Feline thelaziosis caused by Thelazia callipaeda in Portugal.

Thelazia callipaeda (Spirurida, Thelaziidae) is a nematode that lives in the conjunctival sac of domestic and wild carnivores, rabbits and humans causing mild to severe symptoms (e.g., conjunctivitis, lacrimation, epiphora, blepharospasm, keratitis and even corneal ulceration) in infected animals. This report describes an autochthonous case of thelaziosis in a cat from the central region of Portugal, representing the most occidental record of thelaziosis in Europe. Adult nematodes recovered from alive animal were morphological identified as T. callipaeda. A portion of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene (cox 1) from nematode specimens was amplified by PCR. Cox1 sequences of all specimens were identical to T. callipaeda haplotype 1. Additionally to these findings, a recent description of thelaziosis in the northern region of Portugal suggests that T. callipaeda has successfully established in Portugal.

Mixing and matching siderophore clusters: structure and biosynthesis of serratiochelins from Serratia sp. V4.

Interrogation of the evolutionary history underlying the remarkable structures and biological activities of natural products has been complicated by not knowing the functions they have evolved to fulfill. Siderophores-soluble, low molecular weight compounds-have an easily understood and measured function: acquiring iron from the environment. Bacteria engage in a fierce competition to acquire iron, which rewards the production of siderophores that bind iron tightly and cannot be used or pirated by competitors. The structures and biosyntheses of "odd" siderophores can reveal the evolutionary strategy that led to their creation. We report a new Serratia strain that produces serratiochelin and an analog of serratiochelin. A genetic approach located the serratiochelin gene cluster, and targeted mutations in several genes implicated in serratiochelin biosynthesis were generated. Bioinformatic analyses and mutagenesis results demonstrate that genes from two well-known siderophore clusters, the Escherichia coli enterobactin cluster and the Vibrio cholera vibriobactin cluster, were shuffled to produce a new siderophore biosynthetic pathway. These results highlight how modular siderophore gene clusters can be mixed and matched during evolution to generate structural diversity in siderophores.

Canine parvovirus 2c infection in central Portugal.

Canine parvovirus (CPV) has been evolving, generating new genetic and antigenic variants throughout the world. This study was conducted to determine the types of CPV circulating in dogs in Figueira da Foz, Portugal. Thirty fecal samples, collected between 2006 and 2007 from dogs with clinical signs of CPV infection, were tested for CPV by a rapid, in-clinic, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)/immunomigration test, by conventional real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and by minor-groove binding TaqMan PCR. Of the 29 PCR-positive samples, 15 were identified as CPV-2b and 14 as CPV-2c. No CPV-2a was detected. The sensitivity of the ELISA test was 82.76% compared with the PCR assays. No significant associations were found between CPV type, clinical outcome, breed, vaccination status, or age.