Fleas were collected from 61 wild carnivores belonging to 13 species in various nature reserves and on farms, two feral domestic cats in a nature reserve and a domestic dog in the city of Johannesburg. Eleven flea species, including two subspecies of one of these, belonging to six genera were recovered. Amongst these only Ctenocephalides felis felis and Ctenocephalides felis strongylus are considered specific parasites of carnivores. The remaining ten species normally infest the prey animals of the various carnivores.

The crude prevalence of antibodies to Babesia bovis infection in cattle was estimated by serology using indirect ELISA during the period January to April, 1999. Sera were obtained from 1 395 dairy cattle (of all ages, sexes and breeds) on smallholder farms, the majority being kept under a zero grazing regime. The crude prevalence of antibodies to Babesia bovis was 6 % for Tanga and 12% for Iringa. The forces of infection based on the age sero-prevalence profile, were estimated at six for Iringa and four for Tanga per 100 cattle years-risk, respectively. Using random effect logistic regression as the analytical method, the factors (variables) of age, source of animals and geographic location were hypothesised to be associated with sero-positivity of Babesia bovis in the two regions.

Successive pairs of approximately 4-month-old Friesland bull calves, raised under worm-free conditions, were exposed to helminth infection for 14 days on dry-land Kikuyu grass pastures at 28-day to monthly intervals, on a coastal farm in a non-seasonal rainfall region of the Eastern Cape Province. With the exception of one pair of calves exposed for 28 days, this procedure was repeated for 28 consecutive months from December 1982 to March 1985. The day after removal from the pastures one calf of each pair was slaughtered and processed for helminth recovery and the other 21 days later. Both members of the last four pairs of calves were killed 21 days after removal from the pastures. Sixteen nematode species were recovered from the calves, and infection with Ostertagia ostertagi was the most intense and prevalent, followed by Cooperia oncophora. The calves acquired the greatest number of nematodes from the pastures from June to October of the first year and from June to August of the second year of the survey. Few worms were recovered from the tracer calves examined from November or December to March or April in each year of the survey. The seasonal patterns of infection with Cooperia spp., Haemonchus placei, Nematodirus helvetianus, Oesophagostomum spp., O. ostertagi and Trichostrongylus axei were all similar and were negatively correlated to atmospheric temperature and evaporation. Slight to moderate arrest in the development of fourth stage larvae occurred from July to September in Cooperia spp., April to July in H. placei, and August to October in O. ostertagi and Trichostrongylus spp. during the first year of the survey. Too few worms were present in the second year to determine a seasonal pattern of arrest. Species survival during the hot and windy summer months appeared to be achieved via a combination of arrested larval development and an ageing residual population of adult worms in the host, and a small extant population of infective larvae on the pastures.

Objective-To compare Salmonella isolates cultured from feedyard and nonfeedyard (control) playas (ie, temporary shallow lakes) of the Southern High Plains. Sample Population-Water and muck (sediment) samples were obtained from 7 feedyard playas and 3 nonfeedyard playas in the winter and summer. Procedure-Each water and muck sample was enriched with sulfur-brilliant-green broth and incubated in a shaker at 37°C for 24 hours. A sample (100 mL) of the incubated bacterial-enriched broth was then mixed with 100 mL of fresh sulfur-brilliant-green enrichment broth and incubated in a shaker at 37°C for 24 hours. After the second incubation, a swab sample was streaked on differential media. Suspect Salmonella isolates were further identified by use of biochemical tests, and Salmonella isolates were confirmed and serovar determinations made. Results-Salmonella isolates were not recovered from the 3 control playas. Seven Salmonella enterica serovars were isolated from 5 of 7 feedyard playas in the summer, and 13 S enterica serovars were isolated from 7 of 7 feedyard playas in the winter. In the summer, 296 isolates were cultured, and 47 were Salmonella organisms. In the winter, 288 isolates were cultured, and 171 were Salmonella organisms. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance-Results indicated that feedyard playas are frequently contaminated with many Salmonella serovars. These pathogens should be considered whenever feedyard managers contemplate the use of water from these playas. Water from feedyard playas should not be used to cool cattle in the summer or for dust abatement.

Six pregnant gilts were purchased from a high health herd and were found to be serologically positive for swine influenza virus (SIV) subtype H3N2. Three of the gilts, at 80 to 82 days of gestation, were experimentally exposed a second time to the same SIV subtype --- H3N2. No clinical signs resulted from the second exposure to SIV and hemagglutination-inhibition (HI) titers for SIV at 4 weeks postexposure were unchanged suggesting that the gilts had not been reinfected. However, the second exposure to SIV affected the number of pigs born alive. Each of the 3 litters from the twice exposed gilts suffered 2 or 3 stillborn piglets per litter. In contrast the 3 matched, sero-positive gilts that were not exposed to SIV (controls) had no stillborn piglets. These differences were statistically significant using a t-test for unequal variances (P = 0.0086). Sera from 2 of the stillborn piglets were negative for HI antibodies and there was no indication from the pigs born alive that the H3N2 virus had crossed the placenta.

A population-based study was carried out on the Ankole ranching scheme in south-west Uganda with the aim of determining the endemic status of Theileria parva infections. For this purpose, the age-related sero-prevalence of T. parva and the specific calf mortality associated with the parasite were assessed. Blood samples were collected from 931 Ankole calves of up to 12 months of age from 81 randomly selected herds. The relationship between rainfall pattern and whole-body Rhipicephalus appendiculatus counts was determined. The influence of tick control practices on East Coast fever-related calf mortality, and sero-positivity were also determined. A significant (r2 = 0.76, P = 0.000) association between R. appendiculatus counts and rainfall was observed. There was no significant (P > 0.05) association between theileriosis- related calf mortality, sero-positivity and the different tick control practices. Antibody prevalence based on the PIM ELISA was above 70 % among calves of 6 months of age in 96 % in all the herds. Theileria parva-related calf mortality determined by repeated herd visits and farm records ranged between 0% and 5.4 %. It was concluded that endemic stability for theileriosis, caused by T. parva, existed in the study area, and that the risk of the occurrence of economically important outbreaks of East Coast fever in indigenous cattle was regarded as minimal under the prevailing conditions.

In a cross sectional survey conducted during the period June 2001 to July 2002, the geographical distribution of ticks on cattle in the Sudan was determined. Seventeen locations were surveyed from Northern, Central, Eastern, Western, Blue Nile and White Nile Provinces. Total body collections of ticks were made from 20 cattle at each location. Four tick genera and 11 species were identified. The tick species collected included Amblyomma lepidum, Amblyomma variegatum, Boophilus decoloratus, Hyalomma anatolicum anatolicum, Hyalomma dromedarii, Hyalomma impeltatum, Hyalomma marginatum rufipes, Hyalomma truncatum, Rhipicephalus evertsi evertsi, Rhipicephalus sanguineus group and Rhipicephalus simus simus. Major ecological changes have occurred due to extensive animal movement, deforestation, desertification and establishment of large mechanized agricultural schemes. These factors have certainly affected the distribution of ticks and tick-borne diseases in the Sudan. The absence of A. variegatum and A. lepidum in northern Sudan was not surprising, since these tick species are known to survive in humid areas and not in the desert and semi-desert areas of northern Sudan. The absence of B. annulatus in northern and central Sudan is in accordance with the finding that this tick species is restricted to the southern parts of the central Sudan. The presence of H. anatolicum anatolicum in Um Benin in relatively high abundance is an interesting finding. The present finding may indicate that the southern limit of this species has changed and moved southwards to latitude 13o N. It is concluded that major changes in tick distribution have taken place in the Sudan

A survey was carried out to define the distribution of heartwater in goats that originated from six districts in communal grazing semi-arid areas of Zambia. A total of 181 samples (40.1 %) out of 451 serum samples from adult goats were positive for Ehrlichia ruminantium antibodies after screening using indirect MAP-1B antigen ELISA technique with statistically significant differences (P < 0.01) between the six districts. Out of 1 036 adult goats examined for tick infestation, 105 were infested by ticks, with Amblyomma species being the most dominant tick encountered. Amblyomma variegatum, which is the vector for heartwater transmission in Zambia constituted 42.4 % of the tick species, identified. The overall tick infestation rate was 10 % while the tick:goat ratio was 2.1:1. Amblyomma variegatum appears to be widespread throughout the study area, as are antibodies to E. ruminantium.

The objective of this study was to determine certain aspects of the biology of Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) decoloratus larvae under laboratory and field conditions. Larvae allowed 48 h to select a vertical questing substrate preferred 90 cm rods in length to those of 60 or 30 cm, while in a separate experiment migration from rods 5 cm or 25 cm in length to rods 45 cm in length continued between 48 h and 72 h after larval release. Hatching of the larval progeny of engorged female ticks exposed to ambient field temperatures during the period June to August, occurred synchronously during the third or fourth week of November. With a single exception, larvae that hatched during November and between April and July survived for 38 days or longer, while those that hatched from December to March survived for 31 days or less. Questing larvae were present on vegetation throughout the year, with most being recovered during January and February. Parasitic larvae were present on cattle from October to May with most being collected during January and February.

Mönnig (1933) described Setaria thwaitei from a sable antelope, Hippotragus niger, the type host, as well as from roan antelope, Hippotragus equinus, and waterbuck, Kobus ellipsiprymnus. Yeh (1959) considered Setaria thwaitei to be synonym of Setaria hornbyi. Material collected from roan antelopes, sable antelopes and gemsbuck, Oryx gazella, from several localities in the north and south of South Africa, together with Mönnig's (1933) material, were re-examined. Measurements of the adult worms obtained in this study were compared with those in the original description of the species. Scanning electron microscopy of the anterior and posterior regions of the female worms confirmed S. thwaitei as a valid species.