Evaluation of sulfadimidine, amprolium and triquen to treat coccidiosis in wild pigeons

Coccidiosis remains one of the major problems in poultry all over the world. Very limited data on anticoccidial drugs in wild pigeons is available. The current study was aimed to understand the comparative efficacy of sulfadimidine, amprolium and triquen in wild pigeons of Dir district, Pakistan suffering from coccidiosis. The faecal matter of wild pigeons were purchased from the local market for coccidian infection. Results revealed that 88.8% (16/18) were found infected with Eimeria spp. Three positive groups were treated with sulfadimidine (0.2mg/L), amprolium (25mg/L) and triquen. Sulfadimidine was most effective (45%) followed by amprolium (44.6%) while triquen (24.0%) showed less effectiveness against coccidiosis in pigeons. Number of oocysts were 79, 81 and 80 before treatment and 60, 44 and 44 after treatment with sulfadimidine, amprolium and triquen respectively. This study showed that sulphadimidine, amprolium and triquen could not significantly reduce the coccidiosis in pigeons. Further studies are required to clear the mechanism of anti-coccidial drugs in wild pigeons.

With Microbes

Without microbes, no other forms of life would be possible. But what does it mean to be with microbes? In this book, 24 contributors attune to microbes and describe their multiple relationships with humans and others. Ethnographic explorations with fermented foods, waste, faecal matter, immunity, antimicrobial resistance, phages, as well as indigenous and scientific understandings of microbes challenge ideas of them being simple entities: not just pathogenic foes, old friends or good fermentation minions, but much more. Following various entanglements, the book tells how these relations transform both humans and microbes in the process.

Reflections of COVID-19 cases on the wastewater loading of SARS-CoV-2 RNA: A case of three major cities of Gujarat, India

The scientific community has widely supported wastewater monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 due to the early and prolonged excretion of coronavirus in the faecal matter. In the present study, eighteen influent wastewater samples from different wastewater treatment plants and pumping stations (5 samples from Vadodara city, 4 from Gandhinagar, and nine from Ahmedabad city) were collected and analyzed for the occurrence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in Gujarat province, India. The results showed the highest SARS-CoV-2 genome concentration in Vadodara (3078 copies/ L), followed by Ahmedabad (2968 copies/ L) and Gandhinagar (354 copies/ L). The comparison of genome concentration corresponded to the number of confirmed and active cases in all three cities. The study confirms the potential of the Surveillance of Wastewater for Early Epidemic Prediction (SWEEP) that can be used at a large scale around the globe for better dealing with the pandemic situation.

Physiological dormancy broken by endozoochory: Austral parakeets (Enicognathus ferrugineus) as legitimate dispersers of calafate (Berberis microphylla) in the Patagonian Andes

Aims Seed dispersal by endozoochory is an important process in plant regeneration and the establishment of new populations. Seeds with dormancy may especially benefit after disperser gut passage. However, the ways in which gut passage affect the germination of plant species with physiological dormancy remain unclear. Here, we experimentally assessed the mutualistic interaction between the Austral parakeet (Enicognathus ferrugineus) as a disperser of calafate (Berberis microphylla), a thorny bush inhabiting the understory of the Austral temperate forests of South America with seeds that are characterized by deep physiological dormancy. Methods Germination success and viability of calafate seeds obtained from faeces and from intact fruits were tested under four treatments: (i) digested seeds, (ii) digested seeds with faecal extract, (iii) intact seeds from fruit and (iv) intact seeds from fruit with pulp. Important Findings About 65% of the Austral parakeet droppings contained calafate seeds. Viability of seeds did not differ between treatments. However, germination was significantly higher in digested seeds than in intact seeds from fruits, while no difference was found between faecal and pulp extracts. Neither faecal matter nor fruit pulp provided seeds with any ecological advantages derived from enhancing germinability, but did confer some disadvantage in germination time. Faecal matter is expected to be completely lacking around seeds after several months under snow before germinating in the following spring, given intense washing due to persistent rain and the spring thaw in the Patagonian Andes. The higher germinability along with faster germination of digested seeds supports the hypothesis of a legitimate mutualistic interaction between Austral parakeets and calafate. We hypothesized that the passage through the disperser digestive tract might break physiological dormancy as differences in germinability between ingested and non-ingested seeds. Our results highlight the relevant role of endozoochory in plant species with physiological dormancy living in highly seasonal environments.