RELATO DE CHARAXICEPHALOIDES POLYORCHIS GROSCHAFT & TENORA 1978 (DIGENEA: PRONOCEPHALIDAE) DE UNA TORTUGA VERDE- CHELONIA MYDAS (LINNAEUS, 1758) EN BRASIL

This note reports the occurrence of Charaxicephaloides polyorchis Groschaft &Tenora, 1978 collected from a green sea turtle - Chelonia mydas (Linnaeus, 1758) from Brazil. Our specimen is larger than the original description and the following descriptions, provide new information on this species. This represents the first record with morphometric data of C. polyorchis in a green turtle from Brazil and the third record with morphometric data of this trematode.Esta nota informa la ocurrencia de Charaxicephaloides polyorchis Groschaft & Tenora, 1978 recolectados de una tortuga marina verde – Chelonia mydas (Linnaeus, 1758) de Brasil. Nuestros ejemplares son más grandes que la descripción original y las siguientes descripciones, proporcionando nueva información sobre esta especie. Esto representa el primer registro con datos morfométricos de C. polyorchis en una tortuga verde de Brasil y el tercer registro con datos morfométricos de este trematodo

First description of a fatal equine infection with Halicephalobus gingivalis in Portugal. Relevance for public health.

Research Areas: Veterinary SciencesABSTRACT - Halicephalobus gingivalisis a small saprophytic rhabditid nematode, represented only by females with a typicalrhabditoid oesophagus and one egg in the uterus, capable of infecting vertebrates. This opportunistic parasitepresent in the soil, manure and decaying humus, is thought to penetrate through previous injuries to the mouth,eyes and skin of horses and migrate to various organs. The brain is one such organ, where the females lay theireggs, leading to malacia and causing a sudden onset of neurological signs, such as anorexia, ataxia, urinaryincontinence, blindness, decreased menace and tonal reflexes, tremors and aggressiveness. The disease isinvariably fatal whenever brain lesions are present, and the diagnosis usually achieved only post-mortem. Thepresent work aims to describe the first case of infection byH. gingivalisever reported in Portugal. An 8-yearold warmblood horse presented with an 8-day history of progressive blindness involving the left eye, initiallywith normal pupillary reflexes, advancing to bilateral blindness and increasing deterioration in clinical condi-tion. After euthanasia, the animal was submitted for necropsy. Organ samples were collected and fixed in 10%neutral buffered formalin for routine histopathology. A large mass was found in the left kidney correspondingto fibrous tissue heavily infiltrated with inflammatory cells and numerous nematodes. In the brain, multiple,bilateral and asymmetrical foci of malacia containing several rhabditoid nematodes, larvae and zygotes, andhigh numbers of inflammatory cells were found. The nematodes were identified asH. gingivalis.The clinicalhistory, necropsy and histological findings presented constitute a typical case ofH. gingivalisinfection in ahorse, never previously described in Portugal to the authors’ best knowledge. Humans can be infected bycontact with contaminated manure, which makes this nematode a public health concern, especially for peopleliving and/or working in close proximity to horses.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Global prevalence of Trichinella in pigs: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Investigating the global epidemiological patterns of Trichinella in pigs is required for accurate recognition and to establishing proper control programmes and preventivemeasures, as well as to decrease human exposure. Objectives: To obtain a better understanding of the global prevalence of Trichinella in domestic pigs and factors that might influence the prevalence, a systematic review and meta-analysis was performed. Methods: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were followed. Multiple databases were used to identify literature published between January 2000 and December 2021, representing studies from 1985 to 2021, on Trichinella prevalence in domestic pigs. Prevalence was calculated on a global and country level, by country Human Development Index (HDI), climate, pig management system, and diagnostic test. Results: The global pooled prevalence based on 60manuscripts representing 32 countries and 65 pig populations was 2.02% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.88–3.62) and the estimated pooled prevalence in different continents ranged from 0.00% to 11.8%. Trichinella was highest in low HDI countries (21.6%; 95% CI: 4.3–47.2), tropical wet climates (20.9%; 95% CI: 10.3–34.1), and non-intensive pig farming systems (6.1%; 95% CI: 1.0–15.5). Conclusions: While there were regional differences in Trichinella prevalence in domestic pigs, these were likely driven by country HDI and pig farming systems versus climatic factors. Increased biosecurity in outdoor pig production systems, focused meat inspections and promoting awareness could potentially decrease risk of infectio

The global prevalence of Spirometra parasites in snakes, frogs, dogs, and cats: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Spirometra infection is aneglected food- and waterborne disease with worldwide distribution. Objectives: The present study aims to estimate the global prevalence of Spirometra species in snakes, frogs, dogs and cats. Methods: Multiple databases (PubMed, Scopus, ProQuest, Web of Science and Google Scholar) were searched for relevant literatures published up to March 2022. Results: Among 131 data sets (including 113 articles) that met the inclusion, 15 investigations reported Spirometra infection in snakes, 23 in frogs, 41 in dogs and 52 in cats. The pooled prevalence (95% confidence interval) in intermediate hosts and definitive hosts was found to be 0.313% and 0.089%, respectively. Based on continent, the infection was most prevalent in Asia for studies on snakes (0.696%) and frogs (0.181%), while Africa (0.224%) and Oceania (0.203%) were the regions with the highest pooled prevalence rates of the infection in dogs and cats, respectively. Among different diagnostic methods, the highest pooled prevalence was related to morphological method for studies on snakes, frog and cats with rate of 0.665%, 0.189% and 0.104%, respectively. Regarding studies on dogs, the highest pooled prevalence was observed for molecular technique (0.101%). Conclusions: The results presented here revealed the importance of establishing a prevention and control measure focused on protection of aquaculture systems from being contaminated with faeces of dogs and cats, and raising awareness of parasitic zoonotic diseases to decrease the transmission risk

Catálogo Taxonômico da Fauna do Brasil: setting the baseline knowledge on the animal diversity in Brazil

The limited temporal completeness and taxonomic accuracy of species lists, made available in a traditional manner in scientific publications, has always represented a problem. These lists are invariably limited to a few taxonomic groups and do not represent up-to-date knowledge of all species and classifications. In this context, the Brazilian megadiverse fauna is no exception, and the Catálogo Taxonômico da Fauna do Brasil (CTFB) (http://fauna.jbrj.gov.br/), made public in 2015, represents a database on biodiversity anchored on a list of valid and expertly recognized scientific names of animals in Brazil. The CTFB is updated in near real time by a team of more than 800 specialists. By January 1, 2024, the CTFB compiled 133,691 nominal species, with 125,138 that were considered valid. Most of the valid species were arthropods (82.3%, with more than 102,000 species) and chordates (7.69%, with over 11,000 species). These taxa were followed by a cluster composed of Mollusca (3,567 species), Platyhelminthes (2,292 species), Annelida (1,833 species), and Nematoda (1,447 species). All remaining groups had less than 1,000 species reported in Brazil, with Cnidaria (831 species), Porifera (628 species), Rotifera (606 species), and Bryozoa (520 species) representing those with more than 500 species. Analysis of the CTFB database can facilitate and direct efforts towards the discovery of new species in Brazil, but it is also fundamental in providing the best available list of valid nominal species to users, including those in science, health, conservation efforts, and any initiative involving animals. The importance of the CTFB is evidenced by the elevated number of citations in the scientific literature in diverse areas of biology, law, anthropology, education, forensic science, and veterinary science, among others

The evolving SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Africa: Insights from rapidly expanding genomic surveillance

INTRODUCTION Investment in Africa over the past year with regard to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequencing has led to a massive increase in the number of sequences, which, to date, exceeds 100,000 sequences generated to track the pandemic on the continent. These sequences have profoundly affected how public health officials in Africa have navigated the COVID-19 pandemic. RATIONALE We demonstrate how the first 100,000 SARS-CoV-2 sequences from Africa have helped monitor the epidemic on the continent, how genomic surveillance expanded over the course of the pandemic, and how we adapted our sequencing methods to deal with an evolving virus. Finally, we also examine how viral lineages have spread across the continent in a phylogeographic framework to gain insights into the underlying temporal and spatial transmission dynamics for several variants of concern (VOCs). RESULTS Our results indicate that the number of countries in Africa that can sequence the virus within their own borders is growing and that this is coupled with a shorter turnaround time from the time of sampling to sequence submission. Ongoing evolution necessitated the continual updating of primer sets, and, as a result, eight primer sets were designed in tandem with viral evolution and used to ensure effective sequencing of the virus. The pandemic unfolded through multiple waves of infection that were each driven by distinct genetic lineages, with B.1-like ancestral strains associated with the first pandemic wave of infections in 2020. Successive waves on the continent were fueled by different VOCs, with Alpha and Beta cocirculating in distinct spatial patterns during the second wave and Delta and Omicron affecting the whole continent during the third and fourth waves, respectively. Phylogeographic reconstruction points toward distinct differences in viral importation and exportation patterns associated with the Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants and subvariants, when considering both Africa versus the rest of the world and viral dissemination within the continent. Our epidemiological and phylogenetic inferences therefore underscore the heterogeneous nature of the pandemic on the continent and highlight key insights and challenges, for instance, recognizing the limitations of low testing proportions. We also highlight the early warning capacity that genomic surveillance in Africa has had for the rest of the world with the detection of new lineages and variants, the most recent being the characterization of various Omicron subvariants. CONCLUSION Sustained investment for diagnostics and genomic surveillance in Africa is needed as the virus continues to evolve. This is important not only to help combat SARS-CoV-2 on the continent but also because it can be used as a platform to help address the many emerging and reemerging infectious disease threats in Africa. In particular, capacity building for local sequencing within countries or within the continent should be prioritized because this is generally associated with shorter turnaround times, providing the most benefit to local public health authorities tasked with pandemic response and mitigation and allowing for the fastest reaction to localized outbreaks. These investments are crucial for pandemic preparedness and response and will serve the health of the continent well into the 21st century

EFEITO DOS PARÂMETROS DE EXTRUSÃO NAS CARACTERÍSTICAS DE VISCOSIDADE DE PASTA E ÍNDICE DE ABSORÇÃO DE ÁGUA DE MACARRÕES PRÉ-COZIDOS ELABORADOS A PARTIR DE FARINHA MISTA DE ARROZ INTEGRAL E MILHO OBTIDOS POR EXTRUSÃO

Foram estudados os efeitos das variáveis umidade, temperatura e formulação nas características de viscosidade de pasta e índice de absorção de água (IAA) em macarrões pré-cozidos, elaborados a partir de farinha mista de arroz integral e milho, obtidos por extrusão termoplástica. O delineamento experimental foi elaborado para verificar o efeito de três níveis de substituição de farinha de milho (20, 30 e 40%), três níveis de umidade (30, 35 e 40%) e três temperaturas na zona de alta pressão (70, 80 e 90°C), originando 20 tratamentos. Os resultados obtidos indicaram que a viscosidade inicial a 25°C não foi afetada por nenhuma das variáveis de extrusão. Entretanto, a viscosidade máxima sofreu efeito negativo da umidade e da formulação (% de farinha de milho) e a viscosidade final sofreu efeito negativo de todos os parâmetros estudados. O índice de absorção de água também não foi afetado pelos valores encontrados para as variáveis do delineamento. Portanto, a elaboração de massas pré-cozidas por extrusão requer cuidados para se obter produto íntegro, resistente ao cozimento e com adequado rendimento final.The effect of the variables moisture, temperature and formulation was studied in the characteristics of paste viscosity and water absorption index (WAI) in pre cooked pastas made from mixed flour of brown rice and maize, by extrusion cooking. The experimental design was elaborated to verify the effect of three substitutions levels of maize flour (20, 30 and 40%), three levels of moisture (30, 35 and 40%) and three temperatures on the high pressure zone (70, 80 and 90°C), resulting in 20 treatments. The results showed that the initial viscosity at 25°C was not affected by any extrusion variables. Although, the maximum viscosity was negatively affected by moisture and formulation (% of maize flour), and the final viscosity also was negatively affected by all studied parameters. The water absorption index, as the initial viscosity, was not affected by the values of the variables. Therefore, the production of pre cooked pasta by extrusion cooking requires cares necessary to get a complete, resistant product and with a good final yield

Anthelmintic efficacy in sheep and goats uLuísnder different management and deworming systems in the region of Lisbon and Tagus Valley, Portugal

Research Areas: MicrobiologyABSTRACT - Infections caused by gastrointestinal parasites have been described worldwide as one of the most important issues impacting small ruminant production. The systematic administration of anthelmintic (AH) drugs without following good practice principles has led to an increase in anthelmintic resistance (AR). There is scarce information regarding AH efficacy in small ruminants in Portugal. This study aimed to characterize by in vivo methods the presence and level of AR in four farms in the region of Lisbon and Tagus Valley. All four farms kept small herds in extensive management systems and used different deworming protocols. The active substances used were fenbendazole and a combination of mebendazole plus closantel in a dosage according to the manufacturers’ instructions. On day 0 (T0), fecal samples were collected from all study animals, and animals in the treatment group (n = 40) were dewormed with the AH previously chosen by the assistant veterinarian. Animals in the control group (n = 30) did not receive any AH drug. The fecal sample collection was repeated on day 15 (T15), and the control group was treated. Egg counts were performed using the McMaster method for the eggs per gram (EPG), and AR was evaluated by the fecal egg count reduction test (FECRT) with a 95% confidence level (CL). The results from this experiment indicated that the four farms presented AR with two farms to fenbendazole (FECRT of 48% and 85%) and two farms to mebendazole plus closantel (FECRT of 66% and 79%). These results indicate that the gastrointestinal parasites of the four studied Portuguese farms are resistant to benzimidazoles, which suggests an increase in AR regarding nematodes in small ruminant production systems in Portugalinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio