Two hundred and twenty-five small mammals belonging to 16 species were examined for ticks in Free State, Mpumalanga and Limpopo Provinces, South Africa, and 18 ixodid tick species, of which two could only be identified to genus level, were recovered. Scrub hares, Lepus saxatilis, and Cape hares, Lepus capensis, harboured the largest number of tick species. In Free State Province Namaqua rock mice, Aethomys namaquensis, and four-striped grass mice, Rhabdomys pumilio, were good hosts of the immature stages of Haemaphysalis leachi and Rhipicephalus gertrudae, while in Mpumalanga and Limpopo Provinces red veld rats, Aethomys chrysophilus, Namaqua rock mice and Natal multimammate mice, Mastomys natalensis were good hosts of H. leachi and Rhipicephalus simus. Haemaphysalis leachi was the only tick recovered from animals in all three provinces.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the status of infection by Cryptosporidium spp. in Beni-Suef Governorate. For this purpose, 305 fecal samples from animals (75 calves, 74 dairy cattle, 86 lambs and 70 sheep) and 177 human stool samples were collected from inhabitants and out patients of the university hospital in Beni-Suef who suffering from gastroenteritis mainly diarrhea. The samples were examined using Modified Ziehl-Neelsen technique. An over all of animal cryptosporidiosis was 6.8%. Cryptosporidium oocysts could be detected in calves, dairy cattle, lambs and adult sheep at a rate of 12%, 2.75%, 6.97% and 0% respectively. Concerning humans Cryptosporidium oocysts could be detected at a rate of 14.56% and 2.7% in diarrheic individuals and apparently healthy ones. Infection rate in females (14.28%) was higher than in males (6%) and the children (1-10 years old) were highly susceptible to cryptosporidiosis than adults. Eighty-nine selected diarrheic feacal samples (79 from humans and 10 from calves) were selected and examined by cryptosporidium antigen capture ELISA beside their examination by Modified Ziehl-Neelsen technique. No significant differences were found between the two techniques in terms of epidemiological study.

Hyalomma anatolicum anatolicum nymphs were collected from two localities in the Sudan: Eddamer in Northern Sudan and Wad-Medani in Central Sudan. They were allowed to moult to adult ticks, which were assessed for Theileria infection in their salivary glands using Feulgen stain. At Eddamer, 49.6 % of 123 ticks examined were infected with Theileria and the mean intensity of infection was 1.3 (i.e. the number of infected acini / number of infected ticks). At Wad-Medani, 8.6 % of 162 ticks were infected and the mean intensity of infection was 7.9. The prevalence of infection was higher in female than in male ticks at both localities. When adult H. a. anatolicum were applied onto two susceptible calves, both animals developed the severe form of theileriosis.

A single-tube duplex nested polymerase chain reaction (sdn-PCR) was developed for the detection of and discrimination between ovine herpesvirus-2 (OvHV-2) and alcelaphine herpesvirus-1 (AlHV-1). These viruses respectively cause sheep- and wildebeest-associated malignant catarrhal fever (SAMCF and WA-MCF). In the first step of the sdn-PCR, two primers with high annealing temperatures based on conserved regions of the tegument genes were used for DNA amplification. In the second step, two primer sets based on variable regions of the respective OvHV-2 and AlHV-1 genes and with annealing temperatures > 11 °C below the primers used in the first step, were used. Internal regions of different sizes from amplicons produced in the first step were amplified. This single-tube test obviates the need for two separate assays to detect both viral types, thereby reducing time, labour and cost.

Studies on the trypanotolerance of Orma Boran X Maasai Zebu (Orma Zebu) crossbred cattle (F1 progeny) and pure-bred Maasai Zebu contemporaries were carried out in Nguruman, south western Kenya. The two groups were monitored from birth for a period of 2 years. The incidence of trypanosomosis, parasitaemia, packed cell volume (PCV), body mass and average daily mass gain were monitored. During the study period, overall trypanosomosis incidence was low (3 %). The crossbred cattle had a higher incidence of infection (61 % vs 39 %). The mean PCV and mean mass gain for the crossbred cattle was higher than that of the Maasai Zebu. The mean calf body mass at weaning (8 months) for the Orma Zebu and Maasai Zebu was 72 kg and 64 kg, respectively, while at 18 months of age their mean body mass was 164 kg and 123 kg, respectively. During the rainy season significant differences in average daily mass gains were noted (P < 0.05). The superior mass gain of the Orma Zebu observed during the rainy season, despite higher infection rates, indicate an enhanced trypanotolerance. Moreover, the better performance of the Orma Zebu is an attribute that could be exploited in the adoption of the trypanotolerance genotype, as a sustainable trypanosomosis control strategy.

In this study a total of 14 infected sheep and 6 lactating albino goats were used. These animals were proved to be brucellosis seropositive using TAT, MET, BAPAT, RBPT and rivanol test as well as bacteriologically positive by isolation of Brucella melitensis biovar 3 from their milk. These animals were subjected to trials of treatment using three different methods. Goats treated by antibiotics combined with BCG showed the highest recovery rate (on bacteriological basis), followed by animals treated with antibiotics only and finally animals treated with antibiotics combined ID. The recovered treated animals were placed under careful investigation for 2 years with no evidence of Brucella infection neither in them nor in their newborns.

5371 This review focuses on the status of infectious diseases that are serious for animal health and have adverse economic effects in Mongolia. Data presented here are limited due to the lack of published or other easily available documents. Foot-and-mouth disease continues to cause substantial economic losses as exemplified by the outbreak of infection with serotype O PanAsia lineage virus. In the case of the 2001 outbreak, a 65%reduction in export revenues was recorded. In order to ascertain the free status of Mongolia from rinderpest, sero-epidemiological surveillance has been carried out since 2001. In 2004, Mongolia was certified free from rinderpest by Office Interna-tional des Epizooties (OIE). A sharp rise in both animal and human brucello-sis incidence has become a serious problem. Rabies and anthrax remain endemic with occasional human cases. Other prevailing infectious diseases are contagious pustular dermatitis, contagious agalactia, enterotoxemia and ¡pas-teurellosis. The current programs for the control of infectious diseases in livestock in Mongolia lack a definite policy that would enable rapid implementation. A large-scale surveillance of infectious diseases in animals and management of appropriate preventive measures are urgently required in Mongolia.

A cDNA clone encoding a prohibitin-like protein (Toprh) was isolated from a piroplasm cDNA library of Theileria orientalis and its nucleotide sequence was determined. An open reading frame, encoding a polypeptide of 278 amino acid residues, was found in Toprh cDNA sequence. An intron of 89 bp was identified when this cDNA clone was compared with the Toprh gene in the genome of T. orientalis. The deduced amino acid sequence of Toprh shares 93.8, 93.1 and 69.1% identities with the prohibitins of T. parva (from chromosome 1), T. annulata (from chromosome 1), and Plasmodium falciparum, (from chromosome 10), respectively. By Western blot analysis, Toprh was found to be expressed in the piroplasm stage of the parasites.

The meq gene was thought to be only detected in Marek's disease virus serotype 1 (MDV1) including a very virulent strain, Md5, while L-meq, in which a 180-bp sequence is inserted into the meq open reading frame, is found in other strains of MDV1, such as CVI988/R6. However, both meq and L-meq were previously detected by PCR in chickens infected with MDV1, suggesting hat MDV1 may consists of at least two subpopulations, one with meq, the other with L-meq. To further analyze these subpopulations, we analyzed the time course changes in distribution of these subpopulations among T cell subsets from chickens infected with MDV1. Both meq and L-meq were detected in CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells infected with strain Md5 or CVI988/R6. The shift in MDV subpopulations from one displaying meq to the other displaying L-meq and/or the conversion from meq to L-meq occurred mainly in the CD8(+) T cell subset from Md5- infected chickens. PCR products corresponding to L-meq rather than meq were frequently amplified from the CD8(+) T cell subset from CVI988/R6-infected chickens. These results suggest that a dominant subpopulation of MDV1 changes depending on the T cell subsets, and that L-meq is dominantly present in the CD8(+) T cells which play a role in the clearance of pathogenic agents.

Pleurotus cornucopiae (PC) mushroom with a brilliant yellow pileus is found in the field and known in Japan as Tamogi dake mushroom. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the mechanism of the antimutagenic effect of PC mushroom using both the Ames test and Comet assay. We have found a strong inhibitory effect of both aqueous and organic PC extracts on the mutagenicity elicited by benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P). This inhibition was dose- dependent in reaction mixtures containing cytosolic and microsomal fractions (S-9) from untreated rat liver as well as in those containing S-9 from aryl hydrocarbon receptor (Au) ligand of Sudan III-treated rats. Sudan III was a potent inducer of cytochrome P450 1A (CYP1A) activity. We treated rats with Sudan III to enhance the metabolic activation of B[a]P by the S-9 fraction. To explain whether this antimutagenicity was due to the inhibition of CYP1A activity that metabolically activates B[a]P, we tested the effects of the extracts on activities of CYP1A1 and CYP1A2, represented by ethoxyresorufin Odeethylase (EROD) and methoxyresorufin Odemethylase (MROD), respectively. Both aqueous and organic extracts inhibited EROD activity at all dose levels, while the inhibitory effect was only observed at high doses with regard to MROD activity. Furthermore, pre-treatment of Chinese hamster V79cells with PC extracts significantly reduced H2O2 - induced-DNA damage, indicating that PC extracts provide a protective effect against oxidative DNA damage. These results indicate that whole-mushroom extracts contain compounds that may inhibit the metabolic activation of B[a]P by CYP1A1 as well as prevent oxidative DNA damage.