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W est Nile virus (WNV) is a widely distributed arthropodborne fl avivirus transmitted predominantly by Culex mosquitoes (1). Among infected persons, ≈20% show clinical signs, such as mild fever, rash, joint pain, headache, vomiting, and diarrhea (1,2); ≈0.7% have severe illness, such as encephalitis, meningitis, acute fl accid paralysis, respiratory failure, and even death (1). Beyond vectorborne transmission, transfusion-transmitted WNV infections have endangered blood safety (3). Equids are susceptible to WNV and develop severe disease (fatality rate <30%), are exposed to WNV vectors outside and in stables, and are spatially distributed near human settlements. Thus, equids can be sentinels for early detection of regional WNV activity (4).In the Americas, WNV gained attention after its rapid spread in the United States beginning in 1999 (4). In South America, WNV dispersion is poorly understood. Seropositive horses were found in Colom-
Donkeys (Equus asinus) are closely related to horses and are known to be infected by several equine pathogens. Neospora caninum and Neospora hughesi are protozoan parasites that infect horses, but they were not confirmed in donkeys up to this date. The aim of this study was to evaluate the exposure of donkeys (Equus asinus) to Neospora spp. using tachyzoites of N. caninum as antigen and employing two common serologic methods, IFAT and immunoblot. Sera from 500 donkeys were obtained from 30 municipalities in Bahia state and tested by IFAT. Two of 500 sera were positive for Neospora spp. by IFAT with antibody titers of 100, and recognized a 37kDa antigen in immunoblot. Approximately 22% of the samples showed strong apical reactions and/or incomplete fluorescence, what may cause confusion in the interpretation of IFAT. We concluded that Neospora spp. are possibly of minor importance for Brazilian donkeys. Future studies are necessary to prove that Neospora spp. can naturally infect donkeys.Keywords: Neospora, Equus asinus, donkeys, antibodies. ResumoAsininos (Equus asinus) são próximos filogeneticamente a equinos e podem ser infectados por vários patógenos de cavalos. Neospora caninum e Neospora hughesi são parasitos protozoários que infectam equinos, porém não foram confirmados em asininos até o momento. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a exposição de asininos (Equus asinus) a Neospora spp., usando-se taquizoítos de N. caninum como antígeno e empregando-se duas técnicas sorológicas comuns para esta finalidade, reação de imunofluorescência indireta (RIFI) e immunoblot. Soros de 500 asininos, obtidos em 30 municípios no Estado da Bahia, foram testados por meio da RIFI. Dois dos 500 soros foram positivos para Neospora spp. pela RIFI com títulos de anticorpos de 100, e reconheceram um antígeno de 37kDa no immunoblot. Aproximadamente, 22% das amostras apresentaram fortes reações apicais e/ou fluorescência incompleta, o que pode causar confusão na interpretação da RIFI. Conclui-se que Neospora spp. são, possivelmente, de pouca importância para asininos brasileiros. Estudos posteriores são necessários para provar que Neospora spp. podem causar infecção natural em asininos.
Decades after its discovery in East Africa, Zika virus (ZIKV) emerged in Brazil in 2013 and infected millions of people during intense urban transmission. Whether vertebrates other than humans are involved in ZIKV transmission cycles remained unclear. Here, we investigate the role of different animals as ZIKV reservoirs by testing 1723 sera of pets, peri-domestic animals and African non-human primates (NHP) sampled during 2013–2018 in Brazil and 2006–2016 in Côte d'Ivoire. Exhaustive neutralization testing substantiated co-circulation of multiple flaviviruses and failed to confirm ZIKV infection in pets or peri-domestic animals in Côte d'Ivoire (n=259) and Brazil (n=1416). In contrast, ZIKV seroprevalence was 22.2% (2/9, 95% CI, 2.8–60.1) in West African chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) and 11.1% (1/9, 95% CI, 0.3–48.3) in king colobus (Colobus polycomos). Our results indicate that while NHP may represent ZIKV reservoirs in Africa, pets or peri-domestic animals likely do not play a role in ZIKV transmission cycles.
RESUMO: O presente estudo objetivou determinar a prevalência e distribuição de lesões abscedativas, identificação do agente etiológico e avaliação das lesões histológicas em caprinos e ovinos abatidos em um matadouro-frigorífico com Serviço de Inspeção Federal do estado da Bahia. Foram coletadas 153 amostras de vísceras e linfonodos com abscessos de 1.148 animais abatidos. A maior prevalência na espécie ovina foi em macho, com faixa etária de 12 meses, sendo os principais órgãos acometidos fígado (21,2%) e linfonodo pré-escapular (20,3%). Na espécie caprina, a prevalência maior foi em macho, com faixa etária de 30 meses, sendo os linfonodos retro faríngeo (25%) e pré-escapular os mais acometidos (25%). Isolou-se os seguintes micro-organismos das amostras: Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis em 33,33%, Escherichia coli (19,61%), Proteus mirabilis (9,80%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (7,19%), Trueperella pyogenes (5,22%), Streptococcusspp. (5,22%) e Staphylococcus aureus (4,57%). As lesões macroscópicas e histológicas dos abscessos coletados não apresentaram diferenças entre micro-organismos isolados.
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