The indiscriminate usage of antimicrobials in the animal health sector contributes immensely to antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The present study aims to assess the antimicrobial usage pattern and risk factors for AMR in animal husbandry sector of India. A cross-sectional survey about Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices (KAP) among veterinarians was carried out using a questionnaire comprising of 52 parameters associated with antibiotic use and the emergence of AMR in dairy herds. Respondents’ KAP scores were estimated to rank their level of knowledge, attitude, and practice. Furthermore, risk factors associated with treatment failure were analyzed by univariable and multivariable analyses. Out of a total of 466 respondents, the majority had average knowledge (69.5%), neutral attitude (93.2%), and moderate practice (51.3%) scores toward judicious antibiotic usage. Veterinarians reported mastitis (88.0%), reproductive disorders (76.6%), and hemoprotozoan infections (49.6%) as the top three disease conditions that require antibiotic usage. Most of the veterinarians (90.6%) resorted to their “own experience” as the main criteria for antibiotic choice. The use of the highest priority critically important antimicrobials (HPCIA) listed by the World Health Organization (WHO) in animals, particularly quinolones (76.8%) and third-generation cephalosporins (47.8%), has been reported. On multivariable regression analysis of the risk factors, the lack of cooperation of the dairy farmers in the completion of a prescribed antibiotic course by the veterinarian and the demand for antibiotic use even in conditions not requiring antibiotic use were found to be significantly associated with the outcome variable “treatment failure” having respective odds of 1.8 (95%CI: 1.1–3.0) and 3.6 (95%CI: 2.3–5.8) (p < 0.05). The average KAP score of veterinarians, poor farm management practices, lack of awareness among farmers on prudent antibiotic use, and lack of antibiotic stewardship are the significant factors that need attention to combat the rising AMR in veterinary sector in India.

Antimicrobial-resistant Escherichia coli serves as an indicator for monitoring the occurrence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) at the human, animal, and environmental interface. The present study employs a ‘One Health’ framework to determine the prevalence, phenotypic and genotypic characterisation of the AMR profile and biofilm forming ability of E. coli isolates from milk, hand swabs and slurry samples of 405 dairy herds in Punjab, India. An overall prevalence of E. coli was 34.3% (139/405) (95% CI: 0.30 to 0.39) from pooled milk samples, 9.1% (37/405) (95% CI: 0.06 to 0.12) from the hand swabs of animal handlers and 64.4% (261/405) (95% CI: 0.60 to 0.69) in the slurry samples. Multidrug resistance (resistance to 3 or more classes of antimicrobials) was exhibited by 24.4% (34/139) of E. coli isolates from milk, 40.5% (15/37) from hand swabs, 60.5% (158/261) from slurry samples. Moreover, of the E. coli isolates, 11.51% (16/139) from milk, 24.32% (09/37) from hand swabs and 31.42% (82/261) from slurry samples were resistant to 5 or more antimicrobial classes. On molecular characterisation, 19.4% (27/139) of E. coli isolates from milk, 37.8% (14/37) from hand swabs, and 33.3% (87/261) from slurry samples harboured various genes. Principal component analysis and Shannon-Wiener diversity indices highlighted varying β-lactamase (ESBL/AmpC β-lactamase) gene distributions across samples, with milk exhibiting the highest diversity. Logistic regression analysis revealed a significant protective effect of milk hygiene scores against E. coli occurrence (OR = 0.18; 95% CI: 0.13–0.26, p < 0.001), while linear regression demonstrated a significant negative association between milk hygiene scores and the Multiple Antibiotic Resistance (MAR) index (p = 0.02). Biofilm assays revealed that 19.2% of isolates were strong biofilm formers, with a strong association (p < 0.01) between biofilm formation potential and MAR index. The multidrug-resistant (MDR) isolates were predominantly moderate biofilm producers, with 23.5% (milk), 20% (hand swabs), and 24.1% (slurry) classified as strong biofilm formers. The study findings underscore the need for One Health-integrated strategies to holistically address AMR challenges at the dairy-environment interface.

Farm biosecurity is an important herd management strategy to assure infection prevention and animal health. The present study aimed to evaluate the implementation of biosecurity measures on dairy farms in Punjab, India, using the standardized Biocheck.UGent™ scoring system. Convenience sampling was used to select 94 dairy farms, comprising both cattle and buffaloes, with a mean herd size of 74.8 animals. The study found that the mean external and internal biosecurity scores for the selected dairy farms were 45.4% and 43.7%, respectively. Among the subcategories, the highest external biosecurity score was observed for ‘vermin control and other animals’ (63%), and the highest internal biosecurity score was observed for ‘adult cattle management’ (76.6%). Whereas the lowest score for external biosecurity was observed for ‘purchase and reproduction’ (30.6%), and the lowest score for internal biosecurity was observed for ‘health management’ (33.6%). The overall mean biosecurity score of the present study was 44.8%, which was lower than the overall mean global score of 52%. The correlation analysis indicated a positive correlation between herd size and overall biosecurity scores, indicating that larger farms had, on average, higher biosecurity scores. Based on these results, it can be concluded that the implementation of biosecurity measures on dairy farms in Punjab needs improvement, especially in the subcategories of ‘purchase and reproduction’ and ‘health management’. Further research to identify the factors influencing the implementation of biosecurity measures on dairy farms in the region is recommended.

Background: Evaluating the wound healing potential of ligands present in a crude extract through molecular docking studies targeting TNF-α, IL-1β, and TGF-β1 is highly informative. TNF-α and IL-1β are key pro-inflammatory cytokines involved in the inflammatory phase of wound healing, whereas TGF-β1 plays a crucial role in tissue regeneration and remodelling. By assessing the binding affinity and interactions of the extract's phytochemicals with these proteins, valuable insights into the extract's potential anti-inflammatory and regenerative effects can be gained. This approach facilitates a targeted evaluation of the extract's capacity to modulate critical pathways in wound healing, thereby providing essential information for developing effective therapeutic agents. Aims and Objectives: Molecular docking studies on phytochemicals derived from the methanolic extract of Plectranthus amboinicus targeting TNF-α, IL-1β, and TGF-β1 provide insights into the potential wound healing efficacy of the Plectranthus amboinicus leaf extract, as reflected by the obtained docking scores. Materials and Methods: Chemical profiling of the methanolic leaf extract of Plectranthus amboinicus was conducted using GC-MS. In silico molecular docking studies with AutoDock4 were employed to evaluate the binding of these phytoconstituents to the active sites of three proteins associated with wound healing: TNF-α, TGF-β1, and IL-1β. Additionally, the pharmacokinetic properties of the active compounds were further assessed using the admetSAR software. Results and Conclusion: Of the compounds identified by GC-MS analysis, 13 exhibited promising binding scores, indicating a hopeful wound healing potential for the plant. AdmetSAR predictions further suggested that these phytoconstituents possess favourable absorption, distribution, and metabolism profiles, with low toxicity. Collectively, these findings suggest that the methanolic leaf extract of Plectranthus amboinicus holds significant wound healing activity.