Veterinary Epidemiology and public health

The study aimed to identify the risk factors, whole carcass and organ condemnations and their direct financial loss at the Tamale abattoir. Out of 12269 cattle examined during post-mortem, inspection from January to December 2023, 253 cattle were found with disease conditions that led to either organ or whole carcass condemnations, resulting in a prevalence rate of 2.1%. Female animals had the highest disease conditions. The 3-4-years cattle slaughtered had the highest disease conditions and the least recorded in the 7-8 years cattle. The Sanga breed was mostly affected. Most of the disease conditions were recorded during the rainy season. Tuberculosis (TB) was identified as the major cause of organ and carcass condemnation, The most affected organs were the lungs, liver, spleen, intestines and kidneys. In addition, 3 whole carcasses were condemned. Tamale contributed more cattle slaughtered with the disease conditions. An amount of Ghc94,247.50 (USD 6499.83) was lost due to organ and carcass condemnations. Tuberculosis and CBPP remain the most common diseases in abattoirs, posing a public health risk. To safeguard the safety of the public, strict efforts should be made to eliminate these situations.

Brucellosis is a common and neglected zoonotic disease. It is endemic and still an uncontrolled public health problem in many developing countries including India. Present epidemiological data suggest that brucellosis is causing a major economic problem which burdens up to 3.4 billion US dollars per year. Due to insufficient awareness in public, safe livestock practices, trading the infected animals and economic burden of disease diagnosis and vaccination have led to persistence of brucellosis in the country. Paucity of epidemiological data obtained from previous survey programmes is not convincing enough with the degree of the disease prevalence in the country. Since India is sensitive from both religious and economic points of view, control of the disease has become a sensitive issue. Prevention of brucellosis is dependent on conducting adequate health education awareness and control programmes to address the disease depth of the issue in the country. This review discusses epidemiology, diagnostic methods, prevalence, and vaccines along with recent control measures adopted in Indian Scenario.

BRUCELLOSIS IS A DISEASE caused by the intracellular, Gram-negative bacteria, Brucella species. Numerous species and biotypes (biovars) have been identified, but the most important ones from the human health perspective are: The animal reservoirs and situation in Australia regarding each of the above species are listed in Table . B. ovis is present in sheep in Australia, but is not zoonotic.

BRUCELLOSIS IS A DISEASE caused by the intracellular, Gram-negative bacteria, Brucella species. Numerous species and biotypes (biovars) have been identified, but the most important ones from the human health perspective are: The animal reservoirs and situation in Australia regarding each of the above species are listed in Table . B. ovis is present in sheep in Australia, but is not zoonotic.

A prospective and retrospective study was conducted to determine the seroprevalence of ovine Brucellosis in Kashmir valley. The data spanning over five years (2015-16 to 2019-20) maintained at Disease Investigation Laboratory Nowshera, Srinagar, were collected and utilized to estimate seroprevalence of ovine Brucellosis in Kashmir valley. A total of 20165 sera samples were collected from organized and unorganized sectors of Kashmir valley. The samples were screened serologically using modified Rose Bengal Plate Test (mRBPT), Micro Agglutination Test (MAT) and Indirect Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (iELISA). The overall seroprevalence of ovine brucellosis of 17.38% in Kashmir valley was observed in the present study. The seroprevalence of 11.03%, 19.13%, 24.88%, 13.07% and 12.64% was observed during 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20, respectively. The prevalence of ovine brucellosis was significantly (p

Background: Rabies is a vaccine-preventable, zoonotic disease. Animalrelated injuries, especially dog and cat bites, have been identified by researchers as important hazards in the veterinary profession. Objectives:To explore the knowledge and perception of rabies and its pre-exposure prophylaxis among the staff of the Government Veterinary Hospital, Berhampur.Methodology:It is a qualitative study conducted on the staff of the Government Veterinary Hospital of Berhampur who were interviewed using a pre-designed pre-tested interview schedule till data saturation. The in-depth interviews were recorded using voice recorders, transcribed verbatim, and translated into the English language. Inductive coding was done after careful reading of the transcripts. Codes eventually led to sub-themes and theme generation. The data were analyzed using Atlas.ti version 7.Results:The knowledge about rabies varied with different staff positions. A few did not have adequate knowledge about rabies. Some people still took harmful measures in case of animal bites. All of them perceived that rabies is fatal and yet vaccine-preventable. There were various misconceptions prevalent about pre-exposure prophylaxis.Conclusion: The findings indicated that there are many lacunae in knowledge and perception about rabies among veterinary staff. With proper supportive activities and campaigns about animal vaccination and pre-exposure prophylaxis for humans, we can gear toward the goal of “Zero dog-mediated rabies deaths by 2030”.

Jaaksiekte sheep retrovirus (JSRV) and maedi visna virus (MVV) are both retrovirus that affect the sheep leading to the chronic respiratory disease. JSRV cause's ovine pulmonary adenocarcinoma (OPA), while MVV leads to maedi visna, a disease characterized by progressive pneumonia.

Jaaksiekte sheep retrovirus (JSRV) and maedi visna virus (MVV) are both retrovirus that affect sheep, leading to chronic respiratory disease. JSRV cause ovine pulmonary adenocarcinoma (OPA), while MVV leads to maedi visna, a disease characterized by progressive pneumonia.

The current study was conducted to find out the prevalence of Microfilaria in cows in the western regions of Iraq, by examining 382 cows of both sexes and for ages from 1-11 years during the year 2020. The parasite was diagnosed by examining the skin scraping collected from the infected animals in the laboratory, and the results showed that the cows were infected with the microfilariae parasite by 34%, and the highest infection rate was recorded in Al-Qa'im area 51.6% and Haditha 49.%. Significant differences were observed between males (21.9%) and females (44.6%). The highest incidence rate was recorded in cows aged 3-5 years, at 45.3%, with significant differences from the rest of the ages. Furthermore, the highest incidence rate was observed in Summer seasons, reaching 64.8%. The current study concludes that cattle in the western regions of Iraq are infected with the microfilariae parasite at a high rate, and this necessitates the establishment of an integrated control approach to control parasitic diseases and prevent their spread in farm animals because they cause serious disease effects and heavy economic losses.

The current study was conducted to find out the prevalence of Microfilaria in cows in the western regions of Iraq, by examining 382 cows of both sexes and for ages from 1-11 years during the year 2020. The parasite was diagnosed by examining the skin scraping collected from the infected animals in the laboratory, and the results showed that the cows were infected with the microfilariae parasite by 34%, and the highest infection rate was recorded in Al-Qa'im area 51.6% and Haditha 49.%. Significant differences were observed between males (21.9%) and females (44.6%). The highest incidence rate was recorded in cows aged 3-5 years, at 45.3%, with significant differences from the rest of the ages. Furthermore, the highest incidence rate was observed in Summer seasons, reaching 64.8%. The current study concludes that cattle in the western regions of Iraq are infected with the microfilariae parasite at a high rate, and this necessitates the establishment of an integrated control approach to control parasitic diseases and prevent their spread in farm animals because they cause serious disease effects and heavy economic losses.

This study was conducted to find out the prevalence of Fasciola hepatica in goats in Anbar province-Iraq, via routine examination of the livers taken from goats slaughtered in central slaughterhouses in the province to ensure that they were infected with hepatic helminths. The results indicated that a total infection rate of 43.5%. Ramadi area had the highest infection rate, moreover, the highest infection rate was 69.9% for ages 6-8 years. Significant differences were found in the average numbers of helminths in the bile sac and liver of both males and females of infected goats. On the other hand, It has been proven that the concentrations of (0.5-10) mg / ml of the alcoholic extract of the plant Aizoon hispanicum had a significant effect on the vitality of the helminths in vitro, as the concentration 10 mg/ml leads to the complete inhibitory for the vitality of helminths where after 36 hours it led to a 100% killing rate. The current study concluded that the goats in the study areas are infected with the F. hepatica parasite at a high rate, and this calls for finding safe treatment methods using medicinal herbs and plants because they contain many active compounds that affect the helminths and lead to their death, and they are safe strategic alternatives to harmful chemical drugs. This necessitates the establishment of an integrated control approach through treatment with effective plant extracts to eliminate these parasites and their health and economic damage.

Background and Aim: Rabies remains a critical public health threat in Vietnam, particularly in areas where dog-mediated transmission persists. Despite national control strategies, vaccination coverage in dogs remains suboptimal. This study aimed to investigate the perceptions of dog owners toward rabies prevention and control in distinct urban and rural settings of Long An Province, using a Q-sorting methodology to explore sociobehavioral and socioeconomic drivers influencing compliance with vaccination programs.

Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 109 dog owners – 60 from urban Tan An City and 49 from rural Duc Hue District – between March and June 2023. Participants performed Q-sorting with 46 validated statements across four domains: Knowledge, attitudes, practices, and cost perceptions regarding rabies prevention. Principal component analysis was applied separately for each setting to identify latent discourses. Socioeconomic factors were assessed in relation to discourse membership using descriptive and inferential statistics.

Results: Two discourses were identified in the urban setting (“Obstructed Adherents” and “Casual Observers”) and three in the rural setting (“Identified Awareness,” “Independent Owners,” and “Close Adherence”). While all participants demonstrated baseline knowledge of rabies severity, barriers such as limited vaccine accessibility and inadequate veterinary support impeded proactive vaccination. Vaccine cost was not perceived as a major deterrent. Educational attainment was significantly associated with proactive health-seeking behavior in the rural setting (p = 0.017).

Conclusion: This study elucidates community-specific perceptions that influence rabies prevention behavior. Although awareness of rabies is high, structural limitations – particularly inadequate access to veterinary services – hinder effective control. Tailored community engagement, veterinary outreach, and education campaigns, especially in low-resource settings, are recommended to enhance vaccination uptake and achieve national rabies elimination goals by 2030.

Keywords: community perceptions, One Health, Q-sorting, rabies prevention, vaccination barriers, Vietnam.

Afyon’da manda, sut ve sut yan urunlerinden peynir, ozellikle de kaymak uretimi amaciyla yetistirilmektedir. Bu calismada, Afyon ilinde mandalarda Q hummasi riskini arastirmak amaclanmistir. Disi mandalardan toplanan 92 serum ve 92 kan ornegi, infeksiyonun farkli donemlerini tespit etmek amaciyla incelendi. Toplam 92 serum orneginde,  Coxiella burnetii ( C. burnetii ) faz 1 ve faz 2 antijenlerine karsi antikor varligi indirekt ELISA ile incelendi. Doksaniki ornegin 8’i (%8.69) antikor pozitif bulundu. Incelenen kan orneklerinde  C. burnetii DNA’sina rastlanmadi.

Cryptococcus is a type of fungus that is found in soil usually in association with bird droppings. The major species of Cryptococcus that causes illness in human is Cryptococcus neoformans. Another species that may also cause disease in human is Cryptococcus gattii. Cryptococcosis is believed to be acquired by inhalation of the infectious propagule from the environment. Cryptococcosis is an opportunistic infection for AIDS and it is second most common AIDS illness in Africa.

The historical process of brucellosis extends back to humankind's first contact with animals. Although brucellosis is a sporadic disease observed in animals in certain regions of the world, it is an important disease in humans that can affect many organs and systems due to the consumption of contaminated milk or milk products. Studies have shown that the presence of Brucella dates back to 60 million years ago. In 450 BC, Hippocrates described a disease similar to brucellosis. Since Hippocrates' time, brucellosis has been characterized by fever. Our aim is to investigate selfless work undertaken by scientists on the epidemiology, diagnosis and clinical findings of brucellosis until today, and to gain a historical perspective about the disease that is as old as human history, still has importance today, causes economic losses in treated animals and harms human health.

Johne's disease (JD; paratuberculosis) control programs have been regionally implemented across the globe, but few have successfully eradicated the pathogen (Mycobacterium avium ssp. paratuberculosis; MAP) causing this disease. The limited success may partly be attributed to excluding young stock (calves and replacement heifers or bulls) from testing strategies aimed at identifying MAP-infected cattle. Young stock can shed MAP in feces and can have detectable MAP-specific antibodies in blood, as confirmed in experimentally and naturally infected cattle. Furthermore, MAP transmission causes new infections in young stock. Calves and heifers are often included in JD management strategies on dairy farms but excluded from conventional diagnostic tests due to a presumed lag between infection and detection of MAP shedding and MAP-specific serum antibodies. We summarize evidence of MAP shedding early in the course of infection and discuss promising diagnostics, testing and management strategies to support inclusion of young stock in JD control programs. Improvements in fecal PCR, interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA), and ELISA enable earlier detection of MAP and specific early immune responses. Studies on IGRA and ELISA have focused on evaluation of new antigens and optimal age of testing. New diagnostics have been developed, including phage-based tests to detect viable MAP, as well as gene expression patterns and metabolomics to detect MAP-infected young stock. In addition, refinements in testing and management of calves and heifers may enable reductions in MAP prevalence. We provide recommendations for dairy farmers, researchers, veterinarians, and other stakeholders that may improve JD control programs with an objective to control and potentially eradicate JD. Additionally, we have identified the most pressing gaps in knowledge that currently hamper inclusion of young stock in JD prevention and control programs. In summary, transmission among young stock may cause new MAP infections, and appropriate use of new diagnostic tests, testing and management strategies for young stock may improve the efficacy of JD control programs.

Background and Aim: Coxiella burnetii is a highly contagious zoonotic bacterial micro-organism. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of C. burnetii in dogs using serological and molecular methods. Furthermore, a sequencing analysis of C. burnetii dog isolates was conducted.

Materials and Methods: A total of 172 dogs, including 93 pet dogs, 21 police dogs, 38 guardian dogs, and 20 stray dogs, were selected. Venous blood was drained from the dogs and examined serologically by indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and molecularly by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for C. burnetii. A sequencing analysis of C. burnetii dog isolates was conducted.

Results: The overall prevalence of C. burnetii was 16.86%, accounting for 55% in stray dogs, 9.68% in pet dogs, 19.05% in police dogs, and 13.16% in guardian dogs. Strong positive sera were observed in stray dogs (4.84 ± 0.29), whereas weak sera were observed in pet dogs (3.22 ± 0.18). PCR analysis revealed 6.4% positive dogs, accounting for 1.08%, 4.76%, 2.63%, and 40% in pet, police, guardian, and stray dogs, respectively. Phylogenetic tree analysis of local C. burnetii isolates revealed a total rate of similarity and mutations/changes between 95.47% and 100% and 0.059%, respectively. Subsequently, the local isolates were significantly similar to Chinese hedgehog, Iraqi camel, and Colombian human C. burnetii National Center for Biotechnology Information-GenBank isolates.

Conclusion: This is the first study on prevalence of C. burnetii in dogs in Iraq. To prevent transmission of C. burnetii to humans, the role of dogs or other domestic and wild animals as sources of infection must be investigated extensively. In addition, the prevalence of C. burnetii in other Iraqi regions should be surveyed using the most sensitive and specific diagnostic assays, such as ELISA and PCR.

Keywords: canine zoonotic diseases, Coxiellosis, polymerase chain reaction, Q-fever, sequencing analysis.

The present study was carried out on ovines of four administrative blocks of Ganderbal i.e., Lar, Ganderbal, Wakura and Kangan from May 2016 to July 2017. A multi-stage simple random sampling technique was used to determine sample size. The total sample size as calculated turned out to be 223 sheep. Samples of blood in clot activator tubes were collected and serum was harvested. The Microagglutination test (MAT) was performed in 96-well U-shaped microplates. The overall prevalence of ovine brucellosis was 35.87%. Prevalence was non-significantly higher in females (37.82%) having 1.99 times greater odds than males (23.33%). Age-wise prevalence was significantly higher in sheep >2 years of age. The sheep aged >2 years had 2.35 times greater odds (80.6/34.21) of having a higher prevalence of brucellosis than sheep aged < 2 years. The results of this study suggest a high prevalence of ovine brucellosis in this region, whose economic effect has not been investigated till date.

Background and Aim: Rabies is a zoonotic disease that persists endemic in numerous countries worldwide. In Vietnam, the main sources of rabies are dogs and cats, and they caused 76 human deaths annually by 2017–2021. Long An province has recently experienced an increasing burden of rabies, with seven fatal cases reported in the past 5 years. Various rabies control measures have been implemented in this province, including mass vaccination of the animal population, post-vaccination monitoring, diagnostic testing of suspected rabid dogs, dog bite investigation, animal management, pre-exposure treatment, post-exposure treatment (PET), and awareness programs. This study aimed to estimate the cost of rabies control measures for animals and humans in Long An province in 2022.

Materials and Methods: An economic model was developed to estimate the costs of rabies control under two scenarios, with and without external financial support from the private sector. Inputs for the model included data from published literature, publicly available reports on rabies, government data, expert opinions, and a pilot study conducted in Vietnam.

Results: The total annual costs of rabies control, with or without external support, were estimated to be VND 62.62 and 62.77 billion (equivalent to USD 2.67 and 2.68 million), respectively. The highest proportion of costs was related to PET in humans (84.50% and 84.30%), followed by the cost of mass vaccination paid by animal owners (14.28% and 13.90%). Most of the expenses were paid by the private sector (98.87% and 98.98%) rather than the public sector (1.14% and 1.20%).

Conclusion: This study described a transparent and reproducible method for estimating the economic costs of rabies control at the provincial level. The economic model developed showed that control of rabies by mass vaccination is more cost-effective than using PET to prevent human death. The model can be applied to future economic analyses of rabies control in other provinces of Vietnam and other rabies-endemic countries.

Keywords: animals, control measures, deterministic economic model, humans, rabies.

Background and Aim: The sun conure (Aratinga solstitialis), a bird belonging to the Psittaciformes family, is a popular pet because of its bright color and beautiful appearance. The sun conure is a monomorphic bird with similar appearances between males and females, making sex identification difficult by observing the external morphology. Therefore, molecular techniques are utilized. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) is a molecular technique that is often applied for sex identification in birds and is a quick and simple method that can be used in the field. This study used the LAMP technique to improve sex identification in sun conures by observing the color change of hydroxy naphthol blue.

Materials and Methods: Two primer sets, SunSpin-W and SunSpin-Z, were designed for sex identification in sun conures using the LAMP technique specific to the spindlin gene. The developed LAMP reaction was tested for optimal conditions, sensitivity, and specificity compared with the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique.

Results: The SunSpin-W primer set amplified only female birds, whereas the SunSpin-Z primer set amplified DNA from both male and female birds. The primer sets were optimized at 62°C for 45 min. A positive result was visible to the naked eye from the color change of the reaction. In the LAMP assay, the lowest detectable concentration was 10 pg/μL and in the PCR assay, it was 1 ng/μL, while a 100% accuracy rate in sex identification was observed when comparing the LAMP assay results with the PCR assay.

Conclusion: This study successfully developed a LAMP technique for sex identification of sun conure, which took 45 min to complete and can be expanded for use in the field.

Keywords: loop-mediated isothermal amplification, sex identification, spindlin gene, sun conure.

Farmers reported abortions and stillbirths in 600 sheep
including 471 pregnant ewes. A complete investigation
including physical examination of livestock, postmortem
examination of stillbirths, serological examination of ewes
and molecular study of abomasal contents, peritoneal
fluid, liver and kidney tissue collected from still born
lamb was done to ascertain the cause of mortality at
Disease Investigation Laboratory, Nowshera, Srinagar.
Also, on spot heat fixed tissue smears were prepared for
Gram’s staining and accordingly observed for presence
of organism. Extraction of bacterial genomic DNA from
samples from still born lambs was performed and obtained
DNA extracts were checked by agarose gel electrophoresis
and stored at -20°C till further use. The PCR conducted
on the abomasal, peritoneal contents and liver and kidney
tissues revealed 731 bp band after the gel electrophoresis,
confirming Brucella melitensis as cause of stillbirths in the
flock. The investigation revealed that Brucella melitensis
was cause of stillbirths and abortions in sheep flocks

Brucellosis is an infectious disease of animals that can infect humans. The disease causes significant economic losses and threatens human health. A timely and accurate disease diagnosis plays a vital role in the identification of brucellosis. In addition to traditional diagnostic methods, molecular methods allow diagnosis and typing of the causative agent of brucellosis. This review will discuss various methods, such as Bruce-lаdder, Suiladder, high-resolution melt analysis, restriction fragment length polymorphism, multilocus sequence typing, multilocus variable-number tandem repeat analysis, and whole-genome sequencing single-nucleotide polymorphism, for the molecular typing of Brucella and discuss their advantages and disadvantages.

Keywords: Brucella, molecular typing, multilocus sequence typing, multilocus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis, single-nucleotide polymorphisms, whole-genome sequencing.

Milk and milk products serve as important source of many disease producing microbes including Listeria monocytogenes, which is a Gram-positive, motile, psychotropic bacterium, and is the principal cause of listeriosis in humans and in a wide variety of animals including birds. The disease occurs in sporadic as well as in epidemic form, following the ingestion of food contaminated by this organism. In the world, it is becoming an important food-borne bacterial disease, with low incidence but high case fatality rate. L. monocytogenes primarily affects older, pregnant women, newborns, and adults with weakened immune systems; and it has been recovered from the soil, dust, water, sewage, decaying vegetation, etc. Raw or inadequately pasteurized milk (or milk contaminated post-pasteurization), soft cheeses, ice cream and other dairy products are important sources of L. monocytogenes in humans. The disease has two forms, one febrile gastroenteritis and other invasive systemic disease. The control of Listeria in foods relies largely on a HACCP approach and the establishment of effective critical control points in the process. As milk and milk products are important vehicles of L. monocytogenes and clear risk factors, it is emphasized that people susceptible for acquiring listeriosis should not consume unpasteurized milk and milk products.

The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of bovine leukosis virus (BLV) in specialized and dual-purpose dairy cows located in the central zone of Veracruz state in Mexico, using endpoint polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The study population consisted of 307 specialized dairy cows and 95 dual-purpose cows from 13 municipalities located in the study area. All cows were apparently healthy and ≥ 3 years old. Cows were stratified by age (3 - 5, 6 - 8 and ≥ 9 years). The overall prevalence of infection was 6.96%; the calculated prevalence in dairy cows was 7.82% and in dual-purpose cows it was 4.21%. The municipality with the highest proportion was Acajete (14.28%), followed by Huatusco and Tomatlán (11.53%). The association analysis confirms the infection's independence to the cows' productive purpose. The results by age strata were 3 - 5 (4.60%), 6 - 8 (8.00%) and ≥ 9 (18.40%) with X2 = 9.96, with an odds ratio of 4.68 for the stratum ≥ 9 years with a significant difference. The present study determined the prevalence of proviral DNA of BLV in dairy and dual-purpose cows in six municipalities in the central zone of Veracruz state, Mexico, using endpoint PCR.

Goats are considered as a mobile bank and often termed mortgage lifter and automatic teller machine (ATM) for the weakest section of society and ray of hope in the areas where agriculture is not economically viable and ecologically sustainable. Tamil Nadu is endowed with two recognised breeds of goats viz. Kanni adu and Kodi adu which belongs to meat type. A total of 180 goat flocks from 60 villages spread in 30 blocks in three districts (Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi and Virudhunagar) were selected using multi-stage random sampling technique. Almost all the farmers in the districts provided night shelter (96.67 per cent) and only few farmers provided shelter to their goats during the day and night hr (3.33 per cent). Statistically, there was no significant relationship found between provision of shelters and district. The majority of the goat farmers provided open (41.11 per cent) type followed by closed (31.11 per cent) and half-open (27.78 per cent) types of housing to their goats. Statistical analysis revealed a significant (P<0.05) relationship between the type of goat housing and districts. Provision of special enclosures for young kids in the study area was followed as partition in enclosure (46.11 per cent) and koodu a special type made up of bamboo and palmyra leaves with (53.89 per cent). Statistical analysis showed that there was highly significant difference (P<0.01) observed between the provision of separate enclosure for kids and districts.

Brucellosis is an important zoonotic disease that causes huge economic losses to the livestock owners and is of great public health significance. It is a chronic infectious disease of livestock, rodents, marine animals and human beings and is caused by facultative intracellular coccobacilli of genus Brucella. It is an important cause of reproductive losses in animals. Abortions, placentitis, epididymitis and orchitis are the most common consequences of the infection. Brucellosis is the second most important zoonotic disease in the world after rabies. The disease in animals is also called as Bang's disease, Enzootic Abortion, Epizootic Abortion, Slinking of Calves, Ram Epididymitis and Contagious Abortion and in humans it is named as Malta fever, Undulant Fever, Mediterranean fever, Rock Fever of Gibraltar, Gastric Fever etc. Abortion is the most obvious manifestation. Infections may also cause stillborn or weak

Brucellosis is an important zoonotic disease that causes huge economic losses to the livestock owners and is of great public health significance. It is a chronic infectious disease of livestock, rodents, marine animals and human beings and is caused by facultative intracellular coccobacilli of genus Brucella. It is an important cause of reproductive losses in animals. Abortions, placentitis, epididymitis and orchitis are the most common consequences of the infection. Brucellosis is the second most important zoonotic disease in the world after rabies. The disease in animals is also called as Bang's disease, Enzootic Abortion, Epizootic Abortion, Slinking of Calves, Ram Epididymitis and Contagious Abortion and in humans it is named as Malta fever, Undulant Fever, Mediterranean fever, Rock Fever of Gibraltar, Gastric Fever etc. Abortion is the most obvious manifestation. Infections may also cause stillborn or weak

Brucellosis is an important zoonotic disease that causes huge economic losses to the livestock owners and is of great public health significance. It is a chronic infectious disease of livestock, rodents, marine animals and human beings and is caused by facultative intracellular coccobacilli of genus Brucella. It is an important cause of reproductive losses in animals. Abortions, placentitis, epididymitis and orchitis are the most common consequences of the infection. Brucellosis is the second most important zoonotic disease in the world after rabies. The disease in animals is also called as Bang's disease, Enzootic Abortion, Epizootic Abortion, Slinking of Calves, Ram Epididymitis and Contagious Abortion and in humans it is named as Malta fever, Undulant Fever, Mediterranean fever, Rock Fever of Gibraltar, Gastric Fever etc.

Brucellosis is a major bacterial zoonosis of global importance. Bovine brucellosis is endemic in all states of India. However, the exact extent of the disease occurrence in the unorganized herds is not known. The present study was undertaken for serological diagnosis of brucellosis in cattle from a local gaushala (cow shelter) employing common agglutination tests RBPT, STAT and MAT and ELISA. Out of 56 samples from cattle from the Gaushala, 37.5% samples by RBPT, 64.28% each by STAT and MAT and 49.23% samples by ELISA, respectively were found to be positive for anti-Brucella antibodies. Among the 29 suspected serum samples from the field cattle, samples found to be positive for anti-Brucella antibodies were 100% by RBPT, 79.31% by MAT and 89.65% by ELISA, respectively. Titers of anti-Brucella antibodies in the sera of cattle from Gaushala were found to be 1.747+0.45, 1.935+0.62 and 0.943+0.46 by STAT, MAT and ELISA, respectively, while those in cattle from the field were found to be 1.577+0.60 and 0.783+0.59 by MAT and ELISA, respectively.

Brucellosis is a disease caused by Brucella bacteria. The bacterium is coccobacillary in shape and gram-negative in staining. The Genus Brucella has six species namely Brucella melitensis; Brucella abortus; Brucella suis; Brucella canis; Brucella neotomae and Brucella ovis. It is a worldwide infection traditionally associated with particular occupations like farming, veterinarians and persons whose occupation involves milk and meat handling. Brucella bacteria are excreted in the milk of infected animals and can be transmitted to man by the ingestion of unpasteurized milk or dairy products such as cheese, butter, yoghurt and ice cream. (Baron; 1982) In E. Africa, in areas inhabited by pastoralist tribes, brucellosis is fairly prevalent. It only takes a foreigner to accept a drink of pasteurized milk in a local homestead to trigger a new infection Secondly. The bacteria can he passed to man through skin abrasions from directly handling of infected meat carcasses, manure or products of...

3 Abstract: A cross sectional study was conducted from November 2010 to April 2011 in Bishooftu Municipal Abattoir to estimate the prevalence of bovine fasciolosis, to assess the associated risk factors, to estimate the loss due to liver condemnation and to evaluate the sensitivity of coprological test. Thus, a total of 1151 cattle were randomly selected and subjected to coprological and detailed postmortem examinations and the prevalence report of 14.2% (164/1151) and 21.6% (249/1151) were recorded, respectively. The infection proportions of F.hepatica, F. gigantica and mixed infections were found to be 18.3%, 6.4% and 3.1%, respectively by postmortem examination. The highest prevalence was recorded in Bale (33%) followed by Chafe (32%) and Modjo (26%). Similarly, the fecal examination revealed the highest prevalence in Bale (29.6%) followed by Godino (17.9%), Chafe (17.2%), Arisi (16.9%) and Modjo (13.7%). It was observed that the likelihood of occurrence of fasciolosis in Bale (p...

The study was conducted from December 2010 to April 2011 in Hashim's Ethiopian Livestock and Meat Export (HELIMEX) abattoir at DebreZeit. The aim of this study was to identify and determine the major health problems that cause carcass and organs condemnation and to estimate the magnitude of the direct losses attributed to the condemned carcass and organs from Ovine and Caprine slaughtered in the abattoir. Standard ante-mortem and post-mortem inspection procedures were followed throughout the study. Antemortem inspection was carried out on arrival and in the lairage and abnormalities encountered were recorded, followed by postmortem examination through their identification number to detect gross abnormalities and aesthetic reasons that rendered each organ to be rejected from local and international market. During the study a total of 425 Ovine's and 425 Caprine's Carcass and Organs were examined. The study revealed that in both species 139 (16.35%) lungs, 121 (14.24%) livers, 87 (10.24%) carcass, 57 (6.71%) kidney and 43 (5.06%) heart were rejected due to various causes. Emphysema 41 (4.82%), stelesia hepatica 31 (3.65%), bruising 37 (4.35%), nephritis 20 (2.35%) and pericarditis 12(1.41%) were found to be the major causes responsible for rejection of respective organs and carcass. Liver condemnation due to parasites such as Stilesia hepatica, fasciolosis and Cysticercus tenuicollis contributed to 31 (3.65%), 19 (2.24%) and 6 (0.71%) respectively of the total condemned liver of Shoat. However, there is no statistically significance difference (p>0.05) for all causes of liver condemnation between young and adult as well as between sheep and goats. The annual loss due to the rejection of carcass and organs from the shoats' slaughtered in the export abattoir is estimated at approximately 33,668,850.99 USD. This study has a paramount importance for the country by providing data in monitoring animal disease conditions and management practices which lead to the condemnation of organs and carcasses during slaughtering of animals.

Aim: Outbreak of bovine brucellosis in buffaloes aborted in a village Mahuan of District Mainpuri, Uttar Pradesh is described. Materials and Methods: A total of 15 serum samples were collected from a aborted buffaloes. All the sera samples were tested by serological tests, Rose Bengal Plate Test (RBPT) and Standard Tube Agglutination Test (STAT). Results: Clinical history of the condition complimented with detailed examination of the affected animals revealed that 50% (15/30) buffaloes were aborted between 6-9.5 months of pregnancy. The main clinical signs presented were fever, discharge from vagina and retention of placenta. There was no response of treatment on buffaloes. The antibodies against B. abortus were detected in 7(46.6%) sera samples by RBPT and in 5(33.3%) by STAT. Conclusion: The buffaloes involved and the severity of abortions, that necessitated veterinary intervention, it would be necessary to asses the prevalence and economic importance of the disease in rural herds...

The Study was conducted from July 2011 up to September 2011 to determine the major causes of organ condemnation at Matta abattoir. Through meat inspection procedures requires two steps. Ante mortem inspection attempts to avoid introduction of clinically diseased animals in to the slaughter. During postmortem inspection liver, lung, heart, kidney and tongue as well as carcass were thoroughly inspected by visualization, palpation and systemic incision. The major pathological findings detected in the organ during postmortem inspection were calcification, hydatidcyst, fasciolosis, abscess, nephritis, imperfect bleeding and C. bovis were detected in the organ. A total of 110 cattle and 17 ovine were inspected during ante mortem inspection and the following abnormalities were diagnosed. Bovine horn damage 1(0.9%) was diagnosed and passed for emergency slaughter through post mortem examination. Examination of 110 cattle was studied during post mortem examination and the result revealed that 48(43.6%) liver total condemnation, 10(9.1%) lung total condemnation, 11(10%) liver partial condemnation, 7(6.4%) partial condemnation of lung, 1(0.9%) partial condemnation of kidney, 1(0.9%) total condemnation of heart. And also 17 ovine was studied during post mortem inspection and the result revealed that 5(29.4%) liver total condemnation, 6(35.3 %) liver partial condemnation, 1(5.9%) total condemnation of kidney, 1(5.9%) tongue conditionally approved, due to gross abnormalities. [Birara Ayalneh, Balemual Abebaw. Major causes of organ condemnation in cattle and sheep slaughtered at Motta abattoir NorthWest Ethiopia..

A retrospective study and active abattoir survey were conducted from December 2009 to April 2010 to determine the major causes of organs and carcasses condemnation and to estimate the associated direct financial loss at Luna Export Abattoir, Central Ethiopia. The active abattoir survey was conducted on 674 goats and 451 sheep (n = 1125) and three years (2007, 2008 and 2009), retrospective data of 718,395 sheep and goats were also collected. From the retrospective data it was observed that liver was the most frequently condemned organ with condemnation rate of 32.4%, 46.7% and 70.5%, respectively. The major causes of condemnation for liver, lung, heart, kidneys and brain were cirrhosis (12.3%, 17.0% and 12.8%), pneumonia (6.6%, 11.6% and 12.5%), pericarditis (0.6%, 0.8% and 0.4%), nephritis (0.6%, 0.8% and 1.2%) and abscess (0.005%, 0.007% and 0.012%), respectively. Consequently, the overall direct financial loss from organs and carcass condemnation during the three years was estimated to be 22,993,591 Ethiopian birr (ETB) or 1,323,257 United State Dollar (USD). On the other hand, detailed post mortem inspection of liver, heart, kidneys, tongue, brain and carcass during the active abattoir survey revealed that higher losses were caused mainly due to cirrhosis (89.3 kg, 2998 ETB), pericarditis (5.4 kg, 308 ETB), faulty evisceration (8.4 kg, 472 ETB), calcification (8.4 kg, 469 ETB) and Coenurus cerebralis (4.3 kg, 243 ETB) and poor carcass condition (bonny carcass) (1390 kg, 78,500 ETB), respectively. Other causes of condemnation were also recorded and totally, about 110,361 ETB (6351 USD) was lost only from organs and carcasses condemnation during the active abattoir survey. In conclusion, this study identified the major causes of organs and carcass condemnation in Luna Export Abattoir and estimated the associated direct financial losses.

A retrospective study and active abattoir survey were conducted from December 2009 to April 2010 to determine the major causes of organs and carcasses condemnation and to estimate the associated direct financial loss at Luna Export Abattoir, Central Ethiopia. The active abattoir survey was conducted on 674 goats and 451 sheep (n = 1125) and three years (2007, 2008 and 2009), retrospective data of 718,395 sheep and goats were also collected. From the retrospective data it was observed that liver was the most frequently condemned organ with condemnation rate of 32.4%, 46.7% and 70.5%, respectively. The major causes of condemnation for liver, lung, heart, kidneys and brain were cirrhosis (12.3%, 17.0% and 12.8%), pneumonia (6.6%, 11.6% and 12.5%), pericarditis (0.6%, 0.8% and 0.4%), nephritis (0.6%, 0.8% and 1.2%) and abscess (0.005%, 0.007% and 0.012%), respectively. Consequently, the overall direct financial loss from organs and carcass condemnation during the three years was estimated to be 22,993,591 Ethiopian birr (ETB) or 1,323,257 United State Dollar (USD). On the other hand, detailed post mortem inspection of liver, heart, kidneys, tongue, brain and carcass during the active abattoir survey revealed that higher losses were caused mainly due to cirrhosis (89.3 kg, 2998 ETB), pericarditis (5.4 kg, 308 ETB), faulty evisceration (8.4 kg, 472 ETB), calcification (8.4 kg, 469 ETB) and Coenurus cerebralis (4.3 kg, 243 ETB) and poor carcass condition (bonny carcass) (1390 kg, 78,500 ETB), respectively. Other causes of condemnation were also recorded and totally, about 110,361 ETB (6351 USD) was lost only from organs and carcasses condemnation during the active abattoir survey. In conclusion, this study identified the major causes of organs and carcass condemnation in Luna Export Abattoir and estimated the associated direct financial losses.

The incidence of bovine tuberculosis (TB, caused by Mycobacterium bovis) in cattle has been associated with TB in badgers (Meles meles) in parts of England. The aim was to identify badger associated M. bovis reservoirs in the Edge Area, between the High and Low Risk Areas for cattle TB. Data from badger TB surveys were sparse. Therefore, a definition for a local M. bovis reservoir potentially shared by cattle and badgers was developed using cattle TB surveillance data. The performance of the definition was estimated through Latent Class Analysis using badger TB survey data. Spatial units (25 km 2) in the Edge Area were classified as having a reservoir if they had i) at least one OTF-W (Officially Tuberculosis Free-Withdrawn) incident in a cattle herd not attributed to cattle movement in the previous two years, ii) more OTF-W incidents than Officially Tuberculosis Free-Suspended (OTF-S) incidents in the previous two years and iii) at least one TB incident (OTF-S or OTF-W) in at least three of the previous seven years. Approximately twenty percent of the Edge Area was classified as having a local M. bovis reservoir using the cattle-based definition. Assuming 15% TB prevalence in Edge Area badgers, sensitivity for the local M. bovis reservoir definition varied from 25.7% (95% Credible Interval (CrI) 10.7 to 85.1 %) to 64.8 % (95% CrI 48.1 to 88.0 %). Specificity was 91.9% (CrI 83.6 to 97.4 %). Over ninety percent of the local reservoir was in stable endemic TB areas identified through previous work and its spatial distribution was largely consistent with local veterinary knowledge. Uncertainty in the reservoir spatial distribution was explored through its recalculation in spatial units shifted in different directions. We recommend that the definition is re-evaluated as further data on badger infection with M. bovis becomes available.

Article by MAXWELL DEXTLER AMPOFO, a versatile professional with a background in Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) freelancing and a current pursuit of a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree-Clinical Student at the esteemed School of Veterinary Medicine within the

One Health is an approach that recognizes the interconnectedness of human health, animal health, and environmental health. In Ghana, as in many other countries, the implementation of One Health is crucial for addressing complex health challenges such as zoonotic diseases, antimicrobial resistance, and environmental degradation. However, achieving effective collaboration between human health professionals, veterinary professionals, and environmental health professionals remains a challenge. This article discusses strategies and the way forward for promoting collaboration in Ghana to enhance the implementation of One Health principles. Challenges to Collaboration: Before delving into strategies, it's essential to understand the challenges hindering collaboration among the three sectors:

Rabies accounts for 59,000 deaths per annum worldwide with an economic loss estimated at USD 8.6 billion [1]. In Africa, human rabies is estimated at 21,476 death per annum [2]. Dog-mediated rabies is responsible for 99% of rabies zoonosis, [3,4]. In Nigeria, between 2020 through the second quarter of 2021, 85 and 62 cases of canine rabies were reported [1,5]. As of the first quarter of 2022, a sporadic outbreak of canine rabies has been reported in some states of the federation [1]. Canine rabies is a vaccine-preventable disease of canids. In Nigeria, dog are vaccinated at 3 months of age, with a booster dose given at one year of age. To achieve the global target for the elimination of canine rabies, the World Health Organization in synergy with its policy on “United against rabies” targeted zero human death from dog-mediated rabies by 2030, launched the global health security agenda in 2014 aimed at presenting a united response against the global threat of rabies and other infectious diseases [1]. However, decades after sporadic outbreaks of canine rabies are still being reported in Nigeria [1], there are existing gaps in the implementation of rabies campaigns in Nigeria that may be inimical to the attainment of zero rabies by 2030. This study identified poor implementation of regulation relating to the distribution, and use, of rabies vaccines in Nigeria. Similarly, rabies vaccine are readily available in most pet pharmacies across the country with poor implementation of regulatory laws on who can procure such vaccines, individual with no veterinary certification access them, thus makes it difficult to track, how many dogs were vaccinated, and whom the vaccinator was, furthermore, the paucity of information on the integrity of the cold chain such vaccine may have been stored are sources of concern. Although the National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI) in Nigeria produces rabies vaccines for local use, the proliferation of foreign anti-rabies vaccines within the veterinary subsector albeit with antigens different from locally circulating rabies serotypes may account for vaccine failures. Furthermore, there is a paucity of information on the zoo demography of the dog population in Nigeria [6]. This may affect micro-planning, and identification of high-risk zoo-population vis-à-vis vaccines allocation during national canine rabies immunization campaigns. To this end it is instructive to propose the template (Figure 1) which describes the structure, distribution of canine rabies vaccine with a view to improve vaccination coverage, traceability, maintenance of unbroken cold chain, ensures accountability in vaccination against canine rabies by ensuring administration of vaccines that can elicit seroprotection against canine rabies in Nigeria.

Ethiopia possesses the largest livestock population in Africa. Ruminants play a significant role in maintaining household stability. However, the productivity per animal and the contribution of this sub-sector to the national economy is relatively low due to multiple factors. Fasciolosis is an important limiting factor for ruminant production and causes for several economic losses due to morbidity and mortality. The main objective of this seminar is to review available articles on ovine fasciolosis. Ovine Fasciolosisoccurs worldwide and its occurrence is influenced by the availability of suitable snail habituates, temperature and moisture. It also has public health implication and its transmission depends on a snail intermediate host. Clinically it is characterized by weight loss, anaemia and hypoproteinaemia which are caused by extensive damage to the hepatic parenchyma by migration of juvenile flukes during 6-8 weeks post-infection. Ovine fasciolosis can be diagnosed tentatively based on history and by observing clinical signs. Detection of Fasciola eggs in the faeces of infected animals provides confirmatory based on history diagnoses. Fasciolosis can be controlled by elimination of the intermediate host, the parasite itself, adoption of good grazing practices (avoiding marshy pastures and strategic use of anthelmentics. Triclbendazole is highly effective against all stages of fluke. The two species of the greatest veterinary importance are Fasciola hepatica and Fasciolagigantica and snails are their intermediate host. Generally, ovine fasciolosis is an important parasitic disease which hinders the livestock's production and thus it is recommended to control the disease by reducing the snail population or by using anthelmintic.

A total of 1425 ovine lungs were grossly examined at the local abattoir during a 6-month survey on the aetiology and pathology of pneumonia in slaughtered sheep at the Al-Qassim region, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The results of the survey demonstrated the occurrence of several types of pneumonic and related lesions in 140 specimens of condemned lungs. However, more detailed microscopic examination of the pneumonic lungs incidentally revealed the coexistence of some other significant pathological alterations indicative of sheep pulmonary adenomatosis (Jaagziekte), ovine syncytial virus infection, ovine progressive pneumonia (maedi) and verminous pneumonia. In addition, pulmonary corpora amylacea (PCA) were also detected in the bronchial lumen of some pneumonic lungs initially diagnosed as fibrinous pneumonia. It is worth mentioning that none of the abovementioned cases was previously recognized or diagnosed in the Al-Qassim region or in any other parts of the Saudi Kingdom.

Brucellosis is a bacterial zoonotic disease transmitted from bovines and cattle to humans, predominantly in those people who are in close contact with the animal or using unpasteurized milk or products. The objective of the study was to point out the prevalence of brucellosis in the human population of two tehsils (Babozai and Charbagh) of District Swat. A total of 800 blood samples were collected from symptomatic people. A total of 476 samples were collected from females and 324 from males, in which the prevalence of brucellosis was found 34.4% and 19.7% respectively. The overall prevalence of the disease was 28.5% while the prevalence of Brucella melitensis, Brucella abortus and mixed cases were 70.17%, 15.78%, and 14.03% respectively. The prevalence of the disease was more in Charbagh (59.64%) than in Tehsil Babozai (40.36%). The prevalence rate was high in the age group of 31-40 years (29.82%) while lower in the age group of 1-10 years (1.75%). In conclusion, brucellosis is a real threat to human health and wealth.

Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease that causes enormous losses in livestock production worldwide and has a significant public health impact. None of the brucellosis-free countries is currently able to guarantee their ability to prevent the introduction of the pathogen due to the increase in tourism and the expansion of migration. The timely identification of infected animals is an effective means of preventing brucellosis and minimizing the epidemiological risk. The tube agglutination test, Rose Bengal plate test, complement fixation test, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, which are routinely used to identify seropositive productive animals, have limitations and results that do not always correlate. The indirect hemagglutination assay (IHA) stands out among non-traditional methods because it is affordable, has a simple protocol, and is more reliable than classical serological tests, especially in cases of questionable and/or false-negative results. The diagnostic value of the IHA has long been studied by laboratories in several countries, but mostly by post-soviet research teams; therefore, the results continue to be published in Russian-language journals, ensuring that the local scientific community can access the results. In addition, the efficacy of this test for the diagnosis of brucellosis and other infectious diseases has not yet been reviewed. The purpose of this review was to summarize the results of studies on the development and use of IHA for the diagnosis of brucellosis and to determine the prospects for further improvement

Keywords: brucellosis, diagnostic value, indirect hemagglutination assay, prospects for improving the test, serological tests.

Fascioliasis is an important helminthic zoonosis that is reported in many countries of the world. The cross-sectional study was carried out from November 2013 to April 2014 to determine the prevalence of fasciolosis, evaluate risk factors associated with it, and assess the sensitivity of coprological tests for diagnosing fasciolosis in cattle and sheep that were slaughtered in the municipal abattoir in Sebeta. A total of 384 animals, which comprised 212 cattle and 172 sheep were randomly selected from the slaughtered animals and sent for post-mortem and coprological examination. From the total of 384 animals examined, 150 were found to be positive for fasciolosis, with an overall prevalence of 39.1%. The prevalence in adults and young was 39.4% and 38.1%, respectively. The difference between them was not significant (p > 0.05). The prevalence of fasciolosis is significantly higher in (p<0.05) animals with poor body condition than in medium and good body condition scores. Taking liver examination as the gold standard for diagnosis of fasciolosis, the sensitivity of sedimentation was found to be 62.67% and the sensitivity of 100%, with substantial agreement (kappa = 0.67) between them. The high prevalence of fasciolosis in cattle and sheep in the present study represents the high rate of infection and causes high economic losses to the area. The level of infection observed in this study revealed the existence of favorable climatic conditions for the development and survival of the parasite in the area of origin of the study animals. So strategic helminthic treatment with appropriate flukicide drugs should be practiced twice a year, before and after the rainy season, to eliminate the fluke burden, reduce the number of snails becoming infected, and improve drainage and fence off wet areas with poor drainage to reduce snail problems.

The study was undertaken to investigate the main causes of carcass and organ condemnations, as well as to estimate the financial losses suffered by a cattle slaughterhouse. In this regard, an active abattoir survey, based on standard post-mortem inspection procedures for meat, was conducted on 151,741 cattle, from January 2021 to December 2022. Overall, 13.27% (n = 20,125) of the carcasses expressed lesions or pathological conditions and, out of them, 1.15% (n = 1738) were totally confiscated, while another 12.12% (n = 18,387) were partially admitted for human consumption. In the case of organs, the general inspection data reveal that 12.28% (n = 18,630), 7.56% (n = 11,477), 1.89% (n = 2862), and 0.27% (n = 412) of the examined liver, lung, heart, and kidney specimens presented one or more types of abnormalities. In addition, regarding the types of specific pathological findings, dystrophies/anomalies (69.8%), circulatory disorders (40.6%), fecal contamination (60.9%), and suspected...

Background: Collective catering is important in the diet and nutrition of the population. However, the handling and production of these foods under unhygienic conditions could lead to food poisoning for consumers. In order to improve the microbiological quality of meals served in restaurants, surveys have been conducted with restaurant owners. Methods: We collected and analyzed 90 samples of meat, fruit and fruit juice, drinking water and rinsing water. These samples were sampled aseptically and analyzed according to standard methods. Results: The study shows that 82.75% of the manipulators did not wash their hands with soap and 79.31% did not carry out medical examinations. Compared to microbiological analyzes, the compliance rate varies between 73.33% and 100% for all samples. Total Mesophilic Aerobic Flora, (FAMT) Total Coliforms (TC), Fecal Coliforms (FC) were found in the samples of minced meat sauce "sarkima", grilled meats and rinsing. Fruit and vegetable samples do not contain coliforms, but there is fungal flora with 30% and 20% non-compliance, respectively. As for the samples of drinking water, they were compliant for all the germs sought. Salmonellae are absent in all samples. Conclusion: The results of the analyzes are generally satisfactory, but there are still some failures in terms of hygiene to ensure a healthy production of meals. Good hygiene practices and good manufacturing practices are still needed to promote collective restoration advantage to protect the health of consumers.