High rate of feline immunodeficiency virus infection in cats in the Brazilian semiarid region: Occurrence, associated factors and coinfection with Toxoplasma gondii and feline leukemia virus.

To evaluate the occurrence of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and factors associated with this and to demonstrate occurrences of coinfection with Toxoplasma gondii and feline leukemia virus (FeLV) in cats, a total of 103 blood samples were collected from owned cats, during home visits. To diagnose FIV and FeLV, immunochromatographic kit was used and serological diagnoses of T. gondii, the indirect immunofluorescence test was performed. The occurrence of FIV-seropositive cats was 23.3% (24/103) and the factor associated with infection was male sex. T. gondii seropositivity of 53.4% (55/103) was observed and 75% of FIV cases (18/24) were positive for T. gondii coinfection. Only 0.9% (1/103) was positive for FeLV. It can be concluded that the seroprevalence of FIV in cats in the Brazilian semiarid region is high and that FIV positive cats were also likely to be T. gondii seropositive, while FeLV had very low occurrence in the study region.

Vertical transmission of Toxoplasma gondii in naturally infected ewes in the semiarid region of Brazil.

To evaluate transplacental transmission of Toxoplasma gondii in naturally infected ewes, blood samples were collected from 55 pregnant ewes and their offspring, before ingestion of colostrum. From 16 offspring of positive ewes and nine offspring from negative ewes, blood samples were obtained after 48 h and 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42, 49 and 56 days after birth. T. gondii antibodies were detected in serum samples using the indirect fluorescence antibody test (IFAT ≥ 64). Four of the 30 positive ewes (13.3 %) had offspring positive for T. gondii before ingesting colostrum (vertical transmission). The colostrum antibody titers decreased every week, and only 20 % (2/10) of the lambs in continued to present detectable antibody titers until day 56 after birth. Therefore, vertical transmission of T. gondii in lambs was indication of occur and is an important route for transferring and maintaining the agent in sheep herds in the Brazilian semiarid region.

Controle de parasitas gastrintestinais em ovinos e análise financeira de uma fazenda com sistema de pastejo rotacionado irrigado no semiárido nordestino / Control of gastrointestinal nematodes in sheep and financial analysis on a farm with irrigated rotational grazing system in the Brazilian semi-arid region

O sistema de pastejo rotacionado irrigado é uma alternativa para a ovinocultura do semiárido. No entanto, a maior limitante para sua implementação são as dificuldades para controlar as parasitoses gastrintestinais. Neste trabalho objetivou-se determinar medidas de manejo para o controle das helmintoses gastrintestinais de ovinos em pastejo rotacionado irrigado e fazer a análise econômica do sistema. O experimento foi realizado em uma fazenda no Munícipio de Belém do São Francisco, Pernambuco, no período de abril de 2013 a setembro de 2014, em um rebanho de 646 a 859 ovinos mestiços da raça Dopper com Santa Inês, criados em uma área de 12 ha de pastagem de capim coast cross (Cynodon dactylon) dividida em 24 piquetes. Para o pastejo os ovinos foram divididos em dois grupos, um de ovelhas paridas e outro de ovelhas secas e borregas de mais de dois meses, que pastejavam três dias em cada piquete. Os piquetes tinham 36 dias de descanso. Foi feito teste de resistência aos anti-helmínticos no início de experimento e anualmente, que resultou na mudança anual do produto utilizado. No segundo ano, para as coletas de fezes e para o tratamento anti-helmíntico seletivo, as ovelhas paridas e as ovelhas secas foram divididas em dois subgrupos cada: paridas gordas, paridas magras, secas magras e secas gordas. Todos os meses coletavam-se fezes de 10% dos ovinos de cada subgrupo para fazer OPG e coprocultura. Cada grupo era tratado quando apresentavam média de mais de que 1000 OPG. Coletaram-se amostras de capim a cada dois meses para fazer a contagem e identificação de larvas do pasto. Durante os 18 meses de estudo foram tratados individualmente aproximadamente 3797 ovinos, equivalente a 6,49 tratamentos por ovino (3,97 em 2013 e 2,52 em 2014). O helminto mais prevalente nas coproculturas (50-85%) e no pasto (83,2%) foi Haemonchus contortus. Os menores números de larvas infectantes no pasto (94 a 111 larvas L3/ kg MS) ocorreram nos dias 35 e 2 a 8 de pastejo e os maiores números entre os dias 17 a 20 (374 a 761 L3/kg MS). A produção de carne da fazenda foi 1023 kg por hectare e a rentabilidade de 3,31%. Conclui-se que o pastoreio dos potreiros por três dias, com um descanso de 36 dias, com a utilização de tratamento seletivo, permite controlar as helmintoses gastrintestinais em sistemas de pastoreio rotacional irrigado. No entanto, é necessário realizar testes de resistência dos parasitas aos anti-helmínticos anualmente para contornar esse problema.(AU)

The irrigated rotational grazing system is an alternative for sheep farming in the Brazilian semi-arid region. However, the mean limitation for its implementation is the difficulty to control gastrointestinal nematodes. The objective of this research was to determine management measures for the control of the gastrointestinal nematodes of sheep in irrigated rotational grazing and to perform the economic analysis of the system. The experiment was carried out on a farm in the Municipality of Belém do São Francisco, Pernambuco, from April 2013 to September 2014, in a herd of 646 to 859 crossbred Dorper x Santa Inês sheep, reared in an area of 12 hectares with coast cross (Cynodon dactylon) pastures divided into 24 paddocks. For grazing, the sheep were divided into two groups: one of lactating ewes and their lambs, and the other with non-lactating ewes and ewe hoggets older than two months. Both groups grazed three days in each paddock and each paddock lasted 36 days without being grazed. Antihelminth Fecal Egg Count Reduction Tests were performed at the beginning of the experiment and annually, resulting in the annual change of the drug used. In the second year, for fecal collections and for selective anthelmintic treatment, the ewes and the non-lactating sheep were divided into two subgroups each: fat and thin lactating ewes, and fat and thin non-lactating ewes. Each month, feces of 10% of the sheep of each subgroup were collected for egg counts and larval culture. Treatments were performed when the mean fecal egg counts were greater than 1000/g. Samples of grass were collected every two months to count and identify grass free-living Trichostrongylidae larvae. During the 18 months of study, approximately 3797 individual anthelmintic treatments were performed, equivalent to 6.49 treatments per sheep (3.97 in 2013 and 2.52 in 2014). The most prevalent helminth in coprocultures (50%-85%) and pasture (83.2%) was Haemonchus contortus. The lowest numbers of infective larvae in the pasture (94 to 111 larvae L3/kg DM) occurred on days 35 and 2 to 8 of grazing. The highest numbers occurred between days 17 to 20 (374 to 761 L3/kg DM). The meat production of the farm was 1023 kg per hectare and the profitability was 3.31%. It is concluded that grazing the paddocks for 3 days, with a rest of 36 days and using selective treatments, allows the control of gastrointestinal nematodes in irrigated rotational grazing systems. However, annual resistance tests are necessary to mitigate resistance of parasites to anti-helminths.(AU)

The geographic distribution of Argas (Persicargas) miniatus and Argas (Persicargas) persicus (Acari: Argasidae) in America, with morphological and molecular diagnoses from Brazil, Chile and Cuba.

High similarity of morphological traits has historically overshadowed the identities and distributions of poultry-associated soft ticks Argas (Persicargas) miniatus and Argas (Persicargas) persicus in America. In order to model the occurrence of both parasites in the continent, in the current study we performed morphological and molecular analyses to identify ticks collected in hen houses from Brazil and northern Chile. Combining these results with literature data, and the examination of Argas allotments deposited in the tick collections "Coleção Nacional de Carrapatos Danilo Gonçalves Saraiva" (Brazil), the "Coleção Acarológica do Instituto Butantan São Paulo" (Brazil), and the "Colección Zoológica de la Academia de Ciencia de Cuba" (Cuba), we present a critical list with the localities where A. (P.) miniatus and A. (P.) persicus have been reported in the American continent. Our results confirmed the presence of A. (P.) miniatus in Brazil and Cuba, and A. (P.) persicus in Chile, which in particular, constitutes the first molecularly confirmed report of the later species for South America. Although A. (P.) miniatus and A. (P.) persicus have been documented in 21 American countries, the identity of some reports must still be considered as uncertain until detailed morphological and/or molecular studies are performed. When contrasted to a Köppen-Geiger climate classification, A. (P.) miniatus predominantly occurs in equatorial and A. (P.) persicus in arid climates. However, until undetermined reports of both species are correctly identified, any conclusion on their geo-climatological occurrence throughout the American continent would be rather speculative.

Percepção de vulnerabilidade feminina ao vírus da Aids na estratégia de saúde da família / Percption of feminine vulnerability to the virus of Aids in the family strategy health

Introdução: a partir da década de 1990, o perfil da doença mudou. A principal via de transmissão passou a ser a heterossexual, o que provocou um aumento significativo do número de casos da doença em mulheres. Objetivos: diante da diversidade de fatores que envolvem o tema HIV/aids, surgiu a necessidade da realização de um estudo sobre a percepção das mulheres sobre sua vulnerabilidade ao vírus, para identificar tabus e mitos envolvidos na maneira com que a doença é representada na sociedade. Métodos: para isso, fez-se um estudo quantitativo em unidade de saúde da família (USF) do município de Campina Grande - PB, com amostra de 35 mulheres de vida sexual ativa. Resultados: oitenta por cento dessas mulheres são casadas; 17,1% solteiras e 2,9% separadas; 37,1% têm 12 ou mais anos completos de estudo; 31,4%, 5 a 8 anos de estudo; 22,9%, de 9 a 11 anos de estudo e 8,6%, de 0 a 4 anos de estudo; 57,1% não praticam religião; 65,7% não usaram preservativo na última relação; 37,2% consideraram impossível adquirir o HIV/aids; 25,7% consideraram quase impossível; 20% consideraram pouco possível e 17,1% das mulheres consideraram possível. Conclusão: as entrevistadas não têm boa percepção desua vulnerabilidade ao HIV/aids, além disso, o uso de preservativo ainda não é prática usual, mesmo nas que frequentam os serviços de saúde.

Introduction: starting from the decade of 1990, the profile of aids changed. The main transmission way started to be the heterosexual, which provoked a significant increase in the number of cases of the disease in women. Objective: before the diversity of factors that envolves the subject HIV/aids, appeared the necessity of the realization of a study about the perception of the women about their vulnerability to the virus, to identify taboos and myths envolved in the way of disease to be represented in the society. Methods: for that, a quantitative study was done in unity of health of the family (USF) of the local authority of Campina Grande - PB, with sample of 35 women of active sex life. Results: 80% of this women are married; 17,1% are single women and 2,9% are divorced; 37,1% have twelve or more complete years of study; 31,4% fi ve to eight years of study; 22,9% from nine to eleven years of study and 8,6% from zero to four years of study; 57,1% do not practice religion; 65,7% did not use condom in it last intercourse; 37,2% considered impossible toacquire the HIV/aids; 25,7% considered almost impossible; 20% considered improbable and 17,1% of the women considered possibly. Conclusion: the interviewed do not have a good perception of their vulnerability to the HIV/aids, besides, the use of condom still is not a usual practice, even in women that frequent the services of health.

[Preliminary essays to the validation of FAMACHA© method in conditions of semi-arid Paraibano]. / Ensaios preliminares para validação do método FAMACHA© em condições de Semi-Árido Paraibano.

The gastrintestinal helmintiases occupy prominence place among factors that limit the farming goat in entire world, especially on tropical regions, where economical losses are more accentuated. The objective of this work was to evaluate FAMACHA© method utilization as an auxiliary strategy on the control of parasites of goats in semiarid paraibano. Moreover the clinical assistance, values of hematocrit and OPG were determinate to evaluate the relation between the exams. They were used 30 moxotó female goats, monthly evaluated for 90 days. The female goats that presented degree three of mucose in accordance to the FAMACHA© method do not need to be vermifuged in accordance with hematocrit and OPG values. The FAMACHA© method, although too indicated for use in goats, needs little adaptation to be best administered.