Nasoruminal endoscopy of the rumen and reticulum in buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) - a preliminary study.

Twenty apparently healthy buffaloes were withdrawn of feed and water for 48 hours. Buffaloes were administered with fluids and were subjected to endoscopy every 12 hours. Olympus™ [GIF V70] flexible video endoscope was passed through the ventral nasal meatus, the pharynx, oesophagus and then into the reticulo-rumen in physically restrained buffaloes. The entire reticulum and part of the rumen could be visualized, when the animals were off feed and water for at least 48 hours and evacuations of rumen contents were done even after 48 hours of starvation to visualize the rumen in six buffaloes. The reticulum appeared light brown to pink coloured with honeycomb shape and the rumen appeared smooth, shiny pink, with numerous papillae throughout its surface. The procedure was well tolerated by all the buffaloes and satisfactory reticular and ruminal images could be obtained including biopsy.

Molecular typing and pathogenicity assessment of fowl adenovirus associated with inclusion body hepatitis in chicken from India.

Recently, inclusion body hepatitis (IBH) outbreaks have been increasingly reported in different regions of India, particularly in broiler flocks. The present study was undertaken to characterize fowl adenovirus associated with IBH in chicken and assessment of its pathogenicity. Liver samples were collected from fowl adenovirus (FAdV) suspected 100 commercial broiler and six broiler breeder flocks from eleven different States of India from 2016 to 2019. All the samples were subjected to 897-bp FAdV hexon gene-specific PCR for confirmation and primary chicken liver cells were used to isolate the field FAdVs. Sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of 897-bp FAdV hexon gene revealed that all the isolates have showed close evolutionary relationship with fowl adenovirus serotype 11 of species D. For pathogenicity assessment, 0.5 ml of 106.5 TCID50/ml of field FAdV serotype 11 isolate was orally inoculated in 1-day-old SPF chicks and observed for 21 days. This experimental study revealed that there was no mortality in infected chicks and showed clinical signs of dullness, depression and diarrhoea between third and fifth day of oral inoculation. The FAdV was reisolated and confirmed by PCR from experimentally infected chicken. Based on this study, among all serotypes, FAdV serotype 11 is involved in pathogenesis of inclusion body hepatitis in broiler-type chickens in India.

Therapeutic management of botulism in dairy cattle.

AIM: To report the successful recovery of few dairy cattle from botulism in response to a modified therapeutic strategy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy four naturally-occurring clinical cases of bovine botulism encountered during the period of 2012-2014 which were confirmed by mouse lethality test became material for this study. Affected animals were made into three groups based on the treatment modifications made during the course of study. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: With the modified therapeutic regimen, 17 animals recovered after 7-10 days of treatment. Clinical recovery took 2-30 days. Animals which were not given intravenous fluid and calcium recovered uneventfully. Cattle which were already treated with intravenous fluids, calcium borogluconate, and antibiotics did not recover. They were either died or slaughtered for salvage. CONCLUSION: In cattle with botulism, administration of Vitamin AD3E and activated charcoal aid the clinical recovery. Besides, strictly avoiding anti-clostridial antibiotics, fluid therapy, and calcium therapy may facilitate the clinical recovery. Upon fluid administration, the pulmonary congestion existed in the ailing cattle might have worsened the anoxia. Administration of antibiotics like penicillin, aminoglycosides, and tetracyclines further worsen the neuronal paralysis by increasing the availability of botulinum neurotoxin. Cattle in early botulism have fair chances of recovery with the modified therapy.

Prevalence and etiology of subclinical mastitis among buffaloes (Bubalus bubalus) in Namakkal, India.

Milk samples from 206 apparently healthy buffaloes of marginal farmers maintained under the prevailing field conditions were screened for Subclinical Mastitis (SCM) to determine its prevalence and etiology by White Side Test (WST), California Mastitis Test (CMT), Somatic Cell Count (SCC) and Bacteriological examination. 26.20% of animals were positive for SCM in SCC and bacteriological examination. Prevalence in graded Murrah buffaloes were found to be higher compared to graded Surti and Non-descript breeds. The prevalence of SCM was highest in above 6th stage of lactation. Single quarter infection (51.85%) was more common compared to multiple quarter infection. Hind (83.34%) and left side (57.41%) quarters were more prone to SCM. The indirect tests such as WST and CMT were found to be closely agreement with SCC and bacteriological examination. Due to their efficacious, easy to perform and interpret, these tests can effectively be employed to detect SCM under field conditions. Somatic cell count of = 3,00,000/mL of milk was regarded as the upper limit for normal buffaloes. The SCC of = 3,00,000/mL of milk with positive bacterial growth were used to diagnose SCM in the present study. Staphylococcus sp. 25 (46.30%) was the most common pathogens isolated from SCM followed by Streptococcus sp. 11 (20.37%) and E. coli 06 (11.11%) of the 54 bacterial isolates. Monobacterial and mixed bacterial infections were observed in 47 (87.04%) and 7 (12.96%) cases respectively.

The effect of vaccination of pullets against Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale infection.

The effect of vaccination of chickens with different inactivated vaccines against experimental Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale challenge was investigated. Eight different vaccines, with different inactivating substances (Formalin and thiomersal) and with or without adjuvant (mineral oil, alum and aluminium hydroxide gel), were produced. Following vaccination of experimental chickens at week 8 with formalin-inactivated mineral oil adjuvant bacterin, the mean O. rhinotracheale antibody titres rose to 5.88 2log 21 days after primary vaccination and enhanced to a titre of 6.59 2log 21 days after booster vaccination. The bacterin in mineral oil adjuvant induced the highest serologic response and a significant decrease of lesions such as air sacculitis and pneumonia in vaccinated birds compared with the unvaccinated challenge control birds. The bacterin in either alum or aluminium hydroxide gel adjuvant induced a moderate serologic response and a decrease of lesions compared with the unvaccinated challenge controls. The study showed that vaccination of layer chicken at the eighth week followed by a booster dose at the 12th week of age can effectively protect against O. rhinotracheale infections.