ABSTRACT
Leptospirosis is an important infectious disease, which can generate large economic losses, especially in the dairy herd. The pathogen that causes this disease may have its entry in Brazilian herds facilitated by the existence of a large extension of land borders. Therefore, the objective of this work was to investigate the presence of DNA and antibodies against Leptospira spp. in samples of vaginal mucus and serum from naturally infected bovine females from small rural dairy farms in a border region. Blood and vaginal mucus samples were collected from 70 Holstein cows, from small rural dairy farms between October 2017 and June 2018. The inclusion criteria for dairy cattle of any breed were aged over 2 years, not vaccinated against leptospirosis, and presenting a history of any reproductive problem such as abortion, stillbirth, repetition of heat, absence of heat, and lack of conception. Blood was collected by puncturing the coccygeal vein; for the collection of vaginal mucus, it was necessary to use a tampon with an applicator. For the detection of anti-Leptospira spp. antibodies, the sera were submitted to microscopic agglutination test (MAT) and, for DNA detection, the vaginal mucus was submitted to the PCR technique. Among the 70 cows, 42.86% had reagents in MAT and the most likely serovar was Wolffi (43.47%). In 74.28% of the vaginal mucus samples, it was possible to amplify the Leptospira spp. DNA. The results of this work show the presence of Leptospira spp. antibodies and DNA in samples of serum and vaginal mucus from naturally infected bovine females from small rural dairy farms in a border region (Brazil × Paraguay). These results demonstrate the importance of considering bovine females as potential vaginal carriers of Leptospira spp. Thus, it highlights the importance of further studies to better understanding of this issue, in addition to carrying out molecular and serological tests, to monitor the infection and further characterize epidemiological studies of leptospirosis in herds from regions that face this international frontier challenge.
Subject(s)
Cattle Diseases , Leptospira , Leptospirosis , Abortion, Veterinary , Animals , Antibodies, Bacterial , Brazil/epidemiology , Cattle , Cattle Diseases/epidemiology , Female , Leptospirosis/epidemiology , Leptospirosis/veterinary , PregnancyABSTRACT
The reproductive efficiency of livestock is the basis for the success of livestock, dairy or beef, and having high reproductive performance depends on several factors within the production system and the presence of infectious diseases of the reproductive sphere in the herd is one of the factors that can compromise that efficiency. The aim of this study was to use molecular biology as a diagnostic tool for the detection of Leptospira spp. DNA in cows with reproductive disorders on a rural property in the municipality of Boca do Acre, Amazonas, Brazil. Vaginal mucus was collected from nine Nelore breeding cows with a history of abortion and birth of weak calves submitted to DNA extraction and nested-PCR technique for 16S gene amplification at the bacterial genus level. Of the nine samples analyzed, five (55.55%) amplified a product of 331bp. The municipality of Boca do Acre is bordered by Peru and Bolivia, and knowledge of the prevalence of the disease, serovars, and circulating Leptospira species is essential for the adoption of measures related to animal husbandry, as well as health education for ranchers and their workers to avoid a possible occupational infection since this disease is considered an important zoonosis. New molecular studies using primers that allow the identification of the Leptospira species and mainly pathogenic species should be conducted in this region in order to elucidate the possible species of this etiological agent and the possible reservoirs of the disease to begin the understanding of the epidemiology of this disease in cattle in this region of border.
Subject(s)
Reproduction , Livestock , Leptospirosis/diagnosisABSTRACT
Long transportation times remain a challenge to the satisfactory diagnosis of Campylobacter fetus subsp. venerealis (Cfv). Here we demonstrated that samples of frozen bovine preputial mucus maintained at -20 °C for 10 days can be used as an alternative source for molecular diagnosis of Cfv. This approach will improve the analysis of this bacterium.
Subject(s)
Campylobacter Infections/diagnosis , Campylobacter Infections/veterinary , Campylobacter/genetics , Campylobacter/isolation & purification , Cattle Diseases/diagnosis , Animals , Cattle , Freezing , Molecular Diagnostic Techniques/methods , Specimen HandlingABSTRACT
Quinze bezerros foram submetidos à indução de diarreia osmótica para avaliação da eficácia de um composto comercial para hidratação enteral. Além do exame clínico, foram realizados o hemograma, gasometria e urinálise e dosados os níveis plasmáticos de ácido lático e séricos de ureia, creatinina e os íons cloro, potássio, cálcio, sódio e fósforo, além do pH fecal. Após um período de indução de 36h, os animais apresentaram desidratação moderada (10%), aumento na densidade urinária, nos valores de ureia e creatinina e diminuição do pH urinário e fecal. O uso de solução de hidratação enteral promoveu o restabelecimento do equilíbrio ácido-básico 24h após o início do tratamento pelo mecanismo de aumento do débito urinário e como fonte exógena de bicarbonato.
Fifteen calves were subjected to the induction of osmotic diarrhea in order to assess the efficacy of a compound for commercial enteral hydration. In addition to clinical examination, complete blood count, blood gas and urinalysis were performed and the plasma levels of lactic acid and serum urea, creatinine and chloride ions, potassium, calcium, sodium and phosphorus, besides fecal pH were measured. After an induction period of 36 h, the animals presented moderate dehydration (10%), increased urine gravity values of urea and creatinine, and decrease in urinary and fecal pH. The use of enteral hydration solution promoted the restoration of acid-base balance 24 hours after the beginning of treatment by increasing urinary output and as an exogenous source of bicarbonate.
Quince terneros han sido sometidos a inducción de diarrea osmótica para evaluación de la eficacia de un compuesto comercial para hidratación enteral. Además del examen clínico, se ha realizado hemograma, gasometría y análisis de orina, medidos los niveles plasmáticos de ácido láctico y séricos de urea, creatinina y los iones de cloruro, potasio, calcio, sodio y fósforo, además del pH fecal. Después de un período de inducción de 36h, los animales presentaron deshidratación moderada (10%), aumento en la densidad urinaria, en los valores de urea y creatinina, disminución del pH urinario y fecal. El uso de solución de hidratación enteral promovió el restablecimiento del equilibrio ácido-básico 24h después del inicio del tratamiento por mecanismo de aumento del débito urinario y como fuente exógena de bicarbonato.
