Porcine coccidia in Papua New Guinea

Faecal samples from 232 domestic pigs raised on concrete, 98 free-ranging village pigs, and five wild boar showed 46.6 (108/232), 54 (53/98) and 80% (4/5) prevalence of coccidian oocysts, respectively. Eight species of Eimeria, and Isospora suis, were recovered. In their descending order of predominance in the pigs raised on concrete, the species of coccidia were E. debliecki (26.7%), E. scabra (22.4%), E. neodebliecki (19.8%), E. porci (15.5%), E. suis (11.6%), E. polita (8.6%), E. perminuta (7%), E. spinosa (5.6%) and I. suis (3.9%). The first five species listed above predominated in the village pigs as well. E. polita, E. spinosa and I. suis were not found in the wild boar. I. suis oocysts prevailed in 8.3% of the 36 sows on concrete, and in 11.1% (3/27) of those which were positive for coccidia. Isosporoid oocysts were absent in the village sows. Of the 125 less than 24-day-old piglets, 29.6% were diarrhoeic, and of these, 43.2% were positive for coccidia. Four of the 16 (25%) coccidia-positive, diarrhoeic piglets, and four of the 37 (10.8%) coccidia-positive non-diarrhoeic piglets shed I. suis oocysts, an observation which seems to weaken the present contention that I. suis is the primary causative agent of neonatal porcine coccidiosis. The highest mean number of oocysts per gram faeces (23,550) was recorded from the diarrhoeic farm piglets on concrete, and the lowest of 6,100 from the gestating farm sows. Mean opg data revealed very little significant quantitative variation between the corresponding age groups of the free-ranging village pigs and the commercially-farmed ones. One of the most interesting findings in the study was that the sows were more frequently infected than all other age groups.     

Trichinellosis in Papua New Guinea

OBJECTIVES: To describe the discovery in a domestic pig of the first case of trichinellosis in Papua New Guinea, caused by a new taxon within the genus Trichinella (T papuae). Also, to establish if the disease occurred in the local wild pig population and in domestic pigs elsewhere in the country, and to test if the worm was infective to some other animals. PROCEDURE: Fresh and fixed tissue samples were examined by the digestion method and histologically, respectively, for the non-encapsulated larvae of T papuae. Feeding trials were conducted, using infected tissues and infective larvae, on animals under laboratory conditions. RESULTS: About 8.8% of a wild pig population in Western Province, adjacent to Irian Jaya, Indonesia, was found to be infected. Infection was not found in other local and feral animals or in domestic pigs from other parts of the country. Infection was experimentally established in cats, pigs and laboratory bred mice and rats. CONCLUSION: Trichinellosis is confined to one remote locality in PNG. Domestic pigs in the initial case became infected, probably, by eating infected wild pig meat.     

The epidemiology of fasciolosis in Papua New Guinea

Fasciola hepatica metacercariae were present on pasture throughout the year at the trial site. The highest infection rate in trial sheep occurred in the first year after the beginning of the wet season, in December/January, when contamination of the pasture was maintained by other sheep. Variation in rates of infection in consecutive years was linked to differences in grazing pressure and to a change from sheep to cattle as accompanying grazing stock. A minimum precipitation of 125 mm over 4 consecutive weeks appears to be necessary for infected snails to move from their normal habitats and to contaminate wet pasture with cercariae. Infection of sheep can occur during a dry season if pasture has permanent seepage sites or swampy areas where infected snails can remain active and continue to liberate cercariae.     

Rotavirus excretion by village pigs in Papua New Guinea

Cohort studies were conducted on 29 pigs from 3 villages in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea. Animals ranged in age from 9 d to 5 m old. Three hundred and twenty nine faecal samples were collected from individual pigs followed over 3 to 6 w periods, and were examined for group A rotavirus antigen by ELISA, and rotaviral genomic RNA by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). Electron microscopy was also conducted on selected samples. Group A rotavirus was detected in the faeces of 16 pigs with infected individuals coming from all villages. Non-group A rotavirus resembling group C was found in faeces from pigs from 2 villages. All of the group A rotaviruses examined had the same electrophoretype and this was distinct from that of the common type infecting humans in the area at the time of the study. None of the group A positive samples reacted with monoclonal antisera specific for human group A rotaviruses of serotypes 1, 2, 3, 4, or 8. The non-group A rotaviruses also all had identical electrophoretypes. In contrast to previous findings in intensive piggeries, rotavirus infection did not occur in all young pigs and was not limited to young animals under 2 m of age. Infected pigs varied in age from 12 days to 20 weeks of age. This pattern of infection was attributed to the non-intensive husbandry situations in the villages, with less opportunity for transmission to occur than in intensive piggeries.     

Diseases of young captive crocodiles in Papua New Guinea

To identify causes of mortality in young captive crocodiles, detailed necropsy and laboratory examination was done on 54 (30 Crocodylus porosus, 22 C. novaeguineae, 2 of unrecorded species). Although multiple infections often confounded interpretation it was concluded that the major infectious diseases, of approximately equal importance, were coccidiosis, bacterial septicaemia with Gram-negative organisms, and metazoan parasitism including ascariasis and pentastomiasis. A range of other lesions and agents was recognised, including keratitis, enteritis of unknown aetiology, non-suppurative encephalitis, traumatic peritonitis and trematodes located in renal tubules, gut and blood vessels. Some crocodiles in poor condition had only mild lesions associated with metazoan parasites and the cause of death or illness could not be clearly determined, although it was considered likely that adaptation failure was a contributing factor.     

Sodium deficiency of grazing cattle in Papua New Guinea

Summary Sodium deficiency was suspected from low saliva sodium concentrations in cattle at various sites in the lowlands of Papua New Guinea. In an experiment at Erap, Morobe Province crossbred and pedigree Brahman heifers supplemented with copper, cobalt and/or common salt showed no response to copper or cobalt supplementation. There was a significant growth response (P<0·01) to salt supplementation over a 16 week period confirming sodium deficiency in these animals. The response in the crossbreds was twice that in the purebreds. Supplemented crossbred animals grew 0·78 kg/day over the 16 week experimental period.

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Resumen Se sospechó deficiencia de sodio al encontrar valores bajos de este elemento, en la saliva de bovinos que pastoreaban sitios bajos en Pápua. En un experimento en Erap, Provincia de Morobe, novillos Brahman puros y cruzados suplementados con cobre, cobalto y/o sal comun, no mostraron respuesta al cobre o al cobalto. Hubo respuesta significative (P<0·01) a la suplementación con sal en un período de 16 semanas, confirmando así la deficiencia de sodio en estos animales, con major respuesta en los cruces que en los Brahman puros. Los primeros aumentaron 0·78 kg/dia durante el período experimental de 16 semanas.

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Résumé Une carence en sodium a été suspectée en raison de faibles concentrations en sodium dans la salive de bovins paissant à divers endroits dans les plaines de Papouasie Nouvelle Guinée. Dans une expérience conduite à Erap, Province de Morobe, des génisses métissées et de pédigré Brahman recevant un complément de cuivre, cobalt et/ou de sel ordinaire n’ont pas réagi à la complémentation en cuivre ou cobalt. La complémentation en sel a entrainé une réponse de croissance significative (P<0,01) sur une période de 16 semaines, confirmant par là la carence en sodium chez ces animaux, avec une réponse deux fois plus importante chez les métisses que les animaux de race pure. Les animaux métissés recevant un complément ont eu un gain de poids de 0,78 kg par jour pendant la période expérimentale de 16 semaines.

     

Mineral status of beef cattle in Papua New Guinea

Groups of 22 steers grazed eight diverse environments in Papua New Guinea for one year. Haemoglobin, packed cell volume, MCHC, plasma albumen, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, copper and saliva sodium and potassium were measured; half of each group received cobalt supplements. Growth rate was measured. Cobalt deficiency was tentatively diagnosed at two sites, sodium deficiency at five sites and phosphorus at three with two other sites marginal. Sodium supplementation at the three most affected sites corrected sodium status and increased growth rate. Additionally, at two of these sites plasma phosphorus concentration increased to more normal levels presumably due to increased appetite. Statistically significant differences between sites occurred in the concentrations of other minerals but were not related to growth rates. The significance of these results is discussed in relation to assessment of mineral status in beef cattle.     

Field trials with closantel and Haemonchus contortus in sheep in Papua New Guinea

Sheep treated once with closantel at 7.5 or 15.0 mg/kg and grazing with untreated sheep remained free of Haemonchus contortus for at least 4 to 5 weeks and 6 to 7 weeks respectively after treatment. When the whole flock was treated with 15.0 mg/kg, H. contortus began to become re-established 7 to 8 weeks later. Maximum benefit of the residual anthelmintic effect of closantel against H.contortus was obtained only when all sheep in the flock were treated; it took 10 weeks longer for H.contortus to form 50% of larval cultures when the whole flock was treated than when only a part of the flock was treated.