Resistance of Santa Ines, Suffolk and Ile de France sheep to naturally acquired gastrointestinal nematode infections

A study was conducted to assess the breed resistance against nematode infections in Santa Ines, Ile de France and Suffolk male lambs over a 9-month period in São Paulo state, Brazil. Lambs were born during the winter (year 2000) and were weaned at 2 months of age. The animals were then housed and treated with anthelmintics to eliminate natural infections by gastrointestinal nematodes. In late October 2000, lambs were placed in a paddock, where they stayed until August of the following year. Fecal and blood samples were taken from each animal every 2 weeks. on the same day, a pasture sample was collected to determine the number of infective larvae on the herbage. To prevent deaths, individual treatment with anthelmintics was provided to lambs with fecal egg counts (FEC) higher than 4000 eggs per gram (EPG) or with a packed cell volume (PCV) lower than 21%. In August 2001, all animals were slaughtered and the worms present in samples of the gastrointestinal contents were identified and counted. Most of the Suffolk and Ile de France sheep received three to six anthelmintic treatments over a period of 7 months, while most of the Santa Ines were not treated. Reductions in PCV and plasma protein values associated with high FEC and worm burdens were recorded, particularly, in Suffolk and Ile de France lambs. Haemonchus contortus and Oesophagostomum columbianum burdens and number of nodular lesions caused in the large intestine by O. columbianum larvae were significantly lower in Santa Ines sheep. All three breeds showed similar Trichostrongylus colubriformis worm burdens. The relative resistance of Santa Ines young male sheep was superior to that of Suffolk and Ile de France sheep. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Parasitological characteristics and tissue response in the abomasum of sheep infected with Haemonchus spp.

Realizou-se um estudo histopatológico da mucosa do abomaso de 40 cordeiros da raça Corriedale, expostos à infecção natural por Haemonchus spp. Os cordeiros foram colocados em pastagens contaminadas por 14 dias e após 28 dias de estabulação foram necropsiados. Por ocasião da necropsia, foram colhidas amostras de fezes para a realização da contagem de ovos por grama de fezes (OPG) e amostras do abomaso para exame histopatológico e contagem do número de eosinófilos, mastócitos e leucócitos globulares. O número de Haemonchus spp. presente no abomaso foi estimado a partir de uma alíquota de 10% do conteúdo. O número de ovos por fêmea foi estimado em 10 fêmeas de Haemonchus spp. colhidas de cada animal. Coeficientes de correlação significativos entre as características analisadas foram: número de Haemonchus e contagem de OPG (r = 0,86); comprimento de fêmeas e número de ovos por fêmea (r = 0,60); comprimento de fêmeas e contagem de OPG (r = 0,53); número de eosinófilos e número de Haemonchus (r = 0,48); número de eosinófilos e número de leucócitos globulares (r = 0,54); número de mastócitos e comprimento de fêmeas (r = -0,39) e número de mastócitos e número de leucócitos globulares (r = 0,34). Das características analisadas a que apresentou maior correlação com a carga parasitária dos animais foi a contagem de OPG.

Parasitism by Oestrus ovis: Influence of sheep breed and nematode infections

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

Multiple resistance to anthelmintics by Haemonchus contortus and Trichostrongylus colubriformis in sheep in Brazil

The objective of this study was to determine the level of resistance of Haemonchus contortus and Trichostrongylus colubriformis in sheep to levamisole albendazole ivermectin moxidectin closantel and trichlorfon The parasites were isolated from sheep naturally infected by gastrointestinal nematodes and were then kept in monospecifically infected lambs for production of infective larvae (L3) of both species Forty-two lambs at three months of age were simultaneously artificially infected with 4000 L3 of H contortus and 4000 L3 of T colubriformis The animals were allocated Into seven groups with six animals each that received one of the following treatments Group 1-control no treatment Group 2-moxidectin (0 2 mg/kg body weight (BW)) Group 3-closantel (10 mg/kg BW) Group 4-trichlorfon (100 mg/kg BW) Group 5-levamisole phosphate (4 7 mg/kg BW) Group 6-albendazole (5 0 mg/kg BW) and Group 7-ivermectin (0 2 mg/kg BW) Nematode fecal egg counts (FEC) were carried out on the day of treatment and again at 3 7 10 and 14 days post-treatment on the same occasions composite fecal cultures were prepared for each group for production of L3 which were identified into genus The animals were sacrificed for worm counts at 14 days after treatment The efficacy of each treatment was calculated from the arithmetic mean of the FEC or worm burden of the treated group compared with the values of the control group Only trichlorfon and moxidectin treatments resulted in a significant reduction of H contortus recorded at necropsy (73% and 45% respectively) Moxidectin reduced T colubriformis worm burdens by 82% and albendazole by 19% All other anthelmintics resulted in no significant reduction in the numbers of worms found at necropsy In conclusion the Isolates of H contortus and T colubriformis showed multiple resistance to all groups of anthelmintics tested This is the first report based on the controlled efficacy test to show resistance of T colubriformis to macrocyclic lactones in Brazil (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Immune responses in sheep naturally infected with Oestrus ovis (Diptera: Oestridae) and gastrointestinal nematodes

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

Efficacy of Duddingtonia flagrans and Arthrobotrys robusta in controlling sheep parasitic gastroenteritis

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Density and rheological parameters of goat milk

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

Antigenic typing of brazilian rabies virus samples isolated from animals and humans, 1989-2000

Amostras de vírus rábico isoladas de animais e humanos no período de 1989 a 2000 foram tipificadas antigenicamente com a utilização de um painel de anticorpos monoclonais contra a nucleoproteína viral, pré-estabelecido para o estudo da epidemiologia molecular do vírus rábico isolado nas Américas. As amostras testadas foram isoladas no laboratório de diagnóstico do Instituto Pasteur e outros centros de diagnóstico de raiva no Brasil. Além das cepas de vírus rábico fixo CVS-31/96-IP, mantida em cérebro de camundongos e a PV-BHK/97, mantida em cultura de células, cepas de vírus rábico isoladas de cães, gatos, bovinos, eqüinos, morcegos, ovinos, caprino, suínos, raposa, sagüí, coatí, guaxinim e humanos, totalizaram 330 amostras. Seis variantes antigênicas foram definidas, compatíveis com perfís observados no painel de anticorpos monoclonais pré-estabelecido utilizado, as de número 2 (cão), 3 (Desmodus rotundus), 4 (Tadarida brasiliensis), 5 (Vampiro da Venezuela), 6 (Lasiurus cinereus) e Lab (reagente a todos os anticorpos utilizados), além de outros seis perfís desconhecidos, não compatíveis com aqueles observados no painel utilizado. A maior variabilidade foi observada entre as amostras isoladas de morcegos insetívoros e a variante mais comum isolada entre as espécies foi a variante 3 (Desmodus rotundus). Estes fatos podem representar a existência de múltiplos ciclos de transmissão independentes, envolvendo diferentes espécies de morcegos.

Structure and genetic relationships between Brazilian naturalized and exotic purebred goat domestic goat (Capra hircus) breeds based on microsatellites

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

Response of Corriedale and Crioula Lanada sheep to artificial primary infection with Haemonchus contortus

Clinical, parasitological and biochemical parameters were evaluated in Corriedale and Crioula Lanada sheep after a single experimental infection with Haemonchus contortus. Ten 4-month-old worm-free lambs, of each breed, were infected with 200 L-3 H. contortus per kg live weight,and four uninfected animals of each breed were used as controls. Every week, the animals were weighed and blood and faecal samples were collected for measurement of packed cell volume (PCV), total serum protein (TSP) and albumin (ALB), and the number of eggs per gram of faeces (EPG), respectively. Twelve weeks after infection, the animals were slaughtered. The worm burden was determined and samples of the abomasal mucosa were processed for determination of the number of eosinophils, mast cells and globule leukocytes. No significant differences in PCV, TSP, ALB, parasite burden or the cell populations of the abomasal mucosa were observed between breeds, but Crioula lambs had a lower EPG count. The comparison of the infected groups with their respective controls revealed significant alterations in PCV, TSP and ALB in the Corriedale lambs and in PCV, TSP, ALB and the density of eosinophils and mast cells in the Crioula lambs.

Brain and lung cryptococcoma and concurrent corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis infection in a goat: a case report

A four-year-old male goat with a history of neurological disorder was euthanized. It presented uncommon nodules in the brain and lungs associated with multiple abscesses, predominantly in the spleen and liver. Histological examination of brain and lung sections revealed yeast forms confirmed to be Cryptococcus gattii after a combination of isolation and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) procedures. Moreover, Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis infection was diagnosed by PCR of samples from the lung, spleen and liver. The present report highlights the rare concurrent infection of C. gatti and C. pseudotuberculosis in an adult goat from São Paulo state, Brazil, and indicates the necessity of surveillance in the treatment of goats with atypical pulmonary infections associated with neurological disorders.