Influence of canine brain decomposition on laboratory diagnosis of rabies.

Canine brains infected with rabies virus were submitted to decomposition by being left at room temperature of 25 to 29 degrees C for up to 168 h. At 24 h intervals, brain fragments were analyzed by immunofluorescence (IF) and by the mouse intracerebral inoculation (MI) test to confirm the diagnosis of rabies and to measure the putrefaction effect on the accuracy of the diagnosis. Forty eight h after the beginning of the experiment, the MI test showed signs of impairment with four negative results, while after 72 h, 100% of the results were negative to the MI test and only one result was negative to the IF test, indicating that the threshold period for accurate diagnosis is 24 to 48 h before putrefaction. The authors recommend the shipment of suspected cases of rabies to the laboratory for confirmation, but the use of putrid materials for diagnosis is meaningless because of false-negative results.

Fungus-growing ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) on Santa Catarina Island, Brazil: patterns of occurrence

A taxonomic survey on fungus-growing ants (Attini) was made at 14 beaches on Santa Catarina Island (SC), Brazil. The samplings were manual, in soil or litterfall, in the following habitats: sandy beach, herbaceous vegetation and shrubby vegetation. From 12 species of Attini (ten of Acromyrmex Mayr and two of Cyphomyrmex Mayr), the most frequent were Cyphomyrmex morschi Emery and Acromyrmex crassispinus Forel, collected, respectively, on eight and ten of the monitored beaches. Altogether, Sorensen's similarity coefficients were high (range: 0.59-0.80), in spite of the lower numbers of ant species on sandy beaches.

Ações de vigilância continuada, papel do cão como animal sentinela para toxoplasmose.

Toxoplasmosis is a worldwide zoonosis caused by Toxoplasma gondii and its definitive host is the domestic and wild felids infecting human beings and other warmblooded animals. Dogs are considered a potential risk on the transmission due they can mechanically transmit oocysts to man. In this study, a retrospective analysis of toxoplasmic infection in dog serum samples sent to Serviço de Diagnóstico de Zoonoses/FMVZ-UNESP/Botucatu, SP, in the period of 1998 to 2007 was performed. During this period 1097 serum samples were analyzed by the indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT), with 299 (27.25%) positive. The most frequent titer was 16 (42.80%), followed by 64 (37.79%). The results indicate that T.gondii is distributed in the environment showing the role of the dog as sentinel animal to toxoplasmosis to monitor public health actions to the control of this zoonosis.

Feline cholangitis/ chonlangiohepatitis complex secondary to Platynosomum fastosum infection in a cat.

Platynosomiasis has been associated with cholangitis/cholangiohepatitis complex in domestic cats. Despite being typically asymptomatic, some individuals may develop severe disease resulting in hepatic cirrhosis. Definitive diagnosis by means of parasite eggs direct visualization is not always possible and complementary tests should be associated. This paper reports a case of a three-year-old female cat with anorexia and jaundice. Ultrasound and biochemistry laboratory findings as well as liver biopsy were not conclusive. Definitive diagnosis of intense Platynosomum fastosum infestation was only possible through direct examination of biliary fluid at necropsy, stressing the importance of including platynosomiasis, commonly an underdiagnosed disease, among differential diagnoses of feline liver diseases.

Use of reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in molecular screening of Newcastle disease virus in poultry and free-living bird populations

The aim of this study was to evaluate a simple molecular method of reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to differentiate Newcastle disease virus strains according to their pathogenicity, in order to use it in molecular screening of Newcastle disease virus in poultry and free-living bird populations. Specific primers were developed to differentiate LaSota-LS-(vaccine strain) and Sao Joao do Meriti-SJM-strain (highly pathogenic strain). Chickens and pigeons were experimentally vaccinated/infected for an in vivo study to determine virus shedding in feces. Validation of sensitivity and specificity of the primers (SJM and LS) by experimental models used in the present study and results obtained in the molecular analysis of the primers by BLAST made it possible to generalize results. The development of primers that differentiate the level of pathogenicity of NDV stains is very important, mainly in countries where real-time RT-PCR is still not used as a routine test. These primers were able to determine the presence of the agent and to differentiate it according to its pathogenicity. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

Clinical and molecular study of a new form of hereditary myotonia in Murrah water buffalo

Hereditary myotonia caused by mutations in CLCN1 has been previously described in humans, goats, dogs, mice and horses. The goal of this study was to characterize the clinical, morphological and genetic features of hereditary myotonia in Murrah buffalo. Clinical and laboratory evaluations were performed on affected and normal animals. CLCN1 cDNA and the relevant genomic region from normal and affected animals were sequenced. The affected animals exhibited muscle hypertrophy and stiffness. Myotonic discharges were observed during EMG, and dystrophic changes were not present in skeletal muscle biopsies; the last 43 nucleotides of exon-3 of the CLCN1 mRNA were deleted. Cloning of the genomic fragment revealed that the exclusion of this exonic sequence was caused by aberrant splicing, which was associated with the presence of a synonymous SNP in exon-3 (c.396C>T). The mutant allele triggered the efficient use of an ectopic 5' splice donor site located at nucleotides 90-91 of exon-3. The predicted impact of this aberrant splicing event is the alteration of the CLCN1 translational reading frame, which results in the incorporation of 24 unrelated amino acids followed by a premature stop codon. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Epidemiologia molecular de rotavírus em rebanhos bovinos no estado de São Paulo no período de 2006 a 2010

Pós-graduação em Medicina Veterinária - FCAV

Effects of hypertension on maternal adaptations to pregnancy: experimental study on spontaneously hypertensive rats

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Avaliação das silagens de capim-elefante aditivadas com nabo forrageiro, pinhão manso e tremoço, pela técnica de produção de gases

Objetivou-se, na condução deste trabalho, a avaliação das silagens de capim-elefante aditivadas com tortas de nabo forrageiro, pinhão manso e tremoço pela técnica de produção de gás. O experimento foi desenvolvido no Laboratório de Nutrição Animal do Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura da Universidade de São Paulo (LANA/CENA/USP). Como doadores de líquido de rúmen, foram utilizados 2 ovinos da raça Santa Inês, machos, adultos, castrados e providos de cânula ruminal permanente. A alimentação dos animais doadores foi constituída de forragem de gramínea cultivada e uma suplementação, ao final do dia, com feno de Tifton, concentrado comercial e sal mineral à vontade. Os substratos foram secos a 60ºC, moídos em moinho do tipo Willey, provido de peneira com perfurações de 2 mm. Os gases produzidos durante os diferentes períodos de fermentação (0, 4, 8, 12, 24, 36, 48, 72 e 96 h) foram medidos com um transducer - medidor de pressão.O experimento foi instalado segundo um delineamento de blocos ao acaso em que os tratamentos foram arranjados em um esquema de parcelas subdivididas no tempo. Os maiores valores de produção de gás observados para os tratamentos em que adicionou-se torta de tremoço quando comparados com as outras tortas, decorreu do fato da torta de tremoço apresentar menor teor de fibras, propiciando assim, uma maior fermentação ruminal e, consequentemente, maior produção de gás em relação a outros alimentos com maior proporção de carboidratos estruturais (parede celular).As taxas de degradação da fração solúvel da matéria seca foi menor para NF 8% e PM 11% em relação às outras silagens estudadas. Foram encontradas diferenças significativas para as TNF, TPM e TT, nos diferentes níveis, em relação ao volume de gases em 96 h de incubação (P<0,05). As silagens contendo torta de tremoço apresentaram maior produção de gases quando comparadas Às outras tortas. em todos os tratamentos, exceto naqueles em que adicionou-se TT, houve diminuição (P<0,05) nos valores médios de degradabilidade da matéria seca às 96 horas, à medida que aumentou-se o nível de inclusão das tortas. As silagens de capim-elefante adicionadas de tortas de nabo forrageiro ou tremoço, nos diferentes níveis, apresentaram maiores taxas de degradação e maiores produções de gases que as adicionadas de torta de pinhão manso.