Absorption by sheep of dieldrin from contaminated soil

Objective To study the accumulation of dieldrin residues in sheep from ingestion of contaminated soils was studied in two experiments.
Design A controlled feeding study of sheep fed contaminated soils of different type at varying intervals.
Animals and procedure Thirty-four 2-years-old wethers were divided into four groups (one control sheep only) and fed water-soluble dieldrin or soil contaminated with aldrin and dieldrin at varying intervals in the first study. In a second study 34 similar sheep were divided into four treatments with one being a control. Sheep were fed sandy, high clay or high organic matter soils with similar dieldrin and aldrin concentrations.
Results In the first study the concentration of dieldrin in the body fat of sheep dosed with dieldrin-contaminated soil was about half that in the body fat of sheep dosed with an equivalent amount of water-soluble dieldrin. The concentration of dieldrin was almost the same in sheep fed 500 μg of total dieldrin per day as it was in sheep fed 5000 μg every tenth day, over a 50-day period. In the second experiment sheep accumu-lated nearly three times as much pesticide from a soil with a high organic matter content, and about four times as much from a soil with a high clay content, as from a sandy soil with the same dieldrin content, over a 100-day period. The half-life of dieldrin in the fat of all sheep varied between 96 and 116 days after sheep ceased ingesting contaminated soil.
Conclusions Dieldrin concentrations in the fat of sheep that consume dieldrin contaminated soil fall within 10 days of removal from the source of contamination. However, dieidrin accumulates in the wool of sheep that consume dieldrin-contaminated soil.     

Microbiological evaluation of dressing procedures for crocodile carcases in Queensland

SUMMARY Microbiological testing of crocodiles during the dressing procedure has shown that sanitising the skin before skinning reduces the bacterial count on the skin and that dipping crocodile meat in 1.3% acetic acid solution effectively reduces bacterial levels. The total bacterial count on the processed meat sample was comparable with that obtained in the beef, pork and lamb industries. Salmonellae were isolated from 14 of the 72 carcases. Most (65%) of these isolates were in Salmonella subspecies III, formerly classified as Arizona.     

Prevalence and intensity of non-strongyle intestinal parasites of horses in northern Queensland

A quantitative post-mortem study of 57 horses from northern Queensland was done to determine the prevalence and intensity of non-strongyle intestinal parasites. The following species (% prevalence) were found: Draschia megastoma (39%); Habronema muscae (43%); Gasterophilus intestinalis (34%), G. nasalis (30%); Parascaris equorum (15%); Strongyloides westeri (6%); Probstmayria vivipara (2%); Oxyuris equi (26%); Anoplocephala magna (2%); A. perfoliata (32%). Mean parasite numbers of individual species ranged from 10 to 1310. Prevalence and intensity data were compared to recent studies in Western Australia and in the United States of America. Differences between stabled and paddocked horses were noted, particularly for botfly larvae and spiruroids. Climatic and seasonal changes in prevalence were restricted to H. muscae, G. nasalis and P. equorum with highest prevalence in the wet season or in horses from wet coastal areas. Only P. equorum showed any age effect being restricted to horses less than 5 years old. Breed and sex of horses was not important. The likelihood of changing parasite population dynamics with improved anthelmintic regimen is discussed.     

Biodiversity assessment and conservation strategies

The efficient representation of all species in conservation planning is problematic. Often, species distribution is assessed by dividing the land into a grid; complementary sets of grids, in which each taxon is represented at least once, are then sought. To determine if this approach provides useful surrogate information, species and higher taxon data for South African plants and animals were analyzed. Complementary species sets did not coincide and overlapped little with higher taxon sets. Survey extent and taxonomic knowledge did not affect this overlap. Thus, the assumptions of surrogacy, on which so much conservation planning is based, are not supported.     

Expression of behavioural signs of oestrus during mid-cycle in a dairy cow

Abstract

Extract

Routine monitoring of commercial dairy herds has confirmed the occurrence of oestrus during the luteal phase of the cycle in a small proportion (<5%) of cows (Royal et al 2000 Royal, MD, Darwash, AO, Flint, APF, Webb, R, Wooliams, JA and Lamming, GE. 2000. Detecting fertility in dairy cattle: changes in traditional and endocrine parameters of fertility. Animal Science, 70: 487–501.  [Google Scholar]). One such event occurred in one of four Friesian dairy cows being intensively monitored for progesterone and luteinising hormone (LH) concentrations in daily milk samples and 6-hourly blood samples collected from the jugular vein, throughout the postpartum period (Peters et al 1981 Peters, AR, Lamming, GE and Fisher, MW. 1981. A comparison of plasma LH concentrations in milked and suckling post-partum cows. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility, 62: 567–573.  [Google Scholar]; Fisher 1983 Fisher, MW. 1983. “The control of reproduction in the post-partum cow”. In PhD thesis, Sutton Bonington, , UK: Nottingham University.  [Google Scholar]). Consequently, the endocrine parameters associated with heat during the luteal phase were noted (Figure 1). Although an observation on a single cow, the intensive sampling data available for this animal warrant publication.