Newcastle disease (ND) is a highly contagious viral disease caused by the paramyxovirus, which is a single-stranded ribonucleic acid (RNA) virus. This study was conducted to investigate ND outbreaks in 10 vaccinated or non-vaccinated broiler farms, collectively housing 9840 birds of various ages in the Chitwan and Nawalpur districts of Nepal from July to December 2021. Clinically, the affected birds exhibited symptoms such as limb paralysis, greenish diarrhea (seven out of ten flocks), torticollis (two out of ten flocks), inappetence, and drowsiness (ten out of ten flocks). Birds that succumbed during the clinical course underwent a necropsy for gross pathology and samples were collected for the histopathology and molecular diagnosis. The gross and microscopic examination revealed hemorrhages in the proventriculus, erosions and ulcers in the small intestine, congestion, as well as sero-mucosal hemorrhages in the trachea of affected birds, which are typical of ND. Rapid test kits further confirmed the presence of the ND virus antigen while excluding the avian influenza virus. Furthermore, M gene-based real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed in the pooled samples from the affected birds and the presence of a velogenic strain of the ND virus was identified. The phylogenetic analysis of the RT-PCR positive strain based on the partial F gene nucleotide sequence revealed these strains as genotype VII.2 (formerly VIIi). The findings highlight the occurrence of clinical ND outbreaks in farms despite adherence to recommended vaccination protocols in broiler flocks, underscoring the need for a regular comprehensive investigation involving in-depth examinations of available vaccines and genetic analyses.

Background and Aim: Kathmandu is a densely populated metropolitan city in Nepal. In recent years, however, the metropolis has been ranked as one of the most polluted cities worldwide. Both humans and animals are susceptible to various respiratory diseases due to chronic exposure to polluted air. Due to the relative similarities in the anatomical structure and physiological functions of the respiratory system between humans and dogs, polluted environments may lead to respiratory illness in similar ways in both species living in the valley. On the basis of information on the air quality in the valley, this study was conceived to assess pulmonary illness in street dogs to discern the health hazards caused by polluted air. Materials and Methods: A total of 76 dogs with clinical signs of tachypnea, dyspnea, sneezing, coughing, mucopurulent discharge, moderate hyperthermia, and anorexia admitted from July 2020 to November 2020 in Animal Nepal for treatment were included in this study. Among them, 24 animals responded to treatment, and 52 dogs died during their stay in the hospital. The 52 dead animals were necropsied, and the lesions that resembled pulmonary anthracosis were further studied grossly and histologically in a blinded fashion by trained veterinary pathologists. Results: Significant morphological alterations were observed in the lungs and associated lymph nodes of 25 animals, indicating pulmonary anthracosis. Gross morphological changes included multiple black foci with hemorrhage, congestion, nodular, and emphysema on the parietal and visceral surfaces of the lungs. The alveolar septa and visceral pleura exhibited deposition of black particles. Congestion, emphysema, and inflammatory exudates were also detected in the lung tissues and lymph nodes. Conclusion: The clinical, gross, and microscopic findings accurately resembled those of pulmonary anthracosis. This life-threatening condition in stray canines may be caused by a critical level of air pollution from different sources and carbon emissions from vehicles. To protect animals and humans living in the Kathmandu Valley, concerned government and non-government agencies should work toward reducing air pollution levels as soon as possible.

SETTING Twenty poultry farms in five provinces of Nepal were selected for studying bacterial pathogens and their antimicrobial resistance (AMR) patterns. OBJECTIVE To document the proportion of cloacal swabs collected from 3,230 broiler and 3,230 layer chickens from September to December 2021 that grew isolates of Escherichia coli, Enterococcus spp. and Salmonella spp. along with their AMR patterns. DESIGN This was a cross-sectional descriptive study. RESULTS In broiler birds, Enterococcus spp., Salmonella spp. and E. coli were identified in respectively 36%, 39% and 63% of swabs. In layer birds, Enterococcus spp., Salmonella spp. and E. coli were identified in respectively 31%, 48% and 60% of swabs. For both bird types, there was variation in bacterial prevalence between the regions. For all three bacterial isolates, the lowest antimicrobial resistance was found with amikacin. For the other nine antibiotics tested, >50% of bacterial isolates showed resistance; between 60% and 90% of isolates showed resistance to ciprofloxacin and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. Multidrug resistance ranged from 45% to 46% for Salmonella spp., 37-44% for E. coli and 13-17% for Enterococcus spp. CONCLUSION This study shows that a large proportion of poultry in Nepal are infected with potentially pathogenic bacteria, and these are frequently resistant to commonly used antibiotics. Nepal urgently needs to implement corrective measures.

Ageratum houstonianum Mill (A. houstonianum) is a widespread, highly invasive, and drought-resistant annual semi-shrub easily found in the pasture fields. It is called Gandhey Jhar locally. This study was conducted at the livestock farm of Rampur Campus, Rampur, Chitwan, Nepal, to determine the clinical progression and clinical parameters in A. houstonianum intoxicated goats to diagnose its toxicosis in small ruminants. Full blossomed A. houstonianum was fed ad libitum to six goats until the death of the animals. The time to develop the clinical signs and symptoms in goats ranged from 22 to 49 days. All the goats exhibited similar symptoms and signs such as stiffness of the neck, low temperature, respiratory distress, low pulse, anorexia, ruminal atony, general weakness, and finally, recumbency till death. After the onset of clinical symptoms, the entire clinical course persisted for 10-15 hours, followed by death. Two goats died on the 22nd day, and the rest goats died on 27th, 46th, 48th, and 49th days respectively. Hematologic examination revealed a significant decrease in hemoglobin and an increase in total WBC count. The serum biochemical values showed substantial alterations in ALT, AST, ALP, GGT, albumin, direct bilirubin, total bilirubin, glucose, urea nitrogen, and creatinine concentrations. These biochemical changes suggested hepatic and renal dysfunction. Therefore, clinical signs, hematology, and serum biochemistry can be of optimal diagnostic value for the A. houstonianum intoxication in goats.

A 10-year (2008-2017) retrospective canine-mediated human rabies epidemiology was studied to assess the burden of rabies in Nepal. To this end, the number of dog bites, the use of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), and human death records from 2008 to 2017 were retrieved from Sukraraj Tropical Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal. The findings revealed that the number of human rabies occurrences was consistent with minor fluctuations throughout the study period. There were 252,297 dog bite cases in humans recorded between 2008 and 2017. Every month, 2,102 people were bitten by mostly stray dogs. There was a gradual increase in PEP use throughout 10 years. On average, 36,995 PEP dosages were used per year for stray dog bites. The PEP consumption and the number of human deaths were negatively correlated. A total of 482 human rabies deaths were recorded in Nepal during the study period. On average, 49 people died of canine-mediated rabies each year. Although there was an increase in the use of PEP, the number of human deaths and street dog bites recorded were still high. The high mortality due to rabies could then be attributed to the flawed surveillance system and stray dog population management, and not merely the lack of PEP services. Hence, it is recommended that the government agencies and other concerned stakeholders should organize mass vaccination and population management program for stray dogs in order to reduce the country’s rabies burden.

BACKGROUND AND AIM:Rabies is a fatal zoonosis caused by RNA virus belonging to genus Lyssavirus. Nepal is one of the endemic countries in South Asia for rabies. This study was conducted to better understand the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of Nepalese community toward rabies across five developmental zones of the country.MATERIALS AND METHODS:The cross-sectional study was carried out by face-to-face interview using structured questionnaires among 5000 respondents of five cities representing each of the five developmental regions of Nepal by adopting random cluster sampling procedure. The respondents were classified into four categories, including gender, age, education, and social status. The responses for KAP variables were analyzed using descriptive and Chi-square test.RESULTS:The male and younger age respondents with higher education and social status were found more knowledgeable than their counterparts in terms of knowledge variables, including cause of rabies, mode of transmission, clinical signs, treatment, and preventive measures of this fatal disease. Similar findings were observed for attitude and practice variables such as vaccination practice, dog sterilization, health-seeking behavior, first aid practice, and use of first aid materials after dog bites. Some respondents in elderly age group still preferred to use traditional and local methods, which were application of turmeric powder and shrubs to cure dog bites rather than seeking medical facilities.CONCLUSION:There is a strong need for rabies awareness programs in the community targeting females, school, and college-level students, older age groups, and economically marginalized communities. The awareness materials need to focus on particular topics such as the risk of rabies, modes of transmission, the importance of first aid, health-seeking behavior following dog bite injuries, and practice preventive measures for their pets and community dogs.

Background and Aim: Animal rabies is endemic in Nepal, and it occurs in two forms. Although governmental and non-governmental agencies are working toward the control of rabies by mass dog vaccination and stray dog population management, there is still massive number of rabies incidence reported to the reference veterinary laboratory, Nepal. Therefore, this study aimed to assess animal species, temporal, regional, and agro-ecological distribution patterns of animal rabies in Nepal from 2005 to 2017. Materials and Methods: The epidemiological data on animal rabies from the period of 2005 to 2017 were obtained from the Central Veterinary Laboratory, Tripureshwor, Kathmandu, Nepal. The laboratory-confirmed rabies cases were analyzed according to animal species, temporal, regional (developmental zones), and agro-ecological distributions. In addition, descriptive statistics were used to evaluate the distribution patterns of rabies. Results: From 2005 to 2017, a total of 2771 suspected rabies cases in animals were reported to The Central Veterinary Hospital, Kathmandu. Of which, 1302 were found laboratory-confirmed cases. The rabies cases were most commonly reported and confirmed in dogs followed by other domestic animals. The high occurrences were recorded between 2005 and 2007. However, the incidence was increased during 2016 and 2017. The highest number of rabies cases was recorded in the eastern development zone, and the least number in the central zone at regional level. Likewise, it was highest in the Terai (plain) region and lowest in mountainous areas at agro-ecological zones. The findings also revealed that the occurrences of rabies significantly differed among seasons. Conclusion: Rabies is present in Nepal throughout the year and all seasons with seasonal variation. Among the animal species, dogs are the primary animals affected with rabies followed by cattle and other domestic animals. At the regional level, eastern development zone had the highest incidence and Central development zone recorded the least. Similarly, the Terai region had the highest incidence rates, and the least overall prevalence rate was observed in mountainous regions among agro-ecological zones. Therefore, the government should implement the strict enforcement of mass dog vaccination and dog population management through one health approach to control rabies incidence in the country.

The aim of this study was to establish the reference values for hematology and serum biochemistry of pre-parturient Murrah crossbred buffaloes of Western Chitwan (Bharatpur Metropolitancity). The study was cross-sectional in which31 apparently healthy pregnant Murrah cross buffaloes ranging from 5-8 years were selected randomly after confirmation by rectal palpation. Blood samples collected from jugular vein were stored in EDTA tubes for hematological analysis and for biochemical analysis centrifuged at 1500 rpm for 20 minutes to separate serum after 1 hour of collection. Hematological indices were determined manually using routine laboratory techniques and serum biochemicals were analysed using automated analyzer (Dimension RXL). Serum biochemicals like Glucose, BUN, Creatinine, Calcium, Phosphorous, Magnesium, AST, ALT, total serum Protein and albumin level were found within the normal range. Similarly, hematologic indices Hb, PCV, Platelet counts, RBC counts, WBC counts, and differential leukocyte counts were also in normal ranges. However, eosinophil (7.83±0.82), and monocyte (4.4±0.53) counts were higher at significant numbers which suggests gastrointestinal parasitic infestations and/or allergic diseases along with some chronic infectious diseases in the buffalo herd of Bharatpur Metropolitancity in western Chitwan.

Profiles of blood metabolites have widely been used as part of a multidisciplinary approach to identify metabolic disorders in dairy herds. Our goal was to identify constraints on productivity of cross bred HF herds and set up baseline hematologic and serum biochemical values. The values were determined in pre-parturient cross bred Holstein Friesen (HF) cattle of Nepal. The study was carried out in 50 pre-parturient cross bred HF Cattle in Central part of Nepal. Animals ranging 5-8 years old running in the last trimester of pregnancy were selected for this purpose. A complete blood count, assays associated to liver and kidney function and macro minerals were estimated. The blood samples were drawn from juglar vein using vacutainer tubes. All the hematologic and biochemical variables were determined using automated analyzers and routine laboratory techniques. Glucose, BUN, Creatinine, AST, ALT, total serum Protein and albumin level were found very close to standard reference values recorded in the literature for similar breeds. Similarly hematologic indices associated with RBC series i.e. Hb, PCV, Platelet counts, MCV, MCH, and MCHC were also found within normal limits. WBC counts along with differential counts were corresponded well within the reference range but, eiosinophil and monocyte counts were significantly (p<0.05) increased suggesting parasitic infestation. However, Mineral profiles particularly Calcium (6.76±0.20mg/dl) and Phosphorus (3.03±0.18) levels were found significantly (p<0.05) low. This suggests that cross HF cattle were at high risk to calcium metabolic disorders and corrective measures should be employed for better production. All the estimated values of hematologic indices and serum biochemical components are recommended as a baseline value except the values which are significantly outside the common normal range.

Assessments of blood metabolic profile have widely been used in veterinary medicine as a part of a multidisciplinary approach to identify metabolic disorders in dairy herds. Our goal was to identify subclinical metabolic disorders in crossbred HF herds and set up baseline hematologic and serum biochemical values. The values were determined in post-parturient cross bred Holstein Friesen (HF) cattle of Nepal. The study was carried out in 50 post-parturient cross bred HF Cattle in Central part of Nepal. Animals ranging 5-8 years old running in first week of post parturient stage were selected for this purpose. A complete blood count, assays associated to liver and kidney function and macro minerals were estimated. The blood samples were drawn from juglar vein using vacutainer tubes. All the hematologic and biochemical variables were determined using automated analyzers and routine laboratory techniques. Glucose, BUN, Creatinine, AST, ALT, total serum Protein and albumin level were found very close to pre-defined ranges in the literature for similar breeds. and MCHC were also found within normal limits. WBC counts along with differential counts were corresponded well within the reference range but, eiosinophil and monocyte counts were significantly (p<0.05) increased suggesting parasitic infestation. However, mineral profiles particularly Calcium (6.42±0.40 mg/dI) and Phosphorus (3.23±0.13) levels were found significantly (p<0.05) low. This suggests that cross HF cattle were at subclinical metabolic disorders and corrective measures should be employed for better production. This is recommended that all the estimated values of hematologic indices and serum biochemical components can be used as a baseline value except the values which are significantly outside the common reference limits.