The prevalence of gastro-intestinal parasites and bacteria in the game scouts at the Kainji Lake National Park of Nigeria.

The faeces of twenty scouts working at Borgu games were examined for the presence of parasites and bacteria. Cysts of Entamoeba histolytica, Giardia lamblia and Trichomonas hominis were found. Helminth ova encountered included those of Ancylostoma duodenale, Ascaris lumbricoides, Stronglyloides stercoralis and Trichuris trichiura. Escherichia coli and Shigella flexneri were isolated from one faecal sample each. In all, parasites were found in the faeces of only 9 scouts. The epidemiological significance of the infections in highlighted.

Post coital pin-worm infection.

In Ibadan, Nigeria, an Enterobius vermicularis worm was found in the urine of a soldier complaining of urethral irritation that had started 4 hours after coitus. After his first post-coital micturition, which yielded the worm, the irritation stopped. There was convincing evidence that the worm had entered the soldier's urethra from his partner's perianal region (rear-entry coital position, no ejaculation because of partner's complaint of painful coitus, the partner was a school girl of 15, enterobiasis is common in young school girls in the city, etc.).

Gastrointestinal parasites and bacteria flora of wild animals in the Borgu game reserve in Nigeria.

Faecal droppings from animals in the Borgu game reserve were examined between the months of January and March 1981. These animals included Buffalo, Hartebeest, Kob, Roan antelope, Genu cat, Mangoose, Warthog and Monkey. Haemonchus contortus was identified from the faeces of five buffalos, Oesophagostomum species was identified from one warthog while Strongyloides species was identified from two monkeys. No pathogenic bacteria was isolated in any of the faecal samples examined. The influence of weather on the infection rate is discussed.

Pathogenic microbes isolated from rabbit urine.

Asymptomatic urinary tract infections were recovered from the urine of 40 of 100 rabbits, and identical bacteria were isolated when the rabbits were retested. Urine samples which yielded significant growths of bacteria also had pus cells. Some specimens yielded more than 2 different isolates, and staphylococci were the most frequently isolated bacteria. Oxalate and uric acid crystals were seen in 6% of the samples, particularly those with significant growths of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. No ova, parasites or fungal elements were seen in 'wet-mount' preparations and no fungi were seen when urine samples were cultured. Female rabbits showed a higher number of bacterial isolates than males. Animals with significant isolates were treated with suitable antibiotics and repeat samples yielded no growth.

The parasites obtained and bacteria isolated from house rats (Rattus rattus Linnaeus, 1758) caught in human habitations in Ibadan, Nigeria.

A total of 169 house rats were killed in different households distributed within five localities of Ibadan. A wide range of parasites were encountered. The flea, Ceratophylus fasciatus was the commonest ectoparasite found. Trichostrongylus columbriformis eggs were the commonest nematode and Hymenolepis diminuta the only cestode. Escherichia coli was the commonest bacterium found. The incidence of helminthiasis, especially H. diminuta, was generally high among rats trapped in the villages and the indigenous areas of the city. One hundred and twenty eight (128) of the rats possessed Trypanosoma lewisi infection, seventy one (71) had Anaplasma marginale while fifty seven (57) had Babesia microti infection. The public health importance of some of the parasites found is discussed.

On the use of the scrotum for feeding larval ixodid ticks on hosts.

The efficacy of feeding larval stages of Amblyomma variegatum, Hyalomma rufipes and Boophilus decoloratus on the ears and scrotum of sheep is compared. The effect of age of larvae on the number that engorged on the animal was also investigated. A significantly greater number of larvae fed on scrotum than on ears. The greatest number of larvae engorged when they were fed on the scrotum or ear within 1-4 days of hatching. The older the larvae, the less the number that fed. The economic advantages of adopting the scrotal method for rearing larval tick stages as well as the implication under natural conditions of younger larvae feeding in large numbers are discussed.

The transmission of Theileria annulata to a rabbit by the larvae of the tick Hyalomma rufipes.

A New Zealand White rabbit on which larvae of Hyalomma rufipes were fed died of theileriosis due to Theileria annulata 22 days after the larvae had fed. The larvae were direct progeny of an enorged female collected from trade cattle in the veterinary control post at Ibadan. The danger attending the feeding on rabbits of first progeny of ticks collected from cattle in countries where some tick-borne diseases are endemic is highlighted. The possibility of transovarial transmission of Theileria is discussed.