The Cape mole-rat Georychus capensis is a solitary subterranean rodent that exhibits seasonal reproduction. This study set out to determine whether the female Cape mole-rat is an induced or spontaneous ovulator. Eleven females were collected from the field just before the breeding season and housed individually. Urine was collected for 5 weeks. Females were subjected to one of three trials: housed separately without a male; allowed only nonphysical contact with unvasectomized males; placed in direct contact with four vasectomized males. Urine was collected for a further 5 weeks and urinary progesterone profiles established. Females housed in direct contact with males exhibited heightened progesterone concentrations and the presence of corpora lutea in their ovaries. The act of coitus seems to be necessary for ovulation to occur in the females even though males were not capable of fertilization.

van Sandwyk, et al., Veterinary Microbiology, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.vetmic.2012 2 AbstractEncephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV) outbreaks are rare in southern Africa. Only two have been reported to date from South Africa, both coinciding with rodent irruptions. The first outbreak manifested as acute myocarditis in pigs in 1979, whilst the second, occurring from 1993 to 1994, was linked to the deaths of 64 free-ranging adult African elephants (Loxodonta africana). The P1 genome region, inclusive of the flanking leader (L) and 2A genes, of three South African isolates, one from swine and two from elephants, was characterised by PCR amplification and sequencing of up to 11 overlapping fragments. In addition to the resulting 3329 nucleotide dataset, the 3D region that is widely used in molecular epidemiology studies, was characterised, and three datasets (P1, VP1/3 and 3D), complemented with available homologous EMCV data, were compiled for analyses. Phylogenetic inferences revealed the near-identical elephant outbreak strains to be most closely related to a mengovirus from rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) in Uganda, differing from the latter by between 11 % (3D) and 15 % (VP3/1). The South African pig isolate differed by 4 % (3D) and 11 % (VP3/1) from available European and Asian pig virus sequences. This study confirms the presence of two genetically distinct EMCV lineages from wild and domestic hosts in southern African, and provides valuable baseline data for future outbreak eventualities in the subregion.