Browsing by Author "Van Helden, Lesley S."

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    Paratuberculosis in a domestic dog in South Africa
    (AOSIS Publishing, 2017) Miller, Michele Ann; Davey, Sewellyn C.; Van Helden, Lesley S.; Kettner, Frank; Weltan, Sandy M.; Last, Rick; Grewar, John D.; Botha, Louise; Van Helden, Paul D.
    This case report shows that Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) infection can cause clinical disease in domestic dogs, and should be considered as a differential diagnosis for gastrointestinal inflammatory conditions. A male dachshund presented with lethargy and pain. Enlarged mesenteric lymph nodes were found on abdominal ultrasound examination. Cytological examination of lymph node aspirates was consistent with granulomatous inflammation, which was culture-confirmed as MAP. Although we were unable to confirm the source of infection, the dog’s history included exposure to sheep in the Western Cape.
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    The prevalence of antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii in sheep in the Western Cape, South Africa
    (AOSIS Publishing, 2015-11-03) Hammond-Aryee, Kenneth; Van Helden, Lesley S.; Van Helden, Paul D.
    The seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in a sample of 292 merino sheep farmed in a semi-intensive manner in the Overberg region of the Western Cape, South Africa, was investigated. Antibody seroprevalence was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Of the total sample, 23 sheep tested positive for T. gondii antibodies (8%; 95% CI: 4.7688– 10.9846). There was no statistically significant relationship between seroprevalence and age of the sheep. The highest seroprevalence was found in sheep between 28 and 40 months old; a total of 19 sheep were seropositive by 40 months. No seropositive sheep were found in the age group between 16 and 28 months. The seroprevalence reported in this study is higher than what has previously been reported for the Western Cape (6%) and across South Africa on average (4.7%). As sheep farming is economically significant in South Africa, the presence of T. gondii amongst sheep may pose a production threat to the small-stock industry as well as to public health and food security. We therefore recommend further surveillance to identify high-risk animal populations so that local control measures can be put in place.