No abstract

No abstract

Serum samples were collected from 582 horses from 40 stud farms in the State of São Paulo and tick (Acari: Ixodidae) infestations were evaluated on them. Serum samples were subjected to the complement fixation test (CFT) and a competitive inhibition ELISA (cELISA) for Babesia caballi and Theileria equi. Logistic regression analyses were performed to construct multivariate models that could explain the dependent variable (horses positive for B. caballi or T. equi) as a function of the independent variables (presence or abundance of each one of the tick species found on the farms). A higher overall prevalence of B. caballi (54.1%) than of T. equi (21.6%) was found by the two tests. The ticks Dermacentor nitens Neumann, 1897, Amblyomma cajennense (Fabricius, 1787) and Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus (Canestrini, 1887) were present on horses on 38 (95%), 20 (50%), and 4 (10%) farms, respectively. Infestations by D. nitens were statistically associated with B. caballi-positive horses on the farms by either the CFT or cELISA. Infestations by A. cajennense were statistically associated with T. equi-positive horses on the farms by either CFT or cELISA.Keywords: Babesia caballi, Theileria equi, Brazil, horse, tick. ResumoAmostras de soro sanguineo foram coletadas de 582 equinos de 40 haras no estado de São Paulo, onde as infestações por carrapatos foram avaliadas nos animais. Os soros foram testados por reação de fixação do complemento (RFC) e ELISA competitivo por inibição (cELISA) com antígenos de Babesia caballi e Theileria equi. Análises de regressão logística foram realizadas para construir modelos multivariados que pudessem explicar as variáveis dependentes (equinos positivos para B. caballi ou T. equi) em função de variáveis independentes (presença e abundância de cada uma das espécies de carrapatos encontradas nos equinos dos haras). Em geral, os dois testes sorológicos indicaram uma prevalência maior para B. caballi (54,1%) do que para T. equi (21,6%). Os carrapatos Dermacentor nitens Neumann, 1897, Amblyomma cajennense (Fabricius, 1787) e Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus (Canestrini, 1887) estiveram presentes em equinos de 38 (95%), 20 (50%) e 4 (10%) haras, respectivamente. As infestações por D. nitens estiveram estatisticamente associadas com equinos positivos para B. caballi tanto pela RFC como pelo cELISA. As infestações por A. cajennense estiveram estatisticamente associadas com equinos soropositivos para T. equi, tanto pela RFC como pelo cELISA.Palavras-chave: Babesia caballi, Theileria equi, Brasil, cavalo, carrapato.

Neobenedenia melleni (MacCallum, 1927) (Monogenea) is a widespread pathogen in marine teleost cultures all over the world. The present paper reports this parasite species in farmed cobia (Rachycentron canadum) in Brazil, for the first time. Some comments on preventive actions for avoiding the disease are made.Keywords: Mariculture, pathogens, ectoparasites. ResumoNeobenedenia melleni (MacCallum, 1927) (Monogenea) é um patógeno amplamente distribuído em cultivo de teleósteos marinhos no mundo. Este estudo relata pela primeira vez essa espécie de parasito em cultivo de cobia, Rachycentron canadum, no Brasil. Comentários sobre prevenção para evitar a doença são discutidos.Palavras-chave: Maricultura, patógenos, ectoparasitos.Research relating to sea-farmed cobia (Rachycentron canadum Linnaeus, 1766) has been increasing recently. The great growth potential of cobia, their easy adaptability and ability to breed in captivity, excellent meat quality and carcass utilization, among other attributes, have induced rapid growth of cobia farming all over the world (CHANG et al., 2007). However, one of the main limitations affecting cobia culture is the diseases caused by helminth ectoparasites (monogeneans) (LIAO et al., 2004), especially Neobenedenia species (OGAWA et al., 2006).Infestations by ectoparasites in farmed fish have been recorded since the late 1950s (OGAWA et al., 1995). Deveney et al. (2001) described an outbreak of Neobenedenia elleni (MacCallum, 1927) parasitizing Lates calcarifer in Australian waters that resulted in the loss of 200,000 fish due to secondary infection. This parasite has been found in many species of ornamental marine fish and sea farming in different countries, thus demonstrating its low specificity to the hosts (BULLARD et al., 2003). In Brazil, Sanches and Vianna (2007) Capsalid monogeneans have a monoxenic, short life cycle, which allows epizootic outbreaks especially in hosts subjected to high stocking densities (THONEY; HARGIS JUNIOR, 1991). It has been demonstrated that water temperature influences the growth, maturity, egg production and infestation levels of Neobenedenia species (HIRAZAWA et al., 2010). These parasites feeds on mucus and epithelial cells of the host, which leads to changes in fish behavior: they drag their bodies against a substrate, such as net cages, thereby causing injuries culminating in secondary infections. Parasitized fish presents lesions in the cornea and skin, blindness, weakness, loss of appetite, hemorrhage, mucus hypersecretion and death due to secondary infections (OGAWA et al., 1995;HIRAYAMA et al., 2009). Our purpose in this paper was to document the first occurrence of capsalid monogeneans in cobia (R. canadum) farmed in Brazil. We have also suggested procedures that can be adopted for disease prevention.Ten juvenile specimens of R. canadum, with mean weight 317 ± 155 g, coming from floating net cages of a marine farm in Ilhabela, São Paulo, Brazil, were sent to our laboratory in March 2010, for diagnostic purposes. The fish were stocked ...

Isolates of Sarcocystis falcatula-like organisms from South American opossums were characterized based on biological and morphological criteria. Sporocysts from intestinal scrapings of 1 Didelphis marsupialis and 8 Didelphis albiventris from São Paulo, Brazil, were fed to captive budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus). Budgerigars fed sporocysts from all 9 isolates became ill and S. falcatula-like schizonts were identified in sections of their lungs by immunohistochemical staining. Sarcocystis falcatula-like organisms were cultured from lungs of budgerigars fed sporocysts from D. marsupialis and from lungs of budgerigars fed sporocysts from 3 of 8 D. albiventris. The 33/54 locus amplified by polymerase chain reaction from culture-derived merozoites contained both a HinfI endonuclease recognition site previously suggested to diagnose S. falcatula and a DraI site thought to diagnosed S. neurona. Development of the isolate from D. marsupialis was studied in cell culture; its schizonts divided by endopolygeny, leaving a residual body. Morphological and genetic variation differentiated this Sarcocystis isolate originating in D. marsupialis from the Cornell I isolate of S. falcatula. This is the first report of a S. falcatula infection in the South American opossum, D. marsupialis.

The North American opossum, Didelphis virginiana, is a definitive host for at least 3 species of Sarcocystis : S. falcatula Stiles 1983, S. neurona Dubey, Davis, Speer, Bowman, de Lahunta, Granstrom, Topper, Hamir, Cummings, Suter 1991, and S. speeri Dubey and Lindsay 1999. In order to identify species of Sarcocystis in the South American opossum, D. marsupialis, Sarcocystis sporocysts from the intestines of a naturally infected opossum (D. marsupialis) from Brazil were fed to 4 gamma-interferon knockout (KO) mice, a nude mouse, and 2 budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus). All 4 KO mice became ill and 1 died 42 days post-feeding (p.f.) of sporocysts, 1 was killed 44 days p.f. because of neurological signs, and 2 were killed 52 and 53 days p.f. because of abnormal gaits. Numerous sarcocysts were seen in the skeletal muscles of all 4 KO mice and they were structurally identical to S. speeri seen in KO mice fed sporocysts from D. virginiana from the United States and D. albiventris from Argentina. The nude mouse was killed 41 days p.f. because it appeared weak ; schizonts were seen in sections of its liver and sarcocysts were seen in sections of skeletal muscles. Sarcocystis speeri was cultured in bovine turbinate cells inoculated with liver homogenate from this mouse. Sarcocystis neurona was not demonstrable in tissues of mice. The two budgerigars remained asymptomatic and S. falcatula was not found in their tissues when they were killed 29 days p.i. This is the first report of S. speeri from D. marsupialis.

Sea lice (copepods) are widespread pathogens in marine teleost cultivation around the world. The sea louse Caligus mutabilis Wilson, 1905, is recorded here for the first time in sea-farmed gag grouper, Mycteroperca microlepis, in Brazil.

Algumas das principais doenças em equinos estão relacionadas aos membros locomotores, as quais podem advir de traumas ou distúrbios ósseos principalmente durante a fase de crescimento. No Estado de São Paulo, o desenvolvimento de pastagens com características tropicais, as alterações sazonais e a tendência à grande concentração de animais em pequenas propriedades resultam, frequentemente, no aparecimento de distrofias ósseas, muitas vezes subclínicas, que depreciam o valor econômico dos equinos e limitam a sua capacidade de trabalho. O diagnóstico precoce dos desequilíbrios minerais assume grande importância na medida em que os distúrbios ósseos podem ser reversíveis se a causa for corrigida rapidamente. O autor faz uma revisão da fisiologia, da patofisiologia do osso, dos métodos de diagnóstico disponíveis e sugere o uso da dosagem da excreção fracional de fósforo como uma técnica de boa sensibilidade, precocidade, baixo custo e aplicabilidade para avaliar o nível de reabsorção do cálcio e do fósforo do tecido ósseo.