Cecal microbial composition and serum concentration of short-chain fatty acids in laying hens fed different fiber sources.

The intestinal microbiota is widely recognized as an integral factor in host health, metabolism, and immunity. In this study, the impact of dietary fiber sources on the intestinal microbiota and the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) was evaluated in Lohmann White laying hens. The hens were divided into four treatment groups: a control diet without fiber, a diet with wheat bran (mixed fibers), a diet with insoluble fiber (cellulose), and a diet with soluble fiber (pectin), with six replicates of four hens each.

Identification of sialic acid receptors for influenza A virus in snakes.

The tissue tropism and the wide host range of influenza A viruses are determined by the presence of sialic acid (SA) α2,3-Gal and SA α2,6-Gal receptors. Recent studies have shown that animals possessing both receptors allow for the rearrangement and emergence of new viral strains of public health importance. This study aimed to evaluate the expression and distribution of human and avian influenza A receptors in nine Neotropical snake species using lectin immunohistochemistry.

Intestinal microbiota diversity from broilers with runting and stunting syndrome performed by metagenomics.

Runting and stunting syndrome (RSS) is an enteric viral disease in commercial poultry that directly affects gut health; however, its influence on gut microbiota remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate the compositional changes in the bacterial community of the ileum of 7-day-old broiler chicks naturally affected or not affected by RSS, using next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology. Twenty-one samples were obtained from the ileal contents and mucosa of 11 chicks with RSS and 10 healthy chicks, raised in a dark house system located on a farm in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Effects of injection of bacterial peptides and CpG-ODN on serovar Heidelberg infection in specific pathogen-free (SPF) chicks.

Peptides + CpG-ODN reduced SH in caeca at the first week post-infection.Administered formulations did not reduce SH-faecal excretion.Levels of intestinal IgA were similar between all groups.

A Survey of Diseases in Different Species of Wild, Captive, and Illegally Traded Birds in Brazil.

Native and exotic avian species can act as reservoirs of pathogens, including bacteria and viruses, with conservation and public health implications. A retrospective study on the diagnosis and frequency of diseases in wild and exotic avian species was conducted. The occurrence of particular diseases was associated with the type of captivity or the bird's origin.

Role of the IL-33/ST2 Activation Pathway in the Development of the Hepatic Fibrosis Induced by Granulomas in Mice.

eggs retained in host tissues induce innate cytokine release, contributing to the induction of Type-2 immune responses and granuloma formation, important to restrain cytotoxic antigens, but leading to fibrosis. Interleukin(IL)-33 participates in experimental models of inflammation and chemically induced fibrosis, but its role in -induced fibrosis is still unknown. To explore the role of the IL-33/suppressor of the tumorigenicity 2 (ST2) pathway, serum and liver cytokine levels, liver histopathology, and collagen deposition were comparatively evaluated in -infected wild-type (WT) and IL-33-receptor knockout (ST2) BALB/c mice.

Parasitism in Rattus rattus and sympatric Achatina fulica by Angiostrongylus cantonensis in an urban park in southeast Brazil.

In this study, rodents (Rattus rattus) and mollusks (Achatina fulica) were captured in a small forest located in a large metropolitan city in Brazil, and they were examined to investigate possible parasitism by Angiostrongylus cantonensis. The parasites were recovered as helminths from the pulmonary arteries of the synanthropic rodents and as third-stage larvae (with Metastrongylidae family characteristics) from the mollusks. To confirm the species, these larvae were used to experimentally infect Rattus norvegicus for the posterior recovery of adult helminths.

First detection of Psittacid alphaherpesvirus 5 and coinfection with beak and feather disease virus in naturally infected captive ringneck parakeets (Psittacula krameri) in Brazil.

This study describes a case report in captive rose-ringed parakeets (Psittacula krameri) that developed clinical signs and eventually died after introducing new birds without quarantine. Bronchopneumonia and airsacculitis with syncytial cells associated with intranuclear inclusion bodies were found. Herpesvirus was detected in lungs and liver by PCR, and a nearly complete genome sequence of a Psittacid alphaherpesvirus 5 was obtained from the lung of a bird.

Outbreak of canine distemper and coinfections in a maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) and in three giant anteaters (Myrmecophaga tridactyla).

Canine distemper outbreak and coinfections in three giant anteaters and in a maned wolf has been described. Three giant anteaters developed respiratory and digestive clinical signs after the introduction of a maned wolf to a Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. The maned wolf and two anteaters died, and one anteater was euthanized.

Carboxymethylcellulose biofunctionalized ternary quantum dots for subcellular-targeted brain cancer nanotheranostics.

Among the most lethal forms of cancer, malignant brain tumors persist as one of the greatest challenges faced by oncologists, where nanotechnology-driven theranostics can play a critical role in developing novel polymer-based supramolecular nanoarchitectures with multifunctional and multi-modal characteristics to fight cancer. However, it is virtually a consensus that, besides the complexity of active delivering anticancer drugs by the nanocarriers to the tumor site, the current evaluation methods primarily relying on in vitro assays and in vivo animal models have been accounted for the low translational effectiveness to clinical applications. In this view, the chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay has been increasingly recognized as one of the best preclinical models to study the effects of anticancer drugs on the tumor microenvironment (TME).

Hematological and histopathological evaluation of meat-type quails fed Madagascar cockroach meal.

Aiming at the sustainability of meat production, insects can replace traditional ingredients in the diet of poultry. Studies evaluating performance in birds have emerged to ensure this ability, but few address the health parameters of animals. This study was carried out to evaluate the effects of the inclusion of Madagascar cockroach meal in traditional diets on hematological and histopathological traits of meat-type quails.

Runting Stunting Syndrome in Broiler Chickens Is Associated with Altered Intestinal Stem Cell Morphology and Gene Expression.

Runting stunting syndrome (RSS) in broiler chickens is characterized by altered intestinal morphology and gene expression and stunted growth. The objective of this study was to conduct a retrospective study of gene expression in stem and differentiated cells in the small intestine of RSS chicks. Two different models of RSS were analyzed: broiler chicks that were experimentally infected and broiler chicks that were naturally infected.

Pathology in Practice.

In collaboration with the American College of Veterinary Pathologists.

Canine and feline uveal melanocytic tumours: Histologic and immunohistochemical characteristics of 32 cases.

Objective: Gross, histopathological, and immunohistochemical characteristics of uveal melanocytic neoplasms in dogs and cats were investigated.

Samples: Thirty-two enucleated globes with uveal melanocytic neoplasms, 27 from dogs and 5 from cats, were examined.

Procedures: Morphological characteristics of uveal melanocytic neoplasms in dogs and cats were evaluated with anti-PNL2, anti-Melan-A, anti-Ki-67, anti-caspase-3, and anti-BAP1 immunomarkers.

Active Circulation of Madariaga Virus, a Member of the Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus Complex, in Northeast Brazil.

Madariaga virus (MADV) is a member of the eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) complex that circulates in Central and South America. It is a zoonotic, mosquito-borne pathogen, belonging to the family . Disturbances in the natural transmission cycle of this virus result in outbreaks in equines and humans, leading to high case fatality in the former and acute febrile illness or neurological disease in the latter.

Retrospective and prospective studies of transmissible viral proventriculitis in broiler chickens in Brazil.

We investigated the occurrence and pathologic findings of transmissible viral proventriculitis (TVP) associated with the chicken proventricular necrosis virus (CPNV) in commercial broiler chickens in southeastern Brazil. Seventy-three broilers, 25-36 d old, with a history of reduced growth, were referred to our veterinary pathology services from 2013 to 2017. Broilers were clinically examined, weighed, and euthanized for postmortem examination.

Lumbar Myelopathy Caused by Multiple Cartilaginous Exostoses in a Dog.

A 6-months-old male mixed-breed dog was admitted to the veterinary hospital with lameness in the right pelvic limb, proprioceptive ataxia, and suspected spinal cord injury in the lumbosacral segment. Upon palpation, firm nodules were noted on the bony surface of the thoracic and pelvic limbs, ribs, vertebrae, and tail. The radiographic study showed nodules of low radiopacity with well-defined limits and smooth contours, one of which was overlapping the fifth lumbar vertebra.

Runting and Stunting Syndrome in Broiler Chickens: Histopathology and Association With a Novel Picornavirus.

Runting stunting syndrome (RSS) in commercial chickens has been reported worldwide, and although several studies have attempted to clarify the cause and describe the lesions, there are gaps in knowledge of the epidemiology, pathogenesis, and etiology. The study objective was to use commercial chicks naturally affected by RSS to describe the histologic changes of RSS in all segments of the small intestine in chicks of different ages and to identify viral gene sequences in affected chicks and their association with histologic lesions. Chicks lacking clinical signs but from the same houses and from unaffected houses were used as controls.

Spatial association between sporotrichosis in cats and in human during a Brazilian epidemics.

Sporotrichosis is a subcutaneous granulomatous disease caused by the fungus Sporothrix spp. In Brazil, S. brasiliensis is reported in regions of outbreaks and epidemics in the zoonotic form of the disease where cats play an important role in the transmission of the disease to humans.

Nodular and sclerosing gastritis caused by Cylicospirura felineus in a puma (Puma concolor).

An adult male puma (Puma concolor), hit by a car in an urban area, died three days later despite the therapeutic support provided. At necropsy, multiple firm nodules were identified in the gastric mucosa. The nodules were coated by an intact mucosa with a central opening from which reddish and cylindrical nematodes protruded into the lumen.

Molecular detection, histopathological analysis, and immunohistochemical characterization of equine infectious anemia virus in naturally infected equids.

Equine infectious anemia (EIA), a disease caused by equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV), is considered an obstacle to the development of the horse industry. There is no treatment or vaccine available for EIA, and its pathogenesis, as well as the immune response against the virus, is not fully understood. Therefore, an immunohistochemistry assay was developed for the detection of viral antigens in tissues of equids naturally infected with EIAV.

Associated factors and spatial patterns of the epidemic sporotrichosis in a high density human populated area: A cross-sectional study from 2016 to 2018.

An epidemiological characterization of human and feline sporotrichosis was carried out between 2016 and 2018, in a high density-populated area in Brazil. Professionals were trained to identify suspect cats and notify vets to interview the owners and collect swabs of the wounds from these animals. Mycological cultures were performed, and colonies identified as Sporothrix spp.