Summary Recently, a putative new pestivirus species, provisionally named as Atypical Porcine Pestivirus (APPV), was associated with the congenital tremor in piglets in North America and consequently in Europe and Asia. The present research aimed to describe the detection and characterization of APPV employing NS5B gene partial sequencing, gross pathology and histologic examination of piglets displaying congenital tremor from two different farms of Southern Brazil. No gross lesions were observed, and the histological findings revealed moderate vacuolization of the white matter of the cerebellum. RT‐PCR followed by DNA sequencing and a phylogenetic analysis confirmed the presence of APPV in samples from the two farms, which the samples were distinct in nature. Phylogenetic reconstruction reinforced the high genetic variability within the APPVs previously reported. This is the first report of APPV in South America suggesting that this new group of viruses may be widespread in swine herds in other countries as it is in Brazil.

RESUMO: Realizou-se um estudo retrospectivo com o objetivo de determinar os tipos de neoplasmas em bovinos e a sua frequência. Foram analisados os casos de necropsias e biopsias de bovinos com diagnóstico de neoplasia, submetidos ao Setor de Patologia Veterinária da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (SPV-UFRGS), entre janeiro de 2005 e dezembro de 2014. De um total de 4.188 exames realizados em bovinos, 154 foram diagnosticados como neoplasmas. Destes, 100 casos foram a causa da morte, 41 foram achados de frigorífico e 13 casos eram biopsias de cirurgias realizadas por veterinários de campo. Os neoplasmas ocorreram com maior frequência em bovinos adultos (96/154), fêmeas (125/154) e a raça mais acometida foi a Holandesa (79/154). Os neoplasmas mais frequentes foram linfoma (73/154), carcinoma de células escamosas (28/154), papiloma (9/154), melanoma (6/154) e feocromocitoma (6/154). Os sistemas mais acometidos foram o hemopoiético (75/154) e tegumentar (25/154). Conclui-se que o linfoma e o carcinoma de células escamosas são os neoplasmas mais frequentes em bovinos diagnosticados no SPV-UFRGS, Brasil.

No abstract

Twenty-six cattle and 7 horses were diagnosed with rabies. Samples of brain and spinal cord were processed for hematoxylin and eosin staining and immunohistochemistry (IHC). In addition, refrigerated fragments of brain and spinal cord were tested by direct fluorescent antibody test and intracerebral inoculation in mice. Statistical analyses and Fisher exact test were performed by commercial software. Histologic lesions were observed in the spinal cord in all of the cattle and horses. Inflammatory lesions in horses were moderate at the thoracic, lumbar, and sacral levels, and marked at the lumbar enlargement level. Gitter cells were present in large numbers in the lumbar enlargement region. IHC staining intensity ranged from moderate to strong. Inflammatory lesions in cattle were moderate in all spinal cord sections, and gitter cells were present in small numbers. IHC staining intensity was strong in all spinal cord sections. Only 2 horses exhibited lesions in the brain, which were located mainly in the obex and cerebellum; different from that observed in cattle, which had lesions in 25 cases. Fisher exact test showed that the odds of detecting lesions caused by rabies in horses are 3.5 times higher when spinal cord sections are analyzed, as compared to analysis of brain samples alone.

Enterolobium contortisiliquum pods are commonly identified as being the cause of abortions and photosensitivity in cattle. This paper describes the clinical and pathological aspects of a natural outbreak of hepatogenous photosensitization by the pods of E. contortisiliquum in Brazil and the results of experimental poisoning in three bovines. The history of natural poisoning was obtained at the site of the outbreak. Clinical examinations were carried out and hepatic enzymes were analyzed. A post-mortem examination was carried out at the outbreak location on a cow that had died. Several samples were collected from the animal's internal organs to carry out histopathological examinations. E. contortisiliquum pods were given to cows in order to reproduce the disease. The natural poisonings were characterized by photosensitization and aborted young. Enterolobium photosensitization was not experimentally reproduced, but the animals fell sick and recovered after 52 days.

The objectives of this study were to (1) investigate the occurrence of hepatitis E virus (HEV) in pigs from large-scale and family-scale farms, (2) genetically characterize the strains isolated, and (3) study the pathogenesis of swine HEV infection via immunohistochemistry. A total of 50 pigs from 10 farms in Mato Grosso State, Brazil were divided according to type of production system into either large-scale farms (n = 5) or family-scale farms (n = 5). Samples of liver, gallbladder, small and large intestines, bile, and feces from the pigs were analyzed by nested PCR with primers targeting the ORF2 region of HEV and by immunohistochemistry. Of the eight HEV-positive samples from pigs of family-scale farms, phylogenetic analysis revealed that seven of the swine HEV isolates clustered with subtype 3b of genotype 3 and one isolate was categorized with subtype 3 f. The HEV antigen was detected mainly in the small intestine samples from family-scale farms, suggesting an early stage HEV infection. HEV was not detected in the samples of pigs from large-scale farms, reinforcing the need for additional studies to evaluate the risk of transmission of HEV to humans from pigs from family-scale farms in Mato Grosso State.

No abstract

A infecção por herpesvírus bovino (BoHV) é uma das principais causas de doença neurológica em bovinos na região Centro-Oeste do Brasil. O uso de técnicas moleculares de diagnóstico representa uma contribuição importante para o estudo dessa doença. Este trabalho descreve o uso de uma técnica específica de PCR multiplex para identificar BoHV-5 e BoHV-1 em 76 amostras de encéfalo de bovinos fixadas em formol e incluídas em parafina. Com base nas alterações histológicas, as amostras foram separadas em 2 grupos: o Grupo 1 era composto de 40 amostras de bovinos com meningoencefalite necrosante característica da infecção por BoHV; no Grupo 2 estavam 36 amostras de casos com encefalite não-supurativa inespecífica. Identificação de BoHV-5 foi constatada em 40% das amostras do grupo 1 e em 33% das amostras do grupo 2. Não houve amplificação de DNA de BoHV-1 em nenhuma amostra.