BMC Veterinary Research最新文献

Epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) and Bluetongue (BT) are vector-borne diseases that commonly circulate among wild and domestic ruminants. The epidemiological situation of EHD in Tunisia remains poorly documented, despite several studies having been conducted on BT. To assess the seroprevalence of the EHD and BT in northern Tunisia, 394 bovine serum samples were collected and tested for anti-VP7 antibodies using a competitive ELISA. The seroprevalence of EHD and BT at the individual level was estimated 51.2% and 81% respectively. Herd-level seroprevalence reached 93% for EHD and 100% for BT. No statistically significant differences in prevalence were observed between governorates for EHD (p-value = 0.169). However, the prevalence of BT across governorates was found to be statistically significant (p-value = 0.00000). A multivariable mixed-effects logistic regression was conducted to identify risk factors for EHD and BT. The final model revealed the only significant risk factor identified for both EHD and BT seroprevalence was age. Local animal husbandry practices and herd management were not found to be associated with the dynamics of the two diseases. The findings of this study highlight the geographical extent of the disease in the northwestern region and its associated risk factors. It is therefore imperative that further investigations be conducted on vectors and their abudance in order to gain a comprehensive understanding of the current situation.

Background: Liquid biopsies have gained increasing recognition as minimally invasive ways to monitor treatment response in cancer patients. They carry circulating DNA, RNA, and proteins in and outside of extracellular vesicles (EVs). We have demonstrated that Cell Division Cycle 6 (CDC6), which is involved in controlling cell proliferation, was detected in circulating EVs and increased in the plasma of canine cancer patients compared to healthy control dogs. Here, we investigated whether plasma CDC6 mRNA levels can be used to monitor treatment response in dogs diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and we aimed to determine whether plasma expression is related to the systemic release of EVs.

Methods: We performed longitudinal proof-of-concept studies and collected platelet-free plasma (PFP) samples of 16 canine lymphoma patients before and during their chemo treatments at various time points, as well as PFP samples of 15 healthy control dogs. The EVs were isolated from PFP by size exclusion chromatography, further purified by density gradient ultracentrifugation, and quantified by high-resolution flow cytometry. The CDC6 mRNA abundance in both the unfractionated plasma and the EVs samples was measured by digital droplet PCR (ddPCR).

Results: This study demonstrates that, in dogs with lymphoma, circulating CDC6 levels are increased compared to healthy controls. We show that CDC6 levels decline significantly in lymphoma patients that undergo remission in response to chemotherapy. Moreover we show that CDC6 mRNA levels correlate with the number of circulating EVs.

Conclusions: Overall, our findings provides compelling evidence that plasma CDC6 mRNA expression can be used as a liquid biomarker to monitor treatment efficacy in dogs with lymphoma.

Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) induces immunosuppression in affected cats, increasing susceptibility to chronic and secondary infections. Rapid and accurate detection of FIV-specific antibodies is essential for effective clinical management and epidemiological monitoring. This study conducted a comparative evaluation of nine commercially available lateral flow assays (LFAs) for detecting FIV antibodies in whole blood, serum, or plasma, using a newly developed in-house enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) as a reference method. All tested LFAs demonstrated 100% specificity. While Vet Expert new and VetFor achieved 100% across all metrics indicating the best performance, formal statistical comparison did not reveal significant differences between the evaluated kits. Overall, the results confirm that all tested LFAs offer comparable reliability. Importantly, our in-house ELISA exhibited 100% concordance for positive samples with the commercial ELISA treated as the reference standard, confirming its reliability as a comparator. These findings emphasize the importance of selecting high-performing diagnostic tools to ensure reliable FIV detection and effective disease control strategies.

Background: Brucella ovis, the causative agent of ovine brucellosis, poses an underestimated threat to sheep farming worldwide due to its impact on reproductive health and flock productivity. Although B. ovis is non-zoonotic, the disease is globally distributed and often excluded from mandatory control programs, especially in Europe, resulting in scarce prevalence data and limited genomic information that hinder effective management strategies. This study investigated the global and regional phylogenetic structure of B. ovis using Multilocus Variable-Number Tandem Repeat (MLVA) analysis, core genome Multilocus Sequence Typing (cgMLST), and Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) analysis. Strains from the Americas, Europe, Oceania, and a novel Italian dataset were analyzed to better understand the evolutionary dynamics and distribution of this pathogen.

Results: MLVA revealed limited continental clustering and the presence of shared genotypes across geographically distant regions. cgMLST analysis identified two dominant sequence types: the globally distributed ST-13 and a novel, Italy-specific ST-97. While ST-13 showed significant allelic diversity, ST-97 was found exclusively in two geographically distant Italian isolates. Italian strains demonstrated higher genomic diversity overall, forming multiple distinct clusters. SNP analysis confirmed these observations, highlighting clear geographic segregation within Italy and close genetic relationships between some Italian strains and those from Spain, Croatia, and the USA. Notably, ST-97 strains lacked the virulence-associated btpA gene and exhibited a 34-gene deletion, including putative prophage-related genes.

Conclusion: The findings reveal novel aspects of B. ovis phylogeography, emphasizing the unexpectedly high genetic diversity within Italy and identifying a distinct lineage (ST-97) with potential differences in virulence and adaptability. These insights enhance our understanding of the global epidemiology of B. ovis and may inform the development of targeted control strategies.

Background: This study aimed to investigate the effects of fiber-degrading enzyme supplementation in combination with citric waste fermented yeast waste (CWYW) as a replacement for soybean meal on ruminal fermentation characteristics, gas production kinetics, and digestibility. The in vitro gas production technique was used to evaluate these effects. A 2 × 4 + 1 factorial arrangement in a completely randomized design (CRD) was employed, resulting in nine treatments comprising either CWYW in powder or pellet form with varying enzyme levels (0%, 0.2%, 0.4%, and 0.6%), alongside a control diet containing full soybean meal.

Results: The control diet yielded the highest cumulative gas production (P < 0.01), whereas the CWYW-powder without enzyme addition showed the highest gas production rate constant (P < 0.01). The in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) was also highest in the control group (P < 0.01), while organic matter digestibility (OMD) did not differ significantly among treatments. Increasing levels of fiber-degrading enzymes were associated with a linear decrease in pH at 48 h (P < 0.05) and a corresponding increase in NH₃-N concentrations (P < 0.05). However, there were no statistically significant differences among CWYW treatments in most parameters.

Conclusion: Although the control diet performed best in terms of gas production and digestibility, the combination of CWYW and 0.4% fiber-degrading enzyme supplementation produced fermentation characteristics and digestibility values comparable to those of the control. These findings suggest that CWYW, particularly when supplemented with 0.4% enzyme, holds potential as a sustainable alternative to soybean meal in ruminant feed formulations.

Background: Sterile granuloma/pyogranuloma syndrome (SGPS) is an immune-mediated disease producing nodular and plaque-like skin lesions in dogs. Ocular involvement has been reported mainly in periocular skin and eyelids, with no histologically documented conjunctival lesions. This report describes a palpebral conjunctival nodule in a dog with SGPS and its distinction from nodular ocular surface diseases such as nodular granulomatous episcleritis and other differential diagnoses.

Case presentation: A 3-year-10-month-old Polish Tatra Dog presented with mucopurulent discharge, hyperaemia of the bulbar, palpebral, and third-eyelid conjunctivae, a firm 1 cm nodule on the right lower palpebral conjunctiva, and medial eyelid thickening with ectropion. Three months earlier, multiple cutaneous nodules had been diagnosed as SGPS. Topical and systemic corticosteroid therapy improved the skin lesions but neither the conjunctival mass nor the eyelid thickening, necessitating surgical excision of the nodule. In contrast, the eyelid thickening resolved during a subsequent prednisone taper, and no recurrence was observed over 20 months. Histopathology revealed a well-demarcated conjunctival stromal nodule with deep extension into the palpebral stroma, surrounding blood vessels, peripheral nerves, and the orbicularis oculi muscle. The infiltrate consisted of CD3⁺ T cells, CD20⁺/CD79⁺ B cells, plasma cells, MAC387-positive macrophages, and scattered Iba1-positive histiocytes, with small neutrophilic foci and no epithelioid cells, multinucleated giant cells, mitotic figures, or foreign material.

Conclusion: This case represents the first histopathologically confirmed conjunctival manifestation of SGPS. Its conjunctival origin and mixed lymphocytic-histiocytic profile expand the recognized spectrum of SGPS and support including SGPS in the differential diagnosis for well-circumscribed conjunctival nodules. Surgical excision may be required when such lesions do not regress or cause mechanical dysfunction.