Chemical control of the heartwater vectors

This paper reviews available literature on the efficacy of acaricides against Amblyomma hebraeum and other tick species, and presents information on tests done with registered chemicals in the laboratory. Little published information is available on the efficacy of chemicals specifically against A. hebraeum. A host of formulations are registered for use as acaricides on cattle, sheep, and goats in South Africa and thus, by implication, against this species. Resistance has only been described to arsenic and toxaphene in Southern Africa; the other registered products are generally considered to be effective. In contrast, many efficacy tests of various chemicals in different formulations against other Amblyomma spp. have been described. These publications have mainly emanated from the USA, where bite-wounds of these ticks serve as oviposition sites for screwworm flies. In this paper, Amblyomma maculatum and Amblyomma variegatum are included as potential heartwater vectors. The acaricidal efficacy of a number of compounds, representative of different chemical classes, was tested in South Africa against an arsenic and organochlorine resistant strain of A. hebraeum. The engorged adult female immersion method was used. A disconcerting discovery was that several of these registered products failed to control this tick when used at their recommended concentrations. It is concluded that many chemicals which fail against A. hebraeum on cattle do so because of insufficient persistence. Exposure of this tick to lower levels of existing chemicals, but for longer periods, ought to provide satisfactory control for many years.     

Interactions between the predacious fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora and third-stage larvae of a series of animal-parasitic nematodes

Interactions between the predacious hyphomycete Arthrobotrys oligospora and third-stage larvae of nine animal-parasitic nematodes were tested in vitro. The trap-inducing capabilities of the ruminant trichostrongylus Cooperia oncophora, C. curticei, Haemonchus contortus and Ostertagia ostertagi and of equine cyathostomes were almost comparable to those of free-living soil nematodes, and significantly higher than those of the porcine Oesophagostomum dentatum and Oe. quadrispinulatum and of the murine Nematospiroides dubius. The trap-forming potential of Dictyocaulus viviparus was poor. All animal-parasitic nematodes were rapidly captured when fungal traps had been pre-induced in high numbers. The possible influence of predacious fungi on animal-parasitic nematode populations under natural conditions in the field is discussed.     

Ileal digestibility of amino acids in pigs fed barleys differing in protein content

The apparent digestibility of nitrogen and amino acids was measured by the ileal and faecal methods in pigs fed nine barleys differing in nitrogen content (from 1.73 to 2.16 per cent/DM). A positive (r = 0.87) and significant relationship was found between the apparent nitrogen digestibility at the end of the ileum and the crude protein content of barley. Generally, the higher the protein of the grain, the higher the ileal digestibilities of the amino acids. For most amino acids the faecal values were greater than the ileal ones. This being specially so for threonine, tryptophan, histidine and cystine belonging to the nutritionally important amino acid group. When the relationship between the amino acid and nitrogen digestibilities at the level of ileum is considered, the values were found to be similar to that of nitrogen in the case of tryptophan, higher for isoleucine, valine (both 2-3 units), cystine, histidine, leucine, methionine (all 5-6 units) and phenylalanine (10 units) and lower only for lysine and threonine (7-8 dig. units).