This Table of Contents reflects the print compilation of peer-reviewed articles published in the journal. Each article listed was originally published online under the journal’s open access model and remains individually accessible and citable. This compilation has been created solely for print distribution, reference, and archival purposes. No new research content is introduced. The publisher affirms that all articles included in this compilation have undergone the journal’s standard editorial and peer-review processes.

The Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research (OJVR), is the official publication of the Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute. It publishes scientific papers reporting original research on diseases and disease vectors of livestock and wildlife with a focus on Africa, but with results of more than local interest.

This Table of Contents reflects the print compilation of peer-reviewed articles published in the journal. Each article listed was originally published online under the journal’s open access model and remains individually accessible and citable. This compilation has been created solely for print distribution, reference, and archival purposes. No new research content is introduced. The publisher affirms that all articles included in this compilation have undergone the journal’s standard editorial and peer-review processes.

No abstract available

The Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research (OJVR), is the official publication of the Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute. It publishes scientific papers reporting original research on diseases and disease vectors of livestock and wildlife with a focus on Africa, but with results of more than local interest.

no abstract available.

Heartwater, one of the major tick-borne diseases of some domestic and wild ruminants in Africa, is caused byEhrlichia ruminantium. The genetic diversity ofE. ruminantiumisolates renders the available vaccine ineffective against certain virulent isolates. To better understand theE. ruminantiumgenotypes in South Africa, a total of 1004Amblyomma hebraeumtick deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) samples from cattle in three South African provinces were tested by pCS20 Sol1 real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and characterised by multilocus sequence typing (MLST) using five housekeeping genes. Out of 1004 samples tested, 222 (22%) were positive forE. ruminantium. The occurrence ofE. ruminantiumin Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo provinces was 19%, 22% and 27%, respectively. TheE. ruminantiumpositive samples were screened for housekeeping genes and sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis revealed three main lineages: clade 1 made up of worldwide isolates (eastern, southern Africa, and Caribbean isolates), clade 2 comprised only West African isolates and clade 3 consisted of Omatjenne, Kümm2 and Riverside. Some study sample sequences were not identical to any of the reference isolates. However, they could all be grouped into the worldwide clade. Genetic variation in the sequenced regions was observed in the form of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Using MLST to characteriseE. ruminantiumfield isolates allowed the South African genotypes to be clearly distinguished from the distinct West African isolates.Contribution:Characterisation ofE. ruminantiumfield isolates is important for the control of heartwater and contributes to preliminary knowledge required for the development of a more practical vaccine against heartwater.

Brucellosis is a major threat to public health especially in developing countries including Pakistan. This study reveals the characterisation ofBrucellaspecies affecting humans and goats in the Swat region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Blood samples were collected from shepherds and goats and analysed by Rose Bengal precipitation test (RBPT), standard plate agglutination test (SPAT), polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Sanger sequencing of 16S rRNA gene. The findings of the study indicated 24% (36/150) and 11.3% (17/150) positivity forBrucella abortusandBrucella melitensis,respectively, in human samples. In samples of goats, 26.66% (40/150) were positive forB. abortusand 16.66% (25/150) samples were positiveB. melitensisby SPAT. The species-specific PCR confirmedB. abortusin 24% (36/150) of human samples and 26.66% (17/150) of goat samples by targeting the IS711 locus. The remaining seropositive samples were confirmed asB. melitensisusing IS711 M species-specific primer. The sequences of the amplified fragments of the 16S rRNA gene were blasted, and phylogenetic analysis revealed thatBrucellaspecies circulating in the Swat district were closely related toB. melitensisandB. abortusreported from India, China, Philippines, and the United States (US) showing the existence of the possible epidemiological linkage among theBrucellaspecies. This study concluded that there was a higher prevalence ofB. abortus(26.6%) in humans and goats compared toB. melitensis(16.6%). These results revealed that theBrucellaspecies were circulating in both humans and goats in the study areas. The findings of the study concluded thatB. abortusandB. melitensiswere circulating in goats and shepherds with a higher prevalence ofB. abortusthanB. melitensis. Furthermore, theBrucellaspecies identified in Swat were phylogenetically related to theBrucellaspecies reported from India, China, Philippines and the US.Contribution:The proposed study covers the scope of the journal. The species of the genusBrucellaaffect both animals and shepherds. This study investigates the seroprevalence of brucellosis in shepherds and goats in different geographical areas in the Swat district. The phylogenetic analysis of theBrucellaspp. identified in Swat showed close relationships to theBrucellaspecies reported in India, China, Philippines and the US, which shows the possible epidemiological linkages between theBrucellaspp.

To date, there is limited data about the genetic relationship ofEscherichia colibetween wild birds and cattle because these birds act as silent vectors for many zoonotic bacteria. This study aimed to elucidate the role of rooming wild birds in the vicinity of cattle farm in transmission of the same pathogenicE. colivariants, identifying their virulence, resistance traits and genetic similarities offimH virulence gene. About 240 faecal/cloacal swabs were collected from both species and examined bacteriologically.Escherichia coliwas yielded in 45.8% and 32.5%, respectively, of examined cattle and wild birds. The most prevalent detectedE. coliserovar was O26. High tetracycline and chloramphenicol resistance were recorded; however, gentamycin and ciprofloxacin exhibited the highest sensitivity rates. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) conserved genotypic resistance (tetA andblaCTX-M) and virulence attributes (fimH,stx1,eaeA andompA) ofE. coliisolates were discussed in detail. ThefimH gene revealed 100% sequence similarity when comparing with differentE. coliisolates globally and locally. Finally, a close genetic association ofE. coliwith both wild birds and cattle was detected, thus strengthening its role in the dissemination of the infection via environment. Prevention and conservative policy should be carried asE. coliconstitute enormous significant zoonotic risks to livestock and animal workers. Also, further studies to the whole genome sequencing offimH, other virulence and resistance genes ofE. coliare recommended trying to limit the possibilities of co-infection and transfer among different species.Contribution:The current study recorded updated data about the critical infectious role of wild birds to livestock, including cattle farms in Egypt. It also delivered some recommendations for good hygienic practices in cattle farms which must be implemented for handling animal manure.

Culicoides truuskaeLabuschagne and Meiswinkel sp. n. is described and illustrated in both sexes from material collected in South Africa and Namibia. It is restricted to the xeric western margin of the subcontinent, occurring in Fynbos, Nama-Karoo and Succulent Karoo ecoregions in South Africa and Desert and Savanna ecoregions in Namibia experiencing 600 mm of rainfall annually.Culicoides truuskaesp. n. is part of the Afrotropical 'plain-wing'Culicoidesin which the wing lacks a distinguishing pattern of light and dark spots; the diagnostic dark smudge that traverses wing cell r3 may result inC. truuskaesp. n. being misidentified as the sympatric but phyletically unrelatedCulicoides herero(Enderlein) - (of the Similis group, subgenus Oecacta Poey). Additionally, this study is the first description of the male ofC. herero. C. truuskaesp. n. andCulicoides coarctatusClastrier and Wirth share similar characters in the male genitalia, although the two species are separable on wing pattern and female flagellum sensilla coeloconica (SCo) distribution. The breeding habitat and adult female blood-feeding preferences of C.truuskaesp. n. are not known. A maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree, using mitochondrialcytochrome c oxidaseI (COI) sequence data, is provided to further clarify the relationship betweenC. truuskaesp. n.,C. coarctatusandC. herero. Extensive light trap data, collected over 30 years, are used to map the distribution ranges ofC. truuskaesp. n.,C. coarctatusandC. hereroin Southern Africa.Contribution:The description of this new species and the description of the male ofC. hereroincreases our understanding of the diversity and distribution ofCulicoidesspecies in southern Africa.