The Iraqi Journal of Veterinary Medicine

Jembrana disease is an infectious disease caused by the Jembrana disease virus (JDV). This disease predominantly infects Bali cattle, thus threatening the Bali cattle population in Indonesia, especially in West Sulawesi. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of JDV vaccination by measuring the antibody response via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), then carrying out a serum neutralization test (SNT) and molecular confirmation. the data was collected from 120 Bali cattle sera which had been vaccinated one, three, and six months prior to sampling. The amount of antibodies produced was analyzed by the ELISA test, while the neutralization assay of antibodies was analyzed by the SNT test in Vero cell cultures and verified by reverse transcriptase-PCR. the results indicated that at one month post-vaccination, the amount of antibodies was highest (mean optical density of 1.704 units), and then reduced at three months (1.223) and six months (0.672) post-vaccination. Seroprotective antibodies against Bali cattle at one month post-vaccination indicated 75% but reduced to 2.5% at three months post-vaccination and no longer existed at six months post-vaccination. SNT results from samples with seroprotective tittersexhibited positive neutralization activity. Confirmation results utilizing the reverse transcriptase-PCR method indicated the absence of viral nucleic acid in seroprotective samples. The research findings indicate that JDV vaccination successfully elicitsa humoral immune response; however, its duration of protection is constrained. To help get rid of Jembrana disease in the Bali cattle population, it is important to give booster vaccinations every 3 to 4 months and put in place integrated biosecurity measures.

Mastitis is a major challenge for the dairy industry. The current study aimed to evaluate the performance of Draminski®mastitis detector (DMD) and ultrasonography as cow-side tools for detecting bovine subclinical mastitis. To achieve this purpose, a total of 103 raw milk samples, including 48 samples from buffaloes and 55 from cows were tested using DMD, the California Mastitis Test (CMT), ultrasonography, and bacterial culture. Based on the results of CMT and bacterial culture, the study defined the quarter health status (QHS) as healthy, latent, or inflamed. The study evaluated the performance of the DMD and ultrasonography via Spearman’s rank correlation and calculated the cut-point value for DMD, in addition to identifying the sensitivity, specificity,and predictive values for ultrasonography against QHS. Results showed that percentages of quarters defined as healthy or inflamed using QHS categorization were higher in buffaloes than cows, unlike the latent ones. The study found a significant inverse correlation between DMD and QHS (–0.695 in buffalo and –0.526 in cow samples). Using inflamed/non-inflamed QHS classification, the cut-point values for the DMD were 515 for buffaloes and 465 for cows. The diagnostic performance analysis of ultrasonography against inflamed/non-inflamed QHS revealed a sensitivity of 83% and specificity of 22%. The negative predictive and positive predictive values for ultrasonography against inflamed/non-inflamed QHS were 78% and 29%, respectively, and the overall accuracy was 39% as a screening method for subclinical infection. The study concluded that DMD is suitable for early detection of bovine subclinical mastitis. The cut-point value assigned by the DMD manufacturer is potentially low. Therefore, the study suggests a cut-point value of 515 for buffaloes and 465 for cows. Finally, ultrasonography is more appropriate for identifying structural intramammary changes rather than for screening subclinical infections.

Varroa mites (Varroa destructor) continue to pose a serious threat to honey bee (Apis melliferaspp.) health, exhibiting significant resistance development to synthetic acaricides. This studyinvestigatedthe efficacy of thyme (Origanum onitesL.) essential oil (TEOV) as botanical alternative, focusing onmite survival across different feeding contexts and the underlying molecular responses. Adult mites were exposed to three TEOV doses (0.1, 1, and 10 ppm), across different feeding contexts (GA;larvae, GB;fat body, and GC;live honey bee). Mortalityexhibiteddose and time dependency, particularly at 24 h post-exposure to TEOV. The most responsive host tissue was found to be the mites feeding on larvae and fat body tissue. Interestingly, the susceptibility of the mites was found to be influenced by the context of feeding, which suggests that nutrition affects the susceptibility of TEOV. At the molecular level, TEOV elicited delayed but dose-dependent transcriptional responses: pheromone receptor transcription factor-like (PRTF-like) was strongly upregulated at higher doses after 24h, consistent with activation of stress-or detoxification pathways, additionally Ionotropic glutamate receptors (IGRs)-Ionotropic Receptor 25a-like (IR25a-like) exhibited a general, significant elevation in response to TEOV exposure, suggesting an effort to activate an adaptive chemosensory response. In contrast, the expression of GABA-activated RDL (Dieldrine Resistance) receptor (GABA-RDL) was not generally affected at any dose or time of observation. The result reveals that the neurotoxic action of TEOV is not through transcription-regulated pathway via this receptor. No activity of the mite genes was detected in the control group indicating that any gene activity changes are attributable to treatment with thyme. The selectivity ratio (SR) wascalculated as 17.0. The materials have shown their mortality rates, gene expression and physiology by two mechanisms: a fast action as neurotoxicants and long-term stress for TEOV. All results demonstrate its potential as a plant-derived acaricide

Trevally (Caranxignobilis), mackerel (Rastrelligersp.), and grouper (Epinephelusfuscoguttatus) are commercially important species, and their habitats in the waters of North Aceh and Lhokseumawe Regency are potentially disturbed by industrial activities. This study was conducted to evaluate heavy metals contamination, fish biometrics and growth patterns. Data and samples were collected using the purposive sampling method. The data collection points were at four locations including station 1 PT Pupuk Iskandar Muda, station 2 PT ASEAN Aceh Fertilizer, station 3 PT Kertas Kraft Aceh, and station 4 PT Arun Natural Gas Liquefaction. The results of biometric analysis including GiSI (Gill Somatic Index), GSI (Gonado Somatic Index), GaSI (Gastro Somatic Index), ISI (Intestine Somatic Index), RGL (Relative Gut Lengths), and RIL (Relative Intestine Lengths) showed significant differences in trevally, mackerel, and grouper fish based on four research locations. The growth pattern of trevally and mackerel fish is negative allometric (b < 3), while grouper is positive allometric (b> 3). The condition factors of trevally, mackerel and grouper fish at the four stations indicated the good condition. Based on research results, the heavy metal (Pb, Cd, and Hg) content in the meat of trevally, mackerel and grouper fish, with the average content was still below quality standards.

Fowlpox is a viral disease that affects a wide range of domestic birds including chickens, turkeys, pigeons, and other avian species, and poses notable health and economic challenges, especially in turkeys. The present study investigated the clinical manifestations of the disease, carried out molecular detection, and assessed the genetic relatedness of fowlpox virus in turkeys from Tikrit, Iraq. A total of 36 turkeys showing typical cutaneous lesions were examined, and tissue samples were collected from non-feathered areas for DNA extraction. Conventional PCR targeting the p4bgene, which encodes a major structural protein of the virus, produced a specific 578-bp amplicon in 34 samples, corresponding to a detection rate of 94.4%. Five PCR-positive samples were subsequently selected for Sanger sequencing. BLAST analysis results indicated high nucleotide similarity level of 98–99% with global isolates, especially with the Egyptian isolate (OL703787.1), with slight variation that did not affect the amino acid sequence. The sequences were deposited in GenBank (NCBI) under accession numbers PX649979, PX649980, PX649981, and PX649982. phylogenetic analysis using the Maximum Likelihood method under the Tamura–Nei model, placed the Iraqi isolates within Clade A, showing minimal genetic divergence, indicating the stability of the locally circulating strain. This study provides the first molecular evidence of fowlpox virus infection in turkeys in Iraq. It further highlights the importance of the p4b gene as a sensitive target for diagnosis and surveillance, and underscores the need to reinforce prevention and biosecurity measures to limit the spread of the virus in turkeys

In recent years, yeast cell wall (YCW) prebiotics have been increasingly explored as alternatives to prophylactic antibiotic growth promoters in poultry production. Threonine, the third limiting amino acid in broiler diets, plays an essential role in protein synthesis and gut health. This study evaluated the effects of dietary YCW supplementation on ileal amino acid digestibility, intestinal morphology, and performance of starter broilers fed a marginal threonine-to-lysine ratio (0.60) under gastrointestinal challenge conditions. A total of 240 one-day-old Ross 308 broiler chicks were used in a 21-day experiment. Birds were allocated to 48 pens, with 5 birds per pen, and assigned to four dietary treatments. A basal diet containing 22% crude protein, 2980 kcal/kg metabolizable energy, 1.35% calculated lysine, and 0.81% calculated threonine was prepared and supplemented with or without YCW at 250 ppm. To induce a gastrointestinal immune challenge, birds were vaccinated at 10 days of age with a commercial infectious bursal disease vaccine at 10 times the recommended dose, followed by oral challenge with Clostridium perfringenson days 16 and 17. Growth performance was assessed on days 10, 16, and 21. On day 21, ileal digesta were collected for amino acid digestibility analysis, and jejunal and ileal tissues were sampled for histomorphological measurements. Supplementation with 250 ppm YCW significantly improved body weight gain, feed conversion ratio, and productivity index before challenge and after infectious bursal disease vaccination. After C. perfringenschallenge, a significant interaction was observed for productivity index, with the highest value recorded in non-challenged birds receiving YCW. Overall, YCW supplementation improved the productivity index of broilers fed a low threonine-to-lysine ratio, mainly through reduced mortality. However, it did not significantly influence ileal amino acid digestibility, intestinal morphology, or necrotic enteritis lesion scores

Canine appendicular osteosarcoma (OSA) is the most common primary malignant bone tumor in dogs and is characterized by aggressive local growth and early metastatic spread. Prognosis remains poor, largely due to the presence of micrometastatic disease at the time of diagnosis. This review summarizes current knowledge on the epidemiology, diagnostic approaches, and treatment strategies for canine appendicular osteosarcoma. A literature review was conducted using PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar, focusing onstudies published between 2000 and 2025, with an emphasis on the most recent findings. Amputation with adjuvant chemotherapy is still the best way to treat cancer, and it does improve survival, but it doesn't stop the cancer from spreading. Limb-sparing surgery and stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) may be considered in selected cases to preserve limb function, but they do not appear to offer a survival advantage compared to amputation. Palliative treatments, including radiotherapy and analgesic management, play an important role in maintaining quality of life. Novel approaches such as immunotherapy and targeted therapy have shown promising early results. However, these approaches are largely still in the research phase. Overall, canine appendicularosteosarcoma should be considered a systemic disease. Better control of metastatic disease in the future will improve outcomes through the integration of novel systemic therapies

In Iraq, foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) remains a significant challenge to most livestock production. Building upon our previous investigation, which reported overall FMDV prevalence and the first successful isolation of the SAT2 serotype in Iraqi cattle, the present study examines the prevalence of FMDV and provides molecular characterization of selected isolates. A total of 100 clinical samples collected from cattle across five provinces during the July 2023–October 2024 outbreak were analyzed. Using RT-qPCR, 85% (85/100) was positive for the 3D gene, and 35.3% (30/85) of these were positive for the SAT2-specific 1D gene, and there was no significant provincial differences observed in the detection of either gene. Vesicular fluid exhibited a 100% positivityrate for the 1D gene and was significantly higher than the 27.6% positivity in tongue epithelial tissue (P< 0.0001). Logistic regression analysis confirmed lower odds of detecting the 1D gene compared with the 3D gene across all provinces (P < 0.05). Three isolates were sequenced: one 3D-positive sample and two 1D-positive samples. Phylogenetic analysis of the 3D and 1D regions demonstrated clustering within SAT2, showing close relationships to strains circulating in Western Asia and Eastern Africa. This study provides the province-level overview of SAT2 distribution in Iraq and molecular evidence supporting the regional evolution of the circulating strain, emphasizing the need for continued surveillance and updated vaccination strategies

Non-typhoidal Salmonellaentericacontinues to be a significant pathogen of global relevance. However, there is limited available comparative experimental data on the virulence of S. entericastrains that are isolated from poultry and circulating in Central Asia. This study aimed to investigate the virulence of four poultry-derived S. entericaisolates recovered in Kazakhstan using a standardized murine model of systemic infection. Outbred mice were inoculated intraperitoneally with graded bacterial doses ranging from 103to 106CFU and the pathogenicity was assessed by determining the median infectious dose (ID50) and median lethal dose (LD50) according to the Reed-Muench method. Systemic infection was confirmed by bacteriological re-isolation and real-time PCR. Mortality occurred primarily within 18-72 h post-inoculation and followed a clear dose-dependent pattern. Two S. entericaserovar Infantis strains showed relatively low LD50(3.16 × 105CFU) compared to the other isolates (1.78 × 106CFU). This indicates relatively high virulence potential of the two S. Infantis strains compared to the others. Similar results were seen in the case of the ID50, where the same strains showed relatively high infectivity potential compared to the others. It is noteworthy that the systemic infection was seen with doses that were not lethal to the host, indicating some dissociation between virulence and infectivity potential

The knowledge of community-based breeding of sheep was linking to farmers breeding practices with animal derived food security in the United Arab Emirates. A stratified survey was conducted in person with 291 farmers from all regions of Abu Dhabi. The results revealed a substantially unequal distribution of sheep breeds, with the Najdi breed accounting for the biggest share (39.7%) and followed by the Awassi breed (26.4%). The remaining breeds were Habsi (1.5%), Hari (1.5%), Jaziri (1.7%), Orb (9.6%), Sudani (2.2%), Somali (3.2%), Pakistani (1.2%), Indian (1.5%), Chios (2.2%), their crossbreds (8.1%), and less common breeds (1.2%). Most breeds were found in the Al-Ain region (58.8%), while less was observed in Abu Dhabi (19.9%) and Al-Dhafra (21.3%). Both male and female farmers employed breeding practices based on scientific theories such as pure-breeding or crossbreeding and selection. Furthermore, farmers who are breeding just sheep flocks were more interested in breeding pure breeds, whereas farmers who are breeding mixed flocks of sheep and goats were more interested in crossbreeding. Additionally, potential efforts are required to resolve the wide and long use of rams as well as the inbreeding prevention plan. Other modifications included keeping aged ewes in the flock and female farmers\' lack of breeding skills. They advocate for a community-based breeding program to be implemented by small-scale farmers to optimize productivity gains for better contribution in food security. For medium and large-scale production, an intensive breeding program is also advised in the Al-Ain region considering profitability and income generating. It is advisable to integrate farmers’ production traits and existing breeding practices into future sustainability strategies to better contribute to global food security

Feline urethral obstructions are common in young male cats because the urethra is long and narrow. It has a high mortality rate and most cases need urgent surgery to be resolved. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the efficacy of perineal urethrostomy (PU) in Male cats. The surgical procedure was accomplished on five Persian male cats; the postoperative administration included three days of catheterization and antibiotic therapy for seven days. The follow-up period was from six months up to 18 months. The results showed successful perineal urethrostomy for four of five cases without complications or re-obstruction episodes during the follow-up period. In conclusion, perineal urethrostomy demonstrated 80% success rate with no complications and excellent clinical outcomes in Persian male cats without recurrence of urethral obstruction