Association of Lameness with Body Condition Score, Udder Health and Milk Quality in Sahiwal Dairy Cows

Background: Bovine lameness predominantly due to foot disorders is a severe herd health concern instigating substantial influence on dairy economics owing to increased odds of mastitis and reduced fertility. Timely diagnosis and treatment of lameness can save these economic losses. The current study was aimed to evaluate lameness and its effect on animal health in terms of body condition score and on udder health in Sahiwal cows. Methods: 204 lactating Sahiwal dairy cows in different lactation lengths and parities, from local Sahiwal farms in Punjab were evaluated for lameness. Cows were scored for body condition and lameness. Quarter foremilk used to determine the quarter health status of the cows by California mastitis test (CMT) and bacteriological culture and cow composite milk samples for estimation of somatic cell count (SCC), electrical conductivity, pH and milk composition, in terms of fat, solids not fat, protein and lactose were collected maintaining aseptic conditions. Result: 34 per cent had asymmetry in gait or mild lame, 5 per cent had moderate lameness and 1 per cent had severe lameness. Lameness had no significant effect on the body condition scores of Sahiwal cows. Subclinical mastitis was found in 40.2 per cent of Sahiwal dairy cows. It was concluded that incidence of mastitis was higher in the lame group as revealed by CMT and bacteriological culture and the lame group had significantly (P less than 0.05) more SCC and electrical conductivity than healthy cows. However, milk composition was not affected by lameness.

Cervical Spine Epidural Abscess Caused by Brucellosis: A Case Report and Literature Review

We report a rare case of cervical epidural abscess at the C5-C6 levels. The patient underwent surgery with complete abscess removal through C6 vertebral body corpectomy. The result of bacteriological culture was Brucella melitensis. Brucellosis must be considered as a possible cause of epidural abscess in patients from endemic area.

Bacteriological Profile and Antibiotic Sensitivity Pattern in Patients with Urinary Tract Infection in Janakpurdham, Nepal

Background: Urinary tract infections are most common bacterial infection in routine clinical practice. It is also most common nosocomial infection in many hospitals. Antibiotics are usually given empirically before urine culture reports available and treatment failure rate used to be significantly high. Study of causative agents and their antimicrobial sensitivity pattern are important factors helping formulating antibiotic policy. Generally, most common uropathogene is Escherichia Coli. Tertiary care hospitals, catering of already partially treated or mal treated patients as major chunk, may have varying etiologies and different sensitivity patterns. Objective: To study the culture and sensitivity patterns of urinary tract infections in patients presenting with urinary symptoms in local hospitals. Study design: A cross sectional study Materials and methods: Study was conducted at Madanta Research Clinic Private Limited from 12th march 021 to 12th September 021. Urine from cases suspected to have symptoms suggestive of UTI were send for bacteriological culture and sensitivity. Demographic profiles of each participant along with pathogen isolated, culture sensitivity pattern was documented. Data analysis was done in IBM spss 25. Results: A total 200 samples were selected for bacteriological culture and sensitivity out of which 32% were male and 68% were female. Around 50% of participants were in age group 20-40. There was no growth in 64% sample. Among positive samples (36%), E. coli (most common) was detected in 91.66%, Klebsiella was detected in 6.94%. Gentamicin, Amikacin and Nitrofurantoin were most common antibiotics sensitive to organisms in culture and Cephalosporins group of antibiotics are commonly resistant. Conclusions: coli is the most common organism isolated in urine culture in our region Janakpur. Cephalosporins are resistant in majority of cases where as Aminoglycosides like Amikacin, Gentamicin and Nitrofurantoin are found to be highly sensitive in most of positive cases.

Haematological findings in 158 cows with acute toxic mastitis with a focus on the leukogram

Background In cows with acute toxic mastitis (ATM), the leukogram aids in the assessment of the severity of disease. The goal of our study was to compare the leukogram of 158 cows with ATM (cases) and 168 clinically healthy cows (controls). We hypothesised that the leukograms of surviving and non-surviving cows differ and that there are variables of the leukogram with sufficient prognostic potential to be used in the decision to treat or not to treat a cow with ATM. The cows were examined clinically and underwent haematological and biochemical examination of blood and bacteriological culture of milk samples. Results All cows with ATM had a poor appetite or anorexia, and 34 cows (21.5%) were recumbent. A single quarter was affected in 119 cows (75.3%), two quarters in 37 cows (23.4%) and three quarters in two cows (1.3%). Bacteriological culture showed Gram-negative pathogens in 100 cows (63.3%), Gram-positive in 15 (9.5%) and yeast in 4 (2.5%). The median total leukocyte count of cases was 4300 cells/µL (interquartile range = 2300–8200/µL), which was significantly lower than 8000 cells/µL (6525–9300/µL) in controls. Except for band neutrophils and metamyelocytes, the counts of all components of the leukogram were lower in cases compared with controls. Significantly more cows with ATM had leukopenia (60.1 vs. 4.1%) or leukocytosis (10.1 vs. 3.0%) than controls. Diseased cows had significantly lower segmented neutrophil counts than controls (860 vs. 2598 cells/µL), and 69.5 and 17.3%, respectively, had counts below the reference interval. Cases had increased band (77.3%) and metamyelocyte (25.0%) counts compared with controls (0.6 and 0%, respectively). In diseased cows, eosinopenia occurred in 66.4% (controls, 1.8%), monocytopenia in 40.6% (4.2%) and lymphopenia in 60.2% (1.8%). Twenty-one diseased cows (16.4%) had a regenerative and 57 (44.5%) had a degenerative left shift. The median neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio was 0.97 in diseased cows and 0.63 in controls. Toxic changes in neutrophils including cytoplasmic basophilia and vacuolisation were seen in 101 (91.8%) of 110 blood smears of diseased cows. The leukogram of the surviving and non-surviving cows did not differ significantly, and the hypothesis was rejected. Conclusions ATM results in severe changes in the leukogram particularly leukopenia, lymphopenia, and degenerative left shift. The hypothesis that the leukograms of surviving and non-surviving cows differ was rejected. The leukogram has not sufficient prognostic potential to be used in the decision to treat or not to treat a cow with ATM.

Haematological findings in 158 dairy cows with toxic mastitis with a focus on the leukogram

Background: Acute toxic mastitis is characterised by typical clinical findings and changes in the leukogram. The goal of our study was to compare the leukogram of 158 cows with toxic mastitis and 168 clinically healthy cows. The cows were examined clinically and underwent haematological and biochemical examination of blood and bacteriological culture of milk samples. Results: All cows with toxic mastitis were ill and had a poor appetite or anorexia, and 34 cows (21.5%) were recumbent. A single quarter was affected in 119 cows (75.3%), two quarters in 37 cows (23.4%) and three quarters in two cows (1.3%). Bacteriological culture showed gram-negative pathogens in 100 cows (63.3%), gram-positive in 15 (9.5%) and yeast in 4 (2.5%). The median total leukocyte count of ill cows was 4,300 cells/µl, which was significantly lower than 8,000 cells/µl in controls. With the exception of band neutrophils and metamyelocytes, the counts of all components of the leukogram were lower in ill cows compared with controls. Significantly more cows with toxic mastitis had leukopenia (60.1 vs. 4.1%) or leukocytosis (10.1 vs. 3.0%) than controls. Ill cows had significantly lower segmented neutrophil counts than controls (860 vs. 2,598 cells/µl), and 69.5 and 17.3%, respectively, had counts below the reference interval. Ill cows had increased band (77.3%) and metamyelocyte (25.0%) counts compared with control cows (0.6 and 0%, respectively). In ill cows, eosinopenia occurred in 66.4% (controls, 1.8%), monocytopenia in 40.6% (controls, 4.2%) and lymphopenia in 60.2% (controls, 1.8%). Twenty-one ill cows (16.4%) had a regenerative and 57 (44.5%) had a degenerative left shift. The median neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio was 0.97 in ill cows and 0.63 in controls. Toxic changes in neutrophils including cytoplasmic basophilia and vacuolisation were seen in 101 (91.8%) of 110 blood smears of ill cows.Conclusions: Acute toxic mastitis results in severe changes in the leukogram particularly leukopenia, lymphopenia and degenerative left shift. The leukogram has significant diagnostic value and may aid in the modification of treatment when needed.

Infectious Agents Identified by Real-Time PCR, Serology and Bacteriology in Blood and Peritoneal Exudate Samples of Cows Affected by Parietal Fibrinous Peritonitis after Caesarean Section

The aim of this study was to identify the pathogens potentially involved in parietal fibrinous peritonitis (PFP). PFP is a complication of laparotomy in cattle, characterized by an accumulation of exudate inside a fibrinous capsule. We have studied 72 cases of PFP in Belgian blue cows, confirmed by a standard diagnostic protocol. Blood was collected to evaluate the presence of antibodies for Mycoplasma bovis(M. bovis), Coxiella burnetii(C. burnetii) and Bovine Herpesvirus 4(BoHV4) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Peritoneal exudate was obtained from the PFP cavity to perform bacteriological culture, and to identify the DNA of M. bovis, C. burnetii and BoHV4 using real time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Bacteriological culture was positive in most peritoneal samples (59/72); Trueperella pyogenes (T. pyogenes) (51/72) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) (20/72) were the most frequently identified. For BoHV4, the majority of cows showed positive serology and qPCR (56/72 and 49/72, respectively). Contrariwise, M. bovis (17/72 and 6/72, respectively) and C. burnetii (15/72 and 6/72, respectively) were less frequently detected (p < 0.0001). Our study proves that PFP can no longer be qualified as a sterile inflammation. Moreover, we herein describe the first identification of BoHV4 and C. burnetii in cows affected by PFP.

Direct fluorescent antibody test and bacteriological culture for detection of Brucella suis in swine tissues

<p>El diagnóstico de brucelosis se apoya en el cultivo bacteriológico o en la detección de fragmentos de ADN de la bacteria mediante la reacción en cadena de la polimerasa. El empleo de una inmunoglobulina anti-Brucella conjugada a fluoresceína para la detección de este antígeno en tejidos constituye una técnica simple, fácil, reproducible, económica y rápida. El objetivo de este trabajo fue evaluar la fracción gammaglobulínica de un suero policlonal anti-Brucella abortus marcada con isotiocianato de fluoresceína (FITC), 1) contra distintas especies lisas y rugosas de Brucella sp, 2) contra bacterias de otros géneros, y 3) comparar los resultados obtenidos con la inmunofluorescencia directa y el cultivo bacteriológico para la detección de B. suis en distintos tejidos de porcinos infectados. Este conjugado detectó todas las brucelas con distinta intensidad de fluorescencia, pero no hubo fluorescencia inespecífica cuando se ensayaron las bacterias de otros géneros. La fluorescencia de fondo en muestras de los distintos tejidos infectados fue baja. La mayoría de los tejidos infectados mostraron la presencia de microorganismos verde-fluorescentes con la morfología de las brucelas. El anticuerpo conjugado a FITC permitió un diagnóstico de brucelosis rápido, efectivo y económico.</p>