Submitted by Jorge Silva (jorgelmsilva@ufrrj.br) on 2017-05-03T21:15:13Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2016 - Daniel Guimar?es Ubiali.pdf: 7253233 bytes, checksum: ce10a8e3d4ef67ad93a0034844382ed3 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-05-03T21:15:13Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2016 - Daniel Guimar?es Ubiali.pdf: 7253233 bytes, checksum: ce10a8e3d4ef67ad93a0034844382ed3 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-10-26 / CAPES / For investigation of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis infection 34 buffaloes properties or ranches in Northeastern Brazil were visited for paratuberculosis diagnosis. Investigations included herd evaluations, inspection of facilities and pastures, obtainment of flock history, clinical examination of suspicious animals and collecting samples for diagnosis. Samples were obtained from 26 farms or ranches, including two slaughterhouses and a quarantine area in six states. Approximately 15,600 buffalos, including males and females of the Murrah, Mediterranean and Jafarabadi breeds as well as their crossbreeds, were evaluated for meat, dairy and mixed properties with semi-intensive or extensive regimes. For diagnostic purposes, necropsies, histopathological and immunohistochemical exams and Ziehl-Neelsen tests of fecal smears and scraped intestinal mucosa were performed. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods were applied to samples of feces, milk, mesenteric nodes and intestines. This exams allowed us to identify eigth new Johne?s disease outbreaks, which, together with those previously identified by our staff, allow us to infer that the disease is being dispersed in the Brazilian Northeast, similar to what is occurring with bovine herds in other areas of the country. The increase in the number of positive farms is a consequence of the ignorance of farmers, inadequate health management, free trade of ruminants and lack of a official control program in the country. This study alerts for risk of commercialization of dairy products for human consumption, reinforces the importance of research on paratuberculosis in Brazil and contributes to the understanding of the factors that work together to increase the number of paratuberculosis cases in the Brazilian Northeast. / Com o objetivo de identificar focos e estudar a epidemiologia e o diagn?stico da paratuberculose em b?falos na regi?o Nordeste do Brasil foram realizadas visitas e ou examinados material provenientes de 34 propriedades com suspeita cl?nica da doen?a. Obtivemos material biol?gico de sete estados da regi?o Nordeste do Brasil (Maranh?o, Cear?, Para?ba, Pernambuco, Alagoas e Bahia). Dos rebanhos foi obtido o hist?rico, realizou-se avalia??o cl?nica e inspe??o das instala??es e pastagens. Para a confirma??o do diagn?stico foi coletado material para exames laboratoriais em 26 propriedades ou cria??es de b?falos, entre estes, dois matadouros e um quarenten?rio. Foram rebanhos cujo somat?rios de b?falos era de aproximadamente 15.600 b?falos, das ra?as Murrah, Mediterr?neo, Jafarabadi e seus mesti?os, com aptid?o para corte, leite ou mista, em propriedades com regimes semi-intensivo, extensivo ou extrativista. Foram realizadas 22 necropsias e coleta de material para exames histopatol?gicos e imuno-histoqu?micos, al?m de colora??o de Ziehl-Neelsen em esfrega?os de fezes, raspados de mucosa intestinal e fragmentos de linfonodo mesent?rico e de intestino que apresentavam les?es sugestivas da doen?a. Para a realiza??o da rea??o em cadeia da polimerase (PCR) foram utilizadas amostras de fezes, leite, linfonodos mesent?ricos e intestinos. Estes exames permitiram identificar oito focos de paratuberculose, o que nos permite inferir que a doen?a est? se dispersando na regi?o Nordeste do Brasil a exemplo do que est? acontecendo em outras regi?es do pa?s com o rebanho bovino. O desconhecimento da doen?a, o manejo inadequado, o com?rcio n?o regulamentado de b?falos e a falta de um programa de controle voltado para a realidade da regi?o facilitam a dispers?o do agente e s?o fatores que contribuem para o aumento do n?mero de focos no pa?s. Os resultados desta pesquisa contribuem com a epidemiologia e o diagn?stico da doen?a em b?falos e auxilia na compreens?o dos fatores que colaboram para a ocorr?ncia crescente do n?mero de casos desta doen?a.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / This doctoral thesis involved the study of diseases in pigs, including the description of a case of granulocytic sarcoma and outbreaks of eosinophilic salt poisoning. The study of the characteristics and frequency of disease in swine population in the region covered by the Laboratório de Patologia Veterinária (LPV), Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM) was conducted through a retrospective study of all autopsy diagnoses. Five hundre and sity four with conclusive diagnoses were set apart. The pig population in the region covered by the study is predominantly family and diagnosed diseases reflect this reality. The infectious and parasitic diseases were the most prevalent [384 (68.1%)], followed, in descending order, nutritional and metabolic diseases [64 (11.,3%)], poisoning and toxi-infections [33(5,8%)] and developmental disorders [17(3.1%)]. Other changes to various etiologies, especially trauma, were cause of death in just over 11% of the protocols examined. Bacterial diseases were responsible for more than half of the causes of death or reason for euthanasia of animals studied, pointing to the influence of management, environmental and nutritional regional husbundry . The main disease diagnosed in pigs in the region covered by the study is the edema disease and along with other forms of infection by Escherichia coli is responsible for 23% of deaths of viral diseases and cancer are not major causes of death in pigs in the region studied. Nutritional hepatose and aflatoxicosis are important diseases in the region and and there cuasation are mainly linked to nutritional management. For description of eosinophilic granulocytic sarcoma, a set of techniques (cytology, histology, histochemistry and immunohistochemistry)were used and which proved to be essential for the confirmation of macroscopic tentive diagnosis. Salt poisoning is a condition recognized in pigs as far back as the first half of the last century and still remains as an important cause of mortality; the large amount of salt accumulated in the body in cases of poisoning can be demonstrated by determination of sodium ion in the liver, muscle, CSF, serum and aqueous humor, and these are acillary data to confirm the diagnosis. Pigs affected by salt poisoning have eosinopenia due to severe meningoencephalitis and infiltration of eosinophils in tissues, acute neuronal necrosis which develops into deeplaminar cortical necrosis as the clinical progresses. / Esta tese envolveu o estudo de doenças de suínos, incluindo a descrição de um sarcoma granulocítico eosinofílico e surtos de intoxicação por sal. O estudo das características e frequência das doenças na população suína na região de abrangência do Laboratório de Patologia Veterinária (LPV) da Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM) foi realizado através de um estudo retrospectivo de todos os diagnósticos de necropsias. Foram separados 564 casos com diagnósticos conclusivos. A população suína na região de abrangência do estudo é predominantemente familiar e as doenças diagnosticadas, refletem esta realidade. As doenças infecciosas e parasitárias foram as mais prevalentes [384 (68,1%)], seguidas, em ordem decrescente, das doenças metabólicas e nutricionais [64 (11,3%)], intoxicações e toxiinfecções [33 (5,8%)], e distúrbios do desenvolvimento [17 (3,1%)]. Outras alterações de diversas etiologias, sobretudo de trauma, foram causa de morte em pouco mais de 11% dos protocolos examinados. Doenças bacterianas são responsáveis por mais da metade das causas de morte ou razão para eutanásia dos suínos estudados, revelando a influência de fatores de manejo, ambientais e nutricionais do modo de vida local. A principal doença diagnosticada em suínos na região de abrangência do estudo é a doença do edema e juntamente com outras formas de infecção por Escherichia coli é responsável por 23% das mortes Doenças de etiologia viral e neoplasias não são importantes causas de morte em suínos na região estudada. Hepatose nutricional e aflatoxicose são importantes doenças da região e se devem, sobretudo, a fatores de manejo nutricional. Para descrição do sarcoma granulocítico eosinofílico, foi utilizado um conjunto de técnicas (citologia, histologia, histoquímica e imuno-histoquímica), indispensáveis para a confirmação da suspeita macroscópica. Intoxicação por sal é uma condição reconhecida em suínos desde a primeira metade do século passado e continua uma importante causa de mortalidade e a grande quantidade de sal acumulada em casos de intoxicação pode ser comprovada pelas dosagens do íon sódio no fígado, músculo, líquor, soro e humor aquoso, e esses dados servem como forma de diagnóstico. Suínos intoxicados por sal apresentam eosinopenia devido a grave infiltração de eosinófilos e a meningoencefalite eosinofílica evolui para uma necrose neuronal laminar, à medida que se desenvolve o curso clínico da doença.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-15T20:28:00Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 FranciscoCL_DISSERT.pdf: 1013967 bytes, checksum: a197e5825cf00fce85fcefac99ddcfcf (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-02-27 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Trypanosomiasis by Trypanossoma vivax is exotic disease of African origin increasingly common in Brazil, where reports of outbreaks in ruminants in the semiarid northeast are associated with high mortality, decrease in productive performance and economic losses. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical, epidemiological, production and quality of milk during natural infection by T. vivax in dairy cattle in western Rio Grande do Norte and verified the effect of infection on performance in experimentally infected dairy goats. This is the first Trypanosomiasis outbreak of T. vivax in dairy cattle herd occurred in properties located in the rural municipality of Mossoró-RN. Found 42 animals with trypomastigotes of T. vivax by smear of buffy coat in 467 cattle crossbred dairy breeds. High fever, anemia, decreased milk production, unilateral and bilateral tearing were the most frequent clinical signs. All cows with the parasite had sudden drop in milk production, and the physicochemical characteristics changed values, where the averages of lactose, fat, protein and density milk group with parasite was different from the healthy group. Influence of infection by T. vivax on the lactation curve behavior and the quality of milk in experimentally infected dairy goats was studied using 20 Saanen goats second lactation divided in two groups: the infected group, consisting of ten goats infected intravenously with approximately 1.25 x 105 trypomastigotes of T. vivax and ten animals were used as control. Milk production was measured every day for 152 days, by means of hand milking and weighing of the milk. To analyze the lactation curve parameters was used Wood model. Infected goats showed high parasitemy and hyperthermia addition to significant hematocrit reduction, serum total protein, albumin, glucose, cholesterol and increase in the urea concentration. Wood model showed that there was difference (P <0.05) to increase the rate values of milk production up to the peak, decline rate of milk production after the peak, milk production day at the peak, maximum milk production at peak and persistency of lactation in goats experimentally infected group compared goats in the control group, and physico-chemical characteristics of milk as fat, nonfat dry stratum, density and protein decreased significantly (P <0.05) in the group infected goats compared goats in the control group / A tripanossomíase por Trypanossoma vivax é uma enfermidade exótica, de origem africana, cada vez mais frequente no território brasileiro, cujos relatos de surtos em ruminantes no semiárido nordestino estão associados à alta mortalidade, diminuição no desempenho produtivo e perdas econômicas. Este trabalho buscou avaliar os aspectos clínicos, epidemiológicos, produtivos e qualidade do leite durante infecção natural por T. vivax em bovinos leiteiros na região oeste do Rio grande do Norte e verificou o efeito da infecção sobre o desempenho produtivo em cabras leiteiras experimentalmente infectadas. Trata-se do primeiro surto de Tripanossomíase por T. vivax em rebanho bovino leiteiro ocorrido em propriedades localizadas na zona rural do município de Mossoró-RN. Foram encontradas 42 tripomastigotas de T. vivax pelo esfregaço da camada leucocitária em 467 bovinos de raças mestiças leiteiras. Febre alta, anemia, queda na produção de leite, lacrimejamento uni ou bilateral foram os sinais clínicos mais frequentes. Todas as vacas parasitadas tiveram queda brusca na produção de leite, e as características físico-químicas valores alterados, onde as médias dos teores de lactose, gordura, proteína e densidade do leite do grupo parasitado se mostrou diferente dos sadios. A influência da infecção por T. vivax sobre o comportamento da curva de lactação e a qualidade do leite em cabras leiteiras experimentalmente infectadas foi estudada utilizando 20 cabras da raça Saanen de segunda lactação divididos em dois grupos experimentais: o grupo infectado, constituído por dez cabras infectadas por via intravenosa com aproximadamente 1,25 x 105 tripomastigotas de T. vivax e outros dez animais foram destinados ao grupo controle. A produção do leite foi aferida diariamente durante 152 dias, mediante ordenha manual e pesagem do leite. Para análise dos parâmetros da curva de lactação, utilizou-se o modelo Wood. As cabras infectadas apresentaram altas parasitemias e hipertermia, além de redução significativa do hematócrito e dos níveis séricos de proteína total, albumina, glicose, colesterol e aumento na concentração de ureia. O modelo Wood mostrou que ocorreu diferença (P<0,05) para os valores da taxa de acréscimo da produção de leite até o pico, taxa de declínio de produção de leite após o pico, dia de produção de leite no pico, produção máxima de leite no pico e persistência da lactação no grupo de cabras infectadas experimentalmente em relação as cabras do grupo controle, e as características físico-química do leite relacionadas aos teores de gordura, ESD, densidade e proteína diminuíram significativamente (P <0,05) nas cabras do grupo infectado em relação as cabras do grupo controle

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / Bluetongue (BT) is an infectious disease caused by bluetongue virus (BTV), which is transmitted by biting midges of the genus Culicoides, and affects domestic and wild ruminants, but its clinical manifestation is seen basically in sheep. Currently, 26 BTV serotypes are recognized worldwide. However, information about the disease in Brazil are limited, as only two BTV serotypes have been reported. Serological surveys reveal that Rio Grande do Sul (RS) has the lowest prevalence rates of infection among Brazilian states. This article describes the clinical, pathological and epidemiological aspects of 17 outbreaks of BT disease in sheep in the Central Region of RS state, Southern Brazil. Affected farms were visited for clinical examination, necropsy, sample collection and epidemiological investigation. The outbreaks were seasonal and occurred during the summer and fall. Of the 884 sheep in 17 small herds, 180 (20.4%) were affected. All ages of Texel and mixed breed sheep were affected. However, lambs (younger than one year) had higher morbidity than adult sheep. The most frequent clinical signs were anorexia, lethargy, loss of body condition, facial swelling mainly involving the lips, and greenish seromucous nasal discharge. Pulmonary edema, cardiac, skeletal muscle and esophageal striated muscle necrosis were the most prevalent findings. Erosive and ulcerative lesions in the upper gastrointestinal tract, and hemorrhage in the pulmonary artery also were common. The bluetongue virus (BTV) genome was detected by RT-PCR in blood, spleen, and lungs samples of 21 animals from 17 outbreaks. The virus involved in the outbreak 3 was isolated and shown to belong to serotype 17, for the first time reported in Brazil. Serology performed by agar gel immunodiffusion test (AGID) in 20 contact cattle showed seroconversion to BTV in 17 animals. In summary, our data support the BTV as the etiological agent of the outbreaks and indicate that the central region of RS is an area at risk for BT in sheep, a disease previously not recognized in the region. / Língua azul ou bluetongue (BT) é uma doença infecciosa causada pelo vírus da língua azul (BTV), que é transmitido por vetores hematófagos do gênero Culicoides e acomete ruminantes domésticos e selvagens, porém sua manifestação clínica é vista basicamente em ovinos. Atualmente, 26 sorotipos do BTV são conhecidos mundialmente. Entretanto, informações sobre a doença no Brasil são limitadas, com apenas dois sorotipos descritos. Pesquisas sorológicas revelam que o Rio Grande do Sul (RS) possui as menores taxas de prevalência de infecção entre os Estados brasileiros. O objetivo deste trabalho é descrever os aspectos epidemiológicos, clínicos e anatomopatológicos de 17 surtos de BT em ovinos na Região Central do RS. Para isso foram realizadas visitas às propriedades em que ocorreram os surtos para investigação epidemiológica e clínica, realização de necropsias e coleta de amostras. Os surtos foram sazonais e ocorreram durante o verão e outono. Em 17 pequenos rebanhos, de um total de 884 ovinos, 180 adoeceram (20,4%). Ovinos de todas as faixas etárias, da raça Texel e sem raça definida, foram acometidos. Entretanto, ovinos com menos de um ano de idade tiveram taxa de morbidade maior do que ovinos com um ano ou mais. Os sinais clínicos mais frequentes caracterizaram-se por anorexia, apatia, acentuada perda de peso, edema facial, envolvendo principalmente os lábios, e secreção nasal seromucosa e esverdeada. Edema pulmonar, necrose da musculatura cardíaca e esquelética e do músculo estriado do esôfago foram as lesões mais prevalentes. Erosões e úlceras no trato gastrointestinal superior e hemorragia na artéria pulmonar também foram comuns. O genoma do BTV foi detectado por meio da RT-PCR em amostras de sangue, baço e pulmão de 21 animais dos 17 surtos. O vírus envolvido no surto 3 foi isolado e pertence ao sorotipo 17, que pela primeira vez é descrito no Brasil. A sorologia foi realizada pelo método de imunodifusão em gel de ágar e demonstrou que 17 dos 20 bovinos que estavam em contato com os ovinos infectados soroconverteram ao BTV. Em síntese, nossos dados permitem concluir que o BTV é o agente causador dos surtos e indicam que a Região Central do RS é uma área de risco para a ocorrência de BT em ovinos, uma doença, até então, não reconhecida nessa região.

O trabalho foi realizado em granja com histórico de ocorrência de Circovirose Suína e Doenças Associadas - PCVAD maior que 5%. Foram utilizados 560 leitões na fase de creche (25 - 66 dias de idade) e 468 no início de crescimento (66 - 94 dias de idade), em experimento delineado em blocos ao acaso, com dois tratamentos e 9 repetições por tratamento na creche e 18 repetições no crescimento. Os tratamentos: Plasma - os leitões foram alimentados com rações contendo plasma (AP 920®) conforme segue: 6,0% na ração pré-inicial I (15 dias); 3,0% na ração pré-inicial II (13 dias); 1,5% de na ração inicial (14 dias); e 1,0% na ração de crescimento I (14 dias), seguindo-se por mais 14 dias com a mesma ração sem plasma. Controle: os leitões foram alimentados com as mesmas rações, porém sem plasma. As rações utilizadas foram formuladas para satisfazer as necessidades nutricionais dos leitões. As variáveis avaliadas: ganho de peso, consumo de ração, conversão alimentar, ocorrência da PCVAD, taxa de mortalidade pela PCVAD e anticorpos anti-PCV2. Houve diferença significativa (P<0,05) no peso dos leitões e no ganho de peso diário em todas as medidas realizadas na fase de creche. A diferença de peso no final da creche foi de 1,92 kg/leitão a mais para o Plasma. Não houve diferença estatística (P>0,05) no coeficiente de variação do peso dos leitões em todas as medidas realizadas. O consumo médio de ração com plasma foi superior (P<0,05) em todas as fases de creche. A conversão alimentar foi melhor (P=0,087) no Plasma. As idades calculadas dos leitões, para o peso ideal para venda (22 e 24 kg), indicaram que os leitões do Plasma atingiriam tais pesos 2,3 e 2,2 dias antes que os controles, respectivamente. Na fase inicial de crescimento, houve diferença significativa (P<0,05) no consumo de ração e no peso final (94 dias de idade) com uma diferença final de 2,28 kg/suíno a mais no grupo Plasma. Isso tem conseqüências importantes no manejo das granjas, permitindo um período maior de vazio sanitário. Aos 39, 52 e 66 dias de idade, houve menor freqüência (P<0,05) de leitões com sinais da PCVAD no Plasma. Verificou-se que a infecção pelo PCV2 estava disseminada nos leitões de ambos os tratamentos. Houve efeito de bloco e idade no título de anticorpos para o PCV2. No período total, o aumento nesse título foi parcial (P=0,0856) para o Plasma. Porém, aos 52 dias de idade, os leitões alimentados com plasma apresentaram aumento nesse título (P<0,05). Isso sugere que os leitões que receberam plasma apresentavam melhor capacidade de resposta imunológica ao PCV2. Os leitões tratados com plasma apresentaram: melhor ganho de peso na creche, que foi ampliado no início do crescimento, reduzindo em 2,3 dias a idade para atingir 22,0 kg; melhor capacidade de resposta imunológica ao PCV2 aos 52 dias de idade e menor manifestação de PCVAD. O aumento no ganho de peso nos leitões foi atribuído ao aumento no consumo de ração e à menor ocorrência de leitões com sinais de PCVAD. / The work was conducted in a farm with historical data, recording pigs with clinical Porcine Circovirus and Associated Diseases - PCVAD higher than 5%. In the nursery 560 pigs (25-66 days of age) and early in growing phase 468 piglets (66-94 days of age) were used in random blocks design with two treatments and 9 replicates in the nursery and 18 replicates in growing phase per treatment. Treatments: Plasma - pigs were fed plasma (AP 920®) containing diets as follows: 6% in the pre-starter I (15 days); 3% in the pre-starter II (13 days); 1.5% in the starter phase (14 days); and 1% in the growing phase (14 days), followed by 14 days with the same feed without plasma. Control: pigs were fed with the same feeds from the Plasma treatment but without plasma. Both feeds were formulated to meet the nutritional requirements of the pigs in different stages. Evaluated variables: weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion, clinical presence of PCVAD, mortality rate related with PCVAD and antibodies against PCV2. There was a significant difference (P<0.05) in the pigs weight and in the weight gain the nursery. The weight difference at the end of the nursery phase was 1.92 kg/pig grater to the plasma group. There was no statistical difference (P>0.05) in the coefficient of variation of weight in all measurements performed. The average feed intake was higher (P<0.05) on Plasma in all nursery phases. A better feed conversion was observed on Plasma (P=0.087). The calculated age of pigs to reach the ideal sale weight (22-24 kg) indicated that Plasma achieved those weights 2.3-2.2 days prior than the Control respectively. In the growing phase there was a significant difference (P<0.05) in the feed intake and final weight (94 days of age) with a final weight 2.28 kg/pig heavier for Plasma. This has important consequences in the management of a farm, allowing a longer downtime period between groups. At 39, 52 and 66 days of age, there was less frequency (P<0.05) of pigs with sings of PCVAD in the plasma fed group. It was observed that the infection by PCV2 was widely spread in both treatments pigs. There was block and age effect in the PCV2 antibody titers. There was a partial treatment effect (P=0.0856) over the PCV2 antibodies when the data was evaluated at different sampling ages. However, at 52 days of age, there was an increase in the PCV2 antibody titers (P<0.05) of pigs that received plasma. This observation suggests that plasma fed pigs had a better immune response to PCV2. The plasma fed pigs showed better weight gain in the nursery. That effect was amplified in the beginning of the growing phase, leading to a reduction in 2.3 days the age to reach 22.0 kg of body weight, better immune response to PCV2 at 52 days of age and less presence of sings of PCVAD. The increase in the weight gain was due to an increase in feed intake and lower incidence of pigs with sings of PCVAD.

The human intruder test (HIT) is a noninvasive tool widely used for assessing anxiety in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). This thesis explores the HIT procedure and applies it to a population of monkeys with a self-injurious behavioral pathology. Individual variation on this test can be used to assess anxiety and temperament. The first experiment of this thesis applied two different procedures of the HIT to 17 monkeys at UMass. Monkeys displayed little response to the intruder, and no significant differences were detected for the two procedures. To determine whether these responses were unique to the UMass monkeys, their behavior was then compared to the behavior of monkeys at three other primate facilities. UMass monkeys showed less of a reaction compared to monkeys at other facilities. They came to the front of the cage when the intruder entered the room whereas the monkeys at other facilities moved to the back and showed virtually no threats to the intruder. One possible explanation is the increased exposure to humans that UMass monkeys experience. Even though the human running the HIT was a stranger, monkeys at UMass may not perceive a new human in front of their cage to be a threat. The second experiment tested the hypothesis that monkeys with a record of self-injurious behavior (SIB) would be more anxious in response to the HIT. The cage-side version of the HIT was applied to 41 monkeys with a record of self-injurious behavior and 36 matched controls. In contrast to our prediction, SIB subjects spent significantly less time showing anxious behavior and aggressive behavior toward the intruder as well as spent more time in the front of the cage. SIB subjects showed the same range of behaviors as controls, but significantly less behavioral change overall. These data add to the evidence from experiment one that the HIT may not be a sufficient novelty test to elicit a response in monkeys who are more often exposed to different people. An alternative explanation is that SIB is associated with a depressive like syndrome based on reduced overall activity and possibly lowered affect during the stare phase.

<p>Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is an ongoing health and economic issue in the dairy and beef cattle industry. Also, there are multiple risk factors that make an animal susceptible to BRD and it's diagnosis and treatment is a challenge for producers. Four bacterial species, <em>Mannheimia haemolytica, Pasteurella multocida, Histophilus somni, </em>and<em> Mycoplasma bovis</em> have been associated with BRD mortalities. Hence, this study aims to characterize the cattle nasal microbiome as a potential additional diagnostic method to identify animals suspected to have a lung infection. Quantitative PCR and 16S rRNA gene sequencing were used to determine the bacterial load of these four bacterial pathogens in the nasal microbiome of apparently healthy (N=75) and (N=58) affected by BRD Holstein steers. We then sought to identify a value or equation that could be used to discriminate between BRD and healthy animals using a Linear Discriminant Model (LDA). Additionally, co-occurrence between commensal bacterial and BRD-pathogens were also identified. Cattle diagnosed with BRD presented lower richness, evenness and phylogenetic diversity than healthy pen-mates. Bacterial species and genera <em>Truperella pyrogenes </em>and <em>Bibersteina</em> were increased in the BRD group, and the species <em>Mycoplasma bovirhinis</em> and <em>Clostridium sensu stricto</em> increased in the healthy group. Prevalence of <em>H. somni </em>(98%)<em> </em>and <em>P. multocida </em>(97%) were the highest regardless of disease diagnosis in all the samples. Prevalence of <em>M. haemolytica </em>(81 vs. 61%) and<em> M. bovis </em>(74 vs. 50.7%) were higher in the BRD group. The bacterial density of <em>M. haemolytica</em> and<em> M. bovis </em>was also higher in the BRD group, whereas <em>Histophilus somni</em> was lower in the BRD group. Five different models were tested using LDA, and one model produced a sensitivity and specificity of 60% and 81% agreement with diagnosis based on animal symptoms. Co-occurrence analysis demonstrated that the nasal microbiome members are more likely to interact with each other than associations between BRD-pathogens and nasal microbiome members. This study offers insight into the BRD-pathogens prevalence and difference in nasal microbiome between healthy and BRD animals and provides a potential platform for future studies and potential pen-side diagnostic testing.</p>

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) costs the cattle industry millions of dollars in costs in treatment and loss every year in the United States. A significant pathogen often contributes to BRD is Bovine Herpesvirus 1 (BoHV-1), a double stranded DNA virus with the ability to establish latency in the trigeminal ganglia and neurons. Primary infection with BoHV-1 results in immunosuppression that increases the risk of secondary bacterial infection and pneumonia. Because herpesviruses infect their hosts for life and can be reactivated in times of stress, BoHV-1 can present a recurring risk of BRD. The following research aims to expand the knowledge of the genome of this costly agricultural pathogen and provide evidence of viral features that can be further explored to increase the efficiency of its control.

Equine arteritis virus (EAV) has a global impact on the equine industry being the causative agent of equine viral arteritis (EVA), a reproductive, respiratory, and systemic disease of equids. A distinctive feature of EAV infection is that it establishes long-term persistent infection in the reproductive tract of stallions and is continuously shed in the semen (carrier state). Recent studies showed that long-term persistence is associated with a specific allele of the CXCL16 gene (CXCL16S). However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the establishment and maintenance of persistent infection are yet to be determined. The studies were undertaken herein unequivocally demonstrated that the ampulla is the main EAV tissue reservoir rather than immunologically privileged tissues (i.e., testes) and that EAV has specific tropism for stromal cells and CD8+ T and CD21+ B lymphocytes but not glandular epithelium in the reproductive tract. Furthermore, persistent EAV infection is associated with a significant humoral, mucosal antibody and inflammatory response at the site of persistence, characterized by induction of high levels of neutralizing antibodies (IgG1), mucosal anti-EAV-specific IgA, IgG1, IgG3/5, and IgG4/7 with variable neutralizing efficacy; and moderate, multifocal lymphoplasmacytic ampullitis, with significant infiltration of T lymphocytes (mainly CD8+ and low numbers of FOXP3+ lymphocytes), CD21+ B lymphocytes, diverse Ig-secreting plasma cells, and Iba-1+ and CD83+ tissue macrophages/dendritic cells. Moreover, EAV long-term persistent infection is associated with a CD8+ T lymphocyte transcriptional profile with upregulation of T-cell exhaustion-related transcripts and homing chemokines/chemokine receptors (CXCL9-11/CXCR3 and CXCL16/CXCR6), orchestrated by a specific subset of transcription factors (EOMES, PRDM1, BATF, NFATC2, STAT1, IRF1, TBX21), which are associated with the presence of the susceptibility allele (CXCL16S). Finally, these studies have determined that long-term EAV persistence is associated with the downregulation of a specific seminal exosome-associated miRNA (eca-mir-128) along with an enhanced expression of CXCL16 in the reproductive tract, a putative target of eca-mir-128. These findings provide evidence that this miRNA plays a crucial role in the regulation of the CXCL16/CXCR6 axis in the reproductive tract of persistently infected stallions, a chemokine axis strongly implicated in EAV persistence. The findings presented herein suggest that complex host-pathogen interactions shape the outcome of EAV infection in the stallion and that EAV employs complex immune evasion mechanisms favoring persistence in the reproductive tract. Further studies to identify specific mechanisms mediating the modulation of the CXCL16/CXCR6 axis and viral immune evasion in the reproductive tract of the EAV long-term carrier stallion are warranted.

Thirty bovine with neoplasms of the upper digestive tract (UDT) associated to the spontaneous consumption of bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum) were studied. They were from 27 farms, localized in the municipalities of Jaguari (23) and Nova Esperança do Sul (4), Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The total bovine population in those farms was 1,090 and large amounts of bracken fern were found in the pastures. Twenty-six were cows e four were castrated males. The age ranged from 3 to 13-years-old. Most of them were 7 to 8-years-old (46,6%). Clinical signs observed in the affected animals were progressive weight loss, absence of ruminal movements, cough, dysphagia, regurgitation, halitosis, diarrhea, and bloat. Less frequent signs were selective appetite, dyspnea, and salivation. Two bovines died and 28 were euthanatized in extremis and submitted to necropsy. The main gross and microscopic findings were found in the same areas of the UDT. They were digestive papillomatosis, transforming papillomas, and squamous cell carcinomas (SCC). Twenty-nine bovines had papillomas of various sizes in several areas of the UDT. The digestive papillomatosis ranged from mild (45%), to moderate (38%), to severe (17%). Three developing phases were observed microscopically in the examined papillomas: an early growing phase, a developing phase, and a regressing phase. The regressing phase was characterized by lymphocytic infiltrates at the base of the papilloma. In 16 cases, the microscopic examination of lesions grossly resembling papillomas (although some were slightly round, with lower or ulcerated finger-like projections) revealed malignant transformation of the papillomas into SCCs. The SCCs were solitary (12/30) or multiple (18/30) and were histologicaly characterized as well, moderately, or poorly differentiated. Grouping the distribution of SCCs of larger extension in the UDT into cranial region (base of the tongue, pharynx/oropharynx, and epiglottis), medial region (esophagus), and caudal region (cardia and rumen), the distribution was cranial in 39%, middle in 16%, and caudal in 45% of the cases. By the same grouping criteria, but considering the total number of times SCCs of varied extensions were diagnosed in the cranial, middle, and caudal regions, the percentages changed to 34%, 26%, and 40%, respectively. Metastases to regional lymph nodes and other organs, like liver and lungs, were observed in 18 cases. Immunohistochemistry for cytokeratin was performed in selected sections of SCCs and metastases, showing strong positive reaction in the well and moderately differentiated SCCs, but weak positive reaction in the poorly differentiated ones. The epidemiological and histomorphological evidences showed in this study are in agreement with the observations that point out the co-carcinogesis between bovine papillomavirus type 4 infection and chemicals of bracken fern in the pathogenesis of the SCCs in the UDT of cattle. / Foram estudados 30 bovinos com neoplasias no trato alimentar superior (TAS) associadas ao consumo espontâneo de samambaia (Pteridium aquilinum) provenientes de 27 propriedades rurais, sendo 23 no município de Jaguari e quatro em Nova Esperança de Sul, Rio Grande do Sul. A população bovina total das 27 propriedades em que ocorreram os casos era de 1.090 bovinos e havia quantidade abundante de samambaia nas áreas de pastoreio dos animais. Vinte e seis bovinos eram vacas e quatro eram machos castrados. A idade variou de três a 13 anos, sendo o maior número de casos entre sete e oito anos (46,6%). Os sinais clínicos observados incluíram emagrecimento progressivo, atonia ruminal, tosse, disfagia, regurgitação, halitose, diarréia e timpanismo. Outros sinais clínicos menos freqüentes foram apetite seletivo, dispnéia e salivação. Dois bovinos tiveram morte espontânea e 28 foram submetidos à eutanásia in extremis e necropsiados. Os principais achados macroscópicos e histológicos observados nos 30 bovinos localizavam-se nos mesmos locais do TAS e consistiam de papilomas, papilomas em transformação para carcinomas de células escamosas (CCEs) e CCEs. Vinte e nove bovinos tinham papilomas de diversos tamanhos, sendo a quantidade variável entre leve (45%), moderada (38%) e acentuada (17%). Nos papilomas examinados microscopicamente, foram observadas três fases de desenvolvimento: a) fase inicial de crescimento; b) fase de desenvolvimento; e c) fase de regressão; essa última era caracterizada por infiltrados linfocitários nos eixos fibrovasculares de sustentação. Em 16 bovinos, o exame histológico de lesões macroscópicas compatíveis com papilomas, porém alguns deles apresentando-se mais arredondados, com projeções digitiformes atenuadas ou ulceradas, revelou a transformação maligna desses papilomas em CCEs. Os CCEs eram únicos (12/30) ou múltiplos (18/30) e variaram quanto ao grau de diferenciação celular entre bem diferenciados, moderadamente diferenciados ou pouco diferenciados. Quando a distribuição dos CCEs de maior extensão foi agrupada em regiões cranial (base da língua, faringe/orofaringe, epiglote), média (terços cranial, médio e caudal do esôfago) e caudal (entrada do rúmen e rúmen) do TAS, observou-se que a localização era cranial em 39% dos casos, média em 16%, e caudal em 45%. Utilizando-se esse mesmo critério de agrupamento, porém considerando o número total de vezes em que CCEs (de extensões variadas) foram diagnosticados nas regiões cranial, média e caudal, os números alteraram-se para 34%, 26% e 40%, respectivamente. Metástases de CCEs para linfonodos regionais e outros órgãos como fígado e pulmão foram observadas em 18/30 bovinos. A técnica de imunoistoquímica para citoqueratina foi realizada em cortes selecionados de CCEs e metástases, observando-se células fortemente positivas nos CCEs bem e moderadamente diferenciados, e fraca imunomarcação nos pouco diferenciados. As evidências epidemiológicas e histomorfológicas relatadas neste estudo reforçam as observações de uma estreita correlação entre a infecção pelo papilomavírus bovino tipo 4, causador da papilomatose digestiva, e a co-carcinogênese química dos princípios tóxicos da samambaia na patogênese dos CCEs do TAS de bovinos.