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To date, 41 species of Gyrodactylus have been described from Africa. However, none of these have been reported in Morocco. After identifying and examining 738 cyprinid host specimens, 26 specimens belonging to Gyrodactylus were found to parasitize the gills of nine species of Luciobarbus, Carasobarbus, and Pterocapoeta. The current study provides new information about the presence of a new parasitic species in Morocco, the first to be characterized on a species level in the Maghreb region. It describes in detail 12 specimens of Gyrodactylus isolated from the gills of Luciobarbus pallaryi (Pellegrin, 1919) and Luciobarbus ksibi (Boulenger, 1905). Based on morphoanatomical observations, the characterization of the specimens collected indicates a species of Gyrodactylus that is new to science, described here as Gyrodactylus nyingiae n. sp. The new species is different from previously described gyrodactylids infecting African cyprinid hosts because it has a longer hamulus total length, a longer hamulus root, a downward projecting toe of the marginal hook, and a trapezium-shaped ventral bar membrane with a slightly striated median portion and small rounded anterolateral processes. This study increases the total number of Gyrodactylus spp. found in African cyprinids to four. This research was funded by the Special Research Fund (BOF) of Hasselt University, grant number BOF22DOCLI04, to M.I.S., BOF20TT06 and BOF21INCENT09 to M.P.M.V and by research grant 1513419N of the Research Foundation—Flanders (FWO-Vlaanderen) The authors would like to sincerely thank Abdelaziz Benhoussa for allowing us to work in the Biodiversity, Ecology and Genome Laboratory (Mohammed V University in Rabat). Bouabid Badaoui and Hocein Bazairi are thanked for their statistical advice. Nikol Kmentová, Walter Boeger, Daniel Mungai Ndegwa, Kelly Thys, Tiziana Gobbin and Hervé Mandtoumbi are thanked for their laboratory assistance and help with statistical analysis

Mastitis affects a high proportion of dairy cows and is still one of the greatest challenges faced by the dairy industry. Staphylococcal bacteria remain the most important cause of mastitis worldwide. We investigated how distinct staphylococcal species evade some critical host defense mechanisms, which may dictate the establishment, severity, and persistence of infection and the outcome of possible therapeutic and prevention interventions. Thus, the present study investigated variations among distinct bovine-associated staphylococci in their capability to resist phagocytosis and to trigger respiratory burst activity of blood and milk polymorphonuclear neutrophil leukocytes (PMNL) in dairy cows. To do so, PMNL of 6 primiparous and 6 multiparous dairy cows were used. A collection of 38 non-aureus staphylococci (NAS) and 12 Staphylococcus aureus were included. The phagocytosis and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production by blood and milk PMNL were analyzed by flow cytometry. Phagocytosis, by both blood and milk PMNL, did not differ between S. aureus and NAS as a group, although within-NAS species differences were observed. Staphylococcus chromogenes (a so-called milk-adapted NAS species) better resisted phagocytosis by blood PMNL than the so-called environmental (i.e., Staphylococcus fleurettii) and opportunistic (i.e., Staphylococcus haemolyticus) NAS species. Otherwise, S. haemolyticus was better phagocytosed by blood PMNL than S. aureus, S. fleurettii, and S. chromogenes. No influence of the origin of the isolates within the staphylococci species in the resistance to phagocytosis by blood and milk PMNL was found. Overall, both S. aureus and NAS did not inhibit intracellular ROS production in blood and milk PMNL. Non-aureus staphylococci induced fewer ROS by milk PMNL than S. aureus, which was not true for blood PMNL, although species-specific differences in the intensity of ROS production were observed. Staphylococcus chromogenes induced more blood PMNL ROS than S. fleurettii and S. haemolyticus, and as much as S. aureus. Conversely, S. chromogenes induced fewer milk PMNL ROS than S. aureus. The origin of the isolates within the staphylococci species did not affect the ROS production by blood and milk PMNL. In conclusion, our study showed differences in staphylococci species in evading phagocytosis and triggering ROS production, which may explain the ability of some staphylococci species (i.e., S. aureus and S. chromogenes) to cause persistent infection and induce inflammation.

Bu çalışmada, dünyada en yaygın kullanılan lezzet arttırıcı gıda katkı maddelerinden biri olan monosodyum glutamat (MSG)’ın, medulla spinalis’in embriyonik gelişimi üzerine etkilerinin histolojik ve histometrik yöntemler kullanılarak belirlenmesi amaçlanmaktadır. Çalışmada 410 adet döllü tavuk yumurtası kullanıldı. Yumurtalar kontrol, distile su, 0,12, 0,6 ve 1,2 mg/g yumurta MSG olmak üzere beş gruba ayrıldı ve enjeksiyonlar kuluçka başlangıcında yumurta sarısına yapıldı. Kuluçkanın 15, 18 ve 21. günlerinde her gruptan 10 yumurta açılarak elde edilen embriyolardan medulla spinalis doku örnekleri alındı. Doku örnekleri %10'luk formolde tespit edildikten sonra rutin histolojik yöntemlerle parafinde bloklandı. Bloklardan alınan 6 μm kalınlığındaki kesitler Hematoksilen Eozin, Kluver-Barrera, Toluidine Blue, Periyodik Asit Schiff ve Crossmon’ın üçlü boyama yöntemi ile boyandı. Preparatlar ışık mikroskop altında incelendi ve medulla spinalis dokusunda histometrik ölçümler yapıldı. 15. gün elde edilen embriyolarda yapılan histometrik ölçümler sonucunda substantia grisea yüzey alanının medulla spinalis’in kesitlerdeki toplam yüzey alanına oranı dikkate alındığında kontrol ve MSG grupları arasında anlamlı bir farklılık olmadığı tespit edildi. 18. günde substantia grisea yüzey alanının medulla spinalis’in kesitlerdeki toplam yüzey alanına oranı açısından özellikle 0,6 mg/g yumurta dozunda MSG uygulanan grupta kontrol grubuna kıyasla arttığı tespit edildi. 21. günde ise substantia grisea yüzey alanının medulla spinalis’in kesitlerdeki toplam yüzey alanına oranının 0,6 mg/g ve 1,2 mg/g dozunda MSG uygulanan grupta kontrol ve distile su grubu ile karşılaştırıldığında azalmış olduğu tespit edildi. Kanalis sentralis’in enine ve boyuna çapları üzerinde yapılan değerlendirmelerde ise MSG uygulanan gruplarda, kontrol ve distile su grubuna göre kanalis sentralis’in enine ve boyuna çaplarının azaldığı dikkati çekti. Medulla spinalisin ventral kornusunda bulunan motorik nöronlarda MSG uygulanan gruplarda 15., 18. ve 21. günlerde nekroz ve nöronofaji gibi histopatolojik değişikliklere rastlandı, MSG grupları kontrol ve distile su grupları ile karşılaştırıldığında motor nöronlardaki nekrozda önemli bir artış dikkati çekti (p, In this study, it was aimed to determine the effects of monosodium glutamate (MSG), one of the most widely used flavor enhancing food additives in the world, on the embryonic development of the spinal cord by histological and histometric methods. In this study, 410 fertile chicken eggs were used. Eggs were divided into five groups as control, distilled water, 0.12, 0.6 and 1.2 mg/g egg MSG, and injections were made into the yolk at the beginning of hatching. On the 15th, 18th and 21st days of incubation, medulla spinalis tissue samples were taken from the embryos obtained by opening 10 eggs from each group. After the tissue samples were fixed in 10% formalin, they were blocked in paraffin by routine histological methods. 6 μm thick sections taken from the blocks were stained with the triple staining method of Hematoxylin Eosin, Kluver-Barrera, Toluidine Blue, Periodic Acid Schiff and Crossmon. The preparations were examined under a light microscope and histometric measurements were made in the spinal cord tissue. As a result of histometric measurements made in embryos obtained on the 15th day, when the ratio of the surface area of the substantia grisea to the total surface area of the medulla spinalis observed in the sections, no significant difference was observed between the experimental and control groups in terms of histological organization. On the other hand, after histometric measurements, it was determined that this rate increased in the cervical segments of the embryos in the group treated with MSG at a dose of 1.2 mg/g eggs. In addition, as a result of histometric measurements made in the embryos obtained on the 18th day, it was observed that the ratio of the surface area of the substantia grisea observed in the sections to the total surface area of the medulla spinalis increased in the cervical segments of the embryos in the group treated with MSG at 0.6 mg/g egg dose. On the other hand, it was determined that the embryos in the group treated with MSG at a dose of 0.12 mg/g decreased in the same segments. It was determined that the ratio of the surface area of the substantia grisea to the total surface area of the medulla spinalis observed in the sections was increased especially in the cervical segments of the embryos in the group that received MSG at 0.6 and 1.2 mg/g egg doses. As a result of histometric measurements on the canalis centralis, it was determined that the transverse and longitudinal diameters of the canal were significantly lower in the MSG applied groups compared to the control and distilled water groups. As a result, it was observed that MSG given to fertile chicken eggs just before incubation caused differences in the medulla spinalis tissue compared to the control groups, as a result of light microscopic examinations and histometric measurements.

Canine distemper virus is one of the most prevalent infectious agents causing severe clinical symptoms among canids. Communal life-habitat for example clinics, dog-shelters, or rural areas is critical in terms of the transmission dynamics of CDV. In this study, blood samples from 92 dogs, aged 2 to 12 months, that were brought to the Rehabilitation Center and private veterinary clinics in Antalya with various internal medical problems were examined for Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) infection. Samples were tested using commercial immunochromatographic rapid test for detection of CDV-antigens and Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) for detection of CDV-specific IgG and IgM antibodies. The most common clinical findings in the 92 dogs sampled were mucopurulent discharge in the eye (45.65%), nasal hyperkeratosis (35.87%), nasal mucopurulent discharge (25%), cough (13.04%), diarrhea (8.70%), and fatigue (6.52%). It was observed that clinical findings were more intense in the early reconvalescent period. 5.43% (5/92) of the samples examined by immunochromatographic rapid test were positive. The positivity rates of IgG and IgM antibodies by ELISA were 19.56% (18/92) and 94.56% (87/92), respectively. Of the 92 dogs tested by ELISA for detection of IgG and IgM antibodies, 91 (98.91%) were positive for one or both IgG or IgM antibodies, and 1 (1.09%) was negative for both antibodies. In conclusion, it was determined that CDV infection is actively circulating in the Antalya province and poses a risk for unvaccinated dogs in the region.

A 6-year-old castrated male American Pit Bull Terrier dog was presented for evaluation of acute onset of tonic-clonic seizures, anorexia, and vomiting. On physical examination, neurologic signs, such as generalized proprioceptive ataxia, salivation, circling to the right, and absent patellar reflexes bilaterally, were noted. A complete blood cell count revealed mild hemoconcentration and an inflammatory leukogram, while a chemistry panel showed severe azotemia, marked hypochloremia, and a severe titrational metabolic acidosis, suggesting possible ethylene glycol intoxication. However, an irregularly round, small mass was identified in the large intestine on abdominal ultrasound. Additionally, bilateral hyperechoic renal cortices with medullary rim sign were suggestive of acute nephritis or tubular necrosis. The cytologic evaluation of a fine-needle aspiration biopsy of the abdominal mass revealed a large population of mesenchymal cells, suggesting the presence of neoplasia. Due to the worsening of symptoms, the dog was humanely euthanized. Necropsy confirmed ethylene glycol intoxication, and the incidental finding of a neoplastic intestinal mass was diagnosed as spindle cell sarcoma. Immunohistochemical staining showed strong, diffuse positivity for CD117, smooth muscle actin, and S-100, indicating the final diagnosis of a spindle cell type gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST). This report briefly discusses the classifications of nonlymphoid, nonangiogenic intestinal mesenchymal tumors, characteristics of GISTs, and the importance of the immunohistochemical classification of mesenchymal tumors of the gastrointestinal tract. Accepted version

The dietary nutrient profile has metabolic significance and possibly contributes to species' foraging behavior. The brown bear (Ursus arctos) was used as a model species for which dietary ingredient and nutrient concentrations as well as nutrient ratios were determined annually, seasonally and per reproductive class. Brown bears had a vertebrate- and ant-dominated diet in spring and early summer and a berry-dominated diet in fall, which translated into protein-rich and carbohydrate-rich diets, respectively. Fiber concentrations appeared constant over time and averaged at 25% of dry matter intake. Dietary ingredient proportions differed between reproductive classes; however, these differences did not translate into a difference in dietary nutrient concentrations, suggesting that bears manage to maintain similar nutrient profiles with selection of different ingredients. In terms of nutrient ratios, the dietary protein to non-protein ratio, considered optimal at around 0.2 (on metabolizable energy basis), averaged around 0.2 in this study in fall and around 0.8 in spring and summer. We introduced the minimal non-fat to fat ratio necessary for efficient maintenance metabolism. This ratio varied across seasons but never fell beneath the theoretically estimated minimum to ensure metabolic efficiency. This population thus managed to ingest diets that never exerted a lack of glucogenic substrate, suggesting that metabolic efficiency may either be a driver of active diet selection or that natural resources available to bears did not constitute a constraint in this respect. Given the considerable proportion of fiber in the diet of brown bears, the relevance of this nutrient and its role in foraging behavior might be underestimated.

BackgroundThe increasing number of infections caused by Escherichia coli resistant to clinically important antibiotics is a global concern for human and animal health. High overall levels of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing and ciprofloxacin-resistant (ciproR) Escherichia coli in livestock are reported in Belgium. This cross-sectional study aimed to genotypically characterize and trace ESBL-and ciproR-E. coli of Belgian food-producing animals. MethodsA total of 798 fecal samples were collected in a stratified-random sampling design from Belgian broilers and sows. Consequently, 77 ESBL-E. coli and 84 ciproR-E. coli were sequenced using Illumina MiSeq. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for fluoroquinolones and cephalosporins were determined. Molecular in silico typing, resistance and virulence gene determination, and plasmid identification was performed. Scaffolds harboring ESBL or plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) genes were analyzed to detect mobile genetic elements (MGEs) and plasmid origins. Core genome allelic distances were used to determine genetic relationships among isolates. ResultsA variety of E. coli sequence types (ST) (n = 63), resistance genes and virulence profiles was detected. ST10 was the most frequently encountered ST (8.1%, n = 13). The pandemic multidrug-resistant clone ST131 was not detected. Most farms harbored more than one ESBL type, with bla(CTX-M-1) (41.6% of ESBL-E. coli) being the most prevalent and bla(CTX M-15) (n = 3) being the least prevalent. PMQR genes (15.5%, n = 13) played a limited role in the occurrence of ciproR-E. coli. More importantly, sequential acquisition of mutations in quinolone resistance-determining regions (QRDR) of gyrA and parC led to increasing MICs for fluoroquinolones. GyrA S83L, D87N and ParC S80I mutations were strongly associated with high-level fluoroquinolone resistance. Genetically related isolates identified within the farms or among different farms highlight transmission of resistant E. coli or the presence of a common reservoir. IncI1-I(alpha) replicon type plasmids carried different ESBL genes (bla(CTX-M-1), bla(CTX-M-32) and bla(TEM-52C)). In addition, the detection of plasmid replicons with associated insertion sequence (IS) elements and ESBL/PMQR genes in different farms and among several STs (e.g., IncI1-I(alpha)/IncX3) underline that plasmid transmission could be another important contributor to transmission of resistance in these farms. ConclusionOur findings reveal a multifaceted narrative of transmission pathways. These findings could be relevant in understanding and battling the problem of antibiotic resistance in farms.

Simple Summary Over the past three decades, sows' litter sizes have been increased to improve productivity, but have also led to increased proportions of (very) low birth weight piglets, and consequently, higher pre-weaning mortality. One possible intervention to counter the increased mortality is supplementing a milk replacer. This study aimed to determine if the performance of low birth weight piglets can be improved by drenching a dense, concentrated milk replacer and whether the frequency of drenching and the severity of the low birth weight played a role. Secondly, this study compared the supplementation of the same milk replacer at two farms with different perinatal management. No effect of drenching a dense milk replacer on the survival or performance of (very) low birth weight piglets was observed, regardless of farm and, apparently, of the applied management. However, mortality rates were lower at the farm with a higher level of perinatal management, suggesting that high-quality care might have more effect on the survival of small piglets than drenching a dense milk replacer. Introducing hyperprolific sows has led to proportionally more (very) low birth weight ((V)LBW) piglets, accompanied by higher mortality. To improve the survival of (V)LBW piglets, drenching a dense milk replacer (DMR) could be applied. A first experiment evaluated the effect of drenching DMR (1 or 3 doses within 24 h after birth) to LBW ((mean litter birth weight - 1*SD) and weighing between 1 kg and 750 g) and VLBW piglets ((mean litter birth weight - 1.5*SD) and weighing less than 750 g). On days 1, 2, 3, 9, and two days post-weaning, body weight, growth, skin lesions, and mortality were monitored. No effect of DMR was observed on any of the parameters. In a second experiment, LBW piglets were supplemented with DMR (similarly to experiment 1) at two farms differing in the level of perinatal care. The same parameters were evaluated, and again none were affected by drenching DMR. Overall survival of the LBW piglets was significantly higher at the farm with high perinatal care. It can be concluded that good perinatal management is more effective in enhancing the survival of LBW piglets than drenching.

Recent studies have suggested that bacteria associated with the female reproductive tract - the uterine micro -biota - may be important for reproductive health and pregnancy success. Therefore, uterine microbiome research gained much interest in the last few years. However, it is challenging to study late postpartum uterine samples, since they hold a low microbial biomass. Next-generation sequencing techniques are very sensitive for microbial identification, but they cannot make a distinction between actual microbiota and contaminant bacteria or their DNA. Our aim was to test a new method to sample the bovine uterine lumen in vivo, while minimizing the risk of cross-contamination. In order to evaluate this method, we performed a descriptive assessment of the microbial composition of the obtained samples. Transabdominal, laparoscopic sampling of the uterine lumen was con-ducted in five Holstein-Friesian cows. Uterine fluid from the uterine horns was collected by low-volume lavage. DNA from the samples was extracted using two different DNA extraction methods, and negative controls (sampling blank controls and DNA extraction blank controls) were included. Bacteria were identified using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. In this proof-of-concept study, no evidence for authentically present uterine microbiota could be found. During laparoscopic sampling, some practical challenges were encountered, and the reliability of low-volume-lavage for the collection of a low microbial biomass could be questioned. By comparing two DNA extraction methods, a significant contamination background could be noticed originating from the DNA extraction kits.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of diets containing different levels of dried tuber of Jerusalem artichoke, Helianthus tuberosus, on skatole levels in backfat and on the CYP2E1 mRNA expression in the liver of commercial crossbred pigs. A total of 23 uncastrated male pigs from 10 litters of a commercial crossbred population of Large White × (Landrace × Large White), were used in this study. Boars were randomly divided into four different dietary treatment groups – a control group (K1; 5 boars; without supplementation of Jerusalem artichoke) and three experimental groups (6 boars each) that were fed with the diet containing different levels of dried Jerusalem artichoke (K2 – 4.1%; K3 – 8.2%; K4 – 12.2%) for 14 days before slaughter. Significant effects of diet on skatole levels were observed between the control group and the experimental groups (P = 0.0078). The lowest level of skatole was in the K3 group with 8.2% of Jerusalem artichoke. As for CYP2E1, a negative correlation was observed between the levels of skatole and CYP2E1 mRNA expression. Significant effect (P = 0.0055) was found in all experimental groups compared to the K1 group, and most pronounced in the K2 and K3 groups. The supplementation with Jerusalem artichoke resulted in lower level of skatole and higher CYP2E1 mRNA expression. The results suggest that affecting the expression of CYP2E1 by feed supplements could be an option to effectively reduce the levels of skatole in adipose tissue of entire male pigs.

Diverse communities of symbiotic microbes inhabit the digestive systems of vertebrates and play a crucial role in animal health, and host diet plays a major role in shaping the composition and diversity of these communities. Here, we characterized diet and gut microbiome of fire salamander populations from three Belgian forests. We carried out DNA metabarcoding on fecal samples, targeting eukaryotic 18S rRNA of potential dietary prey items, and bacterial 16S rRNA of the concomitant gut microbiome. Our results demonstrated an abundance of soft-bodied prey in the diet of fire salamanders, and a significant difference in the diet composition between males and females. This sex-dependent effect on diet was also reflected in the gut microbiome diversity, which is higher in males than female animals. Proximity to human activities was associated with increased intestinal pathogen loads. Collectively, the data supports a relationship between diet, environment and intestinal microbiome in fire salamanders, with potential health implications.

Clostridium perfringens and Clostridioides difficile cause significant morbidity and mortality in foals. Antemortem diagnosis of C. perfringens infection has been complicated by a paucity of tests available for toxin detection. Fecal PCR panels have assays for a variety of C. perfringens toxin gene sequences as well as for several other foal gastrointestinal pathogens. We evaluated results of a comprehensive fecal diarrhea PCR panel in 28 foals that had been presented to a referral hospital because of diarrhea. Sixteen (57%) foals were positive for C. perfringens and/or C. difficile toxin gene sequences on fecal PCR, including 3 foals positive for NetF toxin. These foals were younger ( p = 0.0029) and had higher hematocrits ( p = 0.0087), hemoglobin ( p = 0.0067), and red blood cell concentrations ( p = 0.028) than foals with diarrhea that tested negative for clostridial toxins. The foals had lower total protein concentrations ( p = 0.045) and were more likely to have band neutrophils on a CBC ( p = 0.013; OR: 16.2). All 3 foals with NetF toxin gene sequences detected in feces survived to discharge, indicating that diarrhea caused by NetF toxigenic C. perfringens isolates is not uniformly fatal.

Een jonge wilde gewone zeehond (Phoca vitulina) spoelde aan op het strand ter hoogte van Koksijde en werd opgenomen in een rehabilitatiecentrum waar hij na een dag stierf. Een volledige autopsie met histopathologisch onderzoek werd uitgevoerd. Macroscopische evaluatie toonde ernstige diffuse hemorragische en emfysemateuze pneumonie met aanwezigheid van 6-10 cm-grote nematoden aan. De nema-toden werden gevonden in de trachea, grote bronchen, pulmonaire arterien en in het rechterhart. Ze werden geidentificeerd als Otostrongylus circumlitus. Tijdens het histologisch onderzoek werd ernstige eosinofiele tot granulomateuze broncho-interstitiele pneumonie met intralesionale nematoden vastgesteld. Er werd geconcludeerd dat de zeehond stierf ten gevolge van uitgebreide vermineuze pneumonie. In deze casus-beschrijving wordt het belang van longworminfectie, een vaak voorkomende en ernstige aandoening bij jonge zeehonden, benadrukt.

In mammals, complex dental microwear textures (DMT) representing differently sized and shaped enamel lesions overlaying each other have traditionally been associated with the seeds and kernels in frugivorous diets, as well as with sclerotized insect cuticles. Recently, this notion has been challenged by field observations as well as in vitro experimental data. It remains unclear to what extent each food item contributes to the complexity level and is reflected by the surface texture of the respective tooth position along the molar tooth row. To clarify the potential of seeds and other abrasive dietary items to cause complex microwear textures, we conducted a controlled feeding experiment with rats. Six individual rats each received either a vegetable mix, a fruit mix, a seed mix, whole crickets, whole black soldier fly larvae, or whole day-old-chicks. These diets were subjected to material testing to obtain mechanical properties, such as Young’s modulus, yield strength, and food hardness (as indicated by texture profile analysis [TPA] tests). Seeds and crickets caused the highest surface complexity. The fruit mix, seed mix, and crickets caused the deepest wear features. Moreover, several diets resulted in an increasing wear gradient from the first to the second molar, suggesting that increasing bite force along the tooth row affects dental wear in rats on these diets. Mechanical properties of the diets showed different correlations with DMT obtained for the first and second molars. The first molar wear was mostly correlated with maximum TPA hardness, while the second molar wear was strongly correlated with maximum yield stress, mean TPA hardness, and maximum TPA hardness. This indicates a complex relationship between chewing mechanics, food mechanical properties, and observed DMT. Our results show that, in rats, seeds are the main cause of complex microwear textures but that hard insect body parts can also cause high complexity. However, the similarity in parameter values of surface textures resulting from seed and cricket consumption did not allow differentiation between these two diets in our experimental approach.

The ovary and its hormones may have major effects on the in vitro developmental capacity of the oocytes it contains. We related intrinsic ovarian factors namely the presence of corpus luteum (CL) and/or dominant follicle (>8 mm) and the follicular count to cumulus expansion (CE), embryo development, and blastocyst quality in a bovine model. Cumulus-oocyte-complexes (COCs) were aspirated from follicles between 4 and 8 mm in diameter. In vitro embryo produc-tion was performed in a fully individual production system. The follicular fluid from which COCs were collected was pooled (per ovary) to evaluate the estrogen, progesterone, and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) concentrations. Cumulus oocyte complexes collected from ovaries without a CL presented a greater CE than COCs derived from ovaries bearing CL. The absence of ovarian structures increased the blastocyst rate when compared to oocytes derived from ovaries with a CL, a dominant follicle, or both. Blastocysts derived from ovaries without a dominant follicle presented higher total cell numbers and a lower proportion of apoptosis than blastocysts derived from ovaries containing a dominant follicle. Cumulus oocyte complexes collected from ovaries with high follicular count resulted in higher cleavage than from ovaries with low follicular count, but the blastocyst rate was similar between groups. Ovaries bearing a CL had greater progesterone and IGF-1 follicular fluid concentrations in neighboring follicles than ovaries without a CL. Selection for bovine ovaries without CL or dominant follicle can have positive effects on CE, embryo development, and blastocyst quality in an individual embryo production system set-up.

Historically, the MISTEACHING (microbiome, immunity, sex, temperature, environment, age, chance, history, inoculum, nutrition, genetics) framework to describe the outcome of host−pathogen interaction, has been applied to human pathogens. Here, we show, using Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae as an exemplar, that the MISTEACHING framework can be applied to a strict veterinary pathogen, enabling the identification of major research gaps, the formulation of hypotheses whose study will lead to a greater understanding of pathogenic mechanisms, and/or improved prevention/therapeutic measures. We also suggest that the MISTEACHING framework should be extended with the inclusion of a ‘strain’ category, to become MISTEACHINGS. We conclude that the MISTEACHINGS framework can be applied to veterinary pathogens, whether they be bacteria, fungi, viruses, or parasites, and hope to stimulate others to use it to identify research gaps and to formulate hypotheses worthy of study with their own pathogens.

Pestiviruses are among the most important viral pathogens of livestock due to their host size, multisystemic disease and high economic losses. Pestiviruses are not host specific, and all identified pestiviruses can reproduce in cattle, sheep, goats, alpaca, deer and pigs. Although persistent BVDV and BDV infections are rarely reported in goats, cases characterized by abortions in pregnant goats and central nervous system findings in goats have been reported as an acute infection model. In this study, it was aimed to evaluate the seroprevalence of pestivirus infection in the goat population in 3 provinces (Kahramanmaraş, Hatay and Osmaniye) located in the east of the Mediterranean region. For this purpose, 461 blood serum samples were used taken from different breed goats and the presence of antibodies was investigated by ELISA. The total seroprevalence in the sampled goat population was found to be 16.7% (77/461). In addition, seropositivity between races was found to be statistically significant. In conclusion, this study conducted sampling in the Eastern Mediterranean area of Turkey Kahramanmaras, Osmaniye and pestivirus circulation in a lot of different races in the province of Hatay shown goats., Pestiviruslar, konak genişlikleri, multisistemik hastalık tablosuna ve yüksek ekonomik kayıplara yol açmaları nedeniyle çiftlik hayvanlarının en önemli viral patojenleri arasında yer almaktadır. Pestiviruslar konakçı spesifik olmadıkları gibi tanımlanmış tüm pestiviruslar sığır, koyun, keçi, alpaka, geyik ve domuzlarda çoğalabilmektedir. Persiste BVDV ve BDV enfeksiyonları keçilerde nadir olarak bildirilmesine karşın, akut enfeksiyon modeli şeklinde gebe keçilerde abortlar ve oğlaklarda merkezi sinir sistemi bulguları ile karakterize olgular rapor edilmiştir. Bu araştırmada, Akdeniz bölgesinin doğusunda yer alan 3 ildeki (Kahramanmaraş, Hatay ve Osmaniye) keçi popülasyonunda pestivirüs enfeksiyonunun seroprevalansının değerlendirilmesi amaçlanmıştır. Bu amaçla farklı ırk keçilerden alınan 461 kan serumu örneği kullanıldı ve ELISA ile antikor varlığı araştırıldı. Örneklenen keçi popülasyonundaki toplam seroprevalansın %16,7 (77/461) olduğu saptandı. Ayrıca ırklar arasındaki seropozitiflik istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bulundu. Sonuç olarak, bu araştırmada Türkiye’nin Doğu Akdeniz alanında örnekleme yapılan Kahramanmaraş, Osmaniye ve Hatay illerindeki farklı ırklardan keçi sürülerinde pestivirus sirkülasyonu gösterilmiştir.

Silajın daha iyi korunmasını sağlamak ve geliştirmek için çeşitli katkı maddeleri mevcuttur. Bu silaj katkıları içinde en yaygın kullanıma sahip olanlardan biri de laktik asit bakterilerini içeren mikrobiyal inokulantlardır. Havaya maruz kaldıktan sonra birkaç gün boyunca şaşırtıcı şekilde sıcaklığı artmayan (aerobik kararlılık gösteren) mısır silajlarından izole edilen Lactobacillus buchneri bakterilerinin inokulant olarak silajlarda kullanımına ilişkin çalışmalar bu alanda son 20 yılda en ilgi çeken konulardan biri olmuştur. Günümüzde L. buchneri, silaj inokulantlarında kullanılan ana heterofermantatif laktik bakteridir. Bu bakteri laktik asidi asetik aside ve diğer ürünlere dönüştürebilir. Asetik asit, silajların ısınmasına ve bozulmasına neden olan mayaların ve küflerin iyi bir inhibitörüdür. Böylece L. buchneri silajın aerobik stabilitesini, başka bir deyişle silo ve yemlik ömrünü artırır. Bu derlemede, L. buchneri’nin silaj açısından öne çıkan temel özellikleri, silajın korunmasında sağladığı olumlu etkiyi oluşturma şekli ve silajda inokulant olarak kullanımında etkinliğini etkileyen etmenler hakkında bilgi vermektedir., A variety of additives are available to improve ensiling and better protection of silage. Microbial inoculants containing lactic acid bacteria are the most widely used among these silage additives. Studies on the use of Lactobacillus buchneri bacteria as inoculant in silages, isolated from maize silages, whose temperature does not increase surprisingly for several days after exposure to air (indicating aerobic stability), has been one of the most interesting topics in this field over the last two decades. Today, L. buchneri is the main heterofermantative lactic acid bacteria used in silage inoculants. These bacteria can convert lactic acid into acetic acid and other products. Acetic acid is a good inhibitor of yeasts and molds that result in heating and spoiling of silage. In this way, L. buchneri increases the aerobic stability of silage, in other words, life of silo and feeder. This review gives information about the prominent characteristics of L. buchneri in terms of silage, the way it develops the positive effect in the preservation of silage, and the factors affecting its effectiveness when used as an inoculant in silage.

A twenty-year-old ewe presented with acute lateral decubitus, tremor and dyspnea, followed by death. Post-mortem examination revealed a large amount of oak leaves in the rumen, reticulum and omasum. The duodenum had a focal hemorrhagic content and multifocal hemorrhages were present in several organs. Histopathological examination of the kidneys showed characteristic lesions of oak intoxication, such as intratubular hemorrhage, tubular degeneration and necrosis. This case report illustrates the importance to include oak intoxication in the differential diagnosis of acute death in sheep and the value of post-mortem and histopathological examination.

Rickets is a metabolic bone disease associated with failure of endochondral ossification and impaired osteoid mineralization in growing animals. As a consequence, affected individuals can develop gross and microscopic bone malformations. The most common causes of rickets in domestic species include vitamin D and phosphorus deficiency. Rickets has been described in multiple species; however, comprehensive postmortem characterizations with confirmatory histopathology in equids have not been published. A 6-mo-old, Thoroughbred-cross foal was diagnosed with rickets based on gross autopsy findings and microscopic examination of the ribs and long bones. Grossly, all costochondral junctions of the ribs were enlarged with a “rachitic rosary” appearance, and there were multiple fracture calluses in the rib bodies. Epiphyses and metaphyses of the long bones appeared widened on sagittal section, and their physes were irregularly thickened. Histologically, there were poorly organized columns of hypertrophic chondrocytes within the physes of affected bones, islands of chondrocytes embedded within the primary and secondary spongiosa, and faintly eosinophilic seams of poorly mineralized osteoid within the bone trabeculae. Areas of focally increased osteoclastic activity were observed in some of the sections, perhaps pointing to a more complex metabolic bone disease in a growing animal. Low serum concentrations of calcium and 25-hydroxyvitamin D were detected in an antemortem sample. The pathogenesis of these imbalances was not definitively established, but lack of sunlight exposure, low concentration of vitamin D precursors in the diet (perhaps secondary to malnutrition), or both, were suspected; a genetic basis cannot be ruled out.

In this study which has been done between April 2008 and June 2009, fishes captured from Ağrı and Erzurum were examined by endoparasite fauna. Examined fishes are as follows: Acanthobrama marmid Heckel, 1843, Alburnus akili Battalgil, 1942, Barbus plebejus Bonaparte, 1839, Barbus mursa Güldenstädt, 1773, Capoeta barroisi Lortet in Barrois, 1894, Capoeta capoeta Güldenstädt, 1773, Cyprinus carpio Linnaeus, 1758, Leuciscus cephalus Linnaeus, 1758. Consequently, a total of 908 individual parasites were detected from six parasite species; Rhabdochona denudata Dujardin, 1845 (Nematoda), Neoechinorhynchus sp. and Pomphorhynchus sp. (Acanthocephala), Bothriocephalus acheilognathi Yamaguti, 1934, and Caryophyllaeus laticeps Pallas, 1781 (Cestoda), Allocreadium isoporum Looss, 1894 (Digenea). The distribution of the infection prevalence, mean intensity, and abundance values of parasite species were determined. As a result of our study, 93 of 233 (39.91%) fish were reported with parasites.

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), which is a neoplasm that usually arises from the integument, is reported uncommonly in pet birds. Only a few reports of SCCs in the alimentary tract of birds, including psittacines, have been published, and a detailed description of the pathology is not available in the literature. We present here 12 cases of alimentary SCC in psittacines. The average age of the birds was 22.2 y (range: 15–29 y), and affected species included 4 Amazon parrots ( Amazona sp.), 3 cockatiels ( Nymphicus hollandicus), 3 macaws ( Ara sp.), 1 conure ( Eupsittula sp.), and 1 Senegal parrot ( Poicephalus sp.). Frequent clinical complaints included regurgitation, dysphagia, dyspnea, lethargy, and/or weight loss. SCC primarily affected the oral cavity in 6 of 12 cases, the crop alone in 2 of 12 cases, the crop and esophagus in 1 of 12 cases, the proventriculus alone in 1 of 12 cases, and the crop, esophagus, and proventriculus in 2 of 12 cases. Histologically, alimentary SCCs were locally invasive and often resulted in mucosal ulceration. Although there were no metastases in any of our cases, poor clinical outcomes were frequent and associated most commonly with complete effacement of the alimentary segment and severe inflammation with opportunistic bacterial infection. Our review of the literature records commonly affected species, variability of gross presentations and clinical signs, plausible etiologies, and current diagnostic developments.

Made available in DSpace on 2022-04-28T19:41:01Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2021-12-01 Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) Direct detection of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae through molecular tools is a growing trend for early diagnosis, highlighting the importance of knowing M. hyopneumoniae dynamics in the respiratory tract upon infection. This study focused on monitoring the infection level and its effects in different anatomic sites of the respiratory tract of experimentally infected swine in four time-points post-infection. To this end, 24 pigs were allocated to either non-inoculated group (n = 8) or inoculated group (n = 16). On day 0 post-infection (dpi), animals of the inoculated group were intratracheally inoculated with M. hyopneumoniae. Nasal swabs were collected weekly for qPCR detection of bacterial shedding. At 14, 28, 42, and 56 dpi, four animals from the inoculated group and two from the control group were necropsied. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and samples from three different anatomical tracheal sections (cranial - CT, medium - MT, lower - LT) were collected for qPCR and histopathology. Bacterial loads (qPCR) in tracheal samples were: 4.47 × 102 copies∕μL (CT), 1.5 × 104- copies∕ μL (MT) and 1.4 × 104 copies∕μL (LT samples). M. hyopneumoniae quantification in BALF showed the highest load at 28 dpi (2.0 × 106 copies∕ μL). Microscopic lesions in LT samples presented the highest scores at 56 dpi and were significantly correlated with the pathogen load on 14 dpi (0.93) and 28 dpi (0.75). The greatest bacterial load of M. hyopneumoniae in CT samples and BALF was registered at 28 dpi, and it remained high in BALF and LT throughout the 56 dpi. The pathogen was able to persist during the whole experimental period, however higher estimated quantification values were registered in the lower parts of the respiratory tract, especially at 56 dpi. These findings are important for improving diagnostics, treatment, and control measures of M. hyopneumoniae infection in swine herds. São Paulo State University (Unesp) School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, Via de Acesso Prof. Paulo Donato Castellane s/n Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Ghent University São Paulo State University (Unesp) School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, Via de Acesso Prof. Paulo Donato Castellane s/n FAPESP: #2016∕18698-2 FAPESP: #2019/19710-4 CAPES: 001

Small intestinal organoids, or enteroids, represent a valuable model to study host–pathogen interactions at the intestinal epithelial surface. Much research has been done on murine and human enteroids, however only a handful studies evaluated the development of enteroids in other species. Porcine enteroid cultures have been described, but little is known about their functional responses to specific pathogens or their associated virulence factors. Here, we report that porcine enteroids respond in a similar manner as in vivo gut tissues to enterotoxins derived from enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli, an enteric pathogen causing postweaning diarrhoea in piglets. Upon enterotoxin stimulation, these enteroids not only display a dysregulated electrolyte and water balance as shown by their swelling, but also secrete inflammation markers. Porcine enteroids grown as a 2D-monolayer supported the adhesion of an F4+ ETEC strain. Hence, these enteroids closely mimic in vivo intestinal epithelial responses to gut pathogens and are a promising model to study host–pathogen interactions in the pig gut. Insights obtained with this model might accelerate the design of veterinary therapeutics aimed at improving gut health. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13567-021-00961-7.

In this review, the different aspects of the corona viruses seen in poultry, especially chickens, were discussed and the potential of infection in humans as a new virus was evaluated. Avian corona viruses have a wide variety of hosts. The COVID-19 pandemic, which has been among the most severe outbreaks in recent years, has also increased attention and interest in avian corona viruses. When corona viruses that cause disease in humans and corona viruses that cause disease in poultry are compared, it has been observed that there are important structural and genomic similarities. It is known that avian corona viruses cause the emergence of new variant viruses that are very susceptible to genetic recombination and mutations. It has been stated that the structure of "spike proteins" around the virus has an important role in attaching to host cells, and that recombination and mutations occurring in this region can cause changes in the attachment of the virus to host cells and have the potential to bind to human cells. Despite all these similarities, it should be said that avian corona viruses and corona viruses that cause disease in humans are included in different genera in taxonomic classification. In addition, there is no report regarding the contamination of avian corona viruses to humans today. This potential has been limited in laboratory settings. Close examination of avian corona viruses and planning control programs after monitoring related diseases ensure that this risk is kept to a minimum., Bu derlemede başta tavuklar olmak üzere kanatlı hayvanlarda görülen korona virüslerin farklı yönleri ele alınarak yeni bir virüs olarak insanlarda enfeksiyon oluşturabilme potansiyeli değerlendirilmiştir. Kanatlı korona virüsleri, çok geniş bir konak çeşitliliğine sahiptirler. Son yıllarda en şiddetli salgınlar arasında yer alan COVID-19 pandemisi kanatlı korona virüslerine olan dikkat ve ilgiyi de arttırmıştır. Hem insanlarda hastalık yapan korona virüsler hem de kanatlı hayvanlarda hastalık yapan korona virüsler karşılaştırıldığında yapısal ve genomik anlamda önemli benzerlikler olduğu görülmüştür. Kanatlı korona virüslerinin genetik rekombinasyon ve mutasyonlara çok açık yeni varyant virüslerin ortaya çıkmasına sebep olduğu bilinmektedir. Virüs etrafındaki “spike proteinlerin” yapısının konak hücrelere tutunmada önemli rolünün olduğu ve bu bölgede meydana gelen rekombinasyon ve mutasyonların virüsün konak hücrelere tutunmasında değişiklik oluşturabildiği ve insan hücrelerine bağlanma potansiyeli olduğu belirtilmiştir. Tüm bu benzerliklere karşın kanatlı korona virüsleriyle insanlarda hastalık yapan korona virüslerin taksonomik sınıflandırmada farklı cinslerde yer aldığını söylemek gerekir. Ayrıca günümüzde kanatlı korona virüslerinin insanlara bulaşabilirliği ile ilişkili bir rapor bulunmamaktadır. Bu potansiyel laboratuvar ortamlarında sınırlı kalmıştır. Kanatlı korona virüslerinin yakından incelenmesi ve ilgili hastalıkların izlenmesinin ardından, kontrol programlarının planlanması bu riski en az seviyede tutmayı sağlamaktadır.

Agricultural operations are important sources of organic dust containing particulate matter (PM) and endotoxins, which have possible negative health con-sequences for both humans and animals. Dust concen-trations and composition in calf barns, as well as the potential health effects for these animals, are scarcely documented. The objective of this study was to mea-sure PM fractions and endotoxin concentrations in calf barns and study their associations with lung consoli-dation, respiratory tract inflammation, and infection in group-housed calves. In this cross-sectional study, samples from 24 dairy farms and 23 beef farms were collected in Belgium from January to April 2017. PM1.0, PM2.5 and PM10 (defined as particulate matter passing through a size-selective inlet with a 50% efficiency cut-off at a 1.0-μm, 2.5-μm, and 10-μm aerodynamic diam-eter, respectively) were sampled during a 24-h period using a Grimm aerosol spectrometer (Grimm Aerosol Technik Ainring GmbH & Co. KG). Endotoxin concen-tration was measured in the PM10 fraction. Thoracic ultrasonography was performed and broncho-alveolar lavage fluid was collected for cytology and bacteriology. Average PM concentrations were 16.3 μg/m3 (standard deviation, SD: 17.1; range: 0.20–771), 25.0 μg/m3 (SD: 25.3; range: 0.50–144.9), and 70.3 μg/m3 (SD: 54.5; range: 1.6–251.2) for PM1.0, PM2.5, and PM10, respec-tively. Mean endotoxin in the PM10 fraction was 4.2 endotoxin units (EU)/μg (SD: 5.50; range: 0.03–30.3). Concentrations in air were 205.7 EU/m3 (SD: 197.5; range: 2.32–901.0). Lung consolidations with a depth of ≥1, ≥3, and ≥6 cm were present in 43.1% (146/339), 27.4% (93/339), and 15.3% (52/339) of the calves, re-spectively. Exposure to fine (PM1.0) PM fractions was associated with increased odds of lung consolidations of ≥1 cm (odds ratio, OR: 3.3; confidence interval (CI): 1.5–7.1), ≥3 cm (OR: 2.8; CI: 1.2–7.1), and ≥6 cm (OR: 12.3; CI: 1.2–125.0). The odds of having lung consolidations of ≥1 cm (OR: 13.9; CI: 3.4–58.8) and ≥3 cm (OR: 6.7; 1.7–27.0) were higher when endotoxin concentrations in the dust mass exceeded 8.5 EU/μg. Broncho-alveolar lavage fluid neutrophil percentage was positively associated with PM10 concentration, and epithelial cell percentage was negatively associated with this fraction. Concentration of PM2.5 was positively as-sociated with epithelial cell percentage and isolation of Pasteurella multocida. Although concentrations of fine dust are lower in calf barns than in poultry and pig housings, in this study they were associated with pneumonia in calves. Dust control strategies for reduc-ing fine dust fractions in calf barns may benefit human and animal respiratory health

Background The varroa mite is one of the main causes of honey bee mortality. An important mechanism by which honey bees increase their resistance against this mite is the expression of suppressed mite reproduction. This trait describes the physiological inability of mites to produce viable offspring and was found associated with eight genomic variants in previous research. Results This paper presents the development and validation of high-throughput qPCR assays with dual-labeled probes for discriminating these eight single-nucleotide variants. Amplicon sequences used for assay validation revealed additional variants in the primer/probe binding sites in four out of the eight assays. As for two of these the additional variants interfered with the genotyping outcome supplementary primers and/or probes were developed. Inclusion of these primers and probes in the assay mixes allowed for the correct genotyping of all eight variants of interest within our bee population. Conclusion These outcomes underline the importance of checking for interfering variants in designing qPCR assays. Ultimately, the availability of this assay allows genotyping for the suppressed mite reproduction trait and paves the way for marker assisted selection in breeding programs.

Histone demethylases are overexpressed or display altered activity in numerous human cancers leading to alterations in cell cycle dynamics, DNA repair kinetics, and therapeutic resistance. Consequently, therapeutic targeting of histone demethylases has become an active and promising area of research in human oncology. However, the role of histone demethylases and the potential efficacy of demethylase inhibition in canine cancers remains largely unknown. In the present work, we addressed this knowledge gap by exploring the therapeutic potential of histone demethylase inhibitors (HDIs) in canine oral melanoma. Using canine melanoma cell lines, we determined that broad spectrum HDIs result in decreased cell survival and prolonged DNA damage repair kinetics. We then showed that JARID1B, a histone H3 demethylase implicated in proliferation-dormancy regulation and drug sensitivity in human cancers, is highly expressed in canine tumour tissues. HDIs targeting JARID1B, and related JARID1 family members, significantly reduced survival fractions in canine melanoma cell lines, but did not appear to modulate DNA damage repair kinetics like broad spectrum HDI treatments. Importantly, we found that the anti-proliferative effects of JARID1-targeted HDIs are preserved in cell lines resistant to platinum-based chemotherapeutics, suggesting that HDIs may serve as a viable therapeutic strategy when faced with oral melanomas that progress despite the use of conventional therapies.

Tam Metin / Full Text SCI-Expanded Q4 WOS:000621715600006 Honey bee viruses may be of severe adverse effect on bee colonies. Till now, more than twenty honey bee viruses have been identified. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of seven honey bee viruses, namely Israeli acute paralysis virus (IAPV), deformed wing virus (DWV), sacbrood virus (SBV), acute bee paralysis virus (ABPV), black queen cell virus (BQCV), Kashmir bee virus (KBV), and chronic bee paralysis virus (CBPV) using a multiplex reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (mRT-PCR). A total of 111 apiaries were randomly selected and adult bees and larvae samples were obtained from seemingly healthy colonies located at Aegean region of west Turkey. The presence of black queen cell virus (BQCV), chronic bee paralysis virus (CBPV), deformed wing virus (DWV), acute bee paralysis virus (ABPV), and sacbrood virus (SBV) was detected, while Israeli acute paralysis virus (IAPV) or Kashmir bee virus (KBV) couldn’t be detected in studied colonies. The results showed the virus with the highest prevalence was DWV followed by BQCV, ABPV, SBV, and CBPV. PCR products for DWV, BQCV, ABPV, SBV, CBPV were sequenced and compared to the Genbank database. The Turkish strains demonstrated heterogeneous populations of DWV, BQCV, and relatively homogenous populations of ABPV, CBPV, and SBV. Based on these results, SBV and CBPV had formed different branch and genotypes when compared to previous studies. In conclusion, this study provides information about the distinctive honey bee viruses for future researches in Turkey, which holds the largest number of managed colonies in Europe. Key words: Apis mellifera, deformed wing virus, black quenn cell virus, sacbrood virus, chronic bee paralysis virus, acute bee paralysis virus

Tam Metin / Full Text Q4 WOS:000621715600021 SCI-Expanded Abstract: GDF9 is an essential gene for normal follicular development and prolificacy in sheep. The aim of this study was to determine the genetic polymorphism and G1 mutation of GDF9 gene exon 1 in 100 Karayaka ewes, belonging to four subpopulations in the Black Sea Region provinces of Turkey. Based on DNA sequence results, two alleles (A and G) and two genotypes (GG and GA) were determined with the restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of PCR-amplified fragments (PCR-RFLP) method. The frequencies of mutant (A) and wild-type (G) alleles were detected as 0.10 and 0.90. The frequencies of GG and GA genotypes were calculated as 0.79 and 0.21, respectively. Twenty-one percent of the studied animals were heterozygous GA genotype. The values for observed (Ho) and expected (He) heterozygosity for GDF9-exon 1 were estimated as 0.210 and 0.189, respectively. DNA sequence results revealed that Karayaka breed had the mutation G1 (c.260G>A). In conclusion, this mutation might be used as a potential marker to improve litter size rate in Karayaka sheep as evidenced in other sheep breeds. Key words: Karayaka sheep, litter size, GDF9 gene exon 1, PCR-RFLP analysis, Hhal restriction enzyme

Poultry is seen as the main reservoir for Campylobacter. Control of this zoonotic pathogen in primary production could potentially reduce the colonization in broiler flocks and consequently reduce the number of human infections. In the present study, 20 broiler flocks from 10 farms, were sampled immediately before and 5 to 7 d after partial depopulation (thinning) for the presence of Campylobacter using cecal droppings and overshoes. At the time of thinning, the catching crew, transportation vehicles, forklift, and transport containers were sampled for the presence of Campylobacter. Samples were cultivated; presumed positive isolates were confirmed by PCR. The isolates were molecularly typed by flaA restriction analysis and pulsed field gel electrophoresis. Results show that all flocks were thinned using Campylobacter-contaminated equipment and materials. One-third of the broiler flocks became colonized after thinning. In 67% of the colonization cases, identical strains were found matching those of container systems, transport trucks, and/or forklifts. This identifies thinning as an important risk factor for Campylobacter introduction into broiler houses. Setup and compliance with biosecurity practices during thinning is essential to prevent Campylobacter colonization of broiler flocks.

A 7-y-old backyard Leghorn chicken ( Gallus domesticus) was submitted to the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System (CAHFS)–Turlock branch for postmortem examination, with a history of unexpected death. At postmortem examination, a hemorrhagic soft tissue mass was observed in the cervical region. Microscopically, a densely cellular neoplasm of polygonal epithelial cells and small lymphocytes was observed. The microscopic features of the neoplasm in combination with positive immunohistochemistry for pancytokeratin and CD3 were used to classify the lesion as a thymoma. Thymoma was diagnosed in only 5 birds submitted to CAHFS from 1990 to 2019. Thymoma has been described only rarely in birds, and is an unusual diagnosis in backyard chickens.

We investigated two litters of distantly related Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers (NSDTR), of which four puppies were affected by cerebellar signs with or without neuromuscular weakness. The phenotype was termed cerebellar degeneration—myositis complex (CDMC). We suspected a heritable condition and initiated a genetic analysis. The genome of one affected dog was sequenced and compared to 565 control genomes. This search yielded a private protein-changing SLC25A12 variant in the affected dog, XM_038584842.1:c.1337C>T, predicted to result in the amino acid change XP_038440770.1:(p.Pro446Leu). The genotypes at the variant co-segregated with the phenotype as expected for a monogenic autosomal recessive mode of inheritance in both litters. Genotyping of 533 additional NSDTR revealed variant allele frequencies of 3.6% and 1.3% in a European and a North American cohort, respectively. The available clinical and biochemical data, together with current knowledge about SLC25A12 variants and their functional impact in humans, mice, and dogs, suggest the p.Pro446Leu variant is a candidate causative defect for the observed phenotype in the affected dogs.

After parturition, dairy cows undergo a plethora of metabolic, inflammatory, and immunologic changes to adapt to the onset of lactation. These changes are mainly due to the homeorhetic shift to support milk production when nutrient demand exceeds dietary intake, resulting in a state of negative energy balance. Negative energy balance in postpartum dairy cows is characterized by upregulated adipose tissue modelling, insulin resistance, and systemic inflammation. However, half of the postpartum cows fail to adapt to these changes and develop one or more types of clinical and subclinical disease within 5 weeks after calving, and this is escorted by impaired reproductive performance in the same lactation. Maladaptation to the transition period exerts molecular and structural changes in the follicular and reproductive tract fluids, the microenvironment in which oocyte maturation, fertilization, and embryo development occur. Although the negative effects of transition diseases on fertility are well-known, the involved pathways are only partially understood. This review reconstructs the mechanism of maladaptation to lactation in the transition period, explores their key (patho)physiological effects on reproductive organs, and briefly describes potential carryover effects on fertility in the same lactation.

Enteritis, colitis, and enterocolitis are considered some of the most common causes of disease and death in horses. Determining the etiology of these conditions is challenging, among other reasons because different causes produce similar clinical signs and lesions, and also because some agents of colitis can be present in the intestine of normal animals. We review here the main bacterial and viral causes of enterocolitis of horses, including Salmonella spp., Clostridium perfringens type A NetF-positive, C. perfringens type C, Clostridioides difficile, Clostridium piliforme, Paeniclostridium sordellii, other clostridia, Rhodococcus equi, Neorickettsia risticii, Lawsonia intracellularis, equine rotavirus, and equine coronavirus. Diarrhea and colic are the hallmark clinical signs of colitis and enterocolitis, and the majority of these conditions are characterized by necrotizing changes in the mucosa of the small intestine, colon, cecum, or in a combination of these organs. The presumptive diagnosis is based on clinical, gross, and microscopic findings, and confirmed by detection of some of the agents and/or their toxins in the intestinal content or feces.

Healthy horses and other animals have large numbers of resident leukocytes in the intestinal wall, but there is scant information regarding which and how many leukocytes are normally present in the equine intestinal wall. Our aim was to provide a reference range of leukocytes in the intestinal mucosal and submucosal propria of normal horses. We included in our study intestinal tissues from 22 Thoroughbred racehorses with no clinical intestinal disease, which had been euthanized because of catastrophic musculoskeletal injuries. Neutrophils, lymphocytes, eosinophils, macrophages, and plasma cells were counted in 5 random 17,600-µm2 areas of villus lamina propria of the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum, and deep lamina propria of the duodenum, jejunum, ileum, right ventral colon, left ventral colon, left dorsal colon, right dorsal colon, and small colon. Other features investigated in the same intestinal segments included villus height and width (small intestine), presence of ciliated protozoa, Paneth cells number, subcryptal leukocyte layers (number of leukocyte layers between the bottom of the crypts and the muscularis mucosae), and submucosal leukocytes. Lymphocytes were the most numerous cells in all segments analyzed, followed by plasma cells, eosinophils, macrophages, and neutrophils. Eosinophil numbers were significantly higher in both lamina propria and submucosa of the large intestine than in the small intestine. The duodenum had shorter and thinner villi than either jejunum or ileum. The data provided from our study will be useful for diagnosticians examining inflammatory processes in the intestinal tract of horses.

Osteosarcoma (OSA) is a highly aggressive and metastatic neoplasm of both the canine and human patient and is the leading form of osseous neoplasia in both species worldwide. To gain deeper insight into the heterogeneous and genetically chaotic nature of OSA, we applied single-cell transcriptome (scRNA-seq) analysis to 4 canine OSA cell lines. This novel application of scRNA-seq technology to the canine genome required uploading the CanFam3.1 reference genome into an analysis pipeline (10X Genomics Cell Ranger); this methodology has not been reported previously in the canine species, to our knowledge. The scRNA-seq outputs were validated by comparing them to cDNA expression from reverse-transcription PCR (RT-PCR) and Sanger sequencing bulk analysis of 4 canine OSA cell lines (COS31, DOUG, POS, and HMPOS) for 11 genes implicated in the pathogenesis of canine OSA. The scRNA-seq outputs revealed the significant heterogeneity of gene transcription expression patterns within the cell lines investigated (COS31 and DOUG). The scRNA-seq data showed 10 distinct clusters of similarly shared transcriptomic expression patterns in COS31; 12 clusters were identified in DOUG. In addition, cRNA-seq analysis provided data for integration into the Qiagen Ingenuity Pathway Analysis software for canonical pathway analysis. Of the 81 distinct pathways identified within the clusters, 33 had been implicated in the pathogenesis of OSA, of which 18 had not been reported previously in canine OSA.

Scopulariopsis brevicaulis is a saprophytic fungus that has wide geographic distribution. This study describes a case of hair loss and skin lesions observed in male and female Wistar rats in Turkey due to Scopulariopsis brevicaulis infection. Skin scrapings and hair samples from three male and two female albino Wistar rats were provided by the Experimental Animal Production and Experimental Research Center of Mehmet Akif Ersoy University to the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Microbiology laboratory in Burdur for analysis in July 2019. Microbiological methods were used for species identification and Scopulariopsis brevicaulis was isolated from all of the samples. The rats completely recovered without treatment and had no recurrence of clinical signs at 1 month post-sampling. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of S. brevicaulis causing an infection in Wistar rats in Turkey., Scopulariopsis brevicaulis is a saprophytic fungus that has wide geographic distribution. This study describes a case of hair loss and skin lesions observed in male and female Wistar rats due to Scopulariopsis brevicaulis infection in Turkey. Skin scrapings and hair samples from three male and two female rats were provided by the Experimental Animal Production and Experimental Research Center of Mehmet Akif Ersoy University to the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Microbiology Laboratory in Burdur for analysis in July 2019. Microbiological methods were used for species identification and Scopulariopsis brevicaulis was isolated from all of the samples. The rats completely recovered without treatment and had no recurrence of clinical signs at one month post-sampling. This study is the first report of S. brevicaulis causing an infection in Wistar rats in Turkey.

Çalışmada su kuşlarından biri olan Tepeli pelikan karaciğerinin makroanatomik yapısının incelenmesi amaçlanmıştır. 2015-2019 yılları arasında köylüler tarafından gölet ve sazlıklarda ölü bulunan ve Veteriner Fakültesi Uygulama ve Araştırma Merkezine getirilen üç yetişkin (3 dişi) tepeli pelikanın karaciğer yapısı incelendi. Cavum abdominisde bulunan karaciğer ve loblarının makro-anatomik yapısı ile ilgili bulgular ortaya konuldu. İncelenen kısımlar fotoğraflandı. Tepeli pelikanın karaciğeri, topografik olarak cavum abdominis’in dorsalinde 3/4 ü sağda, 1/4 ‘ü sola taşmış vaziyette yer almaktaydı. Karaciğerin lobus hepatis dexter ve lobus hepatis sinister olmak üzere iki lobdan oluştuğu belirlendi. İç yüzünde izler bulunmaktaydı. Karaciğer lobları arasında belirgin bir incisura interlobaris bulundu. Vesica biliaris tespit edildi.Sonuç olarak, çalışmada karaciğer yapısının anatomik özellikleri ile ilgili önemli bulgular elde edilmiştir. Tepeli pelikanın karaciğer yapısında önemli farklılıklara sahip olduğu görüldü. Makro-anatomik olarak diğer kuş türleriyle de yakın benzerlikleri olduğu tespit edildi., In this study, it was aimed to examine the macro-anatomical structure of the Dalmatian pelicans liver, which is one of the water birds. The macro-anatomical structure of the liver of three adult (3 female) Dalmatian pelicans found dead in ponds and reeds by villagers between 2015 and 2019 and brought to the Veterinary Faculty Application and Research Center was observed. By dissecting the cavum abdominis of the Dalmatian pelicans, the macro-anatomical structure of the liver and its lobes were revealed. Inspected parts were photographed. The liver of the Dalmatian pelican was topographically located on the dorsal of the cavum abdominis, with 3/4 protruding to the right and 1/4 to the left. It was determined that the liver consists of two lobes as lobus hepatis dexter and lobus hepatis sinister. There were impressions on the visceral face. A prominent incisura interlobaris was found between the lobes of the liver. Vesica biliaris were detected.In conclusions, important findings about the anatomical features of the liver structure were obtained in the study. It has been observed that the Dalmatian pelican has significant differences in liver structure. Macro-anatomically, it was determined that they have close similarities with other bird species.

Neospora caninum Apicomplexa şubesinde yer alan parazitik bir protozondur. Son konakları canidae ailesinde bulunan carnivorlar, ara konakları ise sığır başta olmak üzere, koyun, keçi, manda ve at gibi çiftlik hayvanlarıdır. Hastalık köpeklerde genellikle asemptomatik seyreder. Klinik neosporosis genellikle çok genç, çok yaşlı ve bağışıklık sistemi baskılanmış köpeklerde farklı düzeylerde ortaya çıkar. Enfekte hayvanlarda nöromuskuler bozukluklar, multifokal sistemik yayılım ve dermal semptomlar görülebilir. Etken sığır başta olmak üzere bazı ara konaklarda abort, ölü doğum, fötal ölümler ve sonuçta ciddi ekonomik kayıplara neden olur. Hastalığın sığırcılık işletmelerinde neden olduğu yıllık ekonomik kaybın dünya genelinde 1,298 milyar dolar, Türkiye’de ise 40,5 milyon dolar olduğu tahmin edilmektedir. N.caninum’un domestik siklustaki en önemli konağı köpektir. Bu çalışmanın amacı Osmaniye yöresindeki köpeklerin N.caninum’a maruziyet durumlarını belirlemekti. Bu amaçla Osmaniye’nin farklı ilçelerinden 71’i erkek ve 34’ü dişi olmak üzere toplam 105 köpekten kan örnekleri alınarak N.caninum antikorlarına karşı c-ELISA yöntemi ile test edildi. Etkenin ortalama seroprevalansı %35,23 (37/105) olarak belirlendi. Çalışmada N.caninum seroprevalansı ile ırk, cinsiyet ve yaş arasındaki ilişki istatistiksel olarak önemsiz bulundu (p˃0.05). Bu çalışma ile Osmaniye yöresindeki köpeklerin etkene maruziyet durumu ilk kez ortaya konmuştur., Neospora caninum is a parasitic protozoon in the phylum Apicomplexa. The definitive hosts of the agent are carnivores in the family canidae and intermediate hosts are mainly cattle and farm animals such as sheep, goats, buffalo and horses. The disease is usually asymptomatic in dogs. Clinical neosporosis usually occurs at different levels in very young, very old, and immunocompromised dogs. Neuromusculer disorders, multifocal systemic spread and dermal symptoms can be observed in infected animals. N.caninum causes abortion, stillbirth, fetal deaths and consequently serious economic losses in some intermediate hosts, particularly in cattle. In cattle breeding, the annual economic loss caused by Neosporosis is estimated to be US$ 1.298 billion globally and US$ 40.5 million in Turkey. The most important definitive host of the agent is dog in the domestic cycle of the disease. The purpose of this study was to determine the exposure status of the dogs to N.caninum in Osmaniye region. For this, blood samples were taken from 105 dogs (71 males and 34 females) from different districts of Osmaniye, and tested with c-ELISA method against N.caninum antibodies. The average seroprevalence of the agent was determined as 35.23% (37/105). As a result of statistical analysis, it was determined that the relationship between N.caninum seroprevalence and race, gender and age was insignificant (p˃0.05). With this study, the exposure status of dogs to the N.caninum was revealed for the first time in Osmaniye region.

Bu çalışmada, deri enfeksiyonu olan 77 köpekten 61 Staphylococcus pseudintermedius suşu izole edilmiştir. Yaygın olarak kullanılan antibiyotiklere karşı antimikrobiyal direnç, disk difüzyon yöntemi ile değerlendirildi. Penisilin ve metisilin direncinden sorumlu sırasıyla blaZ ve mecA genlerinin varlığı PCR ile araştırıldı. S. pseudintermedius izolatları tetrasiklin (% 47.5) ve penisiline (% 40.9) yüksek direnç gösterirken, tüm izolatlar amikasine (% 100) duyarlıydı. 18 metisiline dirençli S. pseudintermedius (MRSP) suşunun tümü mecA geni için pozitif iken blaZ genine sahip 25 S. pseudintermedius suşu izolatı da fenotipik olarak penisiline dirençliydi. 18 MRSP izolatından 14 S. pseudintermedius suşu, üç veya daha fazla antibiyotiğe dirençliydi, bu da bu suşların çoklu ilaç direnci (MDR) gösterdiğini ortaya koydu. Bu rapor, S. pseudintermedius'un köpek deri enfeksiyonlarından en sık izole edilen bakteri olduğuna dair önceki bulguları doğrulamaktadır. Bu çalışmada test edilen tüm S. pseudintermedius suşları amikasine duyarlı olduğundan, amikasinin S. pseudintermedius enfeksiyonlarının tedavisinde yararlı bir ajan olduğu sonucuna varılabilir., In this study, 61 Staphylococcus pseudintermedius strains were isolated from 77 dogs with skin infections. Antimicrobial resistance to commonly used antibiotics was evaluated by disc diffusion method. The presence of the blaZ and mecA genes responsible respectively for penicillin and methicillin resistance were investigated by PCR. The S. pseudintermedius isolates were highly resistant to tetracycline (47.5%) and penicillin (40.9%) while all isolates were susceptible to amikacin (100%). All 18 methicillin-resistant S. pseudintermedius (MRSP) strains were positive for the mecA gene while the 25 S. pseudintermedius strain isolates with the blaZ gene were also resistant to penicillin phenotypically. Of the 18 MRSP isolates, 14 S. pseudintermedius strains were resistant to three or more antibiotics, indicating that these strains showed multiple drug resistance (MDR). This report confirms previous findings that S. pseudintermedius is the most frequently isolated bacteria from dog skin infections. It can also be concluded that amikacin is a useful agent for treating S. pseudintermedius infections since all the S. pseudintermedius strains tested in this study were susceptible to amikacin.

In this study, the structure of the gustatory papillae on tongue in the Ankara goat was examined by light (LM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). In the study, tongues of four adult female Angora goats were used. For Light and Scanning Electron Microscope, lingual samples were taken from the apex, corpus, radix and torus regions of the dorsal lingual surfaces with ventral surface of tongue tip. Two types of gustatory papillae as fungiform and vallate papillae were observed on the tongue of the Angora goat. The fungiform papillae were detected on the ventral surface of tongue tip, dorsal and lateral parts of the lingual apex and body with both sides of the torus lingua. These papillae were round and mushroom like shape and their morphology displayed variety according to their location. In the SEM investigations, on the dorsal surface of fungiform papillae were observed taste pores. In LM examinations, taste buds were found in the epithelium of the dorsal parts of these papillae. The vallate papillae were observed on both caudo-lateral sides of the torus lingua. These papillae were encircled with a prominent papillary groove and there were annular pads. In SEM examinations, the surfaces of these papillae were flat and the taste pores opened to the surface were absent. In LM examinations, taste buds of vallate papillae were observed in the epithelium of the inner trench walls of the papillae. As a result, the light and scanning electron microscopic structure of the gustatory papillae on the tongue of Angora goat were examined and their similarities and differences with other ruminant species were determined., Bu çalışmada Ankara keçisi dilindeki tat papillalarının yapısı ışık (IM) ve taramalı elektron mikroskobuyla (SEM) incelendi. Çalışmada dört adet erişkin dişi Ankara keçisi dilleri kullanıldı. Işık ve taramalı elektron mikroskobu için dil örnekleri, dilin üst yüzünün apex, corpus, radix ve torus lingua bölgeleri ile dil ucunun alt yüzünden alındı. Ankara keçisi dilinde papilla fungiformis ve papilla vallata olmak üzere iki tip tat papillası gözlendi. Papilla fungiformis’ler, dil ucunun altı, dilin uç ve gövde kısmının üst yüzü ile yanlarında ve torus lingua’nın her iki yan tarafında tespit edildi. Bu papillalar, yuvarlak ve mantar şeklinde olup morfolojileri bulundukları yerlere göre farklılık göstermekteydi. SEM incelemelerinde, papilla fungiformis’lerin üst yüzeyinde tat porusları görüldü. Işık mikroskobu kesitlerinde bu papillaların tepesindeki epitel tabakada tat tomurcukları mevcuttu. Papilla vallatalar, dilin torus lingua bölgesinin her iki arka yan kısmında gözlendi. Bu papillaların etrafı belirgin bir hendekle çevriliydi ve annülar pedler mevcuttu. SEM incelemelerinde, papillaların yüzeyi düzdü ve yüzeye açılan tat porusları mevcut değildi. IM incelemesinde, papilla vallata tat tomurcuklarının papillanın hendeğe bakan duvarında intraepiteliyal olarak bulundukları gözlendi. Ankara keçisi dilindeki tat papillalarının ışık ve taramalı elektron mikroskobik yapısı incelenerek diğer ruminant türleriyle olan benzerlikleri ve farklılıkları belirlenmiştir.

Tam Metin / Full Text WOS:000603516700004 Q4 SCI-Expanded This study was carried out for the morphological examination of renal portal system in the long-legged buzzard.A total of nineadult long-legged buzzards were used in the study.The latex procedure was performed for the macroanatomic detection of the vessels forming the renal portal system.Dissections were performed under the stereomicroscope and later photographs were taken. The renal portal system vessels formed by the cranial renal portal vein and caudal renal portal vein in the long-legged buzzard. Afferent renal branches were separated from these vessels and efferent renal branches were observed to join renal veins. The anastomosis of the left cranial renal portal vein and right cranial renal portal vein was not observed at the cranial side, besides the presence of interiliac anastomosis was determined between the right internal iliac vein and left internal iliac vein at the caudal side. The findings of the renal portal system of long-legged buzzard(Buteo rufinus)were generally similar to those noted in other birds. Bu çalışma kızıl şahinde renal portal sistemin morfolojik olarak incelenmesi amacıyla yapılmıştır. Çalışmada toplam 9 adet yetişkin kızıl şahin kullanıldı. Renal portal sistemi oluşturan damarların makroanatomik tespiti için latex uygulandı. Diseksiyonlar steromikroskop altında yapıldı ve daha sonra fotoğrafları çekildi. Kızıl şahin’de renal portal sistem damarları, vena portalis renalis cranialis ve vena portalis renalis caudalis'ten oluşmaktaydı. Bu damarlardan afferent renal dalların ayrıldığı ve efferent renal dalların vena renalis'e katıldığı gözlendi. Cranial tarafta vena portalis renalis cranialis dexter ve vena portalis renalis cranialis sinister arasında anastomoz görülmezken, caudal tarafta, vena iliaca interna dexter ve vena iliaca interna sinister arasında (interiliac anastomosis) anastomozun varlığı belirlendi. Kızıl şahin (Buteo rufinus) renal portal sisteminin bulguları genel olarak diğer kuşlarda belirtilenlerle benzer bulundu.

Protothecosis and chlorellosis are sporadic algal diseases that can affect small ruminants. In goats, protothecosis is primarily associated with lesions in the nose and should be included in the differential diagnosis of causes of rhinitis. In sheep, chlorellosis causes typical green granulomatous lesions in various organs. Outbreaks of chlorellosis have been reported in sheep consuming stagnant water, grass from sewage-contaminated areas, and pastures watered by irrigation canals or by effluents from poultry-processing plants. Prototheca and Chlorella are widespread in the environment, and environmental and climatic changes promoted by anthropogenic activities may have increased the frequency of diseases produced by them. The diagnosis of these diseases must be based on gross, microscopic, and ultrastructural lesions, coupled with detection of the agent by immunohistochemical-, molecular-, and/or culture-based methods.

Background Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is the gold standard in assessing renal function but is impractical. Serum creatinine (sCr) has limited sensitivity in identifying early chronic kidney disease (CKD), whereas symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) has been commercialized as more accurate biomarker. Studies comparing SDMA and sCr with GFR in cats are limited. Objectives To further investigate the diagnostic performance of SDMA in nonazotemic and azotemic cats. Animals Forty-nine client-owned cats: 17 cats with CKD, 15 cats with diabetes mellitus (DM), and 17 healthy cats. Methods Retrospective study using spare blood samples from cats with documented sCr and GFR results for SDMA analysis. Diagnostic performances of SDMA and sCr were evaluated using correlation coefficients, sensitivities, specificities, and receiver operator characteristic curves. Results Compared to healthy cats and cats with DM, CKD cats had significantly higher SDMA(plasma) (26.7 +/- 9.9 mu g/dL) and sCr (249.7 +/- 71.6 mu mol/L [2.8 +/- 0.8 mg/dL]; both P < .001) values. SDMA(plasma) (tau(B) = -0.57; P < .001) and sCr (tau(B) = -0.56; P < .001) were significantly correlated with GFR. SDMA(plasma) (tau(B) = 0.52; P < .001) had a significant relationship with sCr. SDMA(plasma) and sCr had similar sensitivity (76%-94% and 71%-88%, respectively) in detecting reduced renal function. Creatinine had higher specificity (94%-96%) than SDMA(plasma) (75%-76%) (P < .05). Conclusion and Clinical Importance In this study of azotemic and nonazotemic cats, SDMA was a reliable marker to identify decreased GFR. However, superiority of SDMA over sCr could not be confirmed.

When used for the evaluation of drug efficacy against Psoroptes ovis, the diagnostic performance of different sampling strategies for a mite count reduction test (MCRT) remains unclear. In the present study, a novel simulation framework was constructed that accounted for relevant biological features of P. ovis infestations in cattle and that was parameterized with field data from 16 farms (154 animals). Second, this framework was applied to explore the impact of study specific factors (number of animals, number of sampled lesions, and number of scrapings per lesion) and biological factors (mite infestation intensity and size of lesions) on the diagnostic performance of MCRT. Its outcome provided a basis to determine the diagnostic performance of MCRT when it was applied according to the World Association for the Advancement in Veterinary Parasitology (WAAVP) and the European Medicine Agency (EMA) guidelines, and to formulate recommendations to ensure a good diagnostic performance of the MCRT. For both guidelines, the MCRT allowed to correctly detect (power 80%) reduced and normal efficacy when the therapeutic efficacy was, Graphical abstract Image 1, Highlights • Simulation framework for drug efficacy evaluation against Psoroptes ovis. • WAAVP and EMA guidelines reliable for detection of normal efficacy; reduced efficacy unreliable. • The total number of samples taken per farm and mite infestation intensity increase reliability. • Summarizing tool for a wide variety of sampling strategies with resulting diagnostic performance.

Background Implementation of Third-Generation Sequencing approaches for Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) all-in-one diagnostics in human and veterinary medicine, requires the rapid and accurate generation of consensus genomes. Over the last years, Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) released various new devices (e.g. the Flongle R9.4.1 flow cell) and bioinformatics tools (e.g. the in 2019-released Bonito basecaller), allowing cheap and user-friendly cost-efficient introduction in various NGS workflows. While single read, overall consensus accuracies, and completeness of genome sequences has been improved dramatically, further improvements are required when working with non-frequently sequenced organisms like Mycoplasma bovis. As an important primary respiratory pathogen in cattle, rapid M. bovis diagnostics is crucial to allow timely and targeted disease control and prevention. Current complete diagnostics (including identification, strain typing, and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) detection) require combined culture-based and molecular approaches, of which the first can take 1–2 weeks. At present, cheap and quick long read all-in-one WGS approaches can only be implemented if increased accuracies and genome completeness can be obtained. Results Here, a taxon-specific custom-trained Bonito v.0.1.3 basecalling model (custom-pg45) was implemented in various WGS assembly bioinformatics pipelines. Using MinION sequencing data, we showed improved consensus accuracies up to Q45.2 and Q46.7 for reference-based and Canu de novo assembled M. bovis genomes, respectively. Furthermore, the custom-pg45 model resulted in mean consensus accuracies of Q45.0 and genome completeness of 94.6% for nine M. bovis field strains. Improvements were also observed for the single-use Flongle sequencer (mean Q36.0 accuracies and 80.3% genome completeness). Conclusions These results implicate that taxon-specific basecalling of MinION and single-use Flongle Nanopore long reads are of great value to be implemented in rapid all-in-one WGS tools as evidenced for Mycoplasma bovis as an example.

Background Free-range local chickens (FRLC) farming is an important activity in Tanzania, however, they have not been well-characterized. This study aimed to phenotypically characterize three Tanzanian FRLCs and to determine their population structure. A total of 389 mature breeder chickens (324 females and 65 males) from three popular Tanzanian FRLC ecotypes (Kuchi, Morogoro-medium and Ching’wekwe) were used for the phenotypic characterization. Progenies of these chickens were utilized to assess population structure. The ecotypes were collected from four geographical zones across Tanzania: Lake, Central, Northern and Coastal zones. Body weights and linear measurements were obtained from the mature breeders, including body, neck, shanks, wingspan, chest girth, and shank girth. Descriptive statistics were utilized to characterize the chickens. Correlations between the linear measurements and differences among the means of measured linear traits between ecotypes and between sexes were assessed. A total of 1399 progeny chicks were genotyped using a chicken 600 K high density single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) panel for determination of population structure. Results The means for most traits were significantly higher in Kuchi relative to Ching’wekwe and Morogoro-medium. However, shank length and shank girth were similar between Kuchi and Morogoro-medium females. All traits were correlated with the exception of shank girth in Morogoro-medium. Admixture analyses revealed that Morogoro-medium and Ching’wekwe clustered together as one population, separate from Kuchi. Conclusions Phenotypic traits could be used to characterize FRLCs, however, there were variations in traits among individuals within ecotypes; therefore, complementary genomic methods should be considered to improve the characterization for selective breeding.