of abraded or intact skin or mucous membranes
by infected cattle tissues, calves, foetuses, foetal
membranes and lochia. The human disease caused
by Brucella melitensis is generally more severe,
and is known as Malta fever or Mediterranean
undulant fever. Brucellosis in humans is an extremely
unpleasant disease characterised by intermittent
febrile episodes, chills, sweats, weakness, severe
depression, headaches, myalgia and joint pain.
Summary
In summary, Brucellosis is a chronic bacterial infection
in ruminants that is intermittently contagious during
the peri-natal / abortion period. During the intercalving / lambing period, latent infection persists and
is reactivated with the following pregnancy. Once
infected, buffalo and sable antelope have been shown
to become maintenance hosts, and persistently
circulate infection. Once this disease is established
in a herd it is difficult and costly to manage because
control entails multiple testing and a slaughter-out
component.
Regarding Brucellosis in our wildlife ranching milieu,
several high risk and emerging issues need to be highlighted :
1. The potential danger of infection spreading from
adjacent infected livestock farms to SPIF buffalo
is a reality and has already occurred.
2. In addition, severe cause for concern are the
recent outbreaks of Brucella melitensis infection
in farmed sable antelope in the Eastern Cape and
Northwest Provinces. Given the historic sparse,
sporadic and focal nature of Brucella melitensis
infection in small stock in South Africa, the most
likely source of infection for our sable antelope
herds is the illegal importation of untested sable
antelope from Zambia and other SADC countries.
Brucella melitensis infection in livestock is said to
be widespread in Zambia. The industry needs to
move towards brucellosis testing of “high value”
species other than buffalo.
3. The risk posed by introducing vagrant
(dwaal) buffalo into SPIF herds, as well as the
introduction of animals illegally imported from
other SADC countries without disease testing,
must not be under-estimated
Wildlife Group of the SAVA
Congress 2016
DATE: 5th - 6th February 2016
VENUE: FACULTY OF VETERINARY SCIENCE, PRETORIA
pharmacology and capture drugs,
reproductive management and genetics, hand rearing of wildlife, wildlife poisonings,
global wildlife disease monitoring, capture myopathy, nutritional management and nutritional
diseases, pathological cases of interest and diagnostics.
The topics covered in this congress will be an update on
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2015
DECEMBER
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