Yellowfish and Tigerfish Haematology

No Abstrac

Causes of stress in vehicle manufacturing employees and perceptions of the effectiveness of a stress management intervention programme

BACKGROUND: Stress has become a part of everyday life for most employees. Studies have shown the negative effect that stress has on employee wellbeing. Stress management intervention (SMI) programmes are commonly implemented by organisations to reduce work-related stressors, as well as to assist employees to cope with and minimise the impact of stress. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to explore the causes of stress at a vehicle manufacturing company, and the perceptions of employees about the effectiveness of an SMI programme. METHODS: A qualitative interpretive approach was followed, using a case study design. The research was conducted at a vehicle manufacturing company in Pretoria, South Africa; eleven purposively sampled permanent white- and blue-collared employees who had participated in an SMI programme were included. Data were collected from personal interviews and a focus group discussion. The data were analysed using the ATLAS.ti software. RESULTS: Some of the causes of stress in the workplace, identified by the participants, were company ethics and culture, interpersonal conflict, management style, deadlines, workload, type of job, job profiles, job insecurity, incompetence of employees, lack of resources, and remuneration. Most participants (90.9%) evaluated the SMI as being very effective. CONCLUSION: The causes of stress amongst workers are multifactorial. Effective SMIs can assist to alleviate stress and to equip employees with skills to manage stress. This promotes a healthy workforce and increases productivity. If SMIs are not implemented effectively, there might be loss in productivity, increased absenteeism, and deteriorating health in the workforce.http://www.occhealth.co.zapm2021Human Resource Managemen

The efficacy of a generic doxycycline tablet in the treatment of canine monocytic ehrlichiosis

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of a generic doxycycline tablet (DoxyVet®) against Ehrlichia canis infection in dogs. Canine monocytic ehrlichiosis is caused by the bacterium E. canis and transmitted by the brown kennel tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus). Six disease-free and tick-free dogs were infested with E. canisinfected ticks. Once diagnosed (with polymerase chain reaction [PCR] analysis and platelet counts) as positive for infection, doxycycline tablets were administered orally once a day for 20 consecutive days, at a target dose level of 10 mg/kg. The actual dose administered was calculated as ranging between 10 mg/kg and 11.7 mg/kg. The PCR analysis, 28 days after the first administration of the tablets, failed to detect E. canis in any of the dogs. On Day 56 of the study, four of the dogs were diagnosed with E. canis for the second time and a fifth dog was diagnosed on Day 70. The platelet counts of the sixth dog remained within normal levels and it was discharged from the study on Day 84. Doxycycline tablets were then administered to the remaining five infected dogs for 28 consecutive days. Four of these dogs had no positive PCR results during the following 3 months. The fifth dog was diagnosed with E. canis for the third time 58 days after the last tablets of the second treatment had been administered, after which it was rescue treated (doxycycline for a further 28 days). The results indicate that doxycycline administered in tablet form (DoxyVet®) at 10 mg/kg – 11.7 mg/kg body mass once daily for 28 consecutive days clears most dogs of infection. The importance of a concomitant tick-control programme is therefore stressed

Policy-making for real: Politics and progress in South African health care

Problems have been accumulating in South African health care for well over three centuries yet when it comes to resolving the crisis by means of appropriate policy measures, one becomes aware of the powers at play and the interests at stake in maintaining the status quo, thus obstructing much initiative in the process of reform

Awareness of Porcine Helminthiasis and the Prevalent Farm Management Operations Among Smallholder Pig Farmers in the Free State

Published ArticlePorcine helminthiasis and its zoonotic tendencies can lead to considerable loss of productivity and food security, especially in subsistence farming systems. Using open- and closed-ended questionnaires, this study was designed to ascertain the level of awareness of smallholder pig farmers in the selected districts of the Free State Province of South Africa to porcine helminthiasis and to gather information on the various pre- and post-slaughter practices prevalent in these areas. Results show that intestinal helminths emerged as the most common herd health problem (65.2%). There was a high rate of ignorance towards anthelmintic resistance and zoonoses among farmers. Similarly, 53.3% of respondents described the cost of anthelmintics as “expensive”. A high positive correlation (P<0.01) between some farming practices exist. Furthermore, 73.9% of respondents do not slaughter their pigs in an abattoir due to the high cost of slaughter and transportation, long distances to the abattoir, and small scale of production. Moreover, 50.0% of the farmers reported that their pig production enterprise was not profitable or viable. The information from this study may be used as baseline knowledge to help formulate the development of extension programmes for sustainable pig rearing and pork production, especially among smallholder farmers

Phyllosticta citricarpa and sister species of global importance to Citrus.

Several Phyllosticta species are known as pathogens of Citrus spp., and are responsible for various disease symptoms including leaf and fruit spots. One of the most important species is P. citricarpa, which causes a foliar and fruit disease called citrus black spot. The Phyllosticta species occurring on citrus can most effectively be distinguished from P. citricarpa by means of multilocus DNA sequence data. Recent studies also demonstrated P. citricarpa to be heterothallic, and reported successful mating in the laboratory. Since the domestication of citrus, different clones of P. citricarpa have escaped Asia to other continents via trade routes, with obvious disease management consequences. This pathogen profile represents a comprehensive literature review of this pathogen and allied taxa associated with citrus, focusing on identification, distribution, genomics, epidemiology and disease management. This review also considers the knowledge emerging from seven genomes of Phyllosticta spp., demonstrating unknown aspects of these species, including their mating behaviour.TaxonomyPhyllosticta citricarpa (McAlpine) Aa, 1973. Kingdom Fungi, Phylum Ascomycota, Class Dothideomycetes, Order Botryosphaeriales, Family Phyllostictaceae, Genus Phyllosticta, Species citricarpa.Host rangeConfirmed on more than 12 Citrus species, Phyllosticta citricarpa has only been found on plant species in the Rutaceae.Disease symptomsP. citricarpa causes diverse symptoms such as hard spot, virulent spot, false melanose and freckle spot on fruit, and necrotic lesions on leaves and twigs.Useful websitesDOE Joint Genome Institute MycoCosm portals for the Phyllosticta capitalensis (https://genome.jgi.doe.gov/Phycap1), P. citriasiana (https://genome.jgi.doe.gov/Phycit1), P. citribraziliensis (https://genome.jgi.doe.gov/Phcit1), P. citrichinaensis (https://genome.jgi.doe.gov/Phcitr1), P. citricarpa (https://genome.jgi.doe.gov/Phycitr1, https://genome.jgi.doe.gov/Phycpc1), P. paracitricarpa (https://genome.jgi.doe.gov/Phy27169) genomes. All available Phyllosticta genomes on MycoCosm can be viewed at https://genome.jgi.doe.gov/Phyllosticta

Determination of the effective dose of a novel oral formulation of sarolaner (Simparica™) for the treatment and month-long control of fleas and ticks on dogs

AbstractThree laboratory studies were conducted to determine the appropriate dose of sarolaner, a novel isoxazoline, for the treatment and month-long control of infestations of fleas and ticks on dogs. In the first study, dogs were treated orally with sarolaner suspension formulations at 1.25, 2.5 or 5.0mg/kg, and infested with Dermacentor reticulatus, Rhipicephalus sanguineus ticks and with Ctenocephalides felis felis (cat flea) prior to treatment and then weekly for up to 8 weeks. Fleas and ticks were counted 48h after treatment and after each subsequent infestation at 24h for fleas and 48h for ticks. The lowest dose of sarolaner (1.25mg/kg) provided 100% efficacy against fleas from treatment through Day 35 and 98.4% at Day 56. This dose of sarolaner resulted in 99.7–100% control of both species of ticks through Day 28. In Study 2, dogs were dosed orally with placebo or sarolaner suspension formulations at 0.625, 1.25 or 2.5mg/kg and infested with Ixodes scapularis prior to treatment and weekly for 6 weeks, Amblyomma americanum (pretreatment and Day 26), Dermacentor variabilis (Day 33) and A. maculatum (Day 41). Ixodes scapularis was the most susceptible; the lowest dose (0.625mg/kg) providing>95% efficacy through Day 43. Efficacy against D. variabilis on Day 35 was>95% at 1.25 and 2.5mg/kg, whereas the 0.625mg/kg dose gave only 61.4% efficacy. Amblyomma spp. were the least susceptible ticks; efficacy of the 1.25mg/kg dose at Day 28 for A. americanum was markedly lower (88.5%) than achieved for D. reticulatus (100%) at Day 28 and also lower than for D. variabilis at Day 35 (96.2%). In Study 3, dogs were dosed orally with placebo or sarolaner in the proposed commercial tablet (Simparica™) at 1.0, 2.0 or 4.0mg/kg, and infested with A. maculatum, one of the ticks determined to be dose limiting, prior to treatment and then weekly for 5 weeks. All doses gave 100% control of the existing infestation. The two highest dosages resulted in >93% control of subsequent challenges for 5 weeks. There was no significant improvement in efficacy provided by the 4.0 mg/kg dose over the 2.0mg/kg dose (P>0.05) at any time point. The 2.0mg/kg dose was superior to the 1.0mg/kg on Day 14 (P=0.0086) and as efficacy for 1.0mg/kg declined below 90% at Day 28, a single 1mg/kg dose would not provide a full month of tick control. Thus, 2.0mg/kg was selected as the sarolaner dose rate to provide flea and tick control for at least one month following a single oral treatment

Cover crops with biofumigation properties for the suppression of plant-parasitic nematodes : a review

The original publication is available at http://www.sawislibrary.co.za/dbtw-wpd/textbase/sajev.htmPlant-parasitic nematodes are a problem in vineyards worldwide, with some species acting as vectors of grapevine soil-transmitted viruses. Global pressure on the use of soil-applied chemical nematicides has led to a search for new control options, or for alternative methods to suppress plant-parasitic nematodes as part of integrated pest management. This paper gives valuable background information on the use of cover crops with biofumigation properties for the suppression of plant-parasitic nematodes in vineyards.Winetech, Dried Fruit Technical Services and the National Research Foundation of South AfricaPublishers' Versio

Efficacy and safety of a novel oral isoxazoline, sarolaner (Simparica™), for the treatment of sarcoptic mange in dogs

AbstractThe efficacy of the novel isoxazoline, sarolaner (Simparica™) was investigated in dogs with clinical signs consistent with sarcoptic mange and harbouring natural infestations of Sarcoptes scabiei. One placebo-controlled laboratory study and one multi-centred field study with a commercial comparator containing imidacloprid/moxidectin (Advocate® spot-on) were conducted. Oral or topical treatments were administered on Days 0 and 30. Up to 10 skin scrapings were taken for the assessment of S. scabiei infestations from each dog before treatment and on Days 14, 30, 44 and 60 in the laboratory study, and on Days 30 and 60 in the field study. In the laboratory study, efficacy was calculated based on the percent reduction of mean live mite counts compared to the placebo group. In the field study parasitological cure rate (% dogs free of mites) was determined and non-inferiority of sarolaner to the control product was assessed.In the laboratory study 44 mixed breed dogs were enrolled in four batches. Due to decreasing mite counts in the placebo treated dogs, immunosuppression with dexamethasone (0.4mg/kg three times per week for two weeks) was initiated in all dogs on study at that time (n=6) and those subsequently enrolled (n=14). In the field study, dogs were enrolled in a 2:1 ratio (sarolaner:comparator); 79 dogs were assessed for efficacy and safety, and an additional 45 dogs were assessed for safety only. There were no treatment related adverse events in either study.In the laboratory study, no mites were found on any sarolaner-treated dogs 14 days after the first treatment except for one dog that had a single mite on Day 44. In the field study, the parasitological cure rate was 88.7% and 100% in the sarolaner group and 84.6% and 96.0% in the imidacloprid/moxidectin group, on Days 30 and 60, respectively. Statistical analysis showed that sarolaner was non-inferior to imidacloprid/moxidectin at both time points. The clinical signs of sarcoptic mange, including hair loss, papules, pruritus, erythema, and scaling/crusting improved throughout the study.Sarolaner was safe, achieved 100% reduction in the numbers of S. scabiei detected and resulted in marked improvement of the clinical signs of sarcoptic mange in dogs following two monthly oral administrations