Papers by Sandeep Khurana
Indian Journal of Veterinary Research, 2009
The seroprevalence of Mycoplasma equigenitalium among indigenous equines was determined by an ind... more The seroprevalence of Mycoplasma equigenitalium among indigenous equines was determined by an indirect ELISA. One thousand thirty nine sera samples from apparently healthy indigenous equines from seventeen States of the country were subjected to indirect ELISA. The ...
Journal of Experimental Biology and Agricultural Sciences, 2016
Rhodococcus equi has been recognized primarily as a respiratory pathogen of equines particularly ... more Rhodococcus equi has been recognized primarily as a respiratory pathogen of equines particularly of foals between one and four months of age. R. equi is ranked among the most important disease problems in equines especially because of its high prevalence and mortality rate. R. equi being an intracellular pathogen is very fastidious and requires prolonged specific antibiotic combination therapy lasting up to three months for successful treatment. This assumes further importance as no effective vaccination is available for prevention. It has zoonotic potential and may be responsible for infection in immunocompromised humans. This study is aimed at analyzing the distribution pattern of the resistotypes (R-types) of various isolates of R. equi in different areas of Haryana and Rajasthan, India. Antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of R. equi isolates was determined by Kirby Bauer disc diffusion method following the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines. A total o...
… Veterinary Journal (India …, 2002
Besides the threat of exotic diseases as a result of increased movement of equines between countr... more Besides the threat of exotic diseases as a result of increased movement of equines between countries, indigenous equines are likely to be exposed to various existing bacterial and viral diseases. A number of infections are know to occur in equines namely equine herpes ...
Indian Journal of Animal Sciences, 2009
Indian Journal of Animal Sciences, 2015
Rhodococcus equi is a soil actinomycete responsible for severe respiratory disease in foals betwe... more Rhodococcus equi is a soil actinomycete responsible for severe respiratory disease in foals between 1-4 months of age, however, other domestic animals like cattle, pigs, goat, sheep, and camels are also affected (Weinstock and Brown 2002, Cohen 2014). The classical form of R. equi infection in foals is characterized by suppurative bronchopneumonia; other clinical manifestations of R. equi in foals include ulcerative enterocolitis, colonic or mesenteric lymphadenopathy, osteomyelitis, septic arthritis, synovitis, and uveitis (Cohen 2014). R. equi is considered as one of the most economically important pathogen of horse breeding industry worldwide due to high mortality rate, non availability of suitable diagnostics in early stage, prolonged and expensive treatment regimen. R. equi infection was also observed in immuno-compromised human patients (Dias et al. 2013). The specific and timely diagnosis of R. equi infection is
Indian Journal of Veterinary Research, 2009
One hundred thirty one samples (nasal, faecal, soil, tissue from dead foal) were tested for prese... more One hundred thirty one samples (nasal, faecal, soil, tissue from dead foal) were tested for presence of Rhodococcus equi. These samples included 58 nasal swabs including 45 from foals with respiratory problem and 13 from in contact apparently healthy foals. Faecal samples were 54 ...
Veterinary Practitioner, 2017
Vet record open, Aug 1, 2015
Burkholderia mallei is the causative agent of glanders which is a highly contagious and fatal dis... more Burkholderia mallei is the causative agent of glanders which is a highly contagious and fatal disease of equines. Considering the nature and severity of the disease in equines, and potential of transmission to human beings, glanders is recognised as a 'notifiable' disease in many countries. An increasing number of glanders outbreaks throughout the Asian continents, including India, have been noticed recently. In view of the recent re-emergence of the disease, the present study was undertaken to estimate the prevalence of glanders among indigenous equines from different parts of India. Serum samples were analysed by complement fixation test (CFT) and ELISA for the detection of B mallei specific antibodies. A total of 7794 equines, which included 4720 horses, 1881 donkeys and 1193 mules were sampled from April 2011 to December 2014 from 10 states of India. Serologically, 36 equines (pony=7, mules=10, horses=19) were found to be positive for glanders by CFT and indirect-ELISA. The highest number of cases were detected in Uttar Pradesh (n=31) followed by Himachal Pradesh (n=4) and Chhattisgarh (n=1). Isolation of B mallei was attempted from nasal and abscess swabs collected from seropositive equines. Four isolates of B mallei were cultured from nasal swabs of two mules and two ponies. Identity of the isolates was confirmed by PCR and sequencing of fliP gene fragment. The study revealed circulation of B mallei in northern India and the need for continued surveillance to support the eradication.
The Indian Journal of Animal Sciences
A model of convergence was developed and tested for mastitis control at village level in Murrah b... more A model of convergence was developed and tested for mastitis control at village level in Murrah buffaloes. Village Chindar of Fatehabad district of Haryana was selected purposively. For this study 100 farmers who were registered members of the milk cooperative society and were contributing milk daily, were purposively selected. Freshly calved buffaloes (100) from December, 2018 to February, 2019 owned by these farmers were selected randomly for this study. As per the plan of work for testing the model, different types of interventions were made by multiple agencies collaborating together for testing the model. In this study, 400 milk samples of 100 healthy buffaloes were tested for somatic cell count (SCC) by california mastitis test (CMT) and milk culture analysis. Culturally positive samples were treated according to antibiotic sensitivity test (ABST) report. Besides interventions like trainings, public health campaigns, demonstration of CMT to the farmers was done individually. T...
Journal of Experimental Biology and Agricultural Sciences, 2016
Canine parvovirus (CPV) leads to an acute disease, characterized by hemorrhagic gastroenteritis, ... more Canine parvovirus (CPV) leads to an acute disease, characterized by hemorrhagic gastroenteritis, vomiting and myocarditis in dogs. The disease can affect dogs of any age but is fatal in pups. CPV has undergone genetic variations that have led to emergence of various CPV-2 antigenic variants such as 2a, 2b and 2c with replacement of the original CPV-2 circulating in the dog population. CPV genome is made up of 5.2 Kb nucleotides. Viral protein VP2 plays a very important role in determining antigenicity and host range specificity of CPV. The antigenicity as well as host range of CPV is determined by virus specific VP2 protein. That’s why the mutations that affect the VP2 gene are the main source of different antigenic variants. It spreads rapidly in the wild population of canines as well as domestic animals, infected feces serve as a main source of infection because the virus is shed in large quantity in the feces particularly 4 - 7 days post infection. The present review is focused o...
Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, 2021
Emergence of multidrug resistance (MDR), extensively drug resistance (XDR) and pandrug resistance... more Emergence of multidrug resistance (MDR), extensively drug resistance (XDR) and pandrug resistance (PDR) strains of bacteria in communicable diseases of zoonotic and reverse zoonotic importance is the major hurdle of one health concept. Increasing level of resistance against antibiotics among bacterial population throughout the world, slow pace of new antibacterial drug discovery and enhanced pace of resistance development by pathogenic bacteria possess major challenges for human and animal health as well as life in future. Alternative management strategy in terms of improved prophylactic vaccine; early, easy and effective diagnostics and therapeutic drugs against those resistant bacteria is the need of the hour. In this context nanomedicine can fit into the multifaceted demands as an effective prophylactic and theranostic alternative to control the communicable diseases in a cost effective manner in the era of microbial resistance. The current review is focused towards delineating t...
Veterinary Quarterly, 2021
Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease of great animal welfare and economic implications worldwide kno... more Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease of great animal welfare and economic implications worldwide known since ancient times. The emergence of brucellosis in new areas as well as transmission of brucellosis from wild and domestic animals is of great significance in terms of new epidemiological dimensions. Brucellosis poses a major public health threat by the consumption of non-pasteurized milk and milk products produced by unhygienic dairy farms in endemic areas. Regular and meticulous surveillance is essentially required to determine the true picture of brucellosis especially in areas with continuous high prevalence. Additionally, international migration of humans, animals and trade of animal products has created a challenge for disease spread and diagnosis in non-endemic areas. Isolation and identification remain the gold standard test, which requires expertise. The advancement in diagnostic strategies coupled with screening of newly introduced animals is warranted to control the disease. Of note, the diagnostic value of miRNAs for appropriate detection of B. abortus infection has been shown. The most widely used vaccine strains to protect against Brucella infection and related abortions in cattle are strain 19 and RB51. Moreover, it is very important to note that no vaccine, which is highly protective, safe and effective is available either for bovines or human beings. Research results encourage the use of bacteriophage lysates in treatment of bovine brucellosis. One Health approach can aid in control of this disease, both in animals and man.
Journal of Pure and Applied Microbiology, 2020
Severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), a novel coronavirus initially repo... more Severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), a novel coronavirus initially reported in Wuhan, China, is the causative agent of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Symptoms of the disease comprise of fever, tiredness, dry cough, aches and pains, nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat, diarrhoea and pneumonia at the late stage. SARS-CoV-2 has severely crippled the healthcare system and has caused huge economic losses. Following the outbreak, the SARS-CoV-2 was recognized timely and its genome was sequenced, leading to the development of real-time polymerase chain reaction assays for its detection in clinical samples collected from suspected cases. The management of the pandemic is limited by a number of misconceptions and insufficient information about laboratory testing for SARS-CoV-2 to confirm the disease. This includes a lack of awareness about procedures for the collection, transport, testing, and handling of biological samples for COVID diagnosis. This ...
Journal of Pure and Applied Microbiology, 2019
Emerging antibiotic resistance among mycoplasma microorganisms is of major concern in present tim... more Emerging antibiotic resistance among mycoplasma microorganisms is of major concern in present times as they cause various diseases in both animals and humans. Mycoplasmoses, infections caused by mycoplasma microorganisms have become common in recent past and have gained importance both due to inability to diagnose and difficulty to treat. Respiratory tract infection, mastitis, arthritis, and septicemia caused by Mycoplasma in livestock are responsible for causing heavy economic losses. These diseases are frequently reported from countries of Africa and Asia, including India. Antimycoplasma antibiotics are frequently being used as therapeutic agents for the treatment of mycoplasmoses infection in livestock. They include macrolides, tetracyclines, fluoroquinolones, and aminoglycosides which are the main antibiotic classes commonly used against mycoplasma globally. Oxytetracyclines are the commonest antibiotics used for decades followed by enrofloxacin, tylosin, and streptomycin. Danofloxacin, lincomycin, spiramycin, erythromycin, gamithromycin, azithromycin, clarithromycin, gentamicin, doxycycline, and tulathromycin are also used occasionally. Continuous and unregulated use of these antibiotics over prolonged period can lead to menace of antibiotic resistance which is aided by inappropriate doses and uncontrolled use. Resistance to some antibiotics is already emerging. Mycoplasmas have devised different resistance mechanisms for combating antimicrobial action of these drugs. Common mechanisms noted are acquisitions of proteins affecting ribosomal subunits, inhibition of antibiotic efflux, structural changes in the ribosomal subunit, target mutations, expression or production of enzymes. Additional novel mechanisms of resistance still need to be investigated. Strategies for prevention and encountering of this antibiotic resistance are being devised by alternating antibiotics in application, using antimycoplasma antibiotic sensitivity tests, along with evaluation of specific doses and exploration of novel mycoplasma specific class of antibiotics. Novel targets based on various cell structures including cell membrane, organelles, proteins, enzymes or metabolites are being explored for antimycoplasma therapy. These all will help in effective therapeutic management of mycoplasmoses with minimal side effects.
Journal of Pure and Applied Microbiology, 2019
Emblica officinalis Gaertn. or Phyllanthus emblica Linn., popularly called as Indian gooseberry o... more Emblica officinalis Gaertn. or Phyllanthus emblica Linn., popularly called as Indian gooseberry or Amla, is among main herbal plant in Indian traditional medicine. Different parts of E. officinalis are beneficial for curing various ailments but the fruits especially show tremendous pharmacological and medicinal applications. Phytochemical analysis revealed important bioactive chemical compounds such as tannins, alkaloids, polyphenols, gallic acid, ellagic acid, emblicanin A and B, phyllembein, quercetin, ascorbic acids, vitamins and minerals. Different extracts of amla possess potent antimicrobial activities to counter different bacterial pathogens. Amla phytochemicals also possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, cardioprotective, immunomodulatory, hypolipedemic, memory enhancing, anticancer, antidiabetic, antidepressant, anti-ulcerogenic, insecticidal, larvicidal, and wound healing activities. All of these well-established activities can have broad applications in managing most of the diseases affecting human and animal patients. It can either replace the conventional therapeutic agents due to its superior efficacy and lack of side effects or can act an adjunct therapeutic agent thereby enhancing the total efficacy of conventional agents. The biogenic synthesis of nanoparticles from E. officinalis is getting popularity due to the low cost factor along with the enhanced antimicrobial activity of the nanoparticles produced. The current review emphasizes on the phytochemical constituents, mechanisms behind the antimicrobial activity and also briefly summarizes other medicinal and therapeutic usefulness of the E. officinalis.
Animals, 2019
Omega-3 (ω-3) and omega-6 (ω-6) fatty acids are important components of cell membranes. They are ... more Omega-3 (ω-3) and omega-6 (ω-6) fatty acids are important components of cell membranes. They are essential for health and normal physiological functioning of humans. Not all fatty acids can be produced endogenously owing to the absence of certain desaturases; however, they are required in a ratio that is not naturally achieved by the standard diet of industrialized nations. Poultry products have become the primary source of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA), with one of the most effective solutions being to increase the accretion of PUFAs in chicken products via the adjustment of fatty acids in poultry diets. Several studies have reported the favorable effects of ω-3 PUFA on bone strength, bone mineral content and density, and semen quality. However, other studies concluded negative effects of LC-PUFA on meat quality and palatability, and acceptability by consumers. The present review discussed the practical application of ω-3 and ω-6 fatty acids in poultry diets, and...
Vaccines, 2019
Exploration of novel candidates for vaccine development against Mycoplasma capricolum subspecies ... more Exploration of novel candidates for vaccine development against Mycoplasma capricolum subspecies capripneumoniae (Mccp), the causative agent of contagious caprine pleuropneumonia (CCPP), has recently gained immense importance due to both the increased number of outbreaks and the alarming risk of transboundary spread of disease. Treatment by antibiotics as the only therapeutic strategy is not a viable option due to pathogen persistence, economic issues, and concerns of antibiotic resistance. Therefore, prophylactics or vaccines are becoming important under the current scenario. For quite some time inactivated, killed, or attenuated vaccines proved to be beneficial and provided good immunity up to a year. However, their adverse effects and requirement for larger doses led to the need for production of large quantities of Mccp. This is challenging because the required culture medium is costly and Mycoplasma growth is fastidious and slow. Furthermore, quality control is always an issue ...
Veterinary Quarterly, 2019
Mastitis, an inflammation of the udder, is a challenging problem in dairy animals accounting for ... more Mastitis, an inflammation of the udder, is a challenging problem in dairy animals accounting for high economic losses. Disease complexity, degree of economic losses and increasing importance of the dairy industries along with public health concerns envisages devising appropriate diagnostics of mastitis, which can offer rapid, accurate and confirmatory diagnosis. The various diagnostic tests of mastitis have been divided into general or phenotypic and specific or genotypic tests. General or phenotypic tests are those that identify general alterations, which are not specific to any pathogen. Genotypic tests are specific, hence confirmatory for diagnosis of mastitis and include specific culture, PCR and its various versions (e.g., qRT-PCR), LAMP, lateral flow assays, nucleotide sequencing, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS), and other molecular diagnostic methods. However, for highly specific and confirmatory diagnosis, pure cultures still provide raw materials for more sophisticated diagnostic technological interventions like PCR and nucleotide sequencing. Diagnostic ability of like infra-red thermography (IRT) has been shown to be similar to CMT and also differentiates clinical mastitis from subclinical mastitis cases. As such, IRT can become a convenient and portable diagnostic tool. Of note, magnetic nanoparticles-based colorimetric biosensor assay was developed by using for instance proteolytic activity of plasmin or anti-S. aureus antibody. Last but not least, microRNAs have been suggested to be potential biomarkers for diagnosing bovine mastitis. This review summarizes the various diagnostic tests available for detection of mastitis including diagnosis through general and specific technological interventions and advances.
Journal of Experimental Biology and Agricultural Sciences, 2017
Enterohaemorragic Escherichia coli (EHEC) is a pathogenic E.coli which causes diarrhea or haemorr... more Enterohaemorragic Escherichia coli (EHEC) is a pathogenic E.coli which causes diarrhea or haemorrhagic colitis in human beings, which may occasionally progress to hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). A total of 100 buffalo meat samples (buffen) were processed for finding out the presence of enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC). Among them, thirty five samples were found positive for E. coli (35%), which yielded 37 isolates belonging to 17 different serogroups. However, one strain remained untypable. Further, out of 37 E. coli, nine were confirmed as EHEC and belonged to four different serogroups viz., O10, O68, O111 and O172. All the 9 EHEC strains were cytotoxigenic to Vero-cells. Cytotoxic changes usually appeared at 12 hours post inoculation (hpi) and their intensity increased up to 72 hpi. The important cellular changes recorded were rounding and degeneration of cells followed by detachment of cell sheet and subsequently formation of homogenized cellular masses. Most predominant serotype of EHEC was O111 having 5 isolates (55.6%) and none of the E. coli isolate belonged to serotype O157. The prevalence of a wide range of EHEC serogroups in buffalo meat may be due to contamination during or after slaughter and may serve as major source of human infections.
Journal of Experimental Biology and Agricultural Sciences, 2016
Brucellosis is one of the major zoonotic diseases that affect several domestic animals, wild anim... more Brucellosis is one of the major zoonotic diseases that affect several domestic animals, wild animals and also marine mammals. Though there is no specific Brucella sp. that can affect horses, B. abortus and B. suis can affect horses naturally and B. canis experimental infection has also been reported in equines. Brucellosis in equines is characterized by two conditions namely Poll evil and fistulous withers. Organism has its predilection for joints, ligaments and tendons in case of equines and causes inflammatory conditions leading to formation of fistula. Equine brucellosis has been documented from several parts of the world and prevalence has been reported time to time mostly based on serological diagnosis. Diagnosis of brucellosis mainly depends on serological methods though isolation of the organism is the gold standard. Due to hazardous nature of the pathogen, tests like Rose Bengal plate agglutination test, Standard tube agglutination test and other serological assays are commonly employed. Isothermal amplification assay like LAMP are gaining momentum these years due to swiftness in diagnosis of the pathogen. LAMP with high specificity and sensitivity for detection of Brucella spp. and also B. abortus has been developed in the recent years. Prevention and control of brucellosis is of utmost important to halt the spread of the organism to other animals and human. Trauma is a major reason for predisposition of poll evil and fistulous withers hence proper fitting of saddle will help to prevent the disease. Housing and feeding the horses separately can prevent spread of disease from cattle. The present review discusses equine brucellosis, its epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical signs along with appropriate prevention and control strategies to be adapted.
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Papers by Sandeep Khurana