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8 papers

Prevalence, Associated Factors, and Temporal Trends of Brucella Detection Across Human and Animal Hosts in Bangladesh: A 25-Year Meta-Analysis.

Raquib R et al. · Jul 1, 2026

Background Brucellosis remains an important zoonotic disease in Bangladesh, yet evidence on its prevalence across human and animal hosts is fragmented and heterogeneous. Objectives This study aims to synthesize evidence on Brucella detection across human and animal hosts in Bangladesh and to evaluate associated study-level factors and temporal patterns. Methods The data were extracted from eligible studies published between 2000 and 2024 following a systematic review framework. Pooled prevalence was estimated using a random-effects meta-analysis. Heterogeneity was assessed using Cochran's Q and I 2 statistics. Subgroup meta-analyses and univariable meta-regression were conducted to examine variation by host species, diagnostic method, and study-level factors. Forecasting was performed using ARIMA models on annual study-reported Brucella detection, with model performance evaluated using AIC, MAE, and RMSE. Results The pooled Brucella detection across hosts was 3.75% (95% CI: 3.07-4.56), with substantial heterogeneity (I 2 = 89.5%). Detection was the highest in dogs (7.49%) and the lowest in horses (1.78%)). Among evaluated variables, abortion history was the only study-level factorsignificantly associated with higher Brucella positivity, with aborted animals showing approximately 10 times higher odds of detection compared to non-aborted animals (OR = 10.09, 95% CI: 4.64-21.93, p Conclusion Brucella exposure and detection persist across multiple host species in Bangladesh, with variation largely driven by methodological and host-related differences. These findings underscore the need for standardized diagnostic and reporting approaches and support integrated One Health surveillance to improve interpretation and control strategies in Bangladesh.

Veterinary

Sedative Effects of Dexmedetomidine and Ketamine or Dexmedetomidine and Midazolam on Tear Production, Ocular Perfusion Pressure and Pupil Diameter in Rabbits.

Mohammadzadeh M et al. · Jul 1, 2026

Background Administration of sedatives may be necessary for anxious and uncooperative animals. However, different sedative combinations may have confounding effects on ocular parameters. These effects can be crucial in ophthalmology. Objectives This study aims to investigate the effects of sedation with dexmedetomidine and ketamine, or dexmedetomidine and midazolam, on tear production (TP), ocular perfusion pressure (OPP) and pupil diameter (PD) in fourteen male New Zealand rabbits. Methods The animals were randomly divided into two equal groups. In the DK group, a combination of dexmedetomidine (0.025 mg/kg) and ketamine (30 mg/kg), and in the DM group, a combination of dexmedetomidine (0.1 mg/kg) and midazolam (2 mg/kg) was administered. TP, OPP and PD were measured 15 min before administration of the sedatives, as well as 5, 15 and 20 min after. Results Both sedative protocols induced a significant decrease in TP and OPP (p 0.05). While the mean TP did not significantly differ between the two groups, the DK group showed considerably lower mean OPP and higher mean PD compared to the DM group. Conclusions According to our results, using artificial tears following both prescribed sedative protocols seems necessary. However, we recommend that dexmedetomidine-ketamine not be administered in rabbits at risk for glaucoma, as this protocol can significantly reduce OPP. Otherwise, the mentioned protocol can be a good choice in situations where fundoscopy is required, as it does not lead to miosis in healthy rabbits.

Veterinary

Granulosa Cell Tumour in a Spayed Cat With Ovarian Remnant Syndrome and Hyperestrogenaemia Without Estrus Signs.

Shinoda H et al. · Jul 1, 2026

Background Granulosa cell tumour (GCT) is the most common primary ovarian neoplasm in cats and may arise from residual ovarian tissue following incomplete spay procedures. Objectives To describe the surgical management of a GCT identified in the setting of Ovarian Remnant Syndrome (ORS) in a spayed cat with hyperestrogenaemia without estrus signs, and to assess the potential utility of serum estradiol as an adjunct for diagnosis and postoperative monitoring. Methods A 6-year-old female domestic shorthair cat, reportedly spayed, presented with a 2-week history of weight gain and abdominal distension. Diagnostic imaging and cytology suggested a large neuroendocrine tumour occupying the abdominal cavity. Exploratory laparotomy was performed, and the abdominal mass along with one hepatic nodule was resected. Results Histopathology confirmed GCT in the abdominal mass with hepatic metastasis. A preoperative serum sample collected at initial presentation and assayed after receipt of the histopathology report showed markedly increased estradiol. Although clinical signs improved after surgery, the cat re-presented 4 weeks later with abdominal distension and severe anaemia; imaging revealed progression of hepatic lesions, and the patient died 5 weeks after surgery. Conclusions This case highlights that GCT can occur in the setting of ORS without estrus signs, despite marked hyperestrogenaemia. Ovarian remnants may undergo neoplastic transformation and cause life-threatening disease, even in the absence of estrus signs. Serum estradiol may be a valuable marker for diagnosis, treatment response, and recurrence monitoring in feline GCT.

Veterinary

Prevalence and Grade of Patellar Luxation in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels Attending Primary-Care Veterinary Practices in Australia.

Son Y et al. · Jul 1, 2026

Objectives To identify risk factors associated with the prevalence and grade of patellar luxation in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels (CKCSs) attending Australian veterinary practices. Methods Patient records (n = 321,517) were obtained from VetCompass Australia, data were cleaned, and diagnoses of patellar luxation were identified by keyword search. Two risk factor analyses were performed for dogs over 18 months of age: comparing case and control groups and assessing risk factors influencing the grade of patellar luxation within the case group. Results The 10-year prevalence of patellar luxation in this study was 12.5% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.12-0.13). The greatest risk of patellar luxation diagnosis was in neutered dogs (odds ratio (OR): 3.00; 95% CI, 1.97-4.71) and dogs weighing 11 to Clinical significance Patellar luxation is a prevalent disorder in CKCS and awareness of this condition is important for early examination of at-risk animals and to avoid breeding from the affected population.

Veterinary

Fasciola Metacercaria Contamination in Wetland Pastures and Its Association With Forage Characteristics Across Agro-Ecological Zones: Case of Gamo Zone, Southern Ethiopia.

Milkyas M et al. · Jul 1, 2026

Fasciolosis remains a major constraint to ruminant production in Ethiopia, particularly in wetland-based grazing systems where infective Fasciola metacercariae encyst on pasture vegetation. This study investigated metacercarial contamination of wetland herbage and its association with forage characteristics across lowland, midland and highland agro-ecologies of the Gamo Zone, southern Ethiopia. A cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2021 to October 2022, during which 432 herbage samples were collected for parasitological and botanical analysis, and 171 livestock owners were interviewed regarding grazing practices. Metacercariae were recovered using a modified mechanical elution technique and expressed as cysts per kilogram of fresh herbage. Metacercarial burden varied significantly among herbaceous species and agro-ecological zones (p 750 cysts/kg) and highland (>600 cysts/kg) wetlands. Highly palatable and nutritionally superior species, including Trifolium burchellianum, Cynodon nlemfuensis and Scirpus maritimus, harboured the greatest metacercarial loads, demonstrating a positive association between forage quality and contamination risk. Most respondents (97.1%) relied on natural wetlands for grazing, and grazing management practices differed significantly among agro-ecologies (p < 0.05). The findings indicate that wetland pastures in the Gamo Zone are important transmission foci for fasciolosis and that the concurrence of high nutritional value and elevated parasite contamination presents a critical challenge for livestock production. Integrated control strategies combining targeted grazing management and strategic anthelmintic treatment are recommended to reduce infection risk while maintaining feed availability.

Veterinary

STELLAR-CB: Synthetic Temporal LSTM for Livestock Activity Recognition-Cow Behaviour.

Ahmed G et al. · Jul 1, 2026

Precision livestock farming (PLF) leverages activity sensors to monitor behaviours like grazing, resting and walking, yet class imbalance in datasets often leads to underrepresentation of minority behaviours such as 'escaping' and 'being mounted.' This study proposes a novel framework combining long short-term memory (LSTM) networks with the synthetic minority oversampling technique (SMOTE) to address this challenge. Unlike existing methods that use complex SMOTE variants such as DeepSMOTE or latent space augmentations, which add computational complexity and overhead, our approach integrates simple SMOTE with non-overlapping windowed segmentation, preserving sequential patterns during synthetic data generation while augmenting minority classes. The LSTM architecture captures temporal dependencies in the balanced dataset, enabling robust behaviour recognition. Evaluated on a composite accelerometer dataset derived from three distinct cows, the framework generalises across breeds, overcoming limitations of breed-specific models. It achieves state-of-the-art performance with 97.24% accuracy, 97.56% precision, 97.24% recall and a 97.29% F1-score, significantly improving detection of rare behaviours without compromising majority class precision. By unifying data from multiple cows, the model ensures robustness to behavioural variability, enhancing scalability for diverse farming environments. The simplicity of using basic SMOTE reduces computational overhead, making the solution practical for real-world deployment. This work bridges classical data balancing techniques with modern deep learning, offering a resource-efficient blueprint for handling imbalanced time-series data in agricultural AI. The results advance precision livestock farming by improving the reliability of automated behaviour monitoring, directly contributing to enhanced animal welfare and farm productivity through accessible, breed-agnostic AI tools.

Veterinary

Characterization of the Ligamentum Mucosum in the Feline and Canine Stifle.

Ko NT et al. · Jul 1, 2026

In humans, the ligamentum mucosum (LM) is described as a ligamentous structure originating from the femoral intercondylar notch and inserting into the infrapatellar fat pad. Proposed clinical implications include knee stabilization, contribution to post-operative revascularization of adjacent structures, and causation of anterior knee pain if inflamed. Published reports of the LM are rare in dogs and, to our knowledge, none exist for cats. Because common veterinary gross anatomy texts omit the LM from their descriptive anatomy of the stifle, students sometimes mistake the LM for the cranial cruciate ligament. Therefore, a description of the LM in the feline and canine stifle would serve as an important veterinary anatomy learning resource. The aim of this project was to characterize the LM in the cat and dog. Stifles were dissected from 62 cat hindlimbs (n = 24 preserved, n = 38 fresh) and 47 dog hindlimbs (n = 9 preserved, n = 38 fresh). The presence or absence of the LM was determined and described. Representative samples were processed for haematoxylin and eosin staining. Grossly, the LM was found bilaterally in 95.2% of cats and in 83.0% of canine limbs, appearing as an elastic, friable band of white-to-pink tissue tethering the infrapatellar fat pad to the femoral intercondylar notch. Histological samples revealed collagen fibrils, vascular structures and neural tissue. These data provide evidence of the LM in the cat and dog, and bolster currently available anatomic educational resources. The presence of the LM in the canine and feline stifle merits further investigation into its function in health and disease states.

Veterinary

A Multispecies Systematic and Critical Review of Intranasal Administration in Veterinary Anaesthesia and Emergency Care: Promising Evidence and Overlooked Challenges.

Jafarbeglou M. · Jul 1, 2026

Intranasal (IN) drug delivery has increasingly considered as an easy, practical and non-invasive alternative to parenteral administration in veterinary medicine, offering rapid systemic and potential nose-to-brain effects. The first part of this review systematically collected and synthesized published evidence on IN administration across animal species, while the second part critically analysed the anatomical, pharmacological and technical factors that determine its success and limitations. Part I consisted a total of 110 eligible studies published between 1991 and 2025, encompassing dogs, cats, rabbits, pigs, ruminants, birds and reptiles. IN delivery has been investigated for a range of purposes and produced clinically meaningful sedation, analgesia and drug reversal, often comparable to intramuscular administration but generally characterized by slower onset and greater variability among species. Despite encouraging and favourable results, IN delivery was not without limitations. Its effectiveness can be strongly influenced by species-specific nasal anatomy and physiology, formulation characteristics and dosing volume. Defensive reactions, poor tolerability, sneezing, nasopharyngeal irritations, hypersalivation or swallowing of the drug are frequently reported. Future progress requires species-specific case selection guidelines and dosing standards, pharmacokinetic validation and developing safe concentrated formulations. Transparent reporting and balanced assessment of both benefits and drawbacks are essential to ensure the safe, effective and ethically responsible integration of IN administration into veterinary anaesthesia and critical care practice.

Veterinary