Doenças parasitárias do cão transmitidas por insectos culicídeos e psicodídeos no Funchal e em Barcelona

Dissertação de Mestrado Integrado em Medicina VeterináriaAs doenças mais importantes, transmitidas por insectos culicídeos e psicodídeos, que afectam a espécie canina, são a dirofilariose e leishmaniose. A dirofilariose é uma doença crónica causada pelo nemátode da espécie Dirofilaria immitis, que existe predominantemente em zonas de climas tropicais e subtropicais. Os insectos do género Culex, Anopheles e Aedes, são responsáveis pela transmissão da forma infectante L3. A leishmaniose é uma doença zoonótica, causada pelo protozoário da espécie Leishmania infantum, que existe predominantemente na Bacia do Mediterrâneo. Em Portugal e Espanha, os vectores responsáveis pela transmissão das formas infectantes, os promastigotas metacíclicas, ao hospedeiro canídeo, são as espécies Phebotomus perniciosus e o P. ariasi. No presente trabalho, foram realizados dois estudos retrospectivos, um sobre a dirofilariose na Ilha da Madeira e que englobou 29 cães e outro sobre leishmaniose em Barcelona, que incluiu 20 animais. Relativamente ao estudo da dirofilariose, verificou-se que a maioria dos animais eram assintomáticos. O diagnóstico etiológico foi realizado com base no exame físico, pela detecção de microfilárias e filárias adultas, através da técnica de Knott modificada e de ELISA. A terapêutica etiológica englobou uma terapêutica adulticida com melarsomina, seguida de uma terapêutica microfilaricida com lactonas macrocíclicas. No estudo retrospectivo da leishmaniose, observou-se animais com sinais clínicos muito variáveis, no entanto, a maioria dos cães apresentam letargia, linfadenomegália, lesões dermatológicas. As alterações laboratoriais mais observadas foram uma anemia não regenerativa e uma hiperproteinémia com hiperglobulinémia e hipoalbuminémia. O diagnóstico etiológico foi realizado com base no exame físico, histórica clínica, por cELISA e RT-PCR. Diferentes fármacos foram utilizados no tratamento, contudo o antimoniato de meglumina e o alopurinol, são os mais utilizados.BASTRACT - CANINE PARASITOLOGIC DISEASES TRANSMITED BY CULICIDAE AND PSYCHODIDAE INSECTS - Dirofilariosis and leishmaniosis are the main diseases transmitted by Culicidae and Psicodidae insect that affect canines. Dirofilariosis is a chronic disease, caused by Dirofilaria immitis that is prevalent in areas with a tropical or subtropical environment. Insects from de genus Culex, Anopheles and Aedes are responsible for transmitting the L3 infective form. Leishmaniosis is a zoonotic disease prevalent in the Mediterranean basin, caused by Leishmania infatum. In Portugal and Spain, the main vectors, responsible for transmitting the infected form, the metacyclic promastigotes, are Phebotomus perniciosus and P. ariasi. In the purpose of the chosen theme, two retrospective studies were conducted: one on dirofilariosis including 29 dogs at Madeira Island and another on leishmaniosis in 20 dogs at Barcelona. In the dirofilariosis study, most animals were asymptomatic. The diagnosis was made by physical examination, detection of the microfilaria and adult heartworm, with the modified Knott technique and by ELISA. The treatment was completed with an adulticide therapy with melarsomine and a microfilaricide therapy with macrocyclic lactones. In the leishmaniosis retrospective study, many clinic signs were observed, but most dogs presented lethargy, limphadenomegaly and dermatologic lesions. The major laboratory changes observed were a non regenerative anemia and a hyperproteinemia with hyperglobulinemia and hypoalbuminemia. Diagnosis was made through clinical history, physical examination and parasitological exams, by cELISA and RT-PCR. There are many different drugs which can be used for treatment, but the most used in this study were meglumine antimoniate and allopurinol

Canine oesophageal diseases

Oesophageal diseases in the dog can be challenging to diagnose. Multiple diagnostic imaging modalities are necessary for the assessment of the canine oesophagus. This study was divided into prospective and retrospective parts. The purpose of the prospective study was to determine whether conventional transcutaneous ultrasonography can be used to evaluate the canine cervical oesophagus and describe the sonographic appearance and measurements in normal dogs and those with clinical signs associated with the oesophagus. Seven canine cadavers, ten healthy staff owned dogs and eleven client owned dogs with vomiting and regurgitation were examined using a 14MHz transducer. Transcutaneous ultrasonography of the cervical oesophagus was performed using a left lateral approach. Ultrasonography allowed visualization of the entire cervical oesophagus. Four or six sonographic layers were identified which corresponded with histology. An additional thin hyperechoic layer was present within the muscular layer in some dogs which corresponded to fibrous tissue located between the inner circular and outer longitudinal muscle layers. Mean ultrasonographic wall thickness for normal dogs 2.7 ± 1 mm and was significantly correlated with weight in the live dogs (P<0.05). No sonographic abnormalities were identified in the clinical cases. The purpose of the retrospective study was to document the occurrence of oesophageal abnormalities in brachycephalic dogs using multiple diagnostic imaging modalities (radiography, fluoroscopy, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging). Record the incidence of oesophageal redundancy in brachycephalic breeds with or without oesophageal disease. Hospital records between November 2009 to December 2016 identified fifty-one brachycephalic dogs with oesophageal abnormalities. Megaoesophagus was the most prevalent oesophageal abnormality in the brachycephalic breeds. Hiatal hernia, oesophageal dysmotility and GOR were the most prevalent oesophageal diseases in dogs with BOAS and megaoesophagus, dysmotility and hiatal herniation in dogs without BOAS. The occurrence of BOAS was highest for English bulldogs, followed by French bulldogs and Pugs, however there was no significant correlation between the presence or absence of BOAS in dogs with oesophageal abnormalities. There was no significant correlation between breed, weight, sex and clinical signs or oesophageal abnormalities present. Oesophageal redundancy incidence was low in the brachycephalic dogs in this study with and without concomitant oesophageal disease. These studies suggest that multiple diagnostic imaging modalities can be used to evaluate the oesophagus. However, further studies are warranted with a larger study sample to expand the clinical use of transcutaneous ultrasonography in dogs with oesophagitis and to determine the prevalence of oesophageal abnormalities in brachycephalic breeds with statistical significance

Characterisation of microbial attack on archaeological bone

As part of an EU funded project to investigate the factors influencing bone preservation in the archaeological record, more than 250 bones from 41 archaeological sites in five countries spanning four climatic regions were studied for diagenetic alteration. Sites were selected to cover a range of environmental conditions and archaeological contexts. Microscopic and physical (mercury intrusion porosimetry) analyses of these bones revealed that the majority (68%) had suffered microbial attack. Furthermore, significant differences were found between animal and human bone in both the state of preservation and the type of microbial attack present. These differences in preservation might result from differences in early taphonomy of the bones. © 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved