Methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus(MRSA) is an opportunistic bacterium that causes many human and animal infections worldwide. MRSA infections are classified as priority infections owing to their high morbidity and mortality, with a significant risk of zoonotic transmission. This study aimed to determine the pooled prevalence of MRSA in dairy cattle farms and its heterogeneity. Relevant studies were retrieved from three databases: PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus. The pooled prevalence of MRSA in dairy farms was estimated using a random-effects model. Subgroup and meta-regression analyses were used to assess the probable sources of heterogeneity. Sensitivity and publication bias analyses were also performed. A total of 94 articles were eligible for inclusion in this meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of MRSA was estimated to be 3.81% [95% confidence interval (95% CI) = 2.61–5.20] with significantly high heterogeneity (I²= 96.6%,p= 0.00). For the subgroup analysis among continents, the prevalence was highest in Asia (4.89%; 95% CI = 2.88–7.35) and lowest in South America (1.33%, 95% CI = 0.00–5.49). As for the year of publication, MRSA prevalence was highest in reports published from 2015 to 2018 (4.36%, 95% CI = 2.41–6.80) and lowest in reports published before 2015 (2.65%, 95% CI = 0.75–5.52). As for sample type, the prevalence of MRSA in cattle milk (3.91%, 95% CI = 2.64–5.39) was higher than that in other sample types (1.19%, 95% CI = 0.05–3.24). These three factors were not significantly associated with the pooled prevalence of MRSA (p> 0.05). Therefore, the findings of this study indicate that the prevalence of MRSA has been minimal and consistent in dairy cattle farms over time.

Veterinary World publishes high quality papers focusing on Veterinary and Animal Science. The fields of study are bacteriology, parasitology, pathology, virology, immunology, mycology, public health, biotechnology, meat science, nutrition, gynecology, surgery, genetics, prion diseases and epidemiology. Food animals, companion animals, equines, wild animals, laboratory animals and animal models of human infections are considered. Studies on zoonotic and emerging infections are highly appreciated.

The objective of this study was to determine the sensitivity (Se) and specificity (Sp) of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) screening tests including a single intradermal tuberculin (SIT) test, interferon gamma (IFN-γ) assay, and a commercial ELISA test (M. bovis Ab) in dairy cattle, under field conditions, using a Bayesian approach. The study population consisted of 128 dairy cows from 25 bTB-infected herds in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai provinces, Thailand. A single-population Bayesian model was implemented assuming conditional dependence between the SIT test and IFN-γ assays. The 95% posterior probability interval (PPI) of the SIT test (severe interpretation) Se ranged from 75.3 to 95.2% (median = 87.6%), while the Sp was slightly lower (median = 83.6%, PPI = 74.2–92.8%). The IFN-γ assay Se was moderate and the 95% PPI ranged from 38.6 to 74.4% (median = 55.7%) with higher Sp (median = 93.5.4%, PPI = 87.0–98.1%). The M. bovis Ab ELISA Se was low, with 95% PPI ranging between 30.0 and 71.2% (median = 47.4%); however, the Sp was high (median = 90.9%, PPI = 84.5–95.5%). The SIT test sensitivity was similar to that demonstrated in other regions and can, therefore, be used effectively as part of control programs in this area. The IFN-γ and M. bovis Ab ELISA assays can be applied as supplementary techniques. The test performance of these tests when used as single tests without confirmation, however, are expected to continue to challenge disease eradication efforts.

Streptococcus agalactiae is well recognized to cause a variety of infections in many animal species and humans. We aimed to investigate genetic relatedness of S. agalactiae strains isolated from humans and animal origins, including cattle and fish, using capsular gene typing, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), and multilocus sequence typing techniques. Our results revealed that S. agalactiae strains with capsular type Ia and ST103 were observed from all bovine isolates (17/17) and one human isolate (1/5). S. agalactiae strains with capsular type III and ST283 were detected among isolates from fish (5/5) and from humans (2/5). Two PFGE clusters containing isolates from mixed origins were demonstrated: one cluster of five fish and one human isolate, and another cluster of one bovine and one human isolate. In conclusion, the close genetic relationship among S. agalactiae strains isolated from humans and animal origins was evident.

Streptococcus uberis is recognized as an environmental mastitis pathogen in dairy cattle. The varied success rate of antibiotic treatment for S. uberis intramammary infection may be associated with the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) of these bacteria. This observational study aimed to analyze 228 S. uberis strains associated with bovine mastitis in northern Thailand from 2010 to 2017. AMR and AMR genes were determined by the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) using a microdilution method and polymerase chain reaction, respectively. The majority of S. uberis strains were resistant to tetracycline (187/228, 82.02%), followed by ceftiofur (44/228, 19.30%), and erythromycin (19/228, 8.33%). The MIC50 and MIC90 of ceftiofur in 2017 were 2–4-fold higher than those in 2010 (P < 0.01). Resistance to tetracycline and ceftiofur significantly increased between 2010 and 2017 (P < 0.05). The most common gene detected in S. uberis was tetM (199/228, 87.28%), followed by ermB (151/228, 66.23 %) and blaZ (15/228, 6.58 %). The association between tetracycline resistance and tetM detection was statistically significant (P < 0.01). The detection rates of tetM significantly increased, while the detection rates of tetO and ermB significantly decreased during 2010–2017. AMR monitoring for bovine mastitis pathogens, especially S. uberis, is necessary to understand the trend of AMR among mastitis pathogens, which can help create an AMR stewardship program for dairy farms in Thailand.

This study aimed to (1) investigate the prevalence of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in slaughtered animals at the Chiang Mai Municipal abattoir in Chiang Mai, Thailand; (2) identify animal-level risk factors for bTB at the abattoir; and (3) evaluate the performance of techniques for bTB detection at the abattoir. From April 2020 to March 2021, 161 animals registered for slaughter were randomly selected for the study. Animal data including age, sex, species, body condition scores, and origins of the animals were collected. Meat inspection was performed by a trained meat inspector. Tissue samples of the lung, liver, and lymph nodes were collected for histopathological diagnosis and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) detection of Mycobacteria and specifically Mycobacterium bovis. The prevalence of bTB during meat inspection and PCR was calculated separately. Animal-level factors affecting bTB were determined using multivariate logistic regression analysis. The performance of meat inspection and PCR was evaluated using a Bayesian approach. The prevalence of bTB was 12.4% (20/161) and 34.8% (56/161) when the disease was diagnosed using meat inspection and PCR, respectively. Buffaloes had a significantly higher risk of being identified as bTB-positive using PCR compared to beef cattle (odds ratio = 2.19; confidence interval = 1.11–4.30). The median of posterior estimates of sensitivity (Se) and specificity (Sp) to detect bTB using meat inspection were 20.8% [95% posterior probability interval (PPI) = 9.1–36.5%] and 87.8% (95% PPI = 79.6–95.4%), respectively. The medians of the posterior estimates of Se and Sp for PCR were 88.6% (95% PPI = 70.5–98.3%) and 94.4% (95% PPI = 84.7–98.8%), respectively. These findings demonstrate that bTB is highly prevalent among slaughtered animals. PCR can be used as an ancillary test for bTB surveillance at abattoirs in Thailand.