Contagious caprine pleuropneumonia – a comprehensive review

Contagious caprine pleuropneumonia (CCPP) is a serious disease of goats, occasionally sheep and wild ruminants, caused by Mycoplasma capricolum subspecies capripneumoniae (Mccp). The disease is characterized by severe serofibrinous pleuropneumonia, very high morbidity (～100%), and mortality (80–100%). CCPP affects goats in more than 40 countries of the world thereby posing a serious threat to goat farming around the globe. The characteristic clinical signs of CCPP are severe respiratory distress associated with sero-mucoid nasal discharge, coughing, dyspnea, pyrexia, pleurodynia, and general malaise. In later stages, severe lobar fibrinous pleuropneumonia, profuse fluid accumulation in pleural cavity, severe congestion of lungs and adhesion formation is observed. Mycoplasmal antigen interactions with host immune system and its role in CCPP pathogenesis are not clearly understood. CCPP is not a zoonotic disease. Diagnosis has overcome cumbersome and lengthy conventional tests involving culture, isolation, and identification by advanced serological (LAT, cELISA) or gene-based amplification of DNA (PCR, RFLP, and hybridization) and sequencing. The latex agglutination test (LAT) is rapid, simple, and better test for field and real-time diagnosis applicable to whole blood or serum and is more sensitive than the CFT and easier than the cELISA. Moreover, the studies on antibiotic sensitivity and exploration of novel antibiotics (fluoroquinolones, macrolides) can help in better therapeutic management besides preventing menace of antibiotic resistance. Re-visiting conventional prophylactic measures focussing on developing novel strain-based or recombinant vaccines using specific antigens (capsular or cellular) should be the most important strategy for controlling the disease worldwide.     

The impact of phytoestrogen source supplementation on reproductive performance,plasma profile,yolk fatty acids and antioxidative status in aged laying hens

The objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of flaxseeds and/or fenugreek seeds as a source of phytoestrogens in laying feed on productive performance, egg quality, yolk fatty acids, plasma profile and antioxidative status in aged laying hens. A total of 120 Bovans Brown hens at 65 weeks of age were housed individually in laying cages in an open‐sided building under a 16‐hr light: 8‐hr dark lighting schedule. Hens were randomly divided into four experimental treatments (n = 30 each): (a) control (basal diet without any supplementation); (b) 1 g/kg of flaxseeds; (c) 1 g/kg of fenugreek seeds; and (d) combination of 1 g/kg flaxseeds and 1 g/kg fenugreek seeds from 65 to 71 weeks of age. Hen‐day egg production and egg mass were significantly increased by dietary supplementation of flaxseeds and/or fenugreek seeds, while feed intake was not affected; thus, feed conversion ratio was improved (p < 0.05). Weights of egg, albumen, yolk and shell were increased by the dietary treatments. Shell thickness and yolk colour were improved by supplementation of flaxseeds and/or fenugreek seeds. Yolk crude protein was not significantly affected by treatments; however, crude fat and calcium contents in yolk were increased and egg yolk cholesterol content was decreased. Interestingly, dietary supplementation of flaxseeds, fenugreek seeds and their combination had a significant positive effect on plasma luteinizing hormone, follicle‐stimulating hormone, oestradiol‐17β and triglycerides. Inclusion of flaxseeds and/or fenugreek seeds in the diets enhanced the serum glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase activities and reduced the malondialdehyde and total cholesterol concentrations in plasma. Dietary supplementation of flaxseeds and/or fenugreek seeds increased α‐linolenic and linoleic acids in egg yolk. It could be concluded that inclusion of mixed sources of phytoestrogens in diets improved laying performance, egg quality, the antioxidative status, hormonal profile and steroidogenesis in aged laying hens.     

Correction to: Factors affecting reproductive performance in dromedary camel herds in Saudi Arabia

Tropical Animal Health and Production - This article was originally published with incorrect affiliation 1. The correction affiliation is presented below.     

Comparative evaluation of different therapeutic protocols for contagious caprine pleuropneumonia in Himalayan Pashmina goats

Tropical Animal Health and Production - Therapeutic management of contagious caprine pleuroneumonia (CCPP) involves mostly the use of oxytetracycline followed by enrofloxacin and rarely tylosin. In...     

Genetic diversity in Tunisian olive accessions and their relatedness with other Mediterranean olive genotypes

Eighty-four olive accessions obtained from the National Conservatory of Boughrara-Sfax (Tunisia), previously evaluated for morphological traits, were analysed with 47 random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers. They were compared with other olive genotypes originated from Eastern or Western Mediterranean. The highest and lowest similarities between genotypes, estimated by simple matching algorithm, were 0.98 and 0.40, respectively. A dendrogram based on Ward's method and a factorial correspondence analysis (FCA) showed that most of Tunisian accessions are closely related to olive genotypes originating from the Eastern Mediterranean and some are clustering with genotypes originated from the Western Mediterranean. These findings suggested multiple and complex origin of Tunisian olive. A comparative study between a previous morphological analysis and current RAPD assay was carried out and discussed.     

Effects of intravenous butorphanol on cardiopulmonary function in isoflurane-anesthetized alpacas

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of intravenous (IV) butorphanol on the cardiopulmonary system and on the bispectral index (BIS) in isoflurane-anesthetized alpacas. STUDY DESIGN: Randomized, blinded cross-over experimental trial. ANIMALS: Eight healthy, young (3 +/- 1 SD years) adult female alpacas weighing 64 +/- 9 SD kg. METHODS: Alpacas were anesthetized with isoflurane by mask followed by tracheal intubation and maintenance of anesthesia with isoflurane in oxygen and intermittent positive pressure ventilation. Animals were assigned to two treatments, butorphanol (0.1 mg kg(-1), IV) and saline (0.01 mL kg(-1), IV) in a randomized manner allowing a 2-week interval between treatments. Cardiovascular variables included systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial blood pressure, heart rate, pulmonary arterial pressure, pulmonary arterial occlusion pressure (PAOP), central venous pressure, cardiac output, and pulmonary temperature (TEMP). Cardiac index, systemic vascular resistance (SVR), and pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) were calculated. Bispectral index was also measured. Arterial and mixed venous blood samples were collected for blood gas analysis. All variables were recorded at baseline (time 0) and at 5, 10, 15, 30, 45 and 60 minutes following injection and were analyzed by using repeated-measures ANOVA (p < 0.05). PAOP, PVR, and BIS were analyzed by paired t-tests. RESULTS: Butorphanol decreased SVR at all times when compared with the baseline, but no difference was detected between treatments. TEMP decreased with time in both treatments, but they were not different from each other. Other cardiovascular, BIS, and blood gas variables were not different between groups. CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: We conclude that butorphanol had minimal effects on the cardiovascular system of the alpacas, causing a mild decrease in SVR.     

A new chlorosesquiterpene lactone from Ambrosia maritima

A new chloro-pseudoguaianolide-type sesquiterpene lactone, 11β-hydroxy-13-chloro-11,13-dihydrohymenin (1), was isolated from the Egyptian medicinal plant Ambrosia maritima. The structure was determined by spectroscopic methods, particularly high-resolution ¹H, ¹³C-NMR and 2D ¹H–¹H and ¹H–¹³C COSY NMR analysis.     

棉秆切碎及压缩成型的试验研究

采用３种不同切碎方法,即锤片切碎、螺旋刀切碎和直刃刀切碎进行了棉秆切碎的性能研究。试验结果表明,直刃刀对青棉秆的一次切碎,能获得细小颗粒产量高、能耗低的满意效果。切碎物料在英国Ｓｈｉｍａｄａ螺旋压缩机上进行热压成型试验。成型燃料质量指标的测定结果表明,切碎物料含水率在８％～１２％,加热温度在１２０～１５０℃,最大粒度控制在１２．５ｍｍ以下,能获得密度为１．１３～１．２１ｇ／ｃｍ^３、低位热值为１８．３４ＭＪ／ｋｇ的优质棉秆成型燃料。     

Patent infection with Setaria digitata in goats in Saudi Arabia.

A survey was carried out on Saudi sheep and goats during 1995, at the Veterinary Diagnostic laboratory, Jeddah, to study Setaria infection in small ruminants in Saudi Arabia. Setaria digitata worms were detected in the abdominal cavity of 5 out of 48 goats (10.4%). Sheep were not found to be infected. All infected goats were adults of 2-4 years of age and originating from the Jeddah, Mecca and Al-Leith areas. Four cases were recorded during January-March and one during August. No lesions due to S. digitata were found in the visceral organs and brains of the infected goats. This is the first record of patent infection with S. digitata in goats.