ALENCE OF RUMINANT PESTIVIRUS INFECTIONS IN NAMIBIA
DEPNER, K., HUBSCHLE, O . J. B. & L1ESS, B. , 1991. Prevalence of ruminant pestivirus infections in Namibia. Onderslepoorl Journal ofVelerinary Research 58. 107-109 (1991) Following several clinical cases of suspected bovine virus diarrhoea .(BVD) on three Namibian ca ttle farms, a serological survey was cooducted on bovloe , ovme , capnne and wold rUffilOant sera originating from different regions of the country. Neutralizing antibodies to BVD ViruS (BVDV) were detected in 58 % of 1 014 cattle sera, 14 % of 618 sheep sera and 4,6 % of 1 118 goat sera. Sera from seven of teo wildlife species lVere positive with kudu , eland and giraffe having prevalence rates greater than 40 %. BVDV was isolated [rom six clinically affected bovlOes and three healthy heifers persistently infected with BVDV . The survey demonstrated that pestivirus infections are widespread 10 Namibia In hoth domestic and wild ruminants.
Isolation of cytopathogenic strains of bovine viral diarrhea virus in Southern Africa
From outoreaks of bovme viral diarrhoea-mucosal disease on two farms, one in the Republic of South Africa and one in Rhodesia, cytopathogenic strains of bovine viral diarrhoea virus were isolated. When the new isolates were compared serologically with the Oregon C24V reference strain they appeared to be identical. This was the first isolation and identification of mucosal disease virus in Southern Africa.
Genetics of the phenotypic evolution in sheep: a molecular look at diversity-driving genes
Background After domestication, the evolution of phenotypically-varied sheep breeds has generated rich biodiversity. This wide phenotypic variation arises as a result of hidden genomic changes that range from a single nucleotide to several thousands of nucleotides. Thus, it is of interest and significance to reveal and understand the genomic changes underlying the phenotypic variation of sheep breeds in order to drive selection towards economically important traits. Review Various traits contribute to the emergence of variation in sheep phenotypic characteristics, including coat color, horns, tail, wool, ears, udder, vertebrae, among others. The genes that determine most of these phenotypic traits have been investigated, which has generated knowledge regarding the genetic determinism of several agriculturally-relevant traits in sheep. In this review, we discuss the genomic knowledge that has emerged in the past few decades regarding the phenotypic traits in sheep, and our ultimate aim is to encourage its practical application in sheep breeding. In addition, in order to expand the current understanding of the sheep genome, we shed light on research gaps that require further investigation. Conclusions Although significant research efforts have been conducted in the past few decades, several aspects of the sheep genome remain unexplored. For the full utilization of the current knowledge of the sheep genome, a wide practical application is still required in order to boost sheep productive performance and contribute to the generation of improved sheep breeds. The accumulated knowledge on the sheep genome will help advance and strengthen sheep breeding programs to face future challenges in the sector, such as climate change, global human population growth, and the increasing demand for products of animal origin.