ASTRACT -This research was undertaken with the aim of establishing the main causes of equine abortion in the Curitiba area. It has been established that during the period of three years occurred a total of 9.2 per cent abortions among 674 gestations studied. From 50 aborted fetuses, different biological material was collected for bacteriology, virus and histopathology analysis. A total of 4.5 per cent of twin abortions were observed among 132 cases of abortions studied. The equine Herpesvirus type 1 has been successfully isolated from 4 cases, among 21 fetuses studied. On the other hand, 44.7 per cent from 38 fetuses studied were considered positive for bacteriological testing. The most frequent bacteria recovered were Streptococcus spp., Klebsiella spp., Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas spp. and Staphylococcus spp. The alterations found in the histological examination of the majority of bacteriological and virological abortion cases were desccribed.

Como parte da investigação das causas de aborto eqüino na região de Curitiba - PR e com o objetivo de determinar o grau de exposição do rebanho ao herpesvírus eqüino tipo 1, foi utilizada a técnica de soroneutralização. Foram colhidas, até o ano de 1992, 299 amostras de soro sangüíneo de animais a partir de um ano de idade, não vacinados contra rinopneumonite, dos quais 17,7% apresentaram anticorpos para o referido vírus. Não foram encontradas diferenças, estatisticamente, significantes com relação à soropositividade entre os animais agrupados segundo o sexo, raça ou procedência. Apenas com relação à faixa etária, observou-se que os animais de um a quatro anos, apresentaram tendência ao aumento de soropositividade com o avanço da idade. A presença de anticorpos soroneutralizantes contra o herpesvírus eqüino tipo 1, em animais não vacinados, comprova a existência do referido vírus na população estudada.

Bovine Herpesvirus 4 (BoHV-4) is a member of Gammaherpesvirinae sub-family and belongs to genus Rhadinovirus . This virus has been associated with different clinical manifestations and research activity has put forward a strong correlation among virus infection, postpartum metritis, and abortion. The goal of this work was to characterize a virus strain isolate from a cow’s uterine outflow. From swabs drawn of uterine secretion, a virus strain was isolated and characterized by its cytopathology, morphology, and molecular biology approaches. In culture there was CPE development, characterized mainly by long strands with several small balloons along them, radiated from infected cells. Electron microscopy analysis revealed virus particles that had icosahedrical capsid symmetry surrounded by a loose envelope, typical of a herpesvirus. A 2,571 bp PCR product after Hind III digestion generated four fragments, whose base pair composition were 403, 420, 535, and 1,125 bp. Restriction enzymes Hind III and Bam HI generated the expected diagnostic bands as well as a 2,350 bp hypermolar fragment as a result of Bam HI treatment to demonstrate that agent was a bovine herpesvirus 4, appertaining to DN-599 group.

INTRODUCTION: The production of anti-Cryptosporidium polyclonal antibodies and its use in direct immunofluorescence assays to determine the presence of Cryptosporidium in water are described in the present work. METHODS: Two rabbits were immunized with soluble and particulate antigens from purified Cryptosporidium oocysts. The sera produced were prepared for immunoglobulin G extraction, which were then purified and conjugated with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC). Slides containing known amounts of oocysts were prepared to determine the sensitivity of the technique. To test the specificity, slides containing Giardia duodenalis cysts were prepared. RESULTS: The conjugate was successfully used in water samples experimentally contaminated with Cryptosporidium oocysts, and it was possible to detect up to five oocysts/spot, corresponding to contamination of 250 oocysts/mL. CONCLUSIONS: The three immunizations performed in the rabbits were enough to produce antibodies against Cryptosporidium, the standard direct immunofluorescence assay permitted the detection of five oocysts in 20% of the samples, and no cross-reaction with Giardia duodenalis cysts occurred.