Treatment of bovine dermatophilosis with Senna alata, Lantana camara and Mitracarpus scaber leaf extracts

This study describes interesting preliminary results on the therapeutic effects of ointments prepared with extracts of medicinal plants on bovine dermatophilosis. Our results show that the use of ointments made with ethanolic extracts of leaves of Senna alata, Lantana camara and Mitracarpus scaber, as topical treatments on chronic crusty or acute lesions of dermatophilosis, induces healing of the disease in the nine infected animals treated without recurrence. This is opposed to what is observed by using oxytetracycline, terramycin long-acting (TLA), or procaine-penicillin, antibiotics commonly used parenterally for the treatment of dermatophilosis in the Republic of Benin which could not prevent the recurrence of the disease. These ointments, when applied once a day for 8-15 days, provoked the falling off of the crusts after 3-4 days of treatment. Hair grows on the treated areas, which heal without scarring, within 3-4 weeks after the end of the treatment. The healed animals became free of dermatophilosis without recurrence for more than 3 years and were in good health.

Serological evidence in sheep suggesting phlebovirus circulation in a Rift Valley fever enzootic area in Burkina Faso

Within the Phlebovirus serogroup, Rift Valley fever (RVF) virus is endemo-enzootic in the African sahelian zone. Recently an RVF epizootic in West Africa prompted a serosurvey in the major sheep and cattle raising areas. Because of the close antigenic relationship between the phleboviruses it appeared of interest to evaluate the prevalence of the other phleboviruses also. In 1987, 482 sheep serum samples were collected in 2 different ecological zones of Burkina Faso and tested for the presence of phlebovirus antibodies. A sensitive but non-specific immunofluorescent antibody test and a specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were used, with the following African phlebovirus antigens: Rift Valley fever (RVF), Arumowot, Gabek Forest, Gordil, Saint Floris and Odrenisrou. A total of 15.8% of the sera sampled had anti-RVF antibody in the ELISA. RVF virus appeared to be more active in drier areas such as the sahelian region, known to be an enzootic area for the disease. Antibodies to other phleboviruses were found in 11.8% of the samples, independent of RVF virus activity. It is assumed that sheep can be infected by different phleboviruses.

Changes in Rift Valley fever neutralizing antibody prevalence among small domestic ruminants following the 1987 outbreak in the Senegal River basin

Following the Rift Valley fever (RVF) epizootic of 1987 in the Senegal River basin, 2 series of serosurveys were carried out. In 1988 and 1989, respectively, 303 and 331 randomly selected sheep and goats were investigated and sera tested for the presence of specific RVF-virus-neutralizing antibodies. In 1988, 24.4% of the sera was found to have anti-RVF neutralizing antibodies and in 1989, 19.3% was found. In 1988, we observed in the Dagana district, including the 1987 epizootic area, a significantly higher prevalence (71.1%) than in the two other more distant districts of Podor (21.5%) and Matam (9.7%). From 1988 to 1989, the antibody seroprevalence dropped significantly from 71.7 to 23.9% within the Dagana district. Young animals showed a significantly lower antibody prevalence (7.9%, N = 114) than adults (25.3%, N = 217). RVF virus circulated at a low level in 1988-89 without any epizootic manifestation. The population turnover generated an important non-immune population potentially at risk.