Periodontal diseases are multifactorial infectious processes caused by complexes of microorganisms, with damage to health, production, and animal welfare. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of virginiamycin in the prevention and control of two early forms of periodontal disease: gingivitis and necrotizing gingivitis. Ten weaned calves, aged four to six months, were permanently kept in a single lot under the same rotational grazing regime in a newly reformed area of Panicum maximum. Five of the calves were orally administered 340mg of virginiamycin (Virginiamycin Group) daily for a period of 18 weeks, while the remaining five calves (Control Group) remained under the same food management but did not receive virginiamycin. During this period, animals underwent 18 weekly evaluations regarding periodontal health, with monitoring and recording of clinical parameters of the eight deciduous incisor teeth on the labial and lingual faces. At approximately two-week intervals, nine collections of subgingival sulcus material from five sites of the four right incisor teeth of each animal were performed and subjected to microbiological evaluation using polymerase chain reaction with primers of 25 microorganisms considered potentially pathogenic. After 1440 periodontal clinical evaluations of incisor teeth of the 10 calves, a total of 395 episodes of gingivitis were recorded, of which 267 occurred in the Control Group and 128 in the Virginiamycin Group. Similarly, 89 episodes of necrotizing gingivitis were recorded; 58 in the Control Group and 31 in the Virginiamycin Group. Comparison of between-group means found significant differences for teeth with gingivitis and necrotizing gingivitis (t test; p<0.05). The total number of teeth with gingivitis (p<0.01) and necrotizing gingivitis (p<0.01) in Control Group was significantly higher than that of gingivitis (p<0.01) and necrotizing gingivitis (p<0.05) in the Virginiamycin Group. There was a positive correlation between total occurrence of gingivitis and necrotizing gingivitis in the Virginiamycin Group by Pearson’s test. Virginiamycin had a protective effect on treated animals compared with the Control Group (OR = 0.36: CI (95%) = 0.27-0.43). In the Control Group, Actinomyces israelli (4.74%), domain Archaea (1.58%), Eikenella corrodens (1.05%), Fusobacterium nucleatum (27.37%), class Mollicutes (5.26%); Porphyromonas endodontalis(5.26%); Porphyromonas gulae(0.53%), Prevotella buccae (6.32%), Prevotella loescheii (3.68%), Prevotella nigrescens (8.42%), Prevotella oralis (1.58%), Tannerella forsythia (0.53%), and Treponema denticola (4.21%) were detected at healthy sites, and gingivitis or necrotizing gingivitis samples. In the Virginiamycin Group, A. israelli (3.41%), domain Archaea (0.98%), F. nucleatum (9.27%), class Mollicutes(4.39%), P. endodontalis (4.39%), P. gulae (0.49%), P. buccae (8.29%), P. loescheii (6.83%), P. nigrescens (15.61%), P. oralis (1.46%), Selenomonas sputigena (0.49%), T. forsythia (0.49%), and T. denticola (2.44%) were detected. In conclusion, virginiamycin administered at a dosage of 340mg/animal/day significantly reduced the occurrence of gingivitis and necrotizing gingivitis in cattle maintained on reformed pastures, and was revealed to have action against periodontal bacterial microbiota considered to be potentially pathogenic.

Bovine periodontitis is a multifactorial disease primarily associated with a potentially pathogenic microbiota housed in the oral biofilm of animals. Biofilms are organized structures, in which the constituents coexist in symbiosis, already described as a predisposing factor to periodontitis in other species. The objective of the present study was to characterize the structure and chemical aspects of the bovine black pigmented supragingival biofilm using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), respectively, and determine its relationship with bovine periodontitis. Eleven premolar teeth from different animals were evaluated; five non-pigmented samples and six samples with black pigmented biofilms were initially submitted to SEM, and three areas of these samples were selected for EDS. The structure of the pigmented biofilm was more complex and irregular because of a higher content of mineral elements. The semi-quantitative EDS data indicated an association of iron (p<0.014) and magnesium (p<0.001) with the occurrence of periodontitis, whereas carbon, phosphorus, calcium, manganese, sodium, and potassium were not associated with the disease. Carbon (p<0.039), manganese (p<0.007), and iron (p<0.015) were associated with pigmentation, whereas phosphorus, calcium, and magnesium were not associated with it. Spearman correlation test showed the relationships between calcium and phosphorus, and iron and silicon. The strong association of iron in the pigmented supragingival biofilm and with the occurrence of periodontitis suggests the presence of microorganisms that use this element in their metabolism and that are also associated with bovine periodontitis. This study suggests that the pigmented deposits in the crown of the teeth of cattle are an true biofilm with the deposition of iron, and it indicates that the presence of iron and magnesium in these formations may be involved in the metabolism of some microorganisms associated with the etiology of bovine periodontitis.

No abstract

Botulism is generally a fatal disease caused by ingestion of neurotoxins produced by Clostridium botulinum. The present study describes the epidemiological, clinical, and laboratory aspects of a type C botulism outbreak in free-living aquatic birds residing in an urban park in Quirinópolis, Goiás, Brazil. Among a population of approximately 80 waterfowl, a total of 30 birds, including ducks (Cairina moschata), teals (Anas platyrhynchos), and geese (Anser cygnoides), died within 10 days. Of these, six birds showed signs of flaccid paralysis of the pelvic limbs, eyelids, neck, and wings. To confirm the suspicion of botulism, four lake water samples, two samples of the feed consumed by the birds, and samples of serum, intestinal content, stomach content, and liver tissue from two teals that died after presenting clinical signs were analyzed. Using bioassay and neutralization with homologous antitoxin in mice, it was possible to detect the presence of botulinum toxin type C in a water sample and in the intestinal content of one of the necropsied teals. Additionally, the presence of C. botulinum type C was identified in the lake water using polymerase chain reaction. Based on the clinical signs and laboratory results, a diagnosis of botulism caused by botulinum toxin type C was confirmed with probable transmission by lake water.

Periodontitis affects the teeth supporting tissues, leading to tooth loss and damage to animal health. Evidence in humans suggests that oral microorganisms spread systemically, increasing the risk of pregnancy disorders such as miscarriage, prematurity, and low birth weight. This study aimed to verify whether periodontopathogenic microorganisms reach the transplacental unit, culminating in problems in pregnant ewes. After analyzing the oral cavity, 10 clinically healthy pregnant ewes (OGCH group) and 10 pregnant ewes with periodontitis (OGP group) were selected. The subgingival biofilm was collected for the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test and amniotic fluid for both the PCR and interleukin (IL) analysis. Peripheral blood was collected for complete blood count, and analyses of IL-6, IL1-β, and tumor necrosis factor-α were performed. Placental fragments were collected to assess the inflammatory changes using optical microscopy. After giving birth, both the ewes and their lambs were weighed. On clinical examination, a positive correlation between bleeding and suppuration (correlation index - CI=0.54), suppuration and marginal gingivitis (CI=0.34), and marginal gingivitis and edema (CI=0.54) was observed. The weights of the ewes (p=0.013) and their respective lambs (p=0.04) in the OGP group were lower than those of their OGCH group counterparts. The hematological analysis revealed that the OGP group ewes showed a slight increase in the mean corpuscular volume (p=0.2447), segmented cells (p=0.3375), and eosinophils (p=0.3823) when compared with the OGCH group ewes, without a statistical difference. Regarding the microorganisms detected in the oral cavity, there was a significant difference between the occurrence of periodontal pockets and the presence of Fusobacterium necrophorum (p=0.0328), Porphyromonas asaccharolytica (p=0.0392), and the Mollicutes class (p=0.0352). Staphylococcus genus (p=0.9107) and Archaea domain (p=0.7245) were detected in the amniotic samples of both groups, without a significant difference, whereas P. asaccharolytica (p=0.2685) was only detected in one sample in the OGCH group. The expression of cytokine IL-6 in the OGP group differed significantly between the prepartum and postpartum periods (p=0.0039); moreover, it differed significantly in the postpartum period between the OGCH and OGP groups (p=0.0198). Histological examination showed a higher percentage of placental changes in the OGP group (70%) than in the OGCH group, such as the presence of macrophages, neutrophils, plasma cells, and multifocal areas of calcification. These results do not corroborate the hypothesis of dissemination of oral microorganisms to the placental unit, suggesting that it constitutes placental isolation in sheep.

No abstract

Gingivitis is an infectious inflammatory process that generates local and systemic conditions, compromising the masticatory capacity of animals. Virginiamycin controls and prevents gingivitis and necrotizing gingivitis in cattle. However, the interaction and effect with different sera and salivary elements remain unknown. The present 6-month longitudinal study evaluated the hematological, metabolic, and salivary buffering capacity profiles of calves with gingivitis treated with virginiamycin. Ten calves were divided into two groups: control and virginiamycin (n = 5 each). Calves in the virginiamycin group had a lower occurrence of gingivitis (P < 0.01, Student’s t-test). The animals that developed gingivitis in both experimental groups had higher salivary levels of alkaline phosphatase (P = 0.01915) and lower serum levels of albumin (P = 0.0028). Additionally, animals receiving virginiamycin had higher serum levels of magnesium (P = 0.008), albumin (P = 0.0008), urea (P = 0.008), alkaline phosphatase (P = 0.008), total proteins (P = 0.008), and plasma protein (P = 0.018). Salivary buffering capacity was negatively correlated with salivary variables such as calcium, magnesium, albumin, total protein, and aspartate aminotransferase and serum variables such as albumin and aspartate aminotransferase. Results of the present study suggested that the occurrence of periodontopathies in episodes is reflected in the local and systemic alterations in animals. In this context, clinical periodontal monitoring also showed the benefits of virginiamycin supplementation on gingival conditions and systemic health markers, in addition to controlling the two precursor forms of periodontitis.

Oral diseases are limiting to health, welfare, and conservation practices, especially in the case of endangered animals. In this retrospective study, a survey on oral health-related conditions noted in the clinical records for 261 deer comprised in an ex situ population of the Marsh Deer Conservation Center (CCCP) over 30 years (1990-2020) was carried out. Of these, 49 (18.77%) marsh deer (31 females - 63.27% and 18 males - 36.73%) had clinical oral affections; the affected deer’s mean age was 8.9 years. Logistic regression analysis was performed, and the variable age was significantly associated with the presence of dental affections. Thus, with a change in the age category, a deer had eight times the chance of manifesting oral affections; therefore, age can be considered a risk factor for the manifestation of oral affections in the species. Increased facial volume (65.3%), accumulation of food in the mouth (36.7%), tooth loss (22.4%), fistulas (22.4%), mucosal or palatal lesions (22.4%), tooth wear (20.4%), and tooth root exposure (18.3%) were the most frequently recorded lesions. The relatively high occurrence of oral affections in Blastocerus dichotomus reiterates the importance of oral health care when deer are kept in human care.