Larval biology of rhipicephalus (Boophilus) decoloratus (Acarina: Ixodidae) in Free State Province, South Africa

The objective of this study was to determine certain aspects of the biology of Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) decoloratus larvae under laboratory and field conditions. Larvae allowed 48 h to select a vertical questing substrate preferred 90 cm rods in length to those of 60 or 30 cm, while in a separate experiment migration from rods 5 cm or 25 cm in length to rods 45 cm in length continued between 48 h and 72 h after larval release. Hatching of the larval progeny of engorged female ticks exposed to ambient field temperatures during the period June to August, occurred synchronously during the third or fourth week of November. With a single exception, larvae that hatched during November and between April and July survived for 38 days or longer, while those that hatched from December to March survived for 31 days or less. Questing larvae were present on vegetation throughout the year, with most being recovered during January and February. Parasitic larvae were present on cattle from October to May with most being collected during January and February.     

Small mammals as hosts of immature ixodid ticks

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.     

A Study of Endometritis Causing Repeat Breeding of Cycling Iraqi Buffalo Cows

The objectives of this study were to determine the non‐specific aerobic and anaerobic bacterial causes of endometritis causing repeat breeding of cycling Iraqi buffalo cows at Nineveh province, validate diagnostic criteria for endometritis and to evaluate the treatment efficiency of using systemic or intra‐uterine infusion of antibiotics for the treatment of endometritis. Data were collected from 60 buffalo cows with history of repeat breeding in different herds. All buffaloes were subjected to detailed clinical examination including external inspection, vaginoscopy and transrectal palpation of the cervix, uterus and ovaries. Swabs for bacteriology and biopsies for histopathology were collected from the uterine lumen from each cow. Character, odour and estimation of polymorphonuclear cells (PMN) of the vaginal mucus were scored. Blood samples were collected from cows for creatine kinase (CK) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) measurement. Treatment conducted using oxytetracycline with tylosin in local intrauterine infusion or systemically with hormonal treatment. The most pre‐disposing factor for uterine infection was retained placenta (13.3%). The most prevalent bacteria in uterine lumen were E. coli (23%), Archanobacterium pyogenes (13%) and Staphylococcus aureus (10%) were mostly isolated from buffaloes with repeat breeding. Vaginal mucus character score was associated with the bacterial growth density score. The difference in PMN was highly significant (p < 0.01) in animals with repeat breeding than control groups. In addition, PMNs was significantly (p < 0.01) correlated r = 0.894 with the character of vaginal discharge. High level of PMNs observed in buffaloes infected with A. pyogenes. Buffalo cows with endometritis had higher CK (321.47 ± 39.06 vs 162.01 ± 16.41 U/l) and AST (133.93 ± 12.43 vs 97.01 ± 6.86 U/l) activities (p < 0.05) than control‐heifers, but no significant difference was observed between buffalo cows with endometritis in CK (321.47 ± 39.06 vs 208.33 ± 5.84) and AST (133.93 ± 12.43 vs 156.17 ± 9.65) activities than control‐pluriparious. It could be concluded that A. pyogenes was the only non‐specific uterine pathogen directly associated with severe endometrial lesions. Vaginoscopy examination combined with palpation of uterus increase the accuracy of diagnosing endometritis and cytogenic examination of uterine discharge is more reliable method of establishing the presence or absence of uterine inflammation in buffalo cows. Animals with repeat breeding (endometritis) showed clinical cure and improved pregnancy in all treatment groups with no significant difference. The use of oestradiol in repeat breeder cases has no effect in improving neither clinical cure rate nor pregnancy rate.     

Heterologous In Vitro Fertility Evaluation of Cryopreserved Iberian Red Deer Epididymal Spermatozoa with Zona-intact Sheep Oocytes and its Relationship with the Characteristics of Thawed Spermatozoa

A heterologous in vitro system, using zona‐intact sheep oocytes, was used to evaluate the relationship between sperm factors of Iberian red deer thawed epididymal sperm and the percentage of cleaved oocytes. Epididymal spermatozoa were recovered from six males, diluted with freezing extender and cryopreserved. After thawing sperm motility (SM) and acrosome and membrane integrities were evaluated. Again, these parameters were assessed after incubation in freezing extender at 37°C for 2 h. After cryopreservation the values for SM and acrosome and membrane integrities were high (～80, 80 and 70% respectively). However, these values significantly decreased after incubation (～59, 62 and 47% respectively). Red deer thawed epididymal sperm fertilized zona‐intact sheep oocytes, although the percentage of cleaved oocytes was low (～22%). No relationship was found between sperm parameters assessed after thawing and the percentage of cleaved oocytes. Likewise, any sperm parameter evaluated after incubation was assessed in relation to the percentage of cleaved oocytes. However, acrosome and membrane integrities were near to significance (p = 0.06 and p = 0.09 respectively). Then, we conducted a reduced model with these two variables and both were related to the percentage of cleaved oocytes (p = 0.02 and p = 0.04 respectively). Thus, acrosome and membrane integrities were related to the percentage of cleaved oocytes negatively and positively respectively. It was concluded that the classical parameters assessed in deer thawed sperm samples can be good predictors of the ability to fertilize zona‐intact sheep oocytes.     

Investigation of bovine haemoplasmas and their association with anaemia in New Zealand cattle

CASE HISTORY AND CLINICAL FINDINGS: A dairy cow, from a herd in the Waikato region of New Zealand, was reported with regenerative anaemia on 12 September 2014. Testing of blood from the animal using PCR assays for Theileria orientalis produced a negative result for both Chitose and Ikeda types.

LABORATORY FINDINGS: Using PCR and DNA sequencing, blood from the cow was positive for Candidatus Mycoplasma haemobos. Further testing of another 12 animals from the case herd, 27 days after the affected cow was first reported, showed 11 animals were positive for Candidatus M. haemobos or Mycoplasma wenyonii in the PCR. None of these cattle were clinically anaemic or positive for T. orientalis Ikeda type using PCR.

A convenience sample of 47 blood samples from cattle throughout New Zealand, submitted to the Investigation and Diagnostic Centre (Ministry for Primary Industries) for surveillance testing for T. orientalis Ikeda, was selected for further testing for bovine haemoplasmas. Of these samples, 6/47 (13%) and 13/47(28%) were positive for M. wenyonii and Candidatus M. haemobos, respectively. There was no difference in the proportion of samples positive for the bovine haemaplasmas between cattle with anaemia that were negative for T. orientalis (6/20, 33%), or without anaemia or T. orientalis (10/18, 56%), or from cattle herds experiencing anaemia and infection with T. orientalis Ikeda type (3/9, 33%).

DIAGNOSIS: Bovine haemoplasmosis.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The presence of bovine haemoplasmas in blood does not establish causality for anaemia in cattle. Diagnosis of anaemia associated with haemoplasmosis would require exclusion of other causes of regenerative anaemia and an association of the agent with anaemia in affected cattle herds. The data collected in this study did not provide evidence that bovine haemoplasmas were associated with a large number of outbreaks of anaemia in cattle in New Zealand.     

Oestrous sheep serum balances ROS levels to supply in vitro capacitation of ram spermatozoa

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are fundamental for intracellular signalling. In spermatozoa, they are involved both to apoptosis and to capacitation, and changes in ROS levels can alter the balance between these two processes. Oestrous sheep serum (OSS) is considered an efficient agent for in vitro capacitation of ram spermatozoa. We have explored the effects of OSS on ram sperm physiology, especially on ROS production, during in vitro capacitation. Semen samples from 15 rams were cryopreserved. After thawing, samples were submitted to four treatments: control (CTL), 10% OSS supplementation for in vitro sperm capacitation, caspase inhibitor (INH, Z‐VAD‐FMK 100 μM) and OSS (10%) plus caspase inhibitor (I + E). Sperm samples were incubated for 30 min at 38.5°C and 5% CO₂ and evaluated motility and kinetic parameters by computer‐assisted semen analysis (CASA) and viability (propidium iodide), apoptotic‐like membrane changes (YO‐PRO‐1), acrosomal status (PNA‐FITC), intracellular calcium (FLUO‐3), membrane fluidity (M540) and ROS production (CM‐H₂DCFDA) by flow cytometry. OSS induced changes in kinetic parameters compatible with capacitation, with a decrease in the percentage of progressive motility and linearity, and an increase in the amplitude of the lateral displacement of the sperm head (p < .05). Moreover, OSS increased the proportion of M540+ viable spermatozoa, YO‐PRO‐1+ and acrosome‐reacted spermatozoa (p < .05). After incubation, OSS and I+E achieved lower ROS levels (p < .05). Ca²⁺ levels did not change with the incubation, but were slightly higher (p < .05) when both OSS and the inhibitor were present. We suggest that OSS may modulate ROS levels, allowing intracellular signalling for capacitation to occur while preventing higher levels that could trigger apoptosis.     

Characterization of Heterodera carotae from the Tarlton area,South Africa,and determination of its life cycle under field conditions: a baseline study

Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection - Identification of Heterodera carotae (carrot cyst nematode), first reported from the Tarlton area in South Africa in 2008, was based on morphometrical and...     

The production,digestibility and chemical composition of five ecotypes of Anthephora pubescens Nees on three soil types

Abstract

Production, digestibility of OM and chemical composition of five promising Anthephora pubescens Nees ecotypes (VH4, VH7, VH9, VH17 and VH20) at two fertiliser levels were compared on a soil of the Mangano, Annandale and Sunbury series.

The highest dry matter yield was obtained from VH7 and VH20. Ecotypes VH20 and VH17 established best, while VH4, VH20 and VH17 had a better leaf to stem ratio than VH7 and VH9. The differences in chemical composition (P, K, Ca, Mg and Zn), crude protein content and digestibility between ecotypes were not large. The highest number of grazing days and a grazing capacity of 2,68 ha/LSU at a high grazing intensity, was recorded for the ecotype VH20 in the ripe‐seed stage. The relatively high protein content (14,1%) and digestibility (69,9%) of grazing material, collected by oesophageally fistulated steers indicated a pasture of potential.     

The influence of stocking rate and grazing system on the crude protein content and digestibility of Tarchonanthus veld in the northern cape 1

Abstract

Four stocking rates (10, 7, 6 and 4 ha/large stock unit), in both rotational and continuous grazing, have been applied with cattle on Tarchonanthus veld. The crude protein content and digestibility of organic matter of handcut samples and herbage samples collected by means of oesophageal fistulated steers in the different treatments, were determined.

The results indicated that the crude protein content (3,9 to 6,7%) and digestibility (48,7 to 59,4%) of handcut samples was not representative of the diet of grazing cattle. The crude protein content of the samples collected by means of oesophageal fistulated steers varied from an average of 13,6%. (October to December) to an average of 5,3% (July and August). On average, the digestibility of the fistula collected samples varied between 60,4% (February to April) and 50,2% (July to October). The crude protein content of the fistula collected samples tended to increase with increasing stocking rate while digestibility declined. Both crude protein content and digestibility of the fistula collected samples did not differ significantly between rotational and continuous grazing.