The present cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the seroprevalence and potential risk factors associated with Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) disease in cattle and buffaloes in Egypt, to model the potential risk factors associated with the disease using logistic regression (LR) models, and to fit the best predictive model for the current data. A total of 740 blood samples were collected within November 2012-March 2013 from animals aged between 6 months and 3 years. The potential risk factors studied were species, age, sex, and herd location. All serum samples were examined with indirect ELIZA test for antibody detection. Data were analyzed with different statistical approaches such as Chi-square test, odds ratios (OR), univariable, and multivariable LR models. Results revealed a non-significant association between being seropositive with BVDV and all risk factors, except for species of animal. Seroprevalence percentages were 40% and 23% for cattle and buffaloes, respectively. OR for all categories were close to one with the highest OR for cattle relative to buffaloes, which was 2.237. Likelihood ratio tests showed a significant drop of the -2LL from univariable LR to multivariable LR models. There was an evidence of high seroprevalence of BVDV among cattle as compared with buffaloes with the possibility of infection in different age groups of animals. In addition, multivariable LR model was proved to provide more information for association and prediction purposes relative to univariable LR models and Chi-square tests if we have more than one predictor. Keywords: bovine viral diarrhea, likelihood ratio test, logistic regression, odds ratio, seroprevalence.

The present study aimed to detect Babesia ovis and Babesia motasi in the blood samples of sheep and goats from Northwest of Iran by the semi-nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique. A total of 166 whole blood samples (including 123 sheep and 43 goats) were collected. In the first stage, the PCR was performed to amplify a piece of 18S rRNA gene of Babesia and Theileria genera. Then, semi-nested PCR was carried out on all PCR products to differentiate B. ovis and B. motasi. The PCR indicated that totally, 19 (11.44%) out of 166 samples were positive for Babesia or Theileria spp. The semi-nested PCR showed that 38 samples (22.89%) were positive only for B. ovis. No significant association was found between the infection rate of B. ovis and age, gender and species of animals. In the present study, there was no evidence for B. motasi infection in small ruminants from Northwest of Iran. Therefore, B. ovis was the main causative agent of ovine Babesiosis in this region. Keywords: Babesia motasi, Babesia ovis, Iran, semi-nested polymerase chain reaction, small ruminants.

The aim of the study was to assess the antibiotic use in dairy animals and to trace its usage pattern among the small, medium, and large dairy farmers in Eastern Haryana region of India. Karnal and Kurukshetra districts from Eastern region of Haryana state were purposively selected, and four villages from each district were selected randomly. From each village, 21 farmers were selected using stratified random sampling by categorizing into small, medium, and large farmers constituting a total of 168 farmers as respondents. An antibiotic usage index (AUI) was developed to assess usage of antibiotics by dairy farmers. Frequency of veterinary consultancy was high among large dairy farmers, and they mostly preferred veterinarians over para-veterinarians for treatment of dairy animals. Small farmers demanded low-cost antibiotics from veterinarians whereas large farmers rarely went for it. Antibiotics were used maximum for therapeutic purposes by all categories of farmers. Completion of treatment schedules and follow-up were strictly practiced by the majority of large farmers. AUI revealed that large farmers were more consistent on decision-making about prudent use of antibiotics. Routine use of antibiotics after parturition to prevent disease and sale of milk without adhering to withdrawal period was responsible for aggravating the antibiotic resistance. The extent of antibiotic use by small farmers depended on the severity of disease. The large farmers opted for the prophylactic use of antibiotics at the herd level. Antibiotic usage practices were judicious among large dairy farmers, moderately prudent by medium dairy farmers and faulty by small farmers. The frequency of veterinary consultancy promoted better veterinary-client relationship among large farmers. Keywords: antibiotic usage, treatment schedules, veterinary consultancy, withdrawal period.

Paenibacillus larvae subsp. larvae is the etiological agent of American foulbrood (AFB), the most virulent bacterial disease of honey bee brood worldwide. In many countries, AFB is a notifiable disease since it is highly contagious, in most cases incurable, and able to kill affected colonies. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of P. larvae subsp. larvae in Kurdistan province apiaries by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique. A total of 100 samples were randomly purchased from apiaries in Kurdistan, Iran. Apiaries were randomly sampled in accordance with the instructions of the veterinary organization from different provinces and were tested using PCR method and an exclusive primer of 16S rRNA for the presence of P. larvae subsp. larvae. The results of this study indicated a low level of contamination with P. larvae subsp. larvae in the Kurdistan province. The number of positive samples obtained by PCR was 2%. Therefore, monitoring programs for this honeybee disease in Kurdistan should be developed and implemented to ensure that it is detected early and managed. Keywords: American foulbrood, honeybee, Kurdistan province, Paenibacillus larvae subsp. larvae, polymerase chain reaction.

The objective of this study was to establish environmental factors related to scorpion species occurrence and their current potential geographic distributions in Morocco, to produce a current envenomation risk map and also to assess the human population at risk of envenomation. In this study, 71 georeferenced points for all scorpion species and nine environmental indicators were used to generate species distribution models in Maxent (maximum entropy modeling of species geographic distributions) version 3.3.3k. The models were evaluated by the area under the curve (AUC), using the omission error and the binomial probability. With the data generated by Maxent, distribution and envenomation risk maps were produced using the "ESRI® ArcGIS 10.2.2 for Desktop" software. The models had high predictive success (AUC >0.95±0.025). Altitude, slope and five bioclimatic attributes were found to play a significant role in determining Androctonus scorpion species distribution. Ecological niche models (ENMs) showed high concordance with the known distribution of the species. Produced risk map identified broad risk areas for Androctonus scorpion envenomation, extending along Marrakech-Tensift-Al Haouz, Souss-Massa-Draa, and some areas of Doukkala-Abda and Oriental regions. Considering these findings ENMs could be useful to afford important information on distributions of medically important scorpion species as well as producing scorpion envenomation risk maps. Keywords: Androctonus genus, ecological niche models, Morocco, risk maps, scorpion envenomation.

Giardia is a serious zoonotic parasite, which causes diarrheal disease in humans and animals including rodents. The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence of Giardia spp. in brown rats (Rattus norvegicus) in Grenada. Intestinal contents from 99 and serum samples from 169 brown rats (R. norvegicus) from Grenada were collected. These samples were examined for the Giardia coproantigens using Cryptosporidium/Giardia Quik Chek assay (Tech lab® Inc., USA), and the serum was screened through an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test kit for Giardia antibody (anti-GD) ELISA kit (MyBioSource, San Diego, CA, USA). Giardia coproantigens were positive in 17.17% (95% confidence interval [CI]; 10.33-26.06%) rats, whereas 55% (95% CI: 47.20-62.68) were positive with serum antibodies (anti-GD) to Giardia. The prevalence of Giardia spp. in brown rats in Grenada was moderate based on the presence of coproantigens in the intestinal contents and antibody in serum. The findings of Giardia infections and prevalence in brown rats will help veterinarians and physicians to better plan diagnostic and preventative strategies. This is the first report of prevalence of Giardia in brown rats in Grenada. Keywords: antibody, brown rat, coproantigens, Giardia, Grenada.

The aim of the study was to determine the overall prevalence of classical swine fever (CSF) in pigs in India, through a systematic review and meta-analysis of published data. Consortium for e-Resources in Agriculture, India, Google Scholar, PubMed, annual reports of All India Coordinated Research Project on Animal Disease Monitoring and Surveillance,and All India Animal Disease database of NIVEDI (NADRES) were used for searching and retrieval of CSF prevalence data (seroprevalence, virus antigen, and virus nucleic acid detection) in India using a search strategy combining keywords and related database-specific subject terms from January 2011 to December 2015 in English only. A total of 22 data reports containing 6,158 samples size from 18 states of India were used for the quantitative synthesis, and overall 37% (95% confidence interval [CI]=0.24, 0.51) CSF prevalence in India was estimated. The data were classified into 4 different geographical zones of the country: 20% (95% CI=0.05, 0.55), 31% (95% CI=0.18, 0.47), 55% (95% CI=0.32, 0.76), and 34% (95% CI=0.14, 0.62). CSF prevalence was estimated in northern, eastern, western, and southern regions, respectively. This study indicates that overall prevalence of CSF in India is much lower than individual published reports. Keywords: Classical swine fever, India, meta-analysis, pigs, prevalence.

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of Apis mellifera propolis extract gel on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) expression in the traumatic ulcers of rats afflicted with diabetes mellitus (DM). The study was conducted on 24 male Wistar rats (Rattus norvegicus) induced with DM by injecting 50 mg/kg of Streptozotocin, intraperitoneally, and a traumatic ulcer on their lower lip mucosa. These were divided into eight groups: Four each for control and treatment groups. Each control and treatment group consisted of three rats. The control groups treated with hydroxypropyl methylcellulose 5% gel and treatment groups were administered with propolis extract gel. The expression of VEGF and MMP-9 was observed on days 3, 5, 7, and 9. Furthermore, mice sacrificed and the lower lip labial mucosa tissue of mice has been taken to make the histopathology anatomy preparation by means of immunohistochemical examination with monoclonal antibodies anti-VEGF and anti-MMP-9. This experiment revealed higher VEGF expression and lower MMP-9 expression in the treatment group as compared to that of the control group. Analysis of Variance showed significant differences (p<0.01) of both VEGF expression and MMP-9 expression between the two groups. A Tukey's analysis did not find strong contrasts in VEGF and MMP-9 expressions between various treatment groups. However, those between treatment and control groups were found to be considerable. Propolis extract gel increased the expression of VEGF and decreased that of MMP-9 during the healing process of traumatic ulcers on the oral mucosa of diabetes afflicted Wistar rats (R. norvegicus). Keywords: diabetes mellitus, matrix metalloproteinase-9, ulcer healing process, vascular endothelial growth factor expression.

The present study aims to focus on the role of common marine snails (Littorina littorea) as a vector for some trematode parasites. A total of 327 marine water L. littorea snails were collected during the summer of 2016 from a Qarun lake in the EL-Fayoum Governorate, Egypt. The snails were investigated for infection by trematode parthenitae through induction of cercarial shedding by exposure to light and crushing the snails. The species were stored in Search Laboratory of Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Fayoum University. Three species of Strigeid littorina cercaria were identified from the infected snails. They are described here and they identified in relation to close-up morphological features and linked to its snail hosts. They give the following names: Cercaria strigeid littorina type 1, C. strigeid littorina type 2, and C. strigeid littorina type 3. The incidence of infection by these cercariae was 33%, 25.7%, and 2.4%, respectively. This study is clarifying the importance of this marine snail as intermediate hosts for new trematode species. Keywords: Littorina littorea, Qarun Lake, Strigeid Cercaria.

The study aimed to investigate the Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL)-positive Staphylococcus aureus in bovine milk due to its public health significance. A total of 400 milk samples of bovines taken from different dairy farms and outlets of Jabalpur were screened for the S. aureus and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). The strains were tested for the PVL gene and antimicrobial sensitivity toward 10 different classes of antimicrobial agents. The PVL-positive S. aureus strains were further characterized by staphylococcal protein A or spa typing. The prevalence of PVL-positive S. aureus was 10.53%. All the isolates positive for the PVL were resistant to methicillin, while the methicillin-sensitive S. aureus isolates were negative for the PVL. Five different spa types were found. The presence of PVL-positive MRSA in bovine milk close to consumer poses a potential public health risk to the community. Keywords: bovine milk, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Panton-Valentine leukocidin.

This research aimed to evaluate the effects of pomegranate extract standardized to 40% ellagic acid on the incised wound in albino rats. Fifty albino rats were divided into 10 treatment groups. The five groups were sacrificed on the 8th day, while the others were sacrificed on the 15th day. Two groups of albino rats with incised wound were not treated at all (P0), the other two groups of albino rats with incised wound were treated with Betadine® (P1) ointment, and the rest of the groups were treated with pomegranate extract standardized to 40% ellagic acid with a concentration of 2.5% (P2), 5% (P3), and 7.5% (P4). The treatments were carried out twice a day with an interval of 12 h for 7 and 14 days. At the end of the research, the skin tissue of those albino rats had been taken for histopathologic preparations before H and E staining was performed. Collagen deposition, polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) infiltration, angiogenesis, and fibrosis degree in Group P4 treated with 7.5% pomegranate extract standardized to 40% ellagic acid for 14 days were significantly different from those in Groups P0, P1, P2, and P3, especially in the case of PMN inflammation (p<0.05). The administration of 7.5% pomegranate extract standardized to 40% ellagic acid for 14 days on incised wounds of those albino rats can accelerate the wound healing process characterized by collagen deposition improvement, PMN infiltration in the wound area, angiogenesis, and fibrosis degree. Keywords: albino rats, ellagic acid, incision wound, pomegranate, wound healing process.

Brown-marbled grouper Epinephelus fuscoguttatus is a premium marine food fish with high demand in Asia. In fish, stress due to environmental changes such as fluctuations in the salinity can result in increased cortisol level. Stress in fish increases susceptibility to diseases ultimately resulting in death. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the salinity tolerance of E. fuscoguttatus and their survival in lower salinities. In this study, grouper juveniles (92.43±standard error of the mean 0.51 mm) maintained in 31 ppt seawater were transferred into five tanks with seawater diluted to 25, 20, 15, 10, and 5 ppt. The salinity of the control group was not changed and was maintained at 31 ppt. Serum cortisol was measured using ELISA at 0, 30, 60, and 120 min after the fish were transferred to the different concentrations of salinity. The survival percentage was recorded for 14 days following the transfer and the results revealed that serum cortisol of fish in a high change in salinity (15, 10, and 5 ppt) was significantly higher than the control group immediately after exposure. At the high salinity change, the cortisol levels gradually decrease at 30 min and 60 min, until no difference in cortisol concentration was observed at 120 min. No mortality was observed in fish exposed to low salinity change (25 and 20 ppt) while in higher salinity change (5 ppt), the survival percentage was 50%. The study revealed that the serum cortisol concentration was high initially and continues to decrease to resting cortisol level at 120 min indicating that cortisol hormone is released following acute stress as a primary response in grouper juveniles. Keywords: cortisol, Epinephelus fuscoguttatus, salinity, serum, stress, survival.

Theileriosis is a protozoal disease caused by Theileria spp. mostly in warm-blooded vertebrates worldwide. It is one of the common tick-borne diseases among domestic animals in tropical and sub-tropical regions, which have a variety of unlikable effects on health economy and animal welfare. In the present study, the prevalence of theileriosis among domestic farm animals in Iran was systematically evaluated. Methods: To identify the related papers, 10 English and Persian databases, including PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, Web of Science, Medical Subject Headings, Google Scholar, Magiran, Barakatns (formerly Iranmedex), Elm net, and Scientific Information Database, were appraised for articles published throughout 1999-2017. A total of 56 papers, providing the examination of 11,317 cattle, 9394 sheep, 2991 buffaloes, 1504 horses, 600 goats, and 212 donkeys were analyzed, matching for the prevalence of theileriosis from different parts of Iran were permitted for our allowing checklist. The overall prevalence of theileriosis among domestic herbivores was expected to be 19% (95% confidence interval: 15%, 22%). Our findings highlighted the average of the maximum prevalence in Razavi Khorasan (60.4%) and West Azerbaijan (49.1%) and the minimum in Mazandaran (1.1%) and East Azerbaijan provinces (2.2%), respectively. The high prevalence of Theileria infection in the herbivores (mainly sheep) verifies the well-known enzootic episode of theileriosis in Iran, predominantly in northeastern and western parts of the country. Our results suggested updated and imperative information on the true burden of theileriosis in Iran. Moreover, it could be supporting the gaps among monitoring, prevention, and control arrangements to improve the health economy, particularly among dairy farm animals. Keywords: epidemiology, Iran, livestock, systematic review, Theileria spp.

This study aimed to determine the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of fig leaf (F. carica Linn.) extract against E. faecalis and its cytotoxicity on fibroblast cells in vitro. A serial dilution method was used to determine the MBC of fig leaf extract on E. faecalis which grown on nutrient agar media. Inoculation was carried out at concentrations that suspected minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), MBC, concentration between MIC and MBC, and control groups on different nutrient agar. MIC and MBC of fig leaf extract against E. faecalis were known by counting the growth of bacteria colonies on nutrient agar media in CFU/ml. The cytotoxicity of MIC and MBC of the extract acquired were tested using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5- diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay, and the results were read using an ELISA reader. Data of E. faecalis colonies were analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney test. The result showed a significant difference among the groups (p<0.05). Fig leaf extract at a concentration of 50% showed no bacterial growth, and cell viability at this concentration was 77.7%. Fig leaf extract has antibacterial effect on E. faecalis with MBC at 50% and not cytotoxic to fibroblast cells. Keywords: Enterococcus faecalis, fig leaf (Ficus carica Linn.) extract, minimum bactericidal concentration, 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay.

The present study was conducted to detect and identify the virulence genes in Pasteurella multocida isolates of porcine origin from Assam. A total of 21 porcine P. multocida isolates were subjected to capsular typing and detection of virulence-associated genes (pfhA, tbpA, hgbB, toxA, oma87, ompH, and nanB) using various polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods reported elsewhere. Further, pathogenicity of the porcine isolates of P. multocida was studied in mice. For each strain of P. multocida selected for pathogenicity trial, the group of mice was injected intraperitoneally (i/p) with 0.1 ml of the inoculum prepared from respective field isolates, containing 109 organisms per ml. Capsular typing of the isolates by multiplex PCR showed two capsular types, type A (66.66%) and type D (33.33%). All the isolates were positive for outer membrane protein genes, oma87 and ompH genes. Iron acquisition genes, tbpA and hgbB, were detected in 14.28% and 19.04% of the isolates. The dermonecrotoxin encoding gene, toxA, was present in 23.80% of the isolates. Filamentous hemagglutinin encoding gene, pfhA, was detected in 28.57%. The virulence gene distribution pattern of the isolates indicates the important role of the genes in disease pathogenesis. From the present study, it can be concluded that toxA gene is an important marker gene for defining the pathogenic potential of P. multocida strains in swine. Keywords: capsular type, Pasteurella multocida, porcine, virulence-associated genes.

The present work aims to isolate and identify bacteria that cause mastitis in small ruminants and evaluates the antibacterial activity of some antibiotics, honey, essential oils, and plant extracts. A total of 289 milk samples were collected from udder secretions of sheep (n=189) and goat (n=100) from El-Fayoum, Beni-Suef, and Giza governorates. Screening subclinical mastitis (SCM) was done using California Mastitis Test (CMT); identification of the isolates was achieved using Gram's staining, hemolytic pattern, colony morphology, and biochemical tests using Analytical Profile Index. On clinical examination, the incidence of clinical mastitis (CM) was found to be 5.88% and 7% in sheep and goat, respectively. On CMT, SCM was found to be 25 (13.23%) and 11 (10%) in sheep and goat, respectively. Bacteriological examination of all milk samples found the presence of Staphylococcus aureus (SA) (31.1%), coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) (19.5%), Escherichia coli (EC) (8.3%), Streptococcus spp. (5.6%), Klebsiella spp. (3.77%), and Pseudomonas spp. (1.89%), while no bacteria were cultured from 81.66% of the samples. Identification of 9 isolates of CNS was achieved by using API staph test to Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus hominis, Staphylococcus cohnii, and Staphylococcus saprophyticus. The highest bacterial resistance was found in EC (67.14%) followed by Kp (45.28%) and SA (26.57%). Onion and black cumin essential oils followed by Egyptian honey showed strong antibacterial effects against multidrug-resistant bacteria. Finally, our study proved that Egyptian honey, onion, and black cumin essential oils have a marked strong antibacterial effect against bacteria isolated from small ruminant mastitis, but still further extensive studies are needed to discover the therapeutic properties of these plant extracts and honey. Keywords: black cumin, essential oil, honey, mastitis, onion, small ruminants, Staphylococcus aureus.

The aim of this study was to detect Brucella spp. DNA in milk samples collected from seronegative cows using the real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for diagnosis of brucellosis in seronegative dairy cows to prevent transmission of disease to humans and to reduce economic losses in animal production. In this study, 65 milk samples were investigated for the detection of Brucella spp. The detection of the IS711 gene in all samples was done by real-time PCR assay by comparative cycle threshold method. The results show that of the 65 DNA samples tested, 2 (3.08%) were positive for Brucella infection. The mean cyclic threshold values of IS711 real-time PCR test were 37.97 and 40.48, indicating a positive reaction. The results of the present study indicated that the real-time PCR appears to offer several advantages over serological tests. For this reason, the real-time PCR should be validated on representative numbers of Brucella-infected and free samples before being implemented in routine diagnosis in human and animal brucellosis for controlling this disease. Keywords: Brucella spp., milk, real-time polymerase chain reaction, seronegative cows.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the antimycobacterial activity of the Curcuma xanthorrhiza ethanolic extract in vitro. Ethanolic extract of C. xanthorrhiza was set by maceration method. The broth microdilution and disc diffusion method were used to determine the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC), respectively, of C. xanthorrhiza ethanol extract on strain Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv. C. xanthorrhiza ethanol extract was found to have the antimycobacterial effects with a MIC value of 1600 μg/ml while MBC value of 3200 μg/ml for M. tuberculosis H37Rv. From these findings , it can be concluded that C. xanthorrhiza ethanol extract have an antibacterial activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv in vitro and its potency elevated by increasing the C. xanthorrhiza ethanol extract concentration. Keywords: antimycobacterial, Curcuma xanthorrhiza, minimal bactericidal concentration, minimal inhibitory concentration.

This work aimed to evaluate the biological activity of the leaf extracts of Juniperus thurifera L., which is an Algerian endemic tree that belongs to the family of Cupressaceae. The plant leaves were extracted in solvents of increasing polarity to obtain different extracts such as methanol, petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and aqueous extracts (MeE, PEE, ChlE, EtAE, and AqE). The antioxidant activity of four extracts (MeE, ChlE, EtAE, and AqE) was assessed by trapping test of 1,1-diphenyl-2- picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical. The evaluation of antibacterial activity of MeE, ChlE, EtAE, and PEE was done using the disk diffusion method on solid agar. The three extracts of EtAE, AqE, and MeE showed high antiradical activity toward the DPPH radical (IC50=29.348 μg/mL, 37.538 μg/mL, and 52.573 μg/mL, respectively), while the lowest radical scavenging activity was expressed by the ChlE (IC50=70.096 μg/mL). These extracts were active only toward the Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus ATCC and methicillin-resistant S. aureus) at different concentrations, and the highest activity was obtained with the ChlE with an inhibition diameter of 14 mm at the concentration of 1 g/mL. No inhibition was detected for all of these extracts against the Gram-negative tested strains (Escherichia coli ATCC, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC, and Enterobacter cloacae (extended spectrum β-lactamase). From this study, on the one hand, it was concluded that J. thurifera L. leaves extracts exhibited a very intense antioxidant potential toward the DPPH radical, and on the other hand, the antibacterial activity showed an action spectrum exclusively toward the Gram-positive bacteria. Keywords: antibacterial activity, antioxidant activity, extraction, Juniperus thurifera L., trapping test of 1,1-diphenyl-2- picrylhydrazyl radical.

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are important pathogens of global significance. STEC are responsible for numerous food-borne outbreaks worldwide and their presence in food is a potential health hazard. The objective of the present study was to determine the incidence of STEC in fresh seafood in Mumbai, India, and to characterize STEC with respect to their virulence determinants. A total of 368 E. coli were isolated from 39 fresh seafood samples (18 finfish and 21 shellfish) using culture-based methods. The isolates were screened by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the genes commonly associated with STEC. The variant Shiga toxin genes were confirmed by Southern blotting and hybridization followed by DNA sequencing. One or more Shiga toxins genes were detected in 61 isolates. Of 39 samples analyzed, 10 (25.64%) samples harbored STEC. Other virulence genes, namely, eaeA (coding for an intimin) and hlyA (hemolysin A) were detected in 43 and 15 seafood isolates, respectively. The variant stx1 genes from 6 isolates were sequenced, five of which were found to be stx1d variants, while one sequence varied considerably from known stx1 sequences. Southern hybridization and DNA sequence analysis suggested putative Shiga toxin variant genes (stx2) in at least 3 other isolates. The results of this study showed the occurrence of STEC in seafood harboring one or more Shiga toxin genes. The detection of STEC by PCR may be hampered due to the presence of variant genes such as the stx1d in STEC. This is the first report of stx1d gene in STEC isolated from Indian seafood. Keywords: Escherichia coli, pathogen, seafood, Shiga toxin, Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli, virulence gene.

Lice are permanent ectoparasites, extremely specific to their hosts. Their great importance in veterinary medicine remain significant, they can cause their direct pathogenic actions like irritability, dermatitis, anemia, decreased weight gain, and milk production. The purpose of this work was to made the first time an inventory of mammalian lice in North-eastern Algeria. Our survey of lice infestation was conducted on several animal species from five provinces of North-eastern Algeria. A total of 57 cattle, 83 sheep, 77 goats, 111 wild boars, and 63 farmyard chickens were examined. The collection of lice was carried out much more in mammals and chickens during the winter period. Lice were collected either manually or using brushing and kept in flasks containing 70% ethanol. The identification of lice was achieved in the laboratory using a binocular loupe. Concerning cattle, 63% and 27% of those examined subjects from Souk-Ahras and Guelma study areas, respectively, were carriers of lice. Damalinia bovis was the louse most frequently found on cattle in these two regions. Three other species were identified in Souk-Ahras: Haematopinus eurysternus (25%), Linognathus vituli (10%), and Solenopotes capillatus (5%). Regarding sheep, 39% and 24% of examined animals in Souk-Ahras and Guelma, were carrying lice. Damalinia ovis was the most frequently encountered lice on sheep in both regions. Linognathus ovillus also was identified in Souk-Ahras, representing 0.3% of the collected lice. Concerning goats, 53% and 30% of examined animals in Souk-Ahras and Guelma, were parasitized of lice. Two species of lice were found: Damalinia caprae and Linognathus africanus. For farmyard chickens, 69% and 100% of the farmyard chicken in Souk-Ahras and Mila were parasitized by lice, respectively. Menopon gallinae was the most frequently encountered louse in farmyard chicken in both regions. Eight other species were identified in Mila and four other species only in Souk-Ahras. Finally, 25% and 28% of the wild boars in Annaba and El Tarf were parasitized by lice, respectively. Haematopinus suis was the only species found on wild boars in both regions. These results are to be taken into account for lice control schemes and louse-borne diseases. Keywords: boars, farmyard chickens, lice, North-eastern Algeria, ruminants.

Johne's disease is chronic granulomatous enteritis which affects ruminants. There are many diagnostic approaches for the detection of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) of which molecular detection methods using various elements are less time consuming and more accurate. The present study was conducted using ISMap02 element for nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR) based detection of MAP in fecal samples. The aim was to test the sensitivity and specificity of the ISMap02 element and also to use this element for the detection of MAP in fecal samples of cattle and buffaloes. A total of 211 fecal samples of cattle and buffaloes from different herds around Ludhiana aged between 2 and 13 years were collected, and DNA extraction was done from these samples. The nPCR was carried out for the detection of MAP in fecal samples. The ISMap02 element was specific for the detection of MAP only and showed a sensitivity of detection of 7.6 fg/μL of the standard genomic DNA. Among the 211 fecal samples of cattle and buffaloes tested for the ISMap02 element, 18 samples (8.5%) were positive for MAP. The ISMap02 element is specific and sensitive for the detection of MAP in various samples, and when used in nPCR format, it can increase the sensitivity of detection. Keywords: ISMap02, Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis, nested polymerase chain reaction, paratuberculosis.