RESUMO Neste trabalho, verifi cou-se a ocorrência de parasitos gastrointestinais em gatos urbanos domiciliados no município de Santa Maria, RS, no período de março a junho de 2011. Além disso, foram avaliados os fatores de riscos relacionados com a infecção

No abstract

Cats and dogs are hosts of a large number of gastrointestinal parasites and can shed helminth eggs and protozoan oocysts in their feces. The close relationship between companion animals and humans intensifies human exposure to zoonosis caused by parasites. In this study, 177 fecal samples were collected: 128 from dogs and 49 from cats of both sexes and varied ages. One or more intestinal parasites were observed in 56.2% (72/128) of the dog fecal samples and in 53.0% (26/49) of the cat fecal samples. Parasitic monoinfection was present in 70.8% (51/72) of dog samples and in 46.1% (12/26) of cat samples, whereas multi-infection was observed in 29.2% (21/72) and 53.8% (14/26) of dog and cat samples, respectively. The detection frequency of Cryptosporidium spp. was 22.6% (40/177) using Ziehl-Neelsen staining. DNA was extracted from all samples and the Cryptosporidium small subunit ribosomal ribonucleic acid (SSU rRNA) gene was amplified from 5.6% (10/177) of the fecal samples using nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Amplification was achieved in 4.6% (6/128) of the dog samples and in 8.2% (4/49) of the cat samples. DNA sequencing of the nested PCR positive samples identified Cryptosporidium canis in 66.6% (4/6) and Cryptosporidium parvum in 33.3% (2/6) of the dog samples and Cryptosporidium felis in 75% (3/4) and Cryptosporidium parvum in 25% (1/4) in the cat samples. The present study thus demonstrated significant levels of gastrointestinal parasite infection in companion animals and highlighted the presence of zoonosis agents.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of selenium and copper on oxidative stress and its performance in lambs experimentally infected with Haemonchus contortus. Twenty-eight five-months old lambs were experimentally infected by the oral route with 5000 third-stage infective larvae and allocated into four groups, i.e., untreated animals, animals treated intramuscularly with sodium selenite (0.2 mg kg(-1)), animals treated subcutaneously with copper (3.5 mg kg(-1)), and animals treated with sodium selenite (IM; 0.2 mg kg(-1)) and copper (SC; 3.5 mg kg(-1)). These animals received oat hay (Avena sativa) and commercial concentrate, totaling 15% of crude protein, 30% being derived from oat hay and 70% of the concentrate. Lipid peroxidation, antioxidant enzymes, eggs per gram of feces (EPG) and body weight were assessed on the day of infection and after 20, 40, 60 and 80 days post-infection. The number of H. contortus adults was assessed at the end of the experiment. The selenium associated or not with copper reduced the effects of oxidative stress caused by infection. The groups supplemented with copper had increased body weight, and the combination of these two minerals reduced the EPG and number of H. contortus adults in lambs. The use of selenium associated with copper may help the control of infection by H. contortus.

Protozoa from the family Sarcocystidae are agents of reproductive and neurological disorders in horses. The transmission of these protozoa may occur via horizontal or vertical means, and the frequency and potential of the later is not fully elucidated in horses. Thus, the aim of study was to correlation levels of antibodies in mares with pre colostral foals seropositive and assess the level and distribution of antibodies against Neospora spp., Sarcocystis neurona and Toxoplasma gondii, in mares and pre colostral foals at the parturition. The blood samples were collected from mares immediately after parturition and from newborns before the ingestion of colostrum, and sera were analyzed for the presence of IgG by ELISA. It was found that 21.5%, 33.7% and 27.6% of mares were seropositive for Neospora spp., S. neurona and T. gondii, respectively; foals had antibodies at a rate of 8.3%, 6.6% and 6.6% for Neospora spp., S. neurona and T. gondii, respectively. Additionally, paired samples from mares and pre-colostral foals revealed an overall negative correlation between the serum reactivity against these three parasites and suggested that seronegative mares, or those with low to intermediate antibody levels, have a higher risk of giving birth to seropositive foals.