Anticorpos para Leptospira spp., Toxoplasma gondii e Neospora caninum em cães errantes albergados em canil privado / Antibodies to Leptospira spp., Toxoplasma gondii, and Neospora caninum in mongrel dogs kept in private kennel

The serological profile of 300 mongrel dogs of various ages and gender were investigated. Animals were captured in the streets and afterwards directed to a private kennel in Avaré city (SP) to search for leptospirosis, toxoplasmosis, and neosporosis. Blood samples were obtained from jugular or cephalic vein for the obtention of sera. The microscopic agglutination test (MAT) was used to leptospirosis. MAT detect the prevalence of 9.3%. The most frequent reactant serovars were Bratislava (35.7%), Cynopteri (17.9%), Autumnalis (14.3%), and Copenhageni (10.7%), besides 7.1% to others serovars: Icterohaemorrhagiae, Canicola, and Hardjo. The modified agglutination test used for the diagnosis of toxoplasmosis showed 26% of positive animals, with titers varying from 16 to 256, with 16 in 3.3%, 64 in 13.7%, and 256 in 9% of the samples. To canine neosporosis, it was used the indirect fluorescent antibody test, and two animals (0.7%) demonstrated antibodies with titers 25 and 100. The results show the participation of the animals in the epidemiological chain of the researched diseases.

Leptospira spp. antibodies in captive coatis (Nasua nasua Storr, 1780) (Carnivora: Procyonidae)

Leptospirosis is a worldwide infection that affects many species, including wild animals. The present study aimed to detect Leptospira spp. antibodies in 17 captive coatis (Nasua nasua) by the microscopic agglutination test (MAT). Nine (52.94 percent) animals tested positive and the following serovars were identified: Copenhageni (22.22 percent), Shermani (22.22 percent), Andamana (11.11 percent), Wolfii (11.11 percent) and Pyrogenes (11.11 percent). Two samples presented coagglutination, one (11.11 percent) for Hebdomadis and Wolfii, and another (11.11 percent) for Hebdomadis, Hardjo and Wolfii. The current study revealed the presence of the infection even in animals without any clinical signs, reinforcing the possibility that wild animals in captivity may be infected by leptospire serovars, thus enabling reservoirs.

American visceral leishmaniasis: a case report

Visceral leishmaniasis is a zoonotic disease caused by parasites of the Leishmania genus. Dog is the major source of infection to man, especially in urban areas. The authors report a case of visceral leishmaniasis in a pit bull female dog from Bocaina, São Paulo, Brazil. The animal presented clinical signs compatible with leishmaniasis, including skin lesions in the body and partial damage of the external ears. The indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) demonstrated a titer of 1280, and promastigote forms of Leishmania sp were isolated by the culture of bone marrow puncture. Cytological analysis of the lymph node and smear of the bone marrow puncture revealed macrophages containing amastigote forms of Leishmania sp in their inner region. The test of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) utilized the primers LINR4 and LIN19, which amplify 720 base pairs, specific for Leishmania sp. The authors discuss the importance of techniques for a quick and precise diagnosis to this serious zoonosis with great impact in animal and public health

Memory consolidation of a habituation task: role of n-methyl-D-aspartate, cholinergic muscarinic and gaba-a receptors in different brain regions

The immediate post-training microinjection of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist amino-5-phosphonopenmtaanoic acid (5 ug) or of scopolamine, the cholinergic muscarinic antagonist (2 ug), into the dorsal hippocampus of rats caused retrograde amnesia for habituation to a novel environment, as measured by the number of rearings and crossings performed in a test session. In contrast, picrotoxin (0.08 ug), the indirect GABA-A antagonist, caused retrograde memory facilitation. Receptor agonist administered into the hippocampus had effects opposite to those of the respective antagonists: glutamate (5 ug) and oxotremorine (2 ug) enhanced memory and muscimol (0.03 ug) was amnestic. Aminophosphonopentanoic acid, scopolamine and picrotoxin had no effect when injected into the amygdala mor medial septum. Our result contrasted with the recent report of an inhibitory avoidance task in which these drugs, at the doses used here, were effective when injected post-training into any of the three structures. These findings suggest that similar neurotransmitter mechanisms operate in different brain regions in order to regulate memory consolidation processes; however, there is a specialization of these brain regions in relation to different types or components of memory