The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies and to identify risk factors associated to the infection in the three meso-regions of the State of Alagoas, Brazil. A total count of 23 towns and 27 meat sheep farms were visited where blood samples were collected in order to perform the indirect immunofluorescence test to evaluate the antibodies presence. Questionnaires exploring the production system and nutritional, sanitary, and reproduction handling were handed out. The prevalence rate was 32.9% and the number of foci was 100%. In the multivariate statistical analysis, there was a significant association for the following variables: age (OR = 4.01; C.I. 2.03-7.94), size of the property (or the farm; OR = 0.48; C.I. 0.26-0.90), semi-intensive rearing system (OR = 3.17; C.I. 1.24-8.13), running water source (OR = 3.13; C.I.-1.66-5.87), and presence of cats (OR = 1.72; C.I. 1.08-2.75). It is concluded that sheep of the three meso-regions of the State of Alagoas are exposed to the infection caused by T. gondii with high prevalence. Control and prophylactic measures must be adopted seeking the improvement of the rearing system and the implantation of health promoting programs in cooperation with sheep farmers in order to elucidate the transmission means of this disease.

Here, we assessed outcome of experimental infection by Neospora caninum in goats intravenously inoculated with 106 tachyzoites of the Nc-Spain7 isolate at 40 (G1), 90 (G2) and 120 (G3) days of gestation. Infected goats had fever between 5 and 9 days post inoculation (dpi); all were seropositive at the time of abortion/birth. Foetal death occurred in G1 from 10 to 21 dpi (n = 7) and in G2 from 27 to 35 dpi (n = 4). Goats in G2 also had seropositive stillbirth (n = 1) and healthy kids (n = 2). G3 goats (n = 7) had 3 seropositive and 3 seronegative weak kids, and 2 seronegative healthy kids. Parasite DNA detection in placentomes was 100% in G2, 85.7% in G3 and in G1 was detected only in placentomes from the goats with foetal losses from 17 dpi (100%). Parasites were detected in foetal/kid brain (>85.7%) and liver (≥50%) of G2 and G3, and in G1 after 17 dpi (100%). The highest parasite loads were detected in the placentomes of G1 from 17 dpi and G2, and in foetal tissues of G1 from 17 dpi and G3. Multifocal necrotic lesions were observed in the placentas of the three groups, but they were larger and more frequent in G1 and G2. Similar lesions were observed in foetal tissues, but they were more frequent in G3. These findings suggest that, as observed in cattle and sheep, the clinical consequences of N. caninum in pregnant goats are dependent in part on the time of gestation when animals were infected.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13567-016-0312-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Coxiella burnetii, an intracellular bacterium, is the agent of Q fever/coxiellosis, a worldwide zoonosis. Dairy animals are the primary reservoirs of C. burnetii, and although the disease is usually asymptomatic or subclinical, abortion is a serious clinical outcome among small ruminants. This study was conducted to investigate C. burnetii seroprevalence and infection In a flock of dairy goats in Brazil. Serum samples from 312 goats collected from a dairy goat flock with a history of reproductive failure were tested by a commercial ELISA (LSIVet Ruminant Q Fever - Serum/Milk; Thermo Fisher Scientific, Lissieu, France) for anti-C. burnetii IgG antibodies. Samples of cotyledons from 23 placentas were analyzed by nested PCR for the presence of the bacterial DNA. ELISA seroreactivity was found in 55.1% (172/312; 95% CI = 49.4%-60.7%) of the serum samples analyzed. C. burnetii DNA was detected in 8.7% (2/23) of the placental samples tested, where both animals were also seropositive. This study reports the first description of C. burnetii infection in an abortion outbreak in goats in Brazil. The results point out to the importance of including this disease in animal and public health surveillance programs as well as into the list of abortive diseases in goats in Brazil.

Pesq. Vet. Bras. 32(5):391-395, maio 2012 391 RESUMO.-Objetivou-se com este estudo analisar os fatores de risco associados à mastite bovina na microrregião de Garanhuns, Pernambuco. Para isso, foram submetidas ao exame microbiológico 1260 amostras de leite e em cada propriedade foi aplicado um questionário contendo informações relacionadas às características raciais dos animais, dados gerais sobre as propriedades, manejo do rebanho e higiênico-sanitário durante a ordenha. Para a análise dos fatores de risco foi realizada uma regressão logística considerando como variável dependente o exame microbioló-gico. Ao exame microbiológico observou-se 477 (37,9%) The objective of this study was to analyze the risk factors for bovine mastitis in the micro-region of Garanhuns, Pernambuco, Brazil. For this, was submitted for microbiologic exam 1260 milk samples and on each farm was applied a questionnaire about characteristics of animal breeds, general data from the farm, handling of cattle and sanitary measures for milking. To analyze the risk factors, a logistic regression was made as a dependent variable of the microbiologic exam. The microbiologic exams showed 477 (37.9%) positive samples and 783 (62.1%) negatives ones. The risk factors for bovine mastitis were: the semi-intensive breeding system (OR=2.3, p<0.0001), feeding during milking (OR=1.3, p=0.0101), antimicrobial shift (OR=1.3, p=0.00770), and dry cow therapy (OR=1.5; p=0.0013). The results show that the main risk factors are associated with handling to which the cattle is submitted. The knowledge of these factors allow to adopt prevention and control measures to avoid mastitis to improve animal productivity and gain within the production system. INDEX TERMS: Mastitis, epidemiology, cattle.

The clinical, anatomical and histopatological findings of glanders diagnosis in donkeys in the state of Pernambuco-Brazil are reported. The animals were euthanized and necropsied, and evaluated for lesions in respiratory and lymphatic systems, confirming the disease by isolation of Burkholderia mallei and Strauss test.