Swine erysipelas

SWINE ERYSIPELAS, first diagnosed in Western Australia in 1960, has become a source of considerable loss to the pig industry. Most losses have resulted from carcass condemnation at abattoirs because of arthritis caused by the erysipelas organism

Hydatid disease in Western Australia

BECAUSE hydatid disease is a disease of humans as well as animals, every dog owner should be aware of the conditions that perpetuate hydatids and the methods of control. The incidence of hydatids in Western Australia in the past has not been high. However, the increase in sheep numbers over recent years, together with the intensification of farming methods, may lead to a rise in incidence unless stock owners, particularly sheep farmers, take steps to control the disease

Cysticercus ovis : sheep measles

CYSTICERCUS OVIS, commonly known as sheep measles , has come into prominence in the last few years because of the rejection of affected carcasses by overseas markets. Recently it was one of the causes of a complete ban on imports of Australian mutton by-the.iJnited States and Canada

The philosophy of drenching sheep in Western Australia

Sheep of all classes are drenched more or less regularly throughout the agricultural areas of Western Australia. Much of the drench is wasted because it is used in the wrong circumstances. This situation is probably a result of poor understanding of drenching. This article discusses the philosophy of drenching and attempts to relate this to the epidemiology of parasitism as it is currently understood

Prevent worms in cattle

PARASITIC gastro enteritis, caused by roundworms, is a common cause of economic loss in calves, yearlings and occasionally cows in south-western Australia. Losses could be prevented if stock owners realised the full effects of these parasites, and understood the causes of worm infestation

Worms in cattle in Western Australia\u27s south west

In the early 1970s, when beef cattle numbers increased in the South West, worms came to be recognised as the cause of one of the most significant health problems affecting production. The disease ostertagiosis, caused by the brown stomach worm, Ostertagia ostertagi, started to occur regularly, but the anthelmintics available at the time were limited in their efficiency against the parasite. Because little was known of the epidemiology of ostertagiosis under local conditions, recommendations for control were based on observations made elsewhere in Australia and overseas. These were unsuited to local conditions and did not provide adequate control

Recent research on cattle worms : research round-up

Summary of research carried out on cattle worms

A survey of drench resistance in sheep worms

Sheep worms which are resistant to chemical drenches have been detected with increasing freuency is Western Australia\u27s south-western farming areas between 977 and 1980. These worms have anthelmintic resistance and such genetis resistance puts essential internal parasite control practices at risk. This prompted veterinarians in the Esperance, Albany, Bunbury, Geraldton and Northam areas to survey farms to determine the prevalence of resistance to drenches and to define those sheep management practices which encourage its development. This article describes the survey which was conducted to assess the extent of drench resistance, what causes its build-up and how it can be controlled by using a combination of drenching programme changes and sheep management practices. It has been estimated that drench resistance alone could cost the State\u27s sheep industry $4 million to$6 million a year in lost production, and, as shis survey shows, there is potential for far greater costs if resistance continues to increase

Protocol of the Australasian Malignant Pleural Effusion-2 (AMPLE-2) trial: A multicentre randomised study of aggressive versus symptom-guided drainage via indwelling pleural catheters

Introduction: Malignant pleural effusions (MPEs) can complicate most cancers, causing dyspnoea and impairing quality of life (QoL). Indwelling pleural catheters (IPCs) are a novel management approach allowing ambulatory fluid drainage and are increasingly used as an alternative to pleurodesis. IPC drainage approaches vary greatly between centres. Some advocate aggressive (usually daily) removal of fluid to provide best symptom control and chance of spontaneous pleurodesis. Daily drainages however demand considerably more resources and may increase risks of complications. Others believe that MPE care is palliative and drainage should be performed only when patients become symptomatic (often weekly to monthly). Identifying the best drainage approach will optimise patient care and healthcare resource utilisation. Methods and analysis: A multicentre, open-label randomised trial. Patients with MPE will be randomised 1:1 to daily or symptom-guided drainage regimes after IPC insertion. Patient allocation to groups will be stratified for the cancer type (mesothelioma vs others), performance status (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group status 0–1 vs ≥2), presence of trapped lung (vs not) and prior pleurodesis (vs not). The primary outcome is the mean daily dyspnoea score, measured by a 100 mm visual analogue scale (VAS) over the first 60 days. Secondary outcomes include benefits on physical activity levels, rate of spontaneous pleurodesis, complications, hospital admission days, healthcare costs and QoL measures. Enrolment of 86 participants will detect a mean difference of VAS score of 14 mm between the treatment arms (5% significance, 90% power) assuming a common between-group SD of 18.9 mm and a 10% lost to follow-up rate.Ethics and dissemination: The Sir Charles Gairdner Group Human Research Ethics Committee has approved the study (number 2015-043). Results will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at scientific meetings