Detection of brucella ovis in ovine from Paraíba state, in the northeast region of Brazil

To determine the presence of Brucella ovis in ovine from Paraíba State, in the Northeast region of Brazil, 80 animals slaughtered in the public slaughterhouse of Patos city were used. Before slaughter, blood samples were collected by jugular venopuncture from each animal, and after slaughter, testicles, epidydimus and uterus were aseptically collected. For the serological diagnosis of B. ovis and B. abortus infections, the agar gel immunodiffusion (AGID) and Rose Bengal (RBT) tests were carried out, respectively. In addition, microbiological culture and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were performed on testicle, epidydimus and uterus samples. Six animals (7.5 percent) tested positive for the presence of B. ovis antibodies and all animals tested negative for the presence of B. abortus antibodies. One AGID-positive animal tested positive at uterine swab culture. PCR was able to amplify DNA of Brucella spp. from the pool of testicle, epidydimus and uterus samples from AGID-positive animals. This is the first report of isolation and detection of B. ovis DNA by PCR in ovine from the Northeast region of Brazil.

Estabelecimento da leptospirose por infecção experimental em hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) com leptospira interrogans sorovar canicola, estirpe LO4, por exposição cutânea integra e com abrasões / Development of the leptospirosis by experimental infection in hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) with leptospira interrogans serovar canicola, strain LO4, by intact and scratched skin exposures

O estabelecimento e a evolução da leptospirose em hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) pela infecção experimental com Leptospira interrogans sorovar Canicola, estirpe LO4, pela exposição cutânea íntegra e escarificada, tendo como controle a via intraperitoneal foram avaliados. Foram utilizados 120 hamsters, fêmeas, distribuídas em dois grupos de acordo com a via de inoculação (pele escarificada e pele íntegra). O inóculo infeccioso foi constituído por uma cultura pura de L. interrogans sorovar Canicola (estirpe LO4), isolada do fígado de um suíno de abatedouro em Londrina, Estado do Paraná e tipificada pela técnica de adsorção de aglutininas com o kit de anticorpos monoclonais no Royal Tropical Institute, Amsterdã, Holanda. Os animais foram observados duas vezes ao dia, durante 21 dias. Os animais que vieram a óbito foram necropsiados e colhidos assepticamente rins, fígado, sistema genital (útero e ovário) e cérebro. Os animais sobreviventes foram eutanasiados após 21 dias. Foram ainda colhidas amostras de soro sanguíneo por punção cardíaca para a pesquisa de aglutininas antileptospiras nos animais sobreviventes, pela técnica de soroaglutinação microscópica (SAM). Para a detecção de leptospiras, foram utilizados microscopia direta a fresco e cultivo microbiológico. A via cutânea escarificada induziu maior letalidade quando comparada com a pele integra, com estabelecimento e evolução da leptospirose. Por outro lado, a via cutânea íntegra induziu mais frequentemente o estado de portador renal e/ou genital para leptospirose. A estirpe LO4 apresentou baixo poder imunogênico, induzindo soroconversão na SAM em apenas um animal.

The establishment and evolution of leptospirosis in hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) by experimental infection with Leptospira interrogans serovar Canicola, LO4 strain, by intact and scratched skin exposures, having as control the intraperitoneal route, were evaluated. Hundred-twenty female hamsters distributed in two groups according to inoculation route (intact and scratched skin) were used. Infectious inoculum was constituted by a pure culture of L. interrogans serovar Canicola (strain LO4), isolated from liver from a slaughtered swine in Londrina, Paraná state and typified by agglutinins adsortion technique with monoclonal antibody kit at the Royal Tropical Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The animals were observed twice a day during 21 days. Animals that died were necropsied and kidneys, liver, genital tract (uterus and ovaries) and brain were aseptically collected. On the 21st post-inoculation day, surviving animals were euthanized. In these animals, serum samples were also collected by cardiac puncture to antileptospires agglutinins research using microscopic agglutination test (MAT). Fresh direct microscopy and microbiological culture were used for the detection of leptospires. Scratched skin route induced larger lethality when compared to intact skin route, with establishment and evolution of leptospirosis. On the other hand, intact skin route induced renal and/or genital carrier state more frequently. LO4 strain presented low immunogenic power, characterized by soroconversion at the MAT in only one inoculated animal.