[Abortion and stillbirth among dairy goats as a consequence of Coxiella burnetii]. / Abortus en doodgeboorte op melkgeitenbedrijven ten gevolge van Coxiella burnetii.

The clinical signs and pathological findings of clinical Q fever in dairy goats in the Netherlands are described. The disease is characterized by endemic or epidemic abortion in late pregnancy, stillbirth, or the birth of weak kids. These consequences of Coxiella burnetii infection appear to have increased during recent years in the Dutch dairy goat population. Detection of the agent in placental tissue by immunohistochemistry has proven diagnostically useful.

[Selenium requirements of dairy goats]. / Seleenbehoefte van melkgevende geiten.

Selenium is an essential part of the enzyme glutathione-peroxidase (GSH-Px) and plays an important role in the intracellular aspecific immune defence. Reference values for blood levels of GSH-Px are not available for dairy goats. The EU has authorized the addition of selenium (as E), in the form of sodium selenite or sodium selenate, to animal feeds, to a maximum of 0.5 mg selenium/kg complete feed. Dairy goats given feed containing the maximum level of selenium (0.5 mg/kg) had GSH-Px levels of more than 1000 U/g Hb. The reference values for GSH-Px in cattle, horses, and pigs are between 120 and 600 U/g Hb. Newborn kids had GSH-Px levels between 350 and 400 U/g Hb, comparable with those ofnewborn calves. In conclusion, the addition of selenium to feeds for dairy goats in amounts authorized by the EU leads to blood GSH-Px levels that are substantially higher than those in other species, such as horses, cattle, and pigs. Thus the maximum level of supplemental selenium in feeds for dairy goats should be less than 0.5 mg/kg.

A comparison of four serological tests for the diagnosis of caseous lymphadenitis in sheep and goats.

A double antibody sandwich ELISA (ELISA A) developed for the detection of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis infection in sheep and goats was modified to improve its sensitivity. To establish the sensitivity and specificity of this modified ELISA (ELISA B), sera from 183 sheep and 186 goats were tested using ELISAs A and B. Comparison was also made with two further ELISAs (C and D) developed in Australia that, respectively, detect antibodies to cell wall antigens or toxin.ELISA B had the best performance of the four tests. Its specificity was 98+/-1% for goats and 99+/-1% sheep. Its sensitivity was 94+/-3% for goats and 79+/-5% for sheep. ELISA B will now be tested for use in caseous lymphadenitis eradication and control programmes in The Netherlands. It will also be used in experimental studies of CL in Scotland.

[Toxoplasmosis in goats in the Netherlands: a pilot study]. / Toxoplasmose bij geiten in Nederland: een pilot-studie.

A pilot-study was carried out on ten Dutch goat farms to see whether there is a relationship between farm management factors and the occurrence of toxoplasmosis. Questionnaires were used to collect information about farm management factors and blood samples were taken to determine the prevalence of toxoplasmosis on these farms. The mean prevalence was 47% (range 5-90%). The presence of kittens on a farm was a risk factor for a higher prevalence of toxoplasmosis.

A survey of anthelmintic resistance in nematodes of sheep in The Netherlands.

The prevalence of anthelmintic resistance in nematodes of sheep was surveyed in 1994 on 70 farms in the Netherlands. An in vitro egg hatch assay, faecal egg count reduction (FECR) 14 days after treatment, and larval cultures were used as methods of investigation. Oxfendazole was tested on 69, ivermectin on 51, and levamisole on 36 farms. The median effective dose (ED50) of thiabendazole could be determined on 64 farms. On 60 farms (94%) the ED50 value was > or = 0.12 microgram ml-1, which is indicative of the presence of benzimidazole (BZ) resistance. On two farms egg output was too low to do a FECR test. Based on the results of the FECR test, BZ resistance was present on 56 farms (84%), on 2 farms there was a suspicion of resistance and on 9 farms no resistance could be found. No clear indications were found for the presence of resistance against ivermectin or levamisole. BZ resistance was demonstrated in Haemonchus contortus, Cooperia curticei, Ostertagia spp. and/or Trichostrongylus spp. No resistance was observed in species from the genus Nematodirus, Chabertia ovina and/or Oesophagostomum spp.

Anthelmintic resistant nematodes in goats in The Netherlands.

A suspected case of anthelmintic resistance on a farm with Angora and Anglo-Nubian goats was confirmed in a controlled test. Twelve lambs of sheep were infected with larvae cultured from faeces of the goats. The lambs were allocated to four groups: untreated controls and lambs treated 21 days after infection with 5 mg kg-1 oxfendazole, 0.2 mg kg-1 ivermectin or 7.5 mg kg-1 levamisole. The lambs were slaughtered 1 week later and post-mortem worm counts were performed. Benzimidazole resistance was found in Haemonchus contortus, Teladorsagia circumcincta, Cooperia curticei and Trichostrongylus colubriformis with the efficacy of oxfendazole being 68%, 31%, 21% and 48% respectively. No resistance was found against levamisole or ivermectin.

An epidemiological study into risk indicators for Pasteurella haemolytica related 'summer pneumonia' in lambs in the southern Netherlands.

Risk indicators for Pasteurella haemolytica related summer pneumonia in lambs in The Netherlands were investigated using a mail questionnaire survey of 860 flocks. The response rate was 64% (n = 550). Multivariate risk analysis indicated that taking sheep to sheep fairs, the purchase of sheep and/or lambs, the lack of possibility for indoor housing, and an increased flock size were associated with increased risk of occurrence of summer pneumonia in lambs of the home flock.

Coccidial and helminth infections in goats kept indoors in the Netherlands.

An investigation was carried out on coccidial and helminth infections in goats kept indoors on five farms in the Netherlands. The goats were individually sampled. Coccidial oocysts were identified and nematode eggs counted. Larval cultures were made and infective larvae identified to the generic or species level. The goats were divided into three groups according to their age: kids, those weaned but not served, and older goats. Oocysts were found in 26 out of 27 kids (96.3%), in 52 out of 55 weaned but not served goats (94.5%), and in 72 out of 110 older goats (65.5%). Eimeria ninakohlyakimovae was the most common species in all groups with an overall prevalence of 82%, followed by Eimeria arloingi (78%) and Eimeria aspheronica (53.3%). Other species present were Eimeria alijevi (50%), Eimeria christenseni (39.3%), Eimeria caprina (38.7%), Eimeria hirci (28.7%) and Eimeria jolchijevi (7.3%). Nematode eggs were seen on four of the five farms. It appeared that on two farms some goats, although now kept indoors, had been on pasture in the past. These goats excreted low numbers of eggs of Ostertagia and/or Trichostrongylus, Strongyloides papillosus, Haemonchus contortus, Trichuris spp. and larvae of Muellerius capillaris. In goats that were kept exclusively indoors, infections with Strongyloides papillosus were found on two farms in the older group and on one farm also in the group weaned but not served. On two farms Skrjabinema ovis was incidentally observed by the farmer in older goats. This was confirmed by faecal examinations on one farm. All kids were free of nematode infection.

[Anthelmintic resistance in sheep nematodes in The Netherlands]. / Anthelmintica-resistentie bij nematoden van het schaap in Nederland.

The prevalence of anthelmintic resistant nematodes in sheep was investigated in 1994 with a faecal egg count reduction test (FECRT) and an egg hatch assay (EHA) on 71 farms in the Netherlands. A benzimidazole (oxfendazole) was tested on 70 farms, ivermectin on 51 farms, and levamisole on 35 farms. Based on the FECRT benzimidazole resistance was present on 56 farms, 2 were suspected, on 9 no resistance was observed, while 3 farms could not be tested due to a too low egg output before treatment. No clear indications for resistance to ivermectin and levamisole were found. Benzimidazole resistance was demonstrated in Haemonchus contortus, Cooperia curticei, Ostertagia spp. and/or Trichostrongylus spp. No resistance was seen in species from the genus Nematodirus, Chabertia ovina and/or Oesophagostomum spp. De results of the EHA confirmed the results of the FECRT. On 59 farms the ED50 value was > 0.12 microgram ml-1 thiabendazole.

Eradication of caseous lymphadenitis in sheep with the help of a newly developed ELISA technique.

The purpose of the study was to attempt to eradicate caseous lymphadenitis in sheep with the help of serological monitoring. A newly developed double-antibody sandwich ELISA and the culling of positive or doubtful reactors was the basis of the disease control regimen. Seropositive pregnant ewes were kept in quarantine and removed after lambing; their lambs were artificially fed and allowed to remain in the herd. Under this regimen, supplemented by a number of hygienic measures, caseous lymphadenitis was eradicated from two large flocks of sheep in which the disease was endemic.

[Rickets-like bone changes in goat kids fed with artificial milk intended for calves]. / Rachitisachtige botveranderingen bij met kunstmelk-voeder voor kalveren opgefokte geitelammeren.

In a large commercial goat farm rickets-like symptoms were diagnosed in goat kids. The disease was probably caused by the synthetic milk which was freely available to the kids. The milk feed was for calves and had a calcium-phosphorus ratio of 0.83:1.