https://ijvr.shirazu.ac.ir/ Iranian Journal of Veterinary Research en daily 1 Mon, 22 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0330 Mon, 22 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0330 https://ijvr.shirazu.ac.ir/article_8520.html Today, many poultry production systems require no antibiotics ever. Due to the unavailability of novel antibiotics for veterinary use, presence of multidrug resistant bacteria, and official banning of many antibiotic classes for use in veterinary medicine for production animals, the need for alternative therapeutics such as competitive exclusion compounds, vaccines, nano-medicine, etc. has become an urgent need. In this context, bacteriophages are regarded as an antibiotic alternative. Bacteriophages are viruses that target to infect, replicate, and lyse numerus types of bacteria in humans, animals, water, plants, and food. They are classified into several orders and 15 families. Different preparations of bacteriophages have been approved by the United States of Food and Drug Administration for managing some bacterial infections. They have been globally used in the poultry production and processing. Therefore, the present review intends to expose every aspect of bacteriophages in poultry health and production which include the mechanisms of phages as therapeutics, their usage in the industry, and the limitations/threats associated with the usage of bacteriophages. https://ijvr.shirazu.ac.ir/article_8487.html Background: For many years, the computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA) has been one standard in the laboratory for semen evaluation, with no clear description of a species-specific setup. Aims: This study aimed to adjust the cell detection parameters (Head Brightness Minimum “HBM” and Head Size Minimum “AREA”) of the CASA system and to assess their effects on evaluating canine semen, specifically concentration and motility. Methods: For this purpose, 20 ejaculates were collected from six dogs and subjected to microscopic assessment of motility, concentration evaluation using the SDM1 photometer, cell counting using a Neubauer chamber, and kinetic and morphometric analysis using the HT-IVOS II CASA system. Each CASA analysis was recorded, and then the video was re-analyzed by changing the two cell detection parameters (HBM and AREA). A total of 27 settings were used, and 560 CASA assessments were performed. Data were statistically analyzed using IBM SPSS. Results: The results showed that the HT-IVOS II CASA system provided an average concentration value (287.17 million spermatozoa (SPZ)/ml) much closer to that obtained by the reference method, Neubauer counting (286.45 million SPZ/ml), compared to the photometer (260.35 million SPZ/ml), which deviated from the gold standard technique by 26 million. In contrast, the IVOS with the adjusted setting (HBM140, AREA4) only presented a difference of 0.5. The IVOS II with the adjusted showing a strong correlation with the Neubauer count and the SDM photometer, with a correlation coefficient of R= 0.94. A perfect concordance was recorded between total and progressive motility evaluated by conventional microscopy and the percentages of motile and progressive sperm analyzed by HT-IVOS at values 120 and 140 for the HBM and 4 and 6 μm² for the AREA. Conclusion: An optimal cell detection parameter setting (HBM: 140 and AREA: 4 μm²) was selected and proposed for the HT-IVOS II CASA system. https://ijvr.shirazu.ac.ir/article_8506.html Background: Raw sheep and goat milk may harbor major foodborne pathogens of public health concern, including Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, and E. coli O157:H7. The rising issue of antimicrobial resistance further underscores the need for monitoring these contaminants. Aims: This research paper describes a survey of the frequency and antimicrobial susceptibility of Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, and Escherichia coli O157:H7 in milk samples from goat and sheep herds, located in Fars province, Iran. Methods: A total number of 110 milk samples from 50 goat and sheep herds located in tribal and rural regions were investigated for pathogenic organisms. The antimicrobial susceptibility of the isolates was determined according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines. Results: None of the samples showed the presence of Salmonella. Four samples (3.6%) from three rural herds contained L. monocytogenes, all positive for the species-specific virulence gene hlyA. E. coli O157:H7 was detected in five milk samples (4.5%) belonging to four rural herds. The four virulence genes (stx1, stx2, eae, and ehlyA), and two serotyping genes (rfbE, and fliC) were found in all E. coli O157:H7 isolates. The somatic cell count of contaminated samples was lower than the US legal limit of 1.0 × 106 cells/ml; milk contamination was not, therefore, related to the mastitis. All L. monocytogenes isolates were resistant to penicillin, ampicillin, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. The E. coli O157:H7 isolates exhibited full or intermediate resistance to ampicillin, cefixime, and chloramphenicol, but they were susceptible to gentamicin, kanamycin, streptomycin, tetracycline, ciprofloxacin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, and trimethoprim. Conclusion: Despite the low occurrence, the presence of foodborne pathogens in raw milk reinforces the need to control the sale and consumption of raw milk dairy products in rural and tribal regions where goat and sheep farming is of great economic importance. https://ijvr.shirazu.ac.ir/article_8651.html Background: Contamination with heavy metals such as arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), and lead (Pb) in dairy production systems poses significant public health risks due to their bioaccumulative nature. Aims: This study investigated the levels of As, Cd, and Pb in multiple matrices within dairy farms in Isfahan Province, Iran, and assessed associated health risks, particularly among children. Methods: A total of 180 samples (water, milk, feed, feed supplements, manure, and tail hair) were collected from 30 industrial dairy farms. Samples were stratified by herd size, milk yield, and proximity to industrial zones. Metal concentrations were analyzed using atomic absorption spectroscopy. Hazard quotients (HQs) for Pb exposure through milk consumption were estimated. Results: Pb levels in raw milk exceeded national standards (0.02 mg/L) in over 50% of farms, particularly in small, and those located near industrial areas. Cd and As levels in milk were generally below detection limits, though As, Cd, and Pb exceeded regulatory limits in tail hair on a significant number of farms. Strong and significant correlations were observed between Pb levels in milk and those in supplements (rs=0.68), manure (rs=0.81), and tail hair (rs=0.59), suggesting systemic exposure. HQs for Pb intake via milk remained below 1 in both adults (0.027) and children (0.173), though children faced higher relative risks. Conclusion: Contamination in small farms near industrial zones underscores the need for more stringent feed quality regulations and more frequent biomonitoring using non-invasive markers like tail hair, which has proven effective as a biomarker for chronic metal exposure. https://ijvr.shirazu.ac.ir/article_8658.html Background: Theileriosis is a tick-borne disease that significantly hampers livestock industries in developing nations. Buparvaquone is the only available option for the management of theileriosis. On the other hand, drug use or organism evolution has led to the evolution of resistance over past twenty years. Treatment for theileriosis requires alternative therapeutic approaches. Aims: This work examined the in-vitro effectiveness of enoxacin and levofloxacin compounds against Theileria annulata cultures, targeting the topoisomerase II pathway of organism. Methods: The schizont infected cell line was established from infected cattle blood. The inhibitory effects of both drugs were assessed on T. annulata along with their cytotoxicity and hemolytic activity. Results: Enoxacin and levofloxacin efficiently inhibited 50% of the infection at 1,71,723 µM and 10,084 µM, respectively. Levofloxacin showed encouraging results during the experiment. For enoxacin and levofloxacin, the 50% cytotoxic effects were also measured at 10,529 µM and 10,116 µM, respectively. Enoxacin was safe on bovine red blood cells with an HC50 value of 26,49,031 µM compared to levofloxacin with 19,828 µM value. Conclusion: Levofloxacin showed satisfactory results compared to enoxacin. Further study is required along with other parameters to evaluate and assess the inhibitory activity of enoxacin and levofloxacin.