Seroepidemiology and associated risk factors of brucellosis in small ruminants of district Khanewal, Pakistan.

Objectives: Keeping in view the economic and veterinary public health importance of brucellosis, this research was conducted to determine its seroprevalence and associated risk determinants in small ruminants in district Khanewal, Southern Punjab, Pakistan. Materials and Methods: Two-stage cluster sampling technique was used for sampling, and the sample size was calculated using C-survey 2.0. Accordingly, sera samples (n = 392) were collected from small ruminants in the study area from October 2022 to July 2023. All the samples were tested for the presence of anti-Brucella antibodies by Rose Bengal Plate Test (RBPT), followed by confirmation of all the samples using an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit (ID.vet®, France; sensitivity and specificity=100%, each). Results: The seropositivity rate of brucellosis was 7.14% [n = 28/392; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 4.87%-10.12%] by RBPT, whereas the results of ELISA showed an overall seroprevalence rate of 7.40% (n = 29/392; 95% CI = 5.11%-10.37%) in the study population. Univariate analysis of risk factors revealed that abortion history (AH), retained fetal membranes (RFMs), repeat breeding, flock size (FS), educational status of farmers (ESFs), awareness about brucellosis (AB), and farm hygiene had a significant association with the seroprevalence of brucellosis (p < 0.05). The multivariate analysis using a binary logistic regression model revealed that variables including tehsil, FS, AH, RFM, ESF, AB, and farming system were significant factors (p < 0.05) associated with brucellosis in the target population. Conclusion: Brucellosis is prevalent in small ruminants in Khanewal, Pakistan. The disease burden can be reduced by improving the reproductive health of animals, farm hygiene, and farmers' awareness about the diseases. Further studies are needed on a larger scale to devise stringent disease control strategies to avoid losses associated with brucellosis at regional, national, and global levels.

Molecular detection and characterization of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex subspecies responsible for bovine tuberculosis in Punjab, Pakistan.

Bovine tuberculosis (bTB), traditionally associated with Mycobacterium bovis, presents significant public health and economic challenges worldwide. This study investigated the causative agents of bTB in slaughtered cattle and buffalo in Lahore, Pakistan. Of the 3,581 animals screened, 34 were identified with gross TB-like lesions. The lesions were processed for culture, PCR, and Sanger sequencing to identify the causative agents of the disease. The results identified 10 Mycobacterium orygis and 8 Mycobacterium tuberculosis sensu stricto isolates. Whole-genome sequencing was performed on two M. orygis isolates, and the sequences were phylogenetically compared to 93 publicly available M. orygis sequences. The results also demonstrated that the JB21 and JB22 primers, which have been previously commonly applied to detect M. bovis in Pakistan, are unable to distinguish between M. tuberculosis complex subspecies. The identification of M. orygis and M. tuberculosis as causative agents of bTB in this slaughterhouse in Punjab may have important implications in identifying cases of zoonotic TB in humans and applying appropriate molecular tools to identify the prevalence of the disease. The data from this study align with recent findings suggesting M. orygis is the predominant cause of bTB in South Asia.IMPORTANCEThe study findings hold significant relevance to the Journal of Clinical Microbiology, as they directly impact the field. The first-time identification of Mycobacterium orygis and Mycobacterium tuberculosis as the predominant causative agents of bovine tuberculosis in Lahore, Pakistan underscores the urgent need for enhanced diagnostic methods. The study emphasizes the importance of improved assays for the accurate detection and differentiation of Mycobacterium subspecies. Additionally, the research addresses zoonotic risk assessment and public health implications, advocating for a multidisciplinary approach that integrates clinical microbiology with veterinary and human health sectors. These insights contribute to clinical microbiology knowledge, shaping effective strategies for disease prevention, surveillance, and control. The study's potential to advance the field makes it well suited for publication in the Microbiology Spectrum journal.

Outbreak investigation of foot and mouth disease in Nangarhar province of war-torn Afghanistan, 2014.

Afghanistan has long history of ongoing conflicts, resulting in massive destruction of the country's infrastructure. Illegal trade of livestock between Afghanistan and Pakistan boosted the spread of Foot & Mouth Disease (FMD). Current study was conducted to investigate outbreaks of FMD occurred between April-August 2014 in Nangarhar, Afghanistan. Descriptive data about suspected FMD cases were collected from the Civil Veterinary Hospital, Nangarhar to analyze spatio-temporal pattern of FMD. Case farms (n = 137) were selected from list of clinically confirmed FMD outbreaks available in the hospital. Control farms (n = 137) were enrolled from neighboring premises of case farms. The epidemic curve showed that the virus is continuously circulating among susceptible population. The mean age of the oldest lesion was 2.8 days. Foot & Mouth Disease was more likely to occur in female animals compared to male animals (p < 0.001). Farmers having no ability to clinically recognize FMD (OR 5.8, 95% CI 1.4-23.8); previously having any FMD case in herd (OR 11.8, 95% CI 3.0-45.8), farms where animals leave shed during day (OR 15.4, 95% CI 5.6-42.0), and farms, where neighboring farmers used to visit the premises (OR 3.5, 95% CI 1.2-9.9) were identified as risk factors. Current findings may be used to create awareness of concerned veterinary health authorities about FMD control.