Hydatidosis of slaughtered cattle in Wolaita Sodo Abattoir,southern Ethiopia

The study was carried out from July 2007 to June 2008 in Wolaita Sodo Abattoir to assess the status of hydatidosis in cattle. Routine meat inspection, hydatid cyst count and characterization were conducted. Out of 400 cattle slaughtered in Wolaita Sodo Abattoir 64 (16%) animals were found harboring hydatid cysts. Thorough meat inspection in the abattoir revealed that 74 visceral organ were found harboring one or more hydatid cysts. The infection of the lung, liver, spleen and kidney were found to be 45.94% 45.94%, 6.75% and 1.35% respectively. From the total of 283 hydatid cysts counted 153(54.06%), 17(6.00%), 5(1.76%), 108(38.16%) were found to be small, medium, large and calcified cysts respectively and 170(60.28%), 5(1.76%) and 108(38.16%) were sterile, fertile and calcified cysts respectively. The rate of cyst calcification was higher in the liver than in the lung while fertility rate was higher among the cysts of the lung. Hydatid cyst viability rate of 40% was observed.     

Breeding density of the southern ground hornbill,Bucorvus leadbeateri,in the communal areas surrounding the Matobo National Park,Zimbabwe

The southern ground hornbill, Bucorvus leadbeateri, is on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as a ‘Vulnerable’ species with a decreasing population. Despite a myriad of threats, including loss of nesting sites, accidental poisoning and persecution, there has been no detailed study of the southern ground hornbill in Zimbabwe. We collected data on nest sites and usage for 42 nests over three breeding seasons in the communal areas surrounding the Matobo National Park. For the active nests in the breeding seasons of 2008/9 and 2009/10 the mean nearest neighbour distances were 4.41 km and 3.53 km, respectively. Most nests were found in granite crevices (67%) while the remainder were found in five different tree species. Most nests (90%) were in areas of subsistence crop farming, the remainder (10%) were found in forests and open savannas. The high breeding density of the southern ground hornbill in the communal areas surrounding the Matobo National Park in Zimbabwe could be attributed in part to traditional Ndebele culture which, for the most part, protects this species. Food also appears to be relatively abundant under communal farming conditions.     

贾斯珀国家公园一半是野性，一半是柔美

颇具讽刺意味的是,天使冰川最初并未被称作“天使”,而被称作“魔鬼冰川”,后来人们发现它的形状宛若天使的两翼,才把它改名为“天使冰川”。
　　在柯达胶卷的画面上,空灵的群山中,是一片蓝色的湖水,水面上静静地安卧着一座小岛,充满浓郁的油画意境,而那个小岛便是精灵岛。
　　巫药湖是当地印第安人传说中的一个圣湖,这里有一个奇异的现象：每年春天到盛夏,湖水高涨,然而到了秋冬季节,湖水竟完全消失了,不知所踪。     

Leptospirosis outbreak in a piggery in southern alberta

Fourteen abortions, stillbirths and neonatal deaths occurred over an interval of one month in crated sows in a farrow-to-finish swine operation. Leptospira interrogans serovar pomona (kennewicki by DNA analysis) was demonstrated by culture and fluorescent antibody test to be present in sows, piglets, boars, feeders, drinking water and skunks on the premises.

Antibody was found in all clinically affected sows, at serum dilutions ranging from 1/800 to 1/25,600, and in all breeding boars at titers from 1/50 to 1/1600. Pomona antibody was present in 118 sow sera collected nine months before the outbreak, at a prevalence of 21.3%. Parvovirus infection in fetuses was intercurrent with the leptospirosis epizootic, despite vaccination for the former. Environmental contamination, feedback through skunks via drinking water, and dissemination through the piggery are discussed.

     

Infectious bursal disease: outbreak investigation,molecular characterization,and vaccine immunogenicity trial in Ethiopia

Tropical Animal Health and Production - The study was conducted with the objective of isolation and molecular characterization of infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) circulating in Ethiopia and...     

Village chickens management in Wolaita zone of southern Ethiopia

Little effort has been made to improve village chickens housing, feeding, and health care. Due to this, the amount of output obtained is usually low. The aim of this study was to elicit farmers’ knowledge on the routine husbandry practices of village chickens. One hundred nineteen farmers were one-on-one interviewed in the highland and lowland areas of Wolaita zone (southern Ethiopia) to generate the dataset used in this analysis. We found that all the respondents supplemented the scavenging chickens with locally available feed resources. However, the amount of supplementary feeds provided hardly meets the nutritional requirement of the flock. As a result, farmers were forced to practice a sort of preferential feeding mainly based on laying performance and the scavenging ability of different classes of the family flock. Moreover, there is a wide difference in the amount and type of feed available among seasons. This variation has forced farmers to resort on strategic supplementation to overcome the adverse effect of inherent feed (grain) scarcity on chickens’ performance especially during wet season. Feed loss should be kept at a minimum by using feeding troughs, and a fraction of money obtained from selling of the chickens and eggs needs to be set aside to purchase feed. The risk of disease was higher during main rain season (June to September). Besides providing sanitary condition and feed supplementation, capacitating the veterinary service and validating the efficacy of ethno-veterinary practices through objective studies is required to improve the health status of village chickens. Majority of the farmers use rudimentary types of in-house built shelters to protect their chickens from adverse effects of bad weather, predation, and theft. This indicates the importance of constructing proper types of shelters from locally (freely) available or inexpensive materials. The existing tradition of responsibility sharing among family members while doing the routine husbandry practices needs to be strengthened to maximize the efficient use of family’s labor force. This improvement plan needs to be mainly implemented through adoption of the existing best traditional practices and through the rational use of cheap and readily available local resources.     

Drug-resistant Trypanosoma congolense in naturally infected donkeys in north Omo Zone, southern Ethiopia

A three-part study was conducted to determine the efficacy of isometamidium chloride in donkey populations naturally infected with trypanosomes in north Omo Zone, southern Ethiopia. In the first, 373 randomly selected donkeys from four villages were examined for trypanosome infections by the dark ground/phase contrast buffy coat technique (BCT) in November 1999. The trypanosome prevalence was 18.2% (95% confidence interval (CI): 14.4, 22.5) and Trypanosoma congolense was the most common species accounting for 66.2% of the overall infections. In the second part, 40 infected donkeys were selected and treated with a prophylactic dose of 1.0mg/kg of isometamidium chloride and thereafter monitored every 14 days for 90 days. Trypanosomes were detected in eight donkeys within 1 month and in 20 donkeys within 2 months of treatment. About 16% (5/32) of donkeys infected with T. congolense were detected parasitemic 1 month after treatment. In addition, the result also revealed that all relapse/breakthrough infections were due to T. congolense. In the third part of this study mice were infected with two T. congolense field isolates from donkeys that were found to be parasitemic within 1 or 2 months after isometamidium treatment. The mice were treated with ranges of doses of isometamidium chloride or diminazene aceturate and thereafter followed for relapse infection. Isometamidium chloride at doses 0.5-4 mg/kg body weight and diminazene aceturate at doses of 3.5-28 mg/kg body weight failed completely to cure T. congolense infections in any of the mice.     

Incidence of feline immunodeficiency virus reactive antibodies in free-ranging lions of the Kruger National Park and the Etosha National Park in southern Africa detected by recombinant FIV p24 antigen.

Lion sera from the Kruger National Park (KNP) dating back to 1977 and from the Etosha National Park (ENP), obtained from 1989 to 1991, have been analysed by ELISA and Western blot analyses using a genetically engineered antigen representing the p24 structural protein of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV). It was concluded that some 83% of 98 KNP lion sera reacted with the p24 antigen, while none of 28 ENP lion sera reacted. A few other KNP felids (cheetahs and genets) gave samples that did not react with the FIV p24 antigen. For the KNP lions, apart from a lower prevalence in cubs (50%), no particular trends were demonstrated in terms of age, sex, date or origins of the samples. In Western blot and radio-immunoprecipitation analyses the lion sera reacted with the engineered p24 antigen, as well as with the p15 and p24 gag proteins and the p50 gag precursor protein from FIV, indicating that the agent is probably a lentivirus related to FIV. The ELISA with the engineered p24 antigen required less serum and appears to be more sensitive at detecting FIV-reactive antibodies than assays with available commercial kits.     

Prevalence of bovine tuberculosis in pastoral cattle herds in the Oromia region,southern Ethiopia

A cross-sectional study of bovine tuberculosis (BTB) was conducted in pastoral cattle herds in southern Ethiopia, from February to August 2008 using the comparative intradermal tuberculin test. The prevalence of BTB and the risk factors for having positive reactor herds were assessed in four pastoral associations in two districts of southern Ethiopia, namely Goro-Dola with 242 cattle in 16 herds and Liben with 231 cattle in 15 herds. A herd was considered positive if there was at least one reactor animal in a herd. The test results were interpreted based on the Office Internationale des Epizooties recommended 4-mm and a recently suggested 2-mm cut-off. The apparent individual animal prevalence of tuberculin reactors was 5.5% (95% confidence interval (CI), 4.0–8.0%) and 7.0% (95% CI, 5.0–10.0%), whereas the true prevalence estimate was 4.4% (95% CI, 0.8–8.0%) and 6.1% (95% CI, 2.6–9.5%), when using the 4-mm and the 2-mm cut-offs, respectively. The overall herd apparent prevalence of tuberculin reactor animals was 41.9% (95% CI, 24.9–60.9%) and 48.4% (95% CI, 30.2–66.9%) with the 4-mm and 2-mm cut-offs, respectively. A positive tuberculin test was associated with the age of animals and the main drinking water sources during dry seasons. In order to investigate the public health risks and the epidemiological importance of BTB in the area, we recommend to include other livestock species (camels and goats) as well as humans in future studies.     

Vagrant Subantarctic fur seal in the Mayumba National Park,Gabon

A vagrant adult male Subantarctic fur seal Arctocephalus tropicalis was seen and photographed on the beach in Mayumba National Park in the Gabonese Republic. This is the northern most sighting on record for the species. The likely source of the vagrant is the population at Gough Island, South Atlantic.     

Predation on Large Mammals in the Kafue National Park,Zambia

Clymene dolphins, Stenella clymene, are endemic to the tropical and subtropical Atlantic Ocean, where their occurrence is documented from fewer than 200 records. The species is particularly poorly known in the eastern Atlantic off the coast of Africa where only 12 verified records exist, predominantly comprising dead animals. Marine mammal survey work was carried out off central West Africa during 2004 and 2005, producing two new observations of freeranging Clymene dolphins. Both sightings occurred in deep-water (466 and 684 m) over the shelf edge, off northern Angola and Congo respectively. A pod of 250 Clymene dolphins was observed off Congo, while the Angola sighting was of a mixed-species group of 12 Clymene dolphins with common dolphins, Delphinus sp. These records represent the first confirmed presence of Clymene dolphins off Angola and Congo, and extend the known southern limit of the confirmed distribution range of this species in the South-East Atlantic to 06°26‘S.     

Learning from outbreaks of bovine tuberculosis near Riding Mountain National Park: applications to a foreign animal disease outbreak

Riding Mountain National Park, Manitoba, is home to a population of free-roaming elk (Cervus elaphus manitobensis) that have been found to be infected with Mycobacterium bovis, the agent of bovine tuberculosis (TB). The disease has also been found in a number of cattle herds near the Park and, as a result, Manitoba has been assigned a split status for bovine TB. A number of government agencies, with input from representatives from the wildlife and agricultural sectors, have responded by devising a program to detect, investigate, control, eradicate, and prevent TB in both wild and domestic animals. Experience from these efforts can be applied to the control of other diseases, such a foreign animal disease, elsewhere in Canada.