Iranian Journal of Veterinary Science and Technology
Volume:15 Issue: 4, Autumn 2023

CCH, resulting from multiple cerebrovascular diseases, has been considered the primary cause of cognitive impairment in recent years. In this process, oxidative stress plays a critical role and damages hippocampal neurons. Research has shown that Salvia verticillata has a significant antioxidant and free radical-scavenging activity due to its polyphenolic compounds. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the effect of Salvia verticillata on a rat model of chronic cerebral hypoperfusion. A total of 24 rats were subjected to Salvia verticillata or vehicle orally from one week before 2VO surgery for 14 days. Cerebral hypoperfusion was induced by the bilateral occlusion of the common carotid arteries (2VO, n = 12 and sham, n = 12). The cognition of rats was evaluated 1 week after surgery in the MWM. In the MWM test, 2VO rats showed longer escape latency time and swimming distance and spent a shorter time in the target quadrant (p < 0.05). Moreover, we observed that Salvia verticillata treatment significantly reduced escape latency time, shortened the swimming distance, and increased target quadrant time (p > 0.05). Our results indicated that Salvia verticillata treatment significantly improved cognitive deficits in cerebral ischemic rats, probably by reducing oxidative stress damage.

The seroprevalences of BRSV, BPIV-3, and BAV-3 were studied in the dairy cattle of Fars Province in the south of Iran and their associated risk factors were determined. Serum samples (n = 420) were collected from 36 cattle herds in the northern, central, and southern regions of the study area. Commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits were used to detect antibodies against these viruses. The Chi-square test and logistic regression were used to identify potential risk factors. Antibodies were estimated 100% for all the studied viruses at the herd level and 76.43%, 76.90%, and 92.62% at the animal level for BRSV, BPIV-3, and BAV-3, respectively. In logistic regression analysis, age for all the viruses, season for BPIV-3 and BAV-3, and region and farming type for BAV-3 were significantly related to seroprevalence at the animal level. A significant association of dual infections with studied viruses was identified. The present study demonstrated that BRSV, BPIV-3, and BAV-3 are very prevalent in the dairy herds of southern Iran and highlighted the necessity to establish a control program.

The zoonotic disease brucellosis is a serious public health and livestock industry concern. In the present study, we used bacteriological culture, RBT, and qPCR to determine the prevalence of brucellosis in the serum and milk samples of sheep with a history of abortion. Serum and milk samples were obtained from 100 sheep aged 3-5 years. In order to determine the prevalence of brucellosis, a modified RBT was performed on serum samples, Brucella was isolated from milk by bacteriological culture, and qPCR was applied to detect bacterial DNA in milk. The prevalence of brucellosis using modified RBT, bacteriological culture, and qPCR was 32%, 42%, and 44%, respectively. By considering qPCR as the standard, modified RBT showed a sensitivity of 95%, a specificity of 100%, an accuracy of 98%, a PV+ of 100%, and a PV- of 97%. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, PV+, and PV- for bacteriological culture were 77%, 100%, 90%, 100%, and 85%, respectively. The agreement between qPCR and modified RBT was 0.959 (95% CI: 0.896-1), between qPCR and bacteriological culture was 0.792 (95% CI: 0.667-0.897), and between modified RBT and bacteriological culture was 0.831 (95% CI: 0.709-0.38). Based on the results, bacterial isolation from sheep milk is not recommended except in specific cases due to its low sensitivity, as well as its time-consuming and hazardous nature. However, the modified RBT can be used as a routine method because of its cost-effectiveness, higher sensitivity, and higher accuracy compared to bacterial isolation. Moreover, qPCR is recommended as the gold standard test for detecting brucellosis in sheep milk, especially in those with a history of abortion.

Bovine mastitis causes a lot of economic losses, and the appearance of resistant strains of bacteria has led to the use of alternative natural bioagents for treatment. It is generally believed that high levels of fat and/or protein in foods may protect bacteria against the effects of essential oils (EOs). The purpose of this paper was to investigate the effect of EOs of Mentha piperita (peppermint) and Mentha pulegium (pennyroyal) on three bovine mastitis bacteria (Escherichia coli, Streptococcus agalactiae, and Staphylococcus aureus) in milk. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry was used for the analysis of EOs. Antibacterial effects of the EOs on bacteria were evaluated with minimum bactericide concentration (MBC), minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), and time-kill assay. Major components of peppermint EO were carvone (63.02%) and limonene (24.48%), and those of pennyroyal EO were pulegone (48.16%), eucalyptol (14.57%), and piperitenone (10.09%). The MIC and MBC were 0.62% and 1.25% for pennyroyal, 0.31-1.25% and 0.62-2.5% for peppermint, 0.31-0.62% and 0.62-2.5% for peppermint and pennyroyal, respectively. At 6-h, the bacterial reduction of treatments compared to the control group was significant for E. coli and S. agalactiae bacteria. The S. agalactiae and S. aureus counts significantly decreased in the peppermint and pennyroyal group at 24-h. In conclusion, peppermint and pennyroyal EO showed an antibacterial effect on these three bacteria and can be evaluated as an adjunct or alternative to antibiotics in the treatment of bovine mastitis.

Coxiellosis, also known as Q fever, is a zoonotic disease caused by Coxiella burnetti and has become a significant cause of small ruminant abortion globally. Q fever is endemic in Iran, but there is a dearth of epidemiological data regarding the true prevalence of C. burnetii in some areas of Iran. Small ruminants, mainly goats and sheep, are considered the primary reservoir for human infection, posing a considerable threat to human health. Theses reservoirs can shed the bacterium into vaginal mucus.The objective of this study is to examine the prevalence of coxiellosis through the detection of the IS1111 gene of C. burnetii using Real-time PCR and also to identify the related risk factors (such as the location of livestock, age, species, and parity) associated with the disease in the vaginal discharge of small ruminants residing in Kerman province, located in the southeast of Iran. During the winter of 2019 and autumn of 2020, a total of 134 vaginal samples from aborted small ruminants (70 samples from sheep and 64 from goats) were gathered from 32 herds located in different areas of Kerman province. The results showed that 26 samples, comprising 14 from goats (21.88 %) and 12 from sheep (17.14 %), were positive for coxiellosis. According to the findings of our study, the detection of C. burnetii showed that coxiellosis is circulating in the studied area. Additionally, our analysis revealed no statistically significant association between the prevalence of Q fever and small ruminants'' location, number of parturition,  and age that were examined as potential risk factors.

MAP is the causative agent of paratuberculosis and has also been implicated in the etiology of Crohn's Disease in humans. Therefore, the importance of studies on this subject increases as MAP causes many economic losses by causing disease in cattle and is important for public health. The aim of this paper was to map the global scientific landscape related to MAP research. The WOS database was queried for publications bearing the title "Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis" during January 2001-December 2021 employing the R bibliometrix program. A total of 1775 articles were reviewed in this bibliometric analysis. Notably, the majority of these articles originated from the USA (n = 536, 30.541%). The year 2013 emerged as the most productive year for publications. In terms of research fields, veterinary science (n = 730, 41.6%) was the leading research area. These studies were conducted by a diverse array of researchers, including veterinarians, physicians, and other experts working to define MAP. The sustained increase in the number of publications on paratuberculosis underscores the ongoing global interest in this factor. The determination of effective control strategies for paratuberculosis is important for the food sector and public health. Therefore, a research collaboration between countries should be established in this regard.

Domestic poultry are considered natural reservoirs for the transmission of Campylobacter spp., mainly C. jejuni and C. coli, to other birds and humans. This study aimed to determine the Campylobacter infection status in backyard ducks in Iran. A total of 100 cloacal swabs were obtained from apparently healthy backyard ducks in different rural areas of Amol, a city in northern Iran. Bacterial isolation was based on traditional culture procedures, and genus and species identification were performed using an mPCR. All isolates were examined for antimicrobial resistance to seven antibiotics by Kirby Bauer’s disk diffusion test. The virulence-associated genes cadF, iamA, pldA, cdtA, cdtB, cdtC, and wlaN were detected as well. Out of the 27 Campylobacter isolates recovered, 19 (70.4%) were C. coli, and 3 (11.1%) were C. jejuni. The remaining five isolates (18.5%) were not identified. All (100%) isolates showed resistance to ciprofloxacin. Most isolates were resistant to ampicillin, tetracycline, and nalidixic acid. The resistance rate to amoxicillin-clavulanic acid and erythromycin was moderate but was relatively low to gentamicin. Moreover, over two-thirds of the isolates were MDR. All virulence genes, except iamA, were variably detected. The cadF and pldA genes had the highest (92.6%) and lowest (7.4%) positivity rates, respectively. In addition, a statistically significant association was observed between Campylobacter spp. and most of the critical virulence genes (p < 0.05). Our findings imply that backyard ducks should be paid attention to as a major source of human campylobacteriosis.

Detection of sperm in the peritoneal fluid of animals is unusual and has not been reported in the literature. In this report, we describe the presence of sperm cells in the peritoneal fluid of a two-year-old ram. The ram was presented with dyspnea, reduced rumen contractions, a mild degree of dehydration, cyanotic mucosa, difficulty in standing, and anuria. Ancillary diagnostics, including ultrasonography, radiography, complete blood cell count, and abdominocentesis were performed. In the peripheral blood sample, no blood parasites were observed, although thrombocytosis with toxic neutrophilia, and atypical lymphocytes were seen in the blood smear. In radiographs, urolithiasis was confirmed just on the sigmoid flexure position. Ultrasound examination revealed a distended bladder and large amounts of free fluid within the peritoneal cavity. The electrocardiogram analysis showed the absence of P waves, bradycardia, wide QRS complexes, ST-segment elevation, and tented T waves. In the peritoneal fluid smears, a large number of spermatozoa, and increased inflammatory cells were observed. It was concluded that the trauma or rupture in colliculus seminalis, ductus deferens, or the urethra with urinary stones resulted in leakage of spermatozoa to the peritoneal cavity. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the presence of spermatozoa in the peritoneal fluid of large animals.

The Iranian Journal of Veterinary Science and Technology publishes corrections when they are of significance to patient care, scientific data or record-keeping, or authorship, whether that error was made by an author, editor, or staff during processing of the article. Errata also appear in the online version and are attached to files downloaded from ijvst.um.ac.ir. (More information on: https://publicationethics.org/case/corrigendum-or-erratum)