14) Immunology
I know of no publications on immunological studies of sitatunga immunology.
15) Pathological features
In a review of neonatal mortality of 50 species of wild ungulates, Kirkwood et al. (1987) found excessively high mortality of the non-seasonal breeders, including sitatungas and attributed this mainly to management practices. Okoh et al. (1987) reported a fatal case of heartwater disease due to Cowdria ruminantium in a captive sitatunga. Walker et al. (1993) reported a new tick infection due to a novel Ixodid tick (Rhipicephalus aquatilis) in sitatungas of Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. In a survey of artiodactyl species at Whipsnade, Flach et al. (2002) identified DNA of gamma herpesviruses in several carrier species, including the Sitatunga. A ten-year-old Sitatunga studied by Yanai et al. (2001) had calcific inclusions underneath the tongue, identified as "calcinosis circumscripta". Kaneene et al. (1985) studied the frequency of parasitic infection in ruminants kept at the Detroit zoo and were discouraged by the relatively ineffectively treated diseases in these animals.
Griner (1983) autopsied 36 sitatungas and found as main cause of death trauma and stress-related features. Four animals died from pulmonary tuberculosis due to Mycobacterium bovis.
16) Physiologic data
I am not aware of any data.
17) Other resources
A number of cell strains are kept in the "Frozen Zoo" of the Zoological Society of San Diego (CRES) and may be obtained by contacting Dr. Oliver Ryder at oryder@ucsd.edu.
18) Other remarks - What additional Information is needed?
There is need to study the putative evolution of the tribe Tragelaphini with modern cytogenetic study, such as FISH. There is a need for the study of early implantation stages and endocrine features of gestation.
Acknowledgement
I appreciate very much the help of the pathologists at the San Diego Zoo.
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