Veterinary Science & Technology

Animal welfare is a complex concept with three areas of concern which include whether the animal is functioning well (eg good health, productivity etc), whether the animal is feeling well (eg absence of pain etc) and whether the animal is able to perform its natural/speciesspecific behaviour that are thought to be important to them (eg grazing). The World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) also gave these three states in its definition, in the veterinary training resource ‘Concepts in Animal Welfare’.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of climatic factors, including temperature-humidity index (THI) and rainfall level (RFL) regarding the parity on the incidence of mastitis, milk yield, and composition in Holstein cattle in Egypt. A total of 2496 lactating cows were used from different 4 dairy farms located in Egypt. One hundred dairy cows were selected from each dairy herd for detection of the effect of different climatic factors and parity on milk composition and somatic cell count (SCC).The data grouped according to parity into 1, 2, and >2 parity groups. Also, the animals grouped according to THI into low (<70), medium (70-80), and high (>80) THI level and regrouped according to RFL into low (<2 mm), medium (2-5 mm), and high (>5 mm) rainfall per month. Obtained results revealed an increase in daily milk yield, milk protein %, fat %, and SCC with the increase of parity. Also, high THI significantly (p≤ 0.05) decreased daily milk yield (29.45 kg) and increased SCC (415 × 103 cell/mL). In high THI and low RFL climatic conditions, multiparous cows were prone to the occurrence of clinical mastitis compared to primiparous ones (p≤ 0.001); especially during mid and late lactation stages. In conclusion, high THI and low RFL impaired dairy performance and increased the frequency of clinical mastitis.

Four hundred and twenty-six (426) donkeys were sampled using the convenience sampling technique in markets, loading areas, and watering points to determine the prevalence, associated risk factors, morphological and molecular characterization of piroplasms present in the blood of infected donkeys from Gombe and Yobe States, Nigeria. Fifty-three ticks and 426 blood samples were collected from donkeys for the identification of piroplasms using microscopy and molecular techniques. The prevalence of piroplasms observed in the blood samples of donkeys via microscopic examination was 12 (2.81 %; CI = 1.62%, 4.86%) for B. caballi and none for T. equi while multiplex PCR (MPCR) showed a prevalence of114 (26.76%; CI = 22.78%, 31.16%). Out of which 33 (7.75 %; CI = 5.75, 10.68) represent T. equi and 78 (18.31%; CI = 14.93%, 22.26%) represent B. Caballi and 3 (0.07%; CI = 0.24, 2.04) represents a mixed infection of B. caballi and T. equi. The prevalence of piroplasms in the internal organ of ticks was 21 (77.8%; CI =59.25%, 89.39%) in the primary screening of ticks by PCR out of the 27 DNA extracted from the 53 ticks sampled. Out of 53 ticks sampled Riphicephalus had a prevalence of 52 (98.11%; CI = 90.05%, 99.67%) and Amblyomma varigatum had a prevalence of 1 (1.89%; CI = 0.33%, 9.95%) and are the species of ticks found on the donkeys in the studied areas. Phylogenetic analysis was performed after the 18SrRNA gene from 20 positive samples (10 each from blood and ticks) were sequenced. The sequencing analysis suggested a 99-100% similarity of T. equi with the other T. equi in the gene bank and after blasting alignment and analysis of the genes, accession numbers from the gene bank were assigned. The accession numbers were MH355571, MH355572, MH355573, MH355574 and MH355575. It was also found that the group D isolates of T. equi were closely related to the T. equi reported in Nigerian waterbucks. This is the first report of equine piroplasms sequencing from the studied areas to the best of our knowledge.

A shortage of proteinaceous feed supplements in Ethiopia is very common. To overcome this problem non-conventional type of feeds are recommended and presented in this review article. It is shown the gaps, processes and ways the proteins source feeds can be valorized in the semi-urban and rural community of the country.

Genital ulceration disease in olive baboon (Papio anubis) caused by Treponema Pallidum, the disease causes moderate to severe genital ulceration in the population of an olive baboon. The study on the association between genital ulceration and body condition of olive baboons was conducted in the Lake Manyara National Park in Tanzania. The study investigated the body condition of affected and non-affected olive baboons across an observation of 599 and reveals the proportion of affected and non-affected in the surveyed population. A pair of binoculars (10 x 50) were used whenever the located individual was observed healthy or with a clinical sign.

QGIS version 3.1 was used to map baboon distribution in the study area. R-studio version 2.3.1 was used to test the association between body condition and affected olive baboon. Results revealed that a total number of 104 individuals, 56 males 47 females were affected. Results also indicated that there is a positive association between the body condition and the affected baboon, R=0.23, while there is a negative association on non-affected individuals’ correlation R=-0.45.

The proportion shows significant variation between affected and non-affected individuals, χ²=53.772, df=17, P=0.001. On the other hand, the affected baboons revealed more emaciation, alopecia hand, rough hair signs compared to non-affected individuals. The most affected sex was female however there is no significant variation of sex in affected individuals χ²=65.03, df=51, P= 0.08941. It is concluded that Treponema pallidum infection with genital lesion associated with body condition is common in baboons of Lake the Manyara National Park.