Infectious diseases of New-World camelids (NWC).

Although there are notable infectious conditions that are capable of producing clinical disease in the NWC, overall, these species are quite healthy. Of the bacterial diseases, enterotoxemia caused by Clostridium perfringens types C and D would be deemed the most significant in North America, while type A also would be regarded as important in South America. Other important bacterial infections of potential concern are tuberculosis, Johne's disease, anthrax, malignant edema, actinomycosis, tetanus, and the South American condition referred to as alpaca fever, which, to date, has not been observed in North America. Fungal infections include classical ringworm, principally caused by Trichophyton spp., and the cases of coccidioidomycosis that are associated with the arid desert lands of the southwestern United States. Most notable of naturally occurring viral infections in the NWC would be rabies, ecthyma, and a recently described blindness neuropathy that has been associated with the equine herpesvirus I. NWC can be infected experimentally with agents causing hoof-and-mouth disease and vesicular stomatitis, but naturally occurring cases do not seem to occur. Serological evidence of exposure to many viral agents, including blue tongue, parainfluenza 3, bovine respiratory syncytial virus, bovine herpesvirus I, bovine viral diarrhea, influenza A, and rotavirus, has been demonstrated; however, no clinical disease associated with these agents, as yet, is apparent.

Susceptibility of male white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) to Brucella ovis infection.

Infection with Brucella ovis was established by conjunctival instillation in 8 male white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Infection was transient in young bucks, but persisted in bucks that were mature when inoculated. The deer were euthanatized and necropsied at various intervals after inoculation. Brucella ovis was recovered from a mature buck at necropsy on postinoculation day 429. Four deer had gross lesions and histopathologic changes of the epididymides. A mature noninfected buck confined for 7 months with an infected buck acquired infection and developed epididymal lesions.

Effect of oxytetracycline administration on antibody response to Brucella abortus vaccination in calves.

In 5- to 7-month-old dairy calves, concurrent oxytetracycline administration and subcutaneous vaccination with 10(9) Brucella abortus strain 19 organisms reduced the percentage of animals with detectable humoral antibodies to Brucella abortus, when compared with untreated vaccinated calves of the same age range. The reduction of antibody reaction in the card test was less than that associated with the injection of 10(9) heat-killed Brucella abortus strain 19 organisms.

Hematologic and serum chemical values of adult female Rocky Mountain elk from New Mexico and Oklahoma.

Hematologic and serum chemical values were determined for two groups of adult female Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni) from New Mexico and Oklahoma. Although considerable variation in values was observed between elk from the same group, the mean values from 16 of the 20 blood parameters tested were significantly different between the two groups. Of these, the most significant variations were observed in values which were likely to be influenced by nutritional condition and health status. The results of this study indicate that when evaluating the health status of different herds kept under known conditions, hematologic and serum chemical values are of optimal significance when the mean values of the herds are compared.