Identificação de prováveis causas de problemas reprodutivos no Planalto Médio do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul

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Efeito da utilização de pastejo controlado de trevo branco (Trifolium repens) sobre o hematócrito e o peso corporal de vacas em lactação

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Holding Pens as Sources of Contamination of Coagulase-Positive Staphylococcus to Pigs Waiting for Slaughter

Background: Coagulase-Positive Staphylococcus (SCP) are important pathogens related to foodborne illness associated with pork consumption. The isolation of SCP from pork products has been reported in several countries, including Brazil. Therefore, the identification of the sources of contamination of the pork products is fundamental to ensure the food safety. Although the animals remain in the holding pens during the pre-slaughter, these facilities have not been studied as a possible source of contamination for pigs. The aim of this study was to determine the importance of holding pens as sources of contamination of SCP to pigs and to identify other sources in the slaughter flowchart.Materials, Methods & Results: It was followed four pigs from ten different lots sent to slaughter. Prior to slaughter, samples were collected from the floors of the holding pens in the slaughterhouse. During slaughter, samples from seven different points were collected: 1) stool from the rectum immediately after stunning; 2) external surface of the carcass after dehairing; 3) internal surface of the carcass after evisceration; 4) external surface of the half-carcass prior to entry into the cold chamber; 5) tongue surface; 6) jowls; and 7) mesenteric lymph nodes. The strains were obtained through microbiological analysis. To compare the similarity between the strains, rep-PCR was performed. Of the ten samples collected in the holding pens, four (40%) were contaminated with SCP. At slaughter, 280 samples were collected and 56 (20%) SCP isolates were obtained. The lymph nodes were the point of greatest isolation (19.6%), followed by the surface of the carcass at the entrance to the cold chamber (17.8%), the rectum after desensitization (16.1%), carcass surface after opening of the abdominal cavity (16.1%), jowls (12.5%), carcass surface after dehairing (8.9%) and tongue surface (8.9%). In the rep-PCR analysis, isolates with indistinguishable band pattern were observed involving both those obtained on the holding pens and at different points in the slaughtering flowchart.Discussion: The holding pens contamination may have occurred due to hygiene failure after leaving lots with pigs harboring SCP. Considering that the recommendation, in view of animal welfare, is to use anti-slip material in the pens floor, it may be difficult to clean this area due to roughness in the concrete, which would allow the microorganisms remain in the place. Some studies have reported the presence of S. aureus in pigs from finishing farms, demonstrating that these animals may be harboring this bacterium in the gastrointestinal tract when sent to slaughter, excreting it in the pens during waiting in the slaughterhouse. Some strains isolated from tongue, rectum and lymph nodes were considered indistinguishable by rep-PCR from the strains isolated from the holding dump, what demonstrate that the holding pens act as an important source of SCP contamination for the pigs that will be slaughtered. The results show that the period in which the animals remain in the holding pens during pre-slaughter is sufficient for the pigs to be contaminated with SCP, the microorganisms to settle in the mesenteric lymph nodes and the animals excrete these bacteria in the feces. The persistence of the contamination to the end products is a possibility, since strains isolated from stool samples were also isolated from other points in the slaughter flowchart, including the carcass. It can be concluded that the holding pens are important sources of SCP contamination for the swine, which once contaminated, can disseminate the microorganism in the slaughter flowchart through the feces, mesenteric lymph nodes and oral cavity. This is the first study in Brazil that shows that the holding pens are important sources of SCP contamination for pigs sent to slaughter

Isolamento e perfil de suscetibilidade a antimicrobianos de isolados de Salmonella obtidos durante o abate de suínos / Isolation and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of Salmonella isolates recovered from pig slaughter

Este estudo foi realizado com o objetivo de isolar Salmonella em cinco diferentes pontos do fluxograma de abate de suínos, avaliando o padrão de suscetibilidade dos isolados a sete agentes antimicrobianos comumente usados na cadeia suinícola. Das 200 amostras coletadas, em 23 (11,5%) foi possível o isolamento de Salmonella spp. Destes isolados, todos apresentaram resistência a um ou mais dos antimicrobianos testados, sendo que 100% apresentaram resistência à tetraciclina e trimetoprim, 89,95% à ampicilina, 69,56% à gentamicina, 26,08% à norfloxacina, 65,21% à estreptomicina e 17,39% à neomicina. O isolamento de Salmonella durante o abate de suínos demonstra o alto risco de contaminação para os funcionários e consumidores. Medidas para o controle do uso de antimicrobianos na criação de suínos devem ser urgentemente implementadas

Quality of jersey cow's milk on winter cultivated pasture With and without supplementation

O trabalho foi realizado de agosto a novembro de 2006, em uma propriedade leiteira no município de Pelotas - Região Sul do RS, com o objetivo de quantificar o efeito do uso de suplementação sobre a produção corrigida a 4%, a composição e a contagem de células somáticas (CCS) do leite, o peso vivo, o escore de condição corporal e o hematócrito de vacas Jersey, conduzidas em pastagem cultivada constituída por Avena strigosa (aveia preta), Lolium multiflorum (azévem anual) e Vicia sativa L. (ervilhaca). Para isto, foram utilizadas oito vacas da raça Jersey distribuído após estratificação por produção de leite, período de lactação e peso corporal em dois grupos homogêneos, num delineamento experimental completamente casualizado. Os dois grupos foram mantidos em piquetes separados em pastagens de azevém, aveia e ervilhaca por, utilizando um sistema de pastejo rotativo em faixas, com período de ocupação de um dia. Na caracterização dos tratamentos o grupo SUPL recebia diariamente 8 kg de suplemento e o grupo PAST não recebia nenhum tipo de suplemento. As medições de escore corporal e produção de leite e a amostragem para determinação da composição química (gordura, proteína, lactose e sólidos totais), CCS e hematócrito foram realizadas em avaliações quinzenais, procedendo-se controles leiteiros e coletas de amostras individuais dos animais. Os resultados evidenciaram diferenças significativas entre os dois tratamentos, para a variável condição de escore corporal, produção de leite corrigido a 4% de gordura, sólidos totais, gordura, proteína e CCS do leite indicando que a utilização do suplemento, permitiu a manutenção de percentuais mais elevados de sólidos, proteína e gordura do leite.The work was performed from August to November of 2006 in Pelotas- country south region of RS, and aimed to quantify supplementation effect on themilk yield composition and the somatic cells count (SCC), body weight, body condition score and the hematocrito of Jersey cows, kept on cultivated pasture constituted by Avena strigosa (black oats), Lolium multiflorum (ryegrass) and Vicia sativa (common vetch). Eight Jersey cows were used, distributed after stratification by milk production, lactation period and corporal weight into two homogeneous groups, in a completely randomized experimental desing. Both groups were kept separated in paddocks with ryegrass, black oats and common vetch for approximately 7 hours per day, using a system of rotational pasture in stripes, with occupation period of one day. The group SUPL received daily 8 Kg of a supplement constituted by soy bean, soy bean hulls, calcitic limestone and mineral salt and the group PAST did not receive any type of supplement. Measurements o body condition score and milk production and sampling for composition determination (fat aid crude protein, lactose and total solids), scc and sanguine parameters were performed in hebdomadeise evaluations, with controls and individual sample collection of animals. The results evidenciated significant differences between treatments, for body condition score, milk yeld, total solids, fat and crude protein and milk yeld