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Relatam-se dois casos de listeriose ocorridos em ovinos leiteiros da raça Lacaune, mantidos em confinamento e alimentados com silagem de milho. O exame histológico do tecido nervoso mostrou meningoencefalite supurada, e a imunoistoquímica foi positiva para Listeria monocytogenes com isolamento da bactéria do tecido nervoso. Enfatiza-se a ocorrência dessa enfermidade em ovinos leiteiros que apresentavam lesões na cavidade oral e eram alimentados com silagem de baixa qualidade.

Clinical cases of listeriosis in two Lacaune rams, fed silage in a lot, are reported. Histological examination of nervous tissue revealed purulent meningoencephalitis, and L. monocytogenes was detected in nervous tissue by immunohistochemistry procedures. This disease should be suspected when oral lesions are visible in dairy sheep fed low quality silage.

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Várias doenças estão relacionadas ao tabagismo, mas não se sabe ao certo o momento em que os malefícios superamos mecanismos de defesa do organismo. O objetivo deste trabalho foi verificar as alterações bioquímicas, hematológicas e imunológicas, em adultos jovens fumantes, comparando com adultos jovens, não fumantes. Vinte e quatro não-fumantes e 14 fumantes (fumam há 8 mais ou menos 1 ano, e uma quantidade média de cigarros/dia = 10 mais ou menos 4,9), alunos da UNISO dos cursos da saúde (Farmácia, Nutrição e Terapia Ocupacional), com idade média de 23 mais ou menos 3,6 anos, participaram do estudo. As amostras de sangue foram coletadas de acordo com as exigências para as seguintes análises: colesterol total, HDL-colesterol, LDL-colesterol, VLDL-colesterol, triacilgliceróis, glicose, uréia, ácido úrico e creatinina sérica. Os grupos demonstraram ser normolipidêmicos, euglicêmicos, com valores séricos de uréia, creatinina, ácido úrico, proteína C reativa (PCR), imunoglobulinas G (IgG) e M (IgM), complemento C3 e contagem global de glóbulos brancos e vermelhos, dentro dos valores de referência. A maior concentração sérica da uréia foi observada no grupo de fumantes e nenhuma outra diferença significativa foi observada entre os grupos, indicando talvez que a duração do tabagismo não foi ainda suficiente para alterar algum parâmetro laboratorial

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Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) occurs in two distinct forms, the acute or juvenile form (JF), and the chronic or adult form (AF). To clarify the basis of this dichotomy, specific IgG subclasses, IgA and IgE anti-gp43 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, in patients with different forms of PCM. Serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1alpha and transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta were also quantified. We show here that JF patients have significantly higher titers of IgE antibodies against gp43, an immunodominant antigen specific for Paracoccidioides brasiliensis, than do patients with the unifocal adult form (UF-AF, isolated lesions). Patients with the multifocal adult form (MF-AF, lesions in more than one organ) also produced elevated levels of anti-P. brasiliensis IgE. Furthermore, specific IgE levels were correlated with IgG4, IgA and eosinophilia. Patients with JF showed eosinophilia and increased levels of TGF-beta, a switching factor for IgA. These results indicate a T helper (Th)-2 pattern of cytokine expression in both the JF and the MF-AF of PCM. On the other hand, patients with UF-AF had a significantly lower production of specific IgE, IgG4 and IgA than was seen in the other patient groups.

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This paper describes the clinical-seroepidemiologic characteristics of patients with paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) who visited the University Hospital at the State University of Campinas (Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil). The study group consisted of 584 individuals (492 males and 92 females) with ages ranging from 5 to 87 years. The highest incidence of the disease occurred between the ages of 41 and 50 years for men and between 11 and 40 years for women. Rural activities were the principal occupation of 46% of the patients. The diagnosis was confirmed by histopathologic examination and demonstration of fungus in scrapings, secretions, or in the sputum. Serologic test results for PCM were positive in 80% of the 584 patients studied. The significant number of patients, including 33 children less than 14 years old, indicates the presence of the fungus in the area and that this region is an important endemic area for PCM.

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Dirofilaria immitis is a widespread mosquito-borne parasite that causes dirofilariasis, a commonly diagnosed disease of dogs that is rarely reported in cats and humans. A mosquito survey was conducted in Itacoatiara in the State of Rio de Janeiro, from March 1995 to February 1996, using canine, feline and human baits. A total of 3,667 mosquitoes were dissected for D. immitis larvae, representing 19 species and 10 genera. From those, Ae. scapularis, Ae taeniorhynchus, Cx. quinquefasciatus, Cx. declarator, Cx. saltanensis and Wy. bourrouli were found infected with D. immitis parasites, and among those only the first three harbored infective larvae. The majority of larvae were found in the Malpighian tubules (889/936), and larval melanization was observed in the two Aedes species. In descending order, the best vectors were Ae. scapularis. Ae. taeniorhynchus, and Cx. quinquefasciatus which alternate seasonally in importance. Cx. quinquefasciatus is suggested to be a vector to cats. The potential transmission of D. immitis parasites by these three vectors to man is discussed.

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Heartworm, a chronic fatal mosquito-borne canine disease, is frequently diagnosed in dogs from the State of Rio de Janeiro, where its prevalence is 29.7% in the city of Niterói. Nevertheless it is rarely detected in cats (0.8%) from the same state. Dogs are the primary source of infection to mosquitoes. because cats either do not demonstrate microfilaremia or it is too low and transient for transmission. A mosquito survey was conducted in Itacoatiara, Niterói, from March 1995 to February 1996, using canine, feline and human baits. A total of 21 mosquito species (3,888 females) was collected and biting frequency was higher at dusk. The four species collected most frequently (88.9%) were: Aedes taeniorhynchus (30% of the total catch; with the peak in May/June); Culex quinquefasciatus (22.5%; August/October); Aedes scapularis (19.4%; August, October/November and January) and Culex declarator (17%; November/January). Human baits were attractive to these species and dogs were significantly more attractive to them than cats. Ae. taeniorhynchus, Cx. quinquefasciatus, Ae. scapularis, Cx. declarator and Cx. nigripalpus are the most likely mosquito species to transmit Dirofilaria immitis parasites to dogs and may transit the parasite to humans. It is also suggested that the vector to cats belongs to the games Culex.

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BACKGROUND: Chagas' heart disease presents an interesting model of cardiac autonomic nerve dysfunction associated with morphologic lesions. A lack of quantitative evaluation of the latter suggested this study in which hearts from 34 subjects who were serum-positive for Chagas' disease but had no clinical evidence of it and who died suddenly and unexpectedly, out-of-hospital, were examined. METHODS AND RESULTS: By systematic myocardial sampling the histologic area was measured to establish: (a) the number of focal lymphocytic infiltrates x 100 mm2 and average number of lymphocytes per focus; (b) number of foci of, and myocells with, coagulative myocytolysis (contraction band necrosis) x 100 mm2; and (c) the percentage of substitutive myocardial fibrosis. In all cases findings were: (a) intermyocellular lymphocytic infiltrates (6 +/- 6 foci x 100 mm2); (b) coagulative myocytolysis (3 +/- 5 foci and 26 +/- 56 myocells x 100 mm2). CONCLUSIONS: In all 34 subjects quantitative analysis showed extensive lymphocytic infiltrates and myocardial damage typical of catecholamine cardiotoxicity. These two acute or active histological changes may explain their sudden demise produced by focal denervation with regional asynergy and consequent compensatory adrenergic stimulus with myotoxicity and malignant arrhythmia.

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Seventeen field isolates of Arcobacter species were recovered in Brazil from aborted porcine fetal livers (n = 3), kidneys (n = 2), and thoracic fluid (n = 1). Arcobacter species were also recovered from uterine and oviductal tissues (n = 5) and a placenta from sows with reproductive problems. These isolates were initially presumed to be Arcobacter cryaerophilus on the basis of aerobic growth at 30 degree C, indoxyl acetate hydrolysis, catalase and oxidase reactions, growth on MacConkey agar, sensitivity to 3.5% sodium chloride, and susceptibility to nalidixic acid (40 mg/ml). The isolates were confirmed as Arcobacter using polymerase chain reaction, and were classified as A. cryaerophilus 1A (24%), A. cryaerophilus 1B (71%), and A. butzleri (6%) using restriction fragment length polymorphism.

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Foram realizados testes simultâneos intradérmicos e de ELISA em grupos de leitöes recém desmamados infectados experimentalmente com Mycobacterium bovis, M. avium, M. scrofulaceum, M. intracellulare e Rhodococcus equi. Os testes foram realizados em intervalos de 60 dias, em quatro oportunidades após a infecçäo. Nos grupos de suínos infectados houve maior número de reaçöes positivas ao antígeno aviário aos testes de ELISA. As reaçöes de ELISA surgiram somente a partir do segundo teste, enquanto o teste intradérmico revelou sete suínos positivos, do total de 20, já no primeiro teste. Houve aumento gradual do número de suínos positivos a cada teste de ELISA, em todos os grupos. No grupo infectado com M. scrofulaceum predominaram reaçöes positivas ao teste de ELISA. Os suínos infectados com M. bovis apresentaram reaçöes cruzadas no teste de ELISA com os antígenos bovino e aviário. Estes apresentaram maiores reaçöes intradérmicas para a tuberculina bovina, mas também reaçöes à tuberculina aviária, em todos os testes. Acredita-se que tenha sido usada dose infectante muito elevada como explicaçäo para o ocorrido neste grupo. Suínos infectados com Rhodococcus equi apresentaram reaçöes positivas ao antígeno aviário no ELISA, a partir do segundo teste, com reaçöes cruzadas com antígeno bovino, estas em menor número. Suínos infectados com R. equi säo capazes de produzir anticorpos, detectados pelo teste de ELISA com antígeno aviário

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Classificacao sorologica de 133 amostras de Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae, pela tecnica de imunodifusao dupla em gel, contra uma bacteria de 16 antisoros, produzidos a partir de amostras padroes. Houve reacao entre os antigenos usados e sete antisoros Foram analisadas bacterias de 21 animais, com quadro clinico de doenca septicemica e de 112 animais portadores sadios.Foram encontrados, com maior frequencia, nas duas situacoes, os sorotipos 1a, 1b e 2b. O sorotipo 11 e descrito pela primeira vez, em associacao com quadro clinico de doenca septicemica, em suino

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Se presentan los resultados de un estudio sobre la prueba tubeculinica comparativa en bovinos, parte de un programa para aumentar y mejorar la produccion de leche en Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil

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