Al-Anbar Journal of Veterinary Sciences

Background:
Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) is a contagious viral disease that affects goats and sheep and cause significant economic losses. It is associated with secondary bacterial infections that further exacerbate the clinical impact of the disease.

Aims and Objectives:
This study aimed to evaluate the morbidity and mortality rates associated with PPR outbreaks and assess the effectiveness of four different antibiotic treatment protocols to manage the secondary bacterial infections in PPR-infected goats and sheep.

Materials and Methods:
The disease was confirmed through real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and clinical signs such as cough, fever, chills, shortness of breath, mucopurulent nasal and ocular discharge, and diarrhea. Positive animals of both species were divided into four equal groups (A, B, C, and D), with each group received a different antibiotic treatment protocol with identical supportive care for all groups: Treatment A: Oxytetracycline Treatment B: Tylosin + Gentamicin Treatment C: Tylosin + Gentamicin + Ceftriaxone Treatment D: Control group (no antibiotic treatment)

Results:
Goats exhibited a higher infection rate (73.24%) compared to sheep (47.26%). Among the treatment groups, Treatment C demonstrated the lowest overall mortality (9.94%) and the highest recovery rate (90.05%). In contrast, Treatment D (the control group) was the least effective with highest mortality rate (43.45%) and the lowest recovery rate (56.54%). Statistical analysis with Chi-square test revealed a highly significant difference in Treatment C (P < 0.05).

Conclusion:
Combination therapies, particularly Treatment C (Tylosin + Gentamicin + Ceftriaxone), were found to be the highly effective in the management of secondary bacterial infections in PPR disease.

ackground:
Dermatophilosis is a significant livestock disease and a zoonotic agent of economic importance. Dermatophilosis is an exudative, pustular dermatitis of animals. The disease has been reported worldwide, with a broad host range that includes domestic, wild and aquatic animals. Humidity and ticks are predisposing factors. The principal causative agent is Dermatophilus congolensis.

Objectives:
This study investigated the reliability of using stained slides for DNA amplification. Genetic detection of the Dermatophilus species by molecular methods and comparison of the detected genome to the entire National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) gene bank to detect the percentage of similarity of D. congolensis and other related class microorganisms.

Materials and Methods:
In May 2002, samples were collected from 3 out of 55 goats from Awdalok Village, Koysinjaq District, Erbil Governorate, Iraq. The diagnostic slides, which had been well preserved since then, were used in this study. This study was performed in 2015. The DNA was extracted from the slides using a modified Motazedian procedure. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification is performed using primers specifically designed for the 16S rRNA gene. Sanger sequencing and gene bioinformatics were used to confirm the genus and species of the D. congolensis.

Results:
Four of the five slides gave positive PCR results for amplification of the 16S rRNA gene. The PCR product was 470 bp in size. Sanger sequencing was done for the positive samples. The sequenced data were successfully deposited in the NCBI site.

Conclusion:
The 16S rRNA gene is a highly conserved gene that can be used for the diagnosis of microorganisms. The scraped material from stained slides could be used for diagnosis. DNA sequencing is the most accurate method for species detection, especially when multiple genera within the same class share genomic similarities.