Effect of feed supplement and additives on stress mitigation in Karan Fries heifers

Research (Published online: 01-12-2017)

1. Effect of feed supplement and additives on stress mitigation in Karan Fries heifers

Vaibhav Purwar, P. S. Oberoi and A. K. Dang

Veterinary World, 10(12): 1407-1412

ABSTRACT

Aim: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of protected fat plus yeast, niacin, zinc, and chromium dietary supplementation on the reduction of heat stress in Karan Fries (KF) heifers during hot humid months.

Materials and Methods: The basal ration for both the control and treatment groups was the same, containing maize as green fodder and concentrate mixture. However, the treatment group was supplemented with protected fat (2.5% of dry matter intake [DMI]), yeast (10 g/animal/day), niacin (6 g/animal/day), zinc (40 mg/kg DMI), and chromium (1.5 mg/kg DMI).

Results: The overall mean value of afternoon rectal temperature for control and treatment group was 103.17±0.09 and 102.72±0.10°F, respectively, and was significantly (p<0.01) lower in the treatment group. The overall mean value of afternoon respiration rate for control and treatment group was 76.35±0.56 and 73.13±0.58 breaths/min, respectively, and was also significantly (p<0.01) lower in the treatment group. The overall mean value of afternoon pulse rate for control and treatment group was 97.09±0.63 and 94.67±0.67 beats/minute, respectively, and was also significantly (p<0.01) lower in the treatment group. Finally, the mean cortisol concentration for control and treatment group was 3.94±0.05 ng/ml and 3.70±0.06 ng/ml, respectively, and was significantly (p<0.01) lower in the treatment group.

Conclusion: The present study shows that supplementation with the above feed additives could serve as a heat stress abatement strategy in growing KF heifers during extreme conditions in summer months.

Keywords: feed supplement, heat stress, hot humid, Karan Fries.

Pathology and polymerase chain reaction detection of ovine progressive pneumonia (maedi) cases in slaughtered sheep in India

Research (Published online: 30-11-2017)

20. Pathology and polymerase chain reaction detection of ovine progressive pneumonia (maedi) cases in slaughtered sheep in India

Rahul Singh, Pawan Kumar, Rajendra Singh, Kuldeep Dhama, Swati Kumari, Jay Prakash Yadav, Gayatri Kashyap, Karam Pal Singh, Vidya Singh and Monalisa Sahoo

Veterinary World, 10(11): 1401-1406

ABSTRACT

Aim: The small ruminant lentiviruses are known to cause maedi-visna (MV) and caprine arthritis - encephalitis in sheep and goats, typically affecting joints, udder, lungs, and the central nervous system. The diagnosis usually involves serology, clinical signs, immunohistochemistry, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). In the present study, the histopathologically positive pneumonia cases of MV were confirmed by PCR in lung tissue probably for the first time in India.

Materials and Methods: A total of 888 lungs of adult sheep, aged between 2 and 5 years, were screened during slaughter, of which 121 were found to have pneumonic lesions. The tissues from each pneumonic lung including associated lymph nodes were collected in 10% neutral buffered formalin for histopathology. The frozen tissues of the same were also collected and stored at -20°C for PCR confirmation.

Results: Three of 121 cases of pneumonic lungs of sheep revealed gross and histopathological lesions suggestive of maedi or ovine progressive pneumonia infection. These 3 cases were further confirmed by PCR technique that amplified 291-base pair DNA in the long terminal repeat sequence of MV provirus.

Conclusion: This study suggests the low occurrence of MV virus (MVV) infection in India in naturally affected sheep based on pathomorphological lesions and using the molecular tool of PCR detection of the virus in tissues. Further, a combination of pathomorphology or/and PCR testing might be optimal for detecting the animals infected with MVV.

Keywords: histopathology, maedi-visna, ovine progressive pneumonia, polymerase chain reaction, small ruminant lentiviruses.

Plastination of macroparasites: An eco-friendly method of long-term preservation

Research (Published online: 29-11-2017)

19. Plastination of macroparasites: An eco-friendly method of long-term preservation

Niranjan Kumar, Bhupamani Das, Jayesh B. Solanki, Mehul M. Jadav and Ramasamy Menaka

Veterinary World, 10(11): 1394-1400

ABSTRACT

Aim: Preservation of macroparasites by infiltrating the polymer in the tissues can defy the inherited shortcoming of classical wet preservation method.

Materials and Methods: Preservation was done by infiltrating the melamine alone or with xylene (MX)/chloroform (MC)/turpentine oil (MT) in 1:1 and hardener (MH) in 9:1 ratio in the tissues of the gross specimen of the animal parasites.

Results: The plastinated models withstand the process of microbial decomposition, and remain intact in the environmental conditions. The polymer mixture resists the entry of the water molecule, and model dried just after taking out it from the water tank. Overall, the plastinated parasites were dry, non-sticky, glossy, odorless, chemical free, and harmless, to some extent flexible, with detectable morphological structure, and retain their natural form but lost their natural color. Full marks were assigned to the degree of dryness, non-stickiness, and odorlessness to the model plastinated in different solutions on a five-point scale. For flexibility, the score was 1.2, 2.2, and 2.4 for the plastinated model in melamine/MH, MX/MC, and MT solutions, respectively. The average score of glossiness was 4.6 and 5 for the specimen plastinated in melamine/MH and MX/MC/MT solutions, respectively. The degree of dryness, glossiness, stickiness, and flexibility varies non-significantly, with the polymer mixtures used.

Conclusion: The prepared model can be used to educate the students/general mass population.

Keywords: macroparasites, melamine, plastination, preservation.

Mingling of human and veterinary strains of Staphylococcus aureus: An emerging issue in health-care systems

Research (Published online: 28-11-2017)

12. Mingling of human and veterinary strains of Staphylococcus aureus: An emerging issue in health-care systems - Sara Giordana Rimoldi, Annamaria Di Gregorio, Vittorio Sala, Eleonora De Faveri, Cristina Pagani, Pietro Olivieri, Claudio Savi, Anna Lisa Ridolfo, Antona Carlo and Maria Rita Gismondo

International Journal of One Health, 3: 77-82

doi: 10.14202/IJOH.2017.77-82

Abstract

---

Aim: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus remains a leading cause of hospital and community infections. We report a retrospective molecular characterization of S. aureus strains from different settings: hospital workers and patients, and veterinarian surgeons and pets.

Materials and Methods: Eighty-nine S. aureus isolates obtained from nasal swabs of 10 patients, 17 health-care workers (HCWs), 9 pets, and 53 veterinarians were genotypically characterized by means of repetitive extragenic palindromic polymerase chain reaction (Rep PCR) and whole-genome sequencing.

Results: Thirteen different sequence types (STs) were detected: ST398, ST22, ST8, ST30, ST15, ST5, ST121, ST45, ST10, ST6, ST34, ST97, and ST1. Two new STs differing from ST22 and ST5 for a single multilocus sequence typing gene were also identified. Rep PCR documented a genetic relationship among isolates obtained from 5 veterinarians and 10 HCWs.

Conclusion: The large diversity of S. aureus strains detected may reflect a larger epidemiology within the hospital and community, in which companion animals likely act as a reservoir. We identified the circulation of ST5, ST8, ST15, ST22, ST30, ST45, and ST121 both in the hospital and veterinarian environment. Starting from the idea of a unique setting where our population lives, we consider the relationship between community- and hospital-acquired S. aureus.

Keywords: health-care workers, multilocus sequence typing, S. aureus, single-nucleotide polymorphisms, pets, veterinarians.

Molecular analysis of genome segment-3 of bluetongue virus serotype 12 isolates from Haryana

Research (Published online: 28-11-2017)

18. Molecular analysis of genome segment-3 of bluetongue virus serotype 12 isolates from Haryana

Anita Dalal, Sushila Maan, Nitish Bansal, Vinay Kumar, Aman Kumar, Narender Singh Maan and Naresh Kumar Kakker

Veterinary World, 10(11): 1389-1393

ABSTRACT

Aim: The present study was designed to characterize the genome segment 3 (Seg-3) of bluetongue virus (BTV) serotype 12 isolates from different outbreaks of Bluetongue disease in Haryana, India.

Materials and Methods: Blood and swab samples were collected from goat and sheep suspected to be suffering of BT from different outbreaks from Gurugram, Sirsa, Hisar, and Karnal districts of Haryana. The samples were grown in insect and mammalian cell lines. After preliminary identification, serotyping was done using BTV type-specific quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assays. Sequencing was performed using terminal and walking internal primers specific for Seg-3 on ABI Capillary Sequencer 3130 using a "BigDye cycle sequencing kit." The obtained sequence data were analyzed with various bioinformatic tools.

Results: Real-time PCR results confirmed the samples to be positive for BTV-12. The Seg-3 of Indian isolates was most closely related to that of a south Indian isolate of BTV-12 from Andhra Pradesh (KC662614) with 97% nucleotide identity.

Conclusion: The study confirmed the circulation of BTV-12 in Haryana, India. The variations shown in genome Seg-3 of BTV-12 isolates may have some significance and need to be further explored.

Keywords: bluetongue, bluetongue virus-12, genome segment-3, Haryana, real time, serotype, sequencing.

Application of loop-mediated isothermal amplification assay in the detection of herpesvirus of turkey (FC 126 strain) from chicken samples in Nigeria

Research (Published online: 26-11-2017)

17. Application of loop-mediated isothermal amplification assay in the detection of herpesvirus of turkey (FC 126 strain) from chicken samples in Nigeria

A. J. Adedeji, P. A. Abdu, P. D. Luka, A. A. Owoade and T. M. Joannis

Veterinary World, 10(11): 1383-1388

ABSTRACT

Aim: This study was designed to optimize and apply the use of loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) as an alternative to conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the detection of herpesvirus of turkeys (HVT) (FC 126 strain) in vaccinated and non-vaccinated poultry in Nigeria.

Materials and Methods: HVT positive control (vaccine) was used for optimization of LAMP using six primers that target the HVT070 gene sequence of the virus. These primers can differentiate HVT, a Marek's disease virus (MDV) serotype 3 from MDV serotypes 1 and 2. Samples were collected from clinical cases of Marek's disease (MD) in chickens, processed and subjected to LAMP and PCR.

Results: LAMP assay for HVT was optimized. HVT was detected in 60% (3/5) and 100% (5/5) of the samples analyzed by PCR and LAMP, respectively. HVT was detected in the feathers, liver, skin, and spleen with average DNA purity of 3.05-4.52 μg DNA/mg (A260/A280) using LAMP. Conventional PCR detected HVT in two vaccinated and one unvaccinated chicken samples, while LAMP detected HVT in two vaccinated and three unvaccinated corresponding chicken samples. However, LAMP was a faster and simpler technique to carry out than PCR.

Conclusion: LAMP assay for the detection of HVT was optimized. LAMP and PCR detected HVT in clinical samples collected. LAMP assay can be a very good alternative to PCR for detection of HVT and other viruses. This is the first report of the use of LAMP for the detection of viruses of veterinary importance in Nigeria. LAMP should be optimized as a diagnostic and research tool for investigation of poultry diseases such as MD in Nigeria.

Keywords: herpesvirus of turkeys, loop-mediated isothermal amplification procedure, Nigeria.

Clinical, pathological, and molecular investigation of Mycoplasma pulmonis-induced murine respiratory mycoplasmosis in a rat (Rattus norvegicus) colony

Research (Published online: 25-11-2017)

16. Clinical, pathological, and molecular investigation of Mycoplasma pulmonis-induced murine respiratory mycoplasmosis in a rat (Rattus norvegicus) colony

Saurabh Chawla, Sarita Jena, Balaji Venkatsan, Kuna Mahara and Nilanjan Sahu

Veterinary World, 10(11): 1378-1382

ABSTRACT

Aim: Mycoplasma pulmonis (MP) remains potentially important rodent pathogen causing murine respiratory mycoplasmosis (MRM) which may go undiagnosed due to its asymptomatic nature. In the present study, we carried out clinical, pathological, and molecular investigations of MP-induced MRM in a rat colony.

Materials and Methods: Two female Wistar rats were observed to be diseased in animal facility of NISER, Bhubaneswar, and were kept in isolation for further investigation. Both the animals were found to be positive for MP after serological and molecular tests. Thereafter, whole rat colony comprising of 36 animals was segregated based on clinical symptoms and further sampled for histopathological, serological, and molecular investigations. Tracheal washing and infected lung tissue were collected during necropsy examination for DNA extraction. Molecular diagnosis was done by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay using species-specific primers.

Results: Classical symptoms of MP-associated respiratory tract infection were observed in only 2 of 36 infected animals, and most of the animals were found asymptomatic to the disease; however, all the animals were found to be carrier after necropsy and PCR assay. Gross and histopathological finding suggested severe congestion of the lungs along with suppurative and necrotizing pneumonia. The disease is confirmed by molecular diagnosis using species-specific primers in PCR assay.

Conclusion: MRM may go undiagnosed due to asymptomatic nature. Detailed study of clinical symptoms, pathology, serology, and PCR-based molecular approach may aid in health monitoring and detection of MRM in a rodent colony reared for experimental purpose.

Keywords: murine respiratory mycoplasmosis, Mycoplasma pulmonis, polymerase chain reaction, rat colony.