Ixodlde Ticks in Australia

Abstract

The Editor, case was there any residual effect on sperm quality. THE AUSTRALIAN VETERINARY JOL'RNAL, Two of the three rams receiving 4.0 ml. doses re-Dear Sir, mained highly fertile. The semen of the third Being aware of the advantages of a simple ram showed a marked drop in quantity and quality method of producing teaser rams, a recent article Of the four receiving 6.0 ml. each, two by a German worker was read with interest. The remained unchanged and two exhibited a severe article, published as a n abstract i n J . Amer. vet.I n general the semen nied. Ass., 131: 288, dealt with the sterilising of picture of the affected rams was worst at the male ruminants using a sclero-therapeutic agent first test (one month after treatment), the final "1)ondren". This agent was injected into the test at eleven weeks showing some tendency to tail of the epididymus in doses ranging from 0.5-5.0 recovery. Manual palpation of the testes revealed nil.Sterilisation was achieved by the localised a n initial hardening and enlargement of the tails formation of connective tissue which completely of the epididymes in all cases, the degree of ensealed the ducts of the epididymus. largement being roughly proportional to the dose A supply of "Dondren" was kindly made avail-rate. By eleven weeks the epididymes of the 2.0 able by the manufacturers, Knoll Chemical Cornml. dose group had returned to normal size. pany, Ludwigshafen, Germany, and was injectedThe results of this investigation indicate that into eleven fertile rams i n doses ranging from up to a dose rate of 6.0 ml. per ram, Dondren" 2.0-6.0 ml. per ram. Semen was collected from is too unreliable in its action to have any value the rams by electro-ejaculation on four subsequent as a sterilisinE agent for producing teaser rams. occasions over a period of eleven weeks from the Yours, etc.. date of injection. Semen quality was estimated A. J. MORRANT, by recording the sperm density of each ejaculate, Livestock Research Officer. motility and per cent. abnormal sperm.

BIOLOGICAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN AFRICAN THEILERIA MUTANS (THEILER 1906) AND TWO BENIGN SPECIES OF THEILERIA OF CATTLE IN AUSTRALIA AND BRITAIN

“…Haemaphysalis longicornis and H . bancrofti are believed to be its tick vectors (Riek 1966;Roberts 1970) in Australia where the organism is not regarded as being a significant cause of disease. This paper reports preliminary serological and morphological comparisons of the true African T. mutuns (Theiler 1906) with the Australian theileria and a similar organism also called "T. mutans" found in British cattle.…”

High prevalence of Rickettsia gravesii sp. nov. in Amblyomma triguttatum collected from feral pigs

“…Australia and are able to colonise a wide range of hosts (Roberts, 1970). Whilst A. t. triguttatum has 171 previously been reported to be a vector of Coxiella burnetii, the causative agent of Q fever in humans 172 (Beaman and Marinovitch, 1999;McDiarmid et al, 2000), no diseases have been associated with I.…”

“…Several tick species have previously been reported from both domestic and feral pigs in Australia 168 however reports of A. t. triguttatum and I. australiensis are limited (Masters, 1979;Roberts, 1970). 169…”

“…Whilst A. t. triguttatum has 171 previously been reported to be a vector of Coxiella burnetii, the causative agent of Q fever in humans 172 (Beaman and Marinovitch, 1999;McDiarmid et al, 2000), no diseases have been associated with I. 173 australiensis to date (Bengis et al, 2002;Roberts, 1970). …”

“…The presence or absence of lice and their eggs were recorded from all 77 pigs, however ticks were the predominant ectoparasites collected. Ticks were examined under 1.5-30x 78 magnification using a Wild MZA stereomicroscope and were identified to the species level based on 79 standard morphological features including the presence or absence of eyes, the anal groove position, 80 the coxal and the number of spurs present (Roberts, 1970). Sexing was performed based on scutum 81 size and the presence of a genital pore.…”