An Estimate of Global Anthrax Prevalence in Livestock: A Meta-analysis

Research (Published online: 22-05-2021)

26. An Estimate of Global Anthrax Prevalence in Livestock: A Meta-analysis

Bylaiah Sushma, Seema Shedole, Kuralayanapalya Puttahonnappa Suresh, Gowda Leena, Sharanagouda S. Patil and Gowda Srikantha

Veterinary World, 14(5): 1263-1271

ABSTRACT

Background and Aim: Anthrax, caused by the soil-borne spore-forming bacteria called Bacillus anthracis, is a zoonotic disease that persists worldwide in livestock and wildlife and infects humans. It is a great hazard to livestock; henceforth, evaluating the global concerns about the disease occurrence in livestock is essential. This study was conducted to estimate the global prevalence of anthrax and predict high-risk regions, which could be an input to veterinarians to take necessary steps to control and avoid the disease.

Materials and Methods: A literature review was performed using online databases, namely, PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, Biomed Central, and Science Direct, to extract relevant publications worldwide between 1992 and 2020. Initially, 174 articles were selected, and after scrutinizing, 24 articles reporting the prevalence of anthrax were found to be adequate for the final meta-analysis. The statistical study was accompanied by employing fixed effects and random effects models using R.

Results: The pooled prevalence of anthrax globally was 28% (95% confidence interval, 26-30%) from 2452 samples through the fixed effects model. Continent-wise subgroup analysis through the random effects model revealed that the pooled prevalence of anthrax was highest in Africa (29%) and least in North America (21%).

Conclusion: In these publications, anthrax causes economic loss to farmers and, thus, to the world. Hence, controlling anthrax infections in high-risk regions are essential by implementing appropriate control measures to decrease the effect of the disease, thereby reducing economic loss.

Keywords: anthrax, livestock, meta-analysis, prevalence, subgroup analysis.

Data mining and decision support systems for efficient dairy production

Review (Published online: 22-05-2021)

25. Data mining and decision support systems for efficient dairy production

Sunesh Balhara, Rishi Pal Singh and A. P. Ruhil

Veterinary World, 14(5): 1258-1262

ABSTRACT

Gainful livestock farming requires selective breeding of animals with certain heritable desirable traits which gives profitability in terms of farm produce. Modern dairy animals are selected for traits which directly or indirectly contribute to high milk production. The concept of "feed conversion efficiency" in terms of milk production is now vigorously taken up by researchers and farm managers for recognizing and breeding efficient milk-producing animals. The whole concept of economic farming thus requires identification of "elite" animals, meeting above criteria as base population for the farm enterprise. Farmers and animal traders have been selecting best animals based on certain physical characters, which were also accepted by the breeding scientists as phenotypes. Data mining allows uncovering of hidden patterns in the data for better understanding of data relationship for developing suitable models for further improvements. Along with artificial intelligence techniques, data mining has opened new avenues for achieving high resource utilization efficiency and sustainable profitability in livestock production systems. The present review discusses and summarizes various data mining techniques and decision support systems for scientific dairy farming.

Keywords: dairy farming, data mining, decision support systems.

Exogenous bovine somatotropin and mist-fan cooling synergistically promote the intramammary glucose transport for lactose synthesis in crossbred Holstein cows in the tropics

Research (Published online: 21-05-2021)

24. Exogenous bovine somatotropin and mist-fan cooling synergistically promote the intramammary glucose transport for lactose synthesis in crossbred Holstein cows in the tropics

Narongsak Chaiyabutr, Siravit Sitprija, Somchai Chanpongsang and Sumpun Thammacharoen

Veterinary World, 14(5): 1247-1257

ABSTRACT

Background and Aim: Milk synthesis by the mammary gland is negatively influenced in part by high ambient temperature (AT). This study aimed to clarify the pathway of intramammary glucose utilization involved in mediating lactose synthesis during treatment with somatotropin under housing with misters and fans.

Materials and Methods: A single subcutaneous injection of 500 mg of recombinant bovine somatotropin (rbST) was administered 3 times once every 14 days to 87.5% crossbred Holstein cattle in early-/mid-/late lactation, under housing in a normal shaded barn and in a shaded barn with a mist-fan cooling system.

Results: The milk yields of the cooled cows tended to increase compared with those of uncooled cows and exhibited more potentiated effects in response to rbST treatment, coinciding with increases in mammary plasma flow and glucose uptake, but not in the mammary extraction of glucose. Treatment with rbST in the cooled cows resulted in a greater increase in the milk glucose concentration and a greater decrease in the milk glucose-6-phosphate concentration at all stages of lactation.

Conclusion: rbST treatment exerted its galactopoietic action more by local intramammary factors than by other extramammary factors at a low AT and the synergistic effect between rbST treatment and low AT increased the availability of intramammary glucose transport in activating the process of lactose synthesis.

Keywords: crossbred Holstein cattle, lactose, milk glucose, milk glucose-6-phosphate, mist-fans cooling, recombinant bovine somatotropin.

Seroprevalence and risk factors of West Nile virus infection in veterinarians and horses in Northern Palestine

Research (Published online: 21-05-2021)

23. Seroprevalence and risk factors of West Nile virus infection in veterinarians and horses in Northern Palestine

Ibrahim Alzuheir, Adnan Fayyad, Nasr Jalboush, Rosemary Abdallah, Sameeh Abutarbush, Mohammad Gharaibeh, Majd Bdarneh, Nimer Khraim, Mohammad Abu Helal and Belal Abu Helal

Veterinary World, 14(5): 1241-1246

ABSTRACT

Background and Aim: West Nile fever (WNF) is a neurotropic, mosquito-borne disease affecting humans and domesticated animals, caused by a member of the genus Flavivirus. Over the last decades, this virus has been responsible for several cases of illness in humans and animals. The current epidemiological status of WNF in horses is insufficient, and in veterinarians, as an occupational hazard is unknown. This study aimed to investigate and determine the seroprevalence and risk factors for WNF in veterinarians and horses in Palestine.

Materials and Methods: In this study, serum samples from 100 veterinarians and 87 horses were collected between August 2020 and September 2020 from different cities of Northern Palestine. West Nile virus (WNV) antibodies were detected using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Results: Our results showed that 60.9% of the horse serum samples were positive in all investigated cities. In horses, location is a risk factor for the seropositivity for WNF, whereas age, sex, breed, and intended use of the horses, were not associated with increased WNF seropositivity. In veterinarians, 23.0% of the serum samples were positive. Positive samples were detected in all locations, age groups, experience length, and work sectors. However, the seropositivity for WNF was not influenced by these variables.

Conclusion: The results revealed that WNV circulates in most regions of Palestine. Our results will help determine the risk of infection in animals and humans and control WNV transmission. Surveillance studies on humans, vectors, and animals are needed to better define endemic areas.

Keywords: enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, Flavivirus, horses, Palestine, veterinarians, West Nile virus.

Ethanol extract from Moringa oleifera leaves modulates brown adipose tissue and bone morphogenetic protein 7 in high-fat diet mice

Research (Published online: 21-05-2021)

22. Ethanol extract from Moringa oleifera leaves modulates brown adipose tissue and bone morphogenetic protein 7 in high-fat diet mice

Mas Rizky A. A. Syamsunarno, Fenty Alia, Neni Anggraeni, Vanessa Ayu Sumirat, Suhendra Praptama and Nur Atik

Veterinary World, 14(5): 1234-1240

ABSTRACT

Background and Aim: Brown adipose tissue's (BAT) ability to increase energy expenditure has become a new focus in obesity research. The amount and activity of BAT are inversely correlated with body-mass index and body fat percentage. Bone morphogenetic protein 7 (BMP7) plays a role in the differentiation and development of BAT, which can be increased by bioactive compounds from several medicinal plants. Moringa oleifera (MO) leaves are rich with vitamin, minerals, and bioactive compounds and have been used for treating obesity-related diseases in the past. The aim of this study was to explore the potency of MO leaf extract (MOLE) to modulate BAT differentiation in mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD).

Materials and Methods: Twenty-four, 5-week-old male Deutsche Denken Yoken mice (Mus musculus) were randomly divided into four groups: The normal chow diet group was fed a normal diet, the HFD group was fed a HFD, the HFD+MOLE1, and the HFD+MOLE2 groups were fed HFD and MOLE in a dose of 280 and 560 mg/kg body weight (BW)/day, respectively. The experiment was performed for 7 weeks. At the end of the experiment, histological analysis was performed on the interscapular BAT, and blood was drawn for BMP7 protein levels.

Results: After 7 weeks, BAT weight in the HFD group was nearly twice in the weight of the HFD+MOLE1 group (125±13.78 mg vs. 75±13.78 mg; p<0.001). There was also a significant increase in BAT cell density in the HFD+MOLE1 group. BMP7 serum protein levels were significantly higher in the HFD+MOLE1 group compared to the HFD group.

Conclusion: The administration of MOLE in a dose of 280 mg/kg BW/day in HFD-mice induces BAT differentiation and proliferation by upregulating BMP7 protein levels.

Keywords: bone morphogenetic protein 7, brown adipose tissue, high-fat diet, Moringa oleifera leaves extract.

Semen extenders: An evaluative overview of preservative mechanisms of semen and semen extenders

Review (Published online: 20-05-2021)

21. Semen extenders: An evaluative overview of preservative mechanisms of semen and semen extenders

Ghadeer Sabah Bustani and Falah Hasan Baiee

Veterinary World, 14(5): 1220-1233

ABSTRACT

Reproduction is fundamental for all living things as it ensures the continued existence of a species and an improved economy in animal husbandry. Reproduction has developed since history, and diverse processes, such as artificial insemination and in vitro fertilization, have been developed. Semen extenders were discovered and developed to protect sperm from harmful factors, such as freeze and osmotic shock, oxidative stress, and cell injury by ice crystals. Semen extenders preserve sperm by stabilizing its properties, including sperm morphology, motility, and viability and membrane, acrosomal, and DNA integrity. Therefore, semen extenders must provide a favorable pH, adenosine triphosphate, anti-cooling and anti-freeze shock, and antioxidant activity to improve semen quality for fertilization. Hence, this review provides precise data on different semen extenders, preservative mechanisms, and essential additives for semen extenders in different animals.

Keywords: additives to semen extenders, artificial insemination, cryopreservation, egg yolk-based extenders, lipid peroxidation, semen extenders.

Prebiotics mannan-oligosaccharides accelerate sexual maturity in rats: A randomized preclinical study

Research (Published online: 20-05-2021)

20. Prebiotics mannan-oligosaccharides accelerate sexual maturity in rats: A randomized preclinical study

Luiz Eduardo Rodrigues, Milena Miyoshi Kishibe, Rogeria Keller, Heliard Rodrigues dos Santos Caetano, Marcos Natal Rufino, Osimar de Carvalho Sanches, Ines Cristina Giometti, Rogério Giuffrida and Hermann Bremer-Neto

Veterinary World, 14(5): 1210-1219

ABSTRACT

Background and Aim: The prebiotics, mannan-oligosaccharides (MOS), demonstrate the ability to increase probiotic microorganisms and fixation and removal of pathogens associated with chronic systemic inflammation in the digestive system. Inflammatory processes play an important role in modulating the brain-intestinal axis, including maintaining male reproductive function and spermatogenesis and regulating stress. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the action of MOS on testosterone and corticosterone concentrations and the reproductive system development of rats in the growth phase as an animal model.

Materials and Methods: In total, 128 male rats were used, randomly divided into four experimental groups (n=32): Control; MOS 1; MOS 2; and MOS 3. From each group, eight animals were sacrificed in four experimental moments (14, 28, 42, and 56 days, respectively, moments 1, 2, 3, and 4) and hormonal measurements and histological evaluations were performed.

Results: The results revealed the effect of diet, MOS, and timing on testicle weight (p<0.05). At moments 3 and 4, the groups supplemented with MOS showed higher concentrations of testosterone and decreased corticosterone levels throughout the experimental period. Groups supplemented with MOS showed an increase in the frequency of relative sperm and sperm scores. The radii of the seminiferous tubules presented a significant statistical effect of the diet, moments, and diet + moment interaction.

Conclusion: It was concluded that the three different MOS prebiotics brought forward sexual maturity.

Keywords: corticosterone, murine, prebiotic, reproductive system, testosterone, yeast.