, respectively). In the most of the small commercial broiler farms, the resting period between production cycles was higher on 4-7 days (32.5%). Methods most used for disposal of daily mortalities were on landfill (45.2%) among small commercial broiler farms. Meanwhile, hobby poultry premises and hatcheries included disposal in water canals (38.5 and 33.3%, respectively). On the other hand, Hobby poultry keepers reported that veterinarians rarely inspected their premises. Mortality rate/cycle was (11.9%) in almost broiler farms. About 64.3 % of the small commercial producers practiced all the recommended vaccination of their birds against highly pathogenic diseases. In conclusion, the majority of the small-scale broiler farms and all most backyards were far from the implementation of biosecurity measures. Biosecurity situation needs a combined effort from stakeholders, poultry keeper of hobby birds (backyard) to improve biosecurity level for those sectors.

Bovine ephemeral fever (BEF) is an arthropod-borne viral disease of cattle caused by a single stranded RNA virus that belongs to the rhabdovirus group. The outbreak was diagnosed as BEF on the bases of clinical signs and pathological lesions. In the present study, out of two hundred and fifty cows, fourteen cows are died from BEF by mortality ratio 5.6%. The diseased cows showed viraemia, inappetance, depression, salivation, lacrimation, nasal discharge, lameness, and recumbency followed by death. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded samples from naturally infected cows with BEFV were grossly and microscopically evaluated and tested using immunohistochemistry. The main gross findings include grayish-white streaks in the skeletal muscles, congestion and mottling of the lung surface with darkness of the lobar septa, congestion of the tracheal mucosae with the presence of mucous exudate in their lumen. The liver and kidneys were congested with edematous and enlarged lymph nodes. The microscopical examination revealed various pathological changes in different organs. Diffuse hemorrhage and pulmonary emphysema with alveolar atelectasis and catarrhal bronchiolitis were observed in the lung. The skeletal muscle showed severe hyaline degeneration and myomalacia with inter-muscular hemorrhage. Edema with marked lymphoid depletion was observed in the pre-scapular and pre-femoral lymph nodes. Necrotic changes were noticed in the renal and intestinal tissues. Diagnosis was confirmed by detecting viral antigen in the spleen, lung, muscle, kidney, heart and lymph nodes with most of the antigen appearing within macrophages and pericytes using immunohistochemistry.

The present study was carried out on 22 cows suffering from ruminal impaction with plastic materials as foreign bodies and ten apparently healthy cows as a control group. Clinical examination included clinical signs, temperature, pulse, respiratory rate and ruminal motility were recorded prior to treatment. Hematological parameters such as hemoglobin (Hb), packed cell volume (PCV), erythrocyte count (RBCs), total leucocytes (WBCs) count and the glutaraldehyde test were performed. Ruminal fluid was evaluated for pH and the methylene blue reduction time (MBRT). The mean pH of rumen fluid, MBRT, total leucocytes count, and PCV were increased significantly (P<0.05). Rumen motility was significantly reduced (P<0.05) preoperative in the animals suffering from rumen impaction, but the mean value of pulse rate, respiration rate, temperature, glutaraldehyde test, haemoglobin and total erythrocyte count were non-significantly changed. On the 5th postoperative day the clinical and the laboratory parameters in the study group had largely become normalized. Six months after the procedure, 18 (81.9%) cows showed complete recovery and 4 (18.9%) animals were slaughtered within 3 months following surgery. This study concluded that the clinical and laboratory findings might be of diagnostic importance. Rumen impaction with plastic materials should be differentiated from anorexia, emaciation, ruminal hypomotility, tympany and dehydration in cows. The surgical removal of foreign body demonstrated positive effects on animal health.

This experiment was carried out to investigate the effect of dietary supplementation of Chinese propolis on the histological structure of bursa of Fabricius in Ross 308 broiler chickens. Eighty chicks were divided into 5 groups, 16 chicks each. Group 1 was fed only on basic diet and kept as control while groups 2, 3, 4 and 5 were fed on basic diet and received ether extract of propolis (EEP) in a dose of 100, 250, 500 or 750 mg/kg diet respectively. The treatment started from the first day after hatching and extended to day 42 where all birds were sacrificed and bursa of Fabricius were removed, processed and examined histologically. Chickens received EEP in a dose of 100 and 250 mg/kg diet showed an increase in size of the bursal folds and bursal lymphoid follicles with minimal regressive changes into the bursa such as a slight increase in the amount of inter-follicular connective tissue. Higher doses of EEP (500 and 750 mg/kg diet) produced substantial changes into the bursa such as degeneration in lymphatic follicles represented by cyst formation, liquifactive necrosis and significant increase in inter-follicular connective tissue. Our findings suggest that high doses of EEP led to faster bursal involution with subsequent negative impact on the humoral immune status of chicken.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the impacts of discharged wasteeffluent into water sources on heavy metals content in water, sediment andfish. A pilot study was carried out during the period from (March to May2014). Samples were collected from water, sediment and fish (Oreochromisniloticus) from five fish farms and River Nile in Beni-Suef governorate toestimate Lead, Cadmium, Zinc and Copper. The results revealed a significantincrease in Pb and Cd in water, sediment and fish samples collected fromfish farms and these metals were within the permissible limits in River Nilesamples. Zn and Cu in all samples of water and muscle of (farms and RiverNile) were lower than permissible limits of WHO. The results of this studyindicate that high levels of some heavy metals present in fish collected fromthe fish farms in Beni-Suef governorate are not accepted as food for humanpurposes.

The study was conducted to investigate the effect of low metabolizable energy diets withnormal or narrow metabolizable energy to crude protein ratios (ME:CP) on performance,carcass characteristics, body composition and blood parameters in broilers fed from 1 to 42days of age. The chicks were divided into 7 groups. The birds were fed starter & grower diets.Seven experimental diets were formulated in each phase; one control and 6 tested diets. Thecontrol diet was formulated according to the NRC of poultry (1994) and the other six dietsfed three different levels of low energy diets (2900, 2700 & 2500 kcal/kg; one level for each 2groups). The first three tested groups named ''normal calorie-protein ratio” groups in whichthe CP decreased in proportion to the decrease in ME, keeping the normal NRC ratio. In thesecond three tested groups, termed “narrow calorie-protein ratio” groups, the dietaryprotein was kept at the NRC levels leading to ratios narrower than that of the NRC. Resultsshowed that chicks fed low ME diets with normal energy to protein ratio had lower bodyweight and feed utilization efficiency than the chicks fed the control diets. While, birds fedthe low ME diets with normal protein NRC-levels and narrow ratios had nearly equal weightand feed conversion to the control. The body composition and carcass characteristics werenot affected by the dietary treatments. Moreover, the blood parameters had no significantvariations among the groups, except for total protein, ALT and AST which had an increasedresponse to decreased dietary energy density. In conclusion, decreasing the dietary ME levelwithout decreasing the crude protein level was more efficient economically and had no anyadverse effect on the performance. However, decreasing of dietary ME with normal ME:CPratio resulted in decreased performance and low economic efficiency.

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of high metabolizable energy diets with normal or wide metabolizable energy to crude protein ratios (ME:CP) on the performance, carcass characteristics, body composition and blood parameters of broilers fed from 1 to 56 days of age. The chicks were allotted into 7 groups; one control and 6 tested. The birds were fed starter, grower and finisher diets. The control diet was formulated according to the NRC of poultry (1994) and the other six diets contained three different levels of high energy diets (3275, 3350 & 3425 kcal/kg; one level for each two groups). The first three tested groups were pointed for as the ''normal calorie-protein ratio” groups in which the CP increased in relation to the increased ME, keeping the normal NRC ratio. In the second three tested groups, named “wide calorie-protein ratio” groups, the dietary protein was kept at the NRC levels leading to ratios wider than that of the NRC. Results showed that chicks fed high ME diets with normal energy to protein ratio grew faster, and used feed more efficiently than chicks fed the control diets. However, feeding diets with high ME and normal protein NRC-levels slightly improved the weight and feed conversion. The visible fat and fat retained in the body was higher in all tested groups compared to the control. However, the blood parameters had no significant variations among the treatments, except for ALT which had an increased response to increased dietary energy density. In conclusion, increasing the dietary ME level without increasing the crude protein level provided moderately economic returns and lesser improvement in the performance of broilers. However, increasing of dietary ME with normal ME:CP ratio resulted in increased broiler performance and higher economic return.

A total of 120 fish samples were collected from different water sources in El Fayoum Governorate, (Bahr El Banat agricultural drainage, different fish farms and Al Rayaan Lake). and represented by Clarias gariepinus from Bahr El Banat agricultural drainage, different fish farms (15 each), Mugil cephalus from different fish farms and Al Rayaan Lake (15 each), Solea solea (30 samples) and Oreochromis niloticus from Bahr El Banat agricultural drainage, different fish farms and Al Rayaan Lake (10 each). Fourteen organochlorine compounds were analyzed by gas chromatography. Fish samples from Bahr El Banat revealed the highest mean levels of p,p'-DDD, endrin, endosulfan, γ-chlordane, heptachlor and γ-HCH, while fish samples from Al Rayaan Lake have shown the highest mean level of methoxychlor, p,p'-DDT, p,p'- DDE, dieldrin, heptachlor epoxide, δ-HCH and α-HCH. Most of the examined fish samples from different species, are within the maximum residue limits and should not pose a health risk to consumers. The public health hazards were discussed as well as recommendations were done.