Outbreak of rabies in South Darfur, Sudan

Leptospiral infections in kennelled dogs in Italy TWO hundred and forty-five dogs were examined serologically for antibodies against different serovars of Leptospira interrogans. There were 34 vaccinated clinically healthy pet dogs (group 1), 33 stray dogs whose vaccination status was unknown (group 2), and 63, 57 and 58 dogs kept in three kennels with different standards of hygiene (groups 3, 4 and 5, respectively), of which between 86 and 100 per cent had been vaccinated against leptospirosis. Seventy-two (29 per cent) of the dogs were seropositive for leptospirosis, and the percentages which were seropositive in groups 1 to 5 were 3 4 per cent, 30*3 per cent, 13 8 per cent, 38 6 per cent and 49*2 per cent, respectively. The most common infecting serovars found were Bratislava and Grippotyphosa, in agreement with the finding that, since 1992, these two serovars, together with Pomona, have become more common in dogs than Canicola or Icterohaemorrhagiae. SCANZIANI, E., ORIGGI, E, GIUSTI, A. M., IACCHIA, G., VASINO, A., PIROVANO, G., SCARPA, P. & TAGLIABUE, S. (2002) Serological survey of leptospiral infection in kennelled dogs in Italy. Journal of Small Animal Practice 43, 154-157 Lateral-flow immunoassay for monitoring passive transfer of immunoglobulins in calves A LATERAL-FLOW immunoassay kit (Quick test kit calf IgG; Midland Bioproducts) was better at determining the status of passive transfer of immunoglobulins than either the refractometry or zinc sulphate turbidity methods. Accuracy for the three methods was 95 per cent, 80 per cent and 73 per cent, respectively. The criterion-referenced standard in the study was the turbidimetric immunoassay. The new immunoassay differentiates an immunoglobulin G (IgG) concentration above or below the level of 10 mg/ml. The failure rate of passive transfer in a group of 204 bought-in Holstein calves, aged four to eight days, was 56 per cent, with the IgG concentration ranging from 0*84 to 33*2 mg/ml. MCVICKER, J. K., ROUSE, G. C., FOWLER, M. A., PERRY, B. H., MILLER, B. L. & JOHNSON, T. E. (2002) Evaluation of a lateral-flow immunoassay for use in monitoring passive transfer of immunoglobulins in calves. American Journal ofVeterinary Research 63, 247-250 The Veterinary Record, May 11, 2002 612