Opportunistic pathogenic fungi isolated from feces of feral pigeons in Mafikeng, North West Province of South Africa

Research (Published online: 18-07-2019)

21. Opportunistic pathogenic fungi isolated from feces of feral pigeons in Mafikeng, North West Province of South Africa

Michelo Syakalima, Tsepo Ramatla and Ngoma Lubanza

Veterinary World, 12(7): 1066-1069

ABSTRACT

Background and Aim: Pigeon feces are increasingly being implicated in the spread of bacterial pathogens such as Escherichia coli, Campylobacter, Salmonella, Listeria, and Chlamydia. Fungi are rarely investigated except for Cryptococcus that has emerged as an important pathogen in old people and immunosuppressed patients. This study investigated fungi in pigeon feces collected from Mafikeng, the North West Province of South Africa.

Materials and Methods: Freshly dropped feces were collected and enriched in phosphate-buffered saline overnight at 48°C and then subcultured on Sabouraud's dextrose agar and incubated at 48°C for 2 weeks observing any fungal growth from day 2. The growths were picked up, DNA extracted, and polymerase chain reaction was done using the internal transcribed spacer primers.

Results: Fungi isolated included: Aspergillus (Aspergillus tubingensis), Cryptococcus (Cryptococcus albidus and Cryptococcus randhawai), Fusarium spp., and Rhodotorula (Rhodotorula mucilaginosa and Rhodotorula kratochvilovae). Most of these isolates are known opportunistic pathogens and have been isolated in clinical conditions elsewhere. Other isolates such as Graphium dubautiae, Myrmecridium schulzeri, Naganishia albida, Paecilomyces lilacinus, and Zygopleurage zygospora were not found to be of any human health significance.

Conclusion: We, therefore, concluded that the presence of these opportunistic pathogens is a significant human health risk, especially in the face of the HIV/AIDS pandemic that results in immunosuppression.

Keywords: chain reaction, fungi, opportunistic pathogens, pigeon feces, polymerase.

Weissella, a novel lactic acid bacteria isolated from wild Sumatran orangutans (Pongo abelii)

Research (Published online: 18-07-2019)

20. Weissella, a novel lactic acid bacteria isolated from wild Sumatran orangutans (Pongo abelii)

Safika Safika, Wardinal Wardinal, Yulia Sari Ismail, Khairun Nisa and Wenny Novita Sari

Veterinary World, 12(7): 1060-1065

ABSTRACT

Aim: This study aimed to isolate and identify lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in wild Sumatran orangutans to provide more information about LAB diversity derived from Sumatran orangutan feces.

Materials and Methods: Fecal sampling from three female orangutans, around 35 years old, was carried out in the wild forest areas at the research station of Suaq Belimbing Gunung Leuser National Park located in the South Aceh district. Orangutan fecal samples were taken in the morning when the orangutans first defecated. The orangutans were above the tree, which is approximately 12-15 m from the ground where feces were found.

Results: Fermentation testing using the API 50 CHL Kit showed that OUL4 isolates were identified as Lactococcus lactis ssp. lactis with an identity value of 73.5%. Homology analysis demonstrated that the OUL4 isolates have 93% similarity to Weissella cibaria, and phylogenetic trees constructed using Mega 7.0 also showed that OUL4 isolates are related to W. cibaria.

Conclusion: These results show that there is a difference in identification between biochemical testing with API kits and molecular analyses on LAB isolates from wild Sumatran orangutans. Based on 16S rRNA gene homology, the OUL4 LAB isolates from wild Sumatran orangutans have 93% homology to W. cibaria.

Keywords: 16S rRNA, API 50 CHL, lactic acid bacteria, orangutan, Pongo abelii, Weissella.

Impact of lighting color and duration on productive performance and Newcastle disease vaccination efficiency in broiler chickens

Research (Published online: 17-07-2019)

19. Impact of lighting color and duration on productive performance and Newcastle disease vaccination efficiency in broiler chickens

Essam S. Soliman and Rania A. Hassan

Veterinary World, 12(7): 1052-1059

ABSTRACT

Background and Aim: Manipulating lighting colors and regimens is considered an effective mean for improving broiler productivity. The influence of red, blue, and white light-emitting diode (LED) was investigated using three different regimens of lighting and darkness; continuous 23 h light (L):1 h dark (D), continuous 18 h L:6 h D, and intermittent 16 h L:8 h D hours on the performance, carcass weight (CW), feed and water intake (WI), serum glucose (GLUCO), triglycerides (TG), and cholesterol (TC), intestinal bacterial load, growth and metabolic hormones, and efficiency of Newcastle disease (ND) vaccine.

Materials and Methods: A total of 252 1-day-old Ross broilers on deep litter were divided into nine groups. The 1st, 4th, and 7th groups were exposed to continuous 23L:1D, the 2nd, 5th, and 8th groups were exposed to continuous 18L:6D, and the 3rd, 6th, and 9th groups were exposed to intermittent 16L:8D (4L:2D, 4 times) lighting regimen using red, blue, and white LED lights, respectively. A total of 1350 samples (225 sera, 225 swabs, and 900 organ samples) were collected.

Results: Blue LED group revealed a highly significant increase (p<0.01) in live body weight, body weight gain, performance index, CW, spleen, heart, and liver weights, and anti-ND antibody titer, as well as a highly significant decline (p<0.01) of feed intake, WI, GLUCO, TG, TC, growth hormone, insulin, tri-iodothyronine (T3), tetra-iodothyronine (T4), total bacterial count (TBC), and total Enterobacteriaceae count compared to red and white LED lights in all tested lighting regimens. Continuous 23L:1D and 18L:6D regimens were significantly (p<0.01) superior to intermittent 16L:8D in their influence on the performance, CW, biochemistry, hormonal profile, and bacterial load.

Conclusion: The blue LED light associated with continuous 18L:6D or 23L:1D h regimen is highly recommended in broiler houses for their enhancing the productive performance, growth, and immunity.

Keywords: broilers, light-emitting diode colors, metabolism, Newcastle vaccine, productive performance.

Health problems of Iraqi police dogs referred to Baghdad Veterinary Hospital during 2015-2017

Research (Published online: 16-07-2019)

18. Health problems of Iraqi police dogs referred to Baghdad Veterinary Hospital during 2015-2017

Naqa Saleh Mahdi Tamimi and Abdulraheem Abduljalil Wali

Veterinary World, 12(7): 1046-1051

ABSTRACT

Background and Aim: Police dogs in Iraq have been working mostly as explosive detectors since 2003. The health problems of these dogs are unique and have not been reported in literature. This investigation assessed the prevalence of health problems in Police dogs referred to Baghdad Veterinary Hospital during 2015-2017.

Materials and Methods: A total of 1220 police dogs that were referred to Baghdad Veterinary Hospital in 2015-2017 were studied. The dogs were mostly German Shepherd dogs (GSDs) or Belgian Malinois (BM), with an average age of 4.6 years. The dogs' health problems and some of their risk factors were studied.

Results: Congestive heart failure (CHF), babesiosis, various malignancies, and intestinal parasites were the most commonly diagnosed health problems, followed by general aging, bronchopneumonia, otitis, nutritional deficiencies, and anemia. GSDs were more prone to CHF, while BM had more diagnoses of malignancies. Age was associated with both health conditions.

Conclusion: The presence of health problems in these working dogs highlights the need for a stricter and more organized preventive schedule to keep the dogs healthy and efficient at old age.

Keywords: health problems, Iraq, police dogs.

First isolation of Dicrocoelium dendriticum among cattle in some Northern Algerian slaughterhouses

Research (Published online: 16-07-2019)

17. First isolation of Dicrocoelium dendriticum among cattle in some Northern Algerian slaughterhouses

Linda Chougar, Kh. Harhoura and M. Aissi

Veterinary World, 12(7): 1039-1045

ABSTRACT

Background and Aim: Dicrocoelium dendriticum or small liver fluke often causes unnoticed clinical manifestations in cattle. For a live animal, its diagnosis is mainly based on the detection of eggs by coproscopic examination. The objective of this study was to determine the presence or absence of Dicrocoelium spp. never previously reported in the study area but also to establish its prevalence, as well as an association between dicrocoeliasis and sex, age and season of the year, and histological characteristics.

Materials and Methods: The study was carried out in slaughterhouses of three districts (Bouira, Tizi-Ouzou, and Bejaia) from January 2017 to December 2017. To this end, of 4053 cattle, representing more than 10% of the total number of animals slaughtered, stool and bile samples were collected and a liver inspection was carried out to investigate lesions of distomial cholangitis. They were processed for histological analysis. The specimens were morphologically identified according to the orientation of the testicles, the length and width of the body, and the level of the maximum width of the body.

Results: The total prevalence of dicrocoeliasis obtained of the 4053 cattle inspected is 0.52% with a prevalence of 0.66% in Tizi-Ouzou, 0.54% in Bouira, and 0.27% in Bejaia. About 0.52% of livers had distomial cholangitis (21 of the 4053 livers examined had adult D. dendriticum and 15% had non-distomial cholangitis. About 0.25% of cattle had D. dendriticum eggs in the stool versus 0.52% of cattle had parasite eggs in the bile. Statistical analysis revealed no significant association between dicrocoeliasis infection and the season of the year (p>0.05). However, a significant association was found between dicrocoeliasis infection and sex and age of the animal (p<0.05); females and older animals are more likely to have dicrocoeliasis. Histological analysis of the fluke revealed an anterior positioning of the testicles with a slightly oblique tandem orientation, an average body length of 3.69 mm and an average body width of 1 mm. The maximum body width level is either in the middle of the fluke body or in the rear position.

Conclusion: The histological study confirms that the collected fluke is D. dendriticum. Thus, this work reveals for the 1st time in Algeria the presence of D. dendriticum in three districts (Bouira, Tizi-Ouzou, and Bejaia). The results indicate that many cattle farms in the North Central Province of Algeria are infested with D. dendriticum.

Keywords: bile, cattle, dicrocoeliasis, Dicrocoelium dendriticum, liver, stools.

Molecular diversity of the invA gene obtained from human and egg samples

Research (Published online: 15-07-2019)

16. Molecular diversity of the invA gene obtained from human and egg samples

Mona Kadry, Sara Mohamed Nader, Sohad M. Dorgham and Mai M. Kandil

Veterinary World, 12(7): 1033-1038

ABSTRACT

Background and Aim: Salmonellosis is one of the most common foodborne bacterial diseases in the world. The great majority of Salmonella infections in humans are foodborne with Salmonella enterica and SalmonellaTyphimurium accounting for a major part of the problem. The objective of this study was to investigate the presence of invA gene in strains of Salmonellae isolated from eggs and diarrheal swabs from human cases. In addition, the relationship between invA gene nucleotide sequences from different sources (human stool and egg samples) have been studied through phylogenetic tree.

Materials and Methods: One hundred and seventy eggs (eggshell and its contents) and 160 stool swabs samples were collected from four poultry farms and medical hospital in Giza Governorate.

Results: The study reported the presence of two Salmonella strains in eggshell surface with an overall isolation rate of 1.2 and 0% of the egg content. Salmonella Enteritidis and Salmonella Typhimurium were isolated from eggshell surface with an incidence of 50% for each strain. Six salmonella strains were isolated from human stool with an incidence of 3.75%; the isolated strains are S. Typhimurium, S. Enteritidis, Salmonella Virchow, Salmonella Haifa, and Salmonella Kentucky with an incidence of 33.3%, 16.6%, 16.6%, 16.6%, and 16.6%, respectively. Among eight Salmonella strains, invA gene was detected with percentage of 50%. The phylogenetic analysis of the sequences invA gene, from two isolates included in this study and five isolates retrieved from GenBank showed that sequence from human, layer hens, egg, and water in the same clusters.

Conclusion: Close relation between drinking contaminated water and layer hens and contaminated water is one such source.

Keywords: invA gene, phylogeny, Salmonella.

Prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum infections in households sheep "Elevage en case" in Dakar, Senegal

Research (Published online: 15-07-2019)

15. Prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum infections in households sheep "Elevage en case" in Dakar, Senegal

Laibané Dieudonné Dahourou, Oubri Bassa Gbati, Madi Savadogo, Bernadette Yougbare, Amadou Dicko, Alima Hadjia Banyala Combari and Alain Richi Kamga-Waladjo

Veterinary World, 12(7): 1028-1032

ABSTRACT

Aim: The study aimed to evaluate the occurrence of anti-Toxoplasma gondii and anti-Neospora caninum antibodies in sheep breeding in a particular husbandry system called "Elevage en case" in Dakar, Senegal.

Materials and Methods: Blood samples were collected from 278 sheep. Serum was harvested and used for analysis. For the detection of T. gondii antibodies, 278 sera were analyzed using the modified agglutination test, while the enzyme linked-immunosorbent assay was used on 174 sheep sera to look for N. caninum antibodies.

Results: This study showed that 29.4±6.8% of sheep carried both T. gondii and N. caninum antibodies. The overall prevalence was 60.1±5.7% and 41.9±7.3% for toxoplasmosis and neosporosis, respectively. For toxoplasmosis, the prevalence was higher in Gueule Tapée (63.3%) than in Medina (58.9%), but the variation was not significant (p=0.45). Regarding the age of animals, the prevalence was significantly higher in animals over 2 years old compared to those under 2 years old (p=0.002). For neosporosis, the prevalence was significantly higher in Medina (48.67%) than Gueule Tapée (16.7%) (p=0.001), but non-significant variation was noted according to animal age.

Conclusion: The study showed that sheep reared in households have carried antibodies of T. gondii and N. caninum. The prevalence was high and it means that consumption of meat from these animals is risky if the meat is eaten undercooked.

Keywords: Elevage en case, Neospora caninum, prevalence, Senegal, sheep, Toxoplasma gondii.