Intra-uterine Infection with Babesia bovis in a 2-day-old Calf.

Infection with Babesia bovis was diagnosed in a 2-day-old female calf apparently transmitted in utero. The calf was born as the second calving to a cross-bred beef cow permanently on pasture. Diagnosis was based upon identification of B.

Keratoconjunctivitis and periorbital papillomatosis associated with heavy periorbital infestation by the tail louse Haematopinus quadripertusus in heifers.

Heifers (Israeli-Holstein), aged 12-18 months, permanently maintained in open barns on an inadequate nutritional regime were found to be moderately to heavily infested by Haematopinus quadripertusus, the tail louse. The severely infested heifers showed keratoconjunctivitis and periorbital papillomatosis. Two treatments with an alpha-cypermethrin pour-on product 14 days apart controlled the lice, and were followed by alleviation of the inflammation and regression of the papillomas.

The effect of the ovine host parasitaemia on the development of Babesia ovis (Babes, 1892) in the tick Rhipicephalus bursa (Canestrini and Fanzago, 1877).

Batches of Rhipicephalus bursa adult ticks were fed on two lambs with 10.0% (batch 1) and 0.3% (batch 2) Babesia ovis parasitaemia, respectively.

The life cycle of Rhipicephalus bursa Canestrini and Fanzago, 1877 (Acarina: ixodidae) under laboratory conditions.

The biology of Rhipicephalus bursa has not been thoroughly studied. In the present study R. bursa was bred in the laboratory and its biology worked out.

Chorioptic mange (Acarina: Psoroptidae) in domestic and wild ruminants in Israel.

In a 20-year-survey, 9364 dairy cattle in 324 herds kept under a zero-grazing management, 1252 beef cattle in 46 herds grazing all the year round, 3347 sheep in 134 herds (only 26 are grazing herds), and 872 goats in 47 herds (only 20 are grazing) were examined. The mites collected from cattle were identified as Chorioptes texanus only, and those from sheep, goats and gazelles were identified as C. bovis.

Arthropod parasites of Nubian ibexes (Capra ibex nubiana) and gazelles (Gazella gazella) in Israel.

In a 20-year survey the following ectoparasites were collected from Nubian ibexes: larvae of an unidentified Oestrus sp. collected from the nasal cavities, sinuses and horns, hippoboscid flies (Lipoptena chalcomelaena) specific to the Nubian ibex, blood sucking lice (Linognathus africanus) and unidentified biting lice (Damalinia sp.).

Clinical, clinico-pathological and serological studies of Babesia ovis in experimentally infected sheep.

Clinical, clinico-pathological and serological studies were performed in sheep experimentally infected with Babesia ovis. Acute babesiosis occurred in all the lambs infested with adult Rhipicephalus bursa ticks and in one lamb infested with the larvae. The rate of parasitaemia and the degree of anaemia were not correlated.

Some epizootiological and clinical aspects of ovine babesiosis caused by Babesia ovis--a review.

The study shows a close relationship between incidence of ovine babesiosis caused by Babesia ovis and the activity period and distribution area of the vector tick Rhipicephalus bursa. The most important factor limiting the distribution of this tick is a decrease in humidity. In general, it is absent from areas with an average annual rainfall of less than about 300 mm.

Effect of passage of Babesia ovis in the gerbil (Acomys cahirinus) on the course of infection in splenectomized lambs.

Splenectomized gerbils (Acomys cahirinus) have been found to be susceptible to Babesia ovis applied via blood inoculation, whereas intact gerbils were not infected. Blood from splenectomized latently infected gerbils caused infection in a splenectomized lamb. Intact Acomys cahirinus gerbils did not become infected by B.

The seasonal occurrence of ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) on sheep and in the field in the Judean area of Israel.

A 2 year survey of ixodid ticks in the Judean area of Israel between 1983 and 1985 showed that sheep were parasitized by the following species: Rhipicephalus sanguineus group (30.6%), Rhipicephalus bursa (25.3%), Haemaphysalis cretica (20.

Sarcoptic mange in wild ruminants in zoological gardens in Israel.

Sarcoptic mange (Sarcoptes scabiei) occurred among wild ruminant species in five zoological gardens in Israel, from 1984 to 1994. Infestation of five ruminants by S. scabiei is reported for the first time: mountain gazelles (Gazella gazella), Nubian ibexes (Capra ibex nubiana), a barbary sheep (Ammotragus lervia), elands (Taurotragus oryx), and an Arabian oryx (Oryx leucoryx).

A study of an enzootic focus of sheep babesiosis (Babesia ovis, Babes, 1892).

Morbidity and mortality due to Babesia ovis in sheep flocks grazing in an enzootic area of Israel occur yearly, about 2 weeks after detection of adult Rhipicephalus bursa ticks on the animals. Disease incidence peaks in May, but lasts throughout the active period of the adult ticks in the spring-summer months of April-July. No clinical cases of babesiosis have been registered during the active period of the preimaginal stages of R.

Traditional veterinary medicine in the Near East: Jews, Arab Bedouins and Fellahs.

The authors review traditional veterinary medicine in the Near East region. The ancient Jewish sources--principally the Bible, the Talmud and other, more recent manuscripts--contain ample discussions of veterinary medicine and various aspects of the relations between humans and animals. These include zoonotic diseases, hygiene, intoxications, and various preventive and curative measures, as well as legislation and guidelines for the proper treatment of livestock.

Intrastadial and interstadial transmission of Anaplasma marginale by Boophilus annulatus ticks in cattle.

The 1-host tick Boophilus annulatus was found to transmit anaplasmosis in cattle transstadially. Anaplasma marginale was invariably transmitted when ticks that had been pulled off Anaplasma-infected calves either after 7 days (as fully engorged larvae) or after 14 to 15 days (as fully engorged nymphs) were transferred within 4 days to susceptible calves. Three morphologically different A marginale isolates, 1 round (tailless) and 2 with different types of appendages (tailed) were transmitted by the ticks.

Mortality in calves, lambs and kids caused by severe infestation with the cat flea Ctenocephalides felis felis (Bouché, 1835) in Israel.

Heavy infestation of calves, lambs and kids with the cat flea Ctenocephalides felis felis (Bouché, 1835), accompanied by severe anaemia and mortality, is described. Lambs and kids were affected more severely than calves. Flea infestation was more widespread in summer and autumn than in winter and spring.

Myiasis caused by Wohlfahrtia magnifica (Schiner, 1862) in the Arabian camel (Camelus dromedarius) in the Peninsula of Sinai.

Massive myiasis caused by Wohlfahrtia magnifica (Schiner, 1862) in camels in the Southern Mountainous zone of the Peninsula of Sinai is described. Wohlfahrtiosis seemed intimately related to the climatic and ecological conditions of the area, particularly altitude, precipitation, pasture, rodents and ticks. The clinical features resembled those described in sheep in Israel and in camels elsewhere.

Notes on the biology of the tick Rhipicephalus bursa (Canestrini and Fanzago, 1877) in Israel.

The seasonal distribution of the tick Rhipicephalus bursa in sheep has been studied during one year in two neighbouring flocks of Awassi sheep in an enzootic focus of sheep babesiosis. Rates of tick infestation on the two flocks were very different. Pre-imaginal stages were found on the sheep during the winter months of November-March while adult ticks appeared in the middle of April and persisted until the end of July.