Detection of anti Brucella abortus, anti Brucella canis and anti Leptospira spp. Antibodies in hoary foxes (Pseudalopex vetulus) from semi-arid of Paraiba state, Northeastern region of Brazil

O objetivo do presente trabalho foi determinar a ocorrência de anticorpos anti Brucella abortus, anti Brucella canis e anti Leptospira spp. em raposas (Pseudalopex vetulus). Para tanto, foram utilizadas 60 raposas atropeladas em rodovias no semiárido da Paraíba, Nordeste do Brasil. Para a detecção de anticorpos anti Brucella abortus, o teste do antígeno acidificado tamponado (AAT) foi empregado como teste de triagem, e a prova do 2-mercaptoetanol foi empregada como método confirmatório. Para o diagnóstico sorológico das infecções por Brucella canis e Leptospira spp., foram utilizados os testes de imunodifusão em gel de agar (IDGA) e soroaglutinação microscópica, respectivamente. Todas as amostras foram negativas na pesquisa de anticorpos anti Brucella canis e anti Leptospira spp. Das 60 raposas testadas, 16 (26,6%) foram positivas para anticorpos anti Brucella abortus no teste de AAT, e quatro (6,7%) amostras foram confirmadas no teste de 2-mercaptoetanol, sendo duas amostras com título 100 e duas com título 50.The aim of this research was to determine the occurrence of anti Brucella abortus, anti B. canis and anti Leptospira spp. antibodies in foxes (Pseudalopex vetulus). Sixty road-killed wild foxes from semi-arid of Paraiba state, Northeastern region of Brazil, were used. For the detection of anti B. abortus antibodies, the buffered plate agglutination test (BPAT) was applied as a screening method and the 2-mercaptoethanol test as a confirmatory method. For serological diagnosis of infections by B. canis and Leptospira spp., the agar gel immunodiffusion test (AGID) and the microscopic agglutination test (MAT) were used, respectively. All samples were negative for anti B. canis and anti Leptospira spp. antibodies. Of the 60 foxes tested, 16 (26.6 %) were positive for anti B. abortus antibodies at BPAT, four (6.7%) samples were confirmed in the 2-mercaptoethanol test, and two samples presented titer 100 and two titer 50

Soroprevalência da leptospirose em caprinos da microrregião do Seridó Oriental, Estado do Rio Grande do Norte, Brasil, e pesquisa de fatores de risco

A sero-epidemiological survey was conducted to determine the prevalence of anti-Leptospira spp. antibodies as well as to identify risk factors associated with infection in goats of the Seridó Oriental microregion, Rio Grande do Norte State, Northeastern Brazil. Serum samples from 366 adult goats from 12 herds were collected. For serological diagnosis of Leptospira spp. infection, the microscopic agglutination test (MAT) was carried out using 24 live Leptospira spp. serovars as antigens. Out of the 366 investigated goats, 53 were seropositive for at least one Leptospira spp. serovar, resulting in a seroprevalence of 14.5% (95% CI = 11.0% - 18.5%). The most prevalent serovar was the Autumnalis (73.6% of the positive reactions). There were no variables associated with leptospirosis occurrence (p >; 0.05).Foi realizado um levantamento soroepidemiológico da leptospirose em caprinos da microrregião do Seridó Oriental, Estado do Rio Grande do Norte, com o objetivo de determinar a prevalência de anticorpos anti-Leptospira spp. e identificar fatores de risco associados à infecção. Foram colhidas amostras de soro sanguíneo de 366 cabras em idade reprodutiva de 12 rebanhos. Para o diagnóstico sorológico da infecção por Leptospira spp., foi utilizada a Soroaglutinação Microscópica (SAM) com uma coleção de 24 sorovares de leptospiras vivas como antígenos. Dos 366 caprinos investigados, 53 foram soropositivos para pelo menos um sorovar de Leptospira spp., resultando em uma soroprevalência 14,5% (IC 95% = 11,0 - 18,5). O sorovar mais frequente foi o Autumnalis (73,6% das reações positivas). Não foram encontradas variáveis associadas à ocorrência de leptospirose (p >; 0,05)

Paralytic rabies in swine

Rabies transmitted by vampire bats was diagnosed in pigs with paralysis of the pelvic limbs. Diffuse nonsuppurative encephalomyelitis, affecting mainly the spinal cord, was observed histologically. Despite the various diagnosis of rabies in pigs this is the first report of clinical signs and pathology of rabies transmitted by vampire bats

True Prevalence and Spatial Distribution of Equine Infectious Anemia Virus (EIAV) in Horses from Northeast Region of Brazil

Background: Equine infectious anemia (EIA) is a viral infection, caused by a lentivirus of the Retroviridae family, Orthoretrovirinael subfamily and its occurrence generates significant economic losses due to culling of positive animals as a measure of infection control. The objective of this work was to determine the prevalence of horses positive for equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) and to identify the occurrence of areas with higher densities of cases in the states of Paraíba (PB), Pernambuco (PE), Rio Grande do Norte (RN) and Ceará (CE), Northeast region of Brazil, during the rainy (May and June) and dry (October and November) periods of 2017 and 2018.Materials, Methods & Results: Serum samples from 6,566 horses from the states of PB, PE, RN and CE, Brazil, provided by the Laboratório Veterinária Diagnóstico - Ltda., were used. Serological diagnosis of EIA was performed using indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) as a screening test and agar gel immunodiffusion test (AGID) as a confirmatory test. The apparent prevalence was obtained by dividing the number of seroreactive animals by the total number of animals, while the true prevalence was estimated by adjusting the apparent prevalence, considering the sensitivity (100%) and specificity (98.6%) of the diagnostic protocol used. For the construction of Kernel estimates, the Quartic function was used. In the dry season, of the 1,564 animals sampled, 28 were serologically positive, of which 19 belonged to the state of Ceará, 7 to Paraíba and 2 to Rio Grande do Norte. In 2018, it was observed that, during the rainy season, 26 of the 1,635 horses were seroreactive, with 19 cases resulting from Ceará, 4 from Paraíba and 3 from Pernambuco. In the dry season, 32 of the 1,526 animals were seroreactive to EIAV, of which 26 were from Ceará, 3 from Paraíba, 1 from Rio Grande do Norte and 2 from Pernambuco. In the dry period of 2017, the CE had a real prevalence of 1.22% (95% CI = 0.05 - 2.99%). In 2018, during the rainy season, prevalences of 0.03% (95% CI = 0 - 1.18%) were identified in CE and 1.69% (95% CI = 0 - 8.38%) in PE. Regarding the 2018 dry period, a prevalence of 1.32% (95% CI = 0.26 - 2.84%) was found in the state of CE. In both dry and rainy periods of 2017, the presence of spatial clusters of animals positive for EIA was observed, mainly in the border areas among the states of CE, PE, PB and RN. In 2018, there was a variation in the distribution of areas with higher densities of cases between the rainy and dry periods.Discussion: The state of CE had the highest prevalence of positive animals and the presence of areas with higher densities of EIA cases in both climatic periods, in the years 2017 and 2018. In some municipalities of the CE, important sporting events of agglomeration of animals take place, which can favor the transmission of EIAV by facilitating the contact of infected and susceptible animals. Population density may be a factor associated with the higher prevalence observed in this region, as it has the second largest herd among the states studied. Higher densities indirectly contribute to the occurrence of infectious diseases, as they favor the contact of infected and susceptible animals. The occurrence of higher densities of cases in the border areas of the states of PE, RN, CE, and PB may be related to the greater movement of animals in these regions, favoring the indirect contact of infected horses with susceptible ones. The observed results demonstrate the circulation of the EIAV in four states in the Northeast region of Brazil.Keywords: Equine infectious anemia virus, prevalence, spatial clusters, epidemiology

Retrospective survey of rabies in Paraíba State, Brazil, from 2004 to 2011

O objetivo desse trabalho foi realizar um estudo retrospectivo da raiva em herbívoros no estado da Paraíba, Brasil, avaliando aspectos epidemiológicos da doença no período de 2004 a 2011. Foram utilizados os registros da notificação dos casos de raiva contidos no Sistema Continental de Vigilância Epidemiológica (SIVCONT). Durante o período avaliado, foram submetidas para diagnóstico amostras de 17.454 animais de todo o Brasil, das quais 43 (0,25%) foram procedentes do estado da Paraíba, e todas elas foram positivas para raiva. A frequência de focos de raiva por município variou de 2,3% a 11,6%. A distribuição dos casos variou conforme a espécie afetada, havendo predominância nos bovinos (93%), seguidos de equinos (4,7%) e um morcego (2,3%) (p < 0,001). Foi observada predominância de casos positivos nos quais a notificação foi efetuada por proprietários (53,5%), seguido de terceiros (39,5%) e vigilância (7%) (p = 0,001). Com relação aos meses de ocorrência dos focos em todos os anos do período avaliado, as frequências variaram de 4,7% no mês de agosto a 14% no mês de abril. Houve predominância de focos no ano de 2010 (41,9%), com diferença significativa entre os anos (p < 0,001). Em conclusão, sugere-se a adoção de medidas estratégicas de controle da raiva e vigilância continua das doenças nervosas no estado da Paraíba.The aim of this work was to perform a retrospective study of rabies in herbivores in the state of Paraíba, Brazil, in order to evaluate epidemiological aspects of the disease from 2004 to 2011. Data on notification of rabies cases included in the Continental Epidemiological Surveillance System (SIVCONT) were used. During the study period samples from 17,454 animals from Brazil were sent to rabies diagnosis, from which 43 (0.25%) samples from the state of Paraiba, and all of them were positive for rabies. The frequency of rabies outbreaks by county ranged from 2.3% to 11.6%. The distribution of cases ranged according to species affected, with predominance in cattle (93%), followed by horses (4.7%) and one bat (2.3%) (p < 0.001). It was observed a predominance of positive cases when the notification was made by owners (53.5%), followed by others (39.5%) and surveillance (7%) (p = 0.001). Related to occurrence of outbreaks by month in all years of the study period, the frequencies ranged from 4.7% in August to 14% in April. It was found predominance of outbreaks in 2010 (41.9%), with significant differences among years (p < 0.001). In conclusion, it is suggested the adoption of strategic measures for the control of rabies and continuous surveillance of nervous diseases in herbivores in the state of Paraíba

Soroepidemiologia da leptospirose canina na região metropolitana de Natal, estado do Rio Grande do Norte

Objetivou-se com este estudo determinar a frequência de cães soropositivos para anticorpos anti-Leptospira spp. no município de Natal e região metropolitana, estado do Rio Grande do Norte, e identificar fatores de risco associados à infecção. Foram examinadas 365 amostras de soro sanguíneo de cães atendidos na rotina de diversas clínicas veterinárias durante o período de março a novembro de 2011. O diagnóstico sorológico da leptospirose foi realizado pela técnica de soroaglutinação microscópica (SAM), utilizando-se 24 sorovares de Leptospira spp. como antígenos. Dos 365 cães, 25 foram soropositivos para pelo menos um dos sorovares de Leptospira spp., com frequência de 6,8%. Os sorovares com reações sorológicas mais frequentes foram Shermani (40%), Sentot (36%) e Copenhageni (20%). O perfil epidemiológico da leptospirose canina na região metropolitana de Natal, estado do Rio Grande do Norte, indica que a infecção ocorre com frequência baixa em comparação com outras regiões, provavelmente devido ao grande percentual de animais vacinados, bem como, sugere-se distribuição homogênea de animais soropositivos na região. Por outro lado, a presença de roedores pode ser um importante fator de risco, uma vez que sorovares mantidos por estes animais foram identificados entre os mais frequentes.The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of dogs seropositive to anti-Leptospira spp. antibodies in Natal and metropolitan area, Rio Grande do Norte state, and to identify risk factors associated with the infection. A total of 365 blood samples were collected from dogs attended at the routine of several veterinary clinics during March to November 2011. Serological diagnosis of leptospirosis was carried out using the microscopic agglutination test (MAT) with 24 Leptospira spp. serovars as antigens. Of the 365 dogs 25 were seropositive for at least one of the Leptospira spp. serovars with frequency of 6.8%. Serovars with most frequent serological reactions were Shermani (40%), Sentot (36%) and Copenhageni (20%). The epidemiological profile of canine leptospirosis in the metropolitan region of Natal, Rio Grande do Norte state, indicates that the infection occurs in a low frequency compared with other regions, probably due to high percentage of vaccinated animals, as well as it is suggested homogenous distribution of seropositive animals in the region. Moreover, presence of rodents can be a significant risk factor since serovars maintained by these animals were identified among the most frequent

Epidemiological characterization of viral agents in dairy goats in the semi-arid region of Paraíba, Northeast Brazil.

O objetivo do presente trabalho foi determinar indicadores epidemiológicos para infecções virais em caprinos leiteiros no semiárido da Paraíba. Foram determinadas as prevalências de propriedades positivas (focos) e de animais soropositivos, bem como foram identificados fatores de risco associados às infecções por Herpesvírus caprino 1 (CpHV-1), Pestivírus, vírus da Língua Azul (LA) e lentivírus de pequenos ruminantes (LVPR). No total, foram amostradas de 1.034 a 1.092 fêmeas caprinas adultas procedentes de 110 propriedades leiteiras localizadas no Munícipio de Monteiro, microrregião do Cariri Ocidental, Estado da Paraíba, no período de novembro de 2009 a agosto de 2011. Para cada doença, foi realizado o diagnóstico sorológico com técnicas consolidadas internacionalmente. Para LVPR, foi procedida a detecção direta do agente por PCR em tempo real de sangue e leite. Uma propriedade foi considerada foco quando apresentou pelo menos um animal soropositivo. As prevalências de propriedades positivas foram de 89,1%, 6,36%, 59,1% e 44,6% para as infecções por CpHV-1, Pestivírus, vírus da LA e LVPR, respectivamente. As prevalências de animais soropositivos foram de 36,6%, 0,82%, 12,1% e 8,1%, respectivamente. A utilização da monta natural foi identificada como fator de risco associado à prevalência de rebanhos positivos para CpHV-1; para Pestivírus, não realizar vermifugação e realizar corte e desinfecção de umbigo foram identificados como fatores de risco; produção diária de leite superior a 19 litros foi identificada como fator de risco para LA; para LVPR, realizar corte e desinfecção de umbigo e existência de cercas de boa qualidade foram identificados como fatores de risco, e a PCR em tempo real da série branca do sangue apresentou boa performance, com sensibilidade de 100%, especificidade de 92,86%, concordância de 93,75% e indicador Kappa de 0,765. Com base na análise de fatores de risco, foi possível a recomendação de medidas e intervenções com vistas à minimização de perdas econômicas.The aim of this survey was to determine epidemiological indicators to viral infections in dairy goats in the semiarid region of the Paraíba State. It was determined the prevalence of positive flocks (foci) and seropositive animals, as well as risk factors associated with the infections due to caprine herpersvirus 1 (CpHV-1), Pestivirus, bluetobgue virus (BTV) and small ruminants lentivirus (SRLV) were identified. From 1,034 to 1,092 dairy goats were sampled in 110 dairy flocks in the county of Monteiro, Cariri Ocidental microregion, Paraíba State, during November 2009 to August 2011. To each disease the serological diagnosis was carried-out using internationally consolidated techniques. For SRLV the direct detection of the agent was performed by real-time PCR in blood and milk. A flock was considered positive when presented at least one seropositive animal. Prevalences of positive flocks were 89.1%, 6.36%, 59.1% and 44.6% for the infections by CpHV-1, Pestivirus, BTV and SRLV, respectively. Prevalences of seropositive animals were 36.6%, 0.82%, 12.1% and 8.1%, respectively. The use of natural mating was identified as a risk factor associated with CpHV-1 flock-level prevalence; for Pestivirus, not perform vermifugation and to perform umbilical cord cutting and disinfection were identified as risk factors; daily milk production upper to 19 liters was identified as risk factor to LA; for SRLV, umbilical cord cutting and disinfection and existence of good quality fences were identified as risk factors, and real-time PCR using white blood cells had a good performance, with sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 92.86%, concordance of 93.75% and Kappa index of 0.765. Based on the risk factor analysis it was possible to recommend measures and interventions aiming the minimization of economic losses.Cape

AVALIAÇÃO DE PLANTAS MEDICINAIS EM CAPRINOS DA REGIÃO DO SEMI-ÁRIDO PARAIBANO NATURALMENTE INFECTADOS POR NEMATÓIDES GASTRINTESTINAIS

With the objective of evaluating the effectiveness, in natura, of the plants: melon of São Caetano (Momordica charantia), purgative potato (Operculina hamiltonii) and pumpkin seeds (Curcubita pepo L) on helmints infections in naturally infected goats, submitted to an original therapeutic protocol, were used 40 goats males, of Moxotó race with age varying of six and twelve months, divided in four groups and distributed in the following way: three corresponding to each treatment and a group control, where placebo was used. The administered doses were from 45g/10kg of corporal weight to the leaves of melon of São Caetano, 4,5g/10kg for crumb of the purgative potato and 19g/10kg for crumb of the pumpkin seed, for three consecutive days. In intervals of 30 days feces parasitological exams were accomplished (Gordon & Whitlock, 1938). After 30 and 60 days of treatment, a mean reduction of 63.06% and 2,70% was observed for melon of São Caetano treaty group, 63,9% and 72,32% for purgative potato treaty group and 87,31% and 24,00% for the pumpkin seed treaty group, respectively

Mosquito-transmitted viruses - the great Brazilian challenge

ABSTRACT Arboviruses pose a serious threat to public health worldwide, overloading the healthcare system and causing economic losses. These viruses form a very diverse group, and in Brazil, arboviruses belonging to the families Flaviviridae and Togaviridae are predominant. Unfortunately, the number of arboviruses increases in proportion with factors such as deforestation, poor sanitation, climate changes, and introduction of new viruses like Chikungunya virus and Zika virus. In Brazil, dengue is endemic, along with the presence of other arboviruses. The situation is complicated by the scarcity of diagnostic infrastructure and the absence of approved vaccines for these diseases. Disease control, thus, relies solely on vector control. Therefore, enhanced clinical knowledge and improved general awareness about these arboviruses are indispensable to tackle diagnostic inadequacies