Study of Brucellosis in a Pastoral Community and Evaluation of the Usefulness of Clinical Signs and Symptoms in Differentiating it from other Flu-Like Diseases

A study of differentials causing flu-like symptoms (malaria; typhoid; streptococcal infections and rheumatoid arthritis) in 488 patients from a pastoralist area is presented. The potential usefulness of clinical signs; symptoms and diagnostic tests in ruling-in or ruling-out these diseases was investigated in the District hospital and three outlying health dispensaries. For each patient a detailed clinical history plus diagnostic test for brucellosis; typhoid; streptococcal infections and rheumatoid arthritis; and for some patients malaria were conducted. Incidence levels of these diseases were estimated using laboratory test results; brucellosis; 13; typhoid; 40: streptococcal infections; 6malaria; 9: and rheumatoid arthritis; 10. Brucellosis could not be differentiated clinically from the other flu-like diseases but rheumatoid arthritis could

Laboratory rodent models for the tapeworm-stage of Taenia saginata and other related taeniid species.

Attempts were carried out to establish alternative definitive host systems for Taenia saginata, T. crassiceps, T. hydatigena, Echinococcus multilocularis and E. granulosus, in rodents. Following oral inoculation of cysticerci or protoscoleces, the tapeworm-stage development and sexual maturation of the 5 taeniid species in the intestine of a golden hamster (GH) and Mongolian gerbil (MG), both treated with prednisolone, were examined. Sexually mature T. saginata tapeworms were recovered from MG pretreated with prednisolone. The life cycles of E. multilocularis can be completed in MG and T. crassiceps in both MG and GH. T. hydatigena and E. granulosus developed to a certain extent at the tapeworm stage in MG pretreated with prednisolone. Potential use of rodents as an alternative definitive host for taeniid species is discussed.