Veterinary Medicine International最新文献

Viral diseases pose a significant threat to Bangladesh's livestock sector, resulting in substantial economic losses and impeding overall growth. These infections disrupt animal productivity, undermine food security, and place financial strain on farmers. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the major viral diseases impacting livestock in Bangladesh. The cumulative burden of viral diseases jeopardizes a sector that contributes 1.54% to the national GDP. Factors such as uncontrolled animal movement and trade, along with climate change, exacerbate disease transmission and increase the risk of outbreaks. The economic repercussions extend beyond production losses to include rising food prices and serious public health concerns stemming from zoonotic transmission and antimicrobial resistance. Effective mitigation requires integrated control strategies, including widespread vaccination, strengthened biosecurity, and robust disease surveillance. Enhancing veterinary infrastructure and aligning with international disease control standards will improve market access and ensure sector sustainability. Long-term resilience will depend on coordinated efforts among government agencies, private stakeholders, and international partners to safeguard food security and rural livelihoods.

Background: Zoonotic diseases related to cattle farming cause a significant sanitary and economic impact in Colombia. Poor knowledge, negative attitudes, and few practices related to their transmission, prevention, and control aggravate the epidemiological profile of these diseases.

Objective: To analyze the profile of knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) related to zoonotic diseases in livestock producers from three municipalities of Magdalena Medio de Antioquia.

Methods: A cross-sectional study of 143 randomly selected livestock producers who participated voluntarily. A reproducible and valid survey was applied to estimate KAP scores; the description was made with frequencies and summary measures. The factors associated with KAP were determined with nonparametric tests. Potential explanatory factors were identified with multivariate linear regressions.

Results: Most of the subjects were young men from rural areas with middle socioeconomic status, married, employed in general farm maintenance, and with low formal education. The main factors associated with the KAP profile were area of residence, gender, marital status, age, and time working in the activity. Knowledge about vectors of infectious agents was deficient in relation to the attitudes domain. It was found that they receive little information, and in the evaluation of practices, they are at high risk concerning the lack of protective equipment and consumption of untreated water and raw food.

Conclusions: Education in the promotion and maintenance of health, as well as veterinary supervision in the livestock production setting, are central factors for preventing zoonotic diseases. This study generates a valid scale for monitoring and research associated with cattle farming.

Lungworms are among the major nematode parasites causing significant impacts on livestock production, mortality and morbidity in young animals, and poor productivity in adult animals. Despite the widespread distribution of lungworms, there is little information in North Shewa in the central highlands of Ethiopia. Thus, a cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the prevalence of lungworms, identify the major respiratory helminths, and assess putative risk factors in sheep and cattle. A postmortem examination was conducted on 400 randomly selected animals. The present study revealed an overall 20.75% (95% CI: 16.88-25.06) prevalence of lungworm infection. The prevalence of respiratory helminths was 40.69% (95% CI: 33.88-47.77) in sheep and 0% in cattle. The logistic regression analysis indicated that age and season were significant risk factors, whereas body condition was a significant predictor of lungworm infections. Young sheep were 2.3 (95% CI: 1.26-4.23; p=0.007) times more at risk of lungworm infection than adults. The prevalence of the disease was 4 (95% CI: 1.79-8.72; p=0.001) times higher in sheep with poor body conditions. The prevalence of lungworm was more than 3 (95% CI: 1.37-6.62; p=0.006) times higher in autumn than in spring. The most prevalent species of respiratory helminths were Dictyocaulus filaria (29.9%; 95% CI: 23.71-36.69), Muellerius capillaris (4.41%; 95% CI: 2.04-8.21), mixed infections (3.92%; 95% CI: 1.71-7.58), and Protostrongylus rufescens (2.45%; 95% CI: 0.80-5.63). The present study determined a higher prevalence of ovine lungworms and no evidence of the disease in cattle. The study identified age, body condition, and season as the most important risk factors for lungworm infection. Thus, regular deworming of sheep and awareness creation for the farmers on rotational and strategic grazing are forwarded to control lungworms in sheep. Moreover, further studies are required to confirm the conditions of lungworms in cattle in North Shewa.

The objective of this study was to compare the metabolomic profiles of seminal plasma and sperm in Toraya buffalo bulls to identify key metabolites that influence sperm quality and reproductive potential. Semen samples were collected from eight mature Toraya buffalo bulls aged 4-10 years and classified as Saleko and Bonga types. Sperm were separated from seminal plasma and subjected to metabolite extraction, followed by derivatization and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. Metabolites were identified and quantified using the NIST library, and statistical analysis was performed with MetaboAnalyst 6.0. This study utilized GC-MS to analyze the metabolomic profiles of seminal plasma and sperm from Toraya buffalo bulls. The analysis detected 10 metabolite groups, including carboxylic acids, fatty acids, and steroids. Metabolite enrichment revealed carboxylic acids as dominant in plasma and fatty acyls in sperm. Principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) showed clear separation between seminal plasma and sperm. Key metabolites contributing to the separation were identified via variable importance in projection (VIP) analysis. Pathway enrichment analysis highlighted galactose metabolism in plasma and glyoxylate metabolism in sperm. Significant differences in metabolic pathways, such as citrate cycle and unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis, were observed between the two samples. In conclusion, this study revealed unique metabolomic profiles in the seminal plasma and sperm of Toraya buffalo using GC-MS. Important metabolites such as creatinine, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and α-ketoglutaric acid may serve as potential biomarkers.

The southern red muntjac (Muntiacus muntjak) is a common species found throughout Southeast Asia. It plays a vital ecological role as a prey species for large wild carnivores, contributing to the maintenance of biodiversity. In addition, this species is farmed for tourism purposes and as an alternative source of meat. However, the lack of data on hematological and serum biochemical parameters has made it challenging to assess the health status of this species and to monitor environmental toxicity. The objective of this study was to investigate the hematological and serum biochemical profiles of southern red muntjacs (M. muntjak) and to compare any differences between males and females. A total of 82 individuals were captured, and blood samples from 59 were analyzed using automated hematology and biochemistry analyzers. The results revealed no significant differences between males and females in almost all parameters. When compared with previous studies, several hematological and biochemical parameters in M. muntjak differed from those of related species (M. vaginalis) and may be due to different capture methods and altitude. These findings provide valuable baseline data for health screening and environmental toxicity assessment in both captive and free-ranging populations of this species.

Avian influenza (AI) is a severe respiratory disease affecting wild and domestic birds globally. There is currently no approved vaccine for AI control in Nigeria. Therefore, biosecurity measures remain the primary preventive strategy. However, there is limited information on the AI carrier status of captive wild birds and the implementation of biosecurity programs (BPs) in zoological gardens across the country. This study aimed to screen captive wild birds for AI and evaluate the BPs in selected zoological gardens in southwestern Nigeria. Using a cross-sectional approach, cloacal swabs and freshly deposited faecal samples (n = 149) were collected from captive wild birds in seven zoological gardens in southwestern Nigeria following an AI outbreak in 2022. The samples were screened for AI viruses using RT-qPCR, and BPs in 13 consenting zoological gardens were assessed using a structured questionnaire. The responses were scored, and the BPs were categorised as 'Poor', 'Fair', or 'Good'. Descriptive and inferential statistical methods were used to analyse the data. All samples tested negative for AI viruses. Documented institutional biosecurity and disease outbreak contingency plans were available in 84.6% of the zoos. Most of the zoos demonstrated good BPs across key categories, including vehicle and animal movement control (100%), food and water supply management (92.3%), enclosure hygiene, ground maintenance and waste disposal (84.6%), pest control (76.9%), and quarantine and sick animal management (69.2%). These findings suggest that the captive wild birds in zoological gardens in southwestern Nigeria are unlikely to serve as AI reservoirs, and most of the zoos have robust BPs that contribute to preventing AI and other avian diseases.

Unlike fowl pox, pigeon pox virus (PPV) has not been described in Ghana. This is the first report of the disease and virus in Ghana based on gross necropsy, histopathological analysis, and molecular techniques. This index case was presented as the occurrence of both cutaneous (dry) and diphtheritic (wet) forms of the pigeon pox disease in a 5-month-old female pigeon. Although the observation of Bollinger bodies during histology is confirmatory of pox viruses, the amplification of the p4b gene using polymerase chain reaction and its visualization by gel electrophoresis confirmed the presence of an avian pox virus. Sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of the isolates from this case showed 100% relatedness to the reference PPV isolate FeP2, thus confirming the presence of PPV. The discovery of this virus in Ghana raises the need for surveillance of both wild and domestic avian populations in preparation for any future outbreak, protection of the production birds, and decision on the need for other pox viruses in the country.

Melatonin application in in vitro embryo production (IVEP) constitutes a promising research focus. Nevertheless, there remains a lack of comprehensive meta-analytical evidence assessing its effects in the bovine species. The present systematic review and meta-analysis study performed an in-depth overview of the effects of melatonin in different steps of the IVEP in cattle to provide insights into its application. A literature search on three major databases identified related articles until 3 December 2024. The overall effect was calculated as odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) in the random effects model. Meta-analysis revealed that melatonin in maturation media significantly increased nuclear maturation rate [OR = 1.33 (1.11, 1.60), p=0.002], cleavage rate [OR = 1.26 (1.11, 1.43), p ≤ 0.001], and blastocyst rate [OR = 1.27 (1.14, 1.43), p ≤ 0.001], while it did not affect the hatching rate of blastocysts. Subgroup analysis based on the concentration of melatonin demonstrated that low concentration was superior in effects. Melatonin in culture media did not affect the odds of cleaved embryos, and blastocysts, however, increased the rate of hatching [OR = 1.35 (1.04, 1.76), p=0.025]. Subgroup analysis showed the significant effect of low and moderate concentrations on the odds of blastocysts and hatched blastocysts. No publication bias was detected. Descriptive synthesis of data suggested improvements in maturation, developmental quality, fertilization ability, and epigenetic modification during maturation and enhancement in the quality of embryos through modifications in transcription in blastocysts to alleviate apoptosis during culture. This review concludes that the application of melatonin is more promising in maturation media than in culture.

Antimicrobial use (AMU) in animals, including poultry, can contribute to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in humans. With a rising middle class and demand for meat in sub-Saharan Africa's second largest poultry producer, Nigeria, AMU in food-producing animals is predicted to continue rising. Interventions to reduce AMR and AMU are limited in low- and middle-income countries, including Nigeria. This study aimed to understand the current AMU practices, challenges and motivators and barriers to adopting AMR interventions in the Nigerian poultry sector. Qualitative semistructured interviews (n = 22) were conducted in Nigeria consisting of poultry farmers, animal health professionals and other related key players. Thematic analysis identified three themes surrounding barriers and challenges: (i) 'issues of access' relating to time, money, laboratories and expertise, (ii) 'lack of knowledge' due to lack of training and poor relationships between farmers and animal health professionals and (iii) 'taking responsibility' with participants describing a lack of responsibility from both the government and other animal health professionals, para-professionals and farmers and how social responsibility was key to motivating people. Overall, the results from this study highlighted the wide range of barriers to engaging animal health professionals and farmers in AMR interventions and improving AMU practices in sub-Saharan Africa. If interventions are to succeed, they need to reflect a collaborative and multifaceted effort from all invested parties.

Due to the low yield of diplonine obtained when isolated from Stenocarpella maydis (Berk.) Sutton (formerly Diplodia maydis (Berk.) Sacc., the present research was aimed to find a more efficient method of preparing diplonine to confirm its neurological effect on the target animal. This study demonstrated that using an artificial rumen for extraction instead of methanol may significantly improve the extraction of the neurotoxin. With this method, only 1/10^th of an S. maydis culture was required to induce neurological disorders in guinea pigs than was needed to induce the neurological disorders with a methanol extract from the same culture, indicating a possible superiority of an artificial rumen extract compared to extraction with methanol. A comparable dosage of the artificial rumen extract also induced neurological disorders resembling diplodiosis in sheep.