No abstract

No abstract

An oriental white backed vulture weighing about 8 kg was rescued from a farmer’s field in a moribund condition. The vulture was showing signs of drooping feathers and wings, anorexia, unable to stand, and severe enteritis with dehydration. Bacterial culture from the cloaca of the bird revealed association of hemolytic E. coli that was sensitive to enrofloxacin and ciprofloxacin. The bird was treated successfully with injectable enrofloxacin and oral rehydration solution. No parasitic eggs/protozoal oocysts or hemoprotozoan parasites could be detected in the bird. The bird recovered uneventfully and started taking feed and water normally.

Superoxide dismutase has been discovered within the periplasm of several Gram-negative pathogens. We studied the Cu,Zn-SOD enzyme in Escherichia coli isolated from clinical samples (stool samples) collected from patients suffering from diarrhea. Antibiogram studies of the isolates were carried out to determine the sensitive and resistant strains. The metal co-factor present in the enzyme was confirmed by running samples in native gels and inhibiting with 2 mM potassium cyanide. A 519 bp sodC gene was amplified from resistant and sensitive strains of Escherichia coli. Cloning and sequencing of the sodC gene indicated variation in the protein and amino acid sequences of sensitive and resistant isolates. The presence of sodC in highly resistant Escherichia coli isolates from diarrheal patients indicates that sodC may play role in enhancing the pathogenicity by protecting cells from exogenous sources of superoxide, such as the oxidative burst of phagocytes. The presence of SodC could be one of the factors for bacterial virulence.

A study was conducted between July 2010 to June 2011 in the Monkey Sterilization Centre, Gopalpur, Himachal Pradesh, India to assess the prevalence of reproductive disorders by laparoscopic examination of the genitalia of female rhesus macaques. The animals were captured from different locations in the state using a cage trapping method. A total of 720 female rhesus macaques underwent laparoscopic examination of their reproductive tracts. A total of 63 cases were found to have reproductive abnormalities. Out of these 63 cases, the most common abnormalities reported were ovarian cyst 3.05% (n=22), ovarian tumor 1.66% (n=12), uterine tumor 1.25% (n=9), uterine edema 0.97% (n=7), uterine rupture 0.83% (n=6), ectopic pregnancy 0.69% (n=5), unicornis or acornis 0.28% (n=2). The highest number of cases of uterine abnormalities was recorded in the 12-16 year old age group (33.33%), followed by 8-12 year olds (25.39%), 16-20 year olds (22.22%), then 4-8 year olds (15.87%) and 0-4 year olds (3.17%). Of the 63 animals that showed genital abnormalities, only 52 were found to be pregnant during the breeding season from November to March in the 5-20 year old age group, while 11 animals were not pregnant; a pregnancy rate of 82.53% (52 of 63) of the female rhesus macaques with reproductive abnormalities.