BURNEm ANTmODIES IN CALVES CONCENTRATED IN A LARGE-CAPACITY CALF HOOSE ' IN AN AREA WITH ENDEMIC INCIDENCE OF Q FEVER t ' LITERAK
Lit erA k A.: C;oxiella bu~tii antibodies in calves concentrated in a large-capacity calf house in an area with endemic incidence of latent Qfever. Acta vet. Bmo.63. 1994:' 6~. A total of 539 calves in a large-capacity calf house in the district of StJakonice (Czech Republic) were examined serologically for Coxiella burnet;; antibodies in 1988-1990 using the complement-fixation test. The antibodies were detected in 6% (3.6 to 8.4%. 95% confidence limits) of calves up to 14 days of age. in 1.5% (0.3' to 2.7%. 95% confidence limits) of calves aged 3 mOnths and in no animals aged 6 months. The calves showing antibodies after arrival at the large-capacity calf house within 14 days of age came from 13 different farms of the district. It is concluded that calves are not responsible for the spread of Q fever in herds even under the open-turnover system. Coxiella burnetii. calves. antibodies. CFT The presence of Coxiella burnetii antibodies in cattle in the South-Bohemian region of the Czech Republic was investigated by Lis At et a1. (1989) during a two-year period. Using the complement-fixation test, they demonstrated C. burnetii antibodies in 16.5% of747 animals. mostly producing cows. coming from 23 farms. a e hAl! e k et a1. (1985) using the microagglutination reaction found C. burnetii antibodies in 10.8% of 370 cattle coming from 17 farms of the southern part of the Sumava region. In spite of a rather large proportion of serum-positive reagents. marked clinical manifestations of Q fever in these areas were not observed. The incidence of C. burnetii antibodies among calves in the South-Bohemian region was mentioned by a e h AI! e k et a1. (1985) only very briefly: 58 calves were examined upon arrival at a large-capacity calf house with negative results and in only one of them C. burnetii antibodies were detected before the animals were put to graze. The present study was designed to assess the serum prevalence of C. burnerii antibodies in calves shifted to a large-capacity calf house from different farms in the South-Bohemian region that; considering the observations reported by Li s At etal. (1989) and a e h AI! e ketal. (1985). can be regarded as one of endemic incidence of latent Q fever. Observations on C. burnetii antibodies among calves in other parts of the world were reported a. o. by Sawyer etal. (1973). Gossler and Burtschell (1973) and Adeseyun eta!. (1984). Materials and Methods' Calves were examined for C. burnetii antibodies on three occasions: upon arrival at a large-capacity calf house. after 3 months of their stay in the calf house upon change from milk feeding to vegetable feeding and before leaving the calf house at 6 months of age. The large-capacity calf house under study was located in the northern part of the district of Strakonice (Map No.1). From its catchment area 40 calves arrived each week, which represented about 60% of all calves born on the farms of this area. The calves were examined from the 21st ofJanuary to the II th ofJuly 1990. The blood samples were withdrawn at 3-month intervals. A total of 539 calves were examined; one examination only was carried out in 208 animals. 2 examinations also in 208 animals and 3 examinations in 123 animals. Upon arrival of the calves at the calf house within 14 days of age 400 examinations were carried out, 328 examinations were carried out on 3-month old animals and 265 examinations were conducted on animals aged 6 months. Thus the total number of examinations was 993. The detection of C. burnetii antibodies was made with the complement-fixation test using the micromethod technique with phase 2 antigen (Bodibion. Bioveta Nitra). The starting titre was 8 or 10. The sera with antibodies were diluted in two-fold steps to find the highest positive titre. Results c. burnetii antibodies were found in 6% (3.6 to 8.4%, 95% confidence limits) of calves up to 14 days of age, in 1.5% (0.3 % to 2.7 %, 95 % confidence limits) of 3-month old calves and were not detected in calves aged 6 months (Table 1).
Rickettsiae in the Sumava region.
Antibodies were detected to C oxiella burnetii, Rickettsia slovaca and Chlamydia psittaci in the blood of small terrestrial mammals, larger wild and domestic animals and humans in the southern part of the Protected Landscape Area of the Sumava region between 1977 and 1982. The data obtained have contributed to the safe development of livestock raising in this region.
Communicative Competence: Theory and Classroom Practice
ABSTRACT Within the framework of viewing communicative competence as a prerequisite to linguistic competence, rather than vice versa, this paper considers the following: (1) the nature of communicative competence; (2) the implications of communicative competence for second language teaching; and (3) ways in which the teacher can begin to make a foreign language program more meaningful. Communicative competeuce is defined as what native speakers know which enables them to interact effectively with each other. Implications for the language teacher include: (T) the need for tests which measure the ability to use language; (2) the irrelevancy of sequencing surface features; (3) the need for emphasis on non-lizguistic aspects of communication; and (4) the need to re-examiLe attitudes toward students and language teaching. Practical suggestins for implementing communicative competence in the classroom include the use of spontaneous role-playing, discussions, games, radio, and the telephone. (AM)