Emerging Animal Species最新文献

Newborn calves undergoes tremendous physiological stress during the early life stage, leading to gut dysbiosis and reduced performance. Synbiotics administration has been shown to play a vital role in immunomodulation by replenishing gut microbiota, thereby conserving and protecting biological membranes against oxidative damage. This study examined the effects of synbiotic supplementation on selected antioxidant markers and immune response in Murrah buffalo calves. A total of twenty-four Murrah buffalo calves aged 5–7 d were enrolled randomly into three treatment groups based on body weight (BW) in a sixty-day feeding trial. Treatments were (1) control (CON); basal diet with no supplementation; (2) SYN1; control + synbiotic formulation 1 (200 mL fermented milk prepared from Lactobacillus acidophilus NCDC15 + 8g Cichorium intybus root powder); (3) SYN2; control + synbiotic formulation 2 (200 mL fermented milk prepared from Limosilactobacillus reuteri BFE7 + 8g Cichorium intybus root powder). Supplementation of SYN1 and SYN2 to calves significantly improved (P < 0.05) the cell-mediated immune response to phytohaemagglutinin-P (CMI; delayed type of hypersensitivity response to PHA-P). At the same time, the humoral immune response to chicken RBC (HIR; antibody titre to C-RBC) was enhanced (P < 0.05) in SYN-fed calves than in CON calves. Moreover, increased superoxide dismutase and catalase activities (P < 0.05) were observed in synbiotic-fed calves compared to CON calves. However, glutathione peroxidase activity was not influenced by SYN supplementation. Overall, the research showed that synbiotic formulations improved the immune system and antioxidant capacity of Murrah buffalo calves, making them less likely to get sick or stressed out during their early lives.

Mycoplasma capricolum subspecies capripneumoniae (Mccp) causes contagious caprine pleuropneumonia (CCPP), a serious, economically important, WOAH (World Organisation for Animal Health) listed, acute, and highly contagious respiratory disease, in goats. Despite, the presence of CCPP has been previously reported in India, the current study confirms the presence of the disease in the state of Maharashtra, India. Clinical signs like fever, lethargy, anorexia, nasal discharge, coughing and respiratory distress followed by death (within 3–7 days if illness) with varying severity and duration were recorded in the affected goats. DNA was extracted from lung tissue collected from suspected cases and PCR was performed using primers specific for 16S rRNA gene of Mycoplasma spp. The agarose gel electrophoresis of PCR product revealed the presence of bands of expected size (278 bp) indicating positive amplification. The nucleotide sequence analysis of PCR amplicons showed 100% identity with 16S rRNA gene of Mccp isolate 033C1 (Accession No. LT578418.1) and AMRC-C758 (Accession No. LT578418.1). Additionally, specific anti-mycoplasma treatment was given to ailing animals and recovery was observed. These data confirms the presence of CCPP in Maharashtra state, adding information about disease spreading in the region. Further, it warrants the need of surveillance study on CCPP to investigate risk of the disease in goat population of Maharashtra state, India.

Ferrets are an emergent companion animal species, and a possible animal model for conditions such as COVID-19 infection. As such, they are more present in veterinary practice than in the past. This study aimed at assessing how ferrets’ electrocardiographic parameters varied according to the age of the animal during isoflurane anesthesia. Eighteen ferrets, divided into three age categories (3–6 months: 7 ferrets; 32–36 months: 4 ferrets; >55 months: 7 ferrets), were included in the study. Generalized Estimation Equations, with Bonferroni corrected pairwise comparisons for age categories, were run. Most of the measured electrocardiographic parameters varied depending on age (all p < 0.05), although their trend across the three age groups was not the same for all the parameters. S wave amplitude and P wave duration varied according to sex. Findings of the present study can be useful for veterinary practitioners dealing with ferrets.

A 6 year old unsterilised male rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) was presented in emergency with respiratory distress. He has been suffering from dental disease for some years. On clinical examination, the rabbit was discordant and had expiratory dyspnoea without nasal discharge. Respiratory sounds are audible on pulmonary auscultation and he is bradycardic. Pulmonary, bronchial and/or pleural disease are sought. Chest X-rays are consistent with cardiomegaly and pulmonary oedema is suspected. Abdominal X-rays showed generalized ileus. After two hours of oxygen and diuretics, the patient's electrocardiogram showed sinus bradycardia. Echocardiography diagnosed dilated cardiomyopathy. After 48 h of intensive care, the patient was discharged on benazepril, furosemide, pimobendan, metoclopramide and feeding. In rabbits, dilated cardiomyopathy can be idiopathic, age or breed related (giant breed), infectious or toxic. A link between severe stress and catecholamine action is also described in favour of ischaemic dilated cardiomyopathy. The treatment of dilated cardiomyopathy is similar to that of domestic carnivores. However, in rabbits, the difficulty is to suspect cardiac pathology. With the thymus, interpretation of chest X- rays is not always easy. The practitioner may be assisted by measurement of blood pressure, electrocardiogram and assessment of the Buchanan index. However, echocardiography remains the preferred examination for a definite diagnosis.

Background

The scimitar-horned oryx (Oryx dammah) (SHO) is a large African antelope that became extinct in the wild just over two decades ago. Conservation of the species is of prime importance, but it might face pathogen stressors.

Methods and principal findings

Brucella melitensis biovar 1 was previously confirmed in a high-density captive population of SHO held in Abu-Dhabi emirate. The infection reached 67.0 % (95 % CI: 64.0–70.0) individual seroprevalence (n = 959) during testing performed between January 2013 and January 2015. A model based on a multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that the seroprevalence ranged from 51.2 (95 % CI: 39.6–62.7) to 86.9 % (95 % CI: 82.4–91.4) between six different enclosures, and probability of being seropositive was 1.83 (95 % CI: 1.32–2.55) higher in females than in males, 3.09 (95 % CI: 1.66–5.91) and 9.35 (95 % CI: 4.66–19.44) higher in subadults and adults than in juveniles, respectively. The three serological tests used in this study (Rose Bengal Test, lateral flow assay and in-house i-ELISA) had a perfect or near-perfect agreement (Cohen’s Kappa coefficient >=0.97). Recurrent high seroprevalence in time and congruence of results from three different serological tests point toward a persistent B. melitensis infection in a high-density captive SHO population.

Conclusion and significance

Testing strategy (Bengal Test, lateral flow assay or in-house i-ELISA) has no effect on the estimation of the brucellosis seroprevalence in SHO permitting the selection of a practical test. We call for an evidence-based control program, and Brucella vaccine efficacy and innocuity studies in this endangered species.

The results of this study document the molecular detection of Theileria cervi in a symptomatic adult marsh deer Blastocerus dichotomus (Artiodactyla: Cervidae) from Argentina and characterize the phylogenetic position of the Argentinian strain. The animal was founded with signs of obnubilation, anaemia, and ataxia on Isla Talavera in the Paraná Delta, Argentina. Biochemical, haematological and post mortem histopathological studies resulted in the detection of symptoms associated with Theileria infections. Piroplasmid DNA was detected in a blood sample and the complete 18S rDNA gene sequence could be archived. Phylogenetic analyses of the obtained sequence verify the genetic relationship of the Argentinian strain with strains of T. cervi found in other deer species in North America. This result, together with reports of T. cervi detected in various deer species that inhabit countries from Canada in the North to Argentina in the Western Hemisphere, indicates that this Piroplasmorida possess a low host specificity. Although the majority of T. cervi infections results asymptomatic or in mild course of the disease, it must be considered that T. cervi is circulating in Argentinian B. dichotomus populations and can cause serve course of the disease. Therefore, further studies are needed to investigate its prevalence, distribution and veterinary impact.

During the last few decades, hundreds of candidate genes have been detected and identified in goat breeds. In addition, comprehensive studies have been performed on the differentiation and polymorphism of several genes along with their roles in the control and management of economic traits. In this article, the authors review the genetic studies that have been conducted on goats throughout the past three decades, along with a summary of the results of those studies in a focused manner with a discussion of the most important genes that affect different body functions such as metabolism, physiological pathways, fertility, meat production, meat quality, milk production, fibre production, adaptation… etc. The authors believe that this review opens a window for researchers who are interested in the field of animal production, especially small ruminants, whether at the genome level or candidate genes. It also preserves the time and effort required to search in dozens of researches related to this field because the authors collected pieces of important information related to those genes and the genome of goat in one work by an easy-to-follow way.

Melatonin is a potent immunomodulator with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects that significantly reduces inflammation. In practice, the subcutaneously implanted melatonin in minks is generally used to stimulate molting in autumn in advance, thereby reducing feed cost to obtain considerable economic benefits. The opportunistic Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) infection causes hemorrhagic pneumonia, massive mortality and economic losses in minks, while melatonin treatments to minks could improve host resistance; therefore, the objective of our study is to investigate the relationships of the susceptible infections caused by P. aeruginosa with the improved immunity by melatonin in minks. In this study, 1 × 10⁹ colony forming units of P. aeruginosa were used to infect 12 minks in the case group (IGM group) after 10 mg melatonin dosage per body weight (kg) treatment under the implantation in mink ears. The control group (IG group) contains 12P. aeruginosa infected minks without melatonin treatments. In the meantime, another 24 minks were also included in our study with no P. aeruginosa infections, where 12 of them were treated with melatonin for comparisons. The results showed that melatonin treatments increased mink immunity and resistance to P. aeruginosa infections, alleviated the pathogenesis and pathological lung damages, and enhanced the lung scavenging abilities. The lung indexes of minks after melatonin treatments significantly decreased comparing IGM group with IG group (P < 0.01). Similarly, the bacterial loads of minks in the IGM group were significantly lower than those in the IG group at different infected time points (P < 0.05). In addition, the concentration levels of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) significantly increased after melatonin treatments (P < 0.05). In conclusion, our study explored the relationships between P. aeruginosa infection and host resistance in minks, and provided valuable understandings of the pathogenesis of mink hemorrhagic pneumonia and the potential applications of melatonin in the future practical treatments.

Administration of certain sedative and anaesthetic agents can cause a reduction in circulating packed cell volume (PCV) probably due to sequestration of red cells in the spleen, increasing its size.

The effect on PCV after intravenous (IV) administration of butorphanol then diazepam, five minutes apart, or, these premedicants administered in reverse order, followed by propofol and isoflurane anaesthesia have not been investigated in goats.

Two cohorts of Saanen goats, one for castration (males, 5 months, 13 goats) and one for experimental orthopaedic surgery for another study (females, 3 to 5 years, 12 goats) were included in this research. Goats were randomized to receive either butorphanol or diazepam first followed by the other agent IV five minutes apart prior to anaesthesia. Four blood samples to analyse PCV were taken per goat (baseline, after the first and second premedicant administration, and after propofol induction). A between and within-subjects design ANOVA was applied to determine the difference in PCV over time between treatment groups.

Baseline PCV across all goats had a mean of 0.42 L/L (range 0.28 – 0.78 L/L). Both combinations of butorphanol and diazepam followed by induction of anaesthesia with propofol caused a clinically and statistically significant reduction in PCV (p < 0.001), with values dropping by 29.0 % (diazepam-first) and 29.1 % (butorphanol-first) from baseline values to the last sample (an overall decrease in PCV of 0.12 L/L for both groups). However, there was no statistical difference between groups (p = 0.696).

Results demonstrate that clinicians need to be aware of the magnitude of reduction in PCV that can occur when butorphanol and diazepam are used as premedicants prior to propofol administration.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of melatonin supplement in different extenders on the quality of cryopreserved goat semen. Six semen pools were cryopreserved in skim milk (SM – Experiment 1) or tris-egg yolk (TEY – Experiment 2) based extenders supplemented with melatonin (0, 0.5, 1, 2 and 4 mM). After thawing, the kinetic sperm parameters [total motility (TM), progressive motility (PM), curvilinear velocity (VCL), straight-line velocity (VSL), linearity (LIN), straightness (STR), wobble (WOB)] and viability parameters [plasma and acrosomal membrane integrity (iMPA), high mitochondrial membrane potential (hPMM) and intracellular ROS production (iROS)] were observed at time 0 h and after 2 h of incubation (37 °C). In the experiment I, only for the hMMP variable (p < 0.05), a melatonin vs time interaction was observed. Was noted a negatively influenced in the variables over the incubation period, except for the STR, iMPA, hMMP and iROS parameters. The treatment with melatonin had different effects in the variables VCL, VSL, WOB, hPMM, and iROS, however, in the variables TM, PM, LIN, STR and iMPA there was no significant difference regarding the different melatonin concentrations. In the experiment II, no interaction was observed, melatonin vs time, for the analyzed variables. Was noted a negatively influenced (p < 0.05) in all variables throughout the incubation period, with the exception of the STR, iMPA and hMMP parameters. The treatment with melatonin showed different effects in the variables TM, PM, VSL, LIN, STR, WOB, iMPA, hPMM and iROS, however, in the variable VCL there was no significant difference regarding the different concentrations of melatonin. In conclusion, melatonin does not improve the post-thawing quality of goat semen cryopreserved in SM or TEY based extenders and may be deleterious when supplemented at concentration of 4 mM.