Infected Livestock Research Articles

Modeling and analysis of Cystic Echinococcosis epidemic model with health education

<abstract><p>The prevention and control of the spread of Cystic Echinococcosis is an important public health issue. Health education has been supported by many governments because it can increase public awareness of echinococcosis, promote the development of personal hygiene habits, and subsequently reduce the transmission of echinococcosis. In this paper, a dynamic model of echinococcosis is used to integrate all aspects of health education. Theoretical analysis and numerical model fitting were used to quantitatively analysed by the impact of health education on the spread of echinococcosis. Theoretical findings indicate that the basic reproduction number is crucial in determining the prevalence of echinococcosis within a given geographical area. The parameters of the model were estimated and fitted by using data from the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in China, and the sensitivity of the basic reproduction number was analysed by using the partial rank correlation coefficient method. These findings illustrate that all aspects of health education demonstrate a negative correlation with the basic reproduction number, suggesting the effectiveness of health education in reducing the basic reproduction number and mitigating the transmission of echinococcosis, which is consistent with reality. Particularly, the basic reproduction number showed a strong negative correlation with the burial rate of infected livestock ($ b $) and the incidence of infected livestock viscera that is not fed to dogs ($ q $). This paper further analyzes the implementation plan for canine deworming rates and sheep immunity rates, as well as the transmission of infected hosts over time under different parameters $ b $ and $ q $. According to the findings, emphasizing the management of infected livestock in health education has the potential to significantly reduce the risk of echinococcosis transmission. This study will provide scientific support for the creation of higher quality health education initiatives.</p></abstract>

Ponazuril: Clinical efficacy, ultrastructure, and histopathology studies of in vivo anticoccidial action against Eimeria tenella

Ponazuril, a novel antiprotozoal drug in the class of triazine, has shown a promising application on apicomplexan infections in poultry and livestock. However, the effect and mechanism of action of ponazuril against Eimeria tenella (E. tenella) are unclear. The efficacy against E. tenella was initially studied by administering different doses of ponazuril in drinking water. The treated stage and site of ponazuril on E. tenella were observed through ultrastructural and histopathological analyses. Chicks were orally treated with a dose of 15 mg/kg body weight of ponazuril at different endogenous stages of E. tenella post-infection. According to the clinical study, the values of anticoccidial indices (ACI) were 157.0, 162.3, 196.9, 194.5, and 190.9, respectively, when the ponazuril was administered in drinking water at doses of 5, 10, 20, 40, and 50 mg/L for two consecutive days after infection. Among them, the 20 mg/L ponazuril group showed the best anticoccidial effect, which was superior to that of the toltrazuril treatment group, with an ACI value of 191.7. Histological analysis indicated that ponazuril effectively relieved cecal lesions, and decreased the number of merozoites. Transmission electron micrographs (TEM) observed that merozoites became irregular in shape, and some apparent protrusions of the outer membrane were presented especially the second-generation merozoites. Additionally, abnormalities in the development of WFBI and WFBII in the macrogametocyte were observed, which may affect the formation of the ovule wall. Moreover, merozoites in the treated group showed uneven and marginalized chromatin and mitochondrial swelling. These results suggested ponazuril is a potential anticoccidial drug, providing information on the mechanism of anticoccidial effects.

An Integrated Ecological Niche Modelling Framework for Risk Mapping of Peste des Petits Ruminants Virus Exposure in African Buffalo (Syncerus caffer) in the Greater Serengeti-Mara Ecosystem.

Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is a highly contagious viral disease of small ruminants that threatens livelihoods and food security in developing countries and, in some cases, wild ungulate species conservation. The Greater Serengeti-Mara Ecosystem (GSME) encompasses one of the major wildlife populations of PPR virus (PPRV)-susceptible species left on earth, although no clinical disease has been reported so far. This study aimed to gain further knowledge about PPRV circulation in the GSME by identifying which factors predict PPRV seropositivity in African buffalo (Syncerus caffer). Following an ecological niche modeling framework to map host-pathogen distribution, two models of PPRV exposure and buffalo habitat suitability were performed using serological data and buffalo censuses. Western Maasai Mara National Reserve and Western Serengeti National Park were identified as high-risk areas for PPRV exposure in buffalo. Variables related to wildlife-livestock interaction contributed to the higher risk of PPRV seropositivity in buffalo, providing supportive evidence that buffalo acquire the virus through contact with infected livestock. These findings can guide the design of cost-effective PPRV surveillance using buffalo as a sentinel species at the identified high-risk locations. As more intensive studies have been carried out in Eastern GSME, this study highlights the need for investigating PPRV dynamics in Western GSME.

Serological Evidence and Coexposure of Selected Infections among Livestock Slaughtered at Eastern Cape Abattoirs in South Africa

Zoonotic infections were investigated in a cross-sectional study on asymptomatic livestock slaughtered in abattoirs in the Eastern Cape. Antibodies against Brucella spp., Coxiella burnetii, Toxoplasma gondii, and the coexposure were investigated in sera using serological tests. A total of 565 animals comprising of 280 cattle, 200 sheep, and 85 pigs were screened using RBT, iELISA, CFT, and AMOS-PCR. The Mast® Toxoreagent test and iELISA were used for the detection of T. gondii and C. burnetii, respectively. The Brucella positivity based on at least two tests was 4.3% (12/280), 1.0% (2/200), and 0.0% (0/85) in cattle, sheep, and pigs, respectively. Toxoplasma gondii seropositivity of 37.90% (106/280), 1.50% (3/200), and 7.10% (6/85) was observed in cattle, sheep, and pigs, respectively. Coxiella burnetii seropositivity of 26.40% (74/280), 15.00% (30/200), and 2.40% (2/85) was observed in cattle, sheep, and pigs, respectively. Coexposure was detected in cattle for positivity against C. burnetii and T. gondii 40.54%, Brucella spp. and T. gondii 1.35%, and Brucella spp. and C. burnetii 4.05%. Coexposure for Brucella spp., C. burnetii, and T. gondii 4.05% was detected in cattle. Coexposure of Brucella spp. and C. burnetii 6.67% was detected in sheep. The AMOS-PCR identified B. abortus in cattle and a mixed infection of B. abortus and B. melitensis in sheep in 64.71% seropositive samples. To our knowledge, the coexposure of Brucella spp., T. gondii, and C. burnetii in cattle has not been reported. Coexposure of Brucella spp. and C. burnetii in cattle and sheep is significant as it results in reproductive losses and constitutes an infectious risk to humans. The detection of antibodies against multiple zoonotic infections in livestock from abattoirs has implications for public health.

DYNAMICS AND CONTROL OF BRUCELLOSIS IN HUMAN AND LIVESTOCK: PUBLIC HEALTH EDUCATION, TREATMENT AND VACCINATION

Brucellosis is a multifaceted zoonotic infection with vital epidemiological, economic, and global health effect, principally for human and Livestock populations within developing nations. In this paper a dynamic model of livestock-to-human transmission of the disease is developed. Model investigation is carried out to obtain and establish the stability of the equilibrium points. The basic reproduction number is calculated and the conditions under which brucellosis can be cleared in the both populations are established. Then, optimal control approach to establish the required conditions for the optimality of the disease eradication or control are applied. Public health education for humans and vaccination for susceptible livestock and treatment for infected humans and livestock. Numerical simulations show the dynamics of disease transmission and the effect of the control strategies.

Evaluating the UV-C sensitivity of Coxiella burnetii in skim milk using a bench-scale collimated beam system and comparative thermal sensitivity study by high-temperature short-time pasteurization

Introduction:Coxiella burnetii is a zoonotic Gram-negative obligate intracellular bacterial pathogen and the causative agent of query (Q) fever in humans. Contamination of milk by C. burnetii, as a consequence of livestock infection, is a significant public health concern. Effective methods to inactivate C. burnetii in milk are a critical aspect of food safety. Implementation of non-thermal UV-C processing technologies in the dairy industry can effectively preserve the sensory and nutritional quality of raw milk products while ensuring their safety, making them a viable alternative to traditional high-temperature short-time (HTST) pasteurization methods.Methods: Optical light attenuation factors, such as the absorption, scattering, and reflection by skim milk (SM) were evaluated using a spectrophotometer. SM inoculated with an avirulent strain of C. burnetii was irradiated using a collimated beam device equipped with a low-pressure UV-C 254 nm lamp at doses from 0 to 12 mJ/cm2. Optical properties were considered for the evaluation of the delivered UV-C dose. The pasteurization treatment was conducted using a lab scale HTST pasteurizer (72°C/15 s). The verification studies were conducted using Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 inoculated in a phosphate buffer (transparent fluid) and humic acid (opaque fluid). Salmonella enterica serovar Muenchen ATCC BAA 1674 inoculated in SM was tested for its suitability as a surrogate for C. burnetii, a bacterium that requires specialized equipment and expertise for experimentation.Results and Discussion: Absorption, reduced scattering coefficient, and the reflectance of SM at 254 nm were measured as 19 ± 0.3/cm, 26 ± 0.5/cm, and 10.6%, respectively. The UV-C results showed a log-linear inactivation of C. burnetii in SM with the UV-C sensitivity (D10) value of 4.1 ± 0.04 mJ/cm2. The results of HTST pasteurization revealed that C. burnetii was heat-sensitive with a D value of 1.75 min. Salmonella Muenchen showed similar UV inactivation kinetics and is, thereby, suggested as a suitable surrogate to C. burnetii for the pilot-scale UV-C processing studies of SM.

Serological evidence and factors associated with Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever in sheep in Burkina Faso.

Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is caused by an orthonairovirus transmitted by bites from infected ticks or by direct contact with blood or tissues of infected ticks, viraemic patients or viraemic livestock. It was implemented to access the seropositivity and associated factors with CCHF in sheep in two provinces in Burkina Faso. Three hundred and sixty-four sheep sera have been taken from 73 herds in four municipalities and two provinces. The double-antigen sandwich ELISA test was used to test for antibodies against CCHF virus (CCHFV). Data have also been collected using questionnaire to assess factors associated with CCHF seropositivity. Fifty-four (54out to 364 sheep were seropositive given an overall seropositivity of 14.8% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 10.9%-19.8%) with an adjusted seropositivity of 13.1%. The study showed that 15.6% (95% CI: 10.2-21.0) and 14.1% (95% CI: 9.2-19.1) of sheep in the provinces of Mouhoun and Kénédougou, respectively, had antibodies against CCHFV. The highest seropositivity was found in Dédougou municipality (24.4%). The study showed that sheep from the municipalities of Dédougou (AOR=8.4; 95% CI: 2.2-31.8), N'dorola (AOR=14.7; 95% CI: 3.8-56.8), Sindou (AOR=4.9; 95% CI: 1.2-20.7), sheep aged between 27 and 36 months (AOR=6.4; 95% CI: 2.3-17.3) and sheep with ticks (AOR=24.8; 95% CI: 7.7-80.1) were more likely to be seropositive to CCHF. The study revealed that sheep in Burkina Faso experienced contacts with CCHFV and suggests the importance of implementing control action in the country.

Management of diseases in a ruminant livestock production system: a participatory appraisal of the performance of veterinary services delivery, and utilization in Ghana

IntroductionSustainable livestock production remains crucial for attainment of food security globally and for safeguarding the livelihoods of many households in low- and –middle income countries. However, the high prevalence of infectious livestock diseases, coupled with inadequate provision and adoption of effective control measures, leads to reduced livestock productivity, increased animal mortalities, and emergence of antimicrobial resistant pathogens. This study sought to assess the management strategies employed by farmers for priority diseases affecting their animals and the utilization and performance of veterinary services.MethodsWe conducted the study in three districts, namely, Mion, Pru East, and Kwahu Afram Plains South Districts, which represent the main livestock production belts in Ghana. We used questionnaires in surveys, to collect pertinent data from 350 ruminant livestock farmers and 13 professional veterinary officers (VOs) in the study districts. Additionally, we conducted seven focus group discussions (FGDs) with 65 livestock farmers in the study districts. The survey data was analyzed, and we describe the distribution of the priority livestock diseases, the disease management strategies employed, and the performance of veterinary services in Ghana. We also analyzed the raw FGD transcript texts deductively based on the study objectives. To validate findings across the different datasets, we used triangulation.ResultsAlmost all the farmers (98%) reared small ruminants, with about 25% also rearing cattle. The main priority livestock diseases identified includes pestes-des-petits-ruminants and mange infection in sheep and goats, as well as contagious bovine pleuropneumonia and foot-and-mouth-disease in cattle. We found that majority (82%) of the farmers relied on treatment, while only 20% opted for vaccination services. Additionally, the veterinary system in Ghana did not adequately regulate the antimicrobial medications employed by farmers to manage diseases. Thus, in most of the cases, the medicines applied by farmers were not useful for the target diseases. Although our findings show the farmers perceived VOs to perform highly compared to informal providers on most of the attributes evaluated including medicine availability and quality, treatment effectiveness, advisory services, service affordability, and competence, only 33% utilized VOs services. The majority of the farmers (51%) used the services of informal providers, who were better in proximity and popularity with farmers.ConclusionsThe livestock sector in Ghana faces a substantial challenge due primarily to vaccine-preventable diseases. Even though VOs demonstrated superior performance on key veterinary service performance indicators, their services are underutilized by livestock farmers. Additionally, the absence of regulatory oversight by the veterinary system over antimicrobials utilized in animal production contributes to their misapplication by livestock farmers, posing a considerable risk to both public health and food security. It is thus imperative to introduce new initiatives that enhance the uptake of animal vaccines and better antimicrobial stewardship to ensure sustainable livestock production.

Participatory survey of risk factors and pathways for Rift Valley fever in pastoral and agropastoral communities of Uganda

To assess pastoralists’ and agropastoralists’ knowledge on Rift Valley fever (RVF), participatory epidemiological studies were conducted with 215 livestock keepers and 27 key informants in Napak, Butebo, Isingiro and Lyantonde districts, Uganda, between January and February 2022. Livestock keepers in all four districts had knowledge of RVF and even had local names or descriptions for it. Pastoralists and agropastoralists possessed valuable knowledge of RVF clinical descriptions and epidemiological risk factors such as the presence of infected mosquitoes, living in flood-prone areas, and excessive rainfall. RVF was ranked among the top ten most important cattle diseases. Pastoralists called RVF Lonyang, symbolizing a disease associated with jaundice, high fever, abortions in pregnant cows, and sudden death in calves. Key informants identified infected domestic animals, the presence of infected mosquitoes, livestock movement and trade, and infected wild animals as risk pathways for the introduction of RVF into an area. Drinking raw blood and milk was perceived as the most likely pathway for human exposure to RVF virus; while the highest consequence was high treatment costs. The results indicate that pastoralists provided key epidemiological information that could be essential for designing an effective national RVF surveillance and early warning system.

Guardians of the Herd: Molecular Surveillance of Tick Vectors Uncovers Theileriosis Perils in Large Ruminants.

Theileria sp. (Piroplasmida: Theileriidae) is one of the most widely known infections transmitted by hard ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) and has been linked to significant economic losses across the globe. The study's main emphasis was theileriosis, a disease that is common in Pakistan and has an incidence ranging from 0.6% to 33%. Through DNA screening of the vector ticks and host blood, this study sought to determine the risk of tick-borne theileriosis in populations of buffalos (Bubalus bubalis) and cattle (Bos indicus) in Toba Tek Singh district of Punjab, Pakistan. Identified tick species include Hyalomma anatolicum (35.4%), Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus (30.2%), and R. sanguineus (25%). Tick specimens were collected from animals and their respective microenvironments. PCR assays targeting Theileria annulata were used to investigate the infection in the DNA extracted from the collected blood samples from large ruminants and salivary glands (SGs) of the Hyalomma ticks. The 18S rRNA of T. annulata was amplified using specific primers. Positive T. annulata amplicons were sequenced and verified using BLAST analysis. Overall, 50% of SGs contained T. annulate DNA. Female ticks, and those collected from cattle and from riverine environments had significantly higher (p < 0.05) rates of Theileria infection in their acini. Overall prevalence of Theileria infection was 35.9% in blood collected from large ruminants. Cattle had a substantially greater frequency of bovine theileriosis (43.2%) than buffalos (28.7%). Age and sex of large ruminants were significantly positively associated (p < 0.05) with Theileria infection. Furthermore, compared to non-riverine cattle (35%) and buffalo (19.5%), riverine cattle (52.2%) and buffalo (36.2%) showed a considerably higher prevalence. The results of this study, which is the first in Pakistan to examine the blood of large ruminants and vectorial function of Ixodid ticks in the transmission of T. annulata along with associated risk factors, offer an important insight for risk assessment of Theileria infection in livestock using vectorial infectivity.

In silico prediction of interaction between Nipah virus attachment glycoprotein and host cell receptors Ephrin-B2 and Ephrin-B3 in domestic and peridomestic mammals

Nipah virus (NiV) is a lethal bat-borne zoonotic virus that causes mild to acute respiratory distress and neurological manifestations in humans with a high mortality rate. NiV transmission to humans occurs via consumption of bat-contaminated fruit and date palm sap (DPS), or through direct contact with infected individuals and livestock. Since NiV outbreaks were first reported in pigs from Malaysia and Singapore, non-neutralizing antibodies against NiV attachment Glycoprotein (G) have also been detected in a few domestic mammals. NiV infection is initiated after NiV G binds to the host cell receptors Ephrin-B2 and Ephrin-B3. In this study, we assessed the degree of NiV host tropism in domestic and peridomestic mammals commonly found in Bangladesh that may be crucial in the transmission of NiV by serving as intermediate hosts. We carried out a protein-protein docking analysis of NiV G complexes (n = 52) with Ephrin-B2 and B3 of 13 domestic and peridomestic species using bioinformatics tools. Protein models were generated by homology modelling and the structures were validated for model quality. The different protein-protein complexes in this study were stable, and their binding affinity (ΔG) scores ranged between −8.0 to −19.1 kcal/mol. NiV Bangladesh (NiV-B) strain displayed stronger binding to Ephrin receptors, especially with Ephrin-B3 than the NiV Malaysia (NiV-M) strain, correlating with the observed higher pathogenicity of NiV-B strains. From the docking result, we found that Ephrin receptors of domestic rat (R. norvegicus) had a higher binding affinity for NiV G, suggesting greater susceptibility to NiV infections compared to other study species. Investigations for NiV exposure to domestic/peridomestic animals will help us knowing more the possible role of rats and other animals as intermediate hosts of NiV and would improve future NiV outbreak control and prevention in humans and domestic animals.

Sero-Prevalence, Epidemiology, and Public Health Significance of Small Ruminant Brucellosis

Brucellosis is a widespread zoonosis mainly transmitted from cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, and camels through direct contact with blood, placenta fetuses, or uterine secretion or through consumption of the contaminated raw animal product (especially unpasteurized milk and soft cheeses) in endemic areas. Therefore, the objective of this paper are to explain the Current Epidemiological Aspects of Brucellosis and the Importance of Small ruminant Brucellosis for Public Health and briefly illustrate the Economic Importance of Small ruminant Brucellosis. Sources of infection include aborted fetuses, fetal membranes, vaginal discharges and milk from infected sheep and goat. Brucellosis is caused by facultative, intracellular and Gram- negative bacteria called Brucella. Small ruminant brucellosis is caused by B. ovis (for sheep) and B. melitensis (mainly for goats), the latter one is the most virulent species of the Brucella genus. The disease in naturally infected sheep and goats is characterized by abortion in the last trimester of pregnancy, stillbirth and birth of weak offspring in females, and acute orchitis and epididymitis in males. Brucellosis occurs worldwide in domestic animals such as cattle, sheep, goats, camels and pigs and creates a high economic problem for both the intensive and extensive livestock production system in the tropics and a threat to public health. Diagnostic tests fall into two categories: those that demonstrate the presence of the organisms and those that detect an immune response to its antigens. As a general rule, treatment of infected livestock is not attempted because of the high treatment failure rate, cost, and potential problems related to maintaining infected animals in the face of ongoing eradication programs. To control the disease in human, prevention of the disease in reservoir host is important, so test and slaughter followed by proper disposal of seropositive animals to decrease the incidence of infection and effective vaccination and hygienic practices would reduce the disease spreading in/from endemic regions and to lessen the economic and zoonotic effects of brucellosis, the government, public health officials, and veterinarians must collaborate.

Differential Correlation of Transcriptome Data Reveals Gene Pairs and Pathways Involved in Treatment of Citrobacter rodentium Infection with Bioactive Punicalagin

This study is part of the work investigating bioactive fruit enzymes as sustainable alternatives to parasite anthelmintics that can help reverse the trend of lost efficacy. The study looked to define biological and molecular interactions that demonstrate the ability of the pomegranate extract punicalagin against intracellular parasites. The study compared transcriptomic reads of two distinct conditions. Condition A was treated with punicalagin (PA) and challenged with Citrobacter rodentium, while condition B (CM) consisted of a group that was challenged and given mock treatment of PBS. To understand the effect of punicalagin on transcriptomic changes between conditions, a differential correlation analysis was conducted. The analysis examined the regulatory connections of genes expressed between different treatment conditions by statistically querying the relationship between correlated gene pairs and modules in differing conditions. The results indicated that punicalagin treatment had strong positive correlations with the over-enriched gene ontology (GO) terms related to oxidoreductase activity and lipid metabolism. However, the GO terms for immune and cytokine responses were strongly correlated with no punicalagin treatment. The results matched previous studies that showed punicalagin to have potent antioxidant and antiparasitic effects when used to treat parasitic infections in mice and livestock. Overall, the results indicated that punicalagin enhanced the effect of tissue-resident genes.

The increasing threat of Rift Valley fever virus globalization: strategic guidance for protection and preparation.

Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) (Bunyavirales: Phlebovirus) is a prominent vector-borne zoonotic disease threat to global agriculture and public health. Risks of introduction into nonendemic regions are tied to changing climate regimes and other dynamic environmental factors that are becoming more prevalent, as well as virus evolutionary factors and human/animal movement. Endemic to the African continent, RVFV has caused large epizootics at the decadal scale since the early 20th century but has spread to the Arabian Peninsula and shows increasing patterns of interepizootic transmission on the annual scale. This virus can be transmitted by mosquitoes as well as through direct contact with infected tissues and can cause sporadic to widespread morbidity and mortality in domestic ungulate livestock as well as humans. High viremias in infected livestock moved for legal and illegal trade as well as in infected mosquitoes or human travelers can spread this virus worldwide. With increasing global commerce, it is likely RVFV will be introduced to new areas with suitable hosts, mosquito vector species, and environments. However, the strong mosquito component of RVFV epidemiology combined with advancements in vaccines, diagnostics, and virus evolutionary factors create opportunities for strategies to leverage models of connectivity among potential source and emerging regions to target surveillance and mitigation activities to reduce the risk of RVFV introduction, or contain the virus should it be introduced, into new regions.

Overview Leptospirosis in Agricultural: Literature Review

The spread of leptospirosis worldwide shows a high incidence rate. The disease is transmitted through the urine of animals infected with leptospira bacteria. Factors that can affect the incidence of leptospirosis are gender, age, uncovered food storage, the presence of rats, the presence of pets and contact with standing water. The writing method used is literature review. The literature search used Google Scholar, PubMed, and ScienceDirect databases with the period 2019-2023. The results of a review of 10 national and international journal articles show that leptospirosis has considerable potential for farmers because the spread occurs directly through blood or urine containing germs into the human body, and indirect transmission can occur through stagnant water, rivers, lakes, drains, and mud contaminated by animal urine. The harmful effects of spreading leptospirosis in an agricultural environment can lead to infection in humans and livestock. Early symptoms in humans include fever, headache, and nausea. If not treated promptly, the disease can progress to a more serious and potentially life-threatening condition. Therefore, the role of nurses in monitoring the health of farm animals and educating farmers on preventive measures is crucial in maintaining animal health and keeping the agricultural sector sustainable.

CRISPR-Cas12a test strip (CRISPR/CAST) package: In-situ detection of Brucella from infected livestock

BackgroundBrucellosis is a common zoonotic disease caused by Brucella, which causes enormous economic losses and public burden to epidemic areas. Early and precise diagnosis and timely culling of infected animals are crucial to prevent the infection and spread of Brucella. In recent years, RNA-guided CRISPR/Cas12a(Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats and its associated protein 12a) nucleases have shown great promise in nucleic acid detection. This research aims to develop a CRISPR/CAST (CRISPR/Cas12a Test strip) package that can rapidly detect Brucella nucleic acid during on-site screening, especially on remote family pastures. The CRISPR/Cas12a system combined with recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA), and lateral flow read-out.ResultsWe selected the conserved gene bp26, which commonly used in Brucella infection detection and compared on Genbank with other Brucella species. The genomes of Brucella abortus 2308, Brucella suis S2, Brucella melitansis 16 M, and Brucella suis 1330, et al. were aligned, and the sequences were found to be consistent. Therefore, the experiments were only performed on B. melitensis. With the CRISPR/CAST package, the assay of Brucella nucleic acid can be completed within 30 min under isothermal temperature conditions, with a sensitivity of 10 copies/μl. Additionally, no antigen cross-reaction was observed against Yersinia enterocolitica O:9, Escherichia coli O157, Salmonella enterica serovar Urbana O:30, and Francisella tularensis. The serum samples of 398 sheep and 100 cattle were tested by the CRISPR/CAST package, of which 31 sheep and 8 cattle were Brucella DNA positive. The detection rate was consistent with the qPCR results and higher than that of the Rose Bengal Test (RBT, 19 sheep and 5 cattle were serum positive).ConclusionsThe CRISPR/CAST package can accurately detect Brucella DNA in infected livestock within 30 min and exhibits several advantages, including simplicity, speed, high sensitivity, and strong specificity with no window period. In addition, no expensive equipment, standard laboratory, or professional operators are needed for the package. It is an effective tool for screening in the field and obtaining early, rapid diagnoses of Brucella infection. The package is an efficient tool for preventing and controlling epidemics.

Analysis of Livestock Mobility and Implications for the Risk of Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus Spread in Iran

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is endemic in Iran and associated with a large impact on the livestock industry. Livestock mobility is recognized as one of the most important risk factors for FMD and other infectious livestock diseases’ introduction and dissemination. The description of temporal and spatial aspects of livestock mobility networks in Iran provides insights into FMD epidemiology. It also assists in the formulation of recommendations to mitigate the risk of animal disease transmission through livestock movements. This study is the first spatiotemporal description of official/registered cattle, sheep, goat, and camel movements in Iran, using records related to the period from March 2020 to August 2021 extracted from the Iran Veterinary Organization (IVO) Quarantine system. It shows that the static networks drawn by the movements of small ruminants, cattle, and camels to farms or slaughterhouses are complex and highlights the predominance of a few provinces and towns. In particular, the results show that Razavi Khorasan and West Azerbaijan provinces, major provinces for the Iranian livestock sector, are provinces where significant volumes of small ruminants and cattle are moved (from, to, or within) and, therefore, should be prioritized for targeted and timely risk reduction interventions. This study produces some of the necessary inputs for the risk assessment of FMD and similar transboundary animal diseases (TADs) spread within Iran, which is needed to regularly update the national risk-based control strategy for FMD and other TADs.

Determination of antimicrobial resistance profile of Salmonella enteritidis isolated from chicken and human in Indonesia

Salmonella enteritidis, a foodborne pathogen, can be transmitted to humans through direct contact with infected livestock or consumption of contaminated chicken food. The excessive use of antibiotic in both animals and humans can lead to the development of antimicrobial resistance in bacteria. The profile of antibiotic resistance was identified by this study. A total of 52 S. enteritidis isolates were tested for antibiotic susceptibility in the Research Center for Veterinary Science of the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN). These isolates were obtained from various source, including chickens (41 isolates), feed (2 isolates) farm water (2 isolates), and humans (7 isolates). The Antimicrobial Sensitivity Test (AST)was performed using the agar diffusion technique (Kirby-Bauer method). The results revealed that S. enteritidis exhibited resistance to 11 antibiotics. The highest resistance rates were observed for Colistine sulphate (75%), Meropenem (67.31%), and Nalidixic acid (67.31%). Other antibiotics to which resistance was observed included Cefotaxime (65.38%), Ampicillin (61.54%), Ceftazidime (50%), Streptomycin (26.92%), Gentamycin (15.38%), Tetracycline (9.62%), Chloramphenicol (5.77%), and Ciprofloxacin (1,92%). It was found that the S. enteritidis isolates were multi-drug resistant, with 73,08% of the isolates showing resistance to 1-5 antibiotics, and 26,92% displaying resistance to 6-10 antibiotics. These findings indicate that the local isolates of S. enteritidis obtained from chickens and humans in this study exhibited resistance to the tested antibiotics, potentially attributed to antibiotic therapy or the spread of resistant strains.

Farmers' valuation and willingness to pay for vaccines to protect livestock resources against priority infectious diseases in Ghana.

Livestock vaccination coverage rates remain low in many lower and middle income countries despite effective vaccines being commonly available. Consequently, many preventable infectious livestock diseases remain highly prevalent, causing significant animal mortalities and threatening farmers' livelihood and food security. This study sought to assess farmers' maximum willingness to pay (WTP) for contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP), and peste-des-petits-ruminants (PPR) vaccination of cattle, and sheep and goats, respectively. Overall, 350 ruminant livestock farmers were randomly selected from three districts located in the northern, middle and southern farming belts of Ghana. We implemented a double-bounded dichotomous contingent valuation experiment, where farmers indicated their WTP for vaccinating each livestock specie(s) owned at randomly assigned price points. WTP responses were analyzed using maximum likelihood estimation, and factors influencing WTP were assessed using censored regression analysis accounting for village-level clustering. Mean WTP for CBPP vaccination was USD 1.43 or Ghanaian Cedi (GHC) 8.63 (95% CI: GHC 7.08-GHC 10.19) per cattle. Mean WTP for PPR vaccination was USD 1.17 or GHC 7.02 (95% CI: GHC 5.99-GHC 8.05) per sheep, and USD 1.1 or GHC 6.66 (95% CI: GHC 5.89-GHC 7.44) per goat. WTP was positively associated with resilience, limited knowledge about vaccines (assessed prior to WTP experiment), farmland size, and male gender, after adjusting for other covariates. To attain 70% vaccination coverage in Ghana, vaccination costs should be no larger than GHC 5.30 (USD 0.88) for CBPP per cattle and GHC 3.89 (USD 0.65) and GHC 3.67 (USD 0.61), respectively, for PPR vaccines per sheep and goat. Ruminant livestock farmers in Ghana value vaccination highly, and are, on average, willing to pay vaccination costs that exceed the prevailing market prices (GHC 6 for CBPP and GHC 5 for PPR vaccination) to protect their livestock resources. To achieve 70% coverage, only minor subsidies would likely be required. These results suggest that effective disease control in these settings should be possible with appropriate distribution strategies.

Incorporating heterogeneity in farmer disease control behaviour into a livestock disease transmission model.

Human behaviour is critical to effective responses to livestock disease outbreaks, especially with respect to vaccination uptake. Traditionally, mathematical models used to inform this behaviour have not taken heterogeneity in farmer behaviour into account. We address this by exploring how heterogeneity in farmers vaccination behaviour can be incorporated to inform mathematical models. We developed and used a graphical user interface to elicit farmers (n=60) vaccination decisions to an unfolding fast-spreading epidemic and linked this to their psychosocial and behavioural profiles. We identified, via cluster analysis, robust patterns of heterogeneity in vaccination behaviour. By incorporating these vaccination behavioural groupings into a mathematical model for a fast-spreading livestock infection, using computational simulation we explored how the inclusion of heterogeneity in farmer disease control behaviour may impact epidemiological and economic focused outcomes. When assuming homogeneity in farmer behaviour versus configurations informed by the psychosocial profile cluster estimates, the modelled scenarios revealed a disconnect in projected distributions and threshold statistics across outbreak size, outbreak duration and economic metrics.