The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of thyme and oregano essential oils (as growth promotors), individually and in combination, on the health, growth performance, and prevalence of muscle abnormalities in broiler chickens. Six hundred day-old Cobb 500 hybrid chickens were randomized into four dietary treatment groups with three replicates each. Chicks in the control group (C) received a basal diet, while the experimental treatment groups received basal diets containing 350 mg/kg of thyme oil (T1), 350 mg/kg of oregano oil (T2), and 350 mg/kg of thyme and oregano oil (T3). Growth performance parameters were evaluated at 14, 28, and 42 days. The broilers in treatments T1 and T2 had significantly higher body weights than the control group. The feed conversion ratio was the lowest in chicks who received oregano oil, followed by those fed thyme oil. The overall prevalence of growth-related breast muscle abnormalities (including white striping and white striping combined with wooden breast) in groups receiving essential oils (T1, T2, and T3) was significantly higher than in the control group (C). The thyme and oregano oil diets showed no significant differences in antibody titers against Newcastle disease or interferon-γ (INF-γ) serum levels. In conclusion, thyme and oregano oils had a positive impact on the growth performance of broiler chickens but increased the incidence of growth-related breast muscle abnormalities.

Marek’s disease virus (MDV) is a cell associated Alphaherpesvirus that causes fatal lymphoma in chickens. One factor that plays a crucial role in MDV pathogenesis is the viral CXC chemokine vIL-8 that was originally named after chicken interleukin 8 (cIL-8). However, a recent study demonstrated that vIL-8 recruits B cells and a subset of T cells but not neutrophils, suggesting that vIL-8 is not a cIL-8 orthologue. In this study, we set to identify the cellular orthologues and receptor of vIL-8 using in silico analyses, binding and chemotaxis assays. Sequence and phylogenetic analyses of all chicken CXC chemokines present in the recently published chicken genome revealed that vIL-8 shares the highest amino acid similarity with the CXCL13L1 variant. To evaluate if vIL-8 and CXCL13L1 are also functional orthologues, we assessed their binding properties and chemotaxis activity. We demonstrated that both vIL-8 and CXCL13 variants bind B cells and subsets of T cells, confirming that they target the same cell types. In addition, the chemokines not only bound the target cells but also induced chemotaxis. Finally, we identified CXCR5 as the receptor of vIL-8 and CXCL13 variants and confirmed that the receptor is expressed on MDV target cells. Taken together, our data demonstrate the conservation of the receptor-ligand interaction between CXCR5 and CXCL13 and shed light on the origin and function of the MDV-encoded vIL-8 chemokine, which plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of this highly oncogenic virus.

Introduction: Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is a highly contagious and fatal disease affecting small ruminants, particularly goats and sheep, and is caused by Morbillivirus caprinae, a virus in the genus Morbillivirus, family Paramyxoviridae. PPR has significant economic and social impacts, especially in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, where small ruminants are vital to rural livelihoods and food security. This disease is a priority for global eradication due to its disproportionate impact on low-income farmers and wildlife conservation. Methodology: A literature review was conducted to capture recent information on the epidemiology, diagnosis, host range, transmission, pathogenesis, economic impact, vaccination strategies, and eradication efforts for PPR. This review also explores future perspectives to address gaps in the current understanding and control of the disease. Results: The review highlights that PPR remains a severe challenge in low-resource areas, causing notable economic loss and endangering wildlife. Vaccination efforts have shown effectiveness, though limited accessibility and high costs persist as barriers. The disease has gained attention from international organizations aiming for global eradication by 2030, with ongoing advancements in diagnostics and surveillance methods showing promise in control efforts. Conclusions: This review underscores recent advancements in PPR research, focusing on disease distribution, diagnostic improvements, and control strategies. These findings are valuable for regional and global eradication initiatives, providing a foundation for policies that support sustainable livestock economies and biodiversity conservation. International collaboration, effective vaccination programs, and strategic surveillance are essential to achieve the 2030 eradication goal and secure the health of vulnerable livestock populations.

Background and Aim: Colistin is used to treat avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC), a microorganism that affects turkey meat production in the Gaza Strip and worldwide. However, the recent emergence of plasmid-borne mobile colistin resistance (mcr) genes in pathogenic E. coli strains is a serious antimicrobial resistance (AMR) challenge for both human and animal health. In December 2018, colistin was banned as a veterinary antimicrobial in the Gaza Strip. This study aimed to detect and track the prevalence of colistin-resistant APEC isolated from turkey flocks in the Gaza Strip. Materials and Methods: This study investigated 239 APEC isolates from turkey flocks in the Gaza Strip between October 2018 and December 2021 (at 6-month intervals). The colistin-resistant APEC strains were detected using the broth microdilution method. The mcr-1 gene was identified using a polymerase chain reaction. Results: The overall colistin resistance among the isolated APECs was 32.2% during the study period. The average resistance in the first interval was 37.5%, which significantly decreased to 9.3% in the last interval. Among the 77 phenotypically resistant isolates, 32.4% were positive for mcr-1. The average abundance of mcr-1 in the first interval was 66.6%, which decreased to 25% in the last interval. Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study reporting the presence of the mcr-1 gene among the APEC isolates from turkeys in the Gaza Strip. Banned veterinary use of colistin significantly decreased the percentage of resistant APEC isolates from turkeys in Gaza Strip. Further studies are needed to investigate other colistin resistance genes and track the emergence of AMR. Keywords: avian pathogenic Escherichia coli, colistin, Gaza Strip, turkey.

Background and Aim: West Nile fever (WNF) is a neurotropic, mosquito-borne disease affecting humans and domesticated animals, caused by a member of the genus Flavivirus. Over the last decades, this virus has been responsible for several cases of illness in humans and animals. The current epidemiological status of WNF in horses is insufficient, and in veterinarians, as an occupational hazard is unknown. This study aimed to investigate and determine the seroprevalence and risk factors for WNF in veterinarians and horses in Palestine. Materials and Methods: In this study, serum samples from 100 veterinarians and 87 horses were collected between August 2020 and September 2020 from different cities of Northern Palestine. West Nile virus (WNV) antibodies were detected using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: Our results showed that 60.9% of the horse serum samples were positive in all investigated cities. In horses, location is a risk factor for the seropositivity for WNF, whereas age, sex, breed, and intended use of the horses, were not associated with increased WNF seropositivity. In veterinarians, 23.0% of the serum samples were positive. Positive samples were detected in all locations, age groups, experience length, and work sectors. However, the seropositivity for WNF was not influenced by these variables. Conclusion: The results revealed that WNV circulates in most regions of Palestine. Our results will help determine the risk of infection in animals and humans and control WNV transmission. Surveillance studies on humans, vectors, and animals are needed to better define endemic areas.

Fowl adenoviruses (FAdVs) associated with inclusion body hepatitis (IBH) was identified in commercial broiler chickens in Palestine. Investigated birds showed primary clinical signs and lesions of IBH including growth retardation, congested and enlarged liver with necrosis, petechial hemorrhage and basophilic intra-nuclear inclusion bodies. The mortality rate was from 15.00%. The FAdV was detected and sequenced in the liver samples of infected chicken by polymerase chain reaction using hexon gene-specific primers. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that FAdVs belong to FAdV-D serotype 10, clustered within the European highly pathogenic isolates. The highest nucleotide sequence similarity was 99.48% with highly pathogenic FAdV-D serotype 10 detected from infected chicken in Poland (GenBank: LN907532.1) and FAdV-D from infected chicken in Sweden (GenBank: HE961828.1). The lowest similarity was 93.46% with Canadian FAdV-D (GenBank: EF685576.1). In conclusion, this is the first report describing the presence of IBH revealing that the causative virus is closely similar to the highly pathogenic FAdV-D serotype 10 of IBH in broiler chickens in Palestine. (c) 2021 Urmia University. All rights reserved.