Use of eugenol for anesthesia of lesser guitarfish Zapteryx brevirostris (Rhinobatidae) / Uso de eugenol para anestesia de raia-viola Zapteryx brevirostris (Rhinobatidae)

Abstract Anesthesia can be utilized as a non-lethal procedure to allow easy handling of teleosts and elasmobranchs in captivity or in the wild. For this, anesthetic protocols need to be established according to the species. The aim of this study was to determine the ideal concentration of eugenol for anesthesia of Zapteryx brevirostris. Four concentrations were tested: 21.25, 42.50, 85.00 and 170.00 mg L-1 (ratio of 1:5 with absolute ethanol). The perfect concentration of eugenol for this species was 85.0 mg L-1 , which enabled up to 300 seconds of work on the fish, without any response to handling.

Resumo A anestesia pode ser utilizada como um procedimento não letal que facilita o manejo de teleósteos e elasmobrânquios de cativeiro e de vida livre. Para isso, protocolos anestésicos devem ser estabelecidos de acordo com a espécie. O objetivo deste trabalho foi determinar a concentração ideal do eugenol para anestesiar Zapteryx brevirostris. Foram testadas as concentrações de 21,25; 42,50; 85,00 e 170,00 mg L-1 (1:5 de álcool absoluto). A concentração de 85,0 mg L-1 de eugenol foi a mais adequada para a espécie, permitindo uma janela de trabalho de até trezentos segundos com o animal não respondendo ao manejo.

Use of eugenol for anesthesia of lesser guitarfish Zapteryx brevirostris (Rhinobatidae).

Anesthesia can be utilized as a non-lethal procedure to allow easy handling of teleosts and elasmobranchs in captivity or in the wild. For this, anesthetic protocols need to be established according to the species. The aim of this study was to determine the ideal concentration of eugenol for anesthesia of Zapteryx brevirostris. Four concentrations were tested: 21.25, 42.50, 85.00 and 170.00 mg L-1 (ratio of 1:5 with absolute ethanol). The perfect concentration of eugenol for this species was 85.0 mg L-1 , which enabled up to 300 seconds of work on the fish, without any response to handling.

Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in domestic and wild animals from the Fernando de Noronha, Brazil.

Fernando de Noronha is an archipelago of 21 islands and islets in the Atlantic Ocean, state of Pernambuco, Brazil, which has a varied biodiversity including alien species or sinantropic animals. The objective here was to determine the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in domestic and wild animals from Fernando de Noronha archipelago, Brazil. Between July 2007 and May 2010, blood samples were collected from 764 animals (533 domestic and 231 wild animals). Sera were tested by the indirect fluorescence antibody test (IFAT) or the modified agglutination test (MAT), or by both. Antibodies to T. gondii were found in 80 (80.0%) of 100 chickens ( Gallus domesticus ), 3 (3.0%) of 100 cattle ( Bos taurus ), 59 (60.8%) of 97 sheep ( Ovis aries ), 9 (81.8%) of 11 goats ( Capra hircus ), 7 (43.7%) of 16 horses ( Equus caballus ), 70 (59.3%) of 118 cats ( Felis catus ), 36 (39.6%) of 91 dogs ( Canis familiaris ), 13 (38.2%) of 34 black rats ( Rattus rattus ), and 157 (79.7%) of 197 cattle egrets ( Bubulcus ibis ). Results indicate endemic infection by this zoonotic parasite among the animal and avian fauna in this archipelago from Brazil.

New Toxoplasma gondii genotypes isolated from free-range chickens from the Fernando de Noronha, Brazil: unexpected findings.

Worldwide comparison of Toxoplasma gondii isolates from free-range chickens ( Gallus domesticus ) has indicated that T. gondii isolates from Brazil are phenotypically and genetically different from isolates from other countries; most strains from Brazil are pathogenic to mice, there is great genetic variability, most isolates are nonclonal, and Type II is absent or rare. The prevalence of T. gondii in 50 free-range chickens from the island of Fernando de Noronha, Brazil (this island is 350 km from the mainland) was determined. Antibodies to T. gondii were assayed by the modified agglutination test (MAT); 42 (84%) chickens had titers of 1ratio5 in 2, 1ratio10 in 4, 1ratio20 in 3, 1ratio40 in 6, 1ratio80 in 6, 1ratio160 in 5, 1ratio320 in 3, and 1ratio640 or higher in 13 chickens. Hearts of 40 seropositive chickens were bioassayed individually in mice. Toxoplasma gondii was isolated from 24 chickens with MAT titers of 1ratio5 or higher; the isolates were designated TgCKBr210-233. None of the isolates was pathogenic for mice. The restricted fragment length polymorphism using 10 markers revealed 6 genotypes, including the Type II, Type III, and 4 new chicken genotypes (#59-#62) that were different from genotypes so far reported in Brazil. All 24 isolates were successfully genotyped; 15 isolates were Brazil chicken type #59, 1 type #60, 1 type #61, 1 type #62; 5 were Type II (with Type I allele at the Apico locus); and 1 isolate was clonal Type III. Results in this study indicate that T. gondii on this island consists of unique genotypes as well as clonal genotypes that are dominant in Europe and North America.