Occurrence of Clostridium tetani in soil and horses.

The annual incidence of tetanus in the RSA is up to 300 cases with more than 50% of these coming from Natal/KwaZulu. The condition of playing fields and the excretion of Clostridium tetani by horses was therefore investigated. The overall contamination rate of soils in the Durban area is lower than that of published data from other parts of the world, for instance 28% for Durban in comparison with 31-42% for Japan and Quebec. A rugby field in the Transvaal showed 40% contamination and a pasture used for horses for more than 20 years 65%. No case of human or equine tetanus has ever been reported from either the playing field or the pasture. A permanent carrier state in horses could not be established; the organisms were only excreted for 3-4 days. At any one time only 2 out of 27 horses in a stable were excreting C. tetani. Only 7 of 118 faeces samples were positive over a period of 4 months (5-9%).

The use of demeclocycline in the treatment of patients with psychosis, intermittent hyponatremia, and polydipsia (PIP syndrome).

Eight patients (7 men and 1 woman, mean age 43.1 +/- 8.9 years) with psychosis, intermittent hyponatremia, and polydipsia (PIP syndrome) underwent treatment with demeclocycline in an effort to normalize serum sodium levels and thereby protect the PIP patients against complications including hyponatremic seizures and coma. There tended to be an improvement (p = .080) in early morning serum sodium following treatment with demeclocycline (baseline 132.6 +/- SD 3.3 and treatment serum sodium 134.8 +/- SD 3.3 mEq/1). At the same time, there was an increase (p = .043) in urinary specific gravity following treatment with demeclocycline (baseline 1.0047 +/- SD .0029 and treatment urinary specific gravity 1.0063 +/- SD .0026). Clinical indications for and potential mechanisms of action of demeclocycline treatment in the PIP syndrome are discussed.

A successful herd mastitis control scheme in Natal.

Somatic cell counting combined with bacterial identification was successfully used as a method of reducing dairy-herd mastitis problems in Nata. Application of the recommended control measures resulted in an average increase in daily production of up to 2,8 l of milk per cow per day, improvement in quality and reduction in the prevalence of mastitis.

The results of a mastitis awareness scheme in dairy herds in Natal and East Griqualand.

Over a period of 3 years some 314 widely distributed producers of fresh milk were made aware of their mastitis situation by regularly reporting the results of electronic determination of somatic cell counts in their bulked herd milk. These reports were preceded by information on the significance of high cell counts and followed by information relative to herd control of mastitis. The data are summarized in 2 figures and 1 table. Statistical analysis reflects a steady and significant improvement in the overall cell count picture over the duration of the programme. No differences could be established between counts on milk delivered in bulk and that delivered in cans. Regional differences existed. Of the herds in which the cell content was reduced to below 500 000/ml, 65% reported an increase in production and a decrease in the incidence of clinical mastitis. In the herds where no decrease in cell content was effected, only 20% reported an increase in production and 30% a reduction of clinical mastitis. Whatever the case, the consumers of the milk benefitted in receiving aesthetically more acceptable milk.