RESUMO -O presente estudo foi conduzido objetivando-se avaliar a influência do estresse climático sobre o desempenho produtivo e as respostas fisiológicas de ovinos da raça Santa Inês em confinamento. Foram avaliados dois ambientes (sombra e sol) e duas dietas com duas relações volumoso:concentrado (70C:30V: 70% de concentrado e 30% de volumoso; 30C:70V: 30% de concentrado e 70% de volumoso). Os animais mantidos à sombra e alimentados com dieta contendo alto teor de concentrado (70C:30V) apresentaram maior consumo de matéria seca (1258 g/animal/dia) e de proteína bruta (0,8% do peso vivo [PV] e 18 g/PV 0,75 ) e maior ganho de peso (247 g/animal/dia). A temperatura nos ambientes de sol e sombra durante a tarde foi de 32,1 e 30,6 o C e os valores do índice de temperatura e umidade (ITU), 82,3 e 81,1, respectivamente. Os animais alimentados com alto teor de concentrado (70C:30V) apresentaram maior freqüência respiratória (FR), tanto à sombra quanto ao sol (87 e 71 mov/min, respectivamente). Durante a tarde, a temperatura retal (TR) dos animais foi maior (39,1 o C) que pela manhã (38,9 o C). Porém, a TR mais elevada (39,3 o C) foi observada nos animais mantidos à sombra e alimentados com alto percentual de concentrado (70C:30V). Independentemente do ambiente, os animais alimentados com alto teor de concentrado (70C:30V) apresentaram maior TR (39,2 o C) do que aqueles alimentados com reduzido teor de concentrado (30C:70V) (38,8 o C). O tipo de dieta teve efeito sobre a susceptibilidade dos animais ao estresse causado pelas condições ambientais críticas durante o experimento. Os animais da raça Santa Inês mostraram-se sensíveis ao estresse ambiental, uma vez que apresentaram menor desempenho produtivo, quando expostos a condições de ausência de sombra. Palavras-chave: ambiente, cordeiros, desempenho, estresse térmico Effects of Environmental Stress on Physiological Parameters of Feedlot Sheep in the Northeast of BrazilABSTRACT -A study was conducted to determine the effect of environmental stress on physiological criteria of feedlot sheep. Treatments consisted of two different housing conditions (shade and no shade) and two levels of concentrate in the diet: high concentrate (70% of concentrate and 30% of roughage-70C:30R); low concentrate (30% of concentrate and 70% of roughage-30C:70R). Animals raised under shade and fed a high concentrate diet (70C:30R) had greater dry mater intake (1258 g/animal/day) and crude protein (0.8% of body weight (BW) and 18 g/BW 0.75 ), as well as weight gain (247 g/animal/day). Air temperature in the afternoon was 30.6 o C, under shade, and 32.1 o C, under sun and values of temperature humidity index(THI), 82.3 and 81.1, respectively. Animals fed more concentrate (70C:30R) had also higher respiratory frequency (RF), either raised under shade (87 mov/min) or under the sun (71 mov/min.). Rectal temperature (RT) was higher in the afternoon (39.1 o C) than in the morning (38.9 o C), but animals raised under shade and fed diets with 70% concentrate (70C:30R) had the highest value of RT (39.3...

The objective of this study was to identify and characterize species of Eimeria in broiler chickens using traditional morphological and pathological plus molecular (DNA amplification) diagnostic methodologies. Using a combination of those techniques it was possible to identify the presence of multiple circulating species in the flock as well as higher frequencies for some of them, especially Eimeria praecox and Eimeria maxima, which were identified in 100% of the flocks. The frequencies of the other species were Eimeria mitis and Eimeria necatrix (93.3%), Eimeria tenella (76,7%), Eimeria acervulina (56.7%) and Eimeria brunetti (16.7%). However using the lesion score, the most common species were E. maxima (46.7%), E. acervulina (30%), E. tenella (23.3%), and E. necatrix (10%). E. brunetti and E. praecox were not identified by using lesion score. DNA amplification had detection sensitivity for Eimeria species in the field samples of at least 20 oocysts. The implementation of DNA amplification as a routine diagnostic technique in aviaries can assist Eimeria population.

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Toxoplasmosis is one of the most common parasitic zoonoses throughout the world. Infection in man and animals varies in different geographical areas influenced by many environmental conditions. Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in cattle in Brazil ranges from 1.03 to 71%. A cross-sectional survey was carried out in 58 out of 453 farms in the South Fluminense Paraiba Valley, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Over 3-year-old cattle (n=589) from dairy herds were selected for blood collection and detection of anti-T. gondii antibodies by indirect immunofluorescence reaction (IFA) with initial titration of 1:16; titers > 64 were considered positive. Univariate analysis of risk factors showed that cats in contact with cattle, cats in contact with drinking water, and number of cats were associated with T. gondii seroprevalence. Logistic regression revealed a two-fold increased risk for infection of cattle (p=0.0138) through larger number of cats (>3) compared with low numbers of cats (1-2) on the farm. In contrast, the presence of chickens was considered a protective factor (p=0.025).

Vertebral osteomyelitis (VO) is a worldwide emerging disease that affects broilers. The objective of this study was to determine the frequency and aetiology of VO in broilers in a highly productive broiler region. For this, 608 broilers with locomotory problems were analysed from 18 farms. Clinical signs were recorded, necropsy was performed and samples were collected from vertebral bodies with gross changes for molecular and histopathological analysis and for bacterial isolation. From broilers with locomotory changes, 5.1% (31/608) had VO and, of these, 93.5% were 40 days old or older and 89.7% were males. The birds with VO presented varying degrees of limited mobility and this was related to the level of compression to the spinal cord. Bacterial species of the genus Enterococcus (DNA detected in 53.6%) were the aetiological agents involved in most VO cases. Enterococcus faecalis was detected most frequently (35.7%), but Enterococcus hirae was also present in some lesions (7.1%). Escherichia coli was detected in 35.7% of vertebral lesions and co-infection with E. faecalis was confirmed in 7.1% cases. Staphylococcus aureus was involved in 14.3% of the cases, being 7.1% in co-infection with Enterococcus spp. or E. hirae. Our study has indicated that, in Brazil, VO in broilers may not be caused by a single infectious agent and has a lower frequency than recently reported in other countries. This study suggests that there are geographical differences between Brazil and other countries concerning the frequency and aetiology of VO.

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Species of the genus