One-hundred-and-twenty caseous lesions collected from slaughtered cattle at selected slaughterhouses in Sudan were processed for the detection of acid-fast bacteria (AFB). Sixty-four of the 120 samples showed AFB on microscopic examination after staining with the Ziehl-Neelsen method. Accordingly, it was estimated that 64 (53.3%) of the 120 caseous (purulent) lesions among the samples were due to AFB whereas 56 (46.7%) were due to other causes. Growth on Lowenstein-Jensen slants was obtained in 54 of the 120 samples. The isolated AFB were tentatively identified using microscopic and cultural characteristics. Confirmation of the phenotypic clusters was achieved by analysing the mycolic acids contents and PCR-amplification of the IS6110 insertion sequences. The above two methods have allowed the identification of Mycobacterium bovis and M. farcinogenes, the major AFB isolated from cattle in Sudan. The remaining AFB, which were negative for the above two tests, were further identified by sequencing the 16S rRNA gene. The above strategy thus allowed the identification of the isolated strains as follows: 25 (46%) M. bovis; 21 (39.9%) M. farcinogenes; 4 (7.4%) M. tuberculosis; 1 (1.9%) M. avium; 1 (1.9%) Nocardia sp., 2 (3.7%) unidentified AFB. The isolation of M. farcinogenes and M. tuberculosis, from pulmonary lymph nodes represented important findings.

This study aimed to find correlations between blood glucose and urea levels and the duration of postpartum period (PPP), number of services per conception (S/C), open period (OP), conception rate (CR) to first service, and the overall CR in 80 multiparous cross-bred dairy cows. The two metabolites were measured 1, 4, 7, 10, and 13 weeks postpartum. The CR to first service and overall CR were 13.8% and 42.8%, respectively. Based on S/C, three groups were identified: Group 1 (G-1) (n = 11) consisting of cows that conceived from first service; G-2 (n = 46) representing cows that needed two inseminations to conceive; and G-3 (n = 23) consisting of repeat breeders (RB). G-1 represented 13.8%, with PPP and OP shorter than cows in G-2 and in G-3, and had blood glucose levels 17.5% and 27.9% higher than levels in G-2 and in G-3, respectively. Until the 7th week postpartum, blood levels of urea were higher in G-1 and lower in G-3. However, in the 10th and 13th weeks postpartum, results were reversed. The PPP, S/C, and OP were negatively correlated with blood glucose over the study period and with blood urea at the first seven weeks postpartum. However, these traits were positively correlated with blood urea measured at 10 and 13 weeks postpartum. It can be concluded that, from this study, maintaining high blood glucose until the 13th week postpartum, high blood urea during the first 7 weeks postpartum, and low blood urea during the 10th and 13th weeks postpartum were associated with good fertility in dairy cows. ______________________________________________________________________________________

The purpose of this study was to estimate relationship between and within some Sudanese camel breeds (Kababeish, Shanabla and Nyalawei) by digestion of mitochondrial DNA using three different restriction enzymes. DNA was extracted from 45 blood samples of Sudanese camels (15 form each breed). Polymerase chain reaction was done using specific primers in order to amplify the D-Loop region. The PCR products were digested using 3 different restriction enzymes (tag1, hinf and scal). The products were run on agarose gel 2%. The result of this study revealed differences between the three breeds according to digested and undigested samples. Tag1 did not cut any of the 45 samples of all breeds, while scal cut 4.4% of the Shanabla breed, 6.7% of Kababeish breed, but did not cut any of Nyalawei camels. The third restriction enzyme hinf cut all sample from Shanabla camels, and also cut 95.6% of Kababeish breed and also 95.6% of Nyalawei camels.