Histopathological and immunohistochemical findings of swine with spontaneous influenza A infection in Brazil, 2009-2010

Swine influenza (SI) is caused by the type A swine influenza virus (SIV). It is a highly contagious disease with a rapid course and recovery. The major clinical signs and symptoms are cough, fever, anorexia and poor performance. The disease has been associated with other co-infections in many countries, but not in Brazil, where, however, the first outbreak has been reported in 2011. The main aim of this study was to characterize the histological features in association with the immunohistochemical (IHC) results for influenza A (IA), porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) in lung samples from 60 pigs submitted to Setor de Patologia Veterinária at the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (SPV-UFRGS), Brazil, during 2009-2010. All of these lung samples had changes characterized by interstitial pneumonia with necrotizing bronchiolitis, never observed previously in the evaluation of swine lungs in our laboratory routine. Pigs in this study had showed clinical signs of a respiratory infection. Swine samples originated from Rio Grande do Sul 31 (52%), Santa Catarina 14 (23%), Paraná 11 (18%), and Mato Grosso do Sul 4 (7%). Positive anti-IA IHC labelling was observed in 45% of the cases, which were associated with necrotizing bronchiolitis, atelectasis, purulent bronchopneumonia and hyperemia. Moreover, type II pneumocyte hyperplasia, alveolar and bronchiolar polyp-like structures, bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue (BALT) hyperplasia and pleuritis were the significant features in negative anti-IA IHC, which were also associated with chronic lesions. There were only two cases with positive anti-PCV2 IHC and none to PRRSV. Therefore, SIV was the predominant infectious agent in the lung samples studied. The viral antigen is often absent due to the rapid progress of SI, which may explain the negative IHC results for IA (55%); therefore, IHC should be performed at the beginning of the disease. This study has shown how important a careful histological evaluation is for the diagnosis. Since 2009, a new histological feature of swine pneumonia in animals with respiratory clinical signs has been observed in samples from pigs with clinical respiratory disease submitted to SPV-UFRGS. In addition, the results proved the importance of histological evaluation for swine herd health management

Permanências e mutações na definição intergeracional do trabalho infantil Continuities and mutations in the intergenerational definition of child labor

O artigo discute a percepção de famílias dos grupos populares sobre o significado do trabalho infantil, apontando o enquadramento moral, cercado de ambiguidades, das decisões tomadas pela geração mais velha de adiar a entrada dos filhos em ocupações remuneradas. Embora suas decisões possam ser explicadas, pelo menos em parte, pela profundidade das transformações nas mentalidades que acompanharam a gênese da percepção da criança como um ser humano em formação e fundamentaram a transformação do trabalho infantil em prática ilegal e socialmente ilegítima, nosso estudo, não obstante, ajuda a mostrar que as ambiguidades percebidas podem ser explicadas pela história social das gerações em foco, que é, em grande parte, a história das transformações por que passou o Brasil nas últimas décadas, tanto no que diz respeito à sua estrutura produtiva, quanto à sua organização legal e espacial.<br>This paper discusses how low-income families perceive the meaning of child labor. It points out the ambiguous moral vision that supports the decision made by the older generation to postpone the entrance of their children in the labor market. Such decisions can be explained, at least partly, by the deep transformations in mentalities that have followed the genesis of the perception of children as "human beings in formation" and founded the transformation of child labor into an illegal and socially illegitimate practice. Nevertheless, our study shows that the ambiguities noted may also be explained by the social history of the generations focused, which is, mainly, the history of the transformations that have taken place, these last decades, in the productive structures and in the legal and spatial organization of Brazil

Flutuação das variáveis séricas em cabras e estudo comparativo da absorção de anticorpos em cabritos recém-nascidos utilizando colostro bovino e caprino Fluctuation of serum variables in goats and comparative study of antibody absorption in new-born kids using cattle and goat colostrum

Objetivou-se determinar a flutuação no nível de anticorpos séricos em cabras nos períodos pré e pós-parto e a eficiência do processo de aquisição de imunidade passiva em cabritos recém-nascidos utilizando colostros bovino e caprino, visando à avaliação de uma alternativa de manejo de colostro. Foram utilizadas 18 cabras e suas respectivas crias, num total de 33 animais. A coleta de sangue das cabras foi iniciada 45 dias antes da data prevista para o parto e foi realizada em intervalos de cinco dias até o 5º dia após o parto. Os cabritos foram distribuídos em dois grupos: um grupo recebeu colostro caprino e o outro colostro bovino. As coletas de sangue foram feitas às 0, 12, 24 e 48 horas e aos 5, 10, 15, 17, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 50 e 60 dias de vida. Foram analisadas as concentrações séricas de proteína total e imunoglobulinas, além da concentração de imunoglobinas no colostro. O delineamento experimental foi o inteiramente casualizado e as variáveis séricas analisadas como medidas repetidas. A ausência de queda na concentração sérica de proteínas totais e imunoglobinas no período pré-parto indica que a mobilização de anticorpos para glândula mamária ocorre em concentrações que permitem o animal manter essas variáveis sem grandes alterações. No grupo que recebeu colostro bovino, a data de concentração máxima de proteínas totais (7,16 ± 0,28 g/dL) foi verificada às 48,68 ± 0,70 horas de vida e a de imunoglobinas, às 48,75 ± 0,73 horas, com média de 37,56 ± 2,38 unidades ZST (turvação por sulfato de zinco). No grupo que recebeu colostro caprino, os valores máximos de proteínas totais e imunoglobinas séricas ocorreram mais tardiamente, aos 20,05 ± 1,36 e 20,11 ± 1,72 dias de vida, com médias de 5,91 ± 0,22 g/dL e 28,17 ± 2,05 unidades ZST, respectivamente. O colostro caprino pode ser substituído pelo colostro bovino, que promove melhor aquisição inicial de imunoglobulinas aos neonatos.<br>The objective of this study was to determine the fluctuation of serum antibodies in goats in the period before and immediately after kidding and the passive immunity acquisition efficiency in kids fed bovine and goat colostrum, to assess an alternative for colostrum management. Eighteen goats and their offspring were used in a total of 33 animals. Goat blood samples started to be collected 45 days before the predicated kidding date, at five-day intervals until the 5th day post kidding. The kids were distributed in two groups: one group received goat colostrum and the other cattle colostrums. Blood collections were made 0, 12, 24 and 48 hours, and at 5, 10, 15, 17, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50 and 60 days of age. The serum concentration of total protein (TP) and immunoglobulins (Ig), and the colostrum IgG concentration were analyzed. A randomized complete design was used and the serum variables were analyzed as repeated measurements. The absence of fall in TP and Ig serum concentration in the pre partum period, indicated that the mobilization of serum antibodies to mammary gland occurred in concentrations that allow the animals to keep these variables without great alterations. In the group that received cattle colostrum, the highest concentration data for TP was observed at 48.68 ± 0.79 hours after birth, with mean of 7.16 ± 0.28 g/dL, and the highest concentration date for Ig at 48 ± 0.73, with mean of 37.56 ± 2.38 ZST units (zinc sulfate turbidity). In the group that received goat colostrum, the maximum values for serum TP and Ig occurred later, at 20.05 ± 1.36 and 20.11 ± 1.72 days after birth, with means of 5.91 ± 0.22 g/dL and 28.17 ± 2.05 ZST units (zinc sulphate turbidity), respectively. Goat colostrum can be substituted by cattle colostrums, that promotes better initial immunoglobulin acquisition by the neonates