Outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease in Libya and Saudi Arabia during 2013 due to an exotic O/ME-SA/Ind-2001 lineage virus

Foot-and-mouth disease viruses are often restricted to specific geographical regions and spread to new areas may lead to significant epidemics. Phylogenetic analysis of sequences of the VP1 genome region of recent outbreak viruses from Libya and Saudi Arabia has revealed a lineage, O-Ind-2001, normally found in the Indian subcontinent. This paper describes the characterization of field viruses collected from these cases and provides information about a new real-time RT-PCR assay that can be used to detect viruses from this lineage and discriminate them from other endemic FMD viruses that are co-circulating in North Africa and western Eurasia.N.J. Knowles, K. Bachanek-Bankowska, J. Wadsworth, V. Mioulet, B. Valdazo-González, I.M. Eldaghayes, A.S. Dayhum, A.M. Kammon, M.A. Sharif, S. Waight, A.M. Shamia, S. Tenzin, U. Wernery, S. Grazioli, E. Brocchi, S. Subramaniam, B. Pattnaik, and D.P. Kin

Prevalence of Salmonella in poultry slaughterhouses located in Tripoli, Libya

Background: Salmonella is a leading cause of severe economic losses in poultry and foodborne illness in humans worldwide. Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and multidrug resistance of Salmonella Enteritidis in several chicken abattoirs in Tripoli, Libya. The study includes the South, East, and West regions of Tripoli. Methods: Each region was assigned five slaughterhouses. Each chicken slaughterhouse was visited three times to collect samples. Five samples were taken at random from the neck skin, crop, and spleen. The total number of samples collected from all regions was 675. Bacterial isolation and identification, as well as antibiotic sensitivity testing, were performed on these samples. Results: Salmonella spp. was found to be 15% prevalent, and Salmonella Enteritidis was found to be 7% prevalent. The south region of Tripoli had the highest Salmonella Enteritidis (9%), while the west region had the highest Salmonella spp (22%). Salmonella prevalence increased significantly (P [Open Vet J 2023; 13(5.000): 638-644

Seroprevalence and molecular detection of Newcastle disease virus in backyard chickens in Tripoli, Libya

Background: Newcastle disease (VD) is a viral disease that affecting many avian species all over the world. Aim: ND has been successfully controlled by vaccination of commercial poultry in Libya. However, there was a lack of information about the situation of ND in backyard chickens. Therefore this study determined the prevalence of ND in backyard chickens in different locations of Tripoli. Methods: A total number of 280 cloacal swabs (190 in summer and 90 in winter) and 412 sera were collected from non-vaccinated backyard chicken flocks in different geographical locations within the area of Tripoli namely Qasr Ben Ghashier, Al-Sawani, Souq Al-Gomaa, Tajourah, Ein Zara, and Janzour. Cloacal swabs and sera were tested by real time PCR and ELISA, respectively. Results: The prevalence of NDV infection in backyard chickens in different locations of Tripoli during summer and winter was 45% using rRT-PCR. Except in Qasr Ben Ghashier, the prevalence in summer season was significantly higher than in winter (X2=46.13, P0.00001). ELISA test revealed 218 positive out of 412 tested samples with total prevalence of 53% across the city of Tripoli in all regions. Obviously, Qasr Ben Ghashier had significantly (X2=74.09, P0.00001) the highest prevalence (82%) of NDV specific antibodies followed by Tajourah (68%). Conclusion: This study demonstrated the situation of ND in backyard chicken highlighting the necessity of a comprehensive vaccination plan for backyard chickens

Pathological lesions associated with Vibrio infection in Atlantic horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus L., 1758) from the Western Coast of Tripoli, Libya

Background: Vibrios are aquatic bacteria and ubiquitous in the marine environment causing Vibriosis in humans and aquatic animals. Vibriosis is a significant disease of cultured and wild fish living in marine water, brackish, and freshwater, which causes highly economic losses. Aim: The present study was aimed to address the impact of Vibrios on the health status of Trachurus trachurus inhabiting coastal area of Tripoli. Methods: A total of 100 samples of (Trachurus trachurus) were collected randomly from the Western Coast of Tripoli and Bab Al- Baher market, throughout the period from spring 2019 to summer 2019.All the sampled fish were examined externally and internally to identify any potential lesions. Bacterial isolation from liver and kidney was carried out using the appropriate culture media. Tissue samples were taken from liver, kidney and spleen in 10% neutral buffered formalin for histopathology examination. The tissue sections were stained with Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) to assess morphologically and Perl's Prussian blue for the demonstration of ferric iron. Results: On average 69% of the infected fish exhibited at least one pathological lesion. Vibrios were recovered from 90% of the examined fishes. The histopathological changes in the liver were observed as severe congestion of blood vessels, mononuclear cell infiltration surrounding a bile duct, granular degeneration and coagulative necrosis of hepatocytes in the centrilobular area, marked vacuolar degeneration of hepatocytes, activation of melano-macrophages centers (MMCs), multiple cysts of nematode in hepatic tissue (incidental finding). With respect to kidney and spleen, examination of H & E stained tissue sections have severe congestion of blood vessels, vacuolar degeneration of the renal tubular epithelium, severe interstitial mononuclear cell infiltration, and marked activation of melano-macrophages centers (MMCs) in the kidney. Moreover, congestion of blood vessels and marked activation of melano-macrophages (MMCs) were found in the spleen. The melano-macrophage centers (MMCs) of most of the sampled tissues showed a strong positive reaction for ferric iron. Conclusion: The polluted aquatic environment by sewage at Tripoli Coast is an essential factor for triggering the pathogenicity and invasion of Vibrios to vulnerable Atlantic horse mackerel fishes. Also, this study are a preliminary step to give a baseline for further future studies on epidemiology and control of Vibrio infection in Libyan fish. [Open Vet J 2023; 13(3.000): 327-336