The Upazila Veterinary Hospital (UVH) in Kaliganj Upazila, Jhenaidah, Bangladesh, plays a critical role in providing animal healthcare in a region renowned for dairy farming and rearing Black Bengal goats. Despite the sector’s importance, livestock farming in Bangladesh faces challenges such as high disease prevalence and inadequate veterinary services. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and distribution of common diseases among various species treated at UVH Kaliganj from February 2019 to April 2019. Data were collected from UVH’s daily record books, encompassing 511 animals categorized into cattle (40.70%), goats (51.85%), poultry (3.32%), and other animals (4.10%). Clinical evaluations identified 11 disease categories, and monthly variations in disease prevalence were analyzed across different age groups of animals. In cattle, the predominant diseases included worms (33.65%), foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) (8.65%), respiratory diseases (14.90%), and fever (11.05%). Goats exhibited high occurrences of worm infestations (27.92%), Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) (9.43%), fever (25.66%), and diarrhea (12.83%). Poultry primarily suffered from respiratory diseases (29.41%), parasitic infections (17.64%), and digestive disorders (23.52%). Other animals, including sheep and monkeys, showed diverse disease profiles, including parasitic infections (19.04%), respiratory disorders (19.04%), and fever (14.28%). Monthly analysis revealed varying disease prevalence, with peaks in February and March 2019 for both cattle and goats. Diseases were prevalent across all age groups of animals, highlighting the widespread impact on livestock health in Kaliganj Upazila. This study underscores the critical role of UVH Kaliganj in managing animal health in an agricultural community heavily reliant on dairy and goat farming. The findings suggest the need for targeted veterinary interventions to mitigate disease burdens and improve animal welfare in the region.

Background and Aim: Campylobacter infections in sheep may be asymptomatic or cause enteritis, ileitis, infertility, and abortion. Thus, this study aimed to estimate the prevalence of Campylobacter spp. in farming sheep and to detect risk factors, molecular patterns, and antimicrobial susceptibility status of these pathogens. Materials and Methods: Four hundred and eight fecal samples were collected from 12 flocks in the Mymensingh and Sherpur districts. Samples were tested by both basic (culture and biochemical tests) and molecular (initially 16S rRNA and later hipO gene-based polymerase chain reaction). Furthermore, the antimicrobial susceptibility status of Campylobacter jejuni was confirmed using disk diffusion. Flock- and animal-level data were captured using semi-structured interviews with farm owners under bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses to confirm the risk factors for Campylobacter-positive status. Results: The prevalence of C. jejuni staining at the animal and flock levels was 8.82% (36/408) and 66.70% (8/12), respectively. The age of sheep was identified as an important risk factor. Up to 1 year of age, sheep were 3.78 times more likely to be infected with C. jejuni (95% confidence interval: 1.0736–13.3146, p = 0.038). Of the 36 isolates of C. jejuni, all were found to be fully susceptible (100%) to gentamicin and ciprofloxacin. In this study, three antimicrobial agents, oxytetracycline, azithromycin, and ceftriaxone, were fully resistant (100%). The majority of isolates were resistant to a combination of 4–6 antimicrobial agents. Conclusion: The present study highlights the predominant maintenance of zoonotic Campylobacter species in sheep, and their burden on human health is enormous. Therefore, environmental, animal, and human health needs to be focused under a One Health lens to mitigate the occurrence of Campylobacter in farm settings and to prevent further introduction to animals and humans. Keywords: antimicrobial resistance, campylobacter jejuni, identification, isolation, prevalence, risk factors, sheep.

The emergence of antibiotic resistance and the evolution of new pathogenic strains have become significant global health challenges in the 21st century, necessitating the exploration of alternative therapeutic options. Herbal remedies, such as garlic, black cumin seed, and honey, have long been used in traditional medicine, but scientific validation of their antimicrobial potential remains crucial. This study aimed to explore the antimicrobial properties of garlic (Allium sativum), black cumin seed (Nigella sativa), and honey against bacteria and fungi. Various extraction methods, including cold pressing, Soxhlet extraction, hydrodistillation, and cold maceration, were used to obtain bioactive compounds from these natural ingredients. The antimicrobial activity of the extracts was evaluated in vitro using the disc diffusion method against Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923), Bacillus cereus (ATCC 14579), Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922), Salmonella typhi (ATCC 19430), and Candida albicans (ATCC 10237). The results showed inhibition zones ranging from 0 to 35 mm, with black cumin oil demonstrating the highest antibacterial activity, particularly against E. coli and S. aureus. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) ranged from 6.25% to 50%. The study concluded that garlic, black cumin seed oil, and honey possess significant antimicrobial properties, either individually or in combination, suggesting their potential as natural alternatives to combat zoonotic bacterial infections and address the growing concern of drug-resistant pathogens. Further research is encouraged to explore their applications in real-world scenarios and develop new, natural antimicrobial therapies.

Escherichia coli is a significant foodborne pathogen, frequently linked to hemorrhagic diarrhea, especially in developing nations, where it presents considerable public health concerns. This study was conducted to examine the virulence gene profiles and antibiotic resistance patterns of E. coli strains isolated from piper betel leaves. A total of 100 betel leaf samples, including fresh (n = 60) and ready-to-eat (n = 40) specimens, were collected and tested for the presence of E. coli using standard diagnostic techniques, such as selective culture methods, staining, latex agglutination, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays. Further, the identified E. coli isolates underwent PCR-based testing for virulence genes and disk diffusion assays to assess antibiotic susceptibility. Among the 100 samples screened, 4% (n = 4/100; 95% CI: 1.57–9.84; P = 0.1126) were identified as E. coli O157, and 33% (n = 33/100; 95% CI: 24.56–42.69; P = 0.4011) were classified as non-O157 isolates. The virulence gene stx1 was found in 10.81% of isolates, while stx2, eaeA, and hlyA genes were not detected in any samples. Antibiotic resistance analysis showed that all isolates (100%, 37/37) were resistant to amoxicillin and erythromycin, with 75.68% (28/37) demonstrating resistance to tetracycline. Notably, all isolates were fully susceptible to ceftriaxone and ciprofloxacin. A majority (72.97%, 27/37) of isolates were sensitive to streptomycin, and 67.57% (25/37) were sensitive to gentamicin. Additionally, 86.48% of the E. coli isolates exhibited multidrug resistance (MDR), showing 10 resistance patterns, including 8 MDR patterns. The most common MDR pattern was AMX-TE-E, observed in 56.76% (21/37) of isolates. One isolate demonstrated resistance to six of the eight tested antibiotics across four distinct classes, with the resistance pattern AMX-TE-GEN-S-E-AZM. The MAR indices for E. coli isolates ranged between 0.25 and 0.75. These findings highlight the significant threat posed to global public health by multidrug-resistant shiga toxin-producing E. coli found on piper betel leaves in urban environments. Asian Australas. J. Biosci. Biotechnol. 2024, 9(3), 33-44

The opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a flexible Gram-negative bacterium with inherent antibiotic resistance, remarkable ability to create biofilms in environments of limited nutrients and water, and a significant armory of virulence factors that makes it one of the most important opportunistic pathogens in hospitals and pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities. Water for pharmaceutical use is employed as both an ingredient, a process medium, and a cleaning material during the manufacture of drugs; thus, pharmaceutical water presents P. aeruginosa with perfect conditions (warm temperature, low nutrients, high surface-to-volume ratio, and constant circulation). This review discusses peer-reviewed, freely available scientific publications about biology, antibiotic resistance, prevalence, and control of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in pharmaceutical water supplies and in the cosmetics product chain where contamination with waterborne pathogens has been associated with recalls in the European Union and elsewhere. According to the U.S. Pharmacopoeia, P. aeruginosa is required to be absent in purified water and non-sterile water-based products. The rapid alert system of the European Union identifies Pseudomonas aeruginosa as the most frequently isolated microorganism from microbiologically contaminated cosmetics. Hospital-acquired infections have been associated with biofilm contamination of faucet aerators, sink traps, solenoid diaphragms, and electronic-eye faucets in various scenarios, including neonatal ICU outbreaks and adult ICU outbreaks that have yielded carbapenemase-producing lineages. Prevention measures should entail multiple approaches including water pretreatment, periodic hot water (≥65–70 °C) or steam sanitization, ozone or peracetic acid-UV sanitization, hypochlorous acid flushing, 0.2-µm filters, and continuous monitoring with culture (USP , , ) and rapid molecular (real-time PCR of gyrB or gyrA) tests. Overall, all the above can bring down water system bioburden from “uncountable” to <0.1 × 10¹ CFU/mL.

Background and Aim: Food safety in traditional poultry markets remains a major public health concern in low- and middle-income countries, where inadequate hygiene, poor regulatory oversight, and limited vendor training contribute to the transmission of foodborne pathogens and zoonotic diseases. Poultry vendors represent a critical control point in the farm-to-plate continuum, and their knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) directly influence the safety of poultry products. In Bangladesh, traditional wet markets supply the majority of poultry meat, yet information on vendor-level food safety behavior, particularly from a One Health perspective, remains limited. This study aimed to evaluate the KAP of poultry vendors regarding food safety in traditional markets of Mymensingh district, Bangladesh, and to identify sociodemographic factors associated with inadequate food safety compliance. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey using questionnaires was carried out with 410 poultry vendors from five upazilas in Mymensingh district between July 2020 and June 2021. Vendors were chosen through stratified random sampling to represent various market types and vendor sizes. A structured, validated questionnaire evaluated sociodemographic data and KAP related to food hygiene, zoonotic disease transmission, antimicrobial resistance, personal protective measures, and waste management. The instrument's reliability and validity were confirmed through expert review, Cronbach’s alpha, and test–retest analysis. Data analysis was conducted using R software, employing descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and multivariable logistic regression to explore links between vendor traits and KAP outcomes. Statistical significance was defined as p < 0.05. Results: Only 40.73% of vendors demonstrated adequate knowledge of food safety, while 42.68% showed a favorable attitude, and only 28.78% reported proper hygienic practices. None of the vendors had received formal training related to food safety or zoonoses. Although most vendors were aware of general hygiene measures, such as cleaning equipment and maintaining shop sanitation, significant gaps were observed in knowledge of antimicrobial resistance, zoonotic disease transmission, and cross-contamination risks. Use of personal protective equipment was very low, and many markets lacked proper drainage and waste disposal systems. Education level was strongly linked to knowledge and practice scores (p < 0.05), while age and work experience were mainly associated with practices. Vendors selling multiple poultry types and those working in poorly regulated markets had higher odds of poor hygiene practices. Conclusion: The study found significant gaps in food safety knowledge and hygiene practices among poultry vendors in traditional Bangladeshi markets, creating serious risks to human, animal, and environmental health. Improving food safety requires mandatory vendor training, regular inspections, better market infrastructure, and integration of One Health–based policies involving veterinary, public health, and environmental authorities. Focused educational initiatives and stricter regulations are crucial to boost vendor compliance, reduce foodborne illnesses, and promote safer poultry production and marketing systems in Bangladesh. Keywords: antimicrobial resistance, Bangladesh, food safety, knowledge-attitude-practice, One Health, poultry vendors, traditional markets, zoonotic diseases.