White muscle disease in three selenium deficient beef and dairy calves in Argentina and Uruguay

White muscle disease (WMD), nutritional myodegeneration or enzootic muscular dystrophy, is a nutritional condition associated with selenium and/or vitamin E deficiency in ruminants. These elements are constituents of the major body antioxidant systems. Depletion of selenium results in oxidative damage to cardiac and skeletal muscle cells, resulting in myodegeneration and myonecrosis, typical lesions of WMD. Selenium deficiency is common in South America, but WMD is underreported. This research describes clinical, biochemical and pathological findings in two episodes of WMD associated with selenium deficiency in beef and dairy calves in Argentina and Uruguay with concurrent copper deficiency in one of them, which resulted in spontaneous calf mortality. Further studies are necessary to estimate the true incidence and economic impact of clinical and subclinical mineral deficiencies in livestock production systems in the southern cone of South America.Doença do músculo branco (DMB), miodegeneração nutricional ou distrofia muscular enzoótica é uma condição nutricional associada à deficiência de selênio e/ou vitamina E em ruminantes. Esses elementos são constituintes dos principais sistemas antioxidantes do corpo. O esgotamento de selênio resulta em dano oxidativo às células musculares cardíacas e esqueléticas, resultando em miodegeneração e mionecrose, lesões típicas da DMB. A deficiência de selênio é comum na América do Sul, mas a DMB está subnotificada. Este trabalho descreve os achados clínicos, bioquímicos e patológicos em dois surtos de DMB associados à deficiência de selênio em bezerros para carne e leite na Argentina e Uruguai com concomitante deficiência de cobre em um surto, que resultaram em mortalidade espontânea de bezerros. São necessários mais estudos para estimar a verdadeira incidência e impacto econômico das deficiências minerais clínicas e subclínicas nos sistemas de produção pecuária no sul da América do Sul.EEA Cuenca del SaladoFil: Rodriguez, Alejandro Martin. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Cuenca del Salado; ArgentinaFil: Schild, Carlos Omar. Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria (INIA), La Estanzuela; UruguayFil: Canton, German Jose. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce; ArgentinaFil: Riet‐Correa, Franklin. Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria (INIA), La Estanzuela; UruguayFil: Armendano, Joaquín Ignacio. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; ArgentinaFil: Caffarena, Rubén Dario. Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria (INIA), La Estanzuela; UruguayFil: Brambilla, Emilio Cesar. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce; ArgentinaFil: García, Juan Agustín. Universidad de la República. Centro Universitario Regional Este; UruguayFil: Morrell, Eleonora Lidia. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce; ArgentinaFil: Poppenga, Robert. University of California at Davis. School of Veterinary Medicine. California Animal Health and Food Safety (CAHFS). Laboratory; Estados UnidosFil: Giannitti, Federico. Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria (INIA), La Estanzuela; Uruguay. University of Minnesota. College of Veterinary Medicine. Veterinary Population Medicine Department; Estados Unido

Prevalence and viability of group A rotavirus in dairy farm water sources

Aim: To analyse group A rotavirus (RVA) environmental contamination in waters used for calves' consumption and to assess viral viability in dairy farm water sources. Methods and Results: We analysed 202 samples of water used for calves' consumption and RVA was detected by RT‐qPCR in 35·1% (95% CI: 28·9–42·0%). A marked pattern of seasonality was observed with higher frequency of detection in colder than warmer months (P = 0·002). There was no association between viral load and season or between the number of milking cows in the herd and the detection of RVA in the farm. The viability of the RVA particles detected was confirmed by isolation of RVA in cell culture from 5 of 10 water samples. Furthermore, an RVA waterborne outbreak of neonatal calf diarrhoea was described. Conclusions: We demonstrate that RVA is frequent in dairy farm waters, and that the virus is infectious and capable of generating a diarrhoea outbreak. Significance and Impact of the Study: Neonatal diarrhoea syndrome leads to economic losses to the livestock industry worldwide. To determine transmission routes is essential to take action in this regard and reduce the impact that this syndrome has for the livestock production. The results obtained in this work alert the dairy industry and highlight that mitigation strategies are crucial to improve the microbiological quality of this water.Instituto de VirologíaFil: Castells, M.L. Universidad de la República. CENUR Litoral Norte. Centro Universitario de Salto. Laboratorio de Virología Molecular; UruguayFil: Schild, Carlos Omar. Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria (INIA), La Estanzuela. Plataforma de Investigación en Salud Animal; UruguayFil: Caffarena, Rubén Dario. Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria (INIA), La Estanzuela. Plataforma de Investigación en Salud Animal; UruguayFil: Bok, Marina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Virología; ArgentinaFil: Giannitti, Federico. Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria (INIA), La Estanzuela. Plataforma de Investigación en Salud Animal; Uruguay. University of Minnesota. College of Veterinary Medicine. Veterinary Population Medicine Department; Estados UnidosFil: Armendano, Joaquín Ignacio. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; ArgentinaFil: Riet‐Correa, Franklin. Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria (INIA), La Estanzuela. Plataforma de Investigación en Salud Animal; UruguayFil: Victoria, M. Universidad de la República. CENUR Litoral Norte. Centro Universitario de Salto. Laboratorio de Virología Molecular; UruguayFil: Parreño, Viviana. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Virología; ArgentinaFil: Colina, Rodney. Universidad de la República. CENUR Litoral Norte. Centro Universitario de Salto. Laboratorio de Virología Molecular; Urugua

Enzootic calcinosis in horses grazing Solanum glaucophyllum in Argentina

Solanum glaucophyllum, a toxic plant known for its calcinogenic effects, causes enzootic calcinosis in ruminant and monogastric animals. We describe an outbreak of enzootic calcinosis that occurred in a herd of 110 horses grazing pastureland heavily contaminated with S. glaucophyllum in Buenos Aires province, Argentina. Ten horses developed clinical signs, and 6 horses died. Clinical signs included abnormal gait (stiff-legged action, short strides), stiffness, thoracolumbar kyphosis, reluctance to move, wide stance, chronic weight loss, weakness, recumbency, and difficulty standing. Autopsy of 2 horses revealed severe mineralization of the aorta, pulmonary arteries, heart, and lungs, consistent with enzootic calcinosis. Although horses usually have very selective grazing behavior, under food restriction conditions, they can ingest the toxic plants and can develop the disease. Enzootic calcinosis should be considered as a differential diagnosis in horses grazing S. glaucophyllum–invaded pasturelands with compatible clinical signs and lesions.EEA BalcarceFil: Odriozola, Ernesto Raul. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce; ArgentinaFil: Rodriguez, Alejandro Martin. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Cuenca del Salado; ArgentinaFil: Micheloud, Juan Francisco. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Salta; ArgentinaFil: Canton, German Jose. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce; ArgentinaFil: Caffarena, Rubén Dario. Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria (INIA) La Estanzuela; UruguayFil: Gimeno, Eduardo J. Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias; ArgentinaFil: Bodega, José J. Veterinario. Actividad Privada; ArgentinaFil: Gardey, Pedro. Veterinario. Actividad Privada; ArgentinaFil: Iseas, Fortunato B. Veterinario. Actividad Privada; ArgentinaFil: Giannitti, Federico. University of Minnesota. College of Veterinary Medicine. Veterinary Population Medicine Department. Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory; Estados Unido