Many scolicidal agents have been used to destroy fertile protoscolices, but these scolicidal agents have side effects, highlighting the need for research on effective and non-toxic replacement scolicidal agents. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are biocompatible and non-toxic. The current study examined the effects of AuNPs in killing the protoscolices of Echinococcus granulosus in vitro using eosin staining. The protoscolices were treated with 0.2, 0.4, 0.8, or 1.0 mg/mL of AuNPs for 15, 30, 45, or 60 minutes. A concentration of 1.0 mg/mL was the most efficient in killing the protoscolices after 60 minutes exposure, reaching 96%, followed by 0.8 mg/mL (84.5%), whereas 0.4 and 0.2 mg/mL of AuNPs achieved a death rate of 76.8% and 68.5%, respectively. The loss of the protoscolices was lower at shorter exposure times with the same concentration of AuNPs and increased as the AuNP concentration was increased at the same exposure time. Significant differences were found between the different groups compared to the control group.

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.

Heartwater, one of the major tick-borne diseases of some domestic and wild ruminants in Africa, is caused by Ehrlichia ruminantium. The genetic diversity of E. ruminantium isolates renders the available vaccine ineffective against certain virulent isolates. To better understand the E. ruminantium genotypes in South Africa, a total of 1004 Amblyomma hebraeum tick deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) samples from cattle in three South African provinces were tested by pCS20 Sol1 real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and characterised by multilocus sequence typing (MLST) using five housekeeping genes. Out of 1004 samples tested, 222 (22%) were positive for E. ruminantium. The occurrence of E. ruminantium in Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo provinces was 19%, 22% and 27%, respectively. The E. ruminantium positive samples were screened for housekeeping genes and sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis revealed three main lineages: clade 1 made up of worldwide isolates (eastern, southern Africa, and Caribbean isolates), clade 2 comprised only West African isolates and clade 3 consisted of Omatjenne, Kümm2 and Riverside. Some study sample sequences were not identical to any of the reference isolates. However, they could all be grouped into the worldwide clade. Genetic variation in the sequenced regions was observed in the form of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Using MLST to characterise E. ruminantium field isolates allowed the South African genotypes to be clearly distinguished from the distinct West African isolates. CONTRIBUTION: Characterisation of E. ruminantium field isolates is important for the control of heartwater and contributes to preliminary knowledge required for the development of a more practical vaccine against heartwater.

A total of 4913 Friesian cows at Sakha Experimental Farm were analyzed between 1975 and 2020 to determine the effects of gender calf birth weight (CBW) on the future performance of their dams. The fixed effects of CBW classified into five groups: < 25, 26-30, 31-35, 36-40 and >40kg on lactation period, total  (TMY) and  305- day (305MY) milk yield, age at first calving (AFC), gestation length (GL), days open (DO), and calving interval (CI), as well as their genetic (rG) and phenotypic correlations with CBW, were estimated using BLUPF90 software. Increased CBW had a highly significant (P<0.001) effect on milk productivity; the maximum TMY was obtained at >36 kg for males, but at > 31 kg for females in 305MY. Until >40 kg, CBW had a linear effect on AFC and CI (P< 0.001). High positive rG estimates were obtained between CBW categories with TMY and 305MY, ranging from 0.48 to 0.89 and 0.23 to 0.87, respectively. Moderate to high positive rG estimates were obtained between CBW and reproductive traits, ranging from 0.24 to 0.76 for dams. Selection for intermediate CBWs combined under appropriate management conditions should be beneficial for maximizing milk production, controlling fertility, with delivering healthy calves without dystocia.

Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) is a system that concerns with the identification, evaluation and management of risks that have a potential impact on food safety and quality; especially in a highly nutritious yet easily perishable food like milk and dairy products that can be easily contaminated with contain such biological, physical, and chemical hazards. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the returns from HACCP implementation in dairy farms and milk collecting centers (MCCs) located in Qalubiya governorate, Egypt through assessment of the quality, safety and potential adulteration in the collected raw milk samples, along with environmental swabbing for the sanitary condition monitoring pre- and post HACCP implementation, which included an overall improvement in sanitary and hygienic quality of milking, transportation, storage, and personnel conditions, along with documentation and traceability processes at the examined farms and MCCs. Statistical analyses were conducted to compare findings before and after a one-month duration of HACCP application. The results revealed a significant improvement (p ≤ 0.05) in the physico-chemical and microbiological quality of milk samples at both farm and MCC levels. This improvement directly reflected on the quality and fitness of milk for human consumption. In conclusion, the application of HACCP effectively controlled various hazards during milk production, even adulteration, and improved the hygienic quality of raw milk. Therefore, it is highly recommended for HACCP implementation in milk production facilities, with continuous monitoring for optimal results.

Because milk is rich in nutrients, it creates an environment conducive to the growth of bacteria that could be harmful to consumers. Therefore, assessing of its bacteriological quality and the resistance of these pathogens to several antibiotic groups is very important. VITEK 2 compact detected E. coli, Salmonellae spp., S. aureus and B. cereus in the examined samples while it failed to detect Listeria spp. The serological identification of E. coli showed the presence of O44: H18, O127: H6, O159, O15: H2, and O91: H21. Also, Salmonella serotypes as           S. enteritidis (25%), S. infantis (12.5%), S. kentucky (12.5%), S. montevideo (6.25%), S. shangani (12.5%), S. tsevie (12.5%). S. typhimurium (18.75%).  Furthermore, the entero-toxigenic strains of S. aureus were 31.25% of the identified strains; the percentage of entero-toxigenic strains that secrete A, A&C and D enterotoxin were 60%, 20% and (20%); respectively. Ampicillin, amoxicillin / clavulanic acid, cefpodoxime, cefovecin, ceftiofur, and trimethoprim / sulfamethoxazole were all ineffective against the isolated E. coli strains. Intermediate sensitive to cefalothin while they were sensitive to cefalexin, imipenem, amikacin, gentamicin, neomycin, enrofloxacin, marbofloxacin, pradofloxacin, doxycycycline, tetracycline, nitrofurantoin and chloramphenicol. Additionally, the isolated S. aureus exhibited resistance to tetracycline, benzylpenicillin, oxacillin, gentamycin, ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, and moxifloxacin also; it showed intermediate resistance to rifampicin. The identified S. aureus strains were also susceptible to linezolid, nitrofurantoin, vancomycin, tigecycline, and trimethoprim / sulfamethoxazole.

The current study aimed to study morphological peculiarities of of the Lumbosacral Region of Cattle Egret with special reference to the glycogen body. The lumbosacral organ (LSO) is a unique modification in the spinal cord of all birds. Twenty adult cattle egret of both sexes are used to describe the morphological and histological peculiarities of this organ in cattle egret. The synsacrum of these birds was examined by gross, cross-sectional anatomy, Computed Tomography (CT), and transverse histological sections with different stains. The morphological peculiarities of the lumbosacral region of cattle egret includes enlarged vertebral canal in the region of synsacrum. This enlargement is due to the presence of a gelatinous  glycogen body embedded in the rhomboid sinus of the spinal cord. Accessory lobes protrude at the ventrolateral end of the ventral horns in the vertebral canal. Transverse lumbosacral canals similar to semicircular canals above the spinal cord. The spinal cord is fixed to the vertebra by a network of dentate ligaments. Histologically both glycogen body and accessory lobes contain glycogen-containing glia cells. These cells were polygonal with narrow cytoplasmic rim and nucleus pushed to periphery by a central mass of glycogen. The blood capillaries were distributed throughout the glycogen body and accessory lobes. The connective tissue was very scanty except in the vicinity of the blood capillaries and central canal. The accessory lobes contain multipolar neurons scattered between the glia cells. The transverse lumbosacral canals were fluid-filled meningeal tubes that arch dorsally over the spinal cord and open laterally above the accessory lobes. The network of dentate ligaments formed from regular dense fibrous connective tissues mainly collagenous fibers. Therefore this work concluded that the proposition of the anatomical and histological modifications of the lumbosacral region might act as a sense organ of equilibrium control the balanced walking on the ground.

In poultry, Escherichia coli infections lead to substantial deaths and financial losses for producers each year. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of E. coli from water pipes and drinkers in broiler farms, to characterize the isolated E. coli strains in terms of serotypes, biofilm production degree, presence of the adrA gene. The gene "adrA" encodes for the adhesion regulating protein A. adrA is a protein that plays a role in regulating the adhesion and biofilm formation of E. coli bacteria., and the efficacy of various disinfectants on E. coli biofilms. A total of 100 swab samples were collected from drinking water pipes and drinkers from different broiler farms in Giza and Dakahlia governorates in Egypt. Out of them, 18 E. coli serogroups were identified in 50 positive samples, and the most predominant serogroup was O91, which showed the highest incidence (20%), followed by serotypes O78 (18%), and O26 (8%). Microtiter-plate test for determination of biofilm production for 50 E. coli isolates were performed. PCR was done for the detection of the virulence gene adrA in the 13 strong biofilm E. coli isolates, and the results revealed that 100% were positive for the virulence gene. The effect of disinfectants on E. coli was studied by using ZnO nanoparticles, acidifiers, and quaternary ammonium dioxide. This study found a high prevalence of E. coli in water samples, identified various E. coli serotypes, observed biofilm production, and determined the effectiveness of different disinfectants on E. coli isolates.

Campylobacter is the most common bacterial cause of gastroenteritis globally. A total of 182 fully identified strains of Campylobacter species (42 C. coli and 140 C. jejuni) collected from 6 broiler farms were subjected to studying the antimicrobial resistance pattern and molecular typing of virulence (cadF, ctdA, dnaJ waaC,iam, and fla) and antimicrobial resistance genes (blaOXA-61, gyrA, tetA, tetO, and IR) with sequencing of gyrA region of one strain of fluroquinolones resistant C. coli and C. jejuni. The identified isolates were highly resistant to erythromycin and sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim. Furthermore, both meropenem and imipenem were effective against the recovered isolates. The tested C. jejuni and C. coli strains had 100%, 83.3%, and 83.3% prevalence of cadF, ctdA, and dnaJ virulence genes, respectively, while waaC, iam, and fla genes couldn’t be detected. The blaOXA-61 resistance gene was found in all of the Campylobacter spp. examined. Furthermore, gyrA, tetA, tetO, and IR resistance genes were found in 100%, 83.3%, 83.3%, and 66.7% of the retrieved C. jejuni strains, respectively.  Likewise, resistance genes were found in 83.3%, 83.3%, 83.3%, and 66.7% of the retrieved C. coli strains, respectively. Approximately 58% (7/12) of the Campylobacter spp. recovered were MDR. Furthermore, 50% (3/6) of the C. jejuni strains recovered were MDR, while 66.7% (4/6) of the C. coli isolates recovered were MDR with MARI(0.22-0.55). For detection of mutations of the gyrA gene, the sequence data of two isolates (C. jejuni and C.coli) were analyzed against the reference sequence on the gene bank where the C. jejuni strain had six mutations, while the C. coli strain had twenty-three. The current findings suggest that MDR Campylobacter strains in poultry may be able to transmit highly virulent Campylobacter as a foodborne pathogen.

This study was carried out in Alexandria Province for a period of 12 months from November 2021 to October 2022 in the laboratory of Animal Hygiene and Zoonoses Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Alexandria University for isolation and molecular identification of Salmonella from some food products of animal origin as well as humans. In addition, the antimicrobial susceptibility testing of the identified bacterial strains was assessed. A total of 450 food samples, comprising chicken paneeh, chicken burger, chicken luncheon, minced meat, beef burger, and kariesh cheese (75 each), were randomly gathered from. In addition, a total of 100 human stool samples have been obtained from 60 diarrheal individuals and 40 apparently healthy ones. Isolation of Salmonella from food samples on XLD clarified that the recovery rate was 12, 8, 5.3, 13.3, 9.3 and 5.3 % for Chicken paneeh, Chicken burger, Chicken luncheon, Minced meat, Beef burger and Kariesh cheese, respectively (40 isolates) while biochemical identification showed that the detection rate was 9.3, 5.3, 5.3, 8, 5.3 and 4% from the same samples, respectively (28 isolates only). Moreover, the molecular identification revealed the detection of 11 isolates only. Finally, the serological identification of 11Salmonella isolates clarified the presence of S. Enteritidis, S. Haifa, S. Inganda, S. Tamale, S. Typhimurium and S. Shangani with various rates. Antimicrobial susceptibility of Salmonella strains (n=11) isolated from food products revealed that Ciprofloxacin was the most effective antibiotic against the tested isolates (90.9 %) followed by Doxycycline (72.73 %) while Cephalexin was the least effective antibiotics as it was noticed that 100% of isolates were resistant. On the other hand, Isolation of Salmonella from the stool samples on XLD (43 isolates) clarified that the recovery rate was 53.3 and 27.5 % for diarrheic and apparently healthy individuals, respectively while biochemical identification tests showed that the detection rate was 25 and 10 % for diarrheic and apparently healthy individuals, respectively (19 isolates only). In addition, the molecular identification of isolates revealed the detection of 16 isolates only. Finally, the serological identification of Salmonella isolates (n=11) recovered from food products clarified the presence of S. Enteritidis, S. Haifa, S. Inganda, S. Typhimurium, S. Montevideo and S. Tsevie with various rates. Finally, antimicrobial susceptibility of Salmonella strains (n=11) isolated from stool samples revealed that Vancomycin and Doxycycline were the most effective antibiotics against the tested isolates (93.75 %) while it was noticed that 100% of isolates were resistant to the remaining antibiotics (Ampicillin, Cefotaxim, Cephalexin, Ciprofloxacin, Penicillin G, Streptomycin and Tetracycline).