Babesiose canina: uma visão geral da doença

Canine babesiosis is a tick-borne disease caused by Babesia gibsoni and Babesia canis, comprising of the subspecies B. canis vogeli, B. canis canis and B. canis rossi. These species and subspecies have distinct tick vectors and display distinct pathogenic variables, which may influence the clinical syndromes exhibited by affected animals, besides factors inherent to the infected dog. These morphological, epidemiological and pathogenetic differences of the agents have contributed to variations in the distribution and clinical presentation of the disorder. Therefore, this review aims to expose the etiological, epidemiological, immunological and clinicalpathological features, as well as the methods available for diagnosis of canine babesiosis.A babesiose canina é uma doença hemolítica transmitida por carrapatos, causada pelos agentes Babesia gibsoni e Babesia canis, com este englobando as subespécies B. canis vogeli, B. canis canis e B. canis rossi. Estas espécies e subespécies são transmitidas por carrapatos vetores distintos exibindo patogenicidade variável, o que tem influenciado nas síndromes clínicas exibidas pelos animais acometidos, assim como alguns fatores inerentes aos cães infectados. Essas diversidades morfológicas, epidemiológicas e patogenéticas dos agentes têm contribuído para as variações na distribuição e apresentação clínico-patológica da enfermidade e dificultado o diagnóstico da doença. Diante disso, esta revisão tem por objetivo expor os aspectos etiológicos, epidemiológicos, imunológicos e clínico-patológicos, como também os métodos disponíveis para diagnóstico da babesiose canina

Ocorrência de rinite atrófica e pneumonia em suínos híbridos e sem raça definida em criação intensiva

The atrophic rhinitis (AR) and pneumonia are among the most frequently diagnosed respiratory diseases in swine production systems and can lead to significant economic losses. The aim of this study was to determine the occurrence and degree of AR and pneumonia in hybrids and undefined breed swine herds submitted to intensive farming system and check if there is an association between the occurrence of these diseases in the herds. For this, we used 30 swines hybrids (Group I) and 30 undefined breed swines (Group II) from intensive farming system. The index of atrophic rhinitis (IAR) of herds for Groups I and II were, respectively, 1.00 and 0.57. In Group I, 20.8% (5/24) of the pigs presented pneumonia, while none of the animals in Group II exhibited this pathology. There was no correlation between the presence of atrophic rhinitis and pneumonia for the studied animals. These are the first data on the occurrence of these diseases in swines of Piauí State, Brazil. We demonstrated that these pathologies are present in animals from intensive farming systems and that occurrence varied according to racial type, being the hybrid swines the most affected animals by AR and pneumonia.A rinite atrófica (RA) e as pneumonias estão entre as doenças respiratórias mais frequentemente diagnosticadas nos sistemas de produção de suínos, aos quais causam prejuízos econômicos significativos. Objetivou-se determinar a ocorrência e o grau de RA e pneumonias em rebanhos de suínos híbridos e sem raça definida de criações intensivas, além de verificar se há associação entre a ocorrência dessas enfermidades nos rebanhos estudados. Para isso, foram estudados 30 suínos híbridos (Grupo I) e 30 suínos sem raça definida (Grupo II) de criação intensiva. O Índice de Rinite Atrófica (IRA) dos rebanhos dos grupos I e II foi, respectivamente, 1,00 e 0,57. No grupo I, 20,8% (5/24) dos suínos apresentaram pneumonia, enquanto nenhum dos animais do grupo II exibiu esta patologia. Não houve correlação entre presença de rinite atrófica e pneumonia nos animais deste estudo. Estes são os primeiros dados sobre a ocorrência destas enfermidades em suínos no Estado do Piauí e demonstram que as doenças estão presentes em animais de criação intensivas, com ocorrência variando com o tipo racial, sendo os suínos híbridos mais afetados por ambas

Histomoniasis in Peacock (Pavo cristatus) in the Potiguar Semiarid

Background: Histomoniasis is a disease caused by Histomonas meleagridis, a flagellated protozoan that can cause severe necrotizing hepatitis and typhlitis in several bird species. The disease has a cosmopolitan distribution. In experimental infection, peacocks (Pavo spp.) showed susceptibility to histomoniasis, however there are few reports on natural histomoniasis in this species. In northeastern Brazil, reports about its occurrence in avian species are scarce and nonexistent in peacocks. Therefore, this report aims to describe the epidemiological and clinicopathological aspects of a histomoniasis case in a peacock (Pavo cristatus) in the Brazilian semiarid region.Case: A 3-month-old male peacock with a history of apathy and anorexia was attended in the Veterinary Hospital of the Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido (UFERSA), Mossoró, RN, Brazil. The animal was raised extensively in a farm without basic sanitary measures, also with a history of living with animals of different species. After clinical examination, in which intense apathy and weight loss were confirmed, the bird was submitted to emergency therapeutic measures, however there was no clinical improvement and the bird died. At necropsy, intense diffuse bilateral necrotizing typhlitis and multifocal to coalescent necrotizing hepatitis were observed. Fragments of the organs were collected in 10% formaldehyde buffered with phosphate-saline buffer for histopathological analysis and cecal content were collected for microbiological analysis. Histopathology of the cecum revealed transmural necrotizing typhlitis associated with myriads of trophozoites morphologically compatible with Histomonas meleagridis. The same microorganisms observed in association with necrotizing hepatitis lesions, which allowed the diagnosis of histomoniasis. Also, the bacterium Pantoea agglomerans was isolated from the cecal content.Discussion: The macroscopic and microscopic findings allowed the diagnosis and the first recording of histomoniasis in peacock in the semi-arid region of Rio Grande do Norte. The bird was raised in an extensive breeding and without sanitary management, such as the use of anthelmintics, which may favor infection by the nematode Heterakis gallinarum, that’ transmits the protozoan Histomonas meleagridis. The contamination, which begins by the orofecal route, happens through the ingestion of eggs of the nematode contaminated with H. meleagridis that pass through the gastrointestinal tract, reaching the ceca and causing intense lesions in the organ, such as the bilateral transmural typhlitis that we observed in this case. From ceca, the protozoan has access to the bloodstream and reaches the liver, where it causes necrotic hepatitis, also present in the peacock. Both cecal and hepatic lesions were associated with myriads of microorganisms morphologically compatible with H. meleagridis, which allowed the diagnosis of the disease. The challenge in diagnosing this disease occurs mainly due to nonspecific clinical signs, such as apathy and weight loss, the only signs reported by the breeder and observed in this peacock. Confirmation of the occurrence of histomoniasis in any region is important to establish the disease among the differential diagnoses for the species, as in this case. Since this is the first report of peacock histomoniasis in the semi-arid region of Rio Grande do Norte, it is evident the need to consider the disease among possible diagnoses in cases of nonspecific symptoms and it also demonstrates the need to implement control and prophylaxis measures in peacock breeding aiming to avoid losses of birds and economic losses to the breeders and to promote quality of life to the animals

Diversity of Escherichia coli strains involved in vertebral osteomyelitis and arthritis in broilers in Brazil

BACKGROUND:Locomotor disorders and infections by Escherichia coli represent major concerns to the poultry industry worldwide. Avian pathogenic E. coli (APEC) is associated with extraintestinal infections leading to respiratory or systemic disease known as colibacillosis. The most common lesions seen in cases of colibacillosis are perihepatitis, airsacculitis, pericarditis, peritonitis/salpingitis and arthritis. These diseases are responsible for significant economic losses in the poultry industry worldwide. E. coli has been recently isolated from vertebral osteomyelitis cases in Brazil and there are no data on molecular and phenotypic characteristics of E. coli strains isolated from lesions in the locomotor system of broilers. This raised the question whether specific E. coli strains could be responsible for bone lesions in broilers. The aim of this study was to assess these characteristics of E. coli strains isolated from broilers presenting vertebral osteomyelitis and arthritis in Brazil.RESULTS:Fifteen E. coli strains from bone lesions were submitted to APEC diagnosis and setting of ECOR phylogenic group, O serogroup, flagella type, virulence genes content, genetic patterns by Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE) and Multilocus Sequence Typing (MLST). In addition, bacterial isolates were further characterized through a lethality test, serum resistance test and antibiotic resistance profile. E. coli strains harbored different genetic pattern as assessed by PFGE, regardless of flock origin and lesion site. The strains belonged to seven sequence types (STs) previously described (ST117, ST101, ST131, ST 371 and ST3107) or newly described in this study (ST5766 and ST5856). ECOR group D (66.7 %) was the most frequently detected. The strains belonged to diverse serogroups (O88, O25, O12, and O45), some of worldwide importance. The antibiotic resistance profile confirmed strains' diversity and revealed a high proportion of multidrug-resistant strains (73 %), mainly to quinolones and beta-lactams, including third generation cephalosporin. The percentage of resistance to tetracycline was moderate (33 %) but always associated with multidrug resistance.CONCLUSIONS:Our results demonstrated that vertebral osteomyelitis and arthritis in broilers can be associated with highly diverse E. coli based on molecular and phenotypic characteristics. There was no specific virulence patterns of the E. coli strains associated with vertebral osteomyelitis or arthritis. Also, E. coli strains were frequently multidrug resistant and belonged to STs commonly shared by APEC and human ExPEC strain

Doença de Marek em galos no semiárido potiguar: relato de caso

Background: Marek’s disease (MD) is a transmissible disease in chickens caused by Gallid alphaherpesvirus 2 (GaHV-2). The infection is characterized by lymphocyte cellular infiltrates in peripheral nerves and other organs and tissues, including the skin; which can lead to dysfunction causing progressive asymmetric paresis and complete spastic paralysis of body extremities. Dermatitis and cardiac myositis caused by GaHV-2 in free-range chickens has rarely been described in Brazil. This reports the occurrence of the disease with a confirmatory molecular diagnosis in free-range poultry showing signs of dermatitis, poor performance, and cachexia and no mortality in the semi-arid Potiguar region. Cases: Twenty roosters of the Shamo lineage, among a brood of 42 birds, had a history of progressive weight loss and skin lesions. Two birds with poor body condition, erythema, and scaling of the skin in the head and cervical regions were sent for clinical care. All birds were between 12 and 18 months of age and were vaccinated against Newcastle disease and avian yaws with only a few receiving vaccines against MD and Gumboro disease. According to the owner’s report, some birds were previously kept outdoors, and when they were transferred to a small shed with little air circulation, they began to develop clinical signs after approximately 15 days. The first signs of the disease were also reported to have appeared 2.5 months before clinical care and, in the meantime, several treatments were instituted without success. Owing to the general condition of the animals and inconclusive clinical suspicion, the birds were subjected to euthanasia and necropsy. Tissue samples were collected for histopathological and polymerase chain reaction analyses to search for the GaHV-2 DNA meq gene. The main clinicopathological findings were erythema (47%, 20/42) and desquamation of skin and mild, prominent white multifocal areas in the heart. Histopathology revealed infiltration of pleomorphic lymphoblastic cells in the skin, heart, and sciatic nerve. The amplification of the L-meq and meq oncoprotein genes in these organs and in the liver, confirmed the infection by GaHV-2, consistent with that of a field strain. Discussion: MD was confirmed based on the macroscopic and histological lesions, and with the detection of GaHV-2 DNA in the affected tissues. The unusual clinical presentation represented an initial challenge for diagnosis. The clinical history was important to lead to the suspicion of MD, as roosters initiated clinical signs 15 days after they were transferred to a small shed with poor air circulation. This probably favored the high viral concentration and disease transmission among susceptible birds in the brood because the feather follicle is the primary site of viral replication for transmission; and desquamation of infected epithelial cells favor airborne horizontal transmission to susceptible chickens. The roosters had not been vaccinated against MD, which probably favored the infection, as vaccination is known to be a fundamental approach for MD control for effective growth of the poultry industry. Clinical findings and lesions, together with viral molecular detection, were fundamental for the diagnosis, a premise for the application of adequate prevention and control measures for the disease in breeding. This is the first report of MD with a confirmatory molecular diagnosis in northeastern Brazil. Keywords: Viral diseases, Gallid alphaherpesvirus 2, neoplasms, polymerase chain reaction, histopathology

Doença de Marek em galos no semiárido potiguar: relato de caso

Background: Marek’s disease (MD) is a transmissible disease in chickens caused by Gallid alphaherpesvirus 2 (GaHV-2). The infection is characterized by lymphocyte cellular infiltrates in peripheral nerves and other organs and tissues, including the skin; which can lead to dysfunction causing progressive asymmetric paresis and complete spastic paralysis of body extremities. Dermatitis and cardiac myositis caused by GaHV-2 in free-range chickens has rarely been described in Brazil. This reports the occurrence of the disease with a confirmatory molecular diagnosis in free-range poultry showing signs of dermatitis, poor performance, and cachexia and no mortality in the semi-arid Potiguar region. Cases: Twenty roosters of the Shamo lineage, among a brood of 42 birds, had a history of progressive weight loss and skin lesions. Two birds with poor body condition, erythema, and scaling of the skin in the head and cervical regions were sent for clinical care. All birds were between 12 and 18 months of age and were vaccinated against Newcastle disease and avian yaws with only a few receiving vaccines against MD and Gumboro disease. According to the owner’s report, some birds were previously kept outdoors, and when they were transferred to a small shed with little air circulation, they began to develop clinical signs after approximately 15 days. The first signs of the disease were also reported to have appeared 2.5 months before clinical care and, in the meantime, several treatments were instituted without success. Owing to the general condition of the animals and inconclusive clinical suspicion, the birds were subjected to euthanasia and necropsy. Tissue samples were collected for histopathological and polymerase chain reaction analyses to search for the GaHV-2 DNA meq gene. The main clinicopathological findings were erythema (47%, 20/42) and desquamation of skin and mild, prominent white multifocal areas in the heart. Histopathology revealed infiltration of pleomorphic lymphoblastic cells in the skin, heart, and sciatic nerve. The amplification of the L-meq and meq oncoprotein genes in these organs and in the liver, confirmed the infection by GaHV-2, consistent with that of a field strain. Discussion: MD was confirmed based on the macroscopic and histological lesions, and with the detection of GaHV-2 DNA in the affected tissues. The unusual clinical presentation represented an initial challenge for diagnosis. The clinical history was important to lead to the suspicion of MD, as roosters initiated clinical signs 15 days after they were transferred to a small shed with poor air circulation. This probably favored the high viral concentration and disease transmission among susceptible birds in the brood because the feather follicle is the primary site of viral replication for transmission; and desquamation of infected epithelial cells favor airborne horizontal transmission to susceptible chickens. The roosters had not been vaccinated against MD, which probably favored the infection, as vaccination is known to be a fundamental approach for MD control for effective growth of the poultry industry. Clinical findings and lesions, together with viral molecular detection, were fundamental for the diagnosis, a premise for the application of adequate prevention and control measures for the disease in breeding. This is the first report of MD with a confirmatory molecular diagnosis in northeastern Brazil. Keywords: Viral diseases, Gallid alphaherpesvirus 2, neoplasms, polymerase chain reaction, histopathology