Factors influencing the prevalence and distribution of ticks and tick- borne pathogens among domestic animals in Malaysia

Changes in tick-vector densities and a resultant incidence of tick-borne diseases are caused mainly by human activities affecting the environmental ecosystem, especially in tropical countries. As one of the most important invertebrate arthropod vectors of disease transmission, ticks are susceptible to changes in their environment due to their sole dependence of all their life stages on prevailing environment. Upon completion of their lifecycle, ticks depend on the availability of hosts and other several factors related to their surroundings to survive. This review discusses the major factors that influence the prevalence and distribution of tick-borne diseases among domestic animals in Malaysia. It is highly imperative to understand the factors that lead to increase in tick-vector populations, infection intensity and hence the spatial distribution of ticks and tick-borne diseases in order to prevent their emergence and resurgence as well as to serve as a basis for effective control

Retained placenta associated with Escherichia coli infection in a dairy cow

Retained placenta is one of the complications associated with parturition in dairy cows. A 4- year old Friesian-kedah cross cow weighing 400kg was presented to the large animal unit University Veterinary Hospital, Universiti Putra Malaysia, with the complain of retained placenta 9 days prior to presentation. Clinical findings were pyrexia, congested mucous membranes and serosanguineous discharge with fetid odour from the vulva. Haematology and biochemistry findings showed an increase in packed cell volume, monocytosis, hyperglobulinaemia, hyperproteinemia, hypernatremia, hyperchloridaemia and increased level of creatine kinase. Bacterial culture from the swab samples of the vaginal discharge revealed growth of Escherichia coli. The retained placenta was manually removed by gentle traction and the uterus was lavaged using normal saline (0.9% NaCl) followed by an intrauterine infusion of Oxytetracycline hydrochloride L.A (20mg/kg). Systemic intramuscular injections of Oxytetracycline hydrochloride (20mg/kg Stat), Flunixine meglumine (1.1mg/kg) and multivitamin (10mg/kg) were administered. The prognosis was good after a follow up visit one week later. Retention of placenta following parturition is usually associated with bacterial pathogens. Therefore, prompt intervention in cases exceeding 24 hours post partum is important in order to avert the incidence of uterine infections that will threaten heard fertility

Epidemiology of Avian Ectoparasitic Infestations Diagnosed in Osun State Veterinary Hospitals, Southwest Nigeria

Ectoparasitism is the most devastating parasitic condition of poultry after coccidiosis. This study was conducted to identify the risk factors associated with avian ectoparasitism in Osun State, Nigeria. Data was obtained from avian species presented at the major Veterinary Hospitals in Osun State between January 2006 and December 2015. A total of 4,584 avian species were presented in the period under review. Of the presented birds, 2,665 (58.14%) were young while 1,919 (41.86%) were adults. One thousand nine hundred and ninety four (43.50%) were male and 2,590 (56.50%) were female. More birds (2,868, 62.57%) were presented during the wet season compared to the dry season (1,716, 37.43%). Turkeys 2,088 (45.55%) were the most frequently presented bird type followed by layers 1,476 (32.20%) and local chickens 1,020 (22.25%). A total of 324 (7.07%) avian species was diagnosed for ectoparasitic infestations of which lice infestation was the most prevalent (216, 4.71%) followed by flea infestation (72, 1.57%), tick infestation (24, 0.52%) and mite infestation (12, 0.26%). There was no defined pattern in the yearly and monthly prevalence of ectoparasite infestations. Age, sex, seasons and species were significantly associated (P<0.05) with the prevalence of ectoparasitic infestations. This study showed a low prevalence of ectoparasite infestations among avian species in the study area; however strategic measures should be taken to control these ectoparasites in Osun State, Nigeria, so as to maximize productivity in the poultry sector

Effect of dose dependent oral inoculation of Pasteurella multocida type B: 2 in mice: molecular detection and histopathological evaluation

Haemorrhagic septicaemia (HS) is an important disease of cattle and buffaloes worldwide, caused by Pasteurella multocida type B: 2 and type E. Here, we evaluated the clinical signs, gross and histopathological changes as well as molecular detection of P. multocida in various organs of mice following oral inoculation with graded doses of the bacterium. A total of 32 healthy mice were divided into four groups of 8 mice each where each group was inoculated orally with 0.4ml of P. multocida type B: 2 at the dose of 10³ (Group 1), 105 (Group 2) and 107 (Group 3) colony forming unit (CFU) respectively, while Group 4 served as a control. Post-mortem examination was conducted and gross lesions were observed. Tissue samples were collected for molecular detection and histo-pathological processing. All mice from the challenged groups showed almost no significant (P>0.05) clinical signs. Evidently, the severity of histo-pathological lesions in various organs was significantly high in groups 2 and 3. Through polymerase chain reaction detection (PCR), P. mulltocida type B: 2 was detected in all the experimental groups. Overall, the oral inoculation of mice at different doses of P. multocida type B: 2 results in clinical signs and histopathological lesions of haemorrhagic septicaemia infection

An outbreak of Glasser’s disease from two farms in Malaysia

Haemophilus parasuis is an endemic bacterial pathogen in pig farms worldwide. In this report, we investigated a suspected case of Glasser’s disease in 3-9 weeks old Landrace cross Duroc piglets from two pig farms. The farmers reported the case to the Veterinary Hospital of University Malaysia Kelantan, with the complaint of anorexia, depression and weakness. On physical examination, the piglets were found to be smaller in size and had rough hair coat. Clinical signs included swollen hock joint, labored abdominal breathing and tremors. Post-mortem evaluation of culled moribund piglets showed pneumonic lesions in the lung, polyarthritis of the hock joint, cerebral congestion, meningitis, renal cortical heamorrhage and polyserositis. Histo-pathological examination showed interstitial pneumonia with emphysema, encephalitis, encephalomalacia with gliosis and vacuolar degeneration of the hepatocytes. Bacteriological culture of swab samples from infected organs revealed the growth of satellitic small colonies on blood culture suggestive of H. parasuis. Ceftiofur injection (HIPRA, Malaysia, 3mg kg-1i.m), phenoxymethyl penicillin (Norvatis Animal Health, Australia at 200g T-1 of feed) and amoxicillin (Norvatis Animal Health at 15-30g 100L-1 of water) were effective in reducing morbidity and reversing clinical signs. Prompt diagnosis and treatment of Glasser’s disease in pig farms is paramount in order to curtail its menace and prevent serious economic losses

Clinical mastitis associated with Arcanobacterium spp. infection in a Boer cross goat

A 2 year old Boer cross doe was presented to the University Veterinary Hospital, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia with a swollen and firm left mammary gland. The vital parameters were within the normal range. On physical examination, the left mammary gland and inguinal lymph node were enlarged with presence of multiple nodules on palpation. Aspiration of the gland produced a thick chessy exudate. Milk and blood samples were aseptically collected and sent to the laboratory for bacterial isolation and culture and haematological evaluation, respectively. The bacterial culture yielded the growth of Arcanobacterium spp, while the haematological evaluation showed leucocytosis with neutrophilia, monocytosis and eosinophilia. Diagnosis was based on clinical signs, haematological evaluation and bacteriological culture results. Norocillin 25mg/ kg i.m stat (Norbrook laboratories, New Zealand) and intramammary infusion of Procaine penicillin (PenjectR, Butler Schein™ Animal Health) at 400 IU/kg were administered, followed by Flunixin meglumine 1.1mg/kg i.m (Norbrook laboratories, New Zealand) and multivitamin injection 10mg/kg i.m (Norbrook laboratories, New Zealand) for 5 days. The prognosis was poor after a week as the goat did not respond to the treatment. The farmer was advised to cull the animal in order to avoid further expenses and eliminate the risk of transmission to other does in the herd

Acute toxicity study on aqueous extract of the leaf of Cassia sieberiana D.C. ( Caesalpiniaceae ) in albino rats

In order to evaluate the toxicity of Cassia sieberiana leaf extract in albino rats with the aim of establishing its safe application in experimental and field trials, the acute toxicity of the aqueous extract of the leaves was studied in albino rats. Four experimental groups of albino rats (A, B, C, D) were respectively given intraperitoneal doses of 400, 800, 1600 and 3200 mg/kg body weight of the extract, while the fifth group (E) was control. The LD50 was calculated, clinical signs and gross and microscopic lesions of the liver and kidney were recorded. Immediate clinical signs observed were weakness, depression, starry hair coat, anorexia, while abnormal gait, lordosis, opthalmia, coma and death appeared after 2 hours. Hepatomegaly and focal necrosis were observed on gross examination, while sinusoidal congestion with periportal necrosis and Kupffer cell proliferation were the microscopic lesions observed. Gross enlargement of the kidneys, vascular degeneration, and interstitial mononuclear cell infiltration were observed. The calculated median lethal dose (LD50) was 960 mg/kg, and the severity of clinical signs and hepatic and kidney lesions was dose dependent. This study has shown that Cassia sieberiana leaf aqueous extract could be toxic in a dose-dependent way, and should be used with caution in veterinary practice

In vitro assessment of trypanocidal activity of aqueous extract of Citrullus lanatus (Cucurbitaceae) (Thunb) leaf and its effects on the haematological parameters of Trypanosoma brucei infected albino rats

The in vitro antitrypanosomal activity of Citrullus lanatus leaf aqueous extract and its effects on blood parameters of Trypanosoma brucei infected albino rats was investigated in this study. The plant extract showed in vitro activity against T. brucei at a minimum concentration of 0.0875 mg/ml. There was a positive correlation between extract concentration and parasitaemia clearance, with administration of the extract at 10 mg/ml concentration resulting in zero parasitaemia count. Thirty albino rats divided into six groups (A-F) of five rats each were used for the haematological study. Graded extract doses of 200, 400 and 600 mg/kg were administered orally to groups A, B, and C respectively following an establishment of parasitaemia of 4 7 106 two days post infection. Group D (Veriben\uae 12treated) was given a single dose of 3.5 mg/kg diminazine aceturate (Veriben\uae) intramuscularly. Group E (Untreated) was not treated with any trypanocide but given 10 ml/kg of distilled water orally, while group F (Uninfected) were not infected with the parasites and did not receive any treatments. There was a significant (p&lt;0.0001) decrease in mean packed cell volume (PCV) and red blood cell (RBC) counts of the infected and untreated group (E), when compared with the uninfected (F), and the infected but treated groups (A-D). The mean haemoglobin concentration was significantly (p&lt;0.0001) higher in untreated uninfected and Veriben\uae 12treated albino rats compared with those treated with the extracts (A 12C) and the untreated infected rats (E). White blood cell (WBC) counts increased significantly (p&lt;0.0001) in the untreated infected group (E) compared with the uninfected (F), extract-treated (A 12C) and Veriben\uae 12treated (D) groups. In conclusion, our investigation shows that the aqueous extract of C. lanatus leaf is toxic to T. brucei in vitro. However, in vivo studies are needed to demonstrate that it has any beneficial value in clearing parasites from infected animals

Stage II Keratoconjunctivitis in a goat: a case report

A two year old Australian Feral male goat weighing 30 kg was presented to the large animal unit of Universiti Putra Malaysia Veterinary Hospital with the clinical signs of conjunctivitis and corneal ulceration with purulent ocular discharge. A sterile swab was taken from the eyefor bacteriological culture and the culture yielded a mixed growth of Pseudomonas aeroginosa and Moraxella caprae. The condition was diagnosed as pink eye disease. The goat was administered 3ml of 20mg/kgoxytetracyclinesubconjunctival injection of 0.4ml, intravenous injection of 2.2mg/kg Flunixin meglumine (antipyretic) agent, topical application of terramycine eye ointment and infusion of 2L of 0.6% Nacl solution. The signs of conjunctivitis and corneal ulcers of the eye had substantially reduced five days post treatment. Quarantine of infected animals, good quality feeding and fly control was recommended as preventive measures

Stage two milk fever in a dairy cow: a case report

The biological cycles of milk production and reproduction determine dairy profitability thus making management decisions dynamic and time-dependent. Metabolic diseases pose significant risk on net earnings of a dairy enterprise. We report a case of clinical hypocalcaemia (milk fever). A 7-year-old Jersey cross cow weighing 500 kg was presented with left lateral recumbency with the neck curved towards the flank. The case history indicated that the animal had calved two months ago and was semi-intensively managed. There was no history of vaccination and deworming. The daily production of milk was about 13 liters