Serological Investigation on the Presence of Feline Coronavirus (FCoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in Domestic Cats Living with COVID-19 Positive Owners in the UAE, 2022.

Feline coronavirus (FCoV) is widely circulating among domestic cats (Felis catus). The zoonotic origin of the emerged severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) and the biological characteristics of CoVs, including the ability to cross interspecies barriers, facilitate its emergence in different animals, including cats' populations. The current study is the first to report the serological investigation on the presence of FCoV and SARS-CoV-2 in domestic cats living with COVID-19-positive owners in the UAE. A total of 83 sera were collected from domestic cats living with COVID-19-positive owners (by RT-qPCR). The cats were sampled during the period between February and May 2022 in Al-Ain and Abu Dhabi Cities, UAE. Detection of FCoV and SARS-CoV-2 was carried out by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). FCoV antibodies were detected in 54 samples (65%). The frequencies of FCoV were significantly higher in purebred cats (48%; 40/83) and in the cat group with outdoor access (49.4%; 41/83). SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in collected sera revealed 8 samples (9.6%) with positive results. Four samples (4.8%) showed positive results for both FCoV and SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. In conclusion, FCoV is widely circulating within cats' populations involved in the study. The antibodies for SARS-CoV-2 were detected in cats' populations but at a low prevalence rate. COVID-19-positive people should avoid close contact with their cats. Future serological testing of large cats' populations is crucial for providing a good understanding of COVID-19 dynamics in cats.

Serological Investigation and Epidemiological Analysis of Bovine Leptospirosis in Egypt.

Bovine leptospirosis is a bacterial zoonotic disease of worldwide distribution. Little information is available regarding the occurrence of the disease in the Nile Delta provinces, Egypt. The present study investigated the seroprevalence of leptospirosis among cattle from Dakahlia province, Northern Egypt, and identified the individual variables factors associated with infection. To this end, a total of 600 serum samples from cattle of small stakeholders with various clinical manifestations possibly associated with leptospirosis were collected from different localities across Dakahlia province, Egypt. Sera were examined serologically via ELISA to investigate the occurrence of the disease among animals. Chi-square test and multivariable logistic regression analyses were applied to determine the association between hypothesized risk factors and the disease. Interestingly, our findings showed that 39.33% of the examined sera were positive for Leptospira antibodies, with significant differences among different localities. In addition, statistical analysis showed significant differences among age groups. Notably, the highest prevalence rate (22%) was observed in those aged between 3 and 5 years (p < 0.0001), whereas the lowest prevalence (2.66%) was reported in cattle <1 year old (p < 0.0001). Moreover, females had a significantly higher prevalence rate (35.33%) than males (4%) (p < 0.0001). Furthermore, our results showed significant differences in the occurrence of infection and reported clinical signs (p < 0.0001). Multivariable logistic regression identified repeated breeder and drop milk yield as the best predictors for prediction of ELISA results and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) model showed that overall classification accuracy of ELISA result using clinical signs and demographic data as predictors was 70.7%. The current study concluded a relative high prevalence of leptospirosis among cows bred in movable herds and households in the studied area and that age, repeated breeder and drop milk yield can be considered major risk factors associated with infection.

Molecular investigation on the presence of canine parvovirus in Egypt.

Canine parvovirus type 2 (CPV-2) causes a highly contagious gastroenteritis disease of dogs and wild canids. To investigate the CPV-2 prevalence in Dakahlia Governorate, Egypt, a total of 50 fecal swabs were collected from suspected diseased dogs during 2016-2017. Out of 50 collected samples, 35 samples (70 %) presented positive results for CPV-2 using immuno-chromatography (IC) as a rapid test. CPV-2DNA was detected in 42 samples (84 %) by using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The frequencies of CPV-2 were significantly higher in German shepherd breed (46 %; 23/50) and in age groups less than 6 months (76%; 38/50). We evaluated the breed, age, sex, rapid test results and clinical signs as predictors for classification of animal status into infected and not infected. The best predictors for classification process were rapid test result and clinical signs. Both CPV-2b and CPV-2c subtypes were detected by CPV2-VP2 gene sequences analysis. Deduced amino acid sequences alignment showed substitutions at 3 sites (Arg453Pro, Ala574Glu and Gln457Leu). Further investigations are needed to reveal the genetic and antigenic relation between field and vaccinal strains of CPV-2 in Egypt.

Using Linear Discriminant Analysis to Characterize Novel Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms and Expression Profile Changes in Genes of Three Breeds of Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus).

The objectives of this study were to investigate polymorphisms and changes in expression patterns of the genes FGF5, PGAM2, TLR2 and IL10 in V-line, Baladi Black and Baladi Red rabbits. Blood samples were collected from 180 healthy rabbits (n = 60 for each breed) for DNA extraction and DNA sequencing. At 3 mo of age, 20 randomly selected females from each breed were euthanized for gene expression quantification in muscle and spleen samples. PCR-DNA sequencing revealed single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) among the 3 breeds that provided a monomorphic pattern for 3 of the 4 genes analyzed. Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) was used to classify the SNPs of these genes in the 3 breeds. The overall percentage of correctly classified cases for the model was 75%, with percentages of 100% for FGF5, 63% for IL10, and 100% for TLR2. Breed was a significant predictor for gene classification with estimation (1.00). Expression profiles of the genes were higher in V-line as compared with Baladi Black or Baladi Red. The LDA discriminated the 3 breeds using results of the gene expression profile as predictors for classification. Overall, 73% of the cases were correctly classified by gene expression. The identified SNPs, along with changes in mRNA levels of FGF5, PGAM2, TLR2, and IL10, could provide a biomarker for efficient characterization of rabbit breeds and could thus help develop marker assisted selection for growth and immune traits in rabbits.

Enhanced Antibacterial Activity of Silver Nanoparticles Combined with Hydrogen Peroxide Against Multidrug-Resistant Pathogens Isolated from Dairy Farms and Beef Slaughterhouses in Egypt.

PURPOSE: The last few decades have witnessed a rapid and global increase in multidrug-resistant bacteria (MDR) emergence. METHODS: The aim of the current study is to isolate the most common MDR bacteria from dairy farms and beef slaughterhouses followed by evaluation of their antimicrobial resistance pattern and assessment of the antibacterial activity of AgNPs-H2O2 as an alternative to conventional antibiotics. In this regard, 200 samples were collected from two dairy farms and one beef slaughterhouse located in Dakhliya Governorate, Egypt. RESULTS: Interestingly, out of 120 collected samples from dairy farms, the prevalence of the isolated strains was 26.7, 23.3, 21.7, 16.7, and 11.7% for S. typhimurium, E. coli O157:H7, L. monocytogenes, K. pneumoniae and P. aeruginosa, respectively. Meanwhile, the overall prevalence was 30, 25, 22.5, 17.5, and 5% for E. coli O157:H7, L. monocytogenes, S. typhimurium, P. aeruginosa, and K. pneumoniae, respectively, for the 80 samples collected from a beef slaughterhouse. The antimicrobial susceptibility pattern elucidated that all isolated strains exhibited resistance to at least four of the tested antimicrobials, with multiple-antibiotic resistance index values (MAR) ranging between 0.44 and 0.88. Furthermore, the commercial AgNPs-H2O2 product was characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and zeta potential that showed spherical particles with a surface charge of -0.192 mV. The antimicrobial activity of synergized nano-silver (AgNP) with H2O2 product toward MDR strains was assessed via measuring minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), and time-kill curve. CONCLUSION: The present data report high prevalence rates of MDR pathogens in dairy farms and abattoirs. More importantly, AgNPs-H2O2 exerted broad-spectrum bactericidal activity toward MDR bacterial strains, suggesting their promising usage as safe, ecofriendly, cost-effective antibacterial agents. To our knowledge, this study is a pioneer in investigating the potential alternative antimicrobial role of silver nanoparticles for control of multiple drug-resistant pathogens in Egypt.