sheep

Neosporosis is one of the most important animal diseases worldwide which causes abortion in animals especially cows. Cows and small ruminants such as sheep and goats are the most intermediate hosts of the parasite. Due to limited information about Neospora caninum infection in small ruminants, the present cross-sectional study was carried out to investigate infection with the parasite in sheep and goats slaughtered in Kashan industrial slaughterhouse in 2015-2016 using molecular methods.

Heart samples of one hundred and eighty animals including 90 sheep and 90 goats were collected. First, DNAs were extracted from the heart tissue, and then PCR was performed using primers Np21plus and. Samples were assigned as positive upon observation of a 350 base pair band. Animal data and PCR results were recorded in SPSS.16 and were analyzed by Chi-Square and Fischer tests.

Neospora caninum DNA was detected in 13 heart samples of animals (7.2 %). The prevalence of infection in sheep and goats was 7.8% and 6.7%, respectively. The odds ratio of Neospora caninum infection in sheep was 1.18 compared to goats. The highest rate of Neospora caninum infection in small ruminants was observed in winter which was 17.8%, whereas no infection was seen in autumn (P=0.003). The rate of infection was significantly higher in the female animals (P=0.04).

The prevalence of Neospora caninum in small ruminants in Kashan was relatively low compared to other places in the world as well as the average estimation in Iran. However, health education of farmers and livestock producers is recommended to control and improve the conditions of animal husbandry in order to prevent the disease.

Coxiella burnetii is a Gram-negative, obligate intracellular bacterium and the causative agent of the zoonotic disease Q fever. Cattle, sheep, and goats are the primary sources of human infection, excreting the pathogen through milk. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of C. burnetii contamination in raw milk samples collected from cattle, sheep, and goat herds in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province, Iran.Between October 2022 and January 2024, a total of 250 individual milk samples were seasonally collected from 50 dairy herds (cattle, sheep, and goats) across various regions of the province. The samples were analyzed for C. burnetii contamination using nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting the transposon gene IS1111.Totally, 9 out of 250 raw milk samples (3.6%) were positive, including 7 out of 100 cattle milk samples (7%) and 2 out of 75 goat milk samples (2.66%). All 75 sheep milk samples were found to be negative. A significant association was observed between the level of C. burnetii contamination in the raw milk samples studied and the type of livestock (P = 0.042). However, no significant differences were found concerning the season, region, history of mastitis, or dairy farm density. The findings of this study indicated that raw cow and goat milk could serve as potential sources of C. burnetii infection in the investigated area.

This study was conducted to determine the level of parasitic contamination in the liver and lungs of slaughtered sheep at the slaughterhouse in Bavi City and to evaluate the viability of protoscoleces in the cysts. A total of 13,578 sheep were examined during the fall of 2022, specifically in the months of Mehr, Aban, and Azar. Inspections were carried out using direct and microscopic examination methods. After staining with eosin dye, fertile protoscoleces were distinguished from infertile ones by their reaction to the dye. The highest and lowest rates of parasitic infection in sheep at the Bavi City slaughterhouse were 22.68% in December and 22.63% in October, respectively. The highest and lowest percentages of fertile cysts were 70.12% in October and 70.01% in December, respectively. Overall, 22.66% of the sheep were found to be parasitically infected, and 70.06% of the cysts were fertile. Fasciola infection was observed in 0.8% of sheep livers and 0.6% of sheep lungs, with no statistically significant difference between liver and lung infections (p>0.05). Dicrocoelium parasite infection was found in 0.03% of sheep livers, and there was no Dicrocoelium infection in the lungs (p>0.05). Hydatid cyst contamination was 2.9% in sheep livers and 0.8% in sheep lungs (p<0.01). Cysticercus contamination was 0.1% in both the liver and lungs of sheep, with no statistically significant difference between the two (p>0.05). The construction of well-equipped and hygienic slaughterhouses, along with accurate and thorough inspection of carcasses, are effective measures for reducing the damage caused by parasitic contamination.

Usually, contaminated food is one of the main causes of human infections, and in this case, poultry meat and sheep are considered as the main causes. Enterobacter cloacae strains, having different virulence factors and multiple antibiotic resistance are mainly considered as an opportunistic pathogen. In this research, the isolation of Enterobacter cloacae from chicken and sheep meat samples in Shahrekord in 2019 was done by microbial and molecular methods. Antibiotic resistance pattern was determined by disc diffusion method and microtitre plate method was used to check biofilm production. The ability to produce broad-spectrum β-lactamase enzymes was investigated through phenotypic and genotypic methods. Out of 384 examined samples, Enterobacter cloacae were identified in 25 samples (6.51%) which also confirmed in the presence of the hsp60 in molecular analysis. Among these, 18 samples were related to chicken meat (72%) and 7 samples (28%) were related to sheep meat. The highest antibiotic resistance to cotrimoxazole and cefotaxime was reported in 20 isolates (80%) and the lowest resistance to nitrofuranthein was reported in 15 isolates (23.8%). In microtiter method. 15 isolates (60%) showed strong biofilm reaction, 10 isolates (40%) showed moderate biofilm reaction. The present study indicates that ESBL-producing Enterobacter cloacae strains have a relatively high prevalence. The increase in the number of these strains is often caused by the irrational prescription of antibiotics, which requires the use of new antimicrobial agents,.

Brucellosis is one of the most common infectious diseases in Iran, which is common between humans and animals and is caused by Brucella species. One of the ways of brucellosis transmission to humans is the consumption of milk and traditional products contaminated with Brucella bacteria. The present study was conducted to investigate the epidemiological situation and the incidence of malt fever in cattle and sheep in Shiraz city. 120 serum samples were taken from cows and 80 serum samples from sheep. First, the rose bengal test was performed on all serum samples as a rapid initial diagnostic test, and it was observed that 5% of the 200 rose bengal test samples were positive. Then the positive samples in the Rose Bengal test were subjected to the Wright tube test and it was observed that 4% of the samples were positive. Then, in order to detect the type of antibody and to determine the active or inactive state of the disease, two mercaptoethanol tests were performed on the said sera, which was 3.5% positive. According to the mentioned results, the prevalence of Brucellosis in cattle and sheep was reported to be 3.5%, and being female (OR=7.4), being old (OR=7.87) and traditional keeping (OR=7.27) increase the risk of brucellosis in cows and sheep. In the present research, contamination was observed in old animals more than in young animals. It was observed that the contamination in the animals that are kept in the traditional way is more than the animals that are in industrial and production units.

Due to the pollution from the copper smelter factory in Shahrebabak County, the dust on the plants of this area contains substantial amounts of copper, which sometimes causes copper poisoning in sheep. This study aimed to investigate the correlation of serum concentration of trace mineral elements: copper, molybdenum, and iron with the lambing rate of ewes in Shahrebabak County using laparoscopic artificial insemination. For this purpose, 500 ewes were oestrus synchronized in herds in Shahrebabak County located at various distances from the copper factory. The laparoscopic artificial insemination was performed 52±4 hours after eCG hormone injection but before the laparoscopy, serum sampling was done from 17% of the herd to assess the concentration of trace mineral elements: copper, molybdenum, and iron as well as estrogen. The results showed that the Khatoon-Abad herd with the shortest distance to the copper factory (10 km) had significantly higher levels of copper, molybdenum, and iron compared with other herds. However, there was no relationship between the concentration of copper, molybdenum, and estrogen with the lambing rate. There was a relationship between the amount of iron and the lambing rate, so the chance of fertility increased marginally with the increase in iron. Hence, the present findings indicate that the low distance of the herd from the copper factory results in high levels of copper, molybdenum, and iron in the ewe's serum; however, it has no effect on the lambing rate by laparoscopic artificial insemination. More research is needed to prove this claim.

Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis is the etiological agent of caseous lymphadenitis (CLA), a chronic and very common disease in sheep and goats, which can lead to severe economic losses in the livestock industry.

This study aims to investigate the prevalence of CLA in sheep in Kurdistan province of Iran using phenotypic and molecular methods, and assess the antibiotic resistance of isolated Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis.

In this study, from September to March 2022, 270 samples of skin abscesses were collected from sheep in livestock farms of Kurdistan province. Immediately, using the cold chain system, the samples were transferred to the microbiology laboratory of the Faculty of Medicine at Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences. Identification of isolates was done using biochemical tests and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. The antibiotic resistance of the isolates was examined using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method.

Based on biochemical tests, out of 270 samples, 82 suspected to have Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis. Out 82 samples, the presence of bacteria was confirmed in 76 samples by the PCR. The antibiotic sensitivity test showed that the isolates had high sensitivity to doxycycline and ceftriaxone and high resistance to streptomycin and kanamycin.

The CLA has a high prevalence in sheep in Kurdistan province. According to high resistance rate of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis to streptomycin and kanamycin, it recommended to avoid treatment of CLA cases with these antibiotics.

Body condition and its relationship with inflammatory indicators in the transition period of ewes can be used as a key to prevent the occurrence of metabolic complications in this period.

This study aims to determine the levels of inflammatory markers and their relationship with body condition and energy status in the transitional period in Makuei ewes.

This study was performed on 45 female peri-parturient Makuie ewes aged 3-5 years with 2-4 breeding lambs. Blood samples from the jugular vein were prepared in three periods, 21 days before delivery, baseline (time zero), and 21 days after delivery.

The mean glucose and cholesterol concentrations were not significantly different between the groups with low, moderate, and high body conditions. Non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) and β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) concentrations were significantly higher in groups with lower and higher body condition scores (BCS) than in the normal group. There was a significant positive correlation between energy-related indices (NEFA, BHB) and the BCS of the pregnant and lactating ewes. The concentration of fibrinogen, sialic acid, and blood ceruloplasmin increased in the first three weeks and decreased after delivery. These indices significantly increased in relatively obese and lean groups than in the normal group during the study. The correlation of BHB and NEFA with sialic acid, ceruloplasmin, and fibrinogen was also reported in the study groups in the pre- and post-partum periods.

Ewes with normal BCS (2.75-3.25) have a good energy status. Low levels of NEFA in ewes indicate that the mobility of fats is low, and the inflammation process is lower in the transition period of these animals. Furthermore, low BCS can be a predisposing factor for inflammation in ewes during the pre-partum period. This effect may be due to the increased metabolic requirements and compromised immune function associated with negative energy balance in the transition period of ewes.