BackgroundToxoplasmosis is a major public health concern in many countries of the world. A cross-sectional and follow up experimental study designs were used for seroepidemiological and bioassay studies, respectively from November 2012 to April 2013. The objectives were to estimate the seroprevalence of T. gondii infection, to assess risk factors and to isolate the parasite from camels in the Fentale district, Ethiopia. A direct agglutination test (DAT) and indirect enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits were used to test camel sera. Hearts and tongues (each 25 g) from 31 seropositive camels were bioassayed in mice. Associations between seroprevalence and potential risk factors (collected using a questionnaire survey) were analyzed using logistic regression.ResultsAn overall T. gondii prevalence of 49.62% (220/455) by DAT and 40.49% (179/451) by indirect ELISA test were detected. Herd level seroprevalence of 96.77% (30/31) (95% CI: 83.30– 99.92) by DAT was recorded and it was significantly higher in areas where wild felids are present (P = 0.038). Multivariable logistic regression showed that the likelihood of acquiring T. gondii infection was significantly higher in camels in the Ilala pastoral association [PA] (82.26%) (Adjusted Odds ratio [aOR] = 10.8; P < 0.001) than camels in the Galcha PA (31.43%), in camels of ≥ 8 years old (56.52%; aOR = 1.88; P = 0,033) than camels of ≤ 4 years old (34.26%) and in areas where domestic cats are present (aOR = 4.16; P = 0.006). All camel owners were uneducated, handle aborted fetus with bare hands, and drink raw camel milk. DAT and ELISA tests had moderate agreement (Kappa = 0.41). Viable T. gondii were isolated from 16.13% (5/31) of DAT positive camels. One DAT positive but ELISA negative camel sample gave a cyst positive result.ConclusionsT. gondii infection of camels in the study district is widespread. Age, presence of domestic cats and study PA are independent predictors of T. gondii seropositivity. Isolation of viable parasites from edible tissues of camels and the very poor knowledge of pastoralists about toxoplasmosis suggest the need for prevention of toxoplasmosis through bio-security measures, education and further investigation to unravel the impact of camel toxoplasmosis deserves consideration.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12917-014-0222-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

We performed a seroepidemiological study of Toxoplasma gondii infection in free-range chickens from October 2012 to May 2013. We used cross-sectional two-stage cluster sampling to collect blood samples from wing veins of 601 chickens from central Ethiopia. T. gondii-specific antibodies were assayed by modified agglutination test (MAT). We collected information about risk factors by questionnaire and used univariable and multivariable logistic regression to assess risk factors. An overall seroprevalence of 30·5% [95% confidence interval (CI) 26·27-34·14] and 54·2% (95% CI 47·06-61·36) was found at animal- and flock-level, respectively. The MAT end titre of seropositive chickens (n = 183) were 1 : 60 in 46, 1 : 180 in 28, 1 : 540 in 29, ⩾1 : 1620 in 48, 1 : 6000 in 22, 1 : 18,000 in five, 1 : 54,000 in one, and ⩾1 : 162,000 in four. Animal-level risk factors identified using multivariable logistic regression model were: midland altitude [odds ratio (OR) 2·53, 95% CI 1·12-5·72], cross and exotic breeds (OR 3·17, 95% CI 1·39-7·23), increased age of chickens (OR 2·32, 95% CI 1·19-4·49), extensive management (OR 6·92, 95% CI 1·34-35·86) and the presence of cats (OR 2·08, 95% CI 1·20-3·61). Similarly, flock-level risk factors were midland altitude (OR 3·62, 95% CI 1·31-9·99) and the presence of cats (OR 1·19-4·94). The knowledge of the local people about the health risk of cats to humans and animals is poor. Housing and management of cats and chickens are also poor. The widespread presence of T. gondii infection in free-range chickens of Central Ethiopia provides suggestive evidence for the high level of contamination of the living environment of people with T. gondii oocysts. Meat from free-range chickens might be an important source of infection for humans. Altitude, breed, age, management and presence of cats are independent predictors of seropositivity. Education of farmers about toxoplasmosis and further studies to elucidate the burden of toxoplasmosis in animals and humans warrants consideration.

A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the prevalence of mastitis in bovines and to, isolate and identify the major bacterial pathogens of lactating cows in six selected woredas of Bench Maji Zone of Southwestern Ethiopia from June 2017-October 2017. Three hundred eighty four lactating cows were examined for mastitis by combination of udder physical examination, California Mastitis Test and subsequent bacteriological isolation. During the study period, 116 (30.21%) cows had mastitis, of which 35 (30.17%) and 81(69.83%) showed clinical and subclinical mastitis, respectively. The prevalence rates of mastitis in cross breed and local breed cattle were found to be 71.43 and 28.65%, respectively. Based on parity, higher prevalence (45.45%) was recorded in cows which had greater than 5 parturitions and the lower prevalence (13.04%) was recorded in cows with 1-2 parturitions. Based on lactation stage, the prevalence was (45%) in late stage, followed by middle stage (36.60%) and early stage of lactation (13.85%). The prevalence rates of mastitis based on different age groups of lactating cows were found to be 48.78 , 30.54 and 18.52% in cows of greater than 8 years old, 4-8 years old and in cows less than 4 years old, respectively. Except parity, the other associated risk factors (breed, lactation stage and age group) had significant association (P<0.05) with the prevalence of mastitis in the study animals. Upon subsequent bacterial culturing, the quarter milk samples yielded three types of bacteria. Staphylococcus aureus (59.26%), Streptococcus agalactiae (38.27%) and Escherchia coli (2.47%) were the major isolates. In conclusion, the overall prevalence of mastitis in lactating cow of the study area was high and this suggests the need of improved hygienic practices and applies different methods for prevention and strategic control of the disease.

The teaching of veterinary anatomy was started in line with the foundation of the first veterinary school in Lyon in 1762. During this time fewer tools and techniques were available for displaying and visualization of organs in order to teach anatomy. Over the years, many methods, tools, and techniques that are essential for veterinary students and anatomists were developed. Teaching materials like cadaver which preserved by formalin has being using for a long time. Instead of preserved cadavers, various teaching materials have also been using in different parts of the world. These alternative techniques were not hopeful to meet the challenges in the medical and veterinary sciences. In 1977, Dr. Gunther von Hagens came up with an exclusive method, for the preservation of biological materials, called plastination. In the process of plastination body fluids and lipids in biological tissues replace with epoxy silicone and polyester polymers. Plastinated specimens are an excellent alternative to formalin-fixed specimens. Plastination brings not only three-dimensional and cross-sectional specimens for teaching and research, but also durable, clean, non-toxic materials for students. Plastinates are also convenient to handle, transport, and store. Three major methods used in plastination are silicone plastination, sheet plastination with epoxy method and sheet plastination with polyester method. Silicone plastination is the most adaptable technique for cadavers, whole body or organ slices. Relative to the other plastination methods, it is widely used for teaching veterinary anatomy. Sheet plastination with polyester resin has been used for the production of opaque brain slices, while sheet plastination with epoxy resins are used for transparent body or organ slices. Plastinated specimens are easy to work for both theoretical and practical courses.

Bovine mastitis is a potentially fatal mammary gland due to physical trauma or microorganisms infections. It is the most widespread, costly disease in dairy farms and a great concern for many producers in developing countries like Ethiopia. The study was conducted to test the antimicrobial susceptibility of identified pathogens from mastitic cattle. Out of 384 lactating cows examined in the course of the study period, 116 (30.21%) cows had mastitis. The results of bacteriological analysis of cultured milk samples had shown three major strains of pathogenic bacteria namely Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus agalactiae and Escherichia coli were isolated from 81 cows, 48 bacterial isolates (59.26 %) were identified as S. aureus, 31 bacterial isolates (38.27%) were identified as Str. agalactiae and two bacterial isolates (2.47%) were identified E. coli (2.47%). The antimicrobial agents used were gentamycin, kanamycin, erythromycin, chloramphenicol, streptomycin amoxicillin, penicillin and ampicillin. The in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility test showed some degree of resistance in varying proportions of isolates. Some of the bacterial isolates exhibited even resistance to two or more antibiotics. S. aureus represented 95.8 % of the total isolates, was found resistant to penicillin while 93.7% of the total isolates were found sensitive to gentamycin. On the other hand, from the total isolates of Str. agalactiae, the maximum resistance was recorded in ampicillin (35.5%), and sensitivity was recorded in penicillin (83.9%). All of the E. coli isolates were resistant to amoxicillin, ampicillin, and penicillin while all of them were susceptible to gentamycin and streptomycin. The average susceptibility of S. aureus, Str. agalactiae and E. coli strains to all antimicrobials tested in this study were 37.5%, 41.9% and 37.5%, respectively. In comparison, the average resistivity of all antimicrobials tested was 41.4%, 13.3%, and 43.8% of S. aureus, Str. agalactiae and E. coli, respectively. For the bacterial isolates tested for antimicrobial susceptibility, gentamycin, chloramphenicol, and streptomycin were the drugs more active, while the majority of isolates were resistant to amoxicillin, ampicillin, and penicillin. This antibiotic resistance development among these bacteria may pose a problem of concern. Hence, the use of antimicrobials in both the treatment and prevention of intra-mammary infections must be based on in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility test.

Plastination is a technique that aims to preserve biological materials for education, training, and research. Plastinated models increase knowledge and skill, make students easily understand the complex anatomical parts of the central nervous system, meanwhile can reduce the use of animals in research and education. The study aimed to produce a silicone plastinated model of the spinal cord of a cat for practical teaching of neuroanatomy. The spinal cord of a stray cat that died of natural causes was plastinated using silicone plastination method. The cervical spinal nerves (1-8) and brachial plexus were demonstrated. The thoracic region of the spinal cord was also well preserved, but the demonstration of thoracic spinal nerves became very difficult because of too much thinness of the nerves. The lumbosacral plexus was preserved well. In this region cranial iliohypogastric nerve, caudal iliohypogastric nerve, ilioinguinal nerve, femoral nerve, gluteal nerve, ischiadic nerve, obturator nerve, pudendal nerve and cauda equina were visible. The spinal cord of cats prepared by silicone plastination methods can be used as an alternative sample to formalin preserved specimens.

Bu çalışma, lokal polyester reçine ile böbreğin ince kesit plastinasyonu için bir protokol geliştirmeyi ve örneğin anatomik detaylarını incelemeyi amaçlamıştır. Örnek %10 formalin fiksasyon solüsyonu ile sabitlendi ve ardından 3 mm'lik dilimlere ayrıldı. Polyester plastinasyon tekniğinin dört aşaması kullanıldı. İlk olarak örnekler dehidrasyon için -25ºC'de %99,5 aseton banyosunda tutulmuştur. Bu işlemden sonra kesitler polyester reçineye yerleştirildi ve vakum altında oda sıcaklığında (20ºC) impregnasyon işlemine başlandı. Zorlu impregnasyon işleminden sonra kürleme odaları oluşturuldu ve kürleme işlemine ultraviyole ışık altında devam edildi. Uygulanan her aşamanın verileri dikkatlice kaydedildi ve böbrek bölümlerinin polyester plastinasyonu için protokol başarıyla oluşturuldu. Örnekler, ince bir kesit görünümü sayesinde farklı bir bakış açısıyla gözlemlenmiştir. Örneklerin anatomik morfolojisi ve böbreğin kesit bölümlerine ait yapılar, böbrek paraşimi ve dolaşım bileşenleri gibi, iyi korunmuştur. Elde edilen son ürünler, böbreklerin kesitsel anatomik çalışmaları için iyi birer eğitim materyalleri olarak kullanılabileceği düşünülmektedir.

Wallabies are small‐ to medium‐sized hopping marsupials and have large and flexible tendons in their hind limbs that act like springs. This study aimed to show the morphological pattern of the pes tendons in Bennett's wallaby. Two Bennett's Wallabies (Macropus rufogriseus) that died of natural causes have been used for this study. The pes was dissected using standard dissection techniques to expose the tendons around metatarsals and digits. The crural musculature of the hind limb was also dissected to identify the origin of the tendons. Tendons of m. extensor digitorum longus, m. extensor digitorum lateralis, m. extensor digiti II et III longus, m. flexor digitorum superficialis, m. flexor digitorum profundus and mm. interossei were the main identified tendons. Tendons of m. extensor digitorum longus attached to the distal phalanx of the fourth digit. The tendon of m. extensor digitorum lateralis had two insertion points, on the fourth and the fifth digits. The tendon of m. flexor digitorum superficialis bifurcates at the level proximal one‐third of the metatarsus. The relatively thinner branch inserted into the phalanx of the fifth digit, while the thicker splits and inserted to the medial and lateral surface of the distal end of the proximal phalanx of the fourth digit. Tendon of m. flexor digitorum profundus was the thickest tendon on the plantar surface, and it had four insertion points, which were the distal phalanges of the second, third, fourth and fifth digits. This study provides detailed information for future studies on the biomechanical and functional morphology of tendons in marsupials.