Ticks were collected at approximately bi-monthly intervals between June 1996 and June 1997 from crested francolins, Francolinus sephaena, and from the vegetation on a mixed cattle and wildlife farm in Limpopo Province, South Africa. The birds were infested with the immature stages of 13 tick species, of which Amblyomma hebraeum, Amblyomma marmoreum and Hyalomma marginatumrufipes were the most numerous and prevalent. Ten ixodid tick species were collected from the vegetation, of which the immature stages of Rhipicephalus appendiculatus, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) decoloratus and Rhipicephalus evertsi evertsi were the most numerous. No adult ticks were collected from the birds and only two from the vegetation. The restricted home range of crested francolins implies that they could serve as a source of tick infestation only for other animals within the same habitat as the birds.

In this study a total of 200 stray dogs housed in Safe Harbor Animal Rescue and Clinic (SHARC), South Florida, USA were clinically and parasitologically examined for intestinal helminthes. In this investigation, dogs were clinically examined and monitored for intestinal parasites for 6 successive weeks, treated with specific drugsand investigated for the possibility of reinfestation with intestinal parasites within theclosed quarters of the animal shelter environment. Fecal floatation technique revealed three types of parasitic eggs in fecal samples of 46 (23%) dogs, including Ankylostoma spp. 30 (15%), Toxocara canis 10 (3.5%), and Dipylidium caninum 6 (3%). Clinical examination of investigated dogs revealed bloody diarrhea associated with abdominal pain, anemia, poor hair coat and the presence of segments of tapeworms approximately in the size of grain of rice in the feces of some dogs. Some dogs showed frequent cough. Some dogs that were tested negative for Ankylostoma spp. and Toxocara canis tested positive later indicating definite contamination in the environment of the shelter. Some dogs developed tapeworm infestation during this study indicting the presence of infective flees in contact dogs. Control measures and therapy were discussed.

The present investigation succeeded in following up the life cycle of Philophthalamus species cercaria emerged from Cleopatra bulimoides snail till production of adult worm Philophthalamus species. This adult worm was extracted from the nictitating membrane of the eyes after 35 days post oral infection of one-day old ducks by metacercaria of Philophthalamus species. The worm Philophthalamus species have a mean length of 4.365mm. The most interesting result of the present study is the success in obtaining Philophthalamus species adult worm. Moreover Philophthalamus cercaria was described for the first time from snails collected from Beni-Suef Governorate, Egypt

In this study, Brucella abortus RB51 could be detected in the vaginal exudates of 5out of 26 aborted cows following vaccination of three dairy cattle herds of 3810animals including heifers and pregnant and non-pregnant cows by RB51 vaccine.Abortion associated with isolation of RB51 vaccinal strain from recently vaccinatedcows in this study served as evidence that the vaccinal RB51 strain was the cause of abortion due to extensive bacterial multiplication and colonization in the uterus ofvaccinated pregnant cows

Two hundred, five-week old chickens were divided into six equal groups (30 chicks/group) and vaccinated with different live NDV vaccines in Nigella sativa oil. The vaccinated birds were bled at one-week interval post-vaccination over six weeks and the collected sera were tested by the HI test. Half of each group was challenged 21-days post-vaccination by intramuscular route of inoculation with 2X105EID50 of the velogenic viscerotropic Newcastle disease virus (VVNDV). Birds were observed for 15 days post-challenge for any clinical signs of Newcastle disease. Deaths within this period were subjected to post mortem examination. The remaining birds in each group were observed after challenge till 42-days post-vaccination.

In this study, two methods for determination of formalin amount were applied on samples of inactivated vaccines representing local or foreign companies. The first method; matching method was conducted by using phenyl hydrazine while in the other method is; spectrophotometry phloroglucinol was used. Spectrophotometrical method was found more sensitive and more accurate than the matching one. At the same time, the spectrophotometry method could be used for determination of formalin in all inactivated vaccines either bacterial or viral vaccines.

During December/January 1996/97 typical summer syndrome (hyperthermia and a 30 % drop in milk yield) occurred in succession in two Holstein dairy herds (n = 240 and n = 150 milking cows, respectively) on the South African Highveld. These farms are situated in the midst of the prime maize and dairy farming areas of South Africa where this condition had never been diagnosed before. The individual components of the concentrate on both farms were negative for ergot alkaloids. Endophytic fungi and/or ergot infestation of teff and other grasses fed to the cows were then suspected of being involved, but neither endophytes nor ergot alkaloids could be implicated from these sources. By measuring the serum prolactin levels of groups of sheep (n = 5) fed the first farm's total mixed ration (TMR) or its three individual fibre components for a period of 11 days, the source of the ergot alkaloids was identified. A statistically significant decrease in the level of this hormone occurred only in the group on maize silage (which constituted 28 % on dry matter base of the TMR). The involvement of the maize silage was further chemically confirmed by the high levels of total ergot alkaloids, predominantly ergocryptine, found by LC-MS in the silage as well as in the TMR (115-975 ppb and 65-300 ppb, respectively). The ergot alkaloid content (mainly ergocryptine) of the maize silage on the second affected farm was 875 ppb. Withdrawal of contaminated silage resulted in gradual recovery of stock on both farms. Nut sedge (Cyperus esculentus and Cyperus rotundus of the family Cyperaceae) has a world-wide distribution and is a common weed in annual crops, and can be parasitized by Claviceps cyperi. Careful examination of the maize silage from both farms revealed that it was heavily contaminated with nut sedge and that it contained minute sclerotia, identified as those of Claviceps cyperi, originating from the latter. Nut sedge was abundant on both farms and it is believed that late seasonal rain had resulted in mature, heavily ergotised nut sedge being cut with the silage. Claviceps cyperi sclerotia, collected on the affected fields in the following autumn contained 3 600-4 000 ppm ergocryptine. That the dominant alkaloid produced by this particular fungus was indeed ergocryptine, was confirmed by negative ion chemical ionization MS/MS. In one further outbreak in another Holstein herd, teff hay contaminated with ergotised nut sedge and containing 1 200 ppb alkaloids, was incriminated as the cause of the condition. This is the first report of bovine ergotism not associated with the Poaceae infected with Claviceps purpureum or endophytes but with the family Cyperaceae and this particular fungal phytopathogen.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the status of infection by Cryptosporidiumspp. in Beni-Suef Governorate. For this purpose, 305 fecal samples from animals (75calves, 74 dairy cattle, 86 lambs and 70 sheep) and 177 human stool samples werecollected 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.

Forty-eight pathogen free New Zealand rabbits were divided into two groups, the first group contained eighteen rabbits served as normal control and the second group of thirty rabbits were received 1 ml bovine herpesvirus-1 (BHV-1) virus suspension (107 TCID 50) by intraperitoneal route. Rabbits both groups were subjected to hematological, serum biochemical, different serological and histopathological examination 3,7,10,14,21 and 28 days post infection. Clinical observation of infected rabbits showed febrile response and mild conjunctivitis after 24 and 48h. of inoculation, respectively. The hemogram revealed no significant alteration in the erythrogram while leucogram showed leucocytosis accompanied with heterophilia, lymphopenia and monocytopenia at the 3rd and 7th days post infection. Serum biochemical analysis showed significant elevation in the activity of AST, ALT and AP and in blood urea nitrogen and creatinine concentration along the experimental period. Serum total proteins, albumin, :, ; and < globulin significantly increased at different periods of the experiment. BHV-1 antibodies were detected in the sera of infected rabbits by Dot ELISA and ELISA from the first week until the forth week post infection. Histopathological examination revealed that the most affected organs were the trachea, lungs and liver while adrenals, kidneys, and spleen showed mild pathological alterations.

Samples from medial retropharyngeal, superficial cervical and deep femoral lymph nodes of four camels were fixed in neutral buffered formalin and prepared for light and electron microscopic examination. The camel lymph nodes were formed of stroma and parenchyma. A dense collagenous capsule and trabeculae beside fine reticular framework represented the stroma. The parenchyma was formed of follicular and non-follicular forms of lymphoreticular tissue. The lymphoid follicles were mainly secondary in nature formed of germinal center and outer corona. Afferent and efferent lymph vessels were noticed at the same area of the capsule. Capsular, subcapsular, trabecular, peritrabecular and parenchymal lymph sinuses were noticed in camel lymph nodes.