These findings indicate that camels are a significant reservoir for the maintenance of MERS-CoVs, and they are an important source of human infection with MERS.

Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is a highly infectious disease of cattle caused by a virus of the Capripoxvirus genus in the family Poxviridae. The disease is a major concern for the dairy industry in Saudi Arabia. In this study, an outbreak of LSD in cattle herds was detected in Saudi Arabia in 2016. LSD outbreak was investigated in five regions of Saudi Arabia: Al-Hassa, Al-Sharqia, Al-Qassim, Riyadh and Al-Taif during the period from April to July 2016. Tissues from skin nodules were collected to characterize the virus by a real-time polymerase chain reaction (rt-PCR). During this period, 64,109 cattle were examined and morbidity, mortality and case fatality rates were 6%, 0.99% and 16.6%, respectively. The analysis showed 3,852 infected cases and 641 deaths. highest number of infected animals was reported in Al-Hassa (2,825), followed by Al-Qassim (547), Riyadh (471), Al-Sharqia (6) and Al-Taif (3). The highest morbidity rates were observed in Al-Qassim (6.8%), Al-Hassa (6.2%), Riyadh (5.5%) and Al-Taif (0.96%), while the lowest morbidity rates were recorded in Al-Sharqia (0.27%). The highest mortality rates were also observed in Al-Qassim (2.3%), followed by Al-Hassa (0.97%), Riyadh (0.19%) and lowest in Al-Sharqia and Taif (0%). LSD virus was detected in all samples (n = 191) by real-time PCR analysis. The disease has been observed in the cattle regardless of previous vaccination using the locally Romanian-pox vaccine; therefore, vaccination programme and vaccine efficacy should be assessed under field conditions.

Some pathological observations on the naturally infected dromedary camels (Camelus dromedarius) with the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in

These findings indicate that these sites are a highly-hazardous to zoonotic diseases.

Migratory wild birds acquire antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) bacteria from contaminated habitats and then act as reservoirs and potential spreaders of resistant elements through migration. However, the role of migratory wild birds as antimicrobial disseminators in the Arabian Peninsula desert, which represents a transit point for birds migrating all over Asia, Africa, and Europe not yet clear. Therefore, the present study objective was to determine antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in samples collected from migratory wild birds around Al-Asfar Lake, located in Al-Ahsa Oasis, Eastern Saudi Arabia, with a particular focus on Escherichia coli virulence and resistance genes. Cloacal swabs were collected from 210 migratory wild birds represent four species around Al-Asfar. E. coli, Staphylococcus, and Salmonella spp. have been recovered from 90 (42.9%), 37 (17.6%), and 5 (2.4%) birds, respectively. Out of them, 19 (14.4%) were a mixed infection. All samples were subjected to AMR phenotypic characterization, and results revealed (14–41%) and (16–54%) of E. coli and Staphylococcus spp. isolates were resistant to penicillins, sulfonamides, aminoglycoside, and tetracycline antibiotics. Multidrug-resistant (MDR) E. coli and Staphylococcus spp. were identified in 13 (14.4%) and 7 (18.9%) isolates, respectively. However, none of the Salmonella isolates were MDR. Of the 90 E. coli isolates, only 9 (10%) and 5 (5.6%) isolates showed the presence of eaeA and stx2 virulence-associated genes, respectively. However, both eaeA and stx2 genes were identified in four (4.4%) isolates. None of the E. coli isolates carried the hlyA and stx1 virulence-associated genes. The E. coli AMR associated genes blaCTX-M, blaTEM, blaSHV, aac(3)-IV, qnrA, and tet(A) were identified in 7 (7.8%), 5 (5.6%), 1 (1.1%), 8 (8.9%), 4 (4.4%), and 6 (6.7%) isolates, respectively. While the mecA gene was not detected in any of the Staphylococcus spp. isolates. Regarding migratory wild bird species, bacterial recovery, mixed infection, MDR, and AMR index were relatively higher in aquatic-associated species. Overall, the results showed that migratory wild birds around Al-Asfar Lake could act as a reservoir for AMR bacteria enabling them to have a potential role in maintaining, developing, and disseminating AMR bacteria. Furthermore, results highlight the importance of considering migratory wild birds when studying the ecology of AMR.