A 6-month-old male Poodle was referred with chief complaint of dysponea and cough. Cyanosis was not detected. This dog was diagnosed as a case of canine patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) by X-ray and ultrasonography. Diuretics and bronchodialators were administered for 4 weeks. Clinical symptoms were not improved. Thoracotomy was done at right recumbent position. The length of ductus arteriosus was 8 mm and the diameter was 6 mm, respectively. Double ligation was performed in surgery. Continuous cardiac murmur, cough and strong femoral pulsation were disappeared after surgery. The diameters of the pulmonary artery and vein found to normal by X-ray on 10 days after operation.

Objective-To determine mortality rate over time, risk factors for death, and heritability of life expectancy in Boxers. Animals-1,733 purebred Boxers born in The Netherlands between January 1994 and March 1995. Procedure-Dogs were followed up from weaning (ie, 49 days of age) to 10 years of age through use of a written questionnaire sent to owners every 6 months. Mortality rate over time, risk factors potentially associated with death, and heritability of life expectancy were examined by use of a proportional hazards model based on the Weibull distribution. Results Estimated mortality rate during the 10-year study period for this birth cohort of Boxers was 45%. The probability of surviving to 5 years of age was 88%; the probability of surviving to 10 years of age was 55%. Estimated effective heritability of life expectancy was 0.076, meaning that in this population, an estimated 76% of the observed variation in life expectancy could be attributed to genetic differences among dogs that were passed from parents to their offspring. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance-Results suggest that cumulative incidence of death from weaning to 10 years of age among this birth cohort of Boxers was 45%. The estimated heritability of life expectancy suggested that life expectancy can be improved by use of selective breeding.

Ehrlichia canis is an intracellular pathogen that causes canine monocytic ehrlichiosis. Although the role of antibody responses cannot be discounted, control of this intracellular pathogen is expected to be by cell mediated immune responses. The immune responses in dogs immunized with inactivated E. canis organisms in combination with Quil A were evaluated. Immunization provoked strong humoral and cellular immune responses, which were demonstrable by Western blotting and lymphocyte proliferation assays. By Western blotting antibodies to several immunodominant E. canis proteins were detected in serum from immunized dogs and antibody titres increased after each immunization. The complement of immunogenic proteins recognized by the antisera were similar to those recognized in serum from infected dogs. Upon challenge with live E. canis, rapid anamnestic humoral responses were detected in the serum of immunized dogs and primary antibody responses were detected in the serum from control dogs. Following immunization, a lymphocyte proliferative response (cellular immunity) was detected in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNs) of immunized dogs upon stimulation with E. canis antigens. These responses were absent from non-immunized control dogs until after infection with live E. canis, when antigen specific-lymphocyte proliferation responses were also detected in the PBMNs of the control dogs. It can be thus concluded that immunization against canine monocytic ehrlichiosis may be feasible. However, the immunization regimen needs to be optimized and a detailed investigation needs to be done to determine if this regimen can prevent development of acute and chronic disease.

Considerable difficulties are associated with the isolation of Yersinia enterocolitica from food particularly milk and milk products. Most methods are time consuming require enrichment steps and are unable to differentiate pathogenic isolates from non pathogenic ones. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the detection of Yersinia enterocolitica in milk by both polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and conventional culturing methods. Fifty milk samples were collected from Shami goats in North Sinai governorate. Two primers (DG26 and DG63) were used in PCR and the size of the PCR-product was 440bp. The results obtained by PCR technique were in good agreement with that obtained by conventional culturing method. Five samples (10%) were positive by PCR while 4 samples were positive by conventional culturing method. Interestingly, PCR results are obtained within few hours. Moreover, it solved the problem of interpretation of classical biochemical and serological typing in one step without necessity of using additional examinations. This makes diagnosis in food control laboratories much faster and more efficient.

The challenge virus standard (CVS-11) strain of fixed rabies virus was propagated in weaning mice brains and in suckling mice brains. It was also propagated on baby hamster kidney cell line (BHK-21) with use of diethylaminoethyl-dextran (DEAEDextran). These passages were titerated in 3-4 weeks old white Swiss mice using mouse inoculation test (MIT). The virus harvest was concentrated using zinc acetate method , inactivated by beta-propiolactone (BPL) and adjuvanted with combination of vitamin E and selenium. The prepared adjuvanted inactivated tissue culture rabies vaccine was subjected to quality control tests as safety, sterility and potency using National Institute of Health (NIH) test against reference vaccine.

Peroxidase labeled immunoglobulins to camelpox virus (CPV) were prepared for use in various techniques of ELISA. Ten rabbits and three goats were inoculated with a mixture of camelpox virusand Freund’s adjuvant. Sera were pooled separately on the 10th day post the last inoculation and immunoglobulins were precipitated using saturated ammonium sulphate. The globulins were 2.8 g/dl and 2.5 g/dl for rabbits and goats respectively and used for peroxidase conjugation. The peroxidase labeled immunoglobulins were titrated and evaluated using direct solid phase ELISA, double antibody sandwich ELISA and dot immunoblot ELISA. The prepared conjugates gave specific and clear positive reactions till the dilution of 2000 and 1500 for rabbits and goats immunoglobulins respectively. The prepared labeled immunoglobulins could be successfully used in detection of camel pox viral antigen of local virulent and standard vaccinal strain of the virus using various ELISA techniques.

Poisoning with cardiac glycoside-containing plants is collectively the most important plant-associated poisoning of livestock in southern Africa. As a diagnosis of this significant poisoning is currently based on circumstantial evidence, a practical chemical procedure indicating the presence of cardiac glycosides in plants and animal specimens would be of considerable benefit. The fluorescence polarization immunoassay (FPIA) method, used to determine digoxin plasma levels in humans and dogs, was adapted to estimate cardiac glycoside levels in known cardiac-glycoside- containing plants as well as in the rumen and organs of dosed sheep. Positive FPIA values were obtained with bufadienolide-containing plants, while negative results were obtained with plants not known to contain cardiac glycosides. The FPIA has aided in the diagnosis of cardiac glycoside poisoning in livestock and game in 30 outbreaks examined at the Division of Toxicology, Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute. Each outbreak is briefly described. As a result of this assay, a better understanding of cardiac glycoside poisoning has been reached.

Psittacine beak and feather disease (PBFD) is a common viral disease of wild and captive psittacine birds characterized by symmetric feather loss and beak deformities. The causative agent, beak and feather disease virus (BFDV), is a small, circular single-stranded DNA virus that belongs to the genus Circovirus. BFDV can be detected by PCR or the use of haemagglutination (HA) and haemagglutination inhibition (HI) assays that detect antigen and antibodies respectively. Erythrocytes from a limited number of psittacine species of Australian origin can be used in these tests. In South Africa, the high cost of these birds makes them difficult to obtain for experimental purposes. Investigation into the use of erythrocytes from African Grey parrots and Brown-headed parrots yielded positive results showing the haemagglutinating activity of their erythrocytes with purified BFDV obtained from confirmed clinical cases of the disease. The HA activity was further confirmed by the demonstration of HI using BFDV antiserum from three different African Grey parrots previously exposed to the virus and not showing clinical signs of the disease.

Seasonal surveys were conducted at the Vaal Dam between April 2000 and January 2001. Twenty smallmouth yellowfish (Labeobarbus aeneus) and 20 largemouth yellowfish (Labeobarbus kimberleyensis) were collected with the aid of gill nets. Surface water quality variables were included. The cestodes were identified as either Bothriocephalus acheilognathi Yamaguti, 1934 or "other cestode spp.". The majority (99.8 %) of the cestodes found in both yellowfish species were identified as B. acheilognathi (Asian tapeworm). The prevalence, mean intensity and abundance of B. acheilognathi in both yellowfish species were calculated. Ecological parameters including species specificity, seasonality, gender specificity and relationships between fish size and the Asian tapeworm prevalence were also included. In this study, B. acheilognathi preferred L. kimberleyensis over L. aeneus although a low intensity was observed in smallmouth yellowfish. Furthermore, the infection (in terms of prevalence, abundance and mean intensity) in largemouth yellowfish was markedly higher. Seasonal patterns observed in the Asian tapeworm's infection of smallmouth yellowfish are attributed to breeding and subsequent feeding patterns of this fish species with relatively high infections recorded in winter and spring. For L. kimberleyensis no explanation can be given regarding the seasonal patterns observed for the mean intensity and abundance of B. acheilognathi. The maximum and minimum mean intensity and abundance values in largemouth yellowfish were recorded in autumn and spring, respectively. In addition, the prevalence of B. acheilognathi was consistently high in all four seasons.

Ingestion of the plant Nolletia gariepina was confirmed as the cause of acute mortalities in cattle in the Kuruman area of the Northern Cape Province of South Africa. The aim of this trial was to investigate the toxic effects of this plant with respect to clinical signs, pathophysiology and pathology using the sheep as a model. At dosages of 1.5 g dried, milled plant material/kg body mass there were no detectable abnormal findings, while at dosages of 2.8-3.0 g/kg most of the animals died acutely. In subacutely affected sheep, depression, inappetance, teeth grinding, tachycardia, weak ruminal movements and recumbency were noticed. The most prominent pathophysiological changes observed, included a sharp rise in non-protein nitrogen substances in the plasma, remarkable decline in glomerular filtration rate, increase in sodium and potassium excretion, and a rise in urine gamma glutamyltransferase activity. Macroscopically a severe nephrosis was present in all the animals. The most important findings detected histologically were necrosis of the proximal convoluted tubular epithelium and large numbers of protein casts in the lumens.