Stray Cattle Research Articles

Rice Fallow Pulses for Agricultural Potential for South Asian Region

Rice fallows refer to lowland areas where rice is cultivated during the monsoon (kharif season) is left unplanted during the winter season (rabi) due to various factors. These include the early cessation of monsoon rains which resulted in soil moisture stress during winter season; waterlogging and excessive moisture in November/December, led to unsuitable for winter crops; the absence of suitable varieties for late planting at winter season and socio-economic issues such as damage by stray cattle or blue bulls. India accounts for a significant majority of about 79% of South Asia's total rice fallows which amount to 11.65 million hectares out of the region's total of 15.0 million hectares. The review assess the scenario of rice fallow pulses, production technologies and its constraints in the present trend.

Evaluation of Immune Exhaustion and Co-Inhibitory Receptor Expression in Mycobacterium avium Subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) Seropositive Diarrhoeic Bovines.

Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) infection leads to chronic, persistent granulomatous enteritis, causing prolonged diarrhoea and emaciation. The disease is managed using medications such as antibiotics, live vaccines, mycobacteriophage therapies and other treatments; however, a notable proportion of affected animals do not show improvement with this approach. We hypothesise that immunoinhibitory receptors TIM-3 (T cell immunoglobulin mucin protein-3) and PD-1 (Programmed death receptor 1) may be upregulated on Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of MAP-seropositive bovines, potentially contributing to immune exhaustion. Samples (blood and faeces) were collected from 32 diarrhoeic bovines suspected of MAP infection; eight apparently healthy buffaloes from the dairy farm at Hisar, Haryana and from 14 cows (suffering from chronic diarrhoea, weakness and emaciation) housed in stray cattle shed. MAP infection was estimated using indigenous ELISA (i-ELISA), faecal IS900 PCR, culture and acid-fast staining. TIM-3 and PD-1 gene expression on PBMCs were determined using qRT-PCR. TIM3 expression was relatively higher (~400-fold, 330-fold, 112-fold, 65-fold and 16-fold) in 5 chronically diarrhoeic PBMCs samples (MAP-seropositive), and higher PD-1 expression (around ~7-fold, 1.75-fold, 2.5-fold, 7.6-fold) was recorded in 4 diarrhoeic MAP-seropositive animals, compared to apparently healthy and other MAP-seronegative diarrhoeic animals. High co-expression of TIM-3 and PD-1 levels was also recorded in chronically diarrhoeic, emaciated stray cattle. Understanding immune responses in field conditions might aid in the therapeutic management of paratuberculosis.

An assessment of factors affecting productivity and production limitations of wheat farming in Kanchanpur district of Nepal

Despite possessing considerable prospective for wheat cultivation, productivity in Kanchanpur remains lower compared to that of neighboring districts like Kailali, Banke, Kapilbastu, and Rupendehi which share similar meteorological conditions. The primary objective of this study is to investigate the influential variables affecting wheat production and to determine the associated challenges inherent in wheat cultivation within the area of the Kanchanpur district. Given the substantial prospects for wheat farming in this geographic region, the Kanchanpur district was purposively selected, and research was conducted during March and April of 2022. Through a simple random sampling technique, one hundred households of wheat farmers were systematically chosen. Primary data were collected through the utilization of pre-tested semi-structured questionnaires administered via face-to-face interviews, while secondary data were sourced from pertinent journals. The factors influencing wheat production were determined through the application of a multiple regression model. The findings of this research underscore that variables such as the quantity of applied NPK (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium), the educational level of the household head, the extent of wheat-cultivated land with irrigation facilities, and the farmers' years of experience in the field exerted a significant positive influence on wheat production in the study area. To identify the major constraints in wheat production, an indexing method was applied. The research identifies the unavailability of chemical fertilizer during critical growth periods, challenges arising from damage caused by wild animals and stray cattle, the lack of access to improved seeds and irrigation, susceptibility to diseases and pests, and inadequate market access as a major constraint affecting wheat production in the research area.

Prevalence of Brucella species in stray cattle, dogs and cats: A systematic review.

Stray animals are unowned free roaming, homeless, abandoned, street or sheltered animals, particularly dogs, cats and cattle. They could act as carrier of several zoonotic pathogens such as rabies virus, Mycobacterium and Brucella species. However, comprehensive information on the prevalence of zoonotic pathogens in stray animals is very limited. We conducted a systematic review as per Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 guidelines to estimate the prevalence of brucellosis in stray dogs, cats and cattle. Eligibility criteria for the study were determined using the PECOS classification (population, exposure, comparison, outcome, study design) as a tool to guide the research and adjust the search strategy. Major bibliographic databases [Web of Science, Medline, Scopus, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar and PubMed] were searched using predefined keywords for published epidemiological studies on brucellosis in stray animals (dogs, cats and cattle). Systematic assessments of all the studies since 1990-2022 were conducted and those reporting the prevalence of brucellosis in stray dogs, cats and cattle using appropriate diagnostic tests (culture, molecular, serological) were included. Studies reporting prevalence of brucellosis (Brucella infection or exposure) in kennel dogs, dairy herds, livestock farms, humans or marine species were excluded. The apparent individual test- wise prevalence along with 95% confidence intervals (CI) was estimated using Epitools. Out of 2689 studies, 37 met the inclusion criteria and were included in the systematic review. Of 37 studies, 28 (75.7%) were conducted in stray dogs, 7 (18.9%) in cattle and 2 (5.4%) in cats. Furthermore, only 21.62% studies (8/37) used probabilistic random sampling approaches and 13.51% studies (5/37) explained and justified the study sample size using appropriate methods for estimation of disease prevalence in the study populations. Higher sero-prevalence in stray dogs has been reported in studies conducted in Jordan (38.0% (95% CI: 24.0-54.0) and Pakistan (38.0% (95% CI: 31.0-45.0) whereas no sero-positivity was recorded in the studies conducted in Brazil, North Colombia, Cyprus, South Korea and USA. All studies on brucellosis (n=7) in stray cattle were from India; conducted in stray cattle reared in cow-shelters. Sero-prevalence in the range of 4.3%-64.3% was reported in stray cattle. Differences in diagnostic tests and host species, as well as limited number and non-randomized studies and high statistical heterogeneity did not allow us to determine combined meta-analysed prevalence estimates. Stray animals are likely to pose a zoonotic and disease spillover risk to human and livestock populations.

Prevalence and risk factor investigation for exposure to Brucella species in surrogate stray cattle population reared in cow shelters in Punjab, India.

Bovine brucellosis is endemic in cattle in India, however not much is known on the prevalence of this disease in stray cattle populations of the country. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence and identify risk factors associated with brucellosis in the stray cattle populations reared in cow shelters (gaushalas) of Punjab, India. Blood samples were collected from 587 cattle reared in 23 cow shelters in 23 districts (one per district) of the Punjab and were tested using Rose Bengal plate test (RBPT), standard tube agglutination test (STAT) and Indirect Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (i-ELISA). Information on the sex and breed of the animal, total cattle population and presence of a separate shed for parturition were collected. An animal was considered exposed to Brucella infection based on a positive RBPT or STAT test and a positive i-ELISA test. Explanatory variables for the animal level disease status outcome variable were sex and breed of the animal and at the shelter level were shelter cattle population size and presence of a separate shed for parturition. Univariable binomial exact logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess the association of each explanatory variable with the binary outcome variable. Sixty-two animals were seropositive on RBPT, with an apparent seroprevalence of 10.56% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 8.33%, 13.31%) and the estimated true seroprevalence of 11.48% (95% CI: 8.9%, 14.64%). Sixty three animals were seropositive using STAT [apparent seroprevalence of 10.73% (95% CI: 8.48%, 13.50%) and the estimated true seroprevalence of 10.69% (95% CI: 8.27%, 13.67%)], and 68 using i-ELISA [an apparent seroprevalence of 11.58% (95% CI: 9.24%, 14.43%) and the estimated true seroprevalence of 13.28% (95% CI: 10.50%, 16.66%)]. Cross bred cattle had a lower risk of being test positive (odds ratio 0.16, p=0.04) as compared to indigenous cattle. Due to a ban on cow slaughter in the country, roaming stray cattle infected with brucellosis present a permanent risk of introduction of disease to the dairy farms and other vulnerable populations.

Efficacy of Management Strategies against Animal Menace in District Una, Himachal Pradesh, India

In India also, problems of wild and stray animal damage to crops has emerged as an important management issue. Crop-raiding by locally overabundant populations of wildlife has been reported in many parts of the country. Field surveys revealed that about 30-40% of the crop is damaged by wild/stray animals. A study was conducted to ascertain the causes and efficacy of the management strategies being adopted to mitigate the animal menace in the foothills of Shiwaliks of North-Western Himalayas locally known as Kandi region in Himachal Pradesh. It was observed that neelgai is the dominant species in the area adjacent to the forests and stray cattle in other areas away from the forests. Over-exploitation of the forest resources by humans, reduction in population of carnivores, Lantana infestation in the forests and abandoning of unproductive domestic cattle were the main factors responsible for the enhanced animal menace. Among the management strategies adopted fencing was quite effective in curbing the animal menace. Most of the management strategies adopted were location as well as species specific and no single approach was able to curb the animal menace completely.

Quality Circle Approach Equipped with AI to Solve the Issue of Stray Cattle Detection and Identification in Small Cities to Avoid Accidents

The quality circle (QC) approach through its various problem identification tools has got the fame by solving several issues in Industries as well as in-service sectors. The present paper is focused on the issue of stray cattle roaming here and there and contributing to scattered trash, fatal accidents, and road blockings in various cities of India. To understand and identify the actual reasons this work is carried out and solutions have been proposed for a small town of Haryana. The quality circle was established with an aim to sort out the issue only with all the available resources like CCTV cameras, GOSHALAS, and social workers. The authors adopted a qualitative approach with a micro-level study for a small town. The quality circle approach equipped with Artificial Intelligence has been chosen to sort out the Stray cattle detection and identification issue to resolve the problem of scattered trash, fatal accidents, road blockings, and saving valuable lives of humans and animals. Keywords - Quality Circle, Artificial Intelligence, Stray Cattle detection, and recognition.

Adoption of Animal Welfare Practices by Selected Gaushalas (Cow-Shelters) in the State of Karnataka, India

Gaushalas serve a crucial role in protecting our nation's livestock wealth. Its primary function is to provide shelter for cows, mainly for non-lactating, frail, unproductive, and stray cattle. Forty gaushalas were chosen at random from the eighty registered gaushalas in the state of Karnataka for this study. On the basis of herd size, the forty selected gaushalas were categorized as small (12), medium (18), and large (10) gaushalas. Animal welfare is currently a global issue that is receiving increasing attention. With this in mind, the present study was conducted to determine the degree to which gaushalas have adopted animal welfare measures. Sixty percent of large sized gaushalas belonged to high adopter categories, fifty-six percent of medium sized gaushalas belonged to medium adopter categories, and fifty percent of small sized gaushalas belonged to low adopter categories in terms of adoption of overall animal welfare practices. However, it was also observed that a lack of funds, inadequate financial assistance from governments, inadequate fodder availability, inadequate access to technical services, inadequate infrastructure facilities and poor management were perceived as impediments to the adoption of animal welfare practices in gaushalas.

Serological Analysis of IgG and IgM Antibodies against Anaplasma spp. in Various Animal Species of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.

Simple SummaryTick-borne pathogens are considered emergent because they cause several tick-borne diseases that threaten the health of humans and animals during tick feeding, including anaplasmosis, which is caused by Anaplasma spp. However, information on the carrier animals for Anaplasma spp. antibodies in the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau Area is limited, and current data on the serodetection of anaplasmosis in plateau areas around the world are needed. Indirect ELISA and competitive ELISA are reliable serological tests that have been developed for the detection of Anaplasma infections in animals. Moreover, major surface protein 5 is a highly conserved surface protein of the Anaplasma genus that has proven effective as a diagnostic antigen and has been used in the serodetection of Anaplasma species infection in various animals with a high level of sensitivity. Hence, in this study, an rMSP5-ELISA was performed to analyze Anaplasma spp. IgG and IgM antibodies in potential carrier animals in the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau Area. The results not only show the positive rate of IgG and IgM antibodies in the study animals but also indicate that there is a threat of tick biting and zoonotic pathogen infection in the vicinity of human activities in the tested areas. Our study should have major importance for identifying animals with Anaplasma spp. infection in the plateau area.Anaplasma genus infects the blood cells of humans and animals by biting, causing zoonotic anaplasmosis. However, limited data are available on carrier animals for Anaplasma spp. antibodies in the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau Area. Therefore, a serological indirect ELISA diagnostic method based on the major surface protein 5 (MSP5), derived from Anaplasma phagocytophilum, was developed in this study to analyze both IgG and IgM antibodies of Anaplasma spp. in a total of 3952 animals from the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau, including yaks (Bos grunniens), cows (Bos taurus), cattle (Bos taurus domesticus), Tibetan sheep (Ovis aries), horses (Equus ferus caballus), pigs (Sus domesticus), chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus), donkeys (Equus asinus), stray dogs (Canis sp.), and stray cats (Felis sp.). The results showed that recombinant MSP5 protein was expressed and was successfully used to establish the indirect ELISA methods. The overall positivity for Anaplasma IgG and IgM antibodies was 14.6% (578/3952) and 7.9% (312/3952), respectively, and a total of 123 animals (3.1%) were both IgG- and IgM-positive. Moreover, the most prevalent Anaplasma IgG positivity was exhibited by donkeys (82.5%), followed by stray dogs, Tibetan sheep, pigs, chickens, horses, yaks, cows, cattle, and stray cats. The analysis for IgM antibody positivity revealed that IgM positivity was the most prevalent in the stray dogs (30.1%), followed by horses, yaks, Tibetan sheep, cows, stray cats, and cattle. Moreover, the results revealed significant differences (p < 0.05) at different altitudes in Anaplasma-specific IgG in the yaks, Tibetan sheep, and horses, and in IgM in the yaks and Tibetan sheep. In conclusion, this study is the first to demonstrate that yaks, cows, cattle, Tibetan sheep, horses, donkeys, stray dogs, stray cats, pigs, and chickens living in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau are carrier animals for Anaplasma spp. IgG or IgM antibodies. The current findings provide valuable current data on the seroepidemiology of anaplasmosis in China and for plateau areas of the world.

‘Crop Raiding’: Farmers’ Perspectives in Shiwalik Hills of North-Western Himalayas, India

A study was conducted to ascertain the causes and possible strategies to mitigate the problems of human–animal conflicts in the foothills of the Shiwaliks of the North-Western Himalayas, known as the Kandi region in the Punjab state of India. The main causes of ‘crop raiding’ were a reduction in grazing areas due to the impacts of deforestation, and reduced numbers of predatory carnivores, lantana infestation in the forests and the overexploitation of the forests for wild fruits. It was observed that neelgai and wild boars are the dominant species in the areas adjoining forests, while and stray cattle are dominant in areas outside forests. Traditional methods being adopted by the farmers for curbing these problems were not effective against most of these species. Classifying some animals as vermin, sterilizing monkeys, payment of compensation to affected farmers, strict implementation of wildlife laws and lantana eradication were suggested as the possible strategies for minimizing losses due to crop raiding.

Transformative Role of Gaushalas in Conversion of Waste to Wealth: A Way Forward to Curb the Stray Cattle Menace

Transformative Role of Gaushalas in Conversion of Waste to Wealth: A Way Forward to Curb the Stray Cattle Menace

Addressing stray animal population through alteration of sex ratio

Livestock plays a significant role in rural economy and livelihood by providing milk, meat, hide, drought power, etc. India’s livestock sector is one of the largest in the world with a holding of 11.6% of world livestock population. But due to economic reasons, dairy farmers have a strong preference for female calves for milk production and hence there is a very limited demand for male calves. Apart from that, there are several other reasons such as negligence of the indigenous populations and excessive focus on crossbreeding in the past few decades, increased mechanisation and the national policy to ban on cow slaughter have further added to the problem. In the common parlance, stray cattle include low-yield cows, bulls or calves that are abandoned and free to roam about in the open during the daytime because they are unproductive and creating traffic nuisance in cities, they also attack crops in villages. Therefore, techniques for gender selection and skewing of sex ratio towards female are demand of the hour. Flow cytometric sorting of spermatozoa is one of the best approaches to select the sexed semen for desire sex of calf, but its cost and patented technology is a definite disadvantage of this technology. In the present review, we will discuss in detail about the techniques available for skewing of sex ratio to address the stay animal population.

Prevalence and burden of gastrointestinal parasites in stray cattle of the Kathmandu Valley.

Gastrointestinal parasites (GIPs) are common among cattle resulting severe infection. Prevalence of GIPs in stray street cattle may pose risk of dissemination of parasites of zoonotic importance. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of GIPs in stray cattle of the Kathmandu valley. One hundred (n = 100) freshly voided dung samples were collected from eight sites. The samples were processed using the concentration method for microscopic examination, and modified McMaster technique for quantification of mean eggs/oocysts per gram of feces (EPG/OPG). Results revealed that 72% of the cattle were found positive for one or more species of GIPs and nine genera of GIPs were recorded (Eimeria, Ostertagia, Haemonchus, Trichostrongylus, Capillaria, Trichuris, Toxocara, Fasciolaand Paramphistomum). The prevalence of parasitic infection was higher in males (73.68%) than in females (69.76%). The prevalence was found to be highest in adults (63.89%) followed by heifers or steers (27.78%) and calves (8.33%). Approximately, 76% of the cross breed and 65% of the local breed of cattle were positive for parasitic infection. The parasites differed both in prevalence and intensity. Eimeria sp. was the most prevalent (27%) species and had the highest intensity (858.02 OPG ± 63.46 SD). To our knowledge, this is the first research of its kind in relation to stray cattle in Nepal. Our findings reveal that there is a burden of helminth infections of zoonotic and socioeconomic importance in straycattle. Therefore, we recommend regular inspection of stray cattle and relevant preventive measures be put in place.

A Serosurvey for Ruminant Pestivirus Exposure Conducted Using Sera From Stray Mexico Origin Cattle Captured Crossing Into Southern Texas.

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA), Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program (CFTEP) monitor a quarantine zone along the Texas border to prevent the introduction of stray livestock carrying cattle fever ticks entering the United States from Mexico. Stray cattle collected by CFTEP are checked for ticks and several infectious disease-causing pathogens, but not for bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV). BVDV is one of the most economically impactful viruses affecting US cattle producers. BVDV is present in all parts of the world, but it has been demonstrated that another distantly related pestivirus, HoBi-like pestivirus (HoBiPev), can also cause BVD. To date, HoBiPev has not been detected in the United States, but is commonly found in Brazil, and sporadically in Europe and Asia. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the seroprevalence of pestiviruses, with a specific focus on HoBiPev, in stray cattle. Virus neutralization (VN) assay was used to determine seroprevalence (or antibody titers) of BVDV-1, BVDV-2, and HoBiPev. Approximately 50% (67 of 134) of the samples were seropositive for pestiviruses; all 67 positive samples were positive (50%) for BVDV-1, 66 samples of the 67 were positive (49.3%) for BVDV-2, and the same 66 samples of the 67 were also positive (49.3%) for HoBiPev. Due to the antigenic cross-reactivity among Pestiviruses, the comparative antibody against each pestivirus was calculated from all VN-positive samples. Titers were clearly higher against BVDV-1, and only one sample had a titer clearly higher against BVDV-2. No sample had an antibody titer higher for HoBiPev, and while this does not prove the absence of HoBiPev, it does provide evidence that the prevalence of HoBiPev is less predominant than BVDV-1. Additionally, data from these samples provide evidence on the susceptibility of animals that may enter into the United States, with ~50% of the animals seronegative for bovine pestiviruses. This cattle population provides a unique opportunity to evaluate and monitor changes in seroprevalence of economically important cattle diseases affecting the cattle industry.

Increasing Interference of Stray and Wild Animals in Farming: Reflections from Western Himalayan Foothills

The problem of animal menace is a burning issue and has direct bearing on the socio-economic conditions of the people in general and farming community in particular. Therefore, the present study was conducted to examine the various aspects of animal menace such as animal species responsible, frequency of crop raiding, extent and degree of menace and crop damages. The study is based on the primary data collected from 60 farm households selected through three stage random sampling technique in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh.The results revealed that cattle, monkey, wild boar, and were the major animal species associated with crop damages. Among these, sambar nilgai the problem of cattle was reported to be of relatively recent origin (2-5 years) compared to wild animals' menace (5-10 years). During 2009-2015, there had been a significant increase in animal population from 1.68 to 8.53 in case of stray cattle and 5.66 to 29.48 for wild animals with monkey as dominant species. As far as degree of menace was concerned, the problem of wild animals was more serious compared to the stray cattle. Further, among the wild animals the degree of monkey menace was the major concern round the year.

Plant diversity of Point Calimere Wildlife Sanctuary and fodder species grazed by the Blackbuck Antilope cervicapra L.

A rapid but intense survey was conducted using visual landmarks in the Point Calimere Wildlife Sanctuary to enumerate the flora and foraging habits of the Blackbuck Antelope cervicapra. The area was divided into various segments such as the sanctuary entrance, Maattu muni kovil, Savukku plot or Casuarina plantation, S-Bend road and the old light house for precise enumeration. A total of 111 plant species that include 50 herbs, 16 climbers/lianas, 30 shrubs and sub-shrubs, and 15 trees belonging to 39 plant families were recorded in this study. Visual observations showed that Blackbucks grazed on grasses such as the Mangrove Grass Aeluropus lagopoides (L.) Thwaites, Dog’s Tooth Grass Cynodon barberi Rang. &amp; Tadul., Indian Durva Grass Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers., Feather Finger Grass Chloris virgata Sw., and a sedge, the pointed fimbristylis Fimbristylis acuminata Vahl during the day time. They were also observed browsing on the leaves and pods of Algaroba Prosopis juliflora (Sw.) DC. in the evenings. Our observation on the presence of feral horses and stray cattle in the Point Calimere Wildlife Sanctuary shows that they compete for food and water with the Blackbuck. The spread of invasive alien plant species competes with and reduces the space for native species.

Economic sustainability analysis of Gaushalas in selected districts of Telangana state

In India, with the increasing cattle population the number of stray cattle has also been increasing. While indigenous cattle constitute a major portion of the total cattle population their proportion has been showing a declining trend. Gaushalas can serve as an alternative for housing the increasing stray cattle and also for preserving the indigenous germplasm. However, Gaushalas are functioning with insufficient funds mostly from donations and government grant. In this this study, an attempt was made to undertake economic sustainability analysis of Gaushalas by covering 14 Gaushalas in select districts of Telangana state. The data were collected from Gaushalas for the period 2014 to 2019 using a semi structured interview schedule. It was found that the major source of income to Gaushalas was from donations (82.5 per cent) followed by income from sale of milk and milk products (12.9 per cent). The expenses of the Gaushalas mainly included feed and fodder cost (82.5 per cent) followed by veterinary and miscellaneous expenditure (6.7 per cent). The overall net income for all the Gaushalas was negative. The returns over variable cost were positive for almost all the Gaushalas indicating that the Gaushalas were able to meet their immediate expenses in the short run. The overall operating ratio of 0.98 indicates that most of the Gaushalas were just able to cover their operating expenses. The overall fixed ratio was at 1.04 indicating that the Gaushalas were not able to cover variable and fixed expenses completely. Economic Sustainability Index ( ESI ) was computed which ranges from 0 to 1 using 5 indicators viz ., net income per animal, returns over variable cost, self-sufficiency, dependency and percentage of productive animals. The values of ESI of the Gaushalas ranged from 0.302 to 0.471. Of 14 sample Gaushalas 2 Gaushalas fell under low economic sustainability and rest 12 Gaushalas were under medium economic sustainability category. A positive relationship was found between income diversification and sustainability of the Gaushalas. So, there is a need to diversify income sources such as income from sale of milk, milk products and other by-products.

RICKETTSIA MASQUERADING AS THROMBOTIC THROMBOCYTOPENIC PURPURA

TOPIC: Critical Care TYPE: Medical Student/Resident Case Reports INTRODUCTION: Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF), a tick-borne illness, and a Spotted fever Rickettsiosis, presents with nonspecific symptoms (e.g., high fever, headache, myalgia) with a high mortality rate in the pre-antibiotic era (20-80%) (1,2). We present a patient who developed thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) with a high PLASMIC SCORE: 6 points. CASE PRESENTATION: A 47-year-old male with no significant past medical history presented to the hospital with altered mental status. His brother reported that the patient's symptoms started 10 days before presentation when the patient chills and shivering. He continued with chills and subsequently developed a severe headache and subsequently reported chest pain, abdominal pain. Physical exam revealed jaundice with scleral icterus. However, with no presence of a rash. The patient lives in a rural area where stray cats, dogs, and cattle were common and allowed inside the house.bLaboratories revealed a white blood cell count (WBC) of 15.4× 109/L, hemoglobin of 13.4 g/dl, and a platelet count of 20 × 109/L. A peripheral smear taken upon admission was unremarkable and no evidence of microangiopathic hemolytic anemia. A subsequent peripheral smear showed revealed MAHA with marked thrombocytopenia. The result of immunofluorescence antibody testing for rickettsia immunoglobulin G and M was strongly positive for Rocky Mountain Spotted fever and Flea-borne (murine) typhus.Our patient was treated with doxycycline and admitted to the ICU due to severe illness. Throughout hospitalization, the patient continued to improve, his peripheral smear showed complete resolution of features of disseminated intravascular coagulation and was discharged after 4 days with a course of oral doxycycline DISCUSSION: Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever is an infectious diseasecaused by Rickettsia ricketsii. Tickborne rickettsial diseases in the United States have continued to rise, resulting in severe illness and death in individuals with no prior comorbid conditions, despite the widely available and effective antibacterial therapy. The early signs of tickborne rickettsial illnesses present with nonspecific symptoms; therefore, RMSF can oftentimes be misdiagnosed as an acute viral syndrome, or in our case, as TTP (3). Furthermore, while this disease is often associated with the classic triad of fever, rash, and reported tick bite, only a minority of cases present with these as the initial presentation of symptoms. Clinicians should include rickettsial infection as a diagnostic workup of any patient who presents with a classic pentad of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP). CONCLUSIONS: This case illustrates the importance of rickettsial infections as a differential diagnosis for patients who present with nonspecific febrile illness. With the delay of treatment, this infection can progress rapidly to neurologic manifestations, renal failure, thrombocytopenia, and death. REFERENCE #1: Parola P, Paddock CD, Socolovschi C, et al. Update on tick-borne rickettsioses around the world: a geographic approach. Clin Microbiol Rev. 2013;26(4):657-702. doi:10.1128/CMR.00032-13 REFERENCE #2: Weerakoon K, Kularatne SA, Rajapakse J, Adikari S, Waduge R. Cutaneous manifestations of spotted fever rickettsial infections in the Central Province of Sri Lanka: a descriptive study. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2014;8(9):e3179. doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0003179 REFERENCE #3: Booth KK, Terrell DR, Vesely SK, George JN. Systemic infections mimicking thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura. Am J Hematol. 2011;86(9):743-51. doi:10.1002/ajh.22091 DISCLOSURES: No relevant relationships by Jose Campo Maldonado, source=Web Response No relevant relationships by Lily Chen, source=Web Response No relevant relationships by Cesar Peralta, source=Web Response

The Implication of Farmers - Herders Conflicts on the Socio-Economic Development of Omala L.G.A, Kogi State, North Central Nigeria

Famers’- Herders’ conflict has become a widespread occurrence spreading to all parts of Nigeria. The study examined how farmers-herdsmen conflict constitutes a threat to rural development, internal security, and socio-economic development in Nigeria about Omala Local Government Area of Kogi State, North Central Nigeria. The study adopted the qualitative method making use of semi-structured interviews and 100 informants were purposively selected. Findings from the study revealed among others that; Crop damage by cattle, land encroachment without permission, inadequate grazing reserves, lack of access to water points, killing of stray cattle, pollution of the water point, cattle routes blockage, Mbororo migrants, ECOWAS treaty, fertile land of the host community, socio-economic, cultural differences, the political economy of cattle herders were major causes and persistence of farmers-pastoralists conflicts. The study among others recommends that; since farmers-pastoralists conflicts were resource-based conflict due to blockage of cattle route by farmers which eventually leads to encroachment of farmers land and thus translate to open violence and animosity, there is a need for resignification of cattle routes for the pastoralist to have a route to avoid farmlands encroachment, regarding the transit route for irregular migrants through Niger, Senegal, Mali, Ivory Coast, Chad, Cameroon, it is suggested that the Minister of Interior should initiate dialogue with the neighboring governments on how to address and curb the rising number of migrants transiting border Nations. Based on the study findings, to end this crisis once and for all, there is a need for the consideration of cattle colonies implementation while implementing former recommendations.

Cow Welfare: Only Sustainable Gaushalas can ensure it

Cow service occupies a very important place in the Indian psyche. The number of indigenous cows is continuously falling in India. They are released as soon as they become unviable to the owner. Due to this, the problem of stray animals starts to get deeper which is further deepened by the law on cow slaughter ban . Gaushalas are considered to be the best option for the management of ever-growing stray cattle. Even before this problem arose, gaushalas existed in India to protect and maintain the cow dynasty for decades. Since gaushalas have to maintain less remunerative animals and their primary purpose of establishment has been the welfare of the cow, they need to be self-sufficient. Thus, it is important that their level of sustainablility is studied so that those indicators that have room for improvement can be indentified. Therefore, this paper addresses various aspects related to the welfare level of cow in the state of Haryana. It was found that net income is higher in Type A (financially supported by village communities) and larger size . To study the Sustainablility, the Combined Sustainability Index (CSI) has been developed and is higher in large-sized gaushalas (0.41). The over all CSI was found to be 0.37, indicating low persistence of cowsheds in the study area. Animal welfare score were also measured and the correlation coefficient between welfarescore and CSI found more in Type A and larger sized.