Demodex phylloides infection in swine reared in a peri-urban family farm located on the outskirts of the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo, Brazil.

This paper reports the occurrence of porcine demodicosis caused by the mite Demodex phylloides in hogs reared in a peri-urban family farm located in Francisco Morato, a municipality of the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo, capital city of the state of São Paulo, Brazil. In a parcel of forty Landrace - Large White cross hogs, approximately four months old, four animals presented severe skin lesions in the form of small nodules over their entire body, especially in the periocular region, snout, lower abdomen and flanks. Two hogs had to be euthanized for animal welfare reasons, which enabled post-mortem examination.

Detection of CDT toxin genes in Campylobacter spp. strains isolated from broiler carcasses and vegetables in São Paulo, Brazil.

Campylobacteriosis is a worldwide distributed zoonosis. One of the main virulence factors related to Campylobacter spp. in animals and humans is the cytolethal distending toxin (CDT), encoded by three adjacent genes (cdtA, cdtB, cdtC).

Leptospirosis seroprevalence and risk factors for sheep in Maranhão state, Brazil.

This study was conducted to determine leptospirosis seroprevalence in sheep and their spatial distribution as well as identify risk factors associated with seropositivity in sheep from 37 herds and 11 municipalities in the Presidente Dutra microregion, Maranhão state, Brazil. We analyzed 379 blood serum samples using a Microscopic Agglutination Test (MAT). The individual seroprevalence was 32%.

Brucella canis infection in dogs attended in veterinary clinics from patos, ParabaĪBA state, Brazil.

To determine the frequency of anti-Brucella canis antibodies in dogs attended in veterinary clinics from Patos, Paraíba State, Brazil, as well as to identify risk factors and to isolate and identify the agent, 193 dogs were used. Agar gel immunodiffusion test (AGID) was used to detect B. canis antibodies in sera.

An in vitro growth inhibition test for measuring the potency of Leptospira spp. Sejroe group vaccine in buffaloes.

Leptospira spp. serovars Hardjo and Wollfi from Sejroe serogroup have been detected in livestock in Brazil, where the main control procedures rely on vaccination. The potency of two commercial vaccines available in this country was monitored by microagglutination test-MAT and in vitro growth inhibition test-GIT in serum samples from 33 female buffaloes divided into: G1-unvaccinated control; G2-vaccinated with Leptobac-6 containing serovars Hardjo and Wolffi and G3-vaccinated with Triangle-9 containing serovar Hardjo.

Expression and characterization of HlyX hemolysin from Leptospira interrogans serovar Copenhageni: potentiation of hemolytic activity by LipL32.

The HlyX, a putative hemolysin identified from the Leptospira genomes, was cloned, expressed in Escherichia coli, purified, and its hemolytic activity was confirmed. Mouse polyclonal antiserum against the recombinant HlyX recognized HlyX-related antigens in a panel of Leptospira species extracts and it was also able to abolish the hemolytic activity of HlyX. A mixture of HlyX and LipL32, a known hemolysin from Leptospira, induced hemolysis in a synergistic way that was fully inhibited by antiserum against either protein.

A multiplex PCR for the detection of Brucella spp. and Leptospira spp. DNA from aborted bovine fetuses.

Bovine brucellosis and leptospirosis are important causes of bovine abortion around the world. Both diseases can be serologically diagnosed, but many factors may cause false positive and negative results. Direct methods based on bacteriological isolation are usually employed, but they are difficult, time consuming and dangerous.