Experimental leptospirosis in capybaras (Hydrochaeris hydrochaeris) infected with Leptospira interrogans serovar Pomona.

Capybara (Hydrochaeris hydrochaeris), the largest rodent in the world, is widely distributed in South America. These animals live in areas with abundant water, which makes them a potential reservoir for Leptospira. The objective of this study was to investigate seroconversion, leptospiremia, and leptospiruria in capybaras experimentally infected with a virulent strain of Leptospira interrogans serovar Pomona.

Comparative efficacy of two single-dose bacterins in the control of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae in swine raised under commercial conditions in Brazil.

A field study was conducted in Brazil to evaluate the efficacy of single vaccination of pigs with two bacterins to prevent Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae lung lesions. The first (T1) treatment group (174 pigs) was injected with 2 mL of saline solution; group T2 (177 pigs) with 2 mL of bacterin A, and group T3 (174 pigs) with 2 mL of bacterin B. On days-on-test (DOT) 0, 35, 66, 97 and 125, blood samples and tonsil swabs were collected from selected pigs for antibody determination (indirect ELISA) and PCR assay for the presence of M.

Lethal factor to mice produced by Escherichia coli isolated from chickens with swollen head syndrome.

A lethal toxin similar to Bacillus cererus lethal toxin was detected in the culture supernatants of Escherichia coli isolated from chickens with swollen head syndrome. The lethal activity was heat-labile, protease-sensitive and killed mice within 10 min. The light microscopy of the histopathological studies revealed that the principal organ affected by this toxin was the lung but the liver and kidneys also showed lesions.