1/6. A common-source outbreak of Crimean-congo haemorrhagic fever on a dairy farm.An outbreak of Crimean-congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) on a dairy farm in the Orange Free State in 1984 is described. Forty-six cows were purchased from the western Cape Province in January 1984; 2 died from the tick-borne disease anaplasmosis in March and a labourer who helped butcher the carcasses became ill a few days later. Another cow died at the end of April and within 9 days 4 people who had come into contact with its blood became ill. antibodies to CCHF virus were found in the sera of the 5 patients but not in other residents of the farm. Three patients recovered from a severe influenza-like illness without seeking medical attention; 1 patient, who was admitted to hospital, recovered from illness marked by haematemesis, epistaxis and amnesia and the 5th patient died of complications of surgery for brain haemorrhage. Antibody studies indicated that many of the cows became infected with CCHF after their arrival on the farm. It can be deduced that animals reared in tick-free, or relatively tick-free, circumstances, which are then moved to where they are subject to heavy parasitization by ticks, can acquire common tick-borne diseases of livestock plus CCHF infection simultaneously. In such circumstances there is a definite risk of human exposure to CCHF-infected blood or other tissues.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = haemorrhagic fever, fever (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/6. Investigations following initial recognition of Crimean-congo haemorrhagic fever in south africa and the diagnosis of 2 further cases.Sera from 124 cattle herds were tested, and antibodies to Crimean-congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) were found in 93 herds. The prevalence of antibodies was high in the interior of the country, in excess of 90% in some herds, but was less than 4% in cattle along the coast from Cape Town to East london. Only 17 out of 1109 (1,5%) human residents of 55 farms had antibodies to CCHF, while none of 164 veterinary research workers or 98 veterinarians engaged in farm animal practice had them. Specimens from 130 suspected cases of viral haemorrhagic fever were examined and CCHF was diagnosed only in the patient previously reported as the first case of the disease to be recognized in this country. A further 2 cases of CCHF were diagnosed by examining 318 specimens from patients with nonfatal febrile illness. Both patients had contact with livestock. Increasing awareness of the disease will probably lead to an increase in the number of cases diagnosed, but there are no grounds for concluding that the disease is on the increase.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1.2keywords = haemorrhagic fever, fever (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/6. Renal cysts in a cow with anorexia, hypocalcemia and abdominal pain.A ten-year-old Holstein cow developed anorexia, fever, and recumbency 2 weeks before calving. She was hypocalcemic with concurrent mild pneumonia and mastitis. Due to evidence of impending abortion, parturition was induced and the cow developed metritis. Despite post partum improvement of pneumonia, mastitis and metritis, the cow remained anorexic and had signs of abdominal pain. An exploratory lapartomy via the left flank revealed a greatly enlarged right kidney. On examination through the right flank, 2 large simple renal cysts were found and a nephrectomy was performed. Postoperatively, the cow's appetite gradually improved and she made an apparent clinical recovery.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 2.9490567122351E-5keywords = fever (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/6. cryptosporidiosis of man and calf: a case report and results of experimental infections in mice and rats.cryptosporidiosis is reported in a healthy 25-year-old male. Clinical symptoms include 1 day of nausea and low-grade fever and 9 days of diarrhea, followed by 3 days of constipation. oocysts of cryptosporidium sp. were present in sugar flotations of the first fecal sample collected 56 hours after onset of the symptoms and in daily fecal samples collected through day 12 of the illness. oocysts of the human isolate of cryptosporidium sp. were morphologically indistinguishable from those obtained from naturally and experimentally infected calves. After 1 week of sporulation at room temperature, oocysts from the human and from calves contained four sporozoites and a spherical residuum. When inoculated orally, sporulated cryptosporidium sp. oocysts of human and of calf origin produced indistinguishable infections in suckling mice and rats and in adult mice.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 2.9490567122351E-5keywords = fever (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/6. campylobacter fetus presenting as a septic pleural effusion: a case report.The authors describe a rare case of campylobacter fetus occurring in a patient who showed no overt evidence of immune incompetence. The patient presented with severe cellulitis of the legs, a chronic low grade fever, and a history of recent exposure to sick calves.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 2.9490567122351E-5keywords = fever (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/6. Crimean-congo haemorrhagic fever virus infection in the western province of saudi arabia.In 1990, an outbreak of suspected viral haemorrhagic fever involving 7 individuals occurred in Mecca in the Western Province of saudi arabia. congo-Crimean haemorrhagic fever (CCHF), not previously known to be present in saudi arabia, was incriminated. A study of the epidemiology of this virus was therefore carried out in Mecca, and in nearby Jeddah and Taif in 1991-1993; 13 species of ixodid ticks (5 Hyalomma spp., 5 rhipicephalus spp., 2 Amblyomma spp., 1 Boophilus sp.) were collected from livestock (camels, cattle, sheep, goats), and of these 10 were capable of transmitting CCHF. camels had the highest rate of tick infestation (97%), and H. dromedarii was the commonest tick (70%). Attempts to isolate virus from pools of H. dromedarii and H. anatolicum anatolicum were unsuccessful. The source of infection in 3 confirmed cases of CCHF was contact with fresh mutton and, in a suspected case, slaughtering sheep. An investigation in Mecca, which included a serological survey of abattoir workers, identified 40 human cases of confirmed or suspected CCHF between 1989 and 1990, with 12 fatalities. Significant risk factors included exposure to animal blood or tissue in abattoirs, but not tick bites. It is suspected that the CCHF virus may have been introduced to saudi arabia by infected ticks on imported sheep arriving at Jeddah seaport, and that it is now endemic in the Western Province.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1.2keywords = haemorrhagic fever, fever (Clic here for more details about this article) |