Areas Of Botswana Research Articles

A note on seasonal changes in serum inorganic phosphate levels of cattle in Botswana.

Aphosphorosis is alleged to be widespread in the sandveld areas of Botswana although supportive objective evidence is not available. An examination was made of serum inorganic phosphate (SIP) levels of cows in the dry season (September–October) and again after the rains (February) when the grass was tall and green. The difference in SIP levels between the two periods was highly significant.

Productive performance of cattle in Botswana.

A field investigation was undertaken in several areas of Botswana to determine how management, environment and possibly aphosphorosis affected the bodily condition and reproductive performance of range cattle in these areas. Results indicated that poor management, overgrazing and poor watering facilities seriously impaired bodily condition and reproductive performance. Good management helps greatly to improve the situation. Aphosphorosis does occur in some areas but appears to be closely linked with malnutrition.

The isolation and characterization of foot-and-mouth disease virus from clinically normal herds of cattle in Botswana.

SUMMARYThe results of a survey of the foot-and-mouth disease carrier state in three localities of an FMD enzootic area of Botswana are presented. The collection, storage and handling of the samples is mentioned and the isolation of virus on calf thyroid monolayer tissue cultures is described. Type SAT 3 virus was isolated from up to 20% of the animals sampled at periods between 7 and 12 months after natural infection. Sera were tested for all the animals from which virus was recovered and compared with similar numbers of sera from virus-negative animals. No correlation was found between the carrier state and serum antibody titres.Antigenic studies are described which indicated not only an antigenic variation of some carrier viruses isolated from the outbreak strain but also antigenic differences between strains of carrier virus from different animals in the same herd. There was no evidence at the time of sampling of the persistence as carrier virus of the attenuated vaccine strains of FMDV used previously in the cattle sampled.The results suggest that transference of carrier virus from animal to animal may occur in the absence of clinical infection.