Coprological Examination of Ovine Fasciolosis in Horro District Community Based Sheep Breeding Program, Horro Guduru Wollega Zone, Western Ethiopia

A cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2017 to March 2018 to determine the prevalence of ovine fasciolosis in the Community Based Horro Sheep Breeding site at Horro district, Horro Guduru Wollega zone, Ethiopia. Coprological examination was performed on a total of 390 sheep at the study area. Age, sex, body condition score and peasant association were taken into consideration as rik factors. An overall prevalence of fasciolosis 45.4% 95% CI (40.41 50.36 was found on the basis of coprological examinations. The prevalence of fasciolosis findings according to PAs were (41.5%) in Laku Ingu and (48.2%) in Gitilo Dole. Statistical analysis of the prevalence among study site (PAs) showed insignificant difference P=0.102 (P>0.05), but significant difference (P<0.05) was observed between animal age groups (P=0.032, with a prevalence of 37.2% in young and 49.8% in adult) and body condition scores (P=0.001, with a prevalence of 57.9%, 43.5% and 29.9% in sheep with poor, medium and good body condition score, respectively. There was insignificance difference (P>0.05) in sex group of study animals in which the prevalence was 47.6% in female and 38.8% in male. Therefore further studies on the epidemiology, seasonal dynamic of the disease, the snail intermediate host and impacts of the infection in animal production with implementations of strategic intervention is necessary.

Aerobic Plate Count of Contaminants and Molecular Characterization of Eschereichia Coli in Raw Chicken Meat in Ismailia, Egypt

A total number of 100 samples from ten random broiler chicken carcasses (breast and thigh) were collected from an automatic poultry slaughtering plant in Ismailia city, Egypt. The mean values of Enterobacteriacae count were 5.9x104±9.7x103 cfu/g and 7.1x 104 ± 1.1x104 cfu/g for chicken breast and thigh samples respectively. The prevalence of E.coli were 12% and 9% breast and thigh samples examined, respectively. They are serologically identified as 33.35 and 22.2% O157:H7 (EHEC) , 16.6% and 11.1% O114:H21(EPEC), 16.6% and 33.3 %O127:H6 (ETEC) , 0% and 0% O126 (ETEC) and 33.3% and 0% O26 (EHEC) for breast and thigh samples, respectively. The incidence of E.coli O157:H7 was 100% in both serological and PCR methods from biochemical positive E.coli samples. Culture is specific and cheap whereas PCR is sensitive and expensive, hence, we recommend both culture and molecular methods, which improve sensitivity and specificity, to enhance detection of foodborne pathogens including E.coli.

Investigation of Neoplastic Cells in the Bone Marrow of Female Dogs with Mammary Gland Tumors

Background The mammary glands are the second most common tumor development site in female dogs. One of the ways of staging such tumors is to evaluate the presence or absence of distant metastasis, including in bone marrow. Such findings in human medicine are associated with poor survival of women with breast tumors. However, in veterinary medicine, this clinical staging is used more for patients with lymphomas and mastocytomas. Studies using bone marrow biopsies as a staging method for mammary tumors are scarce. Objectives The present study was to evaluate mammary lesions and bone marrow in 23 female dogs, searching for disseminated tumor cells or metastatic foci. Results: Grade I carcinoma in mixed tumors was the type most observed (22.4%), and there was no statistical difference in relation to tumor size or presence of metastasis in lymph nodes. In the bone marrow of one female dog with carcinosarcoma (4.35%), there was cytoplasmic marking of a probable disseminated tumor cell of epithelial origin, and immunohistochemical evaluation showed presence of cytokeratin-19 antibodies. None of the female dogs presenting reduced cellularity or medullary fibrosis, confirmed through Masson’s trichrome technique, had cell marking in immunohistochemical analyses. Conclusions Bone marrow evaluation can be used as a staging method for mammary gland tumors in female dogs, since disseminated tumor cells present the potential to become secondary lesions and to disseminate to distant foci, thereby causing tertiary metastases over an indeterminate period of time.

Evaluation of cardiorespiratory parameters in dogs undergoing laparoscopic versus open gonadectomy with spontaneous ventilation anaesthesia: a pilot study

This pilot study aims to compare cardiorespiratory parameters in female dogs that underwent either laparoscopic or open elective gonadectomy with spontaneous ventilation anaesthesia. Records of 77 client-owned female dogs were reviewed. Patients were divided into two groups: laparoscopic surgery (L group, n 47) and open abdominal surgery (O group, n 30). The end-tidal carbon dioxide, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, heart rate, non-invasive arterial blood pressure and length of procedure were recorded and statistically evaluated. Once normality of the sample data has been assessed, equality between the groups was analysed with two-sample Student’s or Welch’s t-test, whether the hypothesis of variance equality, through an F-test, was verified or not. A value of p <0.05 was considered statistically significant. No statistically significant difference was found between groups regarding the end-tidal carbon dioxide, oxygen saturation, respiratory rate, heart rate, systolic and medium arterial pressure values. Mean diastolic pressure was lower in the L group. The procedure length between the two groups was statistically different: laparoscopy was shorter than open surgery. In spontaneously ventilating female dogs, the cardiorespiratory parameters evaluated seem not to be affected by the presence of pneumoperitoneum when intrabdominal pressure is kept between 8 and 10 mmHg. The pilot nature of the study and the shorter laparoscopic surgery length could bias these results. However, in the author’s opinion, these findings confirm the interest of laparoscopy and the small impact of this mini-invasive technique in healthy patients.

Evaluations of phylogenetic proximity in a group of 67 dogs with osteosarcoma: a pilot study

Aim of the Research The aim of this study is to analyze a group of dogs of different breeds affected by osteosarcoma (OSA), to document any prevalence of this primary bone neoplasia in breeds that are phylogenetically close and to help with further research human medicine, as a model of study for prevalence and epidemiology of human OSA in multiple populations. Study Design Pilot study from two canine surgery databases between 2002 and 2013. Materials and Methods Breeds were classified in groups based on their phylogenetical proximity. Differences in prevalence of OSA between breeds and groups were evaluated with a permutation test. For each breed and each group, a ranking was made by calculating 95 % confidence intervals and counting the no-overlapping between breeds and groups. The relation between the dogs’ heights and the prevalence of OSA was analyzed using a logistic regression between the disease status and dog size. Results A total of 67 dogs with OSA, in 26 different breeds were included. Ten breeds were overrepresented and, the majority of these, were classified in 2 predisposed groups phylogenetically close to each other. The prevalence of OSA was associated with the dogs’ height within predisposed breeds, but, in general, taller breeds were not the most affected. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance In this study, despite the small number of dogs, we observed that the most commonly affected breeds with OSA are phylogenetically closely related. This highlights the importance of genetics in the aetiology of canine OSA . In this preliminary study, indications are given on breeds, samples and genome locations to be further investigated. This could allow identification of pathogenic alleles in dogs, and potentially in humans. Furthermore this pilot research can represent a model of epidemiologic study of human OSA.

Observations and analysis of risk factors for GDV in a single institution: a case-control study

Objective To evaluate/ determine the risk factors for dogs presented with Gastric Dilation- Volvulus (GDV) to a referral veterinary centre and to compare the results with those currently reported in veterinary literature. Materials and Methods The observational case-control study comprised a population of 215 dogs that attended the referral centre between 2000 and 2018. Medical records were searched for GDV and those matching the criteria were manually reviewed. A questionnaire was completed by the owners of the dogs involved in the study (both case and control populations) in order to gain further information that could be considered relevant to GDVs. In particular, information included the dogs’ behaviour and the dogs daily activities. Results The study included 115 cases of GDV and 115 controls. Out of the GDV dogs 13% (15/115) were small breed dogs and the remaining 87% (100/115) either large or giant breeds. The following risk factors for developing a GDV have been identified: Purebred dogs over 3 years old and either large of giant breeds, weighing > 30 kg. Foreign body ingestion, diarrhoea, and grass consumption were also associated to increase the likelihood in developing GDV. Behavioural temperament was not associated with developing GDV. Clinical Significance The findings support previously identified risk factors in the development of GDV, but characteristics related to the dogs temperament warrant further investigation. Knowledge of these results will further allow clinicians to make evidence‐based recommendations to owners in attempting to prevent GDV in dogs. Furthermore this paper confirms that the risk of GDV in certain breeds and in certain conditions is always high and that GDV is still an extremely current disease.

Relationship Between the Immunodetection of Alpha-Smooth Muscle Actin and the Aggressiveness of Mammary Papillar Tumors in Female Dog

Papillary carcinoma is a mammary neoplasia of women and female dogs characterized by papillary fibrovascular projections lined by epithelial cells. Evaluation on the biology of these tumors can be done by immunohistochemistry through detection of alpha-smooth muscle actin protein in the papillary myoepithelium, which lacks such a molecule during malignant proliferations. Thus, this study aimed at determining the malignancy degree of papillary mammary tumors of female dogs by immunohistochemistry. Twenty samples of mammary neoplastic tissues collected from female dogs treated in the Veterinary Hospital at FCAV were evaluated by Hematoxylin and Eosin staining (H&E) and tumor cells were immunolabelled with monoclonal antibody to alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA). Five out of 20 cases showed positive immunolabeling greater than 10% of the total immunolabeling. The remaining fourteen cases presented immunostaining lesser than 10% showing decrease or absence of α-SMA labeling in the myoepithelium of the papilla tumors. All those cases in which immunostained cell was over 10% of the neoplasm (5 immunostains of 20 total cases) were classified as benign whereas those below 10% of immunostained in the slid were considered as malignant. Therefore, immunohistochemistry played an essential role in differentiating benign and malignant papillary tumors of bitches as already described for female. Tumor classification by conventional methods, such as H&E staining, can lead to erroneous interpretations on the real biological behavior of the papillary mammary tumor.

Immunodetection of Leishmania Infantum in the Subungual Area of Dogs with Visceral Leishmaniasis

Onychogryphosis is one of the main clinical findings in dogs with visceral leishmaniasis (VL); however, research focusing on the subungual area of infected dogs is scarce. This study aims to assess the subungual area of dogs with VL that presented or not onychogryphosis by means of histopathological analyses and immunohistochemical studies (parasite burden). The third digit of the thoracic and pelvic limbs of Leishmania infantum naturally infected dogs was collected regardless of sex, breed or age. The animals were split into two groups, dogs with onychogryphosis (G1; n=7) and without onychogryphosis (G2; n=9). The digits were evaluated in four areas (dorsal epidermis/dermis, ventral epidermis/dermis, dorsal matrix/dermis and ventral matrix/dermis). All lesions observed (mononuclear inflammatory infiltrate, vacuolar degeneration of basal keratinocytes, dermoepidermal clefting and pigmentary incontinence) were present in both groups, being more severe in the digits of G1 group. Immunostaining of the amastigote forms of Leishmania infantum were observed in the different areas of the digit, with statistical difference between the dorsal epidermis/dermis area and the dorsal matrix/dermis of G1 group. In conclusion, the main histopathological alteration of the digit of dogs with VL is mononuclear inflammatory infiltrate and parasite burden, especially in cutaneous tissue adjacent to the nail matrix. This aspect can influence the onychogryphosis development, due to the presence of the parasite and by inflammatory mediators released in the nail microenvironment.

Effect of Coinfection by fasciola hepatica and mycobacterium bovis on Bovine Tuberculosis Immunodiagnosis in an Enzootic Area Hidalgo State, Mexico.

Parasitic infection by the Fasciola hepatica (F. hepatica) promotes susceptibility towards other infections, such as Mycobacterium bovis. As consequence, could affect diagnostic tests for this disease. Hence, the objective of this study was to assess the impact of F. hepatica coinfection on the most commonly used immunodiagnostic bovine tuberculosis (bTB) tests in field conditions in an enzootic area for both diseases. Thus, from a dairy herd located in Hidalgo State, México, displaying a 59.2% and 28% prevalence of fascioliasis and bTB, respectively. Sixty-one cows were analyzed based on their response towards bTB immunodiagnostic tests, such as Single Intradermal Comparative Tuberculin Test (SICTT), gamma-interferon test (BOVIGAM) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), along with the assessment of the F. hepatica parasite load and serodiagnosis by ELISA. Three study groups were formed according to test results. Group 1: coinfected (n=22). Group 2: non-parasitized cows, and positive for bTB tests (n=13) and Group 3: parasitized cows without tuberculosis (n=26). In addition, a group of cows kept in fascioliasis - and tuberculosis-free zones were included (Group 4, n=10). A non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis test and a Dunn test were applied to analyze the results. In Group 1, significant differences were observed regarding IFN-γ production, but not for antibody levels to M. bovis or reactivity towards bovine PPD in relation Group 2. While, Groups 1 and 3 did not display difference in antibody levels against F. hepatica. Differences were observed regarding tuberculosis and Fasciola diagnostic tests when both coinfected and infected groups were compared to controls. It is concluded that F. hepatica coinfection in tuberculous animals studied, depressed the production of IFN-γ towards bovine PPD under in vitro conditions, but its reactivity to the SICTT not show to be altered.

Uterine Involution and Ovarian Activity in Postpartum Holstein Dairy Cows. A Review

Following parturition in the cow, there is a significant period of sexual quiescence of variable length. This period of reproductive quiescence was found to be longer in suckling or intensively milked animals.This acyclic period is generally considered as the postpartum anoestrous period. The postpartum period constitutes an important period in the reproductive life of dairy cows because of its enormous influence upon subsequent fertility. The entire postpartum period, puerperium, is defined as the period from parturition until the genital organs return to its normal physiological and histological condition, as in normal non-gravid state. They added that any extension of the puerperium in cows might have a detrimental effect on the reproductive performance of the individual animal. Thus, the main determinant of this period is essentially dependent on the resumption of normal ovarian cycles, the manifestation of estrus behaviour and conception following insemination.