Some clinico and histopathological changes in female goats experimentally exposed to dioxin.

Female Baladi goats were used for investigating the toxicological effects of dioxin. Each animal in the treated group was given an oral dose of 4 mL of stock standard solution of dioxin (labelled and native congeners) diluted in 5 mL distilled water (1/3 of LD50) for three times with 2 days interval and slaughtered 16 days post treatment. Blood and tissue samples were taken and subjected for haemogram, biochemical and pathological studies as well as for determination of dioxin residues. Results revealed that exposure of female goats to dioxin induced anemia, leucocytopenia, neutropenia and eosinophilia with non significant increases in activities of serum ALT and AST as compared with untreated group. Meanwhile, activity of ALP and BUN concentration were significantly increased. Histopathological examination showed degenerative and necrotic changes associated with inflammatory reaction in liver and kidney, in addition to cystic glandular hyperplasia and adenomyosis in uterus. In ovarian tissue, marked decrease ofpreantral follicles together with cystic atretic follicle were noticed. The average percentage residues ofpg WHO-TEQ values for dioxins (PCDDs and PCDFs) in liver, kidney, mammary gland, uterus and milk after oral dose were 0.013, 0.0012, 0.0012, 0.009 and 0.0012%, respectively. It was concluded that oral exposure to dioxin in female goats induced adverse effects on liver and kidney. Dioxins had estrogenic like effect as indicated by uterine and ovarian histopathological changes.

Monitoring of Brucella reactor does following milk examination using different techniques.

Milk samples from 129 does were collected and monitored for Brucella antibodies using immunological tests such as Milk Ring Test (MRT), Whey Agglutination Test (WAT), Whey Antiglobulin Coombs Test (WCT) and milk ELISA (m ELISA) using Brucella Periplasmic protein antigen. Results obtained from these tests were compared to PCR and bacterial isolation. The highest incidence of positive reactors was given by Whey Antiglobulin and Whey Agglutination Test (9.3%) while the lowest incidence was given by bacterial isolation (Br. melitensis biovars 3, 3.8%). PCR showed the highest agreement with the bacterial isolation, while WAT and WCT showed the lowest one. PCR showed a high sensitivity of 1 x 10 B. melitensis CFU mL(-1) of milk. The results of mELISA here suggests its efficiency to be used as a screening test and/or confirmatory test, while the modified MRT still need more investigations to diagnosis caprine brucellosis.