Catfishes as prey items of Potamotrygonid stingrays in the Solimões and Negro rivers, Brazilian Amazon

In spite of the fact that catfish have rarely been reported as food items in the diets of freshwater stingrays, they are commonly observed in the stomach contents of species inhabiting the Solimões and Negro rivers in the Brazilian Amazon. The stomach contents of six rays from the Solimões River and 64 from the Negro River were analyzed, and catfishes (distributed among the families Callichthyidae, Cetopsidae, Doradidae and Loricariidae) were found in the stomach contents of four and 10 of these rays, respectively, comprising a frequency of occurrence of 20%. These data indicate a relevant participation of catfishes in the diets of potamotrygonid rays in the Amazon, and may reflect the regional diversity and abundance of Siluriformes in the region

Ocorrência de leishmaniose tegumentar em cães de área endêmica no Estado do Paraná Occurrence of cutaneous leishmaniasis in dogs of endemic area, Paraná State

Investigou-se a infecção por parasitas do complexo Leishmania braziliensis em 50 cães da cidade de Maringá, PR, onde ocorreram casos humanos de leishmaniose tegumentar americana (LTA), entre agosto e dezembro de 2006. Os casos humanos de LTA ocorreram nos anos de 2003 a 2004. Nenhum animal apresentou lesão, mas 12 (24,0%) tinham sorologia e/ou PCR positivas, e a positividade tanto da IFI como da PCR foi de 14,0%. Trinta e cinco animais eram de residências, e oito deles (22,8%) tiveram testes laboratoriais para LTA positivos. Os outros 15 eram cães errantes, sendo que quatro deles (26,7%) apresentaram PCR positiva. A presença de animais com infecção assintomática por Leishmania em área onde a LTA é endêmica pode ser um indicador do potencial de sua transmissão para o homem e uma referência para a implantação de medidas de controle e prevenção da doença.<br>The infection by Leishmania braziliensis complex was studied in 50 dogs from Maringá, PR, where American Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (ACL) in humans have been detected. Data were collected from August to December 2006 in an area in which ACL cases in humans were reported from 2003 to 2004. Indirect immunofluorescent test (IIF) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were applied. No lesions were found in the animals, although 12 (24.0%) had positive IIF and/or PCR. Positiveness was 14.0% for IIF and PCR. Lab tests showed that eight (22.8%) out of the 35 home animals were ACL positive. The other 15 animals were stray dogs, out of which four (26.7%) were PCR positive. The appearance of asymptomatic Leishmania-infected dogs in an ACL endemic area may be an indicator of ACL transmission potential for humans and a reference for the establishment of control measures and disease prevention