Polish journal of veterinary sciences最新文献

This study focused on continuous monitoring of the immunocontraceptive effect of Improvac® vaccine on the sexual activity of male goats determined by measuring plasma testosterone levels, testicular biometric and ejaculate examination. The animals in the experimental group (n=12) were administered two doses of 2 ml of Improvac® at a four-week interval; the animals in the control group (n=5) received 2 ml of saline. Blood collection, semen collection and testicular measurements were performed at 14-day intervals. A total of 8 samples were collected from each animal. In 9 animals a significant decrease (p<0.05) in testosterone concentration was observed two weeks after the first dose. At the end of the experiment (16 weeks), eight goats reached a testosterone concentration below the detection limit and one goat had a concentration of 0.47nmol/L. The testicular size was significantly (p<0.01) smaller four weeks after the first dose. At the end of the experiment, the testicular size was approximately three times smaller (p<0.001). Motility was 0% in two goats at the end of the experiment, 1% in one animal and 10% in one animal. The median sperm concentration was significantly lower (p<0.01) at the end of the study. A significant (p<0.0001) shift in the percentage of morphological changes was recorded eight weeks after the first administration. At the end of the study, there were five animals with azoospermia, two with 100% morphologically altered sperm, one with 99% and one with 96% morphologically altered sperm. In the three male goats, a significant skin reaction occurred after the first application, which resulted in an inadequate response to the treatment. Our results show that Improvac had a significant effect on the sexual function and sperm production in 9 out of 12 male goats.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between spontaneous echocardiographic contrast (SEC) and left atrial (LA) parameters such as size, volume, and function in cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Cats were assigned into following groups: clinically healthy cats (n=8), HCM without SEC (n=12), and HCM with SEC (n=8). Left atrial shortening fraction (LAFS%) and left atrial fractional area change (LAFAC) had statistical significance between groups. In conclusion, compared to the healthy individuals, the presence of a decreased trend in levels of LAFS% and LAFAC in HCMSEC cats could be a predictive marker for the thromboembolic risk assessment. Further studies enrolling the asymptomatic HCM cats need to be conducted to define a cut-off value of LAFS% and LAFAC before the SEC formation.

The present study aimed to detect the prevalence, virulence and antimicrobial resistance genes profile of Escherichia coli isolated from diarrhoeic lambs. A total of 61 faecal samples were collected from diarrhoeic lambs. The presence of various virulence and antimicrobial resistance genes in E. coli isolates was determined by the use of PCR. In total, 46 E. coli isolates were recovered from 61 rectal swabs of diarrhoeic lambs. Out of these 46 isolates, PCR showed that seven isolates (15.22%) carried the stx1 or stx2 gene and were found positive for Shiga-toxin-producing E. coli (STEC). Four isolates (8.70%) were found to be Enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) and all these EPEC isolates were atypical EPEC pathotypes. STEC and intimin-positive isolates were recovered only from one isolate, hence, out of 46 isolates, only one isolate (2.17%) was confirmed as Enterohaemorrhagic E. coli. The lt and st genes were not detected in any of the E. coli isolates recovered from field samples. Therefore, all the isolates were confirmed as non-Enterotoxigenic E. coli. Further, thirty-five isolates (76.09%) were found to be Entero-aggregative E. coli pathotypes. All the E. coli isolates were also tested for antimicrobial resistance against 15 different antibiotics. All the E. coli isolates were found to be resistant to penicillin-G, cephalothins, and azithromycin and the majority of isolates of E. coli were sensitive to chloramphenicol, ofloxacin, and sulfafurazole. Two antibiotic resistance genes i.e. tetA and blaTEM were detected in 10.87% (n=5/46) and 28.26% (n=13/46) of E. coli isolates, respectively.

Porcine parvovirus disease is a reproductive disorder caused by the porcine parvovirus (PPV) in sows and is characterised by miscarriage, stillbirth and mummification in pregnant sows. Porcine parvovirus disease poses a significant threat to pork herds and seriously hinders healthy and sustainable development of the pig farming industry. Currently, there is no effective treatment for porcine parvovirus disease except for prevention and control measures. Based on genotype differences, PPV can be classified into at least eight subtypes, PPV1-PPV8. Epigenetic mechanisms, particularly cytosine methylation of cytosine-phosphate-guanine (CpG) dinucleotides, are proven to have a significant impact on the life cycle of various viruses. Therefore, we selected the PPV genome as the research object and analysed the number, distribution and length of CpG islands in the genome of strains PPV1-PPV8. PPV1-6 had AT rich genomes (GC content ≤50%), whereas PPV7 had a GC content >50%. PPV1, PPV4, PPV5 and PPV6 contained fewer CpG islands (1-5), PPV7 contained moderate CpG islands (6-11) and PPV2 and PPV3 contained more CpG islands (12-16). This study provides a foundation for exploring novel antiviral treatment strategies from an epigenetic perspective.

Rhodococcus equi (R. equi) is a primary cause of pyogranulomatous pneumonia of foals between three weeks and five months of age. Early diagnosis of rhodococcal pneumonia has always been considered a preferable approach as it can lead to more successful treatment and better outcomes. Horse stud farms where the disease is common, neonatal foals are subjected to tests such as complete blood count and fibrinogen analysis at certain intervals. However, new biomarkers are needed in addition to blood count and fibrinogen measurement in this field for early diagnosis of diseases. Based on this need, in this study, the diagnostic importance of CL-11, SP-A, SP-D was investigated for the early diagnosis of pneumonia in foals naturally infected with R. equi. In a case-control design, fourteen 1-5 month-old foals with proven R. equi pyogranulomatous pneumonia and 10 healthy 1-5 month-old control foals were enrolled in this study. The median white blood cell count (WBC) and fibrinogen concentration in the case group were significantly higher than in the control group. The median CL-11, SP-A, and SP-D concentrations in the case group were also significantly higher than in the control group. However, there were overlaps in concentrations between groups for SP-A and SP-D. There was less overlap between the groups for the CL-11 concentration. The CL-11 assay was sufficiently accurate but over-diagnosed R. equi infection. The correlation plot between fibrinogen and CL-11 concentrations shows that this problem may be solved if CL-11 is used as the first biomarker and fibrinogen as the second check for those foals with CL-11 serum levels >0.8 and ≤1.5 ng/mL. As a result, in this study, it is recommended to use CL-11 together with fibrinogen to obtain more accurate results in diagnosing pyogranulomatous pneumonia caused by R. equi in foals on large horse stud farms.

The effect of feeding spray dried porcine plasma (SDPP) to male turkeys during the first 4 weeks of life was evaluated at 20 weeks of age. A total of 648 male Hybrid Converter day-old turkeys were divided into two groups of 9 replicate pens of 36 birds each, and fed a commercial-type program of 7 diet phases. In phase 1 birds were fed a corn-soybean meal Control diet for 4 weeks, or a diet with 2% SDPP of similar nutrient density. Thereafter, both groups were fed common diets until the end of the trial at 20 weeks of age. At 4 weeks of age, birds were subjected to heat stress and crowding for a period of 24 hrs to simulate the stress induced commercially when moved from the brooder house into a grow-out building. Poults fed SDPP had greater body weight (BW) and body weight gain at 6 (p<0.05) and at 9 weeks of age (p<0.10). At 20 weeks of age, BW of turkeys fed SDPP vs Control was not different. However, the European Productivity Index (EPI) that incorporates final body weight, feed conversion ratio and livability, tended to be higher (p<0.10) for the SDPP group (EPI = 545 vs 529, respectively) because of the higher livability trend exhibited in SDPP group (96.91 vs 94.75%, respectively). Likewise, birds fed SDPP showed significantly lower frequency of foot pad lesions vs Controls (p<0.05) by the end of the study. In conclusion, SDPP fed early in life can reduce stress, improve performance and reduce incidence of foot pad lesions in turkeys.

Salmonella spp. is an important zoonotic and foodborne pathogen. It is spread worldwide and represents a public health risk. Pigs are a significant reservoir and are frequently subclinical carriers. The aim of this study was to detect the occurrence and antimicrobial resistance of Salmonella isolates being the five most important for public health Salmonella serovars in fattening pigs in Bulgaria. The isolation of Salmonella spp. was carried out according to EN ISO 6579-1 for the detection of Salmonella bacteria in feces and Salmonella serotyping following the Kauffmann-White scheme. All confirmed S. enterica isolates were analysed by the disk-diffusion method for susceptibility to 14 antimicrobials. Salmonella enterica was detected in 13 out of 32 tested farms in Bulgaria. The overall percentage of Salmonella positive pooled fecal samples was 6.8% (43 of 630 samples). The highest occurrence was present in fattening pigs aged between 121-180 days (16.3%; 20/123), followed by dry sows (6.5%; 4/62) and gilts (4.8%; 12/248). About 75% of the isolated strains belonged to three serotypes: Salmonella Infantis (41.9%), Salmonella Give (16.3%) and Salmonella Typhimurium monophasic (16.3%). All the tested isolates were resistant to Tilmicosin (100%), 88.4% to Ampicillin, followed by 69.8% to Tiamulin, 25.6% to Amoxicillin and Chlortetracycline. Multidrug resistance was recorded in 62.8 % of the tested strains. This study reports data regarding the circulation of the most important for public health five Salmonella serovars (S. Enteritidis, S. Typhimurium, S. Typhimurium monophasic, S. Infantis and S. Derby) in farrow-to-finish pig farms in Bulgaria and represent 74.4% of the total Salmonella spp. isolates. This phenomenon has critical effects for the health of consumers and therefore represents a key "one health" issue.

In this study, the relationship between plasma ghrelin levels and muscle atrophy was examined in an experimental diabetic rat model. 56 male Wistar albino rats, aged 8-10 weeks, were used in the study. The rats were divided into 8 groupsD1: one-week diabetes, C1: one-week control, D2: three-week diabetes, C2: three-week control, D3: six-week diabetes, C3: six-week control, D4: eight-week diabetes, C4: eight-week control. To induce diabetes, rats were injected with a single intraperitoneal dose of 45 mg/kg streptozotocin. At the end of the experiments, body weights and fasting blood sugar levels were measured. mTOR and myostatin levels of gastrocnemius muscle and plasma ghrelin levels were measured by ELISA method. Gastrocnemius muscle weight, cross-sectional area and histopathological images were examined. It was observed that the gastrocnemius weights of the D2, D3, D4 groups decreased significantly compared to their controls (p≤0.01). Muscle cross-sectional area decreased significantly in groups D3 and D4 compared to controls (p≤0.01). Muscle mTOR levels were found to be significantly lower in all diabetic groups compared to controls (p≤0.01). Although muscle myostatin levels were higher in the diabetic groups, this increase was only significant in the D4 group. Plasma ghrelin levels were significantly lower in all diabetic groups compared to controls (p≤0.01). A positive correlation was determined between plasma ghrelin levels and the final weights, muscle cross-sectional area, gastrocnemius weights and mTOR levels of the rats. Time-dependent muscle atrophy developed in diabetic rats and there was a relationship between muscle atrophy and plasma ghrelin level. We suggest that ghrelin plays a role in diabetes-induced muscle atrophy as well as cachexia and sarcopenia.

In this study, a total of 32 Trueperella pyogenes strains isolated from different disease specimens in cattle, sheep and goats were examined. Antimicrobial susceptibility of the isolates to 10 antimicrobials were determined using the E-test method and MIC values of the antimicrobials were investigated. The genes that play a role in the antimicrobial resistance or virulence of T. pyogenes were determined by PCR using gene specific primers. In the study, all the isolates were susceptible to penicillin and cephalosporin. The highest resistance rate in the isolates was determined against streptomycin (56.25%) and tetracycline (53.12%) and MIC90 values for these antimicrobials were found to be >256 μg/ml and 12 μg/ml, respectively. The ermX gene was found to be positive in 8 (80%) of 10 isolates that were resistant to macrolide group antimicrobials. Among 20 aminoglycoside resistant isolates, aadA1, aadA9, strA-strB, and aac(6')-aph(2'') genes were determined in 5 (25%), 14 (70%), 7 (35%) and 1 (5%) of the isolates, respectively. When the presence of virulence-related genes in the isolates was examined, nanP (93.75%), fimA (93.75%) and plo (90.62%) genes were detected in the majority of the isolates. While the cbpA gene was negative in all isolates, the fimG gene was found in a limited number of the isolates (15.62%). It was concluded that streptomycin and tetracycline resistance should be considered in T. pyogenes isolates. Also, nanP, fimA and plo genes may have an important role in the pathogenesis of the infections.

The incidence of chronic enteropathies (CE), in particular food-responsive enteropathies (FRE) in dogs, is on the rise in veterinary practice. The symptoms of these digestive disorders cannot be alleviated with the use of commercial hypoallergenic feeds. The applicability of novel materials in hypoallergenic dog feeds is limited, and edible insects could pose a viable alternative. Insects have a high nutritional value, and their potential can be harnessed to design personalized nutrition strategies. However, the use of insects in animal feeds should be rigorously tested. The aim of this study was to analyze the applicability of edible insects as a source of dietary protein for companion animals, including the current and future prospects. Canine food formulas should be evaluated in a clinical setting. The role of edible insects in pet diets and the efficacy of this material in animal nutrition should be examined in advanced clinical trials in gastroenterology, histology, immunology, and microbiology. These efforts are required to guarantee the safety and efficacy of innovative insect-based feeds and to increase their popularity among veterinary practitioners, pet food producers, and animal owners.