RCAAP Repository

Mastitis affects a high proportion of dairy cows throughout the world and is one of the greater problems faced by the dairy industry today. The disease is still a major cause of economic loss on a dairy farm. Mastitis poses not only negative consequences for the dairy farmer but also for the dairy industry as a number of issues threaten the reputation of milk as a healthy product from healthy animals. The use of antimicrobials is one of those concerns and threats. Antimicrobial usage on dairy farms is most often related to udder health as most medicines are used in prevention and control of mastitis. Antimicrobials remain vital for treatment of bacterial infections in dairy cattle, but in light of the upcoming debate instigated by the potential link between the use of antimicrobial products in animal husbandry and the development of antimicrobial resistance in both animal and human pathogens, there is an urgent need for innovation and alternatives to antibiotic therapy for mastitis treatment and control. Alternative approaches include vaccination, probiotics or beneficial microorganisms and inhibitory substances, immunomodulation, bacteriophages, homeopathy, and plant-derived inhibitory substances, yet only when scientifically-proven evidence is available indicating these alternatives are effective.

This report describes the successful rehabilitation of two species of pelagic seabirds (Macronectes halli and Macronectes giganteus) rescued on the southern coast of the state of São Paulo, Brazil, and taken to the IPeC rehabilitation center (S25°023258 W-47°928737). Data on the enclosures, diet, clinical management and laboratory tests were detailed during the 75 d of treatment, during which the birds remained at the center. This report demonstrates that a combination of environmental and nutritional management with a proper diagnosis and adequate clinical treatment naturally lead to a shorter period in captivity, which is crucial to the successful rehabilitation of these birds. The enclosures should have visual isolation and animals kept separate from other birds. The form of offering food differs based on the feeding habits and taxon. At the time of release back into the wild, the site chosen should be isolated to enable the bird to feel more secure when taking flight. The present report describes the first record of the rehabilitation and release of these two species in Brazil.

O uso de abordagens terapêuticas alternativas em animais selvagens tem ganhado notoriedade em virtude de sua eficiência, baixo custo e estímulos estressores reduzidos ou inexistentes. Este estudo avaliou a eficácia do tratamento de uma lesão escoriativa bilateral em região do dorsal metacarpo em um mandrião chileno (Catharacta chilensis) em processo de reabilitação com o uso de uma membrana celular porosa vendida comercialmente, em concomitância com sessões de moxabustão com ervas (Artemisia vulgaris). O tempo de cicatrização de catorze dias mostrou-se reduzido quando comparado ao de outras técnicas tradicionais e provou a viabilidade e eficácia do tratamento.

Several factors can affect bovine mammary gland health and although bacterial mastitis is the most studied and reported cause, viral infections may also have negative effects on bovine udder health. Viral infections can indirectly damage the papillary duct of the teat, and induce or exacerbate signs of bovine mastitis due to viral-induced immunosuppressive effects that may lead to a greater susceptibility to bacterial mastitis and even intensify the severity of established bacterial infections. Some viruses (Bovine alphaherpesvirus 2, cowpox, pseudocowpox, foot-and-mouth disease, vesicular stomatitis and papillomavirus) affect the integrity of the udder skin, leading to teat lesions, favoring the entry of mastitis-causing pathogens. It is therefore possible that the association between mastitis and viruses is underestimated and may, for example, be associated with negative bacterial culture results. Few milk samples are tested for the presence of viruses, mainly because of the more laborious and expensive procedures required. Furthermore, samples for virus testing would require specific procedures in terms of collection, handling and storage. Thus, there is a knowledge gap in regard to the actual impact of viruses on bovine udder health. Despite the fact that serum anti-virus antibodies can be detected, there is not enough evidence to confirm or exclude the effect of viruses on udder health. However, any expectation of milk production from healthy animals should consider the possible impact of viral infections in mastitis development and not underestimate the importance of actions to diagnose and control the disease. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to describe the association of diagnosis and control of viral diseases and their effect on bovine udder health.

O presente trabalho é o relato do caso de uma cabra nulípara da raça Parda Alpina, de um ano de idade, pertencente ao Setor de Caprinocultura da Universidade Federal da Paraíba – Bananeiras - Brasil. Ambas as glândulas foram naturalmente infectadas por Staphylococcus simulans α-hemolítico. As glândulas mamárias apresentaram mastite aguda catarral com envolvimento sistêmico, respondendo positivamente ao tratamento sistêmico com gentamicina associada a amoxicilina. O presente relato sugere a importância do potencial patogênico de Staphylococcus não-aureus (SNA) como causador de mastite clínica também em animais nulíparos. O isolado mostrou resistência a tetraciclina e continha genes de produção de toxinas estafilocócicas (sec, seg e TSST-1). Além disso, tem sido relatado que Staphylococcus simulans é um patógeno emergente em seres humanos causando infecções cutâneas e osteoarticulares, principalmente naqueles que têm contato íntimo com animais de fazenda. Até onde sabemos, este é o primeiro relato de uma mastite clínica em uma cabra nulípara causada por Staphylococcus simulans.

In general, European and North American countries, as well as Australia and New Zealand, have already eradicated or reached good levels of control of brucellosis and tuberculosis in cattle. In the rest of the world, however, the epidemiological situation of these two diseases is frequently poorly understood. In this review article, quantified data on these diseases in the South American countries are presented. Initially, the aspects that led the continent to host 25% of the world cattle population are presented, in addition to the aspects that placed the continent at a prominent position in the international meat market. Subsequently the continent was divided into three country groups, considering the size of the cattle population and how well the epidemiological situation of brucellosis and tuberculosis in cattle is quantified. It is argued that countries that do not generate high-quality quantitative epidemiological data on these diseases have serious limitations in outlining and managing control or eradication strategies. Thus, for successful outcomes, at least methodologies to estimate the prevalence of infected herds should be employed.

As actinobactérias têm sido pesquisadas como fonte produtoras de extratos brutos que contêm compostos bioativos capazes de atuar como agentes antimicrobianos. O presente trabalho investigou o efeito dose-resposta de dois extratos brutos, AMC e Caat, na fermentação ruminal in vitro por: produção cumulativa de gás, digestibilidade in vitro da matéria seca (IVDMD) e matériaorgânica (IVOMD) e concentração de ácidos graxos de cadeia curta (SCFA). Três vacas leiteiras da raça Holandesa, multíparas e portadoras de fístula ruminal foram utilizadas como doadoras de inóculo ruminal e foram alimentadas com uma dieta basal composta por silagem de milho, farelo de soja, ureia, milho moído e suplemento mineral. As amostras de inóculo ruminal foram incubadas em garrafas de vidro com 1 g da dieta seca e moída, solução tampão e os extratos brutos avaliados em quatro doses (0,3, 0,6, 0,9 e 1,20 mg/10 mL de inóculo) em delineamento em blocos casualizados, sendo as doadoras consideradas os blocos como efeito aleatório. Além disso, foram utilizados controles negativos para a correção da produção de gás. Os resultados foram expressos como valores médios com base em análises triplicadas. A diminuição da produção cumulativa de gás foi observada de acordo com a dose em resposta linear às 24, 48 e 72 h de incubação com a adição de extrato de Caat. A IVOMD mostrou uma diminuição linear com 72 h de incubação com inclusão de Caat. Além disso, a inclusão do Caat reduziu linearmente as concentrações de ácido butírico e isovalérico, bem como a proporção de acetato/propionato. Diferentemente, a inclusão do extrato de AMC não afetou nenhuma das variáveis analisadas nas doses utilizadas. O extrato de Caat pode ser usado como um modulador da fermentação ruminal in vitro, uma vez que reduziu a proporção de acetato/propionato e a produção de gás acumulada.

Feline chronic gingivostomatitis (FCGS) is an oral inflammatory condition that frequently affects felines. Its etiology is not well defined, but several viral agents are thought to be involved. Several therapeutic protocols have been described, yet treatment response is often variable, and the therapeutic success is transient with an unpredictable duration. Therefore, the therapeutic strategy needs to be tailored for each patient. This work relates a case characterized by viral involvement in its etiopathogenesis providing an alternative to the most widely-used methods that so often frustrate both veterinary doctors and pet owners.

The present investigation evaluated the quality of turkey meat produced in two production systems, according to the following parameters: water loss in cooking, drip water loss, texture (shear strength), pH, color, humidity, protein, ashes and lipids. A total of 200 turkey breast samples of 500 g, separated by a batch of 20 samples, from ten aviaries from Santa Catarina, Brazil, were used: five from breeding with a traditional ventilation system and five with a mechanical ventilation system. Samples were obtained after slaughter and frozen at -15°C for 30 days. The results were submitted to variance analysis and the Tukey test. Significant differences were found only in the analysis of drip water loss. The birds of the traditional ventilation system presented 14.26% loss of water drip, while those of the ventilation exhaust system presented a loss of 19.21%. There were no differences in the chemical composition of poultry meat in relation to the production systems.

Este estudo relata os fatores que levaram um Residencial localizado em Bragança Paulista (SP, Brasil), área não-endêmica para Febre Maculosa Brasileira (FMB), a ser classificado como Área de Risco para a doença, mostrando que uma crescente população residente de capivaras (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) na área era a provável responsável por uma proliferação de carrapatos Amblyomma sculptum e estava atuando como hospedeiro amplificador da bactéria Rickettsia rickettsii, principal agente etiológico da FMB. Relatamos as ações de manejo ambiental propostas para controlar a quantidade de carrapatos no local e reduzir o risco de transmissão da doença, incluindo medidas para o controle de populações de carrapatos parasíticas e no ambiente e a eliminação da população residente de capivaras. Análises de dados populacionais de carrapatos e testes serológicos para R. rickettsii indicaram que as medidas tomadas foram efetivas, causando grande redução da população de carrapatos no ambiente e reduzindo o risco de transmissão de FMB na área.

Feline chronic gingivostomatitis (FCGS) is a challenge for the veterinary practitioner since its etiology and treatments are still undefined. The present paper investigated the role of the feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) in the severity of the FCGS. Oral mucosal biopsies obtained from 19 cats with FCGS were divided into two groups according to their FIV serology status. Later, the clinical lesion score was correlated with the histopathological grade of FCGS lesions and the degree of immunostaining in both groups. Most of the animals had significant histological changes; however, no correlation with FIV immunostaining intensity was observed. It was concluded that the presence of FIV infection or the animal’s seropositivity status does not seem to interfere with the severity of clinical signs nor the degree of histopathological changes when compared to the seronegative group.

The introduction of new strains of mice in specific pathogen-free (SPF) animal facilities should be performed carefully to avoid breaking sanitary barriers. To meet this need, animals should be rederived to reduce infection risk and thus avoid research interference caused by loss of animal health status and welfare. The objective of this study was to implement mice embryo transfer in the laboratory mouse facility of the Department of Immunology at the Institute of Biomedical Sciences/University of São Paulo, Brazil. Embryo transfers were performed to rederive genetically modified mouse strains with undefined sanitary status, received from different research and educational institutions. Fertilized eggs at two-cell stage were obtained by natural means and transferred into the oviducts of SPF pseudo-pregnant female mice. All surgical procedures were performed under aseptic conditions. A total of 625 embryos were transferred into therecipients. 148 pups were born, of which 140 were reared. Viruses, bacteria and intestinal protozoa were eliminated using this technique. The improvement in the microbiological status of mice allowed their expansion in our SPF facility. With these results, we can stimulate the use of embryo transfer technique between rodent facilities in Brazil and thus encourage the distribution of better models to our scientific community.

A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, with the aim to assess aspects of cattle production. A multistage clustering model was used to select 2,202 farms in seven cattle production strata in the state, and a questionnaire was applied to obtain information related to the characterization of the farms and their management of animal reproduction and production. The study showed that livestock-rearing in Minas Gerais continues to be unspecialized. Triângulo Mineiro and North were the regions that used most technology and had highest beef cattle activity. The Zona da Mata region showed the least use of technology and had the smallest farms. Milk production in this state was distributed among all strata, but was concentrated among a few producers in the stratum of highest production, especially in the region of Alto Paranaíba. This study showed a great heterogeneity among the strata regarding the characteristics of type of exploitation, type of rearing, herd size, specialization and milk production. Thus, it validated the stratification established by the Ministério da Agricultura Pecuária e Abastecimento – MAPA (Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply), thereby suggesting that these strata should be maintained for further epidemiological studies.

O presente trabalho analisou a fauna ectoparasitária de peixes ornamentais de água doce comercializados em um estabelecimento atacadista de peixes ornamentais na grande São Paulo no período de janeiro a dezembro de 2016. Foram avaliados 268 peixes ornamentais de água doce de diversas espécies que apresentaram sinais de doença após a chegada ao estabelecimento. Nos indivíduos foi efetuada a pesquisa de ectoparasitas por meio da raspagem de pele e brânquias e visualização em microscópio óptico em aumento 40x, 100x, 200x e 400x. Foram encontrados parasitos em 220 animais (82%) incluindo 11 parasitos distintos: Ichthyophthirius multifiliis, Monogêneas, Metacercárias (Centrocestrus formousus), Epistylis spp., Chillodonella spp., Lernaea spp., Tetrahymena spp., Piscinoodinium spp., Trichodina spp., Ichthyobodo spp. e Argulus spp. A ocorrência dos parasitas no estabelecimento em estudo pode ser indicativa da falta de boas práticas sanitárias e de higiene dos fornecedores no manejo de suas instalações e, consequentemente, na distribuição de animais infestados, o que coloca em risco toda cadeia.

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and risk factors associated with Leptospira sp. in dogs attended at veterinary clinics in the city of João Pessoa, State of Paraíba, Northeast Brazil.  A total of 384 blood samples from dogs from 34 veterinary clinics were used from April 2015 to May 2016. The diagnosis of Leptospira sp. was carried out through Microscopic Agglutination Test (MAT), using a collection of 20 pathogenic antigens and adopting a 1: 100 dilution as cutoff point. An epidemiological questionnaire was applied to the owners of the animals to obtain data to be used in the analysis of risk factors. The prevalence of seropositive animals was 11.7% (45/384), with reactions for serogroups Icterohaemorrhagiae (62.3%), Grippotyphosa (22.2%), Canicola (13.3%), Djasiman 2%) and Pomona (2.2%). The following risk factors were identified: age from 49 to 72 months (odds ratio = 2.74), Age > 72 months (odds ratio = 3.22), and monthly cleaning of the environment where the animals are kept (odds ratio = 10,70). It is concluded that dogs attended at veterinary clinics in João Pessoa are exposed to infection by Leptospira sp., with predominance of serogroups kept by wild animals, and it is suggested that the periodic cleaning of the environment where the animals are kept.

O objetivo do presente estudo foi determinar a frequência de anticorpos anti-Toxoplasma gondii em soro de galinhas abatidas na região do Triângulo Mineiro, Minas Gerais, detectar molecularmente o parasito em tecidos (coração e cérebro) de algumas das aves sorologicamente positivas e averiguar variáveis de risco associadas à infecção. Foram testados soros de 417 galinhas, criadas nos sistemas extensivo, semi-intensivo e intensivo. Para a pesquisa de anticorpos anti-T. gondii foi utilizada a Reação de Imunofluorescência Indireta (RIFI) e Hemaglutinação Indireta (HAI). A Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase (PCR) foi utilizada para detectar o DNA de T. gondii em fragmentos de cérebro e coração. Anticorpos foram detectados no soro de 37,65% (157/417) das aves pela RIFI e em 75,06% (313/417) pela HAI. O índice Kappa mostrou uma fraca concordância entre as técnicas (0,087). Baseado na RIFI, foi verificada associação estatisticamente significativa (p < 0,0001) entre a soropositividade e as variáveis: idade, tipo de alimentação e criação em conjunto com outras espécies animais. Não foi observada associação estatística (p > 0,01) entre as variáveis: sexo, presença de gatos e presença de ratos. Pelo diagnóstico molecular DNA do parasito foi detectado em duas amostras de cérebro, de indivíduos diferentes criados em sistema intensivo e semi-intensivo. Os resultados indicam a possibilidade de a carne dessas aves poderem atuar como fonte de infecção deste protozoário para o homem.  

Reproductive and developmental toxicology has focused on the need to approach the effects of organism exposure to various drugs during pregnancy after the mid-50’s, when the thalidomide tragedy stroke humanity. In recent decades, this area of study has developed a lot due to animal testing, raising awareness on the need to improve the quality of life of such animals. Therefore, this paper aims to investigate how the science of animal welfare can improve scientific research as a whole, including the reproductive and developmental toxicology fields, by emphasizing environmental enrichment in animal facilities. To do so, we conducted an integrative literature review on several quantitative and qualitative methodological approaches that are applicable to toxicology studies. Here, we present evidence that environmental enrichment improves animal welfare and prevents or reduces the negative effects of captive housing, which must be a principle of toxicological research for ethical, legal and scientific reasons.

Several studies show the presence of protozoa of the genus Nematopsis Schneider, 1892, in many species of bivalves. The pathogenicity of this Apicomplexa is still much debated, which is possibly related to the parasitism degree and host habitat. In this context, this study investigated parasitism by Nematopsis sp. in Mytella guyanensis (Bivalvia: Mytilidae) in a mangrove of the Marine Extractive Reserve Baía do Iguape, Bahia, Brazil. The collections were made monthly, from March 2014 to March 2015, consisting of 30 adults with shell height above 40 mm per month, totaling 360 specimens. The specimens were measured, weighed, opened, and macroscopically examined for identifying parasites and/or signs of morphological changes. After that, they were fixed in Davidson’s solution and processed according to classical histological techniques, with inclusion in paraffin, obtaining 5 μm-thick sections by microtomy, and stained by Harris’ Hematoxylin and Eosin (HE). The water temperature ranged from 25.5 to 33.6 ºC and the salinity from 21.1 to 34.3 Practical Salinity Units (PSU). The specimens measured between 41.1 and 68.6 mm and had an average weight of 7.24 g. Macroscopically, there was no presence of the parasite or any morphological changes related its presence. The frequency percentage of Nematopsis sp. was 99.45%. The mantle was the organ with the highest frequency of infection (46.26%), followed by the gonads (18.36%). Among the analyzed organs, all presented the parasite and, in a few severely infected cases, microscopical changes were observed in the mantle conformation. The infection intensity for most of the sessions analyzed was 1 to 3 oocysts/phagocyte; however, in one of the sessions, 9 oocysts/phagocytes were recorded. The parasite had a negative correlation with salinity. The high frequency of Nematopsis sp. should be considered for the sustainability of natural stocks, especially if such parasitism occurs simultaneously with other pathogens and stressful environmental conditions.

Protocols for cooling or freezing goat semen usually recommend centrifugation for seminal plasma removal. However, little is known about the effect of this process on goat sperm viability and functionality. The present study evaluated the effects of centrifugation force on the plasma membrane, acrosomes, and DNA integrity of goat semen. Four ejaculates from each of the four different Anglo Nubian male goats were used. Semen samples were obtained using artificial vagina, and immediately after collection, ejaculates were diluted using Ringer’s sodium lactate solution and split into three groups: Control (CG, without centrifugation), G1 (centrifugation 600 x g/10 min), G2 (centrifugation 1200 x g/10 min). After centrifugation, seminal plasma was removed, the sperm pellets were resuspended using Tris-egg yolk extender (80 x 106 spermatozoa/mL) and the sperm morphology was analyzed. Samples were cooled at 5°C for 5, 24, 36, and 48 h and then sperm plasma membrane and acrosome integrity (PMAI, %) and sperm DNA fragmentation index (SDF, %) were evaluated at each time-point, using a flow cytometer. Additionally, sperm movement was determined using computer semen analysis (CASA) after 5, 24, and 48 h of refrigeration period. The semen centrifugation did not induce additional sperm morphology defect or reduction in sperm kinetics in the experimental groups. Differences were not observed (p > 0.05) in PMAI and SDF among different groups, in any of each timepointof the cooling process. In conclusion, centrifugation, even at high speeds, did not affect goat sperm integrity and functionality when submitted to refrigeration process.

The hoary fox (Lycalopex vetulus, Lund, 1842) is the smallest Brazilian canid, whose weight varies between 2 and 4 kg, has a slender body, a small head, and a short and blackened snout. Despite being considered an endemic species, little is known about the hoary fox as it is one of the seven less studied canids in the world. Thus, this study aimed to describe the anatomy of the abdominal aorta artery of the hoary fox and to compare it with the pre-established literature data in domestic canids. For this purpose, we used two adult hoary foxes without definite age. We collected the corpses of these animals along roadsides of Catalão-GO, being later fixed and conserved in a 10% formalin solution. The results showed that the abdominal aorta in hoary fox is at the ventral face of the lumbar region vertebral bodies, being slightly displaced to the left of the median plane. The first branch is visceral, named celiac artery, followed by a paired parietal branch: the phrenic abdominal arteries. The third and fourth branches are the cranial mesenteric arteries and the rightand left are the renal arteries, respectively. The posterior branches of the renal arteries are equally visceral, paired, being called testicular arteries. Distal to the latter, both the caudal mesenteric artery and deep circumflex iliac arteries originate. Finally, two large external iliac arteries and its terminal branches composed of internal iliac arteries and the median sacral artery originate. In addition, five pairs of lumbar arteries originate alongside the abdominal segment of the aorta. Considering these findings, it is possible to conclude that despite the hoary fox being a wild animal, the anatomy of its abdominal aorta is very similar to that of domestic canids.