Background and Aim:

Rabies is considered a highly fatal zoonotic disease and many deaths in humans have been associated with dog bites. This study was designed to prepare an oral anti-rabies vaccine in the form of baits to eliminate the disease in free-roaming dogs and subsequently protect humans from dog bites.

Materials and Methods:

The Evelyn Rokintniki Abelseth (ERA) rabies virus strain was propagated in baby hamster kidney cell cultures and adjusted to the recommended dose for application. Four forms of oral baits were employed with the rabies vaccine, which was evaluated for safety, acceptability, and potency in different dog groups. Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) and the serum neutralization test (SNT) were used to determine the protective rabies antibody titer in the sera of vaccinated dogs.

Results:

According to the results, a dose of 3 mL of the ERA strain, containing a viral titer of 10^7.6 TCID₅₀/mL, induced a mean antibody titer of 25.6 by SNT, and the PI% was 75.7 by Block ELISA, providing a protective level of the rabies antibody in 100% of vaccinated dogs. All used baits were found to be safe, inducing no abnormal general post-vaccination signs (the signs are limited to mild fever, mild loss of appetite, and mild-to-moderate loss of energy for 24-36 h after vaccination).

Conclusion:

It was found that most of the accepted and highly potent bait types consisted of a mixture of wheat flour, vegetable oil, sodium alginate, corn starch, meat meal, cellulose gum, and water. This dog meal was covered with bran and edible wax to seal the bait cavity after inserting the vaccine sachet. This bait was able to induce a protective level of rabies antibodies in 100% of vaccinated dogs after receiving one bait/dog. Hence, such a bait could be recommended for use in the protection of free-roaming dogs and the elimination of the disease.

Abstract
Background:
Ultrasonography had diagnostic importance in the evaluation of different diseases in buffaloes, including cardiovascular diseases.
Aim:
The current work describes the normal echocardiographic findings in healthy buffaloes, along with establishing reference values for echocardiographic dimensions for both sides of the heart i.e. left and right ones.
Methods:
About 30 healthy adult buffaloes that belonged to private farms in Assiut, Egypt, were included in this study. Each animal underwent a complete clinical evaluation as well as haematological analyses, lipid profile indices, liver functions, cardio-thoracic radiography and echocardiography to confirm no diseased conditions were detected. The study was conducted on healthy buffaloes (n = 30) in Assiut Governorate, Egypt.
Results:
The obtained results reported healthy buffaloes with normal clinical findings as well as indices of blood pictures and serum biochemicals that were within the reference intervals. Radiography revealed free reticulum and a well-defined diaphragm. The heart was seen as a typical radio-opaque organ. Ultrasonographically, using gray scale B-mode and M-mode, the heart was commonly imaged from the left 4th intercostal space. Different echocardiographic views were described, including the 4 chamber view, i.e., right atrium (RA), right ventricle (RV), tricuspid valve (TCV), left atrium (LA), left ventricle (LV), mitral valve (MV), and interventricular septum (IVS), and the right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT), i.e., Right atrium (RA), tricuspid valve (TCV), right ventricle (RV), pulmonary artery (PA), and pulmonary valve (PV). Cross sections in each of the apex and base of the heart were described. Echocardiographic dimensions during cardiac diastole and systole included diameters and wall thickness of each of atria and ventricles were demonstrated. Interventricular septal thickness wall thickness as well as diameters of aorta and pulmonary artery were stated.
Conclusion:
The work tried to put reference values on the normal echocardiographic dimensions using two-dimensional B mode gray scale ultrasonography in healthy adult buffaloes. These echocardiographic reference dimensions with normal echocardiographic imaging will be very helpful in enhancing the diagnostic efficacy of ultrasounds for recognizing the abnormal findings related to cardiac disorders.