This study is aimed to assess the prevalence and risk factors associated with T. gondii infection in pigs. We evaluated 143 pigs, in 10 randomly-chosen farms located in Southern Piauí. The pig's blood serum was analyzed through ELISA in detection of anti-T. gondii antibodies. A seroprevalence of 25.5% was observed in the pigs that reacted against T. gondii antigens. The data from the records demonstrated an association with some factors such as: age, diet, type of management, breed and presence of cats in the farms with a prevalence of T. gondii. With the exception of sex, all others features represent risk factors for T. gondii infection. Furthermore, our data contributed to the understanding of the T. gondii seroprevalence in pig farms located in Southern Piauí.

Toxoplasma gondii is a widely distributed obligatory intracellular parasite that causes severe disease to the fetus when transmitted during pregnancy. Drugs used to avoid congenital transmission have shown side effects, and their efficacy is controversial. The most widely used treatment for acute toxoplasmosis during pregnancy is pyrimethamine plus sulfadiazine, which has several side effects. In this work, we tested the efficacy of azithromycin in reducing congenital transmission of T. gondii in the large vesper mouse, Calomys callosus, a rodent. Females of C callosus were inoculated perorally with 20 cysts of ME49 strain of T. gondii on the day of fertilization, and fetuses were collected from the 15th to the 19th day of gestation. Azithromycin (300 mg/kg), in association with pyrimethamine (100 or 50 mg/kg) plus sulfadiazine (100 or 75 mg/kg) and folinic acid (15 mg/kg) (SPAf), or vehicle, were administered orally on different days after infection. Brain and ocular tissues were removed and processed for immunohistochemistry using a polyclonal antibody against T. gondii, or were processed for parasite DNA quantification. Toxoplasma gondii was detected in the brains of all females and in fetuses' eyes of C. callosus treated with SPAf. On the other hand, in females treated with azithromycin, there was a reduction of T. gondii in the brains of mothers, and no parasites were detected in eyes of fetuses, indicating that azithromycin may represent an alternative treatment for toxoplasmosis during pregnancy.

RESUMO A cinomose é uma doença infecciosa viral causada por um RNA vírus pertencente a família Paramyxoviridae do gênero Morbillivirus que acomete cães domésticos e outros carnívoros. O conhecimento dos parâmetros laboratoriais da doença pode orientar no diagnóstico e prognóstico. Este trabalho teve como objetivo caracterizar as alterações hematológicas de cães com quadro clínico de cinomose atendidos na Universidade Federal do Piauí, no município de Bom Jesus. Participaram desse estudo 18 cães com diagnóstico clínico de cinomose, sendo sete machos e 11 fêmeas, com idade variando de três meses a cinco anos. Foram coletados de 3 a 5 mL de sangue venoso por venopunção jugular para as avaliações hematológicas. As alterações observadas com maior frequência foram anemia (72,2%), linfócitos reativos (72,2%), monocitose (55,5%), linfopenia (38,8%), trombocitopenia (38,8%), leucocitose (33,3%), neutrofilia (33,3%), neutrófilos hipersegmentados (33,3%) e monócitos ativados (27,7%). Em 22,2% dos animais, foram observadas inclusões de Lentz em leucócitos e eritrócitos, confirmando o diagnóstico clínico da cinomose. Conclui-se que a anemia e a ativação dos linfócitos são os achados mais relevantes na cinomose canina, podendo estar ou não associados à linfopenia. A avaliação da morfologia leucocitária e pesquisa dos corpúsculos de Lentz deve ser realizada em todos os animais com suspeita de cinomose canina. PALAVRAS-CHAVE: caninos, corpúsculo de Lentz, leucócitos. HEMATOLOGIC FINDINGS IN CINOMOSE CANINE IN BOM JESUS/PI ABSTRACT The canine cinomose is a viral infectious disease caused by RNA virus belonging to Paramyxoviridae family and Morbillivirus genus that attack domestic dogs and others carnivores. Knowledge of laboratory parameters of disease can guide the diagnosis and prognosis. This study aimed to characterize the hematological alterations of dogs with clinical cinomose treated at the Federal University of Piaui in Bom Jesus.

This study aimed to evaluate the seroprevalence and risk factors associated with Toxoplasma gondii infection in goats from micro-regions of the state of Piauí (Brazil). From six randomly selected properties, 145 goats were examined. Serum samples of the animals were analyzed by ELISA for the presence or absence of antibodies against T. gondii. Of these, 22% were seroreactive for T. gondii. Individual records were also taken for each property. These analyses showed that factors such as sex, age, water source, and presence of cats were associated with animal seropositivity. In addition, there was also a positive correlation (p > 0.04) between animal sex and T. gondii contamination. The presence of cats in the facilities and animal pasture fields appeared to be a risk factor for the contamination of goats in the assessed properties (p > 0.03). The parasite Toxoplasma gondii is present in the goat herds of southern Piauí state, and females are more likely to be contaminated.

Ethical and commercial issues are associated with animal welfare in pig farming, in that sense, the objective of this work was to evaluate physiological and blood parameters in addition to weight gain in pigs raised with and without sunlight and environmental enrichment (EE), as well as to correlate physiological and environmental parameters as welfare indicators. Twenty-four pigs distributed in a randomized block design with a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement were used. Blocks were represented by shifts (morning and afternoon), and factors by the presence or absence of EE and sunlight. Blood and environmental parameters of thermal comfort, in addition to weight gain, were registered. Physiological parameters showed to be shift dependent (p < 0.05), with the afternoon shift being superior when compared to the morning shift, thus indicating climate influence. Weight gain showed significant interactions (p < 0.05) in the presence and absence of sunlight and EE in the stalls. Temperature correlated positively with the physiological parameters. Moisture showed negative correlations with physiological parameters. The packed cell volume was lower (p < 0.05) in the presence of EE. The EE provides physiological well-being and weight gain for pigs in the nursery stage, especially when sunlight was absent in the stalls.

The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of a cycle of three races as a part of the vaquejada test, on the serum biochemistry of horses that compete sporadically and athletic horses. Fourteen Quarter Horses was evaluated: group 1 (G1), with seven horses from the region that competed sporadically and group 2 (G2), with seven horses that competed regulary and were transported for >200 km. The physiological and serum biochemistry parameters were evaluated before exercise (M0) and after a cycle of three races of the vaquejada test: immediately after (M1); 30 min (M2) and 120 min (M3) after. Wilcoxon test was used to assess differences between the groups and Friedman test for moment effects, with a significance level of 5%. There was increase in M1 compared with M0 for heart and respiratory rate in G2, and rectal temperature in G1. The exercise transiently changed most of the biochemical parameters, with significant diferences for uric acid in M1, albumin and lactate in M2, compared with M0, in G2. The metabolic response to exercise was different between the groups for the following variables: uric acid, total protein, albumin, unsaturated iron binding capacity, and transferrin saturation index. It was concluded that physiological and biochemical changes induced by Vaquejada are light, transiente, and within the normal range. The changes were more expressive in athletic horses that compete regularly and are transported, demonstrating the need for studies that establish specific training and management protocols for this category.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different dietary electrolyte balance (DEB) levels over the hematological parameters and the biochemical profile of broilers under stress caused by cyclic heat. We used 1050 male broilers from Ross lineage, for two experimental phases: phase 1 (broilers from 1 until 21 days old) and phase 2 (broilers from 22 until 42 days old). The broilers were distributed under a completely randomized design, built for five treatments (110; 175; 240; 305; 370 mEq of DEB/kg of ration) and seven repetitions. For the hematological analyses were used two broilers in each repetition, one to blood count evaluation (Hemogram) and another one to the biochemistry evaluation, collected in the end of each experimental phase. During the phase of 1 - 21 days old, the variable hemoglobin number (Heme), mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and Serum Chloride (Cl) presented a linear effect (p<0,05) DEB levels. There was no effects (p>0,05) over the corpuscular volume (CV), total plasma protein (TPP), leukocytes number (Leu), heterophiles (Het), lymphocytes (Lyn), eosinophils (Eos), basophils (Bas), monocytes (Mon), calcium (Ca), phosphor (P), uric acid (UA) e urea (U). During the phase two of 22 – 42 days old there was effect (p<0,05) quadratic to the variables Leu and Het and linear to the variable P and significative difference (p<0,05) between the variable means UA at the levels of DEB tested.There was no effect (p>0,05) over the variable CV, Heme, MCV, TPP, Lyn, Eos, Bas, Mon, Cl, Ca and U on the DEB levels tested. The supplementation of the DEB levels 110, 175 e 240, 305 and 370 to the phase from 1 until 21 days old presented great results in the hematological evaluation and biochemical, because it provided possibly a longer useful life to the Hem without promoting a metabolic imbalance. In the phase from 22 until 42 days old the level of 268 to 280 mEq of DEB/kg of ration presented a better answer from the broilers immune systemic.

Aceito para publicação em 06/02/2015 Resumo O estudo histológico da glândula parotoide foi realizado utilizando 10 exemplares (machos e fêmeas) da espécie Rhinella schneideri, capturados manualmente em coletas noturnas no município de Bom Jesus, Piauí. Posteriormente, foram eutanasiados por administração de uma dose letal de anestésico Tiopental e seguidamente as glândulas parotoides foram coletadas e submetidas a processamento histológico padrão com inclusão em paraina e os blocos seccionados em micrótomo rotativo manual a espessura de 4 μm. Diante da escassez de informações sobre condições anátomo-histológica de Rhinella scheneideri, buscou-se abordar as principais características marcantes das macroglândulas encontradas na espécie, conhecimento importante para compreensão do funcionamento deste mecanismo de defesa da espécie. Histologicamente, evidenciamos a presença dos alvéolos das macroglândulas, com presença de ductos circundados com células mucosas diferenciadas, as "glândulas acessórias", sendo também encontradas glândulas granulosas. Veriicou-se ainda que cada glândula possui ductos que comunicam o corpo glandular com o meio exterior, sendo o ducto revestido internamente por células epiteliais glandulares do próprio ducto, constituindo um plug, que em Rhinella schneideri promove a obstrução total do ducto. Essas macroglândulas não apresentam diferenciação histológica quando se comparado a outras espécies da família Bufonidae.