Candida auris can causes a variety of infections from skin) infections to more severe, life-threatening systemic infections, involving blood circulation system, are more serious.

In veterinary field, Candida auris infection has been recorded in dogs more specifically. An average of 4.5% of dogs with chronic skin infections contained evidence of Candida auris in their ear canal (n = 3) and on their skin surface (n = 1). Of the three dogs with Candida auris infection/colonization, a diversity of fungi was observed.

Systemic candidiasis has also been described in cattle, calves, sheep, and foals secondary to prolonged antibiotic or corticosteroid treatment. and abortion in cattle. Candida infections occur in humans; however, whether animals can transmit the organism to humans is undetermined. But the chances are more specifically through milk transmission of Candida to Human population is very commonly seen. Candida causes mastitis in common in dairy animals.

Candida auris transmission prevention

Healthcare personnel should follow standard hand hygiene practices. Alcohol-based hand sanitizer (ABHS) is the preferred hand hygiene method for C. auris when hands are not visibly soiled. If hands are visibly soiled, wash with soap and water.

Avoid haphazard use of antifungals either under-dosing or overdosing.

Apart from above, you can prevent an overgrowth of Candida by:

1. Maintaining good oral and physical hygiene.
2. Eating a well-balanced diet.
3. Managing your stress.
4. Managing your blood sugar levels.

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Most of rabies deaths occur among those who delayed, did not receive, or complete rabies PEP. Important observation to put on record is that the dog bite above the neck region in buffaloes, even after giving the post exposure vaccination, turned to be fatal. The post exposure prophylaxis in exposed animals, is generally not practised in the treatment of large ruminants or buffaloes. Being, economically not viable, the dose of immune sera  as per body weight recommended. Use of antisera at least at the local site of dog bite injury immediately after dog bite reduces the fatality to a great extent.

The detailed study on antibody titres in post bite cases of rabies in relation to the present post bite vaccination schedule in buffaloes and the efficacy especially in bites above the neck region, where the incubation period is very short ranging from 15 days to 20 days.

The occurrence of clinical signs was seen in buffaloes undergoing the post bite vaccination. Fatality rate recorded was 100 per cent in case of buffaloes with site of dog bite above the neck especially at the muzzle and base of the neck, despite of having treated with post bite anti-rabies vaccine alone, with out use of rabies antisera as a passive way of treating successfully in such cases. Rabies post bite vaccination is not protective, if the site of dog bite is above the neck region i.e., muzzle, base of horn, ear, dorso-lateral aspect of muzzle in buffaloes.

Fatality can be prevented by administering Rabies Immunoglobulin (RIG) .

Many cases of dog bite site above the neck region in buffaloes have been observed in rural areas, not reported.

Mpox (monkeypox) is an infectious disease caused by the monkeypox virus. It can cause a painful rash, enlarged lymph nodes and fever. Most people fully recover, in some sickness is an engraved condition.

Anyone individual can get mpox. It spreads from contact with infected:

• persons, through touch, kissing, or sex
• animals, when hunting, handling, skinning, or cooking them
• materials, such as contaminated sheets, clothes or needles
• pregnant women, can pass the virus on to their unborn baby.

Clinical Signs

Mpox causes signs usually begin within a week or can start 1–21 days after exposure. Symptoms typically last 2–4 weeks but may last longer in someone with a weakened immune system.

Common symptoms of mpox are: rash, fever, sore throat, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, swollen lymph nodes.

Diagnosis

Laboratory detection of viral DNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is the preferred laboratory test for mpox. The best clinical diagnostic material are taken directly from the rash – skin, fluid or crusts – collected by vigorous swabbing. In the absence of skin lesions, testing can be done on oropharyngeal, anal or rectal swabs. Testing blood is not recommended.

Treatment and vaccination

The goal of treating mpox is to take care of the rash, manage pain and prevent complications. Early and supportive care is important to help manage symptoms and avoid further problems.

Getting an mpox vaccine can help prevent infection. The vaccine should be given within 4 days of contact with someone who has mpox (or within up to 14 days if there are no symptoms).

It is recommended for people at high risk to get vaccinated to prevent infection with mpox, especially during an outbreak. This includes:

• health workers at risk of exposure
• men who have sex with men
• people with multiple sex partners
• sex workers.

Several antivirals, such as tecovirimat, originally developed to treat smallpox have been used to treat mpox and further studies are underway. Further information is available on mpox vaccination and case management.

 Prevention

Most people with mpox will recover within 2–4 weeks. Things to do to help the symptoms and prevent infecting others:

Do

• stay home and in your own room if possible
• wash hands often with soap and water or hand sanitizer, especially before or after touching sores
• wear a mask and cover lesions when around other people until your rash heals
• keep skin dry and uncovered (unless in a room with someone else)
• avoid touching items in shared spaces and disinfect shared spaces frequently
• use saltwater rinses for sores in the mouth
• take sitz baths or warm baths with baking soda or Epsom salts for body sores
• take over-the-counter medications for pain like paracetamol (acetaminophen) or ibuprofen.

Do not

• pop blisters or scratch sores, which can slow healing, spread the rash to other parts of the body, and cause sores to become infected; or
• shave areas with sores until scabs have healed and you have new skin underneath (this can spread the rash to other parts of the body).

To prevent spread of mpox to others, persons with mpox should isolate at home, or in hospital if needed, for the duration of the infectious period (from onset of symptoms until lesions have healed and scabs fall off). Covering lesions and wearing a medical mask when in the presence of others may help prevent spread. Using condoms during sex will help reduce the risk getting mpox but will not prevent spread from skin-to-skin or mouth-to-skin contact.

Source: CDC, WHO.

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Methylene blue is an FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and EMA (European Medicines Agency) approved drug with an excellent safety profile. It displays broad-spectrum virucidal activity in the presence of UV light and has been shown to be effective in inactivating various viruses in blood products prior to transfusions. MB antiviral activity is based on several mechanisms of action as the extent of genomic RNA degradation is higher in presence of light and after long exposure.

MB is known to corrupt viral DNA or RNA integrity. This is due to a redox reaction in which the molecule accepts electrons on its aromatic thiazine ring, thus being reduced to leuko-methylene blue (MBH2) which in turn transfers electrons to other molecules such as nucleic acids. Moreover, MB in combination with oxygen and a source of energy results in the production of singlet oxygen, a highly reactive reaction partner which induces guanine oxidation [8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine (8-oxoGua) lesions] damaging DNA or RNA.

Other mechanisms include but are not limited to (a) modified carbonyl moieties on proteins, (b) single-strand breaks in the RNA genome and (c) RNA–protein crosslinks, all lesions correlating well with a broad-spectrum virucidal activity. In addition to nucleic acid damaging activity, MB was shown to inactivate viruses such as HIV by targeting also the viral envelope and core proteins.

Oral treatment with 0.1% Methylene Blue (MB) solution (1 gram of MB powder in 1 liter of water) may be considered by the Veterinarian. Following dosage may be attempted: o Adult cows (of approximately 350 Kg body weight): 300 ml at 8 hourly interval (thrice in a day) for 4 days.

MB solution/Preparations may also be used topically (eg. by spray), followed by sunbath for effective antiviral activity.