Non-immunologic methods of diagnosis of babesiosis

The diagnosis of tick-borne diseases such as babesiosis still depends on observing the parasite in the infected erythrocyte. Microscopic observation is tedious and often problematic in both early and carrier infections. Better diagnostic methods are needed to prevent clinical disease, especially when susceptible cattle are being moved into disease enzootic areas. This study evaluates two techniques for early diagnosis of Babesia bovis infections in cattle, DNA probes specific for the organism and fluorescent probes specific nucleic acid. The radioisotopically labeled DNA probes are used in slot blot hybridizations whith lysed blood samples, not purified DNA. Thusfar, the probe is specific for B. bovis and can detect as few as 1000 B. bovis parasites in 10*l of blood. The specificity of the fluorescent probe depends on the characteristic morphology of the babesia in whole blood samples, as determined microscopically. The fluorescent probe detects as afew as 10,000 B. bovis parasites in 10*l as blood. The application of each method for alboratory and field use is discussed

Estudio comparativo de quelantes / A comparative study of chelants

Se analizó en forma comparativa, in vitro, a través de la pérdida de peso de la dentina, la acción quelante del Endodent, Largal ultra y Salvident. Las muestras de dentina se incluyeron en igual volumen de estos tres agentes durante 24 y 48 horas. El Largal ultra resultó ser en el 100 por cien de los casos el quelante que mayor pérdida de peso produjo