Rotaviruses A and C in dairy cattle in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Stool samples were collected from calves from nine family-based small dairy farms in the state of Rio de Janeiro, for detection and characterization of rotavirus (RV) species A, B, and C (RVA, RVB, and RVC, respectively) by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Twenty-six samples (27.7%) were positive for at least one of the species: 22 (23.4%) samples were positive only for RVA, 3 (3.2%) were positive for RVC, and one sample (1.1%) had co-infection of RVA and RVC. RVB was not detected. Seven (21.9%; n = 32) animals with diarrhea and 19 (30.1% n = 62) asymptomatic animals were positive, with no significant difference in positivity (p = 0.3677). RV was detected in all properties studied, at rates between 14.3 and 80%, demonstrating the widespread circulation of RV in four of the seven geographic regions of the state of Rio de Janeiro. Infection was more prevalent among animals ≤ 6 months of age. Sequence analysis of a portion of the RVA VP6-encoding gene identified the I2 genotype. RVC was also detected; to our knowledge, this is the first description of this agent in cattle in Brazil. The data presented here should add knowledge regarding the importance and prevalence of RV in our national territory, and may facilitate the planning and implementation of control and prevention measures for bovine rotavirus infections in Brazil.

Cytotoxicity of intermaxillary orthodontic elastics of different colors: an in vitro study.

OBJECTIVES: Natural latex does not fall into the category of materials known to be entirely inoffensive. The purpose of this in vitro study was to test the hypothesis that there is no difference in the cytotoxicity between elastics of different colors and those from different manufacturers. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Different latex intraoral elastics of different colors (5/16 = 7.9 mm, mean load) were compared. The sample was divided into 7 groups of 24 elastics each: Group T (TP Orthodontics, natural latex elastics, control); Groups U1, U2, U3, U4, U5 and U6 (Uniden, natural latex elastics and colored elastics, namely, green, pink, yellow, red and purple, respectively). Cytotoxicity assays were performed by using cell culture medium containing epithelioid-type cells (Hep-2 line) derived from human laryngeal carcinoma. The cytotoxicity was evaluated by using the 'dye-uptake' test, which was employed at two different moments (0 and 24 h). Data were compared by analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey's test (p<0.05). RESULTS: There was statistically significant difference (p<0.05) between Group T and all other groups (U1, U2, U3, U4, U5 and U6) at 0 and 24 h. No statistically significant difference (p<0.05) was found between Groups U1 and U5, U1 and U6, U2 and U3, U2 and U4, U2 and U5, U2 and U6, U3 and U4, U3 and U5, U3 and U6, U4 and U5, U4 and U6, and U5 and U6 at 0 and 24 h. CONCLUSIONS: The TP Orthodontics elastics promoted less cell lysis compared to the Uniden elastics regardless of their color.