The sustainability of captive cheetah populations is limited by high mortality due to chronic renal disease. This necropsy study, conducted on 243 captive cheetahs from one institution, investigated the relationships between focal palatine erosions, gastritis, enterocolitis, glomerulosclerosis, chronic renal infarcts, renal cortical and medullary fibrosis, and renal medullary amyloidosis at death. Associations between the individual renal lesions and death due to chronic renal disease and comparisons of lesion prevalence between captive bred and wild born and between normal and king coated cheetahs were also assessed. All lesions were significantly positively correlated with age at death. Renal medullary fibrosis was the only lesion associated with the likelihood of death being due to chronic renal disease, and cheetahs with this lesion were younger, on average, than cheetahs with other renal lesions. Alimentary tract lesions were not associated with amyloidosis. All lesions, except for palatine erosions, were more common in wild born than in captive bred cheetahs; the former were older at death than the latter. Having a king coat had no clear effect on disease prevalence. These results suggest that age and renal medullary fibrosis are the primary factors influencing the pathogenesis of chronic renal disease in captive cheetahs. Apart from amyloidosis, these findings are analogous to those described in chronic renal disease in domestic cats, which is postulated to result primarily from repetitive hypoxic injury of renal tubules, mediated by age and stress. Cheetahs may be particularly susceptible to acute renal tubular injury due to their propensity for stress and their extended life span in captivity, as well as their adaptation for fecundity (rather than longevity) and adrenaline-mediated high speed prey chases. The presence of chronic renal disease in subadult cheetahs suggests that prevention, identification and mitigation of stress are critical to the successful prevention of chronic renal disease in captive cheetahs.

Three African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) that died after capture and translocation from Mutirikwe Recreational Park in southern Zimbabwe showed macroscopic and microscopic lesions of cardiomyopathy compatible with a diagnosis of gousiekte. The buffalo had had access to Pavetta schumanniana, a plant that is known to cause gousiekte. Death was attributed to cardiac failure as a result of previous consumption of the plant, exacerbated by the stress of translocation.

ABSTRACT Pathogen DNA was isolated from roan antelope ( Hippotragus equinus ), sable antelope ( Hippotragus niger ), greater kudu ( Tragelaphus strepsiceros ), and common gray duiker ( Sylvicapra grimmia ) in South Africa whose deaths were attributed to either theileriosis or cytauxzoonosis. We developed Theileria species-specific probes used in combination with reverse line blot hybridization assays and identified three different species of Theileria in four African antelope species. The close phylogenetic relationship between members of the genera Theileria and Cytauxzoon , similarities in the morphologies of developmental stages, and confusion in the literature regarding theileriosis or cytauxzoonosis are discussed.

A field study was conducted in the Southern Region of Malawi to evaluate the possible benefits of immunisation of improved dairy cattle against Anaplasma marginale, Babesia bigemina and Babesia bovis. Friesian crossbred heifers were immunised when they were being reared on Government farms. They were then issued to smallholder farmers, together with unvaccinated controls, where many of them were exposed to heavy tick infestation. Vaccination was shown to provide a significant degree of protection against babesiosis on the smallholder farms; 15/32 unvaccinated controls developed clinical disease as compared to only 3/28 vaccinates.

Of the many tick-borne haemoparasites of sheep and goats, three may be controlled by vaccination. A live virulent blood vaccine for Cowdria ruminantium infection (heartwater) is used widely in southern Africa in an infection and treatment procedure. A live vaccine for Babesia ovis attenuated by passage in splenectomised sheep has been used extensively in Bulgaria with good results. A live vaccine for Theileria hirci, consisting of schizonts propagated in a lymphoid cell culture and attenuated by passage, has been used successfully in the Middle East.

A field study was conducted in the Southern Region of Malawi to evaluate the possible benefits of immunisation of improved dairy cattle against and. Friesian crossbred heifers were immunised when they were being reared on Government farms. They were then issued to smallholder farmers, together with unvaccinated controls, where many of them were exposed to heavy tick infestation. Vaccination was shown to provide a significant degree of protection against babesiosis on the smallholder farms; 15/32 unvaccinated controls developed clinical disease as compared to only 3/28 vaccinates.Une étude fut menée dans le sud du Malawi pour évaluer les avantages de la vaccination des vaches laitières contre et. Des génisses croisées frisonnes furent immunisées lorsqu’elles furent élevées dans les fermes du gouvernment. Elles furent ensuite distribuées aux petits propriétaires en présence d’animaux non vaccinés dans des régions fortement exposées à l’infestation par tiques. Il fut démontré que la vaccination eut un effet significatif contre la babésiose dans les fermes des petits propriétaires; parmi les 32 animaux non vaccinés, 15 développèrent les signes cliniques de la maladie contre seulement 3 chez les 28 animaux vaccinés.Se llevó a cabo un estudio de campo en la región meridional de Malawi para evaluar los posibles beneficios de la inmunización frente a en ganado lechero mejorado. Novillas procedentes de cruce con animales de raza Frisona fueron inmunizadas durante el período de cría en granjas del Gobierno. Los animales fueron distribuídos posteriormente a pequeños ganaderos junto con animales control, no inmunizados. Una vez distribuídos, los animales estuvieron sometidos a una fuerte infestación por garrapatas. La vacunación proporcionó un grado de protección significativo frente a la babesiosis, ya que sólo 3 de los 28 animales vacunados mostraron síntomas de enfremedad frente a 15 de los 32 no vacunados.

Crossbred dairy heifers on a farm in an East Coast fever (ECF) endemic area in Malawi were immunised againstTheileria parva, Anaplasma spp.,Babesia bigemina, Babesia bovis andCowdria ruminantium. They were treated at infrequent intervals with chlorfenvinphos to limit infestation with adult ticks, without providing complete tick control. In one trial, which tested a threshold dipping regimen, 20 heifers were dipped only once in 6 months to control a flush ofBoophilus microplus. Unimmunised controls showed serological evidence of exposure toT. parva andB. bigemina, and one died of ECF, but there were no incidents of tick-borne disease in the immunised group. In a second trial, which tested a strategic dipping regimen, 107 animals were dipped 9 times over a 6 month period. Despite heavy challenge byB. bovis and moderate challenge byB. bigemina andAnaplasma spp, demonstrated serologically, there was only a single clinical case of babesiosis. The observations provide encouragement for the introduction of integrated tick and tick-borne disease control programmes in improved cattle in ECF endemic areas.

Fluorescing inclusion appendages were detected consistently in preparations of Anaplasma centrale and Anaplasma marginale when they were used as antigen in indirect immunofluorescence serological tests for the diagnosis of anaplasmosis in cattle. The presence of the inclusion appendages made it possible to confirm the specificity of the immunofluorescent reaction and to determine end-points with accuracy.