DETECÇÃO MOLECULAR DE HEMOPLASMAS EM BOVINOS E OVINOS EM SISTEMA DE CRIAÇÃO CONSORCIADA DO NORDESTE DO BRASIL – DADOS PRELIMINARES

Micoplasmas hemotrópicos (hemoplasmas) são microrganismos gram-negativos e que ficam aderidos aos eritrócitos de diversas espécies de mamíferos. Em pequenos ruminantes, Mycoplasma ovis, e em bovinos, Mycoplasma wenyonii e ‘Candidatus Mycoplasma haemobos’ são as espécies já descritas. Nessas espécies animais a transmissão dos hemoplasmas pode estar relacionada à infestação por carrapatos ou picadas de moscas hematófagas. A infecção por hemoplasmas pode causar anemia hemolítica aguda, porém os sinais clínicos diferem de acordo com a espécie de hemoplasma envolvido, do animal parasitado, idade e sistema de produção em que é criado. Embora a hemoplasmose tenha sido relatada causando perdas econômicas significativas na criação de ruminantes em todo o mundo, dados de hemoplasmas em sistema de criação consorciada são inexistentes. Assim, o objetivo deste estudo é determinar a prevalência de hemoplasmas em bovinos e pequenos ruminantes provenientes de um sistema de criação consorciada no nordeste do Brasil. Até o momento, um total de 15 amostras (10 ovinos e cinco bovinos) foram triadas utilizando um protocolo de PCR para o gene 16S rRNA de hemoplasmas. As amostras positivas foram submetidas a uma PCR para o gene 23S rRNA de hemoplasmas. Todas as amostras foram positivas para o gene endógeno gliceraldeído 3-fosfato desidrogenase (gapdh). Todos as amostras de ovinos foram negativas para hemoplasmas. Três de cinco (60%) bovinos foram positivos para Mycoplasma spp. O estudo envolverá a triagem das amostras por PCR em tempo real

FAUNA IXODÍDEA DE ANIMAIS SILVESTRES DO ESTADO DO PARANÁ, BRASIL – DADOS PRELIMINARES

Os carrapatos são conhecidos por parasitar uma variedade de hospedeiros domésticos e silvestres, incluindo mamíferos, aves, répteis e anfíbios. Além disso, muitos animais silvestres participam do ciclo epidemiológico de doenças transmitidas por carrapatos. Nesse sentido, o objetivo desse estudo foi identificar as espécies de carrapatos parasitando animais silvestres atendidos no Hospital Veterinário, Universidade Federal do paraná, Curitiba, Brasil. Os carrapatos foram coletados de 28 animais silvestres: uma anta (Tapirus terrestres), um cervídeo (Mazama sp.), um javali (Sus scrofa), dois bugios (Alouatta guariba), duas capivaras (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris), 9 ouriços-cacheiros (Sphiggurus villosus), quatro tamanduás-mirins (Tamandua tetradactyla), seis gambás (Didelphis spp.), um gato-mourisco (Herpailurus yagouaroundi) e um teiú (Tupinambis sp.). Ao todo, foram coletados 115 carrapatos (65 machos, 33 fêmeas e 17 ninfas): Amblyomma aureolatum (1M, 3F, 2N) em dois bugios, um gambá e um gato-mourisco; Amblyomma calcaratum (8M, 2F) em 4 tamanduás-mirins; Amblyomma dubitatum (6M, 1F, 7N) em duas capivaras e um gambá; Amblyomma fuscum (3F) em um teiú; Amblyomma longirostre (28M, 8F, 4N) e Amblyomma parkeri (4M, 3F, 3N) em nove ouriços-cacheiros; Amblyomma ovale (1F) em um javali; Amblyomma sculptum (6M, 7F) em uma anta e um javali; Haemaphysalis juxtakochi (1N) em um cervídeo e Ixodes loricatus (12M, 5F) em cinco gambás. Estudos são necessários para melhor avaliar o papel dessas espécies na epidemiologia das doenças transmitidas por carrapatos

Infection by Mycoplasma spp., feline immunodeficiency virus and feline leukemia virus in cats from an area endemic for visceral leishmaniasis

Abstract Background Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) has been increasingly recognized in cats living in areas endemic for the disease. Co-infection with Leishmania infantum and other infectious agents is well established in dogs. However, for cats, data on co-infections with L. infantum and other infectious agents are still sparse. The aim of this study was to identify the prevalence of vector-borne pathogens, Mycoplasma spp., feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline leukaemia virus (FeLV) in cats from an area endemic for VL in southeastern Brazil. Results Of the 90 cats, eight (8.9%) were infected with Mycoplasma spp., five (5.5%) were FIV- positive and one (1.1%) was FeLV-positive. Co-infection with L. infantum and at least one other infectious agent was found in 9/50 (18.0%; CI: 8.6–31.4%) cats. In Group 1 (cats infected naturally by L. infantum), 4/50 (8.0%) cats were positive for FIV, 4/50 (8%) for Mycoplasma spp. and 1/50 (2.0%) was co-infected with FeLV and Mycoplasma spp. In Group 2 (cats non-infected with L. infantum), 2/40 (5.0%) cats were infected with Mycoplasma spp. and 1/40 (2.5%) was co-infected with FIV and Mycoplasma spp. All cats were negative for Ehrlichia spp., Babesia spp. and Anaplasma platys. Conclusion A low prevalence of co-infection in Leishmania-infected and non-infected cats was found. Co-infections with Leishmania and vector-borne diseases in cats are not common in this area endemic for VL in Brazil

First report of Anaplasma marginale infection in goats, Brazil.

Anaplasma marginale, the causative agent of bovine anaplasmosis, is a tick-borne bacterium that causes significant economic losses for cattle industries and is increasingly being detected in other animal species. Rhipicephalus microplus is the main vector of this bacterium and may be found parasitizing small ruminants. In northeastern Brazil, multispecies grazing is a common family subsistence practice on smallholder farms possibly facilitating interspecies transmission of pathogens. Considering that A. marginale infection has been previously molecularly described in sheep, this study has aimed to estimate the prevalence of A. marginale and factors associated with the infection in goats from northeastern Brazil. A total of 403 goat blood samples were included in the study. An epidemiological questionnaire was applied to each farm owner addressing age, gender, presence of ticks and multispecies grazing. All samples were screened for A. marginale- and A. ovis-infection using primers targeting the Anaplasma spp. msp4 gene. The identity of A. marginale in the blood was confirmed by PCR amplification of msp5 followed by sequencing. Anaplasma spp. were differentiated by sequencing of the repeat region of the msp1α gene. For the statistical analysis the Chi-square or the Fisher's exact test was used to verify association of the individual factors (age, gender, presence of ticks, and multispecies grazing) with Anaplasma spp. infection. We report the first molecular detection of A. marginale in goats from northeastern Brazil, based on msp1α, msp4 and msp5 gene sequencing analysis. Sequencing of the detected A. marginale msp1α gene revealed the F repeat. Amblyomma parvum and R. microplus were found feeding on animals

MOLECULAR DETECTION OF RANGELIA VITALII IN A DOG FROM THE CURITIBA METROPOLITAN REGION, PARANA STATE, SOUTHERN BRAZIL

Rangeliosis, caused by Rangelia vitalii, is known to causes apathy, intermittent fever, ear’s margin bleeding and anemia. Herein, we report the first molecular detection of R. vitalii infecting a dog from the Curitiba metropolitan region, Paraná State, southern Brazil. A four-year-old male mixed-breed neighborhood dog, presenting apathy, weight loss, and ear’s margin bleeding, was referred for clinical care at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of the Universidade Federal do Paraná. Sequencing of the piroplasm positive sample showed ≥99% identity with R. vitalii 18S rDNA sequence deposited in GenBank. Further studies are needed to elucidate the pathogenicity, competence vector of ticks and epidemiology of this protozoa the State of Paraná