Campylobacter is reported as a major cause of foodborne illness worldwide. Consumption of contaminated chicken meat is considered a significant risk factor of Campylobacter infection in humans. This study investigated the occurrence of non-Campylobacter jejuni-Campylobacter coli, in broiler chickens (n = 210) and chicken meat (n = 109). The samples were collected from seven broiler chicken farms (n = 210 cloacal swabs), 11 markets (n = 84 chicken meat), and 5 supermarkets (n = 25 chicken meat) located in different districts of Selangor State. Campylobacter were isolated from cloacal swabs using the Cape Town Protocol and from meat samples using the method of Duffy et al. (2007) with some modifications for Campylobacter isolations which were reported effective in the isolation of non-C. jejuni-C. coli Campylobacter species. The isolates were identified by Gram staining for cellular morphology, wet mount for motility and biochemical tests. Confirmation of presumed Campylobacter isolates was carried out using multiplex PCR (mPCR). One hundred seven (107/210) or 50.9% and twenty-nine (29/109) or 26.6% of chickens and chicken meat samples respectively were positive for Campylobacter species. Among the Campylobacter isolates from chickens, C. jejuni was the most predominantly isolated species (69.5%), followed by C. coli (16.2%). Campylobacter fetus and C. upsaliensis were the non-C. jejuni-C. coli Campylobacter species isolated in this study, at 9.3% and 2.5% respectively. Overall, the findings indicated broiler chickens were colonized not only by the common Campylobacter species but also by other Campylobacter species. We found the Cape Town Protocol useful to detect the occurrence of non-C. jejuni-C. coli isolates in chickens.
The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of varying crude protein (CP) levels on intake, growth performances and nutrient digestibility of Dorper lambs at pre- and post-weaning period. Twenty lambs at 7 days old with an initial body weight of 2.91 kg were individually penned and randomly assigned into four (4) dietary groups using a randomised complete block design. In Trial I, pre-weaning lambs were fed with creep feeding (CF) diet containing 14% crude protein (CP) as a control diet (CON14), 16% (CF16), 18% (CF18) and 20% (CF20) of CP for 84 days. Following Trial 1, the animals were fed with a growing ration (GR) diet for 96-day feeding trial. The diets consisted of 11% CP as a control diet (CON11), 14% (GR14), 16% (GR16) and 18% (GR18) of CP. The water was available ad libitum and the feed intake was measured daily by the difference of feed offered and refused. The increase of CP level resulted in a linear increase of dry matter intake (DMI), nutrient intake and average daily gain (ADG) in pre- and post-weaning lambs. The DMI (g/day) of lambs fed with CF20 (1059.92) was significantly higher (p 0.05) compared to those fed with CF16 (217.95). For post-weaning lambs, GR16 had significantly higher ADG than CON11 (43.14), but it was no difference with GR14 (72.94) and GR18 (69.41). However, increased CP level resulted in linear increase of DM, ash, organic matter (OM) and CP digestibility. The present finding suggested that the optimum CP level for pre- and post-weaning Dorper lambs in Malaysia was 16% and 14%, respectively.
Mycoplasma ovis (formerly Eperythrozoon ovis) is an epierythrocytic parasitic bacterium of small ruminants known as haemotropic mycoplasma, which is transmitted mechanically by biting flies and contaminated instruments. Acute mycoplasmosis causes severe haemolytic anaemia and mortality in young animals. At the same time, chronic disease may produce mild anaemia and varying degrees of morbidity depending on several factors, including age, reproductive status, the plane of nutrition, immunological status and the presence of concurrent infection. Haemotropic Mycoplasma ovis is currently recognised as an emerging zoonotic pathogen which is widely distributed in the sheep and goat producing areas of tropics and subtropics, where the disease is nearly endemic. Human infection has been reported in pregnant women, immunocompromised patients and people exposed to animals and arthropods. The current diagnosis of haemoplasma relies on microscopic evaluation of Giemsa-stained blood smear and PCR. Although there are few published reports on the incidence of haemotropic Mycoplasma ovis infection of small ruminants in Malaysia, information on its prevalence, risk factors, severity and economic impacts is grossly inadequate. Therefore, a large-scale survey of small ruminant flocks is necessary to elucidate the current seroprevalence status and molecular characteristics of haemotropic M. ovis infection in Malaysia using ELISA and PCR sequencing technologies. In the future, surveillance programs, including vector forecast, quarantine, monitoring by periodic surveys and public enlightenment, will limit the internal and transboundary spread of M. ovis, enhance control efforts and mitigate production losses in Malaysia.
Palm oil is a natural energy source ingredient in poultry diets that offers a broad range of beneficial effects on the performance of broiler chickens. This review was conducted to highlight the impact of palm oil as a feed ingredient on growth performance and carcass quality, as well as the biochemical, antioxidant activity and tissue fatty acids (FA) composition of broiler chickens. Palm oil inclusion in broiler chickens' rations contributes significantly to the high metabolisable energy (ME) of feed formulation, increases feed palatability and decreases digesta passage rate in the intestine. The reviewed literature indicated that dietary palm oil has a beneficial effect on broiler chickens' overall growth performance traits. The addition of palm oil can also improve the heat tolerance of chickens reared in high ambient temperature conditions. Regardless of breed and breeding conditions, palm oil exhibits good oxidative stability in broiler chickens due to the presence of prevalent phytonutrient elements in this oil. The inclusion of palm oil increased palmitic (C16:0) and oleic (C18:1) acids in tissue deposits, which improves meat stability and quality. Moreover, molecular studies have revealed that higher mRNA expression of several lipid-related hepatic genes in broiler chickens fed palm oil. Nonetheless, dietary palm oil can influence FA deposition in tissues, modulate lipoprotein and triglycerides (TG) levels, and cytokine contents in the blood serum of broiler chickens.
The effects of partial replacement of dietary protein by forages on rumen fermentation and microbiology in goats were examined. Four fistulated Boer bucks were used in a 4 × 4 Latin square design. The goats were fed 60% of urea-treated rice straw and 40% dietary treatment (Kleinhovia hospita (KH), Leucaena leucocephala (LL), mixture of K. hospita with L. leucocephala (KHLL)) and concentrate as the control. Rumen fluid from the animals was collected at 0, 2, 4, 6, and 12 h postprandial for analysis. The KHLL diet had a greater (P
The objectives of this cross-sectional study were to estimate the prevalence of lameness, claw lesions, and associated risk factors in dairy farms in Selangor, Malaysia. The sample population was 251 lactating cows from 8 farms assessed for lameness and claw lesions by locomotion scoring and claw assessment respectively while specific animal-based measures were hypothesized as cow-level risk factors. The Wilcoxon rank test and logistic regression were applied to assess the prevalence of lameness, claw lesions, and association with potential risk factors, respectively. The prevalence of lameness was 19.1% ranging from 10.0 to 33.3% while 31.1% of cows had claw lesions and ranged from 16.3-40%. Claw lesions were recorded in 87.5% of the lame cows with highest being those affected with sole lesions (54.2%) and white line disease (61.2%). Overall, the occurrence of overgrown claws, sole lesions, white line disease, and digital dermatitis were 37, 18.2, 10.9, and 8.3%, respectively. More than one claw lesion per cow was present in 71.8% of the affected cows. Lameness was associated with early lactation (OR = 3.3; 95% CI 2-7), injured hocks (OR = 4.8; 95% CI 5-17), and dirty legs hygiene (OR = 2.6; 95% CI 1.3-6.2), whereas presence of claw lesions was associated with dirty legs hygiene (OR = 4.7; 95% CI 4-11) and overgrown claw (OR = 2.7; 95% CI 1.4-5.3). To reduce the prevalence of lameness, farmers need to improve the management of cows with overgrown claw, injured hocks, and cleanliness by establishing routine claw trimming and efficient stall design.
Haemonchosis is a common problem on goat farms in tropical countries such as Malaysia. Prevention of production losses generally depends on the use of anthelmintic drugs, but is threatened by the emergence of anthelmintic resistance. This study investigates anthelmintic efficacy on small-scale Malaysian goat farms and describes putative risk factors. Adult goats had moderate to high pre-treatment faecal trichostrongyle egg counts, despite being housed on slatted floors and fed on cut-and-carry forage, raising questions about the source of nematode infection. Our results show multiple resistance to benzimidazole and macrocyclic lactone anthelmintic drugs and allow us to discuss the genetic origins of resistance with reference to farm husbandry and management. We conclude that improvement in Malaysian goat production efficiency will require the development of sustainable helminth control strategies, underpinned by a better understanding of the origins and population genetics of anthelmintic resistance.
The objectives of this study were to test the efficacy of producing lovastatin in rice straw treated with Aspergillus terreus in larger laboratory scale following the procedure previously reported and to investigate the effectiveness of the treated rice straw containing lovastatin on methane mitigation in goats. The concentration of lovastatin in the treated rice straw was 0.69 ± 0.05 g/kg dry matter (DM) rice straw. Our results showed that supplementation of lovastatin at 4.14 mg/kg BW reduced methane production by 32% while improving the DM digestibility by 13% (P
Japanese encephalitis (JE) is vector-borne zoonotic disease which causes encephalitis in humans and horses. Clinical signs for Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) infection are not clearly evident in the majority of affected animals. In Malaysia, information on the prevalence of JEV infection has not been established. Thus, a cross-sectional study was conducted during two periods, December 2015 to January 2016 and March to August in 2016, to determine the prevalence and risk factors in JEV infections among animals and birds in Peninsular Malaysia. Serum samples were harvested from the 416 samples which were collected from the dogs, cats, water birds, village chicken, jungle fowls, long-tailed macaques, domestic pigs, and cattle in the states of Selangor, Perak, Perlis, Kelantan, and Pahang. The serum samples were screened for JEV antibodies by commercial IgG ELISA kits. A questionnaire was also distributed to obtain information on the animals, birds, and the environmental factors of sampling areas. The results showed that dogs had the highest seropositive rate of 80% (95% CI: ± 11.69) followed by pigs at 44.4% (95% CI: ± 1.715), cattle at 32.2% (95% CI: ± 1.058), birds at 28.9% (95% CI: ± 5.757), cats at 15.6% (95% CI: ± 7.38), and monkeys at 14.3% (95% CI: ± 1.882). The study also showed that JEV seropositivity was high in young animals and in areas where mosquito vectors and migrating birds were prevalent.
Several strains of porcine bocaviruses have been reported worldwide since their first detection in Sweden in 2009. Subsequently, the virus has been reported to be associated with gastrointestinal and respiratory signs in weaner and grower pigs. Although Malaysia is host to a self-sufficient swine livestock industry, there is no study that describes porcine bocavirus in the country. This report is the first to describe porcine bocavirus (PBoV) in Malaysian swine herds. PBoV was identified in various tissues from sick and runt pigs using the conventional PCR method with primers targeting conserved regions encoding for the nonstructural protein (NS1) gene. Out of 103 samples tested from 17 pigs, 32 samples from 15 pigs were positive for porcine bocavirus. In addition, a higher detection rate was identified from mesenteric lymph nodes (52.9%), followed by tonsil (37.0%), and lungs (33.3%). Pairwise comparison and phylogenetic analyses based on a 658-bp fragment of NS1 gene revealed that the Malaysian PBoV strains are highly similar to PBoV3 isolated in Minnesota, USA. The presence of porcine bocavirus in Malaysia and their phylogenetic bond was marked for the first time by this study. Further studies will establish the molecular epidemiology of PBoV in Malaysia and clarify pathogenicity of the local isolates.
The potential of using whole corn crop silage and rice straw as an alternative feed for the beef cattle based on the intake and growth performance were evaluated. Using randomised completely block design, nine adult Mafriwal cattle were blocked intro three groups and treated with three different forage diets supplemented with 20% pelleted palm kernel cake on dry matter basis. The treatments were 100% rice straw (RS), 100% corn silage (CS) and an equal mixture of rice straw and corn silage (MIX) fed ad libitum. The animals were housed in individual pens, and the feeding trial was conducted for 12 weeks with 2 weeks of adaptation period. The results showed that CS had the best feed nutritive composition with the lowest concentration of highly indigestible fibre and the highest concentration of organic matter and energy. The CS also had the highest intake, and the corn silage inclusion in MIX managed to improve the intake on par with CS in terms of the dry matter intake of body weight (DMI of BW), voluntary intake (VI) and crude protein (CP) intake. Cattle fed with CS gave the highest and most stable BW gain with an average daily gain (ADG) of 808 g/day rivalling cross-bred cattle fed with high amount of concentrates. The all straw diet (RS) supplemented with PKC recorded a positive ADG of 133 g/day while the MIX gave 383 g/day matching total Napier grass diet.
Avian influenza virus (AIV) H9N2 subtype is endemic in Iran and causes substantial economic loss to the growing poultry industry within the country. In this study, a cross-sectional analysis was carried out to determine the sero-prevalence of H9N2 in several commercial farms between the years 2014 and 2015. The comparison of the mean of serum titers and the ratio of sero-positive birds between all units were analyzed using one-way ANOVA test. In 2014, a total of 77 farms (58 turkey farms, 14 quail farms, and 5 partridge farms) and 894 birds (682 turkeys, 154 quails, and 58 partridges) were sampled while in 2015, a total of 69 farms (54 turkey farms, 8 quail farms, and 7 partridge farms) and 856 birds (675 turkeys, 105 quails, and 76 partridges) were sampled. Of that, 52 of 77 sampled farms (67.5%) and 437 of 894 samples (48.9%) were positive for H9N2 in 2014 while. Forty-one of 69 farms (59.4%) and 307 of 856 sera (35.9%) were positive in 2015. Furthermore, the mean titer of partridge farms was significantly lower than that of turkey farms (p 0.05). Our results indicated that H9N2 is circulating in these farms. Since many more such farms are being established for operations, in addition to the threat of emergence and continuous reemergence of the disease in these farms, enhanced veterinary biosecurity measures on farms are required for mitigation.
The primary goal of this research was to elucidate the novel influence of Brachiaria decumbens supplementation on broiler chicken growth performance, nutritional digestibility, cecal microbiota, intestinal histomorphology, carcass characteristics, and meat quality. A total of 300 male day-old Ross 308 broiler chickens were randomly subjected to six different treatment groups having five replicates per treatment with 10 birds in each replicate. In treatment 1, broiler chickens were fed commercial diets with no added additives; in treatment 2, broiler chickens were offered commercial diets containing 100 mg/kg of the antibiotic oxytetracycline. However, in treatments 3, 4, 5, and 6, broiler chickens received similar commercial diets supplemented with 25 mg/kg, 50 mg/kg, 75 mg/kg, and 100 mg/kg of B. decumbens ground leaf powder, respectively, without antibiotics. Throughout the 42-day trial, the body weight gain and total feed intake for each replicate were recorded every week to determine the growth performance. Then, on 21th and 42nd day, ten broilers from each treatment (two in each replicate) were randomly selected and slaughtered to assess the digestibility of nutrients, histomorphology of the small intestine, the population of the cecal microbiota, carcass characteristics, as well as quality of both breast and drumstick muscle. There were differences (p
The effects of supplementing different dietary selenium (Se) sources on intestinal histomorphology, caecal bacterial proliferation, and caecum short-chain fatty acid in layer chickens were studied. A total of 120 of 54-week-old Lohman Brown Classic laying hens were subjected to four dietary treatments: control group with no Se supplementation (T1), 0.3 mg/kg of sodium selenite (T2), 0.3 mg/kg of selenium yeast (T3), and 0.3 mg/kg of bacterial Se (Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, ADS18) (T4). All treatments were also supplemented with 250 mg/kg of vitamin E. Results showed significantly (p < 0.05) higher villus height in different small intestine parts in hens fed with diets containing organic Se sources (T3 and T4), as compared to inorganic sources (T2) and control (T1). A greater crypt depth was observed for the T1 group, as compared to T3 and T4 groups. The total bacterial populations of Bifidobacteria spp. and Lactobacilli spp. were significantly increased (p < 0.05), and tEscherichia coli population was significantly decreased (p < 0.05) in T3 and T4 groups. No effect on the total caecal short-chain fatty acid (SCFAs) content was observed. However, there was a significant increase (21.5%) of the butyric acid content in T4 group. In conclusion, organic Se supplementation, particularly bacterial organic Se, enhances intestinal histomorphology, increases the beneficial caecal bacterial proliferation, and increases butyric acid content.
Bull breeding soundness evaluation (BBSE) is the most common procedure used to predict bull potential fertility. However, the use of traditional methods for semen evaluation can affect its reliability. The inclusion of additional advanced test in BBSE may increase its accuracy. This study aimed to investigate the correlation between the degree of sperm protamination and BBSE main parameters of scrotal circumference (SC), progressive motility (PM), morphologically normal sperm (NS), and different categories of morphological defects. In addition, to determine the correlation between the three methods used for protamine assessment, five Brangus bulls were subjected to the BBSE. Semen samples were collected via electro-ejaculation and evaluated using traditional methods. Three different methods were used to determine the degree of sperm protamination: aniline blue (AB) staining, chromomycin A3 staining with fluorescent microscope (CMA3-FLM), and CMA3 with flow cytometry (CMA3-FCM). Sperm protamine deficiency assessed using the three methods exhibited significant differences among bulls according to their classification by BBSE, and showed significant negative correlation with semen quality parameters of NS and PM. A significant positive correlation was found between AB positivity and morphological abnormalities. The three methods used for protamine assessment also revealed significant positive correlations. Among the three tests, AB staining was the cheapest and easiest test that offers an objective assessment method for sperm protamination. Hence, it can be concluded that the assessment of protamination using AB staining test might serve as an additional valuable parameter or a replacement whenever detail sperm motility and morphology analyses in conducting BBSE to predict bull fertility are not possible.
This study aimed to evaluate the effect of feeding P. pulmonarius-treated empty fruit bunch (FTEFB) on the nutrient intakes, digestibility, milk yield and milk profiles of lactating Saanen goats. A total of nine lactating Saanen goats were used in an incomplete cross-over experimental design. The balanced dietary treatments contain different replacement levels of Napier grass with FTEFB at 0% (0-FT), 25% (25-FT) and 50% (50-FT). The FTEFB contained crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF) and acid detergent lignin (ADL) at 4.10, 94.6, 70.8 and 19.4% DM, respectively. The replacement of FTEFB in 25-FT did not alter dry matter, NDF, hemicellulose, ADL, ether extract and gross energy intakes when compared to the control fed group (0-FT). The ADF and cellulose intake was higher in 25-FT than in the others (P 0.05). There are no differences in milk fatty profiles between dietary treatments (P > 0.05), except for OCFA. Goat fed with 25-FT had the lowest OCFA (P
The lipopolysaccharide (LPS) endotoxin and outer membrane protein (OMP) are among the virulence factors of Gram-negative bacteria responsible for inducing pathogenicity in the infected host. OMP and LPS occur on the outer membrane of M. haemolytica A2, the primary aetiological agent of pneumonic mannheimiosis in small ruminants. While the LPS is known to mediate Gram-negative bacterial infection by activating downstream inflammatory pathways, the potential role of OMP during inflammatory responses remained unclear. Hence, this study determined the effect of the OMP of M. haemolytica A2 on the serum concentration of pro-inflammatory cytokines and the male reproductive hormones (testosterone and Luteinizing Hormone). We randomly assigned twelve bucks to three groups (n = 4 bucks each): Group 1 was challenged with 2 mL PBS buffer (pH 7.0) intranasally; Group 2 received 2 mL of 1.2 X 109 CFU/mL whole M. haemolytica A2 intranasally; and Group 3 received 2 mL of OMP extract obtained from 1.2 X 109 CFU/mL M. haemolytica A2 intramuscularly. Serum samples collected at pre-determined intervals were used for the quantitative determination of the pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNFα) and reproductive hormones (testosterone and LH) using commercial sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The serum concentration of IL1β was initially increased within the first-hour post-challenge in Groups 2 and 3, followed by a significant decrease in concentration at 21d and 35d (p 0.05) lower than in Group 1 throughout the study. There was a moderate negative association between testosterone and IL1β (r = -0.473; p > 0.05) or TNFα (r = -0.527; p 0.05). The results of this study demonstrated that M. haemolytica A2 and its OMP produced marked alterations in serum levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and male reproductive hormones. The negative correlations between serum testosterone and inflammatory cytokines would suggest the potential role of OMP in causing male infertility by mediating innate inflammatory responses to suppress testosterone production in bucks.
Given the data paucity on dairy farmers' perspectives regarding bovine lameness and hoof diseases, particularly in South East Asian countries, this study was conducted to assess the knowledge, attitude and practices toward lameness and hoof health among dairy cattle farmers in Malaysia. An online-based and face-to-face survey was conducted among 114 dairy farmers from four states in Peninsular Malaysia. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, principal component analysis and an independent sample t-test. Overall, farmers demonstrated satisfactory knowledge and attitude regarding lameness and its impact on dairy cattle welfare and production. Lameness was ranked the second most important health issue in dairy farms after mastitis. Notably, 90% reported the presence of at least one lame cow on their farms, and 55% stated lameness as the reason for culling their cows. While sole ulcer was the hoof lesion mostly identified by farmers, 75% of them underestimated lameness prevalence on their farms and rarely implemented management strategies such as preventive hoof trimming and footbath. Farmers' educational qualification influenced their understanding of the impact of lameness on dairy cattle production. Despite reflecting satisfactory knowledge and attitude towards lameness in dairy cows, farmers in this study need to improve their current management practices to address lameness problem in their herds. Educating farmers on the importance of early detection and prompt treatment, and preventive measures are crucial for lameness control and improving hoof health in these dairy farms.