No abstract

Gastrointestinal parasites are economically important in the dairy industry. A study was carried out to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of anthelmintic drugs (Tetraclozan 3400 mg and Albendazole 2500mg) for the treatment of GIT worms in cross-bred cows at Holeta research center. A total of sixty crossbred cows were purposively screened and divided into three groups for the current study. The first groups served as untreated control, the second and third groups were treated with Albendazole and Tetraclozan drugs respectively. Moreover, fecal samples were collected before and after treatment to count the eggs per gram (EPG) of feces and to evaluate drug efficacy percentage. Efficacy for each anthelmintic was determined by the Fecal Egg Count Reduction Test (FECRT). The mean EPG count before and after treatment with Tetraclozan drug on 0. 14 th and 21 st days was 520±102.1, 100±54.6 and 15±6.7 respectively whereas the mean EPG count on 0, 14 th and 21 st days before and after treatment with Albendazole drug was 450±127.2, 150±46.2 and 20±6.8 respectively. The overall percentage efficacy of Tetraclozan and Albendazole drugs were 97.11 and 95.5 percent respectively. The study indicated that the two anthelmintic drugs were efficacious against worm infection and thus, leads to reduction in EPG count. It is important to explore the detailed pharmacokinetic and toxic effects of these drugs for wide therapeutic uses in animals. It is also recommended that the clinical responses of GIT helminthes to prophylactic and therapeutic drugs need to be periodically monitored in the farms and further introduced to smallholder farmers.

Brucellosis is an important neglected zoonotic disease caused by infection with bacteria of the genus Brucella affecting different mammalian species including humans. A cross-sectional study was conducted to estimate the seroprevalence of brucellosis in camels and humans and its associated risk factors in Amibara District of Afar Region in Northeast Ethiopia, from October 2019 to May 2020. A total of 250 camel and 120 human sera were serially tested using the Rose Bengal plate test (RBPT) and complement fixation test (CFT). The overall seroprevalence of camel brucellosis in this study was 7.6% (95% CI: 4.9–11.56) by RBPT and 3.2% (95% CI: 1.63–6.2) by combined RBPT and CFT. In humans, twelve (10%) of the collected sera were positive by RBPT among which only four of them (3.33%) were positive by CFT. The risk factor analysis indicated that age, body condition, number of parity, and abortion history were significantly associated with Brucella seropositivity in camel ( P  ≤ 0.05). In humans, occupation and nonprotective handling of dystocia cases showed an apparent association with Brucella seropositivity. The results of this study indicated that brucellosis is a common health problem in camels and humans in Amibara District of Afar Region. The public health importance of this disease is associated with raw milk consumption and close contact with the animals having history of recent abortion. Therefore, controlling the risk factors, establishing Brucella diagnostic service in human clinics and hospitals, continuous social training with feedback assessments, and overall implementing of One Health approach framework to attain optimal health for people and domestic animals in area are recommended to safeguard the health of society.

Small scale dairy farms around the Addis Ababa milk and milk products value chain covers a significant portion of the milk demands of Ethiopian people. The demand for dairy and meat products is rapidly increasing resulting in the expansion of dairy and fattening farms. Likewise, a wide variety of antimicrobials (AMs) have been used for a variety of purposes. This coupled with the poor awareness level of farmers regarding antimicrobial drug residue (AMDR) in animals' products pose a great threat to public health. This study is therefore conducted to assess the current antimicrobial utilization and post-administration management practice of livestock producers in the study area. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 90 purposively selected smallholder dairy farms in 3 districts of the Oromia region. All farms (n=90) reported the use of at least one class of antimicrobial for a variety of purposes. Anthelminthics and antibiotics (87.8% each), antiprotozoals (58.9%), multivitamins and other commercial supplements (42.2%) were the most frequently used veterinary products in the study area. About two-thirds (63.3%) of the respondents purchase and use drugs without prescription. Unrestricted veterinary drug access (X2=9.03, p=0.003) and the perception of high veterinary service costs (X2=11.1, p=0.001) were found to have a strong association with unprescribed drugs use. AMs were used for treatment (49.4%), prophylactic (18.6%), growth promotion (18.6%), and fattening (17.8%) purposes. Most of the respondents (57.8%) have no awareness about antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in milk and milk products. A strong association between the status of training and awareness level was observed, indicating the vital role of training in enhancing awareness level. A small majority (53.3%) of the respondent adhere to the recommended drug withdrawal period (DWP). Similar studies should be conducted in wider areas along the major milk value chain to get a big picture of the drug utilization status of dairy farms. Future works should quantify the level of veterinary drug residue (VDR) in dairy products.