1962 Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research, Volume 29, 1962

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Contentes Pages: Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research, Vol ??, 19??

CONTENTS

*Volume 29: Number 1*

Studies on Rift Valley fever. Passive and active immunity in lambs	Weiss, KE	3

On two new Catenotaenia tapeworms from a South African rat with remarks on the species of the genus	Ortlepp, RJ	11

Observations on Rajotaenia gerbilli Wertheim, 1954, an anoplocephalid cestode from gerbils	Ortlepp, RJ	21

The pathological physiology of heartwater [Cowdria (Rickettsia) ruminantium Cowdry, 1926]	Clark, R	25

Pathological studies on neoplasms of dogs in South Africa	De Kock, G	35

Ovulatory failure in bovines	Van Rensburg, SWJ & De Vos, WH	55

Studies on specific oculo-vascular myiasis of domestic animals (uitpeuloog) : I. Historical review	Basson, PA	81

Blood groups in bovines. II. Normally occurring isoantibodies in cattle blood	Osterhoff, DR	89

Ovine ketosis II. The effect of pregnancy on the blood ketone body levels of well-fed ewes	Procos, J	107

A preliminary report on the occurrence of selenosis in South Africa and its possible role in the aetiology of tribulosis (geeldikkop), enzootic icterus and some other disease conditions encountered in the Karoo areas	Brown, JMM & De Wet, PJ	111


*Volume 29: Number 2*

An appreciation on the retirement of Dr. R. A. Alexander

The isolation and identification of further antigenic types of African horsesickness virus	Howell, PG	139

A urease test for characterizing Brucella strains	Van Drimmelen, GC	151

On Trachypharynx natalensis sp. nov. and some associated genera of nematodes	Ortlepp, RJ	159

Parafilaria bassoni spec. nov. from the eyes of springbuck (Antidorcas marsupialis)	Ortlepp, RJ	165

Trichonema (Cylicodontophorus) schurmanni sp. nov. from a zebra (Equus burchelli Gray, 1924)	Ortlepp, RJ	169

Lungworms from South African antelopes	Ortlepp, RJ	173

Studies on paramphistomiasis. I. The propagation of Bulinus tropicus Krauss 184	Swart PJ & Reinecke RK	183

Studies on paramphistomiasis. II. The mass production of metacercariae of Paramphistomum microbothrium Fischoeder 1901	Swart, PJ	189

Studies on paramphistomiasis. III. A method of testing the viability of paramphistome metacercariae	Horak, IG	197

Studies on specific oculo-vascular myiasis of domestic animals (uitpeuloog). II. Experimental transmission	Basson, PA	203

Studies on specific oculo-vascular myiasis of domestic animals (uitpeuloog). III. Symptomatology, pathology, aetiology and epizootiology	Basson, PA	211

A modification of standard procedures for evaluating the relative efficacy of anthelmintics	Reinecke, RK & Snijders, AJ	241

Ovine ketosis. III. The effect of starvation on the blood sugar and ketone body levels of wethers	Procos, J	259

The stability of vitamin A in synthetic vitamin A concentrates (acetate or palmitate). I. In phosphatic stock licks with and without trace elements	Myburgh, SJ	269

Author index		279

Subject index		280

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Now showing 1 - 20 of 27

An appreciation on the retirement of Dr. R. A. Alexander
(Pretoria : Government Printer, 1962) Jansen, B.C.
Ovine ketosis. III. The effect of starvation on the blood sugar and ketone body levels of wethers
(Pretoria : Government Printer, 1962) Procos, J.; Jansen, B.C.
Prolonged starvation of wethers has been found to result in a mild hypoglycemia (average blood sugar level 25 mg per cent) and a slight ketonemia average ketone body level 4 • 9 mg per cent) the only exception being wether No. 2 which developed a true but mild ketosis (maximum ketone body level 14 mg per cent). All the animals, including No. 2 displayed no visible clinical symptoms throughout the starvation period. It would thus appear that an eight day period of fasting is not capable of inducing a true hypoglycemic ketosis in normal, non-pregnant, non-lactating sheep.
Studies on specific oculo-vascular myiasis of domestic animals (uitpeuloog). III. Symptomatology, pathology, aetiology and epizootiology
(Pretoria : Government Printer, 1962) Basson, P.A.; Jansen, B.C.
1. Of the domestic animals sheep, cattle, goats and equines are susceptible in that order of frequency and severity. 2. Three main forms of uitpeuloog are recognized-the ophthalmic, encephalitic and cardiac forms. The symptoms are described. 3. The pathognomonic pathological lesions are thrombo-endophlebitis and thrombo-endarteritis with encephalomalacia. 4. It is shown that the immediate cause of the disease is the invasion of an aberrant host by first stage larvae of Gedoelstia hiissleri, and G. cristata Type I and Type II of the family Oestridae. 5. The portal of entry of the larvae is he eye. Two cases of the disease, one being the fatal encephalitic form, were produced by the supracorneal and conjunctival instillation of larvae dissected from the abdomen of a captured gravid female G. cristata Type I. 6. Three recognizable types of larvae, Types A, B and C, are described as emanating from G. hiissleri and G. cristata Type I and Type II respectively. 7. The role of blue wildebeest and hartebeest in the aetiology is discussed and adult flies were reared from larvae collected from the nasal cavities of these species of game. 8. Attention is directed to the fact that in contra-distinction to the susceptible species of domestic animals no macroscopic pathological lesions are produced in game. 9. The epizootiology of the disease is discussed. 10. A suggested pathogenesis in domestic animals and game is outlined. 11. The presence of unidentified species of Oestridae in the trachea of game is recorded.
Parafilaria bassoni spec. nov. from the eyes of springbuck (Antidorcas marsupialis)
(Pretoria : Government Printer, 1962) Ortlepp, R.J.; Jansen, B.C.
A new species of Parafilaria, P. bassoni is described from the eyes of springbuck from South West Africa. Its characteristics, and those of the other three species of this genus, are tabulated.
A urease test for characterizing Brucella strains
(Pretoria : Government Printer, 1962) Van Drimmelen, G.C.; Jansen, B.C.
Many strains of Brucella, notably the American Br. suis types are capable of hydrolyzing urea to form CO₂ and NH₃ The reaction can proceed to the formation of ammonium carbonate. The methods at present in use for measuring urease activity to Brucella strains are either rather inaccurate or require specialized equipment (Wohlfeil & Weiland,1927; Piishel, 1936; Ferguson & Hook, 1943; Schneider & Gunderson, 1946; Christensen, 1946; Bauer, 1949; Hoyer, 1950 ; Pacheco & Thiago de Mello, 1950; Sanders & Warner, 1951; Renoux & Quatrefages, 1951; Huddleson, 1951; Pickett, Nelson & Liberman, 1953; Niznansky & Kremery, 1953; Godgluck & Marggraff,1955). In addition they expose workers to infection with virulent material, e.g. the use of the Warburg apparatus, or Van Slyke & Archibald's (1944) titrimetric method or Conway's (1939) microdiffusion method. For these reasons the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Brucellosis feels that if the urease test is to be of real value, it should be improved (1953). In this report the work carried out at the Onderstepoort centre leading to the institution of a routine pH threshold urease test, will be recorded. This test is reliable and the results can be presented numerically.
Studies on paramphistomiasis. I. The propagation of Bulinus tropicus Krauss 1848
(Pretoria : Government Printer, 1962) Swart, P.J.; Reinecke, R.K.; Jansen, B.C.
1. A system for the mass propagation of B. tropicus in shallow water aquaria 1s described. 2. A system of maintaining numbers of small shallow water aquaria suitable for varied experimental purposes is outlined. 3. Both systems are inexpensive and characterized by simplicity of dc5ign, construction and maintenance.
Studies on specific oculo-vascular myiasis of domestic animals (uitpeuloog). II. Experimental transmission
(Pretoria : Government Printer, 1962) Basson, P.A.; Jansen, B.C.
It has been shown that thrombo-phlebitis and thrombo-arteritis with prominent eosinophilia are constant lesions pathognomonic for uitpeuloog. The incidence of these lesions is not correlated with the severity of the eye lesions which previously were regarded as the pathogonomonic symptom. Uitpeuloog was transmitted by the subinoculation of large doses of fresh blood from natural cases in the acute phase of the disease. In one instance the infection was maintained by subinoculation in series for three passages, when it was lost. A successful transmission with blood from an apparently healthy wildebeest is recorded. In a single experiment brain material was found to be non-infective. A frequent transmissible intercurrent infection was spirochaetosis due to S. theileri which is believed to play no part in the aetiology of uitpeuloog as a clinical entity. Up to this stage of the investigations the definite aetiological agent had not been identified. It is believed that nutritional and environmental factors are at most of minor aetiological importance. Guinea-pigs and mice were refractory to infection.
Studies on Paramphistomiasis. II. The mass production of metacercariae of Paramphistomum microbothrium Fischoeder 1901
(Pretoria : Government Printer, 1962) Swart, P.J.; Reinecke, R.K.; Jansen, B.C.
1. Methods of collecting paramphistome eggs, largely freed of faeces, and their hatching are described. 2. Young B. tropicus were readily infested with paramphistomes: only 12.4 per cent of adult snails were infested. 3. Two methods of infestation are described. 4. The mass production, collection and counting of metacercariae are described. 5. After exposure to a 40 watt yellow electric light bulb at 1½ inches above the water surface 98.6 per cent of cercariae were shed within five hours.
The isolation and identification of further antigenic types of African horsesickness virus
(Pretoria : Government Printer, 1962) Howell, P.G.; Jansen, B.C.
Two new strains of horsesickness virus were isolated m suckling mice by the intracerebral route. These strains were identified as horsesickness by:- (a) Demonstration of fixation of complement by the group specific complement fixation test. (b) Non-inactivation by sodium desoxycholate and diethyl ether under standard conditions. (c) Preliminary screen serum virus neutralisation tests. Detailed serum virus cross neutralisation tests showed that these virus strains belong to two new antigenic types, which have been designated Groups 8 and 9. The two strains were isolated from widely separated geographical regions and are regarded as the prototypes of the two new groups which have been shown to include other strains of virus. The significance of the finding is discussed in relation of control of horsesickness by mass immunisation.
Lungworms from South African antelopes
(Pretoria : Government Printer, 1962) Ortlepp, R.J.; Jansen, B.C.
The various species of lungworms recorded from South African antelopes are discussed. Three new species of protostrongyliids are described viz. Protostrongylus capensis and Pneumostrongylus cornigerus from the bontbok [Damaliscus dorcas (Pallas)] and Protostrongylus etoshai from the blue wildebeest [Connochaetes taurinus (Burchell)] and the gemsbok [Oryx gazella (Linnaeus)].
On Trachypharynx natalensis sp. nov. and some associated genera of nematodes
(Pretoria : Government Printer, 1962) Ortlepp, R.J.; Jansen, B.C.
A new species of Strongyliid round worm - Trachypharynx natalensis - from the large intestine of the cane rat, is described. A new subfamily - Trachypharynginae - of the Strongylidae is created. New subfamilies of the Strongylidae are also created, viz. Gyalocephalinae, for the genus Gyalocephalus Looss, and Colobostrongylinae for the genus Colobostrongylus Sandground. The chief characteristics of these new subfamilies are given.
Trichonema (Cylicodontophorus) schurmanni sp. nov. from a zebra (Equus burchelli Gray, 1924)
(Pretoria : Government Printer, 1962) Ortlepp, R.J.; Jansen, B.C.
A new species of Trichonema [T. (Cylicodontophorus) schurmanni] is described from a Burchell's zebra from the eastern Transvaal. This species is characterised by its 25 large internal leaf elements in its mouth, by its very well developed dorsal bursal lobe and by its prominent genital cone.
A preliminary report on the occurrence of selenosis in South Africa and its possible role in the aetiology of tribulosis (geeldikkop), enzootic icterus and some other disease conditions encountered in the Karoo areas
(Pretoria : Government Printer, 1962) Brown, J.M.M.; De Wet, P.J.; Jansen, B.C.
Selenosis is described, it is believed for the first time, as being a potential grazing hazard in many parts of this country, especially in the Karoo areas. A review of the symptomatology, pathology and epizootology of the condition as it is known elsewhere in the world is presented together with a short account of experimental selenosis and some of the known actions or toxic effects of the element on the body. A brief description of some disease conditions which are believed to be essentially chronic selenosis syndromes is given, and some thoughts are advanced as to the possible role of selenium intoxication in the two conditions known as tribulosis ovis (geeldikkop), and enzootic icterus. In conclusion the results of numerous analyses of animal and plant tissues for selenium are presented, which indicate the presence of dangerous amounts of this element in the material examined.
Ovine ketosis II. The effect of pregnancy on the blood ketone body levels of well-fed ewes
(Pretoria : Government Printer, 1962) Procos, J.; Jansen, B.C.
The ketone body levels of adequately fed, monotocous Merino ewes were found to remain unaltered throughout the gestation period. The ketone body levels of both pregnant and non-pregnant animals were affected to the same degree by drops in temperature. However, owing to the availability of shelter the effect was less pronounced than in previous experiments during which the animals were kept in open camps.
The pathological physiology of heartwater [Cowdria (Rickettsia) ruminantium - Cowdry, 1926]
(Pretoria : Government Printer, 1962) Clark, R.; Jansen, B.C.
The pathological physiology of heartwater has been studied in acute, untreated fatal cases in sheep and cattle. No significant changes could be found in the blood constituents. The main findings were (a) disappearance of circulating eosinophiles; (b) sympatholysis manifested firstly by a fall in haematocrit readings due to splenic relaxation followed by a subterminal peripheral vaso-collapse with a dramatic fall in arterial diastolic pressure; and (c) a terminal catastrophic drop in plasma volume due to an increased capillary permeability which allows of the passage of plasma proteins from the vascular system. The use of sympathomimetics and intravenous infusions of packed red cells or whole blood are recommended as supportive treatment in advanced cases. The possible practical applications of the finding of the disappearance of the eosinophils prior to the onset of the febrile reaction will be investigated further. Three sheep showing collapse after having received chemotherapy late in the heartwater reaction were studied. These animals were showing general collapse. The condition is described as a functional decerebration with the vegetative functions of the body proceeding more or less normally. The cerebral damage would appear to be irreversible.
Ovulatory failure in bovines
(Pretoria : Government Printer, 1962) Van Rensburg, S.W.J.; De Vos, W.H.; Jansen, B.C.
Good progress has been made during the past two decades in improving the diagnostic methods for detecting the various types of bovine infertility. Nevertheless, the sterility worker is still frequently confronted with cows and heifers belonging to a category variously designated as "repeat breeders", "problem cows'', "slow breeders'', "hard-to-settle" cows, etc. Vanderplassche (1957) who refers to the condition as "Symptomlose Unfruchtbarkeit", with some justification states that this "Sterilitat sine materia" is one about which we know nothing or very little. Reproductive failure due to physiological or functional derangement of ovarian activity is known to be an important cause of poor breeding performance in bovines, and may be present to such a degree as to constitute a herd problem. Most forms of this physiological infertility are manifested by objective symptoms, notably cyclic irregularities, which attract attention and render diagnosis of the actual type relatively easy. Ovulatory failure, however, is an exception to this rule since it usually presents no visible evidence suggestive of an ovarian aberration. Even palpation of the ovaries per rectum generally fails to reveal the abnormality unless such an examination is carried out a day or two after the animal was known to have been in oestrus. This type of infertility frequently presents the most puzzling problems to both the owner and the sterility worker, since the oestrous cycle generally runs a normal course, except when the more advanced stage of cystic degeneration has been reached. Notwithstanding this apparent regularity of the cycle and the absence of evident pathology or infection in any part of the genital tract, the fertility of the affected animal is subnormal. By virtue of its abstruse nature ovulatory failure has not been subjected to intensive research in the past, and information on its prevalence and significance is scanty. Roberts (1957), for instance, states that delayed ovulation has not been studied sufficiently to ascertain its importance, and that it probably does not occur very frequently. Successful fertilization of the ovum is conditioned by a close co-ordination between the time of insemination or coitus and the time of ovulation, and by the viability of the sperm in the female genitalia. The cow is unique in that ovulation normally occurs only six to fourteen hours after the cessation of oestrus, and since the fertilizing capacity of sperm is lost after a sojourn of 24 to 48 hours in the female genitalia, any undue delay in ovulation will prevent conception, especially if the cow is bred during the early stages of oestrus.
Blood groups in bovines. II. Normally occurring isoantibodies in cattle blood
(Pretoria : Government Printer, 1962) Osterhoff, D.R.; Jansen, B.C.
One type of normally occurring isoantibodies in cattle serum, which has not been described before and which corresponds perfectly with the immune anti-Y₂, has been demonstrated. A seasonal variation of normally occurring isoantibodies has been established. In all groups of animals, the highest titres were found to be present during the late summer and the lowest titres during the late winter. There appears to be no difference between sexes and among breeds in this seasonal variation, which is not influenced by feeding. A correlation of climatological factors and naturally occurring isoantibodies was made and it is believed that radiation and temperature may have an influence on the seasonal variation of normal antibodies. An experiment was carried out to exclude any form of light influence on six animals with normally occurring isoantibodies in their serum. In spite of this the seasonal variation in their antibody level was found to be similar to that in a control group exposed to light. It appears that of the climatic factors temperature has the most stimulating effect on the production of antibodies, but that a retardation of about two to three months takes place in the antibody producing systems. Any gradual change in temperature appears to be effective in bringing about an increase or decrease in the level of normally occurring isoantibodies. A corresponding variation of antibodies against Brucella abortus to that of normally occurring isoantibodies could be demonstrated.
On two new Catenotaenia tapeworms from a South African rat with remarks on the species of the genus
(Pretoria : Government Printer, 1962) Ortlepp, R.J.; ; Jansen, B.C.
The materials on which the following observations are based consist of three lots of tapeworms, all collected from the red veld rat, Rattus (Aethomys) chrysophilus from different parts of the Transvaal. One rat sacrificed and examined by Mr. P.S. Visser of the Bilharzia Research Unit, Nelspruit, was caught at Kaapmuiden, Eastern Transvaal; it carried a massive infection of tapeworms consisting of about 60 specimens of the species first described below and about a dozen specimens of the second species. The specimens were in an excellent state of preservation and were fully extended. My thanks are due to Mr. Visser for the care taken in the collection and preservation of this material. In addition, the first described species was also collected from the same host but from the Pafuri area of the Kruger National Park by Mr. C.G. Coetzee of the Medical Ecology Centre, South African Department of Health. Mr. D.H.S. Davis, Chief of the same Centre provided me with some live red veld rats from the Roodepoort area; from one of these a single specimen of this species was also obtained. My thanks are also due to these gentlemen for their assistance. The specimens collected by Mr. Visser, on which the following descriptions are mostly based, were killed and fixed together so that any differences in shape and length of the worms or arrangement of internal organs cannot be due to different methods of killing and fixing. On examination at the laboratory the two species could be easily separated from each other by naked eye examination; the first described species was more opaque and shorter whereas the other was elongate and more transparent.
Pathological studies on neoplasms of dogs in South Africa
(Pretoria : Government Printer, 1962) De Kock, G.; Jansen, B.C.
In 1956 studies on neoplasms of dogs were commenced at the Liesbeek Clinic. De Kock (1957a) stressed the importance of these investigations, especially in respect of their comparative value to the study of neoplasms in man. Suitable forms were circulated amongst veterinarians and these were based on the observations published in a number of overseas journals. In such a survey of tumours in dogs in South Africa, special attention should be paid to geographical, breed, age, sex and site incidences, as well as to clinical data. The importance of careful autopsies was stressed for a proper reorientation of the site and nature of the tumour and the problem of metastasis, and the possible occurrence of multiple primary tumours. It entailed the proper selection of specimens and suitable smears for microscopical studies in order to arrive at a histological diagnosis. Large numbers of tumours in dogs have been investigated and described, e.g. by Feldman (1932), Jackson (1936), Innes (1943), Mulligan (1949), and others. Head (1959) and Cotchin (1959) have so far investigated close on 9,000 tumours in dogs. Jackson indicates that a full history of the subject, and a careful description of the specimen in situ are of great importance to the pathologist. Innes maintains that unless meticulous autopsies with histological examination are made on a long series of animals, many tumours may evade recognition or accurate diagnosis. The effective classification of neoplasms, according to Jackson, is one of the most subtle problems of pathology. There is a multiplication of nomenclature on the basis of variation of morphological appearance. He maintains that proliferative processes may be variously classed as nodular hyperplasia or as an adenoma in such organs as the liver, spleen, prostate, etc., and difficulties also arise in deciding whether one is dealing with a benign or a malignant tumour. Further comment on certain aspects of the pathology of tumours raised in the literature will be referred to when the results of the investigations at the Liesbeek Clinic are considered.
Studies on Rift Valley fever. Passive and active immunity in lambs
(Pretoria : Government Printer, 1962) Weiss, K.E.; Jansen, B.C.
Smithburn (1949) reported that humoral immunity to Rift Valley fever (R.V.F.), transmitted from an immune ewe to her twin lambs, persisted for about five months and was not affected by weaning. He postulated that this might be of practical value in protecting young lambs during the period of maximum susceptibility to Rift Valley Fever virus. In the Republic of South Africa, arthropod-borne diseases of sheep such as Rift Valley fever, Wesselsbron disease and bluetongue occur seasonally during the late summer and autumn, and almost invariably disappear soon after the first frosts of winter. Bearing this in mind, practical use is made of transmitted passive immunity to protect the lambs. Autumn lambing is advocated, and farmers are advised to immunise all their sheep during the spring, first with a polyvalent bluetongue vaccine and later with a combined Rift Valley fever-Wesselsbron vaccine. On account of the abortifacient and embryotropic properties of the neuroadapted Rift Valley fever and Wesselsbron disease viruses which form the basis of the live attenuated virus vaccine, prophylactic immunisation is restricted to non-pregnant animals. At present, for the preparation of the Rift Valley fever vaccine, Smithburn's neurotropic attenuated strain of virus at the 102nd mouse intracerebral passage level is used. Mulligan (1937) prepared a similar type of vaccine from a neurotropic strain of virus at the 92nd mouse passage level. He reported that “the vaccine proved safe for lambs six weeks old and produced a good immunity. Tested in the field, on a large number of pregnant ewes and newly born lambs, this vaccine was found to be unsafe for the newly born lambs and to cause abortion in some of the pregnant ewes. Vaccination of pregnant ewes, moreover, did not appear to result in the transfer of the immune bodies through the colostrum to the lamb although, in this connection, it must be stated that lambing had started at the time vaccination was practised and the interval between inoculation and the birth of a lamb was never more than a few days. It became apparent, however, that the vaccine, while it might be of service in protecting maiden ewes, was not suitable for controlling an outbreak in pregnant ewes and very young lambs." Kaschula (1953) using Smithburn's neurotropic virus at the 86th passage level reported abortions among pregnant ewes and the death of lambs shortly after birth under field conditions in South Africa. The investigations reported in this communication were undertaken initially to determine the effect of the strain of Rift Valley fever virus incorporated in the vaccine on pregnant ewes and day-old lambs. During the course of the investigations valuable information was obtained on the nature and duration of transmitted immunity in lambs and the immune response of day-old lambs to the neurotropic strain of Rift Valley fever virus.

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