The author reviews methods of monitoring the epidemiology of tick-borne diseases in livestock in Africa, primarily from the perspective of a model maker. The following subjects are discussed: the incidence and prevalence of tick-borne diseases in host populations, the sampling methods used to...

TICK2 is a detailed population model for 1- and 3-host ticks, with provision for modelling tick-borne diseases. The disease model can be superimposed on the tick model, and is intended to be applicable to any tick-borne disease: different diseases are characterized by different parameter values. A...

Blagg's method, Willis' salt flotation, McMaster's and direct examination using Lugol solution were compared for their efficiency in detecting Giardia in faeces. Blagg's method performed best, identifying Giardia in 50% of 200 goats, 20% of 47 sheep and 5% of 40 calves tested. Lugol solution tested ...

At each of 10 sites on calves, 150 to 200 Taenia saginata activated oncospheres were injected subcutaneously. The calves were treated with the drugs being screened 20, 60 and 90 days after inoculation. Evaluation of the anthelmintic effect was studied by biopsy of tissue at the sites of...

The use of ecological models (e.g. the host-parasite system) to devise and test alternative control strategies, particularly for Ostertagia in cattle, is discussed.

Bio- and chemiluminescence were used to evaluate the opsonization, lysis and phagocytosis of different protozoa. The addition of immune serum to variable antigen type populations of Trypanosoma evansi led to the specific opsonization of trypanosomes resulting in an intense metabolic activation and...

Storage of cattle faeces at room temperature resulted in a rapid decline in the numbers of Dictyocaulus viviparus larvae recoverable by the Baermann technique. Storage at 8 deg C, however, improved the recovery rate over the first 6 to 15 days and substantial recoveries were achieved after 35 to 55 ...

Technical details of critical and controlled tests for the evaluation of anthelmintics are briefly discussed. Schemes for testing anthelmintics in cattle (against adult and immature nematodes) are presented.

After a day's storage of cattle faeces at 20-23 deg C the number of Dictyocaulus viviparus larvae recoverable by the Baermann technique quickly declined. In one of 2 experiments many of the larvae were recovered after the first day from the water condensed inside the plastic bag in which the faeces ...

Post-mortem worm counts, plasma pepsinogen analyses and faecal egg counts as aids to the diagnosis of gastro-intestinal helminthiasis in sheep and cattle are briefly reviewed. Experiments showed a good correlation between individual egg and worm counts in young sheep (up to 12 months old) but not...