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Aim:The study aimed to investigate the Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL)-positive Staphylococcus aureus in bovine milk due to its public health significance.Materials and Methods:A total of 400 milk samples of bovines taken from different dairy farms and outlets of Jabalpur were screened for the S. aureus and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). The strains were tested for the PVL gene and antimicrobial sensitivity toward 10 different classes of antimicrobial agents. The PVL-positive S. aureus strains were further characterized by staphylococcal protein A or spa typing.Result:The prevalence of PVL-positive S. aureus was 10.53%. All the isolates positive for the PVL were resistant to methicillin, while the methicillin-sensitive S. aureus isolates were negative for the PVL. Five different spa types were found.Conclusion:The presence of PVL-positive MRSA in bovine milk close to consumer poses a potential public health risk to the community.

Aim:Objective of this study was to investigate the effect of different levels of iodine supplementation on iodine content of eggs in laying hens.Materials and Methods:In the experiment, 135 laying hens (White Leghorn) of 55 weeks age were randomly distributed to 5 dietary treatments; each group contained 27 laying hens distributed in three replicates of 9 birds each. Diet T1 was control basal layer diet without iodine enrichment in which iodine content (I2) was as per NRC recommendation. Basal diets were supplemented with calcium iodate (Ca (IO3)2) at 5, 10, 15 and 20 mg/kg in T2, T3, T4 and T5 groups, respectively. The iodine content in the calcium iodate is 65.21%, therefore, the diets T2, T3, T4 and T5 contained 3.25, 6.50, 9.75 and 13.0 ppm iodine, respectively. The laying hens were fed the respective experimental diets ad libitum during the experimental period of 10-week. The iodine content of egg yolk and albumen was analyzed at the end of 5th and 10th week of the experiment. Economics of feeding for the production of iodine enriched egg was calculated at the end of the experiment.Results:Increasing iodine levels in diet of hens from 0.45 to 13.0 ppm significantly increased egg iodine concentration, the highest concentration of egg iodine was observed in the group fed diet supplemented with 13.0 ppm iodine followed by those fed 9.75, 6.50, 3.25 and 0.45 ppm iodine in diet. There was no significant difference in the iodine levels of unboiled versus boiled eggs. Therefore, the consumers are ensured to receive the optimal levels of iodine from boiled iodine-enriched eggs. Among different diets, minimum and significantly lower feeding cost (Rs. per dozen or per kg eggs) was noticed in hens allotted T3 diet (6.50 ppm I2). However, feeding cost of hens receiving 3.25 and 9.25 ppm I2 was statistically (p<0.05) similar to control group (T1). Further, it was noticed that feeding cost (Rs. per dozen or per kg eggs) was significantly increased due to the inclusion of higher level of iodine (13.0 ppm).Conclusion:It was concluded that supplementing iodine at 6.50 ppm in layers diet was economically better for the production of iodine enriched eggs followed by feed iodine supplementation at 3.25 ppm as compared to control and other treatment groups.

Background: Overuse of antibiotics is a major problem in the treatment of chronic infections. The antibiotic treatment is frequently non-curative due to emergence of antibiotic resistance, thus alternative treatment is necessary. The natural ability of pathogens to develop resistance is not only a threat to animal health but also leads to accumulation of antibiotic resistance determinants or resistant bacteria livestock products. Phage therapy has been developed as an alternative therapeutic approach against antibiotic resistance microorganisms.Methods: In present study 150 samples of sewage were collected from livestock farm, NDVSU, Jabalpur (M.P.). Bacteriophages were isolated and characterized from the collected sewage samples. “Cocktail” of the recovered phage lysate isolates (ØVS1, ØVS5, ØVS9 and ØVS27) was prepared for assessment of therapeutic utility of S. aureus phages in chronic septic infections. Therapeutic trial was performed in large animals (cattle and buffalo) at livestock farm, Adhartal, NDVSU, Jabalpur (MP.). Pathogens isolated from chronic septic wounds were showing antibiotic resistance but the bacteria were sensitive to phage lysate. Phage ‘cocktail’ was applied topically over the chronic septic wounds as single dose. Follow up of the cases was done at regular intervals (0, 5 and 10 days) which included clinical examination of wound by appearance, status of discharge and formation of granulation tissue.Result: Six animals showed complete recovery (60%) out of 10 animals from wounds as predicted by progressive healing status of wounds till the formation of granulation tissue within 10 days after phage application. Thus, recovery was much higher than the conventional antibiotic therapy normally used for the treatment of chronic septic wound infections in animals.

Picobirnaviruses (PBVs) are small non enveloped viruses with bi-segmented ds RNA. They have been observed in a wide variety of vertebrates, including mammals and birds with or without diarrhoea, as well as in sewage samples since its discovery (1988). The source of the viruses is uncertain. True hosts of PBVs and their role as primary pathogens or secondary opportunistic agents or innocuous viruses in the gut remains alien. The mechanisms by which they play a role in pathogenicity are still unclear based on the fact that they can be found in both symptomatic and asymptomatic cases. There is a need to determine their tropism since they have not only been associated with viral gastroenteritis but also been reported in the respiratory tracts of pigs. As zoonotic agents with diverse hosts, the importance of epidemiological and surveillance studies cannot be overstated. The segmented genome of PBV might pose a serious public health issue because of the possibility of continuous genetic reassortment. Aware of the growing attention being given to emerging RNA viruses, we reviewed the current knowledge on PBVs and described the current status of PBVs in animals.