Sedative and antinociceptive effects of different detomidine constant rate infusions, with or without methadone in standing horses.

BACKGROUND: Standing surgery avoids the risks of general anaesthesia in horses. OBJECTIVES: To assess sedation, antinociception and gastrointestinal motility in standing horses after a detomidine loading dose and 2-h constant rate intravenous (i.v.) infusion, with or without methadone. STUDY DESIGN: Blinded, randomised, crossover with seven healthy adult cross-bred horses, three geldings and four females (404 ± 22 kg). METHODS: Five i.v. treatments were administered to all horses with 1-week washout period: saline (SAL), detomidine low (2.5 µg/kg bwt + 6.25 µg/kg bwt/h) (DL) and high doses (5 µg/kg bwt + 12.5 µg/kg bwt/h) (DH) alone or combined with methadone (0.2 mg/kg bwt + 0.05 mg/kg bwt/h), (DLM) and (DHM), respectively. Height of head above the ground (HHAG), electrical (ET), thermal (TT) and mechanical (MT) nociceptive thresholds and gastrointestinal motility were evaluated at predetermined times between 5 and 240 min. A mixed effect model and Kruskal-Wallis test were used to analyse normally and non-normally distributed data, respectively. RESULTS: Sedation (<50% basal HHAG) was achieved for the duration of the infusion, and for an additional 15 min in DH and DHM groups. Nociceptive thresholds were higher than baseline, to the greatest degree and the longest duration, with DHM (ET and TT for 135 min and MT for 150 min). After DH, TT was significantly higher than baseline from 30 to 120 min and MT from 15 to 135 min. After DLM, ET was increased at 90 min, TT at 30 min and MT for 120 min. Gastrointestinal motility was reduced for up to 135 min after DL, 150 min after DLM and 210 min after DH and DHM. MAIN LIMITATIONS: Nociceptive thresholds are not equivalent to surgical stimuli. CONCLUSION: Methadone with the highest detomidine dose (DHM) may provide sufficient sedation and analgesia for standing surgical procedures and warrants further investigation.

Sedative and cardiorespiratory effects of low doses of xylazine with and without acepromazine in Nordestino donkeys.

BACKGROUND: Information on appropriate protocols for sedation of Nordestino donkeys is scarce. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the sedative and cardiorespiratory effects of low doses of intravenous (i.v.) xylazine with and without acepromazine in 'Nordestino' donkeys. STUDY DESIGN: Seven healthy female Nordestino donkeys (150 ± 18 kg) were included in this blinded, randomised, crossover experiment. METHODS: Four treatments were administered, consisting of two i.v. injections, at baseline (T0, 1st injection) and 15 min later (T15, 2nd injection). Treatments included acepromazine 0.05 mg/kg bwt + saline (AS), saline + xylazine 0.5 mg/kg bwt (SX0.5), acepromazine + xylazine 0.25 mg/kg bwt (AX0.25) or acepromazine + xylazine 0.5 mg/kg bwt (AX0.5). Sedative and cardiorespiratory parameters were evaluated before T0 and 15, 20, 30, 45, 60, 75 and 90 min after treatment. Degree [height of head above ground (HHAG)] and quality of sedation [ataxia, responses to stimuli and visual analogue scale (VAS) scoring] and respiratory rate were evaluated by the main investigator in situ, and heart rate was measured by an assistant investigator. Three experienced evaluators assessed vídeos for ataxia and responses to stimuli. Normal data were analysed by repeated measures ANOVA, and non-normal by Kruskal-Wallis (P<0.05). RESULTS: HHAG was lower than baseline for 15 min after xylazine administration in AX0.25 and for 30 min in SX0.5 and AX0.5 groups. All treatments with xylazine increased VAS and ataxia scores in situ for 15 min after xylazine administration, with no differences between groups. Ataxia scores in situ were higher in SX0.5 and AX0.5 groups than AS for 15 and 30 min after xylazine administration, respectively. MAIN LIMITATIONS: Absence of a negative control group (saline-saline). CONCLUSION: Acepromazine added to xylazine at 0.25 mg/kg bwt produced briefer and milder sedation than xylazine at 0.5 mg/kg bwt.

Ocorrência, patógenos e fatores de risco para mastite subclínica em cabras leiteiras / Occurrence, pathogens and risk factors for subclinical mastitis in dairy goats

Milk samples from 257 goats and 513 half udders of 10 dairy goat farms were analyzed by microbiological culture, to evaluate the sanitary management, and epidemiological questionnaire results. Multivariate analysis of risk factors for subclinical mastitis in goats, with the adjusted Odds Ratio for subclinical mastitis was performed. The prevalence of subclinical mastitis in goats by microbiological culture was 43.6%, and clinical mastitis was 5.84%. From 178 positive teats by microbiological culture, the most prevalent pathogens were coagulase-negative staphylococci - CNS (70%), S. aureus (13.5%), S. intermedius (7.9%), and Enterobacteriaceae (4%). The risk factors analysis revealed significant association between the disease and the flock size (OR= 3.33; P= 0.0268), and the farm was a confounding factor, being kept in the final statistical model. Despite the non-identification of all the factors associated with subclinical mastitis in herds and the existence of confounding factors that hinder statistical analyzes, the study of risk factors is important for the improvement of disease control and prevention programs in dairy goat, and it can be used as a tool in the reduction of environmental and contagious pathogens such as staphylococci that were the most identified pathogens causing caprine mastitis in the study.(AU)

Qualitative and Quantitative Determination and Resistance Patterns of Salmonella from Poultry Carcasses.

Poultry products are important in the transmission of zoonotic pathogens, mainly Salmonella. This genus causes millions of foodborne diseases worldwide every year. Cross-contamination by food sources in human cases of salmonellosis and the increase in resistant strains have become important issues. A qualitative and quantitative Salmonella detection method was utilized in a poultry slaughterhouse in São Paulo State, Brazil. We collected 33 samples from different batches of carcasses. Each sample was analyzed at three process points: postbleeding, postdefeathering, and postchilling. A fourth point, retail simulation, was added to simulate retail market storage at 5°C for 72 h. The qualitative methods revealed 100% (33 samples) contamination at postbleeding, 39% (13 samples) contamination at postdefeathering, 58% (19 samples) contamination at postchilling, and 30% (10 samples) contamination at the retail simulation. The quantitative results, determined by the most-probable-number (MPN) technique, ranged from <0.03 to >2,400 MPN/g. We identified 23 Salmonella serovars; the most prevalent were Mbandaka, Senftenberg, and Enteritidis. Resistance to nalidixic acid was significantly more common (P < 0.05) than resistance to other antimicrobial agents. Five multidrug-resistant strains were identified. This study contributes important epidemiological data and demonstrates the need to improve sanitary conditions in slaughterhouses.

Listeria monocytogenes, E. coli O157, Salmonella spp. e microrganismos indicadores em carcaças bovinas para exportação / Listeria monocytogenes, E. coli O157, Salmonella spp., micro-organism indicators in export cattle carcasses

Foram colhidas amostras de 100 carcaças em um frigorífico exportador, localizado no interior do estado de São Paulo, amostradas ao longo de um ano, por meio do método de esponjas, aplicado na região do peito do animal. As amostras foram colhidas em três pontos, denominados A, B e C, sendo cada carcaça amostrada nos três pontos, localizados nas etapas: pós-sangria (A); pós-esfola (B) e pós-lavagem (C). Foram realizadas pesquisas de Listeria sp., E. coli O157, Salmonella spp. e microrganismos indicadores (Petrifilms® AC, EC e EB). Não foram isolados Listeria ou E. coli O157 em nenhuma das 300 amostras. Salmonella spp. foi isolada em nove, sendo oito no ponto A e uma no ponto B. Para mesófilos, as contagens variaram de 0 a 6,8 log UFC/cm², para coliformes totais, de 0 a 4,57 log UFC/cm², e para E. coli, de 0 a 4,38 log UFC/cm². Diante dos resultados obtidos e em comparação com a literatura, conclui-se que o estabelecimento estudado apresenta qualidade, tanto sanitária (devido às baixas prevalências dos patógenos) quanto higiênica (devido à acentuada diminuição da carga microbiana de indicadores ao longo da linha).

Samples were collected from 100 carcasses in a slaughterhouse exporter, located within the State of São Paulo, sampled over a year through the sponge method, applied to the chest of the animal. Samples were taken at three points, denominated A, B and C, each carcass sampled at three points located in the following steps: after bleeding (A) after skinning (B) and after washing (C). Research was conducted for Listeria sp., E. coli O157, Salmonella spp. and Micro-organism (Petrifilms ® AC, EC and EB). Listeria or E. coli O157 were not isolated in any of the 300 samples. Salmonella spp. was isolated in nine, eight at point A and one at point B. For Mesophiles, scores ranged from 0 to 6.8 log UFC/cm²; for Total coliforms, 0 to 4.57 log UFC/cm² and E. coli from 0 to 4.38 log UFC/cm². With the results obtained and compared with the literature, it is concluded that the establishment in this study has both sanitary quality (due to the low prevalence of pathogens) and hygienic quality (due to the sharp decrease in the microbial load of indicators along the line.