ABSTRACT.-Mota R.A., Peixoto P.V., Yamasaki E.M., Medeiros E.S., Costa M.M., Peixoto R. (MAP). No record on the occurrence of paratuberculosis in buffaloes in Brazil could be found. Five of 100 buffaloes in a herd in Pernambuco-Brazil showed clinical signs characteristic of PTB. At necropsy, of two animals the lesions were restricted to the small intestine with thickening and corrugation of the mucosa, increase of mesenteric lymph nodes and prominent lymph vessels. Histopathology revealed granulomatous inflammation infiltrated with numerous epithelioid macrophages, Langhans type giant cells, and clusters of Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) positive organisms within the intestinal mucosa. In the mesenteric lymph nodes there was thickening of the capsule and marked granulomatous inflammation. Smears of feces and scrapping smears were prepared from intestinal mucosa and cut surface of mesenteric lymph nodes and, stained by the Ziehl-Neelsen method for research of acid fast bacilli, with positive results. Lymph nodes and intestinal mucosa revealed at IS900 specific polymerase chain reaction amplification of a fragment of about 110pb, confirmed by the comparison with other sequences of M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis available in GenBank.

Pesq. Vet. Bras. 32(8) The study aimed to determine the antimicrobial resistance patterns and to identify molecular resistance markers in Staphylococcus spp. (n=210) isolated from small ruminant mastitis in Brazil. The antimicrobial resistance patterns were evaluated by the disk diffusion test and by detection of the presence of mecA, blaZ, ermA, ermB, ermC and msrA genes by PCR. The efϐlux pump test was performed using ethidium bromide and bioϐilm production was determined by Congo red agar test along with PCR for detection of the icaD gene. The isolates were most resistant to amoxicillin (50.0%), streptomycin (42.8%), tetracycline (40.4%), lincomycin (39.0%) and erythromycin (33.8%). Pan-susceptibility to all tested drugs was observed in 71 (33.8%) isolates and 41 Staphylococcus isolates were positive for the efϐlux pump. Although phenotypic resistance to oxacillin was observed in 12.8% of the isolates, none harbored the mecA gene. However, 45.7% of the isolates harbored blaZ indicating that beta-lactamase production was the main mechanism associated with staphylococci resistance to beta-lactams in the present study. The other determinants of resistance to antimicrobial agents ermA, ermB, ermC, and msrA were observed in 1.4%, 10.4%, 16.2%, and 0.9% of the isolates, respectively. In addition, the icaD gen was detected in 32.9% of the isolates. Seventy three isolates (54 from goats and 19 from sheep) were negative for all resistance genes tested and 69 isolates presented two or more resistance genes. Association among blaZ, ermA, ermB, ermC and efϐlux pump were observed in 17 isolates, 14 of which originated from goats and three from sheep. The data obtained in this study show the resistance of the isolates to beta-lactamics, which may be associated with the use of antimicrobial drugs without veterinary control.

This study was conducted to investigate the participation of Toxoplasma gondii in reproductive failure in small ruminants raised in the Litoral/ Zona da Mata and Agreste of the State of Pernambuco, Brazil. Twelve ϐlocks were selected from which 262 samples were collected, 167 from goats and 95 from sheep. Indirect Imunoϐluorescent Antibody Reaction (IFA) technique was used to detect antibodies anti-Toxoplasma gondii. A questionnaire was applied in ϐlocks to identify risk factors associated with infection. Positive animals were found in 100% of the farms. Among 167 samples of goat serum analyzed, 31.7% were positive, whereas from 95 samples of sheep, 16.9% were positive. Results of brucellosis tests were negative for 100% of analyzed samples. For sheep, no signiϐicant association was found; however, for goats, there was a signiϐicant association (p<0.05) for intensive handling (OR=2.40), milk exploration (OR=2.10), animals originating from other states (OR=7.89) and natural breeding (OR=5.69). It was concluded that infection for T. gondii is spread in studied goat and sheep ϐlocks and that sanitary measures must be adopted to control risk factors for infection.INDEX TERMS: Indirect imunoϐluorescent antibody reaction, Toxoplasma gondii, risk factors.

The purpose of this paper was to study the etiology of mastitis, determine the antimicrobial susceptibility profile of Staphylococcus spp. and to identify the risk factors associated with infection in dairy cows in the states of Bahia and Pernambuco, Brazil. From the 2,064 milk samples analyzed, 2.6% were associated with cases of clinical mastitis and 28.2% with subclinical mastitis. In the microbiological culture, Staphylococcus spp. (49.1%) and Corynebacterium spp. (35.3%) were the main agents found, followed by Prototheca spp. (4.6%) and Gram negative bacilli (3.6%). In the antimicrobial susceptibility testing, all 218 Staphylococcus spp. were susceptible to rifampicin and the least effective drug was amoxicillin (32.6%). Multidrug resistance to three or more drugs was observed in 65.6% of Staphylococcus spp. The risk factors identified for mastitis were the extensive production system, not providing feed supplements, teat drying process, not disinfecting the teats before and after milking, and inadequate hygiene habits of the milking workers. The presence of multiresistant isolates in bovine milk demonstrates the importance of the choice and appropriate use of antimicrobial agents. Prophylactic and control measures, including teat antisepsis and best practices for achieving hygienic milking should be established in order to prevent new cases of the disease in herds.INDEX TERMS: Staphylococcus spp., multidrug resistance, mammary gland, risk factors.

ABSTRACT.-Pereira M.F., Peixoto R.M., Piatti R.M., Medeiros E.S., Mota I.O., Azevedo S.S. & Mota R. A. 2009 The study aimed to identify risk factors associated with Chlamydophila abortus infection in sheep and goats from the Litoral/Zona da Mata and Agreste region of Pernambuco state, Brazil. Serum samples (n=290) were analyzed to detect Chlamydophila spp. antibodies in 12 farms. Questionnaires were applied to identify risk factors. Frequency of serum-reactive animals were 10.3% (12.0% in ewes and 8.1% in goats) and 1/12 (91.6%) infection focuses were identified. This is the first report on anti-Chlamydophhila abortus antibodies in goats and sheep in Pernambuco and Brazil, respectively. Risk factors associated with goat infection were breed (OR=9.10) and management (OR=6.41). No significant associations in any of the analyzed factors were found for sheep. In summary, Chlamydophila sp. infection is disseminated in sheep and goat herds in the region. Control measures should be established, focusing primarily risk factor identified in this study, to reduce the possibility of infection by the agent.INDEX TERMS: Complement Fixation Test, Chlamydophila abortus, risk factors.

Mastitis is an inflammation of mammary gland, that are important in milking breed as well in meat ones. It is associated with serious reduction in milk production and quality, lambs weight gain reduction and mortality The goal of this work was determine the major etiologic agents of goat and sheep mastitis, as well as antimicrobial drug-resistance patterns and the agreement between two different diagnostic tools. We visit 25 goat, sheep, and goat and sheep farms in Pernambuco and Bahia State, and a total of 439 goats and 76 sheep milk samples were collected. To diagnose of small ruminant mastitis were compared two tests: Milk culture and California Mastitis Test (CMT). The bacterial drug-resistance pattern was determined by Kirby Bauer test. Staphylococcus spp. was the most frequent bacteria isolated from goat and sheep mastitis cases. Streptococcus spp., Corynebacterium spp. and gram-negative bacilli were isolated. It was possible to observe the high sensitivity to antimicrobial drugs in all tested bacteria, being the lower sensitivity percentage determined to nalidixic acid. Considering caprine mastitis diagnostic the comparative analysis between microbiologic culture and shown a concordance degree of K=0,17, although to ovine species these value was K=0,22. The use of CMT to subclinical mastitis diagnostic in goat and ewes must be associated to milk bacterial culture.INDEX TERMS: Pathogens, antimicrobial sensitivity, diagnostic, mastitis.RESUMO.-A mastite é a inflamação da glândula mamária que acomete raças de aptidão leiteira como também aquelas voltadas para produção de carne. Esta enfermidade ocasiona sérias alterações na produção de leite e na sua qualidade, redução no ganho de peso e mortalidade de cordeiros. O presente estudo teve por objetivo conhecer os principais agentes causadores de mastite em ovinos e caprinos, bem como a sua susceptibilidade aos agentes antimicrobianos, além de avaliar o grau de concordância entre testes diagnósticos. Aceito para publicação em 12 de abril de 2010.

Este artigo objetivou revisar as informações recentes sobre mastite em pequenos ruminantes, abrangendo etiologia, epidemiologia, aspectos de controle e profilaxia. Houve a preocupação em reunir resultados de estudos desenvolvidos no Brasil, uma vez que a mastite tem a interferência de uma série de fatores, como fatores ambientais e outros decorrentes dos sistemas de manejo empregados, condições essas determinantes para etiologia e epidemiologia da enfermidade. A prevalência da mastite em caprinos varia entre 22 e 75%, sendo que os casos de mastite subclínica são os mais frequentes. Existe uma carência de trabalhos voltados para os aspectos epidemiológicos da enfermidade no nosso país. Contudo, observa-se que a mastite vem assumindo importância cada vez maior nos rebanhos voltados para produção de carne, sendo encontrados resultados de pesquisa, principalmente na espécie ovina. A mastite estafilocócica corresponde à maior fração nas infecções intramamárias em pequenos ruminantes. O caráter zoonótico de alguns patógenos, a exemplo do Staphylococcus aureus ressalta a importância da implantação de programas de controle em propriedades leiteiras. Algumas das ferramentas de diagnóstico ainda necessitam de padronização, principalmente para espécie caprina que apresenta uma série de particularidades. Ainda são discutidas as principais estratégias de controle como o manejo de fêmeas e suas crias, os procedimentos de ordenha e a utilização de vacinas.

Pythiosis is a devastating infectious disease caused by an aquatic oomycete, Pythium insidioum, and affects animals and humans that inhabit wetlands. The disease is characterized mainly by granulomatous lesions in the hosts. The purpose of this study was to report the occurrence of pythiosis in sheep in the states of Pernambuco (PE) and Bahia (BA), Northeastern Brazil, as well as to evaluate the efficacy of an immunotherapic against ovine pythiosis. Blood samples were collected from 53 sheep, 49 from flocks in counties located in PE and four from BA. Seven sheep showed clinical signs of ovine pythiosis; one of them was submitted to euthanasia and its head and submandibular lymph node was collected and sent for histopathologic and mycological analyses. Other six sheep were treated with an immunotherapic. During the treatment the animals were kept in the Sheep Industry Sector facilities at Univasf/Petrolina-PE. ELISA, fungal culture and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods were used to confirm the diagnosis of clinical ovine pythiosis in the sheep flock. At microscopic examination of the material collected from the nasal cavity of a sheep euthanized was observed a focally extensive area of necrosis with presence of diffuse infiltration of intact and degenerated neutrophils bordering the cartilage. Only one sheep showed clinical cure, indicating efficiency in the pythiosis treatment of 16.7% (1/6). Ovine pythiosis has been increasing in several municipalities of PE and BA. In this context, the immunotherapy may be an alternative to be searched. Therefore, further studies are needed to investigate the effect of immunotherapy on ovine pythiosis. mação de lesões com aspecto granulomatoso nos hospedeiros. Neste trabalho, relatou-se a ocorrência da pitiose em ovinos nos estados de Pernambuco (PE) e Bahia (BA), Nordeste do Brasil, bem como foi avaliada a eficácia de um imunoterápico frente a esta enfermidade. Amostras de sangue de 53 ovinos foram coletadas, sendo 49 animais oriundos de propriedades localizadas em PE e quatro animais provenientes da BA. Sete ovinos demonstraram sinais clínicos de pitiose ovina. Um dos animais foi submetido à eutanásia e sua cabeça e linfonodo submandibular foram coletados e enviados para análises laboratoriais. Seis ovinos foram submetidos à imunoterapia, sendo mantidos nas instalações do setor de ovinocultura da Univasf/Petrolina--PE durante o tratamento. As técnicas de ELISA, cultura fúngica e reação em cadeia da polimerase (PCR) foram utilizadas como métodos diagnósticos da pitiose ovina, sendo