The influence of serial fecal sampling on the diagnosis of giardiasis in humans, dogs, and cats

Giardia infection is a common clinical problem in humans and pets. The diagnosis of giardiasis is challenging as hosts intermittently excrete protozoan cysts in their feces. In the present study, we comparatively evaluated two methods of serial fecal sampling in humans, dogs, and cats from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Faust et al. technique was used to examine fecal specimens collected in triplicate from 133 patients (52 humans, 60 dogs, and 21 cats). Specimens from 74 patients were received from the group assigned to carry out sampling on consecutive days - 34 humans, 35 dogs, and 5 cats, and specimens from 59 patients were received from the group assigned to carry out sampling on non-consecutive, separate days - 18 human beings, 25 dogs, and 16 cats. G. duodenalis cysts were found in stools of 30 individuals. Multiple stool sampling resulted in an increase in the number of samples that were positive for Giardia in both groups. The authors therefore conclude that multiple stool sampling increases the sensitivity of the Faust et al . technique to detect G. duodenalis cysts in samples from humans, cats and dogs

Presence of Bartonella spp. in domestic cats from a state park in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Submitted by Sandra Infurna ([email protected]) on 2019-02-10T17:04:06Z No. of bitstreams: 1 elbareginaS_lemos_etal_IOC_2018.pdf: 488698 bytes, checksum: d9d816bea43126ebce0a39af3a3bc040 (MD5)Approved for entry into archive by Sandra Infurna ([email protected]) on 2019-02-10T17:12:03Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 elbareginaS_lemos_etal_IOC_2018.pdf: 488698 bytes, checksum: d9d816bea43126ebce0a39af3a3bc040 (MD5)Made available in DSpace on 2019-02-10T17:12:03Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 elbareginaS_lemos_etal_IOC_2018.pdf: 488698 bytes, checksum: d9d816bea43126ebce0a39af3a3bc040 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018Universidade Federal Fluminense. Faculdade de Veterinária. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Veterinária. Clínica e Reprodução Animal. Niterói, RJ, Brasil.Universidade Federal Fluminense. Faculdade de Veterinária. Departamento de Patologia e Clínica Veterinária. Niterói, RJ, Brasil.Universidade Federal Fluminense. Faculdade de Veterinária. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Veterinária (Clínica e Reprodução Animal). Niterói, RJ, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Laboratório de Hantaviroses e Rickettsioses. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz Mato Grosso do Sul. Campo Grande, MS, Brasil.Universidade Federal Fluminense. Faculdade de Veterinária. Departamento de Patologia e Clínica Veterinária. Niterói, RJ, Brasil

Clinical and Laboratory Profile of Dogs Seroreactive to Ehrlichiosis Treated at the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital in Niterói, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Background: Ehrlichiosis is a tick-borne disease highly prevalent in Brazil, and is relevant in canine clinical practice due to its high morbidity and mortality. Its clinical signs are nonspecific and its phases are acute, lasting 2 to 4 weeks; subclinical, i.e., asymptomatic; and chronic, resembling an autoimmune disease. The purpose of this study was to identify the occurrence of reactivity to Ehrlichia canis of bitches treated at the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital of the Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF) - Niterói, RJ, Brazil, based on serological examination by iELISA, and to compare the hematological, biochemical, urinary protein-creatinine and urinary density profiles of reactive and non-reactive animals. Materials, Methods & Results: This study involved solely bitches, regardless of breed, starting at 1 year of age. One hundred and thirty bitches, 1 to 16 year-old (mean age 7.02 ± 4.00), weighing 1.5 to 50 kg (mean weight 12.12 ± 10.65) were subjected to clinical examination and abdominal ultrasound. Complete blood count, biochemical measurements, urinalysis and serology for E. canis were also performed. The serum was used in the iELISA to identify immunoglobulin G (IgG), using a canine Ehrlichia Imunotest® diagnostic kit (Imunodot®, Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil) according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Sixty animals (46.20%) were reactive to E. canis. According to their owners, only 5 (8.3%) of the 60 seroreactive animals had a history of tick-borne disease. The most common profile was that of mixed breed animals living with their owners, older than 7 years, who had not been treated preventatively with specific drugs against ectoparasites. Laboratory tests showed significant differences between groups in terms of total protein (TP), and calcium and urinary protein-creatinine ratio (UPC). TP and UPC were elevated in the non-reactive group, while the only significant change in the reactive group was mild hypocalcemia. In this study, 30% (18/60) of the bitches were seroreactive to E. canis and had hypocalcemia. Of these, 50% (9/18) had a UPC above 0.5. Furthermore, 66.7% (12/18) of this group with hypocalcemia also showed urine density (UD) of less than 1024. Among these 18 bitches, 5 had both alterations, i.e., UPC > 0.5 and UD < 1024.Discussion: In this study, a high prevalence of bitches seroreactive to Ehrlichia canis was observed, despite the absence of clinical and/or laboratory signs indicative of the disease. In the investigation of IgG class antibodies, it is not possible to determine the exact time of infection, and titers may remain high for a period of more than 11 months, even after treatment and elimination of the bacterium. The fact that most seroreactive bitches showed no symptoms compatible with the disease either before or during the study suggests that they were in the subclinical phase of ehrlichiosis. The main reason for calcium metabolism disorders is a phosphorus imbalance, a condition that occurs in kidney diseases. Isosthenuria reflects the kidney’s inability to concentrate urine. This finding may be one of the first clinical manifestations of chronic kidney disease (CKD), especially in dogs. On the other hand, the UPC ratio may increase with the progression of CKD. The presence of hypocalcemia, isosthenuria and increased UPC associated with seroreactivity suggests that infection by E. canis may be associated with the onset of CKD. Veterinarians should keep in mind the complexity of the pathophysiology of ehrlichiosis to ensure the disease is not underdiagnosed in any of its phases, thereby ensuring the correct treatment is provided. Such awareness is expected to reduce the chronicity of the disease and underlying sequelae among dogs.Keywords: Ehrlichia canis, serology, tick, clinic, renal.Descritores: Ehrlichia canis, sorologia, carrapato, clínica, renal.Título: Perfil clínico e laboratorial de cadelas sororeativas para erliquiose tratadas em um Hospital Veterinário Universitário em Niterói, Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

Free-living Capybaras (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) in an Urban Area in Brazil - Biochemical and Hematological Parameters

Background: Capybaras have found favorable conditions for survival and reproduction in green urban environments. In recent years, the population of these large rodents has been increasingly abundant in several brazilian cities such as Uberlândia, a municipality of the southeastern region with a Cerrado biome. Capybaras are important in the Brazilian Spotted Fever epidemiological chain, by amplifying infection rates of the vector population. However, knowledge of this host´s physiology is scarce. Thus, the aim of this work was to describe hematological and biochemical parameters of free-living capybaras groups in urbanized areas in the city of Uberlândia, Minas Gerais State, Brazil.Materials, Methods & Results: Capybaras were captured in 4 different locations of Uberlândia city, Minas Gerais state, including 1 Condominium (P1), 1 Private Market Garden (P2), 1 Private Club (P3) and 1 Municipal Park (P4). The animals were baited into an octagonal iron corral and chemically contained with anesthetic darts. After sedated, blood was collected from the femoral vein in tubes with and without EDTA. Biochemical evaluation, hematological analysis with differential leukocyte counts and search for Dirofilaria sp. were done. The blood count and biochemistry values obtained from animals of different ages, sex and sectors (P1, P2, P3 and P4) were submitted to the Shapiro-Wilk normality test, considering 95% significance. Values that had a normal distribution were subjected to ANOVA tests followed by Student's t-test. Values that did not follow normality were submitted to the Kruskal-Wallis test, to obtain a P-value, with a significance level of 95%. A total of 19 capybaras were captured: 4 in P1, 6 in P2, 4 in P3 and 5 in P4. From the 19 animals, 13 were females (68.42%) and 6 were males (31.57%), 12 adults (63.15%) and 7 juveniles (36.84%). Apart from occasional skin scars and moderate to intense Ambyomma spp. tick infestations, all captured animals were healthy on a broad examination. From 5 animals captured in P4, despite the use of anticoagulant, blood from 4 animals clotted fast. No microfilariae were found in the thick drop test in any of the 19 animals sampled, and in 2 adult female capybaras captured in P1, Kurloff cells were observed. Hematological and biochemical values presented no major differences when comparing sex and age. Nevertheless, differences in liver and kidney profile were observed between the capybara groups, including ALT, alkaline phosphorus, BUN and creatinine.Discussion: Blood from 4 animals clotted fast, despite the use of EDTA tubes. Blood clotting of samples with anticoagulant in this work could be associated with some physiological features inherent to capybaras. Many attempts were required to obtain enough blood from each individual due to the rapid hemostasis, what come in accordance with reports in literature. Kurloff cells were observed in 2 adult female capybaras captured in P1, which can be found in peripheral blood of female rodents during follicular phase of estrous cycle. Hematological and biochemical values differences in liver enzymes such as ALT and alkaline phosphorus, and kidney profile enzymes including BUN and creatinine could be associated to capture stress or dietetic variation between groups. Despite statistical relevant, the values were still in accordance with other works, although comparisons should be done with caution since various environments exert a diverse array of stimulus upon the animals such as parasitic, infective, stress, nutritional, social and undoubtedly blood parameters mirror them. In conclusion, this work contributes to the standardization of free-living capybaras' physiological parameters in urban areas.Keywords: capybaras, physiological parameters, enzymatic parameters, green urban environment, capture stress, fauna, biomes.

Bioacumulação de mercúrio em quatro espécies de peixes tropicais oriundos de ecossistemas estuarinos do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

Mercury bioaccumulation was investigated in four tropical fish species (Genidens genidens, Aspistor luniscutis, Haemulon steindachneri and Micropogonias furnieri) from Ribeira Bay and Guanabara Bay (Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil). The sampling of 198 and 83 specimens was performed in the Ribera and Guanabara Bays, respectively. Total mercury content in fish muscles was determined by atomic absorption coupled to the thermodesorption technique. Biometry (weight and length) of the sampled specimens was performed in order to prepare bioaccumulation curves. Average concentrations of mercury in G. genidens revealed that this species presented higher levels at the Guanabara Bay and lower at the Ribeira Bay. In the Ribeira Bay, the highest average mercury concentration was quantified in H. steindachneri, which presented average content closer to the limit established by World Health Organization (500 ng/g) for human consumption. Besides that, at the Ribeira Bay mercury accumulation speed by G. genidens and M. furnieri was more accelerated than the other species collected in this bay. Although mercury input into Ribeira Bay is not so expressive, mercury seems to be more bioavailable than at the Guanabara Bay, where bottom sediments play an important role in the metals storage. If hydrogeochemical conditions of the Guananabara Bay are modified, mercury in the sediments may become easily bioavailable. Similarly, high inputs of mercury into Ribeira Bay would be easily assimilated by biota. The bioaccumulation curves obtained in this work will help in the prediction of mercury concentration in fish muscles, just using biometric data.A bioacumulação de mercúrio foi investigada em quatro espécies de peixes (Genidens genidens, Aspistor luniscutis, Haemulon steindachneri e Micropogonias furnieri) oriundos da Baía da Ribeira e Baía de Guanabara (Estado do Rio de Janeiro). Para tanto, foram coletadas 198 e 83 amostras de músculos de peixes da Baía da Ribeira e Baía de Guanabara, respectivamente. O teor de mercúrio nessas amostras foi determinado por absorção atômica, acoplada a um acessório de pirólise. Aspectos biométricos (biomassa e comprimento) dos espécimes coletados foram aferidos para confecção de curvas de bioacumulação. Os teores médios de mercúrio em G. genidens revelaram que, comparativamente à Baía da Ribeira, a espécie apresentou níveis maiores de mercúrio na Baía de Guanabara. Na Baía da Ribeira, dentre as espécies estudadas, as maiores concentrações de mercúrio foram encontradas para a espécie H. steindachneri, que apresentou teor médio mais próximo ao limite estabelecido pela Organização Mundial de Saúde (500 ng/g) para consumo humano. Embora o lançamento de Hg na Baía da Ribeira não seja expressivo, o mercúrio parece estar mais disponível para os peixes comparativamente à Baía de Guanabara, onde os sedimentos atuam como o compartimento ambiental receptor. Qualquer alteração das condições físico-químicas na Baía de Guanabara pode fazer com que o Hg estocado nos sedimentos superficiais seja biodisponibilizado. De modo análogo, caso haja um input maior de Hg na Baía da Ribeira, este seria rapidamente assimilado pela biota. As curvas de bioacumulação obtidas neste trabalho podem auxiliar no prognóstico da concentração de mercúrio em músculo dessas espécies de peixes ao longo do tempo somente com os dados biométricos

Assessment of Renal Functions and Lesions in Dogs with Serological Diagnosis of Canine Visceral Leishmaniasis

Background: Visceral leishmaniasis is a complex vector-borne disease caused by the protozoan Leishmania infantum. In urban centers of South America, where this zoonotic cycle occurs, dogs seem to be the main reservoirs and infection sources. Animals with canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL) may have a wide clinical spectrum, and dogs are usually classified as asymptomatic, oligosymptomatic, and symptomatic. Several organs are affected in canine CVL, and renal involvement is often a determining factor in dog prognosis. Nevertheless, serum markers are slow to indicate loss of renal function. The aim of this studywas to evaluate kidney impairment in dogs diagnosed with CVL.Material, Methods & Results: Blood and urine samples were collected from 45 dogs from Barra Mansa-RJ, and used for urinalysis, urine protein/creatinine (UPC) ratio, and serum concentrations of urea and creatinine. The animals were classified as symptomatic (42.2%), oligosymptomatic (37.8%), and asymptomatic (20.0%). Some alterations were found in the urine samples; pale-yellow color in 17.8%, low specific gravity in 6.7%, turbidity in 51.1%, proteinuria in 80%, occult blood in 46.7%, bilirubin in 8.89%, and glucose in 6.7% of the samples. According to the UPC ratio, 60% of dogs were proteinuric, and UPC > 2.0 was high in symptomatic dogs. Azotemia was observed only in three dogs with CVL.Discussion: The majority of dogs presented one or more symptoms of CVL, as expected in an endemic area from Brazil. Pale-yellow urine was observed in some samples, and this change, when accompanied by the decreased urine specific gravity in dogs with CVL, suggests some degree of kidney disease. The presence of epithelial and red blood cells, leukocytes, bacteria, suspended mucus, and phosphate crystals that precipitate in alkaline urines could be associated, to some degree, with the urine turbidity found in the present study. The alkaline urine identified in some dogs could be related to the animals’ diet, but renal tubular acidosis (RTA) is another possible cause when referring to animals with CVL. The abnormal presence of bilirubin and glycosuria can be justified by liver damage and glomerular and tubular damage, respectively. Occult blood was found in the urine of almost half of the tested dogs, which occurred because of the presence of red blood cells in the urine sediment and hematuria in some animals, could be caused by tubular and glomerular lesions. The presence of granular and hyaline casts found in the samples reinforce the possibility of tubular injury. We found different levels of proteinuria; it was an important result, possibly caused by immune complex deposition in addition to tubular disease. Most tested dogs, including animals without clinical manifestation, were classified as proteinuric or borderline proteinuric, showing that the renal disease could be the only clinical manifestation of CVL and that it could progress from slight proteinuria to end-stage renal disease, resulting in chronic renal failure, which is the main cause of death. The UPC ratio > 2.0 was significantly the more frequent finding in this study, mainly in symptomatic dogs. This result indicates a glomerular disease in these animals, reinforcing that the progression of renal disease follows the clinical progression of CVL. A few serum samples showed increased urea and creatinine levels, proving that azotemia is an uncommon finding in CVL-infected dogs. In conclusion, urinalysis helped in the early identification of renal injury in CVL-infected dogs, highlighting elements that reinforce the presence of tubular or glomerular lesions, or both, even in non-azotemic dogs. The high frequency of symptomatic dogs with UPC ratio > 2.0 suggests a relationship between the progression of renal disease and the clinical progression of CVL

Detecção e caracterização molecular de piroplasmas em cães naturalmente infectados no Sudeste do Brasil

Rangelia vitalii é um protozoário que infecta cães e foi descrito nas regiões Sul e Sudeste do Brasil. R. vitalii é filogeneticamente próxima à Babesia spp., mas dados deste misterioso parasito ainda são escassos. O objetivo deste trabalho foi detectar a presença de piroplasmas em cães naturalmente infectados no estado do Rio de Janeiro, através da amplificação do gene 18S rRNA pela PCR, clivagem com enzimas de restrição (RFLP) e caracterização genética através do sequenciamento. De 103 cães, sete (6,8%) foram positivos para Babesia spp. pela PCR. Os produtos amplificados foram digeridos por enzimas de restrição para a diferenciação das espécies de Babesia e uma amostra foi identificada como Babesia vogeli. O padrão de amplificação observado nas outras seis amostras não correspondeu ao padrão descrito para babesias que infectam cães. O sequenciamento das seis amostras confirmou ser uma espécie geneticamente idêntica a R. vitalii apresentando grande homologia (99-100%) com a sequência do sul do Brasil. Este estudo confirma a presença de Babesia vogeli e Rangelia vitalii infectando cães em Teresópolis, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.Rangelia vitalii is a protozoon described from dogs in the south and southeast regions of Brazil. It is phylogenetically related to Babesia spp. that infects dogs, but data on this enigmatic parasite is still limited. The aim of this work was to detect piroplasm species in dogs in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, by 18S rRNA gene-based PCR assay, restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and sequence analyses. Of 103 dogs examined, seven (6.8%) were positive for Babesia spp. by PCR. The amplified products were digested by restriction enzymes to differentiate the Babesia species, and one sample was identified as Babesia vogeli. The pattern observed for the other six amplification products did not match with pattern described for large Babesia infecting dogs. Sequencing analysis confirmed these six samples as R. vitalii, with high homologies (99-100%) with a sequence from south Brazil. This study confirms the presence of Babesia vogeli and Rangelia vitalii circulate in domestic dogs in Teresópolis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Molecular detection of Borrelia burgdorferi in free-living golden headed lion tamarins (Leontopithecus chrysomelas) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

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