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Background: The issue of veterinary pharmaceutical expiration is a significant concern in animal health facilities globally. The existence of veterinary pharmaceutical expiration can be mainly associated with inadequate inventory control, store management, and a lack of effective pharmaceutical regulatory policies and guidelines. Hence, the study aimed to evaluate expired veterinary pharmaceuticals' scope, economic impact, and contributing factors. Methods: A cross-sectional, explanatory sequential study design involving a mixed quantitative and qualitative approach was employed among 13 animal health facilities from March 2022 to December 2023 in and around Dessie town, South Wollo, Ethiopia. A key informant interview guide was used to retrieve the qualitative data that were analyzed through thematic content analysis. Then, the collected data were coded and analyzed using SPSS version 25. A mean score was used to determine the critical factors associated with veterinary pharmaceutical expiration. Results: The study found that the magnitude of expired veterinary pharmaceuticals in the fourth fiscal year was 7%. This wastage rate of veterinary pharmaceuticals led to a loss of approximately 69,564.54 USD. From expired veterinary pharmaceutical unit pack perspectives, approximately 403-unit packs (66%) expired in veterinary clinics, resulting in a loss of approximately 38,229.33 USD, and 209-unit packs (34%) expired in private veterinary pharmacies, incurring a loss of approximately 31,335.22 USD. From Anatomical Therapeutic Classification (ATC), antibiotics accounted for 14.8% of the total financial loss. Additionally, approximately 53% of liquid dosage forms were expired. The quantitative study identifies the lack of an information system and necessary software, poor store management, and lack of strict accountability as critical contributors to veterinary pharmaceutical expiration. Additionally, inadequate inventory management systems and a lack of adherence to established policies and guidelines for managing veterinary pharmaceutical expiration were the most vital contributors as key informants cited. Conclusion: The financial burden associated with expired veterinary pharmaceuticals exceeded the permissible threshold of 2%, indicating a significant concern for animal health budgets and the aquatic environment. This study underlines that the issue of veterinary pharmaceutical expiration is a critical problem that necessitates policy implications. To mitigate the expiration rate of veterinary pharmaceuticals, collaboration among multidisciplinary veterinary professionals, the Ethiopian Agricultural Authority, pharmaceutical supply chain agency, and researchers is essential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Veterinary pharmaceuticals must be safe and effective for treating and preventing diseases in animal sectors. Strict adherence to regulations at every stage of production, storage, and administration is necessary as the global sector grows in order to lower the possibility of adverse veterinary drug events. Strong pharmacovigilance regulatory systems are critical in monitoring and managing safety concerns related with veterinary pharmaceuticals. Objective: This review aimed to investigate the implementation of veterinary pharmacovigilance, collaborative initiatives, and reporting practices within the veterinary sector across East African countries. Methods: A thorough search was performed using online platforms such as Google Scholar, PubMed, the Web of Sciences, and regulatory Web sites. The search strategies relied heavily on selecting relevant published findings related to veterinary pharmacovigilance status, veterinary adverse drug event reporting practice, and collaborative efforts in veterinary pharmaceutical sectors within the East African landscape. This article search approach confirmed the inclusion state of veterinary pharmacovigilance and associated collaborative initiatives in the region. Results: In comparison to more developed regions, the review indicated that the veterinary pharmacovigilance system in East African countries was still in its early state. A strong legislative foundation and a large commitment from the veterinary profession are needed to establish a nationwide veterinary pharmacovigilance system. The review reveals a significant lack of consistency in the infrastructure of veterinary pharmacovigilance among the countries of East Africa. Tanzania, Kenya, and Ethiopia have some institutional processes for veterinary pharmaceutical safety, but they lack thorough documentation, which suggests that this systems still require improvement. The analysis emphasizes how inadequate the reporting systems are for adverse veterinary medication events in the majority of East African nations. Given the challenges East Africa faces, customized strategies are required to guarantee the safety and oversight of veterinary medications and improve veterinary pharmacovigilance. For systems to be more effective, veterinary pharmaceutical legal frameworks must be strengthened and stakeholder collaboration must be improved. Stakeholders include legislators, law enforcement, customs officials, regulatory organizations, scientists, pharmaceutical businesses, veterinarians, farmers, and the general public. Conclusion: A multidisciplinary strategy is needed to solve current gaps in veterinary pharmacovigilance and improve overall veterinary drug safety in East Africa. It is feasible to create more reliable methods for tracking and guaranteeing the safety of veterinary medications by combining the efforts of numerous stakeholders, including as legislators, regulatory agencies, veterinary practitioners, and the general public. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Equine herpesviruses pose a threat to equine health and potentially cause substantial economic losses to the global equine industry. EHV outbreaks have been reported in various parts of Ethiopia and the Amhara region specifically. This study aimed to detect EHVs from suspected outbreak cases in selected districts of the Northwest Amhara region. A cross‐sectional study was performed from January 2022 to July 2022 to detect EHVs from suspected outbreak cases. Clinical observation was conducted for the presumptive identification of equine herpesvirus infection, and nasopharyngeal swab samples were collected for molecular detection of the viruses for confirmation. Out of 463 donkeys observed, 23 donkeys showed clinical signs suggestive of equine herpesvirus infection. Samples from 10 suspected donkeys were further subjected to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, amplifying ORF30 for EHV‐1 and gB for EHV‐2 and EHV‐5. Among the 10 donkeys tested, seven (n = 7) were positive for EHV‐5. All ten (n = 10) tested donkeys were negative for EHV‐1 and EHV‐2. EHV‐5 was detected in animals with nervous signs, respiratory signs, a combination of nervous and respiratory signs, and a combination of abortion, respiratory, and nervous signs. Generally, only EHV‐5 was identified from the outbreak, and more detailed epidemiological/molecular studies should be performed to better understand its dynamics and inform preventive measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infectious laryngotracheitis (ILT) is a disease of high economic consequence to the poultry sector. Gallid herpesvirus 1 (GaHV-1), a.k.a infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV), under the genus Iltovirus, and the family Herpesviridae, is the agent responsible for the disease. Despite the clinical signs on the field suggestive of ILT, it has long been considered nonexistent and a disease of no concern in Ethiopia. A cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2020 to June 2021 in three selected zones of the Amhara region (Central Gondar, South Gondar, and West Gojjam zones), Ethiopia, with the objective of estimating the seroprevalence of ILTV in chickens and identifying and quantifying associated risk factors. A total of 768 serum samples were collected using multistage cluster sampling and assayed for anti-ILTV antibodies using indirect ELISA. A questionnaire survey was used to identify the potential risk factors. Of the 768 samples, 454 (59.1%, 95% CI: 0.56-0.63) tested positive for anti-ILTV antibodies. Mixed-effect logistic regression analysis of potential risk factors showed that local breeds of chicken were less likely to be seropositive than exotic breeds (OR: 0.38, 95% CI: 0.24-0.61). In addition, factors such as using local feed source (OR: 6.53, 95% CI: 1.77-24.04), rearing chickens extensively (OR: 1.97, 95% CI: 0.78-5.02), mixing of different batches of chicken (OR: 14.51, 95% CI: 3.35-62.77), careless disposal of litter (OR: 1.62, 95% CI: 0.49-4.37), lack of house disinfection (OR: 11.05, 95% CI: 4.09-47.95), lack of farm protective footwear and clothing (OR: 20.85, 95% CI: 5.40-80.45), and careless disposal of dead chicken bodies had all been associated with increased seropositivity to ILTV. Therefore, implementation of biosecurity measures is highly recommended to control and prevent the spread of ILTV. Furthermore, molecular confirmation and characterization of the virus from ILT suggestive cases should be considered to justify the use of ILT vaccines., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Mastewal Birhan et al.)