Poultry meat quality has been widely studied, and has become a growing demand of the international market. Parameters that affect meat quality are complex, and occur throughout the production chain. The constant concern with meat quality by the exporting sectors is a response to consumers' demands, and is achieved by increasing efficiency, and investments in personnel training on quality. Understanding where critical points are in the poultry meat production chain, and investing in solving critical problems may lead to better control and management, and consequent reduction of losses. Production and management practices, from farm to processing plant, play an important role in meat quality, and the use of technologies to reduce risk factors throughout the production chain will allow the production of better quality poultry meat not only for exports, but also for the domestic market. This review describes the main factors that influence poultry meat quality in the production chain.

INTRODUÇÃO: O objetivo desta pesquisa foi verificar a ocorrência dos principais sorovares de Leptospira spp. em cães domésticos e humanos, notificados no ano de 2008, bem como os principais fatores de riscos em uma abordagem geográfica relacionados à doença no município de Uberlândia, Estado de Minas Gerais, Brasil. MÉTODOS: Foram examinadas 268 amostras de soro sanguíneo de cães de diferentes bairros pertencentes aos distritos sanitários norte, sul, leste, oeste e central deste município, colhidas durante a campanha de vacinação antirrábica animal, em agosto de 2008. Foi realizada uma abordagem geográfica do município e avaliada a localização de áreas periféricas, aterro sanitário, coleta de lixo, notificação de roedores, casos de leptospirose humana e áreas de alagamento decorrente de enchentes, durante o ano de 2008. A leptospirose foi diagnosticada pela técnica de soroaglutinação microscópica (SAM), padrão-ouro para diagnóstico da leptospirose animal e humana. RESULTADOS: Os cães reagiram principalmente aos sorovares Autumnalis (34,2%) e Tarassovi (23,7%), sendo este, também detectado em humanos em 2008. A ocorrência destes sorovares pode estar relacionada com uma fonte de infecção comum as duas espécies, ou a hipótese de que o cão possa ser a fonte de infecção para o ser humano. O distrito sanitário leste apresentou um maior número de cães reagentes. CONCLUSÕES: A leptospirose ocorreu nos cães e humanos no município de Uberlândia no ano de 2008. Esta doença muitas vezes negligenciada deve ser prevenida por representar risco à saúde pública e se parecer com outras doenças também endêmicas como a dengue.

Neosporosis is a parasitic disease that occurs in sheep and is associated with reproductive failure. The aim of this study was to verify seroprevalence of Neospora caninum antibodies in 12 sheep flocks in Uberlândia county, Minas Gerais, Brazil, using Indirect Immunofluorescence Assay (IFA). A total of 334 sheep blood samples were analyzed and an epidemiologic questionnaire was applied for each farm in order to correlate with risk factors of neosporosis: gender, age, breed, abortion problems, contact with cattle and dogs, and presence of wild canids. The prevalence of Neospora caninum antibodies in sheep was 8.1%, with titers ranging from 50 to 3200 and 83.3% of farms detected at least one ovine reactive. There was statistically significant difference in flocks with abortion problems associated with the presence of Neospora caninum antibodies (p < 0.05).

Essential oil from Eugenia dysenterica leaves was able to inhibit both the diarrhoea and enteropooling induced by castor oil; however, the distance travelled by charcoal meal in the intestine was not change. These data suggest that the antidiarrhoeic effect of the essential oil from E. dysenterica leaves is related to its ability to inhibit intestinal secretion and/or to increase intestinal absorption.

The improvement in production technology was the major factor that lead Brazil to become the third largest poultry producer. The improvement was world´s based on the careful control of several aspects, including which nutrition and management (environment, health and rearing systems). Nowadays, the search for good welfare conditions is a global tendency in animal production. Concomitantly, an extensive production system of free-range broilers has been increasing in Brazil. This study evaluated in situ production indexes of two different commercial broiler productions, an intensive and conventional (farm A) and a semi-extensive free-range production (farm B), in order to assess the relationship between productivity and management. It was observed that the physical environment in farm A presented higher temperatures and relative humidity. Based on the results, the production index was better in farm A than in farm B. It was not clear that the production index was related to inadequate welfare of broilers under the conventional rearing system

No abstract

Goat farming is a very important activity contributing to the social and economic development of northeastern (NE) Brazil. The objective of the present study was to characterize the goat farming production system in five of the nine states that constitute the Brazilian NE (Ceará, Paraíba, Piauí, Rio Grande do Norte, and Sergipe). Research was carried out in 230 rural properties located in 62 municipalities of the NE of Brazil, in regions exhibiting a productive arrangement and significant goat population density. An epidemiological questionnaire seeking information on economic, productive, and social aspects of owners/properties was supplied to all properties. The results described the goat farming system in the Brazilian NE as family and subsistence, directed towards domestic consumption and local commerce, and exhibiting a low technological level. The farmers' education level, investments, and technical assistance were all considered low, and thus insufficient or inadequate for a full development of the activity in the region. Therefore, such aspects are suggested to be taken into account in the planning of future goat farming development policies-particularly financing and technical assistance, better preparation of farmers, administrative aspects, forage production and conservation, and the implementation of actions towards reproductive and frequent disease control.A criação de caprinos é uma atividade de grande importância para o Nordeste (NE), contribuindo para o desenvolvimento econômico e social da região. Diante disso, objetivou-se caracterizar o sistema produtivo da caprinocultura em cinco dos nove Estados que compõem o NE brasileiro (Ceará; Paraíba; Piauí; Rio Grande do Norte; Sergipe). A pesquisa foi realizada na região NE do Brasil, em 230 propriedades rurais de 62 municípios oriundos de regiões com arranjo produtivo e densidade populacional significativa de rebanhos caprinos. Nas propriedades foi aplicado questionário epidemiológico, buscando informações sobre aspectos econômicos, produtivos e sociais dos proprietários/propriedades. Os resultados obtidos classificaram o sistema de produção de caprinos no NE brasileiro como familiar e de subsistência, para consumo doméstico e comércio local, com baixo nível de tecnificação. O nível de escolaridade dos criadores foi considerado baixo, bem como dos investimentos e assistência técnica realizadas, insuficientes ou inadequados para o desenvolvimento pleno da atividade na região. Dessa forma, sugere-se que tais aspectos sejam levados em consideração quanto ao planejamento de futuras políticas de desenvolvimento para a caprinocultura, especialmente quando relacionados a financiamento e assistência técnica, no melhor preparo dos criadores, nos aspectos administrativos, de produção e conservação de forragens e na implementação de ações no controle reprodutivo e das doenças mais frequentes.The Northeast region of Brazil encompasses an area of more than 1.5 million square kilometers (18 % of Brazilian territory), located below the equator, where the semi-arid c...

No abstract