A serological survey of sera from domestic animals on Easter Island

Animals' sera collected on Easter Island from December 1964 to February 1965 were tested by appropriate methods for the presence of antibodies to various infections. These included, ornithosis, Q-fever, brucellosis, Johne's disease, leptospirosis, toxoplasmosis and vesicular stomatitis viruses. It appeared that the cattle and sheep were exposed to the ornithosis group of agents. The sheep were also exposed to toxoplasmosis. The low-grade reactions observed on the cattle sera with the leptospira and brucella antigens were not sufficient to indicate past infection. All sera tested with Q-fever and Johne's disease antigens gave negative reactions. The results suggested that neither strain of vesicular stomatitis virus had yet been introduced into this restricted animal population.

Q fever in Alberta-infection in humans and animals

The presence of Q fever antibodies in the milk of cattle in Alberta is described. The incidence of positive milk samples rose from 0.8% of herds tested in 1959 to 7.7% in 1964. The largest number of infected animals is in the southern part of the province.A case of Q fever in an infant is reported. This occurred on the Duffield Indian Reserve near Edmonton in November 1963. Two of 44 blood samples collected at random from asymptomatic individuals on the Reserve in February 1965 contained complement-fixing antibodies to Q fever antigen.Studies on milk from dairy cattle in the area were negative for Q fever antibodies, and the source of human infection has not yet been determined.