Serological diagnosis of Neospora caninum infection in some domestic animals from Egypt

This study investigated the presence of antibodies to N. caninum in cattle, sheep, goats and dogs from Egypt. Sera from the tested animals were examined using a direct agglutination test incorporating mercaptoethanol and formalin-preserved whole N. caninum tachyzoites as antigen. Anti-N. caninum antibodies were found in 18 out of 111 aborted cattle. Abortion occurred during the third to ninth month of the gestation period. Three out of the 26 non-aborted cattle were seropositive. The statistical analysis indicated that anti-N. caninum antibodies occurred more in the aborted than in the non-aborted group [slightly significant]. Seventy-three of 202 sheep and 31 of 88 goats recorded antibodies for N. caninum. Eight out of 29 stray dogs had antibodies against N. caninum

Diagnostic spectrum of puo in Assiut with emphasis on the diagnostic value of ultrasonography

One hundred patients with pyrexia of unknown origin were studied in Assiut University Hospital. The diagnosis was established in 85 cases; 46 with infections, 19 neoplasms, 14 collagen diseases and 6 miscellaneous causes. Infection is the commonest cause of PUO in Egypt but it is less common in western communities. Tuberculosis tops the list of infections affecting 20 out of 46 cases. It is mostly extrapulmonary causing peritonitis in nine cases, pericarditis in four and miliary in one. Intra- abdominal abscesses were revealed sonographically; seven hepatic, two splenic and one pelvic. Rising agglutination titers were diagnostic in three out of four cases of brucellosis and in five cases of salmonellosis; blood cultures establishing the diagnosis in the remaining cases. Subacute infective endocarditis was diagnosed by blood culture in two cases and by therapeutic test in two cases. Echocardiography did not help to detect valve vegetations in any case of SE. Gall stones were detected sonographically in two women. Malignant lymphoma is the commonest neoplastic cause of PUO. Sonography proved to be inevitable in the diagnosis of retroperitoneal lymphoma with no enlarged peripheral lymph nodes. Sternal aspirate was diagnostic in three cases of leukemia with non-revealing peripheral blood. The incidence of collagen diseases in the series is higher than other local or foreign series suggesting undue delay in their diagnosis. Abdominal sonography was conducted for all patients revealing the diagnosis in 20 cases at initial examination with no false positive results and with two false negative discovered one week later on reexamination. Abdominal sonography revealed the diagnosis in peritonitis, abscesses, lymphoma, malignant liver, liver cirrhosis and all gall stones. It was diagnostic in 43.4% of infections and in 42.5% of neoplastic causes of PUO. It was concluded that repeated abdominal sonography is mandatory in the diagnostic workshop of PUO