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Rhipicephalus bursa is a common tick parasite of small-to-medium size ungulates, principally in warm, temperate, and subtropical areas. Although common in livestock and showing a wide geographic distribution, its epidemiological role in tick-borne bacterial disease is barely known. This study addressed the knowledge gap and aimed to screen for the presence of Anaplasmataceae and spotted fever group (SFG) Rickettsia species in R. bursa ticks collected from domestic animals in Romania, Eastern Europe.

Simple Summary: Anesthesia in red-eared sliders is necessary both for surgical procedures and for imaging techniques. Propofol is a nonbarbiturate anesthetic agent used for induction in many species and should be administered intravenously. Jugular intravenous cannulas provide safe access with the least lymph contamination for anesthetic administration. In this study, red-eared sliders were anesthetized with 5 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg propofol administered in the jugular veins. Our results indicate that the 10 mg/kg dose is efficient for inducing anesthesia for short non-painful procedures, whereas the 5 mg/kg dose did not prove to be enough for anesthetic induction. This study compares the effects of two different doses of propofol administered intravenously (IV), in the jugular vein, to red-eared sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans). In this crossover study, 5 or 10 mg/kg propofol was administered to six Trachemys scripta elegans after cannulation of the jugular vein. Each turtle received each dose, G1 (5 mg/kg IV) and G2 (10 mg/kg IV), after a 7-day washout period. The parameters evaluated were heart rate, palpebral reflex, cloacal reflex, muscle relaxation, ease of handling, sensitivity to anterior and posterior pinch stimuli, and possibility of intubation. Additionally, respiratory rate was measured when possible, and the times from propofol administration to full recovery and from intubation to extubation were recorded. None of the turtles in G1 could be intubated, and this dose provided little relaxation and ease of handling, with a duration of effect until full recovery of 12.16 ± 8.32 (SD) min for this group. In G2, five out of the six turtles could be intubated, and the duration of effect was 32.33 ± 5.85 (SD) min. Heart rates were influenced by manipulation for catheter placement. There were statistically significant differences (p value ≤ 0.05) between the two groups in muscle relaxation degree, handling, cloacal reflex, and possibility of intubation. The 5 mg/kg propofol dose was not sufficient to induce anesthesia, even when administered in the jugular vein, in red-eared sliders. A dose of 10 mg/kg IV or higher should be used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bovine mastitis is an inflammatory disease of the udder that causes important economic losses in the animal breeding and dairy product industries. Nowadays, the conventional livestock antibiotic treatments are slowly being replaced by alternative treatments. In this context, the main aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of natural products in alternative treatment of bovine mastitis.

This study aimed to characterize raw honeys from different geographical origins in Romania, in respect of chemical composition, microbiological examination and evaluate their probiotic potential. The physico-chemical determinations were performed in APHIS-DIA Laboratory, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, using standard validated methods. Bacterial identification was performed for each sample and each colony type using Vitek® 2 Compact 15 system and PCR amplification using 16S rDNA bacterial universal primers (27F, 1492R), species being confirm by sequences analysis. In five raw honey samples, we have identified probiotic bacteria, such as: Bacillus mycoides, Bacillus thuringiensis, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, Bacillus subtilis, and Bacillus velezensis. Generally, all honey samples meet the standard values for chemical composition. However, one sample having 7.44% sucrose was found to have also probiotics bacteria from the genus Bacillus because sucrose is a substrate for probiotics development. In conclusion, the Romanian raw honey can be a potential reservoir of probiotics, which confer a health benefit for consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urinary tract infections are very common in dogs, while the number of antimicrobials available for therapy has decreased due to the adaptation and evolution of bacterial populations. The aim of the study was to establish the prevalence of the main etiological agents involved in the pathogenesis of urinary tract infections, antimicrobial susceptibility and treatment alternatives. For this study, 50 dogs of different breeds, both females and males, aged between 2 years and 13 years were considered. The experimental part of this study took place between February 2018 and May 2019 in the Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cluj-Napoca. Samples were processed using microscopic and cultural examinations. The Petri dishes were inoculated and incubated for 24 hours at 37°C, and interpreted, analyzing the cultural and morphological characteristics of the bacterial colonies as well as the presence or absence of haemolysis areas. The identification of bacterial species was performed by microscopic examination of cells from isolated colonies and biochemical examinations. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed by Mueller-Hinton agar disk diffusion technique. The most frequently isolated bacterial strain was E. coli, present in 21 samples of 54 (38.8%), followed by Staphylococcus spp. in 16 (29.6%), Streptococcus spp., present in 10 samples (18.5%), Proteus spp. with 4 samples (7.4%), and Klebsiella spp. and Pseudomonas spp., each present in 3 (5.5%). Bacterial associations were only observed in 7 samples, mainly involving E. coli and Proteus spp., while 4 samples were negative for bacterial growth. Increased susceptibility was observed for enrofloxacin, doxycycline and amoxicillin with clavulanic acid, while increased resistance was recorded for cefovecin, cephalexin and trimethoprim. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mastitis represents the inflammation of the mammary gland and is considered to be a serious disease due to the fact that it leads to the decrease of milk yield, with severe consequences on milk quality, increase of animal culling and therefore major economic losses. The aim of this study was to identify and describe the main microorganisms, as well as analyzing the Colony Forming Units in raw goat milk by collecting samples from 18 dairy goat farms from Transylvania, as follows: 6 farms from Alba County, 6 from Sălaj County and 6 farms from Cluj County. The milk samples were taken twice from each farm, gathering a total of 36 samples. The results showed that among Gram positive bacteria, 63.8% of the total number of samples were positive for Staphylococcus spp., 36.1%, for Micrococcus spp., 25% for Streptococcus spp. and in 19.4% of the milk samples was identified Bacillus spp. Other Gram positive microorganisms were isolated, but with a lower frequency: Kocuria spp. (8.33%), Aerococcus spp. (8.33%), Corynebacteruium spp. (5.55%) and Enterococcus spp. (2.77%). Results regarding the Gram negative bacteria showed that E. coli was the most frequently isolated microorganism, with a percentage of 38.9, followed by Klebsiella spp. with 25%, Hafnia spp. with 11.1%, Aeromonas spp. with 8.33% and Raoultella spp. with 5.55%. Data concerning the total number of germs showed that raw goat milk from the Transylvanian farms included in the study fulfils the hygiene criteria in the legislation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bovine mastitis is still a problem, both in terms of economic losses, animal health and welfare the increased risk of human health. Based on these affirmations, the purpose of the study was to establish the prevalence of the main etiological agents involved in the pathogenesis of bovine mastitis, while also evaluating their antimicrobial susceptibility and choosing the most effective antibiotic regarding epidemiological control. This study was based on a retrospective analysis of bovine mastitis cases registered at the Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Cluj-Napoca, during five years (2014 - 2019). A total of 347 mastitis milk samples from Transylvanian dairy farms and private owners were registered within the laboratory. For the total number of examined samples, a percentage of 89% were represented by Grampositive bacteria: Staphylococcus spp., 53% (183 samples), Streptococcus spp., 24% (84 samples), Bacillus spp. 12% (42 samples), and a percentage of 11% were represented by Gram negative bacteria E.coli 7% (23 samples) and Klebsiella spp., 4% (15 samples). After the isolation and identification of the pathogens, antibiotics susceptibility testing was performed by the Kirby Bauer disk-diffusion method, using the following antibiotics: Amoxicillin and Clavulanic Acid, Ceftiofur, Florfenicol, Mastidiscs, Enrofloxacin, Penicillin and Cloxacillin. Antimicrobial susceptibility test for the total isolates revealed good sensitivity to Florfenicol, Enrofloxacin and Mast discs. Resistance was observed for Penicillin and Cloxacillin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thelazia callipaeda (Spirurida, Thelaziidae) is a vector-borne zoonotic nematode parasite of the conjunctival sac of a large spectrum of hosts, currently having an expanding distribution range throughout Europe. In Romania, the parasite has a relatively large distribution range and host spectrum. However, the presence of T. callipaeda in red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) has not yet been confirmed. The aim of the present study was to assess the prevalence and geographical distribution of T. callipaeda in red foxes from Romania. A total of 514 animals originating from 10 counties of western Romania were evaluated for the presence of T. callipaeda. Overall, 151 red foxes (29.38%) were positive. No significant differences were noticed between sex and age groups of positive foxes. In total, 3,350 adult nematodes were recovered. The intensity of infection had a mean value of 23.2, while the sex ratio was 2.2:1 in favor of females. In 91 foxes, both eyes were affected, while 60 harbored unilateral infection. Sequence analysis of the cox 1 gene of one nematode from each positive fox (n=151) revealed the exclusive presence of haplotype h1. We report a relatively high prevalence and distribution range of T. callipaeda infection in red foxes in Romania, highlighting their potential role as a wildlife reservoir. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Anaplasma (Rickettsiales: Anaplasmataceae) comprises obligate intracellular Gram-negative bacteria that are mainly transmitted by ticks, and currently includes six species: Anaplasma bovis, Anaplasma centrale, Anaplasma marginale, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Anaplasma platys, and Anaplasma ovis. These have long been known as etiological agents of veterinary diseases that affect domestic and wild animals worldwide. A zoonotic role has been recognized for A. phagocytophilum, but other species can also be pathogenic for humans. Anaplasma infections are usually challenging to diagnose, clinically presenting with nonspecific symptoms that vary greatly depending on the agent involved, the affected host, and other factors such as immune status and coinfections. The substantial economic impact associated with livestock infection and the growing number of human cases along with the risk of transfusion-transmitted infections, determines the need for accurate laboratory tests. Because hosts are usually seronegative in the initial phase of infection and serological cross-reactions with several Anaplasma species are observed after seroconversion, direct tests are the best approach for both case definition and epidemiological studies. Blood samples are routinely used for Anaplasma spp. screening, but in persistently infected animals with intermittent or low-level bacteremia, other tissues might be useful. These guidelines have been developed as a direct outcome of the COST action TD1303 EURNEGVEC ('European Network of Neglected Vectors and Vector-Borne Diseases'). They review the direct laboratory tests (microscopy, nucleic acid-based detection and in vitro isolation) currently used for Anaplasma detection in ticks and vertebrates and their application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) are one of the most widespread wild carnivores in the world, being recognized to harbor and transmit a wide range of vector-borne diseases. Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato are zoonotic tick-borne pathogens causing emerging diseases. Wild animals play an essential role in the transmission of diseases and pathogens maintenance in nature. Epidemiological studies regarding the prevalence of tick-borne pathogens in red foxes are of public health importance, as they may successfully act as a pathogen transmission interface between wildlife, domestic animals and humans. Findings: This study included 14 counties from Romania. A total number of 353 red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) were examined. Heart tissue samples were collected during necropsy and stored at -20 °C. Genomic DNA extraction was performed and all samples were examined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Specific primers for A. phagocytophilum, A. platys, E. canis and Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. were used. Sequence analysis was performed (Macrogen Europe, Amsterdam) and obtained sequences are available at GenBank™. Out of the 353 samples, 9 (2.55 %; 95 % CI: 1.25-4.96 %) were positive for A. phagocytophilum. Positive animals originated from 5 counties. In total, 5 out of 353 heart tissue samples (1.42 %; 95 % CI: 0.52-3.47 %) collected from red foxes were positive for B. burgdorferi s.l. Red foxes originated from 4 counties. None of the samples were positive for A. platys or E. canis. No co-infection with A. phagocytophilum and B. burgdorferi s.l. was found. Conclusion: This first report of A. phagocytophilum and B. burgdorferi s.l. in red foxes from Romania suggests a limited role of foxes in the maintenance of the two related pathogens, but may represent a potential risk from a public health perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]