Pituitary adenomas were identified in 14 of 491 (2.9%) cynomolgus macaques evaluated from 1994 to 2004. Cases included male (8) and female (6) cynomolgus macaques ranging from 18 to 32 years of age. Seven of the pituitary adenomas caused gross enlargement of the pituitary gland that was visible on postmortem examination, whereas the remaining 7 were multifocal microadenomas identified on histologic examination. A total of 35 adenomas were identified in the 14 macaques, 6 of which were being treated for diabetes mellitus. Mean (+/- SD) pituitary weight was 0.31 +/- 0.42 g, compared with 0.07 +/- 0.02 g for 430 historical control animals (P < 0.0001). Immunohistochemical staining for follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, prolactin, human growth hormone, thyroid-stimulating hormone, and adrenocorticotropic hormone was applied to pituitary tissue from all cases. Immunostaining revealed 22 of 35 (62.9%) lactotroph adenomas, 5 of 35 (14.3%) plurihormonal cell adenomas, 3 of 35 (8.6%) corticotroph adenomas, 2 of 35 (5.7%) null cell adenomas, 1 of 35 (2.9%) somatotroph adenomas, 1 of 35 (2.9%) mixed corticotroph-somatotroph adenomas, 1 of 35 (2.9%) mixed lactotroph-corticotroph adenomas, 0 of 35 gonadotroph adenomas, and 0 of 35 thyrotroph adenomas. This study represents the first extensive retrospective case series performed to evaluate the histologic and immunohistochemical characteristics of pituitary adenomas in cynomolgus macaques. Our findings indicated that macaque pituitary adenomas frequently had mixed histologic appearance and hormone expression, and that, similar to human pituitary adenomas, prolactin-secreting neoplasms were the most prevalent type.

In this study we evaluated the long-term effects of soy isoflavones on intermediate markers of cancer risk in the normal postmenopausal monkey breast and uterus. Ovariectomized female cynomolgus monkeys were randomized to receive one of three diets for 36 months: 1) isoflavone-depleted soy protein isolate (SPI-) (n = 57); 2) soy protein isolate with the equivalent of 129 mg/d isoflavones (SPI+) (n = 60); or 3) isoflavone-depleted soy protein isolate with conjugated equine estrogens at a dose scaled to approximate 0.625 mg/d in women (n = 62). End points included breast and uterine proliferation markers, sex steroid receptor expression, and serum estrogens. Epithelial proliferation and progesterone receptor expression in the breast and uterus were significantly higher in the conjugated equine estrogen group, compared with SPI+ and SPI- groups, whereas no significant differences were detected between the SPI+ and SPI- groups. SPI+ treatment resulted in significantly lower serum concentrations of estrone (P < 0.01) and estradiol (P < 0.05) vs. SPI-. Within the SPI+ group, serum isoflavone concentrations were inversely correlated with serum estrone and mammary glandular area. These findings suggest that high dietary levels of soy isoflavones do not stimulate breast or uterine proliferation in postmenopausal monkeys and may contribute to an estrogen profile associated with reduced breast cancer risk.

Veterinary RecordVolume 152, Issue 5 p. 141-142 Short Communication Listeriosis in a free-ranging colobus monkey (Colobus guereza caudatus) in Kenya N. D. Kock, N. D. Kock Department of Pathology and Comparative Medicine, Wake Forest University Medical School, Medical School Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC, 27157 USASearch for more papers by this authorR. A. Kock, R. A. Kock International Wildlife Veterinary Services, 1850 North Main Street, Salinas, CA, 93906 USASearch for more papers by this authorE. Wambua, E. Wambua Kenya Wildlife Service, PO Box 40241 Nairobi, KenyaSearch for more papers by this authorK. Mohan, K. Mohan Faculty of Veterinary ScienceM, University of Zimbabwe, PO Box MP167 Mount Pleasant, Harare, ZimbabweSearch for more papers by this author N. D. Kock, N. D. Kock Department of Pathology and Comparative Medicine, Wake Forest University Medical School, Medical School Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC, 27157 USASearch for more papers by this authorR. A. Kock, R. A. Kock International Wildlife Veterinary Services, 1850 North Main Street, Salinas, CA, 93906 USASearch for more papers by this authorE. Wambua, E. Wambua Kenya Wildlife Service, PO Box 40241 Nairobi, KenyaSearch for more papers by this authorK. Mohan, K. Mohan Faculty of Veterinary ScienceM, University of Zimbabwe, PO Box MP167 Mount Pleasant, Harare, ZimbabweSearch for more papers by this author First published: 01 February 2003 https://doi.org/10.1136/vr.152.5.141Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume152, Issue5February 2003Pages 141-142 RelatedInformation

A SINGLE population of Kafue lechwe (Kobus leche kafuensis), a subspecies of lechwe (a semi-aquatic antelope), resides on the flood plain of the Kafue River in Zambia (270°40′ E, 159°45′ S), and coexists with human beings and livestock (Jeffrey and others 1991). The population has declined steadily from 81,000 in 1975 to 40,000 in 1998 (Schuster 1980, Howard and Jeffrey 1983, Jeffrey and others 1991). This decline is not a result of environmental pressure from increasing human habitation or the recent development of a hydroelectric dam on the Kafue River (Kapungwe 1993), and has occurred despite the availability of adequate forage and an absence of natural predators (Kampamba 1998). The present study was conducted to determine whether natural disease caused or contributed to the decline in the population. Twenty-two Kafue lechwe were culled for postmortem examination. Six animals found dead and one in extremis were also examined. Samples of lung, heart, liver, spleen, kidney and gastrointestinal tract from most cases, and lymph node and gonad from some, were fixed in 10 per cent buffered formalin, trimmed, embedded in paraffin, cut at 6 to 10 μm, and stained with haematoxylin and eosin. In some cases sections were also stained with Ziehl-Neelsen, Gram and/or Prussian blue stains (Barrow and Feltham 1993). Faeces from the culled lechwe were preserved in equal amounts of 10 per cent formalin and examined for parasites. Parasite egg and coccidial oocyst numbers were determined using the modified McMaster technique (Anon 1986) and trematode eggs counts were determined using the sedimentation method (Rolfe and Boray 1987). Blood from five culled animals was collected into sodium citrate and EDTA anticoagulant-containing tubes. Smears from the EDTA tubes were made within an hour, air dried, fixed for one minute in methanol, and stored at 4°C. The EDTA blood samples were stored at 4°C and submitted for full blood counts within two days. Brain-squash slides from all of the culled animals were examined for Cowdria ruminantium (Purchase 1945). Blood-filled citrate tubes and a 6 to 10 cm length of rib from each of the culled animals were stored at -4°C until assayed by PCR for C ruminantium (Kock and others 1995). The animals were generally in good body condition, although several late-stage pregnant females were thin. Poaching was presumed in the animals found dead, and the one in extremis had severe bronchopneumonia. Slender, white nematodes, 7 to 9 cm long and up to 2 cm in diameter, were found free in the peritoneal cavity in two animals, but were inadvertently not submitted for identification. Microscopic granulomatous lesions with prominent giant cells, consistent with tuberculosis, were present in the lung in two animals and in the liver in one. Logistical conditions prevented the submission of fresh tissue for culture. Schistosomiasis was presumed responsible for microscopic hepatic granulomata in eight cases, based on the appearances of cross-sections of parasites and associated haematin. Moderate to marked splenic haemosiderosis was diagnosed in six animals, with similar pigmentation in liver and lung tissues in some cases. Splenic extramedullary haematopoiesis was found in six animals, accompanied by splenic or more widespread haemosiderosis in some. Acute to subacute perifollicular eosinophilic splenitis and lymphoid hyperplasia were present in four lechwe. Periportal hepatitis was found in seven animals, sometimes with bridging fibrosis. Myocardial sarcosporidiosis was diagnosed in 11 animals, and pulmonary anthracosis in two. Mild, subacute, multifocal inflammation in the liver, heart and kidney occurred in a small proportion of the animals. Infections with Eimeria species were diagnosed in all but one of the culled animals (95 per cent), with 50 to 9550 oocysts per gram of faeces (Table 1). Seven (32 per cent) had 50 to 200 strongyle eggs per gram (epg) of faeces. Six animals (27 per cent) had fasciolosis, and 11 (50 per cent) were infested with amphistomes, ranging from 1 to 4 and 1 to 33 epg of faeces, respectively. The amphistomes were identified as mature and immature stages of Calicophoron calicophorum (Jones 1990, Gibbons and others 1996). Two of the lechwe were anaemic, with packed-cell volumes of less than 25 per cent, haemoglobin concentrations of less than 120 g/litre, and red blood cell counts of less than 6 × 1012/litre (Table 2). Red blood cell counts ranged from 3.76 to 7.82 × 1012/litre and differential counts demonstrated abundant lymphocytes (64 to 95 per cent). All assays for C ruminantium were negative. Tuberculosis has previously been reported in Kafue lechwe, with a prevalence of 15 to 30 per cent (Clancy 1977, Pandey and others 1996). While none of the lesions in this study was considered clinically significant, the presence of this disease is important. Tuberculosis is of major concern in wildlife in South African national parks, and is presumably spreading from cattle (Keet 1998). Heartwater has been reported in Zambian lechwe following capture and translocation, associated with the stress of handling and transport (Pandey and others 1992). Wild ruminants are considered to be carriers of this disease of domestic livestock (Kock and others 1995) and, since mingling of lechwe and cattle occurs in the Kafue Flats, the potential for spread exists. The absence of lechwe positive for heartwater in this study may reflect the small number of animals tested. Splenic haemosiderosis in African cattle often indicates intermittent or chronic low-grade haemoparasitism with resultant haemolysis. While some of the lechwe were anaemic, analysis of blood samples was not performed on sufficient animals to correlate the lesions, making the reason for the haemosiderosis unclear. Parasitic infections are well recognised in wildlife in southern Africa (Jooste 1990, Knottenbelt 1990), often without apparent effect (Boomker 1987). Wildlife species seem better adapted to intestinal parasites than livestock, and their health is affected only in young and/or stressed animals (Mares and others 1984). Liver and rumen flukes may be significant if animals are in contact with their vectors, Lymnaea and Bulinus species snails, respectively. The presence of immature stages of C calicophorum in the lechwe indicates exposure to vectors, making clinical disease a possibility. Other than bronchopneumonia in one animal, none of the lesions in the lechwe was considered life threatening or of clinical importance. The absence of significant disease factors and predation supports the assumption that the decline in the Kafue lechwe population is the result of poaching (Kampamba 1998). The authors thank the Zambian National Parks Department for permission to conduct this investigation and the technical staff of the Faculty of Veterinary Science Paraclinical Department, University of Zimbabwe, for processing the histology and parasitology samples. Funding was provided by the European Commission, through the Tropical Resource Ecology Programme at the University of Zimbabwe, and by International Wildlife Veterinary Services.

A severe epidemic of rinderpest, affecting mainly wild ruminants, occurred between 1993 and 1997 in East Africa. Buffalo (Syncerus caffer), eland (Taurotragus oryx) and lesser kudu (Tragelaphus imberbis) were highly susceptible. The histopathological changes, notably individual epithelial cell necrosis with syncytia formation, were consistent with an infection with an epitheliotrophic virus. Serology, the polymerase chain reaction, and virus isolation confirmed the diagnosis and provided epidemiological information. The virus was related to a strain which was prevalent in Kenya in the 1960s, of a second lineage (II), and distinct from isolations of rinderpest virus in the region since 1986. The source of the virus was presumed to be infected cattle from the Eastern region of Kenya and Somalia. The pathogenicity of the virus varied during the epidemic. The mortality in buffalo populations was estimated to be up to 80 per cent, and population data suggested that the virus had an adverse effect on a wide range of species. The virus caused only a mild disease in cattle, with minimal mortality. The results confirmed the importance of wildlife as sentinels of the disease, but although wildlife were important in the spread of the virus, they did not appear to act as reservoirs of infection.

An epizootic in free-ranging lesser flamingos (Phoeniconaias minor) in Kenya resulted in more than 18,500 deaths from August through mid-November 1993. Disease was concentrated along the shores of Rift Valley Lakes Bogoria and Nakuru (Kenya) and did not involve any of the other avian or mammalian species frequenting the lakes. Coincidental to the outbreak was a bloom of algae on Lake Bogoria, toxins from which were first suspected to be causative. Discrete necrotic and granulomatous lesions were often noted in spleen and liver, and Mycobacterium avium serovar I was isolated from both organs. Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa also were often recovered in pure culture from liver. Gross and histopathological evaluation of the cases disclosed signs of acute sepsis and also chronic, potentially life-threatening lesions of mycobacteriosis, primarily involving the spleen and liver. Lesions typical for algae toxicosis were not seen in any birds. Deaths were attributed to septicemia, complicated in those affected, by mycobacteriosis.

Veterinary RecordVolume 145, Issue 18 p. 527-528 Short Communication Pathological changes in free-ranging African ungulates during a rinderpest epizootic in Kenya, 1993 to 1997 N. D. Kock DVM, PhD, N. D. Kock DVM, PhD Marine Veterinary Care and Research Centre, 1451 Shaffer Road, Santa Cruz, California, 95060 USASearch for more papers by this authorR. A. Kock MA, VetMB,MRCVS, R. A. Kock MA, VetMB,MRCVS Kenya Wildlife Service, PO Box 40241, Nairobi, KenyaSearch for more papers by this authorJ. Wambua BVM, J. Wambua BVM Kenya Wildlife Service, PO Box 40241, Nairobi, KenyaSearch for more papers by this authorJ. Mwanzia BVM, MPH, J. Mwanzia BVM, MPH Kenya Wildlife Service, PO Box 40241, Nairobi, KenyaSearch for more papers by this author N. D. Kock DVM, PhD, N. D. Kock DVM, PhD Marine Veterinary Care and Research Centre, 1451 Shaffer Road, Santa Cruz, California, 95060 USASearch for more papers by this authorR. A. Kock MA, VetMB,MRCVS, R. A. Kock MA, VetMB,MRCVS Kenya Wildlife Service, PO Box 40241, Nairobi, KenyaSearch for more papers by this authorJ. Wambua BVM, J. Wambua BVM Kenya Wildlife Service, PO Box 40241, Nairobi, KenyaSearch for more papers by this authorJ. Mwanzia BVM, MPH, J. Mwanzia BVM, MPH Kenya Wildlife Service, PO Box 40241, Nairobi, KenyaSearch for more papers by this author First published: 30 October 1999 https://doi.org/10.1136/vr.145.18.527Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL No abstract is available for this article. Volume145, Issue18October 1999Pages 527-528 RelatedInformation

Annals of the New York Academy of SciencesVolume 849, Issue 1 p. 378-380 Suppression of Interleukin-5 Prevents Mortality in BALB/C Mice Infected with Cowdria ruminantiuma N. D. KOCK, N. D. KOCK University of Zimbabwe, Faculty of Veterinary Science, P.O. Box MP167, Mount Pleasant, Harare, ZimbabweSearch for more papers by this authorP. F. MOORE, P. F. MOORE University of California, School of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Davis, California 95616, USASearch for more papers by this authorF. JONGEJAN, F. JONGEJAN Department of Parasitology and Tropical Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80.165, 3508 TD Utrecht, the NetherlandsSearch for more papers by this authorJ. HOUGHTON, J. HOUGHTON University of Zimbabwe, Faculty of Veterinary Science, P.O. Box MP167, Mount Pleasant, Harare, ZimbabweSearch for more papers by this authorJ. HUBERT, J. HUBERT University of Zimbabwe, Faculty of Veterinary Science, P.O. Box MP167, Mount Pleasant, Harare, ZimbabweSearch for more papers by this authorR. L. COFFMAN, R. L. COFFMAN DNAX Corporation, Research Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Department of Immunology, Palo Alto, California, USASearch for more papers by this author N. D. KOCK, N. D. KOCK University of Zimbabwe, Faculty of Veterinary Science, P.O. Box MP167, Mount Pleasant, Harare, ZimbabweSearch for more papers by this authorP. F. MOORE, P. F. MOORE University of California, School of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Davis, California 95616, USASearch for more papers by this authorF. JONGEJAN, F. JONGEJAN Department of Parasitology and Tropical Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80.165, 3508 TD Utrecht, the NetherlandsSearch for more papers by this authorJ. HOUGHTON, J. HOUGHTON University of Zimbabwe, Faculty of Veterinary Science, P.O. Box MP167, Mount Pleasant, Harare, ZimbabweSearch for more papers by this authorJ. HUBERT, J. HUBERT University of Zimbabwe, Faculty of Veterinary Science, P.O. Box MP167, Mount Pleasant, Harare, ZimbabweSearch for more papers by this authorR. L. COFFMAN, R. L. COFFMAN DNAX Corporation, Research Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Department of Immunology, Palo Alto, California, USASearch for more papers by this author First published: 07 February 2006 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-6632.1998.tb11075.xCitations: 2 This work was partly funded by the INCO-DC Programme of the European Union (DGXII) under contract no. Ic18-CT95-0008. Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onEmailFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat REFERENCES 1 Schreiber, S.L. & G.R. Crabtree. 1992. The mechanism of action of cyclosporin A and FK 506. Immunol. Today 13(4) 136–141. 2 Abbas, A.K., A.H. Lichtman & J.S. Pober. 1991. Cytokines. In Cellular and Molecular Immunology, pp. 225-243. 3 Mossman, T.R. & R.L. Coffman. 1989. TH1 and TH2 cells: Different patterns of lymphokine secretion lead to different functional properties. Ann. Rev. Immunol. 7: 145–173. 4 Scott, P. & S.H.E. Kauffman. 1991. The role of T-cell subsets and cytokines in the regulation of infection. Immunol. Today 12(10): 346–348. 5 Sher, A.L. & R.L. Coffman. 1992. Regulation of immunity to parasites by T cells and T cell-derived cytokines. Ann. Rev. Immunol. 10: 385–409. 6 Jongejan, F. 1990. Tick/host interactions and disease transmission with special reference to Cowdria ruminantium (Rickettsiales). Ph.D. Thesis, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands. 7 Coffman, R.L. Unpublished data. 8 Totte, P., A.L.W. de Gee & J. Werenne. 1989. Possible role of interferon in the resistance of cattle against the rickettsiale Cowdria ruminantium during vaccination. J. Cell. Biochem. 13E: (Supp.) 112. 9 Totte, P., D. Blankaert, P. Zilimwabagabo & J. Werenne. 1993. Inhibition of Cowdria ruminantium infectious yield by interferons alpha and gamma endothelial cells. Rev. Elev. Med. Vet. Pays Trop. 46(1-2): 189–194. 10 Logan, L.L., T.C. Whyard, J.C. Quintero & C.A. Mebus. 1987. The development of Cowdria ruminantium in neutrophils. Onderstepoort J. Vet. Res. 54: 197–204. 11 Kock, N.D. 1995. Studies on the pathogenesis and epidemiology of heartwater (Cowdria ruminantium infection). Ph.D. Dissertation, University of California, Davis, California, USA. 12 Bensaid, A., S. Bourdoulous, D. Lerhun, D. Calvez, L. Droogman, D. Martinez & P.O. Couraud. 1993. Interleukin 6 expression upon infection by Cowdria ruminantium of bovine brain endothelial cells. Rev. Elev. Med. Vet. Pays Trop. 46(1-2): 195. Citing Literature Volume849, Issue1TROPICAL VETERINARY MEDICINE: MOLECULAR EPIDEMIOLOGY, HEMOPARASITES AND THEIR VECTORS, AND GENERAL TOPICSJune 1998Pages 378-380 ReferencesRelatedInformation

Degeneration and necrosis of Purkinje fibers with fibrosis around Purkinje fibers were found in the hearts of three adult black rhinoceroses (Diceros bicornis) in Zimbabwe in 1989 and 1990, among 38 animals examined from 1988 to 1994. Causes of death were not apparently related to these changes, nor was there evidence of heart failure. The etiology of these changes is unknown.

Cowdria ruminantium causes severe, often fatal disease in domestic ruminants, whereas wildlife species usually are not affected. Blood and bone marrow samples from healthy, free-ranging Zimbabwean ungulates were taken during translocation from areas harboring Amblyomma ticks and tested for the presence of C. ruminantium, using a PCR assay based on the C. ruminantium map1 gene. Positive reactions were obtained in tsessebe (Damaliscus lunatus), waterbuck (Kobus ellipsiprymnus), and impala (Aepyceros melampus). Wildlife species may therefore be a reservoir for C. ruminantium thus contributing to the spread of cowdriosis.

An epizootic of flaccid trunk paralysis began in free-ranging Zimbabwean elephants (Loxodonta africana) on the southern shore of Lake Kariba in 1989. It involved a selective neuropathy of peripheral nerves supplying the trunk, with axon and myelin degeneration, muscle atrophy, compensatory hypertrophy, and fine endomyseal fibrosis, without inflammatory changes.

Four of 20 black rhinoceroses (Diceros bicornis) became lethargic, anorectic, anemic, and jaundiced, with elevations in serum bilirubin, after being moved into creosote-treated holding pens (bomas). One of these animals died, and a second became moribund and was euthanized. Both had oral and gastric ulcers, widespread hemorrhages and hematomata, and uniformly swollen, intensely green livers, containing excessive intrahepatic bilirubin. The remaining two animals made full clinical recoveries, and additional cases were not seen in Zimbabwe, although three of these animals died with similar liver lesions after final translocation to the USA, and two with similar liver lesions died after translocation to Australia. This report describes clinical, hematologic, and pathological findings in two black rhinoceroses that were confined in wooden pens that had been treated with creosote, noting similarities described in creosote toxicosis in other animals.

While psittacine beak and feather disease has caused 100% mortality in captive flocks of 2 species of native Zimbabwean lovebirds (Agapornis nigrigensis and A. lilianae), other lovebird species in close contact with the sick birds have been only transiently affected or not at all. The clinical course of the disease in affected lovebirds may differ from that reported elsewhere, with recovery in some cases. These differences, along with ultrastructural differences may suggest a different virus or different strain of virus underlying disease in Zimbabwe.

An outbreak of haemorrhagic septicaemia caused byPasteurella multocida in beef cattle in Zimbabwe grazing effluent-irrigated pastures, is described. The outbreak occurred during the wet summer months and predisposing stress factors included excessive rainfall and unusual cold weather during the preceeding month. History, clinical features and post-mortem findings were consistent with reports of the disease from other countries, except that meningitis was also a constant feature. Morbidity approached 77% and mortality 5 per cent. Prophylactic treatment and vaccination with a killed bacterin together with a return of warmer and drier weather were probably important in halting the outbreak.

Sera from 65 free-ranging Zimbabwean black rhinoceroses (Diceros bicornis) from the Chete safari area and the lower Zambezi Valley and 58 white rhinoceroses (Ceratotherium simum) from Hwange National Park were tested for antibodies to Cowdria ruminantium by monoclonal antibody-mediated competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Eighteen of 32 (56.2%) black rhinoceroses from the lower Zambezi Valley were positive, whereas only one of 33 (0.03%) from the Chete safari area was positive. Mice inoculated with freshly collected rhinoceros blood from the Chete safari area did not seroconvert. In addition, 44 of 58 (75.9%) white rhinoceroses from Hwange National Park had antibodies to Cowdria. These findings signify a possible reservoir role for rhinoceroses in the epidemiology of heartwater disease. If the carrier status for Cowdria in rhinoceroses is further confirmed by isolation of the organism, spread of the disease into heartwater-free areas that harbor known Amblyomma tick vectors is conceivable and should be taken into consideration when rhinoceroses are translocated. The purpose of the study was to determine seropositive rates to Cowdria ruminantium in convenience samples of black and white rhinoceroses in the natural habitat where contact with domestic cattle is essentially nil.

A young dog with progressive neurological signs was humanely killed by the injection of barbiturate for postmortem examination. Lesions in the nose, lung, pancreas, lymph nodes, kidneys and the meninges were heavily infiltrated with Cryptococcus neoformans. In addition, haemangiosarcoma was detected in the right atrium. The finding of systemic mycosis and neoplasia together in a young dog suggests an immunosuppressed state.