This investigation was carried out on 5457 animals; among which, 3916 cows, 1531 buffaloes and 10 she-camels in Beni-Suef and Fayoum provinces. Animals were subjected to clinical examination to study the congenital and acquired udder and teat surgical affections. Clinical findings of affected animals were recorded. It has been found that the prevalence of teat and udder affections were: in cattle (19.87%; 778/3916), 141 (3.6%) had congenital anomalies, (hyperthelia 2.17%, leaker 0.38%, athelia 0.26%, pendulous udder 0.20%, hypermastia 0.26%, hypoplasia of mammary gland 0.13%, hyperplasia of teat 0.08%, teat obstruction 0.08% and fistula 0.05%)and 637 (16.267%) suffered from acquired affections (fibrosis 6.26%, mastitis 3.29%, pendulous udder 1.18%, edema 1.15%, fistula/wound 0.84%, teat obstruction 0.66%, teat stenosis 0.66%, ulcer/crack 0.64%, abscess 0.54%, hematoma 0.26%, seborrhea 0.23%, impetigo 0.18%, neoplastic growths 0.18%, udder gangrene 0.15% and teat gangrene 0.05%). In buffaloes (11.43%; 175/1531), 11 (0.72%) had congenital anomalies (hypermastia 0.59%, hyperthelia 0.07% and fistula 0.07%), and 164 (10.71%) had acquired affections (fibrosis 2.81%, ulcer/cracks 2.09%, mastitis 1.89%, seborrhea 1.44%, obstruction 0.91%, edema 0.46%, hematoma 0.33%, fistula/wound 0.26%, teat gangrene 0.26%, stenosis 0.13%, abscess 0.07% and impetigo 0.07%). In shecamels, no congenital anomalies were recorded with only one animal showed an acute mastitis and other had a teat orifice obstruction.

In the last decades, the light had been shed on the importance of male reproduction and how to protect it from disease conditions and inflammation which may cause infertility. Accordingly, the mechanism underlying inflammation-mediated infertility must be well clarified. In the present study, an experimental model of acute inflammation in mature male albino rats was established by intraperitoneal (ip) injection of a single dose of lipopolysaccharides (LPS). Consequently, basic reproductive parameters were estimated after LPS administration. Blood samples were collected and assayed for serum testosterone levels. Semen was also analyzed for live sperm percent. Testes were removed for histopathological evaluation. The findings revealed that testosterone level in LPS-treated rats decreased significantly (P<0.05) compared to control rats at 6 and 12 hrs after injection. Meanwhile, serum testosterone recovered 72 hrs after injection. Moreover, live sperm percent decreased drastically in LPS-treated rats (P<0.001) compared with control rats at 6 and 12 hrs after LPS injection. Adverse effects of LPS on sperm vitality at 72 hrs after LPS injection were also found. Microscopic examination revealed that degenerative changes were observed in LPS-treated rats at 6 and 12 hrs. Most of histopathological findings returned to normal structure in LPS-treated rats at 72 hrs.

Staphylococcus aureus(S. aureus) is a major cause of mastitis in dairy animals and a serious pathogen affecting human health. The current study was designed to investigate the extent of S.aureus in milk samples collected from dairy animals as well as human clinical samples,beside determination of its antimicrobial susceptibility pattern. Also, the prevalence of both mecA and vanA genes among some selected methicillin-resistant isolates was investigated. Out of 120 milk samples obtained from different animals (cows, buffaloes, sheep, and goats), 81 (67.5%) samples reacted positive for S. aureus, whereas 67 (74%) out of 90 human samples were found positive for S. aureus. Disk diffusion susceptibility testing revealed that S.aureus isolates of humans were more resistant than thoseof animals against all tested antimicrobials except for clindamycin. A high rate of multi-drug resistance (MDR) and mecA gene was recorded in S. aureusof both animals and humans. Surprisingly,vanAgene, which is responsible for vancomycin resistance was detected only in S. aureus isolated from animal milk. To the best of ourknowledge, it is the first record of vanA gene in S. aureus recovered from animals.

The aim of this study was to investigate the course and distribution of the celiac artery in Hooded crows and to extend our knowledge on the captured crows. Scarce information in the field of veterinary comparative anatomy and the available literature on the celiac artery and its distribution is provided. So, the present study tried to declare the confusion about the course and distribution of the celiac artery in the Hooded crows. Therefore, 10 apparently healthy Hooded crows of different ages and sexes were captured. The birds were anaesthetized by IM injection of 0.5 cc of 2% xylazine HCL (3 mg/kg). Colored gum milk latex (60%) was then injected through the descending aorta. Then, specimens were subjected to fine dissection to demonstrate the origin, course and distribution of the celiac artery. The celiac artery erupted laterally from the right face of the descending aorta opposite to the distance between the 5th and 6th vertebral rib, on a level with the junction of the esophagus and the proventriculus. It proceeded ventrally and slight caudally, where it gave off the esophageal artery after, 5 cm from its origin, the dorsal proventricular artery, splinc arteries and at the middle of spleen then bifurcated into left and right branches. The left branch of the celiac artery gave rise to right hepatic artery, ventral proventricular artery, pyloric branches, ventral gastric artery and then continued as the A. gastrica sinistra. The right branch of the celiac artery released the caudal group of splenic arteries, A. gastrica dextra, then continued as A. pancreaticoduodenalis.

Contagious ecthyma is a highly contagious disease affecting domestic and wild ruminants such as sheep, goats and camels. The identification and characterisation of a parapoxvirus (PPV) infecting camels is described here. The virus was detected in dromedary camels (Camelus dromedarius) from Kerman and Shiraz in Iran. PPV-specific amplification by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) further confirmed that the disease was associated with PPV infection. Phylogenetic analysis of ORF011 (B2L) gene sequences showed 99.79% and 82.13% similarity of the PPV identified in this study with the Jodhpur isolate and the bovine papular stomatitis virus (BPSV) isolates (CE41), respectively. Moreover, phylogenetic analysis of the ORF045 gene indicated that the Shiraz sample was in all probability closely related to VR634 and to F00.120R and PCPV776. In conclusion, the results suggest that camel PPV (CPPV) is a likely cause of contagious ecthyma in dromedary camels in Iran.

The acaricidal activity of acetone and ethanol extracts of 12 plant species was evaluated using the contact method on Rhipicephalus turanicus (Acari: Ixodidae) ticks at an initial concentration of 20% (200 mg/mL). Eight of the 12 plants had mortality greater than 50% and the acetone extracts had better acaricidal activity than the ethanol extracts. The acetone extract of Calpurnia aurea (leaves and flowers) had the highest corrected mortality (CM) of 92.2% followed by Schkuhria pinnata (whole plant) with a CM of 88.9%, Ficus sycomorus (bark and stems) 86.7% and Senna italica subsp. arachoides (roots, leaves and fruits) 83.3%. Selected extracts were tested at five different concentrations using the adult immersion test. From dose–response assays, EC₅₀ values of 61.82 mg/mL, 115.21 mg/mL and 161.02 mg/mL were obtained for the acetone extracts of S. pinnata (whole plant), S. italica subsp. arachoides (roots, leaves and fruits) and C. aurea (leaves and flowers) respectively. The ethanol extract of Monsonia angustifolia (whole plant) had the highest CM of 97.8% followed by S. pinnata (whole plant) with a CM of 86.7%, C. aurea (leaves and flowers) 81.1% and Cleome gynandra (leaves) 77.8%. There is potential for the development of environmentally benign botanicals as natural acaricides against R. turanicus.

A recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA)-based method was developed for rapid and specific detection of African swine fever virus (ASFV), the etiologic agent of African swine fever, a devastating disease of swine. Primers and the exo probe targeting the conserved region of the P72 gene of ASFV were designed and the reaction was run on the Genie III scanner device. Using recombinant plasmid DNA containing the P72 gene as template, we showed that the amplified product could be detected in less than 10 min and that the detection limit was 102 copies DNA/reaction [same detection limit as real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR)]. The RPA assay did not cross-detect CSFV, PCV-2, PRV, PRRSV, or FMDV, common viruses seen in pigs. Tests of recombinant plasmid-spiked serum samples revealed that RPA and real-time PCR had the same diagnostic rate. The RPA assay, which is simple, cost-effective, and fast, is a promising alternative to real-time PCR for ASFV detection.