Molecular diagnosis of three outbreaks during three successive years (2018, 2019, and 2020) of Lumpy skin disease virus in cattle in Sharkia Governorate, Egypt

Background: Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is endemic in Egypt despite the Egyptian authorities’ annual mass vaccination of cattle with sheeppox vaccine (Veterinary Serum and Vaccine Research Institute, Egypt), and the LSD virus (LSDV) continues to thrive practically every summer. The disease has a huge economic impact on the trade of the animal and its by-product.Aim: This paper study the molecular characterization of LSDV strains that have been circulating in Sharkia Governorate, Egypt, for three successive years (2018, 2019, and 2020).Methods: A total of 61 specimens (26 skin nodules and 35 oculonasal swabs) were collected from a clinic in the hospital of veterinary medicine, Zagazig University, during the summer months (July, August, and September) of three outbreaks in 2018, 2019, and 2020. These were examined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based on the open reading frame 103 (ORF103) gene to confirm the suspected cases and determine the degree of homology between the three different outbreaks during three successive years between each other and between the derived sequences of GenBank.Results: Cattle is thought to be infected with LSDV due to the presence of scattered local or diffuse circumscribed skin nodules along with fever and lymph node enlargement and sometimes leg edema. The PCR approach proved rapid, sensitive, and specific for the detection of LSDV and confirmative diagnosis of the disease. Forty-six were detected to be positive by PCR (75.4%). The seven sequenced samples were translated to amino acid and registered in GenBank under accession number MW357655-MW357661. A single nucleotide mutation and amino acid variation were observed at positions 161 C (2020)/T (2018&2019) and consequently, a change in the amino acid at position 54 P (2020)/L (2018&2019) between the outbreak in 2020 and those in 2018 and 2019, respectively. The field LSDV isolates from Egypt cattle were more closely related to other LSDV sequences from Africa (Kenya), Asia, Europe, and the United States.These findings highlight the necessity of ongoing surveillance and characterization of circulating strains and the need to improve procedures for distinguishing vaccine strains from field viruses

Prevalence and some risk factors with therapeutic trial of sheep dermatophytosis in Egypt

Dermatophytosis is a fungal disease that affects the superficial skin layers and hair of farm animals all over the world including Egypt. Despite being a self-limiting disease, it has serious effects on public health and devastating economic losses due to its serious skin damage, a long course of treatment, and loss of weight. This study determines the most prevalent species of dermatophyte in sheep and identifies the incriminated species by both microscopic and culture methods with an assessment of animal and environmental risk factors. Moreover, it evaluates the effectiveness of three antifungal compounds (tioconazole cream and clotrimazole spray, and fluconazole capsule), on twenty-four naturally infected sheep. One hundred and three sheep from Sharkia and Dakahalia governorates were examined with clinically suggestive lesions from 2018 to 2019. 47.6% of the cases were positive for the dermatophyte infection either by clinical signs, microscopic or culture, or both. The highest registered infection rate is in males, at the age of ˂ 6 months, and in the winter season. Three antifungal medications are used for the first time in the treatment of ovine dermatophytosis. They are proved to have been effective in subsiding skin lesions with hair growth to return to its normal clinical state with a 100% curative rate. The treatment with preferable and easily applicable topical cures, especially tioconazole cream, is highly effective in the short run. This cream treatment is easily applicable and provides a good alternative to the traditional antifungal medication for sheep. Consequently, such treatment can reduce the possibility of spreading the infection by other animals, and may allow the adaption of efficient control measures

Vacunación frente a la hemoncosis ovina con la proteína recombinante Hc23

NOTA 520 8 Las infestaciones por el nematodo gástrico Haemonchus contortus provocan importantes pérdidas económicas en rumiantes, de forma especial en ganado ovino. El control de esta enfermedad se ha basado esencialmente en la utilización de antihelmínticos. Sin embargo, su uso indiscriminado, la falta de un diseño estratégico, escasa rotación de fármacos, junto con el desconocimiento de su epidemiología, han provocado la aparición de fenómenos de resistencia antihelmíntica en muchas partes del mundo la preocupación social por la presencia de residuos con actividad farmacológica en el medio y en los productos cárnicos o lácteos para el consumo; por tanto el empleo de la inmunoprofilaxis es considerado como un sistema alternativo adecuado para el control de esta parasitosis. Se han clonado y expresado numerosos antígenos ocultos (HAGS) de H. contortus de potencial interés inmunoprotector; sin embargo, se han realizado pocos esfuerzos para clonar y expresar antígenos naturales (NAGS) que pudieran inducir una respuesta inmunitaria protectora de forma natural durante el transcurso de la infestación. Algunos antígenos nativos han mostrado ciertos grados de protección contra la hemoncosis pero su eficacia se ha reducido o ha sido nula al utilizar las proteínas recombinantes. La importancia económica de la hemoncosis, las resistencias detectadas en todos los grupos farmacológicos de antihelmínticos y la imposibilidad práctica de las inmunizaciones con proteínas nativas del helminto, ponen de manifiesto la necesidad de utilizar proteínas recombinantes, así como determinar el protocolo de administración más eficaz frente al nematodo. En nuestro estudio nos hemos planteado 1) la purificación y caracterización de la proteína nativa Hc23, que en ensayos previos de vacunación confirió una protección parcial frente a infestaciones con el helminto, 2) la obtención de Hc23 recombinante y 3) la valoración de su capacidad inmunoprofiláctica frente a la hemoncosis experimental de corderos empleando diferentes adyuvantes... ABSTRACT. Infections by the abomasal parasitic nematode Haemonchus contortus are responsible of important losses of productivity in ruminants particularly sheep. The control of this disease has been largely based on the use of anthelmintics. However, the indiscriminate administration of drugs, lack of strategic planning, drug rotation and unknowledge of the epidemiology of the process have provoked the widespread appearance of anthelmintics resistance. Furthermore, concerns have been raised regarding the presence of pharmacologically active residues both in food for human consumption and in the environment. Therefore, it is necessary to explore new alternative or complementary control methods among them immunoprophylaxis. Under controlled conditions, some proteins have shown to induce protection against H. contortus infections. A number of potentially protective hidden antigens (HAGs) of H. contortus have been cloned and expressed but limited attempts have been made to clone natural antigens (NAGs). As a rule, while some native proteins have been able to elicit a significant protective response against haemonchosis their recombinant counterparts fell behind the expectations. However, the economic importance of this parasitic disease, anthelmintic resistance developed in many regions of the world together with the impracticality of immunization with native proteins make necessary the use of recombinant proteins. The aims of our project were the purification of both native (Hc23) and recombinant (rHc23) forms of the protein Hc23 from adult worms since this protein has previously shown to induce a partially protective immune response. In addition the potential immunoprophylactic value against haemonchosis of native and recombinant Hc23, administered with different adyuvants, was tested in experimentally infected lambs..

Molecular diagnosis of three outbreaks during three successive years (2018, 2019, and 2020) of Lumpy skin disease virus in cattle in Sharkia Governorate, Egypt

Background: Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is endemic in Egypt despite the Egyptian authorities’ annual mass vaccination of cattle with sheeppox vaccine (Veterinary Serum and Vaccine Research Institute, Egypt), and the LSD virus (LSDV) continues to thrive practically every summer. The disease has a huge economic impact on the trade of the animal and its by-product. Aim: This paper study the molecular characterization of LSDV strains that have been circulating in Sharkia Governorate, Egypt, during 3 successive years (2018, 2019, and 2020). Methods: A total of 61 specimens (26 skin nodules and 35 oculonasal swabs) were collected from a clinic in the hospital of veterinary medicine, Zagazig University, during the summer months (July, August, and September) of three outbreaks in 2018, 2019, and 2020. These were examined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based on open reading frame 103 (ORF103) gene to confirm the suspected cases and determine the degree of homology between the three different outbreaks during 3 successive years between each other and between the derived sequences of GenBank. Results: Cattle is thought to be infected with LSDV due to the presence of scattered local or diffuse circumscribed skin nodules along with fever and lymph node enlargement and sometimes leg edema. The PCR approach proved rapid, sensitive, and specific for the detection of the LSDV and confirmative diagnosis of disease. Forty-six were detected to be positive by PCR (75.4%). The seven sequenced samples were translated to amino acid and registered in GenBank under accession number MW357655-MW357661. A single nucleotide mutation and amino acid variation were observed at positions 161 C (2020)/T (2018&2019) and consequently, change in amino acid at position 54 P (2020) /L (2018&2019) between the outbreak in 2020 and those in 2018 and 2019, respectively. The field LSDV isolates from Egypt cattle were more closely related to other LSDV sequences from Africa (Kenya), Asia, Europe, and the United States. Conclusion: These findings highlight the necessity of ongoing surveillance and characterization of circulating strains and the need to improve procedures for distinguishing vaccine strains from field viruses

Anti-Inflammatory, Immunomodulatory, and Antioxidant Activities of Allicin, Norfloxacin, or Their Combination against Pasteurella multocida Infection in Male New Zealand Rabbits

International audienc

Characterization of Foot and Mouth Disease Virus Serotype SAT-2 in Swamp Water Buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) under the Egyptian Smallholder Production System

Spontaneous mutations are a common characteristic of the foot and mouth disease virus (FMDV), leading to wide antigenic variations resulting in the emergence of new topotypes and lineages of FMDV, which contributes to occasional vaccination failures. The objectives of the present study were to genetically characterize FMDV isolated from water buffaloes and study the biochemical and histopathological indicators of infected animals. Fifty-four water buffaloes of both sexes and different ages suffered from acute symptoms of FMD were clinically examined and randomly selected for inclusion in this study. Oral desquamated epithelial and oropharyngeal fluid samples have been tested for FMDV by reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR). Tissue and serum samples were also collected from the diseased buffaloes and subjected to histopathological and biochemical analysis. Our findings showed that all examined samples were confirmed to be positive to FMDV serotype SAT-2 and were adjusted to be responsible for the recent disease outbreak in this study. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the circulating viruses were of the SAT-2 serotype, closely related to the lineage of lib12, topotype VII, with 98.9% identity. The new lineage of SAT-2 showed a high virulence resulting in the deaths of water buffaloes due to heart failure, confirmed by high serum levels of inflammatory and cardiac markers, including haptoglobin, ceruloplasmin, cardiac troponin I and creatine phosphokinase-MB, indicating an unfavorable FMD-infection prognosis. In conclusion, we document the presence of new incursions circulating in water buffalo populations in Egypt in early 2019, explaining the high morbidity rate of FMD outbreak in early 2019. Furthermore, the newly identified serotype SAT-2 lib12 lineage, topotype VII, showed an aggressive pattern in water buffaloes of the smallholder production system