147 



Tejera (E.). Trypanosomiases animales au Venezuela. — Bull. Soc. 

 Path. ExoL, Paris, xiii, no. 4, 14th April 1920, pp. 297-305. 



There are two forms of trypanosomiasis of equines that have been 

 known for some time in Venezuela, generally in horses but occasionally 

 also in mules and donkeys. The one form is known locally as peste 

 boba, hermosura or tristeza, lasts generally a month or two and ends 

 fatally in more than 80 per cent, of cases. The other is known locally 

 as desrengadera and is practically always fatal. The symptoms of 

 both are described. They are merely two clinical forms of the same 

 disease, probably due to Trypanosoma evansi, though the Venezuelan 

 form has been called T. venezaelense. The symptoms are very similar 

 to the Argentine disease known as mal de caderas, due to T. equinvm, 

 though the pathogenic agents concerned are morphologically different ; 

 the virulence of T. venezaelense is greater, and the disease lasts at the 

 most 2 months ; that caused by T. equinum lasts from 2 to 5 months. 

 Moreover, T. venezaelense is virulent generally at the beginning 

 and end of the rainy season, its maximum occurrence being in March 

 and April. The transmitting agent is not yet known. Tabanids 

 and Stomoxys spp. have been examined without any trace of flagellates 

 Toeing found. Mosquitos have been suspected, but have not been 

 examined in sufficient numbers for a decision to be reached. Immense 

 numbers of mosquitos are present in the great plains, which are 

 frequently flooded. Several thousands of horses die annually from the 

 effects of T. venezaelense. Experiments to test the virulence of this 

 organism on various animals are described. 



During the examination of a cow that was thought to be suffering 

 from piroplasmosis, a trypanosome was discovered that is probably 

 the same as that found in 1919 in French Guiana [R.A.E.,B, vii, 137], 

 where some of the cattle are of Venezuelan origin. This is borne out 

 bv the fact that inoculations into guinea-pigs and a cat were negative, 

 a" result that differentiates this organism, known as T. guayanense, 

 from T. venezaelense, which is inoculable to all mammals, producing 

 fatal results. The author is inclined to agree with Mesnil in thinking 

 that T. gumjanense is a variety of T. cazalhoui, if not identical with it. 

 It is evident that this disease of ruminants has not existed long m 

 Venezuela ; it is possible that the zebu, introduced some years ago, 

 brought the form of trypanosomiasis known as souma, which is 

 produced by T. cazalboui. The disease is worthy of more extensive 

 study as it threatens to destroy one of the principal sources of wealth 

 in Venezuela. 



De Greef (G.). Monographic agricole de la Region de I'Urundi 

 (Ancienne Province de I'Afrique orientale allemande). Chap, 

 vii, Etat Sanitaire des Troupeaux.— ^5//^^ Agric. Congo Beige, 

 Brussels, x, no. 1-4, March-December 1919, pp. 65-69. 

 [Received 19th June 1920.] 



The mortality amongst cattle in the Urundi region of ex-German 

 East Africa, now occupied by Belgium, is much higher than it should be, 

 owing largely to the ignorance and carelessness of the native population. 

 The interior of Uruadi is naturally preserved by its situation from 

 tsetse-fly and therefore from trypanosomiasis, but on all sides except 



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