There is increasing interaction between man and pathogens transmitted by arthropods, especially by ticks. It is on this background that a holistic approach stands out, for the sake of Public Health. Brazilian Spotted Fever is an endemic disease at the country's southeast, with Amblyomma sculptum as its major contributor, followed by A. aureolatum and potentially Rhipicephalus sanguineus. Dogs have been considered sentinels, and in some areas the disease in dogs can precede human disease. Considering the importance of this disease for human health, the serological evidence in dogs, and the transmission of ticks between dogs and their owners, this review aimed to elucidate the importance of the epidemiological investigation, the diagnosis in dogs, and the role of veterinarians in Public Health to control vector-borne zoonotic diseases. We encourage veterinarians to include this rickettsial infection in the diagnosis of febrile diseases of common occurrence in dogs.

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RESUMO: Doenças causadas por rickettsias tem ampla distribuição geográfica e estão associadas a artrópodes hematófagos. Rickettsia rickettsii é espécie mais patogênica do Grupo da Febre Maculosa (GFM) e responsável pela Febre Maculosa Brasileira. No sudeste do país a doença é endêmica e inquéritos sorológicos tem demonstrado presença de anticorpos para antígenos do GFM em cães, reforçando a participação do cão como sentinela. Os principais vetores são carrapatos do gênero Amblyomma, cujos hospedeiros são, muitas vezes, animais de vida silvestre. Assim, objetivou-se avaliar a circulação de rickettsias do GFM no entorno de Unidades de Conservação (UC) no Rio de Janeiro por meio da Imunofluorescência Indireta em cães, além de determinar os fatores associados. Amostras de soro de 155 cães foram testadas, sendo 16,1% dos animais sororreagentes pelo menos a um dos antígenos testados. Houve associação entre a sororreatividade dos cães e o acesso à mata; falta de assistência médico-veterinária; falta de medidas contra carrapatos; e renda familiar do responsável de até dois salários mínimos. Cães com este perfil apresentaram maior chance de serem expostos aos agentes do GFM. De acordo com o modelo de regressão logística, não frequentar áreas de mata foi considerado um fator de proteção para o cão, juntamente com possuir acompanhamento médico-veterinário e receber medidas contra carrapatos. Concluiu-se que patógenos do GFM circulam no entorno das UC estudadas, sendo possível que R. rickettsii e R. parkeri infectem cães, uma vez que os animais demonstraram exposição aos dois agentes. Ressalta-se a participação do veterinário e a adoção de medidas de combate a carrapatos como ferramentas na prevenção da infecção rickettsial.

Enteric parasitic diseases including giardiasis are of public health concern. Different methods are available for the diagnosis of this parasitic infection in fecal samples such as the identification of protozoan cysts and trophozoites by light microscopy, detection of specific antigens by ELISA, and amplification of DNA fragments by PCR. The present study aimed at assessing the performance of four laboratory tests for the detection of Giardia duodenalis in fecal specimens from three different host species with a previous diagnosis of giardiasis; canine, feline and human patients provided new stool samples to be retested for Giardia before initiating treatment with antiprotozoal drugs. For this purpose, triplicate fecal specimens from 54 humans, 24 dogs and 18 cats living in the city of Niterói, RJ, southeast Brazil, were analysed by light microscopy, ELISA, immunochromatography, and nested PCR. The centrifugal-flotation method detected Giardia cysts in 89.6% (86/96) of the fecal samples. The protozoan parasite was detected via immunochromatography in 87.5% (84/96) of these samples. Giardia was detected by ELISA in 69.8% (67/96) of the stool specimens from carriers with a previous diagnosis of Giardia infection. Giardia was detected by PCR in only 39.6% (38/96) of the fecal specimens. Based on these findings, we suggest that, among the four assays that were used in this study, the zinc sulphate flotation technique (Faust et al., 1939) is the best diagnostic assay in terms of sensitivity and specificity to detect G. duodenalis on serially collected samples from dogs, cats and humans.

ABSTRACT.-Campos S.D.E., Pires J.R., Nascimento C.L., Dutra G., Torres-Filho R.A., Toma H.K., Magellanic penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) routinely migrate from their breeding colonies to Southern Brazil often contracting diseases during this migration, notably avian malaria, which has been already reported in Brazil and throughout the world. Detection of Plasmodium spp. in blood smears is the routine diagnostic method of avian malaria, however it has a low sensitivity rate when compared to molecular methods. Considering the negative impact of avian malaria on penguins, the aim of this study was to detect the presence of Plasmodium spp. in Magellanic penguins using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and by verifying clinical, hematological, and biochemical alterations in blood samples as well as to verify the likely prognosis in response to infection. Blood samples were obtained from 75 penguins to determine packed cell volume (PCV), red blood cell (RBC) and white blood cell (WBC) counts, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), uric acid, total protein, albumin, globulin and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activity levels. Whole blood samples were used for PCR assays. Plasmodium spp. was detected in 32.0% of the specimens using PCR and in 29.3% using microscopic analyses. Anorexia, diarrhea and neurological disorders were more frequent in penguins with malaria and a significant weight difference between infected and non-infected penguins was detected. PCV and MCV rates showed no significant difference. RBC and WBC counts were lower in animals with avian malaria and leukopenia was present in some penguins. Basophil and lymphocyte counts were lower in infected penguins along with high monocyte counts. There was no significant difference in AST activities between infected and non-infected animals. There was a significant increase in uric acid values, however a decrease in albumin values was observed in infected penguins. Based on this study, we concluded that Plasmodium spp. occurs in Magellanic penguins of rehabilitation centers in Southeastern Considerando o impacto negativo da malária aviária nos pinguins, o objetivo deste estudo foi detectar a presença de Plasmodium spp. em pinguins--de-Magalhães usando a Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase (PCR), verificar as alterações clínicas, hematológicas e bioquímicas e o provável prognóstico em resposta à infecção. Amostras de sangue foram obtidas de 75 pinguins para determinar o hematócrito (Ht), contagens totais de eritrócitos e leucócitos, volume globular médio (VGM), concentração de ácido úrico, proteínas totais, albumina, globulinas e atividade da aspartato aminotransferase (AST). O sangue total foi usado para ensaios de PCR. A detecção de Plasmodium spp. foi obtida em 32,0% dos indivíduos pela PCR e em 29,3% pela análise microscópica. Anorexia, diarreia e alterações neurológicas foram mais frequentes nos pinguins com malária, e uma diferença significativa no peso entre pinguins infetados e não infectados foi detectada. Ht e VGM não mostraram diferença significativa. A contagem ...

ResumoO objetivo do presente estudo foi verificar a influência da idade e do sexo nos valores dos índices RDW-CV (Amplitude de distribuição de hemácias como coeficiente de variação) e RDW-SD (Amplitude de distribuição de hemácias como desvio-padrão) em hemogramas de cães clinicamente sadios. Foram analisados os resultados de 332 hemogramas de cães, sendo 136 machos e 196 fêmeas. Os animais foram divididos em três grupos de acordo com a idade: animais até um ano (n = 42), animais entre um e nove anos (n = 104) e animais acima de 9 anos (n = 186). Todos os exames foram processados no Contador Hematológico Automatizado Veterinário Sysmex® -Poch 100 iV, no período de setembro de 2009 a setembro de 2010 e os resultados foram confirmados por análise microscópica dos esfregaçossanguíneos. Os valores médios e os desvios-padrão para RDW-CV (%) foram de 10,74 ± 1,53, próximos aos valores citados na literatura. Para RDW-SD (fL),os valores obtidos foram de 32,01 ± 7,56. Entretanto, nos trabalhos já realizados, não foram encontrados valores de referência para este índice em cães. Não houve diferença significativa nos valores encontrados para estes índices entre machos e fêmeas ou entre as diferentes faixas etárias, podendo ser utilizados como referência para ambos os sexos e todas as idades.Palavras-chave: anisocitose, cão, hematologia. AbstractThe aim of this study was to verify age and sex influence on RDW-CV (Red blood cell distribution width measured by Variation Coefficient)and RDW-SD (Red blood cell distribution width measured by Standard Deviation) values in healthy dogs' blood tests. Were analyzed the results of blood tests of 332 dogs(136 males and 186 females). These results were further divided into three groups according to age: animals up to one year (n = 42), with one to nine years (n = 104) and over nine years (n = 186).All Complete blood count (CBC) tests were processed in the Automated Veterinary hematology counter Sysmex ® -Poch 100 iV during the period September 2009 to September 2010 and the results were confirmed by microscopic analyses of blood films. The mean values and standard deviations for RDW-CV (%) were 10.74 ± 1.53, similar to values cited in literature. For RDW-SD (fL) the obtained values were 32.01 ± 7.56. However, there are no reference values for this index in literature for dogs. There was no significant difference in values for these indices between males and females or different age groups. These data can be used as reference for both genders within all ages.

Spotted fever group rickettsioses are emerging diseases. In some of these diseases, domestic dogs act as sentinels. Canine serological studies have demonstrated that rickettsial dispersion is concentrated in rural areas, seroprevalence being higher where human rickettsioses are endemic. In Rio de Janeiro, the Atlantic forest vegetation has been devastated by urbanization. In this context, we aimed to detect Rickettsia spp. in urban areas of the West Zone of Rio de Janeiro. Sera from 130 dogs were tested by Indirect Immunofluorescence Assay, and ticks collected from these dogs were tested by polymerase chain reaction. We found the rate of serological reactions against R. rickettsii and R. parkeri in our study area to exceed those of rural and non-endemic areas, highlighting the importance of dogs as urban sentinels. The possibility of contact with opossums and capybaras increased the chances of exposure to Rickettsia spp., reinforcing the hypothetical link between the landscape and the rickettsial wild cycle. Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato was the tick most frequently observed. PCR-positive samples showed similarity with R. rickettsii and R. felis, an emerging pathogen rarely reported from ticks. We observed that rickettsiae circulate in urban places and ticks from indoor environments, which may be involved in bacterial epidemiology.

Rickettsia rickettsii is the causative agent of Brazilian spotted fever (BSF), for which humans and dogs are both susceptible. Dogs are sentinels in serological surveys, however, canine disease is rarely reported. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate natural infection by spotted fever group (SFG) Rickettsia spp. in dogs and ticks collected from domiciles close to forest fragments, featuring domestic–wildlife interface areas. Samples from 115 dogs and 135 ixodids were assessed by polymerase chain reactions (PCR) targeting the gltA gene for Rickettsia spp. and the ompA gene for the SFG rickettsial species. One dog (0.87%; 1/115) was positive for R. rickettsii. This dog presented nonspecific laboratory and clinical abnormalities (thrombocytopenia, hyperproteinemia, lymph node enlargement, emaciation, anorexia, and lethargy). Rickettsia parkeri was identified in 2.96% (4/135) of the ticks (Amblyomma sculptum, A. aureolatum, and Rhipicephalus sanguineus). This study confirmed the presence of SFG bacteria in non-endemic and preserved locations, where domestic and wild populations interact. We reinforce the fact that the dog is susceptible to natural R. rickettsii infection. Although this is a rare finding, preventive measures should be taken against BSF in the studied areas. Finally, R. parkeri infection is possibly being demonstrated in A. sculptum for the first time.