Isolation, antimicrobial susceptibility patterns, and risk factors assessment of non-typhoidal Salmonella from apparently healthy and diarrheic dogs.

BACKGROUND: Dogs are one of the important asymptomatic carriers of antimicrobial resistant and potentially pathogenic strains of Salmonella. They can harbor large bacterial load in the intestines and mesenteric lymph nodes which can be shed in their feces with the possibility of transmission to humans. Therefore, a cross-sectional study was conducted with the objectives of estimating the prevalence of non-typhoidal Salmonella, assessing the risk factors for dog's Salmonella carriage, and profiling the antimicrobial resistance pattern of Salmonella isolates among housed dogs in Harar town, Eastern Ethiopia. A total of 415 rectal swab samples were collected from randomly selected dogs. Samples were examined for non-typhoidal Salmonella using standard bacteriologic culture and biochemical tests. The disk diffusion method (Kirby-Bauer test) was employed to evaluate the isolates for their susceptibility against five antimicrobials. RESULTS: Non-typhoidal Salmonella were isolated from 26 (6.3%) of the rectal swab samples, with significantly higher occurrence in diarrheic (15.2%) than non-diarrheic (5.5%) dogs. The risk of Salmonella harboring was significantly higher in female dogs than in male dogs (OR = 2.5, p = 0.027). Dogs fecal shedding of Salmonella was relatively higher in households who used offal as a main feed type for their dogs (23.1%; 95% CI = 5-53.8) than those who used leftover food (10.1%; 95% CI = 5.7-16.1) and practiced mixed feeding system (17%; 95% CI = 7.6-30.8). Salmonella isolates showed higher resistance to ampicillin (41.7%), while all isolates were fully susceptible to gentamicin. Moreover, 58.3% of Salmonella isolates showed resistance to at least one of the tested antimicrobials. Majorities (72.7%) of the dog owners had no awareness on the risk of zoonotic salmonellosis from dog and all of the respondents use bare hand to clean dog kennel. CONCLUSION: Our study reveals the importance of both diarrheic and apparently healthy housed dogs in the harboring and shedding of antimicrobial resistant non-typhoidal Salmonella. The risk of non-typhoidal Salmonella spread among pet owners is not negligible, especially in households who use offal as main feed type. Therefore, an integrated approach such as: proper dog handling practices; continuous evaluation of antimicrobial resistance; and rational use of antimicrobials in the field of veterinary sector are necessary to tackle the problem.

Seroprevalence and Molecular Detection of Foot and Mouth Disease Virus in Dairy Cattle Around Addis Ababa, Central Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Foot and mouth disease is a debilitating and highly contagious transboundary disease of cattle that can cause a huge economical loss globally. It is a notifiable disease in Ethiopia, and it is thought to be causing a decrease in cattle productivity and production. METHODS: A cross-sectional study and outbreak investigation were performed to estimate seroprevalence, identify associated factors and serotypes of FMDV in dairy cattle around Addis Ababa. A multi-stage random sampling technique was employed for the selection of sampling units for the seroprevalence study. A total of 383 blood samples were collected using plain vacutainer tubes and the obtained sera were tested by 3ABC-Ab ELISA at the NAHDIC lab. Also, from outbreak cases, 20 epithelial tissue samples were collected purposively for the molecular detection of FMDV serotypes. RESULTS: The overall seroprevalence of FMD in dairy cattle was 72.1% (95% CI=67.27-76.50). The seroprevalence in dairy cattle of Ada Berga, Holeta, and Sululta districts was 97.2%, 71.4%, and 57.6%, respectively. Up on Chi-square analysis, age, body condition, and management system were significantly associated with FMD seroprevalence (p<0.05). Besides, multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that district, age, body condition, and management were significantly associated with FMD seroprevalence (p<0.05). The odds of being seropositive to FMD were 6.9 (95% CI=1.8-24.9; p=0.005) and 2.3 (95% CI=1.2-4.7; p=0.01) times higher in cattle found in Ada Berga and Holeta Woreda. From outbreak cases, 18 (90.0%) were identified positive for FMDV serotype O. CONCLUSION: The current study revealed higher seroprevalence was recorded in the study area and associated risk factors identified statically, serotype O of FMDV was identified from outbreak cases. Therefore, it is critical to design and implement feasible control and prevention mechanisms based on the type of circulating virus serotype.