Investigation of the possible role of Chlamydophila abortus in reproductive failures in nrazilian herds of domestic ruminants

Chlamydophila abortus (C. abortus) infection is related to reproductive failure in domestic ruminants. Although it has not been well characterized worldwide, this pathogen has already been identified in some European countries and in the USA. In Brazil, preliminary studies have shown serological evidence of C. abortus infection in herds with low antibody prevalence. Until now, the identification of C. abortus in biological samples from females presenting reproductive failures has not been described in Brazilian herds of domestic ruminants. The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence of the C. abortus in a collection of abortions from cattle (n=85), sheep (n=12), and goats (n=8), in samples of vaginal mucus from cows (n=13), sheep (n=90), and goats (n­=20), and in semen from sheep (n=10) and goats (n=5). The specimens (n=243) were evaluated using a PCR assay developed to amplify the 16S-23S rRNA intergenic space of C. abortus. A PCR assay with an internal control, which amplifies a fragment from the ND5 gene of bovine mitochondrial DNA, was used in order to evaluate the efficiency of the DNA extraction and of the PCR reaction. All biological samples (n=243) included in this study were negative for C. abortus in the PCR assay. The internal control enabled the amplification of a product from the bovine mitochondrial ND5 gene in all cattle abortion samples (n=85). Given the serological evidence indicating the presence of C. abortus infection in Brazilian herds of domestic ruminants, and considering the wide sampling evaluated, the failure to identify C. abortus in this survey suggests that the frequency of clinical signs in infected animals may be low or even absent.A infecção pela Chlamydophila abortus (C. abortus) em ruminantes domésticos está relacionada com distúrbios reprodutivos. Apesar de ainda pouco estudada em todo o mundo, a infecção já foi identificada em alguns países europeus e também nos EUA. No Brasil, estudos preliminares demonstraram evidências sorológicas da infecção em alguns rebanhos com baixa prevalência de anticorpos. Até o momento ainda não foi possível a identificação de C. abortus a partir de material biológico proveniente de fêmeas com problemas reprodutivos em rebanhos brasileiros. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a presença da C. abortus em uma coleção de abortos bovinos (n=85), ovinos (n=12) e caprinos (n=8), em amostras de muco vaginal bovino (n=13), ovino (n=90) e caprino (n=20), e em sêmen ovino (n=10) e caprino (n=5). As amostras biológicas (n=243) foram avaliadas por meio de técnica de PCR desenvolvida para a amplificação do espaço intergênico 16S-23S RNAr da C. abortus. Um controle interno da reação, que amplifica um fragmento do gene ND5 do DNA mitocondrial de bovino, foi utilizado para a avaliação da eficiência da extração e da amplificação do DNA nas amostras provenientes de abortamento bovino. Todas as amostras biológicas (n=243) incluídas nesse estudo resultaram negativas para a C. abortus na PCR. O controle interno da reação possibilitou a amplificação de um produto do gene ND5 mitocondrial bovino em todas as amostras de aborto bovino (n=85). Apesar de evidências,,sorológicas indicarem a presença da infecção por C. abortus em rebanhos de ruminantes no Brasil, e considerando o número de amostras biológicas avaliadas, a não identificação de C. abortus nesse estudo sugere que a frequência de sinais clínicos nos animais infectados pode ser baixa ou mesmo ausente.FINEPSETIFundação AraucáriaCNP

Prevalence of antibodies to Chlamydophila abortus in ovines in the Londrina area of Paraná state, Brazil

O objetivo deste trabalho foi estimar a prevalência de anticorpos anti-Chlamydophila abortus em ovinos de propriedades localizadas na região de Londrina, estado do Paraná. A prova de fixação de complemento foi realizada em 267 amostras de soro sanguíneo de ovinos adultos, provenientes de oito propriedades e foram considerados positivos os soros com títulos ? 32. Em sete (87,50%) propriedades foram detectados 19 (7,11%) animais positivos, sendo 17 com títulos de 32, um com 64 e outro com 128. Nestas propriedades, os sinais clínicos descritos foram abortamentos, natimortalidade, nascimento de crias fracas e repetição de cio. A elevada frequência de propriedades com pelo menos um animal positivo e a ocorrência de 19 (7,11%) animais positivos na prova de fixação de complemento sugerem a presença de Chlamydophila abortus nos animais das propriedades estudadas.The aim of this paper was to estimate the prevalence of antibodies to Chlamydophila abortus in ewes from the Londrina region of Paraná state. Blood samples from 267 adult ewes from eight herds were submitted to complement fixation testing. Tests were considered positive when the titers ? 32. Nineteen animals (7.11%) in 7 (87.50%) herds tested positive for antibodies against C. abortus. The titers were 32 in 17 animals and were 64 and 128 in the other two animals. The clinical signs recorded were abortion, stillbirth, weak newborns and heat repetition. The high frequency of herds with at least one positive animal and a seroprevalence of 7.11% suggest the presence of Chlamydophila abortus in the animals of studied herds

SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in dogs and cats in a highly infected area of Brazil during the pandemic

: SARS-CoV-2 was a worldwide threat during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the state of Mato Grosso had the second highest mortality rate in Brazil, with 427. 4 deaths/100,000 inhabitants. However, no large-scale study among dogs and cats in such highly infected areas of Brazil has so far been conducted. Accordingly, the present study reports on a serosurvey among dogs and cats in Cuiabá, capital of Mato Grosso from November 2020 to July 2021, where the human mortality rate was 605/100,000 at that time. Overall, 33/762 dogs (4.3%) and 4/182 cats (2.2%) were found to be seropositive for SARS-CoV-2 through ELISA, and 3/762 dogs (0.4%) and 3/182 cats (1.6%) were seropositive through the serum neutralization test. Cats presented higher seroprevalence with higher titers of neutralizing antibodies. Although N-protein based ELISA may be a good screening test, cross-reactivity with other canine coronaviruses may impair its diagnostic use among dogs

Serological evidence for Saint Louis encephalitis virus in free-ranging New World monkeys and horses within the upper Paraná River basin region, Southern Brazil

Introduction Saint Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV) primarily occurs in the Americas and produces disease predominantly in humans. This study investigated the serological presence of SLEV in nonhuman primates and horses from southern Brazil. Methods From June 2004 to December 2005, sera from 133 monkeys (Alouatta caraya, n=43; Sapajus nigritus, n=64; Sapajus cay, n=26) trap-captured at the Paraná River basin region and 23 blood samples from farm horses were obtained and used for the serological detection of a panel of 19 arboviruses. All samples were analyzed in a hemagglutination inhibition (HI) assay; positive monkey samples were confirmed in a mouse neutralization test (MNT). Additionally, all blood samples were inoculated into C6/36 cell culture for viral isolation. Results Positive seroreactivity was only observed for SLEV. A prevalence of SLEV antibodies in sera was detected in Alouatta caraya (11.6%; 5/43), Sapajus nigritus (12.5%; 8/64), and S. cay (30.8%; 8/26) monkeys with the HI assay. Of the monkeys, 2.3% (1/42) of A. caraya, 6.3% 94/64) of S. nigritus, and 15.4% (4/26) of S. cay were positive for SLEV in the MNT. Additionally, SLEV antibodies were detected by HI in 39.1% (9/23) of the horses evaluated in this study. Arboviruses were not isolated from any blood sample. Conclusions These results confirmed the presence of SLEV in nonhuman primates and horses from southern Brazil. These findings most likely represent the first detection of this virus in nonhuman primates beyond the Amazon region. The detection of SLEV in animals within a geographical region distant from the Amazon basin suggests that there may be widespread and undiagnosed dissemination of this disease in Brazil