Laboratory diagnosis of animal brucellosis]

Brucellosis is still a topical disease both in humans and in animals. The need for a laboratory diagnosis is very important to confirm the disease. The present article reviews the principal techniques used in the laboratory for the diagnosis of brucellosis.     

Ectomycorrhizal fungi of Pinus pinea L. in northeastern Spain

 Although Pinus pinea L. is an important forest species in the Mediterranean region, few reports exist on its ectomycorrhizal associates. Sixty isolates, obtained from fungal sporocarps collected in mixed forests of P. pinea in Catalonia (northeastern Spain), were tested for ectomycorrhiza formation on containerized P. pinea seedlings when applied as mycelial inoculum produced in peat-vermiculite. A total of 17 isolates, in 8 genera (Amanita, Hebeloma, Laccaria, Lactarius, Pisolithus, Rhizopogon, Scleroderma and Suillus), formed ectomycorrhizas and the percentages of mycorrhizal short roots varied among isolates and species from 13% to 89%. Some of these fungi are cited for the first time in association with P. pinea. The results indicate further fungal candidates for controlled inoculation of P. pinea seedlings in the nursery. Accepted: 29 October 1998     

Nutrient budgets in a dry heathland watershed in northeastern Spain

Dissolved nutrient inputs in bulk precipitation and outputs in streamwater were measured during 3 years of contrasting hydrological conditions in a 6.3-ha, grazed heathland watershed on schists in the Montseny mountains (NE Spain), drained by an intermittent stream. On average, 39% of the precipitation became streamflow. Bulk precipitation delivered positive net alkalinity (mean 0.22 keq/ha/yr), sulphate input was moderate (9.0 kg SO₄-S/ha/yr), and the mean input of inorganic N was not exceptionally high (6.6 kg/ha/yr). Ion concentrations were relatively low in streamwater; SO₄ ^2- was the dominant anion. Most concentrations in streamwater varied seasonally, with maxima in late summer or early autumn and minima in spring. This pattern probably resulted from increased availability of ions for leaching due to decomposition of organic matter and chemical weathering during the warm period. Nitrate concentrations were relatively high in winter and dropped sharply in early spring, probably because of biological uptake. Annual element outputs in streamwater varied between years and seemed to be controlled by both the amount of annual streamflow and its seasonal distribution. Annual inputs exceeded outputs for dissolved inorganic N. The watershed accumulated H⁺ and Ca²⁺, had net losses of Na⁺ and Mg²⁺, and was close to steady state for K⁺, SO₄ ^2-, Cl^- and alkalinity. The chloride budgets gave no evidence of substantial dry deposition in this system. The cationic denudation rate was negative (-0.14 keq/ha/yr) because Ca²⁺ retention was higher than net exports of Na⁺ and Mg²⁺ from silicate weathering. Low nutrient export and little production of alkalinity suggest that this watershed has a low buffering capacity.     

Seasonal rhythmites from a lower pleistocene lake in northeastern Spain

Chemical, sedimentological, ostracod and palynological data were obtained in order to investigate the rhythmic alternation of grey and beige silty layers, with the occasional presence of sandy layers, from a small lacustrine deposits in Catalonia.The deposit was formed in a shallow meromictic and slightly saline lake. Occasional floods from a nearby river brought in detritic material.The alternation of the silty layers is seasonal: pollen and ostracods demonstrate that the beige layers were deposited during spring and the grey layers towards the end of spring and after it, until the next spring.Graded bedding, bioturbation structures and iron nodules found in the deposit are also examined for further information on the formation of the deposit.Pollen suggests an age for the deposit ranging between the Senezian I (probably representing the Waalian Stage, after Elhaï, 1969) and the Granada Interstadial (which is believed to correspond to the Holsteinian Stage by Florschütz et al., 1971).     

Aloe nugalensis sp. nov. (Asphodelaceae), a new gypsum endemic from northeastern Somalia

The new species Aloe nugalensis Thulin, a shrubby plant with long, drooping leaves and a drooping, branched inflorescence with long‐pedicellate orange red flowers, is described from a gypsum hill in the Nugaal valley of northeastern Somalia. The only known material is an individual grown in the Botanical Garden of Uppsala University from seeds collected in Nov 1985 that first flowered in Feb 2011.     

A new endemic species of Saxifraga L. from Spain

A recently erected species of Saxifraga (section Porphyrion ) endemic to the Picos de Europa (Cordillera Cantábrica) is described and illustrated. S. felineri P. Vargas resembles S. aretioides and S. ferdinandi-coburgi , although the habit and leaf shape are the main characters which support its identity. The taxonomic relationships of the three species are discussed, as well as aspects of the distribution and ecology of S. felineri.     

Unexpected genetic diversity of Mycoplasma agalactiae caprine isolates from an endemic geographically restricted area of Spain

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: The genetic diversity of Mycoplasma agalactiae (MA) isolates collected in Spain from goats in an area endemic with contagious agalactia (CA) was assessed using a set of validated and new molecular typing methods. Validated methods included pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) typing, and Southern blot hybridization using a set of MA DNA probes, including those for typing the vpma genes repertoire. New approaches were based on PCR and targeted genomic regions that diverged between strains as defined by in silico genomic comparisons of sequenced MA genomes. RESULTS: Overall, the data showed that all typing tools yielded consistent results, with the VNTR analyses being the most rapid method to differentiate the MA isolates with a discriminatory ability comparable to that of PFGE and of a set of new PCR assays. All molecular typing approaches indicated that the Spanish isolates from the endemic area in Murcia were very diverse, with different clonal isolates probably restricted to separate, but geographically close, local areas. CONCLUSIONS: The important genetic diversity of MA observed in infected goats from Spain contrasts with the overall homogeneity of the genomic background encountered in MA from sheep with CA in Southern France or Italy, suggesting that assessment of the disease status in endemic areas may require different approaches in sheep and in goats. A number of congruent sub-typing tools are now available for the differentiation of caprine isolates with comparable discriminatory powers.     

Demographic and health patterns in a rural community from the Basque area in Spain (1800-1990)

In this work, the evolution of demographic and health patterns in a Basque rural population from Spain is analysed, as they relate to progress in demographic and epidemiological transition. For this purpose, parochial record data on 13,298 births and 9,215 deaths, registered during the 19th and 20th centuries (1800-1990), were examined. The study area is a rural community called Lanciego, which is located at the southern end of the Rioja Alavesa area (Alava Province, Basque Country). In Lanciego, demographic transition began in the final decade of the 19th century, when a definite, irreversible trend began towards a reduction in mortality. The decrease in the birth rate came later than that in the death rate, and did not start until the 1930s. The post-transitional stage seemed to be reached in the 1970s, when the birth and death rates showed values below 20 per 1,000. Other characteristics observed for the post-transitional stage in Lanciego are: (i) very low rates of infant mortality achieved at the expense of effective control of exogenous mortality; (ii) the mortality curve by ages changes from a U-shape (typical of populations with a high infant mortality rate and low life expectancy at birth) to a J-shape more characteristic of modern societies where longevity and life expectancy are considerably higher; (iii) a certain level of over-mortality among women in the senior age group (>65); and (iv) a significant proportion of mortality in recent times (1970-90) resulting from cardiovascular diseases and malignant neoplasms (post-transition causes). This last point is in contrast with observations from the first four decades of the 20th century, when infectious diseases and respiratory ailments were determining factors in mortality among this population. The data provided by the study of the variation over time in demographic and health patterns indicate that reducing the risk of mortality is one of the most important preconditions for fertility decline.     

Microbiological analysis of tube-well water in a rural area of Bangladesh.

Five tube-wells in Matlab, Bangladesh, were selected for analysis of selected biophysicochemical parameters. The results showed that all tube-well water samples contained zooplankton and bacteria. Results for some of the parameters were outside the accepted limits recommended by the World Health Organization for drinking water. It is concluded that water from tube-wells should be treated if used as drinking water.     

Peridomestic natural breeding sites of Nyssomyia whitmani (Antunes and Coutinho) in an endemic area of tegumentary leishmaniasis in northeastern Argentina

The scarce information about breeding sites of phlebotomines limits our understanding of the epidemiology of tegumentary leishmaniasis. Identifying the breeding sites and seasons of immature stages of these vectors is essential to propose prevention and control strategies different from those targeting the adult stage. Here we identified the rural breeding environments of immature stages of Ny. whitmani, vector species of Leishmania braziliensis in the north of Misiones province, Argentina; then we determined and compared the environmental and structural characteristics of those sites. We also identified the season of greatest emergence and its relationship with adult abundance. During a first collection period, between 28 and 48 emergence traps were set continuously for 16 months in six environments of the farm peridomicile and domicile: below house, chicken shed, experimental chicken shed, forest edge, pigsty and under fruit tree. Traps were checked and rotated every 40 nights. A total of 146 newly emerged individuals were collected (93.8% of them were Ny. whitmani), totaling an effort of 23,040 emergence trap-nights. The most productive environments were chicken shed and below house, and the greatest emergence was recorded in spring and summer. During a second collection period, emergence traps and light traps for adult capture were placed in the chicken shed and below house environments of eight farms. Emergence traps were active continuously during spring, summer, and early autumn. Environmental and structural characteristics of each environment were recorded. A total of 84 newly emerged phlebotomines (92.9% Ny. whitmani; 72,144 emergence trap-nights) and 13,993 adult phlebotomines (147 light trap-nights) were recorded in the chicken shed and below house environments. A positive correlation was also observed between trap success of newly emerged phlebotomines and of adults after 120 days. A high spatial variability was observed in the emergence of Ny. whitmani, with the number of newly emerged individuals being highest in soils of chicken sheds with the highest number of chickens and closest to forest edge. Moreover, below house was found to be as important as chicken sheds as breeding sites of Ny. whitmani. Management of the number of chickens in sheds, soil moisture and pH, and the decision of where to localize the chicken sheds in relation to the houses and the forest edge, might contribute to reduce the risk of human vector exposure and transmission of Leishmania.     

Limnology of Gallocanta Lake,Aragon, northeastern Spain

A limnological study was sustained from September 1980 to October 1981 to show the evolution of Gallocanta Lake (N.E. Spain) under very dry climatic conditions. It is the physical terminus within an endorheic basin of 500 km² situated 1 000 m over the sea level. In 1977 its maximum depth was 2.5 m but it decreased to 60 cm in 1981 as a consequence of the last very dry years. It is actually 6 km long and 2.5 km wide, and its area is approximately 12 km². Salt concentration was quite constant (32–43 g l^-1) since September 1980 until June 1981. The equivalent ratio Cl^-:SO _inf4 ^sup2- varied between 2.2 and 2.8. From June through October 1981 salinity increased up to 105 g l^-1 and Cl^-:SO _inf4 ^sup2- equivalent ratio varied between 2.5 and 3.4. The relative concentrations of ions were retained all year ordinated as follows: Cl^- > SO _inf4 ^sup2- > HCO _inf3 ^sup- >. CO _inf3 ^sup2- ; Na⁺ > Mg²⁺ ? Ca²⁺ > K⁺. Total reactive phosphorus was less than 1.5 µg-at l^-1 from September 1980 to January 1981. During the rest of the studied period it varied between 2 and 8 µg-at l^-1 (the maximum, in February 1981). Nitrogen oxidized forms were relatively high in winter (4–8 µg-at N-NO _inf3 ^sup- l^-1; 0.5–2.5 µg-at N-NO _inf2 ^sup- l^-1), and early May 1981 (25 µg-at N-NO _inf3 ^sup- l^-1; 1 µg-at N-NO _inf2 ^sup- l^-1). Neither reached 1 µg-at l^-1 from September through December 1980, or from June through October 1981. Planktonic algae increased in density during the period of the study from 10³ to 5 10⁵ cells ml^-1. Chromulina sp. was the main species during autumn and winter (>50% in number of cells ml^-1) while the copepod Arctodiaptomus salinus decreased its population. Lobocystis dichotoma increased its density from December 1980 to May 1981 and was dominant in spring (>90%), when a typical reproductive activity was observed in the Arctodiaptomus population. This species disappeared in late spring. In June 1981 Brachionus plicatilis reached up to near 2 000 individuals ml^-1. This species was not observed after August 1981. Then the ciliate Fabrea salina was the only zooplankter staying in the free waters of the lake and Nannochloris sp. the dominant alga (>90%). Dense macrophytic beds constituted of Lamprothamnium papulosum and Chara galioides covered the bottom of the lake in September 1980 and before that date since the observations began in 1977. They decreased in covered area since October 1980 and disappeared during summer 1981. Gallocanta Lake is in a very stressed situation produced by prolonged drought. The increased salt concentration together with the extremely cold and hot temperatures, and the lack of nitrogen relative to phosphorus are the main environmental factors that controlled the biological populations during the period of the present study.     

Twinning rates in a rural area of Bangladesh

In this study we investigate the incidence of twin births over a period of 16 years in a rural area of Bangladesh using data from the Demographic Surveillance System of the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research. Over the study period twinning rates fluctuated between 7.8 and 11.2 per 1000 live births. The twinning rate was strongly correlated with maternal age; the rate for mothers over 35 years of age was about 3 times higher than for mothers younger than 20 years. The variation in twinning rate with maternal age is due to the variation in dizygotic twinning; the rate of monozygotic twinning is almost constant for all ages. Twinning rates were higher in the treatment area than in the comparison area after controlling for maternal age and parity. The rates were lower for monozygotic twinning and higher for dizygotic twinning in the treatment area than in the comparison area. Seasonality was observed for both twins and singletons, but the peak for twinning precedes that for singleton births by more than a month.     

Management of myocardial infarction in a rural area

In an attempt to determine the most appropriate type of facility for the treatment of myocardial infarction in a rural community, the five-year experience of a practice serving 10,000 people is reviewed. This population is found to have a low incidence of myocardial infarction, a low death rate from the condition both in hospitalized patients and in the general population, and a low incidence of complications in the survivors. None of the deaths either in or out of hospital would likely have been prevented through the use of specialized facilities. It is concluded that no such facilities are necessary in this community and that other areas considering their acquisition should justify the need on the basis of their own experience and not on accounts in the literature.     

Trauma services requirements in a district general hospital serving a rural area.

OBJECTIVE--To assess the demands made on a regional trauma centre by a district trauma unit. DESIGN--Two part study. (1) Prospective analysis of one month''s workload. (2) Retrospective analysis of one year''s workload by using a computer based records system. Comparison of two sets of results. SETTING--Accident unit in Gwynedd Hospital, Bangor. PATIENTS--(1) All patients who attended the accident unit in August 1988. (2) All patients who attended the accident unit in the calendar year April 1988-April 1989. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE--Workload of a district trauma unit. RESULTS--In August 1988 there were 2325 attendances; 2302 of these were analysed. In all, 1904 attendances were for trauma; 213 patients were admitted to the trauma ward and 103 required an operation that entailed incision. Patients who attended the unit had a mean (range) injury severity score of 2-13 (0-25). Only two patients had injuries that a district general hospital would not be expected to cope with (injury severity score greater than 20). In the year April 1988-April 1989, 21,007 patients attended the unit. In all, 17,958 attendances were for orthopaedic injuries or injuries caused by an accident; 1966 patients were admitted to the unit. CONCLUSIONS--Most trauma is musculoskeletal and relatively minor according to the injury severity score. All but a few injuries can be managed in district general hospitals. In their recent report the Royal College of Surgeons has overestimated the requirements that a British district general hospital would have of a regional trauma centre.