↵​A Copro-parasitological Surveillance on Diverse Captive Wild Avian Species

Author(s):  
V. Manjunatha ◽  
M. Rout ◽  
V. Sreevatsava ◽  
L.M. Kshamaa ◽  
Umashankar . ◽  
...  

Background: Infections with gastrointestinal parasites are widespread and a major health issue for captive birds. Despite the significance being well known, not much studies have been conducted on its prevalence especially in captive avians in a zoo setup. The present study aims at determining the prevalence of parasites in captive birds of different orders maintained at Bannerghatta Biological Park, Bengaluru, Karnataka. Methods: In this investigation, a survey through fecal sample examination was conducted to assess the parasitic infection in captive birds belonging to 6 different biological orders e.g. Casuariiformes, Anseriformes, Galliformes, Pelecaniformes, Psittaciformes {Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae), Duck (Anas platyrhynchos), Peafowl (Pavo cristatus), red jungle fowl (Gallus gallus), grey pelican, (Pelecanus philippensis), purple heron (Ardea purpurea), silver pheasant (Lophura nycthemera), macaw (Ara ararauna), parakeet (Psittacula eupatsia)} and Ciconiiformes maintained at Bannerghatta Biological Park, Bengaluru, Karnataka. A total of 106 fecal samples from apparently healthy birds including 7 samples from emu, 3 ducks, 12 peafowls, 8 red jungle fowls, 24 grey pelicans, 1 purple heron, 13 silver pheasants, 8 macaws, 26 parakeets and 4 Indian open-billed storks were collected during 2015-2016 and were screened for parasitic eggs/oocysts. Result: The screening result could detect ova of 2 (28.57%) Eimeria oocyst in emu, 3 (100%) Eimeria oocyst in duck, 7 (58.33%) Capillaria sp., 3 (25%) Eimeria oocyst, 2 (16.66%) Ascardia galli, 2 (16.66%) Raillietina echinobothrida, 1 (8.33%) Tetrameres sp. in peafowls, 3 (37.5%) Ascardia galli, 1 (12.5%) Eimeria oocyst in red jungle fowls, 5 (20.83%) Ascardia galli in grey pelican, 1 (100%) trematode ova in purple heron, 3 (23.07%) Raillietina sp., 2 (15.38%) Eimeria ocyst in silver pheasant, 2 (25%) Ascaris sp. in macaw, 12 (46.15%) Ascaris sp., 3 (11.53%) Eimeria oocyst in parakeet and 4 (100%) Tetrameres sp. in Indian open-billed storks.

2018 ◽  
Vol 30 ◽  
pp. 269-273
Author(s):  
Kamala Khatri ◽  
Mahendra Maharjan

Ostrich and Emu farming have been lunched with a very new concept to Nepalese market for their product in which parasitic diseases may cause significant effect to their production. In order to determine prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites of Emu, a total of 100faecalsamples were collected during the month of May/July 2015. All samples were microscopically examined by using direct smear and concentration techniques (floatation and sedimentation).Out of 100 faecal samples, 65% were found positive for gastrointestinal parasites. Overall, seven different species of gastrointestinal parasites including two protozoan, three nematodes and two cestodes were recorded. Amongprotozoan parasites, Eimeria sp. (30%) was more prevalent compared to Entamoeba sp.(10%). Among helminthes parasites, Ascaris sp. (15%)showed the higher prevalence rate followed by Dromaestrogylus sp. (10%), Davainea sp.(9%), Raillietina sp. (5%) and Heterakis sp. (5%). This study suggested that parasitic infection could be a serious problem in the farm hence needed to adopt appropriate control strategies in order to strengthen the successful emu production in Nepal.


2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (11) ◽  
pp. 1191-1205 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ranjit K. Harwansh ◽  
Shiv Bahadur ◽  
Rohitas Deshmukh ◽  
Md. A. Rahman

: Breast cancer (BC) is a multifactorial disease and becoming a major health issue in women throughout the globe. BC is a malignant type of cancer which results from transcriptional changes in proteins and genes. Besides the availability of modern medicines and detection tools, BC has become a topmost deadly disease and its cure still remains challenging. Nanotechnology based approaches are being employed for the diagnosis and treatment of BC at clinical stages. Nanosystems have a significant role in the study of the interaction of malignant cells with their microenvironment through receptor-based targeted approach. Nowadays, lipid-based nanocarriers are being popularized in the domain of pharmaceutical and medical biology for cancer therapy. Lipidic nanoparticlized systems (LNPs) have proven to have high loading efficiency, less toxicity, improved therapeutic efficacy, enhanced bioavailability and stability of the bioactive compounds compared to traditional drug delivery systems. In the present context, several LNPs based formulations have been undertaken in various phases of clinical trials in different countries. This review highlights the importance of chemotherapeutics based lipidic nanocarriers and their anticipated use for the treatment of BC. Furthermore, the clinical trials and future prospective of LNPs have been widely elaborated.


Gerontology ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Maxence Meyer ◽  
Florentin Constancias ◽  
Thomas Vogel ◽  
Georges Kaltenbach ◽  
Elise Schmitt

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> Falls among older people are a major health issue and the first cause of accidental death after 75 years of age. Post-fall syndrome (PFS) is commonly known and yet poorly studied. <b><i>Objective:</i></b> Identify risk factors for PFS and do a follow-up 1 year later. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> We included all patients over 70 years of age hospitalized after suffering a fall in a case-control study, and then followed them in a cohort study. PFS was retained in case of functional mobility decline (transferring, walking) occurring following a fall in the absence of an acute neurological, orthopedic or rheumatic pathology directly responsible for the decline. The data initially collected were: clinical (anamnestic, emergency and departmental/ward evolution, medical history, lifestyle, treatments, clinical examination items); and imaging if the patient had been subjected to brain imaging in the last 3 years prior to inclusion. Regarding the follow-up at 1 year, we collected from the general physician the occurrence and the characteristics of new falls, functional mobility assessment, hospitalization and death. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Inclusion took place from March 29, 2016 to June 7, 2016 and follow-up until June 30, 2017. We included 70 patients. A total of 29 patients exhibited a PFS (41.4 %). Risk factors for PFS included age, walking disorder prior to the fall, the use of a walking aid prior to the fall, no unaccompanied outdoor walk in the week before the fall, visual impairment making close reading impossible, stiffness in ankle dorsiflexion, grip strength and the fear of falling. Among patients with PFS, 52.9% could still perform a transfer at 1 year and 64.7% could still walk against 80.7% and 85.2%, respectively, for patients without PFS. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> The study showed the existence of body functions/structure impairments and activity limitations prior to the fall among patients exhibiting a PFS. This suggests the existence of a pre-fall syndrome, i.e., a psychomotor disadaptation syndrome existing prior to the fall. Among the 8 risk factors, fear of falling, vision impairment and muscle strength could be targeted for improvement. The diagnosis of PFS could be a marker of loss of functional mobility at 1 year.


Nutrients ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 976 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wiebke Alker ◽  
Hajo Haase

Sepsis, defined as a “life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host-response to infection” is a major health issue worldwide and still lacks a fully elucidated pathobiology and uniform diagnostic tests. The trace element zinc is known to be crucial to ensure an appropriate immune response. During sepsis a redistribution of zinc from serum into the liver has been observed and several studies imply a correlation between zinc and sepsis outcome. Therefore the alterations of zinc concentrations in different tissues might serve as one part of the host’s defense mechanism against pathogens during sepsis by diverse mechanisms. It has been suggested that zinc is involved in nutritional immunity, acts as a hepatoprotective agent, or a differentiation signal for innate immune cells, or supports the synthesis of acute phase proteins. Further knowledge about these events could help in the evaluation of how zinc could be optimally applied to improve treatment of septic patients. Moreover, the changes in zinc homeostasis are substantial and correlate with the severity of the disease, suggesting that zinc might also be useful as a diagnostic marker for evaluating the severity and predicting the outcome of sepsis.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 126-131
Author(s):  
L Utume ◽  
TE Ikpom ◽  
AE Obaje ◽  
EA Omudu

Gastrointestinal parasitic infection is usually asymptomatic thus goes unnoticed and untreated for long periods of time, often resulting in other serious health complications. In HIV positive patients, the effects usually are more devastating owing to the fact that such patients are already immunocompromised. For this study, HIV positive patients were raised from the BSUTH STD/ART clinic records while HIV negative patients were recruited from other clinics by confirming their HIV status  using Determine test strips to check for HIV antibodies; socio-demographic data was generated from questionnaires administered. Patients already placed on anti-helminths or anti-protozoan medicines were exempted from the study. Stool samples (n=550; 304 males 246 females) were examined for intestinal parasites using the standard parasitological procedures for direct wet mount and Formol-Ether Concentration methods. Gastrointestinal parasites were identified from 199 (36.2%) samples implying positive results for these infections: Giardia lamblia (3.8%), Entamoeba histolytica (8.9%), Ascaris lumbricoides (7.1%), Entamoeba coli (4.2%), Trichuris trichuria (3.3%), Strongyloides stercoralis (2.2%), Taenia sp. (1.8%), Trichomonas hominis (0.5%) and hookworms (2.9%). Out of this 199 only 55 (27.6%) were HIV positive; statistically there was a significant relationship between HIV status and the rate of parasitic infection (P<0.05). Personal hygiene practices, environmental sanitary conditions, overcrowding, limited access to clean potable water and poor drainage systems influenced gastrointestinal parasitic infection in both HIV positive and negative patients, HIV status may have increased intensity of gastrointestinal parasitic infection. The need for preventive awareness campaigns and mass chemoprophylaxis exercises cannot be overemphasized; government and private sector collaborations will have a wider coverage area and make a lot of impact.


2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mio Yamamoto ◽  
Yasukiyo Yoshioka ◽  
Tomoya Kitakaze ◽  
Yoko Yamashita ◽  
Hitoshi Ashida

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and its advanced stage, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) are a major health issue throughout the world. Certain food components such as polyphenols are expected to possess...


2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohan Acharya ◽  
Santosh Dhakal

Objective of the study was to find the prevalence of major health problems among street dogs in Pokhara Valley, Nepal. Data were taken from the rescued street dogs brought for the treatment at Himalayan Animal Rescue Team (HART), Nepal, from January to December, 2011. A total of 171 sick or injured dogs were brought for the treatment. All the preliminary diagnosis was done by the veterinary officer and confirmatory diagnosis were limited. Data were analyzed using Microsoft excel program 2013 (Microsoft Corporation, New York, USA) and results are presented as number and in percentage. Mange infestation (40.35%) was the most prevalent problem, followed by general wound (18.12%), respiratory tract infection (7.60%), gastrointestinal parasites (5.26%), and general nervous signs (4.09%). Two dogs were suspected with rabies. Maggot infestations, tick infections, poisoning, bone fractures, otitis, pyometras, bite wounds, mammary tumors, hernias, abscesses, and anemic conditions collectively accounted for nearly 24.58%. Results presented in this study can be a reference for non-government organizations involving in rescue and treatment of sick and injured street dogs to plan their activities.Int J Appl Sci Biotechnol, Vol 4(1): 53-56


2014 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 79-85
Author(s):  
SM Rahman ◽  
AR Dey ◽  
UK Kundu ◽  
N Begum

A total of 52 fecal samples were collected from 21 herbivores at Dhaka zoo during January to May, 2012 to investigate the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites of herbivores. Overall prevalence of parasitic infection was 76.9%, of which 61.5% were positive for helminths and 55.8% were positive for protozoa. The identified parasites were Balantidium coli (55.8%), Paramphistomum sp. (36.5%), Fasciola sp. (19.2%), stomach worm (3.9%), Ascaris sp. (1.9%) and Strongyloides sp. (1.9%). Overall prevalence of mixed infection was 42.3%. Mixed infection was observed in the animals such as Butani cattle (Balantidium coli and Paramphistomum sp.), Giraffe (Balantidium coli and Paramphistomum sp.), Spotted deer (Balantidium coli, Paramphistomum sp. and Fasciola sp.), Sambar deer (Balantidium coli and Fasciola sp.), Horse (Balantidium coli and Ascaris sp.), Greater kudu (Balantidium coli and Paramphistomum sp.), Nil gai (Balantidium coli and stomach worm), Black wilde beast (Balantidium coli and Paramphistomum sp.), Impala (Balantidium coli and Strongyloides sp.), Hippopotamus (Balantidium coli and Paramphistomum sp.), Zebra (Balantidium coli and Paramphistomum sp.), Wilde beast (Balantidium coli and Paramphistomum sp.; Balantidium coli and Paramphistomum sp. and Fasciola sp.), One Horned Rhinoceros (Balantidium coli and Paramphistomum sp.), Common Eland (Balantidium coli and Paramphistomum sp.), Oryx (Balantidium coli and stomach worm). Diameter of ova or cyst was also measured. Egg per gram/ Cyst per gram of feces (EPG/ CPG) were ranged from 300-1200. Gastrointestinal parasites are highly prevalent in herbivores of Dhaka zoo. Strategic control measure is necessary to protect the endangered species from parasitic infestation. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jbau.v12i1.21245 J. Bangladesh Agril. Univ. 12(1): 79-85, June 2014


2020 ◽  
Vol 66 (5) ◽  
pp. 449-457 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia Romeo ◽  
Lucas A Wauters ◽  
Francesca Santicchia ◽  
Ben Dantzer ◽  
Rupert Palme ◽  
...  

Abstract Short-term elevation of glucocorticoids (GCs) is one of the major physiological mechanisms by which vertebrates cope with challenging environmental or social factors (stressors). However, when exposure to stressors occurs repeatedly or over a prolonged period of time, animals may experience chronic elevation of GCs, which reduces the immune response efficiency and can lead to higher intensity of parasitic infection. Here, we used invasive gray squirrels Sciurus carolinensis introduced in Northern Italy and their 2 most prevalent gastrointestinal parasites, the nematode Strongyloides robustus and coccidia of the genus Eimeria, as a model to investigate relationships among macroparasite infection and concentrations of fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (FGMs), an integrated measure of circulating GCs. Our results revealed an association of FGMs with infection by St. robustus, but not with coccidia. Individuals with higher FGMs appear to be responsible for the greatest St. robustus egg shedding within gray squirrel populations, thus possibly acting as superspreaders. However, FGMs were negatively associated with adult St. robustus, suggesting that the abundance of adults of this nematode species does not induce elevation in FGMs, but is only affected by it through immune-mediated effects on its fecundity. Finally, the relationship between St. robustus (both eggs and adult parasites) and FGMs was not linear, suggesting that only high levels of physiological stress influence parasite infection. Our findings highlight that the direction and magnitude of the stress–infection relationship may depend not only on the specific host–parasite system, but also on the different life stages of the same parasite.


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