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As a notifiable disease in the Philippines, porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) surveillance and risk assessment is necessary at the farm and regional levels. This study primarily aimed to detect anti-PRRSv antibodies using indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and viral nucleic acids using conventional reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in plasma of domestic pigs from selected backyard farms in selected provinces in Luzon, Philippines. A total of 382 individual and 117 pooled samples were subjected to ELISA and RT-PCR, respectively. Overall, ELISA results showed 5.50% seropositivity, with Bulacan (32.14%) and Cagayan (7.25%) having the highest positivity rates. Using RT-PCR, 5.98% of pooled samples, specifically from Batangas, Marinduque, and Cagayan, tested positive for PRRS viral nucleic acids. Using binary logistic regression, respiratory symptoms were more likely to be associated with PRRS positivity in ELISA and PCR (p<0.05). The results suggest persistent PRRS challenge in provinces with positive outcomes in the assays, warranting the need for improvement in PRRS monitoring in the Philippines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) has been spreading and causing major economic losses in intensified swine farms worldwide. In this study, two reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) based detection systems were evaluated for their applicability and sensitivity in detection of the contemporary PRRSV strains in Laguna, Philippines. The collected 388 blood samples from pigs in local abattoirs were pooled and screened for the presence of PRRSV. Out of the 77 pooled samples, 19 were confirmed positive for North American PRRSV genotype, detected using endpoint RT-PCR and subsequent sequence analyses of the RT-PCR products. Qualitative real-time RT-PCR, on the other hand, was able to detect only three of the confirmed local strains. Initial assessment of genetic diversity of the local strains of the virus using the conserved sequences of the open reading frame 6 (ORF6) revealed overall monophyletic topology (80%) in the established phylogenetic tree. Considering the 19 confirmed PRRSV positive cases, higher frequency (73.68%) was observed in commercial farms compared to small-hold farms (26.32%). Sta Cruz, Binan, San Pedro, Nagcarlan, Siniloan, and Sta Maria were among the municipalities of Laguna with farms positive for PRRSV. All samples were found negative for European genotype and highly pathogenic PRRSV strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary cell cultures of chicken embryo fibroblasts derived from Philippine native Banaba chicken (BNB) and Rhode Island Red (RIR) chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) were successfully established using the warm trypsin culture method. Cell morphology, viability, confluence, and dynamic growth were observed. The results showed that the extracted cells for both treatments were healthy exhibiting characteristics of fusiform and fibrous structure, reaching 95% confluence at 72 hr. The population doubling time ranged from 60 to 63 hr. Four passages of primary cells of BNB were successfully conducted. The cells in the second passage were preserved with 97.3% cell viability via cell cryogenic technology. The growth curve of the cells projected a typical "S" shape. T-test for two independent means (p<0.05) showed that there were no significant differences in the mean cell concentration and cell viabilities between RIR and BNB cultures. Microscopic analysis of the culture showed that there was no apparent microbial contamination. Cell culture of Banaba chicken fibroblast cells can provide genetic resources for future genomic studies. In addition, the methodology applied in this study proved to be reproducible and can be used as basis for other applicable researches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to describe histopathologic changes in lymphoid organs of broiler and native chickens in response to heat stress. A total of 60 day-old broiler and native chicks were allocated in 3 treatment groups. The control group (T1) was exposed to ambient environmental temperature (AET); Treatment 2 (T2) was exposed to AET + ≈1°C; and T3 was exposed to AET + ≈3°C. Each treatment was exposed to the required temperature for 7 hours from d 29 to 35 (AET = 29.8°C) and from d 43 to 49 (AET = 31.7°C). Results showed significant microscopic changes in the lymphoid organs that include lymphoid depletion in the Bursa of Fabricius and lymphoid depletion and lymphocytic degeneration in the germinal centers of the spleen. The thymus had minimal to mild degenerative changes mainly in the cell population of the medulla. The results also showed more pronounced microscopic changes in the Bursa of Fabricius and spleen of broiler chicks compared to native chicks. The degree of response to heat stress appears to be breed-dependent with the lymphoid organs of broiler chickens showing lesser adaptive capacity to withstand high temperature than the lymphoid organs of native chickens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infestation of gastrointestinal nematodes is a major problem in grazing animals. Control is achieved through administration of anthelmintics; however, because of indiscriminate use, there have been increased reports of resistance to chemical anthelmintics which led to the failure of parasite control. This study determined the efficacy of the chlamydospore of Duddingtonia flagrans as biological control against common strongyle roundworms of buffaloes. Using corn meal agar assay, strongyle infective larvae were treated with and without D. flagrans. The chlamydospore/ gram (CG) assay tested a dose-dependent concentration wherein feces with 2,100 eggs/ gram (EPG) strongyles were treated with D. flagrans at an increasing doses of CG (100,000, 250,000 and 500,000). Results showed an 84.39% larval reduction after treatment with 500,000 CG. The chlamydspore/ egg assay evaluated increasing ratios of egg to chlamydospore dose (1:0, 1:100, 1:500, 1:1000) using the 2,100 EPG feces. The ratio 1:500 achieved the highest percent larval reduction (78.88%). D. flagrans was directly fed to buffaloes at varying concentrations (50,000, 150,000, 250,000 chlamydospores/kg BW). A 78.77% larval reduction was observed at 50,000 chlamydospore/kg BW oral administration for 5 days. This study showed the efficacy of D. flagrans as a potential alternative for anthelmintics in buffaloes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early diagnosis of canine leptospirosis in the leptospiremic phase is crucial to provide appropriate treatment and better prognosis to affected patients, however, this may be challenging due to varying risk factors, non-specific signs and non-predictive hematological values. In this descriptive, cross-sectional study, 60 blood samples from canine patients were tested for leptospirosis using polymerase chain reaction assay. Of the 60 samples, 11 samples (18%) tested positive for pathogenic leptospires which is statistically significant based on Z - test (α=0.05). In contrast, statistical analysis revealed no significant correlation between positive result upon PCR and several variables (age, sex, breed, type of housing and vaccination history). Majority of the clinical signs observed in dogs which tested positive for pathogenic leptospires were vomiting and diarrhea (7/11) while leukocytopenia (5/11) was the predominant hematologic finding. This study was able to detect leptospiral DNA in the blood of dogs and provided a clinical picture of dogs infected with pathogenic leptospires. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]