Presence of infectious agents and co-infections in diarrheic dogs determined with a real-time polymerase chain reaction-based panel

Background: Infectious diarrhea can be caused by bacteria, viruses, or protozoan organisms, or a combination of these. The identification of co-infections in dogs is important to determine the prognosis and to plan strategies for their treatment and prophylaxis. Although many pathogens have been individually detected with real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), a comprehensive panel of agents that cause diarrhea in privately owned dogs has not yet been established. The objective of this study was to use a real-time PCR diarrhea panel to survey the frequencies of pathogens and co-infections in owned dogs attended in a veterinary hospital with and without diarrhea, as well the frequency in different countries. Feces samples were tested for canine distemper virus, canine coronavirus, canine parvovirus type 2 (CPV-2), Clostridium perfringens alpha toxin (CPA), Cryptosporidium spp., Giardia spp., and Salmonella spp. using molecular techniques.Results: In total, 104 diarrheic and 43 control dogs that were presented consecutively at a major private veterinary hospital were included in the study. Overall, 71/104 (68.3%) dogs with diarrhea were positive for at least one pathogen: a single infection in 39/71 dogs (54.9%) and co-infections in 32/71 dogs (45.1%), including 21/32 dogs (65.6%) with dual, 5/32 (15.6%) with triple, and 6/32 (18.8%) with quadruple infections. In the control group, 13/43 (30.2%) dogs were positive, all with single infections only. The most prevalent pathogens in the diarrheic dogs were CPA (40/104 dogs, 38.5%), CPV-2 (36/104 dogs, 34.6%), and Giardia spp. (14/104 dogs, 13.5%). CPV-2 was the most prevalent pathogen in the dual co-infections, associated with CPA, Cryptosporidium spp., or Giardia spp. No statistical difference (P = 0.8374) was observed in the duration of diarrhea or the number of deaths (P = 0.5722) in the presence or absence of single or co-infections.Conclusions: Diarrheic dogs showed a higher prevalence of pathogen infections than the controls. Whereas the healthy dogs had only single infections, about half the diarrheic dogs had co-infections. Therefore, multiple pathogens should be investigated in dogs presenting with diarrhea. The effects of multiple pathogens on the disease outcomes remain unclear because the rate of death and the duration of diarrhea did not seem to be affected by these factors.

Bacterial community associated with traps of the carnivorous plants Utricularia hydrocarpa and Genlisea filiformis

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Fibra de cana-de-açúcar na alimentação de leitões recém-desmamados

Pós-graduação em Zootecnia - FCAV

Beneficial effects of fermented vegetal beverages on human gastrointestinal microbial ecosystem in a simulator

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Avaliação da adição da Lactobacillus acidophilus CRL 1014 e Enterococcus faecium CRL 183 sobre a microbiota intestinal em Simulador do Ecossistema Microbiano Humano (SEMH)

Os micro-organismos probióticos são utilizados em vários produtos alimentícios ou em suplementos alimentares. Simuladores intestinais representam uma opção de realização de estudos com a microbiota intestinal. O simulador do ecossistema microbiano humano (SEMH) consiste em uma sucessão de cinco reatores conectados que representam as diferentes partes do trato gastrointestinal humano com seus respectivos valores de pH, tempo de residência e capacidade volumétrica. O SEMH foi utilizado para estudar o efeito do Enterococcus faecium CRL 183 e do Lactobacillus acidophilus CRL 1014 sobre a microbiota intestinal nativa. Inicialmente, o inóculo preparado com fezes humanas foi introduzido nos três reatores, responsáveis por simular o cólon ascendente, transverso e descendente. Após duas semanas de estabilização foi adicionado, diariamente, durante quatro semanas, E. faecium CRL 183 e L. acidophilus CRL 1014 contendo 108 UFC/mL nos três compartimentos que simulam o cólon ascendente, transverso e descendente. Após as quatro semanas de tratamento o sistema permaneceu durante duas semanas sem adição de probióticos. Durante todo o experimento, foi realizado semanalmente a composição da microbiota intestinal baseada na enumeração de bactérias aeróbias e anaeróbias totais, Enterococcus spp., Lactobacillus spp., Bifidobacterium spp., Enterobactérias e Clostridium spp. Semanalmente, também, foram realizadas análises de ácidos graxos de cadeia curta (acetato, butirato e propionato) e amônia. Através da análise microbiológica observou-se alterações significativas na composição da microbiota do SEMH no decorrer do período do experimento. Alterações significativas também foram observadas na concentração de amônia e de AGCC, podendo assim observar a influência da inoculação de probióticos na microbiota nativa e os metabólitos produzidos por ela

Desenvolvimento e validação de método analítico para a quantificação de teicoplanina injetável por turbidimetria

A teicoplanina é um complexo antibiótico glicopeptídico derivado do Actinoplanes teichomyceticus, ativo contra bactérias Gram-positivas resistentes a outros antibióticos. Seu espectro de ação é similar ao da vancomicina, sendo, porém mais ativo para Streptococcus faecalis e Clostridium difficile. Seu uso é indicado para profilaxia de endocardite, peritonite, osteomielite e para septicemia estafilocócica. No Brasil, a teicoplanina é comercializada sob a forma farmacêutica de pó liofilizado, que deve ser reconstituído antes da administração. O medicamento de referência é o Targocid®, produzido pelo laboratório Sanofi-Aventis, em duas apresentações, 66 mg/mL e 133 mg/mL. A teicoplanina, bem como a vancomicina, inibe a síntese da parede celular bacteriana, pois a molécula se liga ao precursor da parede D-alanil-D-alanina, formando um complexo, impedindo a ligação à porção terminal do peptidoglicano, que é o alvo das enzimas transglicolase e transpeptidase. Desse modo, não há incorporação de aminoácidos aos glicopeptídeos integrantes da parede celular das bactérias Gram-positivas. No estudo de validação, foram aplicados os parâmetros de linearidade, intervalo, precisão, sensibilidade, especificidade, exatidão e robustez. O método desenvolvido e validado para a quantificação de teicoplanina pó liofilizado foi: Ensaio microbiológico por turbidimetria na faixa de concentração de 20,0 a 80,0 μg/mL, utilizando o micro-organismo Staphylococcus epidermidis ATCC 12228 IAL 2150. Os parâmetros estudados para a validação do método turbidimétrico atenderam a todas as especificações para a adequada quantificação de teicoplanina na forma farmacêutica pó liofilizado

Análise higiênico-sanitária de produtos cárneos comercializados na cidade de Botucatu

Brazil is one of the largest producers of animal protein. In 2010, the production of meat (beef, pork and poultry) was estimated at 24.5 million tons and 75% was consumed in the country. The meat is a primary source of water and fat and contains between 20% and 35% protein, providing all essential amino acids and several micronutrients and vitamins. Due to the large consumption of this food, its quality is extremely important and the research of some indicators microorganism become essential in order to ensure the hygienic and sanitary quality, indicating contamination of fecal origin, with the possible presence of pathogens or to identify food spoilage. Thus, the aim of study was to determine the microbiological quality of 90 samples handled meat products and pre- prepared marketed in Botucatu city, according to the parameters required by ANVISA (RDC  12, 2001). Among the samples analyzed, all of them were negative for Staphylococcus coagulase positive and were within the limit allowed by ANVISA for the Clostridium sulfite reducer (up to 3 x 103 CFU/ g). The presence of Salmonella was confirmed in only one sample (1.1%), against to the legal parameters. About thermotolerant coliforms, 54.4% of the samples were outside the acceptable limit by law (up to 5 x 103 MPN/g). Therefore, the presence of these microorganisms indicates inadequate hygiene conditions of foodhandlers and equipment used in the, which are considered inadequate for consumption

Histórico e aspectos tecnológicos do processamento da linguiça cuiabana

This paper reports the data on the cuiabana sausage historical aspect, and from the study performed on its technical/sensory characteristics. Four formulations of cuiabana-type sausage were prepared, varying the basic raw material (bovine, chicken and swine meats). For processing these sausages, the raw meats (beef, chicken and pork) were cut into cubes and together with the other ingredients (garlic, cheese, pepper and chives) they were weighed and homogenized. The resulting mixture was refrigerated for 24 hours for intensifying the flavor. Thereafter, it was stuffed into natural casings. These prepared samples were characterized on the physical-chemical profile and on the shelf life under refrigeration for over a seven day-storage in order to assess the microbiological contamination (total coliforms and fecal thermotolerant bacteria), sulphite-reducing clostridium, Salmonella spp., coagulase-positive Staphylococcus), and pH. The sensory evaluation and statistics analysis were carried out on the different types of laboratory- processed cuiabana sausage. Introducing over time changes in the cuiabana sausages formulation are positive factors; therefore, variations in the formulations it is feasible to get a better final product than that original one, and it might be resulted from the market demand.

Performance evaluation and phylogenetic characterization of anaerobic fluidized bed reactors using ground tire and pet as support materials for biohydrogen production

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

The effect of biomass immobilization support material and bed porosity on hydrogen production in an upflow anaerobic packed-bed bioreactor

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Performance and composition of bacterial communiies in anaerobic fluidized bed reactors for hydrogen production: Effects of organic loading rate and alkalinity

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Análises microbiológicas e quantificação de proteína de soja pela metodologia isotípica (δ13C and δ15N) em hambúrgueres bovinos de marcas comerciais brasileiras

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Nitrato, nitrito e sorbato em produtos cárneos consumidos no Brasil

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Aditivos alternativos aos antibióticos promotores de crescimento no desempenho de frangos de corte sob desafio sanitário

Pós-graduação em Zootecnia - FCAV

Behavior of Staphylococcus aureus and autochthone microbiota in fresh sausages added of sodium nitrite and stored under refrigeration

Fresh sausages are cured meat products that may be contaminated with Staphylococcus aureus during the manufacturing procedure, which is frequently related with inadequate handling practices. The use of nitrite in meat products has proven efficacy against Clostridium botulinum, and studies indicate that bactericidal action against S. aureus depends on factors that are intrinsic and extrinsic to the product. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of nitrite concentration, and pH on S. aureus and psychrotrophic autochthone microbiota in fresh sausages stored at different times and temperatures. Fresh sausage were produced at nitrite concentrations 50, 150 and 200ppm and contaminated with S. aureus. The sausages were storage at refrigeration (7 and 12 degrees C) and the quantification of S. aureus and psychrotrophic microorganisms was carried out on days 0, 2, 4, 7, and 10. Results showed that nitrite concentrations and the temperatures used had minimal effect on the multiplication of S. amens and psychrotrophic autochthone microbiota. Final counts depended only on the length of storage: at the end of 10 days, counts were statistically similar in the different groups, showing that temperature and nitrite concentrations used did not control microbial growth effectively. It is suggested that the product should be stored below 7 degrees C or at freezing temperatures for greater microbiological stability.