Vesicular diseases are clinically and economically important infections that affect farm animals. North American studies have suggested that Senecavirus A infection might be associated with a vesicular disease in pigs known as porcine idiopathic vesicular disease (PIVD). In the beginning of 2015, outbreaks of porcine vesicular disease have occurred in six Brazilian states from three geographical regions. Official diagnostic tests were performed with negative results for classical vesicular diseases of compulsory reporting. This study investigated Senecavirus A infection in PIVD outbreaks in which other aetiological agents were ruled out. A primer set was designed to amplify a 542-bp product size of VP3/VP1 region of Senecavirus A genome in RT-PCR assay. Primer specificity was analysed in silico and in porcine biological specimens. For this, clinical specimens were collected from eight pig herds affected with PIVD, including vesicular fluid (n = 4) and swabs (n = 7) and scrapings of ruptured vesicles and ulcerative lesions (n = 5) from weaned and adult pigs. Clinically healthy animals (n = 52) of PIVD-affected and non-affected pig herds also were evaluated for Senecavirus A infection. The 16 samples from PIVD-affected animals were positive for Senecavirus A in the RT-PCR assay, while none of the clinically healthy pigs were detected with the virus. Sequencing analysis revealed high nucleotide (87.6-98.5%) and amino acid (95-99.4%) similarities to SVV-01 prototype and other Senecavirus A strains from North American pigs. Primer set presented herein was suitable for molecular characterization of Senecavirus A. The results suggest that Senecavirus A was the aetiological agent of the vesicular disease outbreaks in the evaluated pig herds. This is the first study to report the Senecavirus A infection in clinically affected pigs outside of North America. Senecavirus A was considered a novel emerging pathogen associated with an important vesicular disease in Brazil.

The recently described atypical porcine pestivirus (APPV) has been associated with congenital tremor (CT) type A-II in piglets in different countries. Another important neurological pathogen of pigs is porcine teschovirus (PTV), which has been associated with non-suppurative encephalomyelitis in pigs with severe or mild neurological disorders. There have been no reports of APPV and/or PTV coinfection associated with CT or encephalomyelitis in Brazilian pig herds. The aim of this study was to describe the pathological and molecular findings associated with simultaneous infection of APPV and PTV in piglets with clinical manifestations of CT that were derived from a herd with high rates of CT-associated lethality. In 2017, three piglets from the same litter with CT died spontaneously. The principal pathological alterations in all piglets were secondary demyelination and hypomyelination at the cerebellum, brainstem and spinal cord confirmed by histopathology and luxol fast blue-cresyl violet stain. Additional significant pathological findings included multifocal neuronal necrosis, neuronophagia and gliosis found in the cerebral cortex and spinal cord of all piglets, while atrophic enteritis and mesocolonic oedema were observed in some of them. APPV and PTV RNA were detected in the central nervous system of affected piglets, and PTV was also detected in the intestine and faeces. The pathological alterations and molecular findings together suggest a dual infection due to APPV and PTV at this farm. Moreover, the combined effects of these pathogens can be attributed to the elevated piglet mortality, as coinfections involving PTV have a synergistic effect on the affected animals.

A total of 5502 piglets from 435 sows were selected for evaluation of the effect of piglet birthweight and sow parity on mortality rate (MR), growth performance, and carcass traits in pigs. Piglets were distributed into one of eight categories according to their weight (<600, g) and sows were classified according to parity (1-5). The maximum MR during lactation (day 0 to day 21) was found in category <600 g, whereas the lowest was observed in categories ≥1401 g. Pigs with greater body weight (BW) at birth were equivalently greater until 59 days of age. Average daily weight gain (ADG) was improved by increasing piglet birthweight between 0 and 21 days as indicated by a linear regression effect. After weaning, this effect was reduced up to 168 days, indicated by a quadratic, as opposed to linear, regression effect. The increase in growth rates corresponded to improved lean meat content and hot carcass weight. Increasing sow parity corresponded to a quadratic improvement of BW and ADG during lactation, but not after weaning. However, the improved pre-weaning performance was concomitant with a linear increase of within-litter BW and ADG variation. No effect of parity was observed on carcass traits. Piglet birthweight and sow parity influence litter postnatal development, mainly during early life. After weaning, these effects are less evident with a minor impact on carcass traits.

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RESUMO:O experimento consistiu na avaliação da eficácia de um produto comercial a base de extrato de oxicoco (pHD® -Biomin LTDA) no tratamento de infecções do trato urinário (ITU) em porcas. Foram utilizadas 42 porcas, com idade gestacional variando entre 50 e 70 dias, portadoras ou não de ITU. Os animais sadios foram diferenciados dos animais afetados mediante resultados de urinálise e urocultivo. O ensaio foi composto por: porcas com ITU que receberam o produto a base de extrato de oxicoco na ração por um período de 14 dias; porcas negativas para ITU (controle negativo); e porcas positivas para ITU (controle positivo). Foram coletadas amostras de urina nos dias zero, sete e 14 após o início do tratamento. Realizou-se urinálise completa dessas amostras, avaliação da densidade urinária específica, do pH, contagem bacteriana e isolamento bacteriano. A E. coli foi o agente mais frequente no isolamento bacteriano (90,62%). Os resultados demonstraram que o produto a base de extrato de oxicoco foi eficaz em promover redução do pH urinário, porém não interferiu em mais nenhum dos outros parâmetros avaliados. Palavras-chave: acidificante urinário; contagem bacteriana; Escherichia coli; pH; urinálise EFFECTS OF CRANBERRY EXTRACT IN THE TREATMENT OF URINARY TRACT INFECTIONS IN SOWS ABSTRACT:The experiment consisted in assessing the effectiveness of a commercial product based on cranberry extracts (pHD® -Biomin LTDA) in the treatment of urinary tract infections (UTI) in sows. Were used 42 sows, with gestational ages ranging between 50 and 70 days, either suffering from UTI or not. Healthy animals were differentiated from affected animals by urinalysis and urine culture. The experiment was composed of sows with UTI that received the cranberry extract product in the diet for a period of 14 days; sows negative for UTI (negative controls) and sows positive for UTI (positive controls). The former two groups did not receive the cranberry extract product in the diet. Urine samples were collected on days zero, seven and 14 after initiation of treatment. Complete urinalysis of these samples, urine specific gravity, pH, bacterial count and bacterial isolation were performed. E. coli was the most frequent isolated agent (90,62%). The results showed that the commercial product made with cranberry extract was effective in promoting a reduction of urinary pH, but did not interfere in any other parameters observed.