Research

15 pages, 2958 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analysis of Retrospective Laboratory Data on the Burden of Bacterial Pathogens Isolated at the National Veterinary Research Institute Nigeria, 2018–2021

by Dennis Kabantiyok, Moses D. Gyang, Godwin O. Agada, Alice Ogundeji, Daniel Nyam, Uchechi G. Uhiara, Elmina Abiayi, Yakubu Dashe, Sati Ngulukun, Maryam Muhammad, Oyelola A. Adegboye and Theophilus I. Emeto

Vet. Sci. 2023, 10(8), 505; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci10080505 - 05 Aug 2023

Viewed by 2364

Abstract

Farm animals harbour bacterial pathogens, which are often viewed as important indicators of animal health and determinants of food safety. To better understand the prevalence and inform treatment, we audited laboratory data at the Bacteriology Laboratory of the NVRI from 2018–2021. Antibiotics were [...] Read more.

Farm animals harbour bacterial pathogens, which are often viewed as important indicators of animal health and determinants of food safety. To better understand the prevalence and inform treatment, we audited laboratory data at the Bacteriology Laboratory of the NVRI from 2018–2021. Antibiotics were classified into seven basic classes: quinolones, tetracyclines, beta-lactams, aminoglycosides, macrolides, nitrofuran, and cephalosporins. Trends were analysed using a generalised linear model with a log link function for the Poisson distribution, comparing proportions between years with an offset to account for the variability in the total number of organisms per year. Avian (73.18%) samples were higher than any other sample. The major isolates identified were Escherichia. coli, Salmonella spp., Klebsiella spp., Staphylococcus spp., Proteus spp., and Pseudomonas spp. We found that antimicrobial resistance to baseline antibiotics increased over the years. Of particular concern was the increasing resistance of Klebsiella spp. to cephalosporins, an important second-generation antibiotic. This finding underscores the importance of farm animals as reservoirs of pathogens harbouring antimicrobial resistance. Effective biosecurity, surveillance, and frugal use of antibiotics in farms are needed because the health of humans and animals is intricately connected. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Effects of Microbiota on Animal Health)

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15 pages, 2426 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analysis of Fecal Microbial Changes in Young Calves Following Bovine Rotavirus Infection

by Seon-Ho Kim, Youyoung Choi, Michelle A. Miguel, Shin-Ja Lee, Sung-Sill Lee and Sang-Suk Lee

Vet. Sci. 2023, 10(8), 496; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci10080496 - 01 Aug 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1241

Abstract

The objective of the present study was to identify changes in fecal microbiota and predict the functional features of healthy calves and those infected with rotavirus over time. Six Holstein calves (average body weight 43.63 ± 1.19 kg, age-matched within 5–7 d) were [...] Read more.

The objective of the present study was to identify changes in fecal microbiota and predict the functional features of healthy calves and those infected with rotavirus over time. Six Holstein calves (average body weight 43.63 ± 1.19 kg, age-matched within 5–7 d) were randomly selected and distributed into two groups which contained three calves each. Fecal samples were taken 3 days before inoculation and on days 1 and 7 post-inoculation. The 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing was performed. Bacterial diversity tended to decrease in the rota group, as indicated by the alpha (evenness, p = 0.074 and Shannon, p = 0.055) and beta (Bray–Curtis dissimilarity, p = 0.099) diversity at 1 day post-inoculation. Differences in the bacterial taxa between healthy and rota-infected calves were detected using a linear discriminant analysis effect size (LDA > 2.0, p < 0.05). Rota calves had a higher abundance of certain bacterial taxa, such as Enterococcus, Streptococcus, and Escherichia-Shigella, and a lower abundance of bacteria that contribute to the production of short-chain fatty acids, such as Alistipes, Faecalibacterium, Pseudoflavonifractor, Subdoligranulum, Alloprevotella, Butyricicoccus, and Ruminococcus, compared to the healthy calves. The observed changes in the fecal microbiota of the rota-infected group compared to the healthy group indicated potential dysbiosis. This was further supported by significant differences in the predicted functional metagenomic profiles of these microbial communities. We suggest that calves infected with bovine rotavirus had bacterial dysbiosis, which was characterized by lower diversity and fewer observed genera than the fecal microbiota of healthy calves. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Effects of Microbiota on Animal Health)

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12 pages, 9632 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effectiveness Evaluation of Viti’s vinifera Leaf Extract on the Viability of Echinococcus Eggs and Protoscolices In Vitro

by Mohammed M. Mares, Saleh Al-Quraishy and Mutee Murshed

Vet. Sci. 2023, 10(6), 400; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci10060400 - 18 Jun 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1860

Abstract

Echinococcosis is a zoonotic disease caused by the genus Echinococcus. Globally, it is one of the most central helminthic diseases. Surgery remains the method of choice to remove cystic Echinococcus. Various sporicidal agents have been used to invalidate the substances in hydatid cysts. [...] Read more.

Echinococcosis is a zoonotic disease caused by the genus Echinococcus. Globally, it is one of the most central helminthic diseases. Surgery remains the method of choice to remove cystic Echinococcus. Various sporicidal agents have been used to invalidate the substances in hydatid cysts. Nevertheless, many sporicidal agents cause inflammation and can cause side complications, so their use should be limited. The study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of Vitis vinifera leaf methanolic extract as a sporicidal agent for Echinococcus eggs and protoscolices and determines the best concentration. The mortality and viability of protoscolices were measured in samples exposed to four concentrations of V. vinifera leaf extract (VVLE) (5, 10, 30, and 50 mg/mL) for 5, 10, 20, and 30 min and in eggs exposed to three concentrations (100, 200, and 300 mg/mL) for 24 and 48 h. An infrared spectroscopy chemical test was conducted to assess the presence of numerous expected active components in the extract. The viability of eggs and protoscolices was confirmed using 0.1% eosin staining. Vinifera leaf extract exhibited the decisive sporicidal effect at 100%, 91%, 60%, and 41% after 30 min at concentrations of 50, 30, 10, and 5 mg/mL, and in eggs at 11% and 19% after 24 and 48 h at a concentration of 200 mg/mL, respectively. Increased incubation times and higher dosages often increase mortality. The results exhibited that V. vinifera is effective. This study confirmed that grape leaf extract has high sporicidal activity in vitro. However, more studies are required to determine the exact active chemical and its action mechanism and perform in vivo utilization to confirm these results. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Effects of Microbiota on Animal Health)

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15 pages, 3149 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Characterization of the Blood Microbiome and Comparison with the Fecal Microbiome in Healthy Dogs and Dogs with Gastrointestinal Disease

by Elisa Scarsella, Giorgia Meineri, Misa Sandri, Holly H. Ganz and Bruno Stefanon

Vet. Sci. 2023, 10(4), 277; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci10040277 - 05 Apr 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2437

Abstract

Recent studies have found bacterial DNA in the blood of healthy individuals. To date, most studies on the blood microbiome have focused on human health, but this topic is an expanding research area in animal health as well. This study aims to characterize [...] Read more.

Recent studies have found bacterial DNA in the blood of healthy individuals. To date, most studies on the blood microbiome have focused on human health, but this topic is an expanding research area in animal health as well. This study aims to characterize the blood microbiome of both healthy dogs and those with chronic gastro-enteropathies. For this study, blood and fecal samples were collected from 18 healthy and 19 sick subjects, DNA was extracted through commercial kits, and the V3-V4 regions of the 16S rRNA gene were sequenced on the Illumina platform. The sequences were analyzed for taxonomic annotation and statistical analysis. Alpha and beta diversities of fecal microbiome were significantly different between the two groups of dogs. Principal coordinates analysis revealed that healthy and sick subjects were significantly clustered for both blood and fecal microbiome samples. Moreover, bacterial translocation from the gut to the bloodstream has been suggested because of found shared taxa. Further studies are needed to determine the origin of the blood microbiome and the bacteria viability. The characterization of a blood core microbiome in healthy dogs has potential for use as a diagnostic tool to monitor for the development of gastro-intestinal disease. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Effects of Microbiota on Animal Health)

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9 pages, 1607 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

Short Term Effect of Ivermectin on the Bacterial Microbiota from Fecal Samples in Chinchillas (Chinchilla lanigera)

by Xinyi Ma, Jing Li, Luo Yang, Haoqian Liu, Yiping Zhu, Honglin Ren, Feng Yu and Bo Liu

Vet. Sci. 2023, 10(2), 169; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci10020169 - 20 Feb 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 5160

Abstract

The gastrointestinal microbiota plays an important role in health of the host animals and the detrimental influence of pharmaceutical treatment on the fecal microbiota receives an increasing concern. The clinical use of ivermectin on chinchillas has not yet been evaluated. The purpose of [...] Read more.

The gastrointestinal microbiota plays an important role in health of the host animals and the detrimental influence of pharmaceutical treatment on the fecal microbiota receives an increasing concern. The clinical use of ivermectin on chinchillas has not yet been evaluated. The purpose of our study was to assess the influence of ivermectin injection on the fecal bacterial microbiota of chinchillas. A with-in subject, before and after study was performed on 10 clinically healthy chinchillas during a 14-day period, all chinchillas received the same ivermectin treatment, and the microbiota from their fecal samples before and after administration were compared as two experimental groups. Fecal samples were collected on day 0 (before ivermectin administration) and day 14 (post ivermectin administration). Fecal bacterial microbiota was analyzed by bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequencing. No clinical abnormalities were observed post subcutaneous administration of ivermectin. No significant alteration was found in the abundance and diversity of fecal bacterial microbiota after treatment, but the dominant position of some bacterial species changed. In conclusion, ivermectin administration was associated with minimal alternations of the fecal bacterial microbiota in healthy chinchillas, and these changes had no observed negative effect on general health of chinchillas in short term. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Effects of Microbiota on Animal Health)

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13 pages, 2475 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Anticoccidial Effect of Alcoholic Vitis vinifera Leaf Extracts on Eimeria papillate Oocysts Isolated in Mice In Vitro and In Vivo

by Mutee Murshed, Saleh Al-Quraishy, Jawahir Alghamdi, Hossam M. A. Aljawdah and Mohammed M. Mares

Vet. Sci. 2023, 10(2), 97; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci10020097 - 29 Jan 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1544

Abstract

Eimeria spp. causes eimeriosis in the guts of numerous domestic mammals and poultry, and the employment of medication and the effects of certain aspects of synthetic anticoccidials in the treatment of eimeriosis have given rise to the appearance of resistant parasites that require [...] Read more.

Eimeria spp. causes eimeriosis in the guts of numerous domestic mammals and poultry, and the employment of medication and the effects of certain aspects of synthetic anticoccidials in the treatment of eimeriosis have given rise to the appearance of resistant parasites that require the search for alternate remedies. Natural products, which are safe and have no negative impact on the environment, may be utilized in the therapy of an enormous range of parasitic infections. This research aimed to assess the effectiveness of VVLE on the oocyst sporulation of an E. papillate infection in the mouse jejunum. In addition, obtaining the ideal concentration will interrupt the parasite’s life cycle and limit infection. In vitro: Collected unsporulated oocysts (1 × 10³) of E. papillata were given six different concentrations (w/v) of Vitis vinifera leaf extract (10, 25, 50, 100, 150, and 200 mg/mL) and toltrazuril (25 mg/mL), three replicates per group, whereas the control group received 2.5% potassium dichromate solution. In vivo: The mice were separated into six groups; the first and second groups did not receive infection, whilst the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth groups were each given 1 × 10³ sporulated oocysts of E. papillate in the experiment. In addition, an oral dosage of 100 and 200 mg/kg VVLE were given to the fourth and fifth groups, while the sixth group was given toltrazuril at 25 mg/kg. On the fifth day, unpopulated oocysts were collected from each mouse separately. The incubation period and treatments had considerable impacts on the rate of sporulation. The infrared spectroscopy of V. vinifera extract revealed many expected active classes of chemical compounds. Further, the infection of mice with E. papillata caused an oocyst output of nearly 2 × 10⁴ oocysts/g of faeces. VVLE significantly decreased the oocyst output to nearly 88%. In addition, we detected an inhibitory effect on the sporulation (%) and harm (%) of E. papillata oocysts in a dosage-dependent modality compared with the control group. Furthermore, they destroyed the oocyst morphology in terms of the shape, size, and quantity of sporocysts. The results indicate that grape vines have powerful activity as anticoccidials. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Effects of Microbiota on Animal Health)

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11 pages, 2033 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of the Anticoccidial Activity of Sheep Bile against Eimeria stiedae Oocysts and Sporozoites of Rabbits: An In Vitro Study

by Mutee Murshed, Saleh Al-Quraishy and Mahmood A. Qasem

Vet. Sci. 2022, 9(12), 658; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci9120658 - 25 Nov 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1750

Abstract

Coccidiosis is one of the most common infectious diseases that causes digestive problems in rabbits, leading to global economic losses. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of bile obtained from sheep gallbladder on the sporulation and morphology of Eimeria stiedae oocysts [...] Read more.

Coccidiosis is one of the most common infectious diseases that causes digestive problems in rabbits, leading to global economic losses. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of bile obtained from sheep gallbladder on the sporulation and morphology of Eimeria stiedae oocysts and sporozoites affecting rabbit liver cells and to determine the best concentration for sporulation inhibition. Sporulation inhibition per milliliter was measured in samples exposed to five concentrations of sheep bile (SB) in a 2.5% potassium dichromate solution: 12.5%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% concentrations for oocysticidal activity and 125, 250, 500, 750, and 1000 μg/mL concentrations for antisporozoidal activity. A bioassay was performed to assess the in vitro anticoccidial activity of sheep bile against E. stiedae oocysts and sporozoite sporulation. In this assay, six-well plates with 5 mL of bile containing 1000 oocysts showed unsporulated oocysticidal activity after 48, 72, and 96 h and antisporozoidal activity after 12 and 24 h. A chemical assay was performed via infrared spectroscopy to investigate the presence of several anticipated active chemical compounds in sheep bile. Sheep bile was able to inhibit E. stiedae oocysts at 100% and 75% concentrations by about 91% and 81%, respectively. In addition, SB had the highest inhibition of E. stiedae sporozoite viability (92%) at a concentration of 1000 μg/mL and had the lowest inhibition of 8% at a concentration of 125 μg/mL. An increase in the incubation time and a higher dose generally increased the inhibition rate. The results showed that sheep gallbladder bile is effective due to its inhibitory potential and effect on the coccidian oocyst sporulation of E. stiedae. Further studies are needed to determine the precise active chemicals present in SB and their modes of action and application in vivo. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Effects of Microbiota on Animal Health)

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21 pages, 2089 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

The Kitty Microbiome Project: Defining the Healthy Fecal “Core Microbiome” in Pet Domestic Cats

by Holly H. Ganz, Guillaume Jospin, Connie A. Rojas, Alex L. Martin, Katherine Dahlhausen, Dawn D. Kingsbury, Carlton X. Osborne, Zhandra Entrolezo, Syd Redner, Bryan Ramirez, Jonathan A. Eisen, Madeleine Leahy, Chase Keaton, Janine Wong, Jennifer Gardy and Jessica K. Jarett

Vet. Sci. 2022, 9(11), 635; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci9110635 - 16 Nov 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 7512

Abstract

Here, we present a taxonomically defined fecal microbiome dataset for healthy domestic cats (Felis catus) fed a range of commercial diets. We used this healthy reference dataset to explore how age, diet, and living environment correlate with fecal microbiome composition. Thirty [...] Read more.

Here, we present a taxonomically defined fecal microbiome dataset for healthy domestic cats (Felis catus) fed a range of commercial diets. We used this healthy reference dataset to explore how age, diet, and living environment correlate with fecal microbiome composition. Thirty core bacterial genera were identified. Prevotella, Bacteroides, Collinsella, Blautia, and Megasphaera were the most abundant, and Bacteroides, Blautia, Lachnoclostridium, Sutterella, and Ruminococcus gnavus were the most prevalent. While community composition remained relatively stable across different age classes, the number of core taxa present decreased significantly with age. Fecal microbiome composition varied with host diet type. Cats fed kibble had a slightly, but significantly greater number of core taxa compared to cats not fed any kibble. The core microbiomes of cats fed some raw food contained taxa not as highly prevalent or abundant as cats fed diets that included kibble. Living environment also had a large effect on fecal microbiome composition. Cats living in homes differed significantly from those in shelters and had a greater portion of their microbiomes represented by core taxa. Collectively our work reinforces the findings that age, diet, and living environment are important factors to consider when defining a core microbiome in a population. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Effects of Microbiota on Animal Health)

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