Tuberculosis in wild seals and characterisation of the seal bacillus

SUMMARY Tuberculosis was diagnosed in 3 otariid seals found dead on beaches at 3 locations on the south coast of Western Australian between May 1990 and March 1991. This confirms that tuberculosis is present in the 2 native seals (Neophoca cinerea and Arctocephalus forsteri) in Western Australian waters. Mycobacterium sp isolated from the lungs of 2 of the seals were studied to determine the similarity of the strains to each other, to the strains isolated during 1986 from Australian sea lions and New Zealand fur seals kept in captivity at a marine park near Perth, Western Australia, and to a strain isolated in 1988 from a seal trainer who worked with the infected captive seals for 3 years. After restriction endonuclease analysis (REA) with the endonucleases Bst Ell, Bcl I and Pvu II, one of the wild seal strains appeared to have identical DNA fragment patterns to the strains from the captive seals and the seal trainer. The other wild seal isolate had identical REA profiles using Bst EII and Bcl I, but a minor difference was detected using Pvu II. Differences in these isolates were more clearly seen in restriction fragment length polymorphisms after hybridisation with two DNA probes. The secretory protein MPB70, present in M bovis, was not detected in wild seal isolates using sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and Western blotting techniques. Analysis of protein and DNA fragment profiles indicated that seal tuberculosis isolates form a unique cluster within the M tuberculosis complex.     

Canine toxocariasis and the associated environmental contamination of urban areas in eastern Nigeria

The prevalence of canine toxocariasis in pet dogs in two urban towns in eastern Nigeria and the associated environmental contamination were studied through examination of 262 faecal and 400 soil samples. Infection rates in dogs varied from 6.67% to 42.35%, the prevalence rate being inversely related to the age of dogs. Sex and breed of dogs had no significant influence (P greater than 0.05) on the prevalence of infection. There was no evidence of widespread contamination of public places, as Toxocara ova were recovered only from some private premises, namely, those of a dog owner and the kennel of a veterinary hospital.     

Arrested development of gastrointestinal trichostrongylids in goats in Nigeria

Arrested development of Haemonchus, Cooperia and Trichostrongylus spp. was studied in (1) 14 naturally infected and eight experimentally infected West African Dwarf (WAD) goats reared in the derived savanna zone of eastern Nigeria and (2) 55 naturally infected slaughter goats obtained from the savanna and sahel regions of northern Nigeria. Six of the WAD goats carried natural infections of H. contortus and T. colubriformis and eight other (tracer) goats acquired their infections from a grass paddock artificially contaminated with H. placei, C. pectinata and C. punctata, during May to October. Another three WAD goats were artificially infected with mixed cultures of L3 of the latter three nematodes, while five goats were inoculated with 1500-2000 L3 of H. contortus harvested from cultures incubated at 25-30 degrees C for 8 days either in the dark or under normal laboratory conditions. Approximately 41% (9/22) of the infected WAD goats harboured arrested larvae of Haemonchus and/or Cooperia. No arrested larvae of Trichostrongylus were found in the six animals that were infected with this nematode. The level of inhibition varied from 0.4 to 20% and only three animals showed greater than 10% inhibition. This very low level of inhibition occurred in naturally and experimentally acquired infections, irrespective of the time of year. In the case of Haemonchus, the species and strain of the parasite and infection with L3 cultured in the dark also appeared not to influence the level of inhibition. By contrast, 65.5% (36/55) and 5.5% (3/55) of the northern savanna and sahel goats harboured arrested larvae of H. contortus and T. colubriformis, respectively. The mean percentage inhibition of the former was low (2-25%) during most of the rainy season (June-August) and high (75-90%) during the late rains and the dry season (October-April). The lowest and highest mean percentage inhibitions occurred during July and November, respectively.     

Seasonal changes in pasture populations of infective larvae of gastrointestinal nematodes of cattle in eastern Nigeria

The seasonal changes in the populations of trichostrongylid infective larvae (L3) on herbage and in soil samples collected from pastures grazed by beef cattle were studied at Nsukka, eastern Nigeria, from April 1980 to July 1981. Large numbers of L3 were recovered from all samples collected during the rainy season (April to October). The rainy season herbage infestation was characterised by three clearly defined peaks. The first, which followed an 'early rains' (April) rise, occurred in the second half of May while the larger second and third peaks occurred in late July and October respectively. It is suggested that each of these peaks represented a distinct wave of infestation by a separate generation consisting of the three trichostrongylids concerned, namely Cooperia, Haemonchus and Trichostrongylus species. Although there was a sharp fall in pasture infestation following the onset of the dry season, appreciable numbers of L3 were still present on herbage in early December. The implications of these findings have been discussed in relation to the choice of effective strategic anthelmintic programmes for the prophylaxis and control of bovine parasitic gastroenteritis in the Nsukka area.     

Changes in the body condition scores of Nigerian West African Dwarf sheep experimentally infected with mixed infections of Haemonchus contortus and Trichostrongylus colubriformis

Weekly changes in body condition scores and body weights were determined in West African Dwarf sheep following trickle exposure to weekly escalating mixed infections with Haemonchus contortus and Trichostrongylus colubriformis starting with single doses of 500 infective larvae (L(3)) at wk1, 1000 L(3) at wk2, 2000 L(3) at wk3 and 4000 L(3) at wk4. Thirty-three animals were randomly assigned to two groups namely, Group 1 (n=27) and Group 2 (n=6). Group 1 animals were used for experimental infections and Group 2 animals served as uninfected controls. Body condition scores (BCS), body weights (BW), faecal egg counts (FEC) per gram of faeces and worm burden (Wb) were determined using standard procedures. Lambs in group 1 with epg ≤ 1000 were classified as strong responders (n=16), those with epg between 1000 and 10,000 as intermediate (n=5) and lambs with epg>10,000 on any sampling day were classified as weak responders (n=6). Based on this classification, the mean epg of lambs classified as strong responders was significantly lower (P<0.001) than the epg of lambs classified as weak responders. The body condition scores and body weights of the strong responder lambs were comparable with those of the uninfected control and they were significantly higher than those of the weak and intermediate responders from wk5 till the end of the experiment. There was an inverse and significant relationship between the average BCS of days 56 and 59 and the average FEC of days 56 and 59 (r(s)=-572; P=0.017; n=27) as well as with Wb (r(s)=-531; P=0.028; n=27). We concluded that changes in the body scores are good indicators of the intensity of gastrointestinal nematode infection in the Nigerian WAD sheep.     

An analysis of the persistence and potency of film‐coated seed protectant as influenced by various storage parameters

BACKGROUND: An efficient delivery system for seed‐protectant chemicals is needed in light of several disadvantages of conventional seed treatment methods. This study evaluates the efficacy of film‐coat application in maintaining the persistence and potency of imidacloprid on Lycopersicon esculentum (L.) Mill. seeds after simultaneous storage under ambient and regulated environment in paper and aluminium packages. RESULTS: High‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) revealed 0.135 mg kg^?1 of herbage material to be the threshold value beyond which absolute control was obtained, and with film coating the latter was achieved even with half‐dosage seed treatment, irrespective of the storage condition. The technique provided early protection to the crop and also nullified the deleterious effects of ambient storage on the persistence and potency of the pesticide. CONCLUSION: Film coating enabled superior pesticide dosage as well as higher biological efficacy to be achieved. Hence, in addition to being an ecofriendly alternative, the technique would be a more economically viable option for storage of treated seeds. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Relative contributions of late dry-season and early rains pasture contaminations with trichostrongyle eggs to the wet-season herbage infestation in eastern Nigeria

Two worm-free grass paddocks, P1 and P2, were artificially contaminated in March and April-May, respectively, with bovine faeces containing known numbers of trichostrongyle (mainly Cooperia, Haemonchus and Trichostrongylus spp.) eggs in order to determine the relative contributions of late dry-season and early rains pasture contaminations to the wet-season herbage larval infestation in Nsukka, eastern Nigeria. The resulting herbage infestation was assessed by means of larval counts and tracer studies. A sudden rise in herbage infestation occurred simultaneously in both paddocks in late April, this apparently being determined by the onset of the first substantial rainfall of the wet season. Peak infestations in both paddocks also occurred simultaneously in May. The infestation in P1 was much larger, and the larval population persisted longer, than that in P2 and later gave rise to a second smaller peak in June. No L3 were recovered in herbage samples from either of the paddocks after the third week of July. Both paddocks were infective to goats in May-June, while P2 was also infective in July-August. The results suggest that in the Nigerian derived savanna the initial wet-season herbage infestation in pastures grazed by infected cattle during the dry and wet seasons will consist of L3 from late dry-season and early rains pasture contaminations, the former being the major contributor to the infestation. Consequently, pastures contaminated during the late dry season may not be safe for susceptible animals to graze at the start of the succeeding rainy season.     

Effect of wheat,legume and legume enriched wheat residue and nitrogen application on soil fertility under rice-wheat cropping system

The field experiments were conducted for two crop years of 1997?–?98 and 1998?–?99 at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi to study the effect of wheat, legume and legume enriched wheat residue (WR) on soil fertility under the rice-wheat cropping system. A rice-wheat cropping system without incorporation of residue depleted organic C over initial level by 0.061%, kjeldahl-N by 0.012%, available P by 0.7?kg ha^???1 and available K by 36?kg ha^???1, whereas incorporation of Sesbania green manure (SGM), mungbean residue (MBR), SGM?+?WR and MBR?+?WR increased organic C over the initial level by 0.071, 0.100, 0.163 and 0.133%, respectively, kjeldahl-N by 0.001, 0.004, 0.001 and 0.005% respectively, available P by 2.7, 5.0, 8.5 and 3.2?kg ha^???1, respectively and available K by 35, 5, 92 and 12?kg ha^???1, respectively in 2 years. As compared with no residue control, incorporation of WR increased organic C by 0.036?–?0.102%, kjeldahl-N by 0.002?–?0.007% and available K by 23?–?45?kg ha^?1, whereas incorporation of SGM and MBR increased organic C by 0.082?–?0.132 and 0.103?–?0.161%, respectively, kjeldahl-N by 0.009?–?0.023 and 0.005?–?0.013%, respectively and available K by 5?–?71 and 4?–?45?kg ha^???1, respectively. Incorporation of WR with SGM and MBR was more effective and increased organic C by 0.121?–?0.224 and 0.125?–?0.194%, respectively, kjeldahl-N by 0.005?–?0.029 and 0.010?–?0.021%, respectively and available K content by 23?–?128 and 11?–?116?kg ha^???1. Nitrogen application to rice also increased organic C, kjeldahl-N, available P and available K content in soil and also increased effects of crop residues. Crop residues had no significant effect on available P content in soil. Incorporation of WR with SGM and MBR with adequate fertilizer-N is, thus, recommended for building up organic C, kjeldahl-N and available K content in soil.