THE PHILIPPINE WATER BUFFALO

was conducted in the abattoirs of Metro Manila and
Pangasinan. Out of the total 898 carabao hearts examined,
507 or 56.46% apparently exhibited gross lesions. The
different types of gross lesions were classified and analyzed
based on the cardiac structure involved, sex distribution,
age group and point of origin of the slaughtered animals as
far as the most common lesions (E. poeli) was concerned.
Nodules of E. poeli affecting the aortic opening were the
most commonly encountered lesions representing a
prevalence rate of 35.86%. This was followed by
sarcocystis infection of the myocardium (13.25%), the
reason of which was not known. Male carabaos showed
higher prevalence of cardiac lesion (65.28%) than females
(38.22%), the reason of which was not known. Generally
older animals (16-20 years) were more frequently than
younger ones (11-15 years and 4-10 years). This showed
that age was a factor in the development of cardiac lesions.
Based on the rate of occurrence, carabaos originating from
Mindanao and Nueva Viscaya were most affected by E.
poeli infection while those coming from La Union seemed
to be least affected. No attempt was made to determine
why this was so because the number of animals from the
different regions were not the same in the group s.
Biventricular dilatation with histopathologic features of
cardiomyopathy similar to the reports on man, dogs, cats,
and cattle was also noted. It is suggested that further studies
should be done to determine whether they represent true or
primary cardiomyopathies in carabaos.
Keywords: cardiac abnormalities, gross lesions, E. epoli,
carabao
*Undergraduate thesis, College of Veterinary Medicine,
University of the Philippines Los Baños, 1981.
H-11
DERMATOPHYTOSIS IN A PHILIPPINE CARABAO*
J. M. G. Cheng, Student
The case concerns a three year old heifer Philippine carabao
with identification number 1298 housed at the Philippine
Carabao Center, University of the Philippines at Los Baños,
Laguna. The clinical signs apparent during the examination
were generalized skin lesions characterized by scabs,
pityriasis, circular area of alopecia and scaling with central
healing, lesions observed were irregular in appearance
and abrasions in the body and legs were present. Skin test
was made to identify the etiologic agent responsible for the
disease, the laboratory diagnosis used were the direct
microscopic examination of the hair, fungal culture and
identification of dermatophyte species from fungal colony.
Skin test confirmed that the etiologic agent responsible for
HEALTH
the disease was Trichophyton verrucosum, which is the
most common dermatophyte affecting cattle and carabao.
Treatment using Captan® (N-trichloromethyl-4-cyclohexane-1,2-dicarxamide)
fungicide was sprayed all over
the body of the animal for five days.
Keywords: ringworm, dermatophyte, captan, carabao
* Undergraduate thesis, College of Veterinary Medicine,
University of the Philippines Los Baños, 1998.
H-12
CARDIAC DYSRHYTHMIAS IN PHILIPPINE
CARABAO (Bubalus bubalis)*
M. C. Concepcion, Student
Electroradiograms were taken from two hundred (200) Philippine
carabaos using the Apex-Based lead system and 169 (84.5%)
were found to be dysrhythmic. Only 31 (15.5%) had regular
sinus rhythm. A total of 157 supraventricular dysrhythmias
were recorded of which 117 (58.5%) were sinus dysrhythmias,
21 (10.5%) were sinus tachycardias, 17 (8.5%) were sinus
bradycardias and 2 were atrial premature beats. Only one
ventricular dysrhythmia, a ventricular premature contraction,
was recorded. Of the six cases of the conduction disturbances
recorded, 3 were first-degree AV block while the outer three
were second-degree AV block. Accelerated conduction was
seen in 3 of the animals examined. All three had ventricular
pre-excitation. Because of the high incidence of sinus
dysrhythmia in both male and female and in both age groups,
it may be inferred that this type of dysrhythmia is a normal
variant as in dogs and horses although further studies may
have to be done to establish this inference. Similarly, further
studies would be needed to find out the significance of wandering
pacemaker, which was recorded in 26% of the animals. The
significance of the dysrhythmias considered as pathologic in
other animals can be ascertained only by doing extensive
clinical examinations and examining the animals’ heart grossly
and histopathologically following slaughter and correlating the
findings with the electrocadiograms.
Keywords: electrocardiogram, dysrhythmia, heart block,
carabao
*Undergraduate thesis, College of Veterinary Medicine,
University of the Philippines Diliman, 1981.
H-13
A SEROLOGICAL SURVEY OF Brucella abortus
(STRAIN 19) ANTIBODIES IN NATIVE CARABAOS
USING THE MICROSCOPIC TUBE AGGLUTINATION
TESTS*
B. S. Cordero, Student
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