A suspected storage disease occurred in 50% of a group of five- to seven-month-old Hereford calves in one of four years following the same mating procedure. Lesions were confined to the central nervous system and consisted of multiple intraneuronal, cytoplasmic laminated cytosomes in restricted areas of the brain stem, together with extensive loss of myelinated nerve fibers in the motor columns of the cord.

The animal disease surveillance system in Malawi was examined and its disease data records were analysed. An outline of objectives for disease data collection was found to be lacking. Three sources of animal disease data, namely: veterinary field stations, veterinary investigation centres and abattoirs; and methods of data collection, namely: field disease investigation, laboratory disease investigation, meat inspection, general disease investigation surveys and special disease epidemiological surveys, were described. The sources of disease data were found to be incapable of providing information for all disease outbreaks in the field. The methods of data collection did not allow collection of adequate disease information to facilitate quantitative, qualitative and economic analysis of disease. Collation of data was found to be unsystematic and storage system was incapable of accommodating large volumes of data for long periods. Proposals to modify and improve the system have been made; in particular, an outline of objectives has been made. Diseases have been re-categorised and additional required information has been described, including logistics to facilitate their collection, collation, storage and analysis.

The fruit characteristics and storage potential of some local and introduced mango cultivars grown in Trinidad were compared. At ambient temperature (28-32 deg C), fruit could be stored satisfactorily for between 3 and 8 days, after which ripening rapidly occurred. At 14 deg C, storage life was increased to as much as 18 days (cultivar 'Graham'). Enclosure of fruits individually in polythene bags increased storage life at either ambient or 14 deg C temperature, while treatment with 3% Sta-fresh wax increased storage at ambient but not at 14 deg C. In the case of 'Doodooth', which was highly susceptible to anthracnose, treatment of fruit with hot water (52 +/- 2 deg C) containing 500 or 1000 mg/l benomyl for 5 min reduced the incidence of disease. Results are discussed in relation to the export potential of mangoes.

A food safety program with instructional materials is presented for use by school teachers in introducing disease prevention information. The teaching and learning experience covers the careful handling, buying, storage, and preparation of food to provide an effective defense against food borne illness.

Groundnut rust has become an important disease in India, particularly in the South, probably because of extensive and continuous cultivation of the crop. Uredospores present on crop debris in the field, and on pods or seeds in storage at ambient temperatures, lost viability within 6 weeks. They retained viability for long periods when stored at −16° C. Neither teliospores nor any collateral or alternate hosts were found. Seeds heavily contaminated with viable uredospores and sown in sterile soil gave rise to disease-free seedlings. There should be no risk of spread of rust from properly treated seed samples.

An 18-month-old cocker spaniel with a progressive central nervous system disorder had neuronal ceroid-lipofuscinosis and storage of these pigments in intestinal, blood vessel, and splenic smooth muscle and in pancreatic, hepatic, and renal parenchymal cells. The disease resembles that documented in four other dogs of this breed. No cause was identified in our dog, but possible pathogenetic mechanisms are discussed.