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Salmonella is one of the pathogenic microbe responsible in food borne diseases. In developing countries like Nepal, Salmonellosis is one of the leading food-borne disease. The present study was conducted with an objective to enumerate coliform and to find the prevalence of Salmonella species in chicken meat along with their antimicrobial susceptible profile. A total of 30 chicken meat samples were collected and examined following the standard techniques and procedures at the Med Micro Lab from January 2020 to April 2020. The study was performed following the conventional methods for the detection of Salmonella spp. Biochemical methods were implied for the detection of isolates and Antibiotic Susceptibility Test were performed by modified Kirby Bauer disc diffusion test [1]. Out of the 30 samples, 12(40%) sample showed positive for Salmonella spp. Salmonella spp 2(16.67%) were found to be resistant to Ciprofloxacin, Chloramphenicol 1 (0.33%), Cotrimoxazole 2(16.66%), Nalidixic acid 7 (58.33%) Ampicillin 3 (25%) and Ceftriaxone (0%). Salmonella was found to be 100% sensitive towards Ceftriaxone. The highest resistance was observed towards Nalidixic acid (58.33%) followed by Ampicillin (25%) and Cotrimoxazole (16.67%). Finally, the result of the study recommended that the use of standardized procedures in slaughtering and handling of chicken meat, provision of training on best practice of handling of meat for handlers and raising the level of awareness of people about the healthy consumption of chicken meat should be increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nepal is an endemic country for dengue infection with rolling of every 3 year's clear cyclic outbreaks with exponential growth since 2019 outbreak and the virus gearing towards the non-foci temperate hill regions. However, the information regarding circulating serotype and genotype is not frequent. This research discusses on the clinical features, diagnosis, epidemiology, circulating serotype and genotype among 61 dengue suspected cases from different hospitals of Nepal during the window period 2017–2018 between the two outbreaks of 2016 and 2019. E-gene sequences from PCR positive samples were subjected to phylogenetic analysis under time to most recent common ancestor tree using Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) and BEAST v2.5.1. Both evolution and genotypes were determined based on the phylogenetic tree. Serotyping by Real-time PCR and Nested PCR showed the co-circulation of all the 3 serotypes of dengue in the year 2017 and only DENV-2 in 2018. Genotype V for DENV-1 and Cosmopolitan Genotype IVa for DENV-2 were detected. The detected Genotype V of DENV-1 in Terai was found close to Indian genotype while Cosmopolitan IVa of DENV-2 found spreading to geographically safe hilly region (now gripped to 9 districts) was close to South-East Asia. The genetic drift of DENV-2 is probably due to climate change and rapid viral evolution which could be a representative model for high altitude shift of the infection. Further, the increased primary infection indicates dengue venturing to new populations. Platelets count together with Aspartate transaminase and Aalanine transaminase could serve as important clinical markers to support clinical diagnosis. The study will support future dengue virology and epidemiology in Nepal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reducing chemical fertilizers is critical for maintaining soil health and minimizing environmental damage. Biochar-based organic fertilizers reduce fertilizer inputs, improve soil fertility, increase crop productivity, and reduce environmental risks. In this study, a pot experiment was conducted in a greenhouse to assess the potential of biochar-based organic and inorganic fertilizers to improve soil fertility and Okra yield. Seven treatments with three replicates were arranged in a completely randomized design (CRD). Three treatments included biochar-blended formulations (i) biochar mixed with mineral NPK fertilizer (BF), (ii) biochar mixed with vermicompost (BV), and (iii) biochar mixed with goat manure (BM); two treatments included biochar enrichment formulations (iv) biochar enriched with cow urine (BCU) and (v) biochar enriched with mineral NPK fertilizer in aqueous solution (BFW), and the remaining two included control treatments; (vi) control (CK: no biochar and no fertilizers) and (vii) fertilized control (F: only recommended NPK fertilizer and no biochar). Mineral NPK fertilizers in BF, BFW, and F were applied at the recommended rate as urea, di-ammonium phosphate (DAP), and muriate of potash (MOP). Organic fertilizers in BV, BM, and BCU treatments were applied in equal quantities. All biochar-amended treatments showed improved soil chemical properties with higher pH, organic carbon, total N, and available P and K compared to the two non-biochar control plots (CK and F). Biochar blended with goat manure (BM) showed the highest effect on soil fertility and fruit yield. BM (51.8 t ha−1) increased fruit yield by 89% over CK (27.4 t ha−1) and by 88% over F (27 t ha−1). Similarly, cow urine-enriched biochar (BCU) (35 t ha−1) increased fruit yield by 29% and 28% compared to CK and F, respectively. Soil pH, OC, and nutrient availability (total N, available P, and available K) showed a significantly positive relationship with fruit yield. The study suggests that using biochar-based organic fertilizers, such as BCU and BM, could outperform recommended mineral fertilizers (F) and produce higher yields and healthy soils, thereby contributing to mitigating the current food security and environmental concerns of the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]