Antimicrobial susceptibility pattern was determined in 100 strains of Vibrio isolated from the Litopenaeus vannamei shrimp and identified phenotypically. A high antibiotic-resistance index (75%) was observed, with the following phenotypic profiles: monoresistance (n = 42), cross-resistance to β-lactams (n = 20) and multiple resistance (n = 13). Plasmid resistance was characterized for penicillin (n = 11), penicillin + ampicillin (n = 1), penicillin + aztreonam (n = 1), and ampicillin (n = 1). Resistance to antimicrobial drugs by the other strains (n = 86) was possibly mediated by chromosomal genes. The findings of this study support the conclusion that the cultured shrimps can be vehicles of vibrios resistant to β-lactam and tetracycline.

The prepartum supplementation of dairy cows with β-carotene was evaluated. Cows were blocked by parity and expected calving date and assigned to a treatment: β-carotene (1.2 g/cow per d) or control (no supplementation). The same total mixed ration batch was offered to all cows, and β-carotene was top dressed to individual cows once per day. The data set contained 283 Holsteins that received a treatment for >14 d (29.1±6.9 d). Frequency distributions were analyzed with the GENMOD procedure of SAS using logistic regression for binomial data. Continuous variables were analyzed with the MIXED procedure of SAS. Within parity, nonparametric estimates of the survivor function for reproductive variables were computed using the product-limit method of the Kaplan-Meier method with the LIFETEST procedure of SAS. Plasma β-carotene concentration before supplementation was similar between supplemented and nonsupplemented cows (2.99µg/mL) and peaked at 3.26±0.175µg/mL on d -15±2.4 precalving for supplemented cows (2.62±0.168µg/mL for control). Colostrum density, milk yield, and milk composition were similar between treatments. β-Carotene tended to increase milk protein content from 2.90 to 2.96% and to decrease the proportion of primiparous cows with a milk fat to protein ratio >1.5 from 22.6 to 6.4%. The proportion of primiparous and multiparous cows with difficult calving, metritis, progesterone >1 ng/mL at 21 d and at 42 d in lactation, % conception at first service, and % pregnancy at 90 and 150 d in lactation were similar between treatments. A trend for decreased incidence of somatic cell count >200,000 cells/mL was present in multiparous cows supplemented with β-carotene (38.9% vs. 28.1%). β-Carotene was associated with a reduction in the proportion of multiparous cows with retained placenta 12 h postpartum from 29.9 to 21.7%; time of placenta release was 392 min (340 to 440) for β-carotene and 490 min (395 to 540) for control (median and 95% confidence interval). For primiparous cows, placenta release was not affected by β-carotene (incidence was 15.4%). The intervals from calving to first estrus, to first service, and to conception were not affected by β-carotene supplementation in either parity. However, independent of treatment, cows with improved reproductive efficiency had increased postpartum β-carotene concentration in plasma. The prepartum supplementation of β-carotene increased plasma concentration around calving. No response in milk yield or reproductive performance was detected. Beta-carotene supplementation was associated with a lower incidence of retained placenta in multiparous cows.

The enzymatic characterization of vibrios has been used as a virulence indicator of sanitary interest. The objective of this study was to determine the enzymatic profile of Vibrio parahaemolyticus strains (n=70) isolated from Crassostrea rhizophorae oysters. The strains were examined for the presence of gelatinase (GEL), caseinase (CAS), elastase (ELAS), phospholipase (PHOS), lipase (LIP), amilase (AML) and DNase. All enzymes, except elastase, were detected in more than 60% of the strains. The most recurrent enzymatic profiles were AML + DNase + PHOS + GEL + LIP (n=16; 22.9%) and AML + CAS + DNase + PHOS + GEL + LIP (n=21; 30%). Considering the fact that exoenzyme production by vibrios is closely related to virulence, one must be aware of the bacteriological risk posed to human health by the consumption of raw or undercooked oysters.

Este trabalho objetivou caracterizar a pesca negativa das arraias de água doce no município de Juruá, Amazonas. Foram entrevistados 50 pescadores cadastrados na Colônia de Pescadores de Juruá, Z21. Os potamotrigonídeos foram capturados principalmente com malhadeiras. Ocorrem nove espécies de arraias de água doce no baixo Juruá, sendo as mais abundantes Potamotrygon motoro e Potamotrygon cf. scobina. Foram encontrados arraias de água doce nos lagos, rios e praias, com o período de maior ocorrência na vazante e seca do rio Juruá. O destino dados às arraias pelos pescadores após a sua pesca é o sacrifício dos animais (59%), mutilação (35%) e soltura na natureza (6%). Foi estimado que no ano de 2012 houve o sacrifício de 10.660|, mutilação de 3.562 e a soltura de apenas 286 arraias. Metade dos entrevistados sofreram acidentes com os potamotrigonídeos, com ataques principalmente nos pés (70%). Existe uma diversidade alta de potamotrigonídeos no baixo rio Juruá, que está diretamente associada a pesca negativa, nessa localidade é importante adotar medidas de educação ambiental com os pescadores para evitar a sobrepesca e dessa forma conservar esses elasmobrânquios na localidade.

Este trabalho objetivou avaliar o desembarque pesqueiro efetuado no município de Juruá, Amazonas. Os dados do desembarque pesqueiro foram obtidos através de observações seguidas de entrevistas em formulário pré-estabelecido no período de 2009 a 2010, com a identificação de dados dos pescadores, da atividade pesqueira e da comercialização do pescado, no único porto de desembarque pesqueiro do município. Os resultados apontaram as canoas como as principais embarcações utilizadas na atividade pesqueira, que normalmente são formadas por dois pescadores, utilizando principalmente os lagos para a pesca. Identificou-se 50 tipos de peixes desembarcados, destacando-se o pacu e o aruanã que apresentaram representatividade em todos os meses do ano, em uma atividade que contabilizou mais de 60.000 Kg de peixes diversos desembarcados. A Capacidade por Unidade de Esforço no segundo semestre de 2009 foi de 75,0 ± 64,4 kg por pescador por dia de pesca e no primeiro semestre de 2010 foi de 62,8 ± 59,2 kg por pescador por dia de pesca. O principal apetrecho de pesca utilizado nesta região é a rede de malhadeira, onde os gastos na atividade de pesca são muito específicos e variam de acordo com a localidade. O principal combustível utilizado pelas embarcações é o gás de cozinha, os gastos com os mantimentos alimentícios são baixos e o gelo é o principal meio de armazenamento do pescado a ser comercializado. As informações obtidas com a presente pesquisa contribuem para o conhecimento da atividade pesqueira no Estado do Amazonas, gerando subsídios para futuras aplicações de políticas públicas no tocante ao ordenamento pesqueiro.

Arapaima gigas (pirarucu) is a large fish greatly appreciated in Amazon region. The present work determined the weight-length relationship and the relative condition factor (Kn) of eviscerated pirarucu specimens from the extractive reserve (RESEX) of Juruá river, Amazonas, Brazil. The relative frequency distributions by weight class indicated amplitude between 20,000 and 115,000g and the classes of greatest frequency were between 30,000 and 80,000g. The equation 3.0157 that describes this relationship is W = 0.0092L , showing an isometric growth. Kn presented values of 0.98 ± 0.01, ranging between 0.94-1.01. The results indicate that fish stock of A. gigas in the RESEX of Juruá river presents good management conditions since most of the fish caught presented commercial weight and high utilization of meat, and also the equations of weight-length relationship and Kn values can be considered as reference for A. gigas eviscerated of the studied region.

Introduction:The present study aimed to survey the Vibrio microbiota of oysters (Crassostrea rhizophorae) obtained from restaurants in Fortaleza, State of Ceará, Brazil, and to identify virulence factors. Methods: The isolated vibrios were submitted to biochemical identification and were tested for hemolytic and urease activities. Results: The isolated strains belonged to 13 species, with predominance of Vibrio mimicus. Of the strain isolates only from fresh samples, 20.5% and 2.8% showed hemolytic and urease activities, respectively. Conclusions: The findings support the little-publicized claim that Vibrio species other than V. parahaemolyticus and V. vulnificus can represent a health risk to public health.Keywords: Vibrio. Crassostrea rhizophorae. Virulence factors.Vibrios are part of the native microbiota of marine environments and organisms. Up to 40% of water-column bacteria are associated with zooplankton. Among these, vibrios have a competitive advantage in the colonization of chitinous exoskeletons 1 . Due to their abundance in the water column, vibrios may be up to a hundred times more concentrated in filter-feeding mollusks than in the immediate environment 2 .Since vibrios are part of the autochthonous bacterial community colonizing bivalves, it comes as no surprise that they have been implicated in many outbreaks related to oyster consumption. The vibrio species most often associated with disease from consumption of oysters in natura are Vibrio parahaemolyticus, V. vulnificus, and V. cholerae 3 . However, virulence factors similar to those displayed by V. parahaemolyticus are detected in other vibrio species with increasing frequency. Thus, Nishibuchi et al. 4 found that V. hollisae strains from clinical samples can carry the hemolysinencoding gene tdh, a marker of virulence. Other vibrio species isolated from marine organisms have also been shown to be capable of β-hemolysis 5 .The objective of the present study was to survey the Vibrio microbiota of fresh and frozen oysters (Crassostrea rhizophorae) obtained from restaurants in Fortaleza, and to identify phenotypical virulence factors by testing strains for β-hemolysis and urease activity.The study was based on 15 samples of fresh oysters and 15 samples of frozen oysters (C. rhizophorae) obtained from two restaurants in Fortaleza City (Northeastern Brazil) between August 2009 and August 2010. Each sample consisted of 10 specimens, for a total of 300 specimens examined. Oysters with closed valves were placed in labeled polyethylene bags and transported in isothermal boxes to the Laboratory of Seafood and Environmental Microbiology (LABOMAR/UFC) for processing. Transportation did not exceed two hours.The oysters were washed in tap water and vigorously scrubbed, then opened under aseptic conditions for retrieval of the intervalvular tissues and fluid. A 50-gram portion was taken from each sample of 10 specimens and added to 450mL alkaline peptone water (pH 8.5) containing 1% NaCl. The sample was homogenized in a magnetic stirrer (Cole Parmer,...

Este estudio tuvo como objetivo determinar las relaciones peso-talla (RPT), hepatosomático (RHS), esplenosomática (RES) y viscerosomática (SVR) y el factor de condición relativo (Kn), y las relaciones entre los índices corporales en Brycon amazonicus matrinxã del bajo río Juruá, Amazonas. Un total de 40 ejemplares fueron capturados. Los valores medios y desviación estándar fueron: longitud total (32,10 ± 2,22 cm), peso (765,00 ± 102,12 g), hígado (10,73 ± 1,79 g), bazo (0,33 ± 0,05 g), vísceras (61,21 ± 16,95 g), RHS (1,42 ± 0,27%), RES (0,04 ± 0,01 %), la RVS (8,03 ± 1,99 %) y Kn (1,12 ± 0,01). La matrinxã presentó un crecimiento alométrico negativo, mostrando una mayor ganancia de longitud total que de peso. Fue observada una relación (p< 0,05) entre el peso y el hígado (p=0,015), entre CT y vísceras (0,018), entre peso y vísceras (p= 0,018), y entre CT e hígado (0,038). Se observo una correlación negativa entre CT y RVS (p= 0,040), entre bazo y RVS (p= 0,001) y entre vísceras y RHS (p= 0,020). Se determionó correlación positiva entre Kn y RHS (p= 0,024) y entre bazo e hígado (p= 0,016). Con el presente trabajo es posible determinar el peso de órganos vitales a partir de medidas simples como La longitud total y el peso corpóreo, lo que proporciona el permite inferir la condición de salud de las poblaciones de matrinxã sin que se tenga que sacrificar especímenes para conocerla.