The present study was conducted on 143 free range wild animals of 12 different species rescued from different locations in Shivalik Hills since Jan 2004 to June 2011. Mortality was reported in 79.02% (113) of rescued wild animals. Mortality in Herbivores, Carnivores, Pheasants and Omnivores was 84.74% (50), 79.06% (34) 72.72% (24) and 62.50% (05) respectively. Post mortem was conducted at field level to determine causes of mortality in all the 113 died wild animals. Necropsy findings revealed musculoskeletal injuries 68.14% (77), more specifically fractures 37.16% (42) and fatal trauma 30.97% (35) as most common cause of mortality in all the animals. On the other hand Cardiovascular and haemorrhagic shock constituted 11.50% (13) while septicemia were noted in 8.84% (10) of all the recorded causes of mortality in rescued animals. Mortality with other causes noticed in 11.50% cases is attributable to diagnosed causes including froathy bloat, tympany, intussusceptions, senility with associated lesions and unknown causes like infectious diseases or toxicosis without a clear symptomatology. The highest mortality was found in male herbivores 28.31% (32) followed by female carnivores 16.81% (19) and male pheasants 13.27% (15). Only 39.82% (45) mortality was observed in adult animals compared to juveniles 51.32% (58). Mortality in winter season 52.21 % (59) was higher than summer 33.62% (38) and rainy season 14.15% (16).

A total of 90 mares and horses were subjected to blood sampling for determining the effect of management (farm), reproductive condition, sex, age, breed and month of the year during breeding on circulating levels of cortisol and sex hormones. Blood samples were collected from December to the following June from four farms. Blood sera underwent testosterone, estradiol, progesterone and cortisol assaying using ELISA kits. Cortisol levels were significantly low in lactating mares during their foal heat but significantly high levels were recorded in both repeat breeder mares and horses used for racing. High and significant testosterone and estradiol levels were recorded in both stallions used for breeding especially after semen collection and early pregnant mares. Similar testosterone levels were recorded in both early pregnant mares and racing horses but high levels were recorded in stallions. Estradiol was high in both early pregnant and mares with endometritis but the highest levels were observed in stallions. Horses held in private farms had high cortisol levels compared to those of governmental farms. In contrast to mares, horses had low cortisol and high estradiol levels. Cortisol levels were high from April to June (Spring and early summer) compared to its levels from December to March (Winter). Arab horses had low cortisol compared to native and imported foreign breeds. In conclusion, environmental condition, exercise, breed, management and the purpose of raising horses all are affecting its cortisol levels.

<p>Aeromonas and Pseudomonas diseases are responsible for mortalities of some farmed catfish in Nigeria. The objective of the study is to investigate the efficacies of extracts of some plants against Aeromonas and Pseudomonas diseases of <em>Heterobranchus longifilis</em>. Ethanol extracts of <em>Phyllanthus amarus, Allium sativum, Artemisia annua,</em> <em>Citrus limon</em>, <em>Moringa oleifera</em>, <em>Allium cepa</em> and <em>Azadirachta indica</em><strong> </strong>were tested against <em>Aeromonas hydrophila</em> and <em>Pseudomonas flourescens</em> of <em>H. longifilis</em> by disc diffusion assay. Extracts of <em>P. amarus, A. sativum, A. annua </em>and <em>C. limon</em> were significantly (P<0.05) more sensitive to <em>A. hydrophila</em> and <em>P. flourescens</em> than <em>M. oleifera</em>, <em>A. cepa</em> and <em>A. indica</em> which were effective against <em>P. flourescens</em>. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of the extracts were 25mg/ml for <em>P. amarus</em> and <em>A. annua</em>; 25 and 100mg/ml for <em>C. lemon</em> and <em>A. cepa</em> respectively and 50mg/ml for <em>A. indica</em>. Alkaloid was demonstrated in all plants except <em>A. annua </em>by qualitative methods. Moderate amount (++) of cardiac glycosides was demonstrated in <em>A. sativum</em>, <em>M. oleifera</em> and <em>P. amarus</em>. Saponin (+++) was present in <em>M. oleifera</em> and <em>A. indica</em> while, tannin (++) was present in <em>M. oleifera</em>, <em>P. amarus</em> and <em>A. indica</em> respectively. Phlobatanins and Anthraquinones (++) were present in <em>P. amarus</em> and <em>M. oleifera</em> respectively. Extracts of aforementioned plants have potentials as therapy against <em>Aeromonas hydrophila</em> and <em>Pseudomonas flourescens</em> of farmed catfish.</p>

Johne’s disease (paratuberculosis) is a chronic, untreatable disease of ruminants caused by <em>Mycobacterium avium</em> subspecies <em>paratuberculosis</em>. It leads to economic losses in livestock production but is also suspected to be involved in the pathogenesis of Crohn’s disease in humans. In 2007/2008 a study was conducted to estimate the prevalence at animal level of paratuberculosis among the female cattle of Saxony-Anhalt (Germany). In order to keep study costs low and participating farms confidential, no farms were visited to actively draw samples. Instead, animals were pre-selected in a formal random sampling process and additionally tested by ELISA for paratuberculosis when samples suitable for serology were routinely submitted to the State Office of Consumer Protection Saxony-Anhalt for any diagnostics. Out of 896 samples, 38 tested positive, giving an apparent prevalence of 4.2%. Based on the test quality traits of the ELISA employed in the study (POURQUIER® ELISA Paratuberculosis) the true prevalence was estimated to 6.7% (95% CI, 3.0-10.4%). No spatial clustering of positive results was detected by a scan statistic. Prevalence estimates for age strata tended to show an incline to a maximum at age class of 5 years and a subsequent decline with higher age classes. Estimates tended to show an incline with herd size.

Anti-gingipain IgY (IgY-GP), known as hyperimmune γ-livetin from egg yolk, inhibits the enzyme activity, growth and adherence of <em>Porphyromonas gingivalis</em> to gingival epithelial cells. Our objective was to evaluate the efficacy of IgY-GP on periodontal health of dogs. IgY-GP was prepared from the egg yolk of hens immunized with the gingipain from <em>Porphyromonas gingivalis</em> ATCC 33277. Two <em>in vivo</em> trial models were conducted on 15 adult dogs with periodontitis by giving IgY-GP-supplemented dog feed for 8 weeks and direct application of the IgY in dental ointment to the periodontal pockets at weekly interval for 4 weeks. Clinical parameters including gingivitis, periodontitis, oral health index, bleeding on probe (BOP), pocket depth (PD), and dental calculus removal pattern for selected premolar teeth were recorded at baseline, 4 and 8 weeks post treatment.IgY-GP showed strong cross-reactivity with gingipain from <em>Porphyromonas gulae</em> and inhibited the enzyme activity <em>in vitro</em>. In the dog trials, IgY-GP resulted in significant improvement of oral health parameters including gingivitis and periodontitis scores, BOP, dental calculus removal. No adverse events during and after antibody applications were noted. Oral immunotherapy by using IgY-GP is a new promising alternative to conventional preventive and therapeutic methods to improve oral health status in dogs.

The present study was conducted to determine whether preferential muscle catabolism [psoas major (PM) > rectus femoris (RF)] observed during the chronic intramuscular stage of Sarcocystis cruzi infection could be associated with the pathological consequences of increased protein tyrosine nitration in fibers characteristically more metabolically active due to higher mitochondrial density. Holstein calves were assigned to control (C), or S. cruzi-infected (I) groups, n=5/group. Calves were euthanized on day 63 of infection. Samples of RF and PM were prepared for metabolic fiber typing (MFT: slow oxidative, SO – Type I; fast oxidative glycolytic, FOG - Type IIa; fast glycolytic, FG – Type IIb), fiber area, and immunohistochemical localization of fast myosin heavy chain 2a and 2b, nitrotyrosine (NT), and mitochondrial Complex V ATP-synthase. MFT analysis documented that PM contained twice the number of SO fibers compared to RF (32 v 16%, P<0.002). SO and FOG fibers (Both higher in mitochondrial density than FG fibers) in both PM and RF were significantly smaller in area in I calves with mean FG areas not different between C and I. Muscle NT content (Western blot of myofibrillar protein fraction) increased with infection; NT was immunohistochemically localized into three distinct patterns in fibers: i) sparse fiber staining, ii) dense punctuate intrafiber staining, and iii) pericystic staining. By image analysis, the greatest punctuate intrafiber pixel density of NT was associated with SO fibers from I calves with the NT colocalizing with mitochondrial Complex V – F1F0 ATP synthase. More fibers were positive for the colocalization in PM than RF (P<0.04). The data are consistent with the concept that fibers rich in mitochondria possessing more inherent oxidative energy capacity generate more nitrated proteins than glycolytic fibers and as such are more affected by the proinflammatory response to infections like Sarcocystosis.