Veterinärmedizinische Wissenschaft und Technologie

Cross sectional study using random sampling to determine the prevalence of Cysticercus bovis from May to June 2014 on a total of 439 cattle slaughtered at Shire municipal abattoir was conducted. The overall prevalence of the parasite was 5.2%. The distribution of the parasite in adult cattle was (3.8%) where as in old cattle it was 1.8%. The rate of the parasite in old and adult cattle didn’t vary significantly (p>0.05). The rate of the parasite in male and female was 4.6% and 0.79% respectively where there is no sex wise significant variation (p>0.05). At the same time, there is significance variation of the parasites in different organs with highest rate of the parasite in liver (4.3%) (p<0.05).This indicates the presence of the parasites in the study area so that great attention toward meat inspection, good animal health management and deworming of animals to reduce the burden of the parasite in the study area should be in place.

Climate and habitat change, together with globalisation, are important factors in the emergence of arthropodborne viruses (arboviruses). Changes in the range and abundance of the virus, vectors and hosts may create new combinations of host-pathogen-vector interactions for which data are not available. This paper reviews the genomics data currently available for arboviruses, their vectors and hosts, and assesses the level of understanding of the genetic factors affecting their adaptation to climate. It is anticipated here that genomics, transcriptomics and proteomics approaches may enable the breakdown of the traditional risk assessment pathways into the individual biochemical steps for each of the three interfaces between the virus, vector and host such that future risk assessments could be based on looking for certain gene combinations and their resulting expression profiles. Differences in the virus interaction with the arthropod midgut have been implicated in specifically affecting the extrinsic incubation period for some arboviruses, while differences in viral replication and dissemination through the arthropod may affect vector competence for other arboviruses. Genomics approaches to identify the proteins involved will enhance our understanding of vector competence and may explain why some arbovirus genotypes are more efficiently replicated in the vector at elevated temperatures. Such studies may also reflect the diversity present in real-world systems to a greater extent than experimental systems involving a single combination of vector and virus genotypes. Understanding the genetic basis for tissue tropism will facilitate prediction of new routes of transmission.

Tritrichomonas foetus is a production and regulatory concern for beef producers in the Western United States and more recently in states of the Mississippi Valley. Traditionally preputial scrapings have been collected, cultured in enriched media, and examined microscopically. PCR techniques are now being used extensively to confirm culture results or as a stand-alone test for the organism. This technology offers the advantage of distinguishing the pathogenic Tritrichomonas foetus organism from other nonpathogenic fecal organisms.

The present study was performed to clarify the presence of the bony structure; os cordis and cartilage; cartilago cordis in the heart of the mature dromedary camel. This investigation was carried out on the heart of ten healthy mature camels. The heart of the camel contained only one bone. This bone is large, elongated and embedding inside the heart wall where the cardiac muscles are inserted and fixed. It is found mainly in the aortic ring; especially in the adjacent area between the aorta and the left & right atrium respectively. Moreover, it is lying in the atrioventricular plane near the junction of the interatrial and interventricular septa of the camel heart and extending anteriorly into the atrioventricular valve rings. Histologically, the os cordis appeared consisting of fibrous connective tissue, small foci and pieces of hyaline cartilage, calcified cartilage and large piece of spongy bone. The spongy bone appeared having red and white bone marrow with numerous RBCs, adipocytes and osteocytes. Moreover, the increasing of the calcified cartilage amounts and the development of bony structures in the camel heart skeleton are age dependent, which seems to be a sign of the over load of the mechanical forces and high pressure in the atrioventricular plane and the aortic ring of the heart during systole.

Chicken are the most abundant birds in the world with a population of more than 24 billion. They are mainly kept for egg and meat production. Important economic lossess for the industry can occur, due to viral diseases such as Avian influenza and Newcastle disease. Vaccination is the only available tool to curb the outbreak of epidemics in poultry. Till today only few good vaccines are available to prevent the epidemic diseases. Recombinant DNA technology led to the development of recombinant vaccines and subunit vaccines but immunopotency of recombinant vaccines and subunit vaccines are not well understood in Newcastle disease vaccines. Hence, in this study, we cloned and expressed the fusion and haemagglutinin-neuraminidase genes of NDV in insect cells. Immunological study was carried out to assess the immunopotency of rec-F and rec-HN antigens in commercial broilers. Humoral and cell mediated immune response were evaluated. The immunogenic potentials of recombinant antigens along with commercial live and inactivated vaccine in stimulating humoral antibody response was recorded by haemagglutination inhibition (HI) test and ELISA. Cell mediated immune responses in stimulating the peripheral blood mononuclear cells by recombinant antigens were measured using tetrazolium dye (MTT assay). Expression of cytokines such as interferon alfa and interferon gamma, stimulated by recombinant F and HN antigens and commercial vaccines were studied by Real-time polymerase chain reaction. Our results revealed that recombinant antigens had similar immuneresponse as commercial incativated vaccines but less efficient in protecing the immunised birds than commercial live vaccine. Fusion protein has shown better protection than HN protein and combination of both antigens revealed more potency than individual antigen.

A cross sectional study was conducted from July to October 2013 to estimate prevalence and identify different species of ectoparasites infesting chicken in semi-intensive and backyard chicken farms in and around Ambo Town, West Shewa, Ethiopia. A total of 390 chickens were randomly selected. Age, sex, breed and management system of the study population was simultaneously recorded. Ectoparasites were collected from different parts of the body including shank scraping and identified with stereomicroscopy or light microscopy. An overall 67.95% (265/390) prevalence was recorded and five species of ectoparasites under three orders (Phthiraptera (lice), Siphonaptera (flea) and mite were identified. The prevalence of pediculosis, flea infestation and mange were 52.1%, 44.36% and 34.62%, respectively. Three species of lice (Cuclotogaster heterographa (50%), Menacanthus stramineus (1.28%) and Lipeurus caponis (6.15%)), one species of flea (Echidnophaga gallinacean (44.36%)) and mite (Cnemidocoptes mutans (34.62%)) were identified. Higher prevalence rate was recorded in male (83.89%) than female (58.09%), young (74.45%) than adult (61.79%) and local (87.55%) than exotic (26.4%) breed chicken. There was no infestation of chicken with ectoparasite in semi-intensive farming system while 87.46% (265/303) of chickens kept under extensive management system were infested. Statistically, there was significance difference between categories of sex (χ2=28.145, p<0.05), age (χ2=8.083, p<0.05), management (χ2=2.37, p<0.05) and breed (χ2=1.458, p<0.05) groups in prevalence of ectoparasite infestation (p<0.05). Male, young and local breed chicken groups were 3.757 (CI=2.265-6.234), 1.883 (CI=1.214-2.921) and 19.6 (11.427-33.618) times more likely infested by ectoparasite than female, adult and cross breed groups, respectively. In conclusion, infestation of chicken with ectoparasites was important constraint in poultry production sector. Therefore, application of integrated control strategy, good management practices, creation of awareness and further detailed study were recommended.

The current study was designed to evaluate the effect of different doses of pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMSG) on reproductive performance of Rembi ewe during seasonal anoestrus. A total of 120 sheep and 12 rams of Rembi ewe lamb were used in this experiment. Vaginal sponges containing 40 mg of fluorogestone acetate were inserted into the vagina of the ewes. The sponges were withdrawn on day 7 and 300 IU of PMSG (group 1, n=30, 500 IU of PMSG (group 2, n=30) and 700 IU of PMSG (group 3, n=30) were injected intramuscularly. The rates of fertility in groups 2, 3, 4 and the control group were found as 86,2%, 79,3%, 72,4%, and 44,8%, respectively. Fecundity rates were 1.14%, 1.20%, 1.03% and 0.48% in groups 2, 3, 4 and the control group, respectively. The rates of prolificacy in groups 2, 3, and 4 which received different doses of PMSG and the control group were found as 1.08%, 1.52 %, 1.43%, and 1.08%, respectively. Lambing rates were obtained as 67.5%, 77.5%, 77.5% and 58.8% in groups1, 2, 3 and in control group, respectively. The effect of the hormonal treatments on the birth weight of lambs averaging 1.90 ± 0.16, 2.60 ± 0.11 and 3.25 ± 0.19 kg respectively. The application of 500 IU PMSG was rather more effective than injections of 300 IU and 700 IU in Rembi ewes being outside the breeding season.

A seven-month-old female spayed Labrador retriever was diagnosed with canine lymphosarcoma. The initial presenting sign was vomiting with a history of possible foreign body ingestion. Laboratory data revealed hypercalcemia and thoracic radiographs demonstrated a mediastinal mass. A diagnosis of mediastinal lymphosarcoma was based on thoracic radiographs and subsequent cytology of the mass. The case was managed with chemotherapy and nutrition. The dog improved for a brief period and was euthanized seven weeks after initial presentation due to disease progression and poor long-term prognosis. This case was unique considering the age of the dog involved.

The current investigation was carried out on the seminal glands of six apparently healthy mature male Buffalo bulls and six immature. The specimens were collected and examined anatomically and histologically after being fixed in 10% buffered neutral formalin. The specimens were subjected to processing till paraffin sections were obtained and stained. The anatomical and histological findings of the seminal glands are varying with age. Anatomically, the immature seminal gland was small sized, flaccid in texture, white in color and measured about 0.80-0.95 gm in weight, 1.95-2.50 cm in length, 1.00-1.15 cm in width and about 0.46-0.60 cm in thickness. Meanwhile, in mature one became larger in size, firm in texture, pale yellow in color, multi-lobulated where had a very large lobules on its outer surface giving, cluster of grapes liked appearance. It measured about 7-8 gm in weight, 5-6 cm in length, 2-2.5 cm in width and about 80-1.3 cm in thickness. Microscopically, the seminal gland was observed consisting of a stroma of connective tissue and a parenchyma of differentiating and undifferentiating acini in immature animal. Meanwhile, in mature one, the parenchyma was consisted of secretory end pieces and well-developed duct system. With advancement of age, the thickness of the capsule and trabeculae increased, also the number of secretory end pieces per unite area increased and the amount of inter-glandular connective tissue stroma reduced.