The aim of this study was to determine for reference purposes the values of serum albumin, a1-globulin, a2-globulin, b-globulin, g-globulin, and a-lipoprotein (high density lipoprotein), pre-b-lipoprotein (very low density lipoprotein) and b-lipoprotein (low density lipoprotein) fractions of normal ostriches (Struthio camelus) in Turkey. Five male and five female ostriches, 18 months old, were used. All the ostriches were fed on a diet that contained 15.14 % crude protein and 2 950 Kcal/kg of metabolizable energy. The serum protein and lipoprotein fractions were measured using agarose gel electrophoresis. The fractions were found to be 60.96 % albumin, 0.24% a1-globulin, 15.91 % a2-globulin, 13.34 % b-globulin, 9.55 % g-globulin, 53.77 % HDL, 0.60 % VLDL and 48.09 % LDL.

Objective--To evaluate the immunologic response of a killed tachyzoite vaccine against Neospora caninum and its effectiveness in preventing fetal loss associated with experimentally induced neosporosis in sheep. Animals--30 Dorset ewes. Procedure--Ewes were randomly allocated to receive vaccination on days 1 and 60 of the study with a killed N caninum tachyzoite preparation in a commercially available adjuvant or a saline-adjuvant mixture. A ram was placed on pasture with the ewes from days 15 to 60. Blood was collected from ewes before primary and booster vaccinations and prior to experimental challenge with N caninum tachyzoite performed on day 90; sera were assessed via Neospora agglutination (NA) and immunofluorescence antibody (IFA) assays. Blood was collected from lambs before they suckled, and sera were tested for antibodies against N caninum. Results--Of the 14 vaccinated ewes that became pregnant, 12 gave birth to live-born lambs; in contrast, 5 of 11 pregnant control ewes gave birth to live-born lambs. Whereas vaccination improved fetal survival in pregnant ewes challenged with N caninum tachyzoites, it did not appear to have any appreciable effect on transmission of N caninum to offspring, as indicated by results of NA and IFA assays. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance--The N caninum tachyzoite vaccine used in this study appeared to provide protection against fetal loss associated with experimentally induced neosporosis in a high proportion of pregnant ewes.

The heads of nine 2.5 to 3-year-old Nile crocodiles (Crocodylus niloticus) were obtained from a commercial farm where crocodiles are raised for their skins and meat. The animals from which these specimens were obtained appeared clinically healthy at the time they were slaughtered. A description of the macroscopic and microscopic features of the tongue of the Nile crocodile is presented and the results are compared with published information on this species and other Crocodylia. The histological features are supplemented by information supplied by scanning electron microscopy. Macroscopic features of interest were the dome shaped structures grouped in a triangular formation on the posterior two-thirds of the dorsum of the tongue. These structures were identified by light microscopy to contain well-developed branched, coiled tubular glands and associated lymphoid tissue. Other histological features included a lightly keratinised stratified squamous surface epithelium supported by a thick layer of irregular dense fibrous connective tissue. Deep to this region was a clearly demarcated adipose tissue core with a dense mass of striated lingual musculature. Localised thickenings were present in the epithelium which were associated with ellipsoid intra-epithelial structures resembling taste buds.

Blood samples from 50 dogs were collected at three veterinary clinics in Ibadan and Abuja, Nigeria and the serum from each sample was evaluated serologically for neutralizing antibodies against canine distemper virus (CDV) by the highly sensitive plaque reduction (PRN) neutralization assay. Thirteen dogs had plaque reduction neutralization titres of 0-100, seven had titres of 100-1 000 while 30 had titres ranging from 1 000-6 000. The PRN titres of vaccinated dogs were found to be significantly higher than unvaccinated dogs. The widespread use of the highly reproducible PRN test for the evaluation of antibody response to CDV may be very important in the generation of international CDV positive serum standards that should help to improve pre-and post-vaccination testing of dogs worldwide.

Ventricular dyssynchrony is a disturbance of the normal, organized electromechanical coupling of the two ventricles. This condition has many causes, such as left bundle branch block, ventricular preexcitation, right ventricular pacing and right ventricular premature ventricular complexes (PVCs). Ventricular dyssynchrony has many adverse haemodynamic effects on the left ventricle and we wanted to know whether these adverse haemodynamic effects might have any structural consequences on the left ventricles of such hearts. Six healthy Dorper wethers were subjected to numerous right ventricular PVCs to induce ventricular dyssynchrony in order to determine whether any structural consequences will occur in the left ventricles of these hearts. Myocarditis in the musculature of the left ventricles of all six these hearts was seen.

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.

Lice have been described on goats in commercial farming systems in South Africa but not from flocks on communal grazing. During a longitudinal survey on the causes of goat kid mortality, conducted in Jericho district, North West Province, lice were collected from communally grazed indigenous goats. These lice were prepared for and viewed by scanning electron microscopy, and micromorphological taxonomic details are described. Three species of lice were found in the study area and identified as Bovicola caprae, Bovicola limbatus and Linognathus africanus. Sucking and biting lice were found in ten of the 12 herds of goats examined. Lice were found on both mature goats and kids. Bovicola caprae and L. africanus were the most common biting and sucking lice respectively in all herds examined. Scanning electron microscopy revealed additional features which aided in the identification of the louse species. Photomicrographs were more accurate aids to identification than the line drawings in the literature and facilitated identification using dissecting microscope.

Previous trials have demonstrated that sheep on a low protein diet and free access to water, and sheep dosed with boluses of NaCl intraruminally also with free access to water, showed decreases in urea loss via the urine compared to control animals. We monitored urea excretion in sheep on a relatively poor protein diet when they were exposed to saline drinking water, i.e. they were unable to vary their intake of NaCl:water. Sheep on isotonic saline drinking water (phase 3) excreted significantly more urea via the urine (284 mM/day) compared to phase 1 when they were on non-saline drinking water (urea excretion = 230 mM/day) and phase 2 when they were on half isotonic saline drinking water (urea excretion = 244 mM/day).This finding was explained by the high glomerular filtration rate (GFR) 91.9 ℓ/day, compared to 82.4 ℓ/day (phase 1) and 77.9 ℓ/day (phase 2), together with a significantly raised fractional excretion of urea (FEurea) (51.1 %) during this phase, and was in spite of the significantly lower plasma concentrations of urea in phase 3 compared to phase 1. The FEurea probably results from the osmotic diuresis caused by the salt. There were indications of a raised plasma antidiuretic hormone (ADH) concentration and this would have opposed urea loss, as ADH promotes urea reabsorption. However, this ADH effect was probably counteracted to some extent by a low plasma angiotensin II concentration, for which again there were indications, inhibiting urea reabsorption during the phases of salt loading. As atrial natriuretic peptide both increases GFR and decrease sodium reabsorption from the tubule, it was probably instrumental in causing the increase in GFR and the increase in the fractional excretion of sodium (FENa).

Haemophilus paragallinarum, the causative agent of infectious coryza in poultry, is an extremely fastidious organism requiring specific growth conditions for isolation. For complete control of the disease in regions where more that one of the serovars of the different serogroups occurs, it is essential that the bacterium causing the problem be isolated and serotyped. This work describes the modification and testing of transport media, which will ensure the survival of the causative agents in suspected infectious coryza cases for transport to a laboratory where the bacterium can be isolated and serotyped. The various transport media used are based on commercially available Amies Transport Medium supplemented with the different supplements used for the growth of H. paragallinarum. It was established that the bacterium remains viable for up to 18 days in Amies Transport Medium containing all the supplements when stored at 4 oC or 37 oC. At room temperature or 25 oC, there was no difference in the survival of H. paragallinarum in commercial Amies Transport Medium (without charcoal) and Amies Transport Medium with supplements.