First report of mobile colistin resistance gene mcr-1 in avian pathogenic Escherichia coli isolated from turkeys in the Gaza Strip, Palestine.

Background and Aim: Colistin is used to treat avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC), a microorganism that affects turkey meat production in the Gaza Strip and worldwide. However, the recent emergence of plasmid-borne mobile colistin resistance (mcr) genes in pathogenic E. coli strains is a serious antimicrobial resistance (AMR) challenge for both human and animal health. In December 2018, colistin was banned as a veterinary antimicrobial in the Gaza Strip. This study aimed to detect and track the prevalence of colistin-resistant APEC isolated from turkey flocks in the Gaza Strip. Materials and Methods: This study investigated 239 APEC isolates from turkey flocks in the Gaza Strip between October 2018 and December 2021 (at 6-month intervals). The colistin-resistant APEC strains were detected using the broth microdilution method. The mcr-1 gene was identified using a polymerase chain reaction. Results: The overall colistin resistance among the isolated APECs was 32.2% during the study period. The average resistance in the first interval was 37.5%, which significantly decreased to 9.3% in the last interval. Among the 77 phenotypically resistant isolates, 32.4% were positive for mcr-1. The average abundance of mcr-1 in the first interval was 66.6%, which decreased to 25% in the last interval. Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study reporting the presence of the mcr-1 gene among the APEC isolates from turkeys in the Gaza Strip. Banned veterinary use of colistin significantly decreased the percentage of resistant APEC isolates from turkeys in Gaza Strip. Further studies are needed to investigate other colistin resistance genes and track the emergence of AMR.

Occurrence and phylogenetic analysis of fowl adenovirus E in broiler flocks from Gaza Strip Palestine.

INTRODUCTION: Inclusion-body hepatitis (IBH) and hydropericardium syndrome (HPS) are highly infectious diseases caused by fowl adenoviruses (FAdVs). IBH and HPS cause major economic losses in poultry production. IBH is caused by multiple FAdV serotypes such as FAdV-11, FAdV8a, and FAdV8b; while HPS is mainly caused by the FAdV-4 serotype. In 2018, we detected FAdVs in West Bank - Palestine for the first time. This study aims to monitor the emergence of new FAdVs in broiler farms in Gaza Strip-Palestine in 2022. METHODOLOGY: The clinical signs, necropsy, and histopathological findings associated with IBH in the suspected birds were recorded. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed using primers matching the virus-encoded L1 loop of the hexon gene. The sequences of the L1 loop were analyzed and a phylogenetic tree was constructed and compared with the related FAdV field isolates and reference strains from different regions of the world available in GenBank. RESULTS: The infected broiler displayed FAdVs-induced clinical symptoms and pathological lesions with mortality rates ranging from 20-46%. The L1 loop sequences from the infected flocks were submitted to GenBank with accession numbers ON638995, ON872150, and ON872151. The identified L1 loop gene has high nucleotide homology (96.7-97.9%) to the highly pathogenic FAdV E serotype 8b strain FAdV_isolate_04-53357-122_Canada_2007 (GenBank: EF685489) and 94.5-94.6% to FAdV_10_Belgium_2010 isolate 11-15941 (GenBank: AF339924.1). Furthermore, the phylogenetic analysis indicated that they belong to FAdV-E serotype 8b. CONCLUSIONS: Our study reports the emergence of FAdV-E causing IBH disease in broiler chickens for the first time in Gaza in Palestine.

Pathological and molecular study of kidneys in apparently healthy cattle and sheep with special reference to Leptospira species in central and northern Jordan.

Background and Aim: Renal pathological conditions can cause significant economic losses for livestock owners. This study investigated and described the gross pathology and histopathology of lesions found in the kidneys of sheep and cattle, with particular attention to the presence of Leptospira spp. Materials and Methods: Three hundred and sixty kidneys from apparently healthy sheep and cattle (208 and 152, respectively) were collected from slaughterhouses in Jordan for gross and histopathological examinations, multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis, and gene sequencing of Leptospira spp. Results: Histopathological analysis of the samples revealed the following conditions: interstitial nephritis (4.44%), glomerulonephritis (4.16%), acute tubular necrosis (17.22%), and renal congestion (4.72%). In addition, in 26.9% of the samples, hyaline material was observed in the interstitium of the cortex and medulla. The PCR results revealed that 83 (23.1%) of the 360 samples were positive for Leptospira spp. 16S rRNA, 42/152 (28%) of cattle, and 41/208 (20%) of sheep. Four samples (two sheep and two cattle) were sequenced and deposited in GenBank with accession numbers from OL701310 to OL701313. Basic Local Alignment Search Tool search and nucleotide similarities between OL701311 and OL701313 resulted in the highest similarities with different Leptospira borgpetersenii strains, whereas OL701310 showed the highest nucleotide similarity (99.2%) with the Leptospira interrogans strain. Similarly, phylogenetic analysis revealed that OL701311 to OL701313 clustered together with different serovars of L. borgpetersenii, whereas OL701310 clustered with the L. interrogans clade. Conclusion: This is the first study to reveal a close association between pathogenic Leptospira spp. and kidney disorders in Jordanian cattle and sheep. These findings may help expand the current understanding of the causes and mechanisms of renal disease in cattle and sheep and contribute to developing more effective prevention and treatment programs.