Quantitative Detection of Mastitis Factor IL-6 in Dairy Cow Using the SERS Improved Immunofiltration Assay

A Rapid and Inexpensive PCR Test for Mastitis Diagnosis Based on NGS Data

Mastitis is a common mammary gland disease of dairy cattle caused by a wide range of organisms including bacteria, fungi and algae. Mastitis contributes to economic losses of dairy farms due to reduced yield and poor quality of milk. Since the correct identification of pathogens responsible for the development of mastitis is crucial to the success of treatment, it is necessary to develop a quick and accurate test to distinguish the main pathogens causing this disease. In this paper, we describe the development of a test based on the multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method allowing for the identification of Streptococcus agalactiae, Streptococcus dysgalactiae, Streptococcus uberis and Staphylococcus aureus. When creating our test, we relied on the results from new generation sequencing (NGS) for accurate determination of species affiliation. The multiplex PCR test was verified on 100 strains including veterinary samples, ATCC and Polish Collection of Microorganisms (PCM) reference strains. The obtained results indicate that this test is accurate and displays high specificity. It may serve as a valuable molecular tool for the detection of major mastitis pathogens.

Insights into the Prognostic Role of Serum Interleukin-6 and Hematobiochemical Alterations in Cattle during Recent Outbreaks of Lumpy Skin Disease in Lodhran District, Pakistan

Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is a highly infectious disease of cattle caused by a virus of the Poxviridae family, genus Capripoxvirus. The present study was designed to determine the prognostic ability of serum IL-6 in LSD using a binary logistic regression model at baseline sampling. A 17-day cohort study was conducted on a recent outbreak of LSD among cattle in the Lodhran District of Punjab, Pakistan. Infected cattle were divided into two categories based on their clinical status on day 17 as recovered (n = 33) or unrecovered (n = 17). Nodular lesions and scab specimens (n = 50) were used for the isolation of the lumpy skin disease virus and were confirmed by PCR. In recovered animals, hematological results showed marked leukocytosis, eosinophilia, lymphocytosis, neutrophilia, and monocytopenia. However, marked erythrocytosis, leukopenia, and thrombocytopenia were observed in the unrecovered animals at the final sampling point of the study. Serum levels of total protein, albumin, and glucose were significantly higher in the recovered animals. Meanwhile, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase, creatinine phosphokinase, total bilirubin, and direct bilirubin were found considerably higher in the unrecovered group. Receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis for serum IL-6 at baseline predicts the extended clinical conditions at the cut-off value of 85.16 pg/mL (55% specificity, 94% sensitivity, area under the curve 0.8039, respectively). In conclusion, the disease-induced hematological and biochemical alterations were significantly ameliorated in the recovered animals. In addition, the study revealed that serum IL-6 can be used as a valid marker for predicting the clinical worsening of LSD in cattle.