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Livestock farming has been an integral part of Nepalese agriculture systems since time immemorial. Giardia duodenalis is a cosmopolitan intestinal parasite present in a wide range of hosts. Very little or no information is reported on the prevalence of giardiasis in livestock of Nepal. This study was done during Jan 18 to July 19, 2014 to determine the prevalence and associated risk factors of Giardia duodenalis infection in dairy cattle of Chitwan, Nepal. A total of 96 fresh fecal samples were collected from various dairy pocket areas and were transferred to collection bottles with 10% formalin. Wet smears of the samples were prepared, stained with lugol’s iodine and then viewed under microscope at 400× magnification. The overall prevalence was found to be 44.79% (43/96). Based on the risk factors assessment survey, age was found to be significantly associated with the prevalence of Giardia duodenalis. The prevalence was found significantly (P 3 years. Similarly, higher prevalence was found in diarrheic animals compared to their counterparts (P

The research was done in cross sectional design to study about the prevalence of Haemonchus contortus in goats of Western Chitwan of Nepal. A total of 252 fecal samples were collected through purposive sampling. Fecal samples were examined through sedimentation and floatation method. Egg per gram (EPG) was calculated through Mac Master Counting Technique of positive samples. Total prevalence was found to be 13.89%. Infection of parasite was more prevalent in males (15.18%) than in female (12.86%) but was statistically non-significant (P>0.05). In non-dewormed goats (40.32%), the prevalence was significantly (P0.05). Maximum goats were found with medium level of infestation through EPG. This study shows higher prevalence of Haemonchus in non-dewormed than in dewormed goats which is statistically significant at (P

Objective To determine the prevalence and associated risk factors of gastrointestinal and liver parasites in yak in the cold desert area of the Mustang District, Nepal. Methods Fecal samples were collected over a period of three months from 96 yaks from the high Himalayan District of Mustang, Nepal. The samples were tested for the presence of parasites by direct smear, sedimentation, and floatation techniques. Yak herders were surveyed with pre-tested questionnaires by participatory appraisals to explore their knowledge and awareness of parasitic diseases and health management. Results Examination of fecal samples revealed that 82 were positive for one or more parasites, giving an overall prevalence of 85.42%, in which 6.25% had single and 79.17% had multiple parasitic infections. Animals with poor body condition scores and young age were more susceptible than their counterparts. Inferior body condition scores were attributed to parasitic burden. No significant difference was noted between worm burden and either the sex of the animal or the altitude. Conclusions A high proportion of yaks in the lower Mustang Region of Nepal suffered from the mild to moderate parasitic infection, significant enough to contaminate the pasture and spread infection to healthy animals. Complementary studies are needed to establish the impact of parasitism on productive performance. Furthermore, nutrition and health management, including regular and strategic parasite monitoring programs are needed for better health and productivity.

Sarcocystosis is a disease caused by Sarcocystis sp. of protozoan parasite and it has a zoonotic aspect. Four hundred forty one water buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) were examined to assess zoonotic important protozoan and helminth parasites. Among them 441 buffalo samples were observed, only 285 (64.63%) buffaloes were infected with protozoan and helminth parasites. The total prevalence rate of protozoan parasite Sarcocystis sp. was the highest 124 (43.51%). The prevalence rate of five different areas of the country, the highest prevalence rate was found in Butwal 37 (49.46%) followed by Dharan 26 (48.14%), Kathmandu 22 (46.80%), Chitwan 38 (41.30%) and Nepalganj 18 (32.72%). So, in Nepal Sarcocystis sp. was most common parasite of water buffaloes and most of the human infection occurs by ingestion of raw or improperly cocked meat of infected animals. The risk of infection of Sarcocystis sp. was very high but not yet paid attention neither from the Government nor from the private sectors.Journal of Advanced Academic Research Vol. 3, No. 2, 2016, Page: 147-149

AIM To understand how maternal and neonatal near-miss reviews could be implemented and scaled-up in rural communities through the existing district health system in Nepal. METHODS Mixed methods with a modified time series evaluation design were used. The World Health Organization maternal and neonatal near-miss criteria used in multicountry surveys were adapted and used to define maternal and neonatal near-miss cases. RESULTS The World Health Organization near-miss criteria were mainly applicable at the district hospital setting, but further adaptations were needed for community-level birthing centres, as organ dysfunction and critical intervention criteria were not found appropriate. In birthing centres, disease-based criteria were applicable for maternal near-miss review, and danger and clinical sign-based and condition at birth criteria were applicable for neonatal near-miss review. Primary barriers to implementation were attrition of trained staff due to the frequent transfer of healthcare providers, and time constraints of district hospital medical doctors for case-by-case reviews as they were often busy in hospital and in their private clinics. CONCLUSION Adapted maternal and neonatal near-miss review process implementation in Nepal is feasible through the existing government health system.

Introduction: The near miss concept and the criterion-based clinical audit are proposed as useful approaches for obtaining such information in newborn health care. There is currently no Standard definition and criteria for neonatal near miss especially for the community level intervention. Thus, lifesaving interventions could be an entry point to initiate the development of the neonatal near-miss definition. Mother and Infants Research Activities and Health Right International (HRI) developed a new tool for assessing neonatal near miss cases based on the Community based newborn care package programme. This is a part of operational research programme on strengthening the health facilities of Electoral constituency No; 2 of Arghakhanchi district of Nepal. The objective of this study was to identify and analyze neonatal near miss cases at different health facilities of Electoral constituency No; 2 of Arghakhanchi district, Nepal. Materials and Methods: One day of training on identifying neonatal near miss cases was given by an expert at Arghakhanchi district hospital to the health facilities staff in two groups. Health facility staffs were trained on identifying neonatal near miss cases and completing the modified neonatal near miss case forms. Neonatal near miss cases were documented for nine months period. Results: There were a total of 28 cases of neonatal near miss reported from different health facilities. Among them, 90% babies were delivered at health facility and 72% babies were of normal birth weight. Low birth weight incidence is 21% among near miss cases. Neonatal near miss contributed possible severe bacterial infection/ severe infection 47%, birth asphyxia in 43% cases and very low birth weight 7%. Conclusions: Birth asphyxia and PSBI were the two most common causes of neonatal near miss in the health facilities of Arghakhanchi district. There is a need to improve the quality of neonatal care in health facilities to properly manage these neonatal near miss cases which were referred to higher centre. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jnps.v34i2.9880 J Nepal Paediatr Soc 2014;34(2):115-118

Whole-length esophagi of 111 Murrah cross water buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) were collected in the Kathmandu and Chitwan districts of Nepal from December 2009 to February 2010. Gullet worms showing a typical epithelium-dwelling character were detected in 13 of 53 (24.5%) buffaloes in Kathmandu and in 5 of 58 (8.6%) buffaloes in Chitwan. The worms' morphology and measurements were identical to those of Gongylonema pulchrum Molin, 1857, except for the length of the left spicules relative to the body length. Scanning electron microscopy did not detect any further morphological differences regarding the collected specimen from Nepal compared with G. pulchrum . The ribosomal RNA gene (rDNA), including internal transcribed spacer (ITS) 1 and 2, and a partial region of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) of mitochondrial DNA of the worms were characterized and compared with those of G. pulchrum collected from cattle, deer, wild boars, and monkeys in Japan and from cattle in Iran. The 18S, 5.8S, and 28S rDNA nucleotide sequences of the buffalo-collected worms had 99.8% (1,779/1,782), 100% (158/158), and 98.3-98.8% (3,494-3,507/3,551) identities, respectively, with those of G. pulchrum from the other host mammals. The ITS regions exhibited higher variations between the buffalo-collected worms and G. pulchrum from the other host mammals (85-88% identity for ITS1 and 56-80% identity for ITS2). The COI also showed lower identities (89.2-90.2%), although only a single amino acid substitution was noted compared with the majority of G. pulchrum samples collected in Japan. Based on these molecular genetic characters in the rDNA and COI mitochondrial DNA, together with a shorter left spicule length relative to body length, the gullet worms isolated from buffaloes in Nepal might belong to a distinct local or buffalo-preferring population of G. pulchrum, although its geographical distribution on the continent and host specificity remain to be clarified.

Explanatum explanatum flukes, liver amphistomes of ruminants, cause significant economic loss in the livestock industry by inducing severe liver damage. A total of 66 flukes from 26 buffaloes and 7 cattle in four different geographic areas of Bangladesh and 20 flukes from 10 buffaloes in the Chitwan district of Nepal were subjected for analysis. The sequences (442 bp) of the second internal transcribed spacer (ITS2) of ribosomal DNA and the variable fragments (657 bp) of mitochondrial nicotinamide dehydrogenase subunit 1 (nad1) of E. explanatum flukes from Bangladesh and Nepal were analysed. The aim of this study was molecular characterization of the flukes and to elucidate their origin and biogeography. In the ITS2 region, two genotypes were detected among the flukes from Bangladesh, while flukes from Nepal were of only one genotype. Phylogenetic analyses inferred from the nad1 gene revealed that at least four divergent populations (groups I–IV) are distributed in Bangladesh, whereas two divergent populations were found to be distributed in Nepal. Fst values (pairwise fixation index) suggest that Bangladeshi and Nepalese populations of group I to IV are significantly different from each other; but within groups III and IV, the populations from Bangladesh and Nepal were genetically close. This divergence in the nad1 gene indicates that each lineage of E. explanatum from diverse geography was co-adapted during the multiple domestication events of ruminants. This study, for the first time, provides molecular characterization of E. explanatum in Bangladesh and Nepal, and may provide useful information for elucidating its origin and dispersal route in Asia.

The gullet worm (Gongylonema pulchrum) has been recorded from a variety of mammals worldwide. In an earlier study, we demonstrated two separate transmission cycles in cattle (Bos taurus) and wild mammals in Japan based on nucleotide sequences of the ribosomal RNA gene (rDNA) and cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (cox-1) region of mitochondrial DNA of multiple isolates of different origins. Our earlier study additionally demonstrated two major cox-1 haplotypes of G. pulchrum prevalent in cattle in Japan. In the present study, we collected G. pulchrum from cattle and goats (Capra hircus) in Alashan League, Inner Mongolia, China; Gongylonema aegypti from spiny mice (Acomys dimidiatus) in the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt; and Gongylonema neoplasticum from a black rat (Rattus rattus) in Okinawa Island, Japan, to analyze their genetic relationships with G. pulchrum in Japan. The gullet worms from Alashan League had almost identical rDNA nucleotide sequences and two cox-1 haplotypes as seen in G. pulchrum from the cattle in Japan. The two rodent Gongylonema spp. had distinct rDNA nucleotide sequences compared with those of G. pulchrum; only the 18S and 5.8S rDNA sequences showed high identities at 97.2-98.7%, while the remaining sequences were less than 75% identical. The 18S, 5.8S, and 28S rDNA sequences of the two rodent Gongylonema spp. showed nucleotide identities of 99.8% (1811/1814), 100% (158/158), and 98.9% (3550/3590), respectively. The cox-1 regions showed 91.6% (338/369)-92.1% (340/369) identities, with completely identical amino acid sequences. The genetic diversities of three distinct Gongylonema spp. and their possible intraspecific genetic variation may allow us to resolve the taxonomic position of Gongylonema spp. which display few obvious morphological differences from their congeners. Consequently, the Gongylonema isolate from water buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) in Nepal reported in our previous study is concluded to be a new species, and Gongylonema nepalensis n. sp. is erected for it.