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Biomedical subjects

J Vercruysse

Publications and source records attributed to J Vercruysse.

At least 217 records · Page 12Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

Field evaluation of an experimental albendazole pulse release bolus in the control of parasitic gastroenteritis in first-season grazing calves.

A field experiment is described which evaluates the use of an experimental albendazole pulse release bolus (E-bolus) on gastrointestinal parasitism. The bolus was administered at turnout to 9 first-season grazing calves and 9 animals were kept as controls on separate pasture. Dry summer months accounted for low infection levels in the calves; no cases of parasitic gastroenteritis were observed. The E-bolus introduced at the start of the grazing season provided moderate control of gastrointestinal parasitism. The beneficial effect of the treatment was demonstrated by lower strongyle egg counts and significant differences in ELISA extinctions for Ostertagia, Cooperia and Dictyocaulus. However pepsinogen values were elevated in the bolus-treated group, probably because of the long interval (31 days) between the pulsed treatments. Although not significant there was a trend for the bolus-treated group to gain more weight than the controls.

Albendazole↗
PubMed1988

Observations on the infectivity and fecundity of Schistosoma curassoni from Senegal in albino mice.

An average of 11% of adult Schistosoma curassoni were recovered from 200 albino mice which had been infected subcutaneously with 150-250 cercariae. Worms were primarily found in the portal veins. The average number of intrauterine eggs per female during the first 100 days p.i. was 13 and the average number of eggs produced per female worm was 103 per day for the first 60 days post oviposition. The majority of eggs were recovered from the liver (98.3%). The oograms were determined until day 95 p.i. For screening of antischistosomal drugs it is recommended not to use infections older than 60 d.p.i.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Efficacy of early season anthelmintic treatment against gastrointestinal nematodes.

The efficacy of levamisole and ivermectin in multiple-dose regimes for the control of parasitic gastroenteritis in first-season grazing calves was evaluated on a dairy cattle farm in Belgium. Thirty-nine female Holstein crossbred calves were randomly divided into three groups. Paddock 1 was used for the controls, paddock 2 for the levamisole group (dosed at 3, 6 and 9 weeks after the start of grazing) and paddock 3 for the ivermectin group (dosed at 3 and 8 weeks after turn-out). The treatments were evaluated on the basis of live weight, faecal egg output, and serum pepsinogen levels. The impact of the therapeutic dosing at timed intervals during the first months of the grazing season was remarkable; egg output in the levamisole and ivermectin groups between June and early October was substantially lower. The treatments seem to adequately control Ostertagia, because serum pepsinogen values were much lower from August onwards. Better weight gains were observed in both the treatment groups. The experiment also illustrated the advantage of early housing of calves.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Clinical pathology of experimental Schistosoma curassoni infections in sheep and goats.

The clinical pathology of Schistosoma curassoni infection in sheep and goats was studied for 22 weeks following experimental infection with 7000 and 4000 cercariae, respectively. Excretion of eggs began at week 7 after infection: in goats the numbers increased to 30 to 50 eggs per gram faeces (epg) at weeks 8 to 18, followed by a reduction. In a pregnant goat, epg values increased markedly before and after parturition. The mean faecal egg counts in sheep were lower than in goats, increasing to a maximum level of 30 epg at weeks 16 and 17 after infection. Infected sheep maintained growth rates roughly comparable with controls, whereas infected goats failed to gain as much weight as the controls. Infected goats and sheep produced eosinophil counts of about 3 x 10(3) mm-3, five and eight weeks after infection, respectively. Sheep developed a progressive anaemia from week 11 after infection, in goats blood values remained within normal limits. Differences in serum protein concentration were observed between infected and uninfected goats about nine weeks after infection, but not in sheep. Increased total protein values, hyperglobulinaemia and lowered albumin to globulin ratios were features of infected goats. Serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase, glutamate pyruvate transaminase, gamma-glutamyl transferase, total lactate dehydrogenase and bilirubin were not significantly changed. The mean recovery in sheep was 608 worms, in goats 428 worms, but the total tissue egg counts were higher in the latter. Of the total eggs deposited in the goats 92 per cent were found in the liver with 51.5 per cent in the ovine liver. The histopathological changes were studied.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Use of an oxfendazole pulse release bolus in the control of parasitic gastroenteritis and parasitic bronchitis in first-season grazing calves.

The efficacy of the oxfendazole pulse release bolus system for the control of parasitic gastroenteritis and parasitic bronchitis in first-season grazing calves was evaluated in Belgium. Twenty-two calves were allocated to two groups. The calves in one group received a bolus at the time of turn out, while the other group remained untreated. The efficacy of the bolus was assessed by comparison of faecal worm egg counts, plasma pepsinogen concentrations, the antibody response to Ostertagia, Cooperia and Dictyocaulus species total plasma protein and albumin concentrations, and weight gains throughout the grazing season and the housing period. The oxfendazole pulse release bolus provided good control of parasitic gastroenteritis dominated by ostertagia. The effects of parasitic gastritis were greatly reduced as shown by the significantly lower values of serum pepsinogen and ostertagia antibody titres. The use of the bolus further reduced the adverse effects of parasitism as indicated by better liveweight gains and normal total plasma protein and albumin concentrations whereas in the untreated control group hypoproteinaemia and hypoalbuminaemia were observed. Most animals exhibited clinical signs of parasitic bronchitis at the end of the grazing season, and the bolus may not adequately control parasitic bronchitis in all cases at all times.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Observations on the Anopheles gambiae complex in the Senegal River Basin, West Africa.

1. Three sibling species of mosquitoes of the Anopheles gambiae complex are found in the Senegal River Basin: An. melas Theobald, An. gambiae Giles and An. arabiensis Patton. 2. An. melas is restricted to the river delta and environs where saltwater breeding places are present. 3. An. gambiae and An. arabiensis are sympatric in the study area; An. arabiensis predominates in coastal zones where it breeds also during the dry season; An. gambiae predominates in inland areas where breeding is mostly restricted to the rainy season (July-September). 4. An. arabiensis is chromosomally polymorphic all over the study area, with much variation of inversion frequencies, particularly for the 2Ra arrangement. 5. An. gambiae is characterized by a very high frequency of the 2Rb-2La inversion arrangement which is typical of the Savanna chromosomal form.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

[Malaria, anemia and nutritional status: longitudinal study of their interaction in a sahelian zone (Senegal)].

Two villages in the sahelian zone of the Senegal river Basin, were surveyed during one year. On 5 occasions (May, July, October 1982, January, March 1983) 200 persons were clinically examined and a parasitological (parasite rate and specific antibodies), haematological and biochemical examination was done. At the same time an entomological survey was performed. The two vectors were Anopheles gambiae ss. and A. arabiensis with a predominance of the first. Although the number of infective bites is low, the transmission risk is high, at least one a year. The parasite rate is low (15%) with almost no seasonal variation although transmission occurs only during 3-4 months. Correspondingly low titres of malaria antibodies are present. The nutritional status of the population is on the limit of normal. It was not possible to make significant correlations between malaria and the nutritional status except for anaemia where evolution seems to be more related to malaria than to nutrition.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Evaluation of a simplified blood pepsinogen assay.

Blood pepsinogen concentrations in cattle were determined, using a simple, direct method based on the hydrolysing effect of serum on buffered bovine albumin substrate (2 g/dl). The amount of tyrosine released was measured at 680 nm, using the Folin and Ciocalteu's colorimetric method. To ensure an optimal digestion in vitro, a glycine-hydrochloric acid buffer (0.1M) was evaluated at various pH. Serum samples with medium (2,591 mU of tyrosine) and high (6,222 mU of tyrosine) pepsinogen concentrations had the highest proteolytic activity at pH 2.5. Substituting albumin by hemoglobin substrate resulted in almost double the amount of hydrolyzed products. For preparation of standard pepsin or pepsinogen curves, the incorporation of serum (activated or inactivated) diminished the tyrosine released to only half the amount obtained without serum. The use of serum or plasma did not significantly affect the results of the test, nor did prolonged storage at -70 C result in marked differences in the results.

Albumins↗
PubMed1986

Gastro-intestinal helminths of donkeys in Burkina Faso.

Thirty adult donkeys from Burkina Faso were necropsied and their gastro-intestinal worm burdens counted and determined. The strongylids were the most abundant species with a prevalence of 100% for Strongylus vulgaris. Four species of Strongylus, two of Triodontophorus and six of the Cyathostominae were recovered. All of the animals were also infested with habronematid nematodes, but oxyurid and ascaridid nematodes were found in low numbers. In addition to the nematodes, the paramphistomid trematode Gastrodiscus aegyptiacus and the anoplocephalid cestode Anoplocephala magna occurred in varying numbers. Faecal egg-counts from 131 donkeys ranged between 100 and 9,200 for strongylid eggs.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Abomasal parasitism in dairy cows in Belgium.

Over a period of one year, from March 1984 to April 1985, the abomasa of 157 dairy cows in East Flanders (Belgium) were collected and examined for the presence of nematodes. Faeces and blood were also collected from the animals. No worms were recovered from 18 cows (11.5%), 118 cows (75%) had a low to moderate worm burden (10-10,000) and 21 cows (13.5%) a high worm burden (greater than 10,000). The geometric mean total number was 2171. Ostertagia ostertagi and Trichostrongylus axei were the main species involved, with the former accounting for 90% of all trichostrongyles recovered. For both worms a seasonal pattern was evident, with the highest worm counts in December-January. Between December and February greater than 97% of the Ostertagia spp. worm burden were EL4. For all animals the average pepsinogen level was 1391 +/- 494 mU tyrosine with no statistically significant relationship between pepsinogen levels and the total number of gastric nematodes. Only 45% of the faeces samples were positive for strongylid eggs with a mean of 43 eggs per gram. The percentage generic composition of L3 larvae collected from faeces was 62% Ostertagia, 18% Trichostrongylus, 6% Cooperia, 4% Oesophagostomum and 0.2% Bunostomum.

Abomasum↗
PubMed1986

Scanning electron microscopy of the tegument of adult Schistosoma curassoni, and comparison with male S. bovis and S. haematobium from Senegal.

Scanning electron microscopical studies of adult male and female Schistosoma curassoni, male S. haematobium and male S. bovis are reported. The tubercles on the dorsal and dorso-lateral surfaces of male S. bovis are devoid of spines, whereas spines are present on the tubercles of male S. curassoni and S. haematobium. Some of the tubercles of S. curassoni and S. haematobium are completely covered in spines, whereas others have a spine-free apical area. Thus, on the isolates examined from Senegal it is concluded that adult male S. bovis can be easily distinguished from S. curassoni or S. haematobium on the basis of the structure of the tubercles. The surface of female S. curassoni is smooth, with transverse striations and a pitted appearance, apart from the posterior part where anteriorly pointing spines are found.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Some observations on the use of the morantel sustained-release bolus in first season-grazing calves on a Belgian dairy cattle farm.

The efficacy of the morantel sustained-release bolus (MSRB) in controlling gastrointestinal parasites in first-season grazing calves was evaluated on a dairy cattle farm in Belgium. The calves grazed a pasture which had been used by bolus-treated animals in the three previous years. The effect of bolus administration was determined with respect to live weight gain, faecal egg shedding, herbage larval counts, serum pepsinogen levels and ELISA antibody titres. In spite of an incomplete reduction of faecal egg shedding during the first months of the grazing season, bolus administration resulted in the prevention of parasitic gastro-enteritis in the calves. A weight gain advantage of 35,2 kg of the bolus-treated animals over the controls was noted already at two months after turnout. This weight gain advantage was maintained until housing. The usefulness of serum pepsinogen values and ELISA antibody titres as parameters in prevention experiments is stressed. Both serological parameters gave more information concerning infection level than did the faecal egg output and the herbage larval counts.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

The pathology of experimental Schistosoma curassoni infections in mice and hamsters.

The histopathology of experimental Schistosoma curassoni infections in white mice and hamsters was studied. In mice, hepatic lesions were severe with characteristic extensive perilobular fibrosis and large perilobular granulomas throughout the parenchyma. Only a few granulomas were detected in the lung, small intestine, and rectum of mice. In hamsters, lesions in the liver were limited. Few granulomas were found but the giant cell reaction was pronounced. Lesions in the lung and small intestine were minimal. Many subserosal and submucosal epithelioid cell granulomas were in the colon and rectum of hamsters. Parasites were not detected in the bladder of either mice or hamsters.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

The seasonal prevalence of inhibited development of Haemonchus contortus in sheep in Senegal.

Throughout a period of 13 months, the abomasa of 1024 sheep, living in a sahelian region, were examined for adult Haemonchus contortus and their inhibited L4 larvae. Of these 796 (78%) were found harbouring H. contortus, but with low worm burdens (geometric mean 37). Significant numbers of inhibited larvae appeared early in the dry season (November) and they represented 49% of the total in December. A similar proportion of inhibited larvae were present until April and after that their number declined abruptly. It was concluded that Haemonchus sp. survives the dry season as hypobiotic larvae as well as adults.

Abomasum↗