Clinico-haematological alterations and therapeutic management of tick borne fever in cross bred cow.

A 5 years old crossbred cow was brought to the Veterinary Clinical Complex of Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences Hisar with history of progressive weakness, pale mucous membrane, anorexia, high fever (105 °F), tachycardia, laboured breathing and coffee coloured urine. Analysis of haematological parameters revealed severe anaemia, leucocytopenia, marked poikilocytosis of erythrocytes. Blood smear examination showed presence of signet ring shaped Theileria organisms, Babesia piroplasms and condensed dot forms of Anaplasma marginale in the stained erythrocytes. Further animal was treated with buparvaquone @ 2.5 mg/kg b.wt deep I/M in neck region and long acting oxytetracycline at 25 mg/kg b. W. slow I/V daily in normal saline solution for 5 days. Berenil (Diminazene aceturate 5%) injection was also administered @ 1 ml/20 kg b.wt. I/M along with supportive therapy. Clinical signs started to subside 3 days post treatment. Complete recovery was achieved by 4 weeks post treatment however animal succumbed to death due to immunosuppression.

Immuno-pathological studies on broiler chicken experimentally infected with Escherichia coli and supplemented with neem (Azadirachta indica) leaf extract.

AIM: The present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of neem leaf extract (NLE) supplementation on immunological response and pathology of different lymphoid organs in experimentally Escherichia coli challenged broiler chickens. MATERIALS AND METHODS: For this study, we procured 192-day-old broiler chicks from local hatchery and divided them into Groups A and Group B containing 96 birds each on the first day. Chicks of Group A were supplemented with 10% NLE in water, whereas chicks of Group B were not supplemented with NLE throughout the experiment. At 7(th) day of age, chicks of Group A were divided into A1 and A2 and Group B into B1 and B2 with 54 and 42 chicks, respectively, and chicks of Groups A1 and B1 were injected with E. coli O78 at 10(7) colony-forming units/0.5 ml intraperitoneally. Six chicks from each group were sacrificed at 0, 2, 4, 7, 14, 21, and 28 days post infection; blood was collected and thorough post-mortem examination was conducted. Tissue pieces of spleen and bursa of Fabricius were collected in 10% buffered formalin for histopathological examination. Serum was separated for immunological studies. RESULT: E. coli specific antibody titer was significantly higher in Group A1 in comparison to Group B1. Delayed-type hypersensitivity response against 2,4 dinirochlorobenzene (DNCB) antigen was significantly higher in Group A1 as compared to Group B1. Pathological studies revealed that E. coli infection caused depletion of lymphocytes in bursa of Fabricius and spleen. Severity of lesions in Group A1 was significantly lower in comparison to Group B1. CONCLUSION: 10% NLE supplementation enhanced the humoral as well as cellular immune responses attributed to its immunomodulatory property in experimentally E. coli infected broiler chicken.

Clinicopathological studies of gastrointestinal tract disorders in sheep with parasitic infection.

AIM: This study was envisaged to elucidate the parasitological aspects of gastrointestinal tract (GIT) disorders of sheep. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fecal, blood and serum samples collected from 31 sheep/lambs of Sheep Breeding Farm, Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary & Animal Sciences, Hisar. RESULTS: Of 25 cases, strongyle eggs (12 cases, 48%) were a major infection, followed by Strongyloides spp. (8 cases, 32%) and Moniezia spp. (5 case, 20%). In one case, massive infection of strongyle particularly Haemonchus contortus and Moniezia spp. was observed. All these animals were found negative for hemoprotozoan parasites in blood smear examination. Hematological studies revealed that significantly decreased values of hemoglobin (Hb), packed cell volume (PCV) and total erythrocytic count (TEC). Absolute leukocytic count revealed significant leukocytosis due to neutrophilia, lymphocytosis, monocytosis and eosinophilia. Serum biochemical profiles of diarrheic sheep/lambs in present study were significant decrease in values of total protein, serum globulin, glucose where as significant increase in the albumin: Globulin ratio, aspartate aminotransaminase (AST), alanine aminotransaminase (ALT), alkaline phosphatise (ALKP) and bilirubin. CONCLUSIONS: From the present study, it is reasonable to conclude that major parasitic infection of sheep/lamb observed was strongyle, followed by Strongyloides spp. and Moniezia spp. Hemato-biochemical studies revealed significant leukocytosis and increase in AST, ALT, ALKP and bilirubin.

Biochemical studies in experimentally Escherichia coli infected broiler chicken supplemented with neem (Azadirachta indica) leaf extract.

AIM: An experimental study was conducted on 192-day-old broiler chicks for evaluating the effect of 10% neem leaf extract (NLE) supplementationon biochemical parameters in chickens experimentally infected with Escherichia coli O78 at 10(7) CFU/0.5 ml at 7 days of age. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The 192-day-old broiler chicks were procured. These chicks were divided into two groups (A and B) containing 96 birds each on the 1(st) day. Diet of all the chicks of Group A was supplemented with 10%NLE in water, whereas chicks of Group B were given feed and water devoid of NLE supplementation throughout the experiment. After rearing for 1 week, chicks of both the groups (A and B) were again divided into two subgroups (Group A into A1 and A2 and Group B into B1 and B2) of 54 and 42 birds, respectively. At the age of 7 days all the chicks of groups A1 and B1 were injected with E. coli O78 at 10(7) CFU/0.5 ml intraperitoneally. Blood samples were collected from six chicks from each group at day 0, 2, 4, 7, 14, 21, 28 days post-infection and serum was separated for biochemical studies. RESULTS: There was a significant increase in serum alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activities, globulin concentration and a decrease in total protein (TP), albumin concentrations, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity in both the infected groups. However, the changes in biochemical values, i.e., ALT, AST, LDH, ALP, TP, albumin, and globulin wereof lower magnitude in NLE supplemented group suggesting hepatoprotective and cardioprotective effect of NLE. CONCLUSIONS: Fromthe present study, it is reasonable to conclude that significant increase in the value of ALT, AST, LDH, globulin, and significant decrease in the value of ALP, TP, and albumin was of lower magnitude in supplemented infected group (A1) as compared to non-supplemented infected group (B1) suggesting hepatoprotective and cardioprotective effect of NLE.

Pathomorphological and microbiological studies in sheep with special emphasis on gastrointestinal tract disorders.

AIM: The present study was envisaged to elucidate the pathomorphological and microbiological aspects of gastrointestinal tract (GIT) disorders of sheep/lambs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Samples for research were collected from 12 sheep died with a history of GIT disorders which were brought for post-mortem examination to the Department of Veterinary Pathology, Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Hisar, for pathomorphological and microbiological examination. RESULTS: Gross pathological changes in various organs noticed were abomasitis, congestion and hemorrhages in intestine; necrotic foci on liver surface; enlarged, hard, and indurated mesenteric lymph nodes, hydropericardium, congestion, hemorrhages and consolidation of lungs and congestion and soft kidneys as the major change. On histopathological examination, there were abomasitis with leukocyte infiltration, enteritis with desquamation of mucosal epithelium and goblet cell hyperplasia, lymphadenitis with depletion of lymphocytes in the germinal center of lymphoid follicle, and splenitis with depletion of lymphocytes in the white pulp. In the liver congestion, degenerative changes in hepatocytes including cloudy swelling, fatty changes, congestion in sinusoids, and dilatation of sinusoids leading to atrophy of hepatocytes. Lungs evidenced edema, congestion, emphysema, serous inflammation, thickening of interlobular septa, fibrinous pleuritis, and peribronchiolar lymphoid follicle formation. Heart revealed sarcocystosis, fibrinous pericarditis, and hyalinization of the myocardium. In kidneys, congestion, focal interstitial nephritis, hyaline degeneration, and coagulative necrosis were seen. For microbiological aspects; cultural isolation was done from samples of liver, abomasum, mesenteric lymph nodes, spleen, heart blood, lungs, and kidneys from the carcasses of sheep/lambs. Escherichia coli was the only bacterium isolated during present studies. E. coli isolates from different tissues of carcasses of sheep/lambs were subjected to in-vitro drug sensitivity testing. Ciprofloxacin, cefixime, polymyxin B, amoxicillin + sulbactam, and amoxicillin + clavulanic acid were the most sensitive drugs followed by amikacin, ofloxacin, ampicillin, co-trimoxazole, and amoxicillin. CONCLUSIONS: From the present study, it is reasonable to conclude that the major etiopathological cause of GIT disorders in sheep was E. coli infection, which causes a pathomorphological effect on various cadaver organs viz. abomasum, intestine, liver, mesenteric lymph nodes, lungs, spleen, kidneys, and heart followed by parasitic infection of Haemonchus contortus.

Sequential pathology of experimental aflatoxicosis in quail and the effect of selenium supplementation in modifying the disease process.

Feeding of aflatoxin B1 @ 1 ppm to 2-week old Japanese quail for a period of 8 weeks produced gross and microscopic changes in the liver, skeletal muscles, heart and bursa of Fabricius. These included fatty changes, bile duct hyperplasia and lymphoid aggregation in liver; haemorrhages in thigh, breast muscles and myocardium; mild depletion of lymphocytes, cystic degeneration and fibrous tissue proliferation in bursa of Fabricius. More or less similar lesions were seen in quail chicks fed on aflatoxin with sodium selenite @ 5 ppm but these were of lesser intensity and appeared at later stages of the experiment thereby indicating that supplementation of selenium had some protective action against the toxic effect of aflatoxin B1 in Japanese quail.

Myiasis in children: the Indian perspective.

A retrospective analysis of 94 cases of childhood myiasis admitted over a 6-year period is presented. Children formed 37.9% of all cases of myiasis. More than 50% of the children were less than 5 years of age and most (96.8%) belonged to a rural background. Of the 94 cases, 81 (86.16%) were of aural, 11 (11.7%) of nasal and 2 (2.12%) of ocular myiasis. The peak incidence was seen from September to October. The main symptoms in aural myiasis were passage of worms (81.48%), discharge (44.44%) and pain (41.97%). In nasal myiasis epistaxis (100%), foul smell (100%) passage of worms (90.9%) and pain (72.72%) were the prime presenting symptoms. All patients were treated with chloroform and turpentine oil in the ratio 1:4 which was followed by manual removal of the maggots and were made maggot-free in 2-3 days. No complications were seen.