Cytomegalovirus infection in a cohort of pregnant women.

Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect the seroprevalence of cytomegalovirus (CMV) immunoglobulin M (IgM) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) in 300 pregnant women. Seventeen (5.7%) and 274 (91.3%) women were seropositive for IgM and IgG, respectively. There was significant increase in seroprevalence of CMV IgG and no significant increase in seroprevalence of CMV IgM among tested age groups. CMV IgM and IgG seroprevalence differed nonsignificantly by type of residence, the stage of pregnancy, and the level of education.

The catalase gene differentiates between some strains of Staphylococcus aureus ssp. anaerobius.

Staphylococcus aureus ssp anaerobius strain S10 was isolated from an outbreak of sheep abscess disease. Sequence of the catalase gene of this strain showed 99% identity to the catalase gene (katB) sequence of the reference strain (S. aureus ssp. anaerobius strain MVF213) with mismatching of three base pairs. An important substitution located 1036 nucleotides upstream of the initiation codon from "C" in katB to "T" in the catalase gene of strain S10 originated a stop codon. The deduced protein (345 amino acids) is 105 amino acids shorter than that of katB. Partial sequence of the catalase gene of other 8 local isolates in addition to another reference strain (DSM 20714/ATCC 35844) revealed the same mutations in all local (African) strains, whereas the sequence of the reference (European) strain was typical to that of katB. Sequence of the catalase gene of S. aureus ssp. anaerobius strain S10 was deposited in GenBank under accession no. EU281993.

The effect of coccidian infection on the gut microflora of Nubian goat kids.

Enteric coccidiosis was experimentally induced in Nubian goat kids by the oral inoculation of 1.5 x 10(6) sporulated oocysts of five mixed Eimeria species. Diarrhoea was the major manifestation of the disease, which terminated fatally within 19 to 25 days postinfection. Faecal excretion of oocysts was first detected on day 8 (mean 58 x 10(2)) with a maximum shedding (mean 16.39 x 10(5)) on day 14 post-infection. In addition, noticeable alterations were further observed on the normal constituents of the gut microflora in coccidia-infected kids. These changes were characterized by progressive reduction of the Gram-positive population from 84% pre-infection to 24.3% after the onset of diarrhoea. On the other hand, the Gramnegative population was conversely increased from 16% pre-infection to 75.7% after diarrhoea. At this stage (diarrhoea) E. coli was the most dominant organism amongst the various constituents of the gut microflora.

An outbreak of enterotoxaemia in suckling camels.

An outbreak of enterotoxaemia was observed for the first time in suckling camels in Saudi Arabia. The animals were weak, diarrhoeic and succumbed quickly to exertion. The main pathological findings were those of acute catarrhal enteritis and acute myocardial degeneration. Clostridium perfringens was isolated from the enteric lesions; Aeromonas hydrophila was also identified. The properties of both isolates were studied.

An outbreak of enterotoxaemia in cats.

Eighteen local breed cats suffered from enterotoxaemia after scavenging on chicken-remnants. They suffered from vomitus and diarrhoea and collapsed dead after a few hours. An untypable strain of Clostridium perfringens was isolated in pure form and was suspected to be the cause of the outbreak.

Studies on the infundibular cysts of the uterine tube in camel (Camelus dromedarius).

Two hundred eighteen genital tracts of slaughtered female camels were collected and examined. Infundibular cysts were observed in 35 tracts (16%); these were either unilateral (22 cases) or bilateral (13 cases) all containing fluids of different consistencies. The morphological and histological structures of the cysts were recorded. The bacteriological investigation and physicochemical analysis of cyst contents were carried out. Aeromonas hydrophila was isolated from 68.5% of cases. Rectal palpation and ultrasound technique were compared for the diagnosis of the cysts antemortem.

Bovine farcy: a clinico-pathological study of the disease and its aetiological agent.

An extensive survey for bovine farcy covering 14,192 animals was conducted in the Sudan. The incidence of the disease was 31.9 per cent in Western Sudan which is regarded as an endemic area. Animals were examined clinically and at post-mortem. The lesions involved the prescapular, femoral, parotid, retropharyngeal, submaxillary, inguinal and mediastinal lymph nodes. Some animals had farcy lesions in the udder and some developed the pulmonary form of the disease. The disease is slow, but progressive in nature and was more prevalent among adult cattle than calves. Mycobacterium farcinogenes was found to be the cause of bovine farcy in the Sudan. The morphological and biochemical characteristics, and the mycolic acid content of the isolated strains were found to be identical to the reference strains of M. farcinogenes and were quite different from reference strains of Nocardia farcinica from which they were easily distinguished by the presence of alpha-mycolate, alpha'-mycolate and epoxymycolate in M. farcinogenes. Hydrolysis of mycolic acids with tetrabutylammonium hydroxide and the precipitation with toluene and acetonitrile gave good results comparable with acid methonalysis and alkaline hydrolysis. Precipitin lines were detected in the sera of some farcy-infected cattle. Histopathological examination of farcy lesions revealed a severe granulomatous reaction characterized by lymphocyte, macrophage, epithelioid and giant cell infiltration as well as marked fibrous proliferation. These changes were indicative of a progressive disease of the delayed tuberculin hypersensitivity type.

Proposed scheme for isolation and identification of Clostridium perfringens and Clostridium perfringens-like organisms.

The properties of 220 strains of Clostridium perfringens and Clostridium perfringens-like organisms were studied. A scheme was designed for the identification of these strains. The scheme was based on the presence/or absence of lecithinase enzyme, synergestic haemolysis with Streptococcus group B toxin, their inhibition with appropriate antisera and reaction in the lactose gelatin nitrate motility test (LGNM) with the fermentation of a few sugars.

Aetiology of an actinomycosis-like abscess in cattle.

Arachnia propionica was isolated from an abscess resembling actinomycosis in a four-year-old crossbred cow. The properties of the organism were described in comparison with closely related organisms.

Association of Klebsiella organisms with pulmonary lesions in sheep.

Small nodules were seen on chest wall and in the lungs of sheep slaughtered in Al-Ahsa abattoir, Saudi Arabia. Klebsiella pneumoniae subspecies ozaenae was isolated and characterized. The histopathology of the nodules was described.

Abscess disease in goats in the Sudan.

The "abscess disease" was described in naturally infected goats for the first time in Sudan. An anaerobic respiratory deficient staphylococcus was isolated in pure form. The biochemical properties were studied. The disease was successfully reproduced in experimental goats.

Note on an association of Clostridium novyi type A and Clostridium sordellii with a case of gas-gangrene in a Zebu cow.

A case of gas-gangrene myositis on a Zebu cow with association of Clostridium novyi type A and Clostridium sordellii is described. The occurrence of both organisms in the same lesion has been rarely reported and differential diagnosis with blackleg is difficult in the absence of bacteriological tests. An iatrogenic cause cannot be overruled as routine mass vaccination against blackleg are practiced in the area with possible introduction of spores through infection material. Full recovery occurred after four days intramuscular Terramycin shot.

Changes in clinical values of cattle infected with Clostridium chauvoei CH3 strain and a local Kad1 strain. Haematological values.

Clostridium chauvoei CH3 and Kad1 strains were found to cause marked changes in the blood parameters during the course of blackleg disease. These changes displayed by CH3 were found to be more marked than the local Kad1 strain. Results of changes in the haematological values in calves infected with blackleg organisms, showed an increase in RBC, PCV, Hb and the total leukocyte count. MCHC and MCH remained within normal range values, however, a terminal significant increase of MCV was obtained. Thrombocytes showed a steady drop after infection to the time of death of the animals.

Concurrent infection with Mycobacterium farcinogenes and Actinobacillus lignièresi in slaughtered cattle.

Concurrent infection with Actinobacillus lignieresii and Mycobacterium farcinogenes was detected in slaughtered cattle. The lesions were confined to the retropharyngeal, mandibular and parotid lymph nodes. The actinobacillus granulomas were seen either inside the caseous lesions or between the caseous part and the epithelioid zone of bovine farcy granuloma. In concomitant infections, actinobacillosis was always in the early active phase, whereas in actinobacillosis alone, active as well as healed stages were encountered.

On the aetiology of bovine farcy in the Sudan.

Fifteen strains of the agent of bovine farcy were isolated from lymph nodes of affected cattle. Quantitative analyses of mycolic acids revealed values that allowed the assignment of these strains to the genus Mycobacterium. The organisms bore a greater resemblance to Mycobacterium farcinogenes than to Mycobacterium senegalense.

Bovine tuberculosis in Benghazi cow project (Libya).

Dual-tuberculin tests were performed on cows of five dairy stations in the cow project of Benghazi (Libya). 3413 cows were tested and 142 (4.26%) were found to show specific tuberculin sensitivity. Most of the reactors (7.9%) were in Abo Garar dairy station. Following the standard interpretation of tuberculin tests, 88 cow (2.6%) were retained, 51 cows (1.5%) were retested and 3 cows only (0.09%) were destroyed from all cows investigated.