Epididymitis Caused by Brucella ovis in a Southern Ontario Sheep Flock.
Epididymitis was diagnosed in three rams in a commercial sheep flock in southern Ontario. The affected rams had palpably enlarged epididymides and two rams had semen which contained inflammatory cells and was of poor quality. Serum compliment fixation titers for Brucella ovis were 1:20, 1:80 and 1:90. Five other rams in the flock were clinically normal and without titers. Two of the affected rams had lesions similar to those produced by experimental infection with B. ovis. The infection in the rams had no apparent affect on ewe performance. The source of the infection remains unknown, but the rams were purchased from a flock which had imported ewes from the western U.S.A.
Management of reproduction of sheep.
Introduction The properly trained veterinarian is well suited to offer counsel to sheep producers. In addition to coordinating advice from engineers, nutritionists, geneticists, and agricultural specialists, the veterinarian is qualified to monitor flock health/disease and introduce programs to improve and manipulate flock reproduction. When offering counsel the veterinarian must be made aware of the personal and production goals of the individual producer with the intent of reducing unnecessary waste and increasing profits. Flock performance records are essential to identify problems. Breeding programs can be designed to improve scheduling of labor and use of facilities. Reproductive management can increase the lambs weaned per ewe per year as well as improve lamb marketing by increasing production of lamb in the nontraditional seasons. Many flocks will benefit simply through improvements in reproductive husbandry practices, such as the selection of suitable breeds, improvements in ram selection, and the use of teaser rams. Well-managed flocks will benefit further from hormonally induced out-of-season breeding, synchronized breeding/lambing, and pregnancy diagnosis. A few would benefit from artificial insemination (Al) or embryo transfer technology. In each case, cost-effectiveness must be kept in mind.
Secoiridoids from Olea europaea
Abstract Three new secoiridoids have been isolated from the leaves of Olea europaea along with the previously reported. The compounds were identified by spectral means.