Onchocerciasis in Cattle and Associated Animals. 1.3 



Egypt and the Sudan. 



So far, worm-nodules in bovihes have only been recorded for 

 Africa, as present in parts of Algeria and Tunis, by Professor 

 Neumann, who has described Onchocerca gutturosa, Neumann, 1910 

 (1910, p. 270) from the region of the cervical ligament in the 

 neck of cattle killed at Constantine and at Tunis. I was informed 

 by Mr. F. E. Mason, Government Veterinary Pathologist, Cairo, 

 that worm-nodules are present in the subcutaneous connective tissue 

 of any part of the body, but especially along the sides of the neck 

 in the Egyptian Belady or village cattle. These animals, which are 

 prevalent as far south as Wady Haifa, have a more gently curving, 

 dome-shaped hump, somewhat more forwardly placed than in the 

 case of the Sudanese cattle. Specimens from these are under 

 promise to me; in the meantime I am unable to say whether they 

 are similar to Onchocerca gutturosa, or to the Indian form, or even 

 a different species from either of these. 0. gutturosa, as described 

 by Professor Neumann, forms flattened nodules up to the size of the 

 palm of the hand, situated in connective tissue on the inner face of 

 the cervical ligament, in the region of the 2nd or 3rd dorsal verte- 

 brae. These worm-containing nodules are very similar to those of 

 0. gibsoni, though differing in location, and formed by another 

 species of worm. 



The Sudanese cattle have a more backwardly placed hump, shaped 

 more like that of Bos indicus, of India, and are more prevalent south 

 of Wady Haifa. So far as I have been able to obtain any evidence, 

 either at the time of my visit or since from the Director of the 

 Veterinary Laboratory at Khartoum, the nodules are unknown in 

 these Sudanese cattle, and also in the buffalo of these countries. 



Mr. Mason also informed me that the subcutaneous worm-nodules 

 of camels in Egypt, recorded by himself as " present in subcuta- 

 neous positions, and similar to those found by Cleland in camels in 

 Western Australia," but recorded nevertheless under the name 

 0. gibsoni (1912, p. 97), while found chiefly along the side of the 

 neck, are also found over the quarters, then on the head, and some- 

 times in the subcutaneous connective tissue of any part of the body. 

 As no specimens have yet come to hand, I am unable to state 

 whether or not these are caused by 0. fasciata. He has also recorded 

 the presence of " mature filarial worms, presumably Filar ia evansi, 

 in the blood-vessels of the lungs, testicle, and in the vas deferens of 

 camels" in Egypt (1906, p. 120, and 1911, p. 329). 



