Analysis of growth curve parameters of Gobra zebu females in Senegal

Summary Analysis of growth curve parameters was performed using body weight data collected from 1968 through 1980 at Dahra Research Station, Senegal. Month of birth had little or no effect on mature size and maturing rate. Females born from mid-wet through mid-dry seasons were likely to reach lighter mature weights than those born from mid-dry through mid-wet seasons. Year of birth affected both mature weight and maturing rate (P<0.01 and P<0.001 respectively). Sire had effects (P<0.05) on maturing rate and no effect on mature size. Genetic correlations between maturing rate and body weights at birth, weaning, 12 and 18 months were 0.45±0.51, –0.21±0.52, –0.61±0.57 and –0.76±0.51 respectively. Selection for maturing rate in Gobra females would be expected to decrease weaning and post-weaning weights. The least squares means of mature size and maturing rate were 398.83±45.81 kg and 0.187% per day respectively. Gobra zebu females were about 50 and 99% mature at about 12 and 87.6 months respectively.

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Analysis De Los Prametros De Las Curvas De Crecimiento De Hembras Cebu Gobra

Resumen Se llevó a cabo un análisis de los parámetros de las curvas de crecimiento de hembras Cebú Gobra, utilizando los datos de peso colectados desde 1968 hasta 1980 en la Estación de Investigación de Dahra, Senegal. El mes de nacimiento tuvo poco o ningun efecto, en el tamaño adulto y tasa de maduración. Las hembras nacidas entre la mitad de la estación lluviosa y la mitad de la estación seca, alcanzaron pesos maduros menores que aquellas nacidas entre la mitad de la estación seca y la mitad de la estación lluviosa. El año de nacimiento afectó tanto al peso en edad madura, como a la tasa de maduración (P<0·01 y P<0·001 respectivamente). El reproductor utilizado tuvo efecto (P<0·05) sobre la tasa de maduración y ninguno sobre el tamaño en la edad adulta. Las correlaciones genéticas entre la tasa de maduración y peso corporal al nacer, al destete, 12 y 18 meses, fueron 0·45±0·51, –0·21±0·52, –0·61±0·57 y –0·76±0·51 respectivamente. Se esperaria, que la selección para tasa de maduración en hembras Gobra, disminuiría los pesos al destete y post-destete. Les medias de mínimos cuadrados de tamaño a edad madura y tasa de maduración, fueron 398·83±45·81 kg y 0·187% por día respectivamente. Las hembras Gobra Cebú, fueron cerca del 50 y 99% maduras cerca de los 12 y 87·6 meses respectivamente.

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Analyse Des Parametres Des Courbes De Croissance Des Vaches Zebu Gobra

Résumé On a entrepris une analyse des paramètres des courbes de croissance en utilisant les données pondéralés enregistrées de 1968 à 1980 à la station de recherches de Dahra, au Sénégal. Le mois de naissance n'a que peu ou pas d'effet sur la taille à l'état adulte et le taux de croissance. Les vaches nées du milieu de la saison des pluies au milieu de la saison sèche ont plus de chance d'avoir des poids adultes moins élevés que celles nées du milieu de la saison sèche au milieu de la saison des pluies. L'année de naissance affecte à la fois le poids adulte et le taux de croissance. Le mâle a un effet sur le taux de croissance et aucun sur la taille adulte. Les corrélations génétiques entre le taux de croissance et les poids à la naissance, au sevrage, à 12 et 18 mois sont respectivement de 0.45±0.51, –0.21±0.52, –0.61±0.57 et –0.76±0.51. On doit s'attendre à ce que la sélection effectuée sur le taux de croissance des femelles Gobra diminue les poids au sevrage et après sevrage. Les moyennes des moindres carrés des poids adultes et des taux de croissance sont respectivement de 398.83±45.81 kg et de 0.187 p. 100 par jour. Les vaches zébu Gobra sont adultes à 50 p. 100 et 99 p. 100 respectivement à environ 12 et 87.6 mois.

     

Quality control of the vaccines and cold chain during the national vaccination campaigns]

During the two vaccination campaigns against rinderpest and contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP) in 1989 and 1990, 507 vaccine samples were collected for quality control at each step of the distribution chain from the Veterinary Pharmacy of Abidjan to the vaccinator on the field. Parallel to that, the quality of the cold chain was checked. A total of 463 titrations were performed. All the titration levels were above the OIE/FAO standards, i.e. 10(2.5) DICT50/ml for rinderpest Valence and 10(7) viable germs/ml for contagious bovine pleuropneumonia Valence.     

Rapid MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry identification of Leptospira organisms

Leptospirosis is a worldwide deadly zoonotic disease. Accurate identification of the causative Leptospira spp. spirochetes ascertains the pathogenic status of the isolates, identifies potential source of infection and recognises outbreaks. Species identification is currently based on technically demanding, time and resources consuming serological and molecular methods. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) recently emerged as a first-line method for the accurate identification of bacteria, yet no data issued for Leptospira spp. We investigated the potential of MALDI-TOF-MS for the rapid identification of Leptospira isolates. Starting from a 10(5)organisms/mL suspension, MALDI-TOF-MS yielded an unique protein profile for each one of 19 Leptospira species reference isolates with a 100% reproducibility over 12 repeats, allowing to create a Leptopsira database. MALDI-TOF-MS further accurately identified 20/21 additional reference isolates representative of various serogroups at the species level as Leptospira interrogans (n=12), Leptospira kirschneri (n=5), Leptospira borgpetersenii (n=3), Leptospira noguchii (n=1) with identification score value of 2-2.5. Furthermore, six clinical isolates previously identified by rpoB sequencing, were correctly identified by MALDI-TOF-MS as L. interrogans (n=5) and L. borgpetersenii (n=1) with identification score value of 2-2.6. Identification was achieved in 40 min starting from the Leptospira suspension. MALDI-TOF-MS could complement serological and sequencing-based methods for the first line, rapid identification of Leptospira isolates in the clinical microbiology laboratory.     

Bacterial flora in foals with upper respiratory tract infections in Poland

Bacteria isolated from nasal cavity of 80 foals with upper respiratory tract infection, as well as from 20 healthy foals, were examined. Within the group of sick animals, from 18 (22.5%) bacteria with recognized pathogenicity were isolated. Coagulase-negative staphylococci and Acinetobacter sp. were the dominant species identified (100 and 45%, respectively). No bacteria species with recognized pathogenicity were isolated from the group of healthy animals. Three cases of death within the group of sick foals were investigated. Rhodococcus equi in two cases and Klebsiella pneumoniae pneumoniae together with Escherichia coli were isolated post-mortem from lung abscesses.     

Diagnosis of canine parvovirus by rapid immunomigration on a membrane

Rapid immunomigration on a membrane was applied to the diagnosis of canine parvovirus (CPV) in 128 samples of faeces containing four strains of parvovirus (two CPV-2a strains, including one vaccine strain, and two CPV-2b strains). The results were compared with the results of haemagglutination and ELISA sandwich techniques. The new test was quick and easy to use, and made it possible to identify both the CPV-2a and CPV-2b strains. Its detection thresholds per gram of faeces corresponded to specific haemagglutination titres of between 320 and 640 and a virus titre of between 10(4) and 10(5) CCID50 (dose required to infect 50 per cent of cell cultures).     

The effect of Mangifera indica stem bark and Pluchea ovalis roots on tracheal smooth muscle in vitro

Aqueous extract of the stem bark of Mangifera indica and ethanolic extract of the roots of Pluchea ovalis has been studied on rat tracheal smooth muscle in vitro. The extract of M. indica at 1, 2 and 4 mg/ml and that of P. ovalis at 0.25, 0.5 and 1 mg/ml relaxed, dose-dependently, the rat tracheal smooth muscle strip previously contracted by acetylcholine at 0.055 mmol/l.     

Effect of Tectona grandis on phenylhydrazine-induced anaemia in rats

Traditional oral report indicates that Tectona grandis is used in the treatment of anaemia in Togo. For this purpose, the extract of T. grandis leaves is evaluated on anaemia model of rat induced by intraperitoneal injection of phenylhydrazine at 40 mg/kg for 2 days. Oral administration of T. grandis extract at 1 g/kg/day and 2 g/kg/day, to the rats previously treated with phenylhydrazine, increased the concentration of haemoglobin, red blood cells number, haematocrit and reticulocytes rate. Moreover, the extract of T. grandis enhanced the osmotic resistance of the red blood cells that confirm the important presence of young red blood cells. These results support partially the traditional use of T. grandis in the treatment of anaemia.     

Control of post-vaccinal immunity against rinderpest after the 1989 and 1990 vaccination campaigns in Ivory Coast]

The Central Laboratory of Animal Pathology of Bingerville (C?te-d'Ivoire) made an evaluation of post vaccinal immunity against rinderpest in 1990 and 1991 after the 1989 and 1990 national vaccination campaigns. The random sampling method was chosen to collect 6,020 sera in 255 places in 1990 and 3,301 sera in 158 places in 1991. ELISA analysis gave a standard positive rate of 82.39% +/- 0.08 in 1990 and 88.26 +/- 0.06% in 1991.     

Sampling strategies and variability in fruit pulp micronutrient contents of west and central african bananas and plantains (Musa species)

The variability in fruit micronutrient contents in a selection of Central and West African Musa varieties cultivated under standardized field conditions was studied. Analysis of the within-fruit, within-hand, and within-plant as well as the between-plant variations demonstrated that both provitamin A carotenoids (pVACs) and mineral micronutrient (Fe, Zn) contents vary significantly across all sample groups. The variations in pVACs contents appear to be at least partly related to differences in the developmental status of the fruit, but the observed trends were genotype-specific. The mean pVACs concentrations per genotype indicated that there is substantial genetic variation in the fruit pVACs contents between Musa cultivars, with orange-fleshed plantain varieties (AAB) having generally higher fruit pVACs contents than dessert bananas (AAA). It was not possible to identify consistent trends between the sampling position and fruit Fe/Zn contents. Once the within-bunch micronutrient variability has been accounted for, the mean variations in fruit micronutrient contents between individual plants of a variety generally fell to within acceptable limits. Results are discussed within the framework of standardizing sampling and developing strategies to screen for the nutritional values of new and existing Musa varieties.