Seroprevalence and risk factors of Toxoplasma gondii infection in humans in East Hararghe Zone, Ethiopia.

A cross-sectional study was conducted from April 2013 to September 2013 to determine the seroprevalence and possible risk factors for human Toxplasma gondii infection in East Hararghe Zone, Ethiopia. Serum samples were analysed using direct agglutination test, and immunosorbent agglutination assay for detecting IgG (n = 354) and IgM (n = 167) T. gondii antibodies. The T. gondii IgG and IgM seroprevalences were 65·8% [95% confidence interval (CI) 60·62-70·75] and 8·98% (95% CI 5·11-14·38), respectively. Gender difference in IgG seroprevalence was not significant (P > 0·05), but 69·5% of adults exhibited an IgG seroresponse to T. gondii. Pregnant women showed 76·4% and 9·3% seropositivity to IgG and IgM antibodies, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression analysis identified the risk factors significantly associated with T. gondii seropositivity were district [odds ratio (OR) 2·24, 95% CI 1·25-4·01, P = 0·007], pipe water source (OR 6·70, 95% CI 2·70-16·64, P < 0·001), age, with adults (OR 4·32, 95% CI 1·91-9·75, P < 0·001), and keeping cats in the home (OR 2·01, 95% CI 1·11-3·65, P = 0·021). The high seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis in the human population in the study area and the corresponding level of IgM seropositivity may be indicative of reactivation or recent infection and further studies on the status of congenital toxoplasmosis in the study area merit consideration.

The assessment of the frequency of chews during rumination enables an estimation of rumination activity in hay-fed sheep.

The objective was to assess rumination behaviour and, more specifically, the intra-individual and inter-individual variation of the frequency of chews during rumination (per min) in five Blackhead sheep fed hay at a level of 100% maintenance (experimental period [EP] I), 50% maintenance (EP II) and ad libitum (EP III). Animals ruminated in EP II less (416 min/day) than in EP I and III (558 and 592 min/day, respectively). Mean inter-individual coefficients of variation (CV) of frequency (defined as number of chews/duration of chewing per cycle) were 12.5%, mean intra-individual CV were 2.5%. The respective CVs for the duration of rumination per day were 8.1 and 9.7%, respectively. The level of intake influenced the frequency of chews significantly. It is concluded that the frequency of chews has to be considered in studies investigating chewing behaviour of ruminants. Under the experimental conditions investigated, number of chews during rumination per day could be estimated by the frequency of chewing with nearly the same precision as by using the duration of rumination per day.

Experimental study of the antiatherogenesis effect of Chinese medicine angelica and its mechanisms.

This experiment was designed to study the antiatherogenesis action of angelica injection and its mechanisms on classic atherosclerotic rabbit model. Eighteen Japanese rabbits were divided randomly into three groups: a control group, a high-lipid group and an angelica group; and common forage, high lipid forage and high lipid adding angelica injection were given to each group accordingly. At the end of the tenth week, blood samples were obtained through carotid artery intubation for evidence of serum lipids and hemorheology. Thoracic aorta were prepared for measurement of the plaque area. The results showed that (1) the plaque area in the high-lipid group was larger than in the angelica group: (35.58+/-7.25% vs 63.31+/-7.46%); (2) serum lipids level in the high-lipid group and angelica group were significantly higher than those in the control group (p < 0.01). Apart from triglyceride (TG), there was no difference of total cholesterol (Tch), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-ch), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-ch) between the high-lipid group and the angelica group; (3) angelica increased whole blood viscosity, hematocrit and fibrinogen under hyperlipidemic conditions. We concluded that angelica can inhibit rabbit aorta atherogenesis through decreasing the serum triglyceride concentration and its effects on hemorheology.